August 26, 2022 – Colossians 3:17, The Funny Shape of Faith

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. -Colossians 3:17

“Faced with persecution and the threat of death, we might beg for a glass of water too. How many people would manage instead to pour out words of hope and thanks to God? The words in the Bible passage sound like the words of a happy Christian in the most ideal of circumstances. But they aren’t. Paul, the writer, is stuck in prison for his beliefs. He has every reason to grumble about the lousy food, mistreatment, and non-existent sentencing guidelines. But what is he saying instead? “Give thanks to God in everything.” Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Locations 215-216). Kindle Edition.

In Case of Emergency

Do everything in the name of Jesus. Have you ever pondered that statement? Have you ever thought about the challenge those words present?

Moses was faced with an enormous problem, a challenge he tried again and again to convince G-d that he was not the right person for the challenge. In fact, if there would have been a fire extinguisher next to the burning bush, I am sure Moses would have tried to use it. But G-d had other plans.

Do everything in the name of Jesus. How about we begin with remembering every day all that Jesus has done for us. If we wake each day remembering the blessings we have through Jesus, when we begin each day with a heart of thankfulness, perhaps it will be easier to do perhaps one or two things in the name of Jesus each day. And day after day the list of things we are doing for Jesus will grow and grow.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, I pray for an attitude of gratitude in all times. You have blessed me beyond anything I could imagine. Help me to live into those blessings every day. Amen.

Pastor Dave

August 25, 2022 – Matthew 4:3, The Funny Shape of Faith

“The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Matthew 4:3

“How long do you follow your New Year’s resolutions? Or maybe you don’t make any resolutions so you won’t have to worry about breaking them! When our lives get crazy-busy or just plain hard, we crack. Our resolutions and good intentions get shaky. Maybe we keep on doing something we know is wrong. Our faith might feel wobbly, too. Once we cave in, what’s left? Well, actually, a lot. Jesus, who knows what it’s like to be tempted, is there for us even in the toughest of times, with forgiveness, strength, and a new start.” Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Locations 209-212). Kindle Edition.

Satan’s Cookies

Satan tried to offer Jesus food that any of us would have taken in a heart beat – especially having fasted for 40 days. It must have sounded like the best food ever offered to Jesus – I like to call it Satan’s Cookies. Imagine if Satan could bake – imagine how delicious his cookies would taste. The problem is, those cookies would be empty calories, truly empty food, empty promises, empty emptiness.

In his state of hunger, Jesus turned to the thing that feeds us more than any physical food – the word of G-d. Jesus came back at Satan again and again with the word that offers us Living Water and the Bread of Life.

Every Sunday we receive the bread of life in Holy Communion. Unfortunately too many of us treat that holy food as if it is also empty calories. We do not allow it to continue to fill us throughout the week. But the promises that the bread and wine symbolize are not empty – they are promises as real as the presence of Jesus in the bread and wine. It is holy food that can sustain us day after day. Remember, when life is beating you down, the Holy food we receive on Sunday offers us nothing less than the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.

Let us pray,

Lord of the heavenly banquet, I need you day after day after day. See to my deepest needs and provide me the strength I need in times of weakness. Amen.

Pastor Dave