Month: April 2022

Our scripture this morning is 2 Timothy 1:6-10.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Paul continues to encourage his friend Timothy (and us) to “fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (v. 6). He doesn’t mean that he (Paul) gave Timothy the gift, merely that the laying on of hands is a symbolic act that reminds the recipient of God’s gift. Paul goes on to explain that this gift and our call are “not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace” (v. 9).

Do you remember a time that the body of Christ reached out to lay hands on you? We do this as a sign of love and acceptance. Perhaps it was a baptism or confirmation. Many churches use a laying on of hands for commissioning, healing and a variety of other purposes to remind us all that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to share with the world.

Paul continues with the fact that Jesus gave us this gift “before the beginning of time”, that we have always been chosen and called to live in Christ and for Him. Whether we have had hands laid on or any other human sign is significant as an act of faith and solidarity in the body of Christ, but not what provides the real meaning. God gave us this wonderful gift; we can only share it and testify to the joy it brings.

Loving Lord, You call us into connection with You and our brothers and sisters. Help us to use the wonderful things You have made in a way that honors You and serves Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Timothy‬ ‭6:6-10.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Paul shares wise counsel with Timothy in this passage. Contentment is something most of us long for, but we are caught in the human-fueled error that “more is better”. Paul speaks of the temptation we face in our desire to increase our wealth or power or position, and in that pursuit, we often fall into sin.

We may have heard Paul misquoted as saying “money is the root of all evil”. What this passage actually says is the love of money is the root of all evil (v. 10). Money is merely a tool, neither good nor evil. What we are willing to do for money and what we do with it after we obtain it is where the decision to sin occurs.

It is easy to look at those who have wealth and say, “why don’t they do something good with their money?” when we are only responsible for our own earning and giving. Greed blinds some to the needs of others. Our perceived financial situations can make it easy to think the responsibility to help belongs to others of greater means. God calls us all to make a conscious choice to be generous with what we have, no matter the amount. This will bring us to the contentment Paul spoke of, knowing we have done what is right with what God has given us.

Gracious God, we have been blessed beyond measure by Your love and forgiveness. Help us to bless others who need what we can offer, that all may know Your love and care. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:3-9‬.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul wrote to many churches he had helped plant to continue to guide and strengthen them. He taught that while accepting Jesus as Lord was essential, it is just as essential to continue in the path He set for us. We must allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives every day.

Paul knew that hearing the Good News was just the beginning of a life in Christ. Coming to faith is not a one-time event but a lifelong process of loving God and each other as Jesus showed us. Sharing the Gospel with the world is our daily task, performed out of that love, wanting all to hear of the gift of salvation He offers us.

Jesus warned it would not be easy, and Paul suffered hardship, pain and ridicule for his ministry. We may not be called to go through what the founders of our faith endured, but our task is the same. The kingdom of God has come near, and it is up to us to share that joy with everyone.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for those who have brought us to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and Your love for us. Help us to be the disciples of today, going to share that love everywhere. Amen.
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Our scripture this morning is Romans 14:10-13.

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’  So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

We are warned about judging each other several times in scripture. Jesus teaches us this in Matthew 7:1-2 and Luke 6:37. It is all part of loving one another and treating them as we wish to be treated. Paul reiterates this lesson in today’s passage and adds guidance that we must not put obstacles in each other’s way.

This lesson is repeated in the three rules taught by 18th century theologian John Wesley – do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. Perhaps we can’t solve all the problems we encounter, but we can certainly keep from making them worse. When we judge someone, we make it more difficult for them to resolve that issue.

Today when faced with a situation in which you might respond judgmentally, stop and think how that might negatively affect the issue, as well as your relationship with others and with God. A prayer pause might be in order before reacting, something as simple as a breath prayer – breathe in and accept God’s love, breathe out and share God’s love. It can make all the difference in your day and those around you as well.

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we judge others and damage our connection with them and You. Help us to love one another without judgement, as You first loved and forgave us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 13:8‭-‬11.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Paul uses the example of the commandments that deal with personal relationships to show how “love your neighbor as yourself” covers them all. When we apply this to every interaction with people, we are sharing the love of Jesus as well as our own. This is how we are called to be connected to God and each other.

I have heard an explanation that the vertical bar of the cross represents our relationship with God and the horizontal bar depicts our relationship with each other. This is a great lesson for us, that Jesus died out of love for His Father and us, and we are meant for the same connection with God and each other. God created us out of love and it must be the primary motivation for everything we do.

Paul reminds us that the kingdom of God has come near to us. The time to accept Christ is now! He calls us all into the sacrificing love of the cross, ready to share God’s blessing with the world.

Loving Lord, thank You for Your creating and sustaining love, shown fully in the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus. Help us to share that love always. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans‬ ‭10:11-15‬.

As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Paul continues his lesson with a discussion of our call to share the Gospel with the world. He explains the Great Commission that charges us to continue Christ’s ministry with the simple thought “how will people know Jesus unless we tell them about Him?” This is the way the Good News has spread, from that time up to the present moment.

This passage begins with the truth that we are all the same and the same Lord cares for us all (v. 12). When we see each other as brothers and sisters, it should encourage us to make sure everyone has heard the wonderful story of salvation and the joy we know in Jesus. Sharing our faith is the most important thing we will ever do.

Someone once described Christianity as the most beautiful pyramid scheme ever devised. As Paul demonstrated, his sharing of the teachings of Jesus led those who heard to reshare with others. Take time this week to talk to someone about the love of Jesus!

Gracious God, we are grateful for all Your many blessings, none more important than sending us Your Son. Help us to tell the world about the wonderful love and forgiveness You offer us all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 9:30-33.

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.

Paul writes that seeking righteousness on our own terms (works) rather than by belief (faith) will never be successful. We must first have faith and then act as a response to our faith if we want to be righteous in the sight of God. This has been a source of discussion for centuries.

The familiar passage from the book of James says “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Jesus taught us that acting out of God’s love for us is essential. At the end of the Parable of the Good Samaritan He tells us “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).

Faith and works are a powerful combination for spreading the Good News to all God’s children. Faith is between us and our Creator; works are between us and our brothers and sisters. Both are needed if we are to be saved and effective servants of our Savior.

Loving Lord, we are grateful to be in relationship with You and all Your people here on earth. Help us to share Your love everywhere and always. Amen.

Our scripture today is Romans 6:3-10.

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Paul continues an explanation of faith in his Letter to the Romans. He makes an unusual statement – “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (v. 3). He shows that through Christ’s sacrifice we too can conquer sin and death by trusting Him.

Jesus explained that we must “die” to self and the selfish things of this world in order to follow Him. To be free of sin we must be willing to put the needs of others ahead of our own, to worry more about people, and less about possessions or position. It is not always easy, but it is always right.

Paul writes “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God” (v. 10). Because of this we can choose to be free from the curse of sin by choosing Christ. His sacrifice has opened the path to eternal life and His example shows us the way.

Gracious God, thank You for sending Jesus to show us the joy of a life in You. Strengthen us and send us to share Your love with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 5:15-17.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Even in modern English translations, Paul is sometimes difficult to follow. Today’s passage was taken from the New International Version (NIV). In these verses he compares the curse brought about by Adam’s disobedience with the blessing we have received through Christ’s obedience.

Paul explains that while humanity chose our own way, Jesus chose to obey God, remaining sinless even in the face of all human temptation and wickedness. More than this, His sacrifice at the hands of those frightened of losing control stood as our sacrifice for all time, God’s forgiveness poured out for His people. God planned our redemption and Jesus lived it out for all to see.

This gift of salvation is offered to all who confess Jesus as Lord and earnestly repent of their sins. There are no strings, no memory of past wrongs, only the joy of being restored. God waits for us with the open arms of love, wanting only for us to be in relationship with Him.

Loving Lord, we are amazed at what You have done to save Your sinful children. Thank You for sending Jesus to show us the way back to You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 2:1-6.

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will repay each person according to what they have done.

Paul writes that by judging each other we judge ourselves, echoing a teaching from Jesus “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Both are warning us against our tendency to compare others to our own standards, and that whatever standard we apply will also be applied to us. Instead of judging each other we must concentrate on achieving God’s standards ourselves and leave the judging to Him.

This is hard in a human world that thrives on comparing things and people. We shake our heads at how much people make or what they spend it on. We complain about too much or too little government action on issues. We make decisions about others without all the facts.

The only standard we need and the only comparison we should ever make is between ourselves and Jesus. Are we loving and sharing as He did? That is the most difficult judging we will ever do and the one we are most reluctant to accomplish.

Gracious God, we are thankful that You judge us all fairly by the standard Jesus showed for us. Help us to love each other as You first loved us. Amen.