Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” Galatians 6:7-8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Bless others and you yourself will be blessed.”

 

Yesterday I reminded you of the classic Christmas story about Ebenezer Scrooge. He was a greedy and self-centered man who cared little about others. His thoughts were almost entirely on himself and therefore he was unkind, inconsiderate, and he shut people out of his life. He also did nothing to help others. As a result his life was dark and lonely and sad. But when he had a change of heart, when he took his eyes off of himself and focused instead on being a blessing to others, his world changed dramatically. Suddenly there was joy and laughter and love and blessings. Scrooge went from being a miserable old man to being happy and joyful – all because he took his eyes off of himself and focused instead on being a blessing to others.

 

You reap what you sow. Bless others and you will be blessed in return. Make others happy and you yourself will be happy. That’s the lesson Paul was teaching in Galatians 6:7-10. Here’s the rest of it:

 

“So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”

 

Often we can be tempted to think that our own special set of circumstances prevents or limits us in our ability to help others. Sometimes we think we’re too busy. But I know a woman who works full-time, she has a spouse who is ill, she has an extended family of children and grandchildren who depend on her, and yet she consistently looks for opportunities to help others too. And as a result she is alive in her faith, she is upbeat and joyful, and she truly enjoys life. She blesses others and her life is blessed in return.

 

I also know a man who is disabled because of a heart condition and the doctors have told him not to work. That’s unfortunate because he’s a relatively young man. However since he no longer has a full-time job he has to go to every day, he instead consistently finds ways to fill his time by doing things for others. He is one of the most dependable helpers and servants I know, and his life reflects that.

 

I know another man who is now retired. He too fills his days with acts of service to others. Every time you turn around you see this guy doing something for someone – and loving it! Happy and joyful, just wanting to be helpful where he can be, his is a life that is full and alive, and all because he makes it a point to be a blessing to others. It really is true that you reap what you sow. Bless others and you yourself will be blessed.

 

As we continue to consider how we will structure our lives in 2017 – the goals we will set, the activities we will be involved in, and the things we will invest our time in, I encourage you to prayerfully consider how you will be a blessing to others in the New Year. You reap what you sow. Bless others and you yourself will be blessed.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Give generously of yourself.”

 

This morning in my quiet time and Bible study I came upon Paul’s lesson in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 about sowing and reaping. His lesson was specifically about being generous in our giving to good causes and to others in need, but it occurred to me that the principle can easily be applied to all of life. In fact, as we continue to consider how we will invest our time in 2017 – the goals we will set, the plans we will make, and the activities we will engage in, I want to challenge you to consider the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping with respect to how much of yourself you will give to other people.

 

Today is the day after Thanksgiving and so the rush to Christmas is in full swing. That brought to my mind the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Ebenezer was a highly successful man in many respects. He was a successful business owner, he had lots of money, and he had power and influence. But he was also miserly and miserable. Despite his achievements and possessions, his was a lonely, closed-in, and sad life. His world was small and dark and it was his own fault. He jealously horded not only his wealth and his possessions, but he horded himself and kept himself from other people.

 

Well, you know the story. Ebenezer eventually discovered that when he opened himself up to other people and gave away not only some of his wealth, but some of himself, his life blossomed. Suddenly the sun was shining, the birds were singing, people were smiling – and Ebenezer himself was smiling! It was in giving himself away that he truly began to live. It was the law of sowing and reaping in action. The more he gave away, the more he got in return! The more he planted into the lives of others, the richer and happier his own life became.

 

What was true for Ebenezer Scrooge can be true for you too. Paul’s lesson in 2 Corinthians 9:6 pertains to giving generously of your money, but more importantly it pertains to giving generously of yourself. The more you are willing to sow into the lives of others – the more you do for others, the more you serve others, the more you consider the needs of others, the more your own life will blossom. The more we sow into the lives of others, the fuller and richer our own lives will be.

 

When it comes to living a life that really matters – a life that honors the Lord, makes a difference for the cause of Christ, and which is a blessing to others, the law of sowing and reaping is a Biblical principle we must know and live. That being the case, we will think about it some more tomorrow. Until then, I urge you to consider making a goal to serve more and to serve better in 2017. Your own life will be better and fuller and happier as a result.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Happy Thanksgiving!”

 

Have you heard the story of how it was that we in the USA ended up with Thanksgiving as a national holiday? If so then you were probably taught that it was President Abraham Lincoln who decided that the last Thursday of November would be set aside as a national day of Thanksgiving. Well that’s true, sort of. On October 3, 1863 President Lincoln did sign such a proclamation, but the credit for Thanksgiving as a national day of thanks actually goes to an Episcopalian lady by the name of Sarah Hale.

 

Sarah was a young widow raising five children and she made her living by running a small tailor and sewing shop. Sarah was also a writer and so she used her spare time to write articles, editorials, and eventually a book. Beyond that, Sarah was a strong Christian who was keenly aware of God’s blessings in her life and she was very grateful for them. And she thought everyone should be grateful for their blessings too.

 

In 1837, as her writing gained in popularity, Sarah was offered a job as the editor of a small women’s magazine called “Godey’s Lady Book”. Under Sarah’s leadership circulation skyrocketed and Godey’s became one of the most popular women’s magazines in the nation. It wasn’t a Christian magazine but Sarah did work-in lots of Christian themes and lessons into the articles and editorials. And, Sarah being Sarah, she used it as a platform to beat the drum being thankful.

 

In 1846 Sarah used the magazine to launch a crusade to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She chose November as a good month for it and so she filled the November edition with Thanksgiving poetry, stories, testimonials, and turkey recipes. She also flooded politicians and government officials with letters and petitions to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. By 1839 she had thirty state governors onboard. She then shifted her attention to the Federal government.

 

Finally, after almost twenty-five years of her pleas for National Thanksgiving holiday falling on deaf ears in Washington, in 1863, while the country was mired in the Civil War, President Lincoln agreed with Sarah and established the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.

 

And so although Abraham Lincoln tends to get the credit for Thanksgiving as a national holiday, it was actually Sarah Hale and her lifelong vision that was the driving force behind it.

 

On this Thanksgiving Day 2016, my family and I want to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving. May God continue to bless you, and may you continue to be thankful.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “So rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.” 1 Peter 2:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Walk the talk”

 

Today I want to challenge each of us to sincerely invite the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal to us sinful patterns of thinking, and the corresponding patterns of behaving, that need to get cleaned up in our lives. Folks, we have to walk the talk. Doctrine must translate into practice. What we profess to believe must determine how we actually behave.

 

Those of you who have read my book “Walking with Paul” may remember that in the introduction I told a story about the owner of a Christian bookstore who I used to know. One day she told me about the problem the store was having with shoplifting. I was stunned when she said that because it had never occurred to me that shoplifting would be a problem in a Christian bookstore. I mean presumably the customers are all Christians!

 

I once knew a man who held a leadership position in a Christian ministry but he had the habit of peppering his speech with mild profanity. He did it intentionally because evidently he thought it made him seem edgy and cool. It didn’t. It made him appear sinful and hypocritical, but those of us who had to deal with him on a regular basis never were able to get him to stop doing it. (He’s no longer in ministry by the way).

 

On and off over the years I’ve also had to deal with a person who has the bad habit of shading the truth. This person will sometimes twist the facts, just a little bit, to make a situation appear different than it really is. At other times he will provide incomplete explanations in an effort to achieve the same purpose. And sometimes he will even tell “little white lies”. In his mind he is apparently able to rationalize that behavior. He must think he has some “Christian” objective he’s achieving and so he’s just lying in the name of Jesus, I guess.

 

I know another person who is a modern-day Jacob. Do you remember Jacob from the book of Genesis? He was known for being deceitful and manipulative. This person is like that too. She too says one thing to your face but then quietly maneuvers and manipulates behind the scenes to achieve other objectives.

 

There are endless examples of dishonest Christian business owners; or spouses who commit adultery; or Christians who cheat on their taxes. The list goes on.

 

My point is that there are patterns of thinking and behavior in all of our lives that do not honor God – they are sinful and they need to get cleaned up. Doctrine has to translate into practice. What we profess to believe must determine how we actually behave. We must walk the talk.

 

I want to encourage all of us to sincerely invite the Spirit to convict us of those things in our own lives which are not right and which need to change. Then make a commitment to really work on getting that issue corrected in your life in 2017.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Walk the talk”

 

In Romans 12:1 Paul urges us to use our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Then he tells us that doing so is actually a form of worship. That then begs the question “How are you currently using your body?” Ladies, do you dress your body modestly or in sexually provocative ways? The eyes are part of the body so guys, what images do you allow your eyes to dwell on and take in? The mouth too is part of the body so we should think about the words which come out of our mouths, do they honor God? The examples could go on and on. Where do your feet take you? How are your hands used? The point is: are you honoring God with the use of your body?

 

In verse two Paul then goes on to connect our behavior to our thinking. He urges us to not conform to the current trends of the world, or to what the world tells us is ok. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind so you will then understand the patterns of thinking and the ways of behaving that are in accordance with the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

 

This is all about behavior, and it’s more of a problem than many of us realize or would like to admit. For many of us our minds need a good deal of transforming so that our behaviors will get cleaned up.

 

As we continue to think about goals we will set and plans we will make for 2017, I want to challenge all of us to consider ways in which our actions do not match our professed faith and which therefore need to change. There is something in all of our lives which is not right and which needs to get cleaned up.

 

Tomorrow we will continue this discussion and I will offer some specific examples to help stimulate your thinking about your own life and what patterns of thinking and behaving that you need to deal with. In the meantime, I urge you to spend some extra time with the Lord today and invite the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind those areas of your life which need some special attention.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Yes, you can.”

 

First of all this morning I want to remind everyone that our theme for this month, “A life that matters”, is not meant to imply that your life doesn’t matter unless you do the things I’m writing about. Of course not. All lives matter. Instead, our theme is meant to convey the great truth that your life matters so much to God that He wants you to live the very best life you can. He wants you to live a life of passion and purpose, a life that takes full advantage of the opportunities He gives you, and a life that makes a meaningful difference for the cause of Christ.

 

Second, as we continue to consider how we will invest our time in 2017 – the goals we will set for ourselves, the plans we will make, the changes we will implement in our lives, I want to caution you to not allow negative or defeatist thinking to enter in. All of us have some habits or patterns of living that need to be changed in order for us to be at our best. The possibilities are endless and range from taking better care of our physical body, to being more faithful in our devotional life, to breaking the stronghold of some sinful habit, and much more.

 

The problem many of us will run into is that Satan will attempt to get us off track and to defeat us by whispering lies. He will attempt to convince you that you’re not strong enough to break that sinful habit, or you aren’t smart enough to earn that degree, or you don’t have enough self-discipline to lose that weight. Well that’s just nonsense and it’s completely untrue. That’s what Paul was writing about in Romans 6:14 – sin cannot rule over you unless allow it to. You have been set free from the dominion of Satan and he has no power over you except what you allow him to have.

 

Paul also wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 10:13 when he told us, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape so you are able to bear it.”

 

The point is that whatever sinful, destructive, or self-limiting habit or pattern you are struggling with, the Holy Spirit will help you break free from it and reverse it. Whether we’re talking about an addiction to pornography or to food; whether your problem is lack of motivation or undisciplined financial habits; whatever it is that needs to change in order for you to be living the life the Lord wants for you, you can do it! Jesus has set you free from the power and dominion of Satan. With His help you can do whatever it is He wants you to do. Paul made that very clear in Philippians 4:13: “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 

If you have doubts about whether you can achieve your goal or not, my answer to you is, “Yes, you can!”

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.” Acts 13:36 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Are you fulfilling God’s purpose for your life?”

 

Saint Irenueus was one of the early church fathers in the Christian faith. He was born in what is now modern day Turkey in A.D. 130 and served most of his adult life as the Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, in the Roman Empire. He was one of the first theologians of the Christian faith and in that capacity God used him to help clarify Christian doctrine and practice.

 

The most famous quote attributed to Irenueus is, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” What he meant by that is that when a person is living the life God has planned for them, that person is fully alive and fulfilling their intended purpose. That then brings great glory to God.

 

King David lived like that. Now if you read his story you will immediately realize that he was far from perfect, in some ways he sinned greatly, but he was a man with a heart that was after God and he did live with passion and purpose. That’s why in Acts 13:36 Luke was able to write that David served God’s purpose for his life and once that purpose was fulfilled, it was then that he died.

 

I don’t know about you but I would like to have that said about me: “Jim served God’s purpose in his generation …” But in order for that to be true for any of us, we will have to be fully surrendered to Jesus and intentionally living with passion and enthusiasm for the cause of Christ on earth. No room for casual Christianity or lukewarm faith in a life lived like that.

 

Recently I came across a poem written by the poet D.H. Lawrence. The title of the poem is “Vitality” and one stanza reads: “You might as well take the lightening for once and feel it go through you. You might as well accept the thunderbolt and prepare for the storms. You’ll not get vitality any other way.”

 

His point was that you cannot live with vitality, passion, and purpose; you cannot and will not fulfill God’s purpose for your life in your generation, if you are timid, withdrawn, lukewarm, or lazy. The glory of God is man fully alive. The glory of God is you fully alive. But living like that will require you to step-up, step-out, and embrace the Christian life in all of its fullness and with passion and commitment.

 

As we approach 2017 I encourage you to give much prayerful thought to how you will live in the New Year. Will you bring glory to God by being fully alive?

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Your life matters so take care of your body”

 

As we continue to consider how we will spend our time in 2017, what goals we will set and what plans we will make, we have to consider our physical health. We have to be intentional about taking good care of ourselves.

 

We live in a society today where obesity is now a national health epidemic. Being overweight has become the norm rather than the exception. That’s true even among our children. Nowadays most adults have to take some kind of prescribed medication on a daily basis to control blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and a host of other lifestyle related health problems. There are far too many people, even young ones, who are in bad physical condition because of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. But this should not be. Our bodies are a gift from God and we are Biblically commanded to take good care of them.

 

In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Paul was writing specifically about not using your body in sexually immoral ways. But there’s a larger and more general truth expressed in that passage as well. Your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was placed within you by God. Your body is also not your own, it was purchased on the cross by Jesus. Your physical body is a walking, talking, mobile temple of God’s Holy Spirit. You were purchased by Jesus for that very purpose and therefore you are expected to glorify Him by the way you use your body – and that has to include taking proper care of it.

 

What if we don’t take proper care of this body the Lord has given us? What impact does that have on the cause of Christ? There could be multiple ways in which an improperly cared for body has a negative impact on God’s plan. For one thing, the less physically able you are the fewer ways in which He can use you. Church workdays become harder and mission trips may be impossible for you because of your health. Maybe you need to sleep more than normal, or perhaps because of your illnesses you are absent from church functions a lot.

 

How much work time does your deteriorating health cause you to miss? For that matter are you still able to work at all? How much extra money is spent on your doctor’s visits, medical tests, medicines, and other health-related expenses?

 

What about your life expectancy? How many more years would your family have had you with them, and how many more people could have been served and blessed and positively impacted by you, if you had only taken care of yourself?

 

I know this message is a little heavy and even negative, but the situation is serious and if my words result in even one person resolving to take better care of themselves in 2017, then I have achieved my purpose.

 

Your body has been given to you by God as a gift and you have a stewardship responsibility to take good care if it and to use it in a way that honors Him. God requires us to be a good steward of our finances, our relationships, and our possessions. So too we must be a good steward of our body.

 

Your life matters and we need you to be healthy. I urge you to be intentional about taking proper care of yourself.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” 2 Peter 1:5-7 (KJV)

 

Our thought for today: “Strive for balance.”

 

I once heard someone say that the Bible teaches moderation in all things. Actually, that’s something your grandma used to say. The phrase “moderation in all things” isn’t actually used in the Bible. But the concept of moderation and balance is Biblical.

 

In 2 Peter 1:5-7 Peter gave us a laundry list of virtues we should try to cultivate in our lives. All of them taken together would constitute a well-balanced personality, but if any one of those virtues were to dominate the person’s character at the expense of the others, then that person’s character would be out of balance.

 

One of the virtues Peter lists as being an important part of any well-rounded life is temperance. In one narrow sense temperance can be used to mean abstinence, such as when the “temperance” movement in the early 1900’s urged everyone to abstain from using alcohol. But another application of the word refers to moderation and balance. When a person is temperate it means that they don’t over-indulge in, or over-emphasize, any one thing. They are moderate in all things and therefore they have a healthy and proportional balance in their lives.

 

This is an important understanding for us as we consider changes we need to make in our lives in 2017. We have to be careful that our new objectives don’t get us out of balance in other areas of our lives.

 

Usually when there are changes that need to be made it’s because we’re already out of balance and need to make some corrections. For instance, perhaps we have been over-indulging in food and under-indulging in exercise. Now we need to make some changes to achieve a healthier balance. Or maybe we have allowed ourselves to become far too busy at work and that has resulted in us neglecting key relationships in our life. So now we need to dial back the work stuff and focus more on our family.

 

But also, sometimes when we set a new goal or establish an objective we want to meet, we become too enthusiastic about it and we allow the pursuit of that objective to become too dominant in our lives. That then gets us out of balance again.

 

I recently read a book entitled “Moderation: Defending an Ancient Virtue in a Modern World”, by Harry Clor. In one section, when he was writing about the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in all areas of life, he wrote, “A single object of desire – be it love, family, career, politics, or even self-sufficiency – that is unbalanced by anything else can easily become a narrow fixation resembling addiction.”

 

Ever known somebody who was essentially “addicted” to this new thing in their lives, be it working out, or a hobby, or a relationship, or whatever, to the point that they gave it an unhealthy amount of time and attention? Maybe that’s you right now.

 

As you give careful and prayerful thought to how you will spend your time in 2017 – the kinds of activities you will be involved in, the goals you will set, and the plans you will make, I encourage you to strive for good balance in your life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t waste your life.”

 

The story is told of how, just months before he died at the age of only 42, Elvis Presley made a sad entry in his diary. It was late at night and he was alone in a penthouse suite in a luxurious hotel in Las Vegas. Earlier in the evening he had finished a show to a sold-out audience. Now he was alone in his hotel room.

 

I don’t have the exact quote in front of me but the essence of it was that Elvis was sad and lonely. He wrote of how, despite his fame and wealth, his life was actually empty and unsatisfying. He said that when he is onstage thousands of people cheer for him, and his millions of fans love and adore him, but privately he found his life to be unfulfilling and unrewarding. He was a deeply unhappy man. And just a few months later he was dead.

 

Actually, Elvis’ story is fairly common. Howard Hughes was one of the richest men in his day, a billionaire in a day when billionaires were rare. But when he died he was a sad and lonely recluse, terrified of having any contact with the outside world. Kurt Cobain was a rock-god, fabulously wealthy and adored by millions. He committed suicide at the age of only 27. Robin Williams gained fame and fortune by making others laugh, but in his private life he was depressed and miserable. He too committed suicide.

 

There’s an old saying that goes, “If you’re going to spend your life climbing the ladder of success, be sure the ladder isn’t leaning against the wrong wall.” How sad it is when someone finally reaches the top only to discover they’ve spent their life climbing a ladder that didn’t get them where they really wanted to go. What do you do when you realize that your achievements really didn’t matter much after all – that they didn’t bring you the peace and happiness and fulfillment you were searching for?

 

That’s King Solomon’s story and that’s why he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. Few men in history have had more than Solomon had in terms of wealth, power, freedom, and instant gratification – only to discover how empty and meaningless such a life is.

 

Over the last few days I’ve been encouraging you to consider making spiritual growth a major focus in 2017. That’s because ultimately it’s only a deep and personal relationship with God which will provide you with the life you are seeking. Regardless of what you do for a living, and regardless of how much you acquire in terms of earthly wealth and possessions, it’s your relationship with God that will determine how happy and fulfilled your life is. So as you make choices about your life, do so based upon which choice will bring you closer to God.

 

Howard Hughes, Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, Robin Williams, and countless others like them never learned that lesson and consequently never found the peace and happiness they were seeking. But King Solomon did. It took him a while but towards the end of his life, and in the closing chapter of Ecclesiastes he wrote, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

 

That’s it. That’s the bottom line. If you have Jesus you have everything. If you don’t have Jesus then you have nothing – at least nothing that really matters. We’ll explore this idea a little further tomorrow.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim