March 5, 2024 – Two Most Important Things

“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?  No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:31-34, 37-39

“There aren’t two things in all of life more important than these—that grace has purchased for you a place in God’s family and that, because you are in his family, God rules over all things for your good. You could never have earned these two unshakable realities.” (“New Morning Mercies”, March; Paul David Tripp)

There are two things in life you simply don’t have to worry about anymore – one is the fact that G-d is for all people. The other is G-d’s dominion is ruled by Grace. We all have plenty of things to worry about in this life. You and I carry enough life concerns on a daily basis. With the economy the way it has been over the last three years it is right to be concerned about your finances. All of your relationships can and will weigh on your minds hoping that they will be held in G-d’s concern and will end up as G-d means them to be. It’s good to focus much concern on the welfare and development of your children. It’s vital to take your church and your relationship to the body of Christ seriously. It would be silly not to see your physical health as an important concern. It is responsible for all of us to carry these concerns on a daily basis.

But to worry about whether or not G-d loves you and to worry that you are outside of G-d’s Grace, well these do not have to be any of your concerns. G-d loves you beyond all measure. Period. And G-d’s grace is sufficient for you every day.

Pastor Dave

March 4, 2024 – Prayer

“He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” So he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:1-13

“Prayer renounces assessments of capability. Prayer embraces the reality of failure. Prayer tells you that you are not at the center. Prayer calls you to abandon your plans for the wiser plans of another. Prayer flows from a deep personal sense of need and runs toward God’s abundant grace. Here is the bottom line. We need to be met by God’s grace if, in true humility, we are ever going to be able to abandon our self-reliance and pray for grace. It is only by grace that we will ever acknowledge our need for grace and worship God for the grace he has so willingly lavished on us. Since prayer is fundamentally counterintuitive, we need grace to rescue us from our self-oriented religious meanderings so that, with humble hearts, we may acknowledge God as the Redeemer-King and cast ourselves on his gracious care.” (“New Morning Mercies”, March; Paul David Tripp)

We know that there are many different kinds of prayer: prayers of intercession or prayers for others; prayers of lament; prayers of praise; prayers for our own needs and concerns. I would say that knowing what kind of prayer you may need in a moment is not your concern – your concern is praying with the faith that you will be heard. After all, as Paul Tripp says above, prayer embraces the reality that we are not capable of handling everything in our lives on our own.

Prayer helps us remember that we are not alone in this world as we strive to live the Christ-like life. We do not always know the way, so our prayers for guidance keep us on the right path. We do not always know why things happen, so our prayers for clarity and assurance keep us strong in the spirit. And when we think we know it all, prayer reminds us that we are always dependent upon the one who knows us best, knows our sin, and still loves us nonetheless.

Pastor Dave