Little Daily Chapel

27.2.13

Good News

February 27, 2013

Opening Hymns:
700 Abide With Me http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh700.sht

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 63: 1-4

¹O God, you are my God, I seek you,
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
²So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
³Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
⁴So I will bless you as long as I live;
    I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

Message:
The nightly news.. Do you watch it? I don’t. “Why not?” You might ask… well, it makes me feel tired overwhelmed and sad. Depending on how many distressing stories they fit in I can find myself becoming more worried about my safety and the safety of others. Sometimes it can be so tragic seeing all the sad things that are taking place in the world. It reminds me that there are sorrows in the world beyond what I readily see. Sometimes the news is stressful enough to bring me to a “desert place”

God offers us peace and hope when we reach that state of mind. Whether we are brought there by seeing the misery of others or by experiencing tragedy ourselves. God is with us through every sorrow and every tragedy. His strength and guidance can help us feel joy again. Like the psalmist we too can lift up our hands and praise the Lord for His mercy.

Time of Prayer
Lord thank you for bringing joy in our lives when there was once despair. Be with those who are going through their own tragedies across the world. Guide them through each one, and protect them when they are afraid. Help us all to remember that Your loving hand is with us every step of the way. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
732 Come, We that Love the Lord http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh732.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

Change

February 26, 2013

Opening Hymns:
463 Lord, Speak to Me http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh463.sht

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 55:4-9

4See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander of the peoples.
⁵Surely you will summon nations you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”

⁶Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
⁷Let 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.

⁸“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Message:
The scripture for today calls on us to change. It is beautifully written, because God is not scolding, rather, He is welcoming us to change our ways as He grants us forgiveness. We can see God in many different ways. Almighty, powerful, loving, forgiving, father, and mother. God calls us to have a close relationship with Him. He wants us to seek Him, follow Him, and talk to Him. At the same time we must not forget His majesty and His greatness. He is pure, faultless, all knowledgeable, and all forgiving. Truly, “As the heavens are higher than the earth,” so are God’s ways higher than ours.

Belief in God can be what gets a drug addict to become drug free, a drunk to put down the bottle. It can change lives. When our lives change in that way our character can become something others desire. People may be inspired by the change and recognize how God can work in their lives. Living in a close relationship with God, and walking in his ways will give us “splendor” He will truly show us how magnificent things can be when they are offered to us for free. The best thing about repenting is the ability to have a closer relationship with our loving God… it is a way to show Him how much we love Him and that we are thankful for His gift of life and forgiveness.

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for freely giving us forgiveness. Thank you for the power you have to transform our lives. Give us the strength to change and to accept Your forgiveness. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

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

25.2.13

The Best Things in Life are Free

February 25, 2013

Opening Hymns:
472 Near to the Heart of God http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh472.sht

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 55:1-3

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
²Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
³Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
    my faithful love promised to David.

Message:
Everywhere you look it seems like someone is trying to sell you something. Between ads on TV, in the newspaper, magazines, billboards, radio, and on the internet we all get our fair share of advertisements. I’m sure that someone somewhere has a statistic saying how many ads a person sees each day on average. I’m also sure that, that number is high. Ads are a way for people to sell their product and make money. However, sometimes these ads can cause us to lose focus on what is really important. Sometimes we start to believe that money can buy happiness. When you hear it enough times a day it can start to sound true.

“The best things in life are free” we’ve all heard this phrase, and a lot of people would agree with it as well. My relationship with God, family, and friends does not cost a cent, but I hold that high above everything else in my life. Rainbows, sunsets, the stars, and all the other beauties of nature can be breathtaking, but God does not require a fee in order for us to view these wonders. Why is it that we allow this consumer driven society to lead us to believe that money and possessions can solve all our problems?

Today’s scripture helps us refocus our attention on what is important, God. He is more important than water, wine, milk, and bread. He is far greater than an easy to store garden hose that becomes small and light when you turn the water off. He is the one we should listen to and seek comfort from. Material possessions will pass away, but God’s love always endures. The comfort that He offers is always present. It does not spoil or sour. There may be a price on the food you eat tonight, but there is no price on the bread of life that was given to each and every one of us through Jesus Christ. Truly, “the best things in life are free.”

Time of Prayer
Dear heavenly father, as we go throughout our week help us recognize the beauty of the world that is priceless. Thank you for Your presence and for a love that is more fulfilling than bread. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
377 It is Well With My Soul http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh377.sht

Setting a Good Example

February 25, 2013
Opening Hymns:528 Nearer, My God, to Thee http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh528.sht
Scripture Reading:
Philippians 3:17-4:1
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

Message:
Paul is rather bold when he states “join together in following my example.” It almost seems rather arrogant. In all honesty, it had been bothering me a bit. Isn’t it Jesus that we are supposed to be following? Isn’t it He the ultimate example of who we all should yearn to be?

I think that Paul did not make that statement to be arrogant, but rather, to make us think. Are we living a life that we want others to emulate? Are we being good examples, and if not, in what ways and why? Not only do others affect us, but we also affect and have an impact on others. Paul’s words can lead us to examine ourselves. It allows us to recognize the importance of setting a good example for others while focusing on those who set a good example for us.

Paul’s statement is a way for him to recognize that he is being a leader and setting an example for others. He is not only recognizing that, but also warning against those who would lead others astray. This can also serve as a reminder to him and to us how important it is that we don’t lead others away from God.

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, help us live a life as You would have us live it. Let us be a good example to those around us. When we fall short let us recognize it and change our ways so that we can more closely follow Your will. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
480 Oh Love that Wilt not Let Me Go http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh480.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

23.2.13

What Kind of Accent Do You Have?

February 23, 2013

Opening Hymns:
452 My Faith Looks Up to Thee http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh452.sht

Scripture Reading:
Philippians 3:17-4:1
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

Message:
What makes us who we are? What leads us to make decisions, and what causes us to act as we act? Is it current external stimuli, the genes we were born with, or how we were raised? I’m sure that each one plays a part in effecting the way we think and the actions that we make. While I’m sure that science won’t be able to quantify specifically how much each one has an impact on us, I can say with confidence that the external stimuli that we choose to take in has an impact on who we are.

I’m strongly affected by external stimuli. When I hear a sad song I often feel sad, and if I watch a movie I feel happy, sad, frightened, or angry depending on the type of movie that I’ve seen. One time I was watching a television show so much that I started to take on the facial expressions of the main character. After living up in North Dakota for so many years I’ve noticed that my accent has also changed. The people around us can affect how we feel, the way we talk… and they can even have an impact on our spiritual lives, the choices we make, and the way we live.

In the scripture lesson for today we are told to follow good examples. This makes a lot of sense to me. If we focus on the people who are following Christ well, we too are apt to follow their lead. At the same time we need to be strong and do our best to live Christly lives. That way others can follow suit. It is contagious! However, Paul warns against people who “live as enemies of the cross of Christ.”

This is where it can seem tricky. We want to love and accept everyone regardless of their sins… but we don’t want to become more like people who are living in sin. So how do we share God’s love to others without taking on an “accent” of sin? We follow Paul’s suggestion. Keep our focus on those who are leading a good example. If we read books and spend time with people that reflect God’s light then we will have a stronger Christly “accent.” If our focus is on Godly things then we won’t be easily swayed by others who might not live the way Christ would have us live. If our focus is in the right place then our “accent” won’t be swayed as we share God’s love with others.

Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for leading by example. Thank you for the bible which teaches us how to be like You. Transform us by Your love, and help us focus on You so that we take on Your “accent”. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
127 Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh127.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