Leaving Sunday on a mission trip to Oklahoma. I am going with a group of about 25 from our church. I’ll post more information and pictures as I can.
“I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 2:20-21
In this verse, Paul is commending Timothy for his compassion for others. Paul states that all of the others only cared about themselves and not for what matters to Jesus. This made me wonder, what is it that I really care about?
Am I concerned about what matters to me or what matters to Jesus? Are they the same thing?
If I am honest, I will admit they are not the same thing.
What matters to me is having a nice home.
What matters to God is caring for those in distress.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
What matters to me is the choir sounding good on Sunday morning.
What matters to God is my coming before him with clean hands and a pure heart.
“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” Psalm 24:3-4
What matters to me is having enough money to pay my bills.
What matters to God is that I seek Him first.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
What matters to me is what people think about me
What matters to God is what people think about Jesus.
““But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”” Mark 8:29
What matters to me is spending time with my family.
What matters to God is spending time with Him.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
What matters to me is not being like those other sinful people.
What matters to God is the sin in my life.
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42
I am thankful that God is loving and patient and not done with me yet!
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
I recently overheard someone complaining that they aren’t getting anything out of the morning worship service. The person explained that she tried to listen but kept daydreaming. She was bored.
This got me to thinking about the position our pastors are in. They work hard all week trying to prepare the best sermon possible. They pray for guidance and insight. Then they present what they believe is a Word from the Lord to a congregation that barely looks awake.
People are used to entertainment and yet that is not what the pastor is there for. I want my pastor to tell me what God has been teaching him. I want my toes tramped on. I want to be engaged. I want to think.
I think the best sermon is only as good as the audience that is listening. The pastor is responsible to be prepared and to present his message well. BUT the audience has a responsibility to listen well.
Do you do anything to prepare to hear the message on Sunday morning?
Here are some ideas to consider:
Be prepared - Pray for yourself. Pray that the Spirit would prepare your heart to receive the Word. Pray for your pastor. Pray that the Spirit would empower him to boldly preach the Word and to do so with clarity and conviction.
Another part of being prepared is getting enough sleep the night before. You can’t listen if you are falling asleep. I am sure it is discouraging for a pastor to be preaching his heart out and to look out and see people sleeping. Respect your pastor enough to be alert and listening to what he is preaching.
That brings me right into my next point. Be an active listener. It is through the renewing of your mind that God transforms your life. (Romans 12:2) So when you listen to a sermon, your mind needs to be fully engaged. Often times this requires some self-discipline. It is easy to let your mind wander. However, listening to the sermon is part of the worship that we are offering to God.
Listen expecting God to speak to you. Some people find it helpful to listen to sermons with a pencil in hand. This is an excellent way to help stay focused and it is a valuable aid to memory. The physical act of writing something down helps to plant the information in our minds.
Sometimes people think that they know the Bible well and they don’t need to look at the passage being preached. This is not accurate. Even if you have the passage memorized, there are always new things to learn by seeing the text on the page. Therefore, we benefit the most by having our Bibles open during the sermon.
Another benefit is that we can make sure what the pastor is saying is in line with Scripture. Look at what Acts 17:11 says about the Bereans. “for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Paul was not insulted when they scrutinized his teachings. Just the opposite was true. Paul commended them for their commitment to testing every doctrine according to Scripture.
Really listening to a sermon takes more than your mind. It also takes a commitment of your heart. Listen with a heart that is receptive to the leading of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to calm our fears, convict of sin, disturb our conscience, proclaim God’s grace, and encourage us in faith. Listening to a sermon should never just be a mental exercise. We also need to listen with our hearts and allow His Word to influence every aspect of our lives.
Receiving the Word of God requires humility. Listen carefully. Listen critically. But do all of this humbly. You are not a speech teacher. You are not a college professor. (Even if you are, the pastor is not your student.) You are a beggar in need of nourishment. Don’t resist the Spirit’s leading. Set aside your pride and submit to God. Be a humble listener.
Lastly, be ready to put into practice what God is teaching you. Paul tells the Philippians in chapter 4, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.” God is looking for a response from us when the Spirit speaks to us. James tells us to be “doers of the Word, and not hearers only.” If we don’t apply what we are learning, then we won’t grow in our relationship with God.
Preaching the Word is a gift from God. Our churches need pastors who are whole-heartedly committed to preaching what God lays on their hearts. Never take your pastor or his commitment to the Lord for granted. He needs your support and your prayers.
Take a fresh look at the service this week. Think about how you listen. Honor God and your pastor by doing your part. Listen …. really listen. Be prepared, be alert, be engaged, have your Bible open, be expectant, be humble, and then act on what you hear.
How can it possibly be May 20th? Didn’t we just have Christmas? Where does the time go?
I’ve been really busy developing curriculum materials for a new adult Sunday school class at my church and so it has been hard to get any writing done.
I’ve been thinking lately about the idea that I am a pretty independent woman. I get things done and I rarely ask for help. Unless, I just don’t want to do it and then I pretend like I can’t and ask for help. An example would be when I go in Home Depot to pick up something for my husband, I usually just find a guy with an orange apron and play the part of the “dumb wife”. I get really good help every time! 
But, most of the time, I take pride in the fact that I am independent. But how does that work with God? Sometimes I let my independent spirit translate over into my Christian walk and that is never a good thing. Sometimes I act like I don’t need the Holy Spirit because I can handle this all by myself.
“Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” Galatians 3:3
OK – so I’ve just called myself foolish because this verse describes me sometimes. How about you? Being good, working in my own strength, and obeying all the rules doesn’t make me righteous.
“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” “ Galatians 3:10
I can’t keep the law. I’m human and I mess up. I can’t even keep it for a day. This verse says I am cursed because of my failure to keep the law ….. that’s why God sent Jesus.
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”” Galatians 3:13
I need the Holy Spirit as much today as I did the day I first believed. This life journey was never meant to be done in the flesh. It’s not about human goodness or strength. It’s about God’s grace. It’s always been about grace. It’s not God plus me. It’s just God.
It‘s by grace I have been saved through faith. It’s by grace I live and breathe and walk through my journey. It’s by grace I will enter into heaven and see Jesus.
If you think that makes it all too simple and too easy, know that Jesus paid for you with His life. His blood was shed so you and I could experience this grace. Though I receive salvation as a free gift from God, it is a priceless gift. It should bring upon me such a feeling of gratitude that I give my life as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing for God’s pleasure and service.
So get out there and trust God. Live your life in grace. Allow the Holy Spirit to live in and through you in order to serve a world out there that desperately needs to know the grace in which you now stand.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.” Hebrews 12:1
Why did I name this blog Christian Journey?
I accepted Christ as my Savior the summer between my junior and senior year in high school. At that moment I was saved, born again, justified, whatever term you want to use.
That day I started on a journey to heaven. Thinking of my Christian life here on earth as a journey helps me visualize my life of faith. It reminds me that I have a destination and that I haven’t arrived there yet.
It encourages me to think ahead, plan ahead, and look forward with great anticipation the day that I will arrive at my final destination. The day I will finally see Jesus face to face!
The journey is a process in itself. It enables me to grow as I press on toward my goal. Traveling on this journey is about reaching the destination, but it is also about experiencing personal and spiritual growth along the way. The journey is a process that helps me become more like Christ.
How? In one sense, I will be the same person when I complete my journey that I was when I began it. Yet in other ways, I will be completely different. I will have been changed by the things I have experienced along the way. The journey offers me the chance, the opportunities, and the time to deepen my commitment to Christ and to anticipate my arrival to my destination. That anticipation of the joy at the end sustains me through the hard times.
I am wanderer, a sojourner, an alien. I am merely passing through this world. I do not expect to remain here. I do not want to “settle down” and be comfortable.
There are days that I feel exhausted. Continuing the journey seems hard. In these times, I need to remember that God will continue HIs good work in my life and will help me finish the race. I need to let the Holy Spirit do His work in my life and enable me to become more like Christ every day. Paul wrote:
“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:8-9.
Paul guaranteed the believers that God would consider them “blameless” when Christ returns. This guarantee was not because of their gifts, service, or performance, but was because of what Jesus accomplished in them through his death and resurrection. It was God's work, not theirs. If you have faith in Christ, even if it is weak, you are and will be saved. All believers are justified by God’s grace and stand before Him “blameless”.
“May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” 1 Thessalonians 3:13
“so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:28
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:6
And so, I continue on my journey. I trust Christ every day to work in me and use me. I know that there will be hard times but I know that Jesus will go through those with me. A journey is usually a winding pathway. Sometimes you can’t see around the next corner, but I press on toward goal. Sometimes I have to step out in faith and trust that God is going with me and before me.
“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12b
Death remains a part of the journey but it is not to be feared. It is really just the last barrier to conquer before I reach my destination.
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Here are my lesson notes from my Junior Church Lesson for April 21.
Why do I post these …. so I don’t lose them. 
Acts 8:1-4
8 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
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The stoning of Stephen stunned the thousands of believers in Jerusalem, and now word spread throughout the city that the Sanhedrin, the council of Jewish leaders, was planning to stamp out belief in Jesus before it could get any stronger. A great wave of new persecution began sweeping the city, and nearly all the believers, except the apostles, left Jerusalem and moved out into Judea and Samaria. Whole families left as quickly as they could. Some went north toward Syria, others south toward Egypt and other faraway places.
Why did God allow this terrible persecution and suffering to come upon the believers? Couldn't He have stopped it?
Of course, He could. But sometimes God permits hard and difficult experiences to come to His people in order to get them to carry out His plan and purposes.
Jesus had said, "You will be mv witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and unto Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Up to this time, the gospel had only gone to the city of Jerusalem; the apostles and other believers had been very slow to carry the gospel beyond Jerusalem. God had been patient with His servants.
Many Jews had been brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, but so far no one had carried the message further.
Therefore God allowed the persecution to force His people to get on with His great commission—to get this good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth.
God often shakes us out of our comfort, laziness, and selfishness in order to get us to give His message to the mam- people who have never heard how to be saved. God doesn't want all of us to settle down here where people can easily hear the gospel.
The believers who fled Jerusalem and were scattered abroad "went everywhere preaching the Word." Thus people in other countries were beginning to hear the gospel.
So they were really the first missionaries.
Those who sought to crush the work that Jesus had begun in the hearts and lives of men saw it growing and spreading everywhere. The more they tried to kill faith in Christ, the bigger and stronger it became.
Our lesson today is about Saul. We first hear about him at the scene of Stephen's death.
Saul was a proud Jewish leader and he would have been happy to see all the Christians destroyed. He was sure they were wrong. He hated the name of Jesus and he approved of the stoning of Stephen. He grew up in Tarsus and had been taught to strictly follow the traditions of the Pharisees.
Saul had watched the dying Stephen as his face shined as the face of an angel, and he was shocked to hear Stephen pray for God to bless his murderers.
Of all the enemies of Christianity, Saul was the worst. Everywhere he went, he sought to destroy the church.
He would even go into people’s homes and drag out the men and women who believed in Christ.
Saul left Jerusalem and he was on his way to track down some of the believers who had left the city for other parts of the country,
Saul went to the High Priest in Jerusalem and asked for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found anyone in Damascus who belonged to the Way (a name given to the early group of believers), whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners and bring them back to Jerusalem and to their death.
With his mind full of plans for wiping out the believers, Saul started on his long journey to Damascus, leading a small group of men that would assist him in his project.
The journey was long and lonely. Saul had plenty of time to think all the things he had done the past couple of months. All the people he had put into jail for believing in Jesus. He remembered the day he watched Stephen die.
It was about high noon that day as they traveled. Everybody was hot, tired, and thirsty, yet they pressed on.
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Acts 9:3-5
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
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What do you think Saul was thinking?
Why did he call him Lord?
Do you think he knew at once who this was?
After all how could Jesus be here on the road to Damascus?
Could this be the very person whom Stephen and the other believers declared had risen from the dead?
Is He indeed the King of Glory as they claimed?
Then and there, at that moment, the truth broke upon his heart, and Saul came to understand the great truth that Jesus is the Christ.
Saul knew at once that this was no dream. He had seen the risen, glorified Christ, Who had spoken to him and had called him by name.
Suddenly all the hatred within Saul's heart ended. Saul was converted to Jesus Christ right then and there on the road to Damascus; he accepted Christ as his Savior, and Saul tremblingly called Jesus "Lord."
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Acts 9:6 - 8
6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
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Think about what the other men must have thought. They didn’t see anything. They heard sound and then Saul fell to the ground and then he was blind.
The others would have been frightened. Do you think any of them thought I wonder why God did this to Saul? Do you think they were thankful that they were not blinded?
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Acts 9:9 - 16
9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.
14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
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Put yourself in Ananias’s shoes for a moment. Saul had a reputation of killing Christians. The last person on the earth he wanted to meet, let alone help, was Saul.
How would you respond if God asked you to help someone who wanted to arrest you and kill you?
How did God describe Saul to Ananias? Chosen instrument to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
Who are the Gentiles?
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Acts 9:17 - 25
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”
22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,
24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.
25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
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Ananias’s fear vanishes and he does what God tells him to do.
He finds Saul and heals him. Scales fall from his eyes and he could see again.
What does Saul do next? Gets baptized
This is a symbol of his new birth in Christ and his desire to be obedient to God. His baptism shows the world that he is now a follower of Christ.
After meeting Jesus, Saul was a new man. His old ways and habits were gone. He would spend the rest of his life preaching about Jesus.
After his baptism, he spent some time with the disciples.
Why did he want/need to spend time with them?
Do you think they immediately accepted him into their group? Why or why not?
Why did the Jews want to kill Saul? He was proof that Jesus was alive and could change people’s hearts and lives. Many Jews were listening to Saul and believing him.
Paul writes this verse to the church at Corinth:
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How does this describe what happened on the road to Damascus?
God uses Saul’s experiences to help him spread the gospel. His witness is more effective because his life was so drastically changed. If God can save Saul, he can save anyone.
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1 Timothy 1:12-16
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.
13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
So when did Saul become Paul?
For a long time I thought that happened at his conversion. However, I don’t believe this to be true.
It was customary for people to have more than one name. He used his Hebrew name “Saul” in Jewish settings and his Roman name Paul in his Roman environment. His father was a Roman citizen and so that was also Paul’s heritage.
Paul is a fully Romanized name with no Jewish tradition attached to it. He may have changed his name to embrace his new mission as an apostle to the Gentiles. This would allow the Gentiles to more readily accept him.
A new name is also linked to a new life. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter. Sarai became Sarah. The Bible is full of examples of people whose lives have been transformed then changing their names.
The name change did not happen immediately. But after Acts 13:9, he is exclusively called Paul.
