a blog by Christ follower Wesley Fryer @pocketshare @wfryer
These are some visual notes I took about forgiveness at church today during our sermon (by Mateen Elass) and Sunday School lesson, which was a video by Jim Cymbala.
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I found this verse reading notes from others in the YouVersion iPhone Bible this morning:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
This verse explains one reason we are called and blessed by God is to praise Him. This is one reason why worship is so important for us every week and even every day.
We are called to follow the example of Jesus, who not only took time to praise God but also to seek God alone as well as with others regularly. Jesus also made time to serve others regularly, and explained to his disciples that service is at the heart of following him and God.
Sometimes when we hear the phrase “chosen people” I think we may overlook or ignore the purposes for which God calls us. God does not call us to simply live in our homes and closed communities and remain separated from the troubles and challenges of the world. God calls us to praise and worship him, and go forth serving him by becoming his hands and feet!
This verse also speaks to how we are called to be witnesses for Christ. We declare our praise for God as we share with others the ways he has and continues to work in our lives.
A powerful message from Pastor Robert Morris on the value and power of words.
Here are some verses and key messages from this sermon.
From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
and
And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.â€
Speak life into your family. The words we speak shape ourselves and shape our family members into the creations we and they become.
7 divine words for healing every relationship: “I was wrong, will you forgive me?”
I’m east of Sherman, Texas, this week, and I started my day watching this incredible, multi-lingual rendition of “Revelation Song.” Praise God!
The image below includes visual notes I took on Sunday in the “Pathfinders Sunday School” class at our church. We watched and discussed several videos by Jim Cymbala about the power of prayer and God’s Holy Spirit.
The world is constantly encouraging us to focus on the wrong things. Whether it is money, sex, power, or something else, the world (in large part now through advertisements which bombard and surround us on multiple screens) tells us to look at the wrong things. Jesus, however, calls us to focus on God, the Holy Spirit, and holy things which are set apart from the world. In Romans we read from Paul:
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. (Romans 8:5, 6 NLT)
This day I will invite God’s Holy Spirit to control my mind, especially whenever I am tempted to focus on the values of the world.
I love these verses. I have shared a reference to these words many times in presentations in reference to student work, which we should share and celebrate rather than hide / keep private.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)
The commandments of Jesus are not difficult to understand, but they can be very challenging to follow. One of the most basic commands Jesus gives us all is to tell others how God has provided for us and saved us from perils. In the Gospel of Mark we hear this after Jesus heals the man of Legion (many demons):
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.†So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. (Mark 5:18-20 NLT)
God saved me from death when I was in pilot training, but I was loth to tell this story to others because of my own shame and embarrassment at not achieving what was MY goal in life, becoming a pilot and a career Air Force officer. God’s providential act became a story I largely kept to myself and hid away, instead of something I joyfully shared with others.
I have lived many years of my life in a secular stupor. Even though I professed faith in God with my lips, in my heart I ignored the reality of His Holy Spirit and His Holy Son. I want to live my life with my eyes and my heart wide open to God and His Word. I do not want to hide away the stories of how God has acted to save me for His own purposes.
I see in my own family and the lives of our children the tremendous blessings which God has poured out. These are not things we deserve or have earned. These blessings are from God’s grace, and we are called to respond to Him by living our lives for Him.
Praise God for the lost souls like mine which He has saved from the darkness! Praise Jesus that He still works miracles today, claiming His sheep and bringing them safely into His sheepfold for protection.
These words from the apostle Peter resonate with me deeply this morning:
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. (1 Peter 4:8-11 NLT)
There is ancient power in the act of breaking bread together. I sincerely believe we are called to show hospitality to others in many ways, including invitations we give to others to eat in our homes, with our families. The experience of dining with another family is something that is not easily forgotten, and the relationships which deepen as a result can serve God in many ways. The basis of learning is experience, and when we get together, we experience life together in an intimate way.
The message that we should use the gifts we have received to serve others and to serve God also resonates with me. It is both empowering and intimidating to be challenged to speak as if speaking the very words of God. What a responsibility this is! But also, what an opportunity it is to show others the love of Christ not only through the words we speak but perhaps even more clearly, in the actions of service which we do together for the glory of God.
Let them know we are Christians by our love. Praise God for this wonderful day and the gifts which He will unwrap for all of us in it, as we are called together according to his purpose.
Our Pastor referenced this passage from Exodus this morning:
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.†(Exodus 34:7 NLT)
It is worth considering if this changed in the new covenant which God established with the people of the earth, through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Some people at that time mistakenly believed all people who were blind were born or made that way because of the sins of their parents. Jesus corrects them as documented in the Gospel of John:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,†his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?†“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,†Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.†(John 9:1-5 NLT)
Sins of parents and grandparents DO affect both current and future generations. We are such consumers, we buy a cool kids electric cars here and there, and then wonder why they have no sense of value or worth. Sin has a powerful and negative affect on all it touches, but the power of sin is broken when we confess to God and ask for His forgiveness through Jesus.
Sin does not always account for disabilities or suffering, however. We shouldn’t assume to know the reasons for these things. Through all circumstances and conditions, God works for good through His people who are called according to His purpose. Rather than focusing on trying to understand the source or cause of suffering (which we may never understand fully in this life) we should focus on the purpose with which God has called us to act in the midst of suffering.