Author: Pastor Doug

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 23:37 (NLT).

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”

Even as He entered Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna!” Jesus knew that the adulation of the people wouldn’t last. He came as the Lord of Love, conquering death and sin. Unfortunately, the people were looking for a king who would do it their way.

In His sorrow Jesus reprimands Jerusalem – but He means all of us! – for failing to hear God’s message and give up our selfish stubbornness. Luke 13:34 in the NLT is an exact duplicate of this verse. He laments over our willful disobedience when He offers us forgiveness and a new relationship with our Father.

“Jerusalem” exists spiritually wherever God’s love is ignored or rejected. Jesus still loves all of us, and we who claim His name are called to share that love everywhere. When He returns, He will gather all God’s children together to be with Him eternally.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for choosing our own way instead of the path of love Christ taught us. Bless us to be the bearers of the Good News, carrying Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 21:5 (NLT).

Tell the people of Jerusalem, “Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.”

In the verses prior to this, Jesus has His disciples bring Him a donkey for His entrance into Jerusalem. The New Bible Commentary tells us that there are no other mentions in scripture of Jesus ever riding, so this is a symbolic act that Jesus wants people to see. Jesus wants people’s attention, not for Himself personally, but for His message.

In Isaiah 62:11 we read “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’” Zechariah 9:9 tells us “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.” Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophecies.

In spite of this, He is not the king the people expected, one who would throw off the Roman yoke and reign in triumph. His triumph is much larger than that, but we will have to suffer along with our Lord through this week. We know that our Redeemer lives, but it strengthens our faith to remember the sacrifice Jesus has made for us.

Loving Lord, in Your mercy You made a way for us to be saved through Your son, Jesus Christ. Bless us to be part of the work You do in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Galatians 5:13-14 (NLT).

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I feel our friends at bible.com have shared this passage several times already this year. In scripture when something is repeated multiple times it usually means it’s pretty important. Sadly, it also means that we as humans rarely get the lesson without numerous repetitions.

Paul warns us against using our freedom “to satisfy your sinful nature.” We must be careful not to abuse the gift we have been given by abusing each other. What we have been given also comes with a responsibility: we must share the Gospel with the world, no matter how the world treats us.

Through Christ’s sacrifice for us we are now free from the guilt and shame of sin. We are called to love God, love neighbor and make disciples. This is not out of obligation, but a joyful response to the gift of salvation we have been given.

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we have harmed one another out of selfishness. Forgive us and send us to love as You do and tell the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT).

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Contentment is a word we don’t hear used very much anymore. It’s almost as if being content with what we have and where we are in life means being lazy or unmotivated. That’s not how it works in God’s kingdom.

Paul says “I have learned the secret of living in every situation”, relying on God’s provision and doing what we have been called to accomplish. He reminds us that we have a higher duty than being well off. Even when Paul was imprisoned, he never stopped sharing the Gospel.

We need to understand that difficult times are not a punishment and when things are hard, we can count on God and grow from the circumstances. It also helps others in tough situations to see how faith sees us through. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us all.

Gracious God, we are sorry for the times we complain about our lives but fail to thank You for living at all. Without You, we are literally nothing. Bless us to share the Good News, no matter what we encounter, and tell everyone of Your love for us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Matthew 9:36-38 (NLT).

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Jesus really doesn’t need any help from us but He calls us to be part of His work in the world. He saw what a desperate situation people faced without a relationship to the Father. He chose a small group of everyday people, many of whom were simple fishermen, and said “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” (Matthew 4:19).

In this passage He likens our ministry of making disciples to the harvest. Like a crop, people need care and tending. In the old hymn Come, Ye Thankful People, Come we sing “Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.” Jesus says “The harvest is great, but the workers are few”, a sad commentary on our feeble faith sharing efforts.

After His resurrection Jesus told us “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). This is our Great Commission, called by Jesus Himself to carry on the work of discipleship everywhere. God has a plan for each one of us, and part of that plan is to tell the world of His love.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for Your forgiveness and Your invitation to be part of the kingdom work. Bless us to go in Your name to share the Good News with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT).

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

When God led His people out of Egypt He met them at Mount Sinai. In Exodus 25-31 He gives them instructions for building the Tabernacle, a place for them to meet Him. In 1 Chronicles 28 we read about the plans for the Temple in Jerusalem. All of these were to meet our needs, not His.

God certainly doesn’t need a building or a particular place to be with us. Jesus warned us “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” (Matthew 24:2). It’s not about the structure, it’s about us.

Paul tells us that we are God’s temple because His spirit lives in us. We are the church quite literally. While we may have a place to gather with our brothers and sisters to praise God, it’s only a church because we are there to meet the Lord. When we leave that building, God’s church goes into the world to spread His love.

Gracious God, thank You for Your love and presence with us through Your spirit. May we share the Gospel with the world and help others reconnect to You. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 54:17 (NLT).

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!

God has promised that those who put their faith in Him will be vindicated on the Day of the Lord. We may face difficulty here, just as God’s anointed Messiah did, but His final victory is not in doubt. We are called to live out our faith in Him, even when the world is against us.

Jesus faced opposition while He was here with us, and He answered every challenge with God’s word and His love. He warned us of this, saying: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” (John 15:18). The world in its selfishness wants things its own way and resists God’s law meant to protect us.

We must be ready to stand for the truth as Jesus did, living out God’s love for us and sharing it with all His children. The words God gave to the prophet Isaiah in this passage remind us that He created all that is, and nothing created can be greater than the Creator. God waits for us to accept His love and live in harmony with our brothers and sisters.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we contend with each other and disobey the law of love You have given. Forgive us and send us in Your name to share the Good News everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Acts 4:11-12 (NLT).

For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

Peter stands before the Sanhedrin, the high court of Israel, after being forbidden to preach in Jesus’ name. He speaks boldly of the gift of salvation that comes only through Christ the Lord. He uses a passage from Psalms in which the religious leaders perhaps see themselves: “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see” (Psalms 118:22-23). 

Peter uses this illustration again in his first letter, saying “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor” (1 Peter 2:4). The disciple who once denied knowing Christ now proclaims Him as our savior without fear.

Before sacrificing Himself for us, Jesus tells us “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This is the cornerstone of our faith, the solid rock on which God’s church is built. Come to Jesus for healing and forgiveness.

Heavenly Father, in Your mercy You made a way for us to be saved from our sin. Bless us to be eager disciples, telling the world of Your love for us. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT).

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Paul wrote several times in different letters about how we have died in Christ and are raised with Him. He teaches that when we accept Jesus as our savior we die to our old way of life and a new life begins. Our sins are forgiven and we can be blessed to share His love with the world.

In Colossians 3:1-2 he writes “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” When we choose to follow Jesus we think and act differently because of our connection to Him. While we may still live in the same place and have the same occupation, we now have a duty to bring the Gospel message to everyone.

He writes in Romans 6:4 “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” This change in our attitude and behavior is a visible sign that our lives are different when we experience the power of the Resurrection. When we walk with Jesus we can be His representatives, proclaiming the Good News to all.

Loving Lord, help us to see the redeeming love that You have shared with us and carry it to Your children. May we be effective workers for Your kingdom. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Exodus 33:14 (NLT).

The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

In this passage God gives Moses His promise to be with him and to give him rest. God had been with His people from the beginning, but now He formalizes that covenant. The people had been disobedient and God was unhappy, but He never withdrew His love. He continued to reach out for us, no matter what.

Centuries later God was with us through the gift of Jesus, His way of being present in that time. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus repeats God’s promise from Deuteronomy: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” God was again reaching out to us, letting us know that His love was still there for us.

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension, He promised to send us “another Comforter” (John 14:16) who would be present in our lives to guard and guide us. This constant contact with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit allows us to know God’s will and share our praise, thanks and concerns. God is always there for us, may we always be ready to answer His call.

Gracious God, You know our frailties and our habit of trying to do it our own way. Forgive us for our selfish actions and lead us through faith to the rest You have promised. Amen.