Monday 11.26.12 "Why do we do it?"

Today’s Reading is Genesis 3:8-15 ⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”  The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴ So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspringand hers; he will crushyour head, and you will strike his heel.”

The text for today really takes me back to my childhood, which helps me relate with Adam and Eve’s thoughts.  I remember doing things that I knew were wrong, but still trying to push the boundaries that were set for my protection, which I thought were unnecessary.  I just didn’t understand the whole picture due to my lack of experience and maturity, just like Adam and Eve.  I also didn’t have the maturity to know how this could affect my future, but my parents did.  When they would start asking questions about the situation, giving me the opportunity to “come clean” with my sin, I just dug a deeper hole by increasing the lie or blaming others.  God gives us the opportunity to “come clean” every day by allowing us to ask for forgiveness and restore the relationship with Him through the life giving blood of our Savior.

I’ve also been blessed with the opportunity to have children of my own, which has allowed me to experience this same scenario from the parental side of things.  We just desire so much for our children to take ownership of their wrong doings that we give them lots of chances until at some point we must discipline them.  The pain of discipline seems to be greater from the deliverer of the punishment than from the receiver of the punishment.  It must have pained God to have to sever the relationship with Adam and Eve, but God in the end allowed those of us to continue the relationship with Him for eternity by sending us Himself in human form.  Christ received a horrible punishment at the hands of the very man that He was trying to save, but his tremendous love for us made it worth it.  There are many times in my past I’ve wanted a “do over” due to the pain I’ve caused someone and asked for forgiveness, maybe there’s someone today that you are feeling the need to call and talk to…

-dave

11.22.12 "Happy Thanksgiving"

The blog for today will be abbreviated due to the fact that it is a holiday and our bloggers are spending time with their families.  Here is the scripture for today!  It is a powerful section that calls us to deep thanks and gratitude in all circumstances.   Remember Jesus invites us into the practice of gratitude "in" all circumstances even though we are not thankful "for" all circumstances.  Enjoy the freedom that "be thankful in all circumstances" ushers into your life!

1 Thessalonians 5 ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each otherand for everyone else. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

11.21.12 Justified Stress?

Good Morning! Lord, we come to you at a time of the year that is to be focused on giving thanks and rejoicing in all You are, but we are so often spending our time stressed out beyond belief about family relationships, food being prepared, and whether the house is clean enough or the kids are behaving well enough. We surrender it all to You, as we seek You in Your  Word today. Amen.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I find myself constantly drawing on the book of Philippians as I go through life, using the lessons it contains to help shape my daily life. I was very excited to know that my blog for today let me meditate on these verses today! And it is so timely for me as we get ready for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. Chaos, Stress, and Worry are in the wings just ready to take over my mind and my heart (and I'm probably fooling myself to think they haven't yet, if I'm not stopping to constantly surrender control and receive God's graceful leading).

A few years ago I read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and his explanation of this section of verses was very powerful for me. I contemplated giving you simply a synopsis, but Chan is so thorough and to the point in his teaching about stress when we should be rejoicing that I'm going to fully excerpt his section about these verses below. I would love to hear your thoughts and continue the discussion in your comments!

Lisa

From "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan -- Justified Stress

I used to believe that in this world there are two kinds of people: natural worriers and naturally joyful people. I couldn't really help it that I was the worrying kind. I'm a problem solver, so I have to focus on things that need fixing. God can see that my intensity and anxiety are ministry related. I worry because I take His work seriously.

Right?

But then there's that perplexing command: "Rejoice in the Lord Always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4). You'll notice that it doesn't end with "...unless you're doing something extremely important." No, it's a command for all of us, and it follows with the charge, "Do not be anxious about anything" (v. 6).

That came as a pretty staggering realization. But what I realized next was even more staggering.

When I am consumed by my problems - stressed out about my life, my family, and my job -- I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a "right" to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.

Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives.

Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others or our tight grip of control.

Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it's okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we've been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won't be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God's strength, our problems are small, indeed.

11.20.12 "Singing"

Welcome to Tuesday’s blog!  The theme for our week is “Being Thankful” and Colossians 3:15-17 is our scripture reading for today!

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 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. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

In three short verses we are called to being thankful in three ways!  “And be thankful … … … singing to God with gratitude in your hearts … … … giving thanks to God the Father…”!

I think the Apostle Paul is trying to make a point.  Thanksgiving is integral to the experience of faith in Jesus!   What is grasping my heart’s attention as I read these verses is the idea of “singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

My heart goes back to growing up in a very traditional Lutheran Christian home.  When we would gather for holidays at my grandparent’s house on my Mom’s side – there was almost always singing.  She came from a large family so I had a lot of aunts and uncles who could really sing well and they did.  I can still hear those two dozen or so aunts, uncles and cousins gathering around the piano and singing hymns – randomly breaking out into four part harmony at will.  Come to think of it – the most popular song that you could count of them singing started like this, “Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices…”! 

God is right! Music and singing is so important for nurturing a culture of “gratitude” in our hearts!  I am going to remember this on Thanksgiving.  We have more Christian music available than ever – that is so good!  As I listen and sing in this season I think I will try to remember that God is actually leading my heart into gratitude – that sounds like worship.  Maybe that is the point.

What do you see in these verses?  How is God nurturing your heart today through His word?

Have an awesome thankful day! 

delton

11.19.12 "Going Public"

Welcome to Monday’s blog! Our theme is “Be Thankful” this week and the scripture passage for today is Ephesians 5:18-20!

“ ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I absolutely love this section of scripture!  As I read it through today I am seeing it in a slightly different way!  I see an overarching theme of “community” – Christ followers being together encouraging one another, sharing the power and presence of God’s Spirit together, worshiping together, speaking together!  All with a sense of joy and celebration “making music in your hearts to the Lord”!  That sounds happy – like the family holiday celebration we all hope for!  Into that joyous scene the apostle Paul interjects this call, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything”.

I wonder if God is saying something to me about “going public” with my thanks for Him. I know that I am encouraged when someone else publicly thanks God for me or something I have been a part of.  Last night was the concluding session of the fall Alpha Course and included an opportunity for anyone to share what the experience has been like for them with the whole group.  Stories were told, tears shed, God was thanked and praised, people were encouraged, spirits were enlivened in part because people were “giving thanks to God the Father” in public – where others could hear.

I am encouraged – this week I want people to “hear” me give thanks to God the Father.  My children need to hear (in a normal way) me giving thanks to God for their mother and them and our family!  My friends need to hear me giving thanks to God for my job, my family, Jesus, well… everything I guess.

This is cool – God is glorified when I give thanks to Him in public!  There is a calling here – inspiration – joy – refreshment - a new dimension to the powerful art of “being thankful”!

How does all this strike you?  We would all love to hear – seriously!

delton

11.17.2012 Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Instead of a staff person or lay leader beginning the discussion, we are asking that YOU begin the discussion on what today’s Scripture is saying to you and how it relates to Sunday’s message. Enjoy praying, digging in, sharing thoughts and responding!

Have a great Saturday!   Jennifer

Today's Scripture reading is:  Acts 4: 27-31 (NIV)

²⁷ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸ They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Share your thoughts!  What is God saying to you through this Scripture today?

11.16.12 "Remember!"

 Hebrews 13 ³ Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." Hebrews is a book with so many hidden treasures!  As I look in the context of this verse I since a great deal of encouragement to the reader to "hold fast to the faith", "persevere in hard times" and "support one another in times of persecution".   I also sense a calling here that humbles me a bit!

For reasons I do not completely understand I know I have been insulated from the reality that Christ followers around the world are imprisoned and persecuted for their faith!   I am sure it has something to do with the lack of commercial media attention and that in our country we do not have a culture of persecution but the reality I am living with this week is that my brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe are imprisoned and treated unjustly precisely because of their faith.

As I think about it I typically respond by thanking God (especially this time of year) for living in a country that is religiously free.  That is good - I need to do that - but perhaps I am being called to more!  After I thank God perhaps I should "Remember, those in prison ... and those who are mistreated...!"  This gives me pause... ... ... especially in light of the prayers I will pray and listen to (alone, with family and at church) all next week.  I will undoubtedly "thank God" for the culture and country I get to freely live in.  Now I get to add to those prayers heartfelt petitions for those "who are in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering"

This is good!  This is practical!  This could change Thanksgiving Day meal praying in a very positive way!

I don't feel guilty about forgetting about my suffering brothers and sisters - I don't think God wants me to - I do feel inspired, instructed, equipped.  God is good!

delton

What do you think?  How are you feeling about what God is saying?

11.15.12 "A Global Body"

Welcome to the blog today! 1 Corinthians 12 ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

This text has moved me in multiple ways this week.  Last Sunday when we focused on prayer for the persecuted church these verses gave me pause to look at the body of Christ in a different way.  This passage sits inside an entire discourse by St. Paul comparing Christ followers in community (the church) to a human body.  It is made up of many different parts but functioning all in one body.  They are interrelated and interdependent!

The reality of Christ followers being persecuted in different places in the world suddenly gave me a new lens to look at these verses.  The persecuted are part of the body - they are suffering - I am part of the body - when one part suffers every  part suffers with it.  This is a big WOW! for me!  I think prayer is a key way that I can connect with my suffering brother.  Up to this time I considered the metaphor of the church as the body of Christ pretty much in terms of our congregation.  Now I am beginning to see a "Global Body" - I wonder what other surprises are in store for me as I put these new "Global Body" lenses on. Don't get me wrong - I have been on enough mission adventures around the world to know about God's global church but there is something fresh, alive and prayer worthy about this new perspective especially with regards to those who suffer.

Hmmm!  "God, please continue to do your eye opening work in my life! Amen"

delton

Would love to hear your thoughts!   What is God saying!

11.14.12 - The battle within the body

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5– ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This is an interesting text---someone told me a while ago that ‘a text without a context is a pretext for a proof-text.’  Basically, we can pick verses out of their Scriptural context to mean what we want them to mean.  In studying the context a little, the meaning changed tremendously for me.

Paul had sent multiple letters to the Corinthian believers and scholars estimate there were 4 (2 in Scripture) that Paul sent.  The letters he was inspired to write were typically in response to what the believers in Corinth had already written to him and how they were behaving.  There were people within the Corinthian church that were opposing Paul, stirring up trouble, and denying His right and authority he was attempting to exercise.  V.1 shows some of the tension---Paul is quoting their comments about him in that he was ‘bold’ when far away, but ‘timid’ when in person.  They were discrediting Paul through slander, arrogance, and pride, my guess is because Paul’s ministry was a threat to their own authority and power.

The above details add new insights into verses 3-5.  To me, it spoke that Paul was not going to respond and fight with the same measures that people were using against him during this tension.  He makes his appeal in V.1---‘By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you…’  Christ’s ways were so superior to the ways we typically operate in our broken humanity.  He is claiming that their opposition, through arguments and pretension, sets itself up against the knowledge of God.  We must take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ!  Paul faced tremendous persecution because of his faith, mainly through people that were not followers of Christ.  Unfortunately, this time it is from supposed believers within the church that he helped plant.

In my few years on this Earth, my perception is that the American (and global) church is fragmented and disjointed because of arrogance, pride, and self-preservation.  Denominations can be a really, really bad thing, or a really, really good thing.  When we unite under the Lordship of Jesus, we come under His authority and there is little room for arrogance, pride, or our agendas.  We should celebrate the commonalities between denominations that significantly outweigh the petty disputes over practice or minor doctrine and realize we are united in the same mission.  (The term minor differences is relative---there are obviously major issues right now relating to sexuality, the nature of Jesus, and salvation)  Instead though, we wage war against other denominations and churches, as the world wages war.  We must humble ourselves to the ‘knowledge of God’ revealed in the person of Jesus and recorded in His word.  We too often take liberties with what feels right to us and twist Scripture to support our proclivities.  How dare we think we are authoritative over the word of God!

Christian, as we wage war, let us remember who the war is against and who the war is not against.  We are not tasked with fighting Christians within our local body or globally, but are tasked against the forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  This is why we come together and pray for the persecuted church as we battle on their behalf.  As we fight, let us receive the meekness and gentleness of Christ and set our aim on the proper enemy.  We come humbly under His authority and let the knowledge of God guide and direct our thoughts, intentions, and behaviors.  As the verse says, Christ’s ways have divine power when we subject ourselves to them.

Have you felt and experienced the infighting that Paul is discussing?  If you have been involved in this infighting, have you stepped back to check your motivation and manner of ‘fighting’?  What are the limits of agreement with other denominations & where do we draw the line?  I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

11/13/2012 Message of Grace for All

Good morning All! Colossians 4: 2-6 (NIV)

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

I think that verse 2 is such a great opening for the ending of this letter….an exhortation of simple wisdom and encouragement. I know that for me, being “devoted to prayer” doesn’t necessarily come easy…but when I am…in the being “watchful”…He seems to lead my heart to a place of thankfulness….a place that can I can be totally dependent on Jesus.

Then there’s the part about Paul being in chains…in prison…and he asks for prayer…not to be freed, mind you…but for opportunity to share the gospel,….an example of selfless devotion, truly dependent on Christ, indifferent to his own persecution.

Tonight, I was meeting with some friends for some time in the word & just sharing about life. One of the guys brought up how he was struggling with how to deal with a friend’s unbelief…a friend that he’s known since childhood. And then I remembered reading these versus just before I left...& shared them with the group….

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

I don’t believe in coincidences. We prayed for this man and our friend…and I think, this is where Paul lead me tonight….to the message of grace for all in the truth of the Gospel…& no matter what my circumstances…be always thankful…ever mindful…and truly devoted to one who brings us all everlasting life…life to the full…Jesus.

Have a Blessed Day!

jim

Monday 11.12.12

Welcome to the PoG Blog!  Before reading the scripture, please pray the Holy Spirit will guide and direct your meditation on God’s word.  Matthew 5:10 – 12

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

 Even though I have heard this scripture many times, my first thought when I read it today was that I can’t comprehend it – it doesn’t make any sense to me.  Unfortunately, I generally try to avoid insults, persecution, and false accusations.  The thought that someone would endure all of this and then actually rejoice and be glad in it just blows my mind.  As we were watching the video in church today of the Laotian man who was imprisoned for witnessing to his faith and then beaten because he repeatedly smuggled Bibles into his prison, I keep wondering why he was doing it.

 The only answer I can come up with for these questions is that these people have been radically transformed by the power of Jesus Christ in their lives.  May I be transformed in a similar manner and may we always remember those who are being persecuted for their faith all over the world!

 Please feel free to share your thoughts as you are moved by the Holy Spirit.                                                                                             

mark liebenow

11.9.12 "Spirited Communication"

My dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You now to be restored in You, to be renewed in You to receive Your life and Your love and all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day.  I honor You as my Sovereign Lord and surrender every aspect of my life totally and completely to You and ask you to lead me this day and speak to me through Your word! Amen Ephesians 4 ²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

As I think back on the theme for this week about "being a neighbor", arising from Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, I am caught by the thought that sometimes it is more difficult to love people (be a neighbor) in the intangible things like communication, emotion, compassion than it is in the more tangible ways like caring for the sick, helping someone on the side of the road, etc.  

It is this intangible "neighborliness" that the scripture above speaks into my heart today!  These words cast a vision for me of loving people in very practical and often overlooked ways especially the way I communicate.  I love the idea of communicating with others in unselfish ways - ways that benefit those who listen.  

I am also moved by the reality that the Holy Spirit of God living in me is "grieved" when I reject what He is trying to do in my life in a particular situation.  I do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit.   Not only is my unwholesome talking, bitterness, rage and anger destructive to my human relationships, it is destructive to my relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

This passage helps me see that the very Spirit that my unhealthy communication grieves is the very Spirit that gives me the power for "healthy communication"!  My will power is not powerful enough to correct my errant ways - but the Spirit of God in me is.  Today I get to surrender again and again to Jesus and ask Him to fill me with His Spirit so my words, thoughts and actions can flow from a different place than my "broken sinfulness".  They can flow from the Spirit of God in Me!

That is cool!  Really cool!

Just the other day I was in a situation where I could tell my words, thoughts and actions were beginning to flow from a "not so healthy" place in me.  I slipped off to the bathroom (a good place to be alone in a pinch) and prayed something like this.  "Jesus, i desperately need You now.  i completely surrender myself, my ego and my agenda to You.  i step by faith into Your reign over me.  Please fill me with Your Spirit.  I receive You, Your agenda and Your Spirit right now!  I will now go back out there and act like it! I love You God! Amen"

I am so glad Jesus has forgiven me and because of that does not disqualify me from His presence!

I get to live today and communicate today filled with the Spirit of the living God!

delton

How did the passage strike you?  Let us know your thoughts!

11.8.12 - Using Trials to Bless

Father, open up our hearts and minds to hear what you are saying to us through your word today.  Give us wisdom and insight to apply and use what you are teaching us! Today’s reading is:  2 Corinthians 1: 3-5  (The Message)

^3-5 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

Last Sunday’s message was about being a good neighbor - based on the story of the Good Samaritan.   It was about being compassionate and merciful and moving beyond the dull life of following lists... to a life of loving and being available for God to use!

I always wondered what the man (the one helped by the Samaritan) did after he healed up and went on his way.  Did he use what had happened to him to help someone else?  Was he more compassionate to others because of the compassion shown to him by the Samaritan?   Was he able to talk to others who had been robbed and beat up and tell them there is healing and hope on the other side of the wounds?   This is what the passage in 2 Corinthians is talking about.  Using our hardships and trials to bless and help other people. I think it’s amazing how God can use the horrible trials in our lives to bring peace and comfort to someone else.

What He requires from us, is that we be willing to be transparent about our trials, our challenges, our shortcomings, and our bad decisions.  If we can do that, we receive comfort and freedom by sharing them and the other person receives comfort in knowing others have been through the same thing.  They also receive wisdom for next steps because we’ve been through it before.  God redeems - but He needs us to be a good neighbor, a good sharer, and available!

Today’s passage praises God for the hard times, because we see God’s healing and comfort during those times.   Now that’s moving beyond the dull life of worry and regret!   When we look at the hard times as opportunities that God is giving us to help someone down the road, then it becomes an adventure.  I don’t want to down play the horrible things that we sometimes have to endure because of our sin, someone else’s sin, or our sinful society - but it does help to know that there’s a God of comfort beside us and a God of redemption that we can count on to heal us and use us to help someone else in their time of need.  It brings hope to a hopeless situation!

What are your thoughts on today’s passage?  I would love to hear them!

Denise

11.7.12 "Friends"

Lord, what do you have in store for me today?  I surrender my life, heart and time to you?  As I engage in your Word Lord I surrender the ears of my heart to You.  Thank You for loving me – help me listen well. Amen John 15: ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

To be called a friend is a special thing! Jesus says He calls us friends.

I recently observed friendship in action.  Two men who I know well that are a little older than me have become best friends over the last several years.  In fact I had a little to do with them getting together and building a relationship.  One got sick, the other was a friend – the kind of friend that sees you at your best and at your worst and still loves you.  As I saw these two men in action – one in need the other being there doing whatever was needed – I witnessed some of what Jesus is talking about.  Friends love deeply, serve each other, don’t hide from one another but are transparent with each other.  Jesus entrusted to these men who He now called friends the deepest things of His heart, “for everything that I learned from My Father I have made know to You!”

It is amazing to me that my God has chosen to be so transparent with me and to love me into friendship with Him.  I do want to live deeply into that level of friendship with God today and let that spill over into the friendship relationships I have with other people. 

Today, I think I need to be thankful and joyful as I relish in the friendship Jesus ha s offered me as undeserving as I am.  I also sense a calling to “be a friend” deeply and significantly to some very important people in my life.  I get to be befriended by my God today and I get to be a friend to the people around me today. 

Enjoy friendship with Jesus today and notice the friends He has brought around you!

delton

11.6.12 "It's Who I Am!"

Lord Jesus, help me see everything You want me to see and hear everything You want me to hear and obey everything You want me to obey from Your Word today! Colossians 3 ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I am personally inspired and convicted by this passage.  It shows me that my identity as “God’s chosen people” is the fuel and power for me to live like I really want to live with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love.  That is really who I want to be and these verses tell me that is really who I am.  Jesus has made it possible for me to be “holy and dearly loved” by his grace in my life and now makes it possible for me to be clothed with the virtues of Christ.

As I think about last Sunday’s message about the Good Samaritan I am reminded how Jesus drew the lawyer’s attention to “being a neighbor” rather than arguing about “Who is my neighbor?”!   Jesus directs us to grasp and press into our identity that we have in Him and then let our way of life flow from that.   The list of virtues in our text is what “being a neighbor” looks like.  The focus is not on the list of virtues we should try harder to accomplish.  The focus is on the amazing fruit that flows from being “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved”.

I am refreshed – I am hopeful.  If I focus on my identity in Christ this fruit will come.  I get to be God’s chosen today!  I get to be holy and dearly loved!  I get to live fully alive today – being a neighbor!

Equipped with this identity, I enter today hopeful, thankful and with wonderful anticipation – not because my circumstances are great but because my God is great!  Let’s believe this together – we need each other!

delton

What grabbed you from this passage?  What is God saying?

11.5.12 "I Don't Have to Play the Game"

Welcome to today’s blog.  I am so glad you are here to consider an amazing section of scripture! Luke 18 “⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ ¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ ¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

I am always humbled by this story!  I have a problem with comparing myself to other people.  If I am really honest sometimes I do it to make me feel better about myself – it almost always backfires.  For everyone I can compare myself to so I feel “better” about myself there are ten people I can compare myself to where I feel “worse” – like a failure. Its a vicious game isn't it!

So there is a very special and real invitation to me in this message from Jesus – I am invited out of the comparison game.  I don’t have to play it at all!  This story invites me to live in a whole new world – a world of grace.  I am who I am by the grace of God!  I have what I have because of the grace of God!  On my own I must reach the same conclusion as the tax collector, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”

Jesus was telling this story to people who were “confident of their own righteousness and looking down on everyone else…”   People like me! I realize we are all different.  Some of us have made wiser decisions in our lives than others of us.  Some of us have had different opportunities than others of us.  Some of us have to deal with very, very challenging circumstances than others of us – some of those we caused ourselves some were caused by others.  Jesus warns that if we start the comparison game were are in for a crushing humbling.  However, Jesus promises to those who “humble themselves” that God will lift them up – they will be exalted.

I truly want to live this day with God in charge of  my life.  It is such a better life.  I do not want to spend my day “justifying myself”, “cutting others down to lift my own ego”, “exalting myself”… there is no hope and joy in a day lived like that.  I truly want to accept Christ’s invitation to live by grace – truly live with God in charge – to live knowing I am radically dependent on God for all that I am and all that I have.  This will be a much more alive day, free day and a day where I will be much more available to love other people to “be a neighbor” to everyone around me.  I don't have to judge others I get to love them - like the Good Samaritan did.  I get to see others as people who are my “neighbors” rather than people I use to make me feel better about myself!

This is going to be a great day – lived by the grace of God!  I don’t have to play the comparison game today – I am free!

Enjoy this amazing day with me! delton

11.3.12 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog! Instead of a staff person or lay leader beginning the discussion, we are asking that YOU begin the discussion on what today’s Scripture is saying to you and how it relates to Sunday’s message. Enjoy praying, digging in, sharing thoughts and responding!

Have a great Saturday!   Denise

Today’s Scripture Reading is:  Psalm 51: 10-17   (NIV)

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart,^(A) O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.^{(B) 11} Do not cast me^(C) from your presence^(D) or take your Holy Spirit^(E) from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation^(F) and grant me a willing spirit,^(G) to sustain me.^(H)

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,^(I) so that sinners^(J) will turn back to you.^{(K) 14} Deliver me^(L) from the guilt of bloodshed,^(M) O God, you who are God my Savior,^(N) and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.^{(O) 15} Open my lips, Lord,^(P) and my mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice,^(Q) or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. ¹⁷ My sacrifice,^(R) O God, is^[a] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart^(S) you, God, will not despise.

Share your thoughts!  What is God saying to you through this Scripture today?

11.2.12 "What God Sees in Me!"

I am so excited to blog on this scripture for today! Matthew 5: ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

This little section of scripture simply blows me away! 

This is at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount which was spoken in the beginning of Jesus preaching ministry before He had even called by name the 12 disciples.  The people listening to Him, beginning to follow Him and be discipled by Him had to have a lot of questions.  They were magnetically drawn to Him but couldn't have really understood at this point who He was and what He was about.  In this context Jesus speaks these bold visionary words to those people and about those people, "You are the salt of the earth...  You are the light of the world..."

They were His plan A for influencing the world with "Jesus-ness" and there was no plan B.  If the salt loses its saltiness how can it (the earth) be made salty.  Jesus saw in this group of followers and all who would come after them far more than they saw in themselves!  Let me say that again - "Jesus saw in these people far more than they saw in themselves!"  Jesus saw a movement infiltrating the world with God's reign!  We are still experiencing this movement today that started with a rag tag group of followers living out salty light bearing lives.

Our God is one who sees in us far more than we see in ourselves.  To put it another way, Jesus trusts His transformational work in our lives more than we do.  He trusts what we can become under His lordship more than we do!  Jesus envisions far more of a people-impacting life for me than I can imagine! 

As we approach Serve the City day here at Point of Grace I want to keep this in mind!  As I approach every day I need to let go of my limited thinking and my confining box.  I really don't miss the opportunities God has for me!  My limited confining "in the box" thinking can find so many excuses, reasons, justifications for not being radically available.  I can think I am too tired, too busy, need to veg, not in the mood etc. and totally miss God-oppurtunities right in front of me - like Serve the City day at PoG.

So I desperately need a God who has a vision for me that is so much bigger than my vision for me!  I desperately need a God who "sees in me far more than I see in myself"!  

I have a big "salt and light" life to live today that is much bigger than me! 

WOW!

delton

11.1.12 "Radical Availability"

Today’s scripture reading is:  Romans 12: 1-2  (NIV) 12 Therefore, I urge you,^(A) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(B) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform^(C) to the pattern of this world,^(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(E) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(F)—his good, pleasing^(G) and perfect will.

The words “living sacrifice” grabbed my attention as I read this today.   What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?  My first thought on the word “sacrifice”, is that I should make a sacrifice for the sake of Jesus, for the Kingdom, or for others.    A sacrifice of myself, my finances, my time, my energy, my gifts, etc.  I’m not supposed to keep these things to myself, but rather, I am to share them so I can be an instrument that God can use in different situations.

Then I’m challenged by the word “living”.  I don’t think “living” just means “alive” or to be a sacrifice that’s alive.  I think “living” means “while I’m living” or “in my living”.

So let’s say I see myself as a sacrifice... and I help people, or I give to charity/church, or I volunteer for the greeters team or worship team on Sunday morning - and I am sacrificing my time,  my money, my giftedness in these ways.   But what about the rest of my time, my money, my giftedness - when I’m not doing church or “religious” things?   Am I truly offering myself as a sacrifice “while I’m living”... in my everyday life?   Not just when it’s in my scheduled routine, but just when I’m walking, talking, working, playing, or having conversations with friends, family, or acquaintances.   I need to get better at that kind of thinking!  I want to be a completely surrendered sacrifice for God to use at any moment of any day... not just when it fits my schedule.

Last Sunday, Pastor talked about us being God’s workmanship  - he said we need to ask... then listen... then let Him tell us what to do.  I need to learn to recognize what He wants from me and I need to respond!  So being a living sacrifice would mean getting up every morning and asking God to use me in any situation that day.  I lay down my life for HIS CALL on my life that day, no matter what situation, or where I’m at, or what time of day it is, or what HE may be interrupting in my schedule - and I act on the opportunities He provides. This would be true worship, like the passage says... to put Him and His agenda for me first every moment of every day.

This all goes against our culture and the “pattern of this world”.   To be radically available to God in a ME centered culture would be transformational.  I would be transformed and likely, so would the people around me.   What if I get a call from someone needing a listening ear during my favorite movie on TV?  What if I need to stay with a friend all night and miss out on sleep?  What if someone needs a ride but I’m overwhelmed with work at the office?   What if I’m in a hurry to get somewhere, but someone needs encouragement and conversation?  What if I have an extra room and someone needs a place to stay?   What if I’m exhausted, but there’s an opportunity to talk with someone about Jesus?   As trivial as some of these excuses seem, they’ve kept me from being available before... how about you?  God is calling me (us) to a radical life of sacrifice.  A counter-cultural way of life.  A way that will transform us into God’s likeness and those around us will be exposed to His light!  I want to be a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God!

Lord, I surrender my agenda to you.  I offer myself, my schedule, my time, my finances, and my home, to you Lord.  Please use me and give me opportunities to be a sacrifice for you, in my coming and my going and in every moment of every day.  I want to be transformed and mature - a powerful instrument for you!    Amen

How did this passage hit you today?

Denise

10/31/12 For the Long Haul

Hello! I'm glad we get to meet here today and dig into God's word! John 15:1-5

“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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

As I was pondering these verses today, I imagine Jesus referring to vines and branches that would grow olives or grapes. Either image really impresses upon me the longevity, consistency, and resilience of what He was saying when He tells us to "remain in Me".  I have encountered very old examples of each that still produced such amazing fruit of all types.

For instance, a few years back I attended a wine tasting of wines made from grapes harvested from vines that were growing in the hills of Pompeii when the volcano's eruption covered the city in ash in AD 79. These roots were uncovered at some point and were grafted onto healthy vines, essentially recreating the grape stock that was cultivated thousands of years ago! It was a neat experience and very humbling to grasp the expanse of time.

I also think about a "holding cross" I recently bought my daughter. She has desperately wanted one since we had gotten one for a dear friend two years ago- it's simply a wooden cross, carved and shaped to comfortably be held with your hand wrapped around it. We looked and looked for the past few years and haven't had luck finding them again. Until this past weekend. And what a find! We found a holding cross like the one we had gotten for our friend, only it is made from reclaimed wood that came from olive trees that still grow just outside Bethlehem. According to the paperwork, these olive groves are thousands of years old, so this wood was easily growing when Jesus was born!

So I can't help but imagine that when Jesus talked about vines and branches in these verses in John, he was talking about a relationship with Him for the long haul - not something convenient for today or our current crisis, but for tomorrow, next week, next month, next year - even decades from now! He desires that long-term connection with us, and promises that this relationship will 'bear much fruit' -- no doubt long-lasting, like the revived grapes in Pompeii or the centuries-old wood from Bethlehem.

But we have to relinquish control to Him in order to remain in Him. We have to continually turn into Him, lean into Him, rely on Him, in order to experience the freedom of remaining in Him. And we have to flourish, grow, bear fruit - we can't help but do so when we remain in Him, just like branches and leaves and grapes and olives can't help but grow when they receive the nourishment they require.

What are your thoughts on today's reading?

Lisa