Author: Pastor Doug

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 34:18-19 (NLT).

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

This psalm sounds like wisdom from Proverbs. It tells us that when we reach rock bottom – broken hearted and crushed spirit – we find God waiting to help us.  The sad part is it doesn’t have to be this way. God is always there for us, but we usually rely on ourselves until we are out of options.

In Ezekiel 11:19 we read “And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart.” This is our biggest problem, not trusting that God always has our best interest in mind. We often turn to God as a last resort, rather than calling on His strength and love in every situation we face.

Putting God first in all we do builds our relationship with Him and our brothers and sisters. When we ask “what’s in this for the kingdom?” rather than “what’s in this for me?” we find a wealth of strength and help. God will make a way for His children to be comforted, equipped, and sent in His name to share the Good News.

Gracious God, You have called us to be part of Your work in the world. We pray for Your guidance in all we do. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 3:7 (NLT).

It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

Paul speaks to the church at Corinth about faith sharing. Earlier in this passage it tells us some had gotten wrapped up in the messenger rather than the message. It’s not important who brings the message or how it is delivered, only that it is the word of God for our salvation.

This speaks to our problem of comparing and judging based on things that don’t really matter. If I compare my sermons to those of Billy Graham I’d feel unpolished and uneducated. If I compare my outreach to Mother Theresa I’d feel lazy and selfish. This is the whisper of evil that comes from comparing – “you’re not good enough!”

Paul says it doesn’t matter who brought the message or who we were baptized by, only that we have accepted Jesus and let the Holy Spirit guide our actions. We musn’t get distracted by how others are doing things! God has given each of us resources and opportunities to tell those around us about His love.

Loving Lord, we are amazed that You call us to be part of Your plan for creation. Bless us to be a voice of love that reaches Your children no matter where they are are. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 John 5:13-14 (NLT).

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

John writes this passage to encourage believers regarding salvation and prayer. We are saved by Christ’s sacrifice and blessed to make requests of God in His name. Jesus told us this in John 16:23, saying “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.”

This is more about our connection to God than request fulfillment. When we spend time in prayer we open our hearts and minds to Him. God is always available to hear us because He is always present with us.

Jesus came to show us a better way to live, loving God and each other, and sharing the Good News with the world. The only thing we need to follow our Lord is faith in God’s promise and the willingness to use our gifts for the good of God’s children.

Gracious God, we are thankful for the blessing of salvation through the gift of Your Son. May we go in Your name to all our brothers and sisters that they may know the joy of Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 3:25-26 (NLT).

For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

The words of Romans 3:23 are probably more familiar to us, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” This is our guilty charge and there is no way we can work ourselves free. While we need to remember this, it should not be our life focus.

Paul tells us of the wonderful gift of forgiveness we have received in Christ, saying “People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” We are no longer slaves to sin and death, He has made a way for us to be redeemed.

The gift is given to us freely but there are responsibilities expected of the forgiven children of God: we are to share the blessing we have received, making disciples of everyone. We go in His name to share His love.

Gracious God, we are in awe of the sacrifice You have made for us. Now we see the blessing of our redemption. Send us to all Your children that they may hear the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 16:9-10 (NLT).

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

This passage is a perfect start to the day after Easter. It reminds us that we are precious to God and He will never leave us. We may wander away, but He is always there, ready to forgive and restore us.

While we may not know what David’s specific situation was when he composed this psalm, we can certainly relate to the confidence he has in God. He sings “my body rests in safety.” This is his statement of faith, that he trusts the Lord will not let His children remain “among the dead.” 

This psalm is a forward reference to the Resurrection. David may not have known the details of God’s plan to save us, but he had faith that God would make a way. David had an intimate relationship with God that showed him the love our Creator has for each one of us. God didn’t abandon us to our sin; He sent His Son to save us.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we have failed You. Forgive us and give us new energy to go into the world in Your name to share Your love. Amen.

Scripture tells this more eloquently than I could ever hope to share. I encourage you to read the story from all four Gospels – here in John, Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24. He is risen, alleluia! He is risen indeed!✝️

Our scripture this morning is John 20:1-18 (NLT).

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home. Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

Loving Lord, we are in awe of what You have done for us! In Your love and mercy You sent Your Son to be the final sacrifice that will save us from our sin. Bless us to rise with Him to share the joy of salvation with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 16:19-20 (NLT).

Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.”

Jesus tries to explain to the disciples (and us) what is to happen next. It’s a hard lesson for Him to share because He knows the pain it will cause us, but it is absolutely necessary if we are to be saved. His decision to be obedient unto death is our gift of salvation.

He says “your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.” Before the Resurrection, we didn’t know what that meant. Now, we see the wonderful plan God has for all His children and the work of making disciples of the world continues through us.

God has made a way for our sin to be forgiven and for us to be part of the ministry Jesus began. We have new lives through Him and we are to invite all our brothers and sisters to know this joy. While Saturday of Holy Week is a quiet day, we know what happens tomorrow as the stone is rolled away and we all rejoice that He is risen!

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to save us from our sin. Bless us to be part of that sacrifice, dying to our old way of life and rising with Him to be sons and daughters of Your kingdom. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 15:12-14 (NLT).

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”

In John chapters 13-17 Jesus gives His disciples the instructions they will need to carry on His ministry. They still don’t understand all that will happen but Jesus reminds them of what is most important: “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” Loving God and each other is what He has taught all along.

However, as part of what He is about to do for us, He adds “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This is His example, obedient unto death because of His love for God and us. He calls us to be ready to do the same if necessary. Many of His disciples and early followers were martyrs for their faith.

While we may not face daily oppression and the risk of death for sharing the Good News, there are still places where it is dangerous to be a follower of Jesus. Many today take that risk just as His disciples did after His Resurrection and Ascension. The Gospel goes out into the world in spite of all the resistance and hate that still exists. 

Heavenly Father, through the gift of Your Son we can be saved from sin and death to eternal life with You. As we remember His sacrifice for us today, make us strong in our faith to share Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 6:48-51 (NLT).

Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.

Today we remember Jesus sharing a final meal with those closest to Him, the Last Supper. The words He said earlier when He fed the five thousand with two fish and five loaves of bread echo in our ears – “I am the bread of life!” Jesus uses this metaphor to impress on us the importance of our connection to Him.

The Passover meal reminded the children of Israel how God’s love and mercy led them out of captivity in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. Jesus teaches us at the Last Supper that God’s love and mercy will now lead us to eternal life if we accept the sacrifice He makes for us. The example of a meal that feeds our bodies teaches about spiritual nourishment we can only receive from Him.

Eating is essential to life. If we don’t eat, we die. Jesus is explaining that if we don’t eat the bread of life – that is, make Him part of ourselves – we can’t receive eternal life. In Luke 22:19 He tells us “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” By gathering in His name to take the bread and cup, we remember His sacrifice for us until He comes again in glory and we all sit at His banquet table together.

Loving Lord, we are not worthy of the gift You offer, but You invite us just the same. Forgive us and make us strong in faith to share the Bread of Life with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 21:12-13 (NLT).

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

Jesus was quoting scripture when He cleared the Temple. Isaiah 56:7 says “I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” This was God’s intent, but through time people began to use the Temple and those who traveled there to offer sacrifices as a money-making scheme.

Only approved currency could be used to purchase the sacrificial animals being sold, so the money changers enriched themselves through unfair exchange rates. Those selling the animals charged unfair prices. This is why Jesus quotes Jeremiah 7:11 where God asks “Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves?”

Zechariah 14:21 tells us “And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy, opening people’s eyes to the dishonor to God and them being done there. He Himself will be the final and perfect sacrifice to save us from our sin.

Gracious God, thank You for the mercy You have shown us, rather than the justice we deserve. Forgive us we pray. During this Holy Week, still us and fill us, mend us and send us to share Your love with all the world. Amen.