Okay, so I have fallen a little behind. I’ve got some work to do this week to catch up in my “Cover to Cover” daily readings in order to be back on track and up to date. According to my Bible reading plan, I should be reading through 1 Chronicles chapters 3 thru 6 today, but I’ve got to admit that I’m still back in 2 Kings and plowing through the stories of all those unfaithful kings of Judah. The list of Israel’s kings stopped when they were wiped out and carried off into Assyria last night. I AM at least making progress! It is my hope that my confession will encourage you… if you’ve fallen behind, you are not the only one… and you CAN catch up!
Not that I am making excuses, but the main reason that I’ve fallen behind is that I had turned my focus to this month’s sermon series, “Vintage Jesus” for a little while. I know, it’s not a good excuse, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! I hope that our look at some of the vintage teachings of our Savior was encouraging and challenging to all of us… it was to me! But now I’m back on track and wanting to return our Sunday morning focus back to the narrative of God’s people and our year-long “Cover to Cover” study. This Sunday, we return to the story of Israel, picking up with 1 Samuel where we left of. We’ll be trying to make up some ground to catch up with where our reading schedule should put us. For the month of May we will be looking at the great stories of Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon presented in the historical books of the Old Testament, Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. That will prepare us to move into the summer months and into the wisdom books of Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and into an exploration of the “meaning of life.” Keep up in your readings… be prayerful about your time in the Word… and come prepared to explore more fully the meaning of God’s Word for our lives today every week!!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
"No one can serve two masters" -Jesus
Jesus had a way of being direct and to the point, didn’t he? It is almost as if Jesus realized that his time on Earth was going to be short. He didn’t waste any time mincing words or trying to assuage people with empty words. When he had an opportunity to teach people, he got right to the point. That’s what he was doing out on that mountainside in chapters five and six of Matthew in what has become known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” This extended discourse contains some of Jesus’ most famous and most difficult teaching. When he said in chapter six verse 24 that “no man can serve two masters” he wasn’t pulling any punches. He was talking directly to folks who were trying to live in two worlds… trying to follow him while at the same time trying to keep one foot firmly planted in the world. They were guilty of “storing up treasures on Earth” as opposed to investing for eternity and by so doing, they were trying to serve two masters.
This Sunday we’re going to conclude our recent mini-series of lessons on the teachings of Jesus, “Vintage Jesus”, by taking a fresh look at this great one-liner… “No one can serve two masters” and its natural follow-up found at the end of that verse, “You cannot serve both God and Money.” Probably no teaching of our Savior is as relevant today as this one! How many of us are guilty of storing up for ourselves and putting our trust in the things of this world, rather than in the things of God? How many of us are investing for eternity… using the material resources and wealth that we have been blessed with to further the kingdom of God? How many of us put more trust in our 401k’s than in our Lord?
This Sunday we’re going to conclude our recent mini-series of lessons on the teachings of Jesus, “Vintage Jesus”, by taking a fresh look at this great one-liner… “No one can serve two masters” and its natural follow-up found at the end of that verse, “You cannot serve both God and Money.” Probably no teaching of our Savior is as relevant today as this one! How many of us are guilty of storing up for ourselves and putting our trust in the things of this world, rather than in the things of God? How many of us are investing for eternity… using the material resources and wealth that we have been blessed with to further the kingdom of God? How many of us put more trust in our 401k’s than in our Lord?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
What do teachers make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. In short, I make a difference. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. In short, I make a difference. What do you make?"
Monday, April 13, 2009
"Whatever you do for the least of these..."
“Whatever you did for the least of these… you did for me.” -Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus had some great one-liners… short, to the point statements of great truth and challenge. None are more challenging than his statement in Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” The challenge in this statement isn’t in remembering it… it is one of Jesus’ more memorable statements. The challenge is in living it out daily. How are we to serve Christ? What does he expect of us? Who are we supposed to love? It is some of these questions and themes that we want to explore more fully on Sunday as we continue our series, “Vintage Jesus.” Some time this week take a few moments to read Matthew 25:31-46 again… and be praying about how God would have us as a church serve Him in our community in more ways than we are right now doing.
Some thoughts which immediately spring to my jumbled mind on this Monday… the TN Children’s Home will be here on Thursday (April 16th) to pick up our donations of food. If you haven’t already made a contribution to this effort, you might begin serving “the least of these” by picking up a few extra food items on your weekly grocery trip and dropping them by the church office for the Children’s Home. This is a great ministry which serves children all over the middle Tennessee area by providing a solid, Christ-centered environment in which they can grow physically, mentally and spiritually. If you can do so, please drop off your groceries by Wednesday afternoon so we can have them all ready for pickup on Thursday! Monetary donations are also being accepted. You might also be interested in assisting the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief ministry out of Nashville as they provide emergency relief and assistance to areas affected by natural disasters. With the devastation caused by the recent storms and tornadoes both in Alabama and in Murfreesboro they have been very busy lately. Information about both of these church-based organizations can be found on our website.
Also, here locally, we have an opportunity to support Junior’s House, Fayetteville’s children’s advocacy center. On Tuesday, April 28th, they are hosting “Andrea’s Walk”, an event designed to raise money for the agency and promote awareness in the community of the need to help children who have been affected by abuse. We have been invited to help feed participants who walk in the event. If you would like to help us provide 50 sack lunches, please call the church office or drop us an e-mail. If you would like to participate in the event yourself, call Carol at Juniors House at 438-3233.
As you can see, you don’t have to look very hard around us for opportunities to “do unto the least of these” in and around our own community. I’ve just named three, but there are dozens more! Please be on the look out this week for opportunities to bless those around you.
Jesus had some great one-liners… short, to the point statements of great truth and challenge. None are more challenging than his statement in Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” The challenge in this statement isn’t in remembering it… it is one of Jesus’ more memorable statements. The challenge is in living it out daily. How are we to serve Christ? What does he expect of us? Who are we supposed to love? It is some of these questions and themes that we want to explore more fully on Sunday as we continue our series, “Vintage Jesus.” Some time this week take a few moments to read Matthew 25:31-46 again… and be praying about how God would have us as a church serve Him in our community in more ways than we are right now doing.
Some thoughts which immediately spring to my jumbled mind on this Monday… the TN Children’s Home will be here on Thursday (April 16th) to pick up our donations of food. If you haven’t already made a contribution to this effort, you might begin serving “the least of these” by picking up a few extra food items on your weekly grocery trip and dropping them by the church office for the Children’s Home. This is a great ministry which serves children all over the middle Tennessee area by providing a solid, Christ-centered environment in which they can grow physically, mentally and spiritually. If you can do so, please drop off your groceries by Wednesday afternoon so we can have them all ready for pickup on Thursday! Monetary donations are also being accepted. You might also be interested in assisting the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief ministry out of Nashville as they provide emergency relief and assistance to areas affected by natural disasters. With the devastation caused by the recent storms and tornadoes both in Alabama and in Murfreesboro they have been very busy lately. Information about both of these church-based organizations can be found on our website.
Also, here locally, we have an opportunity to support Junior’s House, Fayetteville’s children’s advocacy center. On Tuesday, April 28th, they are hosting “Andrea’s Walk”, an event designed to raise money for the agency and promote awareness in the community of the need to help children who have been affected by abuse. We have been invited to help feed participants who walk in the event. If you would like to help us provide 50 sack lunches, please call the church office or drop us an e-mail. If you would like to participate in the event yourself, call Carol at Juniors House at 438-3233.
As you can see, you don’t have to look very hard around us for opportunities to “do unto the least of these” in and around our own community. I’ve just named three, but there are dozens more! Please be on the look out this week for opportunities to bless those around you.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
"I am the Resurrection and the Life"
“Lord, if only you had been here… my brother would not have died.” Martha and her sister, Mary, had been through a tough week. Their brother, Lazarus, had been seriously ill. No doubt they had rushed to his side as soon as they had heard. No doubt they had done all that they could to care for him. But it hadn’t been enough. After several days of sickness, he had died. It had been so sudden, they hardly had time to process it all. In the midst of it, they had sent word for their friend, Jesus, to come quickly… but he had not come. I am sure that they had prayed... but God had not acted to bring healing. I am sure that they had high hopes… but those hopes had been dashed. Now, in the aftermath of if all, Mary and Martha were alone in their mourning… when Jesus finally arrived. You can almost hear the despair, the hopelessness and maybe even a bit of anger in the words of Martha. “Jesus, where have you been? If only you had been here? You could have done something.”
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever wondered why God did not answer a prayer in the way that you would have liked? Have you ever cried out to God in desperation, “Lord, where are you? Why me? If only you had been here?” I’ve watched families like Martha’s walk through some pretty tough times. I’ve seen them try to make sense out of senseless tragedies. I’ve witnessed them face difficult diagnoses. I’ve even asked some of those questions, myself. Well, I’ve got to admit that I don’t have all the answers. I don’t understand fully why God does what he does sometimes. Why allow the innocent to suffer? Why allow a family to lose a loved one? Why allow someone to get sick? I don’t have all the answers…. But Jesus did. In fact, he IS the answer. In this heart-warming and gut-wrenching story from John’s gospel, Jesus not only provided Martha with comforting words to answer her question… he made the bold declaration that he IS the answer, HIMSELF. He said, “I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”
If those words don’t bring a chill down your spine, go back and read that story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in John chapter 11 again. “I AM the resurrection and the life!” Wow. This Sunday is Easter Sunday. It is the day that Christians around the globe will celebrate the day, almost 2,000 years ago, when Jesus, himself, took on the foe of death and won the victory! Having been crucified on Friday, Jesus rose from the grave on the following Sunday and forever changed the course of human history. No longer would death be an enemy. No longer would the grave be the end. No longer would the devil hold us in his clutches! Death had been defeated. The grave had been overcome and the tomb was found empty! Jesus’ words to Martha had surely come true, Jesus IS the resurrection! Not only did he rise from the grave himself… but his resurrection paved the way for our own resurrection when this life is over for us. What an incredible hope… a hope that we will celebrate this Lord’s day, as we do every Sunday, in our assembly together and we will reflect on these “vintage” words of Jesus…. “I am the Resurrection and the life.” What message do these words have for us today? Let me encourage you to invite a friend to join us in worship this Sunday as we continue our focus on Jesus and some of his great “one-liners.” And let us rejoice in the good news that Jesus IS the resurrection and the life!
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever wondered why God did not answer a prayer in the way that you would have liked? Have you ever cried out to God in desperation, “Lord, where are you? Why me? If only you had been here?” I’ve watched families like Martha’s walk through some pretty tough times. I’ve seen them try to make sense out of senseless tragedies. I’ve witnessed them face difficult diagnoses. I’ve even asked some of those questions, myself. Well, I’ve got to admit that I don’t have all the answers. I don’t understand fully why God does what he does sometimes. Why allow the innocent to suffer? Why allow a family to lose a loved one? Why allow someone to get sick? I don’t have all the answers…. But Jesus did. In fact, he IS the answer. In this heart-warming and gut-wrenching story from John’s gospel, Jesus not only provided Martha with comforting words to answer her question… he made the bold declaration that he IS the answer, HIMSELF. He said, “I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”
If those words don’t bring a chill down your spine, go back and read that story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in John chapter 11 again. “I AM the resurrection and the life!” Wow. This Sunday is Easter Sunday. It is the day that Christians around the globe will celebrate the day, almost 2,000 years ago, when Jesus, himself, took on the foe of death and won the victory! Having been crucified on Friday, Jesus rose from the grave on the following Sunday and forever changed the course of human history. No longer would death be an enemy. No longer would the grave be the end. No longer would the devil hold us in his clutches! Death had been defeated. The grave had been overcome and the tomb was found empty! Jesus’ words to Martha had surely come true, Jesus IS the resurrection! Not only did he rise from the grave himself… but his resurrection paved the way for our own resurrection when this life is over for us. What an incredible hope… a hope that we will celebrate this Lord’s day, as we do every Sunday, in our assembly together and we will reflect on these “vintage” words of Jesus…. “I am the Resurrection and the life.” What message do these words have for us today? Let me encourage you to invite a friend to join us in worship this Sunday as we continue our focus on Jesus and some of his great “one-liners.” And let us rejoice in the good news that Jesus IS the resurrection and the life!
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