Power, Love, and Sound Judgement

2 Timothy 1:7 (CSB)  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

Where am I going with this one? I will spill it all at the beginning in case you do not have time to read it to the end! Many times in my life when I have read this verse I use it to remind myself not to be afraid, not to worry, or to have courage. But that is a weak reading of this verse! God, Himself has put His Spirit inside of me, and rather than trying to coax my weak spirit along I should look and listen for His Spirit’s voice.

On a deeper level, this helps us have a tool for discernment, not just a reminder to be less anxious. I love how the three things juxtaposed against fear work together. Often fear itself is very powerful but often is self-preserving so it doesn't check the box on being loving. Fear also does not lead to sound judgment since it is often so reactionary. 

Many times I hear Christians use the cliche to live faith over fear and in principle that is absolutely true. At times though people will choose the “radical” path or what seems bigger or more godly because “they have no fear” but that is not part of the decision-making in this verse either since we see that God’s Spirit will lead to sound judgment. Often sound judgment is found in talking with other Christians, if it sounds crazy to everyone then it probably isn’t a good idea. If any of you know me then you know I get excited about big, ambitious ideas, but I am an even bigger fan of making sure that they are what God wants! 

Another way we can miss God is by being bold in a situation without considering love. If something you are in the middle of is creating fear, simply embracing a powerful position that doesn’t take into account the feelings or consequences others will face is not what God is after either. 

Lastly, let's address always taking the route of sound judgment. If we always do what is common, “wise,” and normal to do we negate the power and love God may be wanting to show in this situation. Sound judgment will not always keep us from raising any eyebrows. Fitting perfectly into a local community is not what God is advocating either. Sometimes actions we take will be bold, or extravagant in our display of love and I would say being extravagant in our love is something God would consider sound judgment since it is kind of the basis for all of His work in history. 

That is really the point though, God doesn’t want us to live out a spirit of fear because He wants us to live close to Him! This verse can be a great way to remember how God works as we live in this world, but it falls utterly short if we try to whip ourselves along to “act better.” He wants us to live and act in a relationship with Him. I use this verse at times to pray to lead my heart in searching out God’s voice and then listening to his answer and the answer of those around me. There is nothing better than walking with Jesus and I hope this encourages you to do that this week!

Will- Pastor of Connection and Care

Selfishly Selfish?

These are a few quotes I have heard recently…

“Putting yourself first is not selfish.  Quite the opposite.  You must put your happiness and health first before you can be of help to anyone else.”

“When you start sacrificing yourself for other people, you make them a thief, because they are stealing from you what you need and they don’t even know it.”

I see wall hangings often that tell us that in order to be happy, we must put ourselves first. These sayings bother me. You may completely disagree with me.  I do feel that people are trying to help us feel better by saying these things, but I believe putting yourself first is not the way. What I hear is “me, me, me”. The actual  definition of selfishness is putting your needs above others.  So aren’t these sayings selfish?

Above all, I know I need to put God first, not myself.  If I were to put myself before God, wouldn’t that be considered breaking the first commandment “You shall have no other gods before Me”? I worry that putting myself first in life would be like having an idol. Jesus said in Matthew 10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

In putting God first, I would try to live Christ like. He would help me to exhibit more of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This would make me a better person and give me greater joy. Also, if I were to live like Jesus Christ, I would definitely be putting others before myself.  Jesus was the best example there is of selfless love, including dying for our sins.

Not only should I put God before myself, but I think I should also put others' needs ahead of my own.  I disagree that this would drain me of what I need. I think that the more I give, the more I have. I am here to serve others. Jesus tells us in Matthew 20:27-28, “and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came no to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  

I find that many times I have selfish thoughts and reactions.  This is something I need the Lord’s help with.  I will pray that I put others before myself more often, and most importantly, I will strive to put God very first in my life.    

God Bless,

Amy

Behold

Behold: verb – to see or observe (a thing or person, especially a remarkable or impressive one).

This Sunday some youth and kids will be sharing special music with us.  The song is called “Behold Him” and we will be adding it to our repertoire at Grace.

  The first verse of the song takes its cues from John chapter 1 and Philippians chapter 2.  Jesus is eternal, all things were created through Him, and he left His throne in heaven to become a man.  The second verse reminds us of the 4 gospels.  Jesus ate with sinners, he gave sight to the blind, healed the lame, and pursued the lost.  He was willing to go to the cross, taking the death of a criminal, so that he could pay for our sin with His blood.  He rose to life, conquering death in the process.  

  What is our response to Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, the sacrificial lamb, the beginning and the end, our risen Savior?  Our response is to behold Him, for He is remarkable and impressive! We desire to see Him, and to wonder at His glory and holiness!  I’ve been using this song in my private worship for a few months and I’m excited for it to be part of our song repertoire at Grace.   May this song be a beautiful addition to your private worship and to our corporate worship on Sunday mornings.  May this song remind us who Jesus is, what he has done, and may it help us to be still and behold Him.

You can preview the song here.

 See you Sunday!

-       Pastor Kyle 

Slaves to Success

Focus Verse: Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do we measure success? Oftentimes I measure success based on how many things I can accomplish. If I finish all of my projects around the house on a Saturday then: “That was a successful day.” I manage to find all the groceries on my grocery list in one trip: “That was a successful trip to the store.” I try making a new chicken parmesan recipe that I saw online, but after a taste test I just end up taking a Taco Bell run: “ Well, that was extremely unsuccessful.” (Even though taking a trip to Taco Bell is always a five star experience!) For many of us the minute details of what success looks like may vary- such as, if we get that promotion at work. Or, if we can manage to get the kids bathed, clothed, in bed and sleeping by eight o’clock. Some might consider this a miracle and not just a success and to that I might have to agree. But even in the details I believe our culture as a whole has made us slaves to assosiating “success” with “achievement.” The world tries to tell us if you are not achieving enough, you are not successful enough. “So go out and try harder.” “Achieve greater things.”

Oftentimes my day to day interactions with the Lord are greatly affected by this world view. Whether or not the Lord looks down on me with favor -in my eyes- is often dependent on how successful I can be for His kingdom. So I ask myself more often than I should; “Have I completed my devotion today and did I successfully pull a valuable lesson from His Word?” “Did I successfully have a gospel conversation with someone today and did they come to know Christ?” These are not bad questions to be asking ourselves as Christians. But in the same exact way that the world equates “success” with “achievement” I often equate God’s love for me with my ability to achieve for His kingdom's sake. But this just isn’t right. God is not conditional and does not offer His love more freely to the highest achiever.

In scripture we see time and time again that the Lord offers His love to every walk of life and every tribe and tongue. But what He seems to value above all else is not individual achievements, but individual obedience. In 1 Samuel 13:13-15 we see Samuel referencing David as a “man after the Lord’s own heart.” This is the moment where God speaks through Samuel, showing the eventual transferal of kingship from Saul to David. In this moment the Lord is lifting David up not because of his success, but because of his obedience. David had not led Israel to many victories as Saul had. David had not been king over an entire nation for a number of years. But David was seeking the Lord and being obedient in a time where Saul was not.

God’s measure of success is not like the worlds. It’s not based on achievement. Heavenly success as defined by God is to seek His face wholeheartedly in OBEDIENCE. Which brings me back to Romans 12:1-2. “1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Though I often misplace God's desires for my life, recently He has been teaching me that His favor is in my obedience. My ability to put aside my desires, and present myself as a living sacrifice for His name sake in obedience is all God wants from me. He does not need my achievements or accolades. He needs my obedience. So as I conclude, my challenge to you is to present yourself as a living sacrifice in obedience to our Father. By doing so you will step far beyond the success of this world and step into the fullness of life that only He has to offer.

You are Loved.

Bryant Hart

Facing My Fears at 10,000 Feet

I will never forget the moment I exited a perfectly good airplane at 10,000 feet above the ground. I was the first to “jump,” so I was the first one to perch myself on a small step that stuck out under the wing.

The wind was deafening as it beat on my face at 200+ miles per hour. As I looked down, the ground looked like square plots of land, houses barely big enough to identify.

The professional skydiver attached to my back allowed me to initiate the jump...every second felt like a minute.

I could feel my heart pounding, my arms and legs shaking, and my face had a nervous perma-smile (permanent grin). But I knew I had to face my fear of heights and leap out in faith. The adrenaline rush cannot be described, only felt.

Skydiving has been on my bucket list for many years. Throughout my childhood and early adult life, I’ve always been deathly afraid of heights. Just throwing a ball up into the air and watching it soar caused my muscles to tighten; and that was while I was standing on solid ground.

After gaining insights through counseling and understanding the brain, I believe it has something to do with a fall I took as an elementary student. My brain has never forgotten that traumatic experience, and only wants to protect me from enduring that ever again.

As a teenager I tried facing the fear by following through with tasks on ladders and other work-related activities. Pride was a big motivator, and I was just pushing through. The fear never let up.

But then something changed. The physical symptoms of fear were still present for many years, but my thinking shifted.

I was strapped into the seat of a world-class rollercoaster inching up to the peak. I didn’t just have butterflies in my stomach, it felt like I had wasps and knives in there too.

So I decided to pray something like this: “God, I know You are with me, and I am in Your hands. So, I’m going to let go of these shoulder bars and take this ride with You. I trust You with my life. If something bad happens, then it’s because You are allowing it. I trust You.”

As I went over the top, staring down at the ground that would have paralyzed every muscle in my body, I raised my hands and whispered, “God, I love you. If this is going to be fun, it’s going to be because I’m enjoying this with You.”

It was the coolest thrill I ever had! I immediately wanted to ride that rollercoaster again. My stomach was still in knots, and my hands still got sweaty, but I was drawn to the ride...the thrill.

Eventually I knew that skydiving would be the ultimate step. If I could jump out of a plane with that same thought process, then I knew the fear had no power in my life. And that’s what I did at the end of this summer, thanks to a good friend of mine.

Fear was present, but trust and joy overcame. What. A. Thrill!

This Sunday we are going to look at anxiety and worry. Many of us are trying to deal with it the best we can, and even though this broken world will always give us opportunities to worry and be anxious, God invites us to find our rest and peace in Him.

I thank God for you and I’m blessed to have you as brothers and sisters. I love you, and I’ll see you all Sunday!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Firm Foundation

A few weeks ago, Pastor Jack finished preaching through the sermon on the mount, which concludes with a parable comparing a wise man who built his house on a rock, and a foolish man who built his house on sand.  Jesus said, “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock”.  When we listen to Jesus and live according to His word, we can face the storms of life and stand strong, knowing that He is our firm foundation!  Though everything else around us might be falling apart, we can remain unshaken.  In chaos we can have peace, because God is faithful.  This doesn’t mean that God will keep the storms from coming our way, but that He will carry us through the storms of life. We can’t, after all, rely on our own strength.

Our newest song “Firm Foundation” finds its inspiration in this passage of Scripture.  In this song we declare that God has been faithful through every season and through all generations.  He has always been faithful, so why would he fail us now?  He won’t!  God won’t fail us!  If we are trusting in Him, He will be faithful!  He holds us up by His strength, He gives us peace and joy in circumstances where peace and joy make no sense.  I am so glad that I put my faith in Jesus, because He has been my rock through all the storms that I’ve faced.

So, let’s use this song to declare our trust in Jesus, and to declare His unfailing faithfulness to us. Let’s use it to declare individually that we put our faith in Jesus, and let’s use it to declare together that we are trusting in Him!  Here’s a version that you can sing at home!

This coming Sunday Jack will be preaching again, and the kids will be joining us in big church for worship through song.  I can’t wait for Sunday!  See you then!

-       Pastor Kyle

A Good Death…

What a dark subject for the beautiful days we have been enjoying, or at least the cool mornings! I promise not to go too dark in talking about death but it is an important topic. Many of you have probably heard me say that Ecclesiastes is one of if not my favorite book in the Bible. Ecclesiastes 7:2 (CSB) It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart.

I never make movie recommendations because I am notorious for forgetting any bad parts, if I fast forward through it I forget it even happened. That’s my disclaimer and by no means am I recommending this movie, the story makes the point without needing to watch the movie! There was a movie I remember seeing called Second-Hand Lions. It is about two old men who do nothing all day until their nephew comes to stay with them. They had both been adventurous in the past and he sparks new ideas for them to take on. Among other things they do adopt a “defective” lioness and they buy an old airplane that they fly under overpasses and in other death-defying stunts. At the end of the movie they try flying the plane through their barn doors but crash and die instead. The impression you get is that they wanted to go out in some blazing glory type of way rather than through age or sickness. If you love history like I do you have read about Vikings wanting their death to come in battle in an epic way. Or you can insert any gladiator/war/Viking movie character you know that might have said “a good death is hard to find” or something similarly bravado. Many of us probably hope to die peacefully surrounded by friends and family. The real point I am hoping to make is actually not about the end-of-life death that we will all experience.

Rather, I am highlighting a type of death that we all have a choice over each day. There is a slow and agonizing death that comes from isolation. Many of us choose or have chosen at times in our lives to isolate ourselves from others. Often addiction, despair, depression, or anxiety will either proceed or result from this isolation. I would bet that none of us would point to a season where we isolated ourselves as also being a season of spiritual growth or closeness to God. The Christian faith is by design meant to be lived with other people, other people outside of our immediate families. 

A common enemy of being connected is our “busyness” and it is a great tool that the enemy or we ourselves use to isolate ourselves from others. When we are constantly going it is hard for us to make time for other or be slowed down enough to actually connect with people when we do have time with them. I am guilty of this as the next person and I am working on it. One thing I have seen though is an intentional busyness that people use on purpose as an excuse to have their own lives separated from others. This is dangerous. 

Relationships are messy, hurtful, and not systematic and for most of us, that means we sometimes like them less than the more ordered part of our lives. The problem is that our rough edges never get exposed or rounded off without them. We also never actually disciple anyone if we aren’t in real relationships with them. The great commission and our own spiritual health are unattainable without healthy connections with other believers. So… join a small group! Or find someone to mentor you! Or be a mentor! If you need any help getting connected email me, will@gccnewton.com.

Blessings!

Will Regier

The Shroud of Turin

The what of what?  Some of you may not know what I am referring to.  Some of you may know exactly what I am talking about.  The Shroud of Turin is the grave cloth that was claimed to be used for the burial of Jesus Christ.  I love to hear about artifacts discovered that try to prove Jesus Christ or the Bible. There are some new thoughts about how it correlates with scripture that I read about this summer and I want to share with you. 

The Shroud has been kept safe in various countries over the centuries, lastly in Turin, Italy. It is a large piece of linen with an image somehow burned onto it and blood stains throughout.  In recent years, with the emergence of technology, it has been studied in greater detail.  Rick Lanser, in his article “Further Ruminations on the Shroud of Turin”, has linked these studies with the study of the language of the scripture and the facts of the culture.  

First, he covers what Digging for Truth’s John Long has brought out from his research.  He states that “the blood stains correspond to a crown of thorns, angled streams of blood on the arms that accurately reflect how gravity would have affected their flow, dumbbell-shaped pockmarks front and back that match those on Roman lead-tipped whips, no indication of broken legs, wounds in the wrists rather than the palms, and a spear wound in the side were discussed.”  The blood stains on the fabric are genuine human blood, type AB. No known mechanism can explain how the image could have been made by the hand of man.”

Next, he brings up how Barrie Schwortz, the official technical photographer of the Shroud of Turin Research Project pointed out that the image on the shroud was proven scientifically that it was “not a painting, not a scorch, not a photograph”.  There is no known way that this image could have appeared on the ancient cloth.  Barrie Schwortz however could not understand how old blood turns black or brown, but on this shroud it is red.

This concern then was brought to Alan Adler, “the world’s foremost blood expert” (how would you like that title?). His response was that there was great amounts of bilirubin in the blood which is the liver’s response to “torture as from the beatings, scourging, crown of thorns and crucifixion Christ experienced…blood of that nature stays red forever.”  

There were also concerns about the dating of the fabric.  In the 1980’s radiocarbon dating dated the shroud to the middle ages.  Recently, there was Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering testing done.  This type of testing shows that the aging matches that of fabric found at Masada which would date to within the first century. 

Ok, now on to the Biblical exegetical side of this… There has been a problem that some have found with this shroud in what scripture relates about what the cloth should be like.  It says in John 20:6-7 that when Peter entered the tomb, he saw the linen cloths lying there and the handkerchief that would have been used for His head was folded and placed by itself.  The research has been showing that the shroud is one large cloth.

The author of this article searches the Gospels to understand how the Greek terms for the grave cloths are used.  There is a sindon which is a large ritually cleaned cloth used to cover the whole body.  There is a sudarion which was a cloth smaller than a sindon commonly referred to as a sweat cloth.  A third term used is keiriai which were wrappings used to bind hands and feet.  And a fourth term othonia refers to linen cloth, but is plural.  This was a general term used to include many cloths or gives more weight to the meaning of cloth.  Well, Luke refers to sindon first (singular), then in 24:12 uses othonia (plural).

This article then refers to a small, blood stained cloth called the Sudarium of Oveido.  It was a cloth kept at a cathedral in Oveido, Spain. This cloth has a historical association with the shroud and has now been shown that it also has the same blood type and pollen as that of the shroud. This shows that there could have been another small cloth laid in the tomb with the shroud.  It is really neat what has been shown when this cloth was studied.  They can now tell from the stains that this cloth was folded over and was used to blot the blood. From studying the makeup of the stains, researchers can tell that the man died in an upright position due to the mixture of blood and pleural oedema (what accumulates in the lungs during asphyxiation). From studying the stains, they can see the cloth was stained in intervals. The first being while the body was upright still on the cross, the second was made about an hour later when it was moved(taken down), and a third when it was lifted from the ground 45 minutes later.  

There is another important supporting idea about this small cloth laying separately and folded when Peter entered the tomb. In Jewish culture, when someone dies, they typically wash the body and dress it in shrouds in a conventional way.  When someone died a violent death though, all bloodstained items had to be buried with the body because of the belief in a bodily resurrection.  The blood is part of the body and needed to be buried with it.  This cloth would have needed to be buried with the body, but not necessarily wrapped around the head.  

If you were to look this up online to see a picture of the shroud, you might immediately wonder why the image is so perfectly imposed on the cloth?  It does not indicate that the body was “wrapped”.  This article touches on what I was thinking in that the body was hastily put in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea before the Sabbath.  If they were to wrap the body, it would have been difficult for the women to come and finish preparing the body after the Sabbath.  

This was a lot of information and a lengthy post.  Thank you for bearing with me.  I know that we don’t need all of these facts to prove to us that Jesus Christ died for us and was raised from the dead for our salvation.  I am however grateful to those who search out the artifacts and dig to find ways to tangibly prove what we have read about in Scripture.  It is yet another way to arm ourselves with the belt of Truth and the shield of faith.  You know, in John 20:8, it says “Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.”  This disciple may have looked at the same shroud that we have today, but he actually would not have seen the image we see. This image was on the underside of the fabric.  His faith is more inspiring to me than all of this research.  Thank you Lord for your Word of Truth and for the dedication of those who serve you today in this way.

Blessings,

Amy

Sweet Praise

TRANSFORM, (Yes this is a new name.) The student ministry is getting ready to start up again this year.  At the beginning of our Wednesday meetings we have praise and worship time. When we are having worship some youth sing out loud and others sing quietly while some don't even sing at all. While I am worshiping with the youth a lot of times a thought comes to my mind. I don’t know if you have ever thought of it or not but we, as humans, are the only one of God's creations that has a free will.  Animals were created to live, reproduce and die.  Plants were made to grow, reproduce, purify the air and then die.  Rocks and mountains were created to sculpt the landscape and proclaim God's majesty.  The sky is the sky and water is water and they were made to sustain physical life and proclaim the glory and greatness of our God.  None of these things have a choice.  This is what makes us so unique, we were created to worship, love, and praise the Lord,  but we are not programmed to do this, we have a choice!

A few weeks ago I was reading the account of the crucifixion and the events before, specifically when Jesus was in the garden praying.  In Luke 22:42 Jesus said, ”Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  This is what really makes the sacrifice that Jesus made so special.  Yes, He was God and was divine so He had to die because it was in His plan, but he was also human and therefore had a free will and had to choose to die or not to die.  He very easily could have let His humanity kick in and decide to not be crucified.  He could have chosen to just live out a normal life and not do anything that He did, but, that is what makes it all the sweeter for us.  The fact that He had a choice and He chose to live a sinless life and then to give His life for ours, is awesome.  That makes it all the more special to me and hopefully to you as well..

We can go to church and praise the Lord out of a sense of obligation or out of habit or out of fear.  For whatever reason you are there, God can still speak to you and hear from you.  But when it comes to praising and worshiping the Lord for no other reason than we want and desire to, then that just makes it all the sweeter for God.  You know God will receive praises whether we do it or not.  Luke 19:40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." 

So where is your heart and devotion?  Is it in loving the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind?  If it is then why not praise and worship and honor him just because rather than out of duty or obligation or conviction. 

Let's come before the Lord our God with an open heart, an uncluttered mind, and a willing and wanting spirit and make our praise ever so sweet to the Lord.  As the song says “Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy Name.”

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

Idol worship… surely not me.

I’ve been reading through Isaiah lately.  I’m going slowly through the Prophet’s writing, pausing and rereading sections, searching for key themes.  Through chapters 42 to 46 I noticed a statement that kept coming up.  “I am God, and there is no other”.  This statement, phrased a few different ways, comes up 12 times within these chapters.  Isaiah is definitively communicating that there is only one God.  There are no other gods besides the Lord. He alone saves Israel.  He alone is creator.  His purposes won’t be thwarted.  He alone holds the future.  He alone is to be trusted and worshipped.  Isaiah speaks for God saying, “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?”

I know that there is only one God, and that all other gods are created and are not truly gods. When I read in Isaiah that people carved and forged images and proclaimed them to be their gods and to be their saviors, I think, “Wow, how stupid is it that people create something and then worship it?!”  It would be like me carving a piece of wood into something (mind you, I’m terrible at this kind of art) and then declaring it to be god, and then singing to it, adoring it, and crying out to it to save me when I’m threatened by an enemy. This just seems ridiculous.  Surely none of us do anything like this.

We know Satan is crafty (Genesis 3:1, 2 Corinthians 2:11, 2 Corinthians 11:14), and I believe Satan wants us to read these verses and think, “Thank God I’m not like the people in the Bible that created an idol and worshipped it, and cried it to it for salvation, because I know that the Lord alone is God.” That’s my first inclination, to laugh at the fools who create something and then trust it, proclaiming it to be their God.  I see myself as above their foolish idolatry, but when I stop and pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show me how this applies to our lives today, I’m reminded that we still create gods that we adore, that we run to, and that we trust to save us from loneliness or depression or fear.  I believe that we are prone to run to entertainment, to alcohol, to pornography, or to food to save us from our fears, insecurities, and loneliness.  I believe that we are prone to trust in our bank accounts, or our accomplishments, or our popularity, or our guns, or our own strength to secure our future, to bring about our own plans, and to provide us joy and security.

While I might laugh at people in the Bible who create idols out of wood, gold, or other precious metals and put their trust in them, I’m sure there are others that could look at me and laugh at the way I trust in my job security, my retirement plan (okay maybe not this one), my accomplishments, my possessions, or even my family to provide me security, peace, purpose, joy, or self-worth.

John Calvin said, “The human heart is an idol factory”.  What are we unintentionally creating idols out of?  What are we trusting in?  Are we living like God is God alone and there is no other god?  What do we adore more than we adore God?  What do we need to repent of? 

Holy Spirit, don’t let us be fooled by the devil’s schemes.  Don’t let us think we are beyond idol worship.  Show us the idols in our lives and bring us to repentance.  Forgive us for worshipping the created rather than the creator.  Help us to trust in You alone!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.  See you Sunday!

-       Pastor Kyle

Pray for One Another

During 2020 my uncle John in Nebraska had gone through shoulder surgery, and the doctors accidentally touched a nerve during the process which paralyzed one of his lungs. A very odd and terrible thing to happen! John is a pharmacist and has always been in good health, but this left him unable to take deep breaths. Any mild activity like going up stairs was a problem, and he was at a significantly higher risk of any regular sicknesses. Obviously this was a scary thing for him, his family, and the rest of us in the family.

As John and Debbie (his wife) shared what had happened to John’s lung, they asked for prayer, and pray we did!

Fast forward several months while John was sitting his living room, he experienced an unexpected full breath. His lung finally started working again. PTL! John and Debbie fully attribute this as God’s blessing and grace, and they give God the glory. What a wonderful way to seek God and His healing.

During this last year, I know of a lot of people going through all kinds of physical/mental issues, sickness, and emergency room visits. Even in the past few weeks, our church community has seen all sorts of unexpected health problems. Some turn out well, not so well, or simply linger leaving us to struggle physically and emotionally.

Our Sunday morning message this week out of Luke 7 was to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK in a way that is a full motion of our head, heart, and hands in respect to God.

Luke 11:9-10
[9] And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

In our effort here at Grace to love God and love others, we have a constant need and opportunity to pray for each other, especially for healing.

God wants us to ask Him for these small and large blessings over the brokenness we have to deal with in this world. His timing and ways, we don’t get to fully understand, but what a blessing it is when one of us is able to receive healing from our Great Physician.

James 5:16
[16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

-Denver Sweazy

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

For seven Sundays in a row this summer, I visited different churches. It was part of my goals.  As a pastor, visiting other churches can get the creative juices flowing.  I was inspired at some of the churches, and I’m working on some little things to make our worship services more meaningful and impactful.  But most of all, I was missing my church family, as were my wife and kids.  Some Sundays we were out of town so we couldn’t have attended Grace, while other Sundays we were around Newton and visited other churches in the area.  On the Sundays that we were at home, the kids would let out a big sigh when I told them we were not going to Grace.  And no, it wasn’t a sigh of relief, but a sigh of discontent.  “Why would we go anywhere else? We love our church. How about you go somewhere else, and we will go to Grace?”  Many of those times I was able to get some of my family to go with me (sometimes it took a bribe in the way of a slushie or dessert).  Through all of those Sundays a longing to be at our home church was growing.  As they say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” 

You see, we love our church family!  We love the preaching that is committed to upholding biblical integrity.  (While we were visiting other churches, we experienced some good teaching, but also some fluff.) We love the fellowship we experience as we pursue authentic community together. (There’s a difference worshipping with people you don’t know and worshipping with people that you’ve rejoiced and cried with.) We love how our church is growing in owning the mission and being a sent people. (God continues to grow my love for Newton and the surrounding communities and my passion to see a revival start here.) We love the quality youth and kid’s ministry that is reaching the next generations.

Absence from our church only made my heart grow fonder.  I love our church, I love the team I serve with, and most of all, I love our God!  I can hardly wait for Sunday!  I hope to see you then.

Pastor Kyle

Hooked on a Psalm

(Yes, that’s a tip of the hat to Blue Swede)

The spontaneous and liturgical work together.

There is a Psalm I have been hooked on for a month or two. I have been looking for encouraging Psalms to share with people. You might be surprised to know that not all Psalms are encouraging, some are downright aggressive (imprecatory Psalms specifically ie. Ps. 69 & 109), and in an effort not to read the ones that are too dark and graphic at a person's bedside I thought it best to do some research when I started here at Grace. That was the orderly part of how I found this Psalm. The spontaneous part happened when I looked at the list I had compiled through quick reading. I knew and had read the Psalms with lower numbers more often, so I decided to go for one with a higher number. That is how I came across Psalm 145. 

Here is the perfect time to take a break from what I am writing and read the Psalm for yourself, that’s where the real fruit is. 

What I loved most about really reading Psalm 145 and taking it in most were the repeated calls to share God’s work with future generations (vs. 4), and to declare all the good stuff God is doing (vs. 6,7). These calls are repeated in various language, multiple times, throughout the Psalm. Overall, the idea is to declare to those around us all God’s work in our lives and in the world; past, present, and future. At that moment really diving into this Psalm I got a burst of joy, hope, and happy memories. I can remember countless times God has come through for me, been good to me, taught me kindly, disciplined me harder than I wanted but I cherish it long after the sting, and times he has done the same for my friends and family. I have younger kids so this was especially applicable to me. Since then we have put a greater emphasis on talking about answered prayer with our kids rather than just what needs to be prayed about. It has been so good to see how it has encouraged them to pray more earnestly, knowing that it’s not just a chore but has real results.

Those spontaneous encouragements we find in our walk with God are great, often we refer to them as “mountain top experiences.” Long ago I stopped trying to avoid these, I had been doing that to avoid the spiritual crash that often followed. Rather, I tried to savor them like the memory of a great meal. Great meals cannot always be replicated, cooks change, recipes change, we change, but memories of good meals (whether the food or the friends were what made it great) can be held onto. We can celebrate those memories many times and enjoy the fruit of joy they bring. 

And that brings me to repetition (or what some call liturgy). In our evangelical circles we often look down upon repetitive things. We avoid them not because they are bad but because we build up ideas of bad things that can come from repetitive things. Liturgical prayers can create a dry prayer life, repetitive songs can create a shallow worship experience. Those risks are real, but Psalm 145 has encouraged me, through coming to me spontaneously, that continually remembering God’s good deeds are like the memory of a great meal. Coming to this Psalm over and over again for months, not moving on until its works has ripened in me, and through that continually remembering the good things God has done and is doing, has been a good practice. Since then God has taken me to Psalm 66, it is different but I am excited to see what work it can do on me. 

My latest thing to celebrate is this. That God’s use of His Word and His people in spontaneous and repetitive ways are all worth declaring and celebrating!

Pastor Will

Proof

Good morning Grace Family!

I have been hosting a class for 1st through 6th graders this summer entitled “Proof”.  I have really enjoyed spending time with these kids and a few parents looking at newer Biblical archaeological discoveries.  In preparing for this class, I look for videos that show and explain artifacts and dig sites that give evidence for what is written in the Bible.  There are hundreds of discoveries lately, so some of these videos are done in the form of top ten videos.  Recently I watched a video on the top ten discoveries related to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ-The Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries: Digging for Truth Episode 140.  Amazing, huh?!  I really want to share this list with you in case you haven’t heard of these discoveries.  I haven’t shared this list with the kids yet, but I hope to before our summer is over.

Now since this is a top ten list, it will be listed backwards, starting with number 10 and leading to the most significant find being number 1.  

#10.  A fishing boat from Galilee.  Most of you have probably seen photos of this by now.  It was discovered earlier and was put in a chemical bath for 10 years so it could be displayed recently without being damaged.  This find is significant because it has been dated to the time of Christ and would have been the type of boat Jesus would have been in in many situations written about in the Gospels.  

#9.  Synagogues. “And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”  Matthew 4:23.  Skeptics of the Bible have disputed that there were actually synagogues at this time. They believe they were built after 70 AD when the temple was destroyed so Jesus couldn’t have taught in the synagogues or they argue that the timing of the Bible is fallible.  There have been ten first century synagogues discovered so far.  Archaeologists have proven that the Bible is accurate here.

#8.  Pool of Siloam.  “Having said these things, He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” John 9:6-7. The Pool of Siloam was discovered exactly where the Gospel of John described it would be.  It is also dated to the first century.

#7.  Jacob’s Well.  The site of Jacob's Well is agreed upon by all religions.  It was actually discovered long enough ago that there is a church built on top of it.  This well was used for centuries before Christ, but is also  mentioned in John 4 when Jesus meets the woman at the well and offers her Living Water.

#6. The Second Temple in Jerusalem.  The temple was destroyed by Romans as Jesus predicted in Matthew 24:2 “But He answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”  There have since been many buildings erected upon this site on top of the temple.  Recently, certain parts of the Second Temple have been unearthed.  Archaeologists have found the Southern Steps and a sign warning Gentiles, foreigners, and ritually unclean people to not enter upon pain of death.  A Herodian street around the Temple has also been discovered.  This is significant to Jesus as He spent a considerable amount of time here.

#5.  Caiaphas Ossuary.  Caiaphus was the high priest who presided over Jesus’ trial before His crucifixion. The Jews in ancient times would typically bury their loved ones in a niche in a cave until there are only bones left.  They would then place the bones in a bone box, or ossuary.  This ossuary was found with many other bone boxes, but was quite ornate and included the name of Joseph Son of Caiaphas on it.  Inside there were bones from various family members, but one was of a 60yr old man.  Scholars agree that this is the same Caiaphas mentioned in the Gospels.

#4. Pilate Stone.  In the Bible, it is written that Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death. Pontius Pilate has always been noted as a historical figure, but there has been a stone unearthed that gives evidence for Pilate to be the Prefect of Judea (or governor).  It also has been dated to the first century.  A ring has also been discovered recently with Pilates' name engraved on it.

#3. Heel bone of a crucified man.  In a discovered ossuary, there has been found a heel bone of a man with a nail through it (crucifixion).  This not only proves that it was a practice of the time, but it also proves that one who was crucified could also be buried by their family.  This was a point of contention by scholars surrounding the death of Christ.

#2. Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Traditionally, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been believed to be the location of the tomb of Jesus.  Scholars believe this to be dated to the first century as a Jewish cemetery.  It was also near a limestone quarry and there were gardens in the area as described in the Bible. During the second century, there was a shrine to Aphrodite built over the tomb, which was the practice at the time of conquering kingdoms.  This gives credence to the fact that this was an important tomb.  During recent excavations, the platform over the burial bed within the tomb was removed and samples affirmed written history.  

#1. (drumroll please) The Nazareth Inscription.  This stone showed an Imperial edict from Caesar.  It imposes the death penalty to anyone in Israel caught removing bodies from family tombs, specifically sepulchre sealing tombs.  This is dated to within a decade after Jesus was buried.  This is an amazing find because why would this be an edict given by such high authority?  Tomb raiders stole goods from tombs, not bodies.  Why in the world would there be a death penalty for stealing bodies at this time?  This has to be due to Jesus’ death and the threat that Christianity was to Roman rule. Wow!

I love sharing this information with you and with the kids. We are taught wonderful strong scripture to help lead others to Christ, but some nonbelievers we speak to will point out that just because it is in the Bible doesn’t mean it is true. They believe the Bible is just a book.  The Bible isn’t all of a sudden true just because there is tangible evidence.  The Bible is the written Word of God and we use it as Truth to gauge other things, but these findings do give us factual evidence to share with unbelievers to understand that God’s Word is true and trustworthy.   I feel God has allowed us to unearth Biblical findings recently to help us squash the doubts that have been arising in our world today.  I want to keep displaying evidence for proof of the Bible for our kiddos.  Besides the Biblical foundation they are given by their parents, Sunday School teachers, and you mentors, I want to help arm them as much as possible for who and what they will be met with in society.  Thank you for remembering to pray for these kiddos, their Biblical foundation, their growing relationship with God, and for strength when they need it.  

Thank you,

Amy

How Big Is Your Hope?

There is a video by Louie Giglio where he talks about God’s size and our size.  I have always been taught that God was big and I was small but Louie put it in perspective.  He was talking about the universe (the known universe).

We have a God who not only created our earth but he also created the entire heavens (our galaxy and universe).

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. -Hebrews 11:3 

The heavens are so vast that we can barely begin to comprehend it.  Here is a little sampling to give you a scope by which to gauge what I want to convey.  Our planet is in a solar system that sits in the Milky Way Galaxy, which is 100,000 light years across (that means traveling at 186,000 miles per second every second of the year for 100,000 years is how long it would take to make it across).  If we were to scale that down and make the Milky Way Galaxy the size of North America then our solar system would be the size of a Quarter.  Wow!  Now let's expand our comprehension even farther, let's travel out to the edge of the known universe.  If we did that then we would be 31 million light years away from earth.  As you traveled to the edge of the universe you would pass by billions of stars and thousands of other galaxies, all of which seem so vast to us yet they are minuscule to our God.

As I was listening to Louie I started thinking about how big God is and the fact that we are small and how incredible it is that the God of all creation who can hold the entire universe in his hand could become small enough to live inside of my heart.  WOW!!  Why would God even want to live in my heart?  Why would He want to humble himself and come to earth in human form, giving up all the grandeur of heaven and the splendor of the heavens proclaiming His majesty just for me?  The answer is simple really: He loves me and has a perfect plan for my life.  The same is true for you.  He loves you and has a perfect plan for your life.  God desires to fill not only the entire universe with His glory (Ephesians 4:10) but He also desires to fill us with joy, belief and the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can abound in hope.

Did you hear that, he wants us to abide in hope. The hope of a new nature, the hope of a new and better life, the hope of forgiveness, the hope of being reunited with Him in glory.  Hope that comes from us making one little decision.  Really it is a big decision, but it is still one decision that we have to make.  It is probably the most important decision we will ever make in our lives!  It is the decision to give our will and life to Jesus in order that He can live inside our heart and forgive us of all our sins and give us the hope He has promised. 

So my question for you today is this:  Have you made the decision to ask Jesus, the creator of the entire Universe, to come into your heart and fill you with joy, belief, and the power of The Holy Spirit, so that you may have the hope he has promised?

He is waiting for you to make that decision and to really start living like you have a hope.  When he created the universe he had a plan and that plan included you.  He has a special plan for just you.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare [Or peace] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

What are you waiting on? 

It's time to make your HOPE BIG!

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

Known By Our Love

Has someone ever asked you to describe yourself? Perhaps they asked you to choose just a few words to introduce yourself, and you began thinking, Oh goodness, what are my hobbies? What are my interests? What is my attitude usually like? What are my qualities? Maybe someone has even asked someone else to describe you. That’s a little more nerve wracking! We can choose to share all of our good characteristics, but someone else may be a little more honest! 

If we could go back to live among Jesus and interview His disciples, those in the synagogues, and even the Pharisees- I wonder what they would say about our Savior? What words would they use to describe Him?

Patient. Humble. Caring. Gentle. Loving.

Days before Jesus’ crucifixion we find Jesus with His disciples breaking bread and washing their feet. He tells the disciples that soon He will leave them, and then He says these words:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:34-35

Jesus tells us plain and simple how we are supposed to be known: by our love. Our love for one another will be how the world knows we are His disciples. Jesus, the Son of God, was the perfect example of love. For we know that God IS love, and in obedience to Jesus’ commands and the Word of Lord, we too, are to love. 

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. -1 John 4:16b

While I don’t think we should worry ourselves away with how others see us, or what they think of us, I do find it helpful to occasionally ask ourselves- What am I known for right now? Is it my career? My political opinions? My hobbies? My busy schedule? My family? These things may not even be “bad,” but if they’re speaking louder than love, our lives are not fulfilling Jesus’ commands. 

I recently finished reading Everybody Always by Bob Goff. His writing is both entertaining, yet so convicting. His bestselling book, Love Does, tells of how to best love your neighbor instead of checking all of the “right boxes.” Everybody Always follows up by explaining how we don’t just love the people that are easy to love- we love everybody always. Bob does such a wonderful job of laying out the example of Jesus as a model of how to love everyone in our life. He begins by telling of a friend of his that loves well and he writes:

“They decided to spend more time loving people than trying to game the system by just agreeing with Jesus. You see, they wanted to follow Jesus’ example; instead of telling people what Jesus meant, they just loved people the way He did.”  

It’s easy to get caught up in the routines of Christianity, following the “rights and wrongs” of religion. However, Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Then, to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). It takes building relationships over rule-following and religion. 

What’s getting in the way of love being the loudest thing in your life? Perhaps there are convictions or opinions that are overwhelming your life. Let love cover them. Maybe there’s addictions or sin that seem to control you. Let love cover them. Your career or interests may be dominating all of your time. Let love cover them. 

Jesus was known for His love. My prayer is that we would be too. 

-Jillian Jantz | Ministry Coordinator

Son of Man

There are many names in the Bible for Jesus, but only three where he is called the Son of someone.  

Seventeen times in the New Testament He is described as the “Son of David”. This is more than just a reference to His physical genealogy. It is also a reference to His Messiahship.  He is the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

He is also called the “Son of God”. To be the Son of God is to be of the same nature as God. It is to be God in human form. Heb. 1:3 expresses it this way, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.” At Jesus’ trial the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living God; Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.  Yes, it is as you say, Jesus replied.” Matt. 26: 63-66. The Jewish leaders claimed blasphemy and demanded Jesus’ death in keeping with the law of Lev. 24:15.  

Jesus is also referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament alone. More than the other two names combined. And of the three names, this is the one Jesus preferred to use of Himself. Was this His way of expressing His love for us – showing He was like us in every way human? Maybe. But there is a significant historical context which we must not overlook from Dan. 7:13-14; “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”  

With this in mind, consider these statements of Jesus concerning Himself.  

John 5:27, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.”

Matt. 24:30, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”

Mark 13:26-27, “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And He will send his angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”

It seems when Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man, He had Daniel 7 in mind.

• Is He expressing his love for us – showing He is like us in every way human? YES, I shout.

• Is He reminding us that He will come in all His glory and power at the end of earths’ history and gather us to Himself, when He restores all things? YES, I loudly shout.

• Does He use this name so much because He too is LOOKING FORWARD to that time, when He will spend eternity with us? YES, I even more loudly shout.

Hallelujah! Let us encourage each other with these words.

Allen Graber

Recovering from Anything Except Denial

What Celebrate Recovery is…

Celebrate Recovery is a small group ministry focused on helping people overcome past hurts, any hang-ups they might be experiencing in life, or any habits they might want to overcome. Please consider volunteering or learning more about Celebrate Recovery to see if it might be for you. You can reach out to Pastor Will with any questions. We meet Monday nights at 6:30pm.

Celebrate Recovery operates on a strict confidentiality that protects anything said in the group. It operates both as a men’s group and women’s group as they split up on Monday evenings. There is also a study group that works through 12 steps of healing if a participant is interested in taking part in that.

Just like you would never do surgery on yourself - the wounds we experience in life, or the coping we learn to do as a result of those wounds, cannot be healed on our own. We need good Christian support and community to overcome anything significant in our lives. We all, each one of us, has brokenness in our lives and Celebrate Recovery, as a Christ centered scripture filled ministry, can be a great tool to heal from any hurt, habit, or hangup. 

What it isn’t…

It is not a scary place where you have to divulge all your darkest secrets. It is a judgement free zone for people who want to help each other. True Christian brotherhood or sisterhood under Biblical principles with lots of joy is closer to the truth. Shame is a great tool that the enemy uses to keep us isolated in bad cycles. CR can help break those cycles.

Why is denial the worst…

Denial, or denying that you have anything to work on, is the one thing CR cannot help with. But if you love good Christian community where people go deep with one another almost instantly, then this is the place for you. If you think you might like that but aren’t sure, then CR is still the place for you. Nobody is coerced to share anything. You can just come and listen to what God is doing in other people’s lives.

How to be a part of CR…

Just come Monday night at 6:30 pm to the Activity Center. We are working with First Presbyterian, First Missionary, First Baptist, and Newton Christian Church but it meets at the Grace building. We also always have needs for childcare, or bringing snacks, if a support role would be something you would want to volunteer for. Reach out to me and I would be happy to get you connected.

Pastor Will

will@gccnewton.com

Camp Prayers Answered

This week I have the privilege of being at church camp with some of our third through fifth graders. I have had a wonderful time with some of your kiddos. I want to tell you about something these kids noticed that stood out to me. 

In the evening, we have been learning what the Bible says about Jesus in Colossians 1. Then, in the morning we’ve been learning about Jesus’ life on earth; how He grew up, the parables He taught, and His miracles. On the morning that we talked about miracles, we pulled our cabins aside and read Matthew 9 together. The kids were supposed to write down every miracle that was listed in Matthew 9. Of course they wrote things like Jesus healing a paralytic man, raising a girl from the dead, and healing the blind and mute. Something else that a couple of my girls pointed out was that it was also a miracle that Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, and he did! I was so amazed that my girls noticed this. How true! Of course a tax collector was regarded as a traitor, working for the Romans. It had to be a complete miracle that a tax collector at that time would give up his job of great importance and great wealth immediately to follow Jesus. 

It made me think about all of us. We have been trying to go out into our neighborhoods to help those who are in need. Our neighbors have been welcoming and receptive to the gospel. They have many needs and are open to listening to someone who can help or save them. Sometimes I wonder how we can serve those that are not in physical need? How can we share the gospel with them? They may feel they don’t need anything. This will keep me thinking for the next few weeks or more. What can I do to help those who do not have a monetary or physical need?

OK, back to my girls. One more thing they noticed as a miracle in Matthew 9, was that Jesus could forgive sins. This was something no human could do before. Of course this is the best miracle of all! I love that they noticed this! This week at camp they have gained more reverence and awe for our Savior, Christ the Messiah.

Last night we discussed Colossians 1:20, where it speaks of Jesus reconciling all things to Himself, and many tears were shed. There were decisions made, and many prayers of forgiveness and repentance were spoken.  

Thank you to any and all that have been praying for these kids. Looking ahead to the middle of summer, there will be a group of middle and high schoolers who will be going to work at camp. Please be in prayer for their relationships with Christ.

Colossians 1:15-20

“He is the image of the invisible God, the first born overall creation. For by Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him, to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”

-Amy Thompson

Children’s Ministry Director

Great Expectations

When I have to go on a trip there are a few things that I can always count on and look forward to with great anticipation. First, my wife usually greets me with a hug, a kiss, a loving welcoming smile and sparkling eyes. (One of my favorite things in life). Second, my daughters swarm to the door with smiles and big hugs. (Another one of my favorite things). Third, my dogs want a pat on the head and a game of fetch.  I like to travel for many reasons but these are probably the best parts of traveling.  The anticipation of what awaits me at home always draws me from the time I leave the house no matter what the reason for my trip is. 

Now when I start thinking of that, a scripture comes to mind. 

Romans 8:18-21 That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. 

(The Message Bible)

We seem to get excited about many things and wait with great expectation.  But so often we forget to wait expectantly for God and what he is doing.  We are instructed to wait in eager expectation for Jesus to be revealed.  We are to long for that day when he returns and we are face to face with Him. 

I find myself waiting in expectation for all kinds of things, from the newest movie to come out or the trip that is planned for a month from now.  But, I often forget to live in expectation of God.  This is dangerous as our expectation of Jesus and the fulfillment of that expectation is what helps build our faith.  Waiting expectantly for God is so very important, Psalm 5:3 says “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

To close I would like to quote a few lines from Steven Curtis Chapman’s song “Great expectations”:

            And I’ve been invited as a son

            Oh I, I’ve been invited to come and …..

             Believe the unbelievable

             Receive the inconceivable

             And see beyond my wildest imagination

            Lord, I come with great expectations

Try coming before the Lord with great expectations and see what happens.  God loves to provide for us especially when it exceeds our greatest expectations.

Here are a few verses to look up, that will hopefully help you come before God with great expectation:

Ephesians 3:2-21, Matthew 7:7-11, Ephesians 1:18-19

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean