Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church Orlando FL

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The story of the prophet Hosea is an incredible illustration of God’s relationship with His people. When you break it down, the major themes of Hosea's God-ordained journey each reveal just how incredibly boundless God's love is. His sovereignty is boundless, His compassion is boundless, His promises are not limited by the actions of others, and He's relentless in bringing His people back to Him.

For two weeks we are going to lookat the vital need to cultivate the spiritual practices of solitude and silence in the midst of our always-connected, digital world. Jesus, himself, modeled the importance of withdrawing from the busyness of life for times of prayer and rest. By developing practices of withdrawing, entering the secret place of prayer, resting, journaling - we, as followers of Jesus, can find physical, emotional, and mental rest and spiritual refreshing in God.

For two weeks we are going to look at the vital need to cultivate the spiritual practices of solitude and silence in the midst of our always-connected, digital world. Jesus, himself, modeled the importance of withdrawing from the busyness of life for times of prayer and rest. By developing practices of withdrawing, entering the secret place of prayer, resting, journaling - we, as followers of Jesus, can find physical, emotional, and mental rest and spiritual refreshing in God.

We tend to think prayer is safe. This Sunday we are going to examine some prayers that may radically change you, this church, and the world around you. Pray with caution.

Once we’ve experienced a mountain-top moment with Jesus, it’s tempting to want to stay there and dwell there forever. Although Jesus gifts us with those highs in our life, He then beckons us to follow into the ministry off the mountain – to live life in the reflection of God’s transformative love.

We sometimes forget that God’s love can be found through anyone at any time – through the smallest or the greatest acts. Are we ready to “go and do likewise?” Are we ready to allow the hated Samaritan to show us love?

The debt of the servant exceeds the taxes from Syria, Phoenicia, Judea and Samaria – but when he pleads for mercy saying he will pay it all back, God forgives him immediately. This is how God forgives us and should be the model for how we forgive.

There are so many ways to look at this parable and unpack every inch of this rich story – but it all comes down to the unrelenting love of a father – an “arms wide open” kind of love.

The biggest party ever thrown in Heaven – where  joy echoes throughout the cosmos – is when a lost sheep is returned safely home

It’s a difficult parable to understand but it does pose some good challenges: God is a God of surprises and the “dishonest manager” will be commended when he does the right thing. Although the “right thing” can be hard to discern, we know that GOD KNOWS – and that’s good to know.