New Sermon Series

Hello! As I told you on Sunday I love to use exclamation points!!!

I wanted to write and let you know that I am feeling some leadership to do three part sermon series in January. The first sermon would be on Heaven. The second sermon would be on Hell. And the last sermon would be on the second coming of Christ.

I don't have a catchy title for the series yet but I wanted to get some feedback from you. I would like to know if you have any questions about any of these topics that you would like to see addressed in the sermon series? Any feedback you can give would be helpful and appreciated.

I hope you will take the time to post a comment so I can get your feedback.

Have an awesome week!

Will

Frustrated by Faith?

Frustrated by Faith??
James 4:1-10

Recently I have had a couple of conversations with people who have told me that they are giving up on Christianity because “it just doesn’t work for them.” These conversations have left me thinking about their plight and I have wondered what advice I could give them.

I have to be honest and tell you that there are times when I feel like it is not working for me either. Times when I feel like my prayers aren’t heard, and even times when I feel like my life is void of God’s power. It certainly can be frustrating and perhaps all of us who are believers can identify with someone who feels like things are not working in their Christian walk.

What I have discovered is that most of the time when I feel this it is not God’s fault. The times when I have felt this way the most have been because of something in me. I have realized that it has not been God’s fault but rather it has been my fault. The main reason for my frustration has been that I have approached Christianity from the wrong direction. Here is what I mean. Too many times I think people are trying to use Christianity. They profess faith because they are looking for something. Perhaps they are looking for a better job, a healthier marriage, perhaps just simple happiness. These are good things and I believe that God does desires that we be happy. But we have to remember that following Christ is not simply about us. So therefore if our motives are wrong then how can we expect to live a fulfilling Christian life? How can we expect to have a vibrant prayer life and feel God’s power in our lives, especially if are professed commitment to God is motivated by self interest?

Here is a checklist that we can use to evaluate our commitment to Christ. And I believe this checklist can be a healthy tool for helping us to keep ourselves in check, so that we can feel the blessings of a close and intimate walk with Christ.

1.Acknowledge God’s proper place. James says, "Humble yourselves before God." This is saying, "I'm not the center of the universe, God. You are. It's not about me, it's about you."

2. Acknowledge Satan’s proper place. James says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." If you resist the devil — the Greek word means literally oppose or stand up to — he will eventually give up and go away. The devil comes at you in the form of temptation, telling you that you deserve better than this, that you deserve to have nice things, that people don't appreciate you, that you should get more recognition, and on and on. When those ideas find their way into your consciousness, make sure you oppose them. Stand against them. Resist them.

3. Take a step toward God.. "Draw close to God and he will draw close to you."

4. Do some house cleaning. "Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites." James is speaking bluntly here, using words like "sinners" and "hypocrites" because he intends to be taken seriously. In drawing close to God, you will have to eliminate some things from your life.

5. Don’t Just Go Through the Motions. "Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy." James isn't saying that this should be our emotional state permanently, but he is saying that we should approach repentance with deep sincerity.
We need to recognize how our sinful, self-serving, self-seeking attitudes have wreaked havoc in our lives and how they have separated us from the presence of God.

I hope this checklist might be a blessing to some. And perhaps if you have been frustrated lately these suggestions might help you to get back on track.

Blessings!

Will

Maintaining a Thankful Heart!

Sir John Templeton, the billionaire investor, was once asked what is the secret of wealth? He said, "Gratitude. If you're not grateful, you're not rich—no matter how much you have." The flip side of that is, "If you're grateful, you are rich—no matter how little you have."

You see, we have a tendency to rate our lives on a scale of comparison with others—and we compare ourselves with those whose lives appear to be richer, fuller, and more exciting than ours. Many times we feel short changed—we wonder why others have it so much better than we do. Of course, that's distorted thinking. But I want you to realize that having a thankful heart is not about comparing yourself to others, it's about recognizing and acknowledging what God has done in your life.

Today we're going to take a look at a psalm of thanksgiving: Psalm 16. In these few verses David reminds us of some things we can all be thankful for; if we concentrate on them, they'll help us develop and maintain a thankful heart.

1. Acknowledge that God is the source of all the good things in your life

David said...
(v. 2) I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

The book of James says...Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights...(James 1:17)

All of the good things you have in your life, you can thank God for. Not just the "spiritual" blessings, but the material blessings, the sociological blessings, the relational blessings—every good thing in your life is a gift from God.

2. Recognize the "pleasant places" in your life

David said...
(v. 5-6) Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

You see, you can look at all the things you don't have, and all the disadvantages that have been thrust upon you, but that kind of thinking leads only to misery. Instead, look at the areas of your life where the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places, and be thankful that God has given them to you. Acknowledge all the good gifts God has given you; recognize the pleasant places in your life; and thirdly, to develop and maintain a thankful heart...

3. Look ahead to better days

David said...
(v. 6) Surely I have a delightful inheritance.

In the Psalms, whenever David speaks of the future, he always speaks of it with optimism.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6)

God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide to the end. (Psalm 48:14)

The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. (Psalm 85:12)

David is saying, "The best is yet to come." When you live with a thankful heart, it's easy to believe this. When your mindset is "I have so little and every one else has so much," it's difficult to be optimistic about the future. But when you recognize that God has already blessed you so much more than you deserve, it is easy to believe that even better days lie ahead.

I've noticed this: People who don't look forward to the future don't enjoy the present either. Neither do they appreciate the past. Having a thankful heart changes that. Having a thankful heart enables you to recognize God's presence in your life—past, present, and future.

Perscription for Gratitude

This has been a wonderful day! I really enjoyed our worship service this morning at Hickory Grove! The music was great and the preaching wasn’t too bad! LOL! However, what stuck out to me the most was the Great Spirit among the people. The people at “The Grove” are among the finest people that I have ever known. What a blessing to walk this journey with them.

This morning we talked about developing and attitude of gratitude. For some people gratitude is not a natural response. Actually, for many people grumpiness seems to be the natural response. I really believe that the Christians really need to work on being thankful. We live in a society that feels like they are entitled to everything that is good. The spirit of entitlement is really permeating our society. I guess the question is “how do we make gratitude a habit? Well here are a couple of thoughts!

First, I think it would be wonderful if we could spend time each day writing down how God has blessed us in the past 24 hours. It seems to me that more we remind ourselves of God’s blessings and provisions the more gratitude will become a natural part of our lives.

Second, it would be good if we could include in our speech words of appreciation for God’s goodness. Way too often when you speak to Christians they spent the majority of the time talking about what is wrong, or what they don’t like. Wouldn’t it be great if our speech was like David’s in Psalm 71? That like David we are so overwhelmed with how God has blessed us that we just have to tell others of how good God is!

I believe when we speak of God’s goodness it reinforces in us a grateful spirit. Also, when others hear of our gratitude it becomes a great testimony about God. Perhaps a good way to start this Thanksgiving week would be to make a list of things we are thankful for, and then spend time expressing our thanks to God!

Have a great week!

Will

Good or Best

Intro: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way .”

These famous lines, which open A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, hint at the novel’s central tension between love and family, on the one hand, and oppression and hatred, on the other.

The book suggests that good and evil, wisdom and folly, and light and darkness stand equally matched in their struggle. The book makes prominent use of “doubles” to get & keep the reader’s interest.

We have a story in the New Testament that also uses “doubles”, as it were to teach us an important lesson. Luke contrasts two sisters, Mary & Martha and their relationship to Jesus on a particular occasion. I don’t want to say that one did bad and one did good. No, I would rather say one did that which was “good”, but the other did “better” or “best”.

The focus of our passage today isn’t that we should not be concerned about household chores. No, it is making a point about discipleship.

Christians need to choose the best over the good, but what can help us in our quest to do the best?

First, we need to focus on being in the right place. Notice verse 39, where Mary sat at the fee to Jesus while Martha was in the kitchen. The Greek word here (parakathizo) doesn’t mean to just sit, but sit near. I think it implies that she got as close to the Lord Jesus as she could possibly get. Sitting at the feet of your master was the proper place for a disciple to be.

Second, choosing the best means that we must listen to the right voice. In the text it is clear that Mary was able to clearly hear God’s voice because of her position. Martha may have been able to catch some of what Jesus was saying but because her focus was elsewhere she most likely couldn’t hear as well as Mary.

Third, choosing the best means that we must set priorities and not falling prey to distractions. Mary’s priority was listening to Christ. Martha’s priority was serving others. Is serving others a bad thing? Of course not! Serving others is a good thing but at that moment it wasn’t the best thing. We are told that Mary “chose good part” which means decided to do the “better” or “best” thing…Mary made a choice, she knew there was other things that needed to be done, but she purposefully didn’t do those things. Instead, she went and sat at the feet of Jesus. I can’t think of anything better than for a disciple to be sitting at the feet of Jesus soaking up every word that He spoke, so I think “best” is the best meaning behind “good part”.

When you stop and think about it…how many of us get so encumbered by activities that are good but they are not the best. Today I want to spend more time at the feet of Jesus, actively listening for His voice. I just can’t imagine that there is anything better for us to do! And after we hear His voice we will then be able to better follow His directions.

Just a thought!

Will

Emerging Church?

Hello....I hope you all have been doing well. I have been on the road the past few days and have not been able to post. I am curious about what any of you may know about the emerging church movement. I am not very familiar with it but have read a few things from different leaders in the movement. One quote I read recently has caused me some concern. Brian McLaren (an emergent church leader) said that "clarity is overrated and that ambiguity is preferable."

In some ways I feel like the church is to ambiguous as it is. It seems to me that clarity is missing today. How can people really know and understand the truth we stand for if we are intentionally ambiguous. It makes me ask "what is our goal?" Is our goal to blend in and hope that people can't see how we are different? Or is our goal to be clear about what we stand for? If we are ambiguous how can we be the light of the world? How can we be a contrast to what the world does and teaches? It seems to me that Ambiguity is overrated!

Just a thought!

Will

Struggling with Temptation?

After Jesus was baptized, Luke 4:1-13 tells us that he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Tonight, we'll look at how Jesus faced this time of temptation, and it will show us how we can face temptation. We'll see how Jesus had power over temptation, and his example will help us find power over temptation in our own lives.

This is an amazing story, offering unique insight into the nature and character of Jesus. For one thing, it's one of the few stories told about an event in the life of Jesus in which there are no eye witnesses. How did Jesus' disciples know about the temptation he faced in the desert?

There's only one way they could have known. He told him them about it. At some point during his time of ministry on earth, he told his disciples about the time he spent in the desert, battling temptation in a showdown with the devil. The temptation story has been called "the most sacred of stories" [by William Barclay] because in it "Jesus is laying bare his inmost heart and soul." He told his followers about the struggles he faced.

Another interesting point is that this story reminds us that Jesus was truly human. Luke says,
(v. 2) He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

Luke's words give evidence that this story wasn't just a legend created by the early church, because it emphasizes the humanity of Jesus.

I would like for us to consider a couple of things that we need to do if we are going to be able to overcome temptations.

We need Expect Temptation.

Temptation is inevitable. Even good people are tempted. Even people who walk in the Spirit are tempted. Luke said...
(v. 1-2) Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.

Did you get that? He was led by the Spirit. He was doing exactly what God wanted him to do, and still he faced temptation. We have a tendency to think, when we face temptation, that God must have abandoned us or there must be something wrong with us, or else we wouldn't be experiencing temptation in our lives. That's not true. Even good people experience temptation. Even people who's lives are led by the Holy Spirit experience temptation.

There's an important distinction I want to make. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted, but it wasn't God who tempted Jesus. God doesn't tempt you to sin; he doesn't try to entice you with evil opportunities.

Some people think that is how God tempts us with sin—that he puts the cookie on the table and says, "Come on, I dare you to eat it." God doesn't do that. Temptation is inevitable, but it doesn't come from God. The Bible says...

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone...(James 1:13) God's purpose is not to tempt us, but to give us power over temptation.

We Need to Understand it Temptation Works

Many times we lose the battle against temptation because we don't understand how temptation works in our lives. Temptation is, by its very nature, deceptive. It often presents itself to us in a type of twisted logic. Luke tells us that the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. Then he said,

(v. 9) "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."

Then, notice what Satan did next. He quoted scripture at Jesus. He said...
(v. 10) "For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Do you see what Satan was doing? He quoted scripture knowing that Jesus knew it was absolutely true, but he was trying to get him to apply it in a twisted, self-serving way. He was saying, "Come on, Jesus. God will take care of you. Jump." And there was an unspoken implication, "Or do you really believe God will take care of you. Maybe he won't, if you're not really the Messiah."

Satan knows what buttons to push, too. And he'll use whatever twisted logic he can. He'll say things like, "You know that God wants you to be happy, right? And you know that you'll never be happy as long as you're married to this person. So God must want you to get a divorce... Unless, of course, you believe that God just wants you to be miserable for the rest of your life." Or he'll say, "God doesn't want your family to do without the necessities of life, and you need your money much more than the government needs it, so cut some corners on your income taxes. Spend that money on your kids. Unless, of course, you think God doesn't want you to have enough to live on."

Temptation just doesn’t fight fair. We need to better understand how it works so that we are equipped to attack it! I hope these words have been an encouragement to you!

Blessings!

Will

Seize the Day!

I would like to follow up on two previous articles from Mark 1:16-18. We have already discussed two questions. The first question was, “Are you fulfilled in life?” And the second question was, “Does your life have meaning?”

Today, I would like to finish this text by asking you the question, “Are you ready for a blessed life?” We have already concluded that God does desire that our lives would be fulfilled and full of meaning. We know this…so the question for us now is, “What is missing?”

That is answered for us in verse 18. Our text tells us that, “At once they left their nets and followed him?”

At once.

That's the phrase I want to draw to your attention. They didn't wait.

This is important aspect of following Jesus. You start today. Simon and Andrew didn't put off answering Jesus' call. They didn't wait until they were perfect or until they were worthy — they just dropped their nets and began following him.

I've been meaning to drop a few pounds lately. It's hard to diet during the winter, so I plan on not getting serious about it until spring. But you know, I have a number of speaking engagements lined up, and it's so will be hard to diet on the road. So I will put it off a little longer most likely. And then there was our a family reunion—it's like going to an around the clock buffet. I keep planning to drop a few pounds, but there's always something in my way.

I don't really like this illustration, but I tell it to make a point. This is what we often do in our relationship to God. We keep thinking we'll get serious about discipleship once we round the next corner, once we finish the next project, once we the next obstacle is out of the way. And we keep putting off getting serious about getting close to God.

There's only one way to do it. Start today. At once. Don't wait till you're perfect or your circumstances are perfect — they never will be.

Blessings
Will

Does Your Life Have Meaning?

Yesterday I posted an article called “Are You Fulfilled in Life?” This post came from Mark 1:16-18 as Jesus invited Andrew and Simon to follow Him. It appeared to me that the only way to have true fulfillment in life was to answer the call of Jesus. To be one of Christ’s followers is indeed a satisfying and fulfilling experience. Yesterday, we asked the question “Are you fulfilled in life?” But today, I want to ask you “Does your life have meaning?”

How Your Life Can Have Meaning?

(v. 17) "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

One of my favorite stories from the corporate world is about the time Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computers, offered the job of Apple CEO to John Skully. At the time, Skully was head of the Pepsi company. He was happy in his position there, so he politely declined Jobs' offer, telling him he wasn't at all interested in leaving Pepsi. Jobs looked Skully in the eye and said, "Are you telling me that you would rather sell sugared water for the rest of your life, when you could lead a company that will change the world?" The offer suddenly appealed to Skully. He left PepsiCo and took over Apple Computers.

It makes sense, doesn't it? All things being equal, wouldn't you rather have a job with significance than one without? Of course you would. This is built into us — we want to accomplish something worthwhile with our lives.

That's why Jesus' call to Andrew and Simon is so compelling. He told them instead of fishing for fish, they could be fishing for men. Fishing wasn't a bad profession — in fact, it was a crucial part of the Galilean economy. Providing food so that a community can sustain itself is an important contribution. But Jesus promised them something even more. Follow me, and you'll catch men. Your won't spend your life merely supporting the local economy, you'll invest your life building the world's community. You'll change lives.

This is the heart of the promise that Jesus makes to everyone. Follow me, and your life will go from mediocrity to meaning. He will help you find significance you never knew before.

Just a Thought!

Will

Finding Fulfillment

There are many people today looking for meaning and purpose. They are seeking to find fulfillment in life. I believe the way to find all of the afore mentioned is to answer the call of Christ. In the following text, Jesus clearly invites Simon and Andrew to “follow Him.” In the next couple of posts I would like to examine what it means to follow Jesus and what does it require of us. One thing is for sure…when we answer the call…it will be awesome!
(v. 16-18) As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

I always thought this story was peculiar, because it sounds like Jesus called out to two complete strangers to follow him, and they dropped everything, and began walking in his direction with their stuck straight out in front of them, like in a science fiction movie. This isn't how it was. Jesus wasn't a stranger in this region, and he probably wasn't a stranger to Simon and Andrew. He had been connected to the ministry of John the Baptist and had been preaching in the area for a while, and there's no reason not to think that Simon and Andrew were already familiar with him. I say this because I want you to realize that their decision to follow Jesus was not that much different than ours. He called to them like he calls to you today. It is in answering that call that we fully discover who Jesus is. We can know him only casually from a distance. We can know him only slightly through books. We really get to know him by following him.

What Does It Means to Follow? (v. 17) "Come, follow me," Jesus said. This is different than what you would expect from a mere prophet. They most often said, "Follow God...Follow the way of righteousness...Follow the Law." Jesus said, "Follow me." It's an important distinction, for a couple of reasons. One, Jesus is establishing himself as a leader, as an authority. Two, Jesus is making it clear that the life of discipleship is not a life of just thinking and knowing and discussing ideological principles, it's a life of living them out. When Jesus said, "Follow me" he was saying, "Go where I go, do what I do, talk like I talk, live like I live." He's inviting us to imitate him. We need to remember that living the Christian life has a lot to do with just trying to be like Christ.

Secrets to Joy!!

Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”

We tend to equate “happiness” with joy, but they are two totally different ideas because they each spring from a different source. Happiness comes from the world around me. Joy originates directly from the Spirit of the Living God. Happiness is conditioned by and often dependent upon what is “happening” to me. If people treat me good, if things are going well in my life, then I’m happy. If my circumstances aren’t favorable, then I’m unhappy. Joy, on the other hand, throbs throughout Scripture as a profound, compelling quality of life that transcends the events and disasters which may dog God’s people. Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances.

It appears to me that there are two things we need to consider when we think about Joy.

First, there are Joy Busters in our lives. Unmet expectations can certainly kill joy for many of us. Many of us have dreams and goals that seem out of reach or unrealized and that tends to rob us of joy. Also, unresolved conflict can rob us of joy. Our joy evaporates when we allow conflict between ourselves and another person to go on. When someone’s offense against us occupies our mental and emotional attention, we have little left over for the Lord. Finally, unconfessed sin can cause our joy to diminish. Guilt can gut your joy faster than anything I know. Sin can send joy far away. David understood this very well when he attempted to ignore the promptings of the Spirit. Take a look at Psalm 32:1-5: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’ -- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Second, we need to consider that there are joy builders. First, recognize that God is joyful. So many people seem to just miss this point completely. We think of God as being stern and rigid and eager to discipline. But God is joyful and He takes joy in His relationship with us. Second, you can reaffirm your commitment to others. When we live in loving relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we’ll be more joyful and we’ll be helping others to increase their joy. Third, release your problems to the Lord. Verse 25 says that Paul and Silas “were praying and singing hymns to God…” This word for praying is not the word used for making requests but rather the word used for praise, or worship. Instead of asking God to get them out, they turned this tough situation into an opportunity for rejoicing. The only way to have an attitude like this is to release our problems to the Lord. Finally, stay close to Jesus. To discover joy we must abandon the search for it and go looking instead for the one who is Himself joy. Joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts announcing that Jesus is in residence today. If we want the kind of joy that is complete, lacking nothing, then we must remain close to Jesus.

Casting Shadows

I have always found Acts 5:12-16 to be absolutely fascinating. It is the story of when people were bringing there sick friends and laid them on the street in hopes that Peter’s shadow would pass over them and provide healing. It really is a pretty cool story! However, when I was reading it I was asking myself “Will, what kind of shadow are you casting? Is it a shadow that has a positive effect or a negative effect on people? When you take a look at Peter’s life you quickly discover some traits about him that I believe made him a person who cast a positive shadow.

First, Peter lived a distinct life. In other words he lived a life that reflected Christ and not the world. Just prior to this story in Acts is the story of Annanias and Sapphira. If you recall there story they misrepresented a profit they made on the sale of land and Peter confronted them about holding back a portion from their giving. If you remember after Peter confronted them Annanias dropped dead. Pretty amazing! However, I think the principle we learn from this is that God expects His people to live pure and holy lives. The truth is that today we don’t like to talk about purity. But purity is still required. People may think we are peculiar but at least they will respect us. And at least God will be able to use us to cast a shadow that makes a difference.

Second, Peter lived a devoted life. In this chapter Peter is thrown into jail for preaching. While in prison he learned just how faithful God is. An angel had come and set them free and the Angel tells them to go back out and preach again. If that were me…I would be stumbling around for a way to explain that I wanted to enjoy my freedom and not do the very thing that got my freedom taken away. But Peter got right back up on the horse and went out to preach again. Peter did this because of his devotion to God. God was the authority in his life and that was the voice that mattered. The church certainly needs that type of devotion today. To remember that we not only march to the beat of a different drummer but that we also answer to a higher authority. Obedience to God is not an option. And a devoted life enables us to cast shadows that make a difference.

America needs the church to begin casting shadows that will make a positive difference in the lives of people. We need to remember that purity and holiness are not just words to be used flippantly but they are requirements for the believer. And we need to remember that devotion is not only to be practiced when things are going well, but real devotion is demonstrated even during very difficult times. Perhaps then Christians will stop being the fodder for punch lines and perhaps we will begin casting shadows that will make a difference.

Does God Like You?

This morning I was reading in Zephaniah 3. What an encouraging chapter! As I read this
passage of scripture several thoughts jumped out at me that I would like to share with you.

Over the years I have talked to many people who have asked “how does God feel about me?” That is a good question that many people ask, unfortunately all to often they don’t ever take the time to get the answer. I know life is busy and all of us feel like we are in warp drive. However, in Zephaniah 3:14-20 we learn some specifics truths that help us understand how God feels about us. So I hope you will be encouraged with these truths!

First, please know that God delights in us! Zephaniah 3:17 states “He will take great delight in you...he will rejoice over you with singing.” He rejoices over you. Zephaniah goes so far as to say that he breaks into song. "...with singing." Think of the person whose company you enjoy the most—the person you would most like to spend the day with. That is a fraction of how much God enjoys your company. He wants to be with you. He delights in you. Why? This is the crucial truth about Christianity. God not only loves you, he likes you!

Second, please know that God will take care of us. There are three ways that jumped out at me about God’s care and provision. Notice that God provides forgiveness. Verse 15 “The Lord has taken away your punishment.” God wants to forgive you so much that he sent his Son into the world to die on the cross for your sins. Also note that God provides protection. Verse 15 states “The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.” Drop down to verse 19... “At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered.” And finally note that God provides peace. Verse 17 says that “He will quiet us with His love.”

Finally, please know that God has plans for you. I love verse 29! It says “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the Lord. In the book of Zephaniah we see that God has given us a future; he has plans for us—plans to restore us and bring us home. And, best of all, we can be sure that our future is not in our own feeble hands, our future is in his hands. He will bring it to pass. Why? Because he not only loves you, he likes you!

Blessings!!

Will

Does God Like You?

This morning I was reading in Zephaniah 3. What an encouraging chapter! As I read this
passage of scripture several thoughts jumped out at me that I would like to share with you.

Over the years I have talked to many people who have asked “how does God feel about me?” That is a good question that many people ask, unfortunately all to often they don’t ever take the time to get the answer. I know life is busy and all of us feel like we are in warp drive. However, in Zephaniah 3:14-20 we learn some specifics truths that help us understand how God feels about us. So I hope you will be encouraged with these truths!

First, please know that God delights in us! Zephaniah 3:17 states “He will take great delight in you...he will rejoice over you with singing.” He rejoices over you. Zephaniah goes so far as to say that he breaks into song. "...with singing." Think of the person whose company you enjoy the most—the person you would most like to spend the day with. That is a fraction of how much God enjoys your company. He wants to be with you. He delights in you. Why? This is the crucial truth about Christianity. God not only loves you, he likes you!

Second, please know that God will take care of us. There are three ways that jumped out at me about God’s care and provision. Notice that God provides forgiveness. Verse 15 “The Lord has taken away your punishment.” God wants to forgive you so much that he sent his Son into the world to die on the cross for your sins. Also note that God provides protection. Verse 15 states “The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.” Drop down to verse 19... “At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered.” And finally note that God provides peace. Verse 17 says that “He will quiet us with His love.”

Finally, please know that God has plans for you. I love verse 29! It says “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the Lord. In the book of Zephaniah we see that God has given us a future; he has plans for us—plans to restore us and bring us home. And, best of all, we can be sure that our future is not in our own feeble hands, our future is in his hands. He will bring it to pass. Why? Because he not only loves you, he likes you!

Blessings!!

Will

God Likes You!

This morning I was reading in Zephaniah 3. What an encouraging chapter! As I read this passage of scripture several thoughts jumped out at me that I would like to share with you.

Over the years I have talked to many people who have asked “how does God feel about me?” That is a good question that many people ask, unfortunately all to often they don’t they never take the time to get the answer. I know life is busy and all of us feel like we are in warp drive. However, in Zephaniah 3:14-20 we learn some specifics truths that help us understand how God feels about us. So I hope you will be encouraged with these truths!

First, please know that God delights in us! Zephaniah 3:17 states “He will take great delight in you...he will rejoice over you with singing.” He rejoices over you. Zephaniah goes so far as to say that he breaks into song. "...with singing." Think of the person whose company you enjoy the most—the person you would most like to spend the day with. That is a fraction of how much God enjoys your company. He wants to be with you. He delights in you. Why? This is the crucial truth about Christianity. God not only loves you, he likes you!

Second, please know that God will take care of us. There are three ways that jumped out at me about God’s care and provision. Notice that God provides forgiveness. Verse 15 “The Lord has taken away your punishment.” God wants to forgive you so much that he sent his Son into the world to die on the cross for your sins. Also note that God provides protection. Verse 15 states “The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.” Drop down to verse 19... “At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered.” And finally note that God provides peace. Verse 17 says that “He will quiet us with His love.”

Finally, please know that God has plans for you. I love verse 29! It says “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the Lord. In the book of Zephaniah we see that God has given us a future; he has plans for us—plans to restore us and bring us home. And, best of all, we can be sure that our future is not in our own feeble hands, our future is in his hands. He will bring it to pass. Why? Because he not only loves you, he likes you!

Blessings!!

Will

Transformational Meditation

In 1968 the Beatles decided that material success was not enough to fill the void in their lives, so they traveled to India to meet with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the developer of Transcendental Meditation. He trained hundreds of thousands of people in the ways of TM, and in the process became very rich. They have the ambitious goal of creating heaven-on-earth through Transcendental Meditation, and have made the claim that meditation reverses the aging process, reduces the crime rate and lowers blood pressure. They also lead high-priced corporate seminars with the promised result of improved job performance and increased job satisfaction. To this day, due mainly to the amount of press the Maharishi received in the sixties, many associate the term "meditation" with the Maharishi and Transcendental Meditation.

If you stop the average person on the street and ask them about meditation, more than likely they will talk about sitting cross-legged in a trancelike state, reciting a mantra, and attempting to enter a state of "nothingness." In other words, most people on the street know very little about meditation

Unfortunately, the same thing can be said of many Christians. Many devout followers of Christ are convinced that meditation is bad - they identify meditation with the new age, the occult, or eastern religions. They think meditation equals Transcendental Meditation. Of course, they overlook the fact that meditation is a biblical idea. The word "meditate" or "meditation" appears about 2 dozen times in the Bible. In the Psalms we are encouraged - even commanded - to meditate. Paul exhorts us to meditate. As we look at the spiritual lives of the great saints of the Bible, we see meditation put into practice.

In Psalm 62, David gives us a clear example of what meditation is. We're going to take a closer look at this passage, and learn the biblical technique for meditation. There are three elements to biblical meditation.

First, there is attachment. Others religions teach that meditation means detachment. You want to separate yourself from your surroundings and empty your mind. So you can be completely detached. However, in Christianity our goal is to be attached to God. In Psalm 62:5 David said “For God alone my soul waits in silence.” I realize that in our lives this is tough. But if we could somehow separate ourselves from the business of life and could attach ourselves to God perhaps we could find more joy and meaning.

Second, there is expectation. Many of you have experienced the power of God in your life through answered prayer. My prayer for every one of you is to experience often the blessing of answered prayer. However, meditation moves us beyond simply "asking and receiving" and leads us into a deeper kind of communion with God that simply basks in his presence. David said, "For God alone my soul waits." Waiting on God means that we are yielded to him. It means that we have submitted ourselves to his timetable. It means that we have set aside our desire for worldly pleasure and will continue to seek his face. We haven't come to him for a blessing, we have come to rest in his presence. In fact, the phrase translated my soul waits has also been translated my soul rests. David is saying his place of comfort, his place of relaxation, his place of peace is in the presence of God. When we meditate, we commit ourselves to waiting on God in faith, and resting in his presence.

Finally, there is silence. The discipline of silence must be observed before we can hear the voice of God. It's a simple fact that you can't be talking and listening at the same time. The problem with our prayers is that they are often much too wordy - we spend too much time talking and not enough time listening. If prayer is really "communication with God" there has to come a point in the conversation when we let him speak to us. This can only happen if we allow ourselves to become silent.

I hope these words will encourage you to consider making meditation a part of your daily spiritual disciplines. Perhaps if we would spend more time listening for God we would discover more about Him and His plan for our lives. Who knows are lives could be transformed?

Just a thought!

Will