Romans 8:1-39 – No Condemnation

In verse 15 of this passage we are told, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (underlining/italicizing mine).  Some translations use the word sonship instead of adoption, but adoption really gets to the heart of the matter.  The ancient world would have been very familiar with adoption.  Findings have shown examples of adoption from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and ancient Jewish sources.  Free men were allowed to adopt others – either individuals or complete families.

The individual or family would come with the man adopting them before a governor to make the arrangement legally binding.  It was common at this adoption event to also draw up a new will to include those who were being adopted.  You see, someone being adopted in this time gained familial ties by changing their last names and gaining relatives, but they also gained inheritance rights.

By adopting someone, the old was gone – the old name, the old rank and status, the old family ties were all gone.  The individual or family no longer belonged to the previous family, they were now part of something new.

In the body of Christ, when we are born again and become adopted into Jesus’ family, the old ties are gone.  We no longer belong to the world – or to ourselves.  We now belong to God and His family.  Our old rank and status as sinner, liar, adulterer, coveter…all titles are gone.  We are all of equal status as children of Christ – none is better than any other.  We all have the same “last name,” we all have the same Abba Father, we all have the same inheritance (eternal life).

You are a new creation in Christ – you have been born again – you now belong to Someone amazingly great! – and as for your inheritance?  Everything that He has is yours!  Think about it…how cool is that?

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Acts 8:26-40 – May I Be Baptized?

Yesterday, in Sunday worship, we looked at Matthew 13:1-58.  We talked about the many different parables Jesus taught and what lessons we can glean from them.  We talked about the Parable of the Sower and how he spread the seed on all kinds of ground – the path, where it was rocky, where there were thorns, and on good soil.  He was doing his job – spreading seed.  God then takes it from there and produces a harvest – up to a hundredfold of what was sown!

We also talked about how Christian life is one of sacrifice.  We need to have ears to hear – seeking God through Bible reading and study and through prayer.  We talked about how Jesus had to sacrifice not only His time, but also his community.

In our passage today, it seems Philip has learned these lessons.  Philip heard the Spirit speak.  Philip had spent enough time in prayer and in the Scripture, that he was able to discern what the Spirit was saying and he decided to sacrifice his time and follow the Spirit’s leading.  Philip could have gone along with his day, ignoring the promptings of God.  Philip could have convinced himself it wasn’t really God – it was just his imagination.  But no – Philip knew the voice of God and he was willing to upset his schedule for Him.

Philip was also willing to sow seed in a wide way, sharing “the good news about Jesus” with the eunuch.  This man was from Ethiopia, a Gentile.  Philip could have rejected him, saying he wasn’t fit for what he was reading; but Philip spread seed on all kinds of soil – allowing God to grow the harvest.

Are you willing to let God rearrange your schedule today?  If He prompts you to do something unplanned, are you willing to take a detour for Him?  The Christian life requires sacrifice.

Are you biased when sharing your faith?  Do you only share your faith with those who you think “are ready,” aka “good soil?”  Or are you spreading seed everywhere you go – allowing God to grow the harvest?

We need to share our faith, our story, our God with everyone!  We never know when someone, like the eunuch, is ready to make a commitment to Jesus.  If we aren’t willing to sacrifice, we might miss the harvest!!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Luke 10:25-37 – What Must I Do?

In today’s culture it seems the majority of people only do the minimum to get by.  At work we only do the tasks that are assigned to us.  Stepping up and helping others?  Well, that’s “not my job.”  Young people in school seem to be there more for socializing and less for learning…only completing enough work to pass the class.

In today’s passage, the expert in the law seems to be asking what is the minimum I need to do in order to inherit eternal life.  The expert already knows the answer, but is looking for an explanation of what it means to love God and love you neighbor.  Who is my neighbor?  Maybe he was hoping Jesus was going to say, “those who live on either side of you – those are the only ones you need to love.”  Or maybe, “those in your same social class – those are the only ones you need to love.”  But Jesus tells a story of how we are to go above and beyond, going out of our way to help those around us.

We need to go through our day with our eyes wide open.  Instead of keeping our head down and not noticing the needs around us, we need to be aware of how we can be Jesus to those around us.  In being different than our culture, people will begin to wonder why – and this may lead to conversations about faith and salvation.  Our being aware of the needs of others may become life and death situations…the eternal life or death of those around us.

Go today – and Love God and Love People…God will do the rest.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Proverbs 16:1-18:24 – Commit Your Work to the Lord

Proverbs are great little nuggets of wisdom.  Some are so profound while others are very simple reminders of how to best behave.  An area that the Proverbs often speak pertains to the tongue.  Something I think many of us fall into, oftentimes unintentionally, is misusing our words.  Sometimes we say things to others without thinking and end up hurting someone’s feelings.  Other times we find ourselves sharing someone else’s news or sharing what someone else has said to us with others.  In our “sharing” we are actually gossiping.  In updating our friends and family about other friends and family, we are gossiping.  In telling (or complaining to) a third party how we feel about someone who is not there, is actually gossiping.

I love 18:6, “A fools’ lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.”  What we say has consequences.  Speaking negatively about someone who isn’t there encourages others to change their opinion about that person…or it may alter their opinion about you!

We all need to do a better job of checking ourselves when we speak.  If we are telling a story that includes others not present, either we need to tell the story about “a friend” and not include their identity or maybe we shouldn’t be telling the story at all!

Just like James tells us – we need to be quick to listen and slow to speak (1:19).

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Psalm 23 – The Lord is My Shepherd

When I was young, this Psalm confused me.  The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.  Why wouldn’t we want the Lord to shepherd us?  I knew this Psalm was often said at funerals, so maybe the psalmist didn’t want to die?  I didn’t know – I was confused.  Everyone else seemed ok with it, so I never asked.  One day, I read this passage in the NIV, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”  Suddenly it clicked.  When the Lord is our shepherd, we are well taken care of – we will want for nothing!

This Psalm encourages us to have confidence in the Lord’s care for us.  First it describes the image of a shepherd caring for his sheep.  He provides for our needs, guides us, and protects us.  Then the psalmist describes an image of a host caring for his guests.  He again provides for us, offers us His grace and mercy, and invites us to be in relationship with Him all the days of our lives.

Enjoy His presence today.  Enjoy His provision and care.  Praise Him for all the blessings He lavishes upon us!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

1 Kings 2:1-3:28 – Give Your Servant an Understanding Mind

I do not enjoy cleaning.  I’m trying to do a better job of taking care of things as we go so “drastic” cleaning is not necessary when we expect company.  It’s not that I mind the physical act of cleaning, I just always feel like there is something else I should be doing.  And then there is “the pile.”  The mail and other stuff I have that I’m not quite ready to get rid of, but not exactly sure what I should do with – all ends up in a pile.  And in my own defense, oftentimes throughout my week I return to my pile to find something I need.  But when I clean, decisions have to be made.

In our passage today, Solomon is begins his reign as King with some cleaning.  He gets rid of some things that have been lingering and causing problems.  He wipes the slate clean by eliminating some situations that threaten the order of his kingdom.  He starts his rule fresh.

Sometimes in our own lives we need to do a little cleaning.  Maybe its physical cleaning, but we also need emotional and spiritual cleaning.  Now, I know we oftentimes feel like there are better things we need to be doing, but this is essential!  Maybe we’ve been hanging on to something that is lingering and causing problems.  Maybe a person needs to be thrown out of our lives in order to restore order.  Maybe we need to deal with a situation or two instead of ignoring it, hoping it will go away on its own.  We need to evaluate our lives just as Solomon had to evaluate his kingdom – and then we need to develop a plan of action.

Take time today to evaluate your life, how you are spending your time, who you are spending time with, what are you avoiding, and what should you let go of?  It’s time to do some cleaning!!  If not, you won’t lose a kingdom, but your life may be destroyed.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

2 Samuel 11:1-12:25 – You Are the Man!

Why is it we are so quick to judge others while we are lenient with ourselves?  We are able to make excuses for ourselves, justifying our actions and behaviors.  When we knowingly do something wrong, we come up with reasons as to why it’s not so bad…at least we aren’t hurting anyone else.  But oftentimes we are.

Life is filled with cause and effect.  When we do something that isn’t quite on the up-and-up we have to cover up.  Maybe misleading someone here or omitting some information there…at least we’re not lying – because that would be wrong.  This deception grows and grows until it’s out of control.  But if someone else did the same thing? We would be horrified by their behavior.

From the beginning of today’s passage, David was tangled in a web of sin of his own making.  In the spring, when kings go off to war, King David didn’t go.  Instead, he sent someone else.  Instead of going and doing what he was supposed to, he sent Joab with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army.  Instead of leading his people, he was lounging around Jerusalem.  Truly the phrase, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” apply here (this saying is often credited to St. Jerome or Chaucer).

First, David takes another man’s wife and she becomes pregnant.  Instead of confessing his sin, he calls for her husband, Uriah, but he sleeps with the servants.  Now here is an upright man, doing what is right.  David isn’t convicted of his sin, instead, he decides to get Uriah drunk – surely then he will stay with his wife.  But no.  Even in a drunken state, Uriah does what is right.  David still doesn’t confess.

So now, David is lazy, avoids responsibility, an adulterer, a liar, and a deceit.  And now, he adds murderer.  This spiral of sin has grown out of control.  But when Nathan comes and confronts David with his story, David is very quick to judge another for a similar wrong.  Sometimes we are harshest with those who struggle in the same areas we do.  Instead of developing a compassionate understanding, we comfort ourselves knowing that “we aren’t as bad as                              .”

The lesson here is just do what you are supposed to do!  Seek God and follow Him.  Then you won’t have time to “play with fire.”  There are consequences to your actions, but confess and repent before things get worse!  Your sins will be taken away – even David’s sins were taken away (11:13b), but the repercussions of your sin will remain.  And have compassion for others who struggle with sin.  We need to lovingly correct one another – not condemn one another.  Though we are not called to turn away and ignore the sin either.

God loves you so much!  I’m praying for you J

Pastor Amy

1 Samuel 8:1-10:27 – Long Live the King!

I was thinking about this passage the other day – especially the part where God says in 8:7, “it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”  I get really sad when people reject Christianity.  Maybe I have shared my faith with them and it doesn’t make an impact or people who have been in the church for a long time decide to turn away.  Experiencing this rejection can take its toll; almost to the point of not wanting to share my faith with others for fear of rejection.

Then I remember that when people reject the message I share, they are not rejecting me.  They are rejecting Jesus.  They are rejecting the gift He has for them.  I’m just informing others about this free gift of love, this free gift of grace, this free gift of salvation.  It is their choice whether or not to accept.  It’s like telling everyone you know about a restaurant down the street that is giving out free meals.  They’re tasty, they’re filling, and they’re free!  If the people you tell decide not to go get their free meal, they’re rejecting the food – not you.

I know our faith is much more important and much more personal, but the same principle applies.  We must continue sharing our faith, sharing our Jesus with others – even when others don’t listen.  They aren’t rejecting the messenger, they are rejecting the Message.  So we must continue sharing.  If we don’t, that person who just rejected Jesus may never hear the message again and may never have the opportunity to accept Him.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Judges 2:6-3:6 – Yet They Did Not Listen

I was having a conversation with someone the other day about raising children in the church…Christian Church or any other church.  This person was conflicted because they wanted to share with their children the experiences, both good and bad, they had gone through with their faith…with their God, but wanted to allow their children the opportunity to choose a faith for themselves.  At first I encouraged this person for realizing faith is something that does not pass down automatically from generation to generation.  We see evidence of this all the time.  Young people who have been in the church since they were born are leaving and not coming back.  They know all the stories and can recite Scripture and hymns, but they never made the faith their faith.

We need to encourage our young people to figure things out for themselves.  We can say we have a preference for them…that they would accept Jesus as their Savior…but at the end of the day, our faith does not save them.  They need their own faith.

Now, we can encourage their decision for Christ by bringing them up in the church, but more important is what happens at home.  Do young people see their parents and other adult Christians living out their faith in their everyday lives or just acting like Christians on Sunday and looking like the world the rest of the week?  Do we share the stories of how God has brought us through our struggles?  Do we share how He has blessed us through the years?

In our passage today, the Israelites forgot.  They did not pass on the heritage of God and what He had done for their nation.  They did not encourage the young people to own their faith.  Because of this, they turned from God and served the gods of the countries around them.  There was no longer any difference between the Israelites and the surrounding nations.  The Israelites became like the world instead of like God’s chosen people…sound familiar?

If we aren’t intentional about sharing our faith, if we aren’t intentional about encouraging the faith of our young people, the differences between Christians and the world will completely disappear.  The next generation or the one following will completely forget the ways of God and how Jesus died for our sins.  Our young people have so many influences surrounding them.  We as the body of Christ need to be more intentional in prayer and more intentional in reaching the next generation for Jesus.  How?  I’m open to suggestions!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

Exodus 32:1-34:35 – You Have Sinned a Great Sin

Today’s passage is a little longer than the previous days, but there is a verse in the mix that I want to make sure you don’t miss.  Moses says in 33:15, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”  In other words – if you’re not coming, we’re not going.

This is an attitude we all need to adopt in our daily lives.  If we’re off doing things that God has not instructed, we are doing it in our own strength.  If God is off doing ministry without us, we’re missing out!  We need to be where He is…and nowhere else.  We shouldn’t start a ministry because the folks down the street are doing it or because it sounds like fun.  We should only be involved in ministry where God is involved!

Seek His Presence today.  See where He is and join Him there.  Don’t get ahead of Him, He may take an unexpected turn.  But keep up with Him!  We serve a God who is on the move!!

I’m praying for you today!

Pastor Amy

Exodus 3:1-4:17 – I Am Who I Am

Today’s Scripture is the calling of Moses that happens after God Remembers (tzakar Elohim) his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The calling of Moses always leaves me with mixed feelings.  I’m excited that after everything Moses has been through, he finally gets to come home to Egypt and to his people.  God has a plan, a very detailed plan.  Tell the people “I Am” sent you.  If they do not believe, there are three signs for Moses to show to the people.  God even tells Moses that initially the Pharaoh won’t hear you, but eventually he will let you go.  Then Moses and the Israelites are to plunder the Egyptians.  This will give them money, jewels, and precious metals to help them survive…but also to help build the Tabernacle later on.

God has all the insight and foresight into this plan.  I get so excited to remember that God has everything worked out.  He’s so many steps ahead of me that I don’t have anything to worry about.  Moses and the Israelites have no idea a Tabernacle is going to be built, but God already has set into motion how they will gain materials for it.  Moses is on a “need to know basis” just as we all are and God told him only what he needed to know.

So how does Moses respond?  Let’s do this thing!  This is surely God!  Look at all these signs and I’m talking to a burning bush that’s not really burning up…how cool is God!?!

Well – I often wonder how things would be different if Moses has responded this way.  Unfortunately, we’ll never know.  But God still makes a way.  He sends Aaron along to help (though sometimes along the journey Aaron becomes more of a hindrance than a help).

Oh that we would trust God when He calls us to something so we can go with “Plan A.”  When God calls us, we have several choices.  We can ignore Him.  We can tell Him we’re too busy right now, but we’ll do it later.  We can tell Him He is mistaken, there is no way we can do what He is asking.  Or we can be obedient and do as He asks.  God’s “Plan A” is always best for our life, but He will make a way if we are not willing.  Though I want the blessing that comes with being obedient.

I don’t want anyone to ever wonder how things would be different if you or I had responded with immediate obedience.  Let’s do what He asks…with urgency.  We can trust Him, He knows best.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy