It’s time for another Bible verse to remember. I realize some of you may be new to this, but I hope you’ll still tag along.
This week is an easy verse, but oh so powerful! Can you imagine if we just practiced this verse for a week?
And I think it’s fairly easy to memorize also…
Here’s this week’s memory verse:
Whenever I see people (or myself) in a pity-party because of the situations or circumstances around them, I’ve learned it’s often because of one of three things. I’m sure there are many other reasons, but these three tend to pop up the most:
Living by the law – The fact is that I see people put unbearable standards on themselves and when they don’t measure up to them, they feel defeated, like a failure, unworthy, or even unloved. The law sets us up for failure. The primary purpose of the law was to show us that we couldn’t live up to God’s standard on our own and point out for us why we needed a Savior. Living by the law keeps us from the freedom, joy and peace Christ died for us to have.
Not realizing truth - The truth is that “if the Son has set you free you are free indeed”. The truth is that “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world”. The truth is He has numbered the hairs on my head. The truth is we live by faith, not by sight. The truth is He will never leave us or forsake us. The truth is “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive” what God has planned for His children. (And, so much more.) When we fail to realize the truths of God’s Word it keeps us from living in the freedom, joy and peace God intends for us to have.
Refusing to forgive – Every time I speak about forgiveness people rise up with stories of abuse, neglect, hurt and pain. There are some wounded people in the world. While I am sensitive to the injuries, I’m reminded that as forgiven people we are to be people who forgive. That is not granting people a license to injure us more, but it is freeing our hearts from the bondage of an unforgiving spirit. Whether we are angry at God, at others, or at ourselves, extending forgiveness frees us to live the peaceful, joyful, unbridled life God intended for His children. When we hold onto pain instead of forgiveness, we block the freedom, peace and joy a believer is designed to experience.
I believe that working through these three issues can help us live with freedom, joy and peace, and even live happily, all while residing in a very mixed up world. I realize using a term such as “unhappy” creates immediate tension for some. You don’t have to be “happy” when life falls apart around you, you see friends or family suffering, or at the tragedies of the day. Those don’t have to make you happy, but for the believer, there is always a reason to work through those negative emotions that naturally come and remind ourselves of the state of freedom, joy and peace that God provides…in the midst of suffering. I don’t know about you…but when I do that process…it makes me very happy!
Which of these is keeping you from experiencing all God has for you?
(Feel free to debate with me the difference in joy and happiness on this post. While not the purpose of this post, I welcome the discussion.)
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NIV
Do you know why you can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence?
Unconditional Love! God loves you unconditionally!
Have you ever experienced the awesome feeling of knowing you are loved unconditionally?
I have come to realize how many people struggle with understanding the concept of unconditional love.
I feel so blessed to have grown up under this kind of love. My mother loves her children no matter what. I honestly believe there is nothing I could do in which she would not find a way to support me. She may not always agree with me, and she may be quick to point that out, but I have always known that I have one person in my corner.
I find that kind of love in my wife. She can’t seem to NOT love me. At times, it seems I test that theory I’m sure, but regardless of my attitude that day or the way I respond to her, she keeps on loving me.
I hope you had the experience of unconditional love, because it will go a long way toward understanding the deep love of our wonderful God. The truth is, however, that no matter what our experience is, we cannot fathom the depth of God’s love for His children (Ephesians 3:19).
The love of God is deeper than our level of comprehension. He loves us, not because of who we are, but because of who HE is! He is God! He is the Creator, Sustainer and Protector of the Universe. He made you and me in His image so that He could love us and we could love Him. He doesn’t just give us love; He is love.
God loves you unconditionally. You didn’t earn it; you don’t deserve it; you couldn’t buy it; and you can’t sell it. His love is yours whether you accept it or not. You cannot stop His love based on your behavior.
I don’t mean to oversimplify this, but I need to make sure I am clear on this one topic: ………………G O D L O V E S Y O U ! ! !………………………and He always will!
Who in your life, besides God, helps you understand unconditional love?
Last Sunday, in our LIES series at Grace Community Church, I addressed the lie that Christians stop sinning when we become followers of Christ. It’s also why we have been called hypocrites by some. Every believer knows, however, that they still battle sin, but it’s often confusing as to why. I addressed this issue in this message:
Did you watch the message? Have you ever thought of Christians as hypocritical?
I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? Psalm 121:1 NIV
When you are in the valley, I mean really, deep in the valley, the only place to look is up!
Life has a way of placing you in the valley for seasons. Have you ever been there before? Are you there now?
Have you ever lifted up your eyes, heavy, burdened with guilt, mourning with hurt, drooping from the strain of sorrow, to see the mountains where your heart longs to be again?
Have you ever been so low that you barely have a dream of what it is like to be on top?
All of us will one day have a heart that needs to be filled. Each of us find ourselves at times expereincing that empty painful, awful hole in our heart, the size that only God can completely fill.
In those times, it’s important, more than ever, to remember where your help come from. Your hope lies in a Savior, in a man like no other man, who came, who loved, who shared, who died, and who lives again! Your hope is in Jesus! Your help is found in Jesus! In that most desperate moment…there is no substitute!
If you are in the valley today…look to the hills….look to Jesus!
Can my readers and I pray with you about an issue? Leave a comment on this post.
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:9-11 NIV
About 10 years ago now, my family spent a weekend visiting churches with a group of people from our home church. The church was preparing a long-range plan and one part of that report was to review the style of worship. At the time, the church had a very traditional style of worship and was asking if it should incorporate more contemporary or a blended music.
A few days after out trip, I was sitting with my youngest son having lunch. He was about 10 years old at the time, but very perceptive. Reflecting on our recent trip, he asked a good question and it was one that helped shape my thoughts at the time. He asked, “Daddy, what kind of worship will there be in Heaven? Will there be one contemporary worship service and one traditional?”
I was stunned. I had never thought about it. What style of worship does Heaven have? Will we sing praise choruses, or will we use hymnals? Will there be organ music or piano? Will there be a praise team or a choir? And…most importantly…the bigger question…do angels sing?
As I read God’s Word, I can’t really say what style of worship we will have in Heaven. What I can discern, however, is that we will certainly worship! We often come to “worship service” with the junk of life on our minds. When we get to Heaven, there will be no more junk. We will no longer experience times when our hearts are not really into worship. I get the idea that when the created worships the Creator, God will care less about the style of music we sing and more about the devotion of the hearts singing!
We will fall at the feet of Jesus and Worship God! It will be unlike anything we have ever experienced! I don’t know if we will call it contemporary or traditional, but for sure, we will call it worship!
Just curious, what style of worship, worship song, hymn or artist leads you best in worship? Do you have any opinions/ideas/thoughts about the worship in Heaven?
Someone asked me recently how I address a Bible passage in order to teach about it. I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, but I do have a system. Of course the process begins and ends with prayer, but God has wired me to think systematically, so I need a format that works for me in writing a sermon message.
When teaching on a specific passage of Scripture, I consider five questions about the Bible text:
What does it say? – I usually look at several translations, and depending on the passage, may research the original words if needed. I want to know what the verse or verses says in a way that I can understand it. At this point, I attempt to understand the text within the context it was written…time period…location of writing…people to whom it was written.
What does it mean? – I always allow Scripture to interpret Scripture first. I like to use cross references and word searches for specific words or phrases I may not understand or want to explore further. At this stage, I want to understand the passage in the context of the entire Bible.
How does it apply it to my life? – Here I’m basically trying to decide how I can apply the truth in the text to the way I live my life…what changes I need to make in my life…how my life should be lived because of the truth in the text. This is where I use commentaries, or other writings to help me better understand the text. I want to know how this passage, written so many years ago, has relevance for me today.
How does it apply to others? – Now I ask myself, “How can the people listening to this message apply this text to their life?” Although a text has only one true meaning, it can have multiple applications in a person’s life. I try to consider as many of these as possible. I see part of my job communicating as helping listeners connect the passage to their life, the changes that may need to be made, and how to live out the truth of the text in their life. Of course, the real teacher is the Spirit of God, but I also know God uses teachers to help people grasp Biblical principles and apply them.
How can I communicate so they will understand and apply it to their life? – The final question is perhaps the hardest step for me, but equally important to the other steps. I want to teach in a way that appeals to different learning styles in the room, captures and holds people’s attention and engages them in the message enough that they will consider the message even after the message is delivered. The real win for me is not when people enjoy a message as much as when they are willing to make changes in their life to live it.
Now obviously, once you do something many times you start to form habits and so I don’t always think through these questions consciously, but basically this is the process I go through each time I preach. Also, it should be noted (because if I don’t someone will for me) that this entire process should be done in a spirit of prayer. My end goal is that God would use my limited abilities to communicate His truth.
Preachers, what do you do differently? What commentaries, programs, or websites help you the most?
Also, just curious, what style or method of preaching engages you the most? Is it through illustration, humor, visuals or simply reading the Bible aloud? (or something else)
One of my Top Posts of 2010 was a post entitled 10 Characteristics of Good Leadership. As I was typing it into the year-end review I “mistakenly” typed in the word “God” instead of the word “Good”. I decided to let this “mistake” become a post of it’s own. I’ve written before 10 Reasons I Admire the Leadership Principles of Jesus and 10 Tips to Doing Leadership the Jesus Way, but in this post, it would consider ways I should lead if I am leading in a God-inspired way.
Using my Evernote application, I quickly captured the first 10 characteristics that came to mind. Basically I asked myself, if a person was leading the way God would inspire him or her, how would he or she lead? (I’m hoping you’ll add to my list.)
Here are 10 Characteristics of God Leadership:
That’s a start…
What would you add to my list?
Yesterday we began a new series at Grace Community Church called Horizons. Every year offers new opportunities…the question is are we prepared for what lies beyond the horizon?
I closed the message by asking these questions for consideration of what we need to leave behind as we move into a new year.
What you won’t see in this message is the closing challenge. It was more difficult to capture this for recording, but people were encouraged to write on an index card what they most need to leave behind in 2010…and not take with them into 2011. It could be an answer to one of these questions or perhaps a secret sin, a worry, burden, anger, or fear…
What would you need to write on that card?
