Month: October 2021

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:7-10.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

Paul explains how a life in Christ demonstrates our endurance against worldly trouble through the blessing we have received. He uses the phrase “treasure in jars of clay” to describe our earthly life. The jars are us, our human form and the treasure is God’s spirit breathed into us from the very beginning.

He goes on to say that the world does not understand or appreciate the gifts of God, wanting selfish things rather than love for Him and each other. There will always be conflict between people of the flesh and the people of God. We should expect opposition from those who do not believe, but it doesn’t change the charge we have to share the Good News.

If we demonstrate our faith through love, “so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (v. 10), others will see how Christ cares for us, even through earthly difficulties. God wants us to be connected to Him by our own choice, even when the way is hard. Our weakness as jars of clay shows the world the power of God.

Gracious God, we are thankful for Your mercy, forgiving us when we fall and lifting us back up to service through Christ our Lord. May we go in Your strength to share this blessing with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:3-5‬.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”

We hear much in scripture about taking up our cross and bearing our burden with Christ, that we will meet conflict and opposition. While this is all true, we sometimes forget that “as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (v. 5). The Good News is not all hard times, it is a promise of eternal comfort for those who live their faith.

Our troubled world sometimes leads us to think that we must suffer in order to be good Christians. While Jesus said we would face difficulty, He didn’t say it would always be difficult. God is there for us when we face trials but He is also with us in our joy.

Paul writes that we must be ready to share the comfort God gives with everyone, especially “those who are in any affliction” (v. 4). God has gifted us with the ability to stand with those who suffer and it is our duty to be ready to support each other. The love of God calls us and enables us to comfort one another in difficult times.

Loving Lord, thank You for the gift of comfort, for ourselves and to share with all Your children. Bless us to be a blessing in Your creation. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Romans‬ ‭4:20-25‬.

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

Paul writes about Abraham, saying “his faith was counted to him as righteousness”, because he believed God’s promise and obeyed. Paul teaches that those who hear God’s call and live accordingly are deemed righteous, not because of any rule set or human judgement. Abraham was faithful and listened to God.

We often think we are “good” because we don’t cause problems and don’t break the rules. However, are we listening for God’s voice in our lives? God wants more for us and from us than to simply “go with the flow” in the world.

Prayer is the way we communicate with God and He wants to hear from us all the time. We must also listen for His response and apply it in our lives. Abraham was called righteous because he listened and did God’s word. May we do the same, hearing and obeying always.

Gracious God, we are often distracted by the noise and chaos we create in our world. Help us to listen calmly, and then go into all the earth to share Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭37:23-27‬.

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.”

This psalm reminds us of God’s blessing and care for us. He has a plan for everyone, and when we follow His way, we become part of His kingdom work. Our own ways will lead us to failure; only by God’s grace can we be saved.

The psalmist recounts a life lived with God and the good things that he has enjoyed by doing so. We sometimes fail to appreciate the blessings we have been given, being wrapped up in our vocations and the ways of the world. God calls us to slow down and remember the goodness of simple living.

Our joy is in the Lord, and only when we “turn from evil and do good” (v. 27), are we truly happy. God wants us to be part of what He is doing in His creation and to share His love with each other. We were made for this purpose.

Gracious God, we are grateful for all Your blessings to us. Help us to walk in Your ways and love one another as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:14-17‬.

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Paul writes to Timothy, encouraging him regarding the importance of Scripture in our lives. He gives a list of things it teaches, but the essential truth is that “all scripture is breathed out by God” (v. 16). How amazing is this? God speaks into our lives through these inspired writings that we might know and do His will.

Spending time in the Word not only teaches us but heals us. While we may feel our problems are unique, we often find that others have endured similar things throughout history. God has led His people through difficult times from the very beginning. 

God knows what we need better than we know ourselves, and through scripture He gives the instruction necessary for a life of faith in Him. No matter what we face, scripture brings us comfort and strength. Hear God’s Word and know that it was given for you.

Wise and wonderful God, we are thankful for the gift of scripture and the guidance it gives. Help us to learn throughout our lives and to follow the path You have planned for us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:37-39‬.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul encourages us with the truth that nothing can “separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He lists a variety of things that have no power over our relationship with God. However, he leaves out the one thing that can and does separate us from God – ourselves.

God created us and in doing so, chose us for all eternity. He gave us the ability we call “free will” to choose for ourselves as well, in the hope we would choose Him in return. This is an awesome responsibility, one that we abuse all too often.

When we choose wrongly, our sin separates us from God, but He loves us too much for that to be the end of the story. Through the sacrifice Jesus made for us, we can ask God’s forgiveness and be restored to our original relationship with Him. Choose to be part of God’s plan, turn from the world’s distractions and pitfalls. Live in His light and share His love with everyone.

Loving Lord, You created us in Your image, capable of making our own choices. Forgive our selfish ways and accept us back into connection with You. We pray in Your name. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:6-10‬.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

Jesus came as much more than just a teacher. Of course, He is the holy Son of God, but He didn’t use that to exalt Himself. Instead, He showed us that serving others is the way to serve God.

Jesus is the example of a life in connection with our brothers and sisters, sharing God’s love and mercy through our words and actions. He is also our model for a connection to God, teaching others that they may choose a relationship with Him as well. This cross shaped pattern – up to God and out to each other – is the way to be part of His eternal  plan for us.

Hearing and understanding this is important, but more important yet is that we “walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (v. 6). We were created for a relationship with God and each other. Learning the lesson and living it out is what Jesus calls us to do.

Gracious God, we are thankful that You sent Jesus to teach us Your way and lead us back into connection with You. Help us to be the voice of the Good News and the hands of Your love to all. Amen.

Our scripture today is ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:4-10‬.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Paul tells us with no uncertainty that God wants us all to be saved. That has always been His plan and desire for us. Paul writes “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (v. 10), reminding us that we were made for a purpose.

Even when we have strayed from God’s plan and fallen into sin, He has made a way for us to be saved through Christ’s sacrifice for us. When we accept His grace and mercy through repentance, we are raised with Christ to a new life of relationship and responsibility. Jesus taught that while God needs no help, He graciously calls us to be part of His work.

Sometimes we have difficulty seeing what our part in the plan is and we can become discouraged if we feel we’re not making a difference. God doesn’t send us disappointment, that is the enemy trying to distract us and divert us from our call. Jesus told us the evil in the world would oppose us; don’t allow worldly disapproval to keep you from the goal! 

Heavenly Father, we know You made each of us for a reason, no one is here accidentally. Help us to hear Your call and work with our brothers and sisters to help bring the world to the truth of Christ. Amen.

Our scripture today is ‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:7-10.

“For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;”

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This passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans explains that we are all connected to God and to each other – “whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (v. 8). He wants us to understand that our petty disagreements shouldn’t separate us from our Creator, nor our brothers and sisters. We sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture and the greatest goal.

One of my bishops used to say it was essential that we work on “keeping the main thing the main thing”. When we allow ourselves to be distracted by earthly conflict, we risk turning from God’s plan for us and following our own selfish desires. Paul warns against this behavior, asking “why do you pass judgment on your brother?” (v. 10).

We live in a judgemental time, with many thinking their own way is correct and not willing to listen to different beliefs. This isn’t what God wants for us. Our purpose is to love God and each other, using what we have been given for everyone’s good. However, it is up to each of us to choose to follow Him and ignore the noise of our troubled world.

Gracious God, let us see that we are all Your children, beloved and part of Your sacred design. Help us to work together in harmony for the good of all. Amen.

Our scripture today is Ephesians 4:1-7.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

Paul reminds us that we are a family, part of God’s plan, and that we all have responsibilities because of this. He doesn’t say anything about what we think we have – possessions, social standing, education, power. Instead he points to the fact that “grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (v. 7).

We all have something to share with the world as God’s children. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking in earthly terms of “things” rather than gifts from God for all our benefit. We may not have huge sums of money or large amounts of free time, but most of us are able to spare some of both.

It’s been said that where we spend our time and money determines who we are as people. Think about the other gifts you have been given and how they can be used for the good of all. God has blessed us with these and expects us to use them wisely.

Loving Lord, we are thankful for all Your many gifts to us. Help us use them according to Your plan, sharing Your love with all the world. Amen.