Category: News (Page 2 of 113)

Proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Matthew 10:7

Today we’re taking about some “family business.”

Scriptures

• Exodus 3:7-8, 10
• Ephesians 2:1-10
• Matthew 9:35—10:7
• Psalm 1 (responsory)

My generation will know these words (though maybe not without the music or graphic, but let’s see):

As your body grows bigger,
Your mind must flower.
It’s great to learn,
‘Cause knowledge is power!

If you need a little more help, here’s the rest:

It’s Schoolhouse Rocky
That chip off the block
Of your favorite schoolhouse
Schoolhouse Rock!

That opening and closing to the shorts of Schoolhouse Rock! Was a Saturday morning staple for us – and I suspect most of us still know most of those shorts by heart!

Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3

These shorts we easy and fun ways to teach kids some of the basics of grammar, math, science, government and more.

There have been similar efforts to teach the Bible over the years, like “Davy and Goliath” and Veggietales.

What an awesome, noble, and biblical goal: teaching Scripture!

We are all called to learn Scripture; learn more about God and the Faith; learn about sin, forgiveness, and holy living! This is what every Christian is tasked and blessed to do – and it’s far easier to do now than ever before. So many good (and many bad, of course) resources to help us along the way.

That is absolutely fantastic!

But sometimes I wonder if we forget the very basic fundamental of Faith in our efforts. The “fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” Knowing that we won’t and can’t know everything about the Bible and God – and that’s ok, because we know God!

Knowledge may be power, but faith in Jesus is salvation!

Of course we must strive for more understanding of God and His Word, but not at the cost of loving and trusting God and His Word.

God want’s our devotion more than our deliberation; our faith more than our facts; our hearts more than our heads.

Here’s the truth – we will never fully understand God and His Word, and that’s ok. But through the Spirit we can have saving, trusting, loving Faith in Jesus, and that’s what’s needed!

Grow in knowledge, but never lack childlike faith in Jesus!

“Dear Lord, help us to have faith like a child – fully fearing, loving, and trusting You above all things. Grant us knowledge and wisdom for our heads but let us never loose a heart turned to You. Let our heart never doubt, even if our head does. In all things, hold us in Your Son, our Savior, Jesus! In His name do we pray; amen!”

Scripture

• Psalm 32:1-7 (Confession)
• Matthew 18:1-6, 10-14

Having standards is good. You know what’s expected. You can make a plan for action and then strategically follow through.

But what if the standards are too high to hit? Too far beyond your abilities. What if the standards are simply impossible?

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:21

Then we don’t see them as good; we see them as depressing. We no longer find any hope of being able to reach that which has been set before us. Instead, we despair. We lose all sense of capability.

Our text today is from Romans 12, and St. Paul lays out a lot for us to consider — a lot of standards, a lot of to-dos, a lot of things every Christian needs to not only consider but to follow through with.

They’re all good things. I don’t think any of them are ones that we would disagree with or have a problem with.

But when we really look at the magnitude of them in number and scope, it is more than unsettling. It is frightening. It is daunting. It is, truly, at its core, impossible.

If this is what God requires of us, then God help us, for we cannot do it. Taking to heart just the list in our text produces a guttural “Uh-oh” moment as we grasp the true height of God’s perfection and the depth of our depravity.

Just the last verse in our text, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21), seems so simple and innocuous. But how are we supposed to do that? How are we supposed to overcome evil with good when we’re not good ourselves — when we so often fail to even recognize what good is, when we so easily drift or even run to evil ourselves? The evil within us. The evil around us. The evil that defines us.

God help us indeed!

And that’s where we have to land. That’s the only place we can land: in the merciful, forgiving, loving hands of God, who not only helps us in keeping his commands but went even further — and through Jesus kept all of them for us. Fully. Willingly. Lovingly.

All that God commands us now is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, and through the lens of Christ’s satisfaction for all of these standards, now completed on a cross and through an empty tomb. “Uh-oh” becomes “A-ha!” All that God requires, he has fulfilled. All that he desires is completed through his gracious invitation, because of our faith in his Son, our Savior, Jesus.

Now all the things laid out for us are gracious invitations: to follow in His footsteps, invitations to love as He loved, invitations to live as He lived.

We no longer need to read God’s commands with an “Uh-oh,” but rather with the excitement of knowing that even when we fail to follow through perfectly, when our heart is joined to His, our imperfection is no longer an obstacle but a covered detour through faith in Christ.

Thank You, Lord!

“Gracious Father, You have laid out so many acts of love and service for us to follow in our discipleship to You and service to others. We confess we have failed to keep Your standards but rejoice that Jesus has done so for us. Grant us Your Spirit to now see Your loving Law, not as daunting but as exciting opportunities of doing; and when we inevitably fail in our execution, set us back up in You and move forward to try again. In the precious and perfect name of Jesus do we pray. Amen!”

Scripture

• Romans 12:9-21
• Psalm 26 (responsory)