Author: Pastor Doug

Our scripture this morning is Romans 10:12-13 (ESV).

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

In the early church there was some concern over the inclusion of Gentiles among the followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself had no problem of course, but early church leaders discussed this at length, some in earnest, some in anger. Jewish worship was part of their lives and those practices were not easily dismissed.

Paul, known as the apostle to the Gentiles, defended their inclusion based on their faith alone. Eventually Peter would be shown this as well, as we read in Acts 10:9-45. God made us all in His image, and He made only one group of us: human.

This passage tells us no matter how grievously we divide ourselves, we are all one in our Father’s eyes. Above all the petty rules and practices we devise is the command to love God and one another. If we start getting that right we will be on the way to His kingdom coming on earth.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the artificial barriers we create for ourselves and each other. Help us to know each other as Your beloved children instead of a label. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Genesis 1:3-4 (ESV).

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

Light plays an important part in the Bible story. It was the first thing God spoke into existence when He began creating. The concept of light is used several places in scripture to help us understand a variety of lessons.

In John 1:4-5 we read “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This is the description of Jesus coming to be with us, and the light He has shined on a dark world. Sadly we also hear “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him” (John 1:10).

Jesus calls us to be light in the world too. He tells us “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14). We were made according to God’s plan, and He sends us to share the Good News everywhere.

Gracious God, we are grateful for all Your many gifts, none more precious than You sending Jesus to save us. Help us to be light in our world, telling everyone of Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalm 105:1-2 (ESV).

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!

This song of praise reminds us that God is the source of all things and we owe Him thanks and praise for our very existence. It was composed by David and the first part was originally sung during the procession bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16). It continues with a summary of God’s promise to the children of Abraham and the Exodus from Egypt.

It was important for the people to remember their history as laid out in this psalm, and God’s saving grace that led them to the Promised Land. God intended it as a new start for them, but they got comfortable in the ways of the world quickly. The hard truth is we often forget what the Lord has done for us when things are good.

The last phrase of this passage encourages us to “tell of all his wondrous works!” It is a call to evangelism, sharing the joy of what God has done for us with the world. God wants everyone to know of His love and connect with Him personally.

Heavenly Father, You have blessed us and led us in Your ways so that we could be saved. May we always remember Your love for us and carry it to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture today is Amos 5:24 (ESV).

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

It may be an oversimplification, but it seems virtually every human problem we face stems from our lack of love for God and one another, and our failure to treat them as we want to be treated. That’s what Jesus taught us when He said “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40).

Amos speaks of justice, not the go to court legal kind, but God’s universal justice of treating each other with love and care. If we do the right things out of our love for God and encourage others to do so as well, we can become part of that “ever-flowing stream” of righteousness. Micah spoke similarly, saying “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

It’s that last part about “walking humbly with God” that the people of Amos’ time (and us, if we’re honest) have trouble following. We wish evil on one another and say things about each other. We need to pray for ourselves and the world before we can see “justice roll down like waters.”

Loving Lord, help us to be every day Christians, honoring You with our actions as well as our worship. May we be part of what You are doing in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is James 1:19-20 (ESV).

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

I feel this scripture is especially relevant in the world we face today. Having said that, it has been especially relevant in every time since Jesus taught it and James recorded it. Even in the Old Testament we read “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Proverbs 10:19).

I need to pay attention to verse 20, “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Since my retirement, my physical condition has caused me problems – nothing very serious, but I am unable to do things I used to do without thinking. This frustrates me and often it comes out as anger…which does nothing to resolve the situation and doesn’t make me feel better!

Jesus taught us to be receptive and responsive to God’s Word – listening, learning and doing. We are called to bring the Good News to the world, but we must be “in the world, not of it” as He said (John 17:14). We must be ready to listen and perhaps hear things that anger us, but we must respond as He did, with love and charity to be able to understand what angers our brothers and sisters.

Patient God, teach us to listen longer and talk less in order to reach everyone with Your love. May we be calm voices in an angry world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Mark 11:24-25 (ESV).

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Jesus speaks of the power of prayer, and the things necessary for it to be effective in our lives. In Matthew 7:7 He tells us “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” It is this kind of continual connection to God that makes prayer part of what we need to do every day.

Faith and forgiveness are essential to effective prayer. Jesus tells us to “believe that you have received it”, which is our faith in action. He also warns that we must forgive others in order to receive God’s forgiveness. This is part of the model prayer He taught us: “and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Paul writes “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ” (Philippians 2:5). If we want to follow Jesus, we must think and act as He did. By treating others with love as He showed us, we can be part of the Kingdom work to which we are called.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we ask for selfish things. Bless us to be eager in sharing Your love with all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Galatians 6:1-2 (ESV).

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The law of Christ, as Paul terms it, is to love one another. We show that love by serving each other as Jesus taught. We help “bear one another’s burdens” by being there for those who need physical, emotional or spiritual assistance.

Jesus gave us the example of serving throughout His ministry, but it is shown vividly in His washing the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper. The lesson is that whenever someone has a need, we are to do our best to respond. No one is above the duty to love one another through our service.

The spirit of gentleness Paul mentions involves reaching out when someone is faltering in the faith. This isn’t judgment to make ourselves feel superior, but should be the same as stopping someone from crossing a street with traffic approaching. This is love in action.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we have failed to reach out in love. Bless us to be energetic disciples, sharing Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Proverbs 9:9-10 (ESV).

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

The Book of Proverbs is probably the most well known work of biblical wisdom literature. It provides solid spiritual guidance for our relationship with God and each other. Many of these were written by King Solomon who had asked God for wisdom in order to rule well.

He writes “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” No one is wise on their own, it is a gift from Him, as is everything. When we recognize this, we are on the way to being wise in the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” The wisest thing we can do is stay in touch with God and trust that He always wants what is best for us. We can never do better than that.

Loving Lord, we often think too much of ourselves and our ideas. Forgive us for thinking we could ever have a better plan than Yours. Bless us to share Your wisdom and love with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 8:6-7 (ESV).

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

Am I hostile to God? That’s a pretty heavy concept, but Paul asks us to consider our mindset. He writes “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot.”

Hostile sounds like an excessive term, but Paul knows exactly what he is saying. It is intended to rile us a little and make us think about our relationship with God. There are really only two ways: our own way or God’s way. There is no in between, “for to set the mind on the flesh is death.”

He also writes “to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace”, a choice to live in God’s love and His eternal promise to us through Christ. God has reached out to us with forgiveness we can’t earn and mercy we don’t deserve. 

Loving Lord, we are amazed that You sent Your Son to save us from ourselves. Bless us to share Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV).

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Anxiousness or worry is often described as trying to control things over which we have no control. Humans are unfortunately very good at this. Instead of living in and enjoying the present and its gifts, we think about what might happen tomorrow and what we might do. This often uses up our energy for no good reason.

The fear of the unknown future can paralyze us in the present, according to Christian author Amy Orr-Ewing. Note that Jesus’ teaching does not prohibit planning and caring for ourselves and each other. This is part of God’s plan, that we rely on His care through the gifts He has given us.

Trusting in God gives us “genuine security” (Harold Myra, bible.com). Earthly things are temporary, what God offers us is eternal. He loves us and if we keep this fact as our first thought every day, we can live in faith that He will provide for us.

Gracious God, You made everything and gave it to us to use in Your name. Help us to trust in Your love and share this worry-free faith with all Your children. Amen.