Today, I was reading in our Life Journal plan (okay I'm a day late), and wow, the verse that hit me, "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." Matthew 13:58
Jesus comes to his hometown to show how the kingdom of God is showing up. He's about to do miracles - heal people, proclaim the good news that God has offered eternal life, and share revolutionary teaching that it's time to have an abundant life. But what did he find, people who doubted his power, and questioned his calling from God...yikes is that us?
God really challenged me, Wow - would I welcome Jesus because of my faith in him? Am I recognized by my unwavering faith in God's unbelievable power?
Let's continue to believe in God, who's able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Easter Video worth watching
Ok, I wish I was able to come up with this type of video...but hey, I know my gifts.
But praise God, that other people have creativity - check out this moving video about Jesus' resurrection from Elevation Church:
http://www.stevenfurtick.com/uncategorized/resurrection-injection-and-such/
But praise God, that other people have creativity - check out this moving video about Jesus' resurrection from Elevation Church:
http://www.stevenfurtick.com/uncategorized/resurrection-injection-and-such/
Monday, April 20, 2009
A video describing the series on 1 John
Here's a short video about the Sunday morning series based in the book of "1 John."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63MefHn2c_s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63MefHn2c_s
A simple message...yah right
So this past Sunday, as we continued our series in 1 John, I was up to preach about love. Now this type of love isn't the erotic love (ie. "check out the singles in your area" ad that comes up on my hotmail account), but this is about a love that is much deeper.
John gives a command to "Love one another." (1 John 3:11). It's not just about being nice to people, it's about loving those around us. He's referring to a love that is self-sacrificing & unconditional. This act of love is displayed most perfectly in the example of Jesus. Jesus came to earth and laid down his life for us.
Are you following me? The type of love that Jesus calls us to show others, isn't based on how we feel, or if it's convenient. Loving one another is about stepping up and being sacrificial. Perhaps that's in doing the dishes for our spouse, or maybe spending time with our sick kids, or phoning a friend who is always negative. Loving one another challenges us to step up and be proactive about the relationships that need mending and the people who need encouragement around us.
Is it easy for you to love...one another? Why is it tough to love those who are annoying? Are we willing to accept God's strength and Spirit to help us show love to others?
John gives a command to "Love one another." (1 John 3:11). It's not just about being nice to people, it's about loving those around us. He's referring to a love that is self-sacrificing & unconditional. This act of love is displayed most perfectly in the example of Jesus. Jesus came to earth and laid down his life for us.
Are you following me? The type of love that Jesus calls us to show others, isn't based on how we feel, or if it's convenient. Loving one another is about stepping up and being sacrificial. Perhaps that's in doing the dishes for our spouse, or maybe spending time with our sick kids, or phoning a friend who is always negative. Loving one another challenges us to step up and be proactive about the relationships that need mending and the people who need encouragement around us.
Is it easy for you to love...one another? Why is it tough to love those who are annoying? Are we willing to accept God's strength and Spirit to help us show love to others?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Time to Celebrate
It's time to celebrate...really, it's time to party! This weekend, on Sunday April 5, Gateway Community Church is celebrating our 3 year anniversary! It's been 3 years of God doing some pretty big miracles. Lives being changed by a God who loves people and wants a relationship with them. We have seen people freed from alcohol consumption. We have seen people who were aimless and worried, now have hope and peace. We have seen people whom the doctors said couldn't have babies, get pregnant (God's the one in charge!!!).
This Sunday we are celebrating a really BIG GOD! I'm going to be looking at the reason to celebrate and what type of God we do celebrate.
If' you're reading this and you are within driving distance...come join us for an incredible Sunday.
Then next Sunday, it's the celebration of Resurrection. What a picture to see that Jesus could rise from the dead. No other religious leader has done it or even claimed to have done it - only Jesus...but why does this matter to us...come find out!
This Sunday we are celebrating a really BIG GOD! I'm going to be looking at the reason to celebrate and what type of God we do celebrate.
If' you're reading this and you are within driving distance...come join us for an incredible Sunday.
Then next Sunday, it's the celebration of Resurrection. What a picture to see that Jesus could rise from the dead. No other religious leader has done it or even claimed to have done it - only Jesus...but why does this matter to us...come find out!
Monday, March 9, 2009
faith plus action equals...
What a sermon to preach this week...or should I say, what a text in 1 John 2:3-11. Read it http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202:3-11&version=31 ...
As I wrestled with this text it was quite easy to see, John wasn't talking to the religious leaders who practiced a lot of good things, he was talking to those who really thought they knew God, who studied well, and had a "deep connection" through knowledge with him. John challenges the readers to realize that knowing God is about obeying his commands. The proof of our claims to follow Jesus, will be seen how we act.
So, when God calls us to change, to conquer an addiction, to start a new discipline, to forgive someone that's really made us angry, will we obey?
To hit home the point even more, John speaks about how God's love is made complete when we obey his commands. The completeness of God's love is made by having us unite faith and action. How profound - a bottled up faith, an ignored faith, without action hasn't revealed that God's love is at work.
Thankfully, we realize that in God's grace for us, he will call us to change only what we are capable of. We don't have to be overwhelmed, but know God's spirit will work in us, one area at a time.
As I wrestled with this text it was quite easy to see, John wasn't talking to the religious leaders who practiced a lot of good things, he was talking to those who really thought they knew God, who studied well, and had a "deep connection" through knowledge with him. John challenges the readers to realize that knowing God is about obeying his commands. The proof of our claims to follow Jesus, will be seen how we act.
So, when God calls us to change, to conquer an addiction, to start a new discipline, to forgive someone that's really made us angry, will we obey?
To hit home the point even more, John speaks about how God's love is made complete when we obey his commands. The completeness of God's love is made by having us unite faith and action. How profound - a bottled up faith, an ignored faith, without action hasn't revealed that God's love is at work.
Thankfully, we realize that in God's grace for us, he will call us to change only what we are capable of. We don't have to be overwhelmed, but know God's spirit will work in us, one area at a time.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wearing a tux in a gas station
On Sunday night God really challenged me through a message I listened to by a passionate preacher named Steven Furtick (www.elevationchurch.org) on Leadership, called "Dress for the Wedding."
As he explained, when God has called us to live out a mission in life, will we listen. He reminded us of the story of Noah, who was called to build a boat. Not a little fishing boat. Not a small pleasure craft - it was a cruise ship - and they never saw rain. Noah heard from God and listened.
Then Steven gave the example of how times we head off to a wedding, this has happened to me & probably you, you're all dressed up and you stop for gas (or a slurpee) and you feel like you have to explain yourself. "I'm heading to a wedding, that's why I'm dressed up." So you stick out, what will you do....do you care, or think, yikes maybe I should just dress down and hang out here.
God really hit me- it's time to live out the mission God has put on my life - to point others to Jesus and stop worrying about other's opinions. I can't be like the Israelites who headed to Canaan and said, "No way Moses, those people are scary & big, so we can't conquer that land!"
Quit taking God out of the equation of your life. Quit saying and believing the doubters, the nay-sayers, those who are stuck at the gas station and haven't been invited to the wedding. God really challenged me that night (Sunday, Feb. 22nd), "Paul, will you step up and move forward, enough talk, now put some plans in place and persevere for my glory?!!"
Put that tux back, on...get that fire of God in your heart and see where he leads....
As he explained, when God has called us to live out a mission in life, will we listen. He reminded us of the story of Noah, who was called to build a boat. Not a little fishing boat. Not a small pleasure craft - it was a cruise ship - and they never saw rain. Noah heard from God and listened.
Then Steven gave the example of how times we head off to a wedding, this has happened to me & probably you, you're all dressed up and you stop for gas (or a slurpee) and you feel like you have to explain yourself. "I'm heading to a wedding, that's why I'm dressed up." So you stick out, what will you do....do you care, or think, yikes maybe I should just dress down and hang out here.
God really hit me- it's time to live out the mission God has put on my life - to point others to Jesus and stop worrying about other's opinions. I can't be like the Israelites who headed to Canaan and said, "No way Moses, those people are scary & big, so we can't conquer that land!"
Quit taking God out of the equation of your life. Quit saying and believing the doubters, the nay-sayers, those who are stuck at the gas station and haven't been invited to the wedding. God really challenged me that night (Sunday, Feb. 22nd), "Paul, will you step up and move forward, enough talk, now put some plans in place and persevere for my glory?!!"
Put that tux back, on...get that fire of God in your heart and see where he leads....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)