Scripture for Sept. 30th: Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Title: Acts of Service

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

What if how you think is wrong? Have you ever thought about how you view the world could be wrong? That’s what happened here in this Scripture passage. As the nations are gathered before God, some people thought that life was about power and the accumulation of wealth. They looked upon the poor and weak as beneath them, giving those people little time or attention. However, they were quickly made aware of the fact that their perception of who and what was important was wrong. They learned that God not only cares for the poor, hungry, thirsty and sick, but they are special to Him. What those people valued was really worthless in the view of eternity.

We are reminded by this passage that our acts of service are important because people are important to God. The things we often place great value on – our possessions, our hobbies, our desires and comfort – are things that have no eternal value. If we are “right” in our thinking, we will consider the highest priority of our lives to be serving God and others. Only this will last the test of eternal time.

On Sunday, we will talk more about acts of service, and how they should be performed in light of God’s care for people, especially those in need, and with an eternal perspective, as we continue the sermon series, “Love Languages: Five Ways of Giving and Receiving Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sept 23rd: John 16:16-24; 3:17

Sermon: Receiving Gifts

John 16:16-24
“In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.


John 3:17
God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

We know, from these Scriptures and the teachings found throughout the Bible, that our God is a generous gift-giver. In fact, He is the greatest gift-giver ever! Dr. Gary Chapman writes the following about God being a gift-giver:

“Throughout human history, God has revealed Himself as one who loves those who will acknowledge Him. He, in turn, expresses His love by giving gifts. Sometimes those gifts are material things that can be touched and tasted, such as food, clothing, and shelter. Other times His gifts are in the realm of the spiritual—eternal life, forgiveness of sins, peace of mind, and purpose of life.

The theme of God as the giver of gifts runs deeply through the channels of Hebrew and Christian history. To individuals for whom gift-giving is the primary love language, the giving aspect of God’s nature is extremely compelling.”

We, too, should learn how to convey our love to others through gift-giving. For some people, this is the primary way they give and receive love, and many of this type of people are gift giving experts! What are some of the most important gifts that we can share with others? Many would say physical gifts (money, treasures, etc.) are the most important gifts, but it is the spiritual gifts that truly bring life to all. These gifts include prayer, joy and the message of the Gospel. We will talk about giving these gifts to others on Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “Love Languages: Five Ways of Giving and Receiving Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sept. 16th: Exodus 33:7-14

Sermon: Quality Time

“Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped each at the entrance to their tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

What matters most? Everyone has just a certain amount of time each day and because our time is value and irreplaceable, we are forced to ask, “What matters most? Is what I am spending my time on most important, or is there something else I should use my limited time on?’ The Scripture above demonstrates that Moses thought it was very important to spend his limited time on his relationship with God. Moses was very, very busy, having to lead a people who were stuck in a desert, having to be both their political and spiritual leader and always being mindful of enemies outside and inside the camp wanting to destroy his people. He certainly had his plate full and the demands for his time were great. And yet he designed, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, a place that was called “the tent of meeting” to have quality time with God. Why? Because that’s what mattered most. Although Moses had many responsibilities and many tasks that were important, nothing compared in importance to his quality time with God.

What matters most to you? Certainly, we can all say our jobs or means in which we support ourselves and others. And if we were honest, our time that we spend entertaining ourselves would be high on our list, even if we were unwilling to admit it. But what is most important? Our God and others. That is why we should learn from Moses and build precious time in our daily lives for quality fellowship with God, our family, our loved ones and others in our lives.

This coming Sunday we talk more about how to have quality time as we continue the sermon series, “Love Languages: Five Ways to Give and Receive Love.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for September 9th: Psalm 100

Sermon Title: Words of Affirmation

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Sometimes the words that we hear can give us the most encouragement that we could ever receive otherwise. And for some people, the best way they convey and receive love is through words of affirmation. Given this, Christians should be experts at blessing others through their words, but sadly, this is not the case. Too many Christians use their words to criticize and talk about others, their by using words to hurt, hinder and even destroy relationships.

Dr. Gary Smalley writes that God uses His Words to affirm His creation. He says:
“All of the words from God affirm the worth of human beings. Modern nihilistic thinking concludes that people are worthless and their lives have no meaning, but that is not the message of the Scriptures. All of the specific commands of God in both the Old and New Testaments affirm our worth, flow from His love, and direct us toward a higher goal. Some people find the commands of God restrictive and rebel against them. But those who know God believe that His prohibitions are designed to keep them from those things that would destroy them. They also believe the admonitions of God are designed to help them experience life’s highest good.

The God of the Bible is characterized as the God who speaks. His words are designed to build a relationship with people. The Scriptures consistently declare God’s words of encouragement:
• “Do not fear, for I am with You; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
• “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
• “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
• “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”


Christians should follow the example that God has set forth and use words of affirmation to bless others. In using such words, we will affirm our experiences, others experiences and seek to bless, not curse, others in our lives. We will speak more about this on Sunday, as we start a new sermon series entitled, “Love Languages: Fives Ways to Give and Receive Love.” Please bring a friend with you as we celebrate “Friend Day.” I hope to see you then!

Scripture for September 2nd: Psalm 23

Sermon Title: Walking in the Valley

The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; He leads me to restful waters; He keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of His good name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff—they protect me. You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the LORD’s house as long as I live. (CEV)

Difficult times often seem bleak and hopeless. Maybe the hardest and most difficult of times is when we lose something or somebody that means so much to us, and the seemingly lack of purpose for that loss. During those times, it often appears that we are walking through a long, hard “darkest” of valleys, one in which we will never depart. It is there that the psalmist writes God, Our Heavenly Shepherd, meets us and gives to us “a table” and a “cup” that spills over.

Theologian R. Ellsworth writes the following concerning these verses: “David affirms that God’s provisions for his guests are both constant and abundant. The constancy of God’s provisions means that God’s people have them in every situation and circumstance. We have already noted that the saints of God have enemies in the hour of death. They have them all through life as well. These enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil. Knowing about these enemies, David here subjects God’s care to what we might call the ultimate test. He asserts that God’s care cannot be negated or destroyed by these fierce enemies. David sees himself sitting at a banquet table while they gather all around. While they threaten and snarl, he feasts. Such is the care of God!

David emphasizes the abundance of God’s care in these terms: You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (v. 5b). It was customary in those days to receive a guest by anointing him with fragrant perfume and with a cup filled with a choice wine. In this way, the host indicated that nothing was to be considered too good for his guest. David declares that God’s care surpasses even this. His head had been anointed, and his cup was overflowing. Such care compelled David to say: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; …(v. 6a). God’s goodness is that disposition which causes him actively to seek the wellbeing of his creature. His mercy is that quality that inclines him to relieve misery. Because he had seen so very much of God’s faithful care in every conceivable situation, David knew he could count on God’s goodness and mercy every step of the way.”

God provides His goodness and mercy, in every way and every day, because of His great love for us. And because of that, though we go through the valley, we can experience His peace, blessing and ultimately, eternal life. We will talk more about these things on Sunday as we complete our sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 26th: Psalm 23:3,4

Sermon Title: A Shepherd’s View

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

How does God view us? Is He angry with us for things we have done? Or is He like a disappointed parent, wishing we had made better decisions? Or even still, is God upset at how we have lived our lives?

The King David speaks of God’s great love for us His children in this Psalm. Bible scholar Dr. A. Knowles writes the following concerning this Psalm and how God views us:

“We are invited to imagine the eastern shepherd at work. He is the leader, provider and protector of his flock. He knows every animal by name, and values each one more than his own life. As David was a shepherd-boy, and Jesus describes himself as the ‘good shepherd’, these verses take us to the heart of pastoral care. Walking ahead of his sheep and calling them to follow, the shepherd finds fresh pasture to graze and safe places to drink. Even when the flock has to squeeze through a narrow defile, the sheep have nothing to fear. The shepherd can haul them to safety with his staff, or beat on the rock wall with his rod to let them know he is near.

The shepherd tends his sheep in every way. He clears the pasture of stones and levels the potholes — then stands guard while they eat. He checks their heads for sunburn and treats their wounds with soothing oil. When they are thirsty, he fills the drinking trough to the brim. At night he takes them into his own home. This is how God is with his people, says the psalmist. He is like a shepherd, and I am in his constant care. His goodness and love will never fail me. In old age and in the face of death, I will continue to live with him.”

Psalm 23, particularly verses 3 and 4, reminds us that God always works in our lives, He never leaves us and continually teaches and guides us throughout life’s circumstances. He does this because He views us as if we were His sheep, His responsibility, as He acts as our Shepherd. We will speak more about how God views us this coming Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 19th: Psalm 23:1-2

Sermon Title: My Shepherd, My Leader

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD. Forever.

What in the world is God doing? This is the question that many people will ask as they go through a difficult time in life. And truly, it is very hard at times to know exactly how our experiences in life fit into God’s overall plan for creation. However, we know that God desires the very best for us, just like we desire the very best for our children. And He wants us to experience contentment, rest and refreshment in our lives, regardless of what is happening around us.

How does God do this? He does it on the inside of us – He works on our character and inner person. God knows that true contentment, rest and refreshment will never last if it comes from some external source. So He offers these things to us in our hearts and minds – and that is what God is doing in each of our lives. He is leading us to a life that is free from greed, anxiety and inner turmoil – all issues of the heart that causes so much pain and destruction in our lives.

This coming Sunday, we will talk more about how our Great Shepherd leads us in our lives to experience true contentment, rest and refreshment as we begin the sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 5th: Psalm 148:1-13

Sermon: God’s People Speak About God’s Greatness

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise Him in the heights above. Praise Him, all His angels;
praise him, all His heavenly hosts. Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for at His command they were created, and He established them forever and ever— He issued a decree that will never pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

God’s people are expected to be a people that praise God. We see this in the Psalm listed above, as the Psalmist says, “Let them praise the name of the LORD!” Why are God’s people expected to praise God? Because He is worthy of praise from that which He has created.

Bible scholar R. Ellsworth writes about how God’s people should see the blessings of God all around them coming from God’s commands and that this, too, should create a heart of praise within believers. He wrote about the Psalmist description of blessings found in Psalm 148: “What was the nature of those blessings? God had once again given security and peace to the city and the surrounding areas (vv. 13–14a). He had also given bountiful crops (v. 14b). The restoration of these blessings, after years and years of their absence, was no small reason for praise. The author did not want to leave any doubt about the source of these remarkable blessings. It was the powerful, effective word of the sovereign God. That word ‘runs very swiftly’ (v. 15). The word which goes out of his mouth is, as it were, very eager to accomplish the thing that he commands. And this word does not return ‘void’ to the Lord but rather accomplishes his purpose (Isa. 55:11). The psalmist again appeals to the natural order to make his point. The snow, the frost, the hail, the cold, the thawing and the wind are all examples of the effectiveness of his word (vv. 15–18).

The people of God were enormously blessed because they had received the word of God in a special way. He had declared ‘his word to Jacob’ and ‘his statutes and his judgements to Israel’ (v. 15). To make sure his point would not be missed, the writer says of God: He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them (v. 20). With the concluding ‘Praise the LORD!’ the psalmist leaves by the same door through which he entered.”

This coming Sunday, we will pause in the midst of a busy summer schedule to give God our highest praise for not only blessings, but most importantly, for Who He is. I hope to see you then!