When the Scales Fall

“How am I supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over who constantly rejects me?”  After working on my sermon for the better part of Monday I sat down at home that evening and watched the movie Fireproof.  When I came to the scene where Caleb is complaining to his father I knew that I needed to work that clip into the sermon.  What a great question.  Indeed the only way we truly learn how to love like that is to accept the love of Christ.  Only then will we be able to allow him to love through us. 

I can never tell the story of Steve Awtrey loving me when I was a rebellious teenager without tearing up.  I used to apologize for that but decided to do so no longer.  When someone allows the love of Christ to flow through them to the extent that they love the undeserving; it should provoke an emotional reaction.  Even though it happened almost 35 years ago I never ceased to be amazed at the wonderful grace of God to save a sinner like me. 

Faith Conquerors Fear

Why is faith so simple to explain and so often difficult to live?  Preaching on faith is the easiest thing in the world.  Living by faith, now that's a different story. 

My favorite part of today's sermon text (Matthew 14:22-33) is when Jesus immediately reaches out to Peter when Peter's faith failed.  What a Savior!  When Peter put his faith into action (with permission I might add) he had no reason to fear because even if his faith failed he would still be safe because Jesus would rescue him. 

If you know what Jesus wants you to do; go ahead and do it!  Even if you don't do it perfectly, even if you get the middle of it and suffer a faith collapse, Jesus will still give you exactly what you need.  What a Savior!  That's why you can trust him.

So don't worry about failure.  Jesus has you covered.  Put your attention on him.  Make sure you understand his word and then get out of the boat.  Walking on water is not just for the "Super Christians".  It's for all those who put their trust in Jesus.  So, go ahead; get out of the boat.

Jesus' Faith Journey

Waiting to preach this morning I was struck by the words to the old hymn we sang during the Lord's Supper.

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed;
They led him through the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said "Crucify him; He's to blame."

The following verses continue this theme of suffering as the song poetically describes the shame of the cross.  At the conclusion of each verse we remind ourselves that he could have called ten thousand angels to set him free, but instead, "He died alone for you and me."

Thinking about the faith journey that Jesus' walked made me a little emotional this morning.  Pondering the fact that Jesus became a human, endured poverty, temptation, and injustice for the single purpose of reconciling sinful human beings with the High and Holy One should take my breath away more often than it does.  But more than an emotional reaction, I know that what Jesus really wants is my faithful obedience.  He has shown the way through voluntary submission to the will of the Father. 

Watching him walk his faith journey teaches us how to walk ours.  I specifically choose the song after the lesson to reinforce this message.

That's why we praise him, that's why we sing
That's why we offer him our everything.
That's why we bow down and worship this king,
'Cause he gave his everything, 'Cause he gave his everything

Celebrating What God Has Done

After calling attention to Laura Mallary this morning as the service began, imagine my embarrassment to realize that I totally forgot to have her come and share her testimony of how she had seen God at work though our prayer ministry during this years Impact Week.  This is Laura's third year to painstakingly type all of the requests into a usable format for people to use in prayer and service projects.  The rest of my sermon reflection today will be from some notes Laura made telling about her week.

This is the third year that I've been helping Jeremy and Donna out in the office during Impact week, compiling prayer and service lists, scheduling service projects, and fielding Impact week related phone calls. I know that God has many purposes at work in our Impact week activities, some that we see and some that we will never know. There are two very clear messages that I can see him communicating with the Clear Lake community through our visits, service, prayers, and events.
The first is that God loves them. So many times I've spoken with local residents who say that our visit or offer of service came just as they needed it most. One lady told me that she had become despondent over her situation, but when our kids prayed with her about it on her front porch, she began to have hope and faith again that things would work out. I've spoken with an elderly lady whose husband was in the hospital and didn't know how she was going to find time to get her yardwork done. Our service allowed her to be with her husband during his illness without worrying about mowing grass or trimming hedges.
The second is a message about his people. So many people have been believed Satan's lies telling them that "church people" are somehow different than they, or that they somehow aren't worthy of our notice. The visits, service, prayers, and events that happen during Impact week have a tremendous influence on the perception of God's people in our community. God's people are not simply those who gather at 938 El Dorado at appointed times, but are the people who visit their homes every summer to pray for them, serve them, and invite them to join us for special events. We are the people who laugh and talk with them at Movie in the Park, the ones who help them out with needs around their homes, and the ones who pray for the things that are on their minds. Rather than thinking of Clear Lake Church of Christ as "church people," I believe that we are showing them the likeness of Christ as HIS people. God is changing how people perceive Him and His church through our ACTIONS, rather than our WORDS.
One last thing, if anyone hasn't participated in this effort during the years that we've been doing it. I would encourage them make plans NOW to participate in some way next year. You can't imagine the encouragement and blessings that Impact Week will bring until you do it. It's amazing how God is able to bless and renew our spirits, even as we pour out His Spirit across our community.