Scripture for Sunday, October 3rd: John 20:15-22

Sermon Title: How to Live Confident in a World of Chaos - Stay Constructive

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.' Again, Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.' The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.' Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, 'Follow Me!' Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, 'Lord who is going to betray you?' When Peter saw him, he asked, 'Lord, what about him?' Jesus answered, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow Me."

Dr. David Jeremiah, in his book, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, writes the following concerning living in America today:

"We began the new millennium with terrorism on our own soil, with high school shootings, and with dramatic rollbacks of traditional moral boundaries. The Cleavers, the Brady Bunch, and the Huxtables no longer mirror our complex families. Diversity is the new state religion, with tolerance demanded in all things except for traditional Judeo-Christian values.

Paul tells us not to be surprised: 'Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherours, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people' (2 Timothy 3:1-5, MSG).

Does that sound to you like a picture of today's world? I realize it's easy to be discouraged. We could throw up our hands and simply quit. Such is not a godly attitude, according to the Scriptures. In a time of tearing down, we are to be about His work of building up. In a destructive world, we are to maintain constructive attitudes."

How do we maintain these "constructive attitudes" that Dr. Jeremiah refers to in the midst of our chaotic world and lives? Find this Sunday as we talk about living confidently by staying constructive. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sunday, Sept 26, 2010: I Thess. 3:11-13

Sermon Title: Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World - Stay Compassionate

"Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may He so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Fatehr at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints." I Thess. 3:11-13

This coming week we will be discussing another way to live with confidence in a chaotic world: by staying compassionate. Dr. David Jeremiah writes about the problems and difficulities faced by the Thessalonians (to which our Scripture passage was written), but yet he notes what Paul tells them to do in the midst of their chaos. He writes:

"Paul understands their discouragement, but he wants to bolster his friends, keep them from giving in to self-pity, and motivate them to serve God with deeper resolve. He wants to offer them a prayer, but what do you pray for people under intense pressure? Would you ask God for protection? Courage? Perhaps removal of the problem? Paul doesn't take any of those roads. He asks God to teach the Thessalonians to be more loving and compassionate toward one another. It seems counterintuitive, doesn't it?

Have you stopped and considered that the real purpose of your struggles, at a given moment, might be the heart of compassion that God is building within you? Smooth sailing doesn't develop such a thing, you know. Trials develop our humility, and humility opens our eyes to the needs of others. If we look to do His service during tought times, we will come out better rather than bitter. That's Paul's prayer for the struggling church at Thessalonica."

This coming Sunday, I will talk about the essence, expression, example and effect of compassion and how they each relate and build on one another. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sunday, Sept 19th: John 14:1-6

Sermon Title: Stay Calm

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

This coming Sunday we will start a new series of messages entitled, "Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World," based on a book that Dr. David Jeremiah wrote with the same title. Sunday, we will answer the question, "How can we live with confidence?" with the answer: Stay Calm.

Dr. Jeremiah writes this in his book concerning staying calm: "Some people believe that when they accept Christ, they will receive a Get Out of Stress Free card and live a life of uninterrupted bliss. To be honest, when I became a believer, I picked up a few new problems I hadn't had before. Jesus never offered a false promise. At every point, He warned us that troubles would follow our path and that obedience to Him would actually increase our persecution. But He is also the One Who said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

He further writes: "But here's what I want you to know: as we await the Lord's return the atmospherics of your heart and mine should be calm. The Bible says we have a God who calms the storm and a Savior Who rebukes the wind and waves so they are calm (Psalm 107:29; Luke 8:24). The writer of Psalm 131 said, 'Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul.' Proverbs 17:27 tells us that a person of understanding has a calm spirit; and in Isaiah 7:4 (NIV), the Lord tells us, 'Be careful, keep calm, and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart.'"

So exactly how do we remain calm in the Lord in the midst of the chaos of our world? Find out this Sunday, as I share more of Dr. Jeremiah's insights, my own thoughts and most importantly, what God's Word has to say about this subject. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sunday, Sept. 12th: Luke 10:30-37

Sermon Title: Jesus, the Best Friend of Those in Need

On Sunday, Sept. 5th, we complete a series of messages entitled, "The Top Ten List of Principles for Christian Living." Here's a summary of that list:

10. It Works Better If You Plug It In!, Luke 18:9-14: The story is taken from the parable that Jesus taught about how a religious leader went to the temple to pray and said to God, "I am glad I'm not like other people - I am better!" and a tax collector went to the same temple and prayed, "Lord, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner!" Even though the religious leader looked like he was close to God, he was not plugged into Him. And so it is with you and I - we need not a form of religion, but a real relationship with God.

9. There Are No Perfect Situations, Psalm 118:19-24: This reminds us that no circumstances or people are perfect; every day and every person comes from God and we should rejoice in everything because of this fact.

8. You Can't understand If You Don't Know the Language, John 1:9-14: This means that we must understand the basic Christian terms of grace, mercy and salvation if we are to truly understand how God relates to us.

7. Remember Everybody Has an Empty Sleeve, Ephesians 4:25-32: This principle reminds us that everyone has a weakness or shortcoming and no one should demand perfection from others.

6. There Is A Land of Beginning Again, Luke 19:1-10: This tells us that God is a forgiving God and is always ready to forgive you and make you better than ever.

5. It's Important to Focus, Mark 8:22-26: This reminds us that there are some things more important than others, and living for God and others is what we should focus our lives on.

4. You Don't Have to Reinvent the Wheel, John 21:15-17: This means that God has taught us how to live and practice our faith and we don't need to recreate how we do this.

3. There is a Key to Unlock Yourself, Mark 10:17-22: This principle reminds us that God is needed in our lives if we are to experience life the way it was intended for us to experience it.

2. If You Catch the Wrong Bus, You End Up in the Wrong Place, Matthew 7:13-14: This tells us that we must be intentional in how we decide to live our lives otherwise we may end up doing something we didn't intend to do or become something whom we did not intend to become.

1. Love is the Best of the Best, I Corinthians 13: Love is the greatest attribute because God is love; without love, we cannot be the type of people intends for us to be.

This coming Sunday I will talk about how the Good Samaritan is like Jesus and He is better than religion or anything we can create apart from Him. Hope to see you (and one of your friends) on Sunday!

Scripture for Sunday, Sept 5th: I Corinthians 13

Sermon Title: Love is the Best of the Best

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor, and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protect, always truts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophey in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disppears. When i was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror then we shall see fact to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. And now these three remains: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Faith, hope and love are the greatest graces, but love is the greatest of all because it contains all virtues. The other virtues are concerned with human duties or with deeds that will cease when our earthly needs and trials cease. Love bears all of these virtues and points us to God. Love looks towards God, does all for Him and soars above all to see Him.

Writer E.B. Pusey reminds us that there are four stages of love for God and others: (1) fallen humanity is to love himself or herself; (2) loving God and others for one's own sake (i.e., loving God for the blessings we receive from Him); (3) loving God and others for His sake (i.e., responding to God's love for us); and (4) loving God for Who He is and loving others through that love. What stage of love for God are you in today?

This Sunday I will talk about how faith is better than unbelief, hope is better than despair and love being the best of all. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sunday, August 29th: Matthew 7:13-14

Sermon Title: If You Catch the Wrong Bus, You End Up in the Wrong Place

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Here's some devotional thoughts about this passage from the great Bible scholar, FB Meyer:

"It must be admitted that, in its first stages, the broad way is generally easy and rather delightful. The boat launched on the flowing stream sweeps merrily and pleasantly along, the gradient of the road slopes so as to make walking easy, the sun shines, and the path is filled with bright flowers. But to a life given up to self-indulgenece, there is only one end - destruction.

There is a more excellent way, but it is too narrow to admit the trailing garments of passionate desire, too narrow for pride, self-indulgence, greed and avarice - it is the Way of the Cross, but it leads to Life! We all want to see life - and the remarkable thing is that those who expect to get most out of it by self-indulgence miss everything; whilst those who seem to curtail their lives by following Christ, win everything. Few find and enter this path, is the lament of our Lord. Let us put our hand in His, that He may lead us into the path of life, 'that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.'"

This Sunday I will speak about this "more excellent way", a life that is committed and obedient to Christ, and fears the "broad road", the life of sin. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Sunday, August 22nd: Mark 10:17-22

Sermon Title: There Is A Key That Unlocks Yourself

As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on His knees before Him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call Me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good - except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," He said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

This young man is not introduced in the Gospel of Mark, but the Gospel of Luke recognizes him as a member of the ruling council or court ("ruler"). See Luke 18:18-30 and Matthew 19:16-30 for their versions of this story. Notice that the young man asked, "What must I do...?" He thought that eternal life was something to be earned. Jesus taught that eternal life was something to be received just as a little child receives a gift (see Mark 10:14-15). Jesus noticed this and says, "One thing you lack..." What the young man lacked was a heart that was disengaged with the world; his heart was attached to his riches and power above all. Thus, he was placing his riches and power over Christ and Christ was declaring to him that He would require full allegiance.

Also notice verse 21, "Jesus looked at him and loved him." Even though the young man was not fully committed and did not decide to follow Jesus, Jesus still loved him. I believe we can apply this verse to each of us, as Christ looks at us and loves us (see Romans 8:35-39). What a powerful thought - the Creator of the Universe looks at us with love.

I will speak about this and more on Sunday as we examine how the truth of Christ, the love from Christ and faith in Christ can literally transform our lives. See you then!

Scripture for Sunday, August 15th: John 21:15-17

Sermon Title: You Don't Have to Reinvent the Wheel

"When they had finished eating, jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.' Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.' The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."

Peter had denied the Lord three times and now Christ was giving him the opportunity to affirm his belief in Him three times. Notice Peter's response to Christ question, "Do you love me?" Peter responses, "Lord you know all things; you know that I love you." Peter was unwilling to compare himself with the other disciples (see John 13:37) or speak about the depth of his love in his response (see Matthew 26:33). His modest response reflects the fact that he learned not to trust in his own heart (see Luke 22:62) and he now knew that his ability to please the Lord was from God alone, not based on his own strength (see I Peter 2:25).

If the Lord asked you if you love Him, how would you respond? Would you say, Lord, you know how much I give, how often I attend church, pray and help others? Or would you say, Lord, I love you more than other Christains? Or perhaps the best answer would be, "you know Lord." I am not perfect, I often fail you, I always need your forgiveness, but you know Lord, I love you.

Why did Jesus ask Peter to "feed" His lambs? Find out the answer to that question this Sunday morning, as I talk about how "feeding" the "lambs" will encourage us to attend church and live morally. See you then!