Prioritizing

June 28, 2013

Opening Hymns:
277 Tell Me the Stories of Jesus http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh277.sht

Scripture Reading:
Luke 9:51-62 

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them^[b]?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then he and his disciples went to another village.

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Message:
In today’s scripture we see Jesus’ forgiveness towards those who treat Him ill and do not welcome Him. We also are shown how to put God first, and we can see how much of a challenge it truly can be.  These lessons teach me a number of different things. First of all we are to treat everyone with kindness even if they are not kind to us. If they reject our Lord, we are to love them and pray for them rather than condemning them. That is the best way to show that we love Jesus.

Jesus must be a first in our lives, and therefore takes priority over everything else. Loving Jesus is shown through loving others. While it can sometimes be difficult, love and kindness is the path to follow. So, why would Jesus be upset that a man would request to bury his father prior to following Him? The study of scripture reveals that the man wanted to claim his inheritance prior to following Jesus and that it wasn’t about burying his father who had died, but was about waiting for his father to die so he could claim his portion of the money. Greed for money was first on this man’s agenda.

What is your priority today? What are your focuses in life? Is Jesus at the top of the list, or are other things higher up? Take some time to reflect on your life, in what ways can you walk closer to God?

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for loving us even when we fall short of Your call. Help us to follow you always with our whole heart. Let us love others as You have shown love to us. Forgive us when we sin, and help strengthen and guide us so that we may walk in Your ways and follow Your call. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
381 Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh381.sht
 

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God

Forgiveness

June 15^th 2013

Opening Hymns:
513 Soldiers of Christ Arise http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh513.sht

Scripture Reading:
Luke 7:36-8:3

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[a] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

8 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Message:
What does it mean to you to be forgiven? Do we show the same gratitude as the woman who anoints Jesus’ feet? It is no hidden fact that we all make mistakes and sin in our lifetime. This scripture reminds me of the importance of recognizing the sin, feeling truly and deeply sorry for it, and asking and accepting forgiveness.

Because we are all in this state of sin we should recognize that all other people are also children of God. They also may fall into sin. Unlike the Pharisee in this scripture we must not judge them and their sins. We must instead learn to be forgiving as well. In the New Testament Jesus teaches us about how to love one another. He teaches us what a sin is, and shows us true forgiveness of all our sins. Through prayer and study we can learn and grow closer to God so that we may forgive others as we are forgiven.  

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, please forgive us when we sin, help us accept the forgiveness you so kindly have given to all of us. Let us grow closer to you in our actions, thoughts, words, and deeds. Let us be a light to others as You have been a light to us. Let us show them Your love and Your forgiveness that are open to all who call on Your name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
545 The Church’s One Foundation http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh545.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God

Faith and Miracles

June 10, 2013

Opening Hymns:
170 Oh How I Love Jesus http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh170.sht

Scripture Reading:
1 Kings 17:7-24

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

⁷ Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. ⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ⁹ “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” ¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

¹² “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

¹³ Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

¹⁵ She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. ¹⁶ For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

¹⁷ Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. ¹⁸ She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

¹⁹ “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. ²⁰ Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” ²¹ Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

²² The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. ²³ Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

 

Message:
How quickly do we doubt? In today’s scripture a widow has faith in Elijah’s words about the flour and the oil. She is able to make bread for her, her son, and Elijah. How amazingd is it that the flour and oil would never run out. Surly she saw the miracle. Truly she believed that Elijah was a man of God. However, when tragedy strikes and her son is taken from her everything changes. The miracle doesn’t seem as miraculous. For her, what is the point of living when her son has been taken away? Elijah cries out to the Lord and her son is brought back to life. At this point all doubt has faded and the widow declares that he is a man of God.

This scripture is a reminder of how the Lord will provide for His children. There have been so many times in my life when I have doubted, just as the widow had. I’ve never even been faced with anything as hard as she has, but doubt still creeps in. After years of schooling, I am a nurse, I work in a hospital. I have an apartment to come home to. I have enough money for food and clean water… perhaps the doubting can be put aside for the Lord has provided for me.

Look at your own life. How has the Lord provided you with what you need? If you’re reading this I’m guessing that you are alive and are well off enough to afford a device that can connect to the internet. The Lord does provide! And perhaps when doubting is laid aside we can look at the blessings we have been given. We can rejoice that we don’t need to have a jar of flour and a jar of oil that never run out. Sadly, that is not the case for everyone. That is why we must reach out a hand to others. We can be like the jar of flour and of oil. We can be God’s miracle to others. Look at those in your community. Whose life can you touch? Who will you share a miracle with on this day? 

Time of Prayer
Dearest Heavenly Father, let us give to others what You have so graciously given to us. Forgive us when we doubt. Thank You for what You have provided for us in our lives. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
73 Oh Worship the Kings http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh073.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.


Go in Peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God.

Faith and Hope for the Future

June 2, 2013

Opening Hymns:
57 O For  a Thousand Tongues  to Sing http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh057.sht

Scripture Reading:
Luke 7:1-10

Message:
When we’re young we often take pride in making our parents happy. Even as we grow we can enjoy seeing a smile on their face when we get a good grade, graduate, get a job, or win an award. In today’s scripture the Roman centurion makes Jesus happy. He has such faith and meekness that Jesus is said to be “amazed.”

Whenever something amazes Jesus in the gospel it should cause us to pause and think ‘how can we be like that.’ The Roman centurion not only believed that Jesus could heal his servant, but he also believed all Jesus had to do was say the word and the servant would be healed. He didn’t want Jesus to come to his home as he was “not worthy.” How can we have such a faith? One way to have faith and hope for the future is to look upon our past and recognize how many wonders the Lord has done already. Jesus healed the sick and dying, our Heavenly Father worked countless wonders throughout the New and Old Testaments. Truly with God all things are possible.

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, on this day help us to remember how amazing You are. Let us have faith that Your grace that was with us in the past will be with us in the future. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
511 Am I a Solider of the Cross http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh511.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God

Suffering and Hope

May 24, 2013

Opening Hymns:
470 My God I Love Thee http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh470.sht

Scripture Reading:
Romans 5:1-5

 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Message:
“We also glory in our sufferings”… What powerful words, and words that can spark into us a sense of strength and hope when times are hard for us. How often do you take joy in your sufferings? I can honestly say that joy is not the first emotion to come to mind when things are hard. Stress, sadness, and lamentation usually follow when times seem too much to bear… What if we could look at life a little bit different? What if we could feel ourselves growing through each trial in life? Instead of feeling weakened by each challenge we can recognize that each challenge in life is an opportunity for us to grow. We can grow into stronger people with a deeper understanding for those who suffer and a deeper hope for the future. In all things God has created good, even through suffering, good things can be seen.

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, Help us through each challenge that life brings us. Let each challenge shape us into more caring, understanding, loving, and hopeful Children of God. Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
711 For All The Saints http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh711.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God

Pentecost

May 19, 2013

Opening Hymns:

139 Praise to the Lord Thee Almighty http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh139.sht

Scripture Reading:
Ezekiel 37:1-10

37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

² And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

³ And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

⁴ Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

⁵ Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

⁶ And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

⁸ And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Message:
God created heaven and earth. He breathed life into all the creatures of this world. The scripture for today describes another one of God’s wonders. The Lord breathes life into those that have fallen and passed away. They have been dead so long that their bones are dry. The scripture describes this miracle and we can read it with astonishment. 

Today is Pentecost, the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit coming down onto the disciples. Through the Spirit they work many wonders. They speak in tongues so that even foreigners can understand their words. Jesus’ disciples go out into the world teaching the Gospel, healing the sick, and even raising the dead in the name of Jesus. 

Through faith God truly does work wonders, but not all wonders need to be as astonishing as the scripture reading today. The Holy Spirit is acting in each of our lives. You can feel God’s presence with you during prayer and at church. We can feel the love of God during the birth of a child, and His comfort during the death of a loved one. The Holy Spirit is with us here on earth as we go through our daily lives. The Spirit serves as a comfort when we are sad, as a guide when we are lost, and helps us reach a hand to others who need healing. Let us remember the Trinity and the Holy Spirit as we go through this week. Let us feel the comfort that the Spirit offers, and let us each reach out to others and offer the same healing comfort that has been given to us.

Time of Prayer
Dearest Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Spirit to be with us here on earth. Guide us with Your spirit so that we may show Your love to the world. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
57 Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Sing http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh057.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God

Forgiving the Enemy

May 11, 2013

Opening Hymns:
400 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh400.sht

Scripture Reading:
Acts 16:16-34

¹⁶ Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. ¹⁹ But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
²⁰ And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; ²¹ and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” ²² Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³ And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. ²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Message:
The scripture for today brings a smile to my face. Paul and Silas are forgiving and caring to everyone, and do not judge others harshly. In this scripture they are beaten and locked away in a prison cell because Paul sent out a demon from a child. Then the doors are miraculously opened and they do not go out. Their concern is for the keeper of the prison. He is the one that has the freedom keep them locked away or let them go, and yet they wait in the prison for his sake. Because of their compassion and their forgiveness the keeper of the prison believes in Jesus and he and his family are saved.

More than anything this scripture causes me to look at myself and how open I am to others who may have done me wrong. How forgiving are we in those situations? We can learn a lesson on forgiveness from Paul and Silas. Instead of feeling wronged by others we can feel sad for them that they would behave in a way that would hurt others. We can pray for them, and forgive them for their actions, and we can help them by sharing God’s love with them regardless of what they may have done.

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for sharing Your love with us as well as giving us the scriptures to read so that we know how to share Your love with others. Guide us on this day, and help us love others with all our hearts. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
157 Jesus Shall Reign http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh157.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God