Sunday Words of Encouragement January 8, 2017

What a lovely morning. Our Sunday School (SS) teacher gave a message on Landmarks which led well into the church service. Those notes will be a message to share another day. In the service, after opening with worship, we celebrated four baptisms of young people, had prayer time and proceeded to the message.

Pastor’s sermon was titled “Shift”. Anyone who has ever driven a manual (shift) car, knows that the learning experience is usually rough and bumpy before becoming smoothing out. Pastor noted that our worldly culture is shifting. Reaching our community is now one of the great challenges that faces every church, and very importantly our church. The tendency, as we move through our lives, is that we have less contact with unchurched. Many are further from God than ever before. The current culture has embraced relativism and subjectivism. (Relativism: the assumption that there is no certain truth. Subjectivism: each person determines right and wrong in their own eyes.)

Jesus points the way to effectively reach our community in John 13:1-15. We must first love unconditionally and serve selflessly. We can only reach others through relationships, which are done in circles, not rows (or pews).

The Point: Be intentionally and determined to connect relationally with our community by loving and serving.

This message made me think of this lovely song:
Make Me a Servant.

Verses for Today:
John 13:12-15 NLT
12After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Lord, help me be discerning of your specific direction in my life to love and serve others.

Sunday Words of Encouragement June 29, 2014

Pastor's Sermon this morning was based on the example of Zaccheus in Luke 19:1-10.  Zaccheus was a chief tax gatherer with the unpleasant reputation that went along with that position. Although he had power he knew something was missing in his life. He was a short man who had to make an effort to climb a tree to seek Jesus. God fore-knew Zaccheus' circumstances and placed a tree where it was needed. Jesus knows our needs and will meet our needs where and when we seek Him.

When the religious leaders and others grumbled about Jesus meeting with sinners like the tax collector, Jesus said:  “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” v 9-10.

God can use anything and anyone who submits. We need to want to know Jesus. We need to know that we are in this world but not of it. Zaccheus made a choice, a decision to seek Jesus and then to turn from his wicked greed. We must choose, make a decision each day, to seek Jesus, to live as He wants us to and to show His love to others.

Consider your lifestyle and possessions. Are you self sufficient or are you relying on God?  If you own something that you can't give away, it owns you; it is the equivalent of an idol. If God doesn't have you're resources, He doesn't have you.

This is a fairly simple praise song but it says a lot.
Make Me a Servant

Verses for Today:
Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV)
26 "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I pray that the Lord will remind me each day to be a servant.