Romans 5:1–5 and I Corinthians 10:13

Do you ever feel like you are being tested?  “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1–5

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13

“Problems…help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” 

God looks to how we respond to temptation. Do we take the easy way out? 

Endurance: a commitment to draw on His grace and keep moving forward regardless of circumstances.

Strength of character: inner fortitude based on personal integrity.

Confident hope: a deep conviction that whatever it takes, ultimately, we’ll make it. 

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Jesus alone has the power to satisfy our hungry hearts. We end our Bible passage the same way we began it. After a day of ministering to people, Jesus and the disciples still hoped to get away for a while. So that night they took a boat and went to the other side of the lake. But again, as soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized them and flocked to them. People came from all over to see Jesus. Sick people were set out in the streets so that Jesus would heal them. And Jesus did heal them. No matter how much he needed a vacation, if there were people who needed his healing, he was there for them, both spiritually and physically, and he ministered to their deepest needs. 

And this is the critical point for the day. We cannot wear Jesus down with our problems. He sees our hunger. He has compassion and he will respond. 

The disciples had hoped for a short vacation, a time to be alone with the Savior, but instead they saw another dimension of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. There will always be people who hunger for that which only Christ has to offer. He does not weary in caring for those he loves. He has the power to feed our hungry hearts. Have you found new life, comfort, peace, strength and purpose from giving your life to Jesus? If so, then he has called you to share in the ministry of caring for the needs of others. 

Think about the people you encounter regularly. What are they hungry for? 

What substitutes are they using to fill this hunger? 

How can God use you to meet their needs and satisfy their hunger for new life?

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

1 Corinthians 13

Contrary to popular opinion, 1Corinthians 13 was not written for weddings. It was written as a rebuke. Just look at the first 12 chapters, it is all about dysfunctional churches. They were divided. They were arrogant, boastful, prideful, self-seeking and the list goes on and on. Paul referred to them as spiritual infants. Love without truth is not love. Truthless love is full of compromise, it is conforming. Love is a verb. Love is something you do, an active choice you make. Making love a verb is the foundation for staying in love. Love one another. It’s an imperative not a declarative, it is a command. Jesus said love regardless.

Our model in this is Christ, who gave His life while submitting to us and making our needs His priority. The essence of God is love. Love is about serving, blessing, and giving oneself away. The love that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13 is who Jesus is. Jesus never fails, Jesus never finds joy in your failures, and Jesus does not delight in evil.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

Ephesians 1:3-14

We are blessed that we have been chosen! Paul writes to the Ephesians, reminding them God has blessed them “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.” 

The words “in Christ” appears ten times in the book of Ephesians. Paul wants us to realize that Jesus did the work for us. We do not have to earn it. We do not have to be “good enough” to deserve it. Out of his love for us, Jesus sacrificed his own life to guarantee us all the spiritual blessings that flow from his relationship with God. So, when we read that “in Christ” we become children of God, it means that our identity and inheritance are sealed by the sacrificial, unconditional love of Jesus. As Paul put it, God “destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ.” 

So, what does it mean that we are chosen in Christ? If you are chosen, that means you are valued. You are loved. It means that God has a purpose for you. You do not choose a painting unless you plan to display it and enjoy it. You do not choose a pet unless you plan to nurture and protect it. You do not choose a spouse unless you plan to cherish and love that person. Now consider that God chose you and destined you for adoption as His child before the creation of the world. Once we understand this truth, how can we doubt God’s love for us or God’s plans for us?

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

July the 4th Weekend

         This weekend our nation celebrates Independence Day, which commemorates the day that the 13 original colonies joined together to declare their independence from Great Britain. In fact, the first time we were ever referred to as the “United States of America” was in the Declaration of Independence, which was accepted by the leadership of the 13 colonies on July 4, 1776. July 3, we were a collection of colonies. July 4, we were the United States of America. That’s why we call July 4 the birthday of our nation. So, I hope you take some time to recognize and give God thanks for the blessings we enjoy as a nation. 

I hope you take some time today to consider what virtues make our nation strong, and what obstacles make us weak, and what part each of us can play in building a nation that will last another 245 years. Of course, there are some well-meaning people who believe that pointing out any weakness in our republic is unpatriotic. What are some of our “blind spots” as a nation?

Some of our weaknesses are physical, some are mental, some are moral. Some of those weaknesses have to do with our work, some with our family life, some with our relationship with Christ. Some of us, for example, have short tempers, others of us struggle with depression or anxiety. Some of us are too proud, others of us lack back-bone—we give in too quickly. But all of us are weak in some area of our life.

Saint Paul had his weaknesses. One in particular caused him much heartache. We don’t know for certain what it was. He called it his “thorn in the flesh.” Some have suggested that St. Paul suffered from epileptic seizures. If so, he was in good company. Two of the most powerful men who ever lived—Julius Caesar and Napoleon—were epileptics, as have been many other great individuals through history. In St. Paul’s day there was no Dilantin or Keppra to control seizures. If that was his thorn, he was stuck with it. 

St. Paul prayed that God would deliver him from his affliction. Three times he beseeched God about this matter, but God’s answer to him was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Notice those final words: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In other words, God seemed to be saying to Paul, “Trust me, Paul. I will take care of you. And I can use your weakness to demonstrate my power.”  

We can learn from Paul’s experience. Paul not only learned to accept his thorn in the flesh, he even began to boast about his weakness in order to show the power of Christ. There’s a wonderful lesson there. Our weakness, whatever it may be, can become our strength if we will commit it to God. We are made strong in our weakness to be a source of healing for others. We make our deepest connection with God and others through our shared experience of suffering. We are fellow sufferers not just professionals. When we share our weaknesses, they lose their power over us.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

Matthew 14:22-33

Preceding Sunday’s lesson Jesus has just fed the 5,000 men and unknown numbers of women and children. He had gone to rest and pray. He sent the crowd away and sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee. Remember the Sea of Galilee was a big lake. When evening came a big storm came and waves pounded the boat to the point it was far away from land. The Disciples are terrified and then they see a ghost like figure on the water. They cry out in fear, It’s a ghost!! Right away Jesus called out to them and said, “Take heart it is I, do not be afraid.” Peter had enough faith to step out of the dry, sturdy boat, in the dark, as the wind was whipping up the waves. At first, Peter’s eyes were fixed on Jesus. Peter didn’t have to worry about the wind or waves because he had faith that Jesus would not let him sink. While Peter was focused on Jesus, his faith was strong. He could see the power that Jesus held over all things. He knew how much Jesus loved him, and that Jesus would never let him down. 

Your faith will be strong when you keep your eyes on Jesus. As we have learned, Jesus has power over all things. Is there anything that He can’t do? And Jesus loves you. He loves you enough to lay down His life for you. When you know Jesus, you know He is completely deserving of your trust. When you keep your focus on His power and His love for you, your faith will be strong. Are you struggling in your marriage, with your kids, with transitioning, with addiction or self-worth? Are you fearful of taking the first step to get help? We have nothing to fear when we are in the presence of God. Things won’t always be perfect but through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, He promises to always be with us step by step. God goes where we go.

Grace and Peace,

Stephen

The best way to get to know God is to be caught in a storm with Him.

Mark 4:35-41

(Father’s Day)

Good fathers and mothers have a natural impulse to protect their children and to serve as an example to them in tough times. I think it’s appropriate that our Bible text for Sunday falls on Father’s Day. This is a story about the disciples caught in a terrible storm. They need courage. They need leadership. And they need an example of how to face a challenge that is beyond their strength. If you’ve ever been through a storm like that in your life, then I believe you’ll get something out of today’s Bible passage.

Our story begins at the end of a typical day for Jesus and his disciples. Jesus has been teaching huge crowds of people by the Sea of Galilee. But the crowds have finally gone home, and it’s time to pack up and head to their next ministry spot in the region of Gerasenes, in modern-day Jordan. It must have been a tiring day. Jesus went to the back of the boat to catch a nap. And suddenly a storm swept in. Verses 37-38 read, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

The story in Mark’s Gospel is an affirmation. Yes, Jesus does care. When the storms of life are raging, he does care. When it seems, you cannot hold on a moment longer, he does care. When the waters threaten to engulf, he does care. Remember this: Jesus had all power in heaven and earth available to him. He chose to empty himself of his power and take on the life of an average man. He chose to endure hardship. He chose to endure oppression from the Roman government and rejection from the religious establishment and his own family. He chose to be hungry, to be lonely, to be abandoned and betrayed by his closest friends. He chose to suffer wrongful arrest and torture and humiliation and death. Jesus chose to place himself into every imaginable storm because he had faith that God was using these storms for a greater purpose, for the salvation of the world.

Jesus chose to place himself into every imaginable storm because he knew God Almighty was with him every step of the way. That’s how he could face down every storm without fear.

Serving with joy, 

Stephen

Mark 4:26-34

Mustard seed faith celebrates the importance of attitude to accomplishment. Where there is faith in God, there is hope. Where there is faith in God, there is joy. Where there is faith in God, there is peace. Faith is a positive force. Faith is an active force.  I have learned in my studies as a clinical chaplain that patients who have cheerful feelings about impending surgery recover faster from the operation. Those who express fears about postsurgical discomfort not only report more pain but also take longer to recover. I provide pastoral care to my patients in hopes of helping reduce their hospital stays by asking them about their fears and counseling them. 

         Many years ago, the writer for the popular “Ann Landers” advice column was asked about the dominant theme she saw in the thousands of letters she received from people seeking advice. Landers replied that the dominant theme in all her letters was a sense of fear. People wrote to her because they were afraid of losing a significant relationship, losing their job, losing their security, losing their wealth. Even sadder, they were afraid to take action to change the things that scared them. They needed advice and encouragement, but they also needed someone to inspire them to take action to deal with their fear.

         We are all afraid of losing the things that are important to us. But Jesus-followers have a weapon for fighting fear. We do that by focusing on the goodness of God’s character and the certainty of God’s promises. And God promises that His kingdom is all around us. Wherever God’s Spirit is present, that’s where God’s kingdom is made real. How can we be negative, fearful, passive or apathetic when we carry the presence and power of God with us wherever we go?   So, trusting God is key to a positive, effective attitude. God’s game plan is to establish Heaven on Earth, His kingdom of peace, love, justice and holiness. As Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

It will happen. And God offers us a chance to get off the bench and join Him in this awesome work.  We are created in God’s image. Mustard seed faith says that this is a marvelous world in which God has placed us. It is an exciting and wonderful thing to be alive. We are fortunate when we can get up each morning and go to our schools, offices, fields and factories and share in the abundance of God’s creation. So take delight and be diligent in the little things. Understand the relationship between attitude and accomplishment, believing and building, daring, and doing. 

Serving with joy, 

Stephen

Luke 14:25-33

In Luke 14:25-33 Jesus says some very harsh words as he challenges the people to realize that, though living out the Gospel is not always an easy matter or pleasing matter, like most things in life, one gets what one is willing to pay for. To be in good physical shape you must be willing to exercise, get the right amount of rest, and eat a good diet.  To be in good financial shape, you must learn to tell the difference between what you want and what you need.

So as it is with our faith; we must be willing to "pay the price. “Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, in The Cost of Discipleship, "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow upon ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."

We are in the season of Pentecost, instead of permitting the Holy Spirit to blow through the church we are living in a time when people exalt their personal beliefs found on compromise over the Bible. Sweeping doctrinal changes are blowing through the church like strong winds often do, these destructive winds of doctrine are creating confusion, disorder, and mayhem among God‘s precious people. God is never a God of confusion, disorder, and mayhem. 

We must learn to partner with the Holy Spirit to see the power of God released in the church to drive back the forces of darkness in society and set people free. We must be alert and more watchful than ever!

Stephen