While We Wait: Mystery

     The incarnation, God coming to us in the flesh as the babe, Jesus Christ, is not always easy for our human minds to understand. Infact, we often get tripped up in the details of how this could happen, which makes over gloss right over why it happened. God came to us in the Christ Child, because there was no other way. God had tried to set us on the right path, redeem us from our sin, by the words of the prophets. By the covenant that we broke time and time again. Now emerged the only way for us to have the path to Salvation - Jesus Christ. The one who would come and show us what it looks like to be in right relationship with our neighbors and God. The one who would give his very life for us on the cross. 

    The mystery of the incarnation may be the how, but it is no mystery why Jesus gave his very life for us. May we claim the greatest gift ever given this day and always. 

While We Wait: Favored

   We often do not realize that we are favored in this life. We look around us, start comparing ourselves to the Jones, and feel like we are being left behind. Like we don't have enough. Like we aren't enough.
   If anyone should feel like they aren't enough it is Mary. Mary was a young woman in a day and age when people who are favored in society were men. Men of power. Men of influence. She also finds status by her husband's good name, and she is not yet married. Yet it is to the lowly of the lowly, a poor woman from a poor unknown village, that God comes and speaks truth into her life, saying that she will carry the savior, the Messiah.
   For Mary, however, this sigh of favor, this promise, wasn't an immediate blessing. She knew that it would cause issues in her family, with her upcoming engagement. She knew that she would become the talk of the town, an unwed woman saying that she was carrying God's child. Yet, she trusted God anyway.
   Sometimes the favor God shows us doesn't feel like a blessing at the time. Sometimes it seems like it is more trouble than it is worth. Yet, God does shine God's face upon us, even if we do not fully recognize it at the time.

While We Wait: Hope

    Hope seems to be in short supply in our world. Or maybe more accurately, a correct view of hope is in short supply. We say that we are hopeless or hopeful, but what do we really mean when we say such things. A hope is not a wish flung out to God in prayer. The Biblical view of hope is believing in things unseen - trusting that God is at work and that God is in control. Is that what we mean when we say that we are hopeful?
    More troubling, what do we mean when we say that a situation is hopeless? That it is beyond God's  control? Or that God is not present with us in the midst of that particular situation?
    Advent is a time for us to renew our Biblical sense of hope - trusting that the promise God made to us in the coming of Jesus Christ is true and central in our lives. May it be so. Amen. and Amen.

Revival: Works of Mercy

    Have you ever found yourself having the same conversation with people multiple times over a short period of time? When I find the same topic coming up over and over again, I take it as a sign from God to pay attention.
    One such topic that has been present on multiple occasions in my life recently was what we are known for as Christians. The discussion often starts one of two ways depending on who I am talking to. It it is non-Christians there is usually a laundry list of things that they have seen Christians say or do that confuse them about Jesus. If it is a group of Christians it is often complaining about why other Christians don't believe or act like they do.
    Neither conversation is pleasant.
    But the more I have engaged in such conversations, I feel God tugging at my heart to change the tone of the conversation. See, when we have these type of conversations it is often about what Christians are against or are perceived to be against. But what if we spent more time talking about what we are for? For the love of a Savior. For serving folks in Christ's name.
    The trouble is we don't have as many folks who can clearly say with Christianity is for as those who can say what they believe it is against. That isn't life changing. That isn't something that tugs at the heart of the nonbeliever. And only being against something makes it a whole lot easier to walk away then if you are deeply rooted in what you are for.
     For Wesley, being a Christian was being for life change. Being for freedom from the power of sin in our lives. And being for reaching out to serve others in life changing ways, both big and small. What if we took time to truly pray to God about what we are for and then go out to share that with the world? What type of revival could take place in our communities and in our own lives, for the name of Jesus Christ?

“Revival: Works of Mercy” - James 2: 14-18 Devo

November 26th, 2017  

Devotional

“Revival: Works of Mercy” - James 2: 14-18

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: “Faith But No Deeds” -James 2:14

Have you ever met someone who claimed that they didn’t need to do anything to serve Jesus because they believe in him? We may not hear folks make this claim so blatantly, but it is definitely a belief held by some Christians. Some people hold this belief because they don’t want to appear as if they are trying to earn their salvation. For others, they are simply most concerned with getting to Heaven by their beliefs. For the people James is writing to, they aren’t particularly interested in serving others, because they are too busy entraining people who could help them get further ahead in life - the wealthy and those with high status in society. 

Yet, our faith does call us to act - to love our God with all we have and all we are, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. James is trying to remind his audience that it is not enough to simply hold a belief or to say that we have faith - we are called to live that faith and beliefs out in our daily lives. 

How can we prevent ourselves from simply expressing faith with our lips and not our actions?

How is your faith expressed in your daily life? 

Prayer: God, we thank you that you invite our entire lives to be sanctified by your grace. We thank you for renewing our minds by what we believe. We thank you for changing our hearts by faith. And we thank you for using our actions to proclaim you message of Truth and Love in this world. Use us and renew us, we pray. Amen. 

Tuesday: “What Good Is It?” - James 2: 15-16

Sometimes we can spend much of our time trying to figure out who is worthy and unworthy of the aid we have to offer. On one hand, this scrutiny makes since -our resources are limited. However, if we are not careful, our hearts can become judgmental. 

James is speaking about folks who, when given the opportunity to reach out to others, chose to simply tell them to move on with a word of pseudo-blessing instead of meeting a concrete need.

Every time I read this passage from James I think of a good friend who was studying abroad with me in college. A man approached us asking for trolly fair, which my friend quickly gave him. Later on, the same man approached us again, intoxicated. When I asked my friend if he felt bad for giving him the money, he replied of course not. It was not his job to judge everyone’s needs. Instead, he was called to respond to the opportunities God gave him. 

I don’t know about you, but I feel more guilty for the times I have erred on the side of judgment then those when I served. How can we open up our hearts to God’s work of mercy within each of us?

What does the fine line between scrutiny and judgement look like in your life? Which side do you often end up on?

What opportunities has God given you to serve others that you have embraced or ignored? 

Prayer: Lord, we confess, that sometimes we end up judging other people’s worthiness to receive the help we have to give. We confess that we can make excuses as to why we don’t want to reach out to certain people at certain times in your name. Change our hearts, O God, and free us up to serve you in a mighty way. Amen. 

Wednesday: “ Dead” - James 2: 17

James is not one to mix words. He clearly says in today’s passage that faith without works is dead. Why is he making this claim? There is a man in our parish who often says that we are the first Bible that many people ever encounter. By that he means, that most people are drawn to the salvation that can only be found in Jesus Christ because of how we treat them as Christians. If our faith is not lived out, if there is not evidence of our faith, then we are missing the opportunity to witness to other people.

I have been a part of a wide variety of groups who have different philosophies about how to witness to the love and forgives of Jesus Christ. Some simply ask if folks are saved. In my own experience, this works sometimes. But I have had much more success is serving people, and then having them ask why in the world I was reaching out to them. That becomes and open door to share with them the love of Jesus. 

Our faith is a personal faith, but it is also meant to be shared. Salvation is the best gift ever offered to the world, and it is our opportunity as Christians to continue to share it with the world!

How do you react to the statement “faith without works is dead”?

How can we tangibly show mercy to others in a way that witnesses to our faith in Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, we are humbled that you invite us to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Out of gratitude for what Jesus has done in our lives, we want to continue to spread your word and proclaim your name through our words and actions! Let us boldly be your ambassadors in this world! Amen. 

Thursday: “Faith Vs. Deeds” -James 2:18

One of the biggest lies we have ever bought as the church is that our faith, when it comes to deeds, is either/or. Either you witness with your words or you witness with your actions. Either you have faith or you have works. James, and John Wesley, both disagree with this type of destructive digcotimony. When it comes to faith and deeds, our spiritual journey is both/ and. We need to both witness with our words and with our actions. We need to have both faith and works. Why? Because our faith is made evident by our actions.

I once had a spiritual mentor describe our lives as a cup on a saucer. God is pouring abundant blessing into our lives, like water filling the teacup. After a while the water starts to cross the brim of the cup and spill over into the saucer. So it is with our faith. We live out of the abundance of what God is spilling over in our lives, through both faith and actions. By both word and deeds. All so that others may come to know the love of a Savior. 

How can we make sure that our faith and our works are linked together?

How is your faith evidenced through actions?

Prayer: Lord, today we lay down the false belief that we have had as a church that our faith is either/or in terms of faith and action. Allow us boldly be both/and people, showing our love and gratitude for you in both words and actions, in both faith and deeds. Amen. 

Friday: “Speak Up” - Proverbs 31:8-9

Wesley believed that part of our works of mercy included speaking up for those whom society has pushed to the margins. Speaking up for those who are often ignored. Proverbs speaks to this type of works of mercy. Sometimes we need to put our own social collateral on the line for the sake of others. Wesley did this when he wrote and preached against slavery. What is God calling you to speak up about?

What is the difference between speaking up for those who are oppressed and simply speaking your mind?

How can we collectively, as a church, live into Proverbs 31: 8-9?

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we just like to hear ourselves talk. Sometimes we think we are defending others, when really we just continue to marginalize and hurt them. Use our words in a mighty way to show you tender care and mercy for those who are in need and who are often overlooked and forgotten. Strengthen us for what is right, we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “While We Wait: Hope” - James 4:10, Matthew 1: 1-17

Family Activity: Pick a service project together. Talk about why we serve others as Christians. How did serving make you feel? How did it share the love of Jesus? 

“Revival: The Necessity of Grace”

    Wesley's explanation of grace can be both simple and confusing for us. Grace in general can be a hard topic, but it is so often dismissed in our accomplishment driven lives. Salvation that is a gift that is to be accepted, not earned, is sometimes hard to swallow.
     Often when I try to explain grace in new membership classes I use the image of a house. It is not a perfect image, but it gives us a place to start. Prevenient grace is the foundation that is laid before the house can even be built. If the house does not have a solid foundation, it will surely fail. Yet, once people move into a house, they don't usually think about the foundation and all of the hard work that was laid before the house could even come to be. Prevenient grace as a foundation is all of the work God put in before we even knew that we needed God. The folks who prayed for us. The people who taught us about Jesus. All of which is vitally important.
     Justifying Grace is the thresh hold of the house between the porch and the living room. Its that moment when we choose to cross inside of the house of the love of God. We may not know exactly what is compelling us to go inside, but we make a free choice to enter. This is usually described as a conversion moment or when we realize that we have been following Jesus all along.
     Sanctifying Grace is when we are free to explore the house in its entirety - moving from a mere acquaintance with God who would be welcomed into one part of the house to someone who can go anywhere in the home. We do this by growing deeper in love with God, and having a salvation that simply moves from our head into our heart.
     How would you describe grace in your life? What images are helpful to you?

“Revival: The Necessity of Grace” - Eph 2: 8-10 Devo

November 19th, 2017

Devotional

“Revival: The Necessity of Grace” - Eph 2: 8-10

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: “By Grace” - Eph 2:8

I often find myself wondering if we, as a Church universal, have lost some of the power of grace. When most people give their testimony there is a lot of uplifting of what God has done. Statements such as “I once was…. But by the power and grace of God I am….” Are not uncommon. There is a fundamental recognition that we need the power of God to change us.

Yet, often after we are saved we forget that part of our story, that part of our identity. We try to make things happen in the Church on our own, instead of relying on the power and grace of God. The Apostle Paul states in today’s scripture that it is by grace that we have been saved. That it is not of us, it is a gift from God.

We live in a day and time when we revel in stories of how people have turned their lives around. Stories of how they have bettered themselves. But as a Church we need to be telling a different story - not how people by their own power and ambition changed their lives, but instead of a God who changes lives through the grace of Jesus Christ. 

What is your testimony? How is God’s grace part of your story?

How do you react when you hear that salvation is a gift from God? Does this resonate with you? Why or why not?

Prayer: Gracious God, you have given us the gift of life and have given it to us abundantly. It is only through the power of the cross that we can stand and testify to your goodness and mercy. Lord, help us to tell our story with you at the center every chance we get. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Not by Works” - Eph 2:9

The Christian teaching around works can be quite confusing. On one hand we clearly hear what Paul is saying in today’s scripture, we have not been saved by works. If we were saved by works, salvation wouldn’t be a gift, it would be something that we have earned. And if it is something that we have earned, then it would be something that we could boast in, saying that we have done it. Instead, we are to boast in God, saying what God has done. 

But on the other hand, we are to have good works that reflect God’s goodness and glory in the world. How can we hold these two things in tension? We certainly should not think that Paul is telling folks to not have good works at all - to not do good in the world. But what he is saying is that out of gratitude for the gift that has been given to us, we are to serve God freely and joyfully in this world. Not to try to repay God for what God has done for us, but rather to rejoice in the grace that God has given us. 

How do you serve God? 

How are grace and service connected for you?

Prayer:  Precious Lord, sometimes the Christian life and teaching can be confusing for us. But if there is one thing that we can claim resolutely it is that you save. We don’t save, Lord, but you do. So help us to celebrate that gospel truth in our lives as we seek to proclaim that message to others as well! Amen. 

Wednesday: “God’s Handiwork” - Eph 2:10

The Bible is the story of creation and redemption. In Genesis 1, we find the story of the creation of humans, in which God says “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness….” This statement can make people uncomfortable, because it can be misinterpreted to mean that we are gods, which is clearly not what the passage is saying. Instead, by bearing the image of God, we are able to deeply connect with God and be in relationship with the Holy One. 

Paul writes that we are God’s handiwork (God’s creation), created in Christ Jesus to do good works. These good works are all around us, just waiting for us to do. It may be helping an elderly neighbor with groceries. Or offering to babysit for a mom. It may be letting someone in a hurry go before you at the grocery store. Or visiting the sick or those in prison. Whatever God is calling us to do, we do it because of our relationship to God. And we know that we do not do good works alone, Christ Jesus is right beside us, as we glorify God and live into the image of God that dwells within us. 

How can you celebrate that you are God’s handiwork?

What do you sense that God is calling you to do, in terms of good works? What is stopping you?

Prayer: Lord, we have been created to glorify your name. Lord, help us to boldly serve you through our good works. Each day, may we respond to your call and opportunities in our lives so that we can be known as your faithful servants. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Sin” - Romans 7:9

It can be hard to clearly define sin. Sin is that which separates us from a Holy God. It can also be described as missing the mark of what God has for us. I think it is a combination of both of these definitions that the Apostle Paul writes about today. He certainly speaks of missing the mark when he describes doing what he ought not do and not doing what he ought to do. But sin also separates us from God, to the point where the only thing that can restore that right relationship, the only thing that can redeem us in the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Sometimes we get it into our minds that God is a judgmental parent - sternly punishing us when we sin. But more often in the New Testament we have Jesus describing God as one who pursues the lost in order to restore them - searching for the lost sheep, celebrating over the lost son. God desires to abolish sin and restore us to right relationship, if only we would accept the gift that Jesus is offering us. 

What are some of your images of God?

How do you respond when you know that you have sinned? 

Prayer: Lord, we confess that we seem to sin and miss the mark more often then we get things right. Help us, Lord. Forgive us when we come to you as lost children. Restore us to right relationship with you. Save us, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “No Longer I” - Romans 7:10

Sometimes it can seem like sin has such a stronghold in our lives, that we have no idea how we can have victory over it. The first step is to admit that we cannot have victory over it on our own. We are powerless to sin without the saving work of Jesus Christ. Second, we need to come before Christ and ask for forgiveness and admit that we are in need of a Savior.

The Apostle Paul, however, wrote to the Romans well after he was saved. Often the roots of sin can be so deep, that we need to keep coming to Jesus asking for forgiveness. We don’t do this because we purposely sin, for that is not the point of grace. Instead, we come to Jesus for forgiveness when we stumble into sin, trusting in the love and grace of a Savior to continue to restore us and move us on towards perfection. 

What do you need Jesus’s help in having victory over today?

What role does confession play in your prayer life?

Prayer: God, we come before you today and plead the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, Lord, it seems like sin has deep roots in our lives. We ask today, that you cut them off. Plant in their place a tree of righteousness within in that bursts with good fruit, as we focus on your grace and mercy. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Revival: Works of Mercy” -  James 2: 14-18

Family Activity: Talk about Jesus together. Parents - why is Jesus important to you? What do you wish to share with your children about the power of Jesus in your lives? Close by praying to God, thanking him for what Jesus has done for us. 

Revival: A Crisis of Faith

      When sharing my testimony, or even part of my testimony, I always want to bring it back to God, by focusing on the moments when I encountered Jesus Christ. At times it can be hard to share a five minute version of how God has touched and changed my life through the salvation of Jesus Christ because there are so many moments, if only I look for God's grace in my life.
       But here's the thing about testimony, sometimes it involves a very pronounced crisis of faith, but other times it is just about growing with God day by day. And we need to hear both types of testimonies in the church. Time after time folks who didn't have a crisis of faith moment will come to me as a pastor and wonder if they truly know God because it seems like all of the stories they hear are about struggle and crisis and that isn't there story. The truth is God needs us to tell all stories, our stories, in order to proclaim God's salvation in the world.
      For me, my story is about growing up in an awesome and loving congregation that took the vows they made at my baptism seriously - they showed me the love of God in countless ways and prayed for me and my family without ceasing. And while I always loved God and knew God loved me, I also had these beautiful moments where I grew closer to God. One of those moments came in high school, when a stranger who quickly became a friend, invited me to come to Bible Study at his parents house. That invitation was extended to more and more people as we grew through God's word until we outgrew that house and had to move to a traitor attached to the church. It was there that I first experienced a faith community of my peers. I continued to grow with God in college, where I struggled to find a place to be a Christian at a secular university, until I came to be involved in the church that was right across the street from my dorm. It was there I became a leader that others trusted as well as where I was mentored to grow more deeply with Jesus. Through college I continued to have experiences with God, but perhaps one of the most meaningful for me came when I was studying abroad. By this time I had declared my intention to pursue ordination, but wasn't feeling as close to God as what I had experienced in the past. But one morning, after not being able to sleep, I walked out of a tent while camping to be greeted by a sky like I had never seen before. A picture of that sky still hangs in my house, to remind me of the presence of God that we can often overlook in our lives - and it was in that moment I was reminded that God meets us in our need with the presence of love and mercy and grace in unexpected ways, if only we open up our hearts.
     That's just part of my God story - my testimony. What is yours and how has it changed your life?

“Revival: A Crisis of Faith” - Romans 4: 3-5 and Romans 5: 1-2 Devo

November 12th, 2017

Devotional

“Revival: A Crisis of Faith” - Romans 4: 3-5 and Romans 5: 1-2

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: “Believed” - Romans 4: 3-5

I have said before that one of the places that Christians sometimes struggle in articulating what we believe. Its one of the reasons I think that the creeds are so important. They help us to focus on what we believe.

  Scripture, Experience, Reason, and Tradition - the Wesleyan Quadulaterial - can also help us to focus in on what we believe in. How we have experienced God’s grace and mercy in each of our lives. Testimonies can help us share what we believe about God with others.

The Apostle Paul is pointing out to us in this section of Romans, that while it matters what we do in this world, the works that we do in Jesus’s name, it also is foundational to know why we do what we do - as our actions are a reflection of our beliefs. 

At camp this past year we shared together the story of Abraham - how he didn’t always go about living into the promise that God made to him in the best way. Sometimes he grew impatient and tried to make the promise come true in his own timing. Other times he acted as if he didn’t believe what God had told him. It took twenty-five years for the promise of God to be fulfilled in his life, but over that period of time he learned to deeply trust God and he learned to believe in God more fully. 

What helps you to trust in God?

What do you believe about God and how do your actions reflect these beliefs? 

Prayer: Loving God, you have gifted us with so many ways to believe in you and to get to know you. Yet so many times, we ignore your presence and action in our lives because it shows up in unexpected ways. Help us, precious Lord, to trust you more fully and to share our beliefs with others in a meaningful way that reflects your love and your Kingdom. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Righteousness” - Romans 4: 3-5

Paul writes that Abraham’s faith was reckoned to him as righteousness Sometimes Paul, and particularly in Romans, use wording that is unfamiliar to us today. When Paul is writing to the church in Rome, he is speaking about the Greek understanding of righteousness, which is speaking of right relationship to others - in this particular case, God. Righteousness is often contrasted against wickedness, or the ways we act that doesn’t reflect God’s goodness and glory. 

Abraham was considered faithful and righteous because of his trust in the covenant that God made with him. Abraham showed his trust in God through his obedience of being able to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham believed so fully in God that he was willing to risk the unthinkable by expressing his faith through action. 

Now, we find righteousness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are in right relationship with God because of Christ’s saving work for us on the cross, if we believe in him. While we want to have actions that fully express our belief in Christ, we cannot earn righteousness, as it is a gift given to us by God. 

How can you express your gratitude for what Christ has done for you on the cross?

What does righteousness mean to you?

Prayer:  Lord, we confess that sometimes we try to earn our way into heaven. Sometimes we get so focused on the rules of faith that we miss the point of what you have already done for us on the cross. Let us live lives of gratitude, marked by holiness, but let us also never lose sight of your love and grace. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Through Our Lord Jesus Christ” - Romans 5: 1-2

On Sunday we talked about living into the tension between wanting to live holy lives that please God and trusting in God’s goodness and grace. In a perfect world, we live into this balance and know that, in the words of Rev. Adam Hamilton, “Out of his great love for us, God has taken the initiative to save and deliver us. Our lives are lived in grateful response.”

Paul is writing to an audience that also struggles between those tensions. On one hand they want to do good works, but need to be careful not to slip into believing that good works can earn them salvation. On the other hand they believe in Jesus Christ, but need to be careful not to think that believing in Jesus Christ gives them a free pass to act however they want.

Paul, therefore, describes the saving act Jesus made on the cross as one that bring us peace with God. And that peace, through grace, gives us the ability to put our full hope in Jesus and boast in the goodness of God through our words and actions!

How does salvation through Jesus Christ bring you peace?

What are some of the ways that you boast in the goodness and grace of God in your daily life?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you this day and every day for the salvation we are offered because of Jesus’s gracious gift towards us on the cross. Let us share that gift with others in such a way that they can come to accept your love in their lives as well. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Live by Faith” - Romans 1:17

I am a planner. I juggle a calendar that has no less than eight different colors on it for places to be and people to see. Yet, I have to balance planning with living in the moment God has gifted me with. Often I pray that each day I live in a way that notices the opportunities that God is giving me and that I respond in a way that honors and glorifies God. 

For me, living by faith may mean having a long conversation with someone at a store or taking time to pray for someone who is on my heart and mind. It may mean driving someone unplanned without really knowing why I am going, other then following the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

Living by faith looks different for each of us. But the apostle Paul writes, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” May we live by faith each and every day. 

What does living by faith look like for you?

Prayer: Lord, we seem to have so many people and places competing for our time. We confess that some days it is hard to live by faith. We also confess that sometimes we think that living by faith means that everything needs to be spontaneous, while failing to trust that your Spirit also works in the order and rhythms of our lives. Let us be people who live by faith and allow our faith to witness to others, whenever we may find ourselves. Amen. 

Friday: “Work Together for Good” - Romans 8:28

Sometimes, even when we are living by faith, storms arise in our lives. It may be an unexpected diagnosis. Or death. Or divorce. Things that rock us to our very core. Yet, even in the midst of life’s storms God is there.

One of the false beliefs that we can slip into from time to time is that God causes the storms in our lives. More truthfully, we need to claim that God redeems the storms in our lives. God doesn’t always cause bad things to happen to us, but Paul reminds us that God can work all things together for good for those who believe.

Next time a storm is raging in your life, ask how God is present with you in the midst of whatever you may be going through, and invite God to be in control of even the winds and the waves that you face. 

How do you often respond to trials in your life?

How can God use storms and trials to draw closer to you?

Prayer: God, help us to trust that you can work all things together for our good, if only we have faith and trust you. They may be simple words, O Lord, but we know that they can be so hard to live into. Help us, we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Revival: The Necessity of Grace ” -  Ep 2: 8-10

Family Activity: Talk about faith. What does faith look like in the lives of each person in your family? How can we grow in faith?

Revival: A Longing for Holiness” 1 Peter 1: 13-16

    The theological term is equated with holiness is Sactification or Sanctifying Grace. Sanctifying grace is the process of opening ourselves us to the work of the Holy Spirit. Sanctifying grace is the divine energy transforming our hearts and life. As we mature the Holy Spirit brings us strength and courage to be made ripe for glory in the following ways.
     One, holiness asks that we restore relationships with God and others. This is a mark of growth along our spiritual walk. The desire to restore relationships that have been broken because of sin. We cannot earn God’s love by changing our ways. Rather, we change our ways because God loves us and gives us the grace to make a fresh start, day by day, hour by hour. There have been countless times in my life when I have screwed up and hurt others. But the more I live into God’s grace, the more I realize when I hurt people and seek both reconciliation and to prevent me from hurting them again. This change can only come from God’s Spirit, “bearing witness with our spirit”, which the apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8: 15-17. 
     Two, holiness brings something new into our lives. New life, new light, new strength, and a new heart. The Spirit gives us insight into this newness so that we can seek it out and fully embrace our new status in life as a child of God, because of Christ’s death for us on the cross. Justifying grace is the moment when the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. This means that we are declared “not guilty” because of all that Christ did for us on the cross and we experience a change in status. As we continue along the spectrum of grace, sanctifying grace is the process by which the righteousness of Christ is imparted to us - it becomes a part of us, and we experience a change in heart. Through these changes we become more like Christ, day by day, as we grow and mature spiritually.
    Three, sactification moves us towards perfection. God perfects us, but not all at once. We are rising to the likeness of Christ that is in us. Sometimes this perfection involves pruning, cutting away the areas in our lives that will not lead to growth and life, which can sometimes be painful. Christian perfection is both instantaneous (as in justifying grace) and extended over tie for maturity (as in sanctifying grace), thus making conversion a process. It happens once, but not all at once. It is a lifelong process of doing what is right and resisting what is evil. 
   I used to really dislike the idea of being made perfect. It sounded boring and impossible. But then I stumbled upon what John Wesley felt that perfection was - growing in relationship to other people and in love with God. That is achievable. That is something I can work towards and I can find hope in! 

And best of all, God does not send us out to seek perfection on our own. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to help us grow and build up the body of Christ. As a Christian matures, his or her life displays certain qualities known as the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In talking about this passage in a Bible Study a few months ago, we realized that these are the characteristics that we want, because they best exemplify Christ. They show what it means to lay our lives aside for other people, because they are the marks of God using us. And we can all have them. The fruits of the Holy Spirit, each and every one of them, are available to all of us who have gathered here today, if only we will start to use our liberty, our freedom, to live a life of service for others.

Perfecting involves pruning. The Bible tells us that every vine and fruit tree requires pruning, and so do we. A life in grace is a life in process, and some of this process is painful. Christian perfection is both instantaneous and progressive. The Greek word for perfect can also be translated “mature or complete” Just as a person can be mature or complete as a five-year old, the same person years later can be quite different and still be a mature and complete fifteen year old, or a mature twenty-five year old, or complete sixty-five year old. This is both God’s call and promise. This is the doctrine, or belief, of the more - that God has even more to offer us, and we have even more to grow into, more of the fruits of the spirit to bring to maturity in our life.

“Revival: Longing for Holiness” - 1 Peter 1: 13-16 Devo

November 5th, 2017

Devotional

“Revival: Longing for Holiness” - 1 Peter 1: 13-16

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: “Prepare your Minds” - 1 Peter 1: 13a

The passage from 1 Peter that we will be exploring this week seems to hold two things in balance - accepting Christ as Savior and living into what that salvation looks like. For United Methodist these two things are natural to our theological history. We believe in different types of grace that build upon one another - justifying grace - when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior and sanctifying grace - when we grow in our relationship with Christ. We believe in two different types of holiness, personal and social. Believing in a personal relationship with Jesus that leads to discipleship that transforms the world is even in our corporate mission statement.

Yet, for many people this may or may not come naturally to them. For some folks its just about their personal relationship with Jesus. For others it is about doing good works, but they forget that Jesus is the foundation of those good works. Personal faith that is communally lived out is not always the norm.

I think Peter understands the tension in his call. He tells listeners to prepare their minds. Not just to prepare their minds for what they are going to hear. And not just to prepare their hearts and minds for accepting Christ. But to prepare themselves for action as well. Our belief in Christ is not just to be held internally in our heads and our hearts, but it it also to be put into action in the world around us. 

What does faith in action look like in your life?

How do you live into the tension of a personal faith in Jesus that is lived out in community?

Prayer: God, at times we have missed the point of faith. We think that it is just about us and you. Or we forget about you at all. Revive in us the spirit of 1 Peter and the spirit of the early Methodists, who called us to personal and social holiness in our faith. Who called us not to just accept you in our lives and then forget you, but rather to have our whole lives transformed by you. Transform us again, we pray. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Hope on the Grace” - 1 Peter 1:13c

What would it look like to have a faith that is set upon the hope of the grace of Jesus Christ? In a way, its a funny question isn’t it. It makes us want to reply that we don’t know what it looks like because thats just how it is. Its just part of faith.

But I don’t think that the answer is as simple as that. We all know Christians who walk around bemoaning everyone and everything - that, my friends, is not hope. We also know folks who declare that Jesus just needs to comes back at this moment and sweep us up into eternity. That is a type of hope, but not the full hope that is built  upon the grace of Jesus Christ.

To hope is to feel a sense of expectation that a certain thing will happen. Its a feeling of trust. As Christians we a have a sure and certain hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ. But at times we can forget what that hope is in. Its not just about eternity, though that is important. It is also about the right now. That Jesus has forgiven us and freed us to live lives filled with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit right now. Its not just about the future Kingdom of God, but the Kingdom of God that reigns right now. Our hope in Jesus is not just about what will be in the future, but also what is in the present moment. That is our hope in Jesus - that all things will be well. 

How would you describe your hope in Jesus Christ?

How are hope and grace related? 

Prayer: Lord, we hear the words of Julian Norwhich that all things shall be well, but we know that they can only be well in you, precious Lord. Help us to claim this hope and promise in our lives, not just for the future, but for the present as well. May all manner of things be well, O Lord. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Obedient Children” - 1 Peter 1: 14

Obedience is hard in our current context. One of the statements that I have heard quite a bit as a pastor is that people wished that God would speak to them today like God did to some folks in the scriptures. To which I usually reply, if God spoke to you, would you obey?

We would like to think that it would be easier to know God’s will and obey it if we could just hear God. And that may be true. But I think its equally as true that even if God did speak to us directly, we could still struggle with obedience, because we don’t like to give up control. The idea of being submissive to God is not always easy.

Yet, Peter tells listeners to be obedient children. To not follow our own desires and selfish ways, but instead to eagerly follow God. Why? Because we are no longer living in ignorance. We can no longer say that we do not know God or know Christ. We can’t just follow our own way, when God has provided the way for us. However, knowing the way and following it can often becomes two different things if we struggle with submission. 

Do you struggle with obedience? Why or why not? 

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we think that our ways our better than your ways. We don’t want to be obedient. We wished we could still live in ignorance - going about our own way and following our own desire. Forgive us, we pray. Set us on the path that leads to life and life abundant in you. Amen. 

Thursday: “Holy” - 1 Peter 1: 15-16

It is easy to acknowledge and call God holy, set apart, exalted. It is harder to think of ourselves as becoming holy. Or moving toward perfection in Christ. But Peter admonishes us to be holy, set apart in our actions. Why? Because what we do and say matters. It is a reflection of the holy God who has called us and who uses us in the world to be refections of the glory of Christ. 

Both the Methodist and Evangelical Brethren Church (which combined to become the United Methodist Church) come out of what is known as the holiness tradition. The holiness tradition lifted up salvation found in Jesus Christ, but then went on to say that faith is to be put in action. We are to be moving towards living a life that is completely given over to Christ. 

Somewhere over the course of time we have lost the meaning of the holiness movement and being holy. Some folks claim that we can never truly be holy, or without sin, so why even try. But Peter is asking us, pleading with us, to try to live a holy life, even if we fail from time to time, for the sake of being God’s ambassadors in the world around us.  

What does holiness look like in your life?

What does being holy mean to you?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you never let us stay like we are. Thank you for calling us forward in a life of holiness. Thank you for encouraging us to grow in our faith and move on towards perfection. Let us reclaim the roots of holiness in our lives, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “For the Glory of God” - 1 Corinthians 10:31

As Peter calls us on towards holiness, the apostle Paul puts some flesh on what that may look like for us. Paul writes in today’s scripture verse to do everything that we do for the glory. Sometimes it can be hard to wrap our minds around the word “everything”. We wonder if there are some things that can just be for us, and not for the glory of God. But Paul takes even the most basic of tasks - eating and drinking - and says that even those are to be done for the glory of God.

So what does that mean for us today? I think it asks us to examine our hearts and see where our intentions are at. Do we recognize that God is with us every moment of every day? Nothing we do or say is apart from the holy God who loves us and calls us. Therefore, we are to live lives that are pleasing reflections of the love of God in this world. No matter what we do. 

How can you live your life for the glory of God? 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for inviting us to be part of your plan for this world. Thank you for inviting us to examine our hearts, our actions and our words and seeing if they are pleasing to you. Remove that from us which is displeasing and let us overflow that which is pleasing into the world so others may come to know you. Amen!

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Revival: Crisis of Faith” - Romans 4: 3-5, 5: 1-2

Family Activity: Make a list of the things you do from the time you get up in the morning to when you go to bed at night. How can what we do during the day, no matter how basic, please God? 

“Revival: Precursors to Revival” Rev 2: 1-5

    This week we talked about how revival is rooted in prayer. But there are some other necessary ingredients for revival within, among, and beyond us as well. We also need to have a teachable spirit. If we think that we know everything, then we've already missed the point. We need to not only be the teachers and mentors of the faith, but we also must put ourselves in a position to continue to learn from our Lord and Savior, which means we also need to be good listeners. Folks who listen to where Jesus is calling us to go and respond.
     Revival also takes perseverance. Whenever we have a new member class I show a video that includes a section that portrays the history of John Wesley. Folks are usually amazed at how many places John got kicked out of preaching. That doesn't even get into the history of his mother and father who lost nine children, were constantly in debt, and Samuel was even so despised by some of his congregation members he owed money to that they threw him in debtors prison. The struggle towards revival is real, and it calls for real persistence. To keep praying. Keep mentoring. Keep teaching. Keep learning. Even when everything tells you to give up.
     Revivals demands that we keep our focus on what is ahead of us - on the Kingdom of God - and the role that we have to play in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

Devotional “Revival: Precursors to Revival” - Revelations 2: 1-5

October 29th, 2017

Devotional

“Revival: Precursors to Revival” - Revelations 2: 1-5

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: “To Ephesus” - Revelations 2:1

Whenever I was leading college-aged Bible studies, at least once every few years a student would ask to study Revelations. When asked why, they always gave the same response - they wanted to learn about the end time. So we would set out to study Revelation, which often took most of the school year, but we did so with one condition, that the students keep an open mind.

Often they would leave the study saying they learned a lot more about themselves and the church then anything else from such a study. As we would start with chapter 1 of Revelation and lead into this chapter we would discuss what a revelation was exactly - a message from God given to a prophet for the sake of a community. 

This weeks message comes to the church in Ephesus. The same Ephesus Paul visited. The same Ephesus addressed in Ephesians. The same Ephesus where Mary the mother of Jesus lived out her last years. Yet, as we will Ephesus is not what it once way. 

Write a letter to our church today. What would you have to say? What would God have to say? 

Prayer: Jesus, we ask this week as we study a piece of Revelations, that you open up our hearts and minds. That we not just look for what is to come, but how you may be speaking to us today. Speak to us, your Church, precious Lord. Amen. 

Tuesday: “I Know Your Works” - Revelations 2:2

In the letter of James we find the statement that faith without works is dead. Sometimes as a church we get all tied up around the concept of works. We preach that you cannot be saved by works, which is true, we can only be saved by Christ. But sometimes we also follow that thought so far as to say that we don’t need works at all, which isn’t scriptural as we see in James. Our works should testify to the Lordship of Christ in our lives.

In the modern Church another fallacy we sometimes slip into is that we should be faithful but we don’t need to be fruitful. Half of that statement is Biblically true, we are called to be faithful, but our works should also bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.

In this verse in Revelations, the author is lifting up the works of the church in Ephesus. They patiently endure. They test false teachers and prophets before believing what they say. They do not tolerate evil. 

If our works proclaim Jesus Christ, then we should be able to be known by our works as well. What do our works say about the vitality of our faith life?

If someone said to you “I know you by….” how would they finish that sentence?

How do your works reflect your love for Jesus Christ?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you have invited us to be part of the mission of the Kingdom of God. We thank you that you give us work to do. O Lord, may we be known as people whose work bears fruit for your name! Amen. 

Wednesday: “For the Sake of My Name” - Revelations 2:3

Things were not easy for the Early Church in any location or time prior to the third Century, when the ruler Constantine, made Christianity the religion of the state, which came with its own set of problems. When the author of Revelations states that the church in Ephesus endured and bore up for the sake of Christ’s name, this is a kind way to say that they suffered. Suffered persecution. 

Ephesus was the center of worship for the Greek goddess, Diana. There were temples to her honor located in the city. In Acts 19, we read that such worship was also coupled with commerce, folks came to trade artifacts that bore the goddess’s image. 

Additionally, being a city of trade meant a lot of people came through. They had to face people coming into the church who were trying to teach false things about Jesus. 

Internal and external influences made the church suffer. Yet they bore it. Not for their sake, but to make Jesus’s name known. How would we fare today, facing some of these same factors?

What would it look like/ feel like for you to endure suffering patiently for the sake of Christ’s name?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that sometimes we do not know if we can patiently endure for the sake of your name. We want your name to be known for the sake of our comfort as much as for the sake of your Kingdom. Forgive us Lord, and give us courage to face whatever may lie ahead. Amen. 

Thursday: “Abandoned Love” - Revelations 2:4

However, the author of Revelations also has a charge to lie out against the church in Ephesus, as with most of the churches that are written to. They have abandoned the love and passion that they had for Jesus Christ when they first heard and believed.

This is where works get even tricker. Works without faith is also dead, just as faith without works is dead. If as a church, we continue to do activities, just for the sake of the activities, and forgetting that they are undergirded by the desire to represent Christ to the world, then we’ve missed the mark.

The loss of first love, also speaks to a lack of commitment. The commitment to Jesus to represent him in the world. The commitment to love and serve one another. How can we regain the passion and commitment we had when we first believed?

How would your describe your passion and commitment to Christ?

Do your works represent the faith that you have in Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that sometimes it is easier to keep doing what we are doing instead of stopping and asking if what we do, truly bears fruit for your Kingdom. Forgive us, Lord, for our lack of faith and our lack of fruit at times. Renew in us a love for you and for the world which yo gave your very life for. Amen.

Friday: “Repent” - Revelation 2:5

It is difficult, if not impossible, to have revival in our own personal spirits without repentance. The author of Revelations reminds the people of Ephesus that things do not need to be this way. They can return to how things once were. They can once again make Christ’s name known among and beyond themselves.

What we do must be an overflow of the love that we have for Jesus Christ. If its not about Jesus then it quickly becomes about us. If it is not about brining people to know Jesus, it becomes about filling our pews and offering plates for the sake of our own survival. It is is not about works of compassion, generosity, and love that are reflections of the Sermon on the Mount, it becomes about the marks of modern society in greed and self-preservation.

Let us not fail to listen to what the church in Ephesus has to teach us today. 

What do we need to repent of as a church?

What do you need to repent of as an individual?

Prayer: Lord, propel us out. Out into the world that we sometimes fear. Out into the chaos and brokenness that our neighbors experience daily. Out to be your hands and feet and to build up your Kingdom for the sake of the Gospel. Use us, we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Revival: A Longing for Holiness” -  1 Peter 1: 13-16

Family Activity: This week we talked in worship about how prayer is a precursor to revival. What would you like to pray about as a family? Write it down and keep praying about it. When it gets answered - record how God answered your prayer. Was it in the time and way that you expected?