What Are We Worrying About?
Luke 12:13-34
Well it has been a few weeks since I have updated my blog. Sometimes I wonder whether people are dialing in a processing some of the thoughts. I guess I just needed to not get it updated for a week. Thanks for your comments this past week as they pertained to the acquisition of things (stuff) in our lives. It has been fantastic to see how God is challenging me and you alike in our lives.
Last Sunday was a tough one. Lots of thoughts to process and a huge challenge to deal with in my life. Is God trustworthy, does He love me, is He absent from the world? Yes, Yes and No! So why do we place such importance on the things we acquire in life? It really seems as though our possessions own us as opposed to being on loan to us from God. So I left us, last Sunday, with the question…”Where will your life be spent?” Is it on things of the Kingdom or is it on the acquisition of things and stuff in our lives. “Are we building bigger barns or are we investing ourselves in Kingdom things?”
Question: Are there areas in our own life where this question may be out of balance? What does Jesus say to you, specifically, about this?
This coming Sunday I thought that it was going to be great to move on – cover some other topic….this was not to be. Jesus continues on this theme, directly confronting His disciples – about worry.
Question: What do you worry about? What do we do if we find ourselves sinking under the weight of worry?
Jesus’ answer is clear, simple and straight to the point. In fact it seems to be almost uncomfortably clear.
Question: What is Jesus’ answer to worry?
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On another note….summer plans and ministries are picking up speed. I will be stopping my regular, weekly blog and simply updating you from time to time throughout summer. I will re-start my weekly blog in September….
Have a great summer!
05/09/2008
Love, Love, Love
What do children think about love?
A recent e-mail claimed to have some honest answers. (Watch out! Parents and older kids could be incriminated.)
John, age 9, says: "Love is like an avalanche where you have to run for your life."
Andrew, age 6: "One of the people has freckles, and so he finds somebody else who has freckles, too."
Mike, age 10: "On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."
Carolyn, age 8: "My mother says to look for a man who is kind. That's what I'll do. I'll find somebody who's kinda tall and handsome."
I remember hearing kids being asked how you know somebody loves you.
One said it's when they hug you. Another voted for when you get a present. A favorite meal. When they actually say "I love you."
So many ways to show that you love someone. Almost an infinite variety.
Aren't you glad that's the way it is?
A great short list would include:
*Holding your hand when you cross the street.
*Believing you when you're telling the truth, and knowing you well enough to have a hunch when you're not.
*Remembering your birthday with just the right card and gift.
*Putting down that fascinating book and really listening to what you want to say.
*Laughing at your jokes, even when they're not very funny.
*If you have to go to the hospital, sitting by your bed so you know you're not going through this thing alone.
In 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Paul prayed for his friends that they'd try to get along together with God's kind of peace as their goal. He prayed they'd always greet each other with a warm embrace and a friendly smile.
And he prayed a triple blessing on them from God: That Jesus would look kindly on them. That God the Father would shower them with love. And that the Holy Spirit would join their hearts together.
Pretty amazing Trinitarian theology there. God loves Jesus, Jesus loves us, and the Spirit spreads that love all around.
How cool is that?
05/02/2008
Teach Us To Pray
Luke 11:1-13
This week we come to the place in Luke’s gospel where Jesus sits down with His disciples, at their request, and teaches them to pray. I am amazed that it took the disciples so long to actually ask Jesus this question.
Question: Why did Jesus wait so long to talk to His disciples about prayer?
As I read these verses a number of things jump out at me. First of all – prayer (as Jesus describes it) is NOT complex. We are called to pray persistently and we are to remember who it is we are praying to. We are to remember what God is like.
Question: In regards to the three ideas listed above, what jumps out at you about these as you work through the text?
Question: Are there misconceptions that you have had regarding prayer/communication with God? Discuss these?
Question: Are there situations in your life, circumstances in your life, where you have had the tendency to give up on God – give up on prayer? What does our text state regarding this?
04/20/2008
Won't You Be My Neighbour?
Luke 10:25-37
Who would you hate to have as a neighbour?
What are some of the barriers that keep us from helping others?
If someone interviewed the people living on either side of your place of residence what do you think they would have to say about you?
Who is God calling you to be a neighbour to?
04/17/2008
Looking Toward Jerusalem
Luke 9:51-62
This week we reach a turning point in Luke’s gospel. The direction turns towards Jerusalem. Up to this point in Jesus’ ministry He, along with His disciples have been visiting various towns and villages…now Jesus turns His face toward Jerusalem and everything in this gospel, in Jesus’ journey becomes about going to Jerusalem. It is almost as though His ministry comes into sharper focus.
Along the way to Jerusalem Jesus and His disciples meet a few individuals who essentially want to “join up” with Jesus. It seems as though Jesus could have three easy recruits, based on their answers and their desires, and yet Jesus issues stern challenges to all three of these men.
Question: Why is Jesus hard on these individuals? Why not simply welcome them into the ministry?
Question: What does this passage in Scripture say to us about discipleship…about following Jesus?
These men had some reservations about following Jesus….
Question: What were these people’s reservations and what are some of our reservations about following Jesus. Are there similarities between the 1st century disciple wanna be’s and us?
I mentioned that Jesus was heading resolutely towards Jerusalem. This is a very important shift in His ministry.
Question: What does Jerusalem signify to Jesus?
04/10/2008
Glory!
Luke 9:28-36
What an amazing story! When I read this passage of Scripture I am, again, blown away with how awesome our God is. Our culture, especially within Christendom, has the tendency to reduce God into a neat little box – we make Him completely understandable and almost reduce Him to a simple addition to our daily life. An then comes the story of the transfiguration….God revealing Himself in power, majesty, splendor and GLORY!
“Glory (weight or importance): That which makes God impressive – a visible manifestation of God.”
Question: Are there instances in your own life circumstances where you have experienced the glory of God? Are there instances in our world where you believe this has occurred?
Again I find it interesting that when Jesus appears, along with Elijah and Moses, Peter wants to immediately get busy. (vs 33) God shows up and Peter wants to put up structures to box in the glory of God.
Question: When God’s glory is manifested in your life what is your response? What is the churches typical response to the manifestation of God’s glory?
04/03/2008
Who Do You Say I Am?
Luke 9:18-27
We head back, this week, to where we left off in Luke’s gospel prior to the Easter season. This is a really interesting and, somewhat telling, passage of Scripture. Jesus challenges the disciples by asking them the question, “Who do you say that I am?” It is a really personal question – one that has the ability to stop us in our tracks.
Question: Assume that this week, at work, someone who you work with came up to you and directly asked the question, “Who is Jesus?” How would you respond? Would your answer be deeper than simply a theory answer?
I love Peter’s answer to this question. It is straight to the point – no beating around the bush. “You are the Christ of God.” His confession is so very clear, although I do not believe he understood the totality of his statement.
Jesus then states His confession of what His messiahship would look like.
Question: Talk about what Jesus’ messiahship would look like.
Jesus then moves to a very powerful invitation. He talks about what it means to follow Him.
Question: What does it mean to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Jesus?
Question: Does this statement apply to your life – does it apply to our society in general?
03/20/2008
Easter Is For Doubters
John 20:19-31
The disciple Thomas missed all the action that first Easter Sunday.
At dinner, after all the day's excitement, Jesus' disciples were in a locked room, hidden away for their lives. Who wouldn't be?
I mean, all they had to go on was an empty tomb and the word of what they thought were some hysterical women. How could they be sure Jesus was really alive again? Life doesn't work that way!
Seeing what the authorities had done to Jesus, they probably figured that more crosses could be found -- for each of them to hang on. So there they cowered, waiting to see what would happen next.
And then – it happened! -- right there with them stood Jesus. Complete with nail holes in his hands and a spear wound in his side.
What a celebration they must have had. Then he was gone again.
Next thing you know, Thomas gave the secret knock on the door. When he heard what had happened, he said, "No way! I won't believe it until I can see for myself and even stick my fingers in his wounds."
Talk about being a realist. This guy was no pushover for pie in the sky religion.
I wonder where Thomas had disappeared to. What did he find to do, and where, and why?
Well, what do you do when your life takes a hard hit by surprise?
Some people crawl into bed and try to sleep their troubles away. Some go shopping. Or fishing. They do something familiar, comfortable, and safe. So maybe Thomas got in his pickup truck and made a run to the recyclers. Whatever it was, he bought some time.
And his time came the next Sunday night.
They all were huddled in that upper room again, Thomas with them this time. And sure enough, Jesus showed up like before. An encore performance for Thomas' sake.
"Go ahead, feel my wounds," he said. Instead, Thomas fell to his knees and worshiped his risen Lord. Seeing was believing. No touching required.
I'm so glad this story got into the Bible.
Because I have my moments when I'm not so sure how to compute a new idea or experience into my understanding of God's way with the world. Maybe you do too. If so, we're in the best of company.
Notice what Thomas did with his doubts. Unlike many of us, he refused to retreat. He wasn't interested in protecting himself from possible criticism, correction, or exclusion. Instead, he took his questions to church.
And that's where he got the answers he needed to know. He was welcomed not just by the other disciples, but by the living Christ as well.
Frederick Buechner says that doubts are not the opposite of faith, or its enemies, but its "ants in the pants.... They keep it awake and moving." (Wishful Thinking)
03/12/2008
Which Voice Will Prevail?
Luke 19:28-40, 23:13-23
This coming Sunday (Palm or Passion Sunday) is the beginning of a fairly uneasy week. It is a week which seems to run through the entire gamut of emotions. We see these emotions played out in these two Scripture passages. Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem on a donkey with people shouting loud “Hosannas” and then a short time later He stands on trial before the Roman and Jewish authorities. Talk about a complete turn around…
We see this very interesting interplay between Jesus and Barabbas. The fact is that the Jewish people were looking for freedom from their Roman oppressors and Barabbas seemed to provide that. He came with force and with physical power to lead an uprising against the Romans whereas Jesus came with a completely different kind of power and with different kinds of weapons.
QUESTION: What were some of the differences (in the minds of the Jewish people) between Jesus and Barabbas?
Truly believing that Jesus could change things was a big “leap” for the Jewish people. It was easier to put their trust in a guy like Barabbas because he dealt in a language and style that they understood.
QUESTION: What kind of “weapons” did Jesus have at His disposal? Utilizing these weapons, how can we effect change in our world?
This passage of Scripture also deals with “who” is responsible for the death of Jesus. So often we want to place the blame on the Jewish people themselves…
QUESTION: Discuss some of the many passages we have looked at in Luke and talk about who is deemed responsible for Jesus’ death.
03/05/2008
Following From A Distance
Luke 22:54-62
It is hard to believe that Easter is just around the corner. We are picking up our journey through Luke’s gospel again this week. We are going to be looking closely at Peter’s response to being accused of being with Jesus. Jesus is about to be put on trial by the religious subculture of the day and Peter, too, is being put on trial as well. Remember – Peter (just 20 verses previous) was ready to go to death with Jesus. Now, sitting around the fire, he is denying even knowing Him. Peter seems to take the easy way out, multiple times…
Question: Are there times that we, as Christ followers, play it safe? What are some ways that we do this?
Peter, after the second accusation, seems to want to distance himself from the other disciples, the Jesus followers….(”You are one of them. No I am not!”) Many times we choose to distance ourselves from the church and other Christians.
Question: Why is that? What are some ways that we disassociate with the church or other Christians?
At the very end of this passage, Peter denies Jesus for the final time. Scripture states that Jesus turned and looked at Peter.
Question: What is the significance of this statement?
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