What does a Hallmark Star Trek ornament have to do with the story of Jesus? And how do Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:21-38) point us to the universal work of God’s salvation? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon here.
Simeon and Anna: Peace in Community
A Little Bit of Grammar
Do you know the “Great Commission” – those words Jesus said to his disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel?
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)
I have often heard preachers and teachers comment on that pesky word “go,” as in, “go and make disciples.” In the Greek language of the New Testament, the word “go” is a participle, like our English words “going” or “walking” or “reading.” A participle indicates some kind of action, but it is not the main verb of the sentence. In the quote above, “make disciples” is the main verb, and it is an imperative, a command. The general feel of this sentence, then, shouldn’t be the two-fold command “go and make disciples,” but rather something more like “as you are going, make disciples.”
The reason people explain it this way is to suggest that making disciples is the most important work that we have as followers of Jesus. I think that’s true. And it’s to emphasize that you don’t necessarily have to go anywhere – to an overseas mission field, for instance – in order to make disciples. The danger, though, is that we can separate the intentionality of “going” from the activity of “making disciples.” That is, we can relax and lay back, waiting for the next opportunity to show up for us to make a new disciple. “As you are going,” you know, when you get around to it. Continue reading
Sitting at the Feet of the King
Mary chose the better way in Luke 10:38-42 – she simply sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to what he said. Can we do the same in our lives? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon here:
The King Has Arrived
On a dreary, bleak morning, Pastor David preaches on the amazing compassion of Jesus, our loving King. Listen to this sermon based on Luke 7:11-17.
The 5th Day of Our Guatemalan Spiritual Journey
BACK to work as we return to the Tracks for another day of serving the people. If my memory serves me right, on this day we went up the path to a small church to give away all of our clothing treasures. It was a grand morning as we displayed and gave away every type of clothing that you can imagine, along with toys, candy, Spanish tracts and Bibles. We saw lots of people, lots of clothes, many smiles and happy neighbors as they filtered through the best merchandise you can get – at the bargain price of “free.” What’s cool is that many of us, at the end of our week in Guatemala, donated almost everything we personally brought; we gave our clothes to David Beam for a good washing and distribution to families as needed. Across the street, we were building steps to the second floor of Sonja’s house. Dawn was still cutting hair, and we converged on Lucy’s home to paint the inside of her house to brighten it up and bless her family. It was a great day of service, blessing and relationships growing as we minister throughout the community of the Tracks.
Our devotional thoughts were on white paper today, a boring yet very significant color in the Gospel story, especially after our celebration of baptism yesterday. The white paper tells us that we are now clean and forgiven, which is the VERY reason that Christ sacrificed His life: so that we might be pure and forgiven of our sins. How BIG is that!! Because of Jesus’s sacrifice and God’s forgiveness, we get to live with God eternally. That’s HUGE! Psalm 51:7 says “Purify me from my sins and I will be clean, and I will be whiter than snow.” For Guatemalans, that is miraculous because they don’t see snow (and I wish sometimes I saw less). But snow is a symbol of purity that only God can provide. So, next time you see snow, it just may be a God-sighting.
We Are Witnesses
On Easter Sunday, four people were baptized as believers in Jesus Christ. What a wonderful experience to witness! Now the challenge falls to us to share what we have witnessed with other people. Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Acts 10:34-43, in which Peter shares his experiences with a stranger named Cornelius.
Walk in the Light
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Jesus is alive! Listen to Pastor David’s message from our early service on Easter Sunday: as 1 John 1:1-10 says, let us walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.
Who is Jesus to You?
Last month, I had the privilege of gathering with about 60 other pastors from Michigan at our annual Pastors’ Institute. At this retreat for ministers in the Church of God, we learn from a guest speaker, we relax and play games together, and we share in times of worship as a community of faith. It is refreshing, in many ways, for pastors like me simply to be part of a worship service in which we have no responsibilities – other than to worship Jesus, which is always the responsibility of all of us. Continue reading
Good News: Transforming Guilt
Jesus asked Simon to try to catch fish when it was least likely to work (Luke 5:1-11). What does this story have to do with our feelings of guilt, especially in the church? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon here:
Good News: Transforming Shame
Shame is a powerful motivator, especially within Christian faith traditions. Shame says to us, “you are not enough.” How can we learn to rest in the “I AM” of God? How can we be transformed by an encounter with him? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Jeremiah 1:4-10.