Messages

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: If Jesus Gave You A NicknameBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Friday, September 18, 2020
 
Hey church family, in Mark chapter 3 we have the record of our Lord’s calling of the 12 disciples. It’s there that we read these words… “These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
 
Among these twelve that he was calling to follow Him, three of them in particular, would have a closer relationship with him than the others. Those three were Peter, James and John. Those were the three that Jesus would take with him to the Mount of Transfiguration where they would witness the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Those were also the three that Jesus would take with him to keep watch and pray at the Garden of Gethsemane, on the evening before he went to the cross.
 
Mark tells us that Jesus gave nicknames to these three. To Simon, “he gave the name Peter” which means rock. In Matthew 16:18 we’ll learn the special significance of that name because Jesus says that Simon was the “rock” upon which Jesus would build his church. James and John received the nickname Boanerges. Which translates “sons of thunder.” Although we don’t know exactly why Jesus gave the two brothers this nickname, we can imagine that it had something to do with their explosive personalities. 
 
In Luke chapter 9 we’re told of a time when Jesus and his disciples were approaching Jerusalem. And Jesus sent messengers on ahead, looking for lodging. And those that he had sent came back and reported that the town where they had inquired was unwilling to extend any hospitality and provide a place for them to stay. These were the two who upon hearing that said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” James and John were bold, they were brash, they said whatever came into their minds, without any filters. And yet these two, along with Simon Peter, were three of his closest friends.
 
As I was thinking about Peter the Rock, and James and John the ‘sons of thunder’ it started me thinking, I wonder what Jesus might choose as a nickname for me. Whatever name he would choose would in all likelihood, be based on two things. First, the fact that Jesus knows me through and through.  He knows everything about me, my strengths and weaknesses, my hopes and fears. Nothing about me is hidden from him. That might be a scary thought, were it not for Jesus’ matchless love and abundant grace.
 
Second, I’m reminded that Jesus wants to be a friend with his followers, and that includes you and me (John 15:13-15). Now, make no mistake, Jesus is much more than just a friend. He is Lord and Savior, He is the unique Son of God, fully human and fully God. And, Jesus seeks friendship with us. Maybe Jesus is the kind of friend who would invent nicknames for us. But, whether or not this is true, we who follow Jesus have the incredible privilege of knowing him as a friend. In John 15:15 Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
 
The next time you’re trying to come up with a list of things for which you can be thankful, include this one on your list. That Jesus has chosen to call us his friends.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Judy Mandl looks at a spiritual practice that helps us grow, while at the same time partnering with God in the work of expanding His kingdom.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Two Ways to Amaze JesusBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Thursday, September 17, 2020
 
Hey church family, I’ve got a question for you that you may never have considered before and the question is… Is it possible to amaze Jesus? The answer is… YES
 
The Greek word for marvel or amaze (thaumazō) is used often in the New Testament and most often it’s used in the context of how people responded to Jesus. That’s probably not a surprise. They were amazed by him. But that’s not the only time the word is used. There are TWO times that we are told Jesus was amazed.
 
One was an encounter that Jesus had with a Roman soldier and it’s recorded in Matthew chapter 8. And there we read that…
“When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,  ‘Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.’
Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.’
But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” (Matthew 8:5-10 NIV) 
Great faith amazes Jesus. He notices with joy when we trust Him in the midst of impossible circumstances, believing that He is in control and will provide what we need.
 
The second passage is found in Mark 6:5-6. “And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.” Great unbelief also amazes Jesus, but not in a positive way. The word “stunned” could be an appropriate substitute. We allow what we see and how we feel to place limitations on the Lord. When we doubt His goodness and power, it grieves His heart and potentially even ties His hands.
 
When you and I come up against situations that are seemingly impossible, how do we respond? Will we throw up our hands in despair, because it is all too impossible? Or will we throw up our hands in surrender and trust? We have the potential to amaze Jesus. My prayer is that it won’t be because of our lack of faith, but instead because of our great belief in who He is and what He can do, and our illingness to simply trust Him no matter what.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Raquel reflects on Psalm 112:7-9 and challenges us to consider how different our lives might look if we followed the example of the Psalmist when facing fears and bad news.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Pastor Andrew continues his look at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians by reminding us of how incredibly valuable Timothy was to the ministry of Paul. As you look at the role that this co-laborer in ministry played in Paul’s work, you quickly realize that everybody needs a Timothy. Whether or not we’re able to find that person to assist us in the things that God is calling us to do, all of us can do something no less important. We can all be a Timothy to someone else.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
Reflecting on Matthew 20:25-28 Judy Mandl reminds us that if we’re going to follow the example of Jesus, then we need to be serving, not just when others are watching but as a regular practice of our lives.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: The Wrong QuestionBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Tuesday, September 15, 2020
 
Hey church family. I was thinking this week about some of the encounters that Jesus had with different people during his three-year ministry. Without a doubt, one of the saddest meetings he had was with a man whose name we don’t know. We only know him by the description that was given of him, by the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Today we most often refer to him as the ‘rich, young, ruler.’ He is a man, we are told, that Jesus looked at, and felt genuine love toward. This man approached Jesus with a question. The question He asked was, “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
 
Through that simple question we can see that this rich young ruler has brought the issue of eternal life and salvation down to a kind of works righteousness. For him, Salvation is like any other transaction, and he thinks that once he knows what the price is, he can pay it and work his way into eternal life. Jesus begins his answer to the question by correcting this man’s concept of who is good, which is no one, except God. This young man is not good and no amount of doing good will make him good.
 
Jesus then gives him the summary of the Law in the form of some of the Ten Commandments and the young man has the nerve to tell Jesus that he has kept them all. With that statement he breaks a law Jesus didn’t mention which was lying. What’s unfortunate is that this young man completely misses the point of Jesus’ definition of righteousness. When Jesus starts rattling off commandments, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man starts checking off the boxes. And he says, “yep, yep, yep.” “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus replies – one thing… “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
 
And upon hearing that, this rich young man walked away sad. You reflect on this story and you wonder… Is this a lesson in generosity? It could be, but I don’t believe, that the one thing he lacked was not being generous or not, not having possessions. I believe the one thing he lacked was Jesus. Because when you have Him, you have an awareness that nothing else is necessary. I pray that that is a lesson that, the Lord, would be impressing on you and me – Amen.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Judy Mandl continues looking at the spiritual practices that help us to grow and reminds us that none of us drifts into godliness. In order for us to grow to be like the one we follow, it requires intentionality. Reflecting on Psalm 113:1-3, Judy challenges us to make sure our worship isn’t something that’s limited to one hour each weekend.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Playing Hide And Seek With GodBy Dr. Rick Mandl, Monday, September 14, 2020
Hey church family. Ever wonder why we sometimes try and hide from God? Maybe it’s in the genes. You’ve heard the expression, “Like father, like son.” You can read in Genesis chapter 3 about how our father Adam and his wife Eve, committed the first sin, back in the garden. And do you know the next thing they did? They hid.
 
Hiding from God is not the smartest thing you can think of. Have you ever played Hide and Seek with a two-year-old? You close your eyes and count to ten, turn around and you can see his feet sticking out from under the blanket. Or if you’re like my grandson, when you’re trying to hide, you just close your eyes. Because you figure that if you can’t see me, that means I can’t see you. It’s like that when we try to hide from God. We think we’re being so clever, but God just sees right through us. We know that we are forgiven. So why do we try to hide from God?
 
There are so many reasons: We hide because we’re ashamed; We hide because of our pride; We hide because we want to pretend that we are better than we are; We hide because we doubt God’s love; We hide because we want to punish ourselves; We hide because we have not yet forgiven ourselves. We worry that there is a limit to his forgiveness… And that this time his love might have run out.
 
In Matthew 18, (NIV) Peter asks Jesus, Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” If we humans — frail, limited, and full of envy — are expected to forgive 77 times, how much more limitless is God’s forgiveness for us?
 
Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV) says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Shame is one of Satan’s greatest tools. He lies to us and says, “Look at your life, you’re a mess. God could never use you.
 
One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This verse and others tell me that I have a complete new identity now that I am in Christ: In God’s eyes, I am pure, holy, honorable — utterly forgiven and loved. God already sees me, right now, the way I will be in eternity — perfectly delivered from all sin, fully in God’s image. The next time you’re tempted to play hide and seek with God, ask him to remind you of who you are in his sight.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Judy Mandl continues to look at some of the spiritual practices that encourage growth in our lives by examining one that we might not think of as a spiritual discipline, and yet without which we can’t grow to be all that God wants us to become.