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  March 1, 2024 I Kings 9:3 “And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me.” Scripture reading: 1 Kings 8:22 – 9:9 THAT NAGGING DOUBT Prayer is hard. Would you agree? My experience has been both in my own life, and through the testimonies of others that most of us Jesus’ followers struggle with praying faithfully in one way or another. Frankly, I have lost count of how many times on home visits over the years I have heard words like “I don’t pray enough.” Maybe you have said that. Many authors have labeled prayer as a “Christian Discipline.” What that means is that Prayer is an area for growth and development as we walk with our God. Our practice of prayer changes over time in frequency and content. I wonder if it is possible that one reason prayer is such a challenge for us is that we have this “nagging doubt” that God hears our prayers. Now don’t misunderstand me on this, I know we understand that God hears prayers, but we

  February 29, 2024 Exodus 17:10, 11 “So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.” – Read: Exodus 17:8-16 for context WILDERNESS GRACE Let’s set the context for this reading today. God’s people have been freed from slavery in Egypt, while they are heading to the promised land, they aren’t there yet. Where are they? The wilderness. Ah, the wilderness, that desolate place, that we all know too well, right? Not geographically so much, but certainly we know personal experiences in which we feel we are in a desolate place, we know spiritual experiences where things seem “dry and barren” don’t we? Perhaps, that’s where you are today. In this Bible reading today we should be able to relate to God’s people. We are told that they are fighting against the Amalekites. These are desert dwellers with whom t

  February  28, 2024 Psalm 118:22-24 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Mark 12:1-12 12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 “But the tenants said

  February 27, 2024 Genesis 41:37-43, 46-52 “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. 46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 50 … two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughte

February 26, 2024 Genesis 22:1-14   After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold,

  February 23, 2024   Genesis 24:50, 51     Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”   Click these links to read or hear the larger passage today. Scripture reading:   Genesis 24:1-67 NIV - Isaac and Rebekah - Abraham was now - Bible Gateway   Audio: BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.: Audio   AMAZING GRACE IN ANSWERED PRAYER What we know from the Bible is that God’s listens to our prayers, that may be an amazing sign of grace in and of itself. Our Creator hears us when we pray. We learn this truth from verses like the following: Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. Psalm 102:17 He regards the prayer of the des

  FEBRUARY 22, 2024 Genesis 12:1, 4 Now the LORD had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you…So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him…”   A JOURNEY OF GRACE  In Joshua 24, as Joshua is reviewing covenant history, we read the following “Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.” Joshua is talking about the ancient city of Ur. Ur was home to the moon god, “Nanna” also known as “Sin”. Now Ur was a wealthy city on a major trade route, I suspect that the people there probably considered the proper worship of the moon god “Nanna” very important to their financial strength and security. “Long live Nanna of the Ur-ites!” they would say. Our text today tells us that God had a different plan for Abram and Sarai. This plan was one in which we see that Grace leads. The story demonstrates that God was showing how He can delive

  February 21, 2024 Genesis 11:4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”  WHAT IS THAT YOU ARE BUILDING? It seems we work hard each day building our career, education, wealth, position, power, possessions, and relationships. But are we building the right things and for the right reasons? That is, I believe what our verse for today invites us to consider. It had only been a few generations since the great flood, however, Genesis 11 illustrates humanity’s self-sufficiency and independence from God was deeply embedded. They had forgotten the death and destruction that came from living apart from God. And, they had forgotten how God in grace had rescued them. Here we are post-flood, and humanity confident in their own abilities and wanting to display their greatness, “make a name for themselves” , through an architectural wonder, a testame

  February 20, 2024 The C o l o r of GRACE Genesis 9:12-13 “And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: “I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.”” The rainbow, what a beautiful sight! This is the centerpiece of a great many “snapshots” I see on social media. Why wouldn’t that be the case, they are beautiful to see. The rainbow serves also as a snapshot of grace. My mother-in-law loved rainbows, she wouldn’t miss an opportunity to take in the beauty of rainbows and to point them out to anyone who was around. For her, it was one of God’s beautiful gifts to us all. I believe, for her every rainbow symbolized the promise of God’s care for all of creation. It was a comfort to her. It was fitting that upon returning from her funeral, we looked out the patio door at her daughter’s home and there in the sky was a rainbow. It

  February 19, 2024 Genesis 3:21 “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” The story of Adam and Eve is an important place to start in our Snapshots of Grace series. The Adam and Eve story illustrates for us the human condition and God’s answer to that condition. Genesis 2 ends with these words, 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed . You know this story, don’t you? Adam and Eve, placed in the garden of Eden, had everything going for them. As we read Genesis 3, what emerges is that the world that God created for them was perfect, their relationship with God was intimate and joyful. I mean think of it, God walking in the garden of his own creation in the cool of the day, visiting with Adam and Eve. What closeness!! Imagine a world like that. But. Then. Sin. How? The summary in Genesis 3 tells us that they did not believe God. When the serpent told them that he had a better plan than what God had said, that God was holding the

  FEBRUARY 16, 2023 Matthew 16:13-16 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” There is nothing quite like going away on a retreat with a group of friends. You turn off the phone, interrupt the routine, and prepare yourself to move into a deeper faith experience. This is exactly what Jesus had in mind when He took His closest disciples up to Caesarea Philippi, which was about twenty-five miles north of their Sea of Galilee ministry headquarters. But Jesus threw them a curve ball when He picked this place. This place was notorious for the worship of the pagan fertility god, Baal. It was given the name Caesarea Philippi by Rome as a political move to disconnect the reg

  FEBRUARY 15, 2024 John 1:1-3a, 4-5, 14a, 18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him ... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ... No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known. What is God really like?  What does He think of me?  Can He deal with my brokenness, all the things in me that make me want to hide from the light?  Can I trust Him to take care of me, to love me, to protect me, and not to mistreat or harm me? These are some of the important questions we ask. The kind of questions in which everything depends on the answers. The one who is creator and through whom “All things were made”, the life and light of all —what is He like? Did you notice the answer in our reading above? The Ho

  FEBRUARY 14, 2024   Isaiah 55:6-7 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.     Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Historically, the Lenten period of fasting and renewal corresponds to Christ’s forty-day fast (Matt. 4:2), and, by counting forty days back from Easter (excluding Sundays, which remain “feast” days or mini Easter’s), arrived at the Wednesday seven weeks before Easter. In earlier times Lent was primarily viewed as a period during which new disciples and followers of Jesus prepared for baptism on Easter Sunday, but later the season became a general time of repentance and renewal for all Christians. The themes of Ash Wednesday tend to have 3 key emphasis, 1) to meditate on our mortality, sinfulness, and need of a savior; 2) to re

FEBRUARY 13, 2024   Joel 2:12-14 "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love…. Growing up where I did, today was called Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, I have learned around here in our area Paczki Day. This day is the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season . A little bit of history for us today. Shrove Tuesday is the last day of what traditionally was called “Shrovetide,” The word itself, Shrovetide, is the English equivalent for “Carnival,” which is derived from the Latin words “carnem levare”, meaning “to take away the flesh.” While this day was seen as the last chance to "make merry", which unfortunately in some places resulted in excessive pleasure, Shrovetide was the time to cast off things of the f

  February 12, 2024   Luke 9:28-36 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.  Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.  As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, the

  FEBRUARY 9, 2024 Matthew 6:16-18 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. When you think of “fasting,” what comes to mind? Maybe you picture people willingly starving themselves. Maybe you picture a monk living off of dry bread. Or maybe you’re someone who prefers not to think about fasting … ever. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 4 we read of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness fasting. And based on His conversations with His disciples, fasting was a practice He assumed they would practice as well. See our verse above “When you fast,” it begins. Intentionally creating space in our lives to hear God by removing th