Pastoral Thoughts for New Disciples

One way to hear God speak is to listen to themes that appear in your life.   I’ve heard a very loud theme this week that I believe I am to share with you as a congregation. On Tuesday, a church member asked me about the part of the New Testament prayer that reads, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”   This church member was concerned about the “as” part of this prayer and the realization that we generally are not as good at forgiveness as God is. Then yesterday, a different church member brought up this same statement from the Lord’s Prayer and shared how every Sunday when we pray the same person’s name comes to this individual’s mind. Then this morning I went into our new prayer room at Kingston Hill and opened up to today’s date in the Upper Room devotional.   It read as following: “No Records Read Matthew 6:9-13 ‘[Love] keeps no record of wrongs.’ – 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) When I was a child my mom preferred t...

Devotional Reading: Philippians 4:10-23 Paul had a very different understanding of wealth than most people.  When the Philippians were the only ones who financially supported him, he thanked them for their gifts, but recognized that their gifts resulted in people coming to know Christ.  He wanted more of their financial gifts, not because he wanted more money, but because he wanted them to continue to experience the blessing of spiritual fruit that those gifts brought about.  That is a very different perspective on money. When you give to the church it may seem like the money has just left your account and gone into another and that is the last you'll see of it.  But, when you give to the church the money leaves your account and goes into the church's and is used to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God, for which you will receive credit.  It is like an investment that gives a spiritual return. It is kind of like when you invest in a child's life, you don'...

Devotional Reading: Philippians 4:1-9 You know the saying, "be the change you want to see in the world"?  There is some truth to those words of wisdom.  I don't know about you, but I find that regardless of how much I try not to be influenced by the negative culture around me, somehow its climate seems to be contagious.  And yet, God calls us to be something different. " In the world, but not of it".... as goes another saying. In today's Scripture we are encouraged to find a place of similar mindedness with those with whom we are having difficulty getting along.  We are instructed to find our joy in Jesus Christ.  We are encouraged to cast our anxiety with thanksgiving on Jesus, knowing that he does care for each of us. And then we are told to think and put into practice "whatever is true... noble... right... pure... lovely... admirable... excellent... praiseworthy." What if we tried each day this next week to live out the instruction ...

Devotional Reading: Acts 16:13-15 I have this faint memory from my childhood of my mother dressing up all in purple for church one Sunday.  She was going to church as "Lydia."  I think this was probably the first time I had heard anything of Lydia, other than when I had skimmed across her name in the Bible.  But my mom was dressed up as Lydia and she was proud of it.  Lydia was a business woman.  She sold purple cloth. This means she likely had a wealthy clientele. And it is likely that she was wealthy herself. Lydia was also a woman of faith. She worshiped God.  Then one day she encountered the apostle Paul and heard his message about Jesus.  God opened her heart to respond to this message and she became a baptized believer.  She then offered hospitality to Paul in her home and her house became the center of a new gathering of Christian believers. God can use you too! Just like how God used Lydia to help with the spread of the good news...

And what is God's message for the wealthy? 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) 17  Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Let's break it down: "Command" - give instruction "Those who are rich" - to whom the instruction is given "in this present world" - defines the type of wealth - we are talking about worldly wealth here ...

Devotional Reading: 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 Recently a child asked, "Why do they ask for money at church?"  Being a pastor I gave a very lengthy response.  "Well, everything belongs to God, so we give back to God to show our appreciation. God gives us talents and gifts and so we use some of those talents to serve God. God gives us time, so we use some of our time to worship God.  God gives us money, so we give a portion back to God." Of course, the child was not satisfied and responded back "God didn't invent money." Why do we give money at church? Do you know what your answer to that question is? I give because I was taught to give.  My parents gave me a ten dollar allowance and it was routine to take one dollar and put it in the offering plate.  I give because I believe it is what God asks me to do.  It is an act of faithful obedience.  I give because it keeps my priorities in perspective.  If I have open hands with my income than I don't p...

Devotional Reading:  James 5:13-16 Pray.  It is that simple.  God wants us to talk to Him.  If you are happy - sing a prayer!  If you are sad - cry out to God!  If you know someone who is sick - bring them before God in prayer! Pray. Pray. And pray some more. Daniel got sent to the lion's den because he prayed to God three times a day.  Elijah the prophet prayed for a drought and it happened.  The church prayed for the healing of the sick and people were healed.  Pray. Devotional Reading:  James 5:13-16   When my husband and I first got married we decided to do a Bible study on the book of Isaiah.  In the first few chapters of our study we quickly recognized a theme in its message - God responds differently to the prayers of the righteous. Here again in this passage we read these words, "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."  It does seem like some people's prayers get answered more positi...

Devotional Reading:  Matthew 18:15-20 Sometimes the power we have in Christ is a little overwhelming. The idea that what we do here on earth has an impact in the heavenly realm and visa versa should give us pause.  If I in some way put handcuffs on someone it impacts them in the spiritual realm.  If I in some way release someone from bondage on earth it somehow impacts them in the spiritual realm. Jesus tells us, "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." What do these words mean to you? If my words and actions condemn a fellow believer how does that impact them spiritually?  If my words and actions release or set free a fellow believer how does that impact them spiritually?  If your words and actions either condemn someone or release someone how does that impact them spiritually?  Perhaps the act of forgiveness is more powerful than we even understand! This v...

Devotional Reading:  Daniel 6:1-28 When we think of the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den images of a children's story often come to mind.  But if you sit and read the full text of Daniel 6 you'll discover there is much more to this story than a children's Vacation Bible School lesson.  In fact, it is a story that has been played out over and over throughout history: a group of people wanting to take down a person of authority regardless of the person's integrity or good character.  Daniel was such a man. Daniel lived a live that was above reproach.  His integrity and skill in the political realm allowed him to govern through multiple ruling powers. In this story, Daniel is basically acting as Vice-President to King Darius. His co-presidents and the governors do not like the way he has gained the king's favor and so they decide they are going to find a way to get him out of his place of power.  The problem is that Daniel is a man of integrity and so...

Devotional Reading:  Daniel 9:1-19 Listening to, reading, or watching the news can be depressing. In fact, sometimes we need to take a break from it to refocus on the community and family that is right beside us. But being aware of the trouble in the world isn't always a bad thing.  It is good for us to know that we are broken and need a Savior. In Daniel 9, Daniel recognizes the brokenness of his society and he prays to God on their behalf.  He says, "open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him." Sometimes we need to set aside the news in order to pray on behalf of ourselves. As representative of humanity, we can go to God and say, "I'm sorry on behalf of your people."  God will hear our prayers.  God is a God of mercy who desires for us to repent and as a believer we can repent on behalf of the...

Devotional Reading:  Luke 11:1-13 Do you have the audacity to ask God for the desires of your heart?  Do you have the audacity to ask God for a miracle or for the impossible?  Do you have the audacity to be real with God and to share with God what is really on your mind? A woman went to her friend's home at midnight to ask if she could borrow an air mattress for an unexpected guest to her home. The friend and her entire family were asleep and the doorbell woke them all.  "Why are you bothering me?  Do you realize you just woke up the toddler?" "I'm sorry, but we have unexpected guests and I knew you had an air mattress and could help." What is the friend to do, but dig the air mattress out of the closet and loan it to the woman at her door? Have you ever had a friend put you in a position like that where you had no choice but to say, "yes"? Or perhaps you've had your adult child ask you to make a sacrifice on his behalf and you did...

Dear church family, As I am sure most of you have heard the news, a shooting took place at a church much like our own in Sutherland Springs, Texas.  These tragedies that seem to be occurring more and more frequently are heart-breaking. This one stands out because we can identify as a community. As a pastor, I think about Pastor Frank Pomeroy and what it must have been like for him to receive the news that not only did his daughter die, but his associate pastor, and many of his flock. Based upon video footage from their worship services it appears that he cares deeply for his congregation and I suspect, although it hasn’t been confirmed, that at one point he also cared deeply for Devin, the shooter. And I wonder how a man of such commitment will respond to such tragedy. And I am reminded of the story of Job, likely the oldest recorded story of the Bible.  Job was a man who received news that his children had been killed, his workers killed, and his livelihood destroy...

Devotional Reading:  Luke 18:1-8 Bill Lacovara was fishing when he discovered a bag of unopened prayers.  These were letters to a now deceased pastor requesting his support in prayer. The requests ranged from a desire to win the lottery, to being set free from addiction, to a request for justice, to a plea for God's mercy and forgiveness. Lacovara interpreted these sealed envelopes as unheard prayers. But what he missed was that in writing the prayers the soul of the writer was heard by God. ("Letters to End up In Ocean, Unread," November 3, 2006, Wayne Perry, Associated Press) In today's Scripture reading we are told that if even an unmerciful judge is willing to listen to a case due to a widow's unrelenting requests, we can trust that a God of love and mercy hears our prayers and will respond.  I don't know about you, but I find this story told by Jesus very encouraging.  There are prayers I have prayed over and over again that I believe God has answe...

Devotional Reading: Daniel 10:12-14 Another powerful text!  I am always amazed when I open the Bible and read and go, "Wow!" It doesn't matter how many times one reads through the Bible there is always something new to be gained.  In this passage the resurrected Jesus appears to Daniel prior to God's Son coming in the famous nativity scene of Jesus' birth!  And this man whose description matches that of Revelation 1, comes after a delay because of a spiritual battle in which the archangel Michael assists.  Wow! Spiritual warfare exists. There is a spiritual realm.  Our prayers do make a difference.

Devotional Reading:  Malachi 3:6-12 What does it mean to have reverence for God?  I often wonder about this and what it means for a pastor to help his or her congregation have reverence for God. I wish it was just contagious. I wish one could learn from osmosis.  And yet, sometimes I feel like that is the exact way that we learn reverence for God - by learning from each other's example. When I read the last few chapters of the Old Testament, I find myself feeling reverent. This is a God worthy of respect.  This is a God worthy of personal sacrifice.  This is a God worthy of my full trust. I don't know how you have heard the promise of Malachi 3:10 interpreted in the past.  Nor do I know how you will hear it interpreted in the future. What I do know is that I believe it still means something today. My personal experience has been that in giving God at least a tithe (10%), God hasn't failed me yet.  And I'm still waiting for the story of the perso...

Devotional Reading: Haggai 2:1-9 "Be Strong."  How often have you needed to hear those words?  Apparently the people really needed to hear them, as they are recorded three times in this text. Once to their political leader, once to their religious leader, and once to the community as a whole. "Be Strong and work.  For I am with you," declares the LORD Almighty.  God continues, "And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear."

Devotional: Haggai 1:1-15 Haggai is this incredibly beautiful book that most of us just skip over. It is a book in which the people of Israel are encouraged to get back to rebuilding the temple.  The people had been discouraged by obstacles that had gotten in the way and building the temple just was no longer a priority to them.  Then on three dates, September 15th, October 17th, and December 18th 520 BC, God sends the prophet Haggai with a message to the people, "Get back to work!" The people had been excusing the delay saying it just wasn't the right time.  And God responds through the prophet, "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"  God basically goes on to say that the people care more for themselves than they care for God. They would rather use their money for their own needs than to honor God.  "Give careful thought to your ways," God warns, "You earn wages, only to put ...

Devotional Reading: Numbers 14:20-45 The right action at the wrong time doesn’t make it right.   Two wrongs don’t make a right. Delayed justice is injustice.    Sometimes it feels like you just can’t win.   You mess up and want to make it right, yet your attempt to make it right only makes it more wrong. We humans try to correct our own behaviors, but if we had just gotten it right the first time we wouldn’t be in such a mess.   This must have been how the Israelites felt after complaining in the desert and then realizing that they had offended God.   They wanted to make it right by pulling together an army and going into battle to win the promised land.   They wanted to show faith, but it was too late. Instead of showing faith they were just expressing regret because of the punishment they now faced.   Regret isn’t the same as faith.   Sometimes the best way to respond to our own mistakes is to accept the consequences of them. We adm...