Author: Pastor Doug

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 9:36-38 (NASB1995).

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

In the space of just a few verses (Matthew 9:36-10:5) Jesus teaches three important things. He has compassion on us because we are like sheep without a shepherd. He asks us all to pray for workers for the Lord’s harvest, and that we are called to be those workers. This points to loving God, loving neighbor and making disciples.

Jesus used things that were familiar to His listeners of that time like flocks and crops to teach us about God’s kingdom. Like crops and flocks, people need tending as well. Jesus came to show us how to do that and to remind us of our blessing and responsibility from God to act as His stewards.

We are all part of God’s plan for creation, and each of us have gifts to be used in His service. If we want God to act, we need to act with Him. How can you be part of spreading the Gospel today?

Loving Lord, help us to see the bountiful harvest that is waiting for our action. Bless us to be active workers for You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 34:22 (NASB1995).

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

This verse from David reminds us of God’s promise that those who trust in Him will be saved. God loves all His children and wants only the best for us. Earlier in this psalm we read “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalms 34:8). God is always there for us, but we need to accept His forgiveness and live new lives.

Peter refers us to this verse in his first letter (1 Peter 3:12-16) with instructions for living in peace. Think about Peter’s experiences of highs and lows, seeing Christ in His glory at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13) and seeing Him crucified. Even after denying he knew Jesus, Peter was forgiven and spent the rest of his life sharing the Gospel.

We can learn about taking refuge in the Lord from the examples of David and Peter. The world is a hard place because we have chosen our own way rather than the instruction God has for us. However, He still waits for us to repent and return to Him, ready to offer His love and forgiveness.

Gracious God, even when we fail, You are there for us. Help us to overcome our foolish pride and humble ourselves, claiming the promise of salvation through faith. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Judges 6:12 (NASB1995).

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.”

This story from Judges almost seems funny. A young man is hiding from danger and yet the angel greets Gideon with the words “the Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” The focus of this passage is that God is with us and He alone is the source of strength.

Apart from the Lord, none of us are “valiant warriors”. Trusting our own strength and wisdom is a recipe for disaster. We can’t stand against the world without relying on God’s strength to accomplish the mission. Many times in scripture we are told “Fear not!”

Like Moses, Gideon has questions and concerns about being called as a leader. God calms his fears and guides him on the way to protecting the people. We must remember to ask for God’s help and accept His wisdom, knowing that He wants only good for us. God is with us always!

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we are afraid to trust in Your love and wisdom. Forgive our timid faith and send us to be valiant warriors for You. Amen.

Our scripture today is Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB1995).

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We’ve discussed this verse and what some believe is a contradictory verse in James 2:26 which tells us “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” I don’t think Paul and James actually disagree, but people can and do take their statements out of context.

James didn’t say we can work our way into Heaven. Paul didn’t say if we have faith what we do doesn’t matter. We are saved only through faith in Christ, not by anything we can do. However, our transformed lives must show His love in our actions.

Jesus showed that faith is an active thing. We must use the gifts we are given to tell the world what He has done for us. There is no question of faith or works, it has always been faith and works together with love.

Gracious God, we come in repentance for our lazy faith and works. Energize us and send us to share Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 51:10 (NASB1995).

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

David had sinned grievously and it was made plain to him through a visit from the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12). He went to God in repentance, asking to be made new. Notice he doesn’t say “I didn’t do it” or “I had a good reason”, he admits what he has done, accepting responsibility and consequences. 

David asks for the kind of renewal only God can give – a clean heart and a steadfast spirit. He knows that as humans, even ones who have walked closely with God, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Only by going to Him in repentance can we be forgiven.

God is always ready to hear our cry of confession and restore us in His love. Paul tells us “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:39). We can be renewed and sent to share the mercy we have been given with the world.

Gracious God, we are grateful to receive Your forgiveness when we fail. Strengthen us in faith and use us to spread the Gospel everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 1:3-5 (NASB1995).

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.

Paul prayed often for the people in churches he had planted. His gratitude for their partnership is evident. While the church at Philippi supported Paul financially, he thanks them more specifically for their “participation in the gospel.”

Paul perhaps more so than any other missionary of that time wanted desperately to see people come to know Jesus. When one of his churches began evangelizing, not just worshipping, he was elated, even in his imprisonment at Rome. This is what his call was all about, to bring the gospel and ensure that it would continue to spread.

This is our task from Jesus, to love one another as He does and share the Good News everywhere. We may not think we are missionaries in the truest sense, but wherever we spread the love of Christ, we fulfill the mission He gave us.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for all Your many blessings. Help us to use the gifts You have given to share Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 18:10-11 (NASB1995).

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination.

This pair of verses contrasts the mindset of those who put their trust in God with those who believe in their own wealth, position, power, or any human thing. It reminds me of an earlier verse pair: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). We are stuck in the sin of pride when we trust ourselves rather than relying on God.

I have heard our situation compared to a toddler with a complex Lego set – we have a wealth of resources given to us but not always the knowledge of how to use them well. God says “let me guide you with what I have given and together we can build something beautiful.” Unfortunately, like petulant toddlers, we often refuse His help.

God is always there to love and protect us but as the proverb says, we must run to Him. All our human “strength” is imaginary, only God is able to save us. Let’s run the right way in faith, choosing God over all else.

Loving Lord, we are ashamed of our willful disobedience, thinking we can do it on our own. Help us to see the blessing that awaits us when we say yes to Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 6:35 (NASB1995).

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

Jesus uses a series of “I am” statements in John in order to help us see who He is and what He has come to do for us. These reflect God’s “I am” from the story of the Burning Bush where He revealed Himself to Moses (Exodus 3:14). We need the love of Jesus and God’s forgiveness like we need food to survive.

This chapter opens with Jesus feeding the five thousand, showing His compassion for them in their physical hunger. Later He reminds them of God providing for His people in the wilderness through the gift of manna, bread from Heaven (Exodus 16). If God is willing to provide for our temporary physical needs here, how much more does He provide for our eternal spiritual needs?

Jesus tells them plainly “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh” (John 6:51). If we want to be forgiven, we must make Jesus part of us like the food we eat. Then, like we share meals in fellowship, we must share the Good News to those who are spiritually hungry in our world.

Loving Lord, You sent Your Son that we might be saved from our sin. Bless us to go to nourish the world with Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 1:14 (NASB1995).

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This verse connects God’s Word with us in the form of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man. The original Greek word for His coming to be with us can be translated as “pitched His tent”, a reference to a temporary home and the Tabernacle where God first “lived” with the children of Israel. These connections would be familiar to John’s original readers and lead them to see Jesus as God with us.

We sometimes have difficulty seeing how Jesus is one with God, but also human and separate. Jesus behaved as an obedient son, spending time in prayer. He further demonstrates His unique identity in Matthew 24:36 where He tells His disciples “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” 

Jesus’ connection to the Father is similar to the love we feel for each other here, but far greater. Until we are raised with Him we can’t know that feeling, but it has been promised to us from the beginning. God gives us His love freely and wants ours freely returned.

Loving Lord, You came as one of us to show us the way to be saved. Help us to be new creations in Your love and to share that wonderful gift with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Romans 1:16-17 (NASB1995).

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Paul continually preached that God’s salvation is offered to all people, regardless of our lineage, present position or history. As “the apostle to the Gentiles” Paul is 180 degrees from where he began as a legalistic Pharisee and persecutor. Now he carries the Gospel to places that need to know God’s love.

Paul quotes from Habakkuk 2:4 where we read “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.” Our pride and our selfishness lead us to sin and separate us from God. Jesus came to show us the way to be forgiven and reconnected to God through Him.

We can’t save ourselves, but we can put our faith in Jesus and know that we are saved by Him. This is the blessing God has given us, all we need to do is repent and accept it!

Gracious God, You made a way for us to be redeemed from our sin and restored as Your children. May we go boldly in Your name to share the Good News with the world. Amen.