Prayer Blog
05/12 - Compassion
Compassion Sunday
“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but indeed and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18
A few years ago our church set up tables with information to sponsor a child from Compassion International. We felt led to help but financially things were tight for our family. However, one treat we did enjoy was going out to dinner once a week. We decided to give up one dinner out a month in order to sponsor a child. As a family, we went over and looked at all the sweet children’s faces on the brochures. One little girl from Burkina Faso, Africa, stood out and we picked her. Partly because her name was Valentine (our girls are such the little romantics and they loved her name) and partly because she was close in age to our youngest daughter and we knew that would be fun. We were so excited and couldn’t wait to write to her and then eagerly waited for her to write back. In one of her letters she asked us, “How can I pray for your family?” Wow! I was blown away. I realized then that sometimes when we help someone we receive a bigger blessing than the one we give.
The Bible contains many scriptures about helping the poor and needy. It isn’t a suggestion; it is a commandment. God doesn’t say if you have extra money or if you feel led, He simply says ‘feed the poor.” Matthew 25:31-46 tells us about the Final Judgment and how God will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. He says:“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” When we serve and care for others, ultimately, we are serving and caring for Christ.
Our love for Christ is what motivates us to love and serve others. It is at the core of everything that we do. When we sponsor a child, we are giving them more than just food or an education or a chance to change their lives, we are giving them hope. Hope that only comes from God.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Thank you for loving us and providing for all of our needs. I pray that our love for you will be so great it will motivate us to help others and share your Hope with a world that desperately needs it.
Devotion written by: Ruth Wittenbrook
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
05/08 - Hope
The Arrows strike at the most vital places in our hearts, the things we care most about. The deepest questions we ever ask are directly related to our hearts' greatest needs and the answers life gives us shape our images of ourselves, of life, and of God. Who am I? The Romance whispers that we are someone special, that our heart is good because it is made for someone good; the Arrows tell us we are a dime a dozen, worthless, even dark and twisted, dirty. Where is life to be found? The Romance tells us life will flourish when we give it away in love and heroic sacrifice. The Arrows tell us that we must arrange for what little life there may be, manipulating our world and all the while watching our backs. "God is good," the Romance tells us. "You can release the wellbeing of your heart to him." The Arrows strike back, "Don't ever let life out of your control," and they seem to impale with such authority, unlike the gentle urges of the Romance, that in the end we are driven to find some way to contain them. The only way seems to be to kill our longing for the Romance, much in the same way we harden our heart to someone who hurts us. If I don't want so much, we believe, I won't be so vulnerable. Instead of dealing with the Arrows, we silence the longing. That seems to be our only hope. And so we lose heart.
Which is the truer message? If we try to hang on to the Romance, what are we to do with our wounds and the awful tragedies of life? How can we keep our heart alive in the face of such deadly Arrows? How many losses can a heart take? If we deny the wounds or try to minimize them, we deny a part of our heart and end up living a shallow optimism that frequently becomes a demand that the world be better than it is. On the other hand, if we embrace the Arrows as the final word on life, we despair, which is another way to lose heart. To lose hope has the same effect on our heart as it would be to stop breathing.
An excerpt from The Sacred Romance
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
05/01 - EPIC
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A Story. An Epic. Something hidden in the ancient past. Something dangerous now unfolding. Something waiting in the future for us to discover. Some crucial role for us to play. Christianity, in its true form, tells us that there is an Author and that he is good, the essence of all that is good and beautiful and true, for he is the source of all these things. It tells us that he has set our hearts' longings within us, for he has made us to live in an Epic. It warns that the truth is always in danger of being twisted and corrupted and stolen from us because there is a Villain in the Story who hates our hearts and wants to destroy us. It calls us up into a Story that is truer and deeper than any other, and assures us that there we will find the meaning of our lives. What if ? What if all the great stories that have ever moved you, brought you joy or tears—what if they are telling you something about the true Story into which you were born, the Epic into which you have been cast? We won't begin to understand our lives, or what this so-called gospel is that Christianity speaks of, until we understand the Story in which we have found ourselves. For when you were born, you were born into an Epic that has already been under way for quite some time. It is a Story of beauty and intimacy and adventure, a Story of danger and loss and heroism and betrayal. An excerpt from the book EPIC by John Eldredge Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com |
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04/21 - The Road to Freedom - Living in Freedom
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." Galatians 2:20, 21 ESV
As a new Christian, I was so excited to live for the Lord. I thought that being a Christian was about following rules and becoming perfect. When I did good striving and living out the rules, I thought I was okay. Of course I was measuring myself by my own standard as if I could achieve God’s standard for holiness. When we try to perfect ourselves and earn congratulations for our own efforts, we are saying to Jesus that He didn’t need to die for our sin; we can do this on our own.
“The minute you think you deserve it, the it you think you deserve is no longer grace.” Andy Stanley
God offers us a gift we desperately need and could never create or earn on our own—lasting grace of righteousness through Christ.
With grace, when we fail at something, we can turn to Him and away from our own efforts.
With grace, we can recognize that He is at work living through us and helping us live by faith.
With grace, we can love others with the love we receive from Him.
When I tried to fix my unrighteousness or become righteous without His gift, I experienced failure. In our pride and disobedience, we use rules to cover up our desperate need and convince ourselves we can undo our wrongs. But only Christ can do that. When I accepted grace, I began to experience freedom and joy. I could then respond with the desire to see His purity and rightness play out in my life. When we surrender our own efforts, we can receive His gift and offer it to others.
PRAYER: Dear Lord God, Give us wisdom to sift apart that which is from our own sinful nature and that which is in us by the Holy Spirit. Help us to see where we have gone wrong in attempts to fix ourselves, cover our sin, or deny it. Forgive us for trying to accomplish on our own what you did on the cross for us. Forgive us of this arrogance. Help us to receive the love you have for us through your sacrifice of love for us. Help us to see your grace for us as we accept by faith your truth that you have made us acceptable and clean. Help us to respond to this gift with obedience motivated by thankfulness and love rather than pride and selfishness. Help us to extend your grace to others. Amen
Devotion written by Dorilee Pervorse
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
04/14 - The Road to Freedom
The Road to Freedom
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Gal. 5:1 ESV
Sir William Wallace, portrayed by Mel Gibson in Braveheart, was an imposing commander who led his fellow Scottish countrymen in conquering its English oppressors. Anyone who saw the movie remembers this freedom fighter atop his horse bellowing to his troops, “They may take our lives but they’ll never take our freedom!”
Wallace achieved knighthood and earned a reputation as a brutal soldier. He didn’t live to see Scottish independence, but his inspiring spark and martyrdom kept the freedom fire burning until Scotland regained its power 50 years later.
There are some striking similarities between the life of William Wallace and that of Jesus. Little is known about Wallace’s early life and upbringing because he was not of noble birth. He burst into history when his independence uprising started, but his military prowess suggests a background of training and preparation. Like Jesus, Wallace led a band of ordinary men who caught his vision and joined him in life and battle to perform extraordinary acts. Wallace also had a “Judas” in his life. A fellow knight, possibly once a subordinate, betrayed Wallace by handing him over to English soldiers. Before his death, Wallace was stripped naked and crowned with a garland of oak, declaring him “King of Outlaws.”
In stark contrast was their method of gaining freedom. Wallace demanded it with brute force and military strategy. Jesus, however, obtained freedom in humble form, not with a war- painted face, but with His blood-stained body on a cross, condemned. Not crying out for justice in his innocence, but willingly suffering as our substitute. Through His sacrifice, we are free. Free from bondage and baggage. Free from guilt of all the wrongs we have ever committed and will do. Free from striving to be good. There’s no point in trying - we are flawed, but forgiven. How many of us live like free men and women?
Our chains are gone, we’ve been set free! In the spirit of Sir William Wallace, let this be our Christian war cry.
Let’s Live Liberated!
PRAYER: Father, thank you for Jesus who died for me and paid my sin debt. Help me to walk in true freedom. Deliver me from any shackles that I have gotten comfortable with or tolerate. Amen.
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
04/07 - From Unforgiveness to Forgiveness
SERMON SERIES: FROM HERE TO THERE
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 AMP
On a blustery January day, I watched a young man be handcuffed, led out of the courtroom to be taken to a juvenile facility. Eleven months prior, that handcuffed teen made a reckless choice in an automobile that claimed the life of my son. The ramifications of that split-second decision were magnanimous-life altering; forever changing the landscape of our lives. Strangely, my heart felt unsatisfied-unsettled. Yes, earthly justice had been served but the heartache didn’t end. My soul acknowledged there would never be enough justice on this earth. I couldn’t have what I desperately wanted back, my beloved son. Some circumstances can never be fully righted on this earth.
I hated what he did. I still do. His choice was reprehensible. I wanted to hate him too for the heartache he caused my family. He haphazardly careened into our lives, leaving the scattered pieces of our hearts broken and bloody. The collateral damage seemed beyond repair. Bitter anger had begun to take root in my heart, gripping it, choking it, shrinking its capacity to receive. I knew deep in my soul that the power of hate could literally destroy me, making me another casualty of this terrible tragedy.
I desperately cried, “Jesus, save me. I am drowning in the pain of loss and hate. Please, help me, guide me, do it through me. I choose to forgive.” My feelings haven’t automatically aligned with my decision; forgiveness has been an ongoing process. Slowly, I release the layers of pain, anger, injustice, and the deep sadness of my heart. I have an abiding assurance that Jesus will heal me and seek righteous justice on my behalf. Jesus can be trusted with this young man’s life; He is both just and merciful.
My choice has changed my destiny; my heart is expanding and openly postured to receive all that God has for me and my life. I know freedom from the shackles of hate. Miraculously, I can genuinely pray for this young man’s soul to find the beautiful saving grace of Jesus to carry the burden of his guilt and redeem the pain of his choice. Forgiveness is a miracle. It is the path that invites the goodness of God to redeem and reframe our pain.
It will always trump evil.
Prayer: Merciful God, thank You for Your forgiveness. Help us to choose the path of forgiveness in our lives. True forgiveness is a miracle. A gift. A path to freedom. Amen
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
03/31 - The Last Week of Jesus-Sunday
SERMON SERIES: From Here to There
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14:1-3 ESV
There isn’t much worse than leaving an emergency room without the loved one you went to see. Expecting them to be okay, but being told they’re gone, cuts to the core. No words can describe the shock and heartache that follow. Life as we knew it is no longer. A gaping hole is there that can’t be filled with anything of this earth. What will the days and months look like without them in our lives?
I imagine this is how the friends and loved ones of Jesus Christ felt the day of his crucifixion. Maybe they felt as hopeless and discouraged as what I described. Surely their hearts were broken to see Jesus suffer and to watch him say “It is finished” then breathe his last. Did they think that this was the end of life as they knew it? Did they question why or wonder if he was truly gone forever? How would they carry on after such a devastating experience?
Easter reminds us that this life is not the end. Just as Jesus was raised to life, our own lives will be restored and eternally alive with him in heaven if we accept Him as our Savior. The thing that gives me hope is that Jesus Christ came to restore what we have lost here on earth to sin and death. My husband wrote the following words and they have ministered to me as I walk through this journey called grief.
”The waves of grief came rolling in today. Thinking of what was. What is lost. What can’t be regained. Questions of why. There were no answers.
Too much loss. Reality crashing into my carefully crafted utopia. Like shattered glass lying on the floor. It is not how things should be. Sadness flooded my soul. Leaking out of my eyes. Cleansing tears for the soul. Grief isn’t like the flu. You don’t just get over it and feel better. It is an unwelcome guest who shows up unexpectedly. Without knocking. Just throwing the door open and barging in.
If I could turn back time. Say things I wished I’d said. Enjoyed the moments more. Warned of the coming danger. Averted the loss. But I can’t. Then I get mad. But anger doesn't solve anything. I can’t stay there long. My heart moves to trust. Trust in a God who I know has a plan. Beyond my understanding. I know His heart is good. I don’t understand. But I trust. Surrender.
Peace ensues. Guarding my heart and mind. Just as he promised. The loss still there but God’s presence comforting. I press on. Knowing a new day is coming. Death and tears will be no more. My soul longs for this time. It is real? What will it be like on that day? Then I have hope. Anchoring my soul. Reassuring my doubts. Replacing despair.”
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I look forward to the day of restoration and you making things right again.
Devotion written by Ronda Hunt
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
03/24 - The Last Week of Jesus-Friday
SERMON SERIES: Here to There
Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your faithful love, because of Your truth. Psalm 115:1
Jesus’ last week is interesting because He had to be intentional about His last moments. Unlike most of us, He knew exactly what was going to happen and when. Jesus’ last meal and the people He spent His last hours with are such great guides for us as believers. Let’s peak into these moments as we prepare to celebrate Easter.
Passover was the last meal Jesus celebrated the night before His crucifixion. Passover is a festival God commanded the Israelites to celebrate after He delivered them out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promise Land. God instituted this celebration in Exodus 12 as a reminder of His mighty hand and the freedom He brought to the Israelites. The significance of this holiday is so profound, since Jesus would also deliver us from a life of sin and death. Romans 6:6 reminds us that all who believe in Him are no longer enslaved to sin. We can live a life of freedom and abundance. Hallelujah!
Part of the Passover meal is to read from Psalm 113-118, 136. According to Matthew 26:30, “After singing songs they went out to the Mount of Olives.” We don’t know which of these Psalms were included in Christ’s Passover with His disciples that night, but what a beautiful picture of worshipping the Father. These Psalms remind us of God’s mercy, glory, deliverance, praise, victory. Christ sang these truths and set the stage for us as believers to be reminded that we need to sing and remember God’s faithfulness in our lives.
Jesus spent his last night with those who would ultimately carry the message of the gospel. The disciples He loved and poured truth into were with Him in His final hours. As we each spend time this Easter season with our family and friends and church may we each take time to reflect God’s goodness and faithfulness. As we share meals with those we love we must be intentional to remember Jesus ultimate sacrifice. May we honor Him with our time and our discussion and be as on purpose and focused as He was at this time a few thousand years ago.
PRAYER: Father God, how gracious of You to provide a way for all those who believe in Jesus to be saved from a life of sin and death to a life of freedom, abundance and eternity with You. May we bring glory to You this season as we celebrate and commemorate a Holiday! May this Easter season be a reminder to us of your love and faithfulness.
Devotion written by Nikki Beach Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
03/17 - The Last Thursday of Jesus
SERMON SERIES: Here to There
“So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
John 13:4-5
What a sacred moment to behold, Jesus the Son of God, tenderly washing the soiled feet of His disciples. A task seemingly beneath the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. His humility is stunning and in stark contrast to the arrogance of the religious leaders of the day. Ironically, the gentle humble actions of Jesus decimate the world’s perverted view of leadership. His remarkable gesture, demonstrates the model of servant leadership. We are all called to lead and serve others in our divinely orchestrated spheres of influence. In God’s economy, every human soul matters, even the unlovable-even the unreachable.
Can we even begin to imagine the gravity of that moment? The divine hands of Jesus lovingly touching the dirty feet of mankind. Jesus is still washing the feet of His people. Every day He invites us, in our broken condition to yield, to allow Him to wash away the dirt that inevitably comes from walking along the rocky paths of this sin riddled world. Jesus is not intimidated by our missteps and dirty feet. He just asks us to surrender.
This is good news to a stubborn soul like me. I know what I am capable of when I allow my seven-and-a-half-inch high heel loving feet to walk on their own unbridled path. I have been known to rebelliously click those heels in search of my own way, only to tumble and fall down in arrant defeat. But, Jesus always invites my limping heart and dirt stained feet back to Him. He washes them with tender care. Each day of my life, He offers me a better path, not always an easy path, but one that promises His comforting presence and wise direction. I just have to entrust each stubborn footstep into His care, no matter what pair of shoes I am wearing.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Help us to follow your humble example of servant leadership. You see value in each of us. You know our human frailties, yet you gently wash our feet clean of the sin that so easily entangles and trips us up. Your mercies are new each and every day. Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
03/10 - The Last Week of Jesus-Wednesday
SERMON SERIES: Here to There
Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. Mark 14:10-11
My family is a huge fan of reality shows. The Biggest Loser and Survivor are two of our favorites. In both shows, in order to be the last one standing, contestants vote each other out. Of course to do so takes plotting and strategizing. Often times the contestants align themselves with others and “promise” to never vote for the other. But usually at some point, those promises are broken and there is a hurtful betrayal. Sometimes they decide at the last minute to betray their friends, but often it is fully thought out.
The Bible says that Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus. Even though he was in Jesus’ inner circle, in his closest set of friends, Judas chose to live for himself rather than live for Jesus. Judas’ heart was not protected. He looked for a way to betray Jesus. It didn’t just happen by chance. It began with a plot.
Granted, I don’t plot or plan to betray Jesus but isn’t that exactly what I do each and every time I sin? I betray Jesus when I don’t protect my heart, when I let my flesh lead me instead of following Jesus. I abandon His ways when I think that I can handle a situation on my own instead of following him. James 4:17 tells me I even betray Him when I know the right thing to do but don’t do it.
Daniel, one of my favorite Bible characters, remained faithful to God in captivity when forced to follow Babylonian ways. The Bible says Daniel had resolved beforehand that he would remain faithful and not adopt the foreign ways. It takes resolve to do the right thing. It doesn’t happen by chance. I want to do the opposite of Judas. I want to plot, plan and seek opportunities to stay committed and not betray my faithful Savior.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for your loving ways - for your grace and forgiveness every time we seek it. Help us to stay fully committed and devoted to you. Protect our hearts when our flesh seeks to betray you. In your name, Amen.
Devotion written by Ruth Wittenbrook
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
03/03 - Last Tuesday of Jesus
SERMON SERIES: Here to There
Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Col. 3:2
Have you ever seen a child choose a nickel over a dime because it is bigger? Rather than choose the dime which is worth more, their eyes see the bigger coin as more desirable. What value system do we use?
The Gospels record many teachings Jesus gave on Tuesday of his last week. He introduces a radically different value system and describes the difference between kingdom and worldly mindsets. He taught that rich people giving large amounts to the treasury were not giving more than the widow who gave two coins. Jesus told them she gave more because she gave all that she had. He told the story of the vineyard workers who believed it would be worth killing the owner’s son to hopefully inherit the vineyard.
It is Gods desire that our hearts not be set on riches of this life but rather we would see that this life is temporary. In Colossians 3:2 He wants to move our hearts from here on earth to there…or things above.
I grew up thinking that if I had more money I would be happy. I would be able to get anything I needed and I would always have enough. I really believed that money would satisfy me. I am still tempted today by that mindset and if I am not careful, my focus begins to drift to what this world has to offer. I have to remind myself that what God offers is so much more abundant and fulfilling. His love is so much better than the things here that will not last.
We pursue what we value most. Is your trust and security in what you own or earn? How is what you are doing or buying advancing His kingdom and giving Him glory? Let’s bring Him glory and honor with the way we spend and what we seek. May we desire more of Him!
Prayer: Lord, help me to trust you with providing for me. Help me to entrust to you all that I have and help me not to take comfort and security in what I acquire. Help me, Lord, to not hold on tightly to that which will be gone tomorrow. Amen
Devotion written by Dorilee Pervorse Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
02/24 - Thankful in all Circumstances
SERMON SERIES: Here to There
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them...." Luke 22: 19
I am currently reading a book recommended by a dear friend called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. I am not finished reading it yet, but so far the writer is focusing on giving thanks in all circumstances as Christ followers. She writes that the things we experience and are blessed with each day should be seen as God's gifts to us. She also explores what it means to give thanks when we have hard times thrust upon us without warning. The last year and a half I have wrestled in my mind with these very ideas. How do I get to the place where I can give thanks in all situations and at all times whether good or bad?
Ann Voskamp writes from her own deep hurts and reminds us that even our Lord experienced such emotions. In his last week of life, Jesus Christ experienced more pain and loss than we ever will. He felt the heartache of his own Father forsaking him and looking away from him while he took the world's sins upon himself to become our Savior. It was not out of shame or abandonment of his only Son, but because God is perfect and can’t look upon sin. I can't imagine how much pain and emotional turmoil Jesus had to endure. Jesus' response was not to be bitter or angry. His response was to give thanks to God even though he knew what his future held. Ann Voskamp writes, "The face of Jesus flashes, the God-Man with his own termination date. Jesus, the God-Man who came to save me from prisons of fear and guilt and depression and sadness. With an expiration of less than twelve hours, what does Jesus count as most important?" Then she quotes, Luke 22:19 NIV, "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them...."
This really hit home with me. It makes me think if Jesus himself could give thanks with all he was about to face and had already endured, then who am I to not find something each day to be thankful for even in the hard times? I know God doesn't seek to give us heartache, it’s just a result of living in a fallen world. But, I am finding that even when tragedy strikes, you can look back and see where God was right there providing grace and peace that passes all understanding as you walk through the hardest of times. This is what gives me strength to keep going and to search for thankfulness.
PRAYER: Lord, thank you that you bring reminders of your grace and mercy into each day no matter what happens. Thank you that even when we can't see one step in front of us, you lead us. May we always remember to look back over our lives to see your hand of peace and love that never fails us. Amen."
Devotion written by Ronda Hunt
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
02/17 - The Last Week of Jesus
SERMON SERIES: Here to There
She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. Mark 14:8
As I sat in my living room one day spending time with the Lord, I remember having a clear direction of the ministry I was being called to. I was afraid to write it down. I thought that would make it “official’. But I did it anyway. I wrote that I felt led to lead women in Bible study. I set my journal aside but the desire that God had placed in my heart stayed. I would think about it occasionally and mention it to others. Twelve years later the opportunity arose for me to lead a study with a small group of women and I said to myself, I can’t answer theological questions, what if they have problems or ask questions I can’t answer? As I nervously stepped out in obedience, the Lord met me and equipped me for the task.
Mary had a ministry. First we find her sitting at the feet of Jesus while her sister Martha worked in the kitchen. Later we see her with a ministry that Christ said would make her name known wherever the gospel was proclaimed. In Mark 14:3-9, while Jesus reclined at the table, Mary broke a flask of pure nard and poured it over his head. Mary had an appointment with Jesus that day to anoint his body for burial. She heard a call and obeyed. This obedience was controversial and risky. Mary had used expensive oil and a lot of it, worth almost a year’s wages. The scripture says they scolded Mary. Christ came to her defense; Mary had done a beautiful thing.
Colossians 4:17 tells us to fulfill the ministry we have been given. In Mark 14:8, Jesus says Mary had done what she could. We all have a ministry for the Kingdom that we should actively be a part of and no action is too small or insignificant or too risky when it is done in obedience and according to God’s word and His Will. What ministry has God laid on your heart? Who do you know you should be serving today? Answer the call and you too will do a beautiful thing, in the name of Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I am reminded that you too had a ministry on earth that had to be fulfilled so that many could be saved through their belief in You and your sacrifice. Lord you have given each of us a ministry or ministries and I pray that you would continue to show us clearly what those are and equip us to do them with excellence for Your Glory! Amen
Devotion written by Nikki Beach
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
02/10 - Bless-Live on Mission
THE BEAUTY OF COMMUNITY
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34
“You know the song in my heart and sing it to me when I have forgotten the words.”
I have a plaque with this quote by Donna Roberts strategically sitting in a prominent place on my desk. I glance at it often. It reminds me how much I need other people to speak truth and wisdom over my life, encouraging me to faithfully embrace my eternal destiny. The concerns and distractions of this world often threaten to divide my heart causing me to vacillate-be lured toward the captivity of sin and busyness. Other times, life has come crashing in with painful trials that threaten to erode my faith. I need God’s friends to guide me back. Hold me up. Fight for me. Pray for me when I am too weak and broken to do it for myself. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone.
This was clearly modeled by Jesus. During His time on earth He traveled with twelve apostles. They were a fellowship - a band of brothers who ministered, broke bread, traveled from city to city, fished, and most likely laughed together. His followers in the early church lived this way too, “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” (Acts 2:46).We too must follow His example.
I have been a part of a Bible study of women for eight years. Without them, I may have lost my way when my youngest son was tragically killed in a car accident. I was shattered. At times, I had no will to fight for either my life or faith. These women carried me in fervent prayer. They recalled for me God’s truths and goodness when I could not perceive it for myself. They reminded me that there was a greater purpose in this tragedy. We need people who will contend for us, cover us in prayer, and laugh with us in the good times. We must have a small group; a fellowship of community to grow in our faith.
Life is hard. We were never meant to walk alone. We desperately need each other.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for your wisdom. You knew we would need each other to survive and flourish in this life. We are grateful for the gift of community. Help us to have the courage to embrace this. Show us how to love and encourage each other. Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
01/27 - Broken Down and Restored
SERMON SERIES-Simplexity
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
Proverbs 25:28
Your kids have been fighting with each other all day. It’s 6:00 and you haven’t started supper then your husband calls and says he has to work late. You are longing to buy that fabulous new outfit even though you know you will have to charge it. While driving on I-75 someone cuts you off and almost causes a major accident. You really want that last piece of cake even though your doctor told you that you need to lose 20 pounds for health reasons. These examples merely skim the surface of some of the many areas in our lives that need our self-control.
Self-control is so important in our lives because it is our wall of protection against the spears that Satan will try to hurl our way to throw us off course by taking our eyes off of our purpose, which is to love God, serve and honor Him with all that we do. Self-control allows us to live fulfilled lives, love others and have joy and peace. 2 Peter 1:5-8 assures us that by possessing qualities such as goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness and love, we will be effective and useful in our knowledge of Jesus. Effective and useful are powerful words and an ultimate goal of mine in serving my Lord and Savior.
How can we gain more self-control? 2 Timothy 1:7 says For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. As a believer in Christ Jesus, He has already given that to you. Praise God, it is inside you! You may just need to reach inside, dust it off and put it into practice. Examine your heart and ask God to reveal any areas in your life that may be lacking and ask for His help. Seek professional help in cases of extreme lack of self-control. Ask a close friend to help you stay accountable and to ask you tough questions to keep you on track. Make sure you acknowledge and celebrate successes, giving the glory to God.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit to live inside us to guide us and help us to live lives full of self control. Thank you for your redeeming love and grace that will pick us up when we stumble and set us back on solid ground. Help us to live lives that glorify and honor you.
Devotion written by: Ruth Wittenbrook
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
01/20 - The Dangers of Pride
SIMPLEXITY SERIES: The Dangers of Pride
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.´ Proverbs 16:18
Do you ever think that you are getting this Christian life all figured out and you are close to doing it right? Do you ever have the secret thought that you have solutions for everyone else’s problems if they would just listen to you? Or perhaps you have thought that you really don’t need God. You can handle situations based on what you know. Why take the time to pray about it?
Pride started when Satan wanted to make himself “like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:14). The Bible says that he wanted his throne above the stars. Pride sneaks in through our thoughts. When we don’t recognize it, we become deceived to think more of ourselves than we ought.
Pride forgets about mercy and grace and doesn’t want to see our human limits. It says things like “I can be good enough on my own if I just try harder.” “I’m not as bad as others.” “My sins are not that horrible. I am mostly innocent. I am right.” Pride says “People should notice me and appreciate me."
It is pride that makes us want to fix our fallen self and deny that we struggle with our flesh. Pride tells us that we have good reasons for the mistakes we make and helps us blame others. It is pride that wants to set our own standard for how we live our lives in terms of what is good or bad.
What can we do when we recognize our pride? Confess it and turn from it. Humble ourselves before God. Lift our eyes to heaven and see who God really is. In His presence our pride is exposed.
PRAYER: Father, forgive us our pride. Examine us and help us to see where we are in error. We choose to humble ourselves, admit our sin, and turn to you. Thank you for forgiveness and grace. Amen
Devotion written by Dorilee Pervorse
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
01/13 - Guard Your Heart
Sermon Series: SIMPLEXITY
“Keep vigilant, watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.”
Proverbs 4:23 The Message
So many of us live far removed from our hearts. I know this firsthand.
In college, I declared business as my major. It seemed like the right thing to do; a sure path to success and prosperity. Avenues of opportunity were exploding and inroads were being forged by strong capable successful women. I desired to be one of them. However my heart was not suited for that environment. I wanted to procure grand sums of money and gain the status and the respect of others. Sadly, I was searching for my life’s purpose with messed up motives—messed desires. I had not sought my heart or the God who created it.
Yet, my heart was not silent. I ignored its yearnings and desires. I knew deep in the marrow of my soul I was making a mistake. Pride and misguided desires kept me from admitting I was on the wrong life path. Sheer misery would describe my experience with my first career job. I didn’t fit in the culture of Corporate America. My heart was better suited for writing or for loving and working with people, specifically children. I would have found deep fulfillment as a teacher or counselor. I have always dreamed of writing something meaningful-something life changing.
I learned my heart is central to holy authentic meaningful living.
This theme is deeply woven throughout scripture. The heart is of paramount importance to God. Jesus came not only for our eternal salvation but to set our hearts free. Our heart is the place we connect with God. It is where He imparts life giving wisdom through the longings and desires He places deep within them. It is where we receive His love and express it back to Him and others. How we guard our heart, profoundly affects our life. To live detached from it brings futility, emptiness and a lack of purpose. If we don’t guard our heart, we run the risk of either handing it over to lesser gods in our search for meaning, becoming hard hearted, or actually losing heart.
Losing heart is losing everything.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for the gift of my heart. Teach me to guard it, protect it and treat it as a treasure. It is my desire to honor You and the life you have given me. Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
12/23 - Resurrection and The Life
Christmas 2012
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.” John 14:6
Before God ever “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen 2:7), He already knew that Adam and his offspring would choose their own way. What a profound moment between Father and Son. Jesus already knew the staggering personal cost. A plan of redemption lovingly set before man took one single breath on this earth. The true meaning of Christmas- the earthly unfolding of our redemption story. The Son of God humbled himself, left His rightful place in Heaven to be our Emmanuel. He came first as a tiny vulnerable baby who grew and walked this earth with us; teaching, guiding and healing. He died on a Roman cross, paying the penalty for our sins. But, He rose in three days, conquering our last enemy, death. Hallelujah!
Do we really understand the magnitude of who He is and what He did? Scripture says,” She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7). Bethlehem had no room for God’s son. Really? How did so many people especially the prominent religious leaders miss this? Maybe, they were indifferent, preoccupied with their problems and personal agendas. But, the angels declared the good news to the shepherds- the humble lowly of society. God knew the simplicity of their hearts had room to believe, to receive, and rejoice in this great news. Oh, we too in our humanness miss Jesus in the frenzied pace of our lives and our own self- absorption.
Maybe this Christmas season we can give sincere intention to opening our hearts and giving our Savior His rightful space. Emptying ourselves of “us.” Our human hearts, swollen with pride, hurts, plans and preoccupations leaving no room for Jesus to guide us, speak to us, lead us to real life. Letting go, submitting everything to Jesus takes humility and radical trust. But His way, is the only way to abundant living on earth and in Heaven. Life is found in Him alone. What a tragedy to miss it.
We must make room........
Prayer: Jesus, Happy Birthday! Your humility stuns me. Thank you for your great personal sacrifice. Awaken us this Christmas season. Show us the places in our hearts that crowd you out. Teach us to walk with reckless abandonment. Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
12/16 - The Vine
SERMON SERIES: Out of the Box
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.John 15:1-2 (NIV)
I planted three blueberry bushes a few years ago that have given me a meager amount of fruit. When it came time to prune them, I was reluctant; afraid next year would be an even smaller yield. But, any gardener knows pruning is wise, necessary for the following year’s harvest. If not, dead and weak branches will crowd new growth and starve younger branches of the sunshine and air needed to grow strong, healthy, and fruitful. I pruned, wisdom won. This season’s harvest was the best yet! For the first time, I had enough blueberries to freeze.
As God’s children, we are called to bear fruit. Father God, our Gardener, lovingly prunes away the dead and weak branches from our lives. We can trust and surrender every area of our life to His masterful care knowing God grows a beautiful garden. He loves us and wants to shape us to bear much fruit. May we let the Lord prune us. Sometimes it’s scary and we are apprehensive, but it’s oh so worth it!
With the New Year approaching, God might be saying, It’s time to prune! Let’s prayerfully examine our activities and alliances and lay them before God’s merciful altar. What in our life is not bearing fruit? What activity has God removed His grace from? When we trust Him and say goodbye to things that bear no fruit, we know the season ahead will be bountiful indeed.
PRAYER: Father God, my Master Gardener, thank you for knowing what is best for me and pruning areas that are no longer fruitful. Help me to discern and willingly say goodbye without a fight. Help me to trust you even when I can’t see the road ahead.
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
12/09 - The Good Shepherd
SERMON SERIES: Out of the Box I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me. John 10:14
We are referred to as sheep in the Bible. Have you ever thought about why scripture refers to us as sheep? Sheep need a shepherd to protect them, lead them from one pasture to another to find food, water, shelter, and to search for them when they get lost.
Are you a follower? Do you follow Twitter, Facebook, TV shows, weight loss plans, blogs, authors, trends, radio hosts, newspaper articles (just to name a few)? Clearly we like to follow people and things. Jesus teaches in John 10:4 “the sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” A shepherd can enter a pen with different groups of sheep, but when he calls; his own sheep will come to him. They know and respond to his voice. Verse 5 tells us these sheep will never follow a stranger. As a believer we are told we hear and follow Jesus, our shepherd, and that we won’t follow other voices. This encourages us to press into an intimate relationship with the Lord.
We are sheep who are going to follow something. Although we are inundated with information that pulls us in many directions, we make decisions daily that will have great influence over our life. Once we make Christ our Lord and Savior, our desire should be to hear and follow Him. His ways, His Words, and His Life, our greatest pursuit should be to know Him intimately.
Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that long ago God spoke to us in many different ways but in these last days He has spoken through His Son. John 1:1 confirms that Jesus is the Word of God. So we can be assured as we read and study the Bible that we are going to learn about our Good Shepherd. When we learn about Him we can know His ways. As you awake tomorrow to begin your day, what will you follow?
PRAYER: Father God, we come before You in thanksgiving that You have given us a Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us. Jesus is His name. Worthy is Christ Jesus to receive Glory and Honor and Praise. Lord, may we walk in obedience today to Your will and Your way and follow the Good Shepherd.
Devotion written by Nikki Beach Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
11/19 - Out of the Box
As A Bridegroom Rejoices Over His Bride
The Scriptures employ a wide scale of metaphors to capture the many facets of our relationship with God. If you consider them in a sort of ascending order, there is a noticeable and breathtaking progression. Down near the bottom of the totem pole we are the clay and he the Potter. Moving up a notch, we are the sheep and he the Shepherd, which is a little better position on the food chain but hardly flattering; sheep don't have a reputation as the most graceful and intelligent creatures in the world. Moving upward, we are the servants of the Master, which at least lets us into the house, even if we have to wipe our feet, watch our manners, and not talk too much. God also calls us his children and himself our heavenly Father, which brings us into the possibility of real intimacy-love is not one of the things a vase and its craftsman share together, nor does a sheep truly know the heart of the shepherd, though it may enjoy the fruits of his kindness. Still, there is something missing even in the best parent-child relationship. Friendship levels the playing field in a way family never can, at least not until the kids have grown and left the house. Friendship opens a level of communion that a five-year-old doesn't know with his mother and father. And "friends" are what he calls us.
But there is still a higher and deeper level of intimacy and partnership awaiting us at the top of this metaphorical ascent. We are lovers. The courtship that began with a honeymoon in the Garden culminates in the wedding feast of the Lamb. "I will take delight in you," he says to us, "as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will I rejoice over you." Except from The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge
Talk about taking God out of the box! I want to know Him as my bridegroom. . . how about you?
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
11/11 - Treasures
Sermon Series: Generosity Experiment
Treasures
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. -Matthew 6:20
From the back seat of the car I saw fire trucks in the distance. As we drove closer our worst nightmare came true; our house had burned and we lost everything. I was 12 years old at the time and remember the feeling of helplessness. We had no insurance and no home; we had nothing. My grandparents lived close by so we could walk to church. The same church I had attended since I was a little girl. That church family would share their treasures with us in more ways than one as a result of the fire.
Scripture reminds us not to store up treasures where moth and rust destroy. Those treasures don’t last forever. That day we lost our earthly treasures. We had no more family pictures, no heirlooms to pass on, and not even clothes to wear to school. However, we did not lose our family, our church, or our faith.
As the days went by, we were given clothing even better than before, furniture, and cash to move into a new place. The body of Christ that we belong to shared generously their treasures with my family to ensure we had what we needed. They were able to store up treasures in heaven by loving their neighbor as themselves.
Since every good and perfect gift is from above - all that we have belongs to God and was given by Him. What does it do to our hearts to focus attention on gathering more stuff, new stuff, better stuff? Are we ready and willing to give our stuff away to benefit and love our neighbor in need? What are you storing up for yourself—heavenly treasures or earthly ones?
Prayer: Our Father in Heaven above, thank you for so freely giving to us all we need and more. Thank you for my church family that gave so freely to my family during that time. Lord, forgive us when we put things before people, when our desire for more outweighs our desire to give and to love. Lord, sanctify our hearts to love others as much as we love ourself. Holy Spirit may we desire to store up treasures in heaven, show us how.
Devotion written by Nikki Beach Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
11/04 - The Generosity Experiment-Talents
Sermon Series: THE GENEROSITY EXPERIMENT
Talents
“God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. ” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 The Message
I am an avid Florida State University- Seminole football fan. On any given Saturday, I am found exuberantly cheering on my beloved alma mater. But between the years of 2007 through 2009 it was hard to watch Florida State lose games to our most passionately despised in-state rival, The University of Florida-Gators. Frankly, it was downright annoying. Frustrating. The main culprit was the infamous Gator quarterback, Tim Tebow.
What a gifted athlete. What a warrior for Christ.
As much as I was perturbed by our loss, it was hard not to admire Tim Tebow. God has given him extraordinary athletic deftness, affording him an influential position in our society. He now plays in the NFL; respected for his incredible work ethic on the field, his unwavering walk of faith and his generosity to hurting children. Tebow has been strategically positioned to highlight the needs of the less fortunate. His foundation plans to build a 30 bed hospital for children in the Philippines. He faithfully stewards his God-given talents as he walks the unique path God ordained for him.
Tim’s example challenges me. Inspires me.
I may not be able to throw a football, but I have been uniquely gifted with talents that are meant to be generously shared to make a difference in my God-given sphere of influence. It is my responsibility to discover them. Nurture them. Share them. In turn, I am called to celebrate and encourage the talents that have been divinely bestowed on my brothers and sisters. Our gifts are unique reflections of God and we are all enriched when we share magnanimously.
WE ALL MATTER.
Prayer: Father, thank you for our talents. They are priceless reflections of Your character and Your glory. Please, give us a holy audacity to develop and share them for the enrichment of others. Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
10/28 - The Generosity Experiment
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
My dad has dealt with health issues from colon cancer since being diagnosed in 1984. The doctors followed up his surgery with too much radiation, which caused a series of problems. In 2007, he had close to 10 surgeries and spent six months in hospitals and rehab centers due to complications from weak, damaged intestines. Last year, the cancer returned and he had another surgery and more chemo treatments. My mother doesn’t drive on the highways, so I drove her back and forth to Atlanta to care for my dad in the hospital. After a few weeks of serving them, in addition to all my other responsibilities of being a wife and mom, I started feeling tired. After a few months, I was exhausted. It was extremely hard, but necessary, to keep up that pace. Why did I do that day after day? First, because I love God and He calls us to serve Him by serving others. Second, because my parents are dear to me and I love them.
If I claim to be a Christian but don’t serve others or quit when it gets hard, what good is my faith? James 2:14-16 says “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” Make no mistake, the Bible is clear that works do not save us and that we are saved by faith alone. Our works are a way to show others that faith. My faith gives me the desire to do good things for others. It motivates me to keep going even when I am tired. Not to bring myself glory, but for the sole purpose of pointing others towards Christ.
Each day we are given a valuable resource. Our time. It is up to us to choose how to use it wisely. There are many opportunities to serve others that we don’t have to look very far. Smile and offer a stranger a kind word, cook dinner for a sick friend, cut an elderly neighbor’s grass; the choices are endless.
“Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin.” Mother Teresa
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Help us to be intentional in the way we serve others. Help us to use our time wisely, keeping our focus on You. Help us to be motivated by bringing you and you alone the glory.
Devotion written by Ruth Wittenbrook
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
10/21 - Peter
SERMON SERIES: Out of the Wild-Peter
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.”
Matt. 14:28-29
The human heart yearns for adventure.
That desire has been deeply nestled within each of us by a wildly adventurous God. Every great biblical hero experienced great risk and a task that loomed bigger than their human capabilities. We inherently know that bravery lies within us, wanting to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We want to feel fully alive. But, we play it safe, take no risks, live in fear and reduce our lives to one of going through the motions. Our life becomes stagnant. Boring. Purposeless. God wants more for us. He knows a misguided restless heart will look for adventure in unhealthy places.
Like Peter, Jesus invites us to, “Come.”
Trusting Him to walk with us in our divine destiny allows us to bravely take those deliberate intentional steps to get out of the boat. Peter never faltered in stepping out but he began to plunge when he took his eyes off Jesus. Unflinchingly, we must ignore the screaming accusations of the enemy, our own condemning voices, circumstances and the loud naysayers in our lives; surrendering this swirling chaos to Jesus. He becomes our focal point- our heart source. When our human frailties cause us to tumble over our own doubts and fears we can unashamedly reach out for Jesus to catch us. Steady us. It is so worth the risk. Our divine destiny is at stake.
We serve an AWESOME God.
He yearns to give us our own personal “walk on the water” experiences with Him. He knows how that revives the human heart and gives us the courage to live valorous lives that reflect God’s glory. In the words of Saint Irenaeus, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” Accept His invitation to “Come.” There is a glorious life-giving adventure waiting for us to live out and to behold. Just come......
PRAYER: Jesus, I thank you for the invitation to join you in this adventure called life. Help me to have the courage to ignore my fears and doubts and follow You. Your way is best. Today, I accept your divine invitation to, “Come.” Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
10/14 - What Kind of Man?
SERMON SERIES: Out of The Wild
Elijah was a man just like us. Heprayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. —James 5:17-18
What kind of man is this that prays and nature obeys? A man in Christ “just like us” God tells us.
The disciples asked this same question in Matt 8:24-27 when a furious storm swept over their boat, “Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Not only did Elijah, “a man just like us” pray and nature obeyed just like Jesus, but Elijah also prayed and the son of a widow was raised from the dead (I Kings 17:22) just like Jesus (John 11:43).
Learning from Elijah’s faith and the power of his prayers in 1 Kings 17, we notice three things about his faith and prayer life which may help us to examine our own prayer life, challenge our walk, and encourage us in faith:
1. Elijah servedthe LORD and his faith was in, “The Lord God of Israel whom I serve” (v. 1)
2. Elijah heard and obeyed the Wordof the Lord when it came personally to him. “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah (v. 2), “So he did what the LORD had told him” (v. 5), “Then the word of the LORD came to him” (v.8), “so he went” (v. 10). Isaiah had an intimate relationship with God; he heard the word of the Lord spoken and he immediately obeyed.
3. Elijah prayed and the LORD heard Elijah’s cry. 1 Kings 17:22.
Let’s ask ourselves: How much faith do I have in the power of the Word of God over my storm? What Word from God have I been given to obey and exercise my faith? How earnestly and consistently am I praying?
Prayer: Lord I desire to serve You, the Lord God who lives and I choose to put my faith in You alone over the storm I am currently facing. I ask to hear You speak a Word to me, instruct me, and direct my steps. I ask for Your help to obey that Word and to be consistent in prayer. In trusting You, may I bring You Glory and lead others to Your son, our Lord Jesus for whom I ask.
Devotion written by Colleen Magel Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
10/07 - Paul and the Snake
SERMON SERIES: Out of The Wild - Apostle Paul
Joy of 26.2 Miles
“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” --Hebrews 12:1, 2 ESV
Cramps, blisters, soreness, Band-Aids, black toenails, mental blocks, running every day, running in the dark, running alone, running for hours—these are the side effects of training for a marathon. I have the privilege of training alongside five friends for our first marathon in January. Since we will be running about five hours, we train for endurance. Endurance is continuing something in spite of fatigue, stress or other adverse conditions. Endurance is what we will need.
Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. That joy was in fulfilling His purpose and reconciling us to God the Father. Christ knew His purpose, but that did not make it easy. He cried out to God in the Garden before His crucifixion. When the going got tough for Jesus and He called to His Father in Heaven, He was strengthened for the moment at hand. Christ desired the end result over the pain.
Life has a way of throwing things at us. Sometimes these obstacles are not what we signed up for. Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us that we are to run this race called life with two things. First, we need endurance. Second, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. When a moment hits us and we feel our stomach fall to our feet, or our blood pressure rise quickly, or fear takes over, do we turn and fix our eyes on Jesus?
As I train for my marathon, the reason I keep moving in spite of pain and discomfort is for the joy of completing 26.2 miles. As I train at being a disciple of Christ I have to keep my focus. We all do.Trials, tests, and struggles shouldn’t surprise us. When fatigue comes our way, let’s stay close to Jesus, trust in Him, hold firmly to His promises and obey His Word.
Prayer: God of Heaven and Earth who sits on Your throne, whose eyes examine us, who has a perfect plan in spite of our pain and heart ache, may You be glorified in our lives. Lord as we walk thru this life our reason for being is to bring You glory; may we do that with steadfastness, endurance, perseverance. May we stand firm until we see our Savior face-to-face.
Devotion written by Nikki Beach Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
09/30 - Daniel
SERMON SERIES: Out of The Wild-Daniel
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:13(ESV)
As a young teenage boy, Daniel and other Hebrew boys, were taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. They were forced into a culture that did not follow God’s laws and their Jewish heritage. But Daniel was faithful because he had resolved beforehand that he would not defile himself with the king’s practices (Daniel 1:8). Even as a young boy, Daniel proved that he had a strong foundation that rested firmly on God’s word. This was no accident. It didn’t happen by chance. It was a choice that Daniel chose to make daily.
Daniel was tempted, tested and tried over and over again during his captivity. He consistently remained faithful even when his life was threatened by being thrown into the lion’s den for worshipping God. He couldn’t possibly have known that God was going to save him and that no harm would come to him but he had made a choice to follow the one true God despite his circumstances and nothing was going to deter him from that choice. Not even death.
Just like Daniel, we need to train ourselves to resist the temptations that this world offers. Sometimes we feel like the world can bring us more pleasure than Jesus but the apostle Paul describes it best in Philippians 3:8, “Everything else is worthless compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ.” (NLT). Why would we want to waste our time on futile pursuits when our prize could be Jesus? The only way that we will be able to have the kind of determination and resolve it takes to be a fully devoted follower of God is to stay completely and consistently immersed in His word and to rely fully on the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to look to Daniel as an uplifting example of how we can stand firm in our obedience to you even while we are surrounded in a culture that tries to distract us and pull us away from you. Help us to know that nothing this world can offer us will compare to the greatness of knowing you. In your name we pray, Amen.
Devotion written by: Ruth Wittenbrook Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
09/23 - Jonah
SERMON SERIES: Out of the Wild-Jonah
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. Romans 3:25
Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement for the Jewish people, is September 25th and the holiday’s hero is Jonah. We first meet Jonah, however, fleeing from the Lord’s presence bound for a ship to Tarshish. I imagine the mental dialogue as Jonah heads away from Nineveh foolishly believing he can escape God. Perhaps feeling justified, Jonah argues with God against the directive. I envision he stewed, stammered, and stomped all the way to Joppa. God might have responded, “My purpose will be fulfilled; we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
I’ve been there; a rebellious child of God. Haven’t we all at some point? God has given me instructions I chose to ignore. One particular night a few years ago, unable to sleep, I paced my living room floor. God asked me to participate in His purposes and like a stubborn toddler, I yelled, “No, I’m not doin’ it!”
I didn’t like the task or the persecution and rejection I anticipated from the divine assignment. God’s patience and kindness eventually softened my heart and convinced me He was right. But I learned the hard way. The spiritual hissy fit only delayed the inevitable. I had to obey because our Heavenly Father knows best; He is good and I can trust Him. Running away from His will increases strife and inner turmoil. When we yield, we thrive.
While this Day of Atonement’s favorite tale inspires us to obey and repent, it’s missing the most important element—the atoning blood of Jesus. Without the shed blood of our Savior, obedience and repentance are only good works; empty offerings.
PRAYER: Father, Thank you for Jesus through whom we are set free from the law and reconciled to you by His saving grace. Help us to obey your will and your Word. Convict our hearts when we stray and draw us to repentance through your mercy and kindness. I am humbled by your patience with us.
We love you Lord!
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
09/16 - David and Goliath
SERMON SERIES: Out of the Wild
“And that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand. " 1Samuel 17:47
Rosa Parks, a black woman, was catapulted into the national spotlight when she refused to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955. Her courageous act sparked the Montgomery bus boycott and a year later the U.S. Supreme Court deemed the segregation law unconstitutional. That infamous incident was not Rosa’s first confrontation with racial injustice. In the year’s prior, she battled against society’s Negro norms. She graduated from high school; a rare accomplishment for an African American in those days. She also successfully registered to vote on her third attempt, despite laws and discrimination. Rosa grew in courage with each episode of prejudice until that day on the bus, she recalls, "When that white driver stepped back toward us, when he waved his hand and ordered us up and out of our seats, I felt a determination cover my body like a quilt on a winter night.”
I imagine David must have felt this same resolve and indignation when he heard Goliath taunt his fellow countrymen. Like Rosa, David had been prepared for this pivotal day. God trained him off the battlefield. He faced criticism and harassment from his brothers that either emboldened him or desensitized him to opposition. David had also killed both lions and bears, and was confident the giant Philistine would suffer the same fate. David faced his enemy armed with the assurance of God on his side. His weapon mattered not.
What is your Goliath? Do you face a system of injustice, or a mountain of debt, a broken relationship, or an addiction? We don’t stumble into, or arrive on the battlefield an amateur. God is grooming us in our everyday challenges. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said of Rosa Parks, “Eventually the cup of endurance runs over, and the human personality cries out, ‘I can take it no longer.’” Have you come to that place; the precipice where there is no other option but to conquer the giant? The next confrontation or test may be the opportunity to overcome. Don’t lose heart or grow weary. God is on our side. The battle is His.
PRAYER: Father, you are righteous and good. Give us courage to confront our enemy and stand firm in the assurance you will deliver us. Give us strength to fight the battles until we gain victory!
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
09/09 - Trust the Larger Story
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
September 11th, 2001, a day forever etched in the hearts and minds of every American. As we commemorate the 11th anniversary of this somber day in American history we still shutter at the magnitude of lives lost and the unthinkable destruction that reduced the pride and joy of the New York skyline to a pile of ash and rubble. The World Trade Center forever gone. Precious human beings suddenly ripped from this earth, leaving gaping, bleeding holes in the affected families and communities. Life-forever changed. Americans now closely guard their safety and security. We can’t fully conceive the depth of hate that motivated this heinous act. Hatred never breeds goodness.
Tragedies can never be fully understood or explained on this side of Heaven. There is a war between good and evil occurring on this broken planet and we are caught in the crossfire. John Eldredge, author and Christian counselor, penned these words in reference to the devastating fires in Colorado and they apply to 9/11 and all the painful situations we may ever face. He says, “In the midst of crisis, heartbreak or tragedy, you can seek God or you can seek understanding but you rarely get both. In time, usually after some time, God can help you sort things out. But not in the midst of the storm. In the maelstrom, seek God. Interpretation comes later. Trust the Larger Story.”
Trust the Larger Story.
We are part of something bigger than ourselves and our earthly lives. That doesn’t assuage our heartache but it certainly allows us to assign greater meaning to our pain. Eternal meaning. When we do this we shift our focus. The eternal eyes of our hearts are opened allowing us to see God mysteriously bring beauty from the ashes of loss, brokenness and blown up lives. Presently, we are American citizens, but our true citizenship is in Heaven. When we reach our homeland we will undoubtedly see justice prevail, all wrongs will be righted and every tear wiped away.
That is our hope.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of your comfort. May we always run to you when life hurts. Open the eyes of our hearts to perceive the unseen things of your kingdom. You are always fighting on our behalf. Your goodness will always trump evil. Father, as we approach the anniversary of 9/11, please comfort our nation and those touched by this heartbreaking tragedy.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
09/02 - GOD’S PERFECT TIMING
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecc. 3:1 (NIV)
A friend invited me to attend a Bible study at her church. I love Bible studies, so I said yes. “What is the study,” I asked, “The Patriarchs by Beth Moore,” she said. “Ooh, I hear that’s a good one. I can’t wait!” I replied.
Because of an error on the church calendar, we discovered the study had already started. We missed the first week and would miss the next two weeks because of schedule conflicts. The first time we could jump into meeting would be on week four. “I’m on the fence about this now,” I explained to my friend. “I don’t want to start the study late, and I need to juggle around my Wednesday mornings to attend the meetings. Let me pray about this and get back to you.” I did intend to pray but I also planned on backing out. After praying I felt led to attend the study despite my reservations. I called my friend and said, “I’m in. I feel like God wants me to go.” I paid for the workbook and she dropped it off at my house. I opened the cover and read the introduction. The words seemed familiar and the more I read, the more I thought, Oh dear, I think I’ve done this study before. I rummaged through boxes of books in the basement. There it was nestled among other studies. I pulled out my old workbook and flipped through the pages. I finished the first week’s homework but, week two not so much. Week three a good try. Week four, a valiant effort but the page with my last attempt at homework contained scribbles from my one-year old daughter. I’m not sure why I never finished the study, but my daughter left a good clue!
This week, I’m starting where I left off seven years ago. God’s timing is perfect and I know within the pages of Patriarchs, he has something specifically designed for me to learn and grow. If we allow it, God is intimately involved in every activity in our life. He is real, He loves us, and delights in watching us grow up in His Word.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for perfect timing and divine appointments. Thank you for hearing us, answering our prayers and guiding us into maturity. Help us to trust you and obey even when we don’t understand why, because we know you are good and want the best for us.
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
08/26 - Look Beyond the Sun
SERMON SERIES: Chasing the Wind
“But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 (ESV)
I have been reading about the covenant God made with the Israelites in the desert. The Lord’s repeated request of Israel after he brought them out of Egypt was “love me and keep my commands”. It is no surprise that our High Priest and mediator Jesus also says, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” (John 14:15).
How do I keep the commands of my Savior and King, Jesus? Mornings for me seemed to go better than afternoons. I read my Bible and listened to Christian music, but by mid afternoon, I was tired and frazzled and left wondering, “Why is this so hard?” Then I ran across Matt. 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” I formed a plan to get through my day without feeling hopeless, helpless and defeated. I would rise early and spend time in prayer and His word. I memorized Matthew 6:33 and meditated on it throughout my day. I would seek; go in search of, knowing and obeying the Lord. I would pray for help in times of need and submit myself to the authority of His Word in how I treated others.
Now back to the story of the Israelites. The Israelites learned about God, who he was and his character, while in the desert with Moses through what we now know as the Ten Commandments. The Lord also showed himself through the additional laws and instructions given to the people in Exodus 20-24. As I have studied the Old Testament, I see a clearer picture of the God I serve. He is a righteous God, a jealous God, a compassionate and forgiving God to those who come before Him in repentance. I have learned how God wants us to treat others, what pleases him, and what is holy to him.
So I seek first what scripture has to say, I make the Lord a priority throughout my day, if I feel frazzled and beaten down I take some time to renew my mind with the truth of scripture and pray to the only One who can save me, strengthen me and give me life!
PRAYER: Lord God, at the end of it all we want to love you with all our heart and keep your commandments. Father, we need your help-please reveal yourself to us each day and strengthen us through the Holy Spirit to keep your commands. We thank you for your written Word to guide us through our days and to teach us about you!
Devotion written by Nikki Beach
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
08/19 - Life Isn’t Fair
SERMON SERIES: Chasing the Wind
"If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth." Ecclesiastes 11:3
This is a tough subject for me to write about and I have struggled with it up until the last minute of writing. I'm not very often an open book with my deepest thoughts unless you know me well. I lost my dad suddenly and unexpectedly to a heart attack last September. My dad passed away when he was enjoying a full life with his wife and family, leaving my mom with a future without him after 48 years.
It wasn’t fair to lose my mother-in-law to cancer days before her 58th birthday. My two daughters will never experience the fun plans she had for them once she retired. Life isn't fair when dear friends lose a child and experience unfathomable grief or to watch friends go through one hard situation after another. My youngest child would say it's unfair to have food allergies and not be able to eat the same things her friends eat. My oldest daughter would say it's unfair that there are poor and starving children in the world. It’s unfair to know kids whose days are spent undergoing chemo treatments and uncertain of what the future holds for their health. The entire world is full of examples of injustice and tragedy.
We can blame a fallen, broken world or take the positive approach and focus on how we respond to hard times. We can question God about why things happen the way they do or simply put our hope in him. I can't tell anyone else how to respond or think about life's mysteries and mistreatments. My faith in Christ helps me to know that even though I don't know all of the reasons or purposes for what happens in my life that I can trust Him knowing He is good. God sent His only son to pay the ultimate price with his life for the brokenness, unfairness and sin of this world to restore us into a right relationship with Him. One day God will make everything right and evil will be conquered once and for all. There will be no more unfairness. Even though there are questions without answers and things that I won't understand until I reach heaven, one thing I do know is that God will continue to give me the grace and mercy to carry me until that day. My favorite song by Steven Curtis Chapman says...."In every situation He has proved His love for me/When I lack the understanding, He gives more grace to me/ My redeemer is faithful and true/Everything He has said He will do/Every morning His mercies are new/My redeemer is faithful and true."
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, my prayer is to continue to experience your mercies anew each day and your peace that I can never begin to understand on the days that are the hardest. According to scripture, you are acquainted with our grief and suffering...." a man of many sorrows".... who knows the actual number of tears we cry and our deepest hurts. May we run to you first with our questions and heartaches because you will carry us when we can't carry on in our own strength. Thank you for the promise that nothing can separate us from your love.
Devotion written by Ronda Hunt Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
08/12 - Making Good Things Ultimate Things
SERMON SERIES: Chasing the Wind
MAKING GOOD THINGS ULTIMATE THINGS
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind (intellect).” Matthew 22:37 Amp.
I want my life to matter, stewarding well the gifts and talents entrusted to me. It is my desire to leave a legacy of faith that points others to Christ. May God’s grace and redemption be woven into every chapter of my life. In spite of my altruistic intentions, I so often find myself drowning in a sea of confusion, dissatisfaction and emptiness. I have my own agenda. I lose my focus and proper perspectives. When that happens life is chaotic and I spin my wheels in the muddy ditch of futility. Sometimes, a lot of dirty, slimy mud gets splattered. It’s just not pretty.
It is in these ugly moments of frustration, the realization crashes over me; I have failed to seek God and put Him first. Oh, how this world competes for the affections of my heart and mind. I am so easily enticed away from my first love-Jesus. I am so pathetically fickle.
Again, I repent. God is always faithful to forgive. He gently leads this desperate hungry soul back to Him and the path of life He so carefully crafted for me.
I am learning to invite God into every moment because it is sacred; it all matters. My invitation, first and foremost ushers in the joy and comfort of His presence. And then all of the gifts that embody Him are invited into my life. He is so generous with His gifts, His insights and His blessings. They are limitless. They are my only hope.
When I put God first, I am not devoid of problems, but my life seems to have a natural rhythmic flow that allows me to be productive-fulfilled. His Spirit empowers me to be authentic, living from a place of real freedom and purity. The things I do when my spirit is aligned with God’s Spirit have a lasting intrinsic value. They are the ultimate things -they will count for all eternity.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for the gift of Your Presence. It is everything. When we invite You into our lives we are also inviting every good and perfect gift that is essential for life. Empower us to live holy productive lives that matter for eternity.
Devotion by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
08/05 - Is Life Worth Living?
SERMON SERIES: Chasing the Wind
Is Life Worth Living?
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” –Phil. 3:8 (ESV)
Bronnie was a home nurse for terminally ill patients. She witnessed many deathbed confessions and end of life regrets. Two of the most common regrets: “I wish I didn’t work so hard and miss my children’s youth and my partner’s companionship,” and “I wish I had stayed in touch with friends.” Bronnie says in her experience with those facing mortality, it all comes down to love and relationships in the end.
The Apostle Paul discovered this truth. In the scripture above, he gladly and willingly tosses away his worldly pursuits and impressive credentials for the greater privilege of knowing Christ. Paul abandoned what he was taught to prize highly—his education, religion, status, and personal achievement. Instead, he invested his life in the ongoing effort of gaining Christ and introducing others to Him.
People are eternal; nothing else is. Many of us strive to attain worldly position and material possessions and make a name for ourselves. We increase our education and our portfolio’s. We join our own version of the rat race, or climb the corporate ladder, and advance our own kingdoms. We seek to acquire and conquer not realizing that the only things of value in this life that don’t pass away are souls.
Life is worth living when we continually remember whom we live for—Christ. Putting Christ front and center gives our pursuits purpose. When we follow Paul’s example and uniquely invest our lives in others, our efforts do not go to waste and we won’t have deathbed regrets.
Prayer: Father, help us to remember people throughout our day who might need a helping hand or a smile and encouragement. May all of our pursuits be used for your purpose to bring others into your loving arms. Forgive us Lord when we try to build up ourselves instead of bringing you glory.
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
07/22 - Love Never Ends
SERMON SERIES: Crazy Love
“Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].”
I Corinthians 13:8 Amplified
Love is an exquisitely beautiful gift. Every human being is created out of the overflowing love of the Trinity. We were made for love. Love is essential to the human heart, it gives life and breath. Love sustains and transforms. It is a powerful force that can soften the hardest of hearts. It smoothes the tattered edges of cynicism and demolishes the walls of self-protection. Love allows us to bravely offer our heart to others, stirring and challenging us on to acts of selflessness.
Children, by virtue of who they are, receive full access to every chamber of a parent’s heart. Parents love pretty freely. It is one of God’s beautiful mysteries and the closest expression of how God loves each of us. When my youngest son was taken from here, my heart shattered in a million pieces. I was brokenhearted and a huge part of me seemingly died. That shared love felt forever gone-completely taken.
But, is that really the truth?
God whispered into the depths of my wounded heart, “I am the eternal source of love. Your love relationship with Luke began with Me. It is rooted in my eternal love. It will never end even though the expression has changed.” I realized that the love I shared with my son was a gift for me to keep and to cherish. That love helped shape me. Grow me. Enrich me. I can continue to honor this gift by keeping my heart open to fully love those who are still in my life. These relationships are rooted in eternal love, too. Love lives on. That is healing. Transforming.
With God, love never ends. It is securely held in the eternal arms of an eternal God. This revelation is holy balm for an aching soul.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for your gift of love. You say in your word that three things remain: hope, faith and love. But the greatest of these is love. Your love sustains when all else fails. Help us to remember that our love relationships are rooted and held securely in your everlasting love. Love never ends....Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
07/15 - Love bears, believes, hopes and endures.
SERMON SERIES: Crazy Love
"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
—1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)
My first recollection of these words was from attending weddings. For years those words only seemed to fit within the context of wedding vows. In reality though, these words are meant for more than just a wedding ceremony. The notes in my study Bible show:
“Jesus said that Christians should be famous for their love for each other (John 13:34-35). Paul tells the Corinthian church what Christian love should look like." Another note says, "The terms believes and hopes are sandwiched between bears and endures and, like them, probably refer to relationships between people. Love believes the best of others and hopes the best for them.”
A friend says her family motto is to "Love God, Love People". I have seen this in action for her and her family many times. They are truly an example of what it means to look past what most people see, and reach out to those people who others wouldn't consider speaking with. I’m challenged to better myself and to ask God to continue to make me more like that. I think God is asking us to have this kind of mindset. To love others with a Christ-like love, we have to be willing to bear the unbearable, believe in someone when others have given up on them, hope for the ones who seem hopeless, and endure with them to the other side of their struggles. This is the kind of love only God can give us: to see others as He sees them, and to want to reach out.
In his latest book Nearing Home, Billy Graham says, "I heard once about a pastor who always ended his sermons with these words.' Remember: everyone you are going to meet this week is carrying a heavy burden.’ Over the years I have found this to be true; I have never met a person who wasn't weighed down by some kind of problem or burden. But God wants to help carry everyone's burdens—one way He does that is by sending someone into the person's life who can share the burden."
It is easy to become inwardly focused on enjoying the richness of God’s love. My prayer is that I will internalize it into my heart and life, and also externalize it towards others I encounter so that they too can experience the love that never fails. We shouldn't keep it for ourselves.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the eternal love you have given us through knowing your son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior. Thank you that it is a love without end. Help us to always be on the lookout for ways to share that same love to others even when it may seem hard to do. Thank you that your love never gives up on us.
Devotion written by Ronda Hunt
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
07/08 - Rejoices in Truth
SERMON SERIES: Crazy Love
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Cor. 13:6
I have learned that since there is truth there are lies. If there is right, there is wrong and if there is Heaven there is Hell. My past has included a foggy description of truth. The world wants us to believe that truth is relative depending on what you believe or the pressures you face. Or, it is based on what your neighbors do, or a popular TV show. Surely biblical truth is archaic and outdated and not applicable to our situation. How do I know what is true?
There is One truth and His name is Jesus. We are told in the gospel of John that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. John also tells us Christ is the Word (Bible) made flesh. Lastly we are told that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.
A great way to apply a love that rejoices with the truth is in a discussion with a child, friend or co-worker where you are the person who wants to know the truth. We hope that person will be honest with us, and our heart rejoices when they tell us the truth. Even though it may be disappointing, we now know the truth; we don’t have to guess or wonder. When we study God’s Word and walk daily in submission to His Holy Spirit we can rejoice in that same truth. Truth is only to be found in one place—the active and living Word of God. Scripture tells us the truth will set us free and freedom is a reason to rejoice!
PRAYER: Father God thank you for Truth, may we celebrate your Truth and help us to understand the freedom that comes from knowing and applying your Truth to our lives. Lord of all creation, thank you for your Word, Your gift of the Holy Spirit who will guide us in all Truth and our Savior and King Jesus.
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact us at groups@westridge.com
07/01 - Not Irritable or Resentful
SERMON SERIES: Crazy Love
Not Irritable or Resentful
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-5 (ESV)
We had plans to leave town to visit family. I noticed the calendar filling up the week before our trip. I knew it would be a hectic week. I devised a plan of attack. I couldn’t conquer the week alone, so I rallied the family and delegated jobs. If we all worked together, the chores would get accomplished and we could leave town on time and in peace.
The problem is—no one told me the water heater would start leaking. Or, our overnight guests would arrive a day early. Nor did I anticipate that while I was away from home for hours running errands, the rest of the family would conveniently forget the list and neglect their duties. About mid-week, my anxiety level started to rise. I spoke to myself, “We can do this, be calm, it’s all gonna work out.” That worked temporarily, but I was wound tight, irritable, and teetering on the edge of losing it.
I became overly annoyed when I had to repeat instructions to my son. I heard the hurtful words, in a biting tone of voice, roll off my tongue, but I was somehow apart from them as if I were only an observer. I couldn’t stop my own mouth. My son hung his head because I made him feel ashamed that he couldn’t complete a simple task on his own. Was accomplishing my list at the expense of my son’s spirit worth it? NO!
God is love and God lives in me. But, I allowed a stranger—an intruding, impure heart to speak ill will to my child. I was made to embrace God’s love for myself and exhibit His love to others. Next time stress levels rise and irritability knocks on the door of my heart, rather than chanting inspiring phrases to myself, I will rely on the Holy Spirit to empower me to react with grace.
PRAYER: Father, Thank you that you live on the inside of me and that through Jesus Christ who strengthens me, all things are possible. Help me to live by your Spirit walking in your love. When I feel an intruding spirit start to set up camp in my heart, help me to recognize it and cast it out before it does any damage. Thank you that you forgive me when I fail.
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
06/24 - Doesn’t Insist on Being Right
SERMON SERIES: Crazy Love
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (ESV)
When I’m having a “discussion”, ok-an “argument”, with someone, my flesh screams at me to be right. I not only want to win the argument, I want the other person to see my point of view and to admit that my way is best. I want my kids to know that I’m being fair with them when I won’t let them do something or go somewhere. I want them to understand not only why I made that decision but that it is the right one. The older I get and the closer to the Lord that I grow, the less I feel like I always need to be right. I realize that sometimes my way is not always the best way. In order to remind myself of this, I look to Christ as my example.
Christ laid down his life for us on the cross so that we could have eternal life with the Father. He didn’t deserve to die for my sins and yours. The right thing would have been for us to take our own punishment, but Jesus didn’t insist on the right way. Instead, He chose to give up His own rights in order to save us. He chose to do that because He loves us with a perfect love.
At the end of the day I have to ask myself is it really important to insist on my own way or is it more important to save the relationship and have peace and unity? Do I want to be right or do I want to follow Jesus’ example and set aside my wants and lay down my life for my friends?
Prayer: Jesus, Thank you for loving us with a love so strong that you were willing to take the punishment that we deserved. Fill us up with your spirit so that we can love others the way that you love us. Help us to live our lives with grace and to seek peace and unity in all of our relationships.
Devotion written by Ruth Wittenbrook
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
06/17 - Love is not Arrogant or Rude
SERMON SERIES: Crazy Love
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. –1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)
In a recent NPR article about manners and courteous language written by Linton Weeks, the facts bear out that we are becoming ruder as a society. A 2011 Rasmussen Report survey shows 76% of the people said that Americans are becoming ruder and less civil. We don’t need a survey to notice or observe this. Take a conversation at your overage retail checkout line and we can all bear witness that we are no longer treated with the same respect and concern.
In the scripture above, Paul lays out his desire for us to love others like crazy and part of that love is how we talk to one another and show them proper respect, kindness, and civility. To not show respect for another of God's creations is akin to not showing respect for God himself. Also called the "Golden Rule," Jesus said in Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (ESV). Being civil and polite keeps us in the spirit of the Golden Rule.
Resisting the urge to be rude and speak with arrogance is a challenge for many of us. Cindy Post Senning, great-granddaughter of the etiquette and courtesy maven Emily Post, says to follow this advice, "It is respectful to make requests rather than demands, to show gratitude and appreciation, to greet others, to give our complete attention, to acknowledge appreciation shown, to acknowledge and show respect for age, standing, importance." I believe the following scriptures echo her sentiments:
- Romans 13:7, "Pay to all... respect to whom respect is owed."
- Colossians 3:16, " Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
- Matthew 10:12, As you enter the home, give it your greeting."
- James 1:19, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
It is my hope and prayer that we continue growing to become more like Jesus and we are challenged to embrace a crazy love for people in the way that we speak to and treat others.
Prayer: Father God, help us to grow in our love and respect for others in the way that we speak to them and how we treat them. If there is anything that we have said or done that has caused pain or hurt to someone I pray that you would reveal that to us and help us to be reconciled to that person before we offer our gifts to you in service or worship. Challenge us to be people who love others deeply thus completing the circle of love that started with you loving us and ends with us loving others. Amen
Devotion written by Brian Brunke
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
06/10 - Doesn’t Envy or Boast
Sermon Series: Crazy Love
“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.” 1 Samuel 18:3-4 (ESV)
“Mommy, please tell me the story again. Who am I named after? ”
My middle son, in his animated bedtime stalling fashion would beg me to tell him about his beloved namesake, the biblical hero who exhibited one of the greatest human examples of an unselfish love, devoid of envy and boasting.
“His name is Jonathan.”
Jonathan,respected warrior and eldest son of King Saul was the probable heir to the throne of Israel according to the tradition of the time. This all changed, when the obscure shepherd boy David arrives on the scene after his impressive defeat of Goliath. God had a different plan. David was His choice and Jonathan stood to lose a great deal.
Jonathancould have shunned David, treated him with contempt and boasted about his rightful position as the king’s son. Instead, he embraced David. They had much in common; leaders, warriors and both men of integrity. David and Jonathan developed a strong steadfast loving friendship. Although scripture is not specific, at some point in this forging friendship Jonathan realizes that it is David who will be the next king of Israel. He unselfishly gives David his robe, armor, sword, bow and belt; all the things that represent his royal status. Instead of envying David’s destiny, Jonathan, the great warrior and son of King Saul, graciously steps aside and pledges his enduring love and support of the future King David.
What an example of what God commands-love does not envy or boast. We are called to celebrate God’s highest purposes for those we love. Sometimes, in the unfolding of these divine plans God asks us to trust Him and submit our own desires, rights and egos for a greater love-a greater purpose.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for your deep pure unending love. We are seen, heard and known in Your love. May Your love transcend all our relationships. Help us through the power of Your Spirit to love unselfishly without envy and boasting. Amen.
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
06/03 - Patient and Kind
Sermon Series: CRAZY LOVE
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 1 Thess. 5:14 (ESV)
I remember my mother often saying to me as a child, “For goodness sake, be patient.” I never quite understood what she meant, and she must have wondered when I would ever learn. We eventually exchanged baffled glares during our stand-offs, then I stomped off realizing I wasn’t going to get what I asked for when I wanted it, if at all. This episode repeated many times throughout my childhood. The tables have turned, however, and now I’m the one asking my children to be patient. I haven’t quite perfected the phrase like my mother. Her temper never flared and her tone remained kind.
Being patient doesn’t come naturally to us, or should I say it does come naturally? Our flesh wants to be impatient; that’s how it operates. On the other hand, when we pursue patience, kindness and love as fruits of the Spirit, we engage a battle between flesh and spirit (Gal. 5:17). My references define patient as; endure without complaining, persevere bravely, and not lose heart. These all imply situations beyond simple childish requests. Honoring a commitment and saving our marriage sometimes requires patience towards a spouse. To disciple a young believer might require patience to walk them through sinful behaviors to maturity. Fortunately, patience has no limits; the Spirit supplies it for the simple and the serious. The sky’s the limit! With love as our motive and a fresh daily supply of patience by walking in the Spirit, we build others up and expect the best from them. Likewise, when we are weak, we hope our Christian brothers and sisters will return the favor.
PRAYER: Lord, may we always seek you in prayer and your Word and grow closer to you. Help us to be full of the Spirit and walk in its fruit. Help us to be kind and patient towards others and may our behavior give you glory!
Devotion written by Theresa Anderson Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
05/20 - Prayer
Sermon Series: PRAYER
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (ESV)
At first glance, these verses sound like rules from God that are impossible for us to follow. I don't always rejoice, pray without ceasing, or give thanks in all circumstances. Sometimes life throws us punches that are far from anything we want to rejoice about or be thankful for. When life is the hardest, I have struggled to find the words or will to pray, or on the opposite end of the scale, pray my most heartfelt, sincere prayers out of desperation and wanting an answer. However, the longer I live and the more I read this passage of scripture, I realize these words don't represent an unrealistic standard, but more of a guideline for living to become more like Christ.
"Pray without ceasing" has taken on new meaning in two different ways for me over the years. I have heard it said that if a certain person keeps coming to your mind that you should pray for them. Now I take notice if I keep thinking of someone and I pray. Sometimes I wake up and pray in the middle of the night when God brings someone to my mind. Also, my husband and I have very dear friends, Ralph and Marie, who have taught us about the power of prayer. Ralph wouldn't just say, "I'll be praying about that for you." He and Marie will stop wherever they are, and I do mean wherever, to pray right then and there with you. They inspired me to do the same. If someone asks me to pray for them, I will ask if I can pray with them on the spot instead of waiting until after I have left them, even if it's in public. I have never been turned down and God gives me the boldness to do it. With the end of this prayer series, look for ways God is challenging you in your prayer life. I find that the more I pray the greater my desire to pray becomes.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the privilege and gift of prayer. Thank you that the more we pray the closer our relationship to you becomes as we seek your heart and will for our lives. Help us come to you more often and to quiet our hearts and minds so we don't miss what you have for us to hear. Forgive us when we give you our wish list and hurry away to other things. Make it our desire to "be still and know that you are God." Thank you that in our times of thankfulness and times of desperation you never change. Thank you that you "love us too much to leave us alone."
Devotion written by Ronda Hunt
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
05/13 - Yours Is The Kingdom
Sermon Series: PRAYER May 13, 2012
Yours,O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. (Emphasis mine)
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (ESV)
In this Scripture David is praying in front of the assembly of people and he breaks out in praise!
David worships God and credits all glory to Him as the God of Israel. Our Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 ends with a hymn of praise (KJV) much like this begins: “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.”
I love the focus on who God is in David’s prayer. You will find this same approach in prayer with Moses (Psalm 90), Daniel (Dan. 2:20-23), and Nehemiah (Neh. 1:5-11). These powerful leaders turn their attention off themselves and their circumstances, and turn to the One who all honor and glory belongs; the One who holds all the power, strength and authority in His hand.
Powerful prayer moves us in faith, hope and trust in God against the schemes of the enemy. How powerful are your prayers? Are they centered on the One who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20)? Do we confess and profess the power of the One whom: in His “hand is power and might,” and in whose “hand it is to make great and to give strength to all?” (1 Chron. 29:12)
Prayer: God our Father, Yours is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory for the challenges You are using to grow us closer to You. We exalt You above our circumstances. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
Devotion written by Colleen Magel
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
05/06 - Praying For Needs
Sermon Series: PRAYER
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:11-13 (ESV)
I am a needy person! I am constantly asking for or talking about the things that are important to me. Maybe it’s the only child in me, but praying for MY needs seems to be a recurring theme in my prayer life. In the "Lord's Prayer" in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells us the things that we should ask God for in our prayers.
The needs we should pray for are three fold: a) our basic needs b) for God's forgiveness c) for God's spiritual protection. What is revealing about these three needs is that Jesus prays for them in the plural. While we all have individual needs, they are not exclusive to any one person, and when we pray, we should do so with the mindset that we are praying for not MY needs but OUR needs.
There is great power in intercession and when we are presenting our requests to God, remember others who have the same needs. Will you take up the challenge of praying for loved ones as well as yourself? Maybe God is calling you to start a prayer journal where you will focus your prayer life on the requests of family or friends. My hope is that God will help all of us to pray more not only for ourselves, but to also focus on meeting the needs of those around us.
Prayer: Father, help us to develop the habit of bringing our needs to you. We know that nothing is too big or too small for you to handle or help with but we need to learn to let go and trust you more. Help us to remember the needs of others and not be always so focused on ourselves. Thank you for meeting our basic needs and may we never take for granted how you have met our most important need: our salvation. Amen
Devotion written by Brian Brunke
Questions? Contact groups@westridge.com
04/29 - Praying for God’s Will
Sermon Series: Prayer
Praying for God’s Will
“My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
My heart, during the confusing times of my life, has often come to rest on this intimate scene between Jesus and His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. Falling on His face, He wrestled out the will of His Father through His agonizing blood sweating honest prayers. Pouring out all of Himself in this life and death situation, fully acknowledging His desire for this cup of suffering to be taken away. God did not remove the cup because there was a greater “Yes” about to unfold. Jesus knew that doing the will of His Father carried huge eternal implications for humankind.
Jesus gives us the perfect example of how to pray and work through the acceptance of God’s will. He wrestled through the pain of what was being asked of Him yet in the end, Jesus aligned His will with that of His Father.
This moment has helped me when I fervently begged God to heal my neighbor’s husband from cancer and heal my son who sustained a head injury in an automobile accident. Both of them died and were healed in Heaven. Admittedly, I was angry, confused and brokenhearted. These were heartfelt, desperately honest prayers said on behalf of people I dearly loved. I had to wrestle through the pain and hurt of His answer. It didn’t feel like goodness.
Yet, as I continually reflect on Jesus’ experience, I have learned that it is important to admit our disappointment and pain at God’s answer. He wants to reveal Himself and help us accept His will. His “No” means there is a greater “Yes.” There is a grander story of glory being written over our lives, one that carries huge eternal value-a story that we will understand someday. Until then, keep trusting in God’s goodness. It helps a troubled heart accept His will.
Prayer: Father, Your ways are higher than our ways. We cannot fully comprehend, we as humans lack Your eternal perspective. We aren’t capable of seeing the whole picture. Empower us to trust You and believe in Your goodness when Your will is painfully different than ours. Thank you for grace. Amen
Devotion written by Maryanne Abbate Questions? Click groups@westridge.com
04/22 - The Intimacy of Prayer
Sermon Series: Prayer
The Intimacy of Prayer
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 (ESV)
I went to a class on prayer at church one morning led by a man named Daniel Henderson. It has been several years but some things that I learned from that class have remained stamped on my heart. One of those was that the Lord’s Prayer, which was given in Matthew chapter 6, is a great structure for prayer.
After the class, I began to search the Psalms for all the ways scripture identifies God so that when I got to the phrase “hallowed be Thy name” I could properly hallow His name. This is the part of prayer where we bow our hearts to a Holy, Righteous and Loving God. I made a list of how God is described in scripture with the scripture reference along side.
Part of honoring the Lord is knowing Him. We can’t begin to know God fully outside of the Bible. Every time we open up God’s Word, we are learning a little more about the One who created us, who has a plan for our life, and who loves us. What better way to honor and reverence (or hallow) His name than to know Him and His character.
An example of putting this into practice for me is as follows: Lord, you are my strength, my rock, my fortress and deliverer (Psalm 18: 1-8). You are creator God who alone stretched out the heavens by your words (Psalm 33:6). Lord, your love is steadfast, never failing (Psalm 89:1)
I have been taught to pray, praise and seek. Sometimes the only way we learn to pray and feel the presence of the Lord is to keep on praying and seeking the Lord for He is Faithful.
Prayer: Lord God, maker of Heaven and Earth, healer of the broken hearted, faithful to those who seek you with all their heart, Savior, Redeemer, Righteous Lord help us to know You, the One True God. Draw us near to You and show us through Your Holy Spirit how to pray and how to know You more. In Jesus Holy name, Amen.
Devotion written by Nikki Beach Questions? Contact us at groups@westridge.com
04/15 - How Not To Pray
Sermon Series: THE PRAYER SERIES
But, when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matt. 6:6
Praying in a group, while necessary and rewarding, can be intimidating – I know it was for me on one particular occasion when a man sounding very eloquent and emotional, and full of tears and passion lifted our requests in prayer. I felt sure this man’s prayers must be heard more than my own. They were so heartfelt and dramatic; they must instantly move the heart of God to deliver what he asks.
If anyone could have impressed others with prayer, it would have been Jesus. Yet, Jesus often slipped away by himself to pray. In the scripture above, Jesus tells us not to be boastful or showy in public prayer, but to be simple and humble in private prayer.
Without company, I can be myself before the Lord. My outward position matches my inward condition. I can weep or laugh. Get angry or say nothing at all. In private prayer, there are no distractions and comparisons - just me before my God – honest and real. The best part - God rewards what is done in secret!
Prayer: Father, thank you for inviting me into the prayer closet with you where I can be myself and you accept me unconditionally. Thank you for rewarding simple and earnest prayer.
04/08 - Reunion
Sermon Series: LAST WORDS Reunion
"For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." 1 Peter 2:25 (ESV)
My sister died twenty years ago. I still miss her and think about her. Through her loss, I became keenly aware that we are not wired to say goodbye. Our hearts continue to ache for those loved ones who beat us to heaven’s gate. I look forward to seeing my sister again when God calls me home too.
I imagine Jesus was overwhelmed with joy to be reunited with the Father. Jesus didn’t arrive home alone, though. When He died, rose again, and then returned to His heavenly dwelling, He redeemed all humankind.
God made us in His image in perfect fellowship with Him until sin entered the world. Ever since God cast Adam and Eve from His presence, humanity’s heart has yearned for Him. Jesus paved the way back to God and through faith in Him, we can have a righteous reunion now. When we surrender our life to Jesus, we are returned to the Overseer of our souls and a spiritual family reunion takes place until God calls our spirit heavenward forever.
Prayer: Father, thank you for making a way back into your family through Jesus. Until my spirit resides with you in heaven, help me to stay close to you, hear you, and follow you through prayer and study of your Word.
04/01 - Triumph
Sermon Series: "THE LAST WORDS"
Triumph
A jar of wine vinegar was there so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:29-30
John was the only disciple who saw Jesus bow his head and heard Him say “It is finished.” What was running through Johns’ mind and heart at that time? One of his fellow disciples had hung himself and the other ten abandoned Jesus as the Jews and Romans collaborated to crucify their Messiah, Rabbi, leader, and friend. The disciples had given up everything to follow Christ and now they see their hope being crucified and dying on a cross.
What about your current circumstances? Do you have a challenging situation that doesn’t make sense? Is there a sin in your life that seems too big to be a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ? Does your pressing situation feel hopeless? What do you think when you hear Jesus say, “It is finished”?
Here is what we know today that possibly John did not fully understand in that moment. “It is finished” is a shout of victory over your life and mine. "It is finished" is Jesus announcing to you and I that all our sins are taken away; all our guilt that should have been charged to us but was imputed to Him was taken care of. Our salvation is won, our sins are forgiven! The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and plan of God. Jesus finishing the work God gave him to do made reconciliation for our iniquities and brought in everlasting righteousness. The greatest shout of victory ever sounded was on the cross — “It is finished!”-they are the final words in the redemption of the human race.
Payer: Father, thank you for Jesus who washed all our sins away forever! Thank you that we can receive eternal life by faith through Jesus and enjoy fellowship with You not only in heaven but while here on earth. Help us to rest in grace and not strive to earn what Jesus already accomplished. Amen.
03/25 - I THIRST
Sermon Series: “Last Words” I THIRST
My Soul Thirsts for You
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 (ESV)
Isn’t it interesting the beauty of God’s Word as it interweaves the same themes for us, to allow us to understand? Thirst is mentioned often in the Bible in reference to fulfilling a need that we all have as humans. This need is both physical and spiritual in nature.
Part of basic human survival is clean drinking water. A person can survive much longer with no food than with no water. In a survival situation, clean drinking water is a must. Most of us arise from sleep and have a glass of water. And of course a drink of water before bed is a must in our home, especially with little ones.
Spiritual thirst gives us a beautiful picture of the basic needs of our human existence. We are more than skin and bones, we have an eternal Spirit that lives within us. I once heard a pastor say that all people are “bent towards religion”. We see that when people try to answer the big questions. Why are we here? What purpose do I have? So in our exploration we pray that everyone turns to the One true God and our Savior Jesus Christ for those answers, to the Bible and His Word. All others are false.
The woman at the well in John Chapter 4 had many husbands, and was considered unworthy in the eyes of the religious. Yet Christ sat with her and asked her to provide Him with a sip of water. Jesus told her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying this to you, you would ask me to give you the living water”. There is only one place to find the living water, from the living, eternal Savior Jesus Christ. So when you thirst today...... where will you turn?
Prayer: Father God, You are magnificent in all your ways. To think that you would send your Son to walk on the earth, and that we would have His Words recorded in scripture to meet our needs. As we wait upon our Savior’s return for us, we thank you for your Word, your Holy Spirit and we pray our thirst would be fulfilled by nothing else but You.
03/18 - Abandonment
Sermon Series: "THE LAST WORDS"
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 NIV
On a dreary cold rainy February afternoon I said goodbye to my fifteen your old son. I carefully cut a lock of his hair, tenderly kissed his colorless cheek, studied his beautiful features for fear of forgetting, touched his lifeless cold hand and then they closed the casket. Never in my life have I felt so utterly broken. Shattered. I had no idea how to put the bleeding splattered pieces of my heart back together. The black blanket of grief threatened to suffocate me. Crushing pain felt like it would literally kill me. The voices of doubt screamed in my head, “Where was God when you kissed your dead child goodbye?” I felt abandoned. He seemed silent and so far away.
Sometimes the agony of human pain can make God feel so absent from us.
Through this journey, I have wrestled with God over my unsettled questions, doubts and feelings of abandonment. In turn, Jesus has taken my hand and tenderly shown my bleeding heart that these kinds of experiences, although excruciatingly painful and never asked for, are invitations for sacred learning. Jesus invites us, through our losses and painful experiences, into the inner sanctuary of His suffering. We are given a glimpse of the enormity and depth of Jesus’ pain as he was violently beaten, placed on a cross to die bearing the weight and guilt of every human sin. In that moment because of our sin, God removed His divine presence and turned His back on His only Son. Jesus felt truly abandoned.
What a profoundly sacrificial moment. Because of that moment, you and I are never forsaken. Jesus, through His own humanity, understands our limited ability to see Him in our suffering. Our Jesus will go to great lengths to reveal Himself to us, comfort us and show us that we are not forsaken.
This spiritual truth has sustained my heart through some of the darkest days of grief. I find when the voices of doubt and despair begin to scream I am learning to silence them with desperate heartfelt prayers, “Jesus, show me - You. Don’t let my pain blind me to your presence. Replace my feelings of abandonment with Your healing presence.”
He has been faithful....
Prayer: Jesus, You know how abandonment feels. You experienced it on the cross. Thank you for the promise to never leave or forsake us. Help us to find You in the midst of our pain. Jesus,You are the Great High Priest who has gone before us and experienced every human emotion. You understand. You alone stand as the only anchor of hope for a hurting broken soul. Amen.
03/11 - Relationships
Sermon Series: "THE LAST WORDS"
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26, 27 (ESV)
As Jesus hung on the cross, close to death, he chose to focus on one thing that transcends every other in our lives and we often fail to focus on it until it is too late—relationships. The Bible tells us (John 19:25) that one of the people who stood near the cross to witness Jesus’ crucifixion was his mother. Knowing that his mother Mary would have no support system in place once he was gone, he cements the relationship that is changing right before them as Mary comes under the care of his friend John.
Caring for people is part of our mission as the church. The book of Acts provides an example of how the church in Jerusalem cared for its members in those early days and months at its inception. Feeding people and meeting their needs are tasks that can be met by almost anyone, but the church’s motivating factor in providing care should be relationship and love. Our area has witnessed this first hand after a tornado destroyed homes and the school where one of our churches meet. A spirit of volunteerism and love has risen up both in our church and throughout our county. Once the physical and financial needs are met, the only thing that remains is the relationship.
Let’s make relationships a priority in our life so we don’t miss the care and fellowship that is available when we commit to our local church beyond Sunday morning worship. Becoming involved in a small group is an excellent way to make relationships a priority and place us in close proximity to others who can care for us in our time of greatest need.
God designed us to be in relationship with others. If you are on your journey of faith as a lone traveler, than you are facing a lonely and dangerous road ahead. Taking our cue from Jesus, we need to invite people in our lives who will come alongside and walk this journey with us. As we prepare to leave this world, we can then hand off the responsibility to others who are ready and available.
PRAYER: Jesus thank you for the example that we see in your life of the importance of relationships over material things, titles, and anything else in this world. Encourage and inspire us to look first to the relationship that we have with you and then to the relationship that we build with others to help us walk through the journey of our lives in service to you. Finally Father, help us to seek to meet the needs of others motivated by love and through the medium of relationship so that when the needs are met the relationships that have been established will endure.
03/04 - Salvation
Sermon Series: “THE LAST WORDS”
Today is the Day of Your Salvation
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Cor. 6:2b (NIV)
My brother called me with news that my father was in hospice and not doing well. He said I should come home as soon as possible. My dad and I had never discussed spiritual matters and I didn’t know the condition of his soul. While praying for him, God gave me the verse above, “…now is the day of salvation.” Armed with this scripture, I planned to nail down my dad’s eternal fate. I packed my suitcase and my two-year-old son and got on the road for an 8-hour trip home. I didn’t make it in time. Dad passed away during my drive.
A friend of the family didn’t receive the lung and heart transplant she needed. Pam was in ICU without any hope of recovery. During prayer for her, I inadvertently opened my Bible to the same scripture again, “…now is the day of salvation.” I knew Pam wasn’t a Christian, so I made a hospital visit to share the gospel but she was unconscious. She died the next day.
In most cases, we have ample time and opportunity to offer the gift of salvation found through Jesus Christ. So, why wait for a deathbed conversion? I’m not ashamed of the gospel, yet I often shrink from inviting others to become a part of God’s family. In this scripture, the urgency is apparent - there is no time to waste when a person’s salvation is in question. Have you been avoiding a spiritual conversation with a loved one, or have you delayed inviting someone to church? Now is the time, do it today!
Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of salvation found through your beloved son Jesus. Give us courage to share His saving grace with others. Orchestrate the time and opportunity to share our faith and let us not shrink back from fear of rejection.
02/27 - Forgiveness
Sermon series: The Last Words
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
forgave you. Eph. 4:32 (NIV)
My youngest daughter came home from preschool one day so mad she was in tears. She had taken her Bible to school for “show and tell” and one of her friends had ripped it. This was no ordinary Bible to her. It was new and pink with a princess crown on the front. I wondered, as a mom, what kind of kid rips someone’s Bible. Expecting the worst, I pulled it out of the school bag to inspect the damage, but I had to get my daughter to show me the ripped pages. She turned directly to the damaged page and said, “Right there! That’s what she did!” I looked and sure enough, there was a tiny corner of a page torn off at the bottom. I was relieved to know that was all that had been done to her new Bible, but now I had a bigger problem to deal with. How do I get my child to forgive her friend and move past her hurt feelings? This was a big deal and a big hurt for a preschooler. She had trusted her friend to treat the Bible with great care and that trust had been broken. We as adults hold grudges that in God’s eyes are just as small. I had to help my daughter learn to forgive (which she did and they remain friends to this day).
Years later, I remembered this lesson when helping my oldest daughter get through a hurtful situation. A friend spoke words that were meant to sting and cause damage. The friends’ mom encouraged it by letting her child express her true feelings and saw nothing wrong with the way it was done. Everything in me wanted to lash out with my own choice words of expression, but I knew my daughter was watching and listening. I tried to talk with the mother to no avail. I knew I had to find the way God would want me to deal with this situation. I told my daughter we needed to pray about how to respond and we needed to forgive because that’s what Jesus did for us. I reminded her (and myself) that he had gone through so much more hurt and betrayal than we would ever know. An amazing thing happened as we brought this to the Lord over several weeks. It seemed the more we prayed for them, the more compassion and grace God gave us towards them. My daughter was a true example of forgiveness and compassion to me and to those around her. She was more guarded around this person because the trust had been broken, but she treated her with the grace and extension of friendship that could only be given by God. We were able to restore both of our friendships even though it had changed things between the friends’ mother and I. We didn’t remain as close, but I have no doubt that my daughter handled things the way God wanted her to and helped me to do the same…..with true forgiveness and grace.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to remember what you went through on the cross for each and every one of us when we are so quick to pass judgment and hold on to our hurts. Help us to remember that “forgiveness is an act of faith where we choose to relinquish control to God and respond with spiritual compassion toward those who hurt us.” Help us to see past our hurts to let you work in our lives and find the freedom that comes when we can truly forgive even when we can’t forget. Give us mercy for the memories and victory over bitterness. Thank you for loving us with an unfailing love even when we did nothing to deserve it.
02/19 - Preparing Your Kids to Leave
I DO, WE DID, NOW WHAT?
The Legacy of Roots and Wings
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may, have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)
Two years in a row we delivered a son to college. The emotional drive home was always tearful and our hearts already missed their presence yet we knew they were born to leave. These sons, precious gifts entrusted to us for a short season. Reflecting back on this time I felt God’s prompting in my heart that kids need roots grounded in His love and wings woven together with His grace. They will prevail and bear the fruits of a legacy of faith.
A parent is the first image bearer and vessel of God’s extravagant unconditional love. Parents who love well provide a home that is a refuge. These children have a better chance of knowing God’s heart toward them. They know they are deeply loved, cherished and completely safe. This heart has a better chance of remaining tender and surrendering it to Jesus. In return, as they grow they too are more likely to love well and become true image bearers and vessels of God’s love to others.
Living life takes practice. When kids leave, they will make mistakes as they begin to spread their wings towards independence. Grace gives kids the courage to pick themselves up and try again. Grace empowers them to walk their unique life path and fulfill the purposes God has set before them. They also know how to extend God’s grace to others because it has been generously given to them through the example set by their parents.
Lastly, parents are flawed humans and God in His great mercy extends grace for their mistakes. When we humbly ask, the door of hope, healing and redemption is opened wide and freely given.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for trusting us to raise Your children and prepare them for life. Please grant us the wisdom to give them solid roots that are grounded in Your love and wings that are woven with Your grace. Help us to pass on a legacy of faith; a legacy that matters for all eternity. Grant us mercy and grace for our mistakes. Thank you for loving us - flawed people. Thank you for Jesus. Amen.
02/12 - Creating Biblical Guidelines and Boundaries
Sermon Series: I DO, WE DID, NOW WHAT?
Where’s the Manual?
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, and for training in righteousness...”2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
How do I train up my child as scripture has told me when situations arise? A child struggles with a friendship or is being bullied. Sometimes we lose authority and they don’t listen and refuse to do what they are told. Eventually we need to make decisions about dating and establish boundaries with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Daily we ask ourselves, “Where is the manual and to what page do I turn?”
Through the study of God’s Word, we find answers for our parenting challenges. The verse above brings me back to principles found in Deuteronomy 6: 4-7:
1. The Lord is one. We have one place to go for truth - God and His Word.
2. Love the Lord with your heart, soul and all your might. Putting God first, reading His Word and communicating with Him thru prayer.
3. These words I command shall be on your heart. This may take time, but as we read and study, His word shall be on our heart.
4. Teach them diligently to your children. You and me; we are responsible for teaching our children and for being diligent. Diligence defined is constant effort done with persevering attention.
Through being a student of His Word and through prayer, there is no subject manner on this earth that the Lord has not covered for us. Have you looked for it? We are equipped as believers in Jesus, with the Holy Spirit for counsel, strength, and wisdom.
As much as we want all the answers now, isn’t it amazing that our great God, who desires relationship with us, would set up a system to draw us near to Him and in doing so direct us to guide and train our children up!
Prayer:Father God, I pray your guidance over my life as I teach and train my children up. Lord, may your Holy Spirit direct me in Truth and show me how to make Your Word applicable to every area of parenting and raising my children up in this world.
02/12 - Spiritually Leading Your Children
Sermon Series: I DO, WE DID, NOW WHAT?
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you
sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down,
and when you rise." Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV)
As a parent of a two-year-old daughter, it amazes me how much she learns from watching my wife and me. She will grow into the woman God wants her to be and she will learn what that is from us. The challenging part of our role as parents is to model being a follower of Jesus and spiritually lead her to also be a follower of Jesus. This responsibility entrusted to me can be intimidating but I’m thankful God provides guidance from his Word. In Deuteronomy, God tells us four ways to take advantage of occasions in our daily routine to impact spiritual teaching to our children.
* when you sit - in moments throughout the day we can "be with our children"; tell them we love them and that God created them and loves them very much. The dinner meal can be an opportunity to sit together as a family, pray, and reflect on God.
* when you walk by the way - not many of us walk as they did in ancient times, but when we ride in the car with our children, we have an opportunity for spiritual conversations. It’s a great time to introduce Christian music. My daughter loves to sing with the David Crowder Band and Chris Tomlin in the car!
* when you lie down – we can reflect on the day during a child's bedtime and give thanks to God for his work in our lives. Praying with your children and reading to them are also excellent ways to familiarize your children with speaking to God in prayer.
* when you rise - mornings can be a hectic time for families but developing simple and quick habits like saying a prayer together teaches our children the importance of beginning your day with God.
It doesn’t have to be formal to take everyday moments and lead your child spiritually. Andrew Peterson, my classmate from Bible College who is now a Christian recording artist, sings a song called "All the Way Home" and in one verse he writes,
"When they sat in their home,
When they walked along the road,
When they slept and when they rose,
The words of the Lord were impressed on their minds,
And after all this time,
I'm carried along like a leaf on a river of faith..."
This song celebrates the legacy of faith that Andrew is a part of because his grandparents and parents decided it was important to lead their family to know and follow Jesus. What legacy are you leaving for your children? How are you spirituality leading them? It’s not too late to start but we must make the commitment to begin, and commit to continue.
Prayer: Father, as I look to spiritually lead my children to know and serve you I ask you to help me identify moments in my day when I can invest in my children’s spiritual development. I would also ask that you help me to grow and develop as a follower of you so that I can in turn help my children to grow. In closing Father, I ask that you would place within me a vision for my children which will motivate and sustain me to make their spiritual development a priority in my life and strengthen me in those times when I am tired or discouraged because I can see what lies on the other side of this commitment. Amen.
01/28 - Expectations/Needs/Boundaries
Sermon Series: I Do, We Did, Now What?
“For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.” 1 Corinthians 11:12 (NIV)
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)
No matter how long you have known someone, you will find out something new once you are married. Sleeping habits are one example. When my husband and I were first married, I never thought about his sleeping habits being vastly different from my own.
I like to sleep like a bat in a cave with total darkness and quiet. My husband likes to sleep with three huge pillows and some kind of noise all night long. I found this out during our first week of marriage. We are ready to go to sleep and he pulls out a big box fan (the kind your parents warned you to keep your fingers away from the blades). I asked him if he was hot, but then noticed he turned the fan away from the bed instead of blowing on us. He answered, “No, I just like to have some noise while I sleep. I’ve done it my whole life.” Well, I had slept like a bat my whole life, so I didn’t get much sleep for the first few weeks of our marriage.
This is one example of how our marriage expectations can be totally different. This small incident would not warrant divorce or marital counseling, but it did require some discussion and compromise on both our parts. We are now the proud owners of a much smaller and quieter white noise machine. No matter how well I know my husband after all these years, we will disappoint each other and will never be able to meet all of each other’s needs or expectations. I love my husband dearly, and he is the love of my life, but the only one who can meet all our needs is God.
I think our society has this idea that marriage and finding the right person to marry will fulfill us and make all that is wrong with our lives right. That is too much pressure for any human being. I found a new freedom once I relied on Christ to be my “everything” instead of my husband. It also lets our spouses off the hook and gives them the freedom to be who God made them to be. This is not to say that we don’t set boundaries for ourselves against being mistreated or abused. That is another story. What it does mean is that we learn to put our hopes and expectations in the only One who can truly meet all our needs—Jesus Christ. Let Him be your “everything.”
Prayer: Dear God, help me to remember that only You can meet all of my needs and expectations. You are the only One who can truly satisfy my heart. When I am hurt or disappointed by my spouse, help me to give them the grace that I would want them to give to me if the tables were turned. Help me to look to You for help in resolving conflicts and differences instead of doing it alone. I pray that you would always be my first love in my life and that I would choose first and foremost to be in love with You. Amen.
01/21 - The Role of the Woman
Sermon series: I Do, We Did, Now What?
January 22, 2012
God’s Door of Opportunity
…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Eph 5:20b-22 ESV
I once worked for a man who every time there was a door to walk through, he held the doors open and allowed everyone he was walking with to go through first. It did not matter if he was walking with the lowest ranked person in the company, the highest ranked, a man, or a woman; he held the doors open. He was our Vice President and he was committed to that habit—a habit I noted and never forgot.
In Christ you and I are to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” The Greek word for submission, hupotasso refers to willing to rank oneself under, or a voluntary yielding. I like to think when we voluntarily and willingly submit, we hold the spiritual door open for others.
As a wife, we do life, walk side by side with our spouse, and make countless decisions every day in unity. When there isn’t agreement, God is opening a door of opportunity to yield. A wife, out of reverence to Christ, can willingly hold open the spiritual doors that will allow a husband to lead the family through a decision. God is honored and a sweet fragrant offering is made. Those doors of opportunity open in our workplace, in ministry, on the sports field, and with family relationships.
When was the last time God gave you an opportunity to hold open the door for someone? How did you do?
Prayer: God, as wives we ask You to help us make yielding a holy habit out of respect for our spouse and Your Word. May it be a sweet and fragrant offering to You each time we choose to voluntarily and willingly submit to others out of reverence for Christ.
01/16 - HE DID
SERMON SERIES: I DO, WE DID, NOW WHAT?
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
Men and women have equal value and dignity but different roles in marriage as part of the created order. The Apostle Paul speaks of this equality of men and women in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” Ephesians 5:23-24. The biblical ideal for men is to provide loving, humble leadership and avoid errors of passivity and aggressiveness. “At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships.” (Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by Wayne Grudem and John Piper).
Prayer: Father, thank you for creating all people with equal value and dignity. Every time I look and talk to another person, help me to remember the person I am talking with is an image bearer of God. Strengthen the men and women in my family, our church, and our nation to fulfill their God given role in their marriage and in our churches.
01/07 - January 8, 2012
WHAT IS IT GOD WANTS FROM YOU?
“Whoever hears my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” John 14:21
He wants the same thing you want. He wants to be loved. He wants intimacy with you. Yes, he wants your obedience but only when it flows out of a heart filled with love for him. Following hard after Jesus is the hearts natural response when it has been captured and has fallen deeply in love with him.
You’ve probably heard that there is in every human heart a place that only God alone can fill. Author George MacDonald said, “There is also a chamber in the heart of God where none can enter but the one, the individual”. You. You were meant to fill a place in the heart of God no one and nothing else can fill. He longs for you.
God wants to live this life together with you, to share in your days and decisions, your desires and disappointments. He wants intimacy with you in the midst of the madness and mundane, the meetings and memos, the laundry and lists,and your projects and pain. He wants to pour his love into your heart and he longs to have you pour yours into his. He wants your deep heart; that center place within that is the truest you. He is not interested in intimacy with the man or woman you think you are supposed to be. He wants intimacy with the real you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for being my father and desiring to have a deep relationship with me. I invite you to walk with me - daily, hourly, breath by breath, because I need you. I choose you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Taken from the book Captivating by Staci Eldredge
01/07 - What is it God Wants From You?
“Whoever hears my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” John 14:21
He wants the same thing you want. He wants to be loved. He wants intimacy with you. Yes, he wants your obedience but only when it flows out of a heart filled with love for him. Following hard after Jesus is the hearts natural response when it has been captured and has fallen deeply in love with him.
You’ve probably heard that there is in every human heart a place that only God alone can fill. Author George MacDonald said, “There is also a chamber in the heart of God where none can enter but the one, the individual”. You. You were meant to fill a place in the heart of God no one and nothing else can fill. He longs for you.
God wants to live this life together with you, to share in your days and decisions, your desires and disappointments. He wants intimacy with you in the midst of the madness and mundane, the meetings and memos, the laundry and lists,and your projects and pain. He wants to pour his love into your heart and he longs to have you pour yours into his. He wants your deep heart; that center place within that is the truest you. He is not interested in intimacy with the man or woman you think you are supposed to be. He wants intimacy with the real you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me. I need you. I desire a more intimate walk with you. I invite you into every part of my day, every thought, every action. I want to become the real deal-no more hiding. In Jesus name, Amen.
Taken from the book Captivating by Staci Eldredge
01/01 - NEW YEAR-NEW LIFE
“And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” Revelation 21:5
I bought a butterfly in a jar yesterday. Now mind you, it’s not a real butterfly but one that’s battery powered. As I watched it, God showed up and said to me, not audibly (it was much louder than that), but from a place deep within my heart - “That’s who you are, like the butterfly, you are beautiful. You are alive, you are free. You are no longer like the caterpiller-unattractive, worthless, crawling through life, feeling like you have nothing to offer”. Do you believe that statement for yourself? Are you able to see yourself as Christ see’s you?
In his book, Soul Cravings, Erwin McManus recounts when you come to God and allow him to change you, from that moment the old is past, and all things are made new. The word describing this is metamorphosis, the image of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly- same species, completely different. This describes a change that literally moves us from crawling to flying. It is a necessary change if we are going to journey to the life we were created to live, to experience, to enjoy. Sometimes I choose just to be a worm; at other times my preference is to hide in the cocoon, but every now and again I choose the difficult struggle of breaking out. It’s painful; it’s frustrating; it’s hard work. Sometimes I wonder why God would make the cocoon so hard to escape from, never realizing it is the process itself that strengthens my wings and prepares me for flight.
Jesus said in the book of Revelation, “Behold, I make all things new”, notice that he doesn’t say he will make all new things but make all things new. He doesn’t just cast us aside and throw us away only to begin again – he takes what we have and through a sort of spiritual metamorphosis, an invasion of his life, pouring into ours, he re-creates us into becoming what we were always meant to be.
Oh, and did I mention? . . . Today I am flying!
Father, I invite you to continue your work of restoration as you make me more into your image. I need you, because in my own strength I can do nothing but with you I can become who you saw when you created me. Thank you for showing me who I am in you. In Jesus name, amen.
12/24 - PRINCE OF PEACE
Sermon Series: Stressmas
Is Peace Possible?
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
Is peace possible? Undoubtedly, a question many battered hearts have honestly asked.
The world is at war. Chaos ensues; sin and death have marred the landscape of life. The casualties are too great to count. We have all been touched by something. The world is not as it should be. The fanfare and high expectations of Christmas seem to highlight painful places in our lives. Many families are broken and dysfunctional, some face daunting financial and health crises, other families face the rawness of grief and will celebrate Christmas without a cherished love one. There is no perfect Christmas.
Yet, when we look closely at the Christmas story we see our Saviour—The Prince of Peace, born at what still remains a war torn tension filled region of the world. He was received in a filthy smelly stable, placed in a dirty manger, and wrapped in rags. What was God thinking? Maybe, it begs the point that peace is not found in circumstances. Rarely, do we get to tie a pretty, red bow neatly around our problems. Life is messy.
True lasting peace is a state of the heart and mind that focuses on The Prince of Peace and what He did for each of us. A peaceful heart remembers that Christmas is the beginning of our redemption story. Jesus was born to die. He made peace with God on our behalf, restoring us to Our Father through His sacrificial death. His dying, resurrection and promise to return is our only source of lasting peace and hope.
Our pain, losses and messes are not the end of the story. The Prince of Peace is redeeming and rewriting our lives and that of the world. We must never put a period on our circumstances where Jesus has placed a comma. He has the first and last say of our lives and that of the world. The Christmas story is still unfolding. Jesus has promised to return and restore peace, and the world will be as it should - healed and whole. May our hearts rest in that knowledge even when chaos and pain swirl around us. He will come again and all will be right, good and well. Hold on dear weary soul to His parting words, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Dear sweet Jesus-Prince of Peace, we thank you for your great sacrificial love for us. It is hard to fathom that You would humble yourself and come as a baby to save the world. Thank you for making peace with God on our behalf through your death. May we remember that you will return and restore peace and wholeness to this earth. May the reality of your peace be real and true this Christmas and everyday of our lives. Amen.
12/18 - EVERLASTING FATHER
Stressmas - Everlasting Father
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government
will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
In describing the characteristics of the coming Messiah, the prophet Isaiah used four names or titles, which would not only speak about him but would hold special meaning to the people of God throughout the ages. In using "Everlasting Father,” Isaiah highlights two important aspects of the person of Jesus.
1) He is Eternal or Timeless: We live in a world of constant change, which is getting faster and faster before our eyes. In highlighting that Jesus is eternal, Isaiah echoes the book of James that says of Jesus, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17). Jesus was the same yesterday as he is today (Hebrews 13:8), and we can have confidence in who he is because his character will never change. We can place our entire lives into the hands of Jesus knowing that, unlike many of the other things that we place our trust in only to see them fail or change, our Lord Jesus will remain eternal and timeless.
2) He is God our Father: Unlike our earthly father who will someday leave this world, Jesus will never die but will continue to be our Father "in the age which is to come" (Vulgate). When we transition from life here on earth to the life waiting for us in heaven, the care and provision that we received from our earthly father is continued and perfected in the person of Jesus. Whereas an earthly father is limited by his humanity and is apt to disappoint and fail, Jesus is a perfect father whose love is unconditional and complete and will never disappoint. Many people experience their father through pain and disappointment, but Jesus is the father that many of those people wish they had. When they come into a relationship with him, they will know love and acceptance.
Is Jesus your everlasting father? As we draw closer to celebrating his birth, consider the relationship that you have with your earthly father. Will it exist for eternity? If your answer is no then I urge you to look to Jesus, our Eternal Father who is willing and able to love, accept, and comfort you in this life and in the one to come.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we ask that you would continue to make yourself known to be our eternal father in the person of your Son Jesus Christ. We pray that as we continue to look to you during this season of celebrating the birth of Jesus you would hear the cries of the people who are living without an earthly father and that you would be the substitute that many have been seeking throughout their lives. Finally, we praise and thank you for the fact that you are eternal and that you have always and will always exist and we need only to reach out to you for you have promised to hear our prayers and meet our needs. We love you and praise you! Amen
12/25 - PRINCE OF PEACE
Sermon Series: STRESSMAS
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
Is Peace Possible? Undoubtedly, a question many battered hearts have honestly asked.
The world is at war. Chaos ensues; sin and death have marred the landscape of life. The casualties are too great to count. We have all been touched by something. The world is not as it should be. The fanfare and high expectations of Christmas seem to highlight painful places in our lives. Many families are broken and dysfunctional, some face daunting financial and health crises, other families face the rawness of grief and will celebrate Christmas without a cherished love one. There is no perfect Christmas.
Yet, when we look closely at the Christmas story we see our Saviour—The Prince of Peace, born at what still remains a war torn tension filled region of the world. He was received in a filthy smelly stable, placed in a dirty manger, and wrapped in rags. What was God thinking? Maybe, it begs the point that peace is not found in circumstances. Rarely, do we get to tie a pretty, red bow neatly around our problems. Life is messy.
True lasting peace is a state of the heart and mind that focuses on The Prince of Peace and what He did for each of us. A peaceful heart remembers that Christmas is the beginning of our redemption story. Jesus was born to die. He made peace with God on our behalf, restoring us to Our Father through His sacrificial death. His dying, resurrection and promise to return is our only source of lasting peace and hope.
Our pain, losses and messes are not the end of the story. The Prince of Peace is redeeming and rewriting our lives and that of the world. We must never put a period on our circumstances where Jesus has placed a comma. He has the first and last say of our lives and that of the world. The Christmas story is still unfolding. Jesus has promised to return and restore peace, and the world will be as it should - healed and whole. May our hearts rest in that knowledge even when chaos and pain swirl around us. He will come again and all will be right, good and well. Hold on dear weary soul to His parting words, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Dear sweet Jesus-Prince of Peace, we thank you for your great sacrificial love for us. It is hard to fathom that You would humble yourself and come as a baby to save the world. Thank you for making peace with God on our behalf through your death. May we remember that you will return and restore peace and wholeness to this earth. May the reality of your peace be real and true this Christmas and everyday of our lives. Amen.
12/18 - EVERLASTING FATHER
Sermon Series: Stressmas
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
In describing the characteristics of the coming Messiah, the prophet Isaiah used four names or titles, which would not only speak about him but would hold special meaning to the people of God throughout the ages. In using "Everlasting Father,” Isaiah highlights two important aspects of the person of Jesus.
1) He is Eternal or Timeless: We live in a world of constant change, which is getting faster and faster before our eyes. In highlighting that Jesus is eternal, Isaiah echoes the book of James that says of Jesus, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17). Jesus was the same yesterday as he is today (Hebrews 13:8), and we can have confidence in who he is because his character will never change. We can place our entire lives into the hands of Jesus knowing that, unlike many of the other things that we place our trust in only to see them fail or change, our Lord Jesus will remain eternal and timeless.
2) He is God our Father: Unlike our earthly father who will someday leave this world, Jesus will never die but will continue to be our Father "in the age which is to come" (Vulgate). When we transition from life here on earth to the life waiting for us in heaven, the care and provision that we received from our earthly father is continued and perfected in the person of Jesus. Whereas an earthly father is limited by his humanity and is apt to disappoint and fail, Jesus is a perfect father whose love is unconditional and complete and will never disappoint. Many people experience their father through pain and disappointment, but Jesus is the father that many of those people wish they had. When they come into a relationship with him, they will know love and acceptance.
Is Jesus your everlasting father? As we draw closer to celebrating his birth, consider the relationship that you have with your earthly father. Will it exist for eternity? If your answer is no then I urge you to look to Jesus, our Eternal Father who is willing and able to love, accept, and comfort you in this life and in the one to come.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we ask that you would continue to make yourself known to be our eternal father in the person of your Son Jesus Christ. We pray that as we continue to look to you during this season of celebrating the birth of Jesus you would hear the cries of the people who are living without an earthly father and that you would be the substitute that many have been seeking throughout their lives. Finally, we praise and thank you for the fact that you are eternal and that you have always and will always exist and we need only to reach out to you for you have promised to hear our prayers and meet our needs. We love you and praise you! Amen.
12/11 - Mighty God
Stressmas Series: MIGHTY GOD
My God is Mighty To Save
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Is. 9:6 (KJV)
With a blank page in front of me, I found myself speechless on the subject of our Mighty God. I gave up hope that I could form an intelligible sentence on such an enormous topic. Rather than write, I turned on Pandora and instantly heard, Mighty to Save. God provided a moment of needed inspiration.
While looking at the Christ child in a dirty manger, could the shepherds have fathomed Jesus would grow to rescue and deliver humankind from the shackles of sin? The angels declared to them a Savior had been born, but how might the shepherds have imagined the Jesus story would play out?
The disciples wanted to see Jesus rise up and overtake their oppressors by force, and they knew He could have. But, that was not God’s plan. Jesus left this world in even greater humility than He arrived.
Jesus was born not to conquer the earthly powers, but to destroy the works of Satan. Our Mighty God – the valiant warrior battled hell on our behalf and “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col. 2:15). The perfect newborn grew to be the perfect sacrifice in His final earthly act of heroism. As the lyrics sing: Savior, he can move the mountains/My God is mighty to save/He rose and conquered the grave.
Our living Christ continues his valiant fight on our behalf. My Hero not only rescued me from the spiritual death I deserved, but He champions my behalf moment by moment. Paul tells us to “be strong in the Lord and his mighty power” (Eph. 6:10). As children of a mighty God, true to our birthright, let us put on the full armor of God and walk through this life and all its struggles as champions and overcomers through Jesus.
Father, I am grateful for Jesus who was born for me and all humankind. Thank you that you are a Mighty God, all-powerful, and you rule with wisdom and justice. Help me to remember to be strong in you even when obstacles and troubles of this life tempt me to worry or stray from faith. With you I can overcome. Amen.
12/03 - Wonderful Counselor
Sermon Series - Stressmas
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
In the Bible, names were often chosen for their meaning. That holds true for more than 250 names given to Jesus. Let's unwrap some truth behind the name WONDERFUL COUNSELOR!
The word for Wonderful is the same word used in Judges 13:18. He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding." The words "beyond understanding" are from the same word that translates to "wonderful" in Isaiah. This tells us that Jesus' counsel is too great and wonderful to comprehend. When we ask Jesus for His counsel, He never speaks from a lack of understanding or an inability to relate. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet did not sin.”
This is why we have Christmas-so that God could become man and go through all that we go through. To be tempted, poor, despised, and rejected so that He could relate to us in every way. Through this common relation, He can give us counsel for every hurt, habit, or hang-up because He knows how to overcome! He did overcome - and without sin!
Allow Jesus to be your WONDERFUL COUNSELOR this Christmas season and forever more. He knows what you need. He knows how to heal your heart. He knows what is best for you. He knows where to lead and guide you!
Prayer: Dear God, I come to you because of your great and wonderful counsel. I ask that you lead, guide, heal, and direct my life that it might please you! Thank you for everything that You do for me! Thank you for being born a babe in a lowly manger with no pomp and circumstance to be able to better relate to me. You did that just for me! What an amazing gift. May I never take it for granted. I love you, Amen
11/13 - Love and Mercy to Others
Sermon Series - Life Without Walls
Luke 7:11-17
Luke 7:13 - And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
How easy it is to quickly read over the verse above and lose sight of the depth and width of its words. “he had compassion on her”. At first glance it seems to fall into the category of normality as we understand it in the Christian context. Of course He had compassion on her, she is distraught, she is a widow who has lost her son, she is grieving and of course; He is Jesus - compassion makes perfect sense here.
However in reality this kind of compassion is very different than what we are used to. This kind of compassion is wrapped in rescue and redemption and restoration.
Our human compassion is often times rooted in the emotions of empathy and sympathy. It is our ability to walk a mile in another's shoes. To see things from their perspective and feel for their circumstance. Our modern dictionary definition is “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”
However we clearly see the kind of compassion that Jesus had for her was completely rooted in action. It was motivated by solution, by resolution. His compassion compelled Him forward into a proactive response. He not only had a desire to alleviate the grief of the widow, He also had the motivation matched with the power of the Holy Spirit to go beyond alleviating suffering - but to go as far as removing it all together. Even beyond that to the point of transforming grief into celebration and lives changed and God glorified!
Are we willing to stop short in our compassion and be merely well-wishers as we look across the landscape of our world at the current state of suffering? Or, are we willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and allow His Holy Spirit to compel us forward into action? Compassion stands ready to be redefined in our lives today. It can no longer be simply an emotion, but it must be an ongoing action. Compassion felt only in the heart of the onlooker but never imprinted in the life of the suffering is of no use to the Kingdom of God or the world for that matter.
How will you redefine compassion through action today?
Praise: Thank you Lord for your Holy Spirit that brings clarity to truth and compels us to allow your compassion to equal true impact in the lives of others.
Confess: Father, I have held back and resisted at times when you have filled my heart with true compassion. I have declined action and chosen emotion only, preferring comfort over obedience.
Request: This kind of compassion scares me Lord. I can only achieve it with the power of your Holy Spirit. Please fill me with your Spirit and strengthen me unto compassion defined by action.
11/06 - Good News for the Poor
Sermon Series - Life Without Walls
Luke 4:16-30
Luke 4:18 - "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed.
In this passage of Scripture we are reminded of the role Jesus plays in our lives as Rescuer and Redeemer. It is a great comfort to me to hear this mission statement spoken by Jesus. The purposes He had determined He would accomplish. His ultimate motivation for enduring the cross. I am sure you are comforted too as you think about the great love that Jesus has showered on you in your own life.
We all have been poor, brokenhearted, captive and blind in a variety of different ways in our experiences. So we relate easily to the caring and comforting nature of our Savior and so it should be that we feel and receive that warm embrace of His presence as we walk this journey with Him.
However, this Scripture is not only intended to speak to us, but also about us. As the modern day dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, isn’t this also our mission statement as followers of Christ? It was not the Father’s intention to only bring this mission to us in the physical presence of Jesus over 2000 years ago. As if it were a task only He himself alone could fulfill. True, only Jesus could fulfill the role of Messiah, but we can partner with Him to fulfill the mission of the Messiah. Each of us can fulfill the mission of loving others. By following the example and mission of Jesus. The poor, the brokenhearted, the blind and the crushed can be reached. We are now called and sent to introduce our Rescuer and Redeemer to others in need.
Let us not ever forget that all of Christianity is centered around the pursuit of care and ministry to others. It is not at all about the experience that you or I have. It is about reaching the broken, the captive, the wounded, the afflicted. It is about bringing them to the feet of Jesus so that He can radically change their experience. It is about bringing relief to a world that is in need of great relief. That answer is Jesus and Jesus alone.
Praise:Thank you Jesus for fulfilling the role of the Messiah so that I could experience and engage the mission of the Messiah.
Confess:Lord I need your help to take my eyes off my own needs and live out the mission you have assigned to me to reach others.
Request:Show me what I can do next to more effectively fulfill your mission of reaching the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the blind and the crushed around me.
10/30 - Believing We are Beyond God’s Grace
Stupid Human Tricks series
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. — Eph. 2:8-10
The Christmas season is soon upon us and with it comes the spirit of gift giving. Most of us readily receive presents at any time of the year, not just Christmas. When a loved one hands us a gift, we don’t offer to pay for it or work for it. Likewise, when we give a gift, we don’t expect them to work off its value. In both cases, we freely accept with gratitude, and freely give a gift out of the kindness of our heart. Why then do we strive to repay through good works our blessed Savior for his gift of salvation?
If anyone could have earned salvation, it is the Apostle Paul – a Hebrew of Hebrews who followed the Law without fault. Yet, he tells us it is by faith that we are saved and cannot be earned through anything we do or don’t do. We read about Samson’s missteps and notice that despite his human weaknesses; still God’s purposes are fulfilled.
On the flipside, if anyone deserved eternal damnation, it is the Apostle Paul – a sinner of all sinners who persecuted and murdered Christians. God shows us that no one and no sin is beyond the gift of Grace.
Father, forgive us our sins and help us to forgive ourselves. I accept my human weaknesses and trust you to work through them. I freely receive your Grace and will not strive to pay for it, but will allow Jesus to work through me.
10/23 - Never Saying No To Sexual Urges
Stupid Human Tricks series
Samson when brave, strangled a lion; but he could not strangle his own love.
He burst the fetters of his foes; but not the cords of his own lusts. He burned
the crops of others, and lost the fruit of his own virtue when burning with the
flames enkindled by a single woman.” ~ Ambrose- An early Christian writer
Unbridled lust for women proved to be the downfall of Samson. Despite his supernatural human strength, his sacred calling, and the power of God’s Spirit upon his life, he never dealt with or surrendered his weakness for beautiful women to God. He never gained spiritual clarity and wisdom, which caused him to continually disobey the commands of God. This proved to have a disastrous effect upon his life and eventually led to his tragic death.
His lust drove him to marry a Philistine woman because she was “pleasing to his eye.” He never considered how this directly disobeyed God’s command that His chosen people were not to marry foreigners. They were to remain separate, set apart. He also slept with a prostitute and later fell in love with the infamous Delilah, a woman who used him for financial gain. Her impure intentions were apparent from the start, but Samson driven by his sexual passion, was blinded to her faults. He missed God’s warnings and His divine wisdom. Her schemes and his lack of self-control destroyed his life.
What a sobering story for all of us. No one is immune to or strong enough to continually face sexual temptation and resist. It is too strong. It will overtake even the most disciplined of souls. How many families, churches, ministers of the gospel, servants of God, and political figures have been destroyed by sexual indiscretion? Many of us have been or have seen the casualties of this type of sin.
God created a naturally strong sexual chemistry between men and women. In the context of marriage, acting lovingly and respectfully on sexual urges is a holy and beautiful act. God made us to love and receive love. God is no prude. He placed passion in our hearts. When this passion is not covered by God, it can be a very dangerous force in our lives and the lives of others. God knows this about us. He warns us in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee from sexual immorality.” God didn’t tell us to merely walk away. He said, “Flee.” In other words run for your life!!!
Father, thank You for the gift of sex. We ask You to forgive us when we have misused this gift and have hurt You, ourselves and others. The world and the enemy have cheapened this gift. So many broken hearts, broken marriages, and broken people have come from this sin. We ask that Your Spirit would guide our culture back to wholeness and purity. Thank you that grace will always cover the sin of a contrite heart. Thank you for never sugarcoating the truth. Your warnings and commands are always for our good.
10/16 - Handle Finances Wisely
Stupid Human Tricks series
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. –Prov. 22:7
One late night a few years ago, my spouse and I devised a strategy to juggle our bills so everyone could be paid. We had many creditors. We both attended college and earned post-graduate degrees. Then we started a business. While establishing our livelihood and building a future, we didn’t give much thought to the debt we accrued.
We met with a financial planner to build our portfolio. There was only one problem. We didn’t have any money! Sitting across the desk from us, he said, “I have never seen two people in so much debt.” This was an eye-opener. We were supposed to be living the American dream – college, self-employed, and starting a family. Yet, in the process we dug a hole of debt so big, it has taken us years to climb out and we are still not completely free.
With the help of wise counsel like Dave Ramsey and Joe Sangl who teach godly financial stewardship principles, we make debt-free strides that honor God. Our attitudes about money have changed, and now we surrender to God any decisions about how and when to spend money. We are living proof that no financial problem is too big for God. Surrender and see his faithfulness!
Father, forgive us for being poor stewards of money and material possessions. All things belong to you. Teach us through your Word, through prayer, and through others how to be responsible managers of your stuff. Help us to pay off debt and to stay free of debt.
10/09 - Not Growing Spiritually
Stupid Human Tricks series
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
That one simple question stirs so many more questions that insist on answers. Questions like: How am I growing spiritually; is it important to me; who is responsible for my spiritual growth? How much time do I spend and when do I invest in my spiritual growth?
Proverbs 3:5-6 says to trust the Lord, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path. Going to church every Sunday, being in a small group, serving in ministry, even being in a bible study doesn’t necessarily mean you and I are growing spiritually. Doing those things and acknowledging God in all things, making Him Lord over our life does. Church, small group, ministry, and bible study will keep you and me in fellowship with other believers, and in God’s Word, which directs our path and keeps it straight. When we walk through life challenges and keep our eyes on the Lord and His Word, not on our circumstances, and we are obedient to truth, we are propelled into spiritual growth.
As we review the story of Samuel’s life in Judges chapters 13- 15, we see that the Lord was serving Samson in times of need throughout his life, but Samson did not ever acknowledge God and ask God to direct His path. Samson knew he was doing things that were beyond him, so it could only be the power of God on Him. Yet Samson did not trust the Lord in his circumstances; he never gave thanks, and he never asked for God’s direction that we can see in Scripture. As we reflect this week, let’s ask God how we are doing? Stop and give thanks, and pray for God to use our present challenges in life to grow us spiritually and draw us closer to Him.
Father we thank you that You have been by our side during all our trials. Forgive me for the times I take my eyes off You and focus on the challenges instead of what You are trying to show me about myself or spiritually challenge and grow me. I am going to trust You to define the victory. My desire is to know You more and bring glory to Your name by letting Your truth direct my path.
10/02 - Out of Control Anger
Stupid Human Tricks series
For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. - Proverbs 30:33
I saw my dog cower in fear when I stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind me. Something had upset me and I was determined to let the whole household know. This scene repeated many times during the early years of my marriage and motherhood when circumstances didn’t go my way.
I also threw hairbrushes, and flung keys. If it wasn’t bolted down and it could take flight, it was fair game. My history of outbursts is a source of humor now, but at the time was destructive. Fortunately, I didn’t physically harm any living thing in the process, only inanimate objects. But, my adult temper tantrums created strain in my marriage and hindered God from working on my behalf. Insecurity and pride caused me to react to situations out of my control by throwing a fit. This created a vicious cycle of self-inflicted strife.
Samson’s angry tirades resulted in murder. Losing a riddle, losing a wife, and losing his long hair fueled his temper and he reacted in a rage. How things might have been different for Samson and his legacy, had he learned to react differently when circumstances were not in his favor? Rather than leaving behind death and destruction, this strong man set apart could have lived a long life advancing God’s kingdom.
Let that not be said of us when we have left this earth. When we feel our temper start to flair, ask God for wisdom and self-control. If we need to hold our tongue in an argument or restrain ourselves physically, God will deliver us from the vicious cycle of anger and strife.
Father: Thank you for never leaving our side, even in our human weakness and imperfections. Forgive me for the times I have reacted in anger. Help me to respond with wisdom and self-control. Lord, if I need help or counsel, please put the right people in my path.
09/25 - Keeping A Secret Life
Stupid Human Tricks series
Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.
-Jer. 23:24
Someone I knew committed suicide. She endured mental illness for decades until she decided to forfeit the fight. I only became aware of her dark side and secret life after her death. Her family and best friend knew of her struggles, but to others, she wore a vivacious smile and showed a zest for life.
As a committed Christian, she wrote words that beautifully declared God’s hope and love. Now that she is gone, those she left behind grapple with why. How did this happen? How did she lead others to the cross one day, and the next day take her own life?
She made a series of sinful choices that altered the course of her life. Regret eventually led to despair. None of us are immune to crumbling under temptation and making ungodly choices. But, the longer we hide it, the more damage it does.
At any point, we can turn from secrecy and ask God for His help and strength to get us back on the right track. Nothing is ever truly secret. God fills heaven and earth, knows our hearts, and sees our every move. Through Jesus, we find forgiveness and healing.
Father, thank you that you are faithful to forgive because Jesus
died on the cross for our sins. Thank you for noticing me and caring
about my every move. Give me the courage to confess any secret sin.
Surround me with a loving group of people who accept me
and help me rise above my sins and experience freedom in You.
09/18 - God Always Has A Plan
Stupid Human Tricks series
Judges 13-16
Several years ago there was a tract that almost every evangelical church taught their people to use as a witnessing tool. It was called the 4 Spritual Laws. The first law of God and salvation according to the 4 Spritual Laws was, "God has a plan for your life."
From even before the birth of Samsom, God had a plan that He was revealing though first Samson's mother, then his father, and ultimately through the world. you may know Samson's story but if not, here is a short history. Samson was set apart as a Nazarite. a Nazarite took three vows: no wine/strong drink, no cutting of your hair, and no contact with the dead. Samson was so powerful that he didn't need armies and chariots to fight his battles. He won all the victories and suffered great pain because of it. In the end Samson sacrificed his own life to finally defeat his enemies.
I wonder sometimes if because of our own deisres, pride, even our own gifts and talents if we don't sacrifice God's plan for our own. The good news is that we are assured that "God works all things for the good of those that love God and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) We must not take God's will ightly. this is especially true once we have said "yes." My encouragement for you today is to follow his plan and avoid the heartache that comes with not being obedient.
Praise and Thanksgiving: Offer thanks to God that He has a plan for YOUR life.
Confess: Confess those times when you thought you had a better plan and ignored God's word for you.
Ask: God may we know and understand "your good and perfect will" for our lives.
09/11 - REMEMBER!
Psalm 22:27 (Psalm 22)
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
REMEMBER! This is a theme you will hear about throughout this week. Some will remember the fear they felt on 9/11. Some will remember the confusion of 9/11. Some will be bitter. Some still ask “why?”
It is interesting how fast we can forget God and how fast we will run to God in time of crisis. It is said that the Sunday following 9/11 saw the highest attendance in church in generations. It seems that it is easy to forget God in the good times, when everything is going our way. Then we want God to rescue us in the midst of our trials. This is much like what Moses must have felt like when he was leading Israel out of Egypt. When the manna fell and the water flowed everything was great. Then they even started to complain about the manna. How about you? Do you complain about the manna? The other day on facebook someone posted, “what if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?” Guilty. I am guilty of forgetting often that God provided it ALL.
As you REMEMBER this week remember not only the confusion, fear, and doubt. REMEMBER we have a Savior that is with us in the storm and is ready to calm your fears. Don’t forget to worship him.
09/04 - Labor Day
Proverbs 21:22
“The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.”
As we celebrate Labor Day this week we want to celebrate the freedom to work and provide for ourselves and our families. We are called to work. There is a misconception that Adam did not work in the Garden of Eden. That simply is not true. He was given several tasks by God. Tending the Garden and naming the animals were just a couple. What changed was that the work would become a chore.
It is good to be productive. Being productive builds self-esteem and makes you feel good about yourself and your situation. You and I both know people who have struggled with their own value when they have become unable to produce and make a positive contribution to their families and their community.
Let’s pray this week for those families who have sought work and been unable to find work. Let’s pray together that the economy will improve and that God provides wisdom for leadership to pull us out of this recession. Thank God if you have a job and pray for those that don’t.