1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:24-27  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Over the last week I have been watching the Olympic trials on television.  All of these athletes have worked so hard to get to the trials, but the trials are the end goal.  The end goal is making it to London in a few weeks to compete in the 2012 Olympics.  For many, this dream has pushed them to train every day for many years.  These athletes have sacrificed going to birthday parties and other social events in order to train.  They have given up family get togethers in order to train.  They are particular about getting enough sleep and eating the right things.  They drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.  They have had to stay focused – keeping their eye on the prize…making it to the Olympics.

I’m sure it’s tempting to look around and see how other athletes in their field are doing – who is winning meets, who is switching coaches, who is having a bad week, and even who has hurt themselves.  But you don’t win races by beating others…you win races by doing your best – by performing at the top of your game.

Ancient Olympics were held until 394 A.D.  These were the competitions Paul would have been familiar with.  In these days, runners did not run in an oval around a track.  They ran back and forth between two poles.  Concentration was essential during these races.  They had to make sure to go all the way to the pole or they would be disqualified.  They had to keep their eye on the pole because if they lost sight of the pole and strayed from their path, they could run out of their way and lose time.  They couldn’t worry about what everyone else was doing; they had to focus on their plan and their goal.

In life, it’s easy to become distracted and get off course.  It’s easy to let non-essential “busyness” take our precious time.  When we start looking at what everyone else is doing and what they are accomplishing, it’s easy to become discouraged and apathetic.  We need times of recovery and then we need to get back out there – get back in the race.  We need to rededicate ourselves to the cause and make sure we are all in for Christ…that nothing is in between us and Him!  We need to be Cohorts in Craziness!!! J

You’re doing an awesome job!   Keep it up!  “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Luke 18

Luke 18:1-8  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  ² He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.  ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.'  ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man,  ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'"  ⁶ And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.  ⁷ And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?  ⁸ I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Most of us have at least one; one thing that we have been praying for, sometimes off and on, over the years.  For some, they pray for a better job with better pay.  For others, it may be for a family member to find salvation.  Some pray for a better lifestyle for themselves, others pray that their children would know a better way of life than they did.  Some lift up prayers to find a spouse…and then to have children – these also fall into this category.  Most of us have at least one.

When someone asks me to join them in prayer for one of these kinds of things, the first question I ask is, “have you really been praying for this?”  It’s interesting to me how often people stop and think and then admit that no, they really haven’t been praying…but they’ve really been wanting.  If they have been praying, I ask about consistency.  Oftentimes we pray about something for a couple days and then forget about it for a while.  I love today’s passage.  It promises us that God will answer those who consistently seek.  If God is not answering, are you consistently seeking?

If the answer is yes, then I dive a little deeper into the motivation of the prayer.  Are you praying for better transportation or a brand new convertible?  Are you praying for a job to support your family or are you hoping to “one up” the neighbors with new and improved upgrades?  We need to make sure that our motives are in line with what God would have for us.  Showing up the neighbors with a new pool in our backyard is not really what He is in to.  Now don’t get me wrong – God loves to bless His children and often loves to “wow” us, but when we insist on something specific like a little child, God will often treat us like a little child and tell us no.  Sometimes He says no because He knows what is best.  Or maybe His answer is not yet.  Maybe He is preparing something for us better than we can imagine right around the corner.

We need to develop the discipline of prayer – consistently seeking Him.  Seek Him with all your needs, feel free to offer suggestions, but be open to His will and His timing…He is way more creative than we ever could be.  If we insist on our way, we may miss out on a surprise blessing He has for us!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Colossians 3

Colossians 3:18-25  Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.  ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  ²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.  ²² Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.  ²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,  ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.  ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

I am a big perfectionist…there I admit it!  I enjoy doing things “the way they should be done.”  Certain things should be done a certain way.  No cutting corners.  I struggle to understand doing something “the wrong way.”  Over the years I have learned that sometimes what you have done is “good enough” and we need to move on.  If we remember the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), I don’t think Jesus was saying they didn’t need anything to eat.  I think He was telling Martha that lunch meat sandwiches would have been ok, a four course meal was not necessary… she could have made some quick sandwiches and then joined in with the disciples.

Our passage today gets a lot of bad press.  The title for this pericope in my Bible is “Rules for Christian Households.”  We don’t like rules.  We don’t like being told what to do.  But – the main point of this passage comes in with verse 23, “whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”  The translation literally means, “whatever you do, do it with all your heart.”  I love that!  If you can’t be proud of what you are doing, maybe you need to reevaluate.  If you can’t say you tried your best, maybe you need to reevaluate. 

We should do everything as if we are doing it for God.  We are His representatives and others will notice if our standard is any different than that of the world.  Our standard should be God’s standard…even if we’re just making sandwiches!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

2 Timothy 3

I love lists.  I love making lists and checking things off my list as I go.  I love the sense of accomplishment as I’m able to cross items off my list.  Whenever I do rounds at the hospital, I make a list of all the units and cross them off after they have been visited.  I make a list whenever I’m going out of town to make sure nothing gets left behind.  When I was in school I loved teachers who made a list of all the assignments I had to complete so I could see the progress through the semester.  I love lists – and oh does the Bible have a bunch of them.

The Bible has lists of family names – who begot whom; there are lists of nations and people groups; there are lists of gifts we can have; and there are lists of things we should do and things we should not do.  Our passage today gives us a list describing what the world is going to look like in the last days.  When you read through this list it doesn’t sound very different from the world we live in today.  The list includes people being lovers of self, being proud and arrogant, being ungrateful and heartless, and being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  Paul counters this list with that of following him and his example – having faith, patience, love, and steadfastness. 

I encourage you to read through the lists.  How have you been living lately?  Does the first list describe you better than the second?  Seek God that He would guide you in your reflection.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Judges 6

Judges 6:11  Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day at the gym.  Most people at the gym don’t know that I’m a pastor – they just know that I teach group fitness so they don’t usually ask.  But the other day I made reference to our church having Vacation Bible School and my friend and I started to talk about church and I was found out.  You see when people find out that I’m a pastor one of two things usually happens.  Either I start getting the “life story” of how they grew up in the church and somehow they have gotten away from it over the years or they look at me strangely, end the conversation quickly, and make a dash to the closest exit.

Well my friend went with the “life story” route.  She shared how she grew up in the church, got away from it, but then once she had kids, her family started attending regularly.  And now – she finally gets it.  She understands salvation and gave her life to Christ.  Well – to tell the truth, I did a mental “wait a minute.”  This person is nice enough, but has a gruff exterior.  She rarely has a smile and complaints are quicker out of her mouth than compliments.  In my mind it didn’t add up.

It reminded me of one of my favorite people in the Bible, Gideon.  I love Gideon!  I love how he is timid, how he complains at the angel, and how God eventually turns him into a Mighty Man of Valor.  But Gideon started out afraid.  He had heard the stories of God and His greatness.  How God had brought his ancestors through so much.  But Gideon was, “beating out wheat in the winepress.”  A winepress was usually at a low point on your property.  It was well hidden so no one could see when you were pressing grapes and making wine.  Wine was expensive and you didn’t want your neighbors to know what was going on.  On the other hand, beating out wheat was the process of separating the wheat from the chaff.  Usually this was done at a high place.  You would toss the wheat and chaff up in the air and the chaff would blow away in the wind and the wheat would settle back down.  But this was typically done in the open so the chaff would have a chance to blow away.

Gideon was afraid – he wanted to hide what he was doing from the Midianites.  Kind of like my friend.  She seems to be hiding her faith from the world.  I’m not sure why yet – if it’s fear or uncertainty, but her light is definitely not shining for the world to see.

Eventually Gideon gets over his fear (or at least he does what God asks of him while being afraid).  We need to get over our fears and do what God is asking us to do (or maybe just do it with a little fear!)  Our light needs to shine.  We need to look different than the world does.  People should be able to spot us and realize there is something different.  Different in how we approach the day, different in how we treat other people, different in how we live our lives.  We need to be beating out wheat from the highest hill for everyone to see!!

As you go through your day – make sure to let your light shine!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6:6-10  Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,  ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

For the past several years I have been diligently working towards financial freedom.  Next month I will pay off the third of four credit cards and by the end of the year I will have paid off two of my three student loans (leaving me with one credit card and one student loan).  As I am planning to go back to school to earn my Doctorate in Ministry, I am budgeting to be able to pay as I go.  I am not looking to go into any more debt.

When I was in my 20’s, I got into crazy debt – some was by necessity (student loans for seminary and credit cards to cover what student loans didn’t pay).  But some of my debt was from being impatient.  If I wanted something, I just pulled out a credit card and bought it.  Sometimes it was a plane ticket to come home for the holidays, other times I was buying tickets to a musical.  Either way, I was purchasing things I didn’t really have the money for…but I thought I needed.  I bought into the lie that I could have whatever I wanted now and pay for it later…well I have been paying for it – for many years I’ve been paying for it.

Financial responsibility is something I was never taught.  Sure – I took economics in high school, but no one ever sat down with me and talked about responsible spending and how much it really costs to purchase on a credit card or to take out a loan.  This is why I’m a huge advocate for financial ministries like Crown and Financial Peace begin taught to high schoolers and college students.  Getting this understanding early would have saved me a lot of heartache.

Scripture is pretty clear that we need to become content with what we have.  If we have food and clothing, we’re good to go.  We don’t have to own the latest fashion or eat at the best restaurants; we just need to have enough clothing to protect our bodies and enough food to keep us alive.  Scripture gets misquoted and people say that money is the root of all evil.  This is not true.  God understands that we need money – to buy clothes and food and keep a roof over our heads.  But Paul states that the love of money is the root of all evil.  It is when money becomes more important than anything else that we enter the danger zone.  If we love money and do anything to pursue it, God loses His place as number one in our lives.  Our desire to help others falls by the wayside.  Providing for our families is no longer the purpose of work.  The love of money can spiral out of control.  We need to check ourselves before this happens.

What does your relationship with money look like?  Is it healthy – just working to pay the bills and provide for your family?  Or is it unhealthy – earning as much as you can and spending more than you bring in?  We need to learn to be content where we are.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So many times I speak with people who feel down and out.  They have no hope.  They feel like they have no reason to live.  They feel like they have no purpose.  I love this passage because it is full of encouragement.  First and foremost, we are God’s workmanship.  He created us just the way He wanted us.  God doesn’t make mistakes.  We have the strengths and characteristics He desires us to have.  He gave us just what we need to accomplish the tasks He has for us to do because He created us for good works.

God already knows what our purpose is – and what our purpose will be.  Most of us have multiple purposes throughout life.  Many of us have multiple purposes right now!; one purpose at work, one at home, one at church, etc.  As we get older, our purpose may change, but that is no surprise to God because He has prepared our work and our purpose before He even created us.

Some people may struggle with this saying, “but I don’t know my purpose.”  God loves us so much.  He desires to be in relationship with us.  He wants us to seek Him and He will be found.  If we ask, He will answer.  If you don’t know what your tasks should be, what your purpose is, ask God.  In His time, He’ll let you know.  If you already know – then get out there and do it!  We are to be walking in our purpose!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Hebrews 13

Hebrews 13:5  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

I remember standing with a friend of mine in her dorm room.  Her parents had just helped her unload everything into her room.  Her mom had helped her make up her bed and her dad had helped her set up her computer.  There wasn’t really anything left, but her parents hung around for a few more moments sharing last minute advice.  Always walk in groups after dark, don’t forget to lock your door at night, you should have enough money on your account to get whatever you want in the cafeteria, call whenever you want – day or night…the last minute instructions continued for a few minutes and then they left.  Her parents looked sad and a little helpless. 

I wonder if this is how the author of Hebrews felt at the end of his letter.  Every verse is a different piece of instruction – from remembering those in prison to obey those who are in charge, the author seems to be trying to cover all the bases.  One of those bases is on being content with your current financial situation.  Our culture encourages us to always want more…to upgrade what we have.  There are “starter homes” with the thought of getting something nicer/bigger down the road.  As we sell our car, we look at getting something nicer with more features.  We look at the neighbors and want what they have. 

But we need to learn to be content.  Learn to be content about what we have and where we are.  We need to be content and not always seeking the next greatest thing.  There is a difference between having drive and working for nice things and being so concentrated on obtaining those things that everything else is no longer in focus.  We need to be content in our everyday lives knowing that Jesus will always be with us and never forsake us.  Jesus is with us every step of the way; even as we become content with every step.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:6   Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

This week has been a great week of Vacation Bible School.  Every night we have gotten together with a bunch of kids and have had a blast!  We’ve made crafts, played games, and had snacks, sang songs and danced around, participated in a missions project, but most importantly, we learned more about Jesus.  Through stories like Shadrach, Meshack, & Abednego, Daniel and the Firey Furnace, and Paul & Silas being in jail, we learned about how only God was able to get these guys out of their “shackles” and set them free.  God is the only one who can set us free from the “Shackles” of sin.

This week we have shown the Love of Jesus to these children.  We have read from Scripture and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have fed into these young people’s lives and for this we can be excited!  I’m so excited to see what God has planned for each and every one of these lives that we have touched this week. We have planted seeds and watered them and now God will make them grow!

As Christians we need to be showing God’s love to all those in our lives, especially the children.  They are our next generation.  Studies have shown that if people do not become Christians before their teenage years, the chance of their accepting Him as an adult is slim.  By the age of 13 our spiritual identity is largely in place.[1]  We need to embrace our role in “training up children in the way they should go!” 

Sometimes I think we don’t give kids enough credit.  I think they can grasp more about Jesus and God than we think they can.  We need to be teaching them Scripture and talking to them about God, His Character, and how they need to be more like Him.  We need to have higher expectations for our kids.  If we teach them a version of faith that is “Christianity-light,” then that’s what they will exhibit in their lives.  But if we teach them the absolute truth and expect them to start implementing that truth into their lives, they will live up to our expectations. 

Now I realize that we do need to teach children differently than adults, but what they are exposed to on tv and in the movies and even in the video games they play not only desensitizes them, but introduces them to topics like death and sin that we can build upon.  The world is definitely giving them one message.  We need to be giving them The Message and we can’t be afraid of delivering it in a powerful way.   

We need to fight for our kids.  We need to be louder with our message, the Message of Jesus than the world is with their message.  Go have some fun with the kids in your life!  But in addition to fun, make sure you are sharing the Light of the World!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

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[1] George Barna, “Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions”

Matthew 4

Matthew 4:1-11  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  ² And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  ³ And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."  ⁴ But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"  ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple  ⁶ and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"  ⁷ Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"  ⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  ⁹ And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."  ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"  ¹¹ Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

One of my passions in life is exercise.  I enjoy getting out and running and biking by myself, but I also enjoy the camaraderie and encouragement that comes along with group fitness.  One of my favorite classes is Les Mills RPM™.  “RPM™ is the indoor cycling workout where you ride to the rhythm of powerful music.”[1]  I love how it’s all about the beat.  When the music goes faster, you pedal faster, when the music goes slower, you pedal slower.  This is very intuitive for me.  Plus the music is great!

I was talking with a fellow rider about the differences between Les Mills RPM™ and other spin classes.  It’s a challenge for me because in other spin classes oftentimes the music has nothing to do with what you are doing.  The music can be slow and we’re supposed to be racing on a flat or the music can be fast and we supposed to be climbing up a challenging hill.  I end up getting frustrated.  My friend said, “it’s like the instructor creates a routine and then forces the music in for the class instead of starting with the music.”

When she said that I thought, “huh, we do the same thing with Scripture.”  Oftentimes we start with what we want the message to be and then force Scripture to say it.  We decide what we are trying to prove and then search for a Scripture to support what we are thinking.  The fancy word for this process is eisegesis.  According to Merriam-Webster online eisegesis is the “interpretation of a text by reading into it one’s own ideas.”  This is compared to exegesis which is “an explanation or critical interpretation of a text.  The first begins with the end in mind and the second begins with the text and lets it speak for itself.

In today’s passage, Satan tries to twist Scripture into saying what he wants it to say.  He has an agenda and he is trying to make Scripture support his agenda.  Jesus corrects Satan by sharing with him what the Scripture really says – allowing it to speak for itself.  He makes sure to interpret the passage in light of the entire Bible, not just a few words pulled out of context.

As we read Scripture, we need to allow the words on the page speak for themselves.  We cannot begin with an end in mind.  We cannot pull a few verses out and interpret them how we please.  We must look at the surrounding text to identify what the context of the passage is as well as considering the entire Bible and God’s complete message.  God’s character is unchanging.  He is the same God from Genesis to Revelation.  If your interpretation of a passage doesn’t line up with who God is throughout Scripture, you’re probably making the passage say what you want it to say and not what God meant for it to say.  (Say that 10 times fast) J

We need to be in the Bible every day as we get to know our God so when something that doesn’t sound quite right is said, we are able to not accept the lie and also have a reason why we are disputing it.  And that’s another fancy word, apologetics – knowing why you believe what you believe.

So my challenge for you – get to know God a little more every day…then you’ll know who God is not a little more every day as well.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

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[1] http://w3.lesmills.com/global/en/classes/rpm/about-rpm/

Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:  ² a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;  ³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  ⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  ⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  ⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  ⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  ⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Happy First Day of Summer!  Which means today is the longest day of the year.  This also means that the days start to get shorter starting tomorrow.  I know that it won’t be dark by 5pm tomorrow night, but it’s strange, a part of me is a little sad. 

I have to remind myself that each day has a purpose.  Today – I am going to enjoy the beautiful sunshine (and the hot temperatures) knowing that they won’t last forever.  Summer is a time of fun in the sun, swimming, playing outside, and growth.  Crops grow in the summer, kids grow like crazy in the summer, and even my hair grows faster in the summer.

Summer is also an opportunity to grow in our faith.  Our days are longer – sitting by the pool or at the ballgame – these are great opportunities to read Scripture, work through a Bible Study, journal, or talk with God.  Maybe create a goal to read through the Pauline Epistles (the letters in the New Testament written by Paul) or the Psalms.  Maybe your goal is to make it through an entire Bible Study this summer (I have several at home that are only partially complete). L

Now, some of you may be thinking – well, what if someone sees me?  What would I say if they ask what I am doing?  Honestly, I hope they do.  Is there a better way to open a conversation about your faith than living it out in your daily life?  Maybe they have questions about faith that you can discuss.  Maybe you can lead them to accepting Jesus and their Savior.  Maybe they’ll sneer at you and shake their heads – I don’t know.  But God never said growth wouldn’t be painful.  In fact, in several places in Scripture He said there would be challenges, but He said He will be with us as we go through them.

So – in this season of growth and fun in the sun, what goals are you going to set?  What are you going to accomplish this summer?  Will you be closer to God in three months when the seasons change than you are today?  Every moment counts.  If we wait too long, the kids will be going back to school and the weather will be getting cooler.  We will have let another season go by without notice.  Grab today!  Seek God in all you do and grow in Him this summer!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 6:16, 20-23  As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart….

²⁰ And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"  ²¹ And David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD--and I will make merry before the LORD.  ²² I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor."  ²³ And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

I remember when I was younger and in school how much I cared about what others thought.  I cared about what others thought about how I looked and how I dressed.  I cared how others perceived me and how they judged what I had to say…so much so that I didn’t say very much.  I was quiet, I dressed quietly, really – I just wanted to fade into the background and not be noticed.  I’d rather be overlooked than made fun of or ridiculed.

Well – David definitely did not have any concern about what others thought… at least no one besides God.  David danced and leapt before the Lord.  He was so excited about praising His God, David took off His outer robe to make movement easier.  Truly David is a Cohort in Craziness!!  But not everyone was so excited.  David’s wife Michal ridiculed him for what had done.  She couldn’t believe his behavior and shared her opinions with her husband, but David didn’t care.  His first concern was praising the Lord!

I think Michal could have been blessed if she had seen David’s vision, if she had joined David in worshipping.  But instead she lived a lonely life, a disgraced life without children.

What is your first concern?  Are you concerned about what others think more than what God thinks?  Are you willing to be a Cohort in Craziness and look like a fool for God if He asks you to?  Courage over fear is what we are called to!  I know you can do it J

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Ephesians 4:17-24

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.  ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.  ¹⁹ They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.  ²⁰ But that is not the way you learned Christ!--  ²¹ assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,  ²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Throughout the years I have noticed that for many people Monday is the day to start new things…or to stop old things.  Monday seems to be a fresh start, a new beginning, a day to begin standing on a new foundation.  Whether the new diet starts on Monday, the new workout plan starts Monday, I’m going to stop smoking on Monday, or I’m not going to curse any more – starting Monday, it seems to correlate Monday as a new launching point.  I mean – how often does someone say, “This Wednesday I’m going to give up caffeine!”?

Unfortunately, statistics show that anything new started on Monday is usually long forgotten by Tuesday evening.  Studies also show that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit.  They also reveal that developing a new habit with a friend or developing an accountability partner increases success considerably.  So if we get a friend involved and we make it to Wednesday at noon, maybe we have a better chance of making it to day 21! 

We all live by habits.  We typically get up at a certain time, eat something similar for breakfast, and take a similar route to work every day.  We truly are habit driven.  Scripture calls us to put off our old selves – in other words – get rid of our old destructive habits; letting go of the habits that are of the flesh and not of God.  But we cannot get rid of one thing without replacing it with another.  We are also called to create new habits that are created “after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Our new habits need to make us look more like Christ, i.e. be more loving, be more patient, pray more, be in Scripture more, etc.

We are about half way through the year.  It seems like a long time ago, but did you make any New Year’s Resolutions?  How are you doing?  Did you give up by January 3? Or has your resolution become a habit?  Either way today is Monday – feel free to start once more!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Proverbs 23:13-14

Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.  ¹⁴ If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Happy Father’s  Day!  For many this day is a great time of celebration.  It is a day to celebrate Dad and all that he is.  Dad – the man who taught us how to ride a bike, who protected us when we were scared, who comforted us when we were hurt.  He is the one we go to for advice and encouragement.  Dad is also the one who put a little fear in us to keep us from misbehaving.  Did you ever hear, “just wait until your father gets home!”?

For others this is a day of sadness and anger or maybe it’s just a day like any other day.  For some their Dad’s didn’t live up to the responsibility.  Maybe they left and Mom had to be “Mom and Dad.”  Maybe they were around, but didn’t really do anything but read the paper and yell.  Maybe they were abusive and you wished they would just leave.  For some, Father’s day can bring up “a bunch of junk” that they’d rather forget.

For those who had a great Dad, it’s easy to correlate that relationship with their relationship with our Heavenly Father.  To see God as loving, warm, and caring is easy.  It’s easy to understand loving correction.  For those who didn’t have a great Dad, sometimes it’s a challenge to understand that God is not the judge in the sky ready to strike you down; it’s tough to realize that God is the perfect Dad they always dreamed of.

This Father’s Day we celebrate the men in our lives that have impacted and continue to impact our lives.  No matter the experience we had, we are changed because of it.  But we also celebrate our Heavenly Father – the perfect Father who will never let us down, who will love us no matter what, and who offers correcting in a loving manner and for the purpose of helping us to grow – not cutting us down.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Exodus 16:22-30

On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses,  ²³ he said to them, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.'"  ²⁴ So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.  ²⁵ Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field.  ²⁶ Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none."  ²⁷ On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.  ²⁸ And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?  ²⁹ See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day."  ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

I love summer!!  The warm days, the bright sun, the long evenings all make summer seem like it will go on forever.  I remember as a kid, going to the pool almost every day and playing all day long.  I remember going outside and playing until the street lights came on…and then playing in the backyard until we were called inside.  I remember riding my bike around the block, playing kickball, and swinging on the swing-set.  Summer lasted forever.  Going back to school was always so far away.

Now that I’m an adult, I still love summer.  I still love spending time outside.  But I spend more time on an indoor spin bike than I do outside on my road bike.  I spend more time on a treadmill than hitting the pavement while the sun is still up.  I can only think of a handful of times that I’ve been at a pool over the last five years.  Life is so hectic, my schedule is so crazy, sometimes I forget to rest and play.

Even God rested.  He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (Gen 2).  I don’t believe that God really needed to rest, I believe He was setting a precedent for all of us.  We can work six days, but we need to rest, relax, and play on the seventh.  Even when Moses and the Israelites were in the desert, they were instructed to gather food six days of the week and then rest on the seventh.

When is your Sabbath?  When is your day of rest, relaxation, and fun?  Do you work five days a week at a “paying job” and then work the weekends at home?  Do you fill your “days off” with taking care of the yard, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, and running errands?  God tells us to rest.  It’s not a suggestion – it’s a command.

God knows that we need rest and relaxation – both for physical recovery and mental/emotional wellbeing.  We can’t keep going and going…we are not the Energizer Bunny.  Eventually our schedules will take a toll and our body, mind, or emotions (if not all three) will start to revolt.

We have 12 weeks until Labor Day…summer is not going to last forever.  Go sit outside and read a book.  Go for a walk with your spouse.  Go play some kickball with the kids (they will love it – and that’s way lifelong memories are made of!!!)  I’m giving you permission to take a day to procrastinate!  You can get it done tomorrow…whatever “it” is.  Go be like a kid and go have some fun! J

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

John 10:22-30

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,  ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.  ²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."  ²⁵ Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,  ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.  ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  ³⁰ I and the Father are one."

The last couple of days I have had several conversations with different people that ended up being very similar.  These individuals have all been active in churches throughout their childhood and adult lives.  But it had been a while since they have been able to attend church.  They all shared feelings of doubt.  Doubt that they truly were saved and going to heaven.  We talked about salvation and I had them explain to me what that meant for them.  Every single one was on the right track and had at one time accepted Jesus as Lord, but now they were experiencing doubt.

I told each of them that if they truly believed everything they had just said, they had in fact accept Jesus as their personal Savior and were saved.  I shared today’s passage with them – that no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand…but we are able to walk away.  We have a daily choice to love God and serve Him or to walk away and love and serve ourselves.  It’s kind of like marriage – it’s a choice to stay together and a choice to love.  Things aren’t always great, birds aren’t always singing, there aren’t always fresh flowers on the table – sometimes we don’t feel that God is near and sometimes life is tough.  These are the times Satan tries to convince us that we don’t truly belong to God.

After providing assurance and encouragement, we talked about the possibility for them to attend church.  Being in a faith community allows us to be encouraged and supported on a regular basis.  We meet people who become friends and family who can encourage us when times are low and rejoice with us when times are good.  Not all the people I see are able to get out any more, some can barely comprehend any more, but those that can make it, I encourage them to find a way.  As long as we are still here on Earth, God has something for us to do. 

So – if you have accepted Jesus as Savior – you have admitted that you are a sinner, believed that Jesus died for your sins/on your behalf, and confessed that Jesus is Lord of your life – you are saved and no one or nothing can take that from you.   Unless you walk away.  And if you are concerned about your salvation, its sounds to me like you have not walked away.

Make sure to be involved with a faith community.  Not just attend, but truly get involved.  Get to know people, build relationships that provided encouragement and accountability.  We all need this!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Jeremiah 29

I’m not the best “waiter.”  I don’t mean someone who brings you food, I mean someone who waits.  I don’t like seeing something coming in the distance and having to wait for it.  I’d rather do something than nothing while I’m waiting.  Just staying busy helps me to take my mind off the fact that I’m waiting.  Whether I’m waiting for a phone call or an email to answer a question or I’m waiting in line at the grocery store, I have to stay busy.  Sometimes I’ll pull my phone out and check emails or see what new posts are on Facebook.   Or I’ll grab a book and read to pass the time.  There’s always something I can do to keep me busy while I’m waiting.

Most of the time what I am waiting for is resolved in a day or so, but this is definitely not always the case when I’m waiting on God.  I sometimes get frustrated that His timing is not my timing (because my timing was yesterday!)  But I love Jeremiah 29.  In this passage God tells His people that they are going to be waiting a long time…70 years to be exact.  Ugh.  I don’t think I could handle God telling me I had to wait 70 years for anything.  So why do I love this passage?  Because God tells His people while they are waiting, stay busy; keep on keeping on.  He instructs them to keep getting married, keep having families, build houses, plant gardens.  We are to keep living life even while we wait.

Sometimes we rest in the later part of this chapter.  Verse 11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” but the future comes after the waiting.  For the Israelites, it comes after 70 years of waiting.  Sometimes we know that God has promised something – to prosper us with a better job, to bless us with a spouse or children, to heal us from our illness – so we sit down on the floor and we wait.  We decide to do nothing until God moves.  We are going to put our lives on hold until we receive what God has promised.  But this isn’t what God instructs us to do.

We need to keep living while we wait.  Sometimes that means being in a job we don’t enjoy, living with the frustration and pain of childlessness, or suffering through illness, but the hope lies in the fact that God is working.  He is moving.  We may not be able to see what He is up to, but if He has promised, He will deliver.  We need to keep going to work, paying the bills, making dinner, and even having fun while we wait.

What are you waiting for?  Keep moving!  God might just be around the next corner!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Philippians 4:4-7  

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of my favorite iPhone apps is YouVersion The Bible App.  I can access many different versions of the Bible at any time from my phone.  Some of the versions can even be listened to, which is great in the car!  Another reason I really enjoy this app is because of the reading plans.  Users can choose reading plans that are topical (like Scriptures about love, hope, stress, or fear), plans that are sections of Scripture (like reading through the Psalms, the Minor Prophets, or the Gospels), or plans that take the user through the entire Bible.  It’s great!  The plans I’ve read through include Decisions, God’s Goodness, and the Old Testament – Minor Prophets.

Another great tool in this app is Bookmarking.  Users are able to bookmark passages that really hit home so they are easy to find later.  I just received an email from the company this morning and the top bookmarked verse is Philippians 4:6.  I think this goes to show just how stressed our lives have become.  Our lives are so busy.  Between work and family, activities and workouts, paying bills and balancing the checkbook, going to the grocery store and making dinner, updating fb and reading blogs – we rarely have time for ourselves…let alone time for God.

We need to make sure we take God’s instruction here.  Do not be anxious about anything.  We won’t get anywhere by being anxious and worrying.  There isn’t anything that has ever been solved by being anxious.  All you get is an upset stomach or an ulcer.  But we can’t stop with not being anxious.  The rest of the passage is extremely important as well, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be make known to God.”  We need to day by day, sometimes moment by moment, talk with God about what is making us anxious; asking Him to take control…and thanking Him for taking control.

When you’re stressed, ask for peace and calm.  When you’re uncertain what to do, ask for direction.  God is always with us and just waiting for us to let go.  I know it’s cliché, but we just need to “Let Go and Let God.”

So – what are you anxious about?  What are you stressing about?  Stop it! J Ask God for His help and rejoice and give thanks because He will…and His peace will fall upon you!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

1 John 2

Comparing.  I think it’s very natural to compare.  When we are young, we compare our grades with those of the student around us.  When we get older, we compare the kind of car we drive with those our friends own.  When we go to the store, we compare the produce in order to get the best looking fruits and vegetables.  When we shop, we compare prices in order to get the best deal.  But when we start comparing ourselves, we need to be careful as to what our plumb line is.

If we begin to compare how much money we have to our neighbors, money and success can become our plumb line.  If we begin to compare our appearance to the others at the gym, vanity and what the world sees at beauty can become our plumb line.  If we begin to compare our families to those around us, perfection can become our plumb line.  When we place our eyes on these things, our focus is skewed.  What we focus on can become a love or an obsession.

Scripture tells us we are not to love the world and the only plumb line we need is Jesus.  It doesn’t matter how we measure up in comparison to the world…it doesn’t take much to have more light than the darkness.  A small birthday candle puts off enough light to make the darkness look different.  But we are called to be brighter than that.  We are called to be lights in the world – not just in our living rooms.

I’m not saying don’t compare yourself to anything.  I am saying the only one to focus on is Jesus.  Keep your eyes on Him.  Keep your focus on Him.  Study Him.  Our goal is to be more like Him.  He is our plumb line.  How do you measure up?

I’m praying for your!

Pastor Amy