A Mighty Mantra

Max Lucado wrote a powerful daily affirmation I want to explore to help us prepare for communion. We will look at three major pillars of truth we can control in this mantra:

“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. To these, I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.”

First, he commits his day to, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” What does he do if he succeeds?  If I succeed, I will what?

• A.  Create an Instagram shrine dedicated to my accomplishments? 

• B.  Hastily move on to the next item of concern forgetting God’s blessings?

Nope, I'll just humble myself and give thanks.  I will make it clear Christ is in control. 

• Jesus is the hand, and I am the glove. I can’t, but He can. I will learn to let him. 

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. To these, I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

We give him thanks for his success. What do I do if I fail?  If I fail, I will:

• A.  Wallow in a nice big warm pool of self-pity

• B.  Question my life choices, or 

• C.  Blame the dog (or cat) for my misfortune. 

Nope, If I fail I will seek his grace. After all, even the dog and cat deserve a break! 

What is His grace? Undeserved favor from God. Undeserved kindness from God

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. To these, I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

• At the end of the day, I will place my head on my pillow, and what?

• A,  Ruminate on my failures? 

• B. Overthink what I said that I shouldn’t have said.

Nope. I will place my head on my pillow and rest. Easier said than done, but with His help, we can! Communion is about reflecting on who we are in Christ. We check our hearts. We praise him for victories. We pray for forgiveness. We celebrate his grace. Then we rest in His arms. 

Let’s pray: Help us live with this kind of powerful mindfulness and integrity. Jesus helps us focus on life-changing qualities like love, joy, peace, and patience, kindness, and self-control. Father, we recognize that we're all fallible. Help us embrace your grace when we falter so that we might grow into resilient representatives for you. Father, might we be able to rest our heads at night knowing that you rule and are in control?

Opportunity to Draw Near

What do we take for granted? What are some things or people that we fail to properly appreciate or notice? For instance:

1. Air conditioning (in cars/ homes): I remember fans in windows as kids

2. Indoor bathrooms- People had outhouses in cold temps like this!

3. Be able to listen to whatever song you want whenever you want- Used to have to sit by our radio with cassette waiting for our favorite song to come on to hit record

4. Our internet is out right now and it is such a pain. 

5. Being able to drive or fly anywhere you want within days.

6. Electricity! Have a power outage and see how much you appreciate being able to take a shower, cook food in the microwave, or turn on a light.

7. My wife: Amazing! 

Could you imagine living in the 1800s or earlier and coming to the 2020s? Your minds would be blown. The list is extensive in Christianity. As we prepare for communion, I ask for you to join me in reading Hebrews 10:19-22: 

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Could you imagine life before Jesus? The only way you could reach the Holy of Holies (or intimacy with God) was if you were a high priest and once a year you would pass the curtain in the temple to have a once-in-a-year opportunity to be near God.

When Christ died, that curtain was torn so that we could approach God (our amazingly beyond imagination creator) and be with Him every second of every day. We now have regular opportunities to draw near to Him! 

Having communion weekly has been criticized by some because people say the higher frequency will cause us to take its meaning for granted. May that never be the case! May it be a strongly anticipated moment where the weekly reminders only strengthen our relationship with Him! Would you pray with me?

Jesus, thank you for being God and being our connection to God. Holy Spirit, thank you for interceding for us when we can’t find the words. Father, now, help us not to miss the significance of this moment with you. Help us appreciate faith, hope, and love. Faith: Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. Hope: That you will come through. Hope for miracles. Love: that we will grow in our abilities to be patient, kind, not envious or boastful, or rude, not self-seeking, and not keep a record of wrongs. Always trust, hope, always persevere. Help us to never fail. More of you. Less of us.

The Power of the Proper Point of View

This morning, as we prepare for communion, I want to reflect on the power of the proper point of view. As a kid, I never went deer hunting. Growing up, I was always fascinated whenever I would see a deer in the wild. As I became older and would run on trails in the woods, seeing deer was always breathtaking and a "God" moment. Therefore, when I came to church a few weeks ago and saw this picture of these two deer (a doe and a buck), you can imagine my shock when my point of view changed. 

My perspective on this picture changed because my 11-year-old son took up deer hunting. Therefore, the prior two months, I had been learning everything I could and purchasing everything needed to go deer hunting. The morning before seeing this picture, we saw several deer and almost had a shot at a few bucks. Now, seeing this picture reminded me of what we missed the day before and I began contemplating how we might do things differently when we see them again.

Realizing my perspective had changed reminded me of another story told by Steven Covey. It is the story of two men in a subway. It is 6 AM and an older man is on his way to work. He has not yet had his coffee and is not a morning person. Another younger man gets on the subway with two little boys appearing to be around the age of 5 years old. They look as though they have not slept and are running, jumping, yelling, and being very unruly. When the older man can't take it anymore, he finally says to the younger man, "Why don't you control your kids?" The younger man gasps and apologizes stating, "I am sorry. I am at a loss. We have been at the hospital all night and were just told their mother is not going to make it." The older man's attitude completely changes. He goes from wanting to put the man and kids in their place to wanting to do anything to help.

Christmas brings about challenging times with relationships. This morning, as we prepare for communion I want to encourage you to reflect on God's perspective. He loved us so much that he died for us. Despite our sins, he died for us. His law is love and His gospel is peace. Let's pray:

Father, thank you for loving us even though we don't deserve it. As we eat and drink at your table, we praise you for your unconditional love and for forgiving us of our sins. Father, help us. As we prepare for a season of family gatherings, there are lots of emotions. Help us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Help us to make every effort to do what is right in the eyes of everyone and to live at peace with everyone. Help us have the right point of view. Helps us to see others the way you see us. In Jesus' name. Amen

When Two Truths Are In Conflict With One Another

As we prepare for communion this morning, I want to ask a question: how do you handle two things being true at once when they are in conflict with each other? 

Imagine having a brother and a sister and being a young adult. You all grew up with Jesus and are extremely close friends. You have come to know Jesus as the real deal! He is the most loving person you have ever met. It has been amazing to witness and hear of all of his miracles. There was the time he turned water into wine, the time he fed 5000 with a few loaves of bread and pieces of fish, the times he calmed the storm and walked on water, and you can’t forget the time he made the blind man see, and one of your personal favorites was when he arranged for a fish to be caught with a coin in it’s mouth to pay taxes. You can’t resist asking him monthly to repeat that one to help pay off your loan on the donkey you bought a year ago!

Sadly, Jesus is away when your brother gets sick and declines fast. He declines so fast that he suddenly dies. You seek the help of Jesus by having a friend find him to notify him and ask for Jesus to return. You wait. One day goes by and you wonder if Jesus got your message. Two days go by, but you know better than to give up hope in Jesus. 

With each passing hour, your heart is breaking, your emotions are getting stronger, and you feel torn. You battle feelings of trying to just want to be with Jesus during this difficult time and with selfish feelings that you want him to come and fix this problem. You are not sure how, but you believe Jesus can heal your brother, you just aren’t sure if he will. Then, another day passes. You find yourself in agony over the loss and confusion about where one of your best friends has gone.

As we prepare for communion this morning, I want to ask how you handle two conflicting truths? You are doing the best you can, but things just aren’t working. You love Jesus, but you keep failing. You are praying for healing, but sickness remains. You know Jesus is always with you, but you feel alone. You need a miracle, but he doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers. 

I want to remind you that Jesus died because of two conflicting truths. God loves us more than we can imagine, but he can’t tolerate our sins. Fortunately, Jesus worked out this dissonance through his death on our behalf.

Before we pray and take communion, imagine one more time. Imagine being there, when Jesus arrives. You are frozen with emotion and cannot move. Your sister runs out to greet him. But then he calls you to him. Imagine him weeping with you over your sorrow. You realize the creator of this amazing earth cares so much to weep when you weep. Then, imagine the exhilaration when he heals your brother. Impossible! He brings your brother back to life! 

Let’s pray:

Father, as we come to your table this morning, we are in awe reflecting on your miracles like raising Lazarus from the dead and for conquering death. Thank you for weeping when we weep. We confess our sins. Just like Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, help us to have faith knowing that your ways are best and that you are in control. Right now, we acknowledge you as the resurrection and the life. We know that when we believe in you, we will live, even though we die; and as we live by believing in you that we will never die.

PR

 PR. 

In cross country, a major goal is to PR. To PR means to achieve a personal record. In other words, the goal is to get a faster time. I love to go to the Cross Country meets and watch the runners strive toward PRs. They train all week long working on their fitness, their diet, their sleep, and mental and spiritual health. Yesterday, after the race, I noticed one runner who was upset because he didn’t PR. He was frustrated. He did not want to talk to anyone. His competitive nature and desire to succeed were clear and appropriate. He needed some time to think. 

I had witnessed him running, and I saw him run his best race. His form was great, his breathing was controlled, he was confident, and appeared to be moving faster. I did not want him to be discouraged because I knew he just ran his best race, but you just couldn’t appreciate it because of the numbers. To me, it was clear this had been one of the most challenging courses he had run because of the sharp 90 and 180-degree turns with lots of hills. While the numbers or the time didn’t show it, the runner ran his best race.

As believers, we come to communion to remember Christ’s sacrifice and to examine our hearts. We check our hearts. We reflect on our week. Where did we represent Christ well? Where did we not represent him well? Our goal is to grow in Christ and help others do the same. 

I want to encourage you to consider your course. As you reflect, did you run an easy predictable course this week? Maybe you were able to go on vacation and everything went well. There were no difficult tests and all of your friends got along well. Or, did you run a challenging course? Perhaps you took on new servant leadership activities. Maybe you got some bad news or things didn’t go your way. 

As you reflect, what kind of training can you do to prepare for the more challenging courses of life? I want to encourage you to keep reading His word and memorizing His scripture. Keep spending time learning and growing with other believers and seeking guidance. Praise God when you succeed and you can see the spiritual fruit. Pray for wisdom as you reflect on those things in which you are failing. Never stop training and never stop running the race! 

Philippians 3:14 NIV

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Let’s pray

When You are in the Middle of "Nowheresville"

A few weeks ago, we returned from a 5300-mile round-trip to Yellowstone, many times traveling through “nowheresville,” as one of my adventure-loving kids calls it,  stopping at several national parks along the way. We ventured through nine different states and stopped at 24 different gas stations.

After driving our nerd mobile with 180,000 miles through the Rockies, Grand Teton National Park, Canyonlands, and Arches National Park in 104 degrees weather, you might be able to appreciate why I grew concerned when I heard a disheartening grinding sound coming from the driver's side front wheel. Needless to say, when arriving at some of our 24 stops, I could be seen walking around the van, checking it over, monitoring the tire pressure, checking the brake rotors, as if I knew what I was doing, looking for fluid leaks, etc. I would top off the gas because we wouldn’t know when our next gas station would come, because, you know, we were in Nowheresville, I would clean the windows, and take the trash out of the inside to keep it nice and orderly. Well, Amanda did that. I found each gas station to be a place of peace in a sense. It was representative and symbolic of a momentary time to refuel and make sure things were right. 

Maybe you can understand how this relates to our communion time. Maybe your breaks are heating up or grinding a little. Maybe your tank is empty or maybe it’s only a few gallons low. Either way, don’t miss this moment. Use this time to reflect and reconnect your spiritual journey with the Lord. I want to help you do that.

Would you pray with me? Father, we know you have spectacular views, amazing things to learn, and life-changing experiences for us to embrace through your will, as we pursue your great commission. Thank you for giving us this amazing adventure of life. We confess that sometimes we feel like we are in nowheresville. Sometimes, even though we know where we are, our GPS tells us where we are, and our backup, atlas even shows our location, we may still feel alone or homesick.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭ Pray about 3-4 things of which you thank God for this week.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬  Think of 3-4 things that you need to confess to him this morning. Take this moment to ask for forgiveness.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Pray for help from the Holy Spirit to change the way you think and give you the strength to create new habits of thought and habits of action.

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭23‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fourth of July Weekend: Responsible Freedom Communion Meditation

Communion on Fourth of July Weekend 

As we prepare for communion on independence day weekend, I think of one key point:

1. Are we good stewards of our Freedom?

1. We are free as a nation. How are we doing? 

2. We have to learn how to use our freedom responsibly. We have to be good stewards of our freedom.

3. Personal- Jesus died for our freedom and realized most of us do not experience freedom immediately. We continue to work out our freedom in Christ.

4. We are free spiritually, how are we doing? When are you the freest spiritually? I asked some of our youth for input from Zoomerang and Peak church camp, but before I share their thoughts I want to give an example of how I had to learn to use my freedom wisely.

This reminded me of moments of freedom I experienced for the first time. I will share one:

1. Freedom to drive at 16. Buddies would have Nintendo Night. Play Tecmo Bowl tournaments. Go to the grocery store because we could buy whatever we wanted. I would buy a whole bag of Donut Fair donuts. They tasted so good- 22- 15 now donuts. After that, I felt like I needed to wash my face and run for five hours to get the grease and sugar out of my system. Learn how to manage freedom. Responsible freedom.

Communion? Jesus has given us freedom from Sin. We are forgiven. But as it states in Romans, 6, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ 

Here is a question: When have you been most spiritually free? Is it when you are on mountain peaks? Our Youth had an awesome week of church camp and VBS. I asked a few what they learned.

Zoomerang: Liam

God loves you no matter what. Can have fun knowing God has your back. God made you unique and in His image. You don’t have to be the way other people are.

Cohen: 

He said they were told, “You are on the Peak right now at camp. When you go home, you will come down the mountain. Stay strong. Just hold on to be free in heaven. Remain. God is always by your side. Draw near and He will draw near to you.” He went on to paraphrase the sermon on the mount from Matthew 5, “Lucky are those who know they are not good enough for they get into the kingdom of God. God is the only way.”  “Satan is the only enemy in our lives.  

Rachel: “Our temptation is to test God rather than trust God. There is a huge difference between tempting and testing. You can’t depend on your own intelligence, God is the only one you can truly depend on. Blessed are the poor in spirit, you’ll never be good enough. God is perfect so you don’t have to be.”

Both Rachel and Cohen said, “Right after Jesus’ baptism, Jesus needed to be tempted because he would lead us out of temptation.” “Satan tempts you and God tests you. God will only test you to see if you love Him.” 

Temptation is an opportunity to show God we love Him.We are most spiritually free when we live in a manner to show God that we love him. 

This morning, I want to lead us in meditation and prayer time on using our spiritual freedom responsibly. Let’s pray.

Father and Jesus, we come now praising you for our country. We thank you for our freedom here and for all who sacrificed and made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free. We reflect now on our spiritual freedom. We first want to confess our sins. We know we fall short. Thank you for forgiving us. We pray for strength and wisdom to use our spiritual freedom through the filter of love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, looking out for what is best for others, and making every effort to do what is right in the eyes of everyone and to live at peace with everyone.  In Jesus’ name. Amen

This is the first draft, but I did not use it because I decided to use more content from the kids' weak at camp at Round Lake and Zoomerang VBS:

As I reflect on our independence or freedom from tyranny, I think of a few key points:

1. Freedom is not free: Thank all the service members who have fought for our freedom and Jesus Christ who died for us. We were slaves to sin and He died so that we could be freed from that bondage and live with Him.  

2. Are we good stewards of our Freedom?

1. Country- Enslaved people who fought alongside free people hoping for freedom when the war was over. Most did not experience freedom immediately.

2. Personal- Jesus died for our freedom and realized most of us do not experience freedom immediately. We continue to work out our freedom in Christ.

3. We have to learn how to use our freedom responsibly. We have to be good stewards of our freedom.

Reminded me of moments of freedom I experienced for the first time. I will share a few:

1. Freedom to drive at 16. Buddies would have Nintendo Night. Play Tecmo Bowl tournaments. Go to the grocery store because we could buy whatever we wanted. I would buy a whole bag of Doughnut Fair doughnuts. Tasted so good- 22- 15 now donuts. After that, I felt like I needed to take a bath and run for five hours to get the grease and sugar out. Learn how to manage freedom. Responsible freedom.

2. No curfew. Stay out til 1-2 AM playing Euchre. Exhausted the next day. Wanted rules. Wanted to be grounded. Had to learn how to manage freedom. Responsible freedom.

3. Amanda and I were dating. My Sophomore year and her Freshman year of college. Lived in the same residence hall 20 seconds away. I timed it. Spend as much time together as we wanted. Was great for about two weeks and then we realized we had no life! We had nothing to talk about because we were constantly together! Learn how to manage freedom. Responsible freedom.

Communion? Jesus has given us freedom from Sin. We are forgiven. But as it states in Romans, 6, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ 

My most free moments are when I work out my spiritual freedom in love. When I frame my spiritual freedom in the context of loving others and the fruits of the spirit, I experience true peace, and freedom in Christ. That takes work. It does not come naturally.

This morning, I want to lead us in meditation and prayer time on using our spiritual freedom responsibly. Let’s pray.

Father and Jesus, we come now praising you for our country. We thank you for the freedom we have here and for all who sacrificed and made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free. We reflect now on our spiritual freedom. We first want to confess our sins. We know we fall short. Thank you for forgiving us. We pray for strength and wisdom to use our spiritual freedom through the filter of love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, looking out for what is best for others, and making every effort to do what is right in the eyes of everyone and to live at peace with everyone.  In Jesus’ name. Amen