Pastor’s Blog

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Holiness of God: Pure

How can impure/sinful people ever be connected with a pure/sinless God?

I can connect with a sinless God if I believe that He wants me.

I can connect with a sinless God if I am honest about who I am.

I can stay connected with a sinless God if I allow Him to “clothe” me in holiness.

I can stay connected with a sinless God if I go and tell others what Jesus has done for me.

1.)  Read Mark 5:1-8.  In what ways does this man’s outward condition reflect the condition of your inner soul (lived among the tombs; no one could bind him; the fetters he broke in pieces; night and day…always crying out; bruising himself with stones)?  Why does he run to worship Jesus and at the same time accuse Jesus of tormenting him?  Is there a way in which you do the same thing?  How is it that Jesus demonstrates that He wants a relationship with this man?  How has Jesus shown you that He wants a relationship with you?

2.)  Read Habakkuk 1:13 and Psalm 51:1-3.  Habakkuk, seeing the sin of others; and, David, seeing his own sin; both recognize the same thing: a holy God will not be in the presence of sin.  Yet, God comes to us in Jesus.  How can this be?

3.)  Read Mark 5:9-13.  Again the man does two contrary things: he is honest about the Legion of evil spirits within him, but he begs Jesus not to send them away.  Why would he do that?  Pastor Craig pointed out that after the man was honest, even though he begged Jesus not to cast the spirits out, Jesus did cast them out.  What do you make of that?  Pastor Craig stated that when you get honest with Jesus about who you are, the power of Jesus’ death on the Cross comes to you.  Do you agree?  Why, or why not?

4.)  Read Ezekiel 16:1-6 and Revelation 3:17.  Why is it so hard to recognize, and then be honest about, the true state of your soul?

5.)  Read Mark 5:14-15 and Psalm 24:3-4.  As Jesus and His disciples provide clothing for this man to wear, so the Lord will clothe us in goodness and righteousness.  How do we put on the “clothing” He provides?  Why is that we will not be able to remain in relationship with the Lord if we won’t put on that clothing of goodness and righteousness?  Can you share a time when you refused to be done with some sin, and that refusal caused distance or brokenness in your relationship with the Lord?

6.)  Read Mark 5:16-20 and Romans 10:9.  Does it seem to soon for Jesus to insist that the man go and tell others what the Lord has done for him?  Why, or why not?  Why is it that we fall away from Jesus if we do not go and tell others about what He’s done for us?

Sunday, July 18, 2010

The Holiness of God:  Mysterious

How can I trust in a mysterious God?

I can trust in a mysterious God if I’m willing to believe even when I cannot see.

I can trust in a mysterious God if I’m willing to believe He always wants and always works for the best for me and all His children.

I can trust in a mysterious God because in Jesus God shows us His heart - He reveals the mystery of His heart.

1.)  Read Isaiah 40:25.   In what ways have you found the Lord, who is the Holy One, and cannot be compared to anyone or anything, to be mysterious?  Can you share an experience that caused you to think of God as mysterious?

2.)  Read Psalm 77:16-20 and Romans 11:33.  As you think of the account of the Israelites crossing through the Red Sea (full account found in Exodus 14), do you think you would have gone through that sea, with walls of water piled up high on either side of you?  Why, or why not?  In Psalm 77 we read that the Lord led them through the sea, yet His “footprints were unseen.”  In Romans 11 we read that the ways and judgments of the Lord are beyond our searching out or scrutinizing.  Are you willing to believe and trust in the Lord even when you cannot see what He’s doing?  Why, or why not?  Does believing without seeing make sense?  Why, or why not?

3.)  Read Daniel 6:1-5; Daniel 6:19-22; Daniel 6:25-27; Romans 8:28.  What makes it so very difficult, at times, to believe that in everything God is working for the good of His children?  How would you define the word “good” as it is used in Romans 8:28?  Pastor Craig stated that if you are willing to believe, then you will be able to believe.  Do you agree with that?  Why, or why not?

4.)  Read Colossians 2:1-3 and Colossians 1:27.  How is the mystery of God revealed in Jesus?  In what ways have you seen the heart of God in the stories of the things that Jesus did while He walked this earth?  Pastor Craig told the story of meeting his wife Lisa who was beautiful, fun, exciting, and mysterious.  He couldn’t figure her out, but as they got to know each other she shared her heart with him.  Though we never totally figure anyone out, if the person you fall in love with does not reveal his or her heart to you, but simply remains mysterious, you cannot trust that person enough to marry.  In the same way, if God had not revealed His heart to us through Jesus, we would not be able to trust Him; because His ways remain mysterious to our limited minds.  Do you agree with this?  Why, or why not?

Sunday, July 11, 2010

The Holiness of God:  How Big?

How big is the God you believe in?

Are you willing to believe in a God who is bigger than your understanding?

Are you willing to believe in a God who is bigger than your ability to control?

Are you willing to believe in a God whose love is bigger than you can imagine?

1.)  Read Isaiah 40:25 and Genesis 3:1-5.  What does it mean to say that the Lord is the Holy One?  What is the appeal of the temptation to be like God?  What is it in us that doesn’t want a God who is above us, beyond us, greater than us, etc.?

2.)  Read Exodus 2:11-15 and Exodus 2:23-3:4.  What are the various dynamics going on here that are beyond our understanding?  Can you share an experience when you chose to believe, trust, have faith in God though what He was doing was beyond your understanding?  What would have happened in Moses’ life, and what happens in our lives if we’re not willing to believe in a God who is bigger than our understanding?

3.)  Read Isaiah 55:8-9.  Does it make sense to believe in a God who is beyond your understanding?  Why or why not?  What is the good news in this passage?

4.)  Read Exodus 3:5-6.  Moses hides his face (but doesn’t run away!!!) knowing this God He is encountering is far beyond his control.  Have you ever gone away from God when He did something beyond your control that you didn’t like?  Why did you, or didn’t you, go away from God?

5.)  Read Jeremiah 18:1-6 and Romans 9:20-21.  Why do we resist being clay in the potter’s hands?  Why is it good news that we are, in fact, like clay in the potter’s hands?  Why is it even good news to know that He makes, “one vessel for beauty and another for menial use”?

6.)  Read Exodus 3:7-10.  In what ways do you see God’s infinite love in these words?  Share about a time that you experienced the love of God to a degree that you never could have imagined.  Are you willing to believe in God’s love that is bigger than you can imagine?  Why or why not?

Sunday, July 4, 2010

In These Last Days: Wait???

How can I learn to accept the things I cannot change?  To accept the things I cannot change does not mean to do nothing, but rather it means to keep doing all the Lord commands of us without a bitter heart even though things in my life and this world are not as I desire.

I can learn to accept difficult circumstances in my life that I cannot change if I am willing to wait for the Day of the Lord.

I can learn to accept weaknesses and challenges in my own heart that I cannot change if I am willing to wait for the Day of the Lord.

I can learn to accept those things about this world that I cannot change if I am willing to wait for the Day of the Lord.

1.)  Read James 5:1-8.  Most of the first Christians were poor, a large percentage of them slaves.  They had very little opportunity to change the circumstances of their lives.  How would you describe what James’ counsel to the poor Christians in the Roman Empire was in verses 7 and 8?  What is, and is not, the meaning of his words to, “be patient…until the coming of the Lord”?  What does he mean by the words, “Establish your hearts”?  Has knowing that the Lord is coming given you strength to accept difficult circumstances that you could not change?  Why, or why not?

2.)  Read Romans 8:18, 24-25.  What does Paul mean by the words, “the glory that is to be revealed to us”?  What makes it so hard to patiently wait for the Day of the Lord?  What is the alternative to waiting for the Day of the Lord when there are difficult circumstances that truly cannot be changed?

3.)  Read Colossians 3:1-4 and Philippians 1:6.  What happens if we don’t believe the promise in these verses that God will bring to completion the work that He has begun in us?  Why is it often so difficult to see what God is doing within us?  Pastor Craig stated that accepting the weaknesses in your character doesn’t mean that you don’t work to change them; but rather the opposite, that as you accept those weaknesses you find strength to keep working to overcome them even when you don’t see in yourself any visible progress.  Have you experienced this?  If so, how did that work out?

4.)  Read  II Corinthians 4:16-18.  Describe an “unseen, eternal work” that you came to realize God was doing in your heart.  Do you find it easy or difficult to believe, “our inner nature is being renewed every day”?  Why?

5.)  Read Revelation 21:1-4 and Isaiah 35:5-6, 10.  What does John mean by a, “new heaven and a new earth”?  The Bible tells us that wickedness continues to multiply as time moves on, yet at the end of time God suddenly intervenes and establishes righteousness over all the earth.  How does believing these two claims of Scripture motivate us to continue to serve the Lord no matter what?

Sunday, June 27, 2010

In These Last Days: It Matters

How can I believe that my life matters?  The fact that we will give account of ourselves on a day of Judgment indicates that what we do with our lives does matter.  The problem is believing that our lives matter.

I can believe that my life matters if I believe that God knows me very well.

I can believe that my life matters if I believe that I can accomplish truly great things.

I can believe that my life matters if I believe that because of Jesus my name is written in the Book of Life.

1.)  Read Romans 14:10-12.  How does the reality of a Day of Final Judgement and giving account of ourselves to God indicate that what we do with our lives does matter?  Many persons would like to ignore or do away with the idea that God will judge all the people of the earth; but what would that mean to the importance of the decisions we make and how we choose to live our lives?  What is it about living in this world that makes it so hard, at times, to believe that our lives really do matter?

2.)  Read Revelation 2:1-4; 2:8-9; 2:12-13; 2:18-19; 3:1; 3:7-8; 3:14-15.  The obvious connection of all these verses is that Jesus is very aware of what’s going on in our lives.  Share about a time in your life when it was very important to you to know that Jesus was well aware of what was going on in your life.  As you read through these verses do you feel as if God is very aware of what’s going on in your life and in your heart right now?  Why, or why not?  Pastor Craig stated that God is not a computer who is programmed to pay attention to us, but rather He chooses to pay attention to us; and thus we know our lives matter to Him.  What does that thought mean to you?

3.)  Read John 15:4-6.  Does the promise of bearing much fruit (doing truly great things) seem realistic to you?  Why, or why not?  What does it mean to abide in Jesus?  What is, and is not, the fruit (the truly great things) Jesus speaks of?  If I don’t believe Jesus’ word that if I abide in Him I will bear much fruit, what will happen in my heart and soul?  Are you motivated to seek to abide in Jesus and seek to do truly great things by Jesus’ words in this passage?  Why, or why not?

4.)  Read Revelation 20:11-15.  Here is the key to believing that what I do with my life matters: if I believe that in the end I will be going to hell (or finally to the lake of fire spoken of here), then obviously what I do with my life doesn’t matter very much.  What are common misconceptions about who ends up in heaven and who ends up in hell?  What does the Bible actually say about that?  The fact that Jesus died on the cross and went to hell for me means that my life apparently matters a great deal.  Why is it so hard, at times, to hold on to that?

Sunday, June 20, 2010

In These Last Days:  Wickedness

How do you stay true to God, and the calling He has put on your life, when wickedness is multiplying all around you?

….you keep reading the Bible every single day.

….you get away from persons who are pulling you into their wickedness.

….you trust that Jesus will sustain you to the end.

1.)  Read Matthew 24:1-13.  Does it seem to you that wickedness has multiplied as history progresses, or does it seem that things are mostly the same as they always have been?  Why? What is it about the progress of time that produces an increase of wickedness?  Pastor Craig stated that just as the challenges of staying true to God have increased as history progresses, so it is true in our individual lives that the challenges of staying faithful increase rather than decrease as the years of life go by.  Do you agree with that?  Why, or why not?

2.) Read II Timothy 3:1-5, 10-17.  What does Paul list as the benefits of reading scripture?  Give examples of how you have seen those benefits in your life.  The power of family, friends, media, etc., to influence our hearts and minds is so great, what is it about reading the Bible day by day that gives us strength to be true to God and His calling on our lives?  In other words, how can there be so much power in reading the words on a page?  Why is it so difficult to keep a consistent discipline of scripture reading?

3.)  Read Ephesians 5:3-8, I Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 22:24-25.  Have you had to get away from persons who were pulling you into their wickedness?  How did that work out?  Is it judgmental to say that bad company corrupts good morals?  Why, or why not?

4.)  Read I Corinthians 1:4-9.  How does trusting that Jesus will sustain you to the end give you strength to hold on to your faith?  What do see in this passage of scripture about how it is that Jesus sustains us?  How does the fear of failure become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Sunday, June 13, 2010

In These Last Days:  Procrastination

A series of sermons examining what the Scriptures teach us about time, the future, and what lies beyond time.  What you believe about the “big picture” affects how you live your life day by day.

How can I make the most of the time God has given me?

…..by knowing that the seasons of life, life itself, and all of time come to an end suddenly and unexpectedly.

…..by knowing that those who work at the things of God will reap a great harvest.

…..by leaving the past behind, and pressing forward, confident in the grace of Jesus Christ.

1.)  Read Ephesians 5:15-16.  What does Paul mean, and not mean, by the phrase, “making the most of the time”?  In what ways has procrastination kept you from being the person God has called you to be?  Pastor Craig interpreted the words, “because the days are evil” as referring to the deceptiveness of time (seasons of life seem, falsely, to stretch out endlessly before us).  In what ways have you been “deceived” by time?

2.)  Read Matthew 24:36-51.  Jesus makes very plain that His coming on the clouds to gather God’s people will be sudden and unexpected.  Does knowing this affect whether you make the most of the time God has given you?  Why or why not?  Does knowing that all the seasons of life are subject to sudden and unexpected changes affect whether you make the most of the time God has given you?  Why or why not?  How can we, like the faithful and wise servant (vs. 45), keep the knowledge that our Master’s return will be sudden and unexpected (and that seasons of life end suddenly and unexpected) in our hearts and minds, though life seems to stretch on and on?

3.)  Read Matthew 9:35-38 and John 4:31-38.    What is the harvest that Jesus is speaking of?  Does it seem to you that there is a plentiful or meager harvest for those who work at the things of God?  Why?  What makes it difficult to believe Jesus’ words that there will be a plentiful harvest?  How does believing there will be a plentiful harvest inspire you to make the most of the time (give an example from your life)?

4.)  Read Philippians 3:12-14.  How do Paul’s words, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” speak to your heart?  How do the failures of the past paralyze us as we look to the challenges of the future?  How does the Cross set us free from that paralysis?  How has the grace of our Lord Jesus empowere you to make the most of the time?

Sunday, June 6, 2010

In These Last Days: Change

A series of sermons examining what the Scriptures teach us about time, the future, and what lies beyond time.  What you believe about the “big picture” affects how you live your life day by day.

How do you live your life when you know everything is going to change?

You put your trust in the One who will not change.

You work for the things that will last.

1.)  Read II Peter 3:1-12.  What emotional reactions do you have to this passage?  Why?  Peter clearly spells out the sudden, huge change coming to the whole creation; but the scoffers (verses 4-5) say that nothing ever changes and nothing ever will.  If the scoffers are right (though they’re not), how would that impact how you live your life?  If Peter is right (and he is), how does that affect how you live your life? Is it better to pretend to yourself that things won’t change, or is it better to live with the awareness that everything will change?  Why?

2.)  Read Matthew 24:1-8.  Jesus makes plain to His disciples that all of history will be full of change, trial, and difficulty.  What have been the most difficult changes you have had to face in life?  What made those changes so difficult?  Why are we so often frightened by change?  How does fear of change affect how we live our lives?  Share a change that happened in your life that you had feared, but in the end God worked a great good through that change.

3.)  Read Isaiah 44:6-8 and Psalm 46:1-3.  What does it mean to you to know that the Lord is the first and the last?  Pastor Craig spoke of living your life in a world where everything will change by putting your trust in the One who does not change.  In practical terms, what does that mean to you?   Why is it so easy to put trust in the changing things of this world, but so hard to put trust in the unchanging Lord?

4.)  Read Matthew 6:19-21.  What are the treasures in heaven Jesus speaks of?  How do you, “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”?  Pastor Craig spoke of working for the things that last.  In what ways are you working for the things that last?  What other people do for you is a blessing in this life, but what remains through every change is what you did for others.  How do you see that working in your life?

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Soft: Humility

A series of sermons examining the softer, easier way.  Though persons will travel a hard, disciplined road to attain the tangible things of life (power, money, prestige, etc.), why is it that we avoid that hard road in pursuit of the greater goals of faith, hope, and, most of all, love?

The soft road of pride leads to destruction.

The hard road of humility leads to blessing.

Get rid of pride and become humble by going with Jesus to the cross.

1.)  Read Obadiah 1:3-4; Jeremiah 48:29-31; Zephaniah 3:1-2.  The Lord calls to the people of Edom, Moab, and Jerusalem; but in their pride they will not listen, bringing destruction upon themselves.  What characteristics of pride do you see in these passages?  Why is pride the softer, easier road to travel?  Why does pride lead ultimately, however, to destruction?  What persons can you think of in Scripture who chose the easier road of pride that led to destruction?

2.)  Read Proverbs 16:18 and Proverbs 14:12.  In what ways has pride brought trouble to your life?  How can you recognize pride in your own heart?

3.)  Read Luke 14:7-11 and I Corinthians 8:2.  Pastor Craig identified the “lowest place” in Jesus’ story as the humble acknowledgement that I don’t know that much when it comes to the greatest things in life: faith, hope, and love.  Why is it that, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”?  What does that mean, thinking especially of what kind of “exalting” Jesus would and would not bring to our lives?  Why is humility a hard road to travel?  Why is there blessing on that road?

4.)  Read Psalm 25:9 and Proverbs 11:2.  In what ways have you been blessed when you have been humble?  Can you share an example of a time when pride kept you from some wisdom that you finally received when you became humble?

5.)  Read Mark 14:32-36.  As you focus your heart and mind on Jesus’ humble road to the cross, you will become humble.  How and why does that work?

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Soft: courage

A series of sermons examining the softer, easier way.  Though persons will travel a hard, disciplined road to attain the tangible things of life (power, money, prestige, etc.), why is it that we avoid that hard road in pursuit of the greater goals of faith, hope, and, most of all, love?

Find courage to do the hard things by giving your fears to God.

Find courage to do the hard things by trusting in the One who fights for you.

Find courage to do the hard things by remembering who has already defeated the enemy of your soul.

1.)  Read Nehemiah 1:1-4 and Nehemiah 2:1-6.  In prayer Nehemiah finds the courage to say what he needs to say.  The king might very well be outraged at his request.  What is it about prayer that brings courage to God’s children?  The root meaning of the word “prayer” is, “to pour out your heart.”  What do you experience when you pour out your heart to the Lord?  What does it take to learn how to pray?

2.)  Read Philippians 4:6-7.  Share an experience you have had of finding courage to do a hard thing that confirms the truth of this scripture. What is it that keeps us from experiencing the promise God makes to us here?

3.)  Read Nehemiah 4:6-14.  The Israelites recite a litany of fears.  Why are our hearts so prone to fear?  The hard road of courage would keep the Israelites in Jerusalem rebuilding their great city.  The softer, easier road of fear would have them all disperse out into the countryside and ultimately cease to exist as a nation.  What softer, easier road of fear have you been tempted with?    Pastor Craig spoke of finding courage by trusting the One who fights for you.  What does it mean to say that the Lord fights for you?  In what way have you experienced that?

4.)  Read Zephaniah 3:16-17 and Jeremiah 1:18-19.  What images in these passages speak to your heart?  Why?

5.)  Read Nehemiah 6:10-13 and I John 3:8.  Nehemiah’s enemies seek to deceive and intimidate him into breaking the commandment of God so that they might taunt him with his sin.  Why do they want to taunt him?  How does the enemy of our souls seek to taunt us with our sin?  Pastor Craig spoke of finding courage by remembering who has already defeated the enemy of your soul.  How does that work?