The first question we should ask ourselves from Sunday’s Scripture lesson would be this, “What kind of God do you believe God is?” Do you see how messed up Saul’s mission had become? His primary motivation for persecuting Christians wasn’t hatred and destruction. His primary motivation for hunting down and arresting the followers of Jesus was his desire to serve God. Scary, isn’t it? Serving God whose very nature is love but doing it by killing innocent people. On the road to Damascus, Saul needed to confront his entire approach to life. He needed to see that any mission that isn’t aligned with the heart of Jesus isn’t from God. A mission that is divorced from the heart of Jesus may have noble intentions and tragic results. Such a mission will drive people further from God rather than draw people to God. Paul’s faith wasn’t in God; it was in the misunderstanding of the kind of god God is. He served the law, not the Lord. And we Christians can be just as short-sighted and destructive if we don’t align our lives with the heart of Jesus. 

The second question we should ask ourselves is, “WHAT DOES GOD EXPECTS OF US? 

The most important thing you can do with your life is to discover who God is and what God’s purpose is for your life. And just because we are in church this morning doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve discovered the answers to these questions. Throughout history, some Christians have driven people away from God with their anger and condemnation and misplaced priorities. How do we align our life and mission with Jesus? By asking ourselves why we believe what we believe, by asking who the Lord is, and by asking what the Lord wants us to do. And when our mission is aligned with Jesus’ heart, then our life will have an eternal impact.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

In our Gospel lesson for Sunday, the disciples were hiding behind closed doors. One reason the disciples were hiding may have been the proliferation of rumors in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. I’ve dealt with this before, but it is so important for our day and time, I want to emphasize it again. John says that the disciples were behind closed doors because of “fear of the Jews.”

There is no indication in the Scripture that such fears were justified. There is no evidence that the terrible violence of that weekend went beyond the torture and crucifixion of Jesus. But Rumor has it that they were threatened. Whenever there is conflict between rival groups, rumors fly. Fear seems to escalate. Reason is suspended. There is much fear in our society, even today. That fear is often fed by rumor. Of course, we have perfected the rumor mill in our time. We have the news media to thank for this unparalleled access to misinformation. Even worse, we have social media which feeds us a steady stream of hateful misinformation. 

If the disciples had taken to heart the rumors that were circulating around Jerusalem about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the Christian message would not have gotten off the ground. Satan would have won for sure. But thanks to the steadfastness of that small band of believers, the word got out, “He is risen from the grave.”  

Serving with joy,

Stephen

Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Billy Graham, Tiger Woods, Esther, Joan of Arc, Michael, Jackson, Whitney Houston, Elvis, Lebron James, Sacajawea, George Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Babe Ruth, Abraham Lincoln. You could add so many more to the list. But that’s not necessary because none would exist without the resurrection of the greatest of all time, Jesus Christ! That is why we will gather on Easter Sunday, to celebrate the resurrection of Christ! Why is it important to believe in the resurrection of the dead? Certainly, it is not so that we can believe in God. Creation provides more than enough proof of His existence. Many people believe in God who do not believe in Easter. God’s power and His omnipotence are not at stake. What is at stake is whether your life or mine has any ultimate significance. Do we live only for a season, then cease to exist forever? Or are we so significant in God’s eyes that even death cannot separate us from His love?  

Do not say that Christianity can exist independently from Easter. Christianity is not simply a set of values, a moral code, a style of living, a grand philosophy. Christian faith is Easter faith. It is the conviction that people matter so much to God that he gave his own son in our behalf; that he allowed him to be crucified on the cross for our sins and on the third day raised him from the grave as sign and symbol that our lives are of eternal significance. God is involved. Christ is victorious. But even more importantly, we really do matter to God.

That is why the empty tomb is central to our faith. Bruce A. Demarest summed it up in a beautiful way in his book, Who Is Jesus? He writes, “Throughout the centuries men have tried to honor their heroes (GOAT) by erecting lavish monuments: the massive pyramids of Egypt, built as resting places for the Egyptian pharaohs; the glistening Taj Mahal, the tomb of an Indian emperor and his favorite wife; Lenin’s Tomb in Red Square, the place where the body of the Marxist leader is preserved by some mysterious process; the burial vault at Mt. Vernon, the site of President Washington’s interred body. 

In its stark simplicity Jesus’ grave can’t compare with these costly crypts. But the tomb of Jesus excels in the most important respect. It lies empty! He is not there!” He is not there. He is alive. He is victorious, and because he lives, we, too, can live victorious lives as well. 

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

As we celebrate Palm Sunday this week—as we celebrate the joyful procession and the cheering crowds—let’s acknowledge that Jesus’ life was not always that way, just as our life is not always that way. His was a life begun and ended in shame. His was a love reaching to the least and the lowest. But more importantly he is the light that can lead us from the darkness of shame and rejection into the bright day of hope and wholeness once again. 

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

“Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Amen.

Who are you? You too have been crucified with Christ, you no longer live, it is Christ who lives in you. Embrace your cross today and follow him in the way that leads from death to resurrection life!

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

The divisions in our nation seem many these days, and not just between political parties. “What divides Americans most,” said a recent Time magazine article, “isn’t race, gender, geography, or ideology. It is the year we were born.” The biggest gap between us is the generation gap. An extensive new Pew Research Center poll found that today we have the largest generation gap since 1972. The sheer numbers of people in the middle (Baby Boomers and Gen Xers) creates a demographic chasm between the Silent Generation (over 65) and the Millennials (18–30-year-olds). The survey revealed that the youngest and oldest generations have strikingly different views on everything from how they feel about the Internet, the government, how they’ll vote, the economy, the church, interracial marriages, and same sex unions and so on. 

As I read these words of Paul to Timothy, I recognize that he was building our understanding of faith even as he was building a church. In this brief illustration to Timothy, he is reminding us of the covenant nature of the church. How all generations serve the purpose of God. In verses one and two, Paul identifies himself as a spiritual father to Timothy. In verse three, Paul reminds us that his faith is not new but is the faith of his forefathers. In verses four and five, Timothy's faith as a young man brings joy to Paul. In verse six, Paul and the council of elders lay hands on Timothy. Timothy's mother and grandmother are of faith. We see that the generations support one another in the work of God, and yet we realize how hard it is to be an intergenerational church.

Thanks be to God we are becoming the church that Paul and Timothy envisioned. 

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

I think it’s important to point out before I jump into our Bible story today that we have all made decisions that have moved us further from the ideal person we want to be. We have all made decisions that have moved us further from the ideal person God made us to be. That’s exactly what sin is: moving away from God’s perfect character and perfect will. Romans 3: 23 reads, “. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. . .” So today’s Bible story is good news for all of us. It’s about a son who rebels against his family. He asks for his share of the family inheritance so he can go off to a distant country and start a new life. The result was he squandered his fortune in wild living and ended up broke and alone in a foreign land. When a severe famine spread throughout the whole country, the young man became desperate and hired himself out to a pig farmer just to keep from starving to death. Feeding pigs was rock-bottom, the most shameful job a young Jewish man could have. 

The son in Jesus’ story had rejected his father, lost his inheritance, and brought shame on his whole household. According to Old Testament custom, he was worthy of death. This is one of Jesus’ most famous stories. But Jesus’ stories are never just about the story. Every story Jesus told is an introduction to God’s heart. If you’ve ever wanted to know what God is like, then this story is for you.  And if you truly want to understand the nature of God’s heart, then always look at who Jesus’ audience is. Jesus never just told a story to entertain or instruct. He told stories to draw people closer to God. So he was very careful to choose the right story for the right audience. So our story begins with the words, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ Then Jesus told them this parable. . .” What do these verses tell us about God’s heart? Jesus is telling his audience of outcasts, “God welcomes you.” You are important to me. Not as a project or a charity case. As a friend. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 

God is waiting to welcome you home. God is waiting to restore you. No matter how far away you may have gone from God’s character and God’s will, God is saying through Jesus, “Let’s pick up the pieces and see what we can make out of what is left.” And this isn’t just a moment of restoration, it’s a moment of celebration! Jesus’ story ends with these words:

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

God is never giving up on you. You are accepted. You are loved. You are welcomed and you are waited for. That was the message of Jesus’ life and the motivation for his death—to show us that God would give everything He has to save us and restore us and bring us home again. Can you trust your life to a God like that? I pray that today is the day that you commit your life to God and come home to the God who is running to meet you with open arms.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

For the next two Sundays we will hear from folks in our congregation who have experienced their own “Resurrection Story.” These testimonies will inspire as well as encourage us to share our own story that God is writing for our lives.

Sunday, we will have the opportunity to experience an ancient method of prayer given to us by St. Ignatius. He believed this method was a gift directly from God. During this time, we will encounter the presence of God as we pray and reflect. 

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

(Developing a Relationship with God Through His Word)

We've always needed the truth of God's Word but never more than today. We live in a day where deception is running rampant. Our society doesn't know up from down, or truth from lies. In America, it seems that everyone wants to do what is right in their own eyes and the desire for the absolute truth of Almighty God is almost non-existent. 

Christian, this Sunday I'll unpack our vital need to read and study the Holy Bible. God's Word reveals His character to us, the Word protects us from deception and it helps us fall deeper in love with Jesus. The common theme from Genesis to Revelation is the love and redemption of fallen humanity made possible through God's only Son, Jesus Christ. I hope to see you Sunday.

I love y'all

To God be the glory!

doug

Our Scripture lesson on Sunday is about Jesus confronting temptation in the wilderness. On a deeper level, it’s about how our wilderness times are the training ground for experiencing God’s power in our lives. In Luke 3, Jesus is publicly baptized by John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit comes down on him in the form of a dove, and God speaks from heaven and confirms Jesus as His beloved Son. Pretty exciting stuff! Jesus must have been feeling pretty good. And then we read in Luke 4, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”

            Wait—the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil? That sounds like a mistake. Except it isn’t. Look at the stories of every person in the Bible whom God has chosen to do mighty things. They all had to endure a wilderness time—a time of fears and questions and doubts and pain. A time when God seems silent. It’s not a punishment. It’s God’s way of preparing those whom He has called to be leaders. God reserves His greatest work for those who have been through the wilderness. So, the first insight we get from the Scripture is, if you are planning to do anything significant with your life, prepare yourself for the wilderness. Preparation is the pathway to power and peace. The second insight we get from this passage is to decide ahead of time to trust your pain to God’s purposes. And a final insight we get from this passage is to focus on your eternal purpose more than on your immediate circumstances.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen