Month: January 2020

On Sunday, February 2, we are going to observe the Lord’s Supper by spending some time celebrating the Lord together!  In our first “Body Life Service” in this new building, we are going to spend the entire service testifying of God’s goodness in our lives.  Of course, this can take the form of something He’s taught you, something He’s done for you, a Scripture He’s laid on your heart, or even a melody ringing in your ears! 🙂

There will be some structure, but for the most part we will be passing the mic around and asking you to share from your hearts.  Our theme for the morning is “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”  ~ Psalm 145:4 

There is a powerful image floating around the internet of a teen staring at a slumped over old man in a wheelchair wearing a Vietnam-era cap.  “Ghosted” behind the vet is that classic image of a bare-chested young Vietnam-era soldier with two ammo belts over his shoulders, holding a .50 caliber machine gun with one hand.  You get the impression that neither the teen nor the vet think much of each other. Beloved, that shouldn’t be within the family of God. That teen needs to know a little about that vet’s story and that vet needs to know that that teen is fighting everyday to love God and make good decisions in a world that has gone crazy.  We can’t do all that in one service, but we can start!

Come prepared to share a snippet of what God is doing in your life or of some way in which you saw Him work.  Come ready to share a testimony of something from which He freed you or a victory He won for you. Come ready to be blessed and encouraged that God is still at work.

Yours, because I’m His,

Pastor Scott

 

Psalm 111 

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,

In the company of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the Lord;

They are studied by all who delight in them.

Splendid and majestic is His work,

And His righteousness endures forever.

He has made His wonders to be remembered;

The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

He has given food to those who fear Him;

He will remember His covenant forever.

He has made known to His people the power of His works,

In giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;

All His precepts are sure.

They are upheld forever and ever;

They are performed in truth and uprightness.

He has sent redemption to His people;

He has ordained His covenant forever;

Holy and awesome is His name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;

His praise endures forever.

Sunday I will preach the last of four messages about money/giving.  Somebody in the congregation teased me that if I really wanted to pull on heart strings I should take a note from the Old Southern Preachers…..  believe it or not I’ve been carrying some of their sermon illustrations around; take a peek:

J.L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who had given approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, “The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.”

J.D. Rockefeller said, “I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”

W.A. Criswell, A Guidebook for Pastors, p. 154.

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Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving.

Peter Marshall.

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W. A. Criswell tells of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he’d promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now. The pastor replied, “I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00.”

W. A. Criswell, A Guidebook for Pastors, p. 156.

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When you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, “Does this hurt? How about this?” If you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there’s something wrong, and the doctor will say, “We’d better do some more tests. It’s not supposed to hurt there!” So it is when pastors preach on financial responsibility, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard. Or perhaps there’s something wrong. In that case, I say, “My friend, we’re in need of the Great Physician because it’s not supposed to hurt there.”

Ben Rogers.

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I love these, hope you did too and that maybe, God used one to speak to you too!

Pastor Scott

 

 

In Lead On, John Haggai tells the story of Mrs. Monroe in Darlington, Maryland. The mother of eight children, she came home one afternoon from the grocery store and noticed it was a bit quieter than usual.

She looked in the living room and five of her darlings were sitting in a circle. She put down the groceries, walked over, and saw they were playing with five of the cutest skunks you can imagine.

She was instantly terrified, and she screamed, “Run, children, run!” Each child grabbed a skunk and ran in five different directions. Her screams so scared the children that each one squeezed his skunk!

It’s always too soon to panic.

 

Yours because I’m His,

Pastor Scott

In 2020 at Word of Grace we are going to challenge each other to incorporate one thing each month that will help us share our faith in everyday ways.  The challenge in January is one that strikes me as pretty easy (of course, almost all of my friends are believers). If you have cultivated some contacts from further afield, this challenge may be both more difficult and more potentially fruitful for you!

JANUARY:  Use social media to say one thing about what God has done in your life.

Social media has been used to do a lot of harmful things from bullying to threatening and even blackmail. But as a child of God, you can turn it into an avenue for the encouragement and upliftment and also to share the love of God with them. Post scriptures, video messages, pictures bearing the good news. Using social media should eliminate the fear that comes with sharing your faith in person.