Claimed, gathered and sent

For my devotional time this morning I was reading Hebrews 12, you know the chapter that starts out, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..." (Heb 12:1). What powerful imagery, how moving. It makes you feel like you can hang in there with this great throng that has preceded you in the faith. It is the second half of the verse that I was meditating on this morning. "... let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us" (Heb 12:1b). Several thoughts came to mind. First of all, "the race that is set before us." My son, Christian, was a distance runner from middle school through college. He did best of all at the mile. He did very well at longer distances like cross country races or road races. He did ok at slightly shorter distances, but the mile was where he shined. That was his race. When he ran the race set before him, that he was best built for, he succeeded. What about us? Do we look at others' walks of faith...

Have you ever wondered what your spiritual gifts are? In my class on leadership, we were required to take the following test to determine those gifts. See what yours are. Romans 12 Motivational Gifts Test http://www.gifttest.org/

I just finished my summer courses, one of which was Ministry Communication. On the final, we had a choice of several scriptures for which to produce a sermon outline. One of them was Psalm 23 and this is my outline. Following the Shepherd Introduction Have you ever felt so desperate, alone and helpless that you just wanted to be taken care of? When I was divorced, before I met my husband, Ray, sometimes I just wanted to be taken care of. I remember how it felt when I bought a good used car from a Christian brother that had been advertising on the local Christian radio station. He was so honest and forthright. He did not try to take advantage of me or talk me into a vehicle I could not afford. When I took the vehicle in for servicing, he made sure everything was done right. All I could say was that I felt taken care of. I had not felt that way in a long time. This man was a stranger, except for the fact that...

God's people face many challenges in living an incarnational lifestyle in today's world. Postmodernism presents us with challenges such as a belief that there are no absolutes. On the other hand, there is an unprecedented openness to spirituality. In postmodernism, “The issue is the “imposition of one set of cultural ideas upon another.” [1] Oppressive ideologies are taboo. The answer is following Jesus’ example of love. “Through humility, love, and patience … preachers can take measures to dispel the concern of people who have witnessed atrocities and deceptions in the name of truth … and … God.” [2] Christ reaching out to the marginalized with a “radical embrace,” [3] his inclusiveness, appeals to postmoderns. The universality of the gospel, for all would be a drawing factor. Regarding metanarratives, “The gospel is not a metanarrative, an ideology imposed on people, but an intranarrative, a reality exposed in one people and one person—Christ.” [4] ...

In reading the scriptures, it is sometimes difficult to determine what applies to us and what doesn't. Take a look with me at 1 Timothy 5 and Paul's words to Timothy. Widows: instructions strictly for the first century Several verses in this passage refer strictly to Paul’s time, such as the widows’ list. In verses 9-10, Paul cites the criteria for receiving support. The restriction regarding younger widows would be strictly for that time as well. Verse 15 addresses the local situation of younger widows that have left the faith. Elders The instruction to drink wine for his stomach (verse 23), was specifically for Timothy. Though possessing healthful properties, Paul was not prescribing wine for all stomach problems. “Whenever we share comparable particulars (i.e., similar specific life situations) with the first-century hearers, God’s Word to us is the same as his Word to them.” [1] On this basis, the following verses apply to us today. Verses one and two are ...

Mystery religions are still practiced in contemporary Western culture. “… The New Age movement’s grown, and … with it an embrace of the supernatural often expressed in an anti-intellectual manner with crystals, palm readings, star signs, psychics, and the like.” [1] Some promote goddess worship, singling out the feminine attributes of God. Ancient and pagan beliefs are incorporated “into modern society … to recapture what technology and science have stripped from the contemporary world, [2] exemplified by the “Force” in the “Star Wars” series. Luke Skywalker was urged to rely on the Force and not his computerized targeting system; thus destroying the Death Star, and saving the day. Scientology is another cult that has become increasingly high profile, claiming to be an “applied religious philosophy.” [3] Several famous actors and actresses live by and promote it. Mother Earth is worshipped by others in their quest for what is natural. Whatever the form, there is a “n...

Luke 14:25-33 (New International Version) 25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and...