Time of Grace With Pastor Mike Novotny

When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples they doubted that it was truly Jesus.  It is easy to understand why.  Once you are dead you are dead and the disciples had seen Jesus die and be taken away to be buried.  It is easy to doubt God, but it can also be easy to have faith.  Each day God cares for us, loves us, and protects us because we are his chosen people.  Whatever is true is because God backs it up and changes our doubting hearts and minds to believing ones.

Even back in the Bible days people didn't always get Jesus' message.  A woman in the crowd wanted to bless Mary, the mother of Jesus, but Jesus told her that the blessed are those who believe the word of God and obey it.  What we have from Jesus is more important than all of the other earthly things in our lives.  So listen to what Jesus says and take it to heart. 

Jesus knew that the time for his crucifixion was fast approaching so his preparation began.  He prayed, spoke with his disciples, and even forgave his betrayer.  How amazing that he did all that as he awaited his painful death on the cross.  He was obedient, strong, and full of love for all of God's people.  Jesus did not die on the cross because he wanted to, he died because God commanded him to for the sake of all of us.

Would you have let Jesus wash your feet?  That was the ultimate sign of humility for the Savior to wash the feet of his disciples.  Jesus did this to show his disciples and all of us that God wants us to have an attitude of servitude and gratitude for what others do for us.  We do not work for ourselves, we work for the Lord.  Let us choose to honor God by accepting his invitation to be just like him.  A humble servant who lowered himself to human standards because he loves us so much he was willing to suffer and die for our sins.    

There is brokenness in the world and when times are tough it is easy to feel like God is punishing us.  Peter tried to talk Jesus out of dying on the cross.  He wanted him to stay on earth, most likely out of fear.  The unknown in the world is scary, but we can trust in what we do know.  Our sins were transferred off of us and that weight has been lifted. We are part of God's heavenly kingdom, so while life on earth may not be heavenly, our life after earth will be amazing.

Titus was Paul's assistant in Crete.  His job was to spread the message of Jesus to people in his land.  And he was to find church leaders who were good fathers.  Why? Because you can tell a lot about a person based on how their children behave.  A good parent is concerned with the upbringing of their child.  Children need guidance to be able to survive in the world. Parents make mistakes every day, but our heavenly Father is the ultimate guide and the ultimate forgiver of our sins. So take action in your children's lives and raise them up to be children of God.

Paul, in his listing of thanks in Romans, gives us an example of what it means to appreciate and thank other people.  Going to church not only feeds our soul, it gives us a community of believers to build us up and support us.  The relationship you have with your church and the people at your church is vital in today's world.  Like Paul, let's cherish the people who help us and provide us with a safety net of God's love.

The Apostle Paul provides us with a list of how love should look  We should respect, honor, trust, and love our partner.  Marriage is a blessing from God and can be a happy and fulfilling part of anyone's life if God is the center.  With divorce rates rising and people waiting longer and longer to marry or not marrying at all its time to turn the negative stereotype of marriage around.  The relationship between spouses is blessed by God and living life by Paul's list of love tips can create a loving union that lasts.

Are you a servant leader?  Do you lead for the benefit of others or to build yourself up?  You may not be a leader at work or at church, but you are probably a leader at home to your children.  James relays a strong message of leading and encourages us all to be servant leaders.  Do not be afraid to admit mistakes and show your need for a Savior.  Christ was the ultimate leader.  He built up his followers, never played favorites, was full of mercy and consideration, and was even submissive to authority.  Follow Jesus' example of servant leadership in your life as you serve others and the Lord.

We are all equal in God's eyes.  It doesn't matter if you are wealthy or poor, black or white, male or female…we are all the same because we are all God's children.  In the book of James, we are reminded that it is not our job to judge people.  It is our job to welcome people into the family of believers.  Try to build a culture in your home, your congregation, and your life where everyone is welcome.