Author: Pastor Doug

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.

Our scripture this morning is Genesis 1:1-2 (NLT).

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

“In the beginning…”, it doesn’t go back any further than that. God decided to make everything according to His plan. God created all that is “ex nihilo”, out of nothing. There were no raw materials already here to be put together. God spoke and things were made by His Word.

We read more about this in John 1:1-3 – “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.” This is our savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him we would not exist and without Him we cannot be saved.

Colossians 1:16 tells us “for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.” God has a plan for all of creation and that includes each one of us. He has called us by name and wants only good things for us. We are eternally connected to Him.

Heavenly Father, You created everything that is in love, and You send us to share Your love with all the earth. Bless us to be obedient and energetic disciples, using the gifts You have given us for the good of all. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (NLT).

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

Paul takes a specific action, giving glory to God while eating and drinking, and then expands that to all our behavior. He gives us an example of not doing something, even if we know it is alright personally, if it will cause harm to someone else. His words about pleasing people don’t mean we ignore what we have been taught, but we take into account the situations of others and follow Christ’s example.

The illustration in this passage (eating food offered to idols) is difficult for most of us to understand because it is not something we encounter as they did in Paul’s time. If we focus on the lesson – not doing something that will cause someone else to fall – we can better relate to the teaching.

Paul’s point here is we must be conscious of the example we set as followers of Jesus. There are things in life that we are confident about as believers that may be of concern to those that are not or are not in the same place we are spiritually. Paul writes “I do what is best for others so that many may be saved”, an admonition to know the needs and fears of our brothers and sisters that we might share God’s love and the peace it brings.

Loving Lord, help us to see where we can be Your hands and feet, bringing the Good News to all Your children. Bless us to be a gentle example of Your love in the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 John 4:10-11 (NLT).

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

In this passage John combines two of scripture’s most important teachings: God loved us so much He sent His Son to save us (John 3:16) and love one another (John 13:34). Both of these are statements from Jesus Himself, and they mirror what He said is the Greatest Commandment – love God and love one another (Matthew 22:37-39).

When we hear repeated teaching it means two things – first, it is very important. When we are told things multiple times, it is something we really need to know! Second, it sadly reminds us of how stubborn we can be as humans and that telling us once is not enough.

When we accept God’s forgiveness, loving Him and each other is no longer an option, but a way of life. How we thought and acted previously is completely changed. This is the gift Jesus brought us, to be reconnected with our Heavenly Father forever.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for our disobedience and lack of love for our brothers and sisters. Forgive us and bless us to go in Your name to share the gift of salvation with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 103:2-4 (NLT).

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

This psalm speaks of God’s goodness, perfection, compassion and forgiveness (Filament Bible Study). It offers Him our praise and thanks for the blessings He provides. Even before Jesus came to be with us, this passage sings that God “redeems me from death”, His promise of eternal life for those who accept His love.

There was a tendency in ancient societies to associate illness with sin, God punishing us for our actions. We know that God doesn’t work that way, that He wants only the best for us. We read “He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases”, exactly what Jesus did while He was with us.

Many times we find this connection between the Old Testament and New Testament teaching, because God’s love is consistent and unchanging in eternity. He has been sending His love to us through different means since we were created. God offers us the gift of eternal connection to Him, something only He can give. When we say yes to His love, we can be forgiven and freed from sin’s grasp forever.

Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the number of times we rely on ourselves rather than You. Forgive us and bless us to be the disciples of today, going in Your name to all the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Philippians 2:13-15 (NLT).

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Paul writes to the church at Philippi, encouraging them (and us) to “do everything without complaining and arguing.” Complaining and arguing seem very prevalent in our world today, and it is up to us as the children of God not to be part of this, but to shine the light of God’s love on everyone. He reminds us “God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him.”

In another letter, Paul expresses it like this: “God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us” (1 Corinthians 12:6). We must remember our connection to Him and each other, and see that while others may be doing it differently, we are all part of His kingdom work.

We are all gifted by God to do our part. Later in this letter Paul says “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). God is present in our lives, standing with us in an often dark world. When we put our trust in Him, He will work through us.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we forget our gifts and the work goes undone. Bless us to be obedient and energetic workers for You, sharing Your love with the world. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (NLT).

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Paul tells the Corinthians that not only are we saved by Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we are called to be part of what He is doing for humankind. He says we are “Christ’s ambassadors”, representing His kingdom to the world. What a wonderful assignment!

We see in Jesus what we were intended to be before we chose our own way instead of His. In spite of the fact that Jesus never sinned, He was willing to give Himself up for us, paying the debt we could never cover. This is the most important thing we will ever learn – we can’t do it ourselves.

Jesus is not only our Savior, He is our example. Acts 17:28 takes it further saying “For in Him we live and move and exist.” We remember hearing in John 1 “In the beginning was the Word” and “through Him all things were made.” Jesus is the reason we exist at all and the only way we can be reconciled to the Father.

Loving Lord, we are thankful for the gift of Your Son, sent to save us. Bless us to be responsible ambassadors of Your kingdom and Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is John 15:4-5 (NLT).

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Jesus reminds us that like the branches of a vine we must be continuously connected to Him in order to thrive and be fruitful. In Psalm 80:8-9 we read “You brought us from Egypt like a grapevine; you drove away the pagan nations and transplanted us into your land. You cleared the ground for us, and we took root and filled the land.” Israel is often referred to as God’s vineyard, a reminder of how His people are rooted in Him.

Like a branch that doesn’t grow correctly, we have not always developed and produced fruit for the kingdom. Earlier in this passage Jesus says “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (John 15:2). God wants us to grow in our love for Him and one another and is active in our lives when we accept His love.

Unlike a branch, we can be reconnected through repentance. When we come to God and earnestly want to be better people, we can receive His forgiveness. He is always ready to welcome us back as one of His children.

Patient Lord, we are sorry for the times we have fallen short of Your will for us. Forgive us and help us to be fruitful in our faith, sharing Your love everywhere. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT).

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

Jeremiah tells a disobedient society that there will be consequences for their sin. However, he also reminds them that God is still there for them. He writes “blessed are those who trust in the Lord”, a promise from God that He is always with us, even when we have fallen.

The children of Israel had turned from their connection to the one true God and were worshipping idols (Jeremiah 17:1-6). This is what caused humans to fall into sin, not trusting in what God had taught us and believing in our own strength and wisdom. It never works out well!

Jeremiah says this isn’t the end, that we can come back to God in repentance and our relationship can be restored. The rest of this chapter speaks of what God expects from His people and the terrible results of not putting our hope and confidence in Him. As we hear in Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Like the people of Jeremiah’s time we can rely on the Lord even in difficult circumstances.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our lack of faith and our attempts to do it our own way. Bless us to be obedient in our lives and energetic in our discipleship. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is 1 Peter 4:8 (NLT).

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 

Jesus spoke of love as part of the Greatest Commandment, to love God and each other. Later He says “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35). Peter writes here that “love covers a multitude of sins”, that when we love and forgive as Jesus does we demonstrate a Christian life to the world.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul tells us “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” Peter, John and Paul, three of Christ’s most familiar followers all preach the same thing about love that Jesus taught. All of our work for the kingdom is done out of love.

While we all can know the forgiveness Jesus offers, we can hear it in all its wonderful, painful truth in the account of Peter denying Christ (Matthew 26:69-75) and being restored (John 21:15-19). We read of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9). Our experience with receiving His love and forgiveness may not be as dramatic, but it is no less important.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we fail. Forgive us and help us to bring the same love and forgiveness to all our relationships. Amen.