Link to Today's Sunday School Class

 Here is the link to notes for our Sunday School class today

Right Thinking Over Time With God's Help= Changed Life

I decided to not present the communion meditation I posted yesterday. I am using this instead:

Happy Thanksgiving. Things are about to get crazy! Parties, gifts, food, Christmas cards, concerts, Christmas lights, snow, snowball fights, ice- please be careful! The hustle and bustle! Exciting but stressful. This time can be wonderful, but it can also be super distracting. I would like you all to set aside all of the holiday feels right now and invite you to join me in a time of Christian meditation. Take a nice deep breath and sigh as you breathe out because God wants to give you peace right now. Right now, we focus on communion. Communion is about focusing on what matters. Jesus provides a great example of the power of proper focus. I would like to read from Hebrews 12:1-3, 

Hebrews 12:1-3

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

As Jesus endured the cross, we know he sweat blood and was in misery. But we are also told he scorned or “thought nothing of” the shame. We are told He felt a deep sense of joy knowing He would save the world. He could have called 10,000 angels and slaughtered all the evil people around him. However, His focus or His thinking was correct. His focus was not on himself but on what God would do through the cross for all humankind forever.

As we examine our hearts, we acknowledge our guilt and feel the shame of our sins. We are sorry. Godly sorrow leads us to eagerness for Him, alarm, longing, and concern that we need Him to make things right.

Communion is a time to repent. Do you know what repent means? Repent means right thinking. Communion is a time to think correctly about who we are- sinners who need a savior and who Jesus is- our perfect sacrificial lamb. We are all guilty. Our guilt leads us to the cross and a sense of relief and victory. As we focus on His love, our guilt leads us to accept His protection, His hope, His forgiveness, peace, grace, power, patience, kindness, gentleness, and through all of this, He makes us overcomers. 

You see, with right thinking about who we are in Him and what He can do through us, over time, with God’s help, He will lead us to a changed life. Here is an equation that I like to share. Right thinking/time with God’s help=changed life. Please join me in prayer:

Father, thank you for being faithful and just and for cleansing us from all unrighteousness. We know that w you, all things are possible. Thank you for carrying our shame. We confess we are guilty. But our shame isn’t what defines us. Jesus defines us. And even in the moments when our shame weighs on us heavily, we can look to you, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, knowing that He took our guilt and shame away forever. We pray for your guidance as we press on toward growing in our relationship with you. 

A Nice Big Helping of Guilt and Shame!

Happy Thanksgiving. At a time to reflect on all of the things we have to be thankful for, what better topic to discuss around the holidays than guilt and shame. 

Was the stuffing or Turkey that you cooked and brought to the meal gathering too dry? Did you forget to make the green bean mushroom soup casserole or leave it on the counter at home? Did you show up late to the family gathering or speak too harshly at your kids if they got a little carried away? Perhaps you said too much when discussing the latest political news and views or maybe you should have kept your mouth shut when your mother-in-law commented on your father-in-law’s toupe.  If so, maybe you also helped yourself to a nice big helping of guilt and shame for your ride home.

As your mind ruminated on these ideas perhaps you thought that the holidays are a microcosm of what really happens in life. That’s right, not only do you feel like a Thanksgiving loser, but now you feel like a big loser overall!

Well, good news! No one is perfect and no one is ever going to get everything right. In fact, we may make the same mistakes over and over again.  Like Browns fans, we always hope it will be better next year, but, the difference is that with Christ we will be victorious.

When it comes time for communion, we are faced with this reality of life. We are asked to examine ourselves. Examine our hearts. If you are sitting here right now struggling with focus and/or you feel like a big Thanksgiving loser, Jesus is encouraging us to not give up. 

The purpose of communion is to draw us to Him. To examine our hearts and remember and give thanks for Christ and His sacrifice for our sins. The purpose of this moment is to help us focus. If your mind keeps racing or you continue to make the same mistakes, don’t throw in the towel. Don’t allow feelings of guilt and shame to keep you from working on directing your heart and mind during this moment. 

Hebrews 12:1-3

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Father, thank you for being faithful and just and for cleansing us from all unrighteousness. We know that w you, all things are possible. thank you for carrying our shame. We confess we are guilty. But our shame isn’t what defines us. Jesus defines us. And even in the moments when our shame weighs on us heavily, we can look to you, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, knowing that He took our guilt and shame away forever. We pray for your guidance as we press on toward growing in our relationship with you. 

Communion: Sobering Celebration

Sobering: We focus on the undeserved death of Christ, His burial, and 

Celebration: His resurrection. 

Sobering: We remember we are unworthy, that we fail, but instead of wallowing in our guilt and shame 

Celebration: We celebrate our forgiveness, our unwarranted pardon, God's Grace, our new life in Christ, and our ability to relate w God as our Father in heaven. 

Would you all please take a deep breath and find a comfortable posture. I would like to pray and read some scripture to help direct our thoughts this morning.

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:17-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”   ‭‭

Ephesians‬ ‭4:2-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”   ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:12-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”    ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:35-39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wrestling Stance for Proper Prayer Posture?

As we prepare for communion, I would like to read 1 Corinthians 11:23-28.

When we examine ourselves, we think about our heart’s focus and our motives at this moment.  What do you do if you examine yourself and realize that you are not focused or your motives are wrong? 

I remember having a wrestling match scheduled immediately after church one Sunday morning. I was around nine years old.  I remember being so excited for my wrestling match, that since everyone was supposed to have their eyes closed during the last prayer, I got into my wrestling stance. I remember Dad catching me and correcting me and how embarrassed I was.  Wasn’t he supposed to have his eyes closed? That was a sign Christ was not my primary focus during that prayer. 

So how do we get focused and get our hearts right before taking communion? Well, it is a lifelong process. It is something we must practice. But to be a little more practical, I will share something we did at home. We prepared for communion beginning Sunday morning when we got out of bed. We had no TV and no secular radio. As we got older, that also meant no video games before church.  

In addition, this time of communion helps us focus on Christ, His death, burial, and His resurrection. It is a sobering celebration! 

If you are struggling to get focused this morning, remember you don’t have to be perfect. Don’t beat yourself up. Remember, He died so that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just. He will forgive us of our sins and all our unrighteousness.  He came so that we could have life and have it more abundantly!

With that said, as we pray, I am going to guide you through a prayer-based focus exercise to help:

Our father- You love us. You consider us your own, and you are patient and kind to us. Who art in heaven- You are not to be compared to or bound by rules of our earthly fathers. Hallowed be thy name- you are like no other god. You are set apart. Thy kingdom come- may your purposes be accomplished here on earth, thy will be done- it’s not about our will, but your will. On earth, as it is in heaven- May your will be accomplished here and in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Give us what we need right now and help us not worry about tomorrow, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgive us for our sins and help us forgive others. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Father, give us the strength to put love before earthly needs and protect us from evil.

Amen

Even the "Love Shack" song was tolerable

On July 15, I got to work a little before 7:00. I was speaking to a colleague in my office when I noticed a call from Columbus. Thinking it was spam, I let the call go to VM. After I met with my colleague, I saw the caller left a message. I listened to the message and discovered it was the Dean from Round Lake Christian Camp. He explained my daughter. had decided to be baptized on the last day of camp and wanted to make sure we were ok with it. I quickly called back and had to leave a message on his VM, but I couldn’t speak! I tried to leave a message and suddenly began crying! From where did those emotions come? I muddled out, “I don’t usually get emotional like this” (I didn’t want to admit weakness). 

I walked outside at work for better cell reception, and so no one could see me crying, and my co-worker, whose daughter went to Rivertree and was at the same week of camp as my daughter, pulled in. He had just received the same news about his daughter.

We walked into the office, and we were both happy. As we were reminiscing, we heard the “Love Shack” song by the B52s, and my colleague stated, I am so happy right now, “I normally hate this song, but I don’t mind it now.” We made a few dad baptism Jokes like, “we may want to hold them down a little longer to make sure it takes.” We won’t even talk about the emotions that flowed when I found out she wanted me to be the baptizer.

15 kids were baptized Friday night. My daughter remained close. It was kind of rainy, but the sun was sort of shining at the same time, and as the drops hit the water gently, the clouds parted and the sun shown down with a beacon of sun rays shining down on my daughter and the others. She smiled and said that God was shining on her, and I know He was.

The following day, she woke up, and my son said to her, “So, how was the first night sleeping after being baptized?”

She was excited to take her first communion, so she skipped the first half of Sunday school and participated in adult worship. She stated, “This grape juice is the best!” 

The next day was Monday, and my co-worker walked into the office. Looking at me, he said, “is your daughter acting exceptionally different since being home from camp?” I laughed and said she is eager to memorize all the books of the bible and is walking around very joyful, peaceful, and happy.”  He said, “I can’t lie, we may have got extra chores done around the house.”

Think back for a moment. Remember when you first believed? Do you remember the moment you accepted Christ, the moment you confessed? How about your baptism or the moments after a week of camp or a great retreat? Those moments are unique because they represent times we are wholly focused on Christ. We were deeply connected. Our God was big in our lives. Our father was all-knowing. He was all-forgiving. He was everywhere, and He was bigger than anything. Nothing was impossible for Him in our lives. In Psalm 51:12, David prayed that God would restore to him the joy of his salvation. He was asking that he would enjoy the fellowship with God he once knew.

The last time I spoke during communion, I talked about emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize and control our emotions as Christians. 

May we remember the love of Christ during this time of communion. May we remember the power of His resurrection. When we are at our best focusing on Christ, emotions seem to stabilize in the right direction, and nothing else matters. He will bring us to happy tears that will leave us speechless. Annoying songs will become less bothersome. We will be motivated to learn more about His word, we may get more done around the house, and we will be more aware of His presence. During those God moments, the clouds open up, the sun shines through, and we know that, yes, indeed, God is with us.

Let’s pray.

Emotional Intelligence and Communion

According to secular research, what would you say is the most significant predictor of future success in relationships, health, and quality of life?  It is believed that those with this skill can have an average IQ and outperform those with the highest IQ 70% of the time.

Emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is defined as “the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others.”

High emotional intelligence allows us to be self-aware of our feelings to help us keep our cool when we could quickly fly off the handle. It enables us to identify conflicting selfish feelings that keep us from putting others first, even if that means we will not get our way. It helps us identify feelings that make us want to lash out at others instead of speaking a calm word to create a peaceful solution. 

Many in corporate America are working to improve their emotional intelligence. Bosses are looking for emotionally intelligent employees, and millions of dollars are spent on seminars and books because emotional intelligence can be improved.

I find it interesting that many of us who have grown up in the church have been trained in emotional intelligence since we were kids. Sunday school and youth group classes taught us to love others. We have been taught that love means to be patient, kind, not envy, not boast, not be rude or proud, to always protect, trust, hope, and persevere.  We were taught to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. So with all of this training, how are we doing?

I want to invite you all to embrace the preaching on the Sermon on the Mount by Pastor Rick. Pray about it during the week. Read about it. Talk about it with your families. Jesus’ teachings help us improve our emotional intelligence.

Communion helps us focus on the importance of the first statement in the sermon on the mount:

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Happy are those who acknowledge their spiritual poverty. We need a savior.  When we realize how amazing it is that God enables us to be with Him through Christ, it drives us to love Him and others with is the foundation for improving our EI.

As you prepare for communion, reflect on how you are doing with your emotional intelligence. How well do you recognize your emotions and the emotions of others when you:

1. Don’t feel like it.

2. Don’t get your way.

3. Those around you let you down.

4. Others don’t meet your expectations.

As a church, let’s be leaders in our awareness of our emotions and how they impact others.  May we grow in self-discipline when it would be easier to react emotionally. Through Christ’s love and the power of the Holy Spirit, may we be transformed in how we speak to those we encounter, act when we are tired and frustrated, and in the habits we build.