Messages

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Why You Are More Likely To Defend Your Hamburger Than Another PersonFriday July 31, 2020
 
Hey church family, did you know that people are nearly eight times more likely to stand up for their hamburger than they are to stand up for the harassed stranger who is sitting at the table next to them? What do I mean by that? Well if you want to see the whole story, I encourage you to join us for worship this weekend, where I’ll be sharing it as part of our message, “Blessed Are The Peacemakers” but right now I’ll give you the condensed version.
 
What happened is that Burger King conducted a test in which they used adolescent actors to stage a scene, where a young man was being bullied by a group of teens in one of their restaurants. At the same time, that this was going on, the Burger King cooks in the kitchen were themselves “bullying” a number of hamburgers before wrapping them up and delivering them to that same group of restaurant customers. Of those who received a smashed hamburger, a burger that had been bullied, 95 percent took it back and complained. Many of them complained with great anger, and even with profanity, about the way that their burger had arrived. By comparison, only 12 percent stepped in to intervene on behalf of the young man who was being bullied, or even bothered to check on him after the incident had ended. Maybe the only thing sadder than the results of that survey is the fact that those results probably don’t come as much of a surprise for a lot of us. We know that historically people have preyed upon the weak around them, and history demonstrates that it’s relatively rare for people to step in when they don’t have a personal stake in the matter. Sadly, that’s often just as true for Christians as it is for everyone else.
 
What we need to remember is that much of Jesus’ ministry was spent standing up for those his culture mistreated and showing mercy to the people who were used to being judged. There’s an example of this in John chapter 8:2-11. It’s a story in which the religious leaders brought to Jesus a woman who had been caught in adultery. When they brought this woman to Jesus they pointed to the command of Moses which said that a woman who had been caught in adultery should be stoned and then they asked Jesus his opinion on the matter.
 
It may be a story that you’ve read and even studied before, but what stands out to me in that story is verse 6, where the writer, John explains that the religious leaders brought the woman before Jesus “as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.” You think about that and you realize that for the question that they asked Jesus to work as a trap, they had to ask it knowing how Christ would respond. For their trap to work they needed to know, that Christ would respond to this woman with a level of grace that exceeded their understanding of the Law. How could they know that? 
 
The reason that they knew it was because mercy was such a fundamental part of Jesus’ character and ministry that the religious leaders knew he would not condemn this woman according to their rules. The way Christ showed grace to the woman who needed it while also calling her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11) encapsulated that balance and defined much of his ministry. I wonder, though, can the same be said of us?
 
Are our lives so defined by mercy and grace that others will know that condemnation will not be our first response when we’re made aware of their sin? Will our experiences of God’s love fill us with such gratitude for the mercy we’ve been shown that we can’t help but share it with those around us?
 
A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” This weekend we’re continuing our study through the Beatitudes and looking at “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Ask yourself, are the terms “Merciful and Peacemaker” words that others would use to characterize you. If so, keep it up. If not, maybe it would be a good think to talk to God about in prayer.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on 2 Corinthians 7:6, Judy Mandl reminds us that when we’re struggling, revealing our feelings is very often the beginning of healing, both for us as well as those around us.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Preaching To The ChickensThursday July 30, 2020
 
Hey church family… Last week I spoke to you a little bit about the passing of Congressman John Lewis and the difference that one person can make, when that one person is committed to being used by God. In response to that devotional, someone very kindly gifted me with this book called “Preaching To The Chickens: The Story Of Young John Lewis.’ I want to share with you just a couple of excerpts from it.
 
The Dust Jacket says…  (read & Excerpt)
 
This week I was reading a little bit more about John Lewis, and specifically about the philosophy by which he tried to live his life. It was something called “Redemptive Suffering” and it was formed during the time that he studied in seminary. Lewis explains a little bit of “Redemptive Suffering” in these words that come from his memoir. He writes, “Suffering, though, can be nothing more than a sad and sorry thing without the presence on the part of the sufferer of a graceful heart, an accepting and open heart, a heart that holds no malice toward the inflictors of his or her suffering. This is a difficult concept to understand, and it is even more difficult to internalize, but it has everything to do with the way of nonviolence. We are talking about love here. Not romantic love. Not the love of one individual for another. Not loving something that is lovely to you. This is a broader, deeper, more all-encompassing love. It is a love that accepts and embraces the hateful and the hurtful…”
 
And then he shares something that was said by one of those who inspired him. Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis said, “Dr. King would often say that we’ve got to love people no matter what. Most of all, he would say, we must love the unlovable. ‘Love the hell out of them,’ he would say. And he meant that literally. If there is hell in someone, if there is meanness and anger and hatred in him, we’ve got to love it out.”
 
Those are great words to live by, and they remind me of what our Lord Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them… Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
 
If all of us who carry the name Christian, loved like that this world would be a better place. I pray that would happen and that it would begin with you and me.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
Reflecting on 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Judy Mandl challenges us to live our lives today with an eye toward the future that God has prepared for us, while realizing that nothing we do for the Lord is ever wasted.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” To sing or not to sing? To wear masks or not to wear masks? To meet in person or only online? When it comes to matters of worship, who has the right to tell us what we can and can’t do? Reflecting on Philippians 2:9 and Romans 12:1, Pastor Andrew considers these and other questions.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Raquel Blanchard shares the promise of Isaiah 40:31 and what it means to hope in the Lord, renew our strength, soar on wings like eagles and run and not grow weary.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Misery Loves CompanyTuesday July 28, 2020
Hey church family, are you familiar with the saying “Misery loves company?” Well the good news is if you’re miserable you’ve got a lot of company. If you’re feeling stressed or depressed, just know that you’re not alone. A recent General Social Survey shows that just 14 percent of American adults say they’re very happy – just 14 percent. That’s down from 31 percent who said the same thing two years ago. That year, 23 percent said they had often or sometimes felt isolated in recent weeks. Now, 50 percent say that. In total, fewer Americans are likely to call themselves “happy” than at any point since the survey began in 1972. According to a new report by the American Psychological Association, more than 70 percent of Americans say “this is the lowest point in US history they can remember.” And the percentage of Americans who are “extremely proud” of their country has fallen to 21 percent, the lowest since Gallup began measuring this sentiment in 2001.
 
In response to the discouragement of these days, what can you do? One thing you can do is to… remind yourself of God’s goodness and that, that has not changed. In Psalm 100 we’re told that, “The Lord is ALWAYS GOOD. He is ALWAYS LOVING and KIND, and His faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation.”
 
When you and I forget the goodness of God, let me tell you three things that are likely to happen.

I start taking credit for things God did for me. I Corinthians 4 asks the question, “What do you have that God has not given you? And if all you have is from God, why act as though you are great, and as though you have accomplished something on your own?” Whenever I begin to take credit for things God did in me, through me, to me or for me…I am headed for trouble.

A second thing that happens when I forget the goodness of God is that…

I stop asking God for help. Because I figure that God doesn’t really care about my problems.

A third thing that happens is that…

I become pessimistic about the future.

 
Here’s how it works… When you forget how good God really is… you become pessimistic about the future… because hope is based on faith in the goodness of God. If God isn’t good all the time–there is no hope…right? So what’s the cure? The cure is to remind myself of the goodness of God. And I think the best verse in the Bible to remind yourself of that is Psalm 23:6 which says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” Notice ALL the days of your life including these very strange days in which we’re living. Including this day.
 
God’s goodness and mercy is going to follow me today, so keep your eyes open for it, and then you will want to…Go to him with your requests and you won’t be pessimistic about the future. So, today, look for ways that God is being good to you and merciful to you. You do that and I guarantee you, you will have a better day. God bless.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
Sharing reflections from 2 Peter 3:18 and Psalm 119:97. Judy Mandl tells the story of a woman who learned to read at the age of 114, and reminds us that we’re never too old to learn, or to grow, or to change.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Invisible Enemies Can Sometimes Be The Most DeadlyMonday July 27, 2020
 
Hey church family, ever struggle with a sore throat. I’m not talking about the kind of sore throat where you suck on a lozenge and it goes away. I’m talking about a raging sore throat from which you can’t get any relief? I was reading recently about a twenty-five-year-old woman who went to the hospital after dealing with pain and irritation in her throat for five days. Her symptoms began after she consumed some sashimi, a kind of raw fish. According to a report in “The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene”, doctors soon identified the problem… The problem was a 1 ½ inch black worm in her tonsil. Further tests showed that she had been infected with Pseudo-terranova-azarasi, a parasitic roundworm that usually infects marine mammals such as walruses and seals. Humans however, can contract the worm by consuming raw fish or squid. When the worm is seen, it is usually found in the stomach; infections in the throat are reportedly rare. The story of this woman’s experience reminded me of the truth that just because we can’t see something, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
 
Invisible enemies can sometimes be the most deadly of all, and no, I’m not talking about COVID-19, but rather about… I’m talking about spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6:12 the Apostle Paul writes, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” But then he continues and reminds us that God has provided us with everything we need to be victorious in this battle against this invisible enemy. I like the way that the Message Paraphrase puts it… It says, “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”
 
I share this with you today because if you feel like you’re battling something right now that’s bigger than you can handle, you might be right. But rest assured no matter how big that enemy might seem, God has provided you and me with everything we need in order to be successful in the battles we fight. But it begins and ends prayer. “Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”
 
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.”
Reflecting on 2 Thessalonians 3:13 and Isaiah 40:28-31, Judy Mandl reminds us that our God who never grows weary, offers us His strength as He calls us to not get tired of doing good.