Posted on Apr 18, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi again Friends,
I hope and pray that you’re having a good week and keeping your eyes fixed on our Lord Jesus Christ!
This morning I read a passage that I have been very thankful for for many years. It is so easy to get down on yourself and start feeling inadequate for whatever task is before you. Especially as a pastor, there have been countless times when I haven’t felt capable. I have felt foolish, weak, and downright lowly! Which is why I love the following verses:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
May we rejoice in God’s calling of us today, and let us boast in the Lord!
Posted on Apr 11, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi Friends!
Today’s daily reading in Philippians includes one of the greatest passages on “Christology” found in the Bible! If you haven’t already, take a moment to read Phil 2:5-11. What an amazing God-Man! What an incredible Servant-Savior! I especially found myself wanting to meditate on verse 8:
And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
May we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. May we follow His example of humility. May we take up our cross and follow Him.
This Sunday we will continue our series in Galatians by looking at 1:11-24. It’s a little longer passage than the first two messages, so please take some time to read it before you come Sunday! We will look at Paul’s defense of his apostleship, which is essentially him sharing the personal transformation that happened in his life as a result of his encounter with the risen Lord. I will be asking you to consider your testimony. What was your life like before you met Christ? How did you come to know Him (or be known BY Him)? What has happened in your life since your initial salvation? Every Christian needs to be able to articulate the story of our faith.
A few things to remind you of:
1. Tim Watson will be here for Facilitator Training May 3-5. Luanne Bagley has asked that you let her know by this Sunday if you’d like to be on the list to attend.
2. April 17th is the monthly get-together for the 55+ crowd (Christian Adventurers) at 12pm. I will be showing pictures and sharing some of my thoughts from the trip to Haiti I took in March. So… if you’d like to see & hear about the trip, I’m sure nobody would mind if you come that day (even if you’re under 55)!
3. April 21st is Elizabeth Beach’s 40th Birthday! We will do a simple potluck, along with cake and ice cream, following the morning service. She does not need any gifts. But if you’d like to bless her perhaps a card or a note with a list of a few things you appreciate about her!
Posted on Apr 4, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi Friends of FBC!
Though it’s not a bright and sunny day today, I was reminded this morning of how great it was to have such a day last Sunday as we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord! There were three verses that jumped out at me in the daily Bible reading, all relating to the theme of LIGHT.
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! (Psalm 80:19 ESV)
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. (Proverbs 4:18 ESV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17 ESV)
In the springtime we look so forward to sunny days so we can enjoy being outside, playing ball, walking the dog, doing yard work, etc. But for the believer, every day is a day in which we can “walk in the light as He is in the light,” regardless of the weather!!!
Posted on Mar 28, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi Friends,
This morning I read the utterly amazing account of the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:59-60. His courage and forgiveness in the face of such unfair cruelty is a lesson in itself. But I was struck by his two prayers, which he prayed while they were stoning him. As tomorrow is “Good Friday”, I couldn’t help but relate Stephen’s prayers to those of our Lord at the time of His crucifixion.
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59 ESV)
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46 ESV)
And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60 ESV)
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34 ESV)
Let us reflect in these next few days on the incredible sacrifice our Lord made on our behalf (and in our place). Consider the forgiveness He offered even as He endured undeserved hatred and brutality. And, like Stephen, let us think about how we may follow His example in laying down our lives and offering forgiveness even to people who don’t deserve it!
Posted on Mar 21, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi Friends!
It is good to be home after an amazing 10 days in Haiti. Thank you so much for your prayers, and all of your words of encouragement. I hope to give a report (with pictures of course) soon, but suffice it to say here that my time with Haiti Foundation of Hope was an incredible experience. It was an emotional time – with the highs being very high, and the lows quite low. But we saw God working in powerful ways there in Terre Blanche. I would highly recommend for anyone who is able to go and serve in Haiti – do it!
This Sunday I will be starting a new series – GALATIANS: Set Free! This first message will be an introduction to this letter from Paul, explaining some of the “facts.” We will hopefully get a brief understanding of the overall message of the book. Why did Paul write it in the first place? What does it have to do with our lives today? I trust that this Sunday will whet your appetite for more Galatians in the weeks to come!
Posted on Mar 7, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi Everyone!
This is a quick note for four purposes:
1. MEN’S BREAKFAST this Saturday at 7am!!! Guys don’t miss this great time together. The second part of Session 1 in our Stepping Up video for men will be shown. Come prepared to be challenged to be a godly man!
2. Thank you for praying for Ron & Jeanne Whitted while they were in Haiti! They made it home safe & sound, and it sounds like they had such an amazing time they are already wanting to go back! We can look forward to hearing more from them in the near future. Also, tomorrow is the day for Mike Kirk, Dave Ezell, and myself to head down to Haiti as well. Please be in prayer for us! Hopefully you can download a specific prayer letter for our team by clicking on the following:
3. The next two Sundays should be fantastic times of worship and growth at FBC. This Sunday you will hear from David Douglass. As many of you already know, you are in for a blessing when David preaches the Word! Then on March 17 will be a great opportunity to hear from Paul Gunderson, missionary to Indonesia who is currently living in Eugene. Come hear what the Lord is up to in the lives of the Gundersons.
4. 25 days to Easter!!! Are you praying for your OIKOS? Look for opportunities to serve, love, share with, and invite to FBC. I am excited about our series in GALATIANS that I will start when we return. I had an idea today: many of you did such a great job memorizing the verses I asked you to a few weeks back, that maybe we could pick 5 verses in Galatians and memorize them together as we go through the book in the coming Sundays. So, for those up to the challenge, here are the five verses I will be working on, with the “deadline” date for each one (which corresponds to the date I plan to be preaching about each verse, Lord willing of course) —
Posted on Mar 1, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi Friends,
It feels good to feel good again! Thanks for all your prayers for me as I dealt with Bells Palsy, prednisone, that nasty cold… I think I’m around 90%, praying for 100% by next Thursday when Dave Ezell, Mike Kirk, and I take off for 10 days in Haiti! Speaking of Haiti, please remember to pray for Ron & Jeanne Whitted as they experience the final four days of their trip. And remember John Joiner as he finishes his time in Burundi.
There has been a TON of sickness going around! Many of you have probably already had a bad cold or the flu recently. Now, while I am always urging you to make coming to church a priority, let me give you permission to stay home if you are sick! We’re a sharing bunch, but these brutal illnesses are simply not nice to share with others!
This Sunday I will be speaking on a familiar story from Luke 19:1-10. Many of you probably remember the song “Zaccheus was a wee little man…” But this story is not only the inspiration for a cute kid’s song. It is packed full of insight for us to consider regarding our relationships with “sinners.” Do you have any unbelieving friends, relatives, acquaintances? How do you relate to them? Jesus was harshly criticized for being a “friend of sinners.” Can the same be said of us?
Posted on Feb 14, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi Everyone!
I want to thank everyone for the prayers and encouragement this week. Some of you may not have been aware that I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy a couple weeks ago. The doctor put me on prednisone (a steroid) to try to “knock it out.” The medication has done a number on my blood sugar numbers, and caused me to not feel “right.” But I am on the mend! My smile is a little less crooked, and today I was able to wink my right eye for the first time (just in time to be able to wink at Elizabeth for Valentine’s Day)! I will still be on the medicine for about 10 more days, but my dosage is tapering down. Thank you again for your prayers and support.
On this Valentine’s Day, as I was reading my Bible this morning, I was struck by the fact that my family has decorated our house with multiple hearts. Hearts are everywhere! It is a fitting symbol of the holiday, which focuses on the love we have for one another. And as I read, I couldn’t help but notice (again) how many times the words “love” and “heart” appeared today! There were at least 12 passages, from each of the 4 areas we’re reading from, that included either “heart,” “love,” or both. For example, read Psalm 40 today (especially verses 8, 10-12, and 16) and see what I mean.
Posted on Feb 8, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi FBC Friends!
Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation. (Psalm 35:9 ESV)
Are you rejoicing in the LORD today? In reading the chapter’s in our daily Bible reading today, I found a mixture of joy and sorrow. Joy in His salvation; sorrow over our sinfulness, and sorrow over Christ’s death; but joy that He was willing to endure that for us!
And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:37-39 ESV)
This event, along with His resurrection (which I can’t wait to read about tomorrow), is the most monumental event in all of history! And the curtain being torn in two, because of His perfect sacrificial death, is what gives us access to the Holy of holies! We can boldly approach the throne of grace! This is definitely cause for us to rejoice in the LORD and exulting in His salvation!
Posted on Feb 1, 2013 in Devotions |
Hi again Brothers and Sisters,
Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. (Psalm 28:6-7 ESV)
I was impressed today with how many times the subject of the “heart” came up in our Daily Bible Reading. In Exodus 7 & 8, the story emphasized Pharaoh’s hardened heart. I counted 8 times in those two chapters his hard heart was referred to. Then in our reading in Mark 8, Jesus chastised His disciples by asking them, “Are your hearts hardened?” (vs. 17). But on the positive side, we see in Psalm 28 that David (a man after God’s heart) expressed how his heart trusts and exults in the Lord. And when describing how the “Proverbs 31 woman” helps her husband and does not cause him harm, the writer states, “The heart of her husband trusts in her…” (v. 11).
I went back through my journal, where I write down key verses from the daily reading. And just from this past month, I found 18 verses or passages that mention the heart! As I was journaling this month, I wasn’t specifically looking for verses about the heart, so there are probably many more that we have read in recent days on this key subject. Obviously, the heart is a key theme in the Bible. I think one of the most important expressions for us is when Jesus said we are to “love the Lord your God with all your heart…” So how’s your heart today?