Bret Hammond

"Stir the pot!" If you do it while cooking, it's a blessing. It produces perfect pasta and savory soups. But when it comes to conversations and relationships, stirring the pot is never a blessing.

Proverbs 15:1 warns, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." We don't have to meditate on that one very long to understand its meaning, do we? We've seen it, experienced it, and we may have even done it.

I see the commercials all the time; a happy family, running in slow motion, enjoying a day in the park, while the mother struggles along with a dark cloud over their head. Speaking in soft, soothing tones, the narrator says, "Does anxiety keep you from enjoying the simple things in life?" The mother continues to lag behind the family, with rain falling on her alone. The narrator concludes the commercial by encouraging us to "ask your doctor if (insert name of medicine here) is right for you."

Medication is essential and effective, but I'm left wondering why the rest of the family didn't seem to notice the raincloud over mom's head? Why didn't someone at least bring an umbrella for her?!?

Anxiety can be challenging for us all. Modern medicine does a beautiful job in helping, but the first defense against stress is a community of people who care for each other and speak peace into each other's lives.

Today we look at what Proverbs says about how we can help each other cope with the stresses and anxieties of life. Ask your preacher if Proverbs is right for you!

We sit down to eat our meal at the Chinese restaurant, the bill comes out, and everyone cracks open their fortune cookies. Then, we read those short sentences aloud to each other and ponder their meanings.

I've kept track of a few of the more interesting ones I've cracked open:

"No one grows old by living, only by losing interest in living." Wow! I felt that one!

"Do not dwell on differences with a loved one - try to compromise." That's good advice.

"Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain." That was probably the most fitting one I've ever read after loading up at a sketchy buffet!

Something within us loves to read those little pieces of paper and puzzle over what they might mean. I wonder if that's why we appreciate the book of Proverbs so much. But, of course, unlike fortune cookies, proverbs don't come with a bill; they come with a promise! "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance" (Proverbs 1:5).

Today, we begin our summer series, "Proverbs: Short Sentences Long Remembered." I'm eager to share these wise words with you and see where they take us.

I wouldn't want you to tell my mom this, but sometimes I talk to strangers. I ask them how they're doing; I ask them if I can help. Sometimes I buy them lunch, and I even get to pray with them.

The word in the Bible we translate as "Hospitality" literally means "love of strangers." That's where loving like Jesus has to start. Before we can love one another, before we can love our neighbors as ourselves, we must love strangers.

And that works out best when we love them together, as a church.

What would Stephen do?

Together Each Accomplishes More!

When I was in school, the church in Jerusalem in the book of Acts was often lifted up as the model church. This is because they did everything right: they broke bread together, cared for one another, proclaimed Jesus, and saw tremendous growth. So if you want to have a good church, make sure it's a New Testament church like Jerusalem!

Oh, and they also had Ananias and Sapphira.

Acts 5 introduces us to this couple who conspired to lie to the church, only to find they had lied to God. Their story serves as a warning to us, but it also serves as a reminder that there's no such thing as a perfect church.

In Acts 4, Peter and John are put on trial for the things they've said about Jesus. Then, in verse 13, we read, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."

This verse is an excellent reminder for me on a day after I witnessed degrees and doctorates handed out. The difference wasn't what they knew but who they had been with. If we want our lives to make a difference in our world, we'll strive to be known as people who have been close enough to Jesus that it's made a difference in who we are.

Serve and Change a Story; Acts 3:1-10 by Bret Hammond

Unity Builds on Unity; Acts 2 by Bret Hammond