christianity – Page 27

Sermon Seeds: Get A Grip

This week we add self-control.

When I think of self-control I hear my dad’s voice telling me to get a grip. I keep this broken handle to remind me I really do have a grip.

Self-control follows knowledge in our list of things we must add to our faith. So it would seem, self-control involves putting into practice what is learned of God.

A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out. Proverbs 25:28, The Message.

When we lack self-control or are lazy about engaging it, we set ourselves up as easy prey for the enemy.

The self-control spoken of in the Bible is a gift from God through the Spirit. The Spirit “teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2:12)

So I we need a grip on the Spirit to get a grip in life.

Sermon Seeds: Adding Knowledge Without Being A Know-it-all

Last week we considered what it means to add goodness to our faith. This week’s “add” is knowledge.

One of the things I’ve learned in my study of the Word, is order is not an accident. Peter doesn’t instruct his readers to add knowledge before they add goodness.

The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians: We know that we all possess knowledge…but knowledge puffs up. (1 Corinthians 8:1)

Knowledge is desirable, but alone: it’s dangerous!!

Without goodness knowledge is often wielded to humiliate, intimidate, or alienate others, not for what God intended it to be: a tool to build and bless and serve others.

Goodness renders knowledge beneficial rather than impressive.

Peter also is clear that we are are to add knowledge, not opinion. We have to know the truth, and be sure truth is what we’re standing on and for.

As I was thinking about how knowledge can puff up and the importance of truth over opinion, I began thinking about my marriage. After 36 years my husband and I know the pain that comes from acting like we “know it all.” We have learned the value of a heartfelt apology and staying open to learning.

I love when I can learn something new about my husband. It keeps our relationship fresh and growing.

God wants us to have that same attitude in our relationship with him. We can never learn it all, but we can commit our entire lives to trying.

What are you doing to add knowledge to your faith?

(Thanks to Mark Buchannon and his book “Hidden in Plain Sight” for these concepts about knowledge.)

Sermon Seeds: Faith and Foundation

I’ve been meditating all week on Bible verses about faith. Here are a few:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb. 11:1

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Heb. 11:6

So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. Ro. 10:17

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Lk 17:5

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:17 NLT

What I’m about to tell you is true. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, it is enough. Matthew 17:20

So, how is your faith today? Growing? Fading? Active? Passive?

Today as I was reflecting and preparing for Sunday’s message, I realized I’ve been pretty comfortable with where my faith has been. You can translate that as stagnant. I don’t feel good about either of those words. I went to front of our sanctuary and knelt in prayer. And wept.

I talk about the great things God wants to do in this church, in the lives of this body of believers, in this community…in me. But am I willing to step into that growth, willing to take on the changes for me? That’s scarey…and it’s all good. God’s promise and plan shouldn’t be a fearful thing.

So this revelation is going to cost me. Bonhoeffer wrote that there is no cheap grace…the same is true of faith.

This thing we call faith is the foundation for everything we build your spiritual life upon. We need to make sure it’s rock steady.

Bumper Snicker Revelation

Driving around town, admiring the greening of the world around me reminded me of another trip around town and the lesson I learned

That day, as I started to pull away from work, I was enjoying the gorgeous sunshine and blue sky. My regular road home wound over rolling hills with forests on each side. Each season brought its own brand of beauty. Today it was the green of spring. I smiled and breathed deeply of growth and change.

Not long down the road my smile faded as I pulled up to a long line of cars barely crawling at about 25mph (on a 55mph state route). As the road dipped, I saw the reason for our slowing: a huge piece of farm equipment lumbered down the road. I was going nowhere fast.

It’s not uncommon to come upon machinery on this road, and the sizes and speeds all vary. Sometimes the slowdown could also be a horse and buggy, in no hurry to get anywhere. I love where I live, so I see the buggies and machinery as a normal part of the journey..

Another part of the delay, other than just snailing behind the bouncy mammoth on wheels, is the road. There’s limited opportunity to pass on this stretch of road. The traffic is constant, with few sections where a brave soul can pass.

This afternoon there was no passing. The guy in the car ahead of me didn’t hesitate to express his frustration about the situation. His arms flailed, and he jerked across the center line checking on whether he could pass. This behavior was interspersed with long periods of laying on his horn. I must confess, the longer I followed him, the more I found myself snickering at his exasperation.

I kept my distance from the erratic driver. Then I noticed a green oval sticker on his bumper. I eased a little closer to be sure I read it correctly. Sure enough. The sticker contained one word: Pray. It hit me so funny at first I burst into laughter. Really? “Hey buddy, did you forget your faith? Your fickleness is showing, and it’s not becoming of your witness.”

Then I got one of those nudges from the Spirit. You know the kind. It sounds like your mother, or teacher. It starts simply with a throat clearing—just enough to get your attention, if you’re paying attention. The throat clearing is then followed by The Look. Now, I’m not sure how the Spirit manages to give a look, but the feeling is just the same. I was caught and I knew it.

So I did the one thing I probably should have started with, the one thing I was being silently asked to do all along: I prayed. I prayed the driver would be safe. I prayed other drivers would drive safely and intelligently. Then I asked for forgiveness. How dare I question this guy’s faith? In my attitude I threw a stone when I had no right. My fickleness hangs out way more than I care to admit.

I guess that’s why I never put any Christian symbols or stickers on my car. Maybe that’s why I laughed so hard and quick. Mr. Impatient’s behavior was too familiar. Oh sure, with nowhere to be, I was cruising that afternoon, peaceful and unruffled. But what if I had been late for something very important? I imagine it would look quite different and definitely not flattering to my faith.

A “pray” sticker on my car, needs to be on the dashboard, not the bumper. I wonder if I can find one that says, “Pray first. Laugh later.” I’ll be looking!

Sermon Seeds: Everything We Need

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

This afternoon my grandson stopped by the office for a few minutes. There was about a twenty minute lag between when his mom needed to drop him off and his grandpa (my hub) got off work. We played a few points of air hockey and then went to my office where I was working on the sermon.

He asked what I was doing and when I told him his eyes lit up and he begged to help. Since I have taken this interim position, he has developed a new outlook on church. On Sunday he told his Sunday School teacher his favorite part of church was the preaching. (Go ahead, picture me grinning quite hugely.)

This afternoon, I told him I would love his help. I showed him the text (see above) and asked him to look at it and tell me what he thought the most important parts were. Let’s see if they match up with what you think stands out.

First he pointed out how cool it is that God has given us everything we need to follow him. Next he liked the part that God chose us. And finally, he felt it was pretty amazing that we get to share in the God’s nature…and we need to be sharing that.

Seems to me that preaches pretty well. Not bad for a nine year old.

Prayerful Thoughts: With All My Heart

¹¹Teach me your ways, O Lord,
    that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
    so that I may honor you.
¹²With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
    I will give glory to your name forever,
¹³for your love for me is very great.
    You have rescued me from the depths of death. (Psalm 86:11-13)

I love finding something cool and unexpected when I’m looking for something else.

The scripture I quoted above is one of my favorites…and an often prayed prayer. I know the disastrous consequences of a divided heart.

So in my search I came across the pic above. I didn’t get it at first. I never was very good with fractions. (Picture me laughing at myself here.)

Heart divided by nothing.

I love it. I would almost tattoo that one! (Don’t tell my daughters.) Why? Because that is the prayer of my heart.

And the really good news is found in Ezekiel 19:11: And I will give them singleness of heart (aka: undivided) and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart. (NLT)

And with a heart like that, we can live ever, only, all for Him.

Sermon Seeds: It’s All About The Fruit

⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

It seems so obvious. We wouldn’t argue the point if we were discussing grapes, or squash, or pumpkins. The only way to produce fruit is for the branch to be connected to the vine.

In this section of the gospel (John 15), Jesus identifies himself as the true vine–the genuine item, the real deal. He would only make that point if there were false, fake, or dead vines people were trying to attach themselves to.

The way to know who or what we’re attached to is to examine the fruit. Good fruit comes from abiding in the true vine.

So, how’s your fruit?

If we are going to produce fruit for the Kingdom, fruit that brings glory to God, then we need to be a people of the vine.

Sermon Seeds: Finishing

(On Wednesdays my blog posts will be related to the text of the upcoming Sunday message.)

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

We just finished walking together through Lent to the Resurrection. The intention of these devotional thoughts was to get us ready to see Jesus!

How’d you do?

Each time I reach the resurrection story I am moved when I try to imagine Jesus speaking Mary’s name. I listen hard to hear him whisper my name.

But that’s not the end of the story! More work needs to be done. We have our part. God is not finished with us!

Sunday morning I will preach my first official sermon as the interim pastor of Ashland First Church of the Brethren. It is not my first time in the pulpit with these precious people. I’ve been filling in for a while.

On Sunday we embark on a different phase. We are focusing on where God wants us to go, who God wants us to be…and how we’re going to get there.

I love our verse from Philippians. For a long time I took it personally…individually. But it’s plural. Like: He began a work in y’all. And He wants to finish it.

What work has God begun in you? In your family? In your faith community–your church?

Will you join him in the work? Will you let him finish?

You hold a piece to the whole that only you can fill.

Who did you come to see?

He is risen. He is risen indeed.

The women came to the tomb to care for his body. They came out of love. They came in their grief. They did not expect To be told he was not there. They definitely did not expect to be told he was alive!

In the gospel of John we find the account of Mary’s encounter with the risen Jesus. He asks her why she is weeping. She’s confused, by the empty tomb and the absurdity of the question. She wants to know where Jesus is. He asks again and asks who she is looking for. Still unaware she answers that she wants to know where they have taken his body. She’s thinking this has to be a cruel joke.

Then Jesus speaks her name. And she knows. All doubt, all fear, all confusion is instantly and totally erased. She runs to tell the others.

I’ve just seen Jesus.

We will see who we are looking for.

Who will you look for this Resurrection morning?

Jesus, Messiah, the Christ. The King. The risen Lord. The breaker of bread. The living water. The light of the world. The way, the truth, the life.

Will you hear him speak your name?

He is risen. He is risen indeed!

How do you wait?

Nothing is really written about today. We who know the rest of the story look toward tomorrow morning like a child expecting a basket full of goodies.

But how did the disciples wait…or did they.

They hid. In John we read that they were huddled in a room behind a locked door. Fearful that they might be next…guilt by association.

Others went back to work, went back to what they knew…what they could count on.

Some made the long walk home to Emmaus.

They didn’t know the end of the story. Otherwise they would have been gathered outside of the tomb, ready to celebrate!

I’m not a very good “waiter”, especially when I don’t know what outcome I’m waiting for. I get impatient when God doesn’t answer right away…when Saturday drags on forever.

But even if I don’t know how things are going to end, even when the end seems so dreadfully far away…Sunday’s coming.

If we were sitting across the table, talking over a cup of something warm, I’d look you in the eye and say: “Let’s make a pact. Let’s decide to anticipate that God is going to do something. Let’s trust him to have our best in mind. Let’s.”

So, let’s.

PRAYER: God of silence, God of wait, God of meanwhile…we want to be like children eagerly anticipating that you have got an awesome plan for our lives. Better than we could ever imagine. Walk with us through our Saturdays, our times of doubt and fear. We want to live every day like Sunday’s coming. Amen.

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