DISCLAIMER: Please read the following article VERY CAREFULLY before you do anything at all. There is more going on here than meets the eye. You have been forewarned. - kg ** URGENT by Keith Giles As most of us are aware, there is a new Congress in session at the moment. With this new influx of Congressmen and Senators will no doubt come a changing of the guard that will require us as Christians to be vigilant as never before. This is why today's [SUBVERSIVE UNDERGROUND] is so critical for each of us. I'm tempted to ask everyone one of you to read what I write here and to forward this to EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK right away. (Especially if you "really" love Jesus). But, what I'm about to tell you is SO ALARMING, it could seriously threaten Church in America forever. There is new legislation in motion, at the earliest possible stage, which I need to let everyone know about now before it gets out of our control. First, many of you are already aware that there are forces out there that threaten to take away the non-profit status of Christian Churches in America whenever messages of a political nature are delivered from the pulpit. As desperate as this is, there is a new development brewing now that is even worse.
\n\nThere are people who want to propose legislation that would challenge the non-profit status of any Christian Church simply based on whether or not that Church actually gives a significant percentage of its funds back to the community, as most other "non-religious" non-profits are required to do.\n\n\nWHAT THIS MEANS is that your church could be in danger of losing its non-profit status simply because none of the tithe money goes to help out those poor families who live around the community. EVEN IF THEY DON\'T ATTEND YOUR CHURCH!\n\n\nOf course, there are plenty of churches in America that do care for the poor in their community. They pass out free groceries, they provide free oil changes for single Moms, they host after-school programs for kids in the area at no-charge, etc. Churches who are already "giving back" to the community in this way and serving others the way Jesus would would have NOTHING TO FEAR!\n\n\nHowever, if a church in the community were to spend 70%, 80%, or even 99% of its tithe on itself, it would be in danger of losing that non-profit status and would have to pay taxes JUST LIKE ALL OTHER LARGE CORPORATIONS. \n\n\nThis means that a church spending most of the tithe for salaries, or a new building, or the new flat-screen plasma televisions for the announcements in the nursery, or the Starbucks Coffee bar at the back of the Church, or the new carpet, etc., would have to justify their non-profit status on the basis of whether or not they were actually performing any actual "service" to the poor around them. If they couldn\'t demonstrate a tangible connection between their church and the community around them, their non-profit status would be revoked forever!\n\n\nREGARDLESS OF THE FACT that Matthew 25 suggests that Jesus takes our concern for the outcast seriously, this attack on the non-profit status of our big, fat American churches is just NOT FAIR!\n\n\nWe\'ve earned the right to collect as many hundreds of thousands of dollars as we like in the name of Jesus and it should be totally up to us how we spend that money. Especially if it\'s for our own needs, wants and desires. \n",1]
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There are people who want to propose legislation that would challenge the non-profit status of any Christian Church simply based on whether or not that Church actually gives a significant percentage of its funds back to the community, as most other "non-religious" non-profits are required to do. WHAT THIS MEANS is that your church could be in danger of losing its non-profit status simply because none of the tithe money goes to help out those poor families who live around the community. EVEN IF THEY DON'T ATTEND YOUR CHURCH! Of course, there are plenty of churches in America that do care for the poor in their community. They pass out free groceries, they provide free oil changes for single Moms, they host after-school programs for kids in the area at no-charge, etc. Churches who are already "giving back" to the community in this way and serving others the way Jesus would would have NOTHING TO FEAR! However, if a church in the community were to spend 70%, 80%, or even 99% of its tithe on itself, it would be in danger of losing that non-profit status and would have to pay taxes JUST LIKE ALL OTHER LARGE CORPORATIONS. This means that a church spending most of the tithe for salaries, or a new building, or the new flat-screen plasma televisions for the announcements in the nursery, or the Starbucks Coffee bar at the back of the Church, or the new carpet, etc., would have to justify their non-profit status on the basis of whether or not they were actually performing any actual "service" to the poor around them. If they couldn't demonstrate a tangible connection between their church and the community around them, their non-profit status would be revoked forever! REGARDLESS OF THE FACT that Matthew 25 suggests that Jesus takes our concern for the outcast seriously, this attack on the non-profit status of our big, fat American churches is just NOT FAIR! We've earned the right to collect as many hundreds of thousands of dollars as we like in the name of Jesus and it should be totally up to us how we spend that money. Especially if it's for our own needs, wants and desires.
\n\nJust because we\'re not really involved in the needs of the poor around us, the Church SHOULDN\'T BE PUNISHED IN THIS WAY.\n\n\nRegardless of the fact that the Church in America HAS THE POWER and the ECONOMIC RESOURCES necessary provide affordable housing, long-term community development, and primary health care to everyone who needs it, the US Government should NOT be the one to force this upon us through legal means. That should be left up to a Higher Power. \n\n\nEven though Universal primary education would cost $8 billion a year, which is about half of what parents in the US spend annually on toys for their children, this has nothing to do with those of us who are called by the name of the One who humbled Himself and surrendered His life to demonstrate the compassion of God to the World, and especially to the least and the lost.\n\n\nSo, if you want to protect your church from this kind of judgement, I urge you to write to your pastors, your elders, your deacons and your church leaders and let them know how you feel about this very serious issue that faces the modern Church in America.\n\n\nWe, the Church in America, are dangerously close to the SIN OF SODOM!\n\n\nDo you know what the Sin of Sodom is? Read Ezekiel 16: 49. (HINT: It\'s not what you think). \n\n\n"Now this is the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were proud and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen."\n\n\nObviously, the issue facing the Church in America today is WAY MORE SERIOUS THAN SIMPLY OUR NON-PROFIT STATUS! If the Church were to rise up and spend their money this way, THAT WOULD BE AN AWESOME THING, and yes, a lot of people would probably stop calling us hypocrites and maybe they\'d take us seriously when we tell them that Jesus loves them, because we\'ve demonstrated that just maybe we love them too.\n\n\nAs you may have guessed, this legislation IS TOTALLY FICITIOUS! I have made up the entire thing with the help of my good friend Jarred Rowland who first suggested the concept to me. \n",1]
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Just because we're not really involved in the needs of the poor around us, the Church SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHED IN THIS WAY. Regardless of the fact that the Church in America HAS THE POWER and the ECONOMIC RESOURCES necessary provide affordable housing, long-term community development, and primary health care to everyone who needs it, the US Government should NOT be the one to force this upon us through legal means. That should be left up to a Higher Power. Even though Universal primary education would cost $8 billion a year, which is about half of what parents in the US spend annually on toys for their children, this has nothing to do with those of us who are called by the name of the One who humbled Himself and surrendered His life to demonstrate the compassion of God to the World, and especially to the least and the lost. So, if you want to protect your church from this kind of judgement, I urge you to write to your pastors, your elders, your deacons and your church leaders and let them know how you feel about this very serious issue that faces the modern Church in America. We, the Church in America, are dangerously close to the SIN OF SODOM! Do you know what the Sin of Sodom is? Read Ezekiel 16: 49. (HINT: It's not what you think). "Now this is the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were proud and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen." Obviously, the issue facing the Church in America today is WAY MORE SERIOUS THAN SIMPLY OUR NON-PROFIT STATUS! If the Church were to rise up and spend their money this way, THAT WOULD BE AN AWESOME THING, and yes, a lot of people would probably stop calling us hypocrites and maybe they'd take us seriously when we tell them that Jesus loves them, because we've demonstrated that just maybe we love them too. As you may have guessed, this legislation IS TOTALLY FICITIOUS! I have made up the entire thing with the help of my good friend Jarred Rowland who first suggested the concept to me.
\n\nI couldn\'t resist mimicking the style of those alarmist Christian email messages we all get forwarded telling us that we must send it on to everyone we have ever known in order to prove our love for Jesus. Please, also forgive me for all the CAPITAL LETTERS I USED! \n\n\nSeriously, I think if my friend Jarred were to introduce a Bill like this one to our Congress it might put a fire under our churches to wake up and realize that their Bibles are full of commands to care for the outcast, the poor, and the needy who are all around them. If nothing else, it would create an amazing open dialog in the media between the leaders of the Church, the members of the community, and the man on the street about issues of compassion, Christian charity, and the calling of Jesus to care for the poor as we would care for Him. (see Matthew 25)\n\n\nUntil that legislation comes to pass, I will have to resort to stunts like this to try to wake people up and realize that God\'s heart is for the poor and that He has taken this issue very seriously.\n\n\nThe truth is, the idea of their church losing its non-profit status is more likely to spur Christians to action than the fact that there are thousands of homeless, and poverty-stricken human beings suffering a few blocks from their front door.\n\n\n"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?"- GOD, speaking of King Josiah in Jeremiah 22:16\n\n\n**\n\n\nTO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL DO NOT HIT "REPLY"- I WILL NOT GET IT!\nINSTEAD- email me directly at: elysiansky (at) hotmail (dot) com *remove the spaces, etc.\n\n\n**\nSO...YOU WANNA BE A PASTOR?\nGo to http://www.keithgiles.com and read my latest mini-article about the scriptural picture of pastor versus the cultural one we\'ve all held so dear. If today\'s [SUBVERSIVE UNDERGROUND] article didn\'t make you mad, then I think you\'ll probably love it.\n",1]
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I couldn't resist mimicking the style of those alarmist Christian email messages we all get forwarded telling us that we must send it on to everyone we have ever known in order to prove our love for Jesus. Please, also forgive me for all the CAPITAL LETTERS I USED! Seriously, I think if my friend Jarred were to introduce a Bill like this one to our Congress it might put a fire under our churches to wake up and realize that their Bibles are full of commands to care for the outcast, the poor, and the needy who are all around them. If nothing else, it would create an amazing open dialog in the media between the leaders of the Church, the members of the community, and the man on the street about issues of compassion, Christian charity, and the calling of Jesus to care for the poor as we would care for Him. (see Matthew 25) Until that legislation comes to pass, I will have to resort to stunts like this to try to wake people up and realize that God's heart is for the poor and that He has taken this issue very seriously. The truth is, the idea of their church losing its non-profit status is more likely to spur Christians to action than the fact that there are thousands of homeless, and poverty-stricken human beings suffering a few blocks from their front door. "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?"- GOD, speaking of King Josiah in Jeremiah 22:16
from www.keithgiles.com
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
November 19 sermon Doubt? John 20
November 19 sermon Doubt? John 20
What does a
How do you make a turkey float? Start with two scoops of ice cream, add root bear, and throw in a turkey.
What do you do with doubt about God? Not that God isn’t real, but that God is active in our lives. Spouse is sick or dying.
A child is being abused.
You lost your job again.
Your wife or husband left you.
The bishop sends you a young pastor who stretches you and your not sure if you are ready to trust him.
How do you cope?
Jesus told one father “If you can believe, all things are possible.” The father said back, “I believe, help my unbelief.”
Do you give up? Do you play the game of going to church each week to “keep up appearances”? Faith mixed with doubt. It’s a paradox, isn’t it?
Should you doubt? 1st you become a Christian, then your perfect. All uncertainties and doubts are gone. No more difficult times. No more pain. Everything is roses and cherries. No…you do have some doubts. You are not instantly perfect.
Does doubt mean you are not a Christian? Or if you doubt, is God really God? You know, all knowing, loving, good, perfect. Since evil and suffering exist, then a loving God cannot.
From Epcurus the philosopher, “Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can but does not want to; or he cannot and does not want to. If he wants to but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, and does not want to, he is wicked. But, if God both can and wants to abolish evil, then how come evil is in the world?”
Remember that little boy who stuck his finger in the hole of the dike, thereby saving an entire village from drowning. Do you ever feel like that, where your little finger of faith is holding back a huge wave of doubt??
Jesus didn’t rebuke Thomas for doubting. Instead he offered him evidence for the truth. “stick your finger where the holes are. Do not doubt anymore.”
What do you doubt at times?? I’m sure you don’t doubt that God exist, right? There is just way too much evidence that there is a God.
So, could you doubt your understandings of God? Maybe God is unpredictable from our viewpoint. I heard this great illustration not too long ago.
I’m walking in the woods with my good friend Paul. First, Paul warns me to “look out, don’t trip over that root.” Later, Paul calmly watches while I handle a plant then tells me “that’s poison ivy. Here’s some ointment to reduce the itching. I’m glad for the ointment, but wonder why Paul didn’t warn me before I touched the poison ivy. Later on I fall down a deep hole and can’t get out. I look up and see Paul calmly standing there. No matter how many times I ask him for help, he just stands there and watches me.
That’s how it seems with God sometimes. Sometimes God warns me about stumbling blocks before me. He has this hedge of protection around me. Sometimes God lets me get in the poison ivy of life, and then gives me ointment to start the healing. And sometimes God just sits and watches, leaving me on my own to get out of life’s pit of despair. I don’t know how God is going to deal with me; and that unknowing and uncertainty, is the root of my doubt.
Is doubting a bad thing? Does God want me to have some doubt? Has God appeared on any of the platforms you have built in the past?
Ed is getting close to finishing his house. Maybe God will show up today on that nice concrete pad site. He’s never been visible to me; never turned water to wine; no one has come back from the grave in my lifetime I know of; The most I’ve ever instantly been healed is when a headache went away when the Advil kicked in.
Frederick Buechner expresses this ambivalence about doubt beautifully: “Whether your faith is that 1. there is a God or that 2. there is not a God, if you don’t have doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep.
Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.” Romans 8 says “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.”
Maybe occasional struggles with doubt are good.
1. doubting tests the perseverance of my faith.
If I have not doubted, then I really never step out in faith. Hebrews 11 says “Faith is believing in what you don’t see.”
2. Doubt makes my faith grow stronger.
If my faith in God never struggles, then why would I search for answers?
For example, I’m learning to drive a car. I put it into drive for the first time and take off….going down the coast, seeing the sights, showing off my new car. But I make a wrong turn and end up at a dead end. I stop at the wall and wonder what to do next. Every time I tap the gas pedal, I move closer to the wall. Finally in a last ditch effort, knowing this car is brand new and virtually perfect, and having come this far, I’m a perfect driver, I PUT THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. Of course I wreck the car.
I can’t believe that my WHOLE understanding of driving has been completely wrong. Cars aren’t really the way to get around. Everyone needs to get a horse. Cars are a farce put on society by a government that just wants to control us. The idea that cars can get us from one point to another is just a crutch for the weak mind. Of course that’s wrong.
Doubts strengthen our faith. How? Doubts are like the barbells we must lift for our faith to grow stronger. James tells us that “whenever you face trials, you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” No pain, no gain.
3. As faith gets stronger, the doubt will raise our level of faith above mere feelings and emotions. If your faith is grounded in feelings, it will go south when life gets hard.
Some of the televangelist will tell you “If you don’t feel the Spirit moving in your life, you just don’t have enough faith.” Then they say something about sending in money. But in the scripture we talked about last week, Jesus tells us to love God with all our hearts, souls. MINDS, and strength. You can’t base faith just on feelings.
What are the sources of doubt???
1. The world…kids when you go to school, especially college, you will be bombarded with people telling you that Christianity is a fake and useless belief pushed on you by someone you really love.
Science has proved the non-existence of God. It’s offensive to claim that Jesus is the only way to heaven. A loving God would never send people to hell.
2. Satan…yes Satan is real. Yes hell is real. And just as God is working on you thru you with His Prevenient grace, Justifying grace and Sanctifying grace, Satan and his evil group is working to plant seeds of doubt in your mind. I’ll give you this illustration for the three types of grace.
Your world is a box, covered with black ice. No light can get in. It’s all you. From the day of your conception, God’s prevenient grace is taking an ice pick and chipping away at that black ice. One day, grace has chipped away enough of the black ice that light gets in your box and lights the fire in you.
That is Justifying grace. That is the day you believe in salvation by Jesus Christ. Then every day after that, sanctifying grace blows on the embers of that fire within you to melt more and more of the black ice from around you.
3. Our own flesh is the last and probably greatest source of doubt. When the disciples were on the sea, Peter starts to walk on water out to where Jesus was. But when the waves bounced around him, and he began to sink, he cried out “Lord save me.”
Jesus reached out and lifted him up. “Oh you of little faith. Why do you doubt?” When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, his faith faltered.
What do you do now when you doubt?
1. study the Christian evidence. The empty tomb, 500 witnesses to the resurrection, other changed lives.
2. study the bible. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Faith gains strength by reading and studying the bible.
3. Most important is to talk to God. Jesus did not pray that Peter would be shielded from Satan’s attacks, but that “his faith should not fail when tested.”
God did not keep Daniel from being thrown in the lions den, but protected him while he was among the lions. Definitely ask God to eliminate your problems, but after that, ask him to sustain your faith if he desires you to go thru them.
I’ll tell you right now. I don’t have the easy answers for those ongoing questions of doubt. Though I do have some answers, there are some you must learn on your own. There are struggles you must go thru.
But when your faith is low, you will have a spouse or a friend or me, your pastor sitting beside you. My faith is strong, stronger than it has ever been. We have a really big God who is bigger than any of your doubts. So if you need to, you can rely on my faith for a while, and I know we will get thru this together.
I’m here to listen to you. You and I can lift those barbells of doubt together and build some faith filled muscle. Jesus said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” I know that to be true, and we will take this journey together.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Vonage is the new AOL
Do you remember all those AOL cds you used to get in the mail?? AOL was advertised everywhere, CDs came in the mail and the newspaper. Well Vonage has taken the place of AOL. If you have not ever used the phone over internet, it's the way to cut your phone bill dramatically. We used Vonage for 4 years before moving to Waxahachie. It was a great tool. But now all the mailings and advertising are getting annoying. Also check out this. If you have not seen any mailings from Vonage, expect them soon.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Fasting
This is an outline for a report I'm giving on "fasting". Thought it would be good to post.
The Practice of Self Emptying: rediscovering the fast
Chapter 5 Soul Feast
Jewish reason to fast:
1. Express personal or national repentance for sin
Humble supplication before God in the face of imminent destruction or calamity (see Joel 2, Jonah 3, and Ester 4).
2. prepare oneself inwardly for receiving the necessary strength and grace to complete a mission of faithful service in God’s name (Moses, Elijah, and Jesus’ 40 day fast).
We will comprehend little of how we are nourished by Christ until we have emptied ourselves of the kinds of sustenance that keep us content to live at life’s surface.
Some historical fasting figures:
1. Wesley fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays
2. Calvin fasted to:
a. Subdue the needless desires of the flesh
b. Prepare for prayer and meditation
c. Express humility before God in confession
3. Abba Poemen (a Desert Father) said “For my part, I think it better that one should eat every day, but only a little, so as not to be satisfied.”
Lent and the Fast
What Lent is not:
1. 6 week inconvenience in an otherwise abundant year.
2. Trying to please God with voluntary and minor suffering.
3. Testing ground for our willpower.
4. “spiritual rational” for losing 10 pounds before swimsuit season.
What Lent is:
1. Opportunity to return to normal human life (life of natural communion with God as it was before the Fall).
2. Spring cleaning of the soul.
3. Life restored by accepting limits on our consumption and activity .
Types of Fast
Food Fasts:
1. Normal fast – abstaining from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water.
2. Partial fast – restriction of the diet, but not total abstention.
3. Absolute fast – abstaining from both food and water.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:
* A fast depletes your normal energy reserves so reduce normal activity.
* Work your way up to an absolute fast. Don’t go “cold turkey”.
* Don’t “tank up” on extra calories before or eat a big meal after the fast.
* Drink plenty of water.
Other Forms of Fasting
The purpose of abstinence is to learn rightly to enjoy God’s gifts. Fasting is not primarily a discipline through which I gain greater control over my life, but one through which God gains access to redirect and heal me in body, mind, and spirit.
Abstain from objects of consumption that have come to fill emotional voids in our lives.
* Sex
* TV
* Recognition
* Media stimulation
* Needless shopping sprees
* Prejudging people
* Drugs
* Internet
* Over-packed schedules
Keeping a Journal During the Fast
Questions to ask:
* How do I respond to hunger pangs?
* What feelings attend the experience of physical emptiness – panic, irritation, boredom, helplessness?
* How do I express these?
* Do I sense any inward cleansing, release, or freedom?
* Do I feel a need to draw the attention of others to what I am doing?
* Do I find myself attentive to God’s presence in new ways?
* Do I find myself connected to others in new ways?
* What is God revealing to me through my responses?
The Practice of Self Emptying: rediscovering the fast
Chapter 5 Soul Feast
Jewish reason to fast:
1. Express personal or national repentance for sin
Humble supplication before God in the face of imminent destruction or calamity (see Joel 2, Jonah 3, and Ester 4).
2. prepare oneself inwardly for receiving the necessary strength and grace to complete a mission of faithful service in God’s name (Moses, Elijah, and Jesus’ 40 day fast).
We will comprehend little of how we are nourished by Christ until we have emptied ourselves of the kinds of sustenance that keep us content to live at life’s surface.
Some historical fasting figures:
1. Wesley fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays
2. Calvin fasted to:
a. Subdue the needless desires of the flesh
b. Prepare for prayer and meditation
c. Express humility before God in confession
3. Abba Poemen (a Desert Father) said “For my part, I think it better that one should eat every day, but only a little, so as not to be satisfied.”
Lent and the Fast
What Lent is not:
1. 6 week inconvenience in an otherwise abundant year.
2. Trying to please God with voluntary and minor suffering.
3. Testing ground for our willpower.
4. “spiritual rational” for losing 10 pounds before swimsuit season.
What Lent is:
1. Opportunity to return to normal human life (life of natural communion with God as it was before the Fall).
2. Spring cleaning of the soul.
3. Life restored by accepting limits on our consumption and activity .
Types of Fast
Food Fasts:
1. Normal fast – abstaining from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water.
2. Partial fast – restriction of the diet, but not total abstention.
3. Absolute fast – abstaining from both food and water.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:
* A fast depletes your normal energy reserves so reduce normal activity.
* Work your way up to an absolute fast. Don’t go “cold turkey”.
* Don’t “tank up” on extra calories before or eat a big meal after the fast.
* Drink plenty of water.
Other Forms of Fasting
The purpose of abstinence is to learn rightly to enjoy God’s gifts. Fasting is not primarily a discipline through which I gain greater control over my life, but one through which God gains access to redirect and heal me in body, mind, and spirit.
Abstain from objects of consumption that have come to fill emotional voids in our lives.
* Sex
* TV
* Recognition
* Media stimulation
* Needless shopping sprees
* Prejudging people
* Drugs
* Internet
* Over-packed schedules
Keeping a Journal During the Fast
Questions to ask:
* How do I respond to hunger pangs?
* What feelings attend the experience of physical emptiness – panic, irritation, boredom, helplessness?
* How do I express these?
* Do I sense any inward cleansing, release, or freedom?
* Do I feel a need to draw the attention of others to what I am doing?
* Do I find myself attentive to God’s presence in new ways?
* Do I find myself connected to others in new ways?
* What is God revealing to me through my responses?
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Nonvember 12 sermon Exodus 3:11-14 who sent you???
There was a blonde at work who just got sick and tired of all the blonde jokes. So one evening she went home and memorized all the state capitals. Back in the office the next day, some guy started telling a dumb blonde joke. She interrupted him with an announcement, "I've had it up to here with these blonde jokes. I want you to know that this blonde went home last night and did something probably none of you could do...I memorized all the state capitals." Of course, one of the guys said, "I don't believe you. What is the capital of Nevada?" She just smiled and confidently answered, "N”
Exodus 3:11-14 who sent you???
In 1 Chronicles 28 (that’s the OT), King David had the plans in his hands for the new temple that was to be built for the God. He wanted to personally build it, but God had other plans. He told the king that his son Solomon would be the one to build the temple.
David chose to not see himself as being cut out of the action and grand plan, but undertook his new charge.
He must convey the plans and vision to Solomon . He must communicate the vision for the temple in a manner that would enlist Solomon’s support. King David rose to his feet, standing up on the platform above all the people in the court and made this announcement.
“Of all the many son’s my LORD has given me, he has chosen Solomon to sit on the throne after me. He said to me ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house, for I have chosen him. I will establish his kingdom as long as he follows me.” Did you hear that? David got the vision from the Lord that a marvelous temple would be built, but he would not build it.
His son Solomon would be the one to build it. Can you imagine if you were Solomon? “I’m supposed to do what??” he asks. This vision is from God, and you Solomon will be leading the charge to undergo it. Halfhearted commitment will not work or be tolerated. Such a task will require total devotion to the God and to the work.
Next, David gave his son sufficient detail about the temple that Solomon could visualize what it would look like. He went thru all the plans of what the porches and gold ornaments would look like. Nothing was left out.
Finally, after casting this vision, the king gave his son another dose of encouragement. “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God is with you.
He will not fail you or forsake you. Everyone will obey your commands.”
What authority did David have?? He was king. Was that great communication or what?? David had grad plans in front of him ready to go. All his kingdom is awaiting his command. The ships are ready to sail to get the wood. Gold has been mined. The craftsmen are ready and waiting. But God says no, your son will be the one to take on this project.
How would you feel? You have these big plans and dreams. You have the resources and the desire. But you are stopped dead in your tracks. I’m surprised David didn’t get disgusted with the whole thing. But David saw the bigger picture. Instead of looking thru his narrow field of vision, he looked from above as God would. It’s like when E. F. Hutton talks. God talked and David listened. And David did what he should. He communicated to his son.
Do you have that kind of communication with other people?? Before you talk, do you seek the wisdom of the Lord? Before you send a letter or an email, do you wonder, “what would Jesus do?”
When you communicate, is it God talking thru you? Let’s envision a conversation for a minute. Bob is on the leadership team of the church and goes to talk to Jacob. (No there is no Bob or Jacob in our congregation. I made up the names.)
“Jacob, you need to lead the men’s group. It starts on Monday.” There you go. How is that? What do you think will happen? Maybe Jacob will go home and forget all about it. Maybe he will start a Men’s Group that is second to none. Probably not. How could the conversation have gone differently??
Bob goes to Jacob. “Jacob. I’ve been praying for our men’s group every day for the past month. I’ve asked God for wisdom and vision for leadership for this group. He has given me what he is wanting and now I’m bringing it to you.” Sounds good so far right? Bob started off praying for guidance. He didn’t jump into leading the men’s group because no one else would step up and do it. He waited for God’s vision and didn’t jump the gun. Then he passed on the vision.
Bob says “Jacob, God has shown me the future of the men’s group with you and another brother leading it. He says that both of you will have disciples under you to bring up in a Godly faith and understanding. As those brothers mature, they will disciple brothers under them.
You will form a chain going up the spiritual mountain of faith. As you go along brother, there will be some who don’t see the vision you have. They will only see change and believe it is not good. But you must persevere and stay the course. God almighty will be with you always, just as he said.”
Bob goes into detail with Jacob on the vision of God to lead the men’s group. Where does Bob get his authority? From the leadership team.
What happens when there is bad communication or no authority given? How does it affect the outcome? Have you seen the cell phone commercials on TV? The guy is talking to his soon to be father-in-law. “call me Jim. We are going to be family.”
The boy opens up “Ok Jim, Jimbo, jimborama, Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care.” Then nothing on the other end of the line. The phone goes dead. The boy panics. Dropped calls are bad. Miscommunication is terrible. Because of the communication problem, he automatically thinks he offended his father-in-law.
Communication problems can happen in the church also. Here is an example (no this has not happened so don’t start any rumors). I say something to Ed, knowing he just told me a story about getting his hair cut yesterday. “Boy your hair is really short.”
Mike hears my comment, assumes the worst, that I’m making fun of Ed or trying to hurt his feelings. Mike tells Tammy who is mad at Brandy because Brandy didn’t say hi to her this morning in SS (although Brandy just didn’t hear her). Tammy is talking to Melanie before church and tells her that “The Pastor was rude and inconsiderate to Ed, and I can’t believe he was sent to our wonderful little church.”
I’m in the hallway shaking hands after service. Everyone is smiling. Melanie comes stomping by, gives me a look that could easily kill me (if looks could kill), doesn’t say anything and leaves. She doesn’t talk to me or return my calls. How’s that for our communication??
What did I say before about communicating?? Is it of God? Did it come from a prayer or vision from God? Jesus says in Matthew 12 “A healthy tree produces good fruit and a diseased tree produces bad fruit. How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-mouthed? A good person produces good deeds season after season.
An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Words are powerful. They can be your salvation or your damnation.” These are big words from our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is saying that no amount of skill or technique will compensate for an empty or an evil heart.
Jesus stated that the heart is the key to salvation. Personal relationships are to be entered into and continued out of a sense of strength, fullness and vitality.
And now Moses. In our scripture reading today, Moses was daunted by the mission to which God was calling him but he received God’s assurance that he would be empowered to accomplish his divinely appointed purpose. Moses had to convince the Israelites to follow him out into the wilderness.
He had to convince Pharaoh that 2.5 million slaves had to be let go. He had to convince himself that God actually wanted him to do this. “Who am I?” He was overwhelmed, over his head, and challenged beyond understanding. “What should I tell them? What if they don’t believe me?”
And God said “This is what you are to say to the Israelites. “I am who I am. I am has sent me to you.” Moses soon discovered that one plus God equals a majority. Without question, Moses was one of the greatest leaders of world history. God validated each of Moses’ statements and addressed them.
As Moses concerns went away, so did his resistance to the vision. “Who am I?” God said, in effect, “I have called you and I am doing this. It’s not who you are, but who I am and what I want you to do.”
Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. His authority came from God. I am called to lead this church. My authority comes directly from God. He reached down and grabbed me by the heart and said “I have called you and I am sending you to Sardis.”
And now some of you are feeling a call right now. There are two to lead the men’s ministry. There are two to lead the youth. Why two? Because Jesus sent out the 70, two by two. Where do they get their authority? I give them all the support and authority they need because it was given to me.
The vision is being put in place. God sent his only son down to earth to live among us and to even die for us as a sacrifice for every bad thing we have done in our lives. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” And now it’s time to go. You have been called. You have your orders. And you have the authority of Jesus Christ who is always with you.
Exodus 3:11-14 who sent you???
In 1 Chronicles 28 (that’s the OT), King David had the plans in his hands for the new temple that was to be built for the God. He wanted to personally build it, but God had other plans. He told the king that his son Solomon would be the one to build the temple.
David chose to not see himself as being cut out of the action and grand plan, but undertook his new charge.
He must convey the plans and vision to Solomon . He must communicate the vision for the temple in a manner that would enlist Solomon’s support. King David rose to his feet, standing up on the platform above all the people in the court and made this announcement.
“Of all the many son’s my LORD has given me, he has chosen Solomon to sit on the throne after me. He said to me ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house, for I have chosen him. I will establish his kingdom as long as he follows me.” Did you hear that? David got the vision from the Lord that a marvelous temple would be built, but he would not build it.
His son Solomon would be the one to build it. Can you imagine if you were Solomon? “I’m supposed to do what??” he asks. This vision is from God, and you Solomon will be leading the charge to undergo it. Halfhearted commitment will not work or be tolerated. Such a task will require total devotion to the God and to the work.
Next, David gave his son sufficient detail about the temple that Solomon could visualize what it would look like. He went thru all the plans of what the porches and gold ornaments would look like. Nothing was left out.
Finally, after casting this vision, the king gave his son another dose of encouragement. “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God is with you.
He will not fail you or forsake you. Everyone will obey your commands.”
What authority did David have?? He was king. Was that great communication or what?? David had grad plans in front of him ready to go. All his kingdom is awaiting his command. The ships are ready to sail to get the wood. Gold has been mined. The craftsmen are ready and waiting. But God says no, your son will be the one to take on this project.
How would you feel? You have these big plans and dreams. You have the resources and the desire. But you are stopped dead in your tracks. I’m surprised David didn’t get disgusted with the whole thing. But David saw the bigger picture. Instead of looking thru his narrow field of vision, he looked from above as God would. It’s like when E. F. Hutton talks. God talked and David listened. And David did what he should. He communicated to his son.
Do you have that kind of communication with other people?? Before you talk, do you seek the wisdom of the Lord? Before you send a letter or an email, do you wonder, “what would Jesus do?”
When you communicate, is it God talking thru you? Let’s envision a conversation for a minute. Bob is on the leadership team of the church and goes to talk to Jacob. (No there is no Bob or Jacob in our congregation. I made up the names.)
“Jacob, you need to lead the men’s group. It starts on Monday.” There you go. How is that? What do you think will happen? Maybe Jacob will go home and forget all about it. Maybe he will start a Men’s Group that is second to none. Probably not. How could the conversation have gone differently??
Bob goes to Jacob. “Jacob. I’ve been praying for our men’s group every day for the past month. I’ve asked God for wisdom and vision for leadership for this group. He has given me what he is wanting and now I’m bringing it to you.” Sounds good so far right? Bob started off praying for guidance. He didn’t jump into leading the men’s group because no one else would step up and do it. He waited for God’s vision and didn’t jump the gun. Then he passed on the vision.
Bob says “Jacob, God has shown me the future of the men’s group with you and another brother leading it. He says that both of you will have disciples under you to bring up in a Godly faith and understanding. As those brothers mature, they will disciple brothers under them.
You will form a chain going up the spiritual mountain of faith. As you go along brother, there will be some who don’t see the vision you have. They will only see change and believe it is not good. But you must persevere and stay the course. God almighty will be with you always, just as he said.”
Bob goes into detail with Jacob on the vision of God to lead the men’s group. Where does Bob get his authority? From the leadership team.
What happens when there is bad communication or no authority given? How does it affect the outcome? Have you seen the cell phone commercials on TV? The guy is talking to his soon to be father-in-law. “call me Jim. We are going to be family.”
The boy opens up “Ok Jim, Jimbo, jimborama, Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care.” Then nothing on the other end of the line. The phone goes dead. The boy panics. Dropped calls are bad. Miscommunication is terrible. Because of the communication problem, he automatically thinks he offended his father-in-law.
Communication problems can happen in the church also. Here is an example (no this has not happened so don’t start any rumors). I say something to Ed, knowing he just told me a story about getting his hair cut yesterday. “Boy your hair is really short.”
Mike hears my comment, assumes the worst, that I’m making fun of Ed or trying to hurt his feelings. Mike tells Tammy who is mad at Brandy because Brandy didn’t say hi to her this morning in SS (although Brandy just didn’t hear her). Tammy is talking to Melanie before church and tells her that “The Pastor was rude and inconsiderate to Ed, and I can’t believe he was sent to our wonderful little church.”
I’m in the hallway shaking hands after service. Everyone is smiling. Melanie comes stomping by, gives me a look that could easily kill me (if looks could kill), doesn’t say anything and leaves. She doesn’t talk to me or return my calls. How’s that for our communication??
What did I say before about communicating?? Is it of God? Did it come from a prayer or vision from God? Jesus says in Matthew 12 “A healthy tree produces good fruit and a diseased tree produces bad fruit. How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-mouthed? A good person produces good deeds season after season.
An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Words are powerful. They can be your salvation or your damnation.” These are big words from our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is saying that no amount of skill or technique will compensate for an empty or an evil heart.
Jesus stated that the heart is the key to salvation. Personal relationships are to be entered into and continued out of a sense of strength, fullness and vitality.
And now Moses. In our scripture reading today, Moses was daunted by the mission to which God was calling him but he received God’s assurance that he would be empowered to accomplish his divinely appointed purpose. Moses had to convince the Israelites to follow him out into the wilderness.
He had to convince Pharaoh that 2.5 million slaves had to be let go. He had to convince himself that God actually wanted him to do this. “Who am I?” He was overwhelmed, over his head, and challenged beyond understanding. “What should I tell them? What if they don’t believe me?”
And God said “This is what you are to say to the Israelites. “I am who I am. I am has sent me to you.” Moses soon discovered that one plus God equals a majority. Without question, Moses was one of the greatest leaders of world history. God validated each of Moses’ statements and addressed them.
As Moses concerns went away, so did his resistance to the vision. “Who am I?” God said, in effect, “I have called you and I am doing this. It’s not who you are, but who I am and what I want you to do.”
Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. His authority came from God. I am called to lead this church. My authority comes directly from God. He reached down and grabbed me by the heart and said “I have called you and I am sending you to Sardis.”
And now some of you are feeling a call right now. There are two to lead the men’s ministry. There are two to lead the youth. Why two? Because Jesus sent out the 70, two by two. Where do they get their authority? I give them all the support and authority they need because it was given to me.
The vision is being put in place. God sent his only son down to earth to live among us and to even die for us as a sacrifice for every bad thing we have done in our lives. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” And now it’s time to go. You have been called. You have your orders. And you have the authority of Jesus Christ who is always with you.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
November 5 sermon The Greatest Commandment mark 12
November 5 sermon The Greatest Commandment Mark 12
A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come from?" Adam and Eve said, "LORD, when we were in the garden, YOU walked with us every day. Now we do not see YOU any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much YOU love us."
And GOD said, I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of MY love for you, so that you will love ME even when you cannot see ME. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
And GOD created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.And it was a good animal. And GOD was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
And GOD said, " I have created this new animal to be a reflection of MY love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him Dog." And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.
And they were comforted. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."
And GOD said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration." And GOD created Cat to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.
And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was happy.
And cat didn’t care either way.
What is the greatest commandment?? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and of course love your neighbor as yourself. How do you do that?? The Pharisee wanted to be meticulous in the keeping of all the laws. he’s thinking, “While I’m keeping the law, I want to make sure that the most important one is kept,”.
DO you ever feel that way? If I could just say the right thing to my spouse, she would listen. If I could just sell a few more computers I would make enough on my commission to put a down payment on the house. If I just knew what six numbers to pick, I could win the lottery and all my troubles would be over. If I could just bring in a few more people, the church would not struggle.
If, if, if, if. I don’t think the Pharisee was day dreaming. I think he was wrestling with his life. He was wondering if he was doing the right thing in his life. He wanted to make sure he was justified before God. We all want that. We all want to make sure we “make it” thru the gates. Even if I am sliding into home thru those pearly gates I still made it.
I have a friend up in Nashville who used to say “I’ll be happy just holding the door open for everyone else and being the last one in.” Not worried about status or the mansion on the hill, he just wanted to be in the gates.
So what does the greatest commandment mean? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Just that part right there is very easy. “I love you God. With all my heart I love you. With all my soul I love you. With all my mind I love you. With all my strength I love you.” Whew…..glad I got that in.
Is there more though? We talked a couple weeks ago about selling out for Jesus. Diving in to the deep end instead of walking around in the wading pool. How do I love God with all my heart in the wading pool of spirituality???? Who is the most important person in your life, besides your pastor? Who is the one you want to spend all the time you can….besides your pastor?
Maybe your spouse or your kids. It could be a best friend from college you love to be with. Why do you want to spend so much time with them? What is it about them that makes them so special? At Shriner’s Hospital they have a pet therapy group where the kids will open up by bringing a pet in which brings some home familiarity back.
The animals absorb the children’s focus and alleviate any anxiety. What about that person you have given all your heart too?? When you get married, you want to spend all your time with your spouse. You want to share everything and do everything together.
My niece got married a few months ago. I put together a list of 8 things to know when you get married.
1. You don’t have to be right all the time, even if you are. A friend once said “is this the hill you want to die on.” Just let it go. Trust me.
2. Get away from each other once a month. One person needs to leave for the weekend...go to your mom's, to see a friend across state, to Uncle Bob’s house. But get away from each other. The time away will refresh your marriage and you will see how much you missed the other person when you get back.
3. Money is the biggest thing you will fight over...whether you have any or not. Combine all your $$ in one acct (don't have separate accts). Don't have one person responsible for the bills every month. Do them together, or at least look at them together when the other is writing them out.4. Move out of the town your parents live in. This is true unless BOTH of you have the best relationship with whatever parent lives in town. Mom and dad only want the best for their child, and they will ALWAYS pick their child over the spouse.
You may have thought the show "Everybody Loves Raymond" was funny...it was true.5. Don't get in the family bickering. Whatever mom thinks of dad or dad thinks of Uncle Joe, ignore it. Make your own relationships.
6. This also goes for in-laws bickering. What you tell your mom about your spouse and spouse's family; that is all she knows. If you tell her that "my wife's mom sent a nasty email to us", but you don't tell her about the phone call the next day to apologize and make everything better, mom will always hate the other family. Plus there is always a contest about which family is better. It gets worse when you have kids.7. Live your own life. Your new family comes first now. You do what's best for them. That can be anything including moving across the country or around the world.
8. Focus on God in your marriage. Like my auto-signature on my email says "Party clean, live righteous". It's hard to believe without really experiencing it, but when you look to God in your marriage, in making decisions, in just learning more about Him, he will guide your life more than ever. It's a great thing. Sometimes it seems things are not going like they should, but if you stay focused on God, you will have guidance.
So you probably know how to love your mom or dad or spouse or kids with all of your heart. What about God now? To Love God with all your heart, you believe everything he says to be completely true. That he made you exactly how he wanted you to be. That he does love you, even though he saw everything you did last week.
That he sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to be the sacrifice to save us from ourselves, and all we have to do is accept Jesus as our savior and live as he lived. To love God with all my heart means to give him dominion over every part of my life; even my heart. That’s a hard thing to do.
I can keep my heart and give everything else. Take the car, the computer, the money in the bank (there’s only about $28 in there anyway). But if I can keep my heart, I can keep my secrets. I can hide my true self.
But when I give my heart to God, it will be true love. Why keep a secret from him. He knows everything anyway. Everything I do in the dark, he sees. In the OT, Jonah was told to go to Ninevah by God. But Jonah’s people hated the Ninevites. So he ran the other way. He got on a ship and went down to the bottom deck and hid in the corner. “God won’t find me here, he thought.” Oh but God did. God had to throw him overboard and have a big fish swallow him for 3 days to get Jonah to listen.
It took a while, but Jonah gave his heart to God. He did what God said. Then he understood the last part of Jesus’ message. “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
When you finally see yourself as God sees you, only then can you start to love your neighbor. You see, God sees you perfect. He doesn’t care about those labels you have put on yourself, or someone else has put on you. He doesn’t care that your nose is crooked, your hair is blue and messed up, you have bad breath.
When you give him your heart, you will start to see as he sees. You look in the mirror and see a beautiful person looking back at you. That is how God sees you. Now you are able to love your neighbor. You see beauty in yourself and then you see beauty in others.
There was a lady named Mary who hated herself. She saw herself as too fat, unmotivated, and not loved. It took time for her to realize that she was beautiful. God loved her. She was ready to change her self-image. She started looking in the mirror each morning and seeing someone she liked.
The more she liked that person, the more she liked the people she met out on the street, even those she had done her best to ignore. A few months later she started working at a homeless shelter downtown. The people she now ministered to were penniless, a different color than her, and they stunk. But she realized that God loved them just like He loved her.
In a week we are getting together to see where the focus of ministry for the church is going. We will be putting together the vision for the church to go with the mission of “Making disciples for Jesus Christ”. We will pray and come together and see where God leads the church. We will find out who our neighbors are; those we must love; those who God loves.
This week, look in the mirror. Look at the man or woman created by God and loved by God. Step outside your box now and see the other people God created. Those are the neighbors he wants you to love. We can love them together. That’s our service today and for every tomorrow.
COMMUNION
Page 12
A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come from?" Adam and Eve said, "LORD, when we were in the garden, YOU walked with us every day. Now we do not see YOU any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much YOU love us."
And GOD said, I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of MY love for you, so that you will love ME even when you cannot see ME. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
And GOD created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.And it was a good animal. And GOD was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
And GOD said, " I have created this new animal to be a reflection of MY love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him Dog." And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.
And they were comforted. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."
And GOD said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration." And GOD created Cat to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.
And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was happy.
And cat didn’t care either way.
What is the greatest commandment?? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and of course love your neighbor as yourself. How do you do that?? The Pharisee wanted to be meticulous in the keeping of all the laws. he’s thinking, “While I’m keeping the law, I want to make sure that the most important one is kept,”.
DO you ever feel that way? If I could just say the right thing to my spouse, she would listen. If I could just sell a few more computers I would make enough on my commission to put a down payment on the house. If I just knew what six numbers to pick, I could win the lottery and all my troubles would be over. If I could just bring in a few more people, the church would not struggle.
If, if, if, if. I don’t think the Pharisee was day dreaming. I think he was wrestling with his life. He was wondering if he was doing the right thing in his life. He wanted to make sure he was justified before God. We all want that. We all want to make sure we “make it” thru the gates. Even if I am sliding into home thru those pearly gates I still made it.
I have a friend up in Nashville who used to say “I’ll be happy just holding the door open for everyone else and being the last one in.” Not worried about status or the mansion on the hill, he just wanted to be in the gates.
So what does the greatest commandment mean? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Just that part right there is very easy. “I love you God. With all my heart I love you. With all my soul I love you. With all my mind I love you. With all my strength I love you.” Whew…..glad I got that in.
Is there more though? We talked a couple weeks ago about selling out for Jesus. Diving in to the deep end instead of walking around in the wading pool. How do I love God with all my heart in the wading pool of spirituality???? Who is the most important person in your life, besides your pastor? Who is the one you want to spend all the time you can….besides your pastor?
Maybe your spouse or your kids. It could be a best friend from college you love to be with. Why do you want to spend so much time with them? What is it about them that makes them so special? At Shriner’s Hospital they have a pet therapy group where the kids will open up by bringing a pet in which brings some home familiarity back.
The animals absorb the children’s focus and alleviate any anxiety. What about that person you have given all your heart too?? When you get married, you want to spend all your time with your spouse. You want to share everything and do everything together.
My niece got married a few months ago. I put together a list of 8 things to know when you get married.
1. You don’t have to be right all the time, even if you are. A friend once said “is this the hill you want to die on.” Just let it go. Trust me.
2. Get away from each other once a month. One person needs to leave for the weekend...go to your mom's, to see a friend across state, to Uncle Bob’s house. But get away from each other. The time away will refresh your marriage and you will see how much you missed the other person when you get back.
3. Money is the biggest thing you will fight over...whether you have any or not. Combine all your $$ in one acct (don't have separate accts). Don't have one person responsible for the bills every month. Do them together, or at least look at them together when the other is writing them out.4. Move out of the town your parents live in. This is true unless BOTH of you have the best relationship with whatever parent lives in town. Mom and dad only want the best for their child, and they will ALWAYS pick their child over the spouse.
You may have thought the show "Everybody Loves Raymond" was funny...it was true.5. Don't get in the family bickering. Whatever mom thinks of dad or dad thinks of Uncle Joe, ignore it. Make your own relationships.
6. This also goes for in-laws bickering. What you tell your mom about your spouse and spouse's family; that is all she knows. If you tell her that "my wife's mom sent a nasty email to us", but you don't tell her about the phone call the next day to apologize and make everything better, mom will always hate the other family. Plus there is always a contest about which family is better. It gets worse when you have kids.7. Live your own life. Your new family comes first now. You do what's best for them. That can be anything including moving across the country or around the world.
8. Focus on God in your marriage. Like my auto-signature on my email says "Party clean, live righteous". It's hard to believe without really experiencing it, but when you look to God in your marriage, in making decisions, in just learning more about Him, he will guide your life more than ever. It's a great thing. Sometimes it seems things are not going like they should, but if you stay focused on God, you will have guidance.
So you probably know how to love your mom or dad or spouse or kids with all of your heart. What about God now? To Love God with all your heart, you believe everything he says to be completely true. That he made you exactly how he wanted you to be. That he does love you, even though he saw everything you did last week.
That he sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to be the sacrifice to save us from ourselves, and all we have to do is accept Jesus as our savior and live as he lived. To love God with all my heart means to give him dominion over every part of my life; even my heart. That’s a hard thing to do.
I can keep my heart and give everything else. Take the car, the computer, the money in the bank (there’s only about $28 in there anyway). But if I can keep my heart, I can keep my secrets. I can hide my true self.
But when I give my heart to God, it will be true love. Why keep a secret from him. He knows everything anyway. Everything I do in the dark, he sees. In the OT, Jonah was told to go to Ninevah by God. But Jonah’s people hated the Ninevites. So he ran the other way. He got on a ship and went down to the bottom deck and hid in the corner. “God won’t find me here, he thought.” Oh but God did. God had to throw him overboard and have a big fish swallow him for 3 days to get Jonah to listen.
It took a while, but Jonah gave his heart to God. He did what God said. Then he understood the last part of Jesus’ message. “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
When you finally see yourself as God sees you, only then can you start to love your neighbor. You see, God sees you perfect. He doesn’t care about those labels you have put on yourself, or someone else has put on you. He doesn’t care that your nose is crooked, your hair is blue and messed up, you have bad breath.
When you give him your heart, you will start to see as he sees. You look in the mirror and see a beautiful person looking back at you. That is how God sees you. Now you are able to love your neighbor. You see beauty in yourself and then you see beauty in others.
There was a lady named Mary who hated herself. She saw herself as too fat, unmotivated, and not loved. It took time for her to realize that she was beautiful. God loved her. She was ready to change her self-image. She started looking in the mirror each morning and seeing someone she liked.
The more she liked that person, the more she liked the people she met out on the street, even those she had done her best to ignore. A few months later she started working at a homeless shelter downtown. The people she now ministered to were penniless, a different color than her, and they stunk. But she realized that God loved them just like He loved her.
In a week we are getting together to see where the focus of ministry for the church is going. We will be putting together the vision for the church to go with the mission of “Making disciples for Jesus Christ”. We will pray and come together and see where God leads the church. We will find out who our neighbors are; those we must love; those who God loves.
This week, look in the mirror. Look at the man or woman created by God and loved by God. Step outside your box now and see the other people God created. Those are the neighbors he wants you to love. We can love them together. That’s our service today and for every tomorrow.
COMMUNION
Page 12
Saturday, November 04, 2006
November 5 sermon The Greatest Commandment Mark 12
November 5 sermon The Greatest Commandment Mark 12
A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come from?" Adam and Eve said, "LORD, when we were in the garden, YOU walked with us every day. Now we do not see YOU any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much YOU love us."
And GOD said, I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of MY love for you, so that you will love ME even when you cannot see ME. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
And GOD created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.And it was a good animal. And GOD was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
And GOD said, " I have created this new animal to be a reflection of MY love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him Dog." And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.
And they were comforted. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."
And GOD said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration." And GOD created Cat to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.
And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was happy.
And cat didn’t care either way.
What is the greatest commandment?? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and of course love your neighbor as yourself. How do you do that?? The Pharisee wanted to be meticulous in the keeping of all the laws. “While I’m keeping the law, I want to make sure that the most important one is kept for sure,” he’s thinking.
DO you ever feel that way? If I could just say the right thing to my spouse, she would listen. If I could just sell a few more computers I would make enough on my commission to put a down payment on the house. If I just knew what six numbers to pick, I could win the lottery and all my troubles would be over. If I could just bring in a few more people, the church would not struggle.
If, if, if, if. I don’t think the Pharisee was day dreaming. I think he was wrestling with his life. He was wondering if he was doing the right thing in his life. He wanted to make sure he was justified before God. We all want that. We all want to make sure we “make it” thru the gates. Even if I am sliding into home thru those pearly gates I still made it.
I have a friend up in Nashville who used to say “I’ll be happy just holding the door open for everyone else and being the last one in.” Not worried about status or the mansion on the hill, he just wanted to be in the gates.
So what does the greatest commandment mean? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Just that part right there is very easy. “I love you God. With all my heart I love you. With all my soul I love you. With all my mind I love you. With all my strength I love you.” Whew…..glad I got that in.
Is there more though? We talked a couple weeks ago about selling out for Jesus. Diving in to the deep end instead of walking around in the wading pool. How do I love God with all my heart in the wading pool???? Who is the most important person in your life, besides your pastor? Who is the one you want to spend all the time you can with….besides your pastor?
Maybe your spouse or your kids. It could be a best friend from college you love to be with. Why do you want to spend so much time with them? What is it about them that makes them so special? I found a website for Best Friends Animal Society. They rescue homeless animals of all shapes and sizes. At Shriner’s Hospital they have a pet therapy group where the kids will open up by bringing a pet in which brings some familiarity back.
The animals absorb the children’s focus and alleviate any anxiety. What about that person you have given all your heart too?? When you get married, you want to spend all your time with your spouse. You want to share everything and do everything together.
My niece got married a few months ago. I put together a list of 8 things to know when you get married.
1. You don’t have to be right all the time, even if you are. A friend once said “is this the hill you want to die on.” Just let it go. Trust me.
2. Get away from each other once a month. One person needs to leave for the weekend...go to your mom's, to see a friend across state, to Uncle Bob’s house. But get away from each other. The time away will refresh your marriage and you will see how much you missed the other person when you get back.
3. Money is the biggest thing you will fight over...whether you have any or not. Combine all your $$ in one acct (don't have separate accts). Don't have one person responsible for the bills every month. Do them together, or at least look at them together when the other is writing them out.4. Move out of the town your parents live in. This is true unless BOTH of you have the best relationship with whatever parent lives in town. Mom and dad only want the best for their child, and they will ALWAYS pick their child over the spouse.
You may have thought the show "Everybody Loves Raymond" was funny...it was very true.5. Don't get in the family bickering. Whatever mom thinks of dad or dad thinks of Uncle Joe, ignore it. Make your own relationships.
6. This also goes for in-laws bickering. What you tell your mom about your spouse and spouse's family; that is all she knows. If you tell her that "my wife's mom send a nasty email to us", but you don't tell her about the phone call the next day to apologize and make everything better, mom will always hate the other family. Plus there is always a contest about which family is better. It gets worse when you have kids.7. Live your own life. Your new family comes first now. You do what's best for them. That can be anything including moving across the country or around the world.
8. Focus on God in your marriage. Like my auto-signature on my email says "Party clean, live righteous". It's hard to believe without really experiencing it, but when you look to God in your marriage, in making decisions, in just learning more about Him, he will guide your life more than ever. It's a great thing. Sometimes it seems things are not going like they should, but if you stay focused on God, you will have guidance.
So you probably know how to love your mom or dad or spouse or kids with all of your heart. What about God now? To Love God with all your heart, you believe everything he says to be completely true. That he made you exactly how he wanted you to be. That he does love you, even though he saw everything you did last week.
That he sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to be the sacrifice to save us from ourselves, and all we have to do is accept Jesus as our savior and live as he lived. To love God with all my heart means to give him dominion over every part of my life, even my heart. That’s a hard thing to do.
I can keep my heart and give everything else. Take the car, the computer, the money in the bank (there’s only about $28 in there anyway). But if I can keep my heart, I can keep my secrets. I can hide my true self.
But when I give my heart to God, it will be true love. Why keep a secret from him. He knows everything anyway. Everything I do in the dark, he sees. In the OT, Jonah was told to go to Ninevah by God. But Jonah’s people hated the Ninevites. So he ran the other way. He got on a ship and went down to the bottom deck and hid in the corner. “God won’t find me here, he thought.” Oh but God did. God had to throw him overboard and have a big fish swallow him for 3 days to get Jonah to listen.
It took a while, but Jonah gave his heart to God. He did what God said. Then he understood the last part of Jesus’ message. “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
When you finally see yourself as God sees you, only then can you start to love your neighbor. You know, God sees you perfect. He doesn’t care about those labels you have put on yourself, or someone else has put on you. He doesn’t care that your nose is crooked, your hair is blue and messed up, you have bad breath.
When you give him your heart, you will start to see as he sees. You look in the mirror and see a beautiful person looking back at you. That is how God sees you. Now you are able to love your neighbor. You see beauty in yourself and then you see beauty in others.
Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror? If not, what needs to change? You can’t love and you can’t live like Jesus until you like the person staring back at you.
There was a lady named Mary who hated herself. She saw herself as too fat, unmotivated, and not loved. It took time for her to realize that she was beautiful. God loved her. She was ready to change her image. She started looking in the mirror each morning and seeing someone she liked.
The more she liked that person, the more she liked the people she met out on the street, even those she had done her best to ignore. A few months later she started working at a homeless shelter downtown. The people she now ministered to were pennyless, a different color than her, and they stunk. But she realized that God loved them just like He loved her.
In a week we are getting together to see where the focus of ministry for the church is going. We will be putting together the vision for the church to go with the mission of “Making disciples for Jesus Christ”. We will pray and come together and see where God leads the church. We will find out who our neighbors are; those we must love; those who God loves.
This week, look in the mirror. Look at the man or woman created by God and loved by God. Step outside your box now and see the other people God created. Those are the neighbors he wants you to love. We can love them together. That’s our service today.
COMMUNION
Page 12
A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to "Where do pets come from?" Adam and Eve said, "LORD, when we were in the garden, YOU walked with us every day. Now we do not see YOU any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much YOU love us."
And GOD said, I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of MY love for you, so that you will love ME even when you cannot see ME. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
And GOD created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.And it was a good animal. And GOD was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
And GOD said, " I have created this new animal to be a reflection of MY love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him Dog." And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.
And they were comforted. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail. After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."
And GOD said, I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration." And GOD created Cat to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.
And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved. And GOD was pleased. And Dog was happy.
And cat didn’t care either way.
What is the greatest commandment?? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and of course love your neighbor as yourself. How do you do that?? The Pharisee wanted to be meticulous in the keeping of all the laws. “While I’m keeping the law, I want to make sure that the most important one is kept for sure,” he’s thinking.
DO you ever feel that way? If I could just say the right thing to my spouse, she would listen. If I could just sell a few more computers I would make enough on my commission to put a down payment on the house. If I just knew what six numbers to pick, I could win the lottery and all my troubles would be over. If I could just bring in a few more people, the church would not struggle.
If, if, if, if. I don’t think the Pharisee was day dreaming. I think he was wrestling with his life. He was wondering if he was doing the right thing in his life. He wanted to make sure he was justified before God. We all want that. We all want to make sure we “make it” thru the gates. Even if I am sliding into home thru those pearly gates I still made it.
I have a friend up in Nashville who used to say “I’ll be happy just holding the door open for everyone else and being the last one in.” Not worried about status or the mansion on the hill, he just wanted to be in the gates.
So what does the greatest commandment mean? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Just that part right there is very easy. “I love you God. With all my heart I love you. With all my soul I love you. With all my mind I love you. With all my strength I love you.” Whew…..glad I got that in.
Is there more though? We talked a couple weeks ago about selling out for Jesus. Diving in to the deep end instead of walking around in the wading pool. How do I love God with all my heart in the wading pool???? Who is the most important person in your life, besides your pastor? Who is the one you want to spend all the time you can with….besides your pastor?
Maybe your spouse or your kids. It could be a best friend from college you love to be with. Why do you want to spend so much time with them? What is it about them that makes them so special? I found a website for Best Friends Animal Society. They rescue homeless animals of all shapes and sizes. At Shriner’s Hospital they have a pet therapy group where the kids will open up by bringing a pet in which brings some familiarity back.
The animals absorb the children’s focus and alleviate any anxiety. What about that person you have given all your heart too?? When you get married, you want to spend all your time with your spouse. You want to share everything and do everything together.
My niece got married a few months ago. I put together a list of 8 things to know when you get married.
1. You don’t have to be right all the time, even if you are. A friend once said “is this the hill you want to die on.” Just let it go. Trust me.
2. Get away from each other once a month. One person needs to leave for the weekend...go to your mom's, to see a friend across state, to Uncle Bob’s house. But get away from each other. The time away will refresh your marriage and you will see how much you missed the other person when you get back.
3. Money is the biggest thing you will fight over...whether you have any or not. Combine all your $$ in one acct (don't have separate accts). Don't have one person responsible for the bills every month. Do them together, or at least look at them together when the other is writing them out.4. Move out of the town your parents live in. This is true unless BOTH of you have the best relationship with whatever parent lives in town. Mom and dad only want the best for their child, and they will ALWAYS pick their child over the spouse.
You may have thought the show "Everybody Loves Raymond" was funny...it was very true.5. Don't get in the family bickering. Whatever mom thinks of dad or dad thinks of Uncle Joe, ignore it. Make your own relationships.
6. This also goes for in-laws bickering. What you tell your mom about your spouse and spouse's family; that is all she knows. If you tell her that "my wife's mom send a nasty email to us", but you don't tell her about the phone call the next day to apologize and make everything better, mom will always hate the other family. Plus there is always a contest about which family is better. It gets worse when you have kids.7. Live your own life. Your new family comes first now. You do what's best for them. That can be anything including moving across the country or around the world.
8. Focus on God in your marriage. Like my auto-signature on my email says "Party clean, live righteous". It's hard to believe without really experiencing it, but when you look to God in your marriage, in making decisions, in just learning more about Him, he will guide your life more than ever. It's a great thing. Sometimes it seems things are not going like they should, but if you stay focused on God, you will have guidance.
So you probably know how to love your mom or dad or spouse or kids with all of your heart. What about God now? To Love God with all your heart, you believe everything he says to be completely true. That he made you exactly how he wanted you to be. That he does love you, even though he saw everything you did last week.
That he sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to be the sacrifice to save us from ourselves, and all we have to do is accept Jesus as our savior and live as he lived. To love God with all my heart means to give him dominion over every part of my life, even my heart. That’s a hard thing to do.
I can keep my heart and give everything else. Take the car, the computer, the money in the bank (there’s only about $28 in there anyway). But if I can keep my heart, I can keep my secrets. I can hide my true self.
But when I give my heart to God, it will be true love. Why keep a secret from him. He knows everything anyway. Everything I do in the dark, he sees. In the OT, Jonah was told to go to Ninevah by God. But Jonah’s people hated the Ninevites. So he ran the other way. He got on a ship and went down to the bottom deck and hid in the corner. “God won’t find me here, he thought.” Oh but God did. God had to throw him overboard and have a big fish swallow him for 3 days to get Jonah to listen.
It took a while, but Jonah gave his heart to God. He did what God said. Then he understood the last part of Jesus’ message. “Love your neighbor as yourself”.
When you finally see yourself as God sees you, only then can you start to love your neighbor. You know, God sees you perfect. He doesn’t care about those labels you have put on yourself, or someone else has put on you. He doesn’t care that your nose is crooked, your hair is blue and messed up, you have bad breath.
When you give him your heart, you will start to see as he sees. You look in the mirror and see a beautiful person looking back at you. That is how God sees you. Now you are able to love your neighbor. You see beauty in yourself and then you see beauty in others.
Do you like what you see when you look in the mirror? If not, what needs to change? You can’t love and you can’t live like Jesus until you like the person staring back at you.
There was a lady named Mary who hated herself. She saw herself as too fat, unmotivated, and not loved. It took time for her to realize that she was beautiful. God loved her. She was ready to change her image. She started looking in the mirror each morning and seeing someone she liked.
The more she liked that person, the more she liked the people she met out on the street, even those she had done her best to ignore. A few months later she started working at a homeless shelter downtown. The people she now ministered to were pennyless, a different color than her, and they stunk. But she realized that God loved them just like He loved her.
In a week we are getting together to see where the focus of ministry for the church is going. We will be putting together the vision for the church to go with the mission of “Making disciples for Jesus Christ”. We will pray and come together and see where God leads the church. We will find out who our neighbors are; those we must love; those who God loves.
This week, look in the mirror. Look at the man or woman created by God and loved by God. Step outside your box now and see the other people God created. Those are the neighbors he wants you to love. We can love them together. That’s our service today.
COMMUNION
Page 12
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