Author: Pastor Doug

Our scripture this morning is Acts 20:24 (NLT).

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Paul knows that “jail and suffering” await him on his coming journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:23) but as Jesus did, he continues in faith. He tells us “my life is worth nothing unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.” While there is earthly opposition to the spread of the Gospel, it is what we are called to accomplish.

Jesus told us that as His disciples we would face persecution and hate in the world. He also said “But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In Matthew 28:19 He commanded us “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” This is the assignment Paul mentions here.

We are called to follow the path of Jesus just as Paul was. We may never travel to faraway places to share the Gospel (but we might!), and there are plenty of opportunities to represent Jesus right where we are. All we have to do is accept the forgiveness He offers and share that blessing with those around us.

Loving Lord, You sent Your Son to save us from ourselves. Thank You for Your love and forgiveness. Send us to tell the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture today is 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT).

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul writes earlier in this chapter “So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man” (1 Corinthians 15:21). This lesson on sin, death and resurrection continues through today’s verse. Jesus is the answer the world needs.

While Jesus came to save us (and did!) it is up to us to accept this blessing and live by His example. His victory over sin and death has been accomplished but we must say yes to the invitation He offers. Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5) but through Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

Becoming an active member of God’s family obligates us to pass this blessing along through sharing the Good News with everyone. We don’t need to be skilled orators or religious scholars, just honest people who love the Lord and want others to know that joy. Jesus has called us all to be part of His saving work.

Heavenly Father, we are ashamed of the mess we make here, but amazed that Your love and mercy are always there for us. Forgive us and send us in Your name to all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Hebrews 5:7 (NLT).

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.

Jesus most definitely knew the power of prayer, and if Jesus thought it was necessary for Himself, how much more important for us to be in contact with our Father through prayer? While this verse likely describes His experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus showed us the blessing of a regular connection to God. Mark 1:35 tells us “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray”, demonstrating how important it is to begin the day with God.

Jesus gave His disciples (and us) the model prayer we still say to honor Him. The Lord’s Prayer is an example for us of how conversation with God should go. Try writing or saying it in your own words, adding your thanks and expressing your needs. A connection to God is personal, even when we pray together.

While God always answers prayer, it may not be exactly what we asked for. Jesus said in Luke 22:41-42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” God’s plan is perfect and we need to make our lives fit that plan, not the other way around.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the gift of prayer to be in touch with You. Help us to share Your love and blessing with all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT).

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Jesus promises we won’t be alone after He returns to the Father. In John 14:16 He says “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” Advocate can also mean Helper or Comforter, as it is rendered in other bible versions. All of these indicate God’s presence with us to guard and guide us.

Paul wants the Corinthians (and us) to understand how God’s love flows to us through His Spirit. With the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, the disciples are empowered to speak in the name of Jesus, sharing the Good News just as He did. We are now His representatives, called to spread the Gospel everywhere.

More than just a comfort to us, His Spirit with us allows us to share that love with the world. Paul writes “When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” This is the pattern Jesus taught: repent and reconnect with God, accept the blessing of His presence, and pass that love to everyone.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for Your presence with us always. Bless us to speak Your word with love to all our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT).

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

While Paul tells Timothy not to “let anyone think less of you because you are young”, the guidance applies to us all. What anyone else thinks of us and our discipleship is not our issue, but theirs. Our call is to go in His name regardless of what opinion the world holds of us.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung said “the world will ask you who you are and if you don’t know, the world will tell you.” We need to know who we are in Christ and that should always be our answer. Paul says the way we live in His love is our best response.

Jesus gave us the Great Commission to make disciples of all the world. This is a charge and a blessing, a call to action and an expression of His love and trust in us. Jesus wants us all to join Him in the eternal home He has prepared for us, and we get to help others find the way there.

Loving Lord, Your mercy amazes us and we are humbled to be part of Your work. May we go to share the Gospel with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 8:28-29 (NLT).

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

It’s hard to read this passage sometimes when we see the state of our world. Do we believe that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God” with everything that goes on here? Let’s not forget that while God is and always has been in control, He left us in charge here.

Christian author Mark Norton writes “Note that God is not working to make us happy, but to fulfill His purpose for us – to make us like Christ” and he refers to 1 John 3:2: “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” We need to see beyond ourselves if we want to understand God’s plan for us.

Paul is telling us that God can use even the bad circumstances we cause ourselves to teach us and lead us to a closer relationship with Him and each other. As Paul puts it, God wants us to be like Jesus “so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” God wants all His children back, and He calls us to go to them in love.

Gracious God, we are amazed and grateful that You want us to be part of Your work. May we go in Your name to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is (Proverbs 29:25-26 NLT).

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. Many seek the ruler’s favor, but justice comes from the Lord.

These two Proverbs are related, telling us the Lord is our ultimate protector and judge. It warns against the human security the world offers because it is changeable and temporary. God is permanent and eternal.

Human justice is often unjust because we can be unfairly influenced by appearances or what we believe are other people’s motives. God judges us fairly, but offers His mercy to those who choose repentance and reconnection with Him. He is the only ruler whose favor we should seek.

The trap this speaks of is allowing the world to frighten us into changing our behavior. Jesus tells us “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that” (Luke 12:4). God’s love for us is everlasting and when we trust Him, we can be part of what He is doing in the world.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we haven’t listened to Your call: “Do not be afraid!” Help us to share Your love with confidence, telling the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Colossians 1:12-14 (NLT).

He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Paul speaks of God’s provision for us, that “He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness.” Like the Exodus from Egypt, God has made a way for us to be saved from our sin through Jesus. God is ready to lead us all, individually and collectively into “the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

Jesus began His public ministry with the phrase “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15). God’s Kingdom is anywhere that people accept His forgiveness and love and share that blessing with each other. We may sometimes think the Kingdom is a far-off place in the future, but the time is right now and the place is right here.

We can be part of the Kingdom. We read “He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people who live in the light.” This is the saving grace that only Jesus can give us. We trust in Him to lead us to the new Promised Land of eternity.

Heavenly Father, in Your mercy You made a way for us to be saved and called us to be part of the Kingdom work. Bless us to go in Your name always. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalm 30:5 (NLT).

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Have you ever gone to bed sad but felt relieved as the next morning came? The psalmist tells us that each morning is a cause for joy, a chance to do better than the day before. God continues to offer us opportunities to grow closer to Him and each other.

We are reminded that “His anger lasts only a moment but His favor lasts a lifetime!” I’m sure like human parents God is sometimes deeply disappointed in the choices we make, however He never withdraws His love or His presence. He is always there, waiting for us to choose Him.

God has made a New Covenant with us all through His Son and it is the only way to be part of His kingdom. Other than recognizing our need to repent and be forgiven, we can do nothing to save ourselves. Jesus came to save us from sin and death and when we accept that saving grace, we can share His love with the world.

Amazing God, You have made a way for us to be redeemed from our failures. Bless us to be gentle but energetic voices for You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NLT).

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

Paul has a very telling phrase in this passage – “we destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.” It is our pride that usually leads us into trouble. We are often overconfident in our abilities, believing them to be “ours” rather than a gift from God.

In another letter we read a cure for this issue: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Hebrews 4:12).  By studying and sharing His word we arm ourselves against earthly ways and wiles that will lead us astray.

Our only source of pride is that God has chosen each one of us and called us by name. Later in this chapter Paul quotes from Scripture “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17). In this way we can have the relationship with God and each other that He intends for us.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times our foolish pride has caused us to fall into sin. Help us to live as Jesus taught us, serving our brothers and sisters everywhere. Amen.