Jesus Everyday part 1

When do you see Jesus? Do you see Him everyday, once a week, or maybe you have never seen Him at all. My short little thought for the day is this, it revolves around the notion that we all have the ability to see Jesus if we want to. Have you ever seen the movie “A Beautiful Mind”? The story is about a math genius named John Nash who was able to see math equations in every day settings. His work earned him the Nobel Prize in 1994. John was a troubled man who battled Schizophrenia, but no one can argue that this man was capable of seeing things that most of us cannot.
We might not be able to see mathematical equations like John Nash, but I do believe we are all blessed with the ability to see the work of Jesus in everyday life. The Holy Spirit empowers us to see the work of our creator if we allow Him to. The problem is that we are either too busy or too misguided to see what God is doing in right front of us. The prophet Elisha had to comfort his servant who went outside one morning to see the giant Aramean army surrounding them. Elisha prayed for his servant that he might see God at work in that event; and at that moment Elisha’s servant saw an even more powerful army of God surrounding the army that surrounded him. We often panic over things that God has complete control over, and it is out of panic that we make some of the most regrettable decisions we could ever make. So the next time you feel surrounded by trouble, take another look to see that God surrounds that which surrounds you. That way you can react not out of fear but by faith in Him who loves you.

Friendly or Connected

I have over 400 friends on Facebook, and most of them I never talk to, see, or hear from. They are the ideal when it comes to low maintenance friendships. I’m concerned that the modern world has forgotten what friendship really is. In the movie Tombstone, someone asked Doc Holliday why he was always risking his life for Wyatt Earp; Doc Holliday said “because Wyatt Earp is my friend”. The man asking the question then said, “well I have a lot of friends” saying it in a trivial way. Doc Holliday said “I don’t”. Maybe we have trivialized what relationships are? I am a time share owner. Last year I got a letter in the mail saying “thank you for being part of the Interval family”. They call me family, but I don’t know them, they don’t know me. Maybe we have trivialized what family is. When it comes to church, what does it mean to be a member? I know that God adds us to the church when we are baptized, but what does it mean to be part of a congregation, to be part of a church family? If we are not careful, church rolls can look like a Facebook page, where we have lots of friends but no connections. There is not one place in the Bible that tells us that we need to be a friendly church, but there are many places that say we need to be a connected church. That is what I think Paul was talking about in Romans 1:11-12 when he said “ 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Romans 1:11-12 NIV. Paul is saying here, I want to be with you; I want to be with my family. That kind of passion for each other is hard to find. The question should not be “are we a friendly church?” There answer there is yes, we are friendly. The truth is, I’m friendly at Kroger, at Walmart, and at football games, but friendly doesn’t build relationships. The real question should be, do people need each other here, do they connect here, do they trust, love, and help each other? Paul says I want to build you up, that we can be mutually encouraged. Some scholars say Paul is just being humble, but what if Paul is not just flattering these people, what if he is telling the truth? Paul needed these people just as much as they needed him. Strong spiritual relationships go further than friendliness, they require investment and a mutual level of appreciation and honesty. God is in the saving people and changing lives business, He invites His church to be part of that mission. The way we do that is to go beyond friendliness; so that we can strive for connectedness.

Prayer guide / Relationships

All in the name of Jesus!

Prayer guide / Relationships

Get r Done! Fall 2010

MORNING PRAYER: Think about the talents and gifts God has blessed you with.  Read Romans 12:1-8.  Ask God to help you develop and use those gifts today to bring Him honor & glory.

Prayer: Father I want your will to guide and transform me today.  Help me to love people the way you love them, give me the vision to see the needs of others, and the desire to use my gifts to help them.  I pray that your grace will continue to work powerfully in my life.  Help my family & I to invest our lives in the WHCOC family.  Teach and mold me into the person you want me to be.  AMEN

NOON PRAYER:   “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5 NIV

Prayer: Father, for the good things that have happened today I praise you, as for the trials and temptations I have encountered I hand them over to you.  Help me to love the people around me, help me to be like Jesus to them. May you be glorified in each moment of my day.  Show me who I need to serve and share the story of Jesus with.  AMEN

EVENING PRAYER: In the evening we reflect on the events of the day.  It is a time we can ask important questions, repent for sins, and praise God for victories.  READ Romans 12:9-21

Prayer: Father, thank you for your guidance, your grace, and your love.  Forgive me when I was selfish or proud.  Transform my heart, help me to be more like your son each day.  Guide my children & spouse to walk with you.  Thank you for the salvation and love that you offer.  Be with my WHCoC family, transform us into a church the loves you and each other.  AMEN

Life Group Discussion: Peace & Unity

“Get -R Done” Sermon Series

Life Group Discussion Questions / November 7, 2010
What kind of things disrupt unity within any group (church included)?

In what ways can each member be responsible for maintaining unity within a group?

How would you describe a leader?
Read Mark 10:35.
James and John asked Jesus for an elevated position, one of distinction. What did Jesus mean when he told them “you do not know what you are asking?”

How is the apostles view of leadership flawed according to Jesus?

Do these verses change the way you view leadership? How?

Notice v.41, how did the pursuit of the wrong kind of leadership cause division within the Apostles?

In v.43, Jesus said that the church doesn’t need supermen leaders, it needs leaders who will serve, lead by example, and will put others first. Why is leadership that is filled humility and led by example a more effective leadership style?

Jesus prayed that the church would be one, bonded like the Father and Son are one. In v.21, Jesus goes from using words like “they” to words like “us” or “we”. As Jesus says here, if we are going to be part of God’s mission to make disciples then we cannot be a church full of “I’s”, “they’s” or “thems”, the church must be a “we”.

Why do we so quickly refer to other church members and church leaders as they, rather than we?

Many football fans refer to their favorite team as “we”. Saying things like “we beat them this week” or “we need a better quarterback.”

Why do we so easily connect with our favorite team as a “we” but often speak of our church as a bunch of “theys”?

What can each of us do personally to change that?

READ Colossians 3:14-16
Notice v.15, when someone sees you coming, do they know that you are bringing peace?

IDEA: When peace rules in our hearts, we are quick to unite in the bonds of Jesus rather than to divide over feelings or opinions. We cannot be so quick to separate ourselves from others, when Jesus said I want you to be united and one. As disciples we are responsible for building each other up, encouraging them to grow closer to God and to others. In a way we are all leaders, living an example of humility and grace. What are some things each of us can do to promote unity within our church?
Close in prayer…

I Come In Peace

“19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:19-23 NIV

In v.19 we find the disciples behind locked doors living in fear. There was no peace and not much unity. Just a few days earlier one of them had betrayed Jesus, another denied Him, and the rest ran away. They treated their friend like dirt, they abandoned Jesus, they left him to die alone. They were living with shame. Could you imagine how you would have felt if your friends had abandoned you during your most difficult hour? But Jesus came to them and said “Peace be with you!” Jesus did not judge them, yell at them, or even separate himself from them; instead He brought peace to them. Shalom is the Hebrew word for Peace, it is a greeting with a deep meaning. By saying “peace to you” Jesus is saying we are not war, instead everything I do will be done to bring you closer to God and to each other. Jesus took these broken disciples and gave them peace.

A North Korean assassin named Kim Shin Jo in January of 1968 with a team of 31 assassins from North Korean snuck across the border in to South Korea in an attempt to kill the president of South Korea. The team of 31 of North Koreans made it to within a few hundred meters of the president's residence before they were detected. A fierce battle ensued, killing 30 South Koreans. All of the North Korean soldiers were killed, except one who escaped and Kim Shin Jo, who was captured. After months of interrogation, and through a surprising friendship with a South Korean army general, Kim Shin Jo's hard heart started to change. Later he would confess, "I tried to kill the president. I was the enemy. But the South Korean people showed me sympathy and forgiveness. I was touched and moved." The South Korean government eventually released Kim Shin Jo. Over the next three decades he worked for the military, became a citizen, and then married and raised a family. Finally, he became a church minister. He said what changed him, what transformed him from being a killer into becoming a South Korean citizen was that even though he treated South Korean people like the enemy, the South Korean people treated him like a brother. FROM:"South Korean pastor is also a trained killer," CNN Religion blog (8-9-2010)

Can we do that as God’s people? Can we treat people no matter what they have done or who they are like family? Jesus could have called us His enemy, but He chose instead to help us become His family. That is why Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” With Jesus a church can be one loving family rather than angry factions.

Stacyisms "Let it go, but don't let it go on!"

My wife is very quick and witty when it comes to any kind of dialogue.  So every now and then I will start posting these interesting little phrases that she so often comes up with.  The Stacyism for this week is:

 "I know I need to let it go, but I don't have to let it go on". 

You have to admit, that is good and pretty wise, don't tell her I said that.  For those of you who need some context for she said it is this; sometimes we face troubling and frustrating behavior from the same people on a regualer basis.  In order to get along we know that we have to let that frustration go if we are going to continue having a relationship with that individual.  To forgive and yet address bad behaviour in others is no easy task, and the best advise in how to do that is found in words of Jesus in Matthew 18.  In that chapter Jesus says that not only must we forgive, but we need to lovingly confront bad behavior if we are to maintain unity.  Even though Jesus didn't say it the same way, I think He is is the one that inspires us to "let things go, but not let them go on!". 

Prayer Guide

All in the name of Jesus!

WHCOC Prayer guide.
Get r Done! Fall 2010

MORNING PRAYER: We pray each morning to give God our first moments. Before anything else we allow God to focus our goals and plans for the upcoming day. Read Psalm 23.
Prayer: The Lord is my shepherd, that is all I want, that is all that I need. Guide me today, protect me and my family as we go out into the world. Stay with me each moment so that you may be the focus of all that I do . I pray that you would help me invest in things that are eternal, that you would show me how to lead my family & friends closer to you. Help my family & I to invest our lives in the WHCOC family. Teach me and mold into the person you want me to be. AMEN



NOON PRAYER: Consider that what truly defines your day is nothing that the world throws at you. What defines today and your life is your relationship with God. Someone around you needs to be encouraged, they need to see Jesus in your actions. Maybe it is time that you share your faith with that person.
Prayer: Father, even though I am busy in the middle of the day I more than anything want to be with you. Help me to see the people around me the way you see them. May you be glorified in every situation I encounter. Show me who I need to serve and share the story of Jesus with. AMEN



EVENING PRAYER: In the evening we reflect on the events of the day. It is a time we can ask important questions, repent for sins, and praise God for victories. READ Psalm 27
Prayer: Father, more than anything I want to hear your word as I begin my day. Guide me as I consider that you want me to be successful in following your will. I commit to making your will my will. Be with my WHCoC family, guide our church in becoming one that obeys your will each day, help it to be fruitful & pleasing to you. AMEN

A Little Something That I Learned From Acts 16…

Early in his visit to Macedonia Paul converted a rich woman, a poor slave girl who was demon possessed, and a middle class soldier. It didn’t matter what their social standing was, Paul shared the story of Jesus with them. Right before Paul met these people, he was on his way to pray. I don’t think that was a coincidence. Prayer has a way of helping us see where God is working, it also gives us the desire to take on opportunities that God gives us to glorify Him. If we want to get things done for God, we must begin with prayer. Prayer helps us to see God’s activity, it helps us be ready to share the wonderful story of Jesus.
Even though Paul was a successful missionary, he was faced with risk and hardship. He was attacked, beaten, and thrown in jail. God delivered Paul from the jail, but that doesn’t’ change the fact that he was beaten and mistreated. Rather than quit or complain, we see that Paul grew closer to God. To be on a mission for God is not always easy, in fact it requires a commitment to connect with God. It begins with prayer, with us asking for God’s leading and direction.