10/2 Grow

Lesson in Love 5

2012-01-26T15:12:00.003-05:00

Technologically challenged, I get frustrated when I must struggle through how to operate a new cell phone, navigate Facebook, or work with a new computer. I often have to turn to my teen-age children for assistance. I don’t understand how they do what needs to be done; I just know that THEY know what is going on.

We can face the same frustration in our faith. It can be so easy to fall into a religion where our relationship with God and our life as a Christian is no more demanding than attending church as often as we can and giving what money we can. Now and then we might even be willing to help out with special services or programs.

But when we are confronted with the knowledge that ministry to God involves caring for people we do not want to be around things get uncomfortable. When being the church involves something beyond the church building and people outside of our circle of acquaintances we might get a little antsy.

Like the psalmist (Psalm 71) we may have to rely on trusting God for our strength and guidance. And like the prophet Micah we may have to trust that we don’t always comprehend what God is doing.

The people in the synagogue where Jesus spoke thought they understood what this teacher was talking about. He was speaking some words of comfort for people who were struggling in life. But then he talked about going beyond this small circle of people and sharing God’s grace with everyone.

They were upset. They were angry. They were so angry they were ready to literally throw Jesus off a cliff to get him to stop.

But they couldn’t stop him. He went on with his ministry. He went beyond what was accepted and showed love to all people – the sinner, the stranger, the enemy.

We must know as Micah did, the plans of God are beyond our understanding. We do not know the thoughts of God. We must simply obey when we are sent. We must follow our Lord when He tells us to love our neighbor, even if it frightens us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can help you trust in God?

Lesson in Love 4

2012-01-25T15:10:00.003-05:00

Psalm 71:4-5

It can be a frightening prospect to consider the fact that God has chosen each of us to be His representative in the world. It can be intimidating to know that we are supposed to be the image of God to others. We are challenged with this task. By showing love to everyone we meet we are going into territories – not just physical lands, but spiritual and emotional realms – that are strange and worrisome.

But we should go forward with confidence. Not only has God chosen us to do this work, He will be with us when we go out. The psalmist calls on the Lord for help in Psalm 71. From whom does he want to be saved? What confidence does he have in God?

By showing love to other people we become vulnerable. We open ourselves up to rejection and criticism. We may fear that we will be humiliated and embarrassed. We may also be doing something new, something we have not done before. Sharing love may bring us discomfort.

But we can put all of our fears aside because we know what we are doing is the will of God. We can hand all of our worries and hesitations to God. He will deliver us, protect us, bring us through the challenges when we are faced with people who will want to reject us and criticize us.

We can abandon all the self-doubt we have by trusting that God will give us ability. We may think we have no skill at sharing love the way we should. We may think we are not capable of being the people god wants us to be.

But the Lord is our hope. He is the One who can bring us the confidence we need to go out into the world and truly care for others.

When we feel we are not ready to share love we must call on God. He will give us the tools and the words and the thoughts we need to show love to others. He will guide us in our actions if we will simply rely on Him.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can remind you that God is always with you?

Lesson in Love 3

2012-01-24T15:07:00.003-05:00

Jeremiah1:4-5

Love is more than a simple act. Love is more than being kind and tolerant. Love is at the core of who we should be as children of God. It should be that quality that brings substance to the way we live and deal with others.

And sharing love is likely to take us to uncomfortable places. We may need to do things in a new way. We may need to show love in places we are not familiar with and to people we may not like.

So, we can ask ourselves if we have what it takes to be a person who loves. And in the asking we have those doubts. Maybe love is too difficult for us to live out.

When we have our doubts about where we might be heading in living out love we must look to the people who were blessed by God to do the difficult things. Jesus was chosen by God to preach the good news of salvation, to free those who were prisoners of sin, to give sight to the spiritually blind (Luke 4:18). And he was going to do that with Jew and Gentile alike.

This made the people who knew him very angry. But Jesus walked on in his ministry. He went ahead and shared love.

The prophet Jeremiah was chosen by God to do wonderful things. And this frightened Jeremiah. But what assurance did God give the prophet? What has God done?

Can we be like Jeremiah too sometimes? When we hear the message that we as Christians are supposed to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we are not just to embrace the idea but live out the words, do we sometimes feel upset? Do we get angry that so much is expected of us? Does it bother us to know that people we consider to be sinners are supposed to receive love from us?

And with all this emotion we might be like Jeremiah and try to avoid the obligation of sharing love. We might say “I don’t know how to do this. I am only a child.” (see Jeremiah 1:6)

We must remember that God knows what He is doing. God created us. He knew us before we were born. And as believers in God, as Christians, as children of the Lord, we are set apart from others. We are special.

God appoints us to be the people who share His love with those who do not know love. We are the ones who must move ahead in a ministry of sharing love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Who is someone who needs to know God’s love?

Lesson in Love 2

2012-01-23T15:07:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians13:1-3

If we are going to talk about love – the love we have for one another, the love we have for God, the love God has for us – then we really need to gain an understanding of what love is all about. At almost every wedding you will hear the reading of “The Love Chapter” – 1 Corinthians 13. It is Paul summing up a beautiful definition of love.

We are familiar with the words of Paul on love. Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. That seems to be the meat of the love message. And so we overlook what he has to say at the beginning of this message of love.

What abilities does he mention? What attitude does he talk about? What does all of this amount to if we do not have love?

These opening statements in 1 Corinthians 13 lay the foundation of the importance of love. Paul talks about wonderful and noble qualities that a person or a church might possess. Speaking in the tongues of men and angels could be a description of any person or group of people who are able to say compassionate and loving things. We as Christians and as a church may “say” the right things about loving and caring for others.

But if we do not actually possess the ability to love, if we cannot live out love and see that love goes beyond ourselves and our tight circle of friends, then we really have nothing.

If we have all knowledge, if we are brilliant thinkers, if we have faith, or at least claim and believe we have faith we may feel very good about ourselves. We are great people. But if we do not possess the ability to care for others, especially strangers and people we may not like, then we have nothing.

Love is more than being patient and kind. It is more than being humble and selfless. Love must be at the core of what we do. And we must see that if we will truly love everyone, if we will love the way God wants us to love, we must be willing to live that love in all we do.

And living love will take us beyond the familiar that we know and beyond the places where we find comfort. And if we really love we will accept and embrace this adventure of loving.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Will you take on a new way of sharing love?

Lesson in Love 1

2012-01-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

Luke 4:28-30

When we think about Jesus and who he was and why he came we likely think about the love and compassion of God. Jesus came to us as an expression of the Lord’s incredible love for us. Jesus came to save us. And yet there are so many people who did not want to accept what Jesus brought.

Beginning in Luke 4:16 we have the story of Jesus in his local synagogue. He is handed a scroll, the book of the prophet Isaiah, and he reads about God anointing someone to proclaim good news, to heal, to set people free. And then Jesus announces that he has fulfilled this prophecy. Jesus is the one who is anointed by God to do all these good things.

Such news really pleased the crowd. They were glad to hear the good news. But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He talks about other stories from the Old Testament scriptures that show that Jesus will have his ministry go beyond the people of Israel. And this upset the crowd.

What did the people do with Jesus? What did Jesus do?

As is so often the case, we can shake our heads in disbelief at the reaction the people gave to Jesus. But we at times overlook the fact that we can do the same thing.

We can feel tremendous comfort and satisfaction in knowing that we are loved by God and that Christ came as our Savior. We can find comfort and peace as we gather to worship with other believers just like us.

But when we are confronted with the idea that God’s love extends beyond us, that God also loves other people – people we may not care for, people we may truly dislike – we can get upset. It can get worse when we learn that we are expected as Christians to go out to these people we don’t like and offer them God’s love, or we should welcome them into our presence.

As with the story in Luke, God’s love moves ahead no matter how we react. Jesus walked away from the crowd and went on with his ministry. We may be upset or uncomfortable with the work and ministry of our church, but we must remember that God’s ministry, God’s kingdom, God’s love is beyond our understanding and control.

We must trust that God loves us and accept and even rejoice in the fact that this love is great enough to encompass all people.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can help you remember how powerful God’s love can be?

Repentance 5

2012-01-19T16:21:00.005-05:00

Hebrews 12:22-25

As part of a project that Peggy and I worked on along with some friends, we visited many churches in our hometown to learn about their history and take pictures of both the outside and the inside of these great houses of worship. It was fascinating to see the different churches, the various architectures, the many stained glass windows and ornate décor within. It was such a spiritual thrill to feel the presence of God in so many diverse places, and to be made aware of how vast and all-encompassing God can be.

But it is not the place that connects us to God, although a place of worship is designed to help us make that connection. What brings us into communion with God is our own soul searching for our Lord and Savior.

The writer of Hebrews is talking about the need to search for God and to find him, connecting with him through Jesus. How does the writer describe this encounter with the Most High? Jewish tradition was to offer sacrifices, sprinkling blood before God to please Him. How does the blood of Jesus speak a better word than the sacrifices of Abel? What is the final warning given?

Where do we find holiness? Is it only in the large cathedrals, the high-ceilinged churches with stained glass windows and tall pulpits? Is God only in those places where thousands gather to worship and raise voices in song?

No. God is in every place made holy by those who come before him acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. The holy mountain that is spoken of, that holy place described here, is within the hearts of the faithful. When our hearts become humble before God, when we confess our sins and ask Jesus to rule our lives, then we are joined with all the angels and the saints everywhere and in every time. We become part of the living God.

We cannot miss this important fact of our faith. We have been taught and warned by those on earth, beginning with Moses and on through all the prophets until Jesus Christ, and then beyond Christ, by the writers of the New Testament and all who preach the good news of salvation even today. Now God calls you from heaven to accept his Son as Savior. Do not turn away from Jesus.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be part of thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly?

Repentance 4

2012-01-18T16:18:00.002-05:00

John 3:1-5

Recently one of our children, frustrated with school, wondered out loud why anyone would need to study history. Our canned response was the old adage – “Those who do not know the past are doomed to repeat it.” If we do not know and understand what happened in our history we are likely to make the same mistakes.

But when it comes to our faith we could say that those who do not forget the past are doomed to repeat it. If we can’t let go of our sinfulness, if we can’t get over our foolish mistakes and erroneous behavior, we are likely to keep living a sinful life.

Jesus was approached by Nicodemus, a religious leader and scholar of his time. In this encounter Jesus took the opportunity to give some spiritual teaching. What does Jesus say is necessary to see the kingdom of God? What specification did Jesus add to this comment in verse 5?

Most are familiar with the late night conversation with Nicodemus. Most are familiar with how the man could not understand the simple message of repentance and salvation. How can a man be born again? An adult can not return to the womb.

Well, of course not. But this is not what Jesus was talking about. Jesus was talking about spiritual rebirth. He was talking about shedding our old way of thinking and believing and acting. In its place we need to put on a new life, a life of holiness.

We can move forward in our faith and in our journey to perfection when we get rid of our old ways, ways of selfishness and sinfulness. We need to repent of our sins, seeking forgiveness from Christ. And when we seek that forgiveness we will be given the opportunity for a new life.

We can be born again – not physically – but reborn in the spirit. Our souls can be made new through the water of baptism, a reminder of our salvation. But we must also begin living with a new spirit of godliness.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What must you do to be reborn?

Repentance 3

2012-01-17T16:15:00.002-05:00

Luke 24:45-48

Many years ago my uncle, the owner of a small business, made a decision about an almost daily opportunity. His business brought him in contact with people every day, and he said that many people would greet him with a cliché saying – “What’s the good news?” Never certain how to respond, he finally came to a realization. When asked what the good news was he should always say, “Jesus died for my sins.” In this simple way he could spread the Gospel message.

In this passage from Luke we see Jesus after the resurrection, at the close of his ministry. What did Jesus do for those who believed in him? What did he remind them about in verses 46 and 47? What is important about verse 48?

A common misperception is that only preachers or evangelists are able to tell other people about Jesus Christ. But the fact is that each of us can say something that at least serves as a reminder that Jesus died for our sins.

One of the most important things we must remember is that Jesus is our Savior. Through his death Jesus took on all of our sins. Jesus suffered the punishment for all the wrong you have done and all the sins you will ever commit. Your sins, past and future, are paid for. They are removed – if you accept Jesus as Savior.

But how can anyone accept Jesus as Savior if they have not heard about what Jesus has done?

This passage from Luke is Jesus talking to his disciples and followers, but the message is for all who take on the name of “Christian.” It is significant that this encounter involves more than just the eleven disciples (see Luke 24:33). What Jesus did – open their minds so they could understand – was done for all who believe and have faith, not just the elite eleven.

It is also significant that Jesus claims, “You are witnesses of these things.” I believe the term can apply in two ways. We have witnessed what Jesus has done because we have believed the Gospel story and experienced Jesus in our own lives. But we are also witnesses in that we can share the message of Jesus as Savior.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you witness every day?

Repentance 2

2012-01-16T16:12:00.004-05:00

Luke 5:18-25

Jesus seems to have been misunderstood since the beginning of his life. I would even claim that he is still misunderstood by many. It would seem that those who came to see Jesus were coming to hear a good teacher speak and possibly see some amazing healing.

We recognize Jesus as the Son of God, as God in human form. But those who were around him were not always aware of who exactly he was. What do the friends of the paralytic do? What does Jesus say to the man in need of healing? How do the Pharisees and teachers react? What does this demonstrate about Jesus?

Jesus offers healing in a unique way when a paralytic is lowered through the roof and set before him. Rather than say, “Be healed” or “Get up and walk,” Jesus declares that the man’s sins are forgiven. And that draws a lot of negative attention.

The religious leaders in his presence take offense and claim that Jesus is blaspheming – insulting God. Their comments are a reminder that only God can forgive sins.

And that is when Jesus proves his point. He equates declaring the man healed with declaring the man forgiven. At his command the invalid is able to rise and walk away. He is physically healed and he is forgiven of his sins.

Jesus has proven that, just as the Pharisees and teachers claimed, God can forgive sins. Therefore, Jesus is the Son of God.

We may call Jesus “Lord.” We may call him “Savior” and “Messiah.” But we must remember exactly what we mean by that. Jesus is more than just a good teacher, a kind helper, a good man. Jesus is God in human form, and we are called to accept him as Savior so that we may be forgiven.

This requires that we confess our sins to Jesus and ask for the forgiveness we need. We are not asking a teacher or helper, but we are asking God to forgive us. We should never forget that Jesus is the Savior we need. And we should never forget that we are all sinners who need forgiveness.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Can you acknowledge Jesus as the Savior by asking forgiveness from him?

Repentance 1

2012-01-15T16:09:00.004-05:00

Matthew 8:23-27

Although we say we believe in Jesus we may not always act as though we do. We may think we trust in Jesus, but often our trust falls short of where it needs to be.

This passage in Matthew is a familiar story of the miraculous ability of Jesus Christ. Where are Jesus and his disciples? What problem arises? What does Jesus do? How do his disciples respond?

I have often shared my perception of Jesus and the frustration he must have felt when dealing with the disciples. This story has been used again and again in messages usually focusing on the lack of faith that the disciples had. But I want to focus on the concluding comments that the disciples made.

The twelve have been following Jesus and his ministry for enough time that they have heard him preach and teach. If Matthew is written at all chronologically then Jesus has also healed many sick people prior to this trip in the boat. We might assume that these men are following Jesus because they believe he is the Son of God. But do they really?

Apparently not. If they truly believed him to be the Son of God, God in human form, then they wouldn’t have been amazed at the miracle of the calming of the storm. And if such a miracle did amaze them, the question arises – why did they ask him to save them?

But my fear is that so many of us who call ourselves “Christian” would be equally amazed by the power of Jesus. We claim that we believe Jesus is the Son of God. We claim him as Savior, but we seem to act as if we doubt his ability to forgive our sins or remove them.

Are we simply paying lip service to Jesus, or do we really believe in him as Savior. And if we really believe in him as Savior, can we have faith in the power of Christ? Our faith must be real and not a superficial, shallow cover to what we really believe.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Do you truly believe Jesus can remove your sins and save your soul?

Keeping the Vision 5

2012-01-12T10:59:00.005-05:00

Romans 15:5-7

I can’t help but feel a little guilty when I see someone else working harder than I do. In the past few weeks we have had some church dinners and we have cleared away the Christmas decorations. All these events required several people pitching in and doing what they could to get things accomplished.

I was not the hardest working person in all of these situations. In actuality there were likely only one or two people who really put in extra effort. But instead of feeling jealous or guilty we should celebrate the fact that this person or that was able to do something – find a ministry – in which they could excel.

It takes a great deal of people, in fact all of us, to accomplish the work of God’s kingdom. Each of us is blessed with certain gifts and abilities. Each of us has various interests and areas of expertise or skill. When all of these come together any job can be accomplished.

Paul has something to say about the diversity of work in the church. What does he want for the believers? What will be the result of a spirit of unity? What should we do? Why?

If we will live out the love of Christ in our faith walk, if we will do things for the ministry of the world, we must be willing to do our part in what needs to be accomplished. We cannot sit idly by and allow everyone else do the work of God. But we should also not be the persons who try to do everything on our own.

True ministry, truly doing the work of God’s kingdom, requires that every one of us step forward to do our best. God is able to give us the endurance we need to get things done, and when we know we have done work for God we are blessed with a sense of encouragement.

We must work toward a sense of unity in our places of worship. When we all join together in ministry we are giving glory to God in a unified voice. Accepting our place in the work of the kingdom and accepting the work of others brings praise to God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What must you do to celebrate your own ministry as well as the ministry of others?

Keeping the Vision 4

2012-01-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

John 21:18-19

This passage is one that I heard when I was young and which has rattled around in the back of my mind for some time. It seems to be a gloomy, depressing prediction from Jesus, a reminder that we will not always be in control of what we do. Sure, Jesus was talking specifically to Peter, but I have often thought of these words as I consider growing older. (It seems to speed up with every passing year!) The day will come when I won’t be able to dress myself or go where I want to go.

But is Jesus talking about getting old and frail? It would seem unlikely that this is what he is addressing here.

He has just had a conversation with Peter about taking care of Christ’s sheep. Jesus was giving Peter the command to care for the believers. Now he talks about going where he doesn’t want to go. And then he concludes the whole thing with the statement, “Follow me!”

In light of all that we have looked at so far this week – considering where we fit in with ministry, believing in ourselves, trusting in the guidance Jesus gives – we may be able to see these words are more about our faith life and less about getting old. When we were young in our faith, when we were immature in our beliefs, it is possible we did not give much consideration to the things we could do to serve God and help others.

But as we mature in our faith, as we grow deeper, we may find ourselves doing things we had never considered doing before. We may find that we are needed at the hospital bedside even though we would rather not be around those who suffer. We may find that we are called on to pray for others when we never thought of ourselves as good at praying. We may find that we need to give up something we WANT so that someone else can have what they NEED.

We need to estimate what it is we are able and willing to give to ministry. How do we fit in? And we may find that as we grow closer to Christ we will be willing to do those things we were not willing to do before.

What we must trust in is the fact that Jesus has invited us to follow him. And if we follow him we can trust that it is the hands of Christ that lead us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Where will you go in ministry? Is it a place you do not want to go?

Keeping the Vision 3

2012-01-10T16:16:00.004-05:00

John 8:12

In these winter months when the days are dark early, we usually turn on our garage light in the afternoon and leave it on until late at night so that all of our family members will have some illumination in all of our comings and goings. We have timers on many of our lamps for the same reason. As the day gets dark the light switches on automatically so we can walk in the light.

In this passage from John we again have Jesus teaching a crowd of followers. How does he describe himself? What benefit do the people get when they follow Jesus?

Our lives may have many dark spots in them. We may have times of fear and worry, times when we are challenged to keep moving on. But Jesus brings us light so that our darkness can be illuminated and driven out.

But Christ is talking about something other than the light we might see from a lamp. He is talking about the light of God’s love and wisdom. Jesus is that embodiment of the love of God. He is the living light of God’s grace and wisdom.

As the light of God, then, Jesus shines this light of God on all those who believe in him and follow him. When we follow Jesus – that is, when we try to live and act as Jesus did – we receive this light from God.

Just as Jesus shines the light that is from God, so we as believers should also shine the light. We should receive the light of God’s wisdom and grace that flows through Christ, and then reflect it out into the world so others may come to know the tremendous love of God.

Unfortunately many houses of worship, churches and religious groups have a number of members who are more than willing to bask in the light of God but do nothing to help shine that light to the world. They are more than willing to let the light of Christ shine on them, but they take no part in helping the light shine on others.

As believers we must estimate the cost of our ministry. We must determine how and where we will work to help shine God’s light in the world.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will you do to help shine the light of Christ?

Keeping the Vision 2

2012-01-09T16:13:00.004-05:00

Romans 15:14

We all need some encouragement now and then. It is heartening to have someone list your strong points and have a little confidence in you. When you are feeling weak and lonely, when you think you are destined to failure, it is good to hear some positive words.

In the story of “Winnie the Pooh,” Pooh’s friend Christopher Robin tells him, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” Good words for the little bear and good words for each of us to hear about ourselves.

In his letter to the Romans Paul gives some encouragement to this group of new believers, people he has never met. Of what is Paul convinced? What can these people do?

We can imagine that the new Christians in Rome may have felt a bit uneasy with this new religion they were dealing with. They really had no great leaders yet to put them on the right path and help them through the challenges they were facing.

But Paul had some faith in these believers. He was convinced in his heart that these people were good people. They had within themselves the right spirit, the right attitude, sufficient knowledge and ability to help each other along the way. This young church did not need Paul; they had one another.

Now the question is for us. Do we have what it takes to be good people? Are we of sufficient character and wisdom to be able to correct those who have gone astray from the holy path of faith? Do we have the competence to teach one another and the new believer in what it takes to be a Christian?

I believe the answer is, yes. If we can rely on the spirit and grace of Christ, if we can center our lives on Jesus, we will have what it takes to move forward in our Christian living and to help others in this path of faith. When it comes to being a good Christian it may be that you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you do to help others strengthen their faith?

Keeping the Vision 1

2012-01-08T16:10:00.003-05:00

Luke 14:28-30

Are you prepared for the rest of 2012? Do you have everything in order for all the things you will face, all the struggles and the good times, the challenges and the joys? Most importantly, are you where you need to be with your faith and what you are going to do as part of God’s kingdom?

That’s a lot of questions and a great deal to think about, but that is what it takes sometimes to get through life, especially a life of following Christ. This passage in Luke is part of what Jesus said to a large crowd of people – probably including his disciples – who were following him as he taught. What does he say about a person who wants to build a tower? What might happen if a person is not prepared for what is in store?

Naturally, such an approach is good advice to anyone who is planning a big venture. If you are thinking about building a house, adding on to your current home or remodeling you will need to know what the cost is going to be, and you will need to decide if you have the resources to get things done. The same is true of buying a car, getting groceries, planning a trip, and so on.

But it is also true about our faith and our involvement in being faithful. That is, after all, what Jesus is getting at. This crowd of followers may not have given enough thought to all the commitment required in following Jesus. What might be expected of them? Will they need to change the way they think and act?

As we enter into a new calendar year it is a good time to examine ourselves and our own commitment to Jesus. As believers we need to estimate the cost of what it will take to be truly Christian. We may need to make changes in our lives – changes in how we look at our finances, changes in our attitudes to others, changes in what we do at work and how we act in public AND private.

Jesus encourages us to estimate the cost of what we will do. We must estimate what it is we are willing to give and give up for God. We must look at what we are willing to do in order to serve God and further His kingdom.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What new thing will you do for God in 2012? Do you have the resources – money, time, spirit, attitude – to get it done?

Communion 5

2012-01-05T15:23:00.004-05:00

Acts 2:46-47

A few years back we knew that we would be unable to visit with our families over the Easter weekend. It was just not part of our busy schedule that year and we decided we would simply have a nice Easter Sunday meal at home as a family. We prepared a nice ham and all the side dishes – salad, mashed potatoes, corn and so on. It was a lot of food but we went ahead with our plans.

Then, unexpectedly, my sister and mother showed up at our house. We were excited at that point to have prepared such a large meal of abundance. And we were pleased that someone had come to share it with us.

After the resurrection of Jesus and after he was taken up into heaven the faithful believers continued to meet together as the beginnings of the church we know today. What did they do? What was their attitude?

The love and grace of Jesus Christ did not stop with his death. It continued on among the faithful and still flows today. The early believers would gather together in informal bands of worshipers. As part of their worship there was the sharing of food.

The believers would break bread together – eat – and they did it with glad hearts. They were pleased to be with one another and they were gladdened by the fact that each of them had a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Such should be our attitude as we celebrate Communion in our places of worship. Communion may be a time when we examine ourselves, where we realize that we are not worthy to receive such grace from God. But it should also be a time of celebration and gladness. We should take part in Communion with glad hearts, realizing that although we are unworthy, still Jesus loves us so much that he continues to open himself up to us so that we might be in his loving presence.

Let us rejoice as we take part in Communion. Let us be glad that Jesus loves us. And let us also take the opportunity of Communion to once more invite the Spirit of God to live in our hearts.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be certain to have a glad heart when you take part in Communion?

Communion 4

2012-01-04T15:19:00.005-05:00

John 6:48-51

If you are a parent you have likely encountered problems with getting your child to eat the proper foods. Many children, perhaps most children, would rather eat sweets and candies rather than healthy vegetables no matter how they are cooked and presented.

As adults we know what is best for our children. We know what foods will give them healthier, stronger bodies. But it isn’t always something the child will accept.

When addressing the crowds that followed him Jesus offered a comment on just who he was. What does Jesus say that he is? What is the difference between his bread and the manna the Jews ate in the wilderness? What is special about the “bread” of Christ?

This was a difficult message for people to hear and understand. First, Jesus claimed that he was living bread. He told them that they should eat his flesh (verse 51) and that would provide eternal life.

Additionally, he made a comment about the miracle that the Jews had experienced during the Exodus, a miracle revered by the faithful. He pointed out that even though these people had eaten a gift from God they were still mortal and did eventually die.

The confusion came when people took Jesus literally. During the institution of Communion at the Last Supper Jesus explained that the bread the disciples would eat was his flesh. What he meant was that, like the bread, his body would be broken. Like the bread, the presence of Jesus would give eternal life.

We cannot take these words too literally. We must learn to understand that we must take part in the presence, grace and teaching of Jesus to gain everlasting life. By taking part in Jesus, the way we might take part in a daily meal, we are given a new life, a new way of living and loving and being children of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you take part in the flesh of Christ?

Communion 3

2012-01-03T16:28:00.001-05:00

Luke 22:14-20
Many years ago some of the youth group at our church presented a service, part of which involved the taking of Communion. Unfortunately through inexperience, the leader used the passage from Luke 22 for Communion which resulted in everyone drinking of the cup first and then eating the bread.
It is not a horrible thing to have happen, but traditionally the bread is eaten first and then the cup is drunk. This makes it a bit easier to swallow the bread knowing that a small drink follows.
What does Jesus say about his attitude toward this special meal? How many cups does Jesus give to his disciples?
We may wonder why it is that this presentation of the Last Supper differs from those in Matthew and Mark. Jesus offers a cup first, and then the bread. After the bread a second cup is offered. What is going on?
We must first understand that the Last Supper, part of which we mirror in Communion, is a Seder meal. It is a special and symbolic meal to celebrate the Passover – the saving of the Jewish people from the final plague that afflicted the Egyptians.
As part of the meal there are several cups of wine provided, each with its own meaning. The first cup that Jesus uses in verse 17 is likely the second cup of the meal. This cup is the Cup of Deliverance, a reminder that the Jews were spared the final plague.
In using this cup Jesus was showing the disciples that he was the new deliverer for them. He would be saving them from an eternal death.
The next cup that Jesus used was likely the Cup of Redemption. Again, it showed the disciples that he was the one who would redeem them, and in fact all believers. He would remove our sins through the shedding of his blood.
What also stands out is his comment as he reclines at table. Jesus said that he “eagerly desired” to eat the Passover with them. He very much was willing to be a part of the disciples and for them to be a part of him and what he was doing.
We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus eagerly desires that we also receive his salvation, his deliverance, his redemption. His love is so great for each of us that he was willing to die for our salvation.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Are you eager to take part in Christ’s redemption?

Communion 2

2012-01-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians 11:27-29

So often in our lives and in our work we can accomplish things while functioning on “automatic pilot.” Working at a job a half an hour away from home I drove the same route day in and day out, back and forth from home to work. There were many days when I would get home and realize that I had no recollection of anything that I did on the way home. The entire trip passed without my even noticing.

It can be a scary thought to know that you have been driving without focusing all your attention on what you are doing. But the same scary thought can occur when we realize that we are going through a life of faith with our eyes closed.

As Paul continues with his comments on the Lord’s Supper what does he say about those who take part in Communion in an unworthy manner? What should we do? What does self-examination do for us?

Paul warns against taking part in Holy Communion in “an unworthy manner.” We may not know exactly what that means, although if we look at what Paul has said earlier (1 Corinthians 11:17-22) we can assume he is talking about people who treat this religious act as a social act. Much of this comes from the fact that early worship services involved a full meal.

But we can take Communion in an unworthy manner today, without the presence of a meal. If we do not fully appreciate the gravity and importance of what Communion is all about we are partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. If we take part in the sacrament out of duty and habit and not a desire to be in the presence of Jesus, we are taking part in an unworthy manner.

As we approach the sacrament of Communion we must recognize what is going on. We must see that it represents and reminds us of the sacrifice that Jesus made to save our souls. We must see it as an opportunity to enter into an intimate connection with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God, the Father. We commune with God, joining our spirit with His. This attitude can be gained through a time of self-examination and spiritual preparation.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What must you do to recognize the importance of Communion?

Communion 1

2012-01-01T16:07:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

When I was very young I shared with my brother an incredible story I had heard. He didn’t believe me and he gave me some advice. He said, “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.”

It is true that I can sometimes be gullible and believe what others have told me. I need to be more discerning in my judgment, but the cynicism of my brother’s advice was a bit too much for me.

Frequently in matters of faith and the Bible people will ask how it is we know that it is true. For much of our beliefs we must rely completely on faith, trusting that what we believe is actually real and true. But as far as Holy Communion we have some confidence in the tradition.

In his letter to the Corinthians Paul has something to say about the Lord’s Supper. Where did he get this information? What did Jesus do? What are we doing as we take part in Communion?

Paul begins his instructions with the statement that what he is teaching has been passed down from Jesus, through the disciples, to other believers. The tradition and form of the Lord’s Supper was established by Christ himself and then repeated and imitated by his followers.

It is a heartening concept to me to know that what we do during Holy Communion is very much like what happened with Jesus and the disciples on the night Christ was handed over for crucifixion. This sacrament is a re-telling, a re-enacting of what Jesus did, a celebration which has been handed down over the centuries.

As we celebrate Communion in our places of worship we need to realize that, although there may be slight changes and deviations in our traditions, the central act and theme is the same. We are celebrating and proclaiming the sacrifice and love of Jesus Christ.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you trust in the truth of Communion?

Family 5

2011-12-15T16:01:00.004-05:00

John 15:15

With the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas our sons’ girlfriends are learning all the family traditions. They are picking up on the personalities of our relatives and beginning to understand the relationships between the family members. An outsider, someone who is not part of our family, has no need to understand all these things.

While speaking to his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion Jesus lets them know where they stand with him. What name is taken away from the disciples? What are they now? Why is this?

The disciples followed Jesus in his ministry. They learned from him. They assisted him in the things that he did. In some ways they were like servants to him. At the very least they were students.

As the ministry of Jesus drew to an end, as he neared the end of his time on earth, he explained a change that had come about with his disciples. They were no longer pupils. They were no longer servants.

Instead, these devoted followers, these believers, were now friends to Jesus. They had learned everything Jesus had to teach. They understood things now. Although Jesus uses the term “friends” these followers were very much like family to Jesus.

We who believe in Jesus, who accept and believe that the child we celebrate at Christmas is truly our Savior and king, are people who are brought in to a deeper relationship with Christ. We no longer live in the darkness of ignorance and unbelief. We live in the light of God’s love.

We are friends to Jesus. We are more than friends; we are part of the family of our loving Savior. The celebration of Christmas is a time to share joy and love with family. Now that family includes Jesus.

As we enjoy Christmas we must be certain to make God, our heavenly Father, and Christ our king part of the joyous celebration. We are all part of one big family now.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you make Christ part of Christmas?

This is the last 10/2 Grow Daily Devotion for 2011. We wish all of you a joyous Christmas filled with the love of family and the love of God. The daily devotions will return on January 2, 2012. – Roger and Peggy

Family 4

2011-12-14T16:58:00.003-05:00

John 1:11-13

My nephew and his wife adopted a child a few years back. The boy’s biological mother was unable to care for the child so she gave him up for adoption. Now the little boy has a safe and loving home.

Such a story is not unusual to most people. Adoptions happen all the time. They are a wonderful opportunity to provide a warm and loving home to a child in need, a child who otherwise may have a life of struggles and challenges.

While the Gospel of John does not have the traditional Christmas story we are accustomed to hearing during Advent, what the Gospel writer says fits well in the Christmas season. What is said of Jesus? How did most people respond to the arrival of Jesus? What does Jesus offer to those who believe?

Mary and Joseph and Jesus began as a family in humble surroundings, the baby being placed in a feed trough – a manger – because there was no room for the baby anywhere else. Shepherds were told about the miraculous birth and were invited to see their Savior. Magi traveled from far off countries to honor the child because they recognized him as a king.

In spite of all that surrounded that special birth, in spite of the signs from heaven, not everyone accepted the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. Not everyone recognized the baby as the king God had sent. Even as Jesus grew and began his ministry not everyone accepted what he had to say.

Jesus was rejected by many of the people, the people he had come to save.

But if we believe in all that Jesus is, if we believe he is the Son of God, if we believe the baby was our Savior and king, then we are invited in to the family of God, the family that Jesus is part of. When we recognize Jesus for all that he is – Mighty God, Prince of Peace – we are adopted into a new family. We may not be related to Jesus in the same way that Joseph, Mary, and his brothers and sisters were but we are part of this great family of love.

Let us learn to celebrate the family that we have been brought into, the family of Jesus. It is a family of great love and grace.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will remind you that you are part of Jesus’ family?

Family 3

2011-12-13T16:52:00.006-05:00

Matthew 12:46-50

The other night we had our church family Christmas dinner and program. Instead of the traditional event that featured the youngest children in the church singing songs and acting out the Christmas story, representatives from every Sunday school class gave short presentations of stories, readings and song. It truly was a church-wide program and it highlighted the fact that we are all part of one larger family – the family of God in the church.

Jesus was part of a family. Most people know that Jesus was part of a small family with Joseph as his father and Mary as his mother. But we have also seen that Jesus had brothers and sisters as part of his family. Now, in Matthew, we see a visit from Mary and his brothers. How did Jesus respond when told that his family was asking to see him? Who are Jesus’ mother and brothers?

At first glance this story can be seen as a slight to his earthly family. Jesus seems to be ignoring his mother and brothers who have come to see him about some matter.

We are not told that Jesus refused to speak to his family when they came looking for him. What we have is Jesus taking an opportunity to expand our view of who is part of his family.

Mary was indeed Jesus’ mother and his brothers are listed by name later in Matthew. We know who his mother and brothers are. But now Jesus points out that any person who does the will of God, our heavenly Father, is a brother or sister or mother to Jesus. Jesus is not excluding his earthly family; he is including all believers into his family.

We may look at our own situation at the holidays and feel that we want to spend time with family. We may plan to visit and exchange gifts with parents and siblings, possibly even cousins and uncles and aunts and others. We may be able to trace our family relations by blood as we consider our family.

But as we celebrate Christmas this year let us expand our view of our family. Jesus was given as God’s gift of love, and he came as part of an earthly family. But now we are included in the family that belongs to Christ. We are all part of one family under God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Who needs to be part of your family?

Family 2

2011-12-12T18:11:00.000-05:00

Matthew 13:55-56

With all the giving of gifts at Christmas, the many commercials and ads that urge buying the best and most expensive presents for others, the holiday often becomes a time of materialism. Christmas can become a celebration of possessions, a focus that takes us away from the gift of love from God.

But as time moves on, as we grow and mature, especially as we mature in our faith we can realize that the gifts – the things – of Christmas don’t have the appeal they once did. What becomes important is the time we spend together with the ones we love.

Although the focus of Advent and Christmas is often the baby in the manger, we must see that Jesus was part of a family. As Jesus was teaching in his hometown the people were amazed and in their amazement they wondered about this man they had known so many years. What questions did they ask? What family members are mentioned specifically?

In the amazement of the crowd, the questions they ask of each other, we see some details about the private life of Jesus. They mention his father, Joseph, someone we already know. They also talk about Mary, his mother. But now they talk about siblings to Jesus.

Listed by name are four brothers; James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. Although they are not named, sisters are mentioned and the words “all his sisters” seems to hint at three or more. Jesus was not alone in his life. He had brothers and sisters as he grew up.

Why is this important? I believe it is important for us to remember that our Lord and Savior was no stranger to the relationships we have in life. He had friends. He had parents. He had siblings. Jesus is completely able to understand whatever it is we go through in our lives because he experienced it too.

Christmas can be a celebration not just of gifts given and not just the greatest gift of Jesus, but also a celebration of time together with family. Jesus was the first child of a family, and that family has now grown to include each of us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Who needs to be included in your Christmas?

Family 1

2011-12-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:4-7

Christmas is more than just a pleasant holiday we celebrate each winter. It is a time of sharing together with family. It is a celebration of the holy family – Joseph, Mary, and Jesus – and as such is a celebration of all families.

We are familiar with the Christmas story – not just the story of angels and shepherds and wise men – but also the story of a family. Where did Joseph go? Why did he go there? Who was with him? What was their relationship? What happened in Bethlehem?

Jesus did not enter into this world through some mysterious way, suddenly appearing in the streets of Bethlehem or Jerusalem. He did not come to earth in a strange light or cloud of smoke. He came into the world as all people do, through human birth.

Both Joseph and Mary, descended from the line of David, were required by the ruler’s decree at that time to return to the town of their heritage, to Bethlehem. While they were there fulfilling their legal responsibility Mary gave birth to a child.

We see in this story the actions of a dedicated husband and father. Joseph is obeying the law of the land and returning to Bethlehem even though it was a hardship to him as he was in the company of his new wife already pregnant. We see a loving mother, Mary, wrapping her child in cloths – a tradition of that culture to ensure strong, straight legs – and giving him the most warm and comfortable bed she could find.

With the arrival of the baby Jesus we have a growing family. But there is an interesting word used that we often overlook. This was her “firstborn” child. It was not her only child. The implication is that other children would follow.

Jesus came into this world as part of a family; a family we will soon see will grow to include brothers and sisters. The gift of Christmas is Jesus, but it is also the gift of family and the love that exists between parent and child, brother and sister. Christmas is the celebration of God’s love that brings parents and children together in an all-encompassing love of one universal family.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you do to make the holiday about family love?

Magi 5

2011-12-08T16:11:00.005-05:00

Jeremiah 33:14-15

There is a sense of peace that comes with Christmas. Gathering with family and friends in the comfort of our homes, watching the bright lights of the Christmas tree, knowing that there is a general feeling of love and compassion in the world at Christmas can bring a sense of serenity.

While the celebration of the holiday can be a time of fun and laughter, we must also remember the way in which God’s promises are fulfilled in the birth. We have already seen that this gift of God’s love, the baby Jesus, was a gift intended for us since the beginning. We have already seen that Jesus came to save us from our sins and offer us everlasting life. We have seen that this gift of grace was meant for all people; the rich, the poor, the righteous and the outcast.

Now we look back again at the prophets of old to see the promise that God has made. According to the prophet Jeremiah what will God do? What type of king will Jesus be?

Once more we see the Bible telling us that Jesus was more than just a good man, more than a compassionate teacher. We see again that the baby born was a descendent from David, a child born to be a king. We know, however, that Jesus is more than just an earthly king. He is the spiritual king.

And knowing this should bring us a sense of peace in our hearts. Knowing that Jesus was born to be the king who will do what is just and right should give us the serenity that comes with assurance, of knowing that we are ruled by a righteous and holy king, a king not of this earth.

This Christmas let us remember that Christ is our king. He is the Lord who was born to bring justice and righteousness to the world. He has come to bring us peace.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can bring you a sense of peace this holiday season?

Magi 4

2011-12-07T16:08:00.004-05:00

Luke 1:28-33

Christmas is a time of happiness and joy. It is a time to find gladness in knowing we have received the gift of God’s love and mercy. But the baby we celebrate is more than just an expression of love to give us hope and peace.

At Christmas we celebrate the gift from God, the baby Jesus given to save us. We likely have a Nativity scene set up somewhere to remind us of the story. And at the center of that comforting tableau is a baby in a manger, a child born to a young mother.

In Luke 1 Mary is visited by an angel who gives her some exciting news. How does he greet Mary? What is Mary’s reaction? What wonderful things are promised about the child?

The angel, Gabriel, has some information for this young woman. Gabriel has the advantage in that he knows what will happen with the child that will be born. Mary is not yet aware of all that will happen and so reacts with a bit of worry.

But the angel explains the importance of the birth of this child. It is not just any child who will be born. This child will have an incredible future.

Gabriel explains that the baby, Jesus, will be great. He will be the Son of God. As the Son of God, Jesus will receive the authority of God. He will be a great king. He will be part of the royal lineage passed down from Abraham to Isaac to David and to Solomon. And what is more his kingdom will never end.

In this prophesy from the angel Gabriel we see the majesty and glory of who Jesus is. He is more than just a child. He is more than the son of an average mother and a working father.

Jesus is a great king. But he is more than just a king in the earthly sense. He is a king in the spiritual sense. He is the Son of the Most High God, and therefore his realm is all the earth and all of our hearts.

Christmas is more than just a time to exchange presents. It is more than just a time of joy and happiness. It is also a time where we recognize the spiritual kingship of Jesus, and worship and praise him for who he is.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you give honor to Jesus this Christmas?

Magi 3

2011-12-06T16:01:00.003-05:00

John 1:15

Christmas can be a time of contrasts. While the weather outside may be dreary and depressing, the season brings its own warmth. While the dark days of winter are upon us, there is the light of joy and hope in us. While we celebrate the birth of a child, a child born in a simple setting to poor parents, we also celebrate a great king.

The Gospel of John gives us some understanding of who Jesus is in the opening verses. It speaks of Jesus being the “Word” of God. Jesus was a part of God and remains a part of God. Jesus is the light of humanity.

The Gospel of John also speaks about John the Baptist. This prophet proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the Savior who had been hoped for and sought after. What does John the Baptist say about Jesus? How was Jesus “before” John the Baptist?

At first glance this verse may seem a bit convoluted and confusing. Jesus came after John. Jesus surpassed John. Jesus was before John.

John the Baptist first states that Jesus has come after him. We know through Luke 1 that John the Baptist was born first, born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, a cousin to Mary. In this way John came first.

But now John the Baptist claims that Jesus was before him. John is acknowledging what has been said earlier in this gospel. Jesus – the Word – was with God in the beginning. Jesus, as a part of God, has been present since before John was conceived.

John the Baptist also points out that Jesus has surpassed him. John the Baptist was an important figure in the good news from God and an important figure in the Christmas story. But Jesus is far greater than John ever was.

Jesus is the very Son of God. He was given as a gift to the world, a gift to all humanity. He came to be our Savior, the Messiah who would remove our sin and despair and give us joy and hope and peace.

Like John we must acknowledge the sovereignty of Jesus. We must see that this baby we celebrate is more than a child. Although born in humble surroundings he was born the king of all things.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you keep Jesus as the king at Christmas?

Magi 2

2011-12-05T16:50:00.003-05:00

Micah 5:2

As we decorate for Christmas we pull out all the old ornaments we have collected over the years. Each has a memory and a story for us, but some of my favorite decorations are paper plates that bear the handprints of our children. When our children were in pre-school they dipped their palm in green paint and then pressed their hands on a paper plate.

These are simple things – inexpensive paper, cheap paint – but they are a reminder of how little and innocent our kids were so many years ago. I treasure these ornaments.

We are all familiar with where Jesus was born. We know the story of how Joseph had to go back to the town of his heritage and register for a census. He went to Bethlehem, a small town south of Jerusalem. It was considered a back-water kind of place, insignificant and unimportant.

But the prophet Micah has a message from God about this little town. Although it may on the surface be perceived as unimportant it would play a crucial role in God’s plan. How does Micah describe Bethlehem? Who will come from this town?

We can look at the town of Bethlehem now with some reverence and wonder. It is important to us. It was the place where Jesus was born. And again we are reminded of who Jesus is.

This humble birth that we celebrate at Christmas was really a very special birth. This little baby was truly someone great and wonderful. The baby was really a king, one who would rule over Israel. Although not the kind of ruler people may have expected, not the kind of ruler we may imagine when we think of kings, Jesus is still truly the king of all people. He is our Lord.

His origins are from ancient times. He was with God in the beginning. He has been part of God for all time.

As we go through the holidays this year we must remember how important the place of the birth was and how important the baby still is. We must recognize the Lordship of Jesus; see him as the king that God has sent to rule in our hearts.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will help you remember who Jesus really is this season?

Magi 1

2011-12-04T19:48:00.000-05:00

Matthew 2:1-2

This Advent season we are looking at the meaning of Christmas. What is the point and purpose for all the familiar stories related to the birth in Bethlehem? The same question can be asked about the holiday season we celebrate. What is our focus?

So often the Christmas holiday becomes all about the gifts. And if we are able to look beyond the gifts we may focus instead on the traditions – the meals, the gatherings with friends and family, the decorations, the trees and the lights.

All of these are wonderful parts of the celebration of Christmas but at the center is the baby born in the manger. What do we know about the baby Jesus?

We see the beginning of who this child is with the story in Matthew 2. Who came to visit the baby after he was born? Who are they looking for? What was their sign?

We often depict the Magi as kings from foreign countries. The tradition began, I believe, because of the gifts they brought and the attitude they had in their visit. They had expensive, valuable presents to give the child and as they sought him out they went first to King Herod. After all, for such an important birth the ruler of the land would certainly know where the child was.

But the Bible refers to these visitors as “Magi,” wise men. These men may not have been kings, but instead were very intelligent scholars. They were wise. They had been studying the skies and had seen a supernatural indication that something special had taken place. A bright, unusual star had appeared in the skies and moved to indicate where a special birth had taken place.

Who was this child who had been born? We simply refer to him as Jesus, but these wise men knew him to be a king. He was a person of great value, a person with wonderful power and authority. This was why they came to give gifts, to honor this great king.

As we celebrate Christmas we must remember that this tiny, helpless child who was born was actually indeed a great king. He was the Son of God and as the child of God he was the king of all kings on earth. He was and still is the Lord of all rulers.

We must work to have the wisdom of the Magi. We must be wise enough to recognize that Christmas centers on the child king that was given by God to rule over all of us in tremendous love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you remember that Jesus is the king?

Shepherds 5

2011-12-01T15:39:00.005-05:00

Hebrews 5:8-9

At our Thanksgiving celebration this year we attended several gatherings of various family groups – my cousins, my wife’s cousins, our immediate families. Each gathering, each meal, was established for the family members to come together and celebrate our blessings.

But I noticed at each gathering that more and more people would come through the door and join in the party. As some of the people came in to join the feast our children would ask, “Who is that?” We would usually say, “I don’t know.”

It didn’t matter who the person was who came through the door. There was plenty for every person who entered. All were welcome.

The author of Hebrews explains what the gift of Jesus is all about. What relationship did Jesus have with God? What did Jesus become? What did he become to all of us?

Just as everyone was welcome to the celebration the families held at Thanksgiving, so it is with the gift of Jesus. The baby born in Bethlehem was a gift, first as God’s son intended to save his people, the Jews. But Jesus grew from a baby into the perfect teacher and Savior. Through him all are now welcome in the celebration of love that God offers.

Jesus is the source of salvation to all who believe in him. As the Savior to the world, then, the celebration of Christmas is a time to rejoice in the mercy and grace that is offered to us and to all people. Just as the shepherds – outsiders – were told the good news, we too are invited to share in god’s love.

Christmas marks the beginning of God’s expression of mercy and love to all who are separated from God. All are welcome to join in the feast of hope, mercy and peace. The celebration began as an expression of joy for the presence of Jesus but now grows to a time of rejoicing for all who believe.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you welcome others in your Christmas celebration?

Shepherds 4

2011-11-30T16:35:00.004-05:00

Romans 3:25-26

When I started out in life I needed some financial help from my parents. Over the years they assisted with school fees, car repairs, money for food, and so on. There was an unspoken understanding that these gifts were loans and would some day be repaid, but my parents never asked for the money to be given back.

In Paul’s letter to the churches in Rome he explains the meaning of the gift that God gave through the birth of Jesus. What was the intention of God’s gift? Why did he give Jesus to humanity?

We all know that we are sinners. We all know that we fail to be perfect in the sight of God. Knowing that, we all understand that we deserve nothing but punishment from God.

Yet God surprises us with His tremendous love. Instead of punishment and banishment God has given us the gift of Jesus, the birth we celebrate at Christmas. This gift is meant to be a gift of atonement. The birth of the baby was intended to be the beginning of God’s plan for humanity to be brought back into a loving relationship with the Almighty.

The birth of Jesus was the beginning of God demonstrating His incredible mercy and love. The birth of Jesus is the sign of God’s grace. Jesus would be that sacrifice, that atonement, that repayment of an eternal debt.

Jesus was given so that all people in all the world would have an opportunity for forgiveness. Anyone who accepts the gift of Jesus is welcomed back into the loving relationship of a connection with God.

The gift is a demonstration of God’s tolerance of our failings. It was a demonstration of God’s own justice, a justice that goes far beyond our own ability to be just and fair.

Christmas is the celebration of God’s love for all people. All are welcome to share the joy of knowing God is loving and forgiving.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you make the celebration of forgiveness part of your holiday?

Shepherds 3

2011-11-29T16:29:00.005-05:00

Luke 2:8-11

While Christmas may be a time of joy for each one of us as individuals, and may be a time for joy that we share with friends and family, it is also a time of joy for all people. In the Christmas story we encounter the first outsiders in this passage from Luke.

Who is mentioned? Where are they? Who appears to them? What message is given?

Shepherds in the time of Jesus were a necessary part of the culture. They held an important job tending to the flocks of sheep that were so much a part of the economy and every day life of that time. But these men who tended the sheep were often thought of as outcasts and outsiders.

Shepherds conducted a dirty job – both physically dirty and spiritually unclean. As such they were seldom welcome in the society. Most people preferred to avoid them.

And yet we see in the Christmas story that it was shepherds who were the first people outside the holy family to hear the good news of the gift God had given. Angels appeared to them and announced the good news. These outcasts were presented with the news of God’s love.

In verse 10 we see the extent of this wonderful news. Not only were the shepherds – outsiders – told of the good news the angels explained that it was good news for “all the people.”

Just as the name of Jesus indicated that he would be a Savior to his people, and the implication could be that it was for not only the Jews but all who believed, the angel’s message now included all people. The good news of salvation is meant for everyone, including the outcast and the outsider.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this year we need to remember those people who are outsiders in our own culture. God’s love is extended to us as believers, but it also seeks those who do not know God yet. We can be the ones who bring that news of hope and salvation. We can be the ones who invite the outsider in to the celebration of love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Who is an outsider you know who needs to know of the love of God?

Shepherds 2

2011-11-28T16:19:00.003-05:00

Matthew 1:20-21

Just as John the Baptist was a part of the Christmas story, so too were angels. An angel spoke to Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father. Angels appeared to the shepherds. An angel appeared to Mary and spoke to her about the birth of Jesus. And an angel guided Joseph.

This carpenter who was pledged or engaged to be married to the young woman, Mary, has discovered that the woman he plans to marry is already with child. Not understanding the heavenly and holy designs of what is going on Joseph decides to divorce her, to put an end to the relationship.

Who appeared to Joseph? What assurance is given? What name is to be given?

Joseph, a righteous man, has now been made aware of God’s plans. He has now been informed as to why Mary is with child and then he receives some instruction. Joseph should go through with the marriage and he should give the baby a specific name.

The name we are familiar with – Jesus – is actually just the Greek translation of the name “Joshua.” Just as most other names have a meaning behind them, the name Joshua has its own meaning. It means “the Lord saves.” But who is being saved and from what?

The angel explains in verse 21 what the birth is all about. Jesus – the Lord saves – will save people from their sins. He will remove the punishment earned from evil behavior. But who will receive this grace? The angel says that Jesus will save “his people.”

Our first thought might be that Jesus came to save the Israelites, the Jews, because Jesus was born as part of the Hebrew nation. While this may be true, I believe that “his people” are all the people who will accept Jesus as that Savior God has sent. I believe that Jesus came, not for a select group, but for all people. It is simply up to us to accept this gift and receive God’s grace.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you accept God’s gift this year?

Shepherds 1

2011-11-27T16:13:00.003-05:00

John 1:6-9

If you examine the Christmas story in Luke 1 you will see that John the Baptist plays an important part of the story. It is reflected also in the beginning of the Gospel of John. John 1:1-5 talks about the Word being with God and the Word (that is, Jesus) being the light of men.

Who is brought into the story here? What is said about John and “the light”? Who was the light for?

We all undoubtedly believe that Jesus, even as a newborn baby, is the Prince of Peace and the Lord of our life. We give him honor and praise because he is the gift of God’s love and has come for our salvation. He is deserving of adoration and glory.

Yet, in spite of all this royal treatment and respect that is given we are also reminded that Jesus came to earth not to be separate and above all of us. Instead, Jesus came to be part of the lives of all humanity. He came to be that expression of God’s grace but also to live on the same level as each of us.

We see it in this passage. John was sent by God – inspired by God – to serve as a prophet for Jesus. John the Baptist was moved by God to begin teaching about Jesus and proclaiming his coming. In verse 7 the Bible tells us that John served as a witness to Jesus so that through Jesus “all men might believe.”

This is picked up again in verse 9. The true light – that is, Jesus, the love of God – was coming and Jesus was meant to give “light to every man.”

As we celebrate the holiday of Christmas we must remember that the birth of Jesus was a gift of incredible love from God. Jesus was an expression of God’s mercy and grace. And even though Jesus is of heavenly royalty he was given as a gift to every human being who will accept him.

We do not need to be extremely rich. We do not need high intelligence. We do not need to be perfect people. We simply need to see that the gift of Christ was a gift for you and me and everyone, no matter what place in society they hold.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will remind you that all people can receive the gift of Jesus?

Prophecy 3

2011-11-22T16:31:00.004-05:00

John 1:1-2

A few years back we gave our two sons some skateboard ramps. They came in a very large box too big to wrap so we left it in the garage. On Christmas morning we sent our boys out into the garage to get the box. They were amazed by the gift and wondered when we had gotten it. We explained that it had been sitting in the garage for weeks; they just hadn’t noticed.

The Gospel of John begins with some explanation as to the relationship of Jesus to God. Who is “the Word?” Where was “the Word?”

When we celebrate Christmas we often get caught up in the hurry and stress of all that needs to be done. We worry about our money. We worry about buying the perfect gift. We stress over cleaning our house to be ready for guests.

With all that occupies our minds we can easily forget what it is we are really celebrating at Christmas. We are celebrating the fact that God loves us so much that He was willing to send His Son, a part of Himself, to live on earth in human form.

That was a tremendous and wonderful gift that we have received. It is the ultimate gift and the ultimate expression of love. Such a gift was not an afterthought. It was not a gift hastily purchased or prepared.

The gift of Jesus was a gift that was intended from the beginning of all things. John tells us that in the beginning, when everything was just starting and nothing existed but God, Jesus – the Word – was with God. Jesus was God; he was part of the Almighty.

As we move into the Advent season and prepare ourselves to celebrate the precious gift of Christ, we need to remember that this gift has been waiting for us since before time began. The gift has been given. The gift is there ready for us to receive it. Have we noticed it yet?

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you remember the gift of Jesus this year?

Prophecy 2

2011-11-21T16:27:00.003-05:00

Isaiah 9:6-7

So often at Christmas some of our preparation is to buy a pack of batteries. We get them because we know that some of the gifts we will be giving will require those batteries. We get the batteries because we know what the gift is even though the one receiving it has not opened it yet.

The prophet Isaiah had a message from God about what was coming in the future. What was coming? What is said about this child who is given?

This passage does more than just give hope about what might some day happen. The prophet describes what will happen using words that imply it has already happened.

“To us a child is born, to us a son is given.” These seem to be more than words that predict the future. They come across as statements of fact. The child is born. The son is given.

These words were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem and yet they were exactly true. God had imparted His plan to the prophet and the prophet knew in his heart that God would carry through on this plan. The birth and life of Jesus was in the works from the beginning of time. God was already preparing to give a gift that would save us all.

And it was no small gift. Jesus would take on the authority over all the world. He would come to reign as our Savior and Lord from his birth, to today, and on into the future. He would be and is the Mighty God, Prince of Peace.

We know the celebration of Christmas is coming. We may know what we are giving as gifts. We may even know what we might be receiving as a gift. But what we must remember as we celebrate Christmas is that this precious gift of Christ was planned by God for millennia. He had decided to save us and give us everlasting life for thousands of years before we even existed.

As we celebrate the gift let us also celebrate the love behind the gift. It is a love from God that has been there for a long time and will remain there for even longer.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you remember the reason for the gift of Jesus this year?

Prophecy 1

2011-11-20T16:23:00.004-05:00

Jeremiah 29:11

Along with all the plans we were making for our home and our jobs when we were first married, my wife and I talked about how many children we wanted to have. We even came up with names for our children. As soon as each was born we talked about what type of person each child might grow up to be, what we expected to happen with them, and what we hoped would happen.

Things haven’t changed much in our lives. We still look at our children and think about what the future might be like for them. We consider what paths they might take and where they might go.

The interesting thing to me is that God has done the same with each one of us. In this passage from Jeremiah God has a message of hope. What does God know? What type of plans does He have?

This passage is an excerpt from a letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent to leaders in exile. It was intended to make them aware that God had not forgotten them in their exile. God still had plans for them, and those plans were for good things, happiness, prosperity, and success.

As we enter into the Advent season, that time in the life of the church when we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, we must know that the birth of the baby in Bethlehem was not some random occurrence.

God had plans for all of humanity from the beginning of the world. Although we as humans are separated from God because of our inability to be perfect, God still desires that we be connected to Him. He wants us to be able to be in His presence.

For that to happen God had to give a gift to the world, to all of humanity. That gift was Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. And this gift was planned for centuries and centuries. God had plans for all of humanity to be saved from sinfulness, to prosper and have hope. And all of these plans were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas this year may we remember that the holiday celebrates God’s love and mercy, a gift that was planned from the beginning of time and meant for each of us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be certain your holiday plans include celebrating God’s gift?

Faith in Action 5

2011-11-17T16:16:00.004-05:00

James 2:14-17

In my childhood I was taught the song “The Deacon Went Down.” Some of the lyrics are,

“Oh, the deacon went down

In the cellar to pray.

He fell asleep

And he stayed all day.”

The song is a clever little commentary on pious appearances. The church person, the deacon, made a show of his piety by going in to pray. But the result was that nothing happened other than he fell asleep.

Unfortunately there are so many who think that faith begins and ends with how they look to others. We have far too many people in our churches who look good – like the deacon going to pray – but don’t live out their faith – falling asleep.

James has some strong words about living out your faith. He uses the example of a needy person confronting a faithful believer. If we as believers simply say that we want things to go well for the needy person, our heart goes out in sympathy to those who struggle, yet we do nothing then we haven’t truly lived out our faith.

All of our best intentions and holy thoughts and attitudes can be nice but they do nothing to share the love and mercy of God. When we fail to do anything about the situation the needy are in we are allowing our faith to fall asleep. James says that our faith is dead.

We must keep our faith awake. We must keep our faith alive. To do that we must put our faith into action. We must be willing to give of our time and efforts in helping those who are in need.

And when we feel that we are stretched beyond our ability, that we have given all we can and there is nothing left for us to do, we must trust that with God all things are possible. Nothing is impossible with God, and through Him we are able to give out of our poverty and enjoy the privilege of sharing with others.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you keep your faith alive and awake?

Faith in Action 4

2011-11-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

2 Corinthians 8:1-4

So many people have the attitude and misconception that the church only wants money from those who attend. Yes, every place of worship has its share of expenses to remain functioning, but as a church leader I can say that I am not out to get everyone’s money.

What people fail to see is that THEY need to give – not for God and not necessarily for the church – but for themselves. We can claim to be faithful believers, but if we refuse to give up any of our money, time, talents or possessions aren’t we being selfish? And if we are selfish then we are not truly faithful.

To illustrate this attitude Paul relates some information about some churches in Macedonia, an area north of Greece. What situation were these people apparently experiencing? What did they do? What did they plead for?

We don’t know many details about what the Macedonian churches were going through at the time of Paul. We just know that they were going through “severe trial” and “extreme poverty.” Severe. Extreme. Were they experiencing a drought? Had they been invaded by another nation? Maybe their economy had collapsed.

No matter what the problem was these people were able to give from what little they had. It may have been money. It may have been food. Whatever it was they were able to see that even though they had very little they could still be generous to others in need.

And not only that they saw the act of giving as a privilege (see verse 4). It was a gift from God that they were able to experience the joy of giving even when they were struggling.

These people put their faith in action. They lived out their faith, and we can surmise that they were able to do this because of their strong confidence in God. They knew that with God all things were possible.

We must see that even though we feel we have very little to spare God will provide for us. When we give we must see it as a privilege, a joyous thing that we can do to honor our Lord. And as we put our faith in action we must believe that God will supply us with the ability to give.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What is your attitude in giving? Do you see it as a privilege?

Faith in Action 3

2011-11-15T16:00:00.003-05:00

Philippians 4:12-13

Verse 13 is a very powerful punch of a verse, isn't it? I can do EVERYTHING... ANYTHING... SOMETHING?

Many days, it feels like we can do NOTHING. When the world is battering you on all sides and your sick and tired and you feel like you're going to drop, it's then that we realize that we are in the time of need that Paul refers to here. There are days where I feel like if one more person asks me to do something for them I'm going to collapse into a heap and cry. And they always do, and I usually manage to hold things together.

Life is tough. And it's so important to realize that we don't just feel like we can do nothing... we literally can do NOTHING.

It is only with God's grace and power and the support of those around us that we can do ANYTHING at all. When I get feeling overwhelmed, I will make myself a checklist of what needs to get done. And I keep telling myself if I can just accomplish SOMETHING today, that will be a good day. And I get up and get going and get doing what needs to be done.

But verse 13 tells us we can do EVERYTHING, just not in our own power. Only through the one who gives us strength. We need to constantly be reminding ourselves of that. It's not our power or accomplishments or greatness -- it's God's. All of the THINGS we can accomplish should be giving glory to Him and not to ourselves. He is our superpower!

So the next time you face a day where it feels like you can do NOTHING, acknowledge that it's true. And then set out to do SOMETHING and realize that with God's help, you can do EVERYTHING.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Whether you are in a time of need or plenty right now, what THING will you accomplish with God today?

Faith in Action 2

2011-11-14T15:00:00.004-05:00

Matthew 19:23-26

With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

What an amazing claim--when we have God on our side, there are literally no limits to what we can do.

There is somthing really interesting that jumps out at me in this story. Jesus talking to the “Rich Young Ruler.” We don’t know who he was, but we know that he was young, interested in what Jesus was preaching, trying to live a good life, rich and probably very respected by everyone around him.

When Jesus tells him it’s impossible for him to enter the kingdom of heaven, the disciples are shocked that Jesus would tell this young man that. If he ain’t gonna make it, then who is? He’s nice, rich, polite, rich, respects his elders, rich, goes to church, rich,… (you get the picture).

Just a few verses later, Jesus says that famous line about the last being first and the first being last. In their culture (and let’s face it ours, too) someone with everything going for them is just expected to be rewarded. But when we rely on our own good deeds and our own attempts to follow the “law” then we are doomed to failure. This guy couldn’t “nice” his way into the kingdom of heaven and he couldn’t “rich” his way into the kingdom of heaven.

No, the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven was by God performing the impossible and making a way for him to get in.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What are you relying on for your eternal reward? Your own goodness or God’s eternal grace and impossible logic?

Faith in Action 1

2011-11-13T15:31:00.004-05:00

Matthew 7:24-27

If you have ever tried to build a house of cards you know that you need a solid foundation on which to build or all of your efforts will be for nothing. The same is true of a house in which you plan to live. You need a firm foundation so the structure can withstand all the wind and rain of nature.

Now we see that the same is true of our faith. We need a firm foundation in our beliefs and in our connection with God before we can face the challenges of living out our faith.

In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus provides a short parable about two men building houses. Where did the wise man build? What happened when the weather turned bad? Where did the foolish man build? What happened to his house?

Like so many of Jesus’ parables we need to look closely at what is being said so that we can fully understand what is intended by the teaching. If we read this too quickly we come away with the idea that we need Jesus and God as our spiritual foundation so that we can weather the trials and troubles in life. While this is true – we DO need to have a sincere and genuine connection with the Lord to endure life’s challenges – there is more to the story.

In verse 24 Jesus says that those who hear his teaching “and puts them into practice” are like the wise builder. In verse 26 Jesus says that those who “do not put them into practice” are like the foolish builder.

We need to do more than simply have a deep and sincere connection with God. Or we might say that a true connection to the Lord, having Christ as our spiritual foundation, is more than just being loyal to God and spending time in church and prayer and Bible study.

To have a firm foundation of faith requires that we hear the Lord’s teaching and then we put it into practice. We must live out our faith, be active in our loving, in order to have that firm base of faith. I believe the storms of life are never a threat to any believer who is living out faith and sharing love with others.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What does your faith foundation look like?

Bearing Fruit 5

2011-11-10T16:50:00.004-05:00

Luke 13:6-9

“Give me patience, Lord – but hurry!” Most of us have heard this humorous saying before. Patience may not be our strong suit. We may have difficulty accepting the fact that it may take time to become a fruitful member of God’s kingdom. We may need to work at learning how to do good things for others, to share God’s love in the way we act.

Jesus follows up some comments (Luke 13:1-5) on repentance and on being holy with this parable of a fig tree planted in a vineyard. It may seem odd that a tree is planted in the midst of a vineyard. But the parable creates a clear image in our mind.

The fig tree towers above the thick grapevines which only grow about chest high. It is something easily seen over the rest of the plants. Yet this tree has no fruit. It may look good. It may appear impressive as it rises above the many vines, but it is not producing fruit.

The owner wants to cut it down. He is frustrated with its lack of fruit. But the man in charge of tending the vineyard asks for one more year to try to get the tree to produce good fruit.

Some people who claim to have great faith, who claim the title of “Christian” and who say they love the Lord may appear to tower over the rest of the believers. Their faith appears tremendous and powerful. But the question is, do they produce fruit?

It is not always the appearance of things that we should look at. We should be examining ourselves and other believers to determine if their faith or our own faith is producing fruit for the kingdom of God. Are we doing good things to share the love of God with others or is what we do simply something that looks good but has no substance?

It may take time for any of us to be able to bear good fruit for God. We must be patient with others and with ourselves. But that patience has its limits. We can feel that we are not bearing fruit yet, but we should be working to develop our ability to share the love of God, to care for others, to bear the fruit of the Lord for the kingdom of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Are you bearing good fruit for God? Are you moving forward in this effort?

Bearing Fruit 4

2011-11-09T16:34:00.004-05:00

1 John 2:5-6

Our teen-age daughter has experienced the hypocrisy some people exhibit in their faith life, a situation many adults have had to cope with. In a car ride the other day she made comments about people she calls “Super Christians.” She says these people are big on displaying their faith by carrying Bibles, quoting Scripture, and being very demonstrative in their prayers.

The problem is that she can recognize that these people don’t always live out their faith. In spite of their appearance of being good they speak poorly of others, they gossip, they lie and cheat. Others, who are less showy in their faith, exhibit their holiness in their actions, by caring about others, by being kind, by sacrificing of what they have.

In this first letter from John we have a description of what a real Christian might look like. How is God’s love made complete? How can we recognize someone who lives in Christ?

If we examine ourselves and the fruit that we bear we can see that we should be bearing fruit that is a reflection of God. Our fruit – the things that we accomplish, the things that we do – should be an expression of God’s love. Our fruit should be an obedience of what God has commanded – love your neighbor, care for the less fortunate. When we are able to do these things then God’s love is being lived out in us and it becomes complete, flowing from God to us and from us to others.

We can call ourselves “Christians.” We can claim that Jesus is living in our hearts. But for God’s love to truly be in us, for the Spirit of Christ to dwell in our hearts, we must walk as Jesus walked. We must offer care and forgiveness to those around us. We must seek out what is best and beneficial for others, and be willing to sacrifice ourselves for those in need.

If we will bear good fruit for God we must live as Jesus did. We must love, forgive, care and teach, and do all of this with a pure heart and humble attitude.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you walk as Jesus did today?

Bearing Fruit 3

2011-11-08T16:25:00.004-05:00

John 15:5

Recently I was thinking about a job I had as a consultant doing corporate training. Along with the challenges of knowing the material and dealing with all the many people I encountered, one of the hardest things about the job was that I was out on my own quite a bit. I had very little connection with the training manager and other consultants in my own department.

It was difficult to face each day of work without that connection, without being constantly rooted in the support of my manager and co-workers.

Jesus addresses this issue with his disciples. What does Jesus say of himself? What are the disciples? What are we? What can we do without being rooted in Christ?

As we look at the fruit of our efforts, the many things we do to share God’s love in the world and do good things for others, we must remember where our connection lies. Jesus is the vine of faith. He is the source of our love and ability.

The disciples were the branches that sprang forth from Jesus. Their work was an off-shoot, a growth that came from the goodness of Jesus. And the same is true of us. We are simply the branch that emanates from Christ.

As we share love and compassion with other people, as we work to help the needy and care for people less fortunate than ourselves, we must remember that we should remain rooted in Christ. All that we do should be a reflection of the love that Jesus has for all humanity. Our work should be based in the caring that Christ had.

When we are able to remain rooted in the vine of Jesus then our offerings will be acceptable. If we keep ourselves connected to the love of Christ then we will be doing what is right.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you remain rooted in Christ?

Bearing fruit 2

2011-11-07T16:19:00.004-05:00

Genesis 4:3-7

You would think that with all that God created – paradise – everything would move along smoothly and without trouble. But very soon after the beginning we have troubles in paradise.

What is the simple story being told here? How does God react to what is offered? What does He say to Cain?

The two brothers, Cain and Abel, present offerings to God and for some reason God prefers the gifts from Abel. God does not like what Cain has given. Naturally, this upset Cain.

We can look at this story and wonder what the problem was. We can even look at this story and say that it was God who started the feud between the brothers. But we must look at the details of the story.

The implication is that Cain brought an offering that wasn’t much of a sacrifice. He brought “some” of the fruits. Abel on the other hand brought offerings from the firstborn of his flock.

Was the problem a difference between grain offerings and blood sacrifices? I don’t think so. I think the difference is that Abel sacrificed some of his best to God while Cain’s offering seemed to be less sincere.

We all may feel that we give good things to God. We may give of our time. We may give from our wealth. We may give of our talents and skills. We may believe that we do many good things to give God honor. But do we?

The fruits we are to bear for God, the offerings we make to the Lord, should be foremost in our hearts and minds. Our fruit should be given to God first – that is, what we do for God should be something we give willingly and something we give that is of our best efforts. Our “fruit” should not be an afterthought or simply something we can spare.

And if we begin to compare ourselves with others – if we begin to feel that we have given more and better offerings than others – and we feel that God has favored another over us we must recall what God said to Cain. If we have done what is right then what we have done will be accepted by God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you keep a right attitude when offering the fruit of your work to God?

Bearing Fruit 1

2011-11-06T21:47:00.000-05:00

Genesis 2:4-8

There is no question that life and growth and all that is in the earth are beyond our own making. All that exists is there because God has ordained that it be there. If we were not present still life would exist and things would grow.

Genesis presents the story of God’s creation. What did God make? What did God do with man?

Verses 4 through 7 tell us that God created all that exists. It also tells us that God created humanity. But in verse 8 we see God placing man – humanity – into the garden. What was the reason for this?

We exist in the midst of God’s work. And we exist for a reason. Part of our relationship with God and God’s creation is to enjoy all that God has made, but part of this relationship is that we tend to what has been made. God has placed humanity to exist within His garden and we are to help in producing the fruit of God’s creation.

But this concept goes beyond the physical plants and animals that God made. We are also part of God’s kingdom, part of the work that the Lord does in the world. This involves ministry and dealing with all other people that God has made.

God’s creation – His garden – is more than just green and flowering plants. It is more than just the animals that roam the earth. God has made us to care for one another. To do the work of God we must produce our own fruit. That fruit is not always something you can touch and taste.

The fruit of our labors, the fruit we are supposed to bear, is the good work of caring for others, having compassion on other people, helping the needy and sharing the love that God has given us. If we will be successful in bearing fruit for the kingdom of God we must be certain that we are rooted in the love of God. God must be the source and center of all that we do and how we work with others.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What fruit can you bear for God?

I Am Crushed 5

2011-11-03T16:43:00.006-04:00

Romans 13:1-2

“Rules are meant to be broken.”

“It’s only wrong if you get caught.”

We’ve all likely heard these statements before in our lives and it is possible we have even agreed with them to some extent. But Paul’s comments in his letter to the Roman church go against these sentiments. What are we to do as members of our society? Why? What is said of those who do not obey the rules of society?

Sometimes we may find the many rules of our culture, the laws within our communities and within our nation, to be a bit inconvenient. But if we believe that God is Lord of all and ruler of all things then it makes sense that the cultures and societies that have emerged are under the control of God.

If God has had a hand in creating our culture then God has been a guiding influence on the laws which have been enacted. With this logic what Paul has written must be true. God has established the authorities which govern our society. And if God has established them, then going against these rules and disobeying the law means we are disobeying God.

In the past few years I have been invited in to our local schools as a pastor to offer counseling and comfort following the deaths of at least five teen-agers. (It may be more. Honestly, I have lost count.) These deaths were the result of drug abuse, drunk driving and reckless driving. In these times of counseling I have been told by many, many others that most people knew the drinking and drug use was taking place. Most people were familiar with the reckless way the teens would drive. But no one said or did anything to stop it.

The prevalent thinking has always been that this is just the way things are. Some have said that it isn’t that wrong because lots of people are doing it.

It may in fact be the way things are and there may be a lot of people who are involved in this, but it is still wrong. It is still sinful and harmful behavior. These are destructive decisions being made repeatedly.

As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ it is our responsibility to work to stop these wrong behaviors and poor decisions. We will meet with resistance and scorn, but we will be doing what is right and holy, and ultimately what is beneficial to our society.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you help others obey the laws God has established?

I Am Crushed 4

2011-11-02T16:55:00.006-04:00

Amos 5:14-15

It has been said that Sunday mornings are the most segregated time in our nation. The observation is that people of different races and cultures gather with others of the same race and culture to worship, rather than joining with others.

But I believe it is also true that when we gather in our places of worship we are segregating ourselves from the rest of society. The Christians huddle together within the walls of the church while the rest of society struggles along with the problems of life.

As part of the ceremony to join the United Methodist Church members are asked to respond to the question – “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?” The expected answer is “yes.”

But do we? Do we sit in our church and pray and worship and find contentment in our relationship with Jesus Christ, and then fail to go outside the walls of our church and resist evil and oppression in its various forms?

When we think of evil we may have an image of a horned demon or Satan himself. When we hear the word “oppression” we may think of slavery. But evil and oppression take many forms in our society. It is a form of evil and a form of oppression to allow young people in our society to make destructive decisions over and over again. It is a form of oppression to turn a blind eye to the harmful and errant behavior of those who are taking drugs, drinking too much and driving recklessly.

The prophet Amos tells us what we are to do. What should we do? What will be the result?

We must be like Paul and recognize the evil and oppression that is being perpetuated in a society that is content with the way things have always been. We must seek good and hate evil, and in so doing call for changes that will disrupt society, but also leads it into a healthier, holier and more just way of existing. When we are willing to rock the boat for the purpose of bringing good to a suffering world then the Lord will be with us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Can you identify the evil and oppression going on in your society right now?

I Am Crushed 3

2011-11-01T17:00:00.002-04:00

Jeremiah 8:20-21

Quit rocking the boat! We may have heard that a time or two in our lives. Who wants to be the one who rocks the boat? Who wants to be the one who disrupts the normal flow of life? Such an attitude and actions are usually met with resistance. Things don’t need to change; they are fine the way they are.

But are they?

Why is it our responsibility to be one who rocks the boat? Why should we push for change? The prophet Jeremiah speaks for the people of his culture. What situation are they in? Why is the prophet crushed?

Verse 20 talks about he way of life. Life has progressed as it usually does. The seasons move along – harvest is past and the summer is over. But nothing has changed. Life goes on as it has been. And the bad part of all this is that no one is saved. No one has had their lives improved.

And the prophet knows that he is part of this whole culture. As long as one person is suffering, then the prophet must suffer too. Others are crushed – crushed under the hopeless despair of the way things are, crushed under the pains of wrong decisions. And if others are crushed, then the prophet is crushed.

What about us? Is life in our society perfect? Are things moving along well for everyone, or are there people who are caught up in the pain and suffering of bad decisions?

If others are suffering in life, if society is not perfect, then life is not perfect for us either. We are crushed because others are crushed under the sorrows of life. Now we must be the ones who rock the boat, who speak out against the wrong decisions being made around us.

In our local culture we have seen the deaths and injuries of teen-agers, deaths and injuries that are caused by alcohol, drugs and reckless driving. We can tell ourselves that we are okay. It wasn’t our family member who was killed or hospitalized.

But the truth is that we are crushed because others are crushed. We must feel pain because others have been hurt. And now it is time for all of us who will call ourselves Christians and believers to speak out against the wrong decisions being made around us. It is time for the children of God to rock the boat and take actions that will stop the destructive decisions that have been accepted as part of life for far too long.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Are you ready to rock the boat and call for change?

I Am Crushed 2

2011-10-31T16:53:00.005-04:00

Acts 16:19-24

It has been said that one of the riskiest things you can do is try to save someone from drowning. The person drowning, apparently, is so intent on trying to save themselves that attempts at rescue will be met with violence. It can be disheartening to think that your good motives can be met with such conflict, such aggression. But oftentimes when we move to help another we can encounter fierce resistance.

After Paul healed the slave girl what did the girl’s owners do? Who joined in on the attack? What happened to Paul and Silas?

The old saying “No good deed goes unpunished” fits in this story. Paul has done the right thing. He has confronted a situation and exposed the truth. The girl was a slave and was trapped in that slavery because she was possessed by a spirit.

Driving out the spirit was an act of kindness. It was an act of love on Paul’s part. He intended to make life better. But as a result the owners saw that their lives were going to change.

They could no longer make money off the slave girl’s spiritual possession. Life had been going smoothly for them. The suffering the girl experienced was just accepted as part of the way things were. Now they were angry at Paul and Silas for changing things, even if it was for the better.

We may be aware of struggles others are experiencing. We may be aware of destructive decisions being made by people we know. We may see that the behavior of certain people, although part of the normalcy of life, is really unacceptable behavior that needs to change.

If we will do what is right we may encounter stiff resistance. We may make others angry because we are working to change the status quo. But if we will be the Christians we are called to be there will come a time when we must speak out and work to stop the destructive behavior of others so that they may be set free and brought into a healthier life.

You are encouraged to read the rest of the story – Acts 16:25-34.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What are the risks you face in speaking the truth? What will help you face these challenges without fear?

I Am Crushed 1

2011-10-30T19:51:00.000-04:00

Acts 16:16-18

Truth is an elusive thing. We may often think that we want to know the truth. Other times we may not want to face the truth.

In Acts 16 we have a story of truth involving Paul and Silas in Philippi. They have been traveling with Timothy, preaching and teaching and converting believers to this emerging faith in Christ. Who do they encounter? What does she do? How did Paul feel? What did he do?

The slave girl in Philippi following Paul and Silas around as they are going about ministry is possessed by a spirit – whether good or bad, we can’t be exactly sure. But the spirit has allowed her to predict the future, to tell fortunes. Through her affliction of being possessed by a spirit her owners have gained considerable money.

This all may seem well and good from the outside, but we have no way of knowing how the slave girl felt. One thing we do know is that she is a slave and her spirit possession is keeping her enslaved. She is too valuable to be freed from the possession.

Some may have thought that they should ignore the girl, but we know that she was speaking the truth. She knew that Paul and Silas were serving God and showing the way to salvation. But apparently not everyone wanted to hear the truth.

Paul, recognizing that this girl was enslaved by the spirit that possessed her, recognizing that as long as she was possessed she would remain a slave, is troubled in his heart. He knows the truth. She is possessed and he must act. And so Paul drives the spirit from the girl, releasing her from the possession.

We may know someone, perhaps even ourselves, who is living a life of slavery. That person may be a slave to drugs, alcohol, abusive behavior or trapped in accepted social traditions. But that person needs to be set free from that enslavement.

Regardless of the fact that this person may be functioning within this slavery, regardless of the fact that life seems to be going along smoothly in spite of this enslavement, we must act to put an end to it. We must do our part to speak the truth, to work against the damaging behavior, and set the person free from a destructive life.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Do you know of anyone trapped in a destructive way of living? What can you say to stop it?

Comfort in Sorrow 5

2011-10-27T16:00:00.005-04:00

1 Corinthians 15:54-55

With all the recent movies about super heroes that are available now we can sit and fantasize about what super powers we each might want. Do we want to be able to fly? Do we want to be able to have x-ray vision? Do we want a suit that makes bullets harmlessly bounce off of us?

It can be amusing to speculate what we would do if we had these powers. It can be fun to spend some time in wishful thinking. But what about the realities of life? What if we could cheat death?

While we may not be able to live forever as we are, we can live forever. We may not be able to retain our way of life, our homes and all of our possessions there is a way for death to have no hold on us, a way for the fear of death to be conquered.

Just as the super heroes must put on their special suits and rings and capes to become those super heroes, we too must put on what it takes to become immortal. We must put on the imperishability, the immortality that comes with our faith in Jesus Christ. When we have clothed ourselves with Jesus – that is, when we are deeply immersed in our faith in Christ and we have accepted Jesus as our Savior – we are made into immortal beings.

Death has no victory over us. Death can bring no fear to us. We know in our hearts that the experience of death – for ourselves and for others – is a transitional step from this world into the kingdom of God.

Death has been swallowed up in victory. Death has been removed, canceled out, its powers taken away through the resurrection of Jesus. And in that trust and faith we can have confidence and hope. We can face our losses and sorrows with the joy and gladness of knowing that Christ has readied a place for us all in the presence of God’s love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you clothe yourself in immortality?

Comfort in Sorrow 4

2011-10-26T16:55:00.007-04:00

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

“Into every life a little rain must fall.” This is an old adage you may have heard in your lifetime. Life is not completely filled with happiness and bliss. Now and then there will be rain – those moments of sadness and troubles. And sometimes that rain can take the form of a loss of a loved one.

Life is said to be a mystery. And death is considered by most to be a journey into the unknown. Many fear death because they do not know what awaits them on the other side. At the very least it can be a topic most people do not want to discuss and something almost everyone wishes to avoid.

But Paul has some confident words about the death experience. What is his purpose in what he has to say? What does he remind us about our faith? What is our hope?

While it is true that most people would rather have days of sunshine rather than rain, rain is essential to life. It gives us the ability to grow. It renews and cleanses. And so too can be the experience of a loss.

When we are faced with grief and sorrows we must remember our faith. These times of sadness can be a time when we renew our strength in what we believe. They can be times when we are reminded of the hope we should all hold. Times of loss can be turned into times of hope and optimism.

Whenever we lose a loved one, when we encounter a sudden emptiness in our lives, we can be reminded all over again of what we believe. As Paul says, we believe Jesus died and rose again. And that resurrection was meant to be a promise to all of us who believe.

While it may not be fitting to say that we should rejoice in a death, we can be glad in the confidence we have. Death is not an end of things. It is simply a transition from this life into a new and brighter life with God. And in that knowledge we can have gladness and hope.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you find hope in sorrows?

Comfort in Sorrow 3

2011-10-25T16:11:00.005-04:00

John 14:1-3

I remember going to visit some friends of our family in Cleveland when I was fairly young. They were all prepared for our visit. I remember being given a tour of their house – we had never been there before – as we arrived. We could tell that they had cleaned their house from top to bottom. The place was spotless.

Besides making their house clean and tidy the two sons had given up their bedrooms so that our family could stay. My parents would be sleeping in one bedroom and my sister would stay in another. My brother and I got to share the family room with the two brothers.

It was a wonderful thing to be welcomed into that house. Our parents had known each other years ago, but my brother, sister and I barely knew the two boys from the other family. But we had a great visit. It was so nice that they worked so hard to make us feel welcome.

As Jesus is preparing his disciples for the inevitability of his crucifixion he reminds them of what he is doing for them. What comfort does he offer? What does he say about his Father’s house (heaven)? What will Jesus do?

We can find comfort in the words of Christ. He tells the disciples and he tells us not to be troubled. We simply need to trust in God and in Jesus. We need to trust that there is a great deal of room for everyone in the house of God. Heaven has room enough for all.

But we must also see that there is more than just comfort in knowing that there is a place for us. We need to see that Christ has prepared a place for us. We are anticipated. Our presence is desired and sought after.

And more than that. If Christ has prepared a pace the n he will be returning to get us. Jesus will come to gather us up in his arms and welcome us in this place he has readied for us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can remind you of what Jesus has done for you?

Comfort in Sorrow 2

2011-10-24T16:51:00.006-04:00

Isaiah 61:1-3

It is part of the job as a pastor to be available in times of grief and loss. As the pastor I make myself available to those who are facing end of life decisions, and I pray that God might work through me to give comfort and assurance. But there are times when I encounter those individuals with enough faith and confidence in the Lord that they actually minister more to me than I to them.

There have been times when I have been with church members who were so strong in their faith that they faced their own death with great calm and confidence. In those times I was witness to what true faith and belief is all about, and I was taught how I should act when my time comes.

Just as Jesus used the words from Psalm 22 at his crucifixion, Jesus read this passage from Isaiah when he began his ministry in Galilee (see Luke 4:16-21). What is said about the brokenhearted in verse 1? What will God do with those who mourn according to verse 2? What changes will come about to those who grieve according to verse 3?

Nowhere in these words from the prophet is it said that our lives will be free of sadness. In fact, although this passage is an expression of hope and optimism, there are many problems that are mentioned. Isaiah speaks of the poor, the brokenhearted, prisoners, mourners and those who grieve.

The hope comes in knowing that in spite of all these afflictions God is present. The Lord will be there for every person who weeps and suffers. Jesus will be with all those who grieve and mourn.

The Lord has promised to make changes for us. We will go from those who suffer and cry to those who celebrate and have joy. Our ashes of suffering will be replaced by crowns of victory. Our mourning will be replaced by gladness.

As we face the possible losses in life we must go forward in confidence knowing that our Savior is with us in all things. We must go through life with the confidence of knowing God is with us to take away our sadness and replace it with joy.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How do you know God is with you?

Comfort in Sorrow 1

2011-10-23T16:55:00.002-04:00

Psalm 22:24

Life isn’t always pleasant for us. There will be times when we are confronted with sorrows; sometimes profound sorrows. There will be times when our faith in God is challenged because of the suffering and pain we are experiencing.

There are many people who lose a loved one to death who become very angry with God. Questions arise – why did this have to happen? Does God really love me? Many people become angry with God and yet are afraid that they should not be angry with God. I believe that God is big enough and caring enough to accept our anger and still love us.

Psalm 22, credited to King David, begins with some familiar words. The first verse of Psalm 22 is “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These are the words that Jesus cried out while he was on the cross.

In that moment of torment and grief, that time of pain and sorrow, Jesus spoke the words of lament found in these ancient words. Clearly, when David wrote the words and when Jesus spoke them, these were moments of extreme anguish. We all may identify with these words when we are faced with the troubles of life and especially when we lose a loved one.

But the psalm does not remain in this attitude of sorrow. David moves beyond his words of suffering and comes to a realization of God’s mercy. According to verse 24, what is God’s attitude toward those who suffer? What has God NOT done? What has God done?

There is a time of affliction for every one of us. We will all experience loss and pain at some time or another. We will all feel sadness, sometimes so much that we will cry out that God has forgotten us.

But we need to remember in our grief that we are not forgotten after all. God does not turn away from our suffering and our sorrows. He does listen to our calls for help and He gives us comfort.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can remind you that God still loves you?

By Many or By Few 5

2011-10-20T16:00:00.003-04:00

Psalm 35:1-3 and 22-23

This movie has become one of my absolute holiday favorites. Watch this clip:

Wouldn't it be great to have someone on your side like Buddy the Elf? Someone who loved you, even though you barely knew them? Someone who leapt to your defense, even when you rejected them? Someone who others might find a little strange? Someone who was exceptionally good at making snowballs and defending you?

Well, don't we already have that?

In today's scripture reading, the Psalmist is asking for God to come and defeat his enemies. I know there have been times I've felt like that. Later in the chapter, he pleads with God and basically says "How can you let this go on?" and "Don't you know what they are going to do to me?" His enemies are the people who gossip and spread lies. They are the folks who he has helped, but instead of returning the gesture, mock and harass him when he is down.

It's important that we learn, like yesterday's reading, that we can't do this on our own. We must let God handle those who attack us. Put Him in front and just be like the kid in this video clip who watches Buddy's amazing display.

Writer Erwin McManus has a quote that applies so well to this idea that he calls "The Jonathon Factor" and it is expressed "when we have absolute confidence in God in the midst of uncertainty and are willing to move with god even without a guarantee of personal success."

DAILY CHALLENGE: What battle are you trying to fight alone that you need God to just take over and win for you? Before Sunday, read 1 Samuel 14:1-14.

By Many or By Few 4

2011-10-19T16:00:00.002-04:00

Joshua 23:9-11

Not much to go into battle with, is it?

In today's passage, it's Joshua's final words to the people of Israel. But they definitely still pack a punch today. And it triggers several questions for me:

Why, oh why, do we have such short memories? Joshua has to remind the people that they've defeated a bunch of powerful armies! You would think that they might just remember that, wouldn't you? And we're no better. How many times has God won the battle for us over something we were struggling with (when we let Him - see my next point) and we turn right around and forget. It's always been that way (see the 10 Lepers!). But what if we were to live our life not based on fear of the next thing, but rejoicing over the last thing. And carrying that knowledge with you everywhere you went?
Why don't we trust God? When He proves himself time and time again, you'd think we'd start to learn and trust? But we don't. It seems like every situation that arises, every attack and every disappointment becomes a chance for another selfish little pity party and not a chance to let God triumph. He has promised over and over again that he will take care of our enemies, yet we don't seem to really believe it. Even after he's done it over and over, we still don't really believe it. We need to begin to give the battles in our life to God and step back and let him work miracles!
What does it mean to love the Lord? Our understanding of love is so limited. But the word used here is 'ahab and it's used throughout the Bible as the kind of love between parents and children or husband and wife. We're supposed to love God in the way we love someone romantically -- be excited to spend time with them, want to know all about them, want to share everything about yourself with them. That's how we are to love God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What battle has God won for you? Have you ever stepped aside enough to let Him?

By Many or By Few 3

2011-10-18T16:00:00.003-04:00

Hebrews 6:9-12 (CEV)

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.

C. S. Lewis

What a powerful quote from the great author C.S. Lewis.

In today's scripture, we see the writer of Hebrews encouraging others to keep their faith in God central to all they do. They are told to BELIEVE that God loves them, remembers their dedication and won't ever forget them. He is their (and our) only hope.

The Hebrews are also encouraged to never be lazy in their spiritual walk, but always confident that God will keep his promises. And that also applies to us!

Which brings me to today's quote. Is your Christian faith moderately important? Or is it infinitely important?
What does that even mean?

I believe it means that we must make our faith in Christ the center of all we do. If it is truly infinite in our lives, it will have no boundaries or limits. We can't say "This is my God stuff" and "This is my other stuff." It's all or nothing with God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Think on how the Lewis quote applies to your own life. And then go and be an example to others!

By Many or By Few 2

2011-10-17T16:00:00.001-04:00

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Trains at the Denver International Airport

I love going places and seeing new things, but I have to admit that I'm not very fond of the actual travel. (I know... the journey is part of it...) One of the worst things, in my opinion, is being in an airport alone.

From navigating the terminals to finding the gate, from eating alone to just having no one to say "Look at that guy!" to, I really hate it. (And we won't even mention how difficult it is to take your carryon luggage into the bathroom!)

Last year, when I went to Loveland, Colorado, my daughter went with me. We had a blast in the Denver airport where we had about 4 hours between the time we had to return our rental car and when we could board our plane.

We went through an alternate security checkpoint, rode the trains all over the place (some twice!), had a nice meal together and shopped. It was so much fun. When we boarded the plane to head home, the time had passed very quickly.

But on other trips I had been alone. Sitting for hours wishing I had someone to talk to. Watching strangers hoping that I would see a familiar face. Time does not pass quickly in those instances. Once, I nearly missed a plane because I had looked at my ticket wrong and was at the wrong gate! If I had been travelling with someone else, that likely wouldn't have happened at all. I need a travel companion.

One of the most important things God creates is a companion for Adam. It's not good that he is alone. (Genesis 2:18) and it's not good that we are alone, either.

In every aspect of our lives, we need someone to travel with us. We need a friend who will work with us, help us, keep us entertained, safe and warm. We need friends around us who will pick us up when we fall down. Who will stick with us through thick or thin.

This is never more true than friends we have who will help us in our walk with God. Those who will challenge us and build us up. Friendships that will keep us focused on living the way God calls us to live.

And like the fire building from yesterday, it's something that takes planning, time and work to develop those relationships. But they are a great help as we work and live every day.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Who is your friend who helps you like the friend in today's reading? What can you do to develop more friendships that help you to glorify God?

By Many or By Few

2011-10-16T16:00:00.001-04:00

2 Timothy 1:6-7

I was a Girl Scout for many years and one of the things we had to learn to do was build a fire. We had to learn how to make fire starters with paraffin, string and egg cartons (back before they were Styrofoam, of course!). We had to learn how to clear the ground, find dry wood in the forest, surround the campfire with stones, and get a bucket of water for safety.

Only then could we begin to build our fire. We started with dry kindling and lit the fire starter we had made over the winter. Then we blew and fanned those flames. Once it was going enough to burn steadily we added larger sticks and finally logs.

And every day, we worked hard to keep those flames from going out. It was a large part of our day… finding more wood, banking the ashes…. It never stopped.

Today’s scripture uses the idea of fanning the flames. We usually use that phrase in a negative way today, but it is a vital part of staying alive in a culture that has no electricity! Heat, food, water are all dependent on keeping those flames burning. And it’s hard work.

So it is with our own spiritual walk. When we want to learn to step out in faith and really trust God, we have to fan those flames. We have to gather what we need, surround ourselves in prayer and support and then set out to do whatever it is we want to accomplish. And it should be as vital to our everyday survival as it was in Paul's day.

The second verse is so important for all of us to remember. When we fan the flames of God’s spirit, we cannot be timid. No matter what it is in our lives we want to change, we’ve got to be willing to be brave and willing to take a risk.

When we fan those flames, we are given power, love and self-discipline. We must realize that taking a risk in our spiritual growth is not foolish or crazy. It is, as a matter of fact, exactly the opposite. It is through the risks that we take that we become powerful, act with love and acquire discipline.

One other thought on this passage. There isn’t anything said about the outcome of our actions. So whether we succeed or fail in the eyes of everyone around us is irrelevant. It is using the gifts of that God has given us that is important.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Think about what it is in your life that you want to change – lose weight, mend a relationship, new career…What risk is involved in this change and how can you use the gifts that God has given you in this endeavor?

Ready the Ground 10

2011-10-13T16:37:00.004-04:00

Romans 15:12-13

This past summer we learned about bamboo. Bamboo is a type of grass that grows very quickly. If planted in the ground bamboo can flourish and grow quite tall and become very dense. If not held back bamboo can overtake almost all the other plants around it.

We have been looking at the parable of the sower that Jesus taught. It focuses on the types of soil that might represent how we feel at different times. Sometimes we have a hard heart, a heart that has been trampled under foot by others. When we are like that the seed of God’s love cannot thrive inside us.

Other times life has problems we must confront. We may have shallow faith, and again God’s love cannot take root. Other times the worries of life crowd out God’s love and we lose our spiritual focus.

But God wants us to have hearts that are receptive and open to the love He gives so freely. He wants our faith to grow deep within us. He wants His love to fill us up. The love of God should be given the opportunity to grow as fast and strong and thick as bamboo can grow when it is given an opportunity.

Paul makes reference to Isaiah in his letter to the Romans. Who is the “Root of Jesse” Isaiah speaks of? What does Paul desire for the believers?

The Root of Jesse is a reference to Jesus Christ. Jesse was the father of David, and David was the great ancestor of Jesus. When Isaiah makes reference to the Root of Jesse he is talking about Jesus Christ as Savior to the nations.

We must make our hearts and souls the good soil that will allow the love of God to take root. When we accept Christ as Savior, when we accept he love of God that He pours out so generously, then we are allowing the Root of Jesse – the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God’s extravagant love – to take root and grow within us.

When we allow Christ to live in us, when we allow God’s love to grow and fill us, then that love – incredible and powerful – can not only sustain us, but it will overflow from us. We will be able to be strong in our faith and confident in our Lord. And we will be able to show God’s love to everyone around us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you open your heart to Jesus?

Ready the Ground 9

2011-10-12T15:31:00.004-04:00

Ephesians 3:16-18

So often the sense of loneliness and emptiness can encroach on our lives. Frequently we can feel that we are all alone. No one seems to care for us. No one seems to want to be our friend.

We begin to believe that we must face all of our troubles and problems on our own. We might feel that we do not have the strength of character or the strength of faith to face difficulties. It is in these times that we have forgotten just how much God loves us.

In the letter to the Ephesians the believers are offered some encouragement. What is prayed for? What desire is expressed for the believer’s heart? What power is desired?

It takes strong faith to face all the trials of life. We must have complete confidence in the presence of God, and that confidence can come from an awareness of how God feels toward us.

When we begin to think that our faith is like the rocky soil from the parable, that our faith simply cannot grow deeper, cannot take good root in our hearts, we need to remember what our relationship with our Savior is. When we worry that life’s troubles will crowd out our ability to love and to hold onto our faith, like thorns that crowd out growing seeds, we must recall that Jesus loves us deeply.

The prayer for the believers in Ephesus is a prayer for all believers. We must remember how deep and wide and broad is the love of Christ for each of us. We can remember how much we are loved when we allow Christ to live in our hearts, when we invite the eternal presence of God to be part of how we think and feel toward life.

With that presence of Christ inside of us we can allow our love and our faith to grow deep. With the presence of Christ we are made into the good soil that allows the seed of God’s grace to take root and flourish.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can remind you of how much Jesus loves you?

Ready the Ground 8

2011-10-11T15:22:00.005-04:00

Romans 12:2

It can be so easy for me to have a bad day. Small things start to go wrong – a broken shoelace, a stubbed toe, a spilled drink – and then suddenly I have a very negative outlook on life. At times like these I have allowed the outside world to crowd in on my inside world.

I have allowed the external and material world to push out the spiritual focus I need to have. When that happens I am distracted and pulled away from my focus on God’s love.

But Paul has guidance for us. What should we NOT do? What should we do? What ability would we then have?

In the parable of the sower some of the seed fell on rocky ground and some fell on ground that had thorns. The rocky ground prevented the seed from taking deep root. The seed that fell among thorns were choked out by the weeds. In each case the situations of life kept the seed from growing strong.

In our own lives we can allow the troubles and challenges in life to prevent our faith and love from growing strong. We allow our fears to crowd in on our faith, and we let our worries fill our hearts and minds so that there is no room for God.

But if we will grow deep in our faith we must hold fast to our faith. We must trust completely in the love and grace of God. When the love of God fills us and when we hold to the strength that God gives us for faith we can grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord.

When we keep our faith and the love of God at the center of who we are then we can resist being transformed by the world around us. We can avoid being derailed, changed, tossed around by the things that surround us. Instead we will be transformed by a new spirit of faith and love.

We will grow deeper in our connection to God and in so doing become better Christians. We will be more connected to God and more able to understand the will of God – that which we should be doing in the kingdom of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can your faith keep you from being influenced by the world around you?

Ready the Ground 7

2011-10-10T14:15:00.004-04:00

Isaiah 43:1-2

John Wesley, the man who essentially began the Methodist Church, had a life-changing experience as he sailed to America. During a terrifying storm while aboard the ship crossing the ocean, Wesley feared for his life while other passengers – Moravians – were not at all disturbed by the fierce tempest blowing outside and shaking the ship. They had complete confidence in God, and they knew they were safe in the hands of the Lord.

Sometimes life is frightening. Sometimes difficult times come up and threaten our faith and our happiness. Sometimes worries and fears begin to fill our lives and crowd out God.

Isaiah offers some hope and assurance. What assurance does God offer? What is our relationship with the Lord? What does God promise us?

This passage from the Old Testament prophet gives us a great deal of confidence. Although life may have terrible things in store for us – troubles and pain and trials to test our very souls – we have a deep root of faith in God. The Lord loves us and has claimed us as His own.

With that confidence and knowledge we can face the challenges and hardships of life. We can prevent the thorns of worry and troubles from crowding out our faith. We can remain deeply rooted in our faith and in the love that God has for us.

As we face troubling times we can trust that we are deeply rooted in the Lord. He is with us if we will allow Him to be by our side. If we can have faith in God then we can face the trials and temptations of life without fear knowing that God will save us from all troubles.

This may not mean that we will be spared the storms of life. We will need to go through the fires and raging waters of problems. But we are not alone.

We must make our hearts and souls like the good soil from the parable. We must welcome the presence of the Lord and allow His love and our own faith to grow deep within us that we might withstand life’s worries.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can your faith grow into something more confident?

Ready the Ground 6

2011-10-09T19:15:00.004-04:00

Romans 5:3-4

I have a daily exercise routine using the Wii Fit. Among other things I do military presses with weights, push-ups and jackknife exercises. It isn’t always easy. In fact, I would say it is never easy. But I keep doing these things because they keep me healthy.

Every time I feel like stopping, every time I want to give up, I remind myself that what I am doing is building muscle. The workout is helping me feel better even if I don’t feel great as I am going through the routine.

Thinking back on the parable of the sower we have seen the different types of soil that the seed has fallen on. Some of the ground was good soil, ready to grow a great harvest. The other soils were not good – too hard, too shallow, too overgrown with thorns.

These represent the tough times in life. Sometimes we feel that we are the hard path, beaten down by life. Other times we are like the rocky soil – our faith is not deep enough to get us through the tough challenges in life. Other times life is like a field of thorns choking out our hopes and resolve.

But Paul has some encouragement in his letter to the Roman believers. What attitude does he have toward suffering? What does suffering produce? Perseverance? Character?

While it may be difficult for us to rejoice in the times when we suffer, we must maintain the attitude that we will get through these difficult challenges. We must remember that the tough times of life – the thorns and rocks, the days when we are beaten down – will ultimately make us better people.

If we can face our challenges and setbacks with confident faith that God is with us and that God loves us, we can emerge on the other side of trials with a deeper and stronger faith. As we endure suffering we build our faith muscles making us more able to face future hardships. And as we face hardships in the knowledge of God’s love we will have hope for our ultimate victory over the pain with God at our side.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you keep a positive outlook in hard times?

Ready the Ground 5

2011-10-06T15:49:00.003-04:00

Luke 6:43-45

When I was very young my mother had a small flower garden at the side of our front porch. One spring some showy plants began to sprout and grow, so she tended to them – watering them, fertilizing them and pulling the weeds around them. Soon they grew to be strong and hardy plants towering above all the other flowers in the garden.

Then one day a friend stopped by the house to visit. Since he was good at gardening my mother asked him if he recognized what type of flowers those big plants were. He did. Weeds.

We may consider ourselves to be good people when in fact we may be lacking in our spiritual goodness. We may think that we are good enough – not really bad people – when in fact there is room to improve in our faith.

What does Jesus say about the fruit that different plants produce? What does a good person bring to life? Where does this goodness come from?

It is plain from the parable of the sower and from this statement from Jesus that God desires that we produce goodness in our lives. If we will be good, holy and righteous people then that goodness will be in our hearts. And if there is holy goodness in our hearts, that goodness will flow out from us as the good spiritual fruit we are called to produce.

Goodness and holiness is not always an automatic thing with all people. We may not be aware of what is truly in our hearts. In our heads we may think we are good, but in our hearts we may be lacking the goodness God desires.

To accept the love and grace from God and then have that goodness grow and flow from us, we must tend our spirituality. We must prepare the soil of our souls to receive God’s goodness. And when we receive the goodness from God we must tend it like a garden, growing that goodness, increasing our ability to be holy and caring.

If we can live a life that more closely follows the teaching of Christ we can become the good people we should. And if we become those good people then that goodness will be the good fruit of love for others flowing out from the abundant garden of love within us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you produce good fruit?

Ready the Ground 4

2011-10-05T15:43:00.004-04:00

Matthew 13:8

The first house I bought was across an alley from a family who loved to garden. In their back yard they had a large plot of ground which they tended throughout the year. They spread fertilizer and compost on the ground in the winter. They weeded the garden almost daily in the spring and summer. They cared for the garden by tying up the vining plants and watering the ground whenever it was needed.

The result was a very productive garden year after year. Their garden was so full and thick by late summer that it was sometimes difficult to see the back of their house.

As Jesus concludes his parable of the sower he speaks of the best type of soil. What type of soil is it? What was the result?

If we will be productive children of God we must have good soil in our faith. Our hearts must be attentive to the grace and love of Jesus Christ. And as we receive the love and blessings of God we must allow this gift to grow within us so that we might produce the good fruit of God’s kingdom – care and compassion for others, generous giving, devout worship, and so on.

What is essential is that we prepare our faith to be that good soil mentioned in the parable. Just as our neighbor worked so much to produce a garden that grew a great bounty, we must work within our faith to prepare the soil. We must keep ourselves from growing hard in our emotions – becoming like the path. We must work to bring depth to our faith, to grow closer to God through prayer and study of the Bible. In this way we will nor be spiritually shallow like the rocky ground.

We must learn to trust completely in the Lord. In this way we will prevent the thorns of life from choking out God’s goodness.

Having good faith is more than mere chance or coincidence. It is the result of intentional and fervent efforts on our part to become better Christians.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you make your faith productive?

Ready the Ground 3

2011-10-04T16:38:00.003-04:00

Matthew 13:7

Although it is important to us to have a nice flower garden in the front of our house we have found that we are far too busy to maintain it. About once a year in the summer we will all go out to the front garden and attack the weeds. They usually grow very tall and thick and it takes a great deal of effort to pull them all out so the flowers can be revealed.

Such can be our spiritual life if we allow it. As Jesus continued with the parable of the farmer sowing seeds, what is the third type of ground that the seeds fall on? What did the thorns do?

Keeping in mind that the farmer represents God and the seed is the generous grace of God, we see that sometimes the soil of our faith is filled with thorns and weeds. These thorns represent all the cares and worries of our life. They represent all the temptations and sins we face each day.

In the parable the thorns grew up and choked out the good seed that was sown. Just as our life may be blessed by the good things God gives us – His presence, His love – we sometimes allow the worries of life to choke this goodness. We claim to have faith in God but we have trouble handing over all of our fears and concerns. We believe in God, but often we are weak in our faith and fall prey to the lures of temptation.

When we let worries control us, when we let the temporary, earthly pleasures fill our minds and draw us in, then we are allowing God’s goodness to be limited in us. We let the troubles and pain, the sin of life to crowd out the grace of God. God’s love has no opportunity to grow in us. We fail to make the blessings of God and the love of God part of who we are.

We must tend the ground of our faith. We must care for the garden of our spirituality. It is up to us to pull out the weeds of faith – those earthly fears and desires – that push out God. If we can remove the tendency to worry, if we can learn to trust God, if we can learn to rely on the Lord’s strength, we can keep out those things that block the Lord’s blessings. We can allow God’s love to grow in the soil of our faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you pull the weeds of faith in your heart?

Ready the Ground 2

2011-10-03T16:00:00.004-04:00

Matthew 13:5-6

In my years of performing in college plays I was always intrigued by the illusion that a good stage set can present. From the audience it may appear that there is an entire house on the stage. But from behind the scenes you can clearly see that there is no depth to the structures. There is nothing behind what you see from the front.

Jesus continues in his parable about a farmer (God) sowing seed (love). What is the second type of soil mentioned in verse 5? What happens with the seed? What happens to the plant? Why did it fail?

At first glance there seems to be a success story going on here. The seed has found some soil in which to grow. Despite the rocks there is enough dirt that the seeds grow into plants. Success!

But then the sun comes out and burns very bright. The weather heats up. The environment becomes harsh and the plant cannot survive. It withers and dies.

The reason the plant cannot sustain itself is because it has no depth. The root system has not developed to give the plant the strength to endure the harsh environment.

And this is all due to the soil. Because the ground is rocky the dirt is shallow. It has no depth and therefore cannot allow the plant to have depth.

How is this soil like the human heart? Some people get very excited about the good news of God’s love. They may appear to become very devoted believers. However, for many people they have not allowed God’s message to take firm root in their hearts. Their beliefs are shallow and not at all developed.

When the harsh reality of life strikes, when there is temptation and trial, their faith cannot withstand it all. They are swept away by the problems they must confront.

If we will be strong in our faith we must prepare our hearts to receive God’s message of love. We must allow the time for our faith to grow strong. We must make our faith a deep part of who we are and how we behave. Then we can have strong faith in God’s grace and we can remain faithful even in the hardest of circumstances.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can your faith grow deep and strong?

Ready the Ground 1

2011-10-02T15:55:00.004-04:00

Matthew 13:3-4

There have been several occasions when Peggy and I have attended a banquet or reception where there is a great deal of nice food. Often I will return to the table with a plate of food only to discover my wife has something really delicious on her plate, something I did not get. In these cases I will ask where those particular items were and she points them out, but by the time I get up to the serving table the good stuff is all gone.

It can be very frustrating to miss out on something really good. And what makes it worse is the fact that I just wasn’t attentive enough to see the good stuff.

Today’s passage is the beginning of a parable from Jesus. What is happening in the story? Where does some of the seed fall? What happens to it?

Often times when this parable is preached the focus seems to be on the seed and the farmer. But it has been pointed out that the focus of the parable is neither the farmer nor the seed. The focus is on the ground.

In the parable God is the farmer scattering the seed of love and grace. We are the ground. And so, the question arises, what type of ground are we?

The first ground presented in the parable is the ground of a path. It is hard ground, dirt which has been trampled under foot and walked all over. Because of this nothing can easily penetrate the surface, and thus the seeds of love are taken away.

We may find ourselves having a heart as hard as the path in the story. We may feel that life has walked all over us, or other people have walked all over us, taking advantage and using us. We have been hurt. We become hard. We refuse to allow anything to penetrate our hard, outer shell.

But when we do that we are missing out on the blessings of God. If we go through life with arms crossed and ears stopped up so that we don’t have to listen to what is being said, we miss out on the generous love God sows for us.

Is your heart like the hard path? If you have been hurt or you feel that you must protect yourself from further hurt, you may need to soften your heart, open your soul and your mind to the blessings God offers.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you soften your heart so that it is ready to receive God’s grace?

Communion 5

2011-09-29T16:34:00.003-04:00

Acts 2:46-47

Then, unexpectedly, my sister and mother showed up at our house. We were excited at that point to have prepared such a large meal of abundance. And we were pleased that someone had come to share it with us.

After the resurrection of Jesus and after he was taken up into heaven, the faithful believers continued to meet together as the beginnings of the church we know today. What did they do? What was their attitude?

The love and grace of Jesus Christ did not stop with his death. It continued on among the faithful and still flows today. The early believers would gather together in informal bands of worshipers. As part of their worship there was the sharing of food.

The believers would break bread together – eat – and they did it with glad hearts. They were pleased to be with one another and they were gladdened by the fact that each of them had a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Such should be our attitude as we celebrate Communion in our places of worship. Communion may be a time when we examine ourselves, where we realize that we are not worthy to receive such grace from God. But it should also be a time of celebration and gladness. We should take part in Communion with glad hearts, realizing that although we are unworthy, still Jesus loves us so much that he continues to open himself up to us so that we might be in his loving presence.

Let us rejoice as we take part in Communion. Let us be glad that Jesus loves us. And let us also take the opportunity of Communion to once more invite the Spirit of God to live in our hearts.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be certain to have a glad heart when you take part in Communion?

Communion 4

2011-09-28T16:33:00.004-04:00

Acts 5:17-20

When I was in college I stopped attending church because I was so disillusioned by the behavior of so many “Christians.” But when I shared my frustration with my uncle he told me, “Don’t let anyone else keep you out of God’s house.”

That comment really turned me around. I give my uncle the credit for starting a new life of faith that has resulted with my being in the ministry today.

The early church was not without its setbacks and problems. In Acts 5 Peter and other apostles have been preaching and healing many people out in the streets and in the Temple. How do the religious leaders react? What happens to those who are jailed? What command does the angel give?

The high priest and his associates were so upset with Peter and the others that they were jailed so they could be silenced. These leaders were trying to stop the ministry going on. But God intervened by sending an angel to set them free from prison.

And with that freedom came a command to keep doing what they had been doing. Their work was not yet completed.

As we work through our own spiritual growth and tend to our own faith journey we will encounter obstacles and road blocks. Some may be so big that they will keep us from living out our faith the way we should.

But we must remember Jesus’ instructions to the disciples at the feeding of the 5,000. “You give them something to eat.” It is up to us to help build the kingdom of God. It is up to us, in communion with the risen Christ, to be about saving souls and spreading the good news.

No matter what may come our way, no matter what setbacks we might encounter, no matter what negative thoughts and words may come at us from those around us, we need to be about feeding the hungry souls of the lost. We need to be part of Christ’s ministry. We need to tell the people the full message of this new life.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you overcome your obstacles and preach about the new life in Christ?

Communion 3

2011-09-27T16:23:00.003-04:00

John 6:48-51

As adults we know what is best for our children. We know what foods will give them healthier, stronger bodies. But it isn’t always something the child will accept.

When addressing the crowds that followed him Jesus offered a comment on just who he was. What does Jesus say that he is? What is the difference between his bread and the manna the Jews ate in the wilderness? What is special about the “bread” of Christ?

This was a difficult message for people to hear and understand. First, Jesus claimed that he was living bread. He told them that they should eat his flesh (verse 51) and that would provide eternal life.

Additionally, he made a comment about the miracle that the Jews had experienced during the Exodus, a miracle revered by the faithful. He pointed out that even though these people had eaten a gift from God they were still mortal and did eventually die.

The confusion came when people took Jesus literally. During the institution of Communion at the Last Supper Jesus explained that the bread the disciples would eat was his flesh. What he meant was that, like the bread, his body would be broken. Like the bread, the presence of Jesus would give eternal life.

We cannot take these words too literally. We must learn to understand that we must take part in the presence, grace and teaching of Jesus to gain everlasting life. By taking part in Jesus, the way we might take part in a daily meal, we are given a new life, a new way of living and loving and being children of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you take part in the flesh of Christ?

Communion 2

2011-09-26T16:29:00.003-04:00

Luke 9:16-17

The tradition of Communion can be very important to many believers. It is a holy moment in worship. It is a time when we are face to face with our Savior, a time of remembering the sacrifice Jesus has made for our salvation.

It is also a time of being one – communing – with our Lord. By taking in the bread and the wine we are symbolically taking in the very Spirit and presence of Christ. As the bread and wine becomes part of who we are we should see that we are making Jesus part of who we are.

In spite of his instruction for the disciples to feed the crowd, Jesus is the one who takes the food that has been offered and feeds the people. What did Jesus do with the loaves and fish? What did the disciples do? What was the result?

We can see the spirituality of Jesus in this act. Being a faithful child of God he offered thanks for the gifts of bread and fish. He praised God for His abundance. Then he broke the bread so that it could be eaten by the crowd.

In this moment of breaking the bread we should be reminded of what we know will later happen at the Last Supper. Jesus broke the bread and told the disciples that the bread was his body. He would be broken for all of us, broken so that we might be part of his holiness and part of God’s kingdom. He was broken so that we might commune with our Savior.

This meal with the crowd of more than 5,000 people is another time where Jesus gives himself to others. As the bread and fish were being set out for the people to take part, so Jesus was being set out for all to come and partake. Just as the meager offering of five loaves and two fish were enough to satisfy the crowd of thousands, so the simple offering of the body of Christ is enough to satisfy the needy souls of the world.

Even after all those thousands of people ate and were satisfied there was plenty left over. So it is with the Spirit of Christ. Jesus is enough to save the world. And as we join with him in leading souls to God there will be more than enough love and grace remaining when we are done.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be part of Christ’s ministry?

Communion 1

2011-09-25T16:23:00.003-04:00

Luke 9:12-13

Many years ago I took part in an on-line Internet bulletin board where people from all around the world discussed all manner of ideas and concerns. I shared some of the comments being made with a co-worker. Hearing what was being discussed she had some opinions of her own. She started to tell me what I should say in response to some of the comments.

“Tell them . . . ,” she started to say to me. “Tell them yourself,” I said.

There are often times and occasions in our life when we have something we would like to have said or get done. And there are times when we decide it is the responsibility of others to get these things accomplished. But, in fact, it is our own responsibility to do these things.

In Luke 9 we have the familiar story of the Feeding of the 5,000. Jesus and his disciples have been seen by many people and a crowd has gathered to hear what teachings Jesus might impart. As he taught time passed and the day grew late. What did the disciples want Jesus to do? What did Jesus tell the disciples?

It is evident that the people who have followed Jesus are in need of direction in their spiritual life. They have come to listen to the great teacher. They are eager to grow in their faith.

But the demands of life enter in. The day is growing old and people are likely getting hungry. They must eat something. They need food for sustenance just as they need spiritual teaching for their souls.

The solution the disciples come up with is to send everyone away. Let them fend for themselves. But more than that, they want Jesus to be the one who sends them off.

But Jesus tells the disciples that they, the disciples, should give this crowd something to eat. They need to get to work.

Like the disciples, we may see the need that other people have in their lives. They need hope and love. They need spiritual nourishment. And like the disciples we may think that it is the responsibility of others to handle the problem. But Jesus is speaking to us as well. “You give them something.”

Each of us as Christians is responsible for feeding the hungry souls of the lost. Each of us is responsible for being about the work of God’s kingdom.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you give to someone in need?

Make Disciples 5

2011-09-22T15:52:00.004-04:00

1 Peter 4:8

There are times when living together as a family can have its strains and troubles. I may get aggravated over dirty dishes left behind for me to pick up. My family may get irritated with me for all the things I leave lying around. But ultimately we are forgiving and tolerant of each other because we love each other.

Peter has a simple comment about how we can all get along. What should we do? How should we love? What is the benefit of it?

While it may be obvious to us that we love our family members and we can put up with all the small things that make us upset because of love, it may not be quite as obvious that we should have that same attitude with everyone. We are all children of God. We are all loved by God. We are all saved through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. We are all heirs of God and therefore all part of the family of God.

If we can add to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love we can become the great Christians we are called to be. As great Christians we can live out the Great Commandment – loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

But with these many attributes of faithful Christian living we will also be able to live out the Great Commission. We will be able to teach all those who do not already know of Jesus. We will be able to help them initiate their own growth in faith, showing them how to build on their faith. We will be able to help them be initiated in this life of holiness through baptism.

If we will live out the teachings of Jesus Christ and make disciples of other people, we must have brotherly kindness as part of who we are. We must care for the well-being and spiritual goodness of all people. We must love them. And through that love we will be able to put away the sin that divides us from others, the sin which keeps others from truly knowing Christ.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you have love to overcome sins?

Make Disciples 4

2011-09-21T15:44:00.003-04:00

Acts 2:44-45

In recent meetings with church leaders we have discussed the future of our church, the changes needed, the ministries we hope to adopt, and so on. As we close each meeting we make certain that we are all of one mind – that we all agree on the direction and actions we would like to take. As we discuss our future each person is free to offer suggestions, to share their own vision and hope.

After the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and other followers, and Peter spoke to a large crowd to encourage their repentance, Acts 2 goes on to talk about this growing church. This band of believers devoted themselves to prayer, teaching and fellowship. What is said of how the believers lived?

The description presented about this emerging church creates an image of communal living. The people spent time together. They prayed and were either taught or united in supporting the teaching of others. They ate together.

Verse 44 says that they had everything in common. The understanding is that they shared all their possessions with each other. They sold what they owned to get money and then gave that money to those who were needy.

But I wonder if all these words could apply to their attitudes toward one another and to ministry as well. It is possible that all the things they held in common went beyond material possessions and included their faith. They may have shared the same attitude and devotion. They may have been sharing brotherly kindness to one another as well as love for each person.

And when they gave to those who had need, perhaps they also gave spiritually. It is possible that these believers gave a new outlook to those who needed hope.

We are called to make disciples. We are called to make brotherly kindness and love part of our faith life. When we can achieve that, then we will all have the same attitude of faith, a shared belief and energy for God, and we can give that belief and love to those who need to find it.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you give brotherly kindness and love to those who need it?

Make Disciples 3

2011-09-20T15:39:00.003-04:00

Acts 2:38-41

Recent news stories have covered the phenomenon of shoppers at Target stores. Customers have swamped the stores to buy designer clothes and other items at a really low price. News of the bargains spread quickly as people shared this information with others.

It’s amazing to me how excited we can get about a bargain and how dull we can be about our faith. In Acts 2 Peter has stood up and is speaking to a crowd of people who have witnessed the working of the Holy Spirit. He tells them all about Jesus, about how he is the Lord. In response the crowd asks what they are to do.

What does Peter tell the people to do? What will they receive? What did he plead with them about? How did many respond?

Peter knew the importance of a life in Christ. He knew how important it is to repent of our sins and to begin the spiritual growth of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance and godliness. He was so excited about this important news that he was very emphatic when talking about Jesus and faith.

Peter urged those who heard him to turn their lives around and begin the journey of faith in Jesus. He urged them to be baptized, to make a public confession of this new life. The Bible even says that “he pleaded with them.” The words convey the urgency Peter felt.

We may not all be like Peter. We may not all have the gift of public persuasion that this disciple possessed. But we are called to make disciples. We are all called to invite others into a relationship of brotherly kindness and love.

If we can have our own faith grow into greatness, if we can add to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance and godliness, then we can also add to our faith the practice of brotherly kindness and love. We can welcome others into the family of God. We can stand with them as they accept Jesus as Savior and as they are baptized to mark this new faith.

Perhaps then we will see an increase in numbers of believers in our churches.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you share your passion for God?

Make Disciples 2

2011-09-19T15:25:00.004-04:00

Galatians 3:26-29

I remember as a child witnessing an initiation into a club. I was with my brother on an errand and we parked behind some buildings in the city, and there in the alley was a small group of men. They were dumping flour and eggs and something blue on top of one of the men. I asked what was going on and my brother pointed out that it was an initiation into a club – the Eagles or Elks or some other group, I wasn’t sure. If the candidate endured the process then that person was welcomed as a member of that organization.

As Christian believers we are also welcomed into a group – the group of children of God. Our initiation rite does not involve disgusting things being dumped on our heads. It involves faith and baptism.

In his letter to the believers in Galatia Paul offers some encouragement. Who are we? How did we become these people? What does all that mean to us?

The moment we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we are relieved of our sins. All that we have done in the past is wiped away and we are ready to begin a new journey of faith. We are ready to grow in holiness with God.

We remember our forgiveness and declare it publicly through the act of baptism. When we have water poured over our heads, or when we are immersed in water in baptism, we are being initiated into the family of God.

As Paul points out we become sons (and daughters) of God. We are heirs of Christ. That means we will inherit – receive – the eternal life in glory that God has promised.

Our differences are wiped away. We are no longer this person or that person. We are not Americans or Germans or French. We are not from this county or that town. We are simply children of God, wrapped in the joy and love of our heavenly Father.

The act of baptism clothes us in God’s grace. We become like one another in holiness.

Now we must share this baptism with others. We must tell others of the love of God and the salvation of Jesus. And then we can invite them into a baptism, a time of making themselves new in the power of Christ.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you do to remember that you are a child of God?

Make Disciples 1

2011-09-18T18:48:00.003-04:00

Matthew 28:18-20

As I was helping to coach someone learning to preach, I challenged him to think about what he would say to the people in the church if he knew that he would never see them again. If you knew that you only had one opportunity to share some encouragement and guidance with someone you would likely choose your words very carefully. Whatever you said would be the most important thing you could think of.

The first Gospel ends with what has been called the Great Commission. It is the final instructions from Jesus, the commissioning – granting of authority – of the disciples. What are they to do? What assurance is given?

These words from Jesus are more than just a farewell to those people he knew who had been so loyal to him. It was one of the last opportunities Jesus had to give instruction to his followers, so we can assume these words carried some weight. We also see that what Jesus said granted the authority for the work to be done. God had given it to Jesus. Jesus was passing that authority on to the disciples.

What was it that the disciples were to do? They were to go out into the world and make disciples. They were to baptize them.

And it is important to know that a disciple is more than just a follower. A disciple is a learner, someone who gains knowledge from the one who makes the disciple. So it makes sense that Jesus would continue in his commissioning by saying that these disciples should be taught to obey everything Jesus had taught.

This commission goes beyond the disciples. We also are to do the work that Christ has commissioned. We should teach others to obey what Jesus has instructed. We should baptize new believers so that they will know they have been saved by Christ and brought into this journey of faith.

And like the disciples we can all take comfort in knowing that Jesus is with us in all that we do. As we grow in our faith and as we help others learn about faith, the Spirit of Christ is with us to continue that guidance and surround us with love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Can you disciple someone in the teachings of Jesus?

Love God 5

2011-09-15T16:00:00.003-04:00

Ephesians 4:22-24

In today’s society with our modern ways of communicating and staying in contact with one another it is easier to get in touch with people who live far away. Recently I was contacted through e-mail by someone I knew when I was a child. She reminisced on our childhood and the old neighborhood and suggested that we might get together some time.

I hesitate getting in touch with all the many people I knew so many years ago. The biggest reason is that I am not the same person I was forty years ago. Not only have my life and circumstances changed, but I have changed. I do not think and act as I did so long ago.

The letter to the believers in Ephesus makes a comment about spiritual growth. What are we to do with our old self? What is wrong with the old self? What is the goal of the new self?

Whether our beliefs in God came later in life or they have been with us since childhood, the odds are that we are not who we used to be. When we do not have a deep connection with God, or we have no faith at all, we are easily tempted by the corruption of our humanity – a tendency to be selfish, to sin, to act deceitfully. But when we take on a new faith, when we progress in our spiritual growth, we can put away our old habits and behaviors.

Through an acceptance of Christ and a movement forward in our faith we grow to be better people. As Ephesians 4:24 points out, we are to grow in the likeness of God. We should grow to be more holy in our thinking and in the things we do.

2 Peter 1 talks about the progression of spiritual growth for believers. We are to begin with faith and then add goodness to that. Once we have mastered our faith and goodness we can add knowledge and self-control. To continue growing toward that more perfect self, that spirituality that is like God in true righteousness and holiness, we must now add perseverance and godliness.

Godliness is that new self that we need to have. Godliness is that holiness, that God-likeness, that we must exhibit in our life and our ability to love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be made new, more God-like, in your attitudes?

Love God 4

2011-09-14T16:00:00.003-04:00

Matthew 15:25-28

When I applied for a position as a corporate trainer I felt very confident about the opportunity. I knew I would make a great trainer. But the manager who interviewed me disagreed and told me she did not intend to hire me.

After a moment of disappointment my wife told me to call her back and convince her that I was the person for the job. I called back, politely explained that I was truly qualified for the position, and challenged her to give me a chance to demonstrate my skills.

I got the job.

Continuing with the story of the Canaanite woman, we have seen that her daughter is suffering from demon possession. But Jesus has ignored her calls for help. What does the woman do in verse 25? How does Jesus respond? What ultimately causes Jesus to give the healing requested?

Jesus healed the woman’s daughter because she exhibited great faith. She was persistent in her pursuit of a response from Jesus. She did not give up easily, but pushed forward until she achieved what she desired.

We may find ourselves in a desperate situation. We need help. We need God’s blessings and guidance and strength.

We may turn to the Lord for help, but then we may feel that we have been ignored because God has not responded immediately. We need to have the perseverance of our faith, the ability to accept where we are and press forward to see the changes we want to have happen. We must be willing to be like the Canaanite woman and dare to press God for His presence in our lives.

Perseverance goes beyond waiting. Perseverance implies action on our part. When we see what needs to change – in ourselves, in our world, in our faith – perseverance calls us to make those changes. It may happen quickly. It may take years. But the faithful believer who has perseverance will constantly work toward improving God’s kingdom.

We also need perseverance with ourselves. We must constantly and patiently move on in our faith to become better Christians.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What needs to be better about your faith?

Love God 3

2011-09-13T14:53:00.003-04:00

Matthew 15:21-24

We are all likely familiar with the frustration of waiting in a doctor’s office. We are aware of the patience needed to finally be seen by a physician. While patience is an admirable quality, the “perseverance” mentioned in 2 Peter 1:6 does not translate to be patience. Patience can be understood to be the quiet tolerance of the passing of time. But perseverance is the acceptance of circumstances joined with the active pursuit of change.

As an example of perseverance – the attitude that we must add to our faith, goodness, knowledge and self-control – we have the story of the Canaanite woman. Like the story of the Good Samaritan, there is information implied by the words. The Canaanite woman was not Jewish.

Why does the woman come to Jesus? What was Jesus’ response? What did the disciples want? How do you feel about Jesus’ responses?

There are many different interpretations of why Jesus ignored the woman as he did. He may have been testing her devotion and authenticity. He may have truly wanted to focus on the Jews, but changed his mind. He may have been teaching a lesson to the woman, to the disciples, or to us.

If there is anything we can take away from this story it is the need for perseverance in our faith. The woman was not part of the ministry of Jesus yet she was willing to make herself vulnerable, to risk the rejection she received, by confronting Jesus. She was willing to endure being snubbed by Christ and the disciples to accomplish a greater good.

As Christians we must realize our need to grow in our faith, to move from being good to being great. That requires that we put ourselves at risk. That requires that we move forward, refusing to accept where we are as the end of the journey.

We must have faith and goodness. And to that we must add knowledge and self-control. Then we must add perseverance – the deliberate and sometimes slow movement forward in faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you live out perseverance in your faith?

Love God 2

2011-09-12T16:02:00.003-04:00

1 Peter 1:14-15

In one of my teaching assignments part of my duties was to escort a classroom full of children down a long hallway, down a staircase, down a second hall, all the way to the cafeteria at lunch. It was the rule of the school that students should be quiet as they went to lunch so as not to disturb other classes.

I explained to my students that if they made noise no one would say this student or that student was noisy. They would say that Mr. Emerson’s class was noisy. I explained that in this they represented me, and since I am obedient to the rules they must also be obedient to the rules.

In the same way when we claim the title of “Christian” we are telling everyone that we represent the Son of God. As representatives of Christ we must behave in ways that give honor to the Lord. If we will grow in faith we must be faithful in our beliefs and add to our qualities of being Christian.

Peter has some instructions to faithful believers. What are we to do? What behavior should we live out? Why?

If we are to be obedient to God we must suppress our desires and tendencies to get caught up in the sinfulness of the world. We must avoid and suppress our sinful desires. We no longer live in ignorance. We have been shown the way of living out faith by Christ himself.

But more than simply being obedient to God, more than just having faith, more than just adding goodness to our faith, we must aspire to be holy in our behaviors. We are to add godliness to our faith, goodness and knowledge. We are to be holy in the same way that God is holy.

It is a difficult challenge. It is a high ideal to work toward, but we are children of God and we are challenged to be as holy as God.

And we are not called to be holy now and then. We are not called to be holy in private. We are called to be holy in all that we do.

If we are able to add holiness to our faith we will be one more step closer to being the great Christians we are called to be.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What must you do to be holy?

Love God 1

2011-09-11T16:43:00.003-04:00

Philippians 2:12-13

We are working more and more at having our children, now growing into young adults, to become more self-sufficient and productive in their daily lives. Whenever we leave the house and there are things to be done we leave a “to do” list for our kids, a list of those tasks that we expect them to accomplish while we are away, something to be done without our involvement or nagging.

What a delight it is to come home and find that our kids have checked through their lists and accomplished things.

The same is true of each one of us in our faith. God has given us commandments in the Bible. Christ came to earth and taught us lessons and provided us with an example to follow. Now it is up to us to build our Christian life, to move through our journey of faith, on our own.

Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi addresses the need for the believers to grow in their faith. What does he say about their obedience in faith? What should they do about heir own salvation? How is this work accomplished?

If we are Christians then we have accepted the life, teaching and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Our salvation is sure. We are promised everlasting life in the kingdom of God.

But we can’t stop there. Just because Jesus is not present with us in bodily form to push us deeper in our faith, just because the early leaders of the church are no longer with us, we can’t stop with the secure knowledge of our salvation.

We have the faith. Now we must add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance and godliness. (2 Peter 1:5-6) When we build on these qualities we grow closer and closer to being the perfect children of god we are called to be.

We can take courage that it is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, who works within us to help us grow in holiness and goodness. Through the working of God we can move toward being great Christians with stronger and more effective faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you remember that God is working in you to grow your faith?

Love Your Neighbor 4

2011-09-08T15:48:00.004-04:00

Luke 10:36-37

I think I may have mentioned “Crazy Annie” before, but the story bears repeating. When I was a teen-ager there was a family up the street who acted a little odd. Most neighbors avoided any contact with them because they were peculiar. But one day when my mother was laid up with a broken leg I had to stop by their house and return something.

The mother had acquired the name “Crazy Annie” because of her strange actions (we only called her that behind her back) and I was nervous about having to see her. But she was very welcoming to me and asked about how our family was getting on. She was so concerned about my mother that she went right outside and cut a bunch of flowers from her garden for me to five my mother.

In that experience I learned that “Crazy Annie” wasn’t quite so crazy. She may not have acted and dressed exactly like everyone else in the neighborhood but she had a kind and caring heart.

After telling the story of the Good Samaritan to the expert in the law, what does Jesus ask? What does the expert answer? What is Jesus’ command?

The story of the Good Samaritan is something most of us are familiar with. With that familiarity and the distance of time and difference of culture we may not fully comprehend the shock value. To have a Samaritan show kindness to a Jew (the man who was robbed) would be difficult for the expert in the law to accept. But Jesus has supplied him with new knowledge. Jesus taught him how to understand the stranger a little better.

As we grow in our faith we must add knowledge to who we are so that we might love others. Knowledge lets us know that we are all neighbors and that the term “neighbor” is not limited to those who live within sight of our house, or who live within the boundaries of our community. We are all neighbors to one another in that we share the earth with all cultures and beliefs and behaviors.

We may not have to accept them all – that is, we do not have to approve of and endorse what others do and how they live – but we must learn to love others in the same way that God loves others.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What knowledge do you need to help you love your neighbor?

Love Your Neighbor 3

2011-09-07T15:43:00.004-04:00

Luke 10:33-35

A few years ago my wife and I came upon a car accident that had just happened. We jumped out of the van and she went to one car while I went to the other. We were fortunate enough to have some spare blankets in the van and we used them to help comfort the drivers.

I helped dab blood from one driver’s face and held her phone up so she could speak to her husband and let him know what happened. I tried to calm her and comfort her, assuring her that everything would be alright.

I had no idea who she was. I had no idea if she was a good person or a bad person, if she lived near me or lived far away. None of that mattered. The drivers needed help and we gave what help we could.

When asked about the Great Commandment – love God, love your neighbor – the expert in the law persists with questions about who is considered a neighbor. Jesus responds with a now familiar story – the parable of the Good Samaritan. What are all the things the Samaritan did? Why do you think he did these things?

We can assume from the details of the story that the injured man is Jewish and we know the other is a Samaritan. What we may not know is that Jews and Samaritans absolutely detested one another because of their different cultures and religious practices.

Yet the Samaritan was able to show love to this Jewish man who had been robbed and left for dead. This Samaritan apparently had the knowledge that all people are children of God. It took knowledge, an awareness that God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, to show mercy to an enemy, to love his “neighbor.” He knew that God loves everyone no matter what has happened in their past or how they live now.

The Samaritan had knowledge of how to live out his faith and how to live out goodness. And with that knowledge he added self-control. It took self-control to not hate the injured man, to not delight in his misery. It took self-control to offer compassion to an enemy and to live as a neighbor to the stranger.

We must learn to be like the Samaritan. To our faith and holy goodness we must add the knowledge that helps us understand others. And to that knowledge we must add the self-control it takes to live out love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you build your self-control so that you might be more merciful?

Love Your Neighbor 2

2011-09-06T16:13:00.003-04:00

Psalm 122:6-9

At the end of last year I asked a member of the church to serve on the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, an important leadership team in the church. When he came to the first meeting he asked, “Is this where all the screaming and yelling happens?”

He was joking, but unfortunately many groups and teams in churches have a reputation of being the place where screaming and yelling happens. As we work together to build our church, as we plan for the future and try to establish good direction for our ministries we can sometimes get caught up in our own desires and lose sight of the overall picture. We can fail to see that we are all believers, we are all children of God, we are all loved by God, and we should love one another.

Psalm 122 was written specifically about Jerusalem – the holy city of God – and the Temple – the place of worship. But the words of the psalm could apply to any place of worship. What should we do? What should we desire? Who will benefit by this peace and security?

Our place of worship should be a place of peace and love. But it is not always that way. We fall into arguments and disagreements with our Christian brothers and sisters. We may have strained relationships over differing opinions. But we need to learn to think less of ourselves and more of others.

For the sake of all who worship with us we need to seek peace within the walls of our church. For the sake of God’s kingdom we need to seek the prosperity of the house of God. We need to work to be a great church, and that is founded on love for all and peace between us.

Perhaps we will never be able to truly love our enemies when it comes to those who are enemies of our nation and culture. But we should work to at least begin loving others. We can begin with those we already know locally. We can begin by loving those with whom we have issues in our own church and our own community.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Think of the people in your everyday life, especially those in your place of worship. Pray for one person with whom you have “issues,” then pray that you will learn to love them.

Love Your Neighbor 1

2011-09-05T16:00:00.007-04:00

Matthew 5:43-48

On the first Friday night of the football season our two children went with the school band and ate a meal together with the band from a rival school. Our son came home and declared with sarcasm – “It was a wonderful time of bonding. They ate on their side of the room and we ate on our side.”

It isn’t always easy to be warm and friendly to strangers. Sometimes it is even hard to be nice to people we know. The separation experienced at the dinner is nothing new. We have even attended church gatherings and encountered the same thing. People prefer to be with those they like and are familiar with.

This sense of animosity becomes even stronger when we deal with enemies, people we dislike – even hate – because of offenses and acts of aggression. It is a natural feeling to prefer your own culture over that of another.

Yet Jesus has some things to say about that. What are we supposed to do with our enemies? Why should we do that? What does Jesus point out about God’s attitude toward all people? What comparisons does he make?

One of the foundations of our faith is love. We are to love God. We are to love one another. We are to express God’s love to other people, especially those in need. And if this wasn’t hard enough Jesus’ comment about our attitude toward our enemies seems impossible.

This is not a natural attitude to have. It doesn’t come easily and requires some work, some deliberate act of our will to overcome the anger and dislike we have for certain people. But that is part of Christianity. There is no getting around this command. There is no “but” involved in what Jesus says. It is part of our growth in faith to be able to love our enemies. It is a step toward the perfection Jesus wants of us.

If we will grow to be better Christians, if we will move toward greatness as a church, we must learn to love all people no matter what our instinctive reaction might be. Having love for foreign people, especially those who have made war against our nation and our people, is a hard challenge to live up to. Yet we are called to do this.

We may think that we will never be able to truly love our enemies when it comes to those who are enemies of our nation and culture, but with God all things are possible. We may simply need to understand other people better.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Pray that God will help you understand other people better.

Great Church 5

2011-09-01T17:00:00.004-04:00

1 Thessalonians 5:19

“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We are all probably familiar with that little chant from our childhood. It is a good sentiment, an encouragement to stand up against criticism. But in fact this saying is false.

Not only will sticks and stones break your bones, but words can be very hurtful. They can leave an invisible scar that lasts a lifetime.

So, we should be cautious about the words we say to one another. We should choose carefully what we say to others. We may find that it is better to keep silent rather than risk criticizing someone and dousing the flame of passion they may have. Today’s passage sums it up very simply. What are we NOT to do?

In my years in ministry I have witnessed all too often good ministries come to a screeching halt because ONE PERSON doesn’t like it. It only takes a single negative comment to put the brakes on something positive.

And isn’t that just what the Devil wants? I believe he delights in the fact that it only takes one comment to derail a powerful ministry, one person to stand in the way of God’s work being done.

As we all progress through our journey of faith, adding goodness and knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love, we need to remember that this journey is essential for us. We need to guard against becoming discouraged by the comments and actions of others. If we possess faith and goodness and knowledge and self-control we will be better equipped to ignore those detractors who want to stop us in our growth toward perfection.

But we also must be aware of others and how we treat them. We must guard against being a stumbling block for others who are making that journey of growth. We should offer encouragement rather than criticism, a sense of hope rather than a comment of gloom.

And when we see ministry being done – even if it is not a ministry we value – we should support it and understand that it comes from a God-inspired passion in others. If we can’t support the ministry, then at least we can remain silent and not put out the Spirit’s fire.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there a ministry that needs your encouragement? Are there negative comments you need to avoid?

Great Church 4

2011-08-31T17:00:00.003-04:00

Matthew 22:36-39

Most people contemplate the purpose of our existence and the reason we have been created. We ponder the deeper meanings of why we exist. Beyond the meaning of life we must also understand the meaning of our faith life.

An expert in the Jewish law asked Jesus a question. The question was likely meant to trip up Jesus, to catch him in a mistake or get him to say something foolish or incorrect. The question seems to be the biggest question there is about faith – in a sense, he was asking what the purpose of faith is all about.

What is the greatest commandment? What is the second greatest commandment? How are these two related?

As we examine our growth in faith, our ability to become better Christians and stronger in our faith, we must understand the basics of our faith. If we will move through the maturing process that Peter addressed we should know the purpose of living out our faith.

According to Jesus, the Son of God, the greatest commandment, the most important aspect of faith, is to love God. And we must love God with our entire being, with all that we are – our heart, soul and mind. It can not be a half-hearted, insincere commitment to the Lord.

Jesus quickly added a second greatest commandment. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are to love all people – those we know and those we do not know, those we like and those we do not like – with the same love that we would have for ourselves. Such love is deep, strong and caring.

This second command is added because it is a part of the first. If we can grow toward being greater Christians and better believers, we will learn to love God with our whole being. And if we can achieve that level of love and compassion, then it will become part of who we are to love all of God’s people as well. To love God means that we love all that God has created too.

It can be a challenge, but it is what we are called to do as we grow and mature in our faith.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What must change in you to love God with all your heart, soul and mind?

Great Church 3

2011-08-30T17:00:00.003-04:00

Hebrews 11:1

When I worked as a corporate trainer for a large manufacturer, my job involved going to various buildings in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area. Other members of the training team were supposed to have gone before me and placed the materials and books I needed for the training. But the first thing I was to do when I arrived at each location was to check to be sure I had what I needed.

Sadly, I learned that I couldn’t have a lot of faith in my co-workers.

Peter has challenged all believers to build on their faith, to move forward, to increase from being good to being great. But before we move forward perhaps we should more fully understand what faith really is. How does today’s passage describe faith?

This passage presents two different concepts – the concrete and the nebulous, the solid and the squishy. Faith is being “sure” and “certain.” That is the concrete. That is the solid. When we are sure and certain we have a firm belief, a strong conviction. I would say we have an unwavering, unyielding confidence and trust.

But that confidence is in uncertain things – “hope” and “what we do not see.” These are the nebulous, squishy aspects. Hope is an insubstantial vision of what we desire. That which we do not see is even less specific.

Faith is the confidence, the trust and conviction, that what we envision in our minds, and things we can’t even envision, are real. Our faith may be in God – someone we can’t see. Our faith may be in our own goodness – something we hope to achieve or maintain.

What is essential is that we have that conviction, that certainty of feeling in our hearts and souls, that these things are real and genuine. When we have faith that we can be holy and good, that we can serve the Lord, then these insubstantial ideas will become a reality. We can grow in our faith. We can grow as believers. We can live out the love of God.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What is your “hope” that needs to become a reality?

Great Church 2

2011-08-29T16:55:00.003-04:00

2 Peter 1:5-7
Our son is the senior conductor of the school’s brass band and has recently finished with the week-long “camp” where the freshmen members learn how to be part of the band. His comment toward the end of the week was that the freshmen were starting to “get it.” They were figuring out the moves and the music.

Things like the marching band take some time to develop. You don’t walk out on the field and simply start playing and marching perfectly. It takes time and effort to grow and develop, to mature.

Peter continues to make comment on the growth of our faith. What do we add to our faith? What do we add to goodness? What other attributes should we strive for?

As believers in God and believers in Jesus Christ we begin with faith. We have a confidence in the existence of God and in His goodness. We have a basic belief in the gift of Christ as our Savior.

This is the starting point. And from that base we add the qualities of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. As we grow in our faith, as we mature toward perfection, we learn to be good – that is, we learn to value what is not evil and we learn to live as people who embrace the beneficial aspects of life.

Once we are secure in our faith and in attitudes of an honorable and morally pure life, we can work at increasing our knowledge, our awareness and understanding of our faith and in the ways of God. As we continue to grow and become better Christians we learn to control our baser urges and desires. We learn to remain strong in our faith in spite of challenges and adversities, and we develop our abilities to practice a godly, holy life that produces acts of kindness and mercy.

The life of a faithful believer should be a life that is always growing and improving. It should be a journey that makes us better and better people, more able to live out our faith and share God’s love. The maturing Christian should always strive to “get it,” to understand more fully what our faith is all about and how to live it.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Give your faith an honest evaluation. Where are you in the progression Peter lists? How can you move on to the next level?

Great Church 1

2011-08-28T16:42:00.005-04:00

2 Peter 1:3-4
As the summer draws to a close we begin to anticipate a return to school and perhaps a new chapter in our work life. We may need to shrug off the laziness of the hotter months and begin to focus once again on our responsibilities. With this in mind we can examine ourselves and our faith life and perhaps see that we need to return to a more faithful dedication to God.

In his second letter to believers, the disciple Peter makes comment on the significance of our faith. What has God given us? What accompanies these gifts? How does it help us?

We can so easily become complacent with our connection to God. We begin to take life for granted with all the ups and downs that everyone experiences. We may get caught up in our own interests, or we may feel that we are “good enough” Christians that we need no more instruction or improvement. We become so comfortable in our faith that we fail to commit to it as we should.

But Peter, the man who was so dear to Christ and who followed him so closely, reminds us that God has given us incredible gifts. He has given us everything we need for life. And not just everything for life, but everything we need to live life to its spiritual fullness.

As Peter points out, God has called us through His goodness and glory, and in that call are the gifts of God to live a life of godliness. Knowing that God has called us, that He has embraced us in His love and glory, that He has called us to be His children, allows us and compels us to take part in the divinity of God.

These are heavy words, but what does all that mean?

God loves us and wants us to be in a deep relationship with Him. A comparison we can understand is that of a parent and children. Because God wants us to be in this familial relationship He gives us what we need – that is, He gives us that heartfelt prompt and desire to be good people. He wants us to be holy.

We may never be as holy as God, but we can participate in the divine nature of God. We can come close to God and we can become holier than we are now. When we embrace our call to faith, when we see that a connection to God is essential, it can save us from the pitfalls and failings of a sinful, human-centered life.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Set a spiritual goal for yourself. What must you do to believe that you are participating in God’s divine nature? Do you need to attend worship more often? Do you need to increase your charitable giving? Do you need to take part in work that benefits others?

Out of the Depths 5

2011-05-26T16:36:00.003-04:00

Isaiah 43:1-3

How often have you ever thought, “If I only knew then what I know now”? How often have you wanted to have a time-machine to take you back so that you can do things the right way? I think back on my earlier life, especially my childhood, and I think with disdain how timid I was in all that I did. I was afraid of everything and everyone. But that all changed when I read this Bible passage.

You see I am one of those silly people who believes the Bible to be true. I am one of those people who trusts in the promises of God. This passage turned me around.

Who is speaking? What assurance does God offer? Who do we belong to? What examples does God offer?

If we really believe in God then this passage should fill us with incredible confidence. God has declared that we are His people. We belong to Him. He has called us by name.

And God has given us incredible promises. Nothing can harm us. Fire and flood and destruction will not bring us harm. God is with us in all the tough times of life. He is there to keep us from destruction.

We may be faced with an uncertain economy. We may be worried about the weather and the impact that it will have on farmers and crops, and subsequently the already fragile economy. Gas prices may frighten us. Our jobs may seem shaky. Our health may make us worry.

But we need to face life with extreme confidence and trust. We need to remember these words from God. He will not let the waters of trouble sweep over us. He will not let the fires of fear burn us.

Not only is God with us but He is our Savior. He has redeemed us from the death of sin. He has redeemed us and freed us from a life of hopelessness and worry. He loves us so much that He embraces us in the darkest of times and He is there to strengthen and guide us through all the snares and pitfalls of life.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you face life with confidence?

This is the last 10/2 Grow Daily Devotion for this spring. We pray that you will have a blessed summer and that you may live a life of goodness and trust in the awesome power and love of your Lord. – Peggy and Roger

Out of the Depths 4

2011-05-25T16:31:00.003-04:00

Hebrews 4:14-16

Several years ago the son of one of our members wanted to talk to me. He was upset because his father had cancer and didn’t have long to live. I was able to give some counseling and, I think, a little comfort. It wasn’t just because I am a pastor, but because I had lost my own father who died suddenly and all too soon. I knew what he was going through.

The author of Hebrews gives us some assurance about Jesus. Why should we have faith in Jesus? What is Jesus able to do? How should we feel when we come to God?

Too often when we are faced with difficult situations in life we fall into the trap of thinking that no one knows what we are going through. Too often when life gets hard we think we are on our own, and we can let our fears and worries defeat us. But this is not true.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has gone through the tough times of life just as we have. Historians believe that Jesus as a youngster was probably witness to the political oppression of Rome. He most likely went through all the stress and turmoil of life growing up within a family. He experienced grief and loss.

He went through times of hope and times of fear. He built up friendships and lost some of those friends. He suffered temptations. He was accused and arrested. He was put to death at a young age.

But he was more than a man who experienced the highs and lows of life. He was the Son of God, God in human form. He was the expression of God’s compassion and love. He existed so that we might be connected to the Lord.

When we face the uncertainty of life we need to turn to the certainty of God. Jesus knows what we are experiencing. He has been through it too. And with that knowledge we are invited to come to God with confidence knowing that God understands our plight and our worries.

I believe God doesn’t always spare us from the tough parts of life, just as he didn’t spare His own Son from them. But I believe God can give us comfort in our dark hours. And I believe God can make good emerge from the troubles if we will trust Him.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Where do you need comfort?

Out of the Depths 3

2011-05-24T16:23:00.003-04:00

Mark 5:14-15

There is a young man in our area who has experienced some severe health issues. One result of this is that the family is faced with difficult medical bills. This is very sad.

On the other hand one result of this is that the community came together the other day and put on a carnival with games and prizes to raise money for the family. Hundreds of people turned out to offer their support, not just in presenting and manning the carnival, but also in supporting the fund-raising efforts. What a wonderful thing.

Today’s passage is part of a larger story. Jesus and his disciples have come to the region of the Gerasenes, and in this place was a man who was possessed by demons. He lived among tombs. He had been chained up to help control him, but he broke the chains and spent his days crying out and cutting himself.

But Jesus arrived and cast out the demons, sending them into a herd of pigs. What did the people who tended the pigs do? When everyone came back what was the demon-possessed man doing?

This story is about a man who is living in misery. He has a life that is no life at all. He screams all day and night. He hurts himself. He can’t be contained, and I imagine that anyone who was near the man was frightened and at wit’s end as to what could be done.

But from this chaos came order. Jesus drove out the problems – the demons – and restored the man to normal life. When those who were familiar with the man saw him he was sitting there, dressed and in his right mind. For some reason this frightened the people of that region. They wanted Jesus to leave.

But we as faithful children of God, as believers in the power and presence of Christ, should see this story as one of hope. Jesus took away the problems and brought goodness and calm. And that is something we should come to expect from our Lord and Savior.

No matter what tumult and trouble we can be facing, even those frightening situations that we can’t chain up and control, Jesus can bring us peace. He can restore order and goodness if we will simply learn to trust him.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you let Jesus drive out the demons in your life?