Wanting to Justify Himself

Luke 10:25-37

"When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem."
- Luke 9:51

Scholars agree that chapter 9, verse 51 of Luke's Gospel is a turning point in the book.

Up to this point, as Luke is telling the story of Jesus, it has mainly been a story of His ministry "at home." That is, in the Galilee and Nazareth region.

But things shift at the end of chapter 9.
From now on, Jesus will be "on the road."

And it's at this moment - as Luke tells the story - that a “journey” is beginning for Jesus.

And at the end of this journey is a rugged cross, and an empty tomb.

From this point in the Gospel (9:51), all the way to Palm Sunday (19:28), Jesus's face is set "to go to Jerusalem."

And therefore, in the chapters and verses in between,
With every parable,
With every miracle,
With every teaching,
With every healing,

Jesus is marching closer and closer to Jerusalem.

An object is out on the horizon, drawing closer and closer.

A wooden, rugged cross, outside Jerusalem.

His face is set to go to Jerusalem.
The days were drawing near for Him to be taken up.

---

It's against this backdrop above that I want us to consider the passage for this week, Luke 10:25-37.

You probably know the passage as,
"The Parable of the Good Samaritan."

In this section of Scripture, Jesus has a conversation with a lawyer. And when you hear that word "lawyer", you might think of a modern-day lawyer.

But in the New Testament, "lawyer" simply means: an expert in the law. That is, the law of Moses. Similar to one of the Scribes or Pharisees.

It is worth noting the "cycle" structure of their conversation:

- The lawyer asks Jesus a question
   - Jesus replies by asking the lawyer a question
- The lawyer answers Jesus's question
   - Jesus gives a final reply

The cycle happens twice: in 10:25-28, and again in 10:29-37.

The parable of the Good Samaritan (that you likely know) is contained in that second cycle. But for this writing, our focus will mostly be on the first cycle.

Because, before this familiar parable, there is an important part of their conversation that we don't want to miss.

---

--> Lawyer:
   "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

--> Jesus:
   "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?"

(He knows who He's talking to - so He asks an "expert" on his own subject matter!)

--> Lawyer:
   "You shall love the Lord your God
   with all your heart,
   and with all your soul,
   and with all your strength,
   and with all your mind;
   and your neighbor as yourself.”

--> Jesus:
   "You have answered correctly.
   Do this, and you will live."

Jesus confirms the Lawyer's thinking as a (technically) possible solution for eternal life:

"Yes, if you keep the Law - this Law that is summed up as Loving God and Loving People - if you keep that Law perfectly, you will live. You will have eternal life."

But notice the Lawyer's response (10:29). It's really the key moment of this whole conversation.

Luke tells us that the Lawyer was "wanting to justify himself."

This expert in the Law had been confronted with God's holy, righteous standard:
- Love God with all that you are
- Love your neighbor as yourself

And the Lawyer knew that he didn't measure up.

He thought,
"Hmm, I'll have to find a way to make this work. Maybe there's a loophole, some way that I can bend the Law, fudge the numbers..."

So the second cycle begins. He goes on to ask Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" - thinking he might find a loophole there.

And we know from the rest of the passage: he didn't!
Jesus tells the Parable to the Good Samaritan, and exposes this Law Expert's lack of love, and the prejudice in his heart.

But consider this question with me,
What should the Lawyer's response have been?

By knowing that he didn't measure up, he was on the right track...

But instead of turning *inward*, he should have turned *outward*.

If the lawyer's response had only been something like this:

--> Lawyer:
"But Teacher, I could never keep the Law perfectly.

The Law says to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

But I am an idolater at heart.
My heart is prone to the worship of other things.
Worship of created things, and not the Creator.
I am prone to making things, people, and ideas my source of joy and hope.

I do not love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

And the Law says to love my neighbor as myself.
But I cannot do that perfectly either!

I am self-righteous toward others, and look down on them.
I have hatred in my heart towards Samaritans.

I do not always love my neighbor as myself.

Teacher,
I could never keep God's Law perfectly.
The righteousness that God requires - I do not possess that within myself.

So, I must throw myself on the mercy of God!

Is it possible that God could give us another way to have eternal life?
Is there another way to be righteous before Him?

Is it possible to have someone else's righteousness credited to us?
Someone else's righteousness applied to us?"

---

Remember: the Teacher with whom this Lawyer spoke was on a journey.
He had his face set toward Jerusalem.
The days were drawing near for Him to be taken up.
He was headed to the cross.

And on the cross,
He would die in the place of those who had broken God’s law.
Those who did not love God.
Those who did not love their neighbor.

*HE* had kept God’s Law perfectly.
He had always loved His Father
   With all His heart
   With all His soul,
   With all His strength,
   With all His mind.
And He had always loved His neighbor as Himself.

But on the cross,
He would be treated by His Father
As one who had failed to keep the Law.
As though He had not loved God, or His neighbor.

So that we who repent and trust in what Jesus has done *CAN HAVE* eternal life.

We can stand before God, with no need to "justify ourselves."
Because our righteousness isn't found in keeping the Law.
We stand with the righteousness of Jesus, given to us through His cross.

"For his sake
I have suffered the loss of all things
And count them as rubbish
In order that I may gain Christ
And be found in Him,
Not having a righteousness of my own
That comes from the law,
But that which comes through faith in Christ,
The righteousness from God that depends on faith."
Philippians 3:8-9

- Joe

Where Is Your Faith?

Luke 8:22–39

At the beginning of this passage, Jesus gets into a boat with His disciples and says, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” He speaks these words with complete confidence. There is no hint of doubt that they will make it safely to the other side. The disciples had every reason to trust His words.

Yet when a storm suddenly sweeps across the lake, the disciples begin to question their safety. Fear takes over. They doubt Jesus’ words and become utterly terrified. Meanwhile, Jesus is fast asleep. The image of Jesus sleeping peacefully in the middle of a raging storm is both beautiful and almost comical. He knows, with full confidence, that there is no reason to worry. While the disciples panic, Jesus rests securely in His Father’s plan.

If we are honest, we are often not much different than the disciples. There have certainly been times in my life when a “storm” hits and I panic, feeling as though everything is falling apart. In those moments, I forget the words and promises of God. Instead of trusting Him to carry me through, I start trying to figure out how to calm the storm myself.

When storms arise and we feel like we are sinking, I imagine Jesus looking at us just as He looked at His disciples and asking, “Where is your faith?” The truth is, we don’t have to know the way out of every storm. We simply need to have faith in the One who does.

This passage reminds us just how powerful Jesus truly is. With a single command, He completely calms the storm. Even the wind and the waves obey Him. Let this be your reminder that Jesus can do the same in our lives. No matter how great the storm may seem, He has the power to bring peace in the midst of it. Take a moment to reflect on the storms you are currently facing. In what areas of your life might Jesus be asking you, “Where is your faith?”

I pray that you can lean on the Lord and find rest in the middle of whatever storm you are currently facing, just as Jesus did. And remember, we can trust His words. Jesus is for us! He is there to walk with us through every single storm that comes our way.

Carmen K

And Also Some Women

March 31 marks twenty years since I flew Eliana and Isabella home from Haiti, and they officially became both U.S. citizens and part of our family. Prior to adopting them, we saw a therapist who specialized in race relations. One assignment she gave us was to attend an all-black church in St. Louis. Our kids were coming to a community where they would be the only people of color, and our therapist wanted us to have a better understanding of what that would feel like for them. It was eye-opening, and the first time I began to understand that representation matters. It’s really uncomfortable to be the only person in a room who looks like you. That feeling is magnified when “people like you” are routinely portrayed in a negative light, whether it’s by the media or others who inhabit the same spaces you do. You can begin to feel a diminished sense of value based on a physical attribute beyond your control. 

As a woman, I sometimes feel this way when I read the Bible. There are a lot of men featured in Scripture, which makes sense given the culture and time in which it was written, but even still, when I’m reading a book that tells me who God is and what He’s like, and throughout the Old Testament, read few stories of him interacting with women, I sometimes wonder how he feels about ME. These feelings can be exacerbated when I read New Testament epistles and note the frequent use of the pronoun “he” (used for simplicity by translators) even when the original text actually means “he and she”, or in colloquial terms, “all y’all”.  I’m grateful for the gospels where the authors record for us Jesus’ interactions with women and we can see more clearly God’s heart for all people. 

In Luke 8 we read of a group of women who traveled with Jesus and the 12 disciples as he proclaimed the kingdom of God. Three of these women are named, which implies they would have been well known among the early church- Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna- as well as “many others” who were less familiar but nonetheless traveled with Jesus and contributed to his ministry out of their private means. Jesus’ treatment of women was no small thing, and completely counter cultural. Women in that day could not study under rabbis, but they could learn at the feet of the Master, even traveling with and ministering alongside him. While ancient culture gave women no rights, no security, no privilege, Yahweh had stamped them with his image. Jesus affirms the Father’s heart for women throughout the gospels as he continuously draws near to women, whether they are the outcasts of society, women of means, or anywhere in between. Today, the Spirit gives gifts to all those who call upon the name of the Lord, without respect to gender.  

Culture is constantly pitting women against men, as though we are inherently different. The truth of Genesis is that both men and women reflect the image of God: Not man alone, not woman alone. Men and women collectively reflect the imago Dei. Our sons and daughters need to see “people like them” following Jesus wholeheartedly, learning at the feet of the Master. Men and women need to see themselves AND each other as a vital part of God’s continuing work in the world. Both women and men should walk in the gifts the Spirit has given them, so that Jesus will be glorified and the church will be built up. 

Just a few verses further in Luke we read the Parable of the Sower. The One who sows scatters the seed far and wide. The seed is sown among the Jews and the Gentiles, among men and women, wealthy and enslaved. It’s dispersed to every tribe, every nation and tongue, so that some might hear and call upon the name of the Lord. The Gospel is for everyone. Friend, Jesus has secured your citizenship in heaven and made a place for you in his family. Wherever you are today, I pray you see yourself in God’s story, and that when the seed lands on your heart it takes root in good soil.

Natalie

Extravagant Love

Luke 7:36-50

How can we convey our gratitude, our reverence, our devotion, our humility, our repentance, and our wholehearted love to and for Jesus?

Luke tells of a “fallen” woman who approaches Jesus while he is reclining at a meal in the home of Simon the Pharisee. She washes the feet of Jesus with her tears, dries his feet with her hair, kisses his feet, and anoints him with precious and costly oil from her alabaster flask.

A little much?  A little over the top?

Not for one who experiences grace and mercy and compassion. Not for one who learns (despite her sins) she is valued as a treasured child of God. Not for one who is forgiven!

It’s beautiful, really! How the woman forgets herself. How her actions reflect her devotion and her indebtedness to Jesus.How she demonstrates her love extravagantly, paying no attention to the guests or caring what they are thinking of her. How she keeps her eyes on Jesus! How she shows Jesus is her All in All!

Simon, host of the meal, is aghast at he woman’s behavior and thinks:  if Jesus is truly a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him – She is a sinner!

Of course, Jesus knows who is touching him, and he also knows what Simon is thinking.

“Simon, I have something to say to you.” 

Jesus tells a story about two men - one who owed the creditor five hundred silver coins and the other who owed fifty. The creditor cancels both debts.

“Who,” Jesus asks, “will love the creditor more?”

Simon answers, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled.”

Jesus replies, “You have judged correctly.”

And then Jesus turns toward the woman (yes, turns towards this “fallen” woman), and says to Simon, “Do you see this woman?”

And then…and then…Jesus contrasts the behavior of Simon the Pharisee who knows that in an honor society, hospitality should be extended to guests (and Jesus was Simon’s invited guest). “I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss of greeting, but from the time she entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfumed oil.”

What a stark contrast between Simon’s self-righteousness and the woman’s humility.

Yes, the woman has sinned, but so has Simon. She is aware of her sin, is remorseful, and is repentant. Simon is guilty of the sin of pride. He does not recognize who Jesus is!

Jesus says to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The woman was not saved by her tears or her costly and extravagant gift of oil. Jesus accepted the gifts and the extravagant way in which she gave them as evidence of her faith.

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6).

How can we convey our gratitude, our reverence, our devotion, our humility, our repentance, and our wholehearted love to and for Jesus?

We can look to the forgiven woman as a model of extravagant love. 

We can forget ourselves and look to Jesus!

We can praise Jesus, honor Jesus, and thank Jesus in all ways and in all places.

We can demonstrate our love for Jesus by offering him our most precious possessions, talents, and time.

We can love Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

We can show the world Jesus is our All in All!

Is that a little much? A little over the top?

Not for one who experiences grace and compassion.

Not for one who has been saved by the Grace of God.

Not for one who is forgiven.

Not for Jesus who sacrificed his life for us!

Not for one who experiences the overwhelming love Jesus feels for us and shows us every minute of every day!

Kay

Help for the Helpless

Luke 7:1-35

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." — Psalm 46:1

Have you ever felt completely helpless? Helplessness is scary and jarring. What do you do when you feel this way? What are you feeling helpless about today?

In Luke 7:1-35, we see Jesus interact with three people who are helpless:

1. A Roman Centurion who is helpless to heal his servant (7:1-10).

2. A widow who is helpless to bring her son back from the dead (7:11-17).

3. A prophet who is helpless to strengthen his faith while in a prison cell (7:18-35).

In the Centurion's helplessness, he shows us that humility asks for help. His servant's sickness was beyond his own strength, but his love motivated him to reach out. His faith was certain: "But say the word, and let my servant be healed" (7:7).

In the widow's helplessness, we see that grief often robs us of words. Even when we cannot speak, Jesus hears us. Moved with compassion, Jesus said, "Do not weep." With one touch and a few words, the widow’s son sat up and began to speak (7:14-15), leading witnesses to proclaim, "God has visited his people."

But what do you do when God’s visitation looks different than you expected? Doubt can make us feel helpless and fearful, making our foundation feel like sinking sand. From a dark prison cell, John the Baptist asked a brave question: "Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (7:20). Doubt tempts us to look elsewhere, but John was rewarded for vocalizing his struggle. Jesus responded:

"Go tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me" (7:22-23).

On this side of heaven, we will experience sickness, death, and doubt. We will face seasons of helplessness, but that does not mean Jesus is absent or passive.

Our Helper will come. He will act, He will heal, and He will turn our weeping into rejoicing. He will quiet our doubts and bring in His Kingdom.

May we be a people who bring our helplessness to the Helper. Though weeping may last for the night, His joy comes in the morning. When you do not know what to say or do, remember that Jesus has you—He always has, and He always will.

See you Sunday,

Steven

Blessings and Woes

Luke 6:17-49 

Luke states his mission at the beginning of his gospel to write out what he has investigated carefully in consecutive order so that the exact truth might be known about the things we have been taught, emphasizing that eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us. 

He begins by giving us the account of the Messiah’s forerunner, John the Baptist.  He continues with the story of the miraculous conception and birth of the Savior, and the mind boggling recognition Simeon had of the Christ child in the temple as soon as he held Him in his arms. 

Luke records the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and the presence of the Holy Trinity as Jesus comes out of the water, the Holy Spirit descends on Him as a dove, and the Father’s voice is heard saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” 

We read on as Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he ate nothing for 40 days and was tempted by the devil to show if He “really was the Son of God.” Hungry and tired, angels minister to Him and He returned home to Nazareth in the power of the Spirit.  Jesus is in a familiar place, probably surrounded by family and neighbors that have known Him all His life.  He attends the synagogue and is given a scroll of scripture. The portion He chooses is a prophecy from Isaiah about the coming Messiah. He amazes them by telling them this prophecy has been fulfilled in their hearing. First, they speak well of Him and wonder at His gracious words...but soon they are filled with rage and want to kill him.  

Needless to say, He leaves the hometown that has rejected Him and continues on to Capernaum and casts out demons and heals the sick. He tells them “I must preach the kingdom of God...for I was sent for this purpose.” Our text this week is an example of Jesus fulfilling that purpose.

Luke 6:17-49 is account of a sermon Jesus preaches after choosing his twelve apostles.  Some call it a condensed version of the Sermon on the Mount, others have named it the Sermon on the Plain. There are many similarities, but in Matthew’s gospel Jesus goes "up” on the mountain and teaches them and here, in Luke 6, He descends with His apostles to a level place and begins to heal and teach those who have followed Him. Many Bible scholars believe the teachings Jesus gave in Matthew and Luke were given on many occasions. Peter told his readers “I shall always be ready to remind you of these things even though you already know them...to stir you up by way of reminder.” II Peter 1:12 & 13 

The literary form of this teaching we call “The Beatitudes,” was called the “form of the oracle” and was very familiar to Jewish people. Old Testament prophets prefaced their pronouncements by saying, “Thus saith the Lord.” Good pronouncements were called “oracles of weal” and pronouncements of judgment or wrath were called “oracles of woe.”  

Jesus begins His sermon with blessings on the poor, the hungry, the grieving, and the persecuted.  R.C. Sproul explains that “being blessed by God does not just mean ‘don’t worry, be happy.’  It is, rather, an understanding in the depths of your soul, in the deepest chamber of your heart, of the sweetness of the presence of God as you live before His face every moment.”  The woes are for those who trust in riches, are well fed and well thought of by others. It infers that their comfort in this world is their reward and that they trust in wealth and the good opinion of others more than God. 

Then Jesus gives them some foundational commandments that are quite the opposite of how the world operates.  He tells them to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, pray for those who spitefully use them, turn the other cheek, give generously to anyone who asks you, and finally, treat others as you would like to be treated. Wow! Seven commands that turn everything on its head.  And it gets better! 

He tells them not to judge or condemn but to pardon. Then something that I find a little scary... “by your standard it will be measured to you in return.” This turns our pointing fingers right back at ourselves.  

On a last solemn note, Jesus asks a question. “Why do you call me Lord and do not do what I say?” If ever we should feel conviction or feel the need to examine ourselves, this is it.  As the world gets further and further away from Godly standards, we as believers in Jesus Christ as The Way, should be striving to know and obey His Word without compromise no matter what the world is doing. 

Let’s be like that one who comes to Him, hears His words, and acts upon them. Let’s dig deep and build a strong foundation on Jesus. 

Jo

Know

Luke 5:1-6:16

When Gwen and I had saved enough money to make a down payment on a house of our own, it was exciting to go house hunting. It was fun to meet with our real estate agent, tour the potential homes she had found for us, and imagine what it would be like to live in them. Finally, we found one that seemed perfect for us! We started the process of purchasing the house, certain that God had led us to our dream house. A few days later, we got the news that someone else had beaten us to the punch and submitted their bid before ours. No worries, obviously God had an even more perfect house for us somewhere else. This pattern would repeat for the next several months. We would find a house that we were sure the Lord had handpicked for us, only for the deal to fall apart at the last minute. This led to repeated disappointment and discouragement. We obviously had no idea what house God had chosen for us, or even if he had a place for us at all. Our discouragement caused us to take a long break from house hunting. In the end, we found our home at just the right time, when the need was greatest. We thought we knew God’s will, but the Lord had a better plan.

In this week’s scripture focus, Jesus heals the sick and afflicted. He offers salvation to sinners and welcomes outsiders into the Kingdom. He also comes into conflict with the Pharisees and other religious leaders. They ignore the healing of a paralyzed man, but take issue when Jesus forgives the man’s sins. They take issue with the fact that Jesus consorts with all the “wrong” people and doesn’t follow the “correct” religious practices. Because of this, they begin to plot against the Messiah they’ve been waiting for hundreds of years to meet.

The Pharisees had a similar problem to the one that Gwen and I had with house hunting; they were so certain that they knew God’s will that they missed it completely. Their sin was one of pride. They were so proud of their knowledge of scripture that it became an idol to them, and it blinded them to what was going on right before their eyes. They knew a lot about the Messiah; sadly, this prevented them from knowing the Messiah. They were certain that they knew what Israel’s Savior would look like and, as far as they were concerned, Jesus wasn’t it. They wanted a Savior who looked, thought, and acted like them. Christian author Anne Lamott had this to say, “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” We have to remember that Jesus came to live in our hearts, not the box we’ve tried to put him in.

In the love of Christ,

Mike

Do You Feel the World is Broken?

Luke 4:14-44

He stood up in the temple, unrolled the scroll, and read the words of Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

Every eye in the synagogue was fastened on him, this son of Joseph, prophet of Nazareth, when he unequivocally stated “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

All of Scripture shows us who God is and reveals His heart. When I read these words in Luke, I’m captivated. How unlike any god in history is Yahweh! How compassionate is our Lord? There is truly none like Him!

I hope you feel the same. I pray your heart is drawn to the One who sets the oppressed free, to our Savior who gives sight to the blind and proclaims good news to the poor. 

Lately though, I’m wondering how to reconcile the truth of who Jesus is with the reality of the world I see. I find myself quietly singing. 

“Do you feel the world is broken? 

We do. 

Do you feel the shadows deepen?

We do. 

Do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through?”

And then I stop. Because, do I?

I know the world is broken and I feel the shadows deepen. And as the darkness encroaches, it’s starting to feel so suffocating that I wonder if perhaps the light just can’t break through. Can you relate?

I don’t want to bypass any grief you are feeling. There is so much to lament. Sometimes, we need to sit with our sadness before the Lord. Our God weeps with us, and that’s a comfort. But after you’ve grieved, when you’re ready, come back. There’s work to be done. 

John 1:4-5 says “In Him was light, and that light was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus IS the light of the world, and when we believe, His Spirit within us gives us the grace to reflect His light to others. 

The mission of Christ continues in the work of His Church. We are His ambassadors. The Spirit of the Lord is in us, and he has anointed us to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 

As the world gets worse, we have a choice. Will we be overcome by evil? Will we be so weighed down by the darkness that we succumb to it, or even worse, join in with it? Or will we overcome evil with good? Because we have seen Goodness in Jesus. We know the God-man who unrolled the scroll and fulfilled the scripture that day in the synagogue. He laid down his life for the world, and our wounds have been healed by His stripes. He has shown us how to be good, and by His Spirit enables us to do good for the good of others, not merely for goodness’ sake, but so the world will know what kind of God we have. 

I’m praying our light shines brightly. 

Natalie

Isn’t This Joseph’s Son?

Luke 4:14-44

After spending 40 days in the wilderness overcoming constant temptation, Jesus begins His public ministry in his hometown of Nazareth. It was likely that Jesus was very familiar with the synagogue where he preached and probably personally knew many people in the crowd.

Jesus reads a passage from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and boldly claims in front of the listeners that He is the anointed one Isaiah speaks of in his prophesies. The crowd is immediately filled with doubt – “Isn’t this Joseph’s son,” they ask.  

They couldn’t understand how someone they had watched grow up in their town, someone so ordinary in their eyes, could possibly be the Messiah. Their perception of Jesus was based on what they have always known of Him, and they were unable to see the new work God was doing in His life. Why is it that the people who know us the best oftentimes doubt us the most?

If we were in Jesus’ shoes, we likely would have given it all up right then and there, feeling crushed by the weight of doubt surrounding us. Thankfully, Jesus didn’t. He continued to walk faithfully in what God had called Him to do.

Everyone’s walk with God looks different, but most of us can recall a moment or a period of time in our lives when we truly decided to give our hearts to the Lord. When we make that decision, God begins to transform our hearts, and our lives start to change. For some people these changes are slow, for others they’re rapid – but almost all the time they’re noticeable to the people closest to us.

As in Jesus’ case, those closest to us can sometimes doubt these changes. After seeing us at our worst and watching us choose sin again and again, it can be hard for them to believe that we have really changed. For this reason, sharing our faith with those who know us best – those who have known us from a time before we gave our lives to God – can feel especially difficult. We may be tempted to stay quiet and keep our experiences to ourselves. But what if these are the very people God wants to reach through us?

It's inevitable that we are going to face doubt in our walk with God – even Jesus did. But take heart: God is always at work. He can do miraculous things through us when we continue to walk with Him in the face of doubt.

Carmen K

Remember Where You Come From

Luke 3:21 – 4:13

Growing up as a preacher’s son, I’ve moved around a lot.  Alton is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place.  When people ask me where I’m from, it feels like a complicated answer.  I usually just tell them of the place where I went to high school and met my wife then go on to share about my parents and where they grew up.  There is a lot more to the story of my origins and the people that have shaped me into the man I am today.  But the start for me and each of you actually goes back much further.  Mine is a story that has less to do with geography than it does with flesh and blood and Spirit.

In our focal text this week, we see Jesus at His baptism praying when a voice comes from heaven saying “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”  It’s notable that this truth is announced and known before we hear anything about Jesus beginning His ministry.  At the end of our focal text, we see Jesus being vigorously tempted to sin by the devil and resisting by being full of the Holy Spirit and knowing God’s Word.  Oh, how much that voice from heaven must’ve meant to Jesus as He remembered it in those wilderness moments.  In the middle of our focal text, we read about Jesus’ lineage and we see that Jesus is a son of Adam – a human being like us that will wrestle with fleshly desires yet overcome every time unlike us.  Oh, how much that voice from heaven must’ve meant to Jesus in all these things to remember who He is as the Son of God when the lies cast doubt. 

In our lives, we are tempted in alluring ways by the devil and the world’s lies.  We too easily forget just how much we need the true Word of God.  Several years ago, I heard people much wiser than me describe sin as boiling down to 4 source idols and it has rung pretty true for me.  Those source idols are comfort, power, control, and approval.  They come at us when we are not satisfied by the Word of God.  All of our deepest desires are satisfied in knowing Jesus for who He really is and what He really does.  Yet there are still times when we try to find satisfaction apart from Him.  Like manna to the people in Israel, we need to freshly hear and receive God’s Word in our lives each and everyday to overcome any lies and live for the glory of God.  The foundational lie is that we are our own creation.  But the truth of God’s Word is here to remind us where we come from as beloved sons and daughters of God so that we can trust Him to provide what is best for us.  We have every security in Jesus Christ.  Oh, how much that voice from heaven to Jesus still means for us today!  May we remember where we’ve come from so that when we struggle in our flesh, we will overcome by the power of His Spirit in our testimony to trust in the perfect blood of God’s Lamb.

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

What Should We Do?

I’m a bit of a Bible nerd. In general, I like to study and learn. I particularly enjoy studying the Bible and teaching others to do the same. If you’ve taken the Bible Study Basics class with me, you know one of my pet peeves is when people skim a passage and then say, “What this passage means to me…” On it’s surface, it seems innocuous but it implies that the meaning of scripture is determined by us, rather than by the intent of the original author who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

When we approach God’s Word, we must first ask “What does this say?”, and once we have achieved a level of comprehension we can then ask “What does this mean?” The answers to these questions never change. The next question (and my personal favorite), is to ask “What does this passage teach me about God’s character?” Only after we have done this work, can we ask “What does this mean for me?” An encounter with the Word of God will change us. John the Baptist would attest to this. 

In Luke 3, God’s word came to him in the wilderness. As a result of this, “He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Luke records John’s encounters with several different groups of people: the crowds, the tax collectors, and the soldiers. 

“What then should we do?” the crowds were asking him?

The tax collectors asked him “Teacher, what should we do?”

Some soldiers also questioned him, “What should we do?”

When John had said to the crowds, and most pointedly to the Pharisees and Saducees, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father, for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire,” they understood John was telling them to turn from their wickedness, and change how they treated other people BECAUSE a holy God required it. They understood that tradition or ancestry was insufficient for salvation. They heard of the coming day of wrath, and some of them repented. 

What about you? Have you heard the Word of the Lord, and like the Pharisees and Saducees, found yourself unmoved, with a calloused heart, standing on your own merit? Or are you like the others, cut to the quick, and asking God how to live in light of who HE is?

Let’s ask the Lord this week, as we study His Word, “Father, what then should we do?” Let’s be a church who produces fruit consistent with repentance. 

Natalie 

If you aren’t already connected to a Community Group where you can dig into God’s Word with others, this is a great time to find one! Contact Pastor Jon to find the right group for you. 

I Must Be About the Things of My Father

In this passage in Luke (2:41-52), we are given the only account in all four Gospels that takes place in the life of Jesus between His infancy and His three public years of ministry. 

Surely we would have lots of questions about this these "silent" years of Jesus's life!

- What was Jesus like as a 4-year-old child?

- What was He like as a teenager? 

- Did He ever perform any miracles in these years?

The gospels are largely silent on all these questions. (After all, they can miss the point of why Jesus came.)

But the gospel writer Luke does give us this one story. A story he would have likely come to find out in his research efforts (1:1-4) - almost assuredly from interviewing Jesus's mother, Mary.

---

A summary of what takes place:

- Every year, Jesus's parents, Mary and Joseph, would travel to Jerusalem for Passover celebration. (This shows their love for the Lord and desire to walk with Him!)

- When Jesus was 12, when the Passover was over, Mary and Joseph were returning home in a large group of people. Mary and Joseph assumed that Jesus was with them in the group, but He wasn't! He had stayed behind in Jerusalem.

- After three days of searching (parents, can you imagine??), Mary and Joseph found Him in the temple.

- Jesus was with the teachers of the law, both listening to them, and asking them questions. They were amazed at His answers, and His understanding! (see Matt. 7:28-29)

- When Mary and Joseph asked Jesus why He had done this, His response was,

"Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

(Or, "... about my Father's business?" Lit. = "about the things of my Father")

---

I want us to focus on Jesus's words to His parents.

From the age of 12, it is apparent that Jesus knows He has been sent on a mission by His Father. He *must* be about the things of His Father, He says.

This word "must" ("dei" in the Greek) actually becomes an important word throughout the Gospel of Luke. With its very first instance here in chapter 2.

In Luke, Jesus often uses the word "dei" to talk about the necessity of his mission. A few examples:

     4:43 - "I must ["dei"] preach the good news of the kingdom of God and to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose."

     9:22 - "The Son of Man must ["dei"] suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

     22:7 - "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover Lamb had to ["dei"] be sacrificed."

     24:44 - "... everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must ["dei"] be fulfilled."

     (For more uses of "dei", see note at bottom.)

"I must preach the good news."

"The Son of Man must suffer."

"The Passover Lamb must be sacrificed."

"Everything written about me must be fulfilled."

And here, as a 12 year old young man, Jesus shows that He understood His mission early on.

"I must be about the things of my Father."

-—

Early(ish) on in Luke's gospel (9:51), it says,

"When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem."

Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem. 

To go to the cross. 

Where He would suffer, die, and be raised. 

Could we say perhaps that His face was set to go to the cross from even this early age of 12? (Or even younger?)

There would be another Passover.

A final one.

A Passover after which Jesus again would "go missing" for 3 days.

And be gloriously found.

Jesus - who from a young age had seen lambs sacrificed every year in Jerusalem at Passover - would become the one final Lamb of God, to satisfy the wrath of his Father for the sins of all who would ever believe.

---

It's a time of year where many are talking about New Year's resolutions. Being "resolved" to make changes in our lives.

Friends, from the gospel of Luke, let us see clearly the *resolve* of our Savior. 

His resolve to rescue us.

His resolve to finish the mission for which He was sent by His Father.

His resolve to suffer, die, but then be raised!

His resolve even from the early age of 12.

Let's see His resolve clearly, give thanks to Him, and worship Him!

- Joe

---

"dei" in Luke:

2:49

4:43

9:22

13:33

17:25

19:5

21:9

22:7, 37

24:26, 44

A Baby Dedication

Luke 2:21-40

“And when the days for their purification, according to the law of Moses, were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. As it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every first-born male that opens the womb shall be called Holy to the Lord’, and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.’” Exodus 13:12 and Leviticus 12:8 

Mary and Joseph, being righteous and endeavoring to obey the Law, traveled five and half miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to give an offering for Mary’s purification after childbirth and to dedicate their firstborn son to the Lord. 

These temple baby dedications were sometimes performed by priests and sometimes by devout men of God who served in the Temple.  Simeon was one of those devout men. He knew the scriptures and was “waiting for the Consolation of Israel.” The “Consolation of Israel” referred to the promised Messiah who would bring comfort, salvation and redemption to the suffering people of Israel. But more importantly, the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon. The Spirit of God had revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. What a revelation! 

On this day, directed by the Holy Spirit, Simeon went to the Temple. Mary and Joseph were there to carry out the custom of the Law. It was no coincidence that they were there on the same day. When Simeon took the child in his arms to bless Him and consecrate Him to God, he knew immediately who this child really was.  How many other babies had Simeon held that week to perform the same custom of the Law? How many other parents had stood before him, performed their obligation, and went home?  But this Child.....this Child was different. 

When I was eight years old, my youngest brother was born.  I didn’t want a brother – I already had one of those.  I wanted a sister.  But things changed when my Mom put my baby brother in my arms. I can still remember the way he felt and my heart was changed.  Those “sister” dreams disappeared and my heart was stolen by this bundle of warmth and blonde hair. 

Simeon began to bless God as he held the Christ Child. The promise God made him had been realized.  “Now, Lord, let your servant depart in peace, according to your Word, for my eyes have seen Thy Salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light of Revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 

Simeon continues to speak some words over Mary that would be difficult for a mother to hear. “This Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, a sign to be opposed – and a sword will pierce even your own soul.  Another thing for Mary to ponder in her heart. 

Luke 2:33 says Mary and Joseph were amazed at the things they were hearing.  They had been amazed by angel visits and messages.  They would have been amazed by shepherds showing up the night of the birth of Jesus. “How did they know where to find us. Who told them this would be the Savior of the world? We thought we were keeping this a secret!” The same one who told the shepherds, told Simeon.  Yes, angels were involved and bright lights, but it was God who revealed the Savior to His servants. Anna, a prophetess who spent her life serving in the Temple, came up to Simeon as he blessed the Christ Child, and she also began to give thanks and speak of Him. What a glorious day in the Temple! 

In 1982, Gloria Gaither wrote the lyrics to a song called “Ordinary Baby." It goes like this:

"He was just an ordinary baby. That's the way He planned it....maybe.

Anything but common would have kept Him apart 

From the children that He came to rescue, limited to some elite few,

When He was the only child who asked to be born."

And He came to us with eyes wide open, knowing how we're hurt and broken,

Choosing to partake of all our joy and pain. 

He was just an ordinary baby.  That's the way He planned it....maybe.  

So that we would come to Him and not be afraid."                                                                                                                                              

God revealed His plan to Mary and Joseph and told them not to be afraid.  The Angel told the shepherds the same thing...don’t be afraid. Simeon received a promise from the Holy Spirit.  God still reveals His plan to us also through the Word and the Holy Spirit. They followed the law, fulfilled their obligations, did what the angel told them, but in the end, it would be this Child who would save them.  Come to Him – don't be afraid. 

Jo 

Hope

Luke 2:8-20

Have you ever felt hopeless? Years ago, when the ministry position I had held for 10 years was suddenly eliminated, I experienced true hopelessness. It felt like I had lost everything, like a huge part of my identity had been cut away. The voices in my head kept telling me that I was too old to start over, that I would never have a job as good as the one I lost, and that we would never recover from the loss of income. Hope seemed to be gone. I struggled to get up in the morning, I struggled to pray, and breathing seemed like a chore. The song "The Rain Keeps Falling," by Andrew Peterson, became my anthem. The opening lines said it all,

I tried to be brave, but I hid in the dark. I sat in that cave, and I prayed for a spark, To light up all the pain, That remained in my heart. And the rain kept falling.

The prophet Malachi proclaimed this message from the Lord: “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2) This prophecy is one of the last given in the Old Testament; for the next four hundred years God was silent. I wonder how many in Israel lost hope as those centuries of silence slowly and painfully slipped by. Years spent waiting for a Messiah that never seemed to show up. Generations came and went as multiple foreign nations conquered the Promised Land, and more and more of God’s chosen people fled to foreign lands. I imagine that hope must have become a precious commodity.

The New Testament opens with Israel occupied by its latest conquerors, the Romans, who had installed a corrupt puppet king to help enforce compliance. This is the setting that the shepherds mentioned in Luke 2:8-20 find themselves in. They were of the lowest class of people—poor and considered so untrustworthy that their testimony wouldn’t even stand up in a court of law. If anyone was hoping for a Messiah, it would have been them. They likely didn’t expect much that night, just business as usual, keeping an eye on their sheep. In an instant, everything changed: angels, proclamation, a baby, hope reborn! Luke 8:20 tells us what happened after they encountered the baby in the manger, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Nothing had changed; they were still the same lowly shepherds they had always been. At the same time, however, everything had changed; the silence was broken, and the promised salvation had come at last! The world’s hope is built on circumstances that can often fail; for the Believer, hope is based on the person of Jesus Christ, who never fails.

Living in hope,

Mike

Nothing is Impossible with God

Luke 1:26-38, 46-56

I can’t even begin to imagine what it must have felt like for Mary to experience an angel coming down to tell her that she’s going to miraculously conceive a child… oh and not just any child. This child would be called that “the Son of the Most High” and would be the savior of the world. Um WHAT?!

She must have been feeling so many emotions at once – confusion, excitement, fear, doubt. Mary even asked the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Understandably, none of it made sense to her. Fortunately, God doesn’t call the equipped. She didn’t have to have all the answers or feel prepared for what was being asked of her. Rather, He equips the called. He was going to provide everything she needed. All God wanted from her was her trust.

In this moment, Mary had two choices. She could dismiss the angel because of how ridiculous and impossible everything he was saying sounded OR she could choose to surrender, blindly trusting God and stepping into what He was calling her to do. Of course, being the woman of faith that she is, Mary chose to trust.

How would you have responded? Have you ever felt God asking you to do something that seemed entirely impossible in the moment? Did you walk away, or did you trust and surrender?

I love how the angel references the way Mary had seen God work in her cousin Elizabeth’s life. It’s like he’s saying, “You’ve seen God perform miracles in the lives of the people you love, what makes you think He can’t do the same in yours.” Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Wow - what a powerful reminder.

It makes me think of Ephesians 3:20, which tells us that God is able to do far more abundantly than anything we could ask or imagine. He sees things we can’t, He knows what’s best for us, and He comes through in ways we would never expect. With Him, anything is possible. As in Mary’s case, all He asks for is our trust.

In Luke 1:46-56, we see Mary singing a song of praise to the Lord. Instead of trying to control the situation or worrying about what others may think like many of us might have done, she chooses gratitude. Jesus hasn’t even been born yet, but she already believes that everything God promised her will come to be.

I pray that all of us can be like Mary in this way and have faith so deep that we trust and surrender even when things seem impossible, always remembering that nothing is impossible with God.

Carmen K

In the Days of…

Luke 1:5-25

The days we have in this life are a gift and we should revere God with them.  So why is it so easy to start believing it is our time to do with as we want?  Or why do we so quickly lose sight of whose story we are actually a part of? 

Our text this week begins, “In the days of Herod, king of Judea…”  The phrase works as a historical marker for the first advent when the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.  But that opening phrase is also a reminder of how time is often viewed in terms of who appears to be in control and have the most say over people’s lives.  In those days, Herod was the Jewish king, referred to by some as Herod “the great”.  He was revered by many in that region which likely included some of the Jewish priests as he was acclaimed for building up parts of the temple.  The account goes on to describe Zechariah, a man “serving as priest before God” within a division of other priests during that time.  He was chosen by lots to go into the Jerusalem temple and burn incense.  In that moment, Zechariah encountered something greater than Herod and anything else on earth.  He was reminded of the greater story that he was a part of when the angel, Gabriel, appeared next to the altar and scared Zechariah.  Acting as a messenger for God, Gabriel brought assurance to Zechariah that his prayers had been heard and that God had a miraculous plan in store for him and his family that would bring joy and gladness to them while also making “ready for the Lord a people prepared.” 

Let us remember, Herod was the kind of ruler that would kill in order to hold onto a kingdom that would soon pass away.  It will be the same with all other earthly rulers that their kingdoms will pass away.  But by God’s design, we have a resurrected & glorified Ruler in Jesus Christ that gave His own innocent life in order to build up His people and prepare them for His perfect eternal Kingdom to come in the Day of the LORD.

Nowadays, much like generations before, it is easy for us to forget whose days we are truly living in.  We can also get caught up in the messages of the heavyweight influencers today.  Sometimes the fears of the world become the fears of the church.  But let us be quick to remember our God who is greater and went so far as to step into the world to become like us in the flesh in order to show He is the Savior with us and the King for us.  May we not fear the things of this world but instead be in awe of our great God and His Word.  Let us live like priests preparing for His Kingdom and His Righteousness above all else.  And let us find our peace in Jesus while hoping He will come again as He promised!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

A Message about a Messenger

Malachi 4:1-6

Long ago, as time began, God planted a garden for the man and woman He had created.  It had everything they needed, and God would walk and talk with them in the cool of the day. But there was one restriction, only one.  The Deceiver came and convinced them that something that looked so good surely could not harm them...and so, they hungered for what God had forbidden, and ate.  Sin always comes with a consequence and so the ground was cursed with thistles and weeds, and the man and woman with toil and hard labor.  And to the Deceiver, God said, “the offspring of the woman will crush your head.” 

He’s coming. 

Isaiah, the prophet of old, told us a Son would be born, and His name would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.” 

He’s coming. 

Malachi tells of a forerunner, a herald, (every King has one) who will come in the spirit of Elijah and his message will be “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Zacharias declared a benedictus after the birth of his son, John, and prophesied, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways to give His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.” 

He’s coming. 

In Malachi 3, we learned that the Lord who is coming is like a “refiner’s fire and a fullers’ soap.”  These are not meant to destroy, but to purify and cleanse. In Matthew 1:20-21, an angel appeared to Joseph and said, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  This child has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. She shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS for He will save His people from their sins.” 

He’s coming. 

The last words to Israel, before 400 years of silence, is about the judgement of the arrogant and every evil doer. But for those who fear the Lord’s name, the “sun of righteousness” will rise with healing in its wings. How does one escape this terrible judgement of the Lord? Malachi 4:4 says “Remember the law of Moses, My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.” Yes, we now live in a dispensation of Grace, but that doesn’t negate the need for us to obey the commandments of God. I read on Facebook – there are a few good posts – that the reason we have 17,000 pages in our law books is because we cannot follow ten laws on a tablet made of stone. How true! And God knew we couldn’t consistently keep them on our own, so He sent His Son to pay the ransom for our sins, and sent the Holy Spirit to help us in our weaknesses. Our part is to confess our sins and believe in Him as our Savior.

Because of His bountiful, tender, merciful love, God sent us warnings through the prophets and the writers of the Word.  Malachi’s prophecy points to John the Baptist who came before Christ preaching repentance, saying that after him was coming one whose shoe John was not worthy to untie, the one of whom he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” 

It was all God’s mercy.  Over and over He shows His love, over and over he forgives, over and over He warns and sends messages for us to draw close to God and purify ourselves through repentance. 

He’s coming. 

Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of His coming to earth to teach and give us the good news; and to suffer and die and rise again to defeat sin and the grave.  But that isn't the end. In Acts 1:11 after Jesus ascends to heaven, two angels stood beside them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” 

He’s coming. 

Hebrews 9:28 says, “To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” 

He’s coming. Are you ready? Are you eagerly looking for Him? 

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Waiting for Jesus, 

Jo 

How would you want to be remembered by a King?

If God was listening in on a conversation you were having with a group of people about the things going on in this world, what would He overhear you say? Would you want your words recorded in God's book? Would you be in favor of your King's remembrance? 

It seems in this passage we have 2 groups of people that Malachi is referring to. The first group, a faithless group, is gathered and talking about how serving God does not benefit them, and their efforts are in vain. God describes their words in Malachi chapter 3 as hard and rude. Some translations describe them as arrogant and harsh. They tell God evildoers are exalted and prosper and even seem to escape God and go unpunished. If that is so, then what is the point?

At times I have felt like this group, weary of the violence and suffering around me. Hurt, angry and lost in my own hardships. Pitted in pain and comparison. Arrogantly judging and coveting what others have. Often asking God “What about me, am I not good enough? I am doing all the things, why do bad things still happen?”

The second group, the faithful, were talking with each other and in their discussion, filled with awe and reverence for the Lord. God listened in and saw the respect and reverence of those who had honored His name. The Lord recorded in a book of remembrance the names of everyone who had faith. God, in this passage, refers to himself as “God-of-the-Angel-Armies” and declares that the faithful “are His, all his and they’ll get special treatment when I go into action. I will treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them and once more, you’ll see the difference it makes between being a person who does the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”  

When I think of this, I think of the many times I have sat with believers and heard amazing testimonies of God’s greatness: How lives are completely turned around, and the conversation is not about earthly possessions but of love for God and all He created, and the deep repentance that leads to salvation, and eyes fixed on Jesus.

I am grateful for God’s reminder in this passage that living a life dedicated to God’s will is not fought in vain. For it is a matter of eternal life and eternal death. The rain falls on the just and unjust, and we know God to be faithful and just and in this He has provided salvation through His son Christ Jesus. Have faith, my family, in knowing that a smile, a kind loving word, a handshake or a hug carried out with the love our savior Christ Jesus has modeled for us is an immeasurable amount of wealth! The richness of God’s love and His previsions is eternal. My prayer is that when life starts to shake us and we find ourselves in a crowded room of people, that we remember God’s ultimate sacrifice for us in Christ and we encourage each other to live devoted to God's will. 

Nikki Fiedler

When You Can’t See What’s Ahead

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." It's comforting to hear that God has a plan for us, but believing it, especially during times of change and challenge, is much harder.

For the past year, I've been struggling with constant anxiety and fear whenever I think about college and the future. The pressure to choose the "right" path is overwhelming me, and it's so easy to get caught up in worries about making mistakes. It's hard to remember it's okay not to have all the answers right now. I often expect God's plan to magically align with what I want, with no hardships or struggle. But it's important to recognize that God's plan doesn't always unfold as I expect. Instead of fixating on a specific outcome, I need to focus more on the opportunities and choices being given each day, and how to use them to grow, learn, and help others.

Anxiety and fear are natural responses when we're uncertain about what lies ahead. Feeling anxious doesn't mean you lack faith, it means you're human. It's important not to get caught up in "what ifs" but to remember that being a follower of God doesn't spare us from suffering, challenges, and fear. In those moments, we must turn to God for hope and courage as we navigate the unknown. Following God allows us to trust that even in scary and confusing times, our journey has immense purpose, and we are safe with Christ, who cares for us. It means acknowledging that things won't always be okay, but receiving strength from the Holy Spirit. We are not alone and there is always hope for our future in God.

The Bible doesn't dismiss feelings of fear and anxiety but offers guidance on dealing with them. Matthew 6:25-34 encourages us not to worry about the future, urging us to prioritize seeking God above all else and trusting that he will provide what we need. I remember as a kid, singing our Bible verses as songs, one that always stuck out to me the most was Philippians 4:6-7, which reminds us, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

What if the next time we are tempted to get caught up in our worries, we turn to prayer instead? What if, instead of spiraling in fear, we share our thoughts with God, being thankful for what He has given us, and asking Him to meet our needs? When we do, His grace will protect our thoughts and feelings, He will guard our hearts and minds and provide us with peace that surpasses understanding. It turns out, He can give us a hope and a future because He IS our hope and He holds our future. We are forever safe with Him. 

Eva Runyon

He Gave Himself

Malachi 3:6-12

"Yay, a Bible passage about money!" - you right now

In this passage, the Lord rebukes His people for their lack of tithing.

God invites His people to return to Him. And to do so - specifically by returning to tithing. He uses very strong language, saying that they have actually been "robbing" Him (4x in 3:8-9) by not tithing!

What is tithing? To us, tithing is maybe a churchy word that we assume simply means an offering or donation. In both Hebrew and English, the word is actually simply derived from the word "ten," and it means a tenth.

So to tithe is to give a tenth of our resources to God.

And said a bit more strongly, the tenth *already* belongs to God (of course, it ALL belongs to God). So the act of tithing is our recognition that that tenth belongs to God - it's His. And we are setting it aside for His use.

From their earliest days, God's people were commanded by Him to tithe (Leviticus 27:30-32).

But it was not without a greater purpose. God's design through tithing was that there would be resources for the needy people of the community: the Levites (priests), the sojourners, the fatherless, and the widows (Deuteronomy 14:22-29, esp. v. 29).

And now in Malachi's day - God's people, just as they had always done (3:7), "turned aside" from God's command to tithe. They were selfishly hoarding up their resources for themselves, while the needy of their community would have gone without.

They were robbing God, and robbing one another.

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God's design has always been that through blessing us, others would be blessed. Yes, He blesses us (praise Him!). But His intention is never that the blessing stop on us. But that it would then extend to others.

Two passages to consider:

     >>>Psalm 67:1-4

"May God be gracious to us and bless us
And make his face to shine upon us, Selah
That your way may be known on earth,
Your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
Let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy..."

As we read Psalm 67, we might arrive at the Selah at the end of verse 1, give a hearty "Amen!" and contentedly close our Bibles.

But you notice: the psalm continues!

Why does the psalmist desire God's grace and blessing? For God's face to shine on His people?

SO THAT His way would be known on earth.
SO THAT His saving power would be known among all the nations.
SO THAT the peoples would praise Him!
SO THAT the nations would sing for joy!

God's blessing isn't desired so that it can stop on His people. We desire His blessing so that His blessing can flow *through* us, bless others, and ultimately result in people coming to know God through faith in Jesus!

     >>>Ephesians 4:28

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need."

In this one verse, there are three ways that a person can view their work and their income.

1. stealing (obviously wrong)
2. "... let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something..."

Many of us live in such a way that we assume the verse ends there. We labor. We work. And we do so, so that we can have something. So that we can make an income, and have resources to live our lives.

But once again, the verse continues!

3. "... let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need."

In Paul's view, we work and we labor, not just so that we can have. But so that we can have something to share with those in need.

God's blessing is not to stop on us.
His blessing is to flow through us to others.

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We might ask, what can motivate us to live in such a way? We are commanded to tithe, to give, and to share. But is there a motivation - a foundation - underneath these commands that might be helpful to us?

If you happen to have your Bible open to Ephesians 4 still, let your eyes drift down a few verses to verse 32, and also into the beginning of chapter 5.

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

The rhythm of the New testament is always,
"Live in this way.
But live in this way
Because God has already done this for you in Jesus."

Why should I be kind?
Because God has been kind to you first. In Jesus.

Why should I forgive?
Because God has forgiven you first. In Jesus.

Why should I walk in love?
Because God has loved you first. Through the sacrifice of Jesus.

And so in light of Malachi 3, we might ask,

Why should I tithe?
Why should I be generous?
Why should I give and share with others?

Because God has been generous to you first. In Jesus.

He gave - not just a tenth - "As Christ loved us and gave *Himself* up for us."

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
That though he was rich,
Yet for your sake he became poor,
So that you by his poverty might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:9

- Joe