May 21, 2018
Thought and Purpose
1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

We don’t have to guess or leave it up to personal preferences what our united thought and purpose should be; Jesus tells us very clearly in his prayer for all of his followers that is recorded John 17...

And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.  I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me...
(John 17:19-23)

Humans have divided churches up into denominations. Even a non-denominational church is a denomination in that it’s a denomination that doesn’t declare a denomination. The world will not know we belong to Jesus by the type of church we prefer, for we do not seem united by dividing ourselves up, do we? The world will know we belong to Jesus by our love for one another. And this love must be based on God’s Truth.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (John 13:34-35)

And this love is not random, indulgent, or based on squishy feelings, this is real love defined by God’s truth not the arbitrary thoughts of mankind...

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
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Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose...  Our united thought is the TRUTH found in God’s Word, and our united purpose is God’s love as illustrated by Christ Jesus. That’s all. We are not united by holidays, wearing buns and skirts, coat and ties, or whether or not we own a tv. We are united by Actual Truth and Real Love. If there is a church out there that doesn’t teach the truth and would rather assimilate to the current culture, then their love is just indulgent and man-centered. Churches with all truth and no love do not represent Believers either. David Guzik says in his John commentary,
· Take love from joy and you have only hedonism.
· Take love from holiness and you have self-righteousness.
· Take love from truth and you have bitter orthodoxy.
· Take love from mission and you have conquest.
· Take love from unity and you have tyranny.

God's Truth and Love go together. Believers should have one thought - God’s Truth and one purpose - the Love of Christ that unites us and doesn’t mislead or distract the rest of the world from coming to believe in Jesus and be saved.
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Dear God,
Thank you for making the way for me to belong to your Family. Thank you that because we are people with preferences and different hang ups that there are places we can go for fellowship, but help our fellowships be based on your Truth and your Love so that we may accurately represent you. I love you and thank you for my church family and our united thought and purpose with your Son Jesus, in whose name I pray, amen.

May 11, 2018
I am not THAT Important
Ephesians 4:32
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
I know that as a child of the Living God that I must be forgiving and kind, for Jesus taught about these things often... 

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

But only one word is sticking out for me today from this Ephesians passage – tenderhearted. Ugh.

It’s so much easier to be hardhearted. It feels weird for a Christian to admit this because we are so appreciative of God’s love, right? But when someone hurts my feelings, it’s much easier for me to just write them off, “Who needs ‘em!” I’d rather ignore them, or treat them distantly than try to restore, understand, or empathize. It’s too much of a hassle and it’s humbling. I don’t like it; I don’t care for either of those! Even if they are trying to make amends to me, I prefer keeping them out in order to try and prevent a future situation or in order to keep them small and me BIG.

But this is the definition of tenderhearted according to the Apostle Paul...
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. (Galatians 6:1-3)

Tenderheartedness has nothing to do with the squishy feelings we get from holding a baby or the instinctual compassion that comes naturally from helping a person on whom we take pity. Tenderheartedness is remembering Paul’s words everyday, “You are not THAT important!”
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Dear God,
Please forgive my arrogance and lack of humility. Help me remember that my comfort, my feelings, and my perceived station in life does not produce the godly character that you desire and that is so beneficial for my heart. I love that you call your children to be different and to live differently than everyone else and even what is contrary to human nature. Your ways benefit everyone – the doer and the receiver. I love you and thank you for your Holy Spirit reminding me everyday of my purpose and your plan. And I pray in Jesus’ name, according to your good will. Amen.

May 8, 2018
The Right Response
Colossians 4:5-6
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for EVERYONE... The right response for everyone would mean that my words and actions are to be consistent; I should not have one personality for public and one for private because I am usually always with somebody right? I don’t think we are to bear our souls, concerns and frustrations to outsiders the same we do our inner circle, but there is no need to have a double persona.

My father-in-law is the senior pastor at our church. He is a very positive, gregarious man. People wonder if he’s like that all the time. Since I know him “behind the scenes” the answer is yes. That man is excited to encourage anyone anywhere all the time. He’s not just turning up the Christianity for the public.

I married his son who is also a pastor and a very real guy, and I decided years ago that I didn’t want my kids to experience a mom who is one way at home getting 4 kids ready for church and then see her put on some kind of positive over the top friendly church face for other people. I make sure my kids get the same friendly lady even when the clock is ticking away and we haven’t left yet because we’re still looking for shoes on a Sunday morning. I want to have gracious conversations full of the right response for everyone, even the people in my own home.
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People who think they are religious but say things they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their “religion” is worth nothing.  (James 1:26)

Dear God,
I give you my day today and all my thoughts and words too. Help me be an encouragement to everyone – especially the people in my own home. Thank you for being with me and helping me. Thank you for teaching me through your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray, amen.

May 7, 2018
Are You Encouraging or Obnoxious?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Never stop praying... Whether it’s prayers of thankfulness or prayers of pouring out our anxieties to God; it doesn’t matter – practice constant prayer.

I have been around people who go to church who like to quote bumper stickers more than they do scripture, and it annoys me. Christians who say they are “blessed not stressed,” or “just trusting God” are actually living within their own amount of strength and will power, and their words are not helpful to the Family of God. It’s perfectly ok to admit when we are anxious, sad, lonely, afraid and scared (Read the Psalms, King David admitted it all the time!).

When someone is trying to be helpful to a person in need, it’s important to be considerate of that person’s situation. It is not helpful to make them feel spiritually inferior during their lowest point. However, it is helpful and beneficial for both parties to take the anxious thoughts of the one in need to God together in prayer. James recommends that we pray together with one another so we may be well – in every sense a person can be well! (See James 5:16)

Jesus was stressed. Do we realize this? Think about the description of him in the garden prior to his crucifixion. That is a description of full blown anxiety. Yet what was he doing? Praying constantly. 

 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” ...Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.
 (From Matthew 26:36-38 and Luke 22:43-45)

Even after angles come down from heaven and minister to Jesus in his grief, his agony remained. How arrogant for anyone to think they have their anxiety licked.

Always be joyful... We have insight from Hebrews 12:2 to Jesus’ thoughts during this time. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. During this time, Jesus was also certain about what was beyond his suffering.

 My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. (Matthew 26:39)

We know what is beyond our suffering as well, and therefore are able to look forward to this in the middle of bad experiences.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

When we have anxiety, telling concerned individuals that we are concentrating on things to be thankful for is way more honest than saying we’re not stressed because we incorrectly assume it’s a sin or sign of weak faith. We ALL most certainly are stressed, and God is not holding that against us. If you are a person on this planet, you are stressed. Saying that you’re not in order to look hyper-spiritual is foolish and it makes room for some kind of spiritual competition between the parties involved.

Why would Peter remind us to cast our cares on the one who cares for us if we weren’t supposed to be troubled by our cares? (See 1 Peter 5:7) We don’t need Christians to behave in an obnoxiously optimistic fashion. We need real people with real needs admitting honestly that they are trying to think of things to be thankful for during their distress. Lying and saying we aren’t stressed might cause others to think that God has abandoned some and favored others, and that is not the case. Life is hard. If Jesus himself was stressed, it is very annoying to be around Christians who claim that they aren’t, for they are fooling themselves and misleading others.

The solution is for us to do what Jesus did. Pray continually, ask others to just sit with you, and consider the joy that awaits all who trust in him. Ask faithful friends to remind you what comes beyond these momentary afflictions that do not seem light at the time. We need help making our thankful lists when we’re down not engage a competition of faith, and that is how we can truly help one another experience real relief.

 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.   (Philippains 4:6-7)

Dear God,
When it’s my turn to comfort someone in their illness, anxiety or low moment, help me be faithful to just sit and be with them, pray with them, and wait patiently and expectantly for YOUR relief. Thank you for showing me firsthand while Rob was sick in the hospital that just thinking about unrelated things to be thankful for miraculously helps an overwhelmed heart. I want to be an encouragement to others not an obnoxious Christian. Thank you for your Son showing us how to deal with our anxiety, and I pray in his name, amen.

May 1, 2018
It’s ALL good all the time all the way around
Hebrews 11:6 NLT
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

We shouldn’t put this verse in a box and think it only applies to salvation. Yes, eternal life is the reward for seeking and following him, but Believers have the opportunity every single day to keep seeking God’s will daily. And there is always reward, blessing, and good things that come from sincerely seeking HIM in everything we do and say.

Like King David puts it – no one ever regrets or is ashamed of putting their trust and hope in God.          No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,
                         but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. (Psalm 25:3)

A long time ago, my husband asked my dad for permission to marry me. For some reason my dad said yes with the stipulation that I finish college too. I actually wasn’t aware of this promise for years. When we got married I thought I was just finishing school while Rob was working because I had more college credits than he did at the time; I didn’t know about their prior conversation. There was great personal and financial sacrifice in our early years of marriage in order for my husband to keep this promise, but he did. He decided that God’s command to honor our parents wasn’t one he was going to ignore, and he kept his promise even though it was hard and something he didn’t HAVE to agree to in the first place. But the result has been total blessing in our life together. Our reward is a beautiful family, God always meeting all of our needs, and we enjoy a very mutually respectful relationship with both sets of parents. There is no regret at all from putting all our marbles in God’s basket. (I mix my metaphors up on purpose because it sounds more crazy that way – and according to the world’s standards it is CRAZY to continually and sincerely seek God in all we do especially if there’s personal sacrifice involved!)

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
    Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
    speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip
    or harm their neighbors
    or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
    and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
    and keep their promises even when it hurts. (Psalm 15:1-4)

Nope. I have never regretted sincerely seeking the Lord every day. It always turns out for the good for ALL parties involved. My reward is never someone else’s misery. It’s ALL good all the time all the way around!
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Dear God,
You know what you are doing, and you know what is good for my heart, and you only know how to give good things, and I am so grateful. Thank you for being the one who supports and sustains us so that we can sincerely seek you every single day. Help me to keep my promises even when it hurts. Thank you for the example my husband set for me all those years ago. Thank you that the blessings from you are still constant and true. Thank you for the pattern my godly husband has set for me. Thank you for our parents, or family, and our life together. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.