Romans 1:11-12 10/14/2025

“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.” 

Is this your attitude Sunday morning? 

According to Romans, church is not about music or the sermon, it is about sharing the gifts of the Spirit with each other.  And not so we can be entertained or even educated, but that as a church, we can be established in love…  We are to come together to Worship God, learn to obey His Word,  and love each other.

Is that your mindset? When you come to church, are you wanting to be a Quarterback, or an Offensive Lineman?  … One gets more attention; the other is more important to achieving success.  Some have forgotten that the gifts God gives us are intended to glorify Him … not elevate ourselves? 

Sadly, one of the biggest churches in Texas is currently suing itself over ownership … The outcome of the case is irrelevant as neither side owns the church… it is God’s house.

Unfortunately, many other churches have forgotten this as well, and instead of following biblical principles for church government… they have become thinly veiled entertainment corporations… more interested in business than ministry. This has opened the door to “leaders” using the church to advance their own agendas. Jesus was clear that misusing the Temple is a dangerous endeavor.

Paul’s humility in this passage is instructive. His tone of encouragement is coming from a man who was handpicked by Christ to write much of the New Testament. Yet his goal for going to church is to encourage and be encouraged,  lovingly sharing his faith with others. 

Next Sunday morning try going to church to let other sinners like yourself, see how God has redeemed you, and then marvel at how God has redeemed them. You don’t need to grade the sermon or rate the music… you are not a spectator; you are part of the offering. God alone is the audience.  We don’t go to church to be entertained and advance our personal agenda. We go to worship God, and to encourage each other with His extravagant love for us.

“Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” – Jesus (with a whip in His hand) 

1 Samuel 19:11-12 10/7/2025

“Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” So, Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.”

Saul’s deranged obsession with killing his son-in-law David is a family tragedy.

Saul’s son Jonathon, and daughter Michal, both see their dad’s unhinged resentment of David as indefensible.  Saul’s envy alienates him from his friends David and Samuel, as well as his own children.

It is hard to understand as Saul seems to have much to be thankful for... tall and handsome, a powerful king, wealthy  –Yet he allows jealousy to consume him. Despite his blessings, he chooses to allow envy and insecurity to rule over him, and it produces what those emotions always produce… pain and suffering.

We have similar choices to make. We all have a long list of things we should be grateful for … So, the question becomes will we consciously appreciate our blessings, or will we fixate on the blessings of others?

Envy produces anxiety and depression and is more powerful than most of us realize. Too few of us actively guard our mindset. Which is a shame because your mindset is the canvas on which you paint your life… Every brushstroke will be impacted by it, and allowing self-centered envy to be your canvas will produce a dull, unattractive picture. Saul’s envious attitude led to a full emotional and mental breakdown… and destroyed his life. That should be a cautionary tale for us.

So, what will you do this morning? Will you rejoice and praise God for your blessings, or will you drink the poison of envy?  If you allow the avalanche of jealousy to begin, it will become unstoppable and bury you, while demolishing your relationships. 

Loving others means being overjoyed at their success. If you don’t feel that, you have a heart problem, and getting more trophies, recognition, and “stuff” won’t fix it.

Let your love for God, and thankfulness for His blessings, cause you to deeply desire those same blessings for others. Starting today, determine to become the head cheerleader for your friends and family… you will be amazed at the joy it brings both of you.

“The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.”
- William Penn

 

Matthew 5:37 9/30/2025

"But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one."

We covered this verse a while back, but it deserves a reexamination because we compromise in this area often.  Jesus is discussing the use of vows and swearing on objects to guarantee the validity of a statement, and He clearly says not to do it. The point is it shouldn't be necessary.  

If you say “yes”, it should mean “yes”...  and “no” should mean “no”. Extravagant declarations should not be required to assure people you are being truthful. There should be no need to promise, or swear, or take a vow... If it comes out of your mouth, others should know it is the truth. That is the foundation for strong relationships.

God holds honesty in much higher esteem then our society does. We use words like “smooth”, or “polished”, as commendations for those who can twist the truth. While “white lies”, and “exaggeration” are words used to gloss over what is in fact deceitfulness.

God is clear on this issue because He knows how devastating dishonesty can be. People can be deeply wounded by the speaking of a hard truth. But dishonesty not only wounds a relationship -  it also destroys the tools needed to repair it. Once the truth comes out (and it always does), the lie leaves “radioactive fallout” that creates an environment where repair is difficult.  If words cannot be believed, there is little left to rebuild with.

“To be honest with you"… should be an unnecessary and redundant phrase for Christians. The truth may hurt those you love, but at least it cuts clean and allows for future healing. A lie rips and tears, producing jagged edges that leave scars. 

Own your actions. Speak the truth and face the consequences so when you emerge on the other side, there is still a foundation upon which you can rebuild. Live in such a way that no one questions your word...  Be a man of integrity and provide a firm footing for strong relationships.  At times it may be painful, but it gives hope for the future by preserving trust. 

You must decide that truth is your only option... that is the non-negotiable price of integrity.

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." - Harvey Mackay

Romans 2:4-5 9/23/2025

 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?  But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath …”

Do we think lightly of God’s patience, ignoring that it’s intended to lead us to repentance?  

Repentance may be the least popular subject in the bible. This passage says, if I have a stubborn unrepentant heart, I am storing up wrath… another unpopular subject. 

God’s wrath is not simply anger. It is the most dreaded force known to mankind, and Paul says we are ignoring its existence. God doesn’t tolerate sin… so, our unrepentant heart puts us in jeopardy.

We discount sin because it seems that God doesn’t punish evildoers. However, what we observe is not a lack of judgement, but  delayed judgement.  Make no mistake… the wages of sin have not changed.  The question is not whether they will be paid, but who will pay them?  God’s kindness is giving you time to repent and apply the payment He made for you.  

Contrary to popular opinion, the gospel demands judgement.  I’m not to judge people, but I am to look at scripture and judge actions …starting with mine. My sins may be impacted by family, trauma, or environment …but at the end of the day, they are choices. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that we are never tempted by sin we cannot resist. We must own that fact in order to repent… and repentance is the only way to change. 

The unpopular truth is that not only am I to point out my own sin, but of those around me as well.  I can’t love others and ignore the sin that is destroying them.  Tolerating sin in the name of inclusion, or preference is the epitome of taking God’s kindness lightly. 

Sin is lethal, and we must confess it,  and repent… Jesus said,  “If you love me, keep my commandments”… So, if you love Him… adjust your conduct so it is in line with scripture, while His patience provides time for you to do it. 

 “If a man says that the wrath of God is too heavy a punishment for his little sin, I ask him, if the sin be little, why does he not give it up?
- Charles Spurgeon

Esther 4:16 9/16/2025

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

Esther was facing a crisis that she had no part in creating. She had been minding her own business enjoying the blessings in her life.  But sometimes trouble just finds you. Esther’s life was going smoothly … and suddenly there was a crisis she could not avoid.  

Our lives are like that… There are seasons of sunshine, and there are seasons of storms.  This is to be expected in a broken sinful world, and not realizing that, can leave you unprepared and off balance. 

Esther, at first tries to ignore the problem and distance herself from it.  But Mordecai speaks truth, and she realizes that she must get involved  …so she chooses to face the challenge head on. 

Her battle plan, once she had decided to engage, was to request prayer support from her friends and family while she intentionally communicates with God for three days. Then she boldly acts on what she believes God wants her to do. 

And that’s the lesson for us this morning…  Challenges will arise in this life  …They are not mistakes, and we must realize that they have been allowed.  Nothing touches me that doesn’t go through God’s hands first. Do I trust Him? I must decide as Esther did, that I will do what He says, regardless – I will follow God, and if I perish, I perish. I am not to respond with surprise and fear when difficulties come.…. Fasting and praying are much better reactions… We should expect some hard times in this life. We have been told they will come.  But we have nothing to fear, because Christ has overcome this world, and He will not abandon us.  We don’t face trials alone.

So, WHEN hard times appear – if you want to be a man of God - proceed like this little orphan girl did… employ a team of prayer warriors,  diligently seek God’s will, and then no matter the cost, obey it.

"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened" — Billy Graham 

Leviticus 17:5 9/9/2025

“This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.”

Not long ago, Larry Fleet came out with a great song called, “That’s where I find God”.  It speaks to how we often find God when we are in a deer stand, or fishing, or on a road trip. And I regularly talk to God during those activities… but this verse caught my attention. God loves to meet with us spontaneously in the beauty of nature or the solitude of a long drive… But The Lord doesn’t want those times to replace the times I go to His house and meet with Him and His children.  

The first four commandments go like this… love God, no idols, Don’t use His name in vain… and go to church… OK, it doesn’t say go to church but it does say remember the Sabbath and keep it holy… Do we do that? Is Sunday set apart?  Is Sunday any different than any other day of the week? 

In Hebrews 10 it says, “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit”… are you one of the “some”? Is going to church a “maybe” … or is it  “non-negotiable”?  The enemy doesn’t have to make you bad, he just has to make you busy… and when little league, fishing, hunting, or sleeping , takes precedence over going to church, then the enemy has achieved his goal. 

Life is a team sport… and church is the team meeting. It’s hard to play for a team when you don’t know the playbook, and don’t show up for practice. So, make attending church a priority. If you’re going to wait to decide about attending until Sunday morning,  don’t bother setting your alarm, you’re probably not going. Church must be a steady habit. A firm commitment to a weekly spiritual workout that  produces growth. 

We don’t often skip meals, and going to bed at night is seldom optional … so approach your spiritual health with the same discipline and common sense. Be a team leader and show up for practice.

"You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit," - Aristotle

Mark 9:40 9/2/2025

 “ …whoever is not against us is for us.”  

This morning might get confusing, so take another sip of coffee.  

Today's verse shares similarities with verses in Luke 11 and Matthew 12 but they appear to be opposites.   … Luke and Matthew record Jesus saying,  “Whoever is not with me is against me”. But in Mark He says, “whoever is not against us is for us”. The modification is no accident, so what is the significance?

If we examine the circumstances, we see that he is speaking to the Pharisees in Luke and Matthew,  and to the Disciples in Mark…  Different audience… different message. 

When Jesus says,  “if they’re not against us, they’re for us”  to His disciples, it seems like an admonishment for  those of us who follow Christ and expect every worship service to look and sound like ours.  Cautioning us to stop searching for unbiblical ways to disqualify people.  He is saying stop excluding those who don’t worship exactly like you do … If they love ME, and follow scripture,  they’re on our team.

On the other hand, Matthew and Mark are directed at the Pharisees who accused Jesus of casting out demons because He was the Prince of demons.  About them, He says, “Whoever is not with me is against me;”. He is telling the religious elite that He is the only way to God.  If you don’t cling to Jesus alone, you are not a Christian. He is the only way,  and if you are offended by the Cross, and insist on adding your traditions, you are against the gospel.

So, there is a narrow path and wandering away from scripture in either direction will get you a reprimand. I need to think through these situations and understand the times when God is inclusive, and the times God is exclusive… because He is both.  

Some religious leaders today demand unbiblical uniformity, while others ignore scripture because it is inconvenient to their lifestyle… both are wrong.  

We are to call sin, sin… not adding to, or  ignoring culturally unpopular Scripture. We are also to embrace those who love and follow His Word, regardless of how they dress, or their preferred style of worship music. 

Jesus meant what He said… both times … and He still does.

“We must be hard where the Bible is hard, and soft where the Bible is soft"-  John Stott 

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