Expect a Miracle

    Christmas is the season of miracles. The miracle of Jesus Christ coming to us, fully human and fully divine. The miracle of Christ being born in the lowest of circumstances, though he was to be our King. The miracle of a star guiding men from afar. The miracle of angels breaking out into glorious songs that changed shepherd's lives. The miracles of Christmas.
    But the truth is we experience miracles every season. Really, we experience miracles every day, but all too often we take them for grant it. We start to demand miracles from God instead of seeing them as gifts. And we shut off our ears and hearts and eyes from receiving all that God is trying to bless us with.
   What every day miracles do you need to thank God for? What miracles are you missing in the midst of the pace of this season?

Exploring Ephesians: Maturing in Christ

    Growth. Those of you who know me know that I am short. Under 5 foot to be exact. Short enough to still be adding quarter of inches together in order to seem just a bit taller. But that doesn't mean that I'm done growing.
    Growth is not just about physical height, it also speaks to spiritual depth. Part of United Methodist beliefs state that we are moving on to perfection - or a deeper love of God and neighbor. We are on this journey every single day.
    While we can see that we are growing, personally, the question I wish to pose is how what we say and do encourage this growth in others. I often tell folks in Bible study that the people you interact with today are uniquely placed there and you have the ability to impact them - for good or for ill. How do you use your daily interactions in order to spur on the spiritual growth of others?

Ep 4 Devo

 November 20th, 2016  

Devotional

“Exploring Ephesians: Maturing in Christ” -Eph 4: 1-16

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Life that is Worthy” - Eph 4: 1-3

How often do you stop and think about your life? Once a day? Once a week? How often do you stop and access where you are spiritually? To think about how God has blessed you and where God is calling you to go for the sake of the Gospel? 

The author of Ephesians urges the hearers of this letter to live a life worthy of the calling which they have received. However, in order to live this worthy life you must first take time to hear the call. We live in a world where everything else is trying to clamor for our attention - the computer, radio, TV, books, friends, family - the list goes on and on. How often do you take time to simply rest in God’s presence - to be still and listen for the voice of God? For all the other markers of living a life that is worthy of the call - humility, gentleness, patience, peace, love - they are fruits of the Spirits, fruits of listening to and growing with God. 

How can you make room in your life to simply be still and listen to God?

What distracts you the most from listening to God and/ or living a life that is worthy of the calling you’ve received?

Prayer: Jesus, sometimes we don’t know what it looks like to live a life that is worthy of the calling, because we have not taken time to listen and respond to your calling. Open up our ears and hearts so we can respond to your calling. Amen. 

Tuesday: “One” - Eph 4: 4-6

Every week during worship we read a creed together - a statement of what we believe. The author of Ephesians presents a version of a creed in today’s scripture passage - that there is one body and one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. 

Sometimes as Christians we get caught up in what our differences are - the thing that set different denominations apart. But the author of Ephesians wants to remind us of that which makes us one - those beliefs that are true of all Christians - what are the basic tenants of the faith. For we need to know what we believe in order to share that with others, so that they can come to know the love of our One Lord, One Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Take time today to write down a creed - a statement about what are the basics of the faith as you understand them. How does your creed compare to that presented in Ephesians or the Apostles Creed we recite in worship? 

Prayer: Lord, we confess that at times we are hesitant to talk about our faith because we aren’t sure what we believe. We aren’t sure what are the most important things to share with others. So help us, O Lord, to find what is important and to uplift those things - those tenants of the faith that speak to who you are and how you love us. Thank you, O Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen. 

Wednesday: “ Given Grace” - Eph 4: 7-10

Notice the first verse of today’s scripture passage. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. It does not say that we earned grace. Or that we were given grace according to how hard we worked. Grace is a gift. 

A few months ago during a Bible Study on Ephesians, we found a translation of the Bible that phrased grace as “special favor.” However, this type of special favor is so different from that of the world, that is based off of what we can do for others or our position or power. We were shown grace, or special favor, by God because of Christ. We were given the gift of grace not because of anything that we have done but because of Christ. Howe can we live our lives, after accepting this gift, in such a way as to uplift the name of God and glorify Christ? 

What does the gift of grace mean to you?

How has God shown you special favor? 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of grace. We know that we could never earn our way in heaven. We can never do enough or be good enough in order to earn grace. We are humbled by the love and grace shown to us on the cross. Thank you, Precious Lord! Amen. 

Thursday: “Unity of the Faith” - Eph 4: 11-13

We all need one another in the body of Christ. I am a firm believer that every local church is equipped with the gifts it needs in those who worship there in order to reach folks for Jesus Christ. We have all been given gifts - some of which are listed in this scripture passage - but we need all of the different gifts to come together, complimenting and supporting one another, in order to be the local church, in order to reach people for Jesus. 

When we come together, we exemplify what it means to be the body of Christ and build each other up. When we come together, under the Lordship of Jesus, we can mature together for the sake of the Gospel message. 

What has God gifted you to do and how can your gift or talent be used in the local church for Christ? 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for reminding us that we need one another. Thank you that your Spirit gives us everything we need, when we come together, in order to serve Christ and make your name known. Use us, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “Must Grow Up” - Eph 4: 14-16

“God loves us too much in order to keep us where we are today”. I once heard a preacher make this powerful statement and it has stuck with me. God doesn’t want us to be the same place spiritually we are today, twenty years from now. We are called to grow up in Christ - to love God and love our neighbor more and more each day. In the words of John Wesley this is “going on towards perfection”. 

We are called to set aside our childish ways and scheming in order that Christ be more clearly known and seen in us. When we act in ways contrary to the love of Christ, we act like children, but when we continue to mature we can become complete in Christ.

How can you mature in your faith?

Prayer: Lord, help us to mature in our faith. We know that at times it seems easier to act like children, focusing on our own wants and desires instead of focusing on you. Free us from our childish ways and lead us to be more like you. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Exploring Ephesians: The Armor of God” - Eph 6: 10-20

Family Activity: Talk about what it means to grow up. What do they look forward to the most about growing up? What do they look forward to the least? What does it mean to grow up in Christ? 

Alive in Christ - Eph 2: 1-10

    One of the questions I remember being asked during my interview to be commissioned for ministry was about sin and evil. I think all too often we claim that "Satan made me do it", because we don't want to admit that how deep of a hold sin has in our life. If we blame all of the evil on the world on Satan, we don't have to do the hard work of looking at the evil that exists within ourselves because of the fall, which of course has Satan in the mix.
    The truth is we all struggle with sin. We struggle with the control that sin has on our lives, and seem to think that if we turn a blind eye long enough than it simply will go away or not exist at all, which isn't true. We only need to look as far as God's original plan for the world and compare it to how sin entered the world to see that things are not as they should be, not as God intended them to be.
    The problem is we are really good at identifying the sin in others lives and not so great at recognizing it in our own. It is a sin when we don't live by the power of the grace we have been saved by. It is a sin to think that your relationship with Christ is about doing just enough to get to heaven. It is a sin to not live like we are alive in Christ together. Which I am going to venture a guess makes us feel much more uncomfortable, because these are sins that church folks struggle with every single day.
   Let us take time to ask God to search us and know us. To peer into the depths of our hearts and confess any sin that is holding us back from our relationship with God. Let us ask Christ to free us from the chains that bind us, whatever they may be, so that we can grow deeper in love with God. Let us confess that times we have ignored the sin in our life or focused more on another's sin instead of our own. Let us seek God's grace to be made fully alive in Christ!

Ep 2 Devo

November 13th, 2016 

Devotional

“Exploring Ephesians: Alive in Christ” - Eph 2: 1-10

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Dead in Sin” -  Eph 2: 1-2

There is a problem with sin - we don’t like to admit that we are sinners or how dangerous sin is. Sure, we are great at pointing out the sin in other people’s lives, but when it comes to looking at the sin in our own, we start to hesitate. Perhaps it is simply too painful or requires too much introspection, but whatever the case may be, when we cannot admit our sin, we cannot see how powerful sin can be in our lives, and as a result give into its power even more. It is a vicious cycle. 

The writer of Ephesians recognizes the power that sin can have in our life when it is unchecked and unconfessed. He writes that we are dead through our trespasses and sin. This is powerful language. But he also reminds us that this was the power that we used to live under, before submitting ourselves to the lordship of Christ. Through Christ we have become new people, who have the power and freedom to choose to be obedient to God. 

Do you find it easy or difficult to confess your sin before God? Why?

What power did sin have in your life prior to coming under the lordship of Christ? How did Christ change you life?

Prayer: Loving God, we thank you every single day for the gracious gift of Jesus Christ. We thank you, that though Christ’s sacrifice we have the power to be free from the grip of sin that leads to dead. Help us to claim this power, O God, and choose to be obedient to the leading of your Spirit. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Passions of the Flesh” - Eph 2:3

One of the ways that sin has power over us, is that it deceives us into thinking that we are not in sin. Today’s passage is a perfect example of one that has been taken out of context and can lead to such deception.

When folks read “passions of the flesh” they think primary of sexual sins, which are plentiful. But when we think that passions of the flesh only refer to such sins, we miss the sin that it is trying to point out in our own lives. Do you struggle with pride? This is a passion of the flesh. How about greed or envy? These are passions of the flesh as well. Gluttony? This is certainly a passion of the flesh? Disobedience to God? This is a passion of the flesh as well. The point the author of Ephesians is trying to make is that we all struggle with passions of the flesh - sins that turn us away from the heart of God, that must be confessed. 

What sins do you struggle with? How does such sin block you from growing in your relationship with God?

Prayer:  Lord, forgive us for the times that we see the sin in our neighbor’s life, but fail to recognize the sin in our own. Reveal to us any unconfessed sin in our life around passions of the flesh. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, who came to break the power of sin. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Great Love” - Eph 2: 4-5

A basic tenant of our faith is that we are saved by God’s love for us and God’s great grace - offering that to us which we do not deserve. We cannot do anything to earn God’s love or grace or salvation, we simply need to accept the gift that is being offered.

This can cause great anxiety among Christians who tend to want confirmation of their salvation. How can I know that I am truly saved? Pastor Jeff Paschal reminds us that we need not be anxious about our salvation to the point of continually asking if we are saved. When we do so, it seems like we do not trust God or trust the gift that is being offered. Instead, once we accept Christ in our hearts, we need to trust God for our salvation. Trust that God truly has forgiven our past sins. Trust that God loves us and God’s grace will hold us. This is not a free license to sin, instead it is the gift to grow with Christ and trust God for our salvation. 

How do you know that you are saved? Is this a struggle for you? Why or why not?

How are God’s great love and the gift of salvation we are given the choice to accept connected?

Prayer: Lord, free us to trust you for our salvation. Free us to reply upon your love. Banish Satan from confusing us about our salvation or causing us to doubt your trustworthiness. Thank you Lord, for being rich in mercy, love, and grace, all for our sake. Amen. 

Thursday: “Immeasurable Riches” - Eph 6-7

Not only has God been gracious enough to make a way for our salvation through Christ, but God promises us immeasurable riches in Christ. Some preachers would have us believe that these are tangible riches - if you believe in Christ then you will be wealthy in terms of money. However, that is not what the author of Ephesians is saying. Instead, he is pointing to the riches that given to us in heaven - the gift of eternal life. And the intangible riches that are given to us in this life when we serve God - the blessings we receive when we strive to bless others. 

What riches have you received because of your relationship with Christ? 

Prayer: God, thank you for your immeasurable riches showered upon us because of the grace and kindness that you have show us through Christ. Help us to share these great gifts with others so that they may come to accept you as their Lord and Savior. We pray this in Jesus’s name. Amen. 

Friday: “No One May Boast” - Eph 2: 8-10

Over the years, some of the teachings from Ephesians, as well as other parts of the Bible have been taken out of context and twisted to not mean what the author was trying to communicate. Today’s passage is one of those. 

When the author of Ephesians states that our salvation is a gift from God and not a result of our own works, this does not mean that we are absolved from working for God. It simply means that we are saved by faith, not by our good works. In other words, we cannot earn our spots in heaven. However, once we are believers, we are called to share our faith through works. The author of Ephesians is not saying that we should never do anything to share the faith. On the contrary - in the words of Pastor Jeff Paschal, “Good works are  expressions of Christ alive in us ministering to the world. Good works are demonstrations of our present reality and future.” We are not told not to do good works; we are simply being told that good works will not earn our salvation, or else we would be able to boast in what we have done, instead of what God is doing. 

How are good works an expression of Christ alive in us?

How are salvation and good works related or not related?

Prayer: God, help us to be share the faith with others through good works. Let us not depend on good works to earn our salvation, but let us do good works as an expression of our faith, so that others may come to give honor and glory to your name alone. Amen!

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Exploring Ephesians: Maturing in Christ” - Eph 4: 1-16

Write down as a family the gifts you have received because of Christ’s love for us. Take time to pray, thanking God for these good gifts and giving God all the glory. 

Lavishing Grace

   Questions to ponder about the radical love of God:

Who do we listen to more who the world says we are or who Christ’s says we are?

How difficult it can be, even when we have everything materially, to believe that we are the beloved of God?

What kind of life do we live as the beloved of God?

Let us pray:

   Loving God, may we claim that we are blessed in Christ. May we remember that we are chosen by Christ. Let us proclaim that we are adopted by Christ. In Christ, may we find our hope, our purpose, and our inheritance. Amen. 

Ephesians 1 Devo

November 6th, 2016

Devotional

“Exploring Ephesians: Lavishing Grace”  - Eph 1: 3-14

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Spiritual Blessings” - Eph 1: 3

One of my areas of passion is spiritual formation - digging deeper into our spiritual lives through things such as spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, studying God’s Word, etc). I believe that when we are intentional about our spiritual formation, we are blessed spiritually. This is not some sort of trade off  - telling God that you will pray if God will bless you. Instead, it is being intentional because there is rich blessing simply by growing in our relationship with God. The deeper we go in our relationship with God, the more we discover the blessing is the relationship itself - knowing that we have been blessed through Christ on the cross. 

What does spiritual blessings mean in your life?

How have you been blessed because of Christ? 

Prayer: Lord, help us to cling to your spiritual blessings. May we recognize the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and respond with open hearts to receive all that you have for us, this day and always. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Adopted” - Eph 1: 4-6

I have some friends that have adopted children. In addition to birthdays they celebrate a very special day - “Gottcha Day” - the anniversary of when they were picked up for adoption. While adopted children can struggle with questions about why their biological parents could not take care of them, “Gottcha Day” reminds the kids that they were chosen by their adoptive parents. That they were fully welcomed into being part of a family, perhaps not marked by blood, but marked by love.

We are adopted into a family that is marked by both blood and love. For God so loved the world that God gave us Jesus that if we believe in him we can have eternal life. Praise be to God! God welcomed us to be part of this family, even when we were far away, denying God with our hearts and lives that were steeped in sin. We were still welcomed! Let us celebrate our own “Gottcha Day”s, when we came to know Christ and were welcomed into the family of the living God! 

What does it mean to you to be adopted into the family of God? Is this important to you? Why or why not?

How do you celebrate your adoption into God’s family?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making a way for us when it seemed that there was no way. Thank you for welcoming us into your family when our hearts were so far away from you. Above all, thank you for Jesus, and the love that he showed to us on the cross, which changed our lives forever. Amen. 

Wednesday: “The Gospel in a Sentence” - Eph. 1: 7-8

If I had to describe the Gospel in one sentence, the author of Ephesians did it perfectly. Because of Jesus giving his life for us on the cross, we have been redeemed, forgiven, and have come to know the riches of God’s grace. Amen! 

To be redeemed is to be to be bought. We were bought by the blood of Christ from a debt to sin that we could not pay. Tracing the whole back to the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, we have strayed from the love of God by the enticing nature of sin. But here is what we aren’t told about sin as we are caught up in it, it comes with a high price. In Paul’s letter to the Romans we find that the wage for sin, or the price of sin, is death. But Christ exchanged his life for ours and bought us back from that death.

We are also forgiven - or given a pardon from the debt that we owe for sin. Christ not only bought us back, but forgave us for all that we have done that lead to his death in the first place! One of the folks in our parish points out that even if you were the only sinner, Christ would still go to the cross to die for you! Christ would still forgive you! That is the love of our gracious God!

How can you share this gospel sentence this week with people in you life?

Prayer: Lord, we can never repay you for all that you have done for us - for the forgiveness and freedom that we find in your love. Help us to share this powerful, life changing message with others so that the can come to know this love in their life as well! Amen.

Thursday: “Inheritance” - Eph 1: 9-11

Have you ever been at a funeral that went really badly? Where family mistreated one another? Where no one seemed to be focusing on honoring the deceased? One of the triggers for such behavior I have found is an unknown inheritance. Where folks are not celebrating the life of their loved on but instead are wondering how much they are going to get.

Inheritances are meant to be expressions of love that are passed on after someones life on earth have ended, but sometimes we can act like the prodigal son - demanding our inheritance instead of seeing it as a gift we cannot earn. 

If you want to see equally bad behavior in churches as what was described above for funerals, find folks who start to demand their inheritance of heaven, listing all of the reasons they have earned their way their instead of remembering it is a good gift given to us from God without our own merit involved. In Christ we have an inheritance - let us celebrate it for the good gift that came at a steep price that it is. 

How do you hold in balance remembering that Christ earned your salvation on the cross with living into the gift that it is? In other words, how do you balance honoring God with your actions and remembering that salvation is a unearned gift?

Prayer: O God, remind us that our inheritance in Christ is not something that we have earned or that we have a right to demand. Help us, instead, to celebrate the precious gift that it is by living our lives as Christ has lived, sharing the good news of your Kingdom with our words and actions. Amen. 

Friday: “Hope on Christ” - Eph 1: 12-14

I think we all can agree hat things in this world are not as they should be. However, I think as Christians we spend far too much time talking about how the world is deteriorating and not nearly enough time talking about the hope that we have in Christ. When we focus on our present circumstances, but forget the hope we have in Christ, it is as if we disregard the gift that Christ freely offered us - thinking that the state of the world is far more important than what Christ has to offer or Christ’s ability to redeem even our troubling times. We need to first set our hope on Christ - praising God for who He is and what He offered us in Christ Jesus.

How do you focus daily on the hope that is found in Christ?

Prayer: God, thank you for offering us hope - hope for a better tomorrow, hope for today. Help us to cling to that hope during rough times and proclaim that hope at all times. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to pray over next week’s topic and text - “Exploring Ephesians: Alive in Christ” - Eph 2: 1-10

Family Activity: Give each child a small gift. Talk to them about why we give gifts - as an expression of our love. What gifts has God given us to show his love?