Circle Your Dreams with Prayer

This Sunday I begin my five week series on "Growing in Your Life of Prayer." My series will be based on the book The Circle Maker by Rev. Mark Batterson.

God has given us the privilege of prayer and we do pray because of the promises in Scripture. Our Lord said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:22) In giving us this promise, we understand that we have a relational God - one who made a covenant with Noah and every living creature and gave us the rainbow as a sign of the covenant.

We pray because we believe and lean on the promise of God.

I will be using the story of the two blind men who approached Jesus and asked for mercy. Jesus asked them: "What do you want me to do for you?" Did Jesus even need to ask? Jesus asked this question because he wanted the men to articulate what their needs were. We also need to spell out our desires before God.

Take a look at your prayers. Are you praying for what is in your heart? Maybe you don't have because you simply haven't approached God to ask in prayer!

Open yourself up to this wonderful avenue God has given you. Your dreams can become a reality if you believe in an all-powerful God!

Proclaim Jesus as Lord

Conversations about God can be very vague. In fact, people in such a discussion may not even mention the word "God" and instead speak about a higher power or a supreme being. Much in conversation can be quite nebulous. However, when we mention Jesus, everything seems to change. He is the image of the invisible God. We now know more about God's character and being through Jesus.

This coming Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday and invites us to look at Jesus being with his inner circle of disciples and who becomes transfigured. They behold him in all his glory; thereby, witnessing the glory of God.

The apostle Paul in writing to the Corinthians said: "For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 4:5-6

Jesus is to be lifted up and not ourselves. As much as we might like to boast about a strong faith, ultimately Jesus is to be held high.

The phrase "Jesus is Lord" was probably the first creed of the church, which is an expression recorded for us in the New Testament. If we do proclaim Jesus as Lord, it has profound implications for us in terms of our own living and whom we serve.

My sermon on Sunday will focus on the implications of this kind of confession, having us look at intellectual, moral, political, vocational, and global dimensions.

Running to Win the Imperishable Wreath

Have you ever felt like you were doing so many things and getting nowhere? There was plenty of activity, but no real clear focus to what you are doing? You couldn't see where you were headed? You were caught up in an "activity trap."

Ministers have to deal with this in their work as well as folks in other lines of work. In addition, it comes to all of us in our individual lives. We can be caught up in a flurry of activity and find ourselves getting nowhere. We need meaning and a focus in what we do.

This Sunday, my sermon will help us to examine our lives to make sure that we do have a focus. I will be using the words of the apostle Paul: "So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air" (1 Corinthians 9:26). Paul was using the metaphor of a race (and boxing) for the Christian life. He wanted to win the race of the Christian life and to receive an imperishable wreath. The apostle also felt the need to exercise self-control.

Think about your own life. Do you have a clear focus in how you are living and where you are headed? Do you get swept away with every fashion and craze that come along? Are you focusing your life on Jesus Christ and the life that he desire for you?

In the end, this focus is what will matter and give direction and meaning to everything else in our lives.

Soaring on the Wings of an Eagle

Can you still hold onto God in tough times?

Maybe financially, your situation has gone from bad to worse...
Maybe you are dealing with tough problems in the family...
Maybe you are longing for better days for your health...
Maybe you have been working a lifetime to accomplish certain goals, but even today they still seem elusive...

Do you just give up, or would you be willing to hold onto the power of God?

The reading from Isaiah 40:26 - 31 for this Sunday gives us words of hope. We read in reference to God,

"He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint. (vs. 29-31)

For Israel, it was a time of Babylonian captivity. Even though they were aware that it would come to an end they were still wondering if the time to come would be real. These words from the prophet give hope in the God who created them.

In their waiting they will find strength by keeping faith in God. God will provide strength in their own weariness.

For you and me, it's easy to just give up on what we hope for - or even on life itself. Yet, God can help to carry us through and even provide that new day to dawn. My sermon will explore the greatness of our God to carry us through such times.

Being Freed from What Enslaves Us"

As you began this year, maybe you made some New Year's Resolutions for yourself. However, by this time already, you realize that one or more have not been kept. There seems to be a powerful force within you - perhaps regarding some bad habit - that is just enslaving you. You can't get rid of it.

Enter now into the Gospel story (Mark 1:21-28) for this Sunday (January 29), where we learn of Jesus' power over destructive forces. The story deals with Jesus' confrontation with a man possessed by an unclean spirit as Jesus is teaching in a synagogue. The evil spirit recognizes Jesus and cries out to him.

Jesus, seeing how this man is really in bondage, then speaks words to the evil spirit, "Be silent and come out of him!" Immediately, the spirit is gone and the man is restored to wholeness.

There might be destructive forces that are at work in our own lives that seek to enslave us. What shall we do? Just say we have to live with them, especially if they are keeping us from living the life that Jesus desires of us?

There is a better way. It is by asking for the Lord's help. With his power (and authority as mentioned in our Gospel) Jesus can free you of what is troubling you.

My message on Sunday will delve deeper into this struggle we all face and how we can be empowered with Jesus' help to be freed from what enslaves us.

Being Called for Mission

The story of Jonah usually receives attention regarding being swallowed by a great fish. However, the story has even greater ramifications. Among them, is the willingness to bring God's word to people we might dislike or for whom we have no interest at all.

Jonah was called to bring a message of repentance to the people of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrians. These folks were ruthless individuals, being very brutal among people they sought to conquer (even Israel).

Jonah doesn't think they deserve to hear God's word of repentance, so he makes a 180 degree turn and ends up being swallowed by a great fish. Jonah is given a second chance - a second call by God - to go to Nineveh.

Jonah goes with his message and the people do repent! Maybe not what Jonah had expected.

You and I must take up our call to be witnesses in our world. To whom might God be sending us? Will we be eager to share God's story with them?

My message will focus on the reading from Jonah 3:1-10.

Extending the Invitation: Come and See

Extending the invitation to someone for coming to church is not always easy. We might fear rejection or think within ourselves that the person would have no interest in church, or that the person would simply be hostile to the church.

Let's look at the situation of Philip and Nathanael that might help us along in this area. Jesus calls Philip to follow him and then Philip goes to Nathanael to extend an invitation of him to follow Jesus. Nathanael, however, has some reservations. He comments to Philip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Maybe Nathanael had a poor image of some folks he knew from Nazareth.

Nevertheless, Philip extends the invitation to Nathanael when he says, "Come and see."

Let's think of our own situation. Maybe there are some folks who are unchurched to whom we might wonder if they would have any interest at all in church (or Jesus Christ). Can we still be courageous enough to extend the invitation?

This Sunday I will explore our interaction with others who are unchurched, based on the Gospel Reading, which is John 1:43-51.