Author: Pastor Doug

Our scripture this morning is 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT).

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

Is hard work the way to salvation? That’s not what Paul is saying here. He is encouraging his student Timothy to work hard at spreading the Good News as a response to God’s love. There are others who are teaching false things and Timothy is Christ’s representative in the truth.

Paul writes that those who share the Gospel need not be ashamed of their previous lives. God has forgiven us and we are called to give up our shame as a testament to the mercy God offers. We can’t make ourselves worthy, but God has declared us worthy as children created in His image.

Paul tells us that we must “correctly explain the word of truth.” Scripture is neither a license to do as we please, nor a stick to attack others. Scripture is an open, inviting hand that leads us to an understanding of God’s love and His plan for us. We all need this word of truth in our lives and we are sent by the Father to proclaim it to the world.

Loving Lord, help us to know Your will through our study of Your word. Bless us to be the disciples of today, carrying the Good News to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT). 

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Paul writes to warn and reassure the church at Corinth regarding temptation. He first says “if you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall”, regarding our tendency to rely on our own strength. If we say “we are above that”, Satan often says “challenge accepted!” Sin entered the world because we chose our own way!

Paul gave similar advice to his student Timothy, saying “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22). By staying in relationship with God and others of the faith, we can stand against the temptations of the world.

Finally, Paul says you’re not the only one affected by temptation, it happens to all of us. However, God has promised “not to allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.” He has shown us the way to be saved through Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, we often seem to run into temptation rather than away from it. Help us to see that our connection to You is the sure defense and stand firm against sin. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Mark 2:27-28 (NLT).

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

The concept of Sabbath was established by God Himself when He rested after His creating work (Genesis 2:1-3). He intended it as a time for us to rest in Him, to pause from our labor and enjoy our relationship with Him and each other. We are to honor our Creator by taking time to focus our attention on Him.

The Pharisees had put together a variety of Sabbath laws in an attempt to define what constituted “work” for the purpose of keeping Sabbath. As is often the case with us, the rules became more important than what they were intended to promote. The Pharisees accused the disciples of breaking the law because they picked grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:24).

As in many of these encounters I’m sure Jesus shook His head sadly. People have missed the point. He tells them “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.” God only gave us one commandment about Sabbath and that was to “keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). We are called to reconnect with our Father regularly through Sabbath, giving thanks for all we have and being refreshed for the tasks of the coming week.

Loving Lord, we are sorry when we are petty, putting human laws above human needs. Help us to remember Your Sabbath always, and share the joy we find in You with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Proverbs 27:17 (NLT).

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Sometimes a passage in Proverbs has a theme, sometimes they are just standalone wisdom. While today’s verse is somewhat related to the rest of the chapter, it has a direct connection to what Jesus has called us to do – to love one another and spread the Gospel.

This speaks to how tools were sharpened, one against another and both received a better edge. While this was perhaps a secondary purpose to what they were normally used for, it is essential that tools be kept sharp if they are to be useful.

In the same way, discipleship and sharing the Good News are our purposes in Christ. We must help each other stay sharp through prayer, study and fellowship as we minister to the needs of the world. Jesus uses us as His tools to reach all God’s children in love.

Heavenly Father, bless us to use our gifts wisely, staying sharp and focused on our purpose. May we go in Your name to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Hebrews 13:15-16 (NLT).

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

When Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, the need to perform personal sacrifices ended. Nothing we could give will ever come close to His gift for us. He is the perfect offering against sin for all time. So why does the author of Hebrews encourage us to “offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God”?

This is the new form of sacrifice we are to give, the praise and worship of our Father. We are to “proclaim our allegiance to His name”, showing the world we belong to Him. We shouldn’t have to tell people we are Christians, they should recognize us by our love.

We need to remember the two “Greats”, the Greatest Commandment, to love God and others as ourselves; and the Great Commission, to make disciples of all people. It is an awesome thing to be part of Christ’s work here!

Loving Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Son who saved us from sin and death. Bless us to go to the world sharing the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Revelation 3:20 (NLT).

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

This verse is part of Christ’s message to the Church of Laodecia, whom the Lord describes as “neither hot nor cold” (Revelation 3:16). They have lost their zeal for the Great Commission and are just going through the motions of faith, not living it out.

Jesus says “we will share a meal together as friends” which brings to mind The Lord’s Supper, but He also means everyday table fellowship. During His earthly ministry he often ate with “sinners and tax collectors” (Matthew 9:10-13). Luke 19:1-10 tells the story of Jesus going to eat with Zacchaeus. There are numerous passages of Him having dinner with those that the society of that time deemed unacceptable.

The key message in this passage is “I stand at the door and knock.” We must each open that door for ourselves. Jesus wants to come into our lives (or back into our lives) and be part of all we do. Have we become lukewarm in our faith? We seem to have enthusiasm for all manner of other things. May our relationship with Him energize our discipleship and send us to share His love.

Gracious God, You have gifted us generously in order to spread the Good News. Bless us to be the disciples of today, going in Your name to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 1:1-5 (NLT).

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

The poetic opening of John’s Gospel reminds us of the opening of Genesis, which is the opening of everything. It tells us that Jesus the Word was the means of creation and “nothing was created except through him.” Jesus has been part of what goes on in the world from the start.

This passage says “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” This phrase is part of the hymn “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” where we sing “light and life to all He brings.” Without Jesus there is no light or life.

It also means His light came to everyone that they would know God’s truth and be reconciled to Him. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus tells us “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” We reflect His light and love, bringing the Good News to everyone.

Loving Lord, in Your mercy You made a way for us to be forgiven and reconnect to You. Bless us to be light and love to all Your children. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Jude 1:20-22 (NLT).

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.

The Letter of Jude is a book that contains a lot of great information in a very short space. It is only a single chapter, but it has impacted generations of Christians. This passage speaks of our duty to each other in the faith, calling us to “build each other up.”

It reminds us that Christ’s return is assured, but we must wait for the time the Father has appointed. Waiting is not something we are naturally inclined to, preferring to take action ourselves. This is often the cause of our issues, leading us to trust in our own methods rather than what we have been taught.

Jude writes that even those “whose faith is wavering” deserve our love and care. He specifically tells us to show them mercy, as Christ Himself would do. Jesus intentionally sought out those who had no hope and showed them God’s love. We are all called to go in His name to do the same.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You sent Your son to show us how to live in You and for You. Bless us to take the love we have received into the world and share it with everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 27:4 (NLT).

The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

During their time of wandering in the desert the children of Israel had the Tabernacle as their place to meet the Lord. Later they came to the Temple and local synagogues for community worship. Now we have churches in many different forms. In some ways this would be a great way to live, sheltered from the hazards of the world.

However, Jesus tells us our mission is out in the world, where people need saving. We gather with the faithful for praise, worship and to renew our strength, but we are called to go to the world with the Good News. Waiting for people to come to us is not effective discipleship.

Enjoy time with your community of faith this Sabbath, but remember that we are called to take this joy out with us where it can grow. God has provided His presence through the Holy Spirit and we don’t have to be anywhere special to be with Him. We can live in the house of the Lord wherever we are.

Heavenly Father, bless our time together today. May we go into Your world refreshed, ready to share the Gospel everywhere. Amen.

Mom is home from the hospital, continuing with meds and physical therapy to regain strength. Bless you all for your prayers for her!

Our scripture this morning is Luke 6:36-37 (NLT).

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

Jesus preached an extravagant standard of forgiveness, telling Peter to forgive “Not seven times, but seventy times seven!” (Matthew 18:22). This doesn’t mean 490 times but so many times we forget to count. In this same way God forgives us, saying “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Jeremiah 31:34), quoted also in Hebrews 8:12.

God has forgiven us so much, how could we be unforgiving toward others? This passage concludes Jesus’ teaching here about loving our enemies, a difficult subject as we know. Most of us are way too good at judging and not so hot on love and forgiveness.

We need to forgive those who do not follow the way Jesus taught and love them just the same, because that’s exactly what He did. His love and forgiveness is based on who we are at the deepest level, children made in God’s image. When we forgive those who don’t treat us well, we show the world His love in action.

Gracious God, in Your mercy You made a way for our sin to be blotted out. Bless us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Amen.