1 Kings 10:4-5 8/26/2025

“When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.”

In chapter 10 King Solomon was the GOAT. He was at the top of his game and appeared to have everything under control. Unfortunately, chapter 11 begins a sad story of what success can do to a man.  You are never in more danger than when you believe you are untouchable …. and Solomon was in danger.

He was surrounded by beautiful, powerful women who were breathless at his wisdom. More possessions than he could count, and popularity and peace on every side.  When you’re on top, everyone tells you how incredible you are… and if you’re not careful you start believing them.  This constant admiration makes it difficult to remember that you are a sinner saved by grace, and everything you have, has been given to you by God.  

You start basing your value on men’s opinions.  The problem is that their opinions will inevitably change. Like the classic Eagle’s song “New Kid in Town” … “They will never forget you Till somebody new comes along”.  Then suddenly you’re old news, and they’ve  moved to the next subject. Fame and wealth are fickle. Proverbs warns us, "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone."  When your success and popularity diminish, will your self-image remain steady? Can you resist the temptation of glancing at riches and depending on them as the  measure of your worth?   

In this world of “influencers” it is wise to remember that if your livelihood depends on the world’s opinion of you… then, like Solomon, you’re in a dangerous place. Can you pursue holiness when wealth and popularity are calling your name?  Will you follow God when just a small compromise can make you rich? Your value is based on whose you are, not who you are. True lasting peace comes from realizing that.

So, when it comes down to purity or popularity… which will be your target? Aim carefully because stability and contentment come from chasing God’s approval, not man’s.

“If a man would have popularity he must pay for it--sometimes at a fearful price.” - H. M. Gallaher

Matthew 5:10 8/19/2025

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

When we read this statement, we picture Christians in third world countries who are abused for the gospel, which is certainly accurate. But there is more to it than that. At the time of this sermon, Jesus was pushing against social norms and cultural customs in what was considered the civilized world. His persecutors were convinced they were fighting for righteousness.  The problem was that Jesus preached God’s definition of righteousness, not man’s… He preached that God required humility and obedience, which did not sit well with the “religious” elite.

Christ declared that those persecuted for righteousness receive the Kingdom of Heaven… a place where righteousness (whether popular or not) is rewarded.  And the persecution He is referring to may be more subtle than the obvious abuse of the saints.  

Along with those physically mistreated,  He was also referencing those persecuted within the church for holding to inconvenient scripture. Passages that hinder the church’s marketing plan. Unfortunately, many “churches” today adhere to growth and profitability models, more than they follow the Bible. They choose to ignore problematic verses, and label those who disagree as intolerant.

Outside of the church Jesus may have also been referring to those persecuted by society for holding to the moral teaching in God’s word. If you hold to absolute truth, you will be labeled as harsh and dogmatic. Our culture loves to follow God until it requires us to change our behavior.  At that point anyone who does not ignore these troublesome scriptures is labeled intolerant and mean spirited. 

If you find yourself in that place this morning know that you are blessed. You may not be popular, but God sees your integrity and is pleased by your selfless obedience. Keep speaking the truth. Continue to love those who hate you. Your battle is not against them; it is against what controls them. They are in bondage, just as you once were.  

This is not your home. Yours is the Kingdom of Heaven. So, while you pass through this world, continue to tell others the truth about the glorious King you serve and offer them the  same love and forgiveness He has graciously bestowed on you.

“Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” — William Penn

Esther 6:6 8/12/2025

 “Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?”

Haman couldn’t imagine anyone being smarter, wiser, or more important to the king, than he was…  Does that sound familiar? Are there times when you are overcome with your own importance?  That mindset is a recipe for disaster. We easily see arrogance in others but have difficulty seeing it in ourselves.  The laser vision we have when examining other people’s flaws seems to dim when we look inward.

When men have issues in their life it is usually in one of two areas. Either too low a view of God… or too high a view of themselves… Haman had the latter.  To determine that you are the most important person on the planet you first must discount the value of everyone around you. Then you must lie to yourself about your own accomplishments and motivations, and finally you must assume that everyone loves you as much as you do. Haman had no problem with those requirements and so he began the process that would end in his demise.

How far are you from starting that same process? How much of a stretch is it for you to believe that we’re all lucky to know you and that you of course should be  honored? That attitude can usually be cured with an authentic hard look in the mirror.

An Honest evaluation of your  attributes and abilities is important, since knowing where you are is necessary in getting you where you want to be… However, at the end of the day only God’s opinion of you matters… and He has demonstrated that He loves you, and that should be the only factor relevant to your own self-image.

Now that your worth has been settled, you can focus on all the other people that “the king may want to honor” … and how you might be able to help with that project. Humility means you are secure and content with God’s evaluation of you and have little concern of the opinion of men. This frees you to forget about your own importance and focus on elevating those around you. The God who created you in His own image has bestowed value on you, and He desires that you bestow value on others.  

“God won’t fill you if you are already full of yourself.” – Max Lucado

Matthew 5: 23-24 8/5/2025

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,  leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

Many people interpret this passage to imply that you cannot properly give an offering to God when you are alienated from one of His children.  While that is accurate, in context, it means much more than that.  

These verses highlight the requirement of loving your neighbor.   It is mentioned while Jesus is teaching on the commandment not to kill. He adds that even those who are angry with their brother are in "danger of judgement”.  He then elevates the importance of reconciliation by saying, no matter what you're doing, even if you’re worshipping... if you remember an offence, stop and go fix it.

People say that "time heals all wounds", but that is not true. Time doesn’t heal all wounds; in fact, it deepens some . Small disagreements, left untreated,  become huge divides.  I know of situations where people literally don't remember the original issue, but since it was never addressed,  their relationship remains broken. 

Anger and bitterness need nothing but darkness to grow. Like an untreated disease they silently destroy their host.  The tragedy is that if dealt with quickly, most grudges could be easily fixed.  The great composer William Walton said, “A grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.”  It’s needless. If we let pride stop us from dealing with an offence, eventually it will be fatal to the relationship and damaging to our walk with God. In this passage, Jesus includes grudges in a discussion of anger and murder. That indicates that passive hostility is not a small issue to God.

No matter what you're doing, if you are alienated from someone, go deal with it.  If God brings it to your mind... go do what you can to fix it. Nothing is more heartbreaking than the realization that you have wasted years being too prideful to go to a friend or family member and show them that you love them too much to be apart from them.

Whatever it takes.... do it now.

"Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness... Laugh when you can. Apologize when you should. And forgive what you can't change."
- Anonymous