Jun 17

The Prayer of Struggling Faith

Psalm 13

Some Christians in their hyper-piety are scandalized at the thought of questioning God.  But the God of the Bible invites us into conversations where we do ask questions, and we are not upbraided because of them.  This is one of those places.  The questions are very blunt, the emotions are very raw, and the danger is very real to David as he is fleeing for his life from King Saul.

I have met many Christians throughout the years that actually turn away in anger and condemnation when I express my questions about God and the walk of faith.  I am so glad that the Psalmist does no hold back in his questions and his lamentations.  “How long O, Lord?  How long will you forget me?  How long will you remain absent?”  I suspect that the reason that some believers cannot hear these questions is because they have buried such questions in their own souls.

In these brief 6 verses of Psalm 13, we are carried though life-shattering questions, terrifying enemies, and then the dedication of David as he realizes the nature and character of his God.  That is what we rely on, God’s steadfast love.  We see the world through his love, and not his love through our immediate situation.

Often our emotions are shaped by our perspectives.  Looking at a problem situation and seeing only our limits and lack, then we are prone to panic.  Looking at a problem through the perspective of God’s unfailing love, promises, and faithfulness, we gain a strength to face the situation head-on, not denying the problems, but realizing that we are truly not alone as we deal with even the most difficult parts of life.

Pastor Greg

Jun 03

Psalm 100—Not Just for Thanksgiving Day Anymore!

It is not unusual that we keep things for “special times.”  We have a set of dishes that we get out just for Christmas, or a meat platter just for the turkey on Thanksgiving.  We do that with so many things, but somethings are meant for more than that singular use.  We do that with Psalm 100; we only pull it out in November.  It is excellent for our purpose in a Thanksgiving Service, but it is not only for a single day.

The 100th Psalm needs to be pulled out regularly and used in our daily life.  It is not like the platter used only for turkeys; it is the dish used for our bologna sandwiches or chips and dip.  We cheat ourselves when we don’t bring it down to our day to day lives. 

This Sunday begins a series of sermons from the Psalms.  Psalms is a song book of God’s people that expresses the tremendous breath of our human emotions and experiences with God.  From questions of “why has God forsaken me?” to certainties of “I will live in God’s house forever.”  The Psalms cover it all!  The 100th is a foundation for all of life’s experiences.  Because, no matter what, we are under the care of our loving God that directs our paths.

Let me challenge you to make Psalm 100 a regular part of your Bible reading and prayer life.

Pastor Greg

Jun 01

The Choice is Yours

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

In helping the Galatians build a fully inclusive church, the Apostle Paul warns them of the other side of the coin, the chance of being entangled in sin again.  We are being warned that there are two forces battling within us.  These are “the flesh”, our desires and self-gratification, and the Spirit of God that produces freedom.

In AA, the first step is an admission that something is controlling you and taking you on a self-destructive path.  That is based on the idea that we have here, something, the flesh, is dragging us down, that wants to take away our freedom.  And just as with alcohol there is a danger of relapse, so it is with the nature that drags us away from God.  There is always the temptation, the lure of something that will ultimately destroy us.

In our passage this week, Paul contrasts the manifestations of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.  The freedom that is in Christ Jesus allows us to live in the fruit of the Spirit.  But we always have the danger of misusing our freedom and being entangled again in the manifestations of our nature outside of Christ.  So we must walk carefully in this world, not judging what others do in their freedom, but realizing the choice that we must make to keep the freedom of Christ abounding in us.

Pastor Greg

May 21

What is No Longer in Christ

Galatians 3:1-9;23-29

Is the Gospel of Inclusion also one of exclusion?  Yes it is.  For there are many things that are not compatible with the Gospel of Grace.  In our passage this week, Paul includes some of these in his exhortation to the Galatians that salvation is all of grace and not of the law.  Maybe this week you can read through the passage, even all of chapter 3, and see what is a “no” in the Gospel if Inclusion. 

But then, what about the Law?  Paul says the Law is a tutor, a disciplinarian, an instructor for us to know what is right.  As a young child has to be taught to say “please” and “thank you”, so the law gives us direction on how to behave.  The law is to teach how we are to love God with all our hearts, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Then when we come to Christ, we are fully formed as mature in Christ.  A mature one takes responsibility for his or her self and knows how to act toward others.  That is the goal of faith in Christ, to form us completely in Christ Jesus.

Pastor Greg