Intentional Faith Development

Connect to Us: Read Hebrews 11:1-4; 34-40

The Word in Context

Our key text for this week is Hebrews 11:1-4; 34-40. In Frank’s sermon this weekend, he said that the persons mentioned in the scripture reading had great faith. His point was that the persons that are mentioned in the text such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and other Israelite heroes had a profound influence on the faith of the people to whom this letter was originally written. Of course, these persons of faith have a profound influence on us today because scripture is primary and authoritative for our lives.

First Step: Know the Basics

Many Christians desire to grow in their faith, but are clueless as to where they should begin. Our early church fathers came together to discuss that very problem. They developed the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds.  They agreed that these creeds included statements of faith that all Christians should hold in common.  These creeds summarize the essentials of the Christian message. Now, Christians can disagree about things that are not mentioned in these statements, which include but are not limited to baptism, communion, church organizational structure, interpretation of scripture, and worship styles. These and other differences are the reasons why we have different Christian communities of faith following the protestant reformation. We often refer to these different communities of faith as denominations.  The founder of Methodism, John Wesley says this about matters that do not strike at the root of Christianity, “Think and let think.” Therefore, we recognize that there are Christians who may disagree with us about the nonessentials of faith, but these disagreements should not stop us from working together.

Second Step:  Know our Wesleyan Beliefs

Lighthouse Fellowship is a United Methodist Community of Faith.  Therefore, we express our faith through a Wesleyan Christian worldview. As Wesleyans, we place an emphasis on the grace of God: prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace. We understand that God’s reigning attribute is love. The very essence and nature of God is love. The Trinity is a community of persons of in love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are one God of love.  We also place an emphasis on both personal holiness and social holiness (social justice).  If you would like to learn more about what we believe, I suggest that you purchase a United Methodist Book of Discipline, visit www.umc.org, sign up for Lighthouse 101, or take “What do Methodists Believe” the next time that the class is offered.

Third Step: Go Deep/Maturity

Frank Briggs referred to faith development as “Bedrock 101.” (Read Matthew 7:24-27) He said, “The depth of the foundation determines the height of the building. The depth of your life determines your heights.”  Today we are in the age of “popular preaching” that seeks mostly to appease rather than inspire, instruct, convict, and transform. Discipleship has been reduced to” Seven Steps to Becoming a Better Me.” This leads to shallow preaching and the spiritual poverty of the church.  There are some ways that we can grow deeper in our faith. Frank suggested spiritual disciplines as a means of spiritual formation and deepening.  He mentioned the following spiritual disciplines: prayer, studying scripture, personal devotional time, public worship and worship as a lifestyle. I would also like to suggest small group meetings, visiting prisoners, peacemaking, fasting, welcoming the stranger, and abstinence.   Frank stated that the two most important are prayer and bible reading. Disciple Bible study is offered each yearly as part of the Journey of Discipleship. Disciple Bible Study is an excellent way to grow in your application and understanding of scripture.

 Connection Points

Connect Sacred Reading:

Have three different people read the Hebrews 11:1-4, 34-40 in it’s entirety.

1. After the first person reads the entire selected scripture, ask the members of the group to write down a word that had the most significant meaning for them when they heard the text read.

2. After the second person reads the entire selected scripture, ask the members of the group to write down a phrase or verse that had the most significant meaning for them when they heard the text read.

3. After the third person reads the entire selected scripture, ask the members of the group what they think God is saying to them through this text.

4. Ask members of the group to talk about their responses.

 Connect Heads:

What does it mean to participate in intentional faith development?

 How do you deepen your foundation of faith?

Connect Hearts:

Search your own heart. Who has influenced your faith the most?  Describe your experience.

Do you practice spiritual disciplines? Which spiritual disciplines do you practice?

Connect Hands:

Write down things that we can do to help others in your residential community and your community of faith ?

Connection Challenge:

Pray for ten minutes a day.

Read scripture for ten minutes a day.

Growing in Grace

This Week’s Connection Topic
             Salvation by Grace: We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

We are in week 8 of our 9 week message series entitled “Amazing Grace: Welcome to Graceland.” The goal of this series is to help us understand and experience the grace of God in our lives.

Connecting to Us: (2 Peter 3:17-18)

Our key verse for today is 2 Peter 3:17-18:

¹⁷Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Peter writes (through the use of a scribe) his second letter to the churches in Roman Asia Minor. These people are most likely gentiles who have converted to Christianity. In chapter three he is admonishing believers not to fall prey to false teaching and mockery concerning the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. These false teachers and mockers falsely taught or argued that Jesus Christ would not return. They asked, “Where is this coming that he promised?” It is important to understand that the early believers expected Jesus’ return to take place in their lifetime. When Jesus ascended into Heaven they fully expected that he would return very soon. The early believers had witnessed other believers die without ever seeing the return of Jesus Christ. Thus, it is highly plausible that some of them had begun to doubt that Jesus would return. Peter encourages them to be patient and wait for the return of Jesus Christ. He tells them that our timing and God’s timing are different. So the question becomes: “What do we do while we wait?” Thousands of years from the time of Peter and the early church, we who believe in the Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ must ask ourselves: “What do we do while we wait?” 2 Peter 3:17-18 provides two answers to this question. First, Peter tells the people to be on guard so that they are not led astray by false teachers and false prophets.  Secondly, he tells them to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  How are these instructions to the early believers instructive to us in our present context? First, we must remain on guard because some of the same pitfalls that existed for the early believers are present for us today. In today’s context, there are people who deny the actual resurrection of Jesus Christ. They also deny that Jesus is coming back! There are also people who attempt to pervert the gospel for personal gain. In other words, they tell people what they want to hear in exchange for money. When we fail to be on guard, we may backslide.  As a result, we can fall from our secure position. Perhaps, it is best to think of the secure position as a fence. For example, when one goes to the zoo there is typically a fence or barrier of some kind separating the people from the animals. People are in a secure position as long as they stay on their side of the fence. However, if a person climbs onto the fence, loses their footing, and falls into the lion’s den; they should expect to be eaten or at least lose a limb.

No reasonable person would climb onto a fence knowing that in all likelihood they would fall into the lion’s den. No one is that foolish, right? Unfortunately, many of us flirt with both sides of the fence on a daily basis. This is a game that many of us play that can cause us to lose our secure position. As long as our faith remains in Jesus Christ, we are in a secure position. When we follow false teachings, follow the ways of the world, or try to play both sides of the fence, we lose our footing and fall into the mouths of the lions. 

Secondly, we should grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ carries us forward towards the following: Christlike maturity, union with God, union with our neighbors, and the transformation of the world. Therefore, growth means moving forward while we wait for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. During the course of this discussion we will refer to growth in grace as growth grace. Growth grace is a manifestation of sanctifying grace. Growth grace is a gift from God. We cannot earn it and we do not deserve it. God has made this gift available to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. However, we must lay claim to this gift. We lay claim to it by responding in faith. In the early stages of our conversion experience this is done by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Likewise, throughout our Christian journey we must respond in faith to the grace that God has made available to us. We experience this grace through the Holy Spirit. The more we respond in faith: the more grace will abound in our lives. The more grace: the more growth. Perhaps, it is helpful to see our growth as a movement towards Christlike maturity, and this growth rests upon the wings of the dove which is the Holy Spirit. We must respond in faith by deciding to ride the wings of the Holy Spirit. We must respond in faith by trusting that the dove will fly us in the right direction. We must have faith that the dove will not drop us. The Holy Spirit moves us closer to our destination, Christlike maturity. It moves us farther from the gates of Hell and closer to the gates of Heaven. Also, it moves us closer to the day when Jesus Christ will return.

Lastly, we should grow in knowledge. How do we grow in knowledge in order to achieve Christlike maturity? We should study the things that Jesus did in the gospels. Also, we should study the rest of the biblical canon. This requires us to search the scriptures for transformation rather than information. Information about Jesus will not save us. Even Satan has information about Jesus. Although we believe God’s word to be true about Jesus, people are not saved through information about Jesus. They are saved through a transformational experience with the Triune God to which they say, “yes” to Jesus and “no, thank you” to Hell. In other words, they are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

We must approach scripture with an open heart and an open mind. So that we are open to what God is saying to us through God’s holy Word. We must spend time listening for God’s response to us. The grace of God illumines our minds and helps us properly understand the things of the Spirit. Therefore, grace helps us properly understand the bible. When we understand the things of the Spirit, we can discern when people are attempting to lead us astray. Also, we can properly discern where the Spirit is leading us. Growth in grace and knowledge do not take place in isolation, but are done in community with other Christians. Therefore, I suggest participating in at least one of the following: bible study, Sunday school, prayer group, Neighborhood Group or some other small group ministry. Brothers and sisters ride upon the wings of the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory both now and forever! Amen.

Connection Points

Connect Heads:

What is growth grace?

 How do Christians grow in knowledge?

 Connect Hearts:

Has anyone ever attempted to lead you astray concerning the word of God? What was your response? Be specific.

 Have you ever doubted Jesus’ return? How did you overcome your doubts?

 Connect Hands:

Take this time to join hands and pray for the needs of members of your group. Also, pray for all of the false teachers, atheists, agnostics, backsliders, and all who have been led astray. Pray that they will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

 Connect Homework:

Pray

Search the scriptures for transformation

The Holy Spirit: Pentecost

 

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This Week’s Connection Topic
             Salvation by Grace: We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9  ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

We are in week 7 of our 9 week message series entitled “Amazing Grace: Welcome to Graceland.” The goal of this series is to help us understand and experience the grace of God in our lives.

Connecting to Us:  What is Pentecost? “One of the principal days of the Christian year, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. The Greek word pentecoste means “fiftieth day.” Pentecost is the day on which the Christian church commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and others assembled in Jerusalem. It marks the beginning of the Christian church and the proclamation of its message throughout the world and is often referred to as the birthday of the church. The liturgical color for Pentecost is red. Traditionally, Pentecost has been a day for baptisms. Because it was the custom in the early church for persons being baptized to wear white robes or clothing, the day also became known as Whitsunday, a contraction of white Sunday.”

Source: A Dictionary for United Methodists, Alan K. Waltz, Copyright 1991, Abingdon Press.

What are the Symbols: What does the cross and flame, the traditional symbol of the United Methodist Church, mean?  It relates The United Methodist church to God through Christ (cross) and the Holy Spirit (flame). The flame is a reminder of Pentecost when witnesses were unified by the power of the Holy Spirit and saw “tongues, as of fire” (Acts 2:3).

Why do we wear red on Pentecost? Why is the church decorated in red on Pentecost? Red helps us remember the Holy Spirit and the tongues of fire.

The Holy Spirit at “It”: Most of us are familiar with the God the Father and Jesus the Son, but many of us are not very familiar with Holy Spirit. It seems that the Holy Spirit is the mysterious member of the Trinity. Perhaps that is because the Father and the Son can be more easily understood on basic level by our flesh or by our intellect. Most of us can imagine a Father who knows best, protects, provides, and loves us even if our biological fathers were less than perfect. Most of us can imagine Jesus the Son because the gospels are full of so many vivid details about his life and ministry. However, we can never truly know the things of the Spirit until we are open to the presence of the Spirit in our lives. Therefore, we will never know the deep things of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit until we are open to presence and indwelling of the Spirit. 

For about 6 weeks Pastor Frank Briggs has been delivering powerful messages about grace.  It is through the Holy Spirit that we experience the grace of God. The Holy Spirit and grace go hand and hand like peanut butter and jelly, like ham and cheese, like car and driver. An experience with the Holy Spirit is always transformational. But what else do we really know about the Holy Spirit? My earliest experiences with the Holy Spirit came at Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church in a community outside of Hazlehurst, MS called “It.” The community is so small that if you blink while driving through “It” then you have missed “It.”  Chapel Hill is where I first experienced and witnessed the joy and the power that comes from the Holy Spirit. I witnessed and experienced their joy expressed in their praise and worship. I witnessed their Spirit given power in their ability to do the work of God with meager resources and overcome the limitations of their socio-economic situation. I believe a close look at Acts chapters 1-2 shows us that both joy and power were poured out by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. At Chapel Hill we referred to the Holy Spirit as the Holy Ghost. During the course of the worship experience people would shout, “Amen,” others would run up and down the aisles, people fainted, people cried, some laughed, and many others danced. We referred to this outpouring of the Spirit as “catching the Holy Ghost.” To an outside observer the people may have appeared to be drunk or even out of their minds. (Acts 2:13) Those of us who are highly educated and intellectual might surmise that these people had been socialized to behave in this manner. However, I could not disagree more. I believe that these people were instantaneously filled with the love of God through an experience with the Holy Spirit. The people of Chapel Hill were open to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Why were they so open to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? The short answer is that their survival depended on their relationship in with the Holy Spirit. Many of the older members of the congregation  had grown up working as share croppers in a society that was governed by Jim Crow. According to www.dictionary.com , Jim Crow laws are “a practice or policy of segregating or discriminating against blacks, as in public places, public vehicles, or employment.” They sang Negro Spirituals as they chopped cotton and cut timber. Their songs, hymns, and prayer meetings served as spiritual disciplines that helped them remain open to the Spirit. During their work and their play they were always aware of the Spirit of the living God working in and through them. I believe that this awareness was transformational and it gave them the ability to overcome and beat the odds. Being connected to the Spirit was part of their rhythm of life. Is the Spirit part of our rhythm of life? The Spirit empowered them to overcome the cruelty of the Jim Crow South. The Spirit gave them joy in the midst of hardship. The Spirit empowered the church to be a place of liberty in the midst of captivity. Perhaps, many of us have been socialized not to be open to the power of the Holy Spirit. I am not suggesting that running up and down the aisles and dancing between the pews is the only evidence that someone has been filled with the Spirit. I am not even suggesting that it is a requirement of necessary at all. If it is not the Spirit at work in us then our shouting, dancing, and praising only amounts to an outside show. I am saying that we should be free to do so if the Spirit moves us. Also, I believe that there should be some evidence of the joy that is produced by the Spirit. Some argue that Methodist don’t behave in this manner. If we look closely at our heritage we will see that Methodists were once known as the “enthusiasts” and the “shouting Methodists.”  What happened to us?

Our Key Verse: In our key text today, Jesus tells the disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This text informs us that we receive the power to witness and make disciples from the Holy Spirit. When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18).  Jesus is Son of God and fully human and fully divine. (The Son has always been and shall always be)  Before Jesus embarks upon his  earthly ministry the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove during his water baptism. (Mathew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:21-22)  In this moment Jesus is baptized with both water and the Spirit. We see that the Anointed One is anointed by the Spirit during that baptism. It is only after this occurrence that Jesus Christ goes on to perform his earthly ministry. Therefore, there is a direct correlation between the gospel narratives about Jesus’ anointing by the Spirit and Jesus’ instructions to the disciples in Acts 1:8. After Jesus Christ’s anointing by the Spirit he is led by the Spirit into the desert where he is tempted by Satan. (Matthew 4:1, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13) After overcoming the temptation of Satan or the Enemy, Jesus goes on perform many miracles  including: dying so that we would receive forgiveness of our sins and rising from the dead so that we might have eternal life.  According to Clark H. Pinnock in his book Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit, “After the resurrection, God’s kingdom, which had begun to manifest itself in Jesus himself, would continue to transform the world through the community of empowered disciples.” We are that community of empowered disciples. We have received this power through the Holy Spirit.

Like Jesus Christ was conceived by the Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary; the church was conceived by the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The people were anointed and baptized by the Spirit so that they could carry on the work of Jesus Christ. As a result, they received power to carry on Jesus’ ministry. Thus, the Church is the spiritual body of Jesus Christ here on earth. The term body of Christ no longer refers to the physical body of Jesus Christ, but it refers to the community of faith on its way to Christlike maturity.  Like Jesus Christ we are led by the Spirit into the wilderness or desert of the world where we are tempted by the Enemy. We are empowered by the Spirit to overcome temptation and minister to a dying world. However, many of our churches find it difficult to minister to a dying world because they are spiritually dead. We often mistakenly think that human competency and the quality of the membership are the greatest factors in doing effective ministry. On the contrary, what matters most is the power of God working in and through the people. According to Clark Pinnock, “More than churches full of people, God wants (and the world needs) people full of the Spirit.” So our goal should be helping people open themselves up to receive the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2:1-11, the Holy Spirit enables the Galileans to speak in other tongues. This enables them to communicate the word of God to God fearing Jews from all over the world who were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost. These Galileans did not do this miracle by their own strength. They did it by the Spirit of God working in and through them. As a result everyone was able to be on one accord because there was no communication barrier. Now that is power!!! When people receive the Holy Spirit, it gets them on one accord. In other words, the Spirit creates unity and fellowship among believers. When this happens new ministries are birthed, lives are transformed, and we are able to reach more people for the kingdom of God. When this happens the church is able to move forward toward Christlike maturity and complete union with God.

Both my personal experience at Chapel Hill and my study of the biblical witness inform me that the Holy Spirit gives us power. It can give you power as well. This power comes by the transformational grace of God. If we desire to open ourselves up to experience the power of the Holy Spirit here are a few suggestions.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to come upon us and fill us. The Spirit comes to those who invite its presence.
• Intensify our prayer life
• Search the scriptures to learn more about the Spirit.
• Practice fasting
• Participate in public and private worship
• Giving 10% of my money
• Meet in small groups with other believers who desire to be filled and led by the Spirit.
• Acts of compassion

How will I know that I have received the power of the Holy Spirit? You will receive assurance from the Spirit.

Connection Points

Connect Heads: What is Pentecost? Why did the disciples need to the Holy Spirit?

 Connect Hearts: Describe how the Holy Spirit has given you power to overcome life’s circumstances. Tell us about a personal experience.

 Describe how the Holy Spirit has given you power to carry out ministry. Tell us about a personal experience.

 Connect Hands: Join hands and pray that the Holy Spirit falls fresh upon each person in your group.

 Connect Homework:

• Read the entire book of Acts
• Practice a spiritual discipline
• Recommended reading: Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie J. Thompson

Restoring Grace

 

If you are interested in learning more about Lighthouse Fellowship and our Neighborhood Groups please visit www.lfwired.org

This Week’s Connection Topic
             Salvation by Grace: We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

We are in week 6 of our 9 week message series entitled “Amazing Grace: Welcome to Graceland.” The goal of this series is to help us understand and experience the grace of God in our lives.

Connecting to Us: Lamentation 5:21

In 1983 on Motown’s 25^th Anniversary Television Special, Michael Jackson first performed the Moonwalk dance while singing his smash hit song “Billy Jean.”  For those of us who aren’t familiar with the dance please check it out YouTube. The dance looks a lot like a person walking backwards with style. More specifically it looks like a person sliding backwards. While the dance is thrilling, there is nothing lunar or gravity defying about the dance. Perhaps, “backsliding” would be a better name for this dance.  Likewise, in our text today Lamentations 5:21 the people of Israel were guilty of backsliding. The people of Israel are God’s chosen people. They were chosen to be a blessing to the world. Instead of choosing the way forward towards God, they chose to slide backward into the sin.  As a consequence of their sin, they experienced famine and found themselves brutally oppressed by a foreign military power, the Babylonians.  It is important to note that Lamentations is composed of five poems. Each chapter represents a new poem. The purpose of Lamentations is bear witness to the depth of human suffering and to give us the freedom to express our grief to God.  Lament is not simply a complaint but it is recognition of God’s power to change our circumstances or in some cases change us in the midst of our circumstances.  The good news is that God’s restoring grace can restore us to a proper relationship with God. On our Christian journey, our highest goal is to reach Christlike maturity, which brings us into complete union with God and the Spiritual body of Jesus Christ. If our goal is simply to make it to heaven then we have totally missed the point of the gospel message.  Heaven is real and I definitely want to go there but there is so much we are called to do in the here and now.  The Christian Life is not simply about our own personal salvation. It is about the holiness of heart and holiness of life that moves us to be channels or conveyors of God’s grace for the world. We are not on this journey alone. We have the grace of the Triune God and we have other believers.  On this journey forward toward Christlike maturity we will experience times of great difficulty, frustration, hardships, trials and tribulations. Basically, the Christian journey forward toward Christlike maturity isn’t easy. Consider these words from the song “Can’t Give Up Now” by gospel recording artists Mary Mary:

“There will be mountains that I will have to climb
And there will be battles that I will have to fight
But victory or defeat, it’s up to me to decide
But how can I expect to win if I never try.

I just can’t give up now
I’ve come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
And I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me”

God’s grace empowers us to climb the mountains, to make it through the hurricanes, to cross the boundaries created by fear. There are three major threats to Christians on this journey forward toward Christlike maturity that I believe cause us to backslide: spiritual arrogance, spiritual complacency, and spiritual fixes.

To Mature Christians. Spiritual arrogance can cause us to backslide. Sometimes this occurs because we feel we have reached a point where “we know it all.” We can’t remember the last time when the sermon, bible study, our group discussion had anything relevant to say to us. Our passion for searching the scriptures for transformation and understanding becomes attempts to find scriptures to support our own agendas. Our desire to be right is more consuming than our desire for truth.  We have all the answers. No one can lead a particular ministry the way we lead it. No one can pray they way we do. The community of faith would be much better off if everyone would just listen and do whatever we say! We often confuse our years of church service with genuine Christlike maturity. In my years of ministry I have seen many babes in Christ who have been actively involved in the church 30 or more years, yet they have not grown up. If we think we know it all then there is no room for us to experience growth and reach Christlike maturity.

To Those in the Middle. Spiritual complacency can cause us to backslide.  Some of us recognize that we have not reached our potential spiritually, however; we are not babes in Jesus Christ either.  We find ourselves in a nice comfortable place. A move forward might require us to give more of ourselves which we are not quite ready to do at this stage. A move forward might cause some discomfort and change. Since we are comfortable at this point of our journey, it does not make much sense to mess up a good thing. “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” The problem is that this way of thinking causes us to be stuck in a spiritual rut. We will never become who God designed us to be if we are stuck in rut.

To Babes in Jesus Christ. Seeking spiritual fixes can cause us to backslide. We have our conversion experience through justifying grace. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we experience a spiritual high. In the beginning this high is enough to get us through the week. This experience is like receiving manna from heaven (Exodus 16). However, after a period of time the manna ends.  The honeymoon period is over. We recognize that many of the problems that we had before our conversion experience are still present.  We find out quickly that going to worship on Sunday does not produce lasting effects. We find out that it’s getting harder and harder to get our spiritual fix. So we often backslide into sin to obtain our fix through some unhealthy worldly coping mechanism or we go from church to church trying to obtain a spiritual fix. The problem is that worship isn’t enough.  We must immerse ourselves in the word of God daily and our prayer life must intensify. We should join a small group of mature Christians for accountability and growth.

All three of these attitudes can lead to backsliding. None of these attitudes move us forward. The point where we fail to move forward is the point where we begin to slide backward.  None of these attitudes are consistent with persons having the mind of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 2:6-16) Lamentations reminds us that there are dire consequences when we backslide into sin. The good news is that when we backslide, God does not turn God’s back on us. God extends to us restoring grace. God extends restoring grace to everyone, it does not matter what we have done. There is no sin too big for God’s restoring grace. People may not like us because of our sin but God loves us unconditionally.  Restoring grace cannot be earned. However, we must respond in faith or lay claim to the gift of grace. We lay claim to restoring grace by confessing our sins, repenting or turning away from sinful behavior, and believing God for spiritual healing in our lives.  So what are some basic things we can do to move forward toward Christlike maturity?

• Realize that you are empowered by the Holy Spirit
• An intense prayer life (private and family)
• Public Worship
• The Lord’s Supper
• Daily Reading and Studying the Scripture
• Small Groups
• Fasting
• Acts of compassion and justice

Connection Points

Connect Heads:

• What is backsliding?
• What is restoring grace?

Connect Hearts:

• What spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, small groups, acts of compassion, etc.) do you practice to nurture Christlike maturity and guard against backsliding? Be specific and share how they have impacted your life.
• Share a time when you experienced God’s restoring grace?

 Connect Hands:

• Pick a ministry or nonprofit organization to partner with in the community.
• Pray!

 Connect Homework:

Make a commitment to practice a new spiritual discipline daily

Sustaining Grace

Sanctification and Maturation: God’s grace helps us grow more loving toward God and neighbor, eventually being able to love God and neighbor completely. Read Matthew 22:34-40. This is week 2 of our 9 week message series entitled “Amazing Grace: Welcome to Graceland.” The goal of this series is to help us understand and experience the grace of God in our lives.

Connecting to Us: 1Peter 5:6-12 (Read)

On last week we discussed prevenient grace (grace that comes before our believing) and justifying grace (forgiveness of sin and imputation of Jesus’ righteousness) this week we will discuss sanctifying grace (maturation through cleansing and growth). All three manifestations of grace are what John Wesley called “the way to salvation.” It is important to remember that grace is grace. However, in this article grace is categorized according to function so that we are able to understand what grace in doing in our lives and how it is affecting all of creation. In other words, all three manifestations of grace are expressions of God’s unmerited love. We have done nothing to earn it and we don’t deserve it.  The purpose of this Lighthouse Letter is to discuss how grace sustains us and sanctifies us. After responding to prevenient grace in faith by accepting Jesus Christ, we experience justifying grace. Through the experience of justifying grace we receive forgiveness of sin and the imputation of Jesus’ righteousness.  End of story, right? No, it is just beginning of the Christian life.

We experience justifying grace and sanctifying grace simultaneously. However, it is important to remember that justification happens instantaneously while sanctification is a process that occurs throughout our lives. When we accept Jesus Christ and experience forgiveness of our sins; we are born again. New birth is the first step in the process of sanctification. A newborn baby needs food to sustain their growth and development. Likewise, we need sanctifying grace to sustain our spiritual growth and development. Babies soil themselves and they need someone to bathe them and change their dirty diapers.  Likewise, we soil ourselves with sin. Our sin stinks and only by God’s sanctifying grace can we be cleansed. Like babies who cry out because they need to be changed. We cry out because we need to be changed. Justification is a relative change in our relationship with God. Sanctification is the real change that God works in a person. How does God want to change us? God wants us to grow into the image that he intended for us. God wants us to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. As we grow to look more like Jesus Christ, the power of sin decreases. Furthermore, the goal of sanctifying grace is to help us grow from spiritual infants into mature Christians, whom are completely filled with Divine love for God, ourselves, humanity, and all of creation. This is called entire sanctification. As a result, the kingdom of God that is found in our hearts will become a temporal reality in the world. Thus, God’s kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.

Even after new birth, we still must live in a broken world. This world is opposed to the kingdom of God. Therefore, we will still endure suffering. In other words, the Christian life is not an escape from suffering.  Now, it is important to note that I am not encouraging people to stay in situations where they are experiencing suffering, for example domestic violence.  In 1 Peter 5:6-12, Peter encourages the people to stand fast in the grace of God. Likewise, we will experience suffering, yet we must stand fast in the sanctifying grace of God. Currently, we are in the midst of a difficult economic time. This economic downturn is affecting both the rich and the poor. Millions of people are suffering as a result of this economic climate. Aside from the economic crisis, there are places in the world where Christians are experiencing suffering because of their commitment to Jesus Christ. The providence of God can work even through our suffering. We can actually experience growth as a result of our suffering. Read Romans Chapter 5. In Romans 5:3-5, Paul says the following:

“³Not only so, but we^[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

            This scripture clearly shows that suffering can produce maturity. We don’t have to go looking for opportunities to suffer; inevitably suffering will find us. It is the grace of God that strengthens us and sustains us even when we experience suffering. By the sanctifying grace of God we grow through our experience of suffering. By the sanctifying grace of God we learn from our experience of suffering. We become better rather than bitter. It is by the sanctifying grace of God that a situation that the Devil meant for your detriment is transformed into an opportunity for growth. It is by the grace of God that we are able to journey through our suffering. In the words of an African American spiritual, “Trouble don’t last always.”

Sanctifying grace is our catalyst for growth and it sustains our growth. Yet, we must also be active participants in this process of growth. Our action must meet God’s divine action in order for us to experience growth in our lives. In other words, God has already made sanctifying grace available, yet we must lay claim to the gift. How should we lay claim to the gift? I will provide just a few suggestions. We should regularly read scripture for transformation.  We should participate in corporate worship for the hearing the Word, fellowshipping with other believers, and receiving the sacraments. We should experience shared life in the Spirit through small groups. We should commit ourselves to bible study.  We should express our salvation with acts of mercy and justice in the world.  I am sure there are more things we can do to actively participant in our growth and development. The point was to provide just a few suggestions that are helpful in nurturing Christian growth and development. Lastly, perhaps most importantly we must remember that we experience this grace not by our own doing but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 Connection Points

Connect Heads:

What is sanctifying grace?

What is the goal of sanctification?

Connect Hearts:

Describe an experience of suffering where you experienced the sanctifying grace of God. How did you grow as a result of that experience of God’s grace?

Describe how you intend to lay claim to the gift of sanctifying grace? What are you willing to give up? What are you willing to pick up: prayer, bible study, Christian service, fasting, meditation, etc?

Connect Hands:

Pick a mission project that you would like to support as a group.

If you already have a mission project that you are currently supporting please talk about how you have grown in your walk with God as a result of experiencing God’s sanctifying grace while supporting the mission.

Connect Homework:

Pick up a spiritual discipline. Spiritual disciplines open us up to the presence of God. As a result we experience growth. Spiritual disciplines include: Prayer, fasting, giving of alms, mediation, journaling, etc.

 

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Here’s My Miracle

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Connecting to US: Matthew 28:1-28

 

 

On last week Jesus Christ triumphantly entered into the city of Jerusalem. The crowd placed palms down on the ground for his donkey to tread upon. The crowd shouted “Hosanna in the Highest” which means save us. In other words, they gave Jesus a royal greeting. Given the nature of the greeting, it is important to understand the theo-political context of the text. It appeared that the people had given their allegiance to Jesus. Of course, the high priests and Pharisees believed that Jesus posed a danger to the power that they had over the people. The New Testament geographical landscape is under Roman control. The Roman government allowed the Sadducees and the Pharisees to wield a degree of power over the Jewish community. This power was contingent upon them making sure that the people gave their allegiance to Caesar, who was the head of the Roman government. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were puppets of the occupying Roman Empire. Jesus’ power came from God. It is clear from Jesus’ radical gospel message that he was not a puppet. If the Sadducees and Pharisees were deemed to be unable to control the people, then Rome would strip away their power. Even though Pontius Pilate was a part of the Roman government, he had similar fears.  Pilate could not find fault in Jesus Christ, but he found himself in a pressure sandwich. In other words, he felt the pressure from above from Caesar and pressure from below from the Sadducees and Pharisees. In the past, there were violent uprisings by Jewish Zealots who claimed to be the Messiah.  As a result, some of the Sadducees and Pharisees feared that Jesus was just another Zealot who would cause an uprising which would cause Caesar, Rome, to pursue military action against the Jewish community. Pontius had to keep Caesar satisfied, yet he was dependent on the Sadducees and the Pharisees’ ability to wield power over the people in order to maintain peace.  Others genuinely believed that Jesus was a blasphemer and false prophet. Regardless of their motives for wanting Jesus dead, most believed that the death of Jesus Christ would save the lives of many others.

            Through the events leading to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we see the providence of God at work. We are able to see the plan of God working even through the failings of people. Every since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, God has had a plan to bring humanity back into communion with God self and with all of creation. In the Old Testament, people were commanded to offer sacrifices to atone for their sins. The slaughter of these animals reminded the people that there were consequences for their sins. However, these sacrifices did not bring humanity any closer to God or with each other. In the New Testament God sends his Son, the very God of God, to teach us how to live, how to die, and how to rise again. We call his Son, Jesus Christ. God sends Jesus to atone for our sins. Many people struggle with how a loving God could send his Son to die for sinful and totally depraved humans. Perhaps for those people, it would be more helpful to remember that it was the sinfulness of humanity that condemned Jesus to death.  So in a real sense we participated in his crucifixion. God’s act of sending his Son was an act of self sacrificing love. Jesus willingly laid his life down upon the cross. He let the man that he made nail him to the cross. However, in the words of a Mississippi Mass Choir song, “it wasn’t the nails that held Jesus to the cross. He could have come down,but the world would still be lost. The ransom was so high only he could pay the cost.” It was love that held him to the Roman cross. It was love for the prostitute, those afflicted with all manner of sickness and disease, and it was love for all of sin sick humanity that held him to the cross. A rescue station for all of creation was set up on the outside of the city at a place called Golgotha, The Skull. Jesus hung on the cross between two common criminals. One who accepted him, while the other rejected him.  We all have a cross to bear, but will we accept him or reject him? A Roman soldier took a spear and stroke him in the side and a healing balm flowed from Emmanuel’s veins.  The balm washes away sin. Even while he was dying on the cross Jesus says, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  Jesus gave up the ghost and he died. Jesus died for all of humanity. (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6) This means that he died for people of every religion and every nation, race, age, sex and social-economic strata.   He died for them whether they choose to accept him or not as their Lord and Savior. This is called universal redemption, not to be confused with universal salvation. Universal redemption gives humanity a new slate while universal salvation gives humanity a free pass. (If you need further clarification please email me at rsmith@lfwired.org) However, the only way to receive forgiveness of sins is by laying claim to this gift by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In other words, the gift is available but we must decide to accept it through Jesus Christ.

Read Matthew 28:1-10

However, the story does not end there.  In today’s text, Mary Magdalene and some other Mary went to the tomb of Jesus. An angel of the Lord appeared and rolled away the stone and sat on it.  He asks them not to be afraid and he tells them that Jesus has risen from the grave. I think it is important to note that I believe that Jesus literately rose from the dead.

This story provides us with a powerful metaphor (the stone) for what transpired as a result of Jesus’ resurrection. So picture the image of the angel sitting on the stone. The theologian and pastor,  Barbara K. Lundblad refers to this image of the angel sitting on the stone as “transforming the stone.” The angel rolls the stone away as if it was a marble and he sits on it as if it was a park bench.  The stone represented the power of the grave. Yet, Jesus overcame the power of the grave. Now the stone is reduced to a piece of furniture for the angel.  How is Christ transforming the stones in your life?

Those who are dead in Christ will literately rise again. This means that the saints who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be resurrected on that “great getting up morning” when Christ shall come again in final victory. In overcoming the grave, Jesus made eternal life available to all of humanity. According to Theologian Albert C. Outler, “The transit from death of sin to the life of faith is made possible by disclosure, Christ, of God’s accepting, reconciling love.” This is a miracle. Jesus gave us the miracle of resurrection from death of sin. In order to receive the benefits of this miracle, we must lay claim to it through accepting Jesus Christ. Accepting Jesus Christ or conversion is not the end of the journey. This new life is characterized by “transforming of the stones” in our lives. This includes shared life in the Spirit together.  God demands that we become spiritually mature. Our new life begins with rebirth. At this stage we are babes in Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship is a means of helping us grow up. We call this sanctification, which is a process of cleansing and growth. Where is our destination on this journey? Well, we hope to achieve entire sanctification. At the entire sanctification stage of growth and development we mature into people completely filled with God’s love for God, our neighbors, and ourselves. This includes complete freedom from sin. It is important to note that entire sanctification can only be achieved for a short time during this life. Honestly, how many of us can say that we have reached this stage in our growth and development.  One of the indicators of our growth and development is whether we have shown outward witness in daily living as a confirmation of the inward experience of inward faith.  Jesus Christ has given us the miracles of freedom from sin and death. However, we must lay claim to them and be witnesses to that freedom in the world through our service to God and our neighbors.

Connection Points

Connect Heads:

What is entire sanctification?

 What is universal redemption?

How does God transform the stones in your life?

Connect Hearts

What does freedom from sin mean to you personally? Explain how this freedom has affected your life?

If Jesus Christ’s death made us free from the captivity of sin, why do feel that we still sin? Is it a heart issue?

Picture the brutal nature of Jesus’ death. Perhaps it would be helpful to read one of the gospel accounts of his death. How does this image of Jesus Christ make you feel?

Connect Hands:

Take turns washing each other’s feet.

Write down the names of saints that have died in Christ, whom you would like to see on the day of Resurrection.

Pray

Connect Homework:

Ask yourselves these questions:

1.      Do I have faith in Jesus Christ?

2.      Am I growing toward entire sanctification?

3.      Do I expect to be made totally mature in love in this life?

4.      Am I earnestly striving after it?

 

 

Where’s My Miracle?

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 This Week’s Connection Topic

Humanity: original sin is engendered to all of humanity through the fall of Adam, therefore; we all are in need of God’s grace. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ we are made a new creation. Read Romans 5:12-21 and John 3:16

Connecting Us: John 12:1-13

Read John 12:1-13. In the chapter 11, Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. Most of us can agree that Jesus performed a miracle when he raised Lazarus from the dead. This event paints a clear picture of what a miracle looks like. Here is how the Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms defines a miracle:

An event that is considered unusual or extraordinary in that it appears to be contrary to what is currently known of nature. Theologically, the emphasis is on what God has revealed through this event, as in the miracles of Jesus.

In chapter 12, Jesus is attending a dinner that is being held in his honor at the home of Lazarus in Bethany. Martha served while Mary ministered to Jesus by anointing his feet. News of the miracle and Jesus’ whereabouts spread throughout the Jewish community. Unlike today, there were no paparazzi, internet, twitter, or television news network to spread the news. The news of this miracle was spread through word of mouth. In words of Marvin Gay, “they heard it through the grapevine.” A large crowd of people gathered outside the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.  Many people put their faith in Jesus Christ, hoping to receive a miracle. Of course, this angered the Pharisees. In the words of the hip-hop generation, “the Pharisees were just haters.” Translation: the people wanted what Jesus could do for them and the Pharisees became jealous of his popularity. The people wanted to experience miracles in their lives, while on the other hand the Pharisees plotted to kill him. Jesus posed a threat to the Pharisees’ power structure.

 

Imagine the hundreds of people wanting and waiting to experience wholeness in their lives that could only come through Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that there were many who were blind, cripple, deaf, maimed, and afflicted with all kinds of sickness and disease.  They followed Jesus desperately wanting to be liberated from their afflictions and the social stigma of associated with their conditions. Others came simply to witness the miracle for themselves.

 

On the next day, the crowd that had come for the Feast took branches and went out to meet Jesus.  At this point the crowd possibly numbered in the hundreds of thousands. It is probably fair to surmise that the people who went out to meet him had one question in mind: “Where’s my miracle?” They shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King Israel!” Instead of overtly asking Jesus to give them a miracle they gave witness to the reality of who he is.

 

Now before we become terribly self-righteous and judgmental of the Jews in the text, let us first examine how we too come asking the same question: “Where’s my miracle?” Many of us come to church/community of faith looking for a miracle. We come expecting healing from the hurt and pain that we experience in this broken world. We want God to heal us physically, psychologically, and spiritually.

We come seeking these miracles because we have heard about the miracles that other believers have experienced. We want what they have received. Is there something wrong with coming to our community of faith with those expectations? I believe that we should come to church with the expectation that we will experience a miracle. We should come with the expectation that we will be resurrected from muck and mire of sin. We should come with the expectation that our lives will be transformed. We should come with the expectation that the Holy Spirit will rain down upon us.

 

Do we deserve to experience a miracle? Are we entitled to a miracle? The answer is a resounding, “No!” While we should expect to experience a miracle, we should not have an attitude of entitlement as if God owes us something. We receive miracles by the grace of God. By grace I mean God’s unmerited favor. In other words, there is nothing we can do to earn it, and it comes as a gift from God. The text does not indicate that Jesus healed any of the people who waited on the outside of Lazarus and his sisters’ home nor does it indicate that he performed any miracles when he entered into Jerusalem. It is important to note that just because miracles are not mentioned in these areas of the text does not mean that they did not occur. However, it is apparent that Jesus did not heal everyone he met. Perhaps, those who did not experience a miracle became disheartened and lost their faith. Could it be that many of them were suffering from buyer’s remorse after Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city? They bought the story about Lazarus’ resurrection, yet they figured Jesus had failed to deliver on the miracles that they were expecting. Maybe this explains why the same crowds that professed him as their King would later yell, “Crucify him!” This exposes the darkness of their souls. Before this turning point, the text tells us that many people had faith in Jesus. What happened to their faith? Was their faith simply based on what Jesus could do for them? 

 

Many times we come to church with the expectation of receiving a miracle, and we say the right things, ““Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King Israel!” In other words, we play church rather than living out what it means to be the church/community of faith in the world. In return we hope to gain the favor of God and receive a miracle. When our playtime is over 9:30 A.M., 11:00 P.M., and 1:30 P.M. many of us go back to business as usual until our next play date on the following Sunday. Are we the same crowds that sing “Blessed Be the Name of Lord” yet curse our brothers and sisters. Are we the same crowds that sing the “21^st Time” and still pass by those on the street without even acknowledging their presence?  Are we the same crowds that sing “Oh How I love Jesus” yet fail to show the love of Jesus to everyone. Could it be that when we do these things and the like, we are yelling, “crucify him”? Could there be darkness in our souls?

 

So what are we mere mortals to do? Well, first we must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the word “miracle.” Jesus is fully God and fully human. Now if that is not a miracle, I don’t know what is. Secondly, recognize the healing power of just being his presence. Mary recognized the healing power of being in his presence.  Next, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and this must be evidenced through our works not merely by our words. Once we accept Jesus Christ, he comes and sits on the throne of our hearts. Sin no longer reigns, yet it is still present. Jesus has won the battle over your heart but the war is not over. Furthermore, it is important to understand that there is a darkness in our souls that is illumined by the Light of Jesus Christ who lives within us. Babes in Christ and mature Christians must both acknowledge this fact. Lastly, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become new creatures; not perfect creatures. We like Lazarus died, but we died to sin. Like Lazarus we live again, but we have eternal life. Now that’s a miracle made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Connection Points

Connect Heads:

What is grace?

What is a miracle?

What is the significance of the anointing of Jesus’ feet by Mary? Please explain

Connect Hearts:

Have you ever experienced a miracle in your life? If yes, please share this experience with the group.

Do you believe that God still performs miracles? Why do you feel this way?

How much time do you spend in the healing presence of Jesus each day? (Time that is set aside specifically for the purpose of fostering greater intimacy with God) What does it feel like to be in the healing presence of the King?

Connect Hands:

Draw what you think grace looks like (metaphor)

Pray

Connect Homework:

Write down the miracles that you would like to experience in your life.

Look for a promise in scripture that relates to the miracle that you are asking God to perform. Read those scriptures daily during your time in the healing presence of God.

 

 

The Housing Crisis:Fear Factor

This Week’s Connection Topic

            The Care and Direction of God (Providence)

God is at work in our lives and cares about us.

Psalm 95:7

7 for he is our God
       and we are the people of his pasture,
       the flock under his care.

 This is week 7 of our 7 week message series “The Devil’s Toolbox.” Each week we have explored a different tool used by the Devil to keep us from experiencing the peace and joy that God intends for us to have in our lives. Also, these tools are used to keep us from growing more loving toward God, ourselves, and our neighbors. This week’s tool is duct tape. When things are falling apart around us and fear sets in, we sometimes look for quick fixes to hold things together. Duct tape /quick fixes will hold things together for now but eventually things will fall apart. God the Shepherd-Host offers grace that will follow us all the days of our lives. We are also invited to live in the house of God eternally. 

Connecting to Us: Psalms 23:6

Every time I turn on the television, connect to the Internet, or pick up a paper, I hear about the terrible state of our economy. It seems like every day I hear about how a different billionaire conned people out of all of their money. It seems that every man does what is right in his own heart. Thousands of people have already lost their homes, while thousands of others are on the verge of losing their homes.  I think that we would all agree that there is a housing crisis in this country. Most of us know at least one person who is affected by this crisis. In fact one in ten homeowners are endanger of foreclosure. I agree that it is tragic, so let’s explore why people experience such tremendous emotional trauma when they lose their houses. Well, first a house is supposed to provide us with a safe place: protecting us from predators, the elements, and it provides us with assurance that we have a place to rest our heads. Also, we create memories with our loved ones like sitting around the dining room table celebrating a new job, a promotion, a birthday, or an engagement. There are other memories like the celebration of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with our family members and friends. These memories make our houses our homes. People are looking for quick fixes to solve the housing crisis. However, quick fixes rarely stand the test of time.

According to a recent edition of USA Today, the battered economy may be leading to higher rates of domestic violence.  For the victims of domestic violence the predators live inside their homes. Their memories seem more like nightmares? They are in the midst of a housing crisis. Their household has become a living hell and they live in constant fear of their batterer. Most of us know someone who is affected by domestic violence. One in four women are affected. Just as the mortgage crisis has affected people from all socio-economic statuses, domestic violence affects people of all socio-economic statuses. No group of people is immune. 

Whether persons are victims of domestic violence, victims of a banking system that has run amuck, victims of our own irresponsibility, or victims some other unfortunate circumstance, most likely all persons experience the fear factor.  We experience the fear factor at the point where our confidence begins to erode in relation to our place of security. Thus, we can experience the fear factor in any area of our life where we lack confidence. Likewise, lack of security in any area of life is like experiencing a housing crisis.

Some of us fear commitment so we go from one relationship to another without forming any lasting and meaningful relationships. We don’t want to be tied down to another person because they might restrict our freedom. In the end, this fear stunts our growth as a person of God, therefore; we never experience the life transformation that comes from godly relationships. We are in the midst of a housing crisis.

Some of us fear growing old because we don’t know what to expect in our golden years. We look at our parents and wonder if we will have the same health complications as them. We fear that our children might to be there for us. We look at our retirement accounts which have been devastated by the current economic environment and wonder if we will have enough money to sustain us. We are in the midst of a housing crisis.

Some of us fear our future because we think we might make a mistake that will negatively affect ourselves and the people that we love. While others fear sins from our past will eventually catch up with us and come to light. The danger is that we become so backward and forward looking that we fail to see what God is doing now. We are in the midst of a housing crisis.

Some of us fear losing our jobs because we could potentially lose everything that we have worked so hard to acquire. After all doesn’t the bible say, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat”? (2 Thessalonians 3:10) We all want to eat, right? Yet, Psalms 23:5 tells us that the Shepherd prepares a table for us. We are in the midst of a housing crisis.

We have built physical houses, houses of individualism, houses of youth, houses of control, houses of work, and other houses that I have failed to mention. We have built these houses with the expectation of security. Yet, when the big bad devil comes and huffs and puffs we become fearful. Admittedly, fear is a natural response to some situations. As Christians we should not pretend that we are stoics. In fact, sometimes fear is good. For example, I will not stick my hand in boiling pot of water because I fear the consequences of that action. Additionally, we should have a reverential fear of God. This does not mean that we ought to be afraid of God. It simply means we should have the highest respect for God. In respect to ungodly fear, it too can become a house. We must have the courage and the faith to leave the house of fear. The devil is a batterer and he will eventually kill you if you remain in the house of fear.

In Psalms 23:6, David expresses faith that God the Shepherd-Host will extend “goodness and love” to him for the rest of his life. Likewise, we too must have faith that God the Shepherd-Host and Jesus the Good Shepherd are extending grace (goodness and love) to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. The good news is that this grace will follow us. Grace follows us into the green pastures. Grace restores our souls. Grace follows us into the dark valleys of life. Grace invites us to the table. Grace follows us all the days of our lives and grace will lead us home. God’s grace follows us because it is at work in us.

God has a house that is different from our houses of stone, brick, mortar, and wood. God’s house is eternal. Meaning that it shall never pass way, and it is a spiritual place of eternal security. It is located in the peaceful place called the kingdom of Heaven. The quality of life is eternal. Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd is the gate to this house. (John 10:1-21) If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are in the midst of a spiritual housing crisis. Eternal security in found through him. If you listen closely you can hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling out to all of humanity. This is the grace of God at work, calling forth the lost sheep. When you accept Jesus Christ, eternal life begins in the here and now. Remember we are Jesus’ sheep and he cares for us. His house can never be taken away from us!

Connection Points

Connect Heads:

What is the House of God?

What can we do as a community of faith to help victims of domestic violence?

When do we receive Eternal Life?

Connect Hearts:

What is your biggest fear? Please explain the origin of this fear.

Tell the group about a time when one of your biggest fears actually became reality.

How do you calm your fears? Be specific.

Connect Hands:

Draw a picture of how you feel when you experience fear. Be creative

Make a list of all your fears.

Pray

Connect Homework:

Read your list of fears.

Search for scriptures in the bible that relate to your specific fears.

Think of ways to apply your lives to these scriptures. (Yes, I meant to phrase it this way)

Pray for discernment and ask God to remove all of these fears.

 

 

The Table of Inclusion: A Place of Healing

This Week’s Connection Topic

             The Care and Direction of God (Providence)

God is at work in our lives and cares about us.

Psalm 95:7

7 for he is our God
       and we are the people of his pasture,
       the flock under his care.

This is week 6 of our 7 week message series “The Devil’s Toolbox.” Each week we will explore a different tool used by the Devil to keep us from experiencing the peace and joy that God intends for us to have in our lives. Also, these tools are used to keep us from growing more loving toward God, ourselves, and our neighbors. This week’s tool is the tape measure.  When we are hurt, the Devil wants to hand us a tape measure to help us see extent of our hurt. The devil wants us to return the same measure of hurt to those how have hurt us. We as members of God’s flock must turn to the care and direction of God so that we receive healing from our hurts and the freedom to forgive those who hurt us. We the flock are also called to be a community  of faith and grace, where we invite all to be in relationship with the Good Shepherd and the flock.

Connecting to Us: Psalm 23:5

The high school cafeteria is often a place of inclusion or exclusion depending on who you are in the social hierarchy.  There are tables for the athletes, cheer leaders, nerds (I was kind of a nerd/athlete hybrid) geeks, skateboarders, stoners, etc. These tables are assigned neither by the teachers nor by the school administration.  The students have created their own social network systems.  None of these young people have to discern where they will sit. The table is a place of fellowship for members of their group.  Each member of the group has a sense of belonging. I believe that we all desire to find a place where we belong and be in relationship with others. Yet, these groups are not places of perfect internal harmony.  Sometimes members of these groups have disputes that cause hurt.

There are some young people who do not neatly fit into any particular category or group.  Where do they sit? These young people often become easy targets for bullies because they sit alone. Therefore, the cafeteria can be a place of hurt for those who are isolated by the rest of the high school students.  At this point many of you may be wondering, “How is this relevant to my adult life?” When we were children, we talked like children, thought like children, and reasoned like children, but now that we are adults we have put away childish things, right?  (1 Corinthian 13:11) Well, the truth remains that regardless of our ages or phase of life, we all need to be in relationship. The truth remains that we all want to be included rather than excluded. None of us truly want to be isolated. God created us to be in relationship with him and with others.  During life we will be hurt by accidents and illness, but the biggest hurts will come from our relationships with people. Paradoxically, we need to be in relationships with others, but relationships often cause us the most pain. The answer is neither to run nor hide from the people who have hurt you, nor is revenge the answer. (Psalms 94:1)  The Devil wants us to measure our hurts and return that same measure of hurt to our friends, family, and enemies who have caused us pain. Our faith in God must be made manifest in our fearless determination to sit down at God’s table of fellowship in the midst our enemies.

In Psalms 23:5, God is depicted as a gracious host. God is the shepherd-Host. In this verse, David is speaking directly to God. God the Shepherd-Host  has prepared a table for David in the presence of his enemies. God shows David radical hospitality even though David has fallen short many times. David’s relationships with the women, his children, government officials, foreign powers, and his people were sources of pain as well as great joy. When we read the whole of the psalms, we see that David at times felt isolated from everyone including God, although God was always present.  We can hear the hurt and the agony in psalms but we can also hear the joy.  God invites us to sit at the table. We are invited to bring our hurts. In fact God expects us to bring our wounded bodies and souls to the table. God the Shepherd-Host desires to heal our wounds with his abundant grace.  He desires to anoint our heads with oil. This oil serves as protection from our enemies. Also, the anointing signifies that God has set us aside to a holy purpose.  The Psalms 23:5 is a picture of grace.  Thus, we are able to clearly see God’s unmerited love shown to David. It is by the same grace through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we are healed. A healing balm flows from Emanuel’s veins covers our wounds.

We as a community of faith and as individuals are called to model this picture of grace for those who have been wounded by relationships. First, we must ask ourselves: Do we participate in the exclusion of others from the table of fellowship? Exclusion involves both explicit and implicit actions.   Have we become one of the groups in the high school cafeteria? In order to answer, this question it might be helpful to take a look around the community and then take a look at our community of faith. Next we should ask ourselves: Who is missing from our table?  Then we must pursue a course of action that will seek to include those who are missing from the table.  When we invite the excluded we are participants in sharing God’s grace/love with others. God’s hands and feet are made manifest in the world through our actions. Our Neighborhood Groups ministry is dedicated to reaching the excluded in our neighborhoods. Our goal is to invite people to come and sit at  tables in our homes or at least share couches, so that we can grow more loving toward God, our neighbors, and ourselves through discussion of God’s word and its application for our lives.

Connection Points

Connect Heads

What part of our worship experience best represents the table of fellowship in Psalms 23:5?

What is grace?

Psalms 23:5 uses a table and a cup to provide a picture of grace. What is your personal picture of grace? In other words, what does grace look like? (Metaphor)

Connect Hearts

Have you ever felt excluded? Share a personal story of exclusion. Did you feel the presence of God during this time?

Have you ever sought revenge for the hurt that someone caused you? How did that work for you?

Connect Hands

Draw a picture of grace on a separate piece of paper. (Your Metaphor for Grace)

Write down a list of the hurts that you still struggle to overcome. Next to each hurt, list the name of the person who caused you to experience that hurt. If you are personally responsible for causing someone to experience hurt, write down their name.

Pray

Connect Homework

Pray:

1. Ask God to heal you of your hurts

2. Ask for the strength to forgive those who hurt you. Pray for each of them by name.

3. Confess your sins against others. Pray for each of the persons you have sinned against. Include their names in your prayer.

4. Repent: Experience a change of heart and mind by asking God to empower you through the Holy Spirit to turn from your past patterns of behavior.