Showing posts with label Mid-Week Devotional. Show all posts

Lost and Found


Then his father said, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found.’” - Luke 15:31-32 [CEB]

This past Sunday, I preached the third sermon of my preaching career on the parable lovingly known as the Prodigal Son. Each time I’ve studied this special story from Jesus, the heart of Luke’s Gospel, I stumble across something new to ponder.

That’s one of the most wonderful things about reading God’s Word… You can read the same story, the same passage, many times in your life, and like the Father running towards the prodigal son to greet his long-lost child, the Bible brings to you what you need to know in the moment.

For the first time I was struck by a thought:

Did the older brother get over himself and go to the party?

You probably know this story at this point, but a quick refresher…

Little brother is full of himself. Asks for his inheritance in advance of his father’s death. Effectively saying his family is dead to him.

Little brother moves to a foreign land and squanders his money. Ends up homeless and living in pig pen. Wises up, decides to go home to live as one of his father’s servants… If that’s ok with his dad.

Father runs to meet little bro, interrupting the prodigal son’s repentant speech, to shout back to the house that it’s time to start a block party - his son was lost, but now is found.

Big brother gets word of this. Won’t go to the party. Shouts to his father at the injustice of all of this… but the father’s grace trumps worldly justice.

Jesus doesn’t finish the story - on purpose. He never tells us the decision of the older brother. Does he sit on the outside? As a prodigal himself? Or does he, like his little brother, come to his senses and realize that the father’s grace is greater?

Jesus, Son of God, is describing the love of God the Father for all of us. A love that knows no boundaries, or manners, or decorum. A love that permeates all of creation, is ever reaching out to all people as beloved children, and calls to put others before ourselves.

Because, here’s the thing, we can all fall off the living-like-Christ bandwagon. It’s hard. It’s complicated. It’s tough to be grace-offering people, even as we are filled by God’s grace.

The grace… the forgiveness… the love of God levels the playing field.

Broken sinners as we are, God loves us and wants us to come home. And bring others with us.

Have a blessed week and may you all know that you are found!

In Christ,

Pastor Jarrod
Mid-Week Devotional

Bearing Fruit


The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.” - Luke 13:8-9 [CEB]
I’m not personally the best gardener.  I’ve tried to grow herbs, vegetables… a lawn… and I’ve definitely had more misses than hits.  Mostly, I’ll admit, it’s because I haven’t done my due diligence with regard to the plants. Planting at the proper times. Protecting them from weeds and bugs. Watering and fertilizing them as they want.

Part of it also is talent… Gardening is just not my thing. However, it is Jesus’ thing.

We are Christ’s crop and Christ is doing the best he can to get us to grow and bear that fruit.

He’s not the first person in the Gospel of Luke to call on people to bear fruit, however. John the Baptist has a similar word to offer in Luke 3, in preparation for those that would listen to receive the Messiah:
“Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives… The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire.”

Yikes, right? But, before you get scared, John explains himself:

“Whoever has two shirts must share with one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.”
 To tax collectors coming to be baptized he says, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.”
 To soldiers coming to be received, he says, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.”
You might not be a tax collector or soldier, or maybe you are, but the picture of a fruitful and changed life is clear.

Be kind to the other.
Share with the other.
Take care of each other.

It’s something I often think when I’m at a personal crossroads, about to make a decision that I’m skeptical about -

If I believe in Christ - then I should… what?

While John the Baptist is rough around the edges, the words of Christ carry the same urgency, the same message - to change our hearts and lives. But, Christ, as the Son of God, the gardener in the Father’s Garden, can offer something John, a human, cannot: the Grace of God.

And that grace is this:
You have a chance,
In this very moment,
To start bearing fruit.

Be kind to the other.
Share with the other.
Take care of each other.

Imagine, if we the Revive Worship community, and all those who follow Christ, chose to make that decision right now, at the same time.

In Christ,
Pastor Jarrod
Mid-Week Devotional

Two Roads Diverged


As I sit and reflect on our lesson from the second Sunday of Lent (Luke 13:31-35), thinking and praying on the determination of Christ in his plan to redeem us from our sins, a poem from the great Robert Frost comes to mind.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear ...

Maybe you know these words from The Road Not Taken. They’re commonly read literature and poetry studies, outlining a choice common to all of us, as travelers in the world:

Do I go right at the fork in the road?
The way where the path is clear and well-trodden?

Or do I take a risk and veer to the left?
Where the way isn’t as clear?
Where people haven’t yet left tracks to follow?
Where the end is unknown?

When Christ began his ministry on the earth, after spending forty days in the desert, enduring the temptations from the Enemy, he returned to his community with the end in mind. 

He knew his goal - it would be the cross.
He knew his purpose - redemption of the world from its sins.

And nothing would distract him from getting there.

Not questioning and pestering disciples.
Not confused and conniving Pharisees.
Not violent and power-hungry Herod.

Eventually the people, his disciples, would catch up with him and understand that Christ desires for all who carry the name Christian to travel this road of self-sacrifice with him. Each of us may have our own way of navigating the path Christ has for us. But they all lead to the same place - the arms of a loving savior. Our roads may diverge at times, but Jesus is always at the end, waiting for us.

I pray that you’ll join us for worship again this Sunday, as we ponder the obstacles in our paths to the life Jesus calls us all to.

In Christ,
Pastor Jarrod
Mid-Week Devotional

Welcome to the Path


9 The devil brought him into Jerusalem and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; 10 for it’s written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you 11 and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.[c]”

12 Jesus answered, “It’s been said, Don’t test the Lord your God.”[d] 13 After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity. - Luke 4:9-12

On Sunday, Rev. Brian kicked off our Lenten season in Revive by preaching the text we most commonly read on first Sunday of Lent - the temptation of Christ by Satan in the wilderness.  Luke’s version is highly descriptive, outlining a threefold temptation from the Enemy, put on Christ after Christ had already spent forty days starving in wilderness.

Create bread from these stones, the Enemy says.
I will give you the world to rule, the Enemy says.
Demonstrate your God-ness by leaping from this roof, the Enemy says.

In each case, Christ refuses.  But, he was tempted.  He was tempted to give in - but he doesn’t.  Christ is the Son of Man, as he says.  Meaning that he was fully human.

He felt.
He hurt.
He hungered.

But, he is also the Son of God - meaning that he is fully God.

He empathizes with us.
He knows our pain.
He feeds us life-giving bread.

Christ is like us, but so very not like us at the same time.  He took on our humanity and showed us that we can, through his strength, overcome our tendencies to go our own way.

He shows us a new path, and this season of Lent we are invited to join Christ on this path, together.  During our time on Sunday morning, we’ll follow Christ on his journey to the cross, as he preaches, teaches, and saves the very people who will persecute him  Christ doesn’t take any detours from the road set before him, and he calls us to travel along with him, through the cross, to the empty tomb.

If you’d like to study ahead, here is our roadmap for our time together in the coming weeks.

February 10 - Ash Wednesday - Before We Start, We Practice
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Discipleship takes preparation.  Jesus gives us just a few ideas.

February 14 - Lent One - The Starting Line
Luke 4:1-13
It all begins with temptation.

February 21 - Lent Two - Getting Off Track
Luke 13:31-35
Perseverance in the face of our culture, maybe the hardest part.

February 28 - Lent Three - Traversing Obstacles
Luke 13:1-9
Sometimes, the greatest obstacle to growth is ourselves.

March 6 - Lent Four - Don’t Look Back
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
God invites us to keep going, no matter how we lose faith.

March 13 - Lent Five - Almost Done, But Not Yet
John 12:1-8
Just when we think we’re done, when we’ve figured out the path, it all changes.

March 20 - Palm Sunday - Not The Finish Line
Luke 19:28-40
People thought that Christ’s entry into Jerusalem would fix everything.  It didn’t.

*Holy Week*

March 24 - Maundy Thursday - Fuel for Marathon
Luke 22:14-20
We are called to remember Christ, through the meal he gave to us as fuel for the lives we lead as his disciples.  All are welcome on the journey.

March 25 - Good Friday - It is Finished
John 18:1-19:42 (selected verses)
As Christ dies on the cross, he prays, “It is finished.”  Is it?

March 27 - Easter Sunday - Love Wins
John 20:1-18
Just when everybody thought it was over, that all was lost, a new hope arises from the darkness.

I pray that you’ll join us for worship this week and every week during this important season.  The Path that Christ calls us to is not an easy one, but the best things are never easy.  This Path is a strenuous marathon, a dangerous hike, a course full of obstacles.  But, together with Christ, we can win.

In Christ,
Pastor Jarrod
Mid-Week Devotional

Called to Follow


Exodus 34:29-35—Called to Follow

Following Christ is central to our identity as Christians: as Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” In Greek, the word “Christian” translates to “Christianos” which means “Follower of Christ.” Christ began his relationship with the disciples by asking them to follow him, and all Christians can trace their faith back to the original calling of the 12. Accepting God’s call to follow him and submitting yourself to his will is the only way to truly have life, and Moses is one of scripture’s best examples of this.

Centuries before Jesus would call the disciples, God called Moses through the burning bush. God commanded Moses to go to Egypt and deliver the Hebrews from slavery. The Lord appointed Moses to be the representative of the “I AM”, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God intended for his role to be central to the magnificent redemption story of the Hebrews, and Moses was terrified; he wanted nothing to do with it. Just like Moses, we often respond to the glorious call to discipleship with fear and trepidation. However, if you embrace the call to follow, and give control over to God, he will transform your life dramatically.

Moses was far from perfect during his time as Israel’s leader, but he walked with God like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. No one else would experience that level of intimacy with God again until he walked amongst us in human form. Moses’ closeness to God resulted from his humbling himself and accepting God’s will for his life. All of the adventure that Moses would experience, and all of the significance that He would have, was a direct result of that decision. Moses’ role was so significant that he was permitted to spend time directly in the presence of God. He became God’s mouthpiece to the Hebrews, and after he spent time in the Lord’s presence his face shined with God’s glory. It shone so brightly that it startled the people who saw him. As Christians, this is something that we should strive for.


“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). If you surrender your life to God, you too will reflect God’s presence in such a dramatic way that it will be blindingly obvious to everyone around you. The joy and hope that radiate from people who are walking in line with God is what we are all called to. The world is mired in the darkness of sin, and many people believe that terrestrial pursuits are all that matter—lives spent in this way have no impactful legacy. However, those who hear God’s call and decide to walk with him, like Moses, will shine a light that can be seen for generations to come.

Michael Barrett
Mid-Week Devotional

Called to Hope


Jeremiah is called to a not-so-easy task.  His God-given job is to tell Israel why it is falling apart and why their sinful lives are the cause of this devastation.
 
But, reminds Pastor Jarrod Johnston, there is always hope.  
 
Jeremiah 1:4-10 shows us how God says that he will speak His words through Jeremiah, his prophet.  He declares to Jeremiah that He will use his prophet to ‘dig up and pull down, destroy and demolish, build and plant”.  He is with Jeremiah through all of the difficult tasks the prophet must accomplish.  
 
Hearing God’s voice in our own lives can be a tricky thing.  It can be hard to discern. 
 
Pastor Jarrod told of a sweet babe who was terribly ill.  Young Joel was diagnosed with brain cancer before his first birthday. For the rest of the young child’s life, God wrapped himself around the family with the church, friends and relatives. These walked through each step of the cancer with Joel’s family – the better days and the very hard ones. Always, they were wrapped in prayer. And even when Joel finally went home to Jesus, God’s love still blanketed Joel’s parents in love.  
 
When we go through the roughest of times, God is always with us. He was with Jeremiah. He was with little Joel and his family. There is absolutely nothing which can separate us from the love of God. This is where the hope is. And this hope extends through this life into eternity.

-Cindy Norris
Mid-Week Devotional

Answering Your Call


When God first called me into ministry, I was in a very difficult place. I felt lost. Into that difficulty God spoke to me. I was in between every major decision a college student could be and in a moment, God unfolded a calling that changed the trajectory of my life. Since offering my call story on Sunday, and calling us to listen to God’s call as a faith community, I’ve heard a few people who wonder what God’s call on their lives might be. I’d like to offer a few things, that may sound ordinary or mundane, but God calls us to for God’s glory:

God might be calling you to be a good parent.
God might be calling you to be a better spouse.
God might be calling you to do your daily work with integrity.

God might be calling you to cut damaging habits out of your life.
God might be calling you out of a hurtful relationship.
God might be calling you back to reach into broken people’s lives.

Or to pray more.
Or to play more.
Or to rest more.

God calls us to be the best, healed, whole, self-aware, DELIGHTFUL people that God intended us to be.

None of these things, you may have your own list, are simple or easy. But if you think that these things are too small, or not grand enough, to be a calling in your life from God, let me ease your fears:

No calling is too small.
And, our work with God has to start somewhere. 
No calling is insignificant.

When considering your call, what you might hear God saying to you, there are two things that you need to do:
1.      Pray.
2.     Speak up.

If you think you’re hearing God’s voice in  your life - share your story! God doesn’t just work internally on us, God also works on us externally through our family, friends, and faith community.

Keep the goal in mind that Isaiah so beautifully laid out for us in Isaiah 62:1-5:
For Zion’s sake I won’t keep silent,
    and for Jerusalem’s sake I won’t sit still
    until her righteousness shines out like a light,
    and her salvation blazes like a torch.
Nations will see your righteousness,
    all kings your glory.
You will be called by a new name,
    which the Lord’s own mouth will determine.
You will be a splendid garland in the Lord’s hand,
    a royal turban in the palm of God’s hand.
You will no longer be called Abandoned,
    and your land will no longer be called Deserted.
Instead, you will be called My Delight Is in Her,
    and your land, Married.
    Because the Lord delights in you,
    your land will be cared for once again.
As a young man marries a young woman,
    so your sons will marry you.
    With the joy of a bridegroom because of his bride,
    so your God will rejoice because of you.
In Christ,
Pastor Jarrod
Mid-Week Devotional
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)