Historical Posts
Peter’s Doubt – audio
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Text: Matthew 14:25-31
Peter is often criticized for his lack of faith.
Earlier, he did struggle to believe in the Lord. He saw Jesus walking on the water and asked to come to Him. Jesus told him to come, and he began to walk on water. However, he became afraid of the wind and began to sink. Jesus then caught him and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt (Matthew 14:25-31)?” Doubt can easily creep into our minds and cause us to second guess ourselves.
As our faith grows, doubts should fade and fade away.
Peter needs credit because later his doubt did fade away. After Jesus’ ascension, Peter had a vision of unclean animals let down from heaven. Naturally, they were unclean and Peter knew he was not supposed to eat them. A voice from heaven said, “What God has cleansed you must not call common (Acts 10:15).” As he wondered what this vision meant, the Spirit told him to go with men to the house of Cornelius “without doubting.” We are told Peter got up and went with them, which led to Cornelius’ salvation (Acts 10:17-23).
Just as Peter learned not to doubt God, so should we.
Living the Christian life is not always easy. We often struggle with trials and temptations that test our faith. When we need God’s help through these times, we should not doubt at all that He can help us.
James encourages Christians to “ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:6).”
We can rise in the hope that God will help us, or sink in despair, struggling for our spiritual lives.
Will you have faith in God?
Content by Richard Dillon
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Being Prepared in 2014 – audio
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As the new year begins, many people have made new year’s resolutions.
Have you made yours? As children of God, there may be some things we could do better. Consider our text: 1 Peter 3:15-17. Let’s focus on three things that Peter encourages Christians to do.
Be ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15).
Peter encourages Christians to show why we believe what we believe! Many times we are asked about our faith, but how often can we steer someone to the right place in God’s Word for an answer?
When Jesus was faced with temptation by the devil, he often said, “It is written (Luke 4:4-12).” He knew what His Father wanted Him to do, and so should we!
Paul taught Timothy the importance of studying God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15), which we can all do better this year.
Peter teaches us to “desire the pure milk of the word, that we may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2).”
Have a good conscience (1 Peter 3:16).
The Hebrew writer wanted to have a good conscience, and asked others to pray for him in that regard (Hebrews 13:18-19). It should be our goal to have a clear conscience before God and live honorably before Him.
Be prepared to suffer for doing good (1 Peter 3:17).
Jesus Christ is the perfect example for suffering for good. Many people persecuted Him, and He even died on the cross for our sins. If we are to follow Him, we need to be prepared to stand up for the truth when others oppose us.
Paul taught the Philippians, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake (Philippians 1:29).” Similarly, Paul told Timothy: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).”
We know that this coming year will bring tests of our faith in Jesus Christ.
Let us be prepared to give an answer for our faith, stand before God with a good conscience, and even suffer for doing good when necessary. May God bless us all as we serve Him this year!
Content by Richard Dillon
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He Who is Not Against Us – audio
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Copycat.
When I was much younger, people would try to be like me and I would try to be like them.
Sometimes, someone was similar to me without even trying; of course, I was similar to others whether they knew it or not. If someone tried to be like me and I didn’t approve of it, I would think of him as a “copycat.”
Copycats would not necessarily do bad things, but would certainly be annoying to the person they were copying.
Imagine seeing people you did not know doing good deeds like you do.
If someone were to have a similar lifestyle, you may know that they are Christians. Just because they speak and act like you, does that mean they cannot do those things?
Consider Jesus’ disciples.
They told Jesus that they witnessed someone casting out demons in His name, but forbade him because he did not follow them.
Jesus then explained to them that it was okay for someone else to do something in His name. “He who is not against us is on our side (Mark 17:40).”
If we all do something in the name of Christ, we are working on the same side!
There should be no conflict when we do things in the name of Christ (Colossians 3:17; Matthew 28:18).
Therefore, we should be encouraged, not discouraged, to know that there are others working for the Lord!
Content by Richard Dillon
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Do as I Say, Not as I Do – audio
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While doing errands last week, one employee said, “no cell phones allowed.” Soon after uttering these very words, she pulled out a cell phone and proceeded to check her own facebook. In other words, she seemed to say, “do as I say not as I do.”
Jesus described the scribes and Pharisees in the same way. “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do (Matthew 23:3).
In contrast, Jesus is always consistent!
Luke told Theophilus the things that Jesus “began both to do and teach (Acts 1:1).”
What Jesus told others to do, He did Himself.
He set an example for us to follow (1 Peter 2:21).
Are we following Jesus’ example? Are we consistent?
Are we showing the world the pattern of Christian living?
Let us put into practice every day of the week what we teach on Sunday and Wednesday.
Content by Richard Dillon
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Unapproachable Light – audio
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Introduction
Have you ever been disturbed by being in a dark room, and suddenly the light switch is turned on? Is the light so bright that you squinted your eyes until they adjusted? Have you ever been in a room that is too bright?
Imagine for a moment what an “unapproachable light” would be like.
Body
I. Text: 1 Timothy 6:15-16.
Paul describes Jesus Christ’s appearing to Timothy. He says it will be in His own time first of all, and that that He alone has immortality. Then, Paul describes Jesus of “dwelling in an unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power.”
II. Christ’s appearing will be manifest in His own time.
Jesus taught the disciples that no one knows the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come again (Matthew 24:36-44). Therefore, we must always be ready!
He illustrates this in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).
Our lights must always shine to glorify God (Matthew 5:16).
III. Christ dwells in an unapproachable light.
Daniel described the nature of God to Nebuchadnezzar: “He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him (Daniel 2:22).”
John says of God through Christ that He is light and there is no darkness in Him at all; therefore, we should walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:5-7).
IV. No man can see or has seen the light where Christ dwells.
Jesus explained that no one has seen the Father but who is from God (Himself). Thus, only Jesus has seen that light.
He is more than man; He is the Son of God! Also, it is interesting that Jesus’ face “shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:1-2)” on the Mount of Transfiguration.
John assures us “…we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).”
Paul explains how we can approach that light by God changing us (1 Corinthians 15:50-57).
Conclusion
John paints a beautiful picture of how we will see God and remain with Him forever, and also reminds us to be ready for the second coming of Christ (Revelation 22:1-7).
Content by Richard Dillon
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Making the Right Choice – audio
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Introduction
Have you ever been faced with a decision of two options, one having a reward now and consequence later, and the other one with consequence now and reward later?
For example, go into a restaurant and look at the menu. “If I eat junk food now, I’ll pay for it later; on the other hand, if I eat this salad that I don’t like, it will help me get healthier.”
Body
I. Text: Hebrews 11:24-26.
Moses had a choice to enjoy all the pleasures of Egypt, and could have even grown up to rule over it. Instead, he chose to suffer with the children of Israel.
Why? He “esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Moses did make a mistake, though. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own brethren. When he learned the matter was known, he fled from Pharaoh (who sought to kill him) to Midian (Exodus 2:11-15).
II. Moses valued the reproach of Christ.
Moses understood what it meant to suffer. Even though it may be difficult to endure, it is well worth it for the cause of Christ. Later the Hebrew writer says, “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come (Hebrews 13:13-14).”
The apostles “rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41).”
Paul also said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong (1 Corinthians 12:10).”
Peter links the sufferings of Christ to the glories that would follow (1 Peter 1:11), and encourages Christians in this way: “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified (1 Peter 4:14).”
III. The reward outweighs the sufferings.
As Moses understood, Paul explained: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).”
Just imagine how sin has its pleasures, yet eternal consequences.
The sufferings of Christ may seem like suffering, yet has eternal rewards.
Conclusion
We are faced with spiritual choices every day.
What will we decide – to enjoy something sinful and pay for it eternally, or stand up for Christ and enjoy eternity?
Remember the words of Joshua: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).”
Content by Richard Dillon
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Look up at the Pole – audio
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“I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole!”
I have heard that saying many times, and often wondered what was at the end of that pole. Initially, I think of a basketball goal or street light. It must have not been anything good, for one would still not touch whatever it was. However, sometimes what can be at the end of the pole is good!
The Bronze Serpent Saved Physical Life.
As the children of Israel journeyed to Edom by way of the Red Sea, they became very discouraged. Having nothing to eat or drink except the manna God provided, they began to complain. God does not like complaining (Philippians 2:14), so He sent fiery serpents among them. Many began to die, and those that remained confessed sin to Moses and begged the LORD to take away those serpents.
The LORD instructed Moses to put a fiery serpent on a pole, and if anyone looked at it when bitten would live (Numbers 21:4-9). Later, King Hezekiah had it cut down as people began to burn incense to it (2 Kings 18:4).
Jesus Christ Saves Spiritually.
As some things have a physical meaning, others have a spiritual meaning. As Jesus was teaching Nicodemus His purpose, He reminded him of the serpent Moses lifted up in the wilderness. “…Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:12-16)…”
We often sing, ‘My Faith Looks up to Thee,’ and we should remember more than the cross itself. Jesus died on that cross for you and me! “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).”
Content by Richard Dillon
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Guarantee – audio
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A warranty or life-time guarantee means a lot in this day and time. We need people and things that are very dependable. Often, tests are done to determine how reliable a product is for consumers. People often tell us they will do things, and may or may not do them.
- Deuteronomy 18:15-22. God gives us a test for who is really from Him. All we have to do is see if what they say will come to pass. If it does, they are of God; if not, they are not. Also, this text tells us of a Prophet will arise that will speak God’s words to His people.
- Daniel 2:44-45. Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that God will set up a kingdom that will stand forever. That “dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” Daniel, a prophet, guarantees that God’s kingdom will be set up and stand forever!
- Luke 1:30-33. The angel of the Lord told Mary that she would have a Son. Of Him, “The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” What further proof do we need than God’s angel affirming Jesus was this very prophet?
A. Matthew 16:18-19. Jesus promised to build His church, the kingdom of God.
B. John 18:36. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world.
C. Hebrews 12:28. The kingdom of God cannot be shaken.
D. 1 Thessalonians 2:12. God calls us into the kingdom.
Jesus was the Prophet of God. He established His kingdom, the church, and it still stands today. Do you want to be a part of God’s kingdom? Will you share the gospel with others so they can be part of God’s kingdom too?
Content by Richard Dillon
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Peacemaker – audio
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You have probably been around a guy who brings strife when he walks into a room.
He’s either in an argument with someone or trying to get one started. He’s also pretty good at getting people mad at one another. If you hear about a feud going on at work, you have a pretty good idea who’s in the middle of it. Know the guy?
Then there’s the girl whom everyone goes to when they’re having problems with someone.
They know she’ll be fair, level-headed, and sensible. If called on to arbitrate she won’t be ruled by anger or other emotions. She brings people together, settles disputes, helps people get along. She’s a peacemaker – have you met her?
It’s not hard to figure out which one the Lord favors.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Think about that last statement – “they shall be called sons of God.” In other words, they are like God.
In fact, it might be said that we’re never more like God than when we’re bringing people together. After all, that’s pretty much what the whole Bible story is about – God, through Christ, brings us out of rebellion back into a relationship with him. As our Mediator, the God-Man, Jesus joins our hands with God’s hands, restoring the relationship that we broke.
Jesus is the greatest peacemaker ever. Want to be like Jesus?
Help a couple of disgruntled friends get beyond whatever got between them. Build bridges. Mend fences.
Be a calming influence with the people around you. Break down prejudices of all kinds—whether racial, social, class, or whatever. Peacemakers break down obstacles and help people get along.
Better yet, and perhaps this is what Jesus ultimately had in mind, be a peacemaker between God and sinful humanity. The peace has been established through Jesus, but God might use you to help someone find his way back to him.
You might be the Andrew who brings Peter to Jesus (John 1:40-41).
You might be the Paul who helps two sisters to stop quarrelling (Philippians 4:2).
You might be the one God uses to bring peace between your spouse and God, or between your children and God, or between a co-worker, friend, uncle, or neighbor and God.
The most miserable person in the room is the one who’s at odds with the people around him, and with God.
The one who looks most like Jesus is the one who brings peace wherever he goes.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Making Melody in Your Heart to God – audio
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Introduction
Tonight is a night that many have looked forward to for a while. It is our “singing emphasis” night! We should all be in a joyous mood.
James tells Christians, “…Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms (James 5:13).” The nature of human beings is to sing when happy; how much more when we sing to the One who makes us eternally happy?
Body
I. We sing to God.
The apostle Paul clearly instructs us to “sing…and make melody in our hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).” Similarly, he tells the Colossians to “sing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).”
God has done so much for us. In fact, He created us (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 100:3), and designed us so that our hearts have the opportunity to be pure in His sight.
A. Note that we make melody in our hearts.
Just as Christ offered Himself a sweet-smelling aroma to God (Ephesians 5:2), so do we. To those that are being saved and those who are perishing, we are the fragrance of Christ to God (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). A melody is a sweet sounding savor, just as God commands us to be for Him. God is pleased when our hearts are dear to Him in praise of song.
B. Note that we sing with grace in our hearts.
We are saved by the grace of God through our faith (Titus 2:11-15; Ephesians 2:8). Our singing to God should express thankfulness for the spiritual gifts in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). The apostle Paul often is thankful for the grace of God that came upon him (1 Corinthians 3:10; 15:10), and extends that grace toward others. For example, he told the Galatians: “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Galatians 6:18).”
II. We edify one another.
Paul directs us to “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19).” Similarly, he told the Colossians to: “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16)…”
We must remember that God is our audience and that we are singing with fellow Christians! How encouraging it is when we all come together to sing praises to God. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs uplift us as we describe the goodness of God.
The words of each song speak of God’s goodness toward man, man’s responsibility to God, and man’s relationship with man. Each message in song is edifying to us all.
Conclusion
I pray this evening that God has been pleased with our worship, and that we all have been edified. Let us all be encouraged to spread the word of Christ and His blessings.
Content by Richard Dillon
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Praise – audio
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Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise (James 5:13).
I suppose we’re more likely to obey the first part of that verse than we are the second. It’s easy to let all of life’s stresses cause us to forget our need to praise God for everything good. If we’re not careful, talking to God can be more like a 911 call – something when do only when we find ourselves in a difficult spot.
Talking to God, though – praising him – ought to be what we do in every situation.
- When we’re hurting or sad, we pour out our hearts to him.
- When we’re joyful, when he’s blessed us, we praise him.
James recognizes that life has its ups and downs. We’ll have problems like everyone else; when we do, we pray about it. But we should also recognize that God gives us so many joys.
What’s right in your life today?
Can you hear the birds singing outside? Perhaps you’ve already taken a walk in the cool springtime air this morning. God’s blessings surround us, and most of us have quite a few things to smile about.
A soft bed and a comfortable house. Water to drink and food to eat. A job that supports our families, healthy kids, faithful friends, a stable, peaceful country.
And most of all, of course, we’ve got Christ.
Even if we have problems, which we do, nothing can dampen the fact that we are forgiven.
Saved from sin. Washed in the blood. Justified, sanctified, and soon to be glorified.
So today, take time to praise.
List the blessings God’s poured into your life, and thank him for every single one of them.
But especially thank him for giving you hope in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Salt – audio
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We’ve all probably engaged in a little hand-wringing about the future of our country.
What will happen, we ask, if we continue heading down a path that ignores God, flaunts rebellion, and mocks righteousness? What will it look like when our kids or grandkids become adults? Will God turn his back on us?
Those questions, though unavoidable, do little good.
What Jesus said about anxiety applies here.
Worrying about the future accomplishes nothing. But thankfully, there’s something we can do, and Jesus refers to it here:
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13, NKJV)
When we think of salt, we probably think of the flavor it adds to our meals, but in Jesus’ world its most basic function was to preserve food. And that seems to fit the context here best as well.
Jesus is calling us to slow down the decay and corruption of the world around us.
Abraham once had a fascinating conversation with God in Genesis 18:16-33 about how many righteous people it would take to save Sodom. “Will you spare the city if it has 50 righteous souls living there?” Abraham asked. God said yes. “Forty-five?” Again, God said yes. So Abraham asked about 40, 30, 20, and finally 10. God would withhold his destruction if only a handful of righteous people could be found.
I have often thought that God has blessed America because we have honored him in many ways. We have protected religious freedoms and maintained conservative morals. Our leaders have listened to Christian voices, and we have preserved many aspects of the Judeo-Christian ethic. Is there a connection between those facts and our country’s prosperity?
A strong argument could be made that those things are changing, of course. Recent trends seem to reflect an increasingly secular, anti-God mindset. Even so, it still does no good to wring our hands and decry the loss of our country’s Christian foundation.
What Jesus tells us to do is keep being the salt.
None of us have any idea how long God will spare our nation, but what we must do is to follow Jesus and model him to the people around us. We need to sanctify him in our homes. We need to teach our children and grandchildren to love him more than anything in the world. We need to adore him, worship him, serve him.
It was a tragedy that even 10 righteous souls could not be found in Sodom, and God destroyed the city. What about us? Is there enough righteousness for God to keep his protective arms around us?
That’s his decision, of course, but regardless, he’s challenged us to be those righteous souls, to be the preservative in our spheres of influence.
He’s calling us to be salt.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Light of the World – audio
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One of the things the Pharisees couldn’t stand about Jesus was the crowd he hung around with. They didn’t know what to do with someone who claimed to be a Rabbi yet spent his time with undesirables. Tax collectors. Drunks. Adulterers. Prostitutes.
How could he? Here’s his answer: “I’m the light of the world” (John 8:12).
It is hard for light to affect something it doesn’t touch. He came to call sinners to repentance, but they never would have heard about it if he had not walked the streets on their side of town.
We don’t have a problem with that, though, because we like the idea of Jesus associating with outcasts. After all, he’s the Son of God, so he’s perfect, blameless. Their sin couldn’t rub off on him.
But notice the huge change in pronoun here:
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14–16)
Sometimes he said, “I’m the light of the world,” but here he says “You” are.
As in me. As in you.
We are the light of the world.
It’s a reflected light, of course, because we can’t generate any on our own. We reflect his light to a dark world so that they may see it and glorify him.
But there’s an important point that we shouldn’t miss. In order for us to light up the world, we’ve got to be in the world. We’ve got to be intentional about spending time with people who don’t know Christ so that they might see him in us.
I might be tempted to schedule my days so that I spend time with people who look, think, and talk like me. You might be tempted just to go to work or school and do what you’ve got to do so you can get back home to your safe place.
But Jesus calls us to do more than that. He calls us to walk their streets. He asks us to get to know them, understand them and really see them.
Thousands of people in our communities live in a very dark world, and they might never see the light if you and I seclude ourselves, either physically or emotionally, and connect only with people just like us.
You are the light of the world.
To be honest, that scares me, because it pulls me out of my comfort zone, away from my safe place. But discipleship has never really been about being comfortable, has it?
If we follow Jesus, we’ll go where he goes, and that means we’ll intentionally spend quite a bit of time with messed up people. They’re the ones who really need his light.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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More Grace – audio
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“For we all stumble in many things,” James wrote (James 3:2).
Amen to that. Most Christians I know are quite aware of the myriad ways they fall short.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but James is on a bit of a negative kick. He accuses his Christian readers of lusting, fighting, and coveting. He insinuates that they’re selfish, then – if that wasn’t enough – he calls them adulterers. He doesn’t seem very happy, does he?
I’m glad there’s this next verse, because it brings us back to the place we all need to be: But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Isn’t that beautiful? He gives more grace!
We all stumble in many ways, but he gives more grace. Every day we fall short, but he gives more grace. We struggle and fall and get up and fall again, but he gives more grace.
It reminds me of what Paul wrote in Romans 5:20: “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” All of us need a lot of that grace, don’t we? It’s good that it’s not a finite resource.
But notice the last part of James’ thought: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
One thing will put a barrier between us and God’s grace, and that’s pride.
Pride makes us think that we don’t need God that we’re doing pretty well on our own. Pride trusts in our own righteousness, our own ability to be good, do good, and look good. Pride emphasizes self over God, works over grace, appearance over substance.
So in James’ statement there’s a tremendous promise, but also a warning. God gives more grace to anyone willing to accept it – what an incredible blessing! But he withholds it from the proud – nothing could be worse.
Today, let’s pray something like this:
Father, remove all traces of pride from our hearts and fill us with your humility. Though we’re not worthy, please give us more grace. Never oppose us. Never reject us. Keep us humble and within your will. We ask this through Jesus. Amen.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Pure Minds – audio
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Most of the time my mind is going in a million different directions.
If you ask me something, and I request some time to think about it and get back with you, I’d better write it down immediately. If not, I’ll forget about it within 30 seconds. I don’t know if it’s the inevitable effects of getting older, or just an easily distracted mind. Or maybe some combination of both.
I suspect I’m not alone.
If Satan can’t get us to abandon Christ, he’ll just make us so busy that the Lord is just another thing on our to-do list.
- Bed made? Check.
- Exercise? Check.
- Kids up and dressed? Check (sorta).
- Quick prayer as I run out the door? Check.
And so the day goes.
Whisper a quick prayer before eating lunch at your desk, and an exhausted Thank-you-for-getting-me-through-this-day prayer before sinking into oblivion to prepare to repeat the next day.
To that kind of mind, my mind and yours, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Much of my life I’ve thought that meant that I need to keep my heart clean – keep the garbage and sinful thoughts out – but now I’m not sure that’s exactly right, at least not here.
I think Jesus meant that my heart doesn’t need to get too full – full of distractions, to-do lists, chores, deadlines, stresses.
As one commentator puts it, “The ‘pure in heart’ exhibit a single-minded devotion to God that stems from the internal cleansing created by following Jesus” (Craig Blomberg, p. 100).
A single-minded devotion. That’s what I need. It’s what you need.
Something that’s pure is unmixed, unadulterated. Pure water or pure gold or pure milk has nothing added to it to dilute its value.
Same with us. God wants to fill our hearts with him so that there’s no room for anything else. That doesn’t mean, of course, that we won’t have concerns about work or school or bills. But it does mean that we filter everything in our lives through him.
God doesn’t want just one part of our mind.
He doesn’t want just a little slice of it, but he also doesn’t want the biggest slice. He’s not one of many jostling for a little bit of our time and attention.
He wants it all.
And once he’s got it, all those distractions and worries seem so much smaller.
Once he’s got it, then you and I will see God everywhere we look.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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1 John 01:03-07 True Fellowship – audio
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Text: 1 John 1:3-7
Introduction
True fellowship means:
- Sharing all things
- Having communion with
- Being in partnership
- Having a close mutual relationship
- Jointly participating with
- Contributing to, or even giving to others
In John’s first epistle, he explains how we can have true fellowship with God, Christ, himself, and others (1 John 1:3-7).
Body
I. We have fellowship with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit (1 John 1:3,6).
A. From the beginning, God had something in common with man. He created him in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). Later, Christ (who was God in the flesh, John 1:1-2,14) prayed that we would be one just as He is one with God (John 17:20-26).
B. God has called us into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9). When we partake of the Lord’s Supper each first day of the week (Acts 20:7), we have fellowship with Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). This is just part of being a Christian. Paul truly knew that by being baptized into Christ, we fellowship in His sufferings and death (Philippians 3:10; Romans 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 3:12).
C. When one becomes a Christian, he receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). There is only one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4), and when Christians obey that one gospel, we have fellowship with the Spirit (Philippians 2:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
II. Christians have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:3,7).
A. The fact that we are Christians simply implies that we have fellowship! After all, we are all children of God and are trying to live faithfully unto death (Revelation 2:10).
B. Regardless of background, we can have fellowship in Christ (Romans 1:16; Galatians 2:9; 3:27-28).
C. Those in Macedonia and Achaia are good examples of fellowshipping by helping those who are in need (Romans 15:26-27; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4; 9:13).
D. We have fellowship in spreading the gospel and sharing our faith (Philippians 1:5; Philemon 6; Ephesians 4:5; Jude 3).
E. We are to continue in fellowship (Acts 2:42,44-47; Hebrews 13:16).
III. Just as there are those we can have fellowship with, there are those we cannot fellowship with.
A. We cannot fellowship with demons, or devils (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Paul was speaking in context of serving things rather than God (idolatry).
B. Christians do not fellowship with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 John 1:7; John 1:5; 1 Peter 2:9).
Conclusion
God wants us to be in fellowship with Him, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and all believers. It is a wonderful blessing! On the other hand, we must not fellowship with the world. Who are you in fellowship with?
Content by Richard Dillon
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Does God Care? – audio
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Where is God?
Does he even know what’s going on in my life?
Does he care?
Because he doesn’t speak directly to us, and because we can’t literally see him, It is easy to start thinking he’s not there, or if he is, he’s not particularly interested in the things we’re facing. Especially the bad stuff. Where is he when all that happens?
To those of us who struggle with this – which is probably all of us – Jesus spoke some of the most comforting words anyone has ever said:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29–31
A day’s wage was a denarius, and a penny was 1/16 of a denarius. Since two sparrows were sold for a penny that means one sparrow was worth 1/32 of how much a man would make in a day.
Translation: not much.
Which was Jesus’ point. Sparrows had less value than almost anything in his world, but God noticed even their problems. Adding to the tenderness of the passage, Jesus said that God even knows how many hairs we’ve got on our heads.
In other words, he cares about us. A lot.
Satan tries to get us to think that God is distant, uninterested, uninvolved. But Jesus says that God is infinitely concerned about every struggle, every difficulty, and every hurt.
Sometimes we need to think about God’s love in global terms – “for God so loved the world . . .” – there’s not a spot on the planet that escapes his notice. But we also need to take comfort in the intimate nature of his personal love. He cares about me. And you. And your spouse or kid or mom or dad. Even your grumpy neighbor.
Whenever I see a bird lying on the side of the road, it reminds me of these words from Jesus. God took notice of that little blue jay, wren, or sparrow.
Just think how much he must care about your problems.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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God’s Eternal Purpose – audio
Today is a day (December 25th) that many people wish would last forever. If kids have been good all year, then they just might get that special something they always wanted.
The Preacher recognizes that some things can last forever! Where we will be eternally depends on what we do here and now. The Preacher says, “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15).”
I. What God has done shall last forever.
A. The mercy of God endures forever (Psalm 136).
B. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, abides forever (John 1:1-2,14; 12:34; Hebrews 13:8).
C. His righteousness and salvation will abide forever (Isaiah 51:6).
D. His kingdom will last forever (Daniel 2:44).
E. The Word of God lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23).
II. We cannot add to or take away from what God does.
A. His Word is complete (Revelation 22:18-19; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
B. All of God’s gifts are good and perfect (James 1:17).
III. God requires an account of what is past.
A. Each of us will give account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12).
B. We will give an account to who is ready to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5).
C. We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and will be rewarded for what we have done, whether it be good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).
What we do in this life determines our eternal status: if we are faithful to God, we will forever be with Him in Heaven; if we do not obey the gospel or live faithfully, we will enter into eternal death. God has given us eternal gifts to save our eternal souls; will we accept them?
Content by Richard Dillon
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Words – audio
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As a preacher and as human being, I use a lot of words.
That’s probably part of the reason this passage has puzzled – and scared – me. Maybe it’s bothered you a little as well.
But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned – Matthew 12:36–37
I’m pretty sure I use quite a few “careless” words, probably every day. Don’t you?
Maybe an off-handed remark to your spouse or child, perhaps an off-the-cuff comment to a co-worker. Some of our words are carefully thought out, while many, probably most, aren’t. What does Jesus mean?
Did he intend to imply that our innocent small talk is wrong, like when we’re talking about last night’s rain or next week’s game? I don’t think so. It helps to read what the Lord said just before:
Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things – Matthew 12:33–35
Jesus is saying that our words matter because they reflect our hearts. Good people say good things, while bad hearts produce evil speech.
There’s an important implication here: we learn more about our hearts from what we say without thinking than we do by looking at our carefully rehearsed speech. This means that you’d learn more about who I really am by hearing how I speak to people conversationally than you do by listening to this invitation. I’ve reworked the words on this page several times, but my “careless” words—the ones I use in normal conversation—more likely reflect the real me.
What about you? Are your words too critical? Do they build up or tear down? Are they positive or negative?
Our words matter, but mostly because they say something about our hearts. We don’t really fix our speech by learning to speak more nicely and be more honest. Our speech gets fixed when our hearts grow closer to Jesus.
God cares more about what’s inside us than he does about what comes out of us.
So we need to work on our hearts by spending time with the Lord. Loving him more, praising him more, wanting to please him more.
What Jesus said should cause us to think before we speak, but it should especially cause us to ask him to take control of our hearts. That’s where the words, good or bad, come from.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Obey – audio
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Mark Twain famously quipped, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me; it is the parts that I do understand.”
I’m not sure exactly how he meant that, but in some ways I agree with him. There’s a lot about the Bible I don’t grasp, but I have plenty to do just to work on the parts I get.
Here is one of the parts I do understand: God wants us to do what he says.
You already knew that, of course, but it doesn’t hurt us to be reminded. It’s easy to get lulled into a sense of complacency and forget some of the basics.
James emphasizes this point here, and his in-your-face approach shows how serious he is about making himself clear:
“But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:20-26).
It jumped out at me recently how often God tests people’s faith by telling them to do something that doesn’t make any sense at all.
In Abraham’s case, what God commanded him not only didn’t make sense, but it was also completely contrary to God’s nature. Did Abraham trust him enough to do something sinful? Did he believe in God strongly enough to offer a child sacrifice, a horrible practice he’d turned his back on when he began walking with God? Yes he did. By this point in his life he’d learned just to trust God . . . to do whatever he said.
And that’s a pretty good lesson for all of us – do whatever he says.
It’s not hard to do right when it’s relatively low sacrifice. It’s easy to follow Jesus when the road is smooth. But I think God is interested in something more substantial than that. He wants to know if our faith will lead us to do something more significant than attend church services, smile pretty, and act christianly.
I think he wants to know if we have real faith – genuine, life-changing, God-honoring trust.
He wants us to have the kind of faith that obeys even when what God said does not make sense to us. Even when it’s different from what we want to do. Even when it hurts. James’ major point in this section is that there’s no such thing as a faith that refuses obey. That’s a faith that’s dead, which is not faith at all.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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