As I looked at the October lessons for our sermon series, "Connect the Dots," I noticed a pattern. See if you can see the same. . .
Ishmael is abandoned in the desert and must trust God to protect him.
Isaac is placed on the sacrificial altar and Abraham must trust God to provide.
Jacob wrestles with some strange creature at the riverbank all night long and must trust God that he will prevail.
Joseph is thrown into a pit and sold into slavery and must trust God to survive.
See the pattern? They all find themselves in a place of real (not imaginary) fear. And yet, for them to overcome, they must move from fear to faith.
There are plenty of things in the news that cause real fear--war, terrorism, job loss, the economy. Such fear paralyzes our actions, discourages our attempts, and shatters our hope. Many live in that state of constant fear. But as believers, we move from fear to faith, trusting that God is still in charge and has a plan for our wellbeing.
On October 24, I will ask each of you to bring forth your commitment card for the work of the church in 2011. For some, this will be an anxious and fearful time to put down on paper what you plan to give even in these uncertain times. But I'm asking you to follow the lead of the biblical witness. I'm asking you to look at these heroes of the past. I'm asking you to move from fear to faith in a God who has already overcome the world.
Fearlessly Yours,
Pastor Scott
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
To Don't List
The Leadership Team of the church met this past week with a member of the church who is a consultant for many large corporations in town. What a valuable resource! He helped us clarify vision and expectations and job descriptions. But the best thing he helped us work on was our "To Don't List."
We all have "To Do" lists. But what about those things that are consuming a mass amount of time but having little impact? What about those things that are good things but just don't fit what we should be doing as a church? What about those things that we want to do, but just not yet?
So, we developed a "To Don't List." It helps clarify our vision, make better use of our time, produce a greater impact and prevents burn out.
I've got my "To Don't List." Is it time you start creating your own?
Peace,
Pastor Scott
We all have "To Do" lists. But what about those things that are consuming a mass amount of time but having little impact? What about those things that are good things but just don't fit what we should be doing as a church? What about those things that we want to do, but just not yet?
So, we developed a "To Don't List." It helps clarify our vision, make better use of our time, produce a greater impact and prevents burn out.
I've got my "To Don't List." Is it time you start creating your own?
Peace,
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Shuffling Papers
Typically, shuffling papers is not a good thing.
We shuffle papers on our desk absentmindedly. The beaucracy of the DMV shuffles papers in triplicate through red tape.
However, on Sunday morning for the first time that I can remember, I heard shuffling papers. It wasn't fumbling through the hymnal or playing with the bulletin, there was a distinct shuffling of papers, of pages, from the Bible during the sermon.
Did you hear it?
Pens were in hand, Bibles were in laps, notes were taken, and pages were shuffled as we worked our way through the story of Noah's ark. It was a beautiful sound!
Stay with it. We've got only 43 more weeks to go. Bring your Bibles to church, go to the pastor's class that fills in the details, read the Taking it Home and talk to your children about their Sunday School lesson, too. They are learning about the same stories.
Oh, yeah, and shuffle those papers!
Peace,
Pastor Scott
We shuffle papers on our desk absentmindedly. The beaucracy of the DMV shuffles papers in triplicate through red tape.
However, on Sunday morning for the first time that I can remember, I heard shuffling papers. It wasn't fumbling through the hymnal or playing with the bulletin, there was a distinct shuffling of papers, of pages, from the Bible during the sermon.
Did you hear it?
Pens were in hand, Bibles were in laps, notes were taken, and pages were shuffled as we worked our way through the story of Noah's ark. It was a beautiful sound!
Stay with it. We've got only 43 more weeks to go. Bring your Bibles to church, go to the pastor's class that fills in the details, read the Taking it Home and talk to your children about their Sunday School lesson, too. They are learning about the same stories.
Oh, yeah, and shuffle those papers!
Peace,
Pastor Scott
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Love and War
Why does she always floss her teeth that way. It drives me nuts! Why does he never think to close the dresser drawer? It drives me crazy!
Last night at Wednesdays Together during our marriage course, "Love and War," we took a lighthearted look at those little things about our spouse that drives us bonkers. However, rather than spending the evening nitpicking on those little annoyances, we looked at them from another angle.
First, these were the little things that we overlooked when we were young and in love. In fact, they may have been the very things that we found alluring. After all, opposites attract.
Second, over time, those pesky personality traits annoyed us and we thought it was our job to change our spouse. I will teach her the proper way to floss. I will nag him long enough so he remembers to close the drawers. That's my job! To fix him/her!
Third, we hit a major breakthrough in our relationships when we no longer see our job as the fixer. Instead, we look to our spouse as God way of transforming us. When we move from annoyance to tolerance to acceptance of those strange quirks in our spouse, then we become open to the Spirit's work of transformation of our heart.
Who has God put into your life with strange habits that bug you? Got someone in mind? Now ask yourself, "What is God trying to transform about me through this relationship?"
You might be surprised that you are the one who needs "fixing!"
Last night at Wednesdays Together during our marriage course, "Love and War," we took a lighthearted look at those little things about our spouse that drives us bonkers. However, rather than spending the evening nitpicking on those little annoyances, we looked at them from another angle.
First, these were the little things that we overlooked when we were young and in love. In fact, they may have been the very things that we found alluring. After all, opposites attract.
Second, over time, those pesky personality traits annoyed us and we thought it was our job to change our spouse. I will teach her the proper way to floss. I will nag him long enough so he remembers to close the drawers. That's my job! To fix him/her!
Third, we hit a major breakthrough in our relationships when we no longer see our job as the fixer. Instead, we look to our spouse as God way of transforming us. When we move from annoyance to tolerance to acceptance of those strange quirks in our spouse, then we become open to the Spirit's work of transformation of our heart.
Who has God put into your life with strange habits that bug you? Got someone in mind? Now ask yourself, "What is God trying to transform about me through this relationship?"
You might be surprised that you are the one who needs "fixing!"
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