By Dave Urbanski.

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During our final Sunday studying Paul’s letter to the Philippians, Pastor Scott focused on the “Secret of Contentment” as we examined verses 11, 12, 13, and 19 in chapter four.

Here are those verses: “11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. …19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

A consistent theme in Pastor Scott’s message was that desires can create damaging mirages in our lives, minds, and hearts — false beliefs that once our desires are met, satisfaction will finally arrive for good. But even when we meet a goal, make that purchase, marry that spouse, get that promotion, satisfaction rarely lasts. We almost always want more, and our desires resume. And then desires can turn into expectations … which can become demands … which then can lead to anger and conflict. So how do we avoid such a dangerous, vicious cycle?

First, Pastor Scott showed the relationship between having a need and being content, which actually hearkens back to an “anything/everything” concept from a recent study of ours where Paul in Philippians 4:6 speaks to not being anxious about “anything” but in “everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And that idea is repeated in verses 11 and 12 as Paul notes “…in whatever situation I am to be content” and “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”

In other words, we are to practice being content in ALL parts of our lives. But this isn’t easy, is it? Instead we want control, we want things to break in our favor — and sometimes we even want revenge. We want what we want when we want it, and we hang on so tight to that. If we look at our hearts as a room, Pastor Scott said one side is encompassed by the desires of our hearts, and they can be dangerous. In fact, they’re so powerful at times they can take over the entire room! Therefore we need to curb our desires and practice placing boundaries over them and in front of them.

Which bring us to learning the virtue of being content, which Pastor Scott said is like learning a skill. That’s right! We weren’t born with this ability. We have to master it. And how? Practice! (And God is happy to help if you let him.) In truth, contentment is a CHOICE to experience joy right now, today, as opposed when our next desire is satisfied. And even more, it’s a skill to be practiced in all kinds of conditions — low or high emotionally, thin or flush financially, healthy or not physically.

That brings us to a key point: Paul uses “hunger” as an example of a state in which we must learn to be content. Most of us in America don’t know what real hunger is, but when we’re faced with it, working through hunger can be very difficult. But Paul’s message here is that it IS possible to learn to be content while hungry — or when battling any physical affliction. Pastor Scott noted that the solution lies with something other than a sandwich or a salad. The answer, in fact, is spiritual! He shared that discontent while hungry is a signal that we probably need to evaluate our character. That’s why the practice of fasting can be so beneficial, he added. Because when we specifically say “no” to food for a period of time (“No, you don’t control me.”) we’re saying “yes” to God. Again, it’s a practice, a skill, an intentional choice to open up our hearts and souls to the Lord and grow deeper spiritually.

Verse 13 ties in with this theme, as it describes us doing “all things” by the power that Jesus  gives us. Indeed, we’re dependent on the Lord, and we’re out of our depth without him. But through him, we actually can do things that are outside of our own abilities. However, Pastor Scott reminded us to keep this idea in context, as it’s also about contentment. Verse 19 sums it up by repeating the truth that God will “supply” us with everything we need — but not according to the world’s values or standards … instead according to his “riches in glory,” which no eye can measure.

For me, the best part of Pastor Scott’s message was the end when he reminded us that amid the struggle between needs, desires, and contentment, the Lord wants to give us freedom. He gives us all free will to accept him or reject him, and when we become Christians, the Lord gives us freedom from the weight and consequences of sin. No more guilt. We are free finally to live as we were meant to live. But more than that was Pastor Scott’s reminder that this freedom also means we don’t have to hold on to resentment or anger — gripping them tightly as actual NEEDS and stewing inside those self-made prisons, those self-afflicted cages. Truth is, if we struggle in this area and are still sitting in those jail cells, Jesus already has unlocked and opened the door. So what are we waiting for? We can forgive others, walk out of our cage, and let others go free, too. We’re free to be content in his forgiveness and can finally release those destructive desires to him. 

This promise, this gift … is for all of us … today … now. Therefore let us release our ungodly desires so we can make all the room in the world for desiring God … and finally rest in contentment with the freedom he so abundantly offers us. 

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In our study Sunday of Philippians 3:1-6, we learned about “joy stealers.” It’s a concept to which all of us can relate, since life is frequently full of circumstances that conspire to bring us down emotionally.

Of course there are relatively little things that happen, such as a messed-up order at a drive-thru that you don’t discover until you’re halfway home — and now you have to decide if you’re going back as you navigate terrible traffic.

But there are big things, too, such as the loss of your job, the loss of your health, a broken relationship, or the death of a loved one.

Pastor Scott shared that as we battle day to day with three main negative emotions — anger, sadness, and anxiety — they all have their positive counterparts on continuums. The opposite of anger is love, for example. The opposite of sadness is joy. And the opposite of anxiety is peace. And for us the key to managing those negative emotions is by putting the positive ones into practice.

When Paul composed this letter to the church he founded in Philippi, he was in house arrest in Rome. But Paul told his brothers and sisters in Christ that he was experiencing joy despite his imprisonment. Paul’s love for his church was stronger than any anger in him; his  peace in Christ overcame his anxiety as a prisoner who could die at any moment; and his joy in the Lord was more powerful than sadness over his circumstances.

Two things Pastor Scott noted especially stuck out: First that the act of rejoicing in the Lord is a COMMAND. “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.” (v. 1) The act of rejoicing is not necessarily a response to good things happening around us. It certainly wasn’t for Paul! Instead it’s a testimony to the fact that we can look a negative circumstance right in the eye and rejoice in the Lord despite it. And it means that joy is not grounded in circumstances but in God himself. As Pastor Scott noted, God’s character and providence levels out our sense of well being. And the second thing he said that stuck out was that the act of rejoicing TAKES PRACTICE. In the same way we must practice the act of loving God and loving others and practice the act of seeking peace in our lives, we also must practice the act of rejoicing in all circumstances.

Another interesting point Pastor Scott shared was from the second sentence in verse 1: “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” The Greek word for “safe” is taken from the word for “asphalt,” which implies sturdiness and confidence. Very much like the image of guardrails you might see at a bowling alley that prevent the ball from rolling into the gutters. In other words, when you put rejoicing into practice, you hit the pins EVERY TIME you roll the ball — and there’s no way you’ll be left in life’s gutter.

In the remaining verses, Paul tells his fellow believers that they must put no confidence in the flesh, and he declares that belief in Christ — and not in things such as circumcision — is the key to salvation. Nothing else will last except Jesus, and we must put our trust in him instead.

Therefore let us move forward this week in joy despite our circumstances and confidence in our future based on who Christ is, and not on what we do.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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Did you grow up amid a “family business”?

When you think about it, most small businesses (and even big businesses) have their foundations in family. When one person starts a business and has a family, often sons and daughters and other relatives get involved and work for the family business. And it’s no surprise why: The owner of a family business can count on employees who are relatives to be particularly loyal, hard working, and in possession of a bigger vision than run-of-the-mill employees.

That’s because when you’re in the family — and the family business does well — you and every other family member benefits.

It was much the same for Jesus on earth. Growing up the son of a carpenter, Jesus most definitely learned his family’s business and helped his earthly father, Joseph, to succeed for the benefit of his earthly parents and siblings. But Jesus also was about the business of another family — the family of his Heavenly Father — which was about the spread of the gospel that would become the salvation of the world.

And just as it was for Jesus being about his father’s business, we believers in Jesus also must be about our savior’s business while we walk this planet. Some of us are students, others are employees, and still others are in charge of family businesses. But those statuses are secondary to our true vocation: Workers in our eternal family’s business established by Jesus Christ.

Pastor Scott offered us a great tip in this regard from John 5 after Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and was then accused of wrongdoing. Jesus’ response? “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” In other words, if we put our efforts into what we can see God already doing, we will have success. Indeed, that’s part of where the excitement of the Christian life dwells.

And what kind of workers are we in God’s “family business”? Well, Pastor Scott defined our vocations as “distributors of the gospel” — the Good News. We don’t “convert” anybody. We have no power to make anyone believe Jesus is the Son of God. No, all that power belongs to the Lord alone. All we have to do is plant the seeds of the gospel so that those who ARE ready to receive the words of life can do so and believe.

But have you noticed that despite our very limited responsibility here, being a “distributor” of the gospel is far from an easy task! Sharing the gospel with others can be HARD! Personal sin and needing an eternal savior is not something most folks are ready to hear — or want to hear. Evangelism is not viewed by non-Christians as a good thing. Christians who spread the word of Christ often are viewed as “holier than thou,” “close minded,” “judgmental,” and even “hateful” — hateful that we believe the words of Jesus, who made it clear that he is the only way to heaven. No other belief, no matter how sincere, will cut it. (Not the basis for winning popularity contests, is it?)

So while God is ultimately the one who changes folks’ hearts, the Lord wants to bring us along in partnership and speak his words to others so that they might believe. And no, it’s not an easy job — but man, what an exciting and adventurous job it can be! Think about it: Carve out some free time in your day and then ask God to lead you to others he wants to hear the gospel — and watch what happens. I know from personal experience that such a prayer is the world championship winner of affirmative answers from the Lord. And where will that lead you some random afternoon? Only the Lord knows! Perhaps it will end in conversations that never get off the ground because folks you meet aren’t interested in Jesus — but maybe you run into one person who is ready. And wow — such an encounter will be life changing, not only for the hearer, but also for you. That’s part of what an adventurous Christian life can be!

We know from last week’s opening study of Philippians that it was like that for Paul in his evangelistic efforts. Every encounter for him — Lydia, the jailor — was an opportunity to spread the gospel. 

And this past Sunday, we saw a bit more of Paul’s heart in verses 3 to 6: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Here we see three attitudes that make our family business more effective: Thankfulness, joyfulness, and confidence.

Paul in this passage talks about remembering — and Pastor Scott reminded us that our memories may not so pleasant and create problems for us in the here and now. They can make us angry, sad, and anxious depending on what kinds of negative things we’ve gone through. But Paul had what Pastor Scott called a “selective memory.” Paul certainly had some painful memories of his own to deal with, but still he made a decision to thank God amid his memories. Thankfulness and gratitude, as we’ve been learning, are key processes on the way toward spiritual health. Paul CHOSE to remember thankfulness and gratitude; and only the Lord knows how many things we could name on a gratitude list if we placed pen to paper. (Speaking of — what’s stopping you from making that list right now?)

Paul follows that with the second crucial attitude: Joyfulness. As we were reminded of last week, joy is much deeper than happiness because joy can happen no matter how difficult our present circumstances are. Let us, therefore, focus on joy as we express our gratitude for how much the Lord has given us.
Third up is confidence. There’s nothing wrong with having confidence in yourself — but watch out! If you become too “successful” in the process, you might begin to think, “What’s the point of God when I can do it all on my own?” And of course, none of us can go through life that way. Instead we must learn the humility of getting out of the way and letting Christ’s light shine. But Paul was confident solely in the Lord: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Such an attitude produces hope — the idea that none of us are “done” while living on earth. Yet God knows all of this is working within us and will give us opportunities to grow.

Pastor Scott also pointed out the “God factor” in each of the three attitudes (thankfulness, joyfulness, confidence). Each is based in what the Lord can do through us. So if you’re discouraged today about anything falling under this umbrella (finances, work, etc.) then we must always come back to the idea that each of us is in possession of a partnership in the gospel with the Lord. And then when we get together as a church body — watch out! When we’re actually being the church, great things can happen. The kind of genuine “real church” stuff that leads to growth and service and actually being the people of God.

Who doesn’t know Ephesians 2:10? “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” That potential block of free time you can spend spreading the gospel. How great is it that the Lord already knows about “your idea” and is setting up every encounter for you in advance! 

Indeed, God is at work — and all we must do as workers in his “family business” is follow his lead.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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We have come to the end of our study of Genesis. And chapter 50 may offer us the most robust set of truths we can apply to our lives that we’ve seen thus far in the first book of the Bible.

Pastor Scott kicked things off by noting that we all have the potential for allowing past negative experiences to rob us of a vital, joyful present. We typically react to such negative experiences by building a figurative wall around ourselves to protect us from future harm — it’s our safe zone. And even the idea of venturing outside or past that wall can result in anxiety — so we tend to stay put. But while we may avoid pain as a result, we also risk missing out of wonderful experiences and emotional, mental, and spiritual growth.

And that’s exactly what Joseph’s brothers were experiencing after their father Jacob died:

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So, they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus, he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

The regret of Joseph’s brothers, and Joseph’s loving and forgiving reaction to them is the foundation for a number of principles we can adopt when we find ourselves in similar situations — whether those situations are similar to what Joseph’s brothers were experiencing or similar to what Joseph was experiencing.

#1 — Admit there might be a problem by taking responsibility and not blaming others.

#2 — If possible, go directly to the person or persons you’ve wronged and ask forgiveness.

#3 — Extend compassion to those who ask your forgiveness. Pastor Scott made an important connection between Joseph’s compassion and the compassion that Jesus shows throughout the Gospels — particularly Christ’s message to his disciples after his resurrection that he would send “the comforter” after his ascension into heaven (i.e., the Holy Spirit). How amazing that God’s intention for the Holy Spirit is to be a comforter for us! We certainly need that in our lives, don’t we?

#4 — In verse 18, Joseph’s brothers fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Pastor Scott offered us a valuable insight, saying that when we don’t deal with fears in our lives, they become our masters — our bosses. Instead, let us obey Jesus who over and over commands us to “fear not.” We may sometimes respond that we cannot help the emotion of fear, but so often it comes down a choice on our part — and we must ask the Lord to help us move into our fears and choose to deal with them. And he will!

#5 — In the same way that Joseph tells his brothers, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?” we must acknowledge that whatever is causing us to fear in our lives cannot take the place of the Lord. However, over time it very well may control us to the point that’s a kind of god — a kind of idol — that we’re bowing down to. This may be Pastor Scott’s most hard-hitting and important warning for us. For when we see that our fears and anxieties are taking over and controlling what we do on a day-to-day basis, we know they have become “first” in our lives when God should be first in our lives. Let us ask the Lord to get rid of such idols and invite him back to the center of our hearts!

#6 — In verse 20, Joseph told his brothers to not be troubled even though they meant evil toward him many years ago, because the Lord was (and still is) in control — and turned it into something good. Pastor Scott reminded us that “The God Factor” is always our “ticket out” of regret, anxiety, bitterness, and hatred. He’s always on the throne of our lives, working through our decisions, both good and bad, and turning them into goodness in our lives.

#7 — Pastor Scott drew from verse 21 to give us our seventh and final principal: Joseph told his brothers, “So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And then he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Indeed, the three points of action in this verse will keep us going in times of trouble: There’s nothing to fear since God is for us; God will provide for us, and the Lord will bring comfort to our hearts! Let us not be trapped by our pasts and instead move forward — and out of our comfort zones and into the adventurous, joyful lives God has for us

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Written by Dave Urbanski

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As we continue looking at the life of Joseph, we find him dealing with the consequences of the famine that has swept over the land. The people were desperate. No food means no life. Pastor Scott made a keen connection to the fact that today we’re living through our own kind of famine — a spiritual famine. Thing is, there’s no lack of abundance in terms of the availability of God’s word, the Bible. Anyone can quickly access it, read if they want to … but fewer and fewer people are reading it as time goes by. 

And here’s some news that may (or may not) be a shocker: A recent study found that about 60% of people between the ages of 18 and 39 who consider themselves born-again Christians don’t believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. That’s scary. And that’s indicative of a culture that has been drawing in and negatively influencing the younger generations to the point where they’re tossing aside very basic, very standard Christian theology for beliefs that may feel good and are acceptable to the culture at-large, but ultimately are false.

Indeed, many of us — in the church even — are spiritually malnourished. How much emphasis are we placing on short-term cures that leave God out but ultimately leave us unsatisfied and unhealthy? Are we dining at a spiritual McDonald’s instead of “eating right” with the Lord’s commands in Scripture?
Another very crucial part of the famine story in Genesis 47 is the fact that the desperate Egyptians are giving everything they had to Joseph in exchange for food … their money, their livestock, their land, and even their lives. They became servants to Pharaoh so they could live another day. 

Interesting, isn’t it? When you’re hungry and thirsty and on death’s door, you’ll exchange ANYTHING in order to live. It ought to be the same way with regard to our relationships with Jesus. He wants EVERYTHING from us. Our time, our finances, our careers, our priorities. Everything. But more often than not, we put off giving Jesus everything in our lives because we’re not under the kind of stress one feels at the point of starvation! So we put it off. “I’ll be more committed to the Lord tomorrow,” we tell ourselves. 

But Pastor Scott really brought home the truth that this is one thing we cannot put off. And he challenged us to look into our own hearts and emotions for clues that we’re not where we need to be in our relationships with Jesus. Are we angrier than we ought to be? Are we way more anxious about things in our daily lives? If so, it likely means there are areas in our lives that we’re not giving over to God and letting him control; grain we’re keeping for ourselves in our own crumbling storehouses. Jesus told us that if we try to hang on to our life, we will lose it. And there is nothing on earth worth the price of our own souls. We must give everything over to the King.

Also, in verse 27 we see that amid the famine, Joseph’s father and brothers are thriving in the land that Joseph gave to them. Why is that? They submitted to Joseph and called upon him for help, and Joseph responded by giving them the best part of the land upon which to live and work. In the same way, as Christians we must be the subculture that lives differently than the rest of the world going in the wrong direction, submitting ourselves to the Lord’s direction and trusting in his guidance and plan for our lives. And indeed, by doing so we will avoid the pitfalls of our culture’s short-term pleasures and “solutions” and thrive through God’s power and provision.

Finally, we see Jacob reaching the end of his life and making Joseph swear that he’ll bury him in the land of his forefathers rather than in Egypt. And it’s, again, a reminder for all of us that this world is not our home; we are sojourners and just passing through. Jacob had a bigger picture of what God was doing — and we must have that same long-term view!

Written by Dave Urbanski

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As we continued our study in the life of Joseph this past Sunday, we saw more high drama in Genesis 46 — and got some deep insights courtesy of Pastor Scott.

The center of the action is the first face-to-face meeting of Joseph and his father Jacob; the pair had not seen each other in many years — since Joseph was a teenager! In fact, Jacob figured Joseph was dead. But there his son was, in the flesh. And aside from the incredible joy Jacob must have felt was the amazing fact that his long-lost son was about to save him and his entire household.

One key point Pastor Scott noted is the relatively small number of people in Jacob’s household who make their journey to be in Joseph’s care — only 70. Yet from this tiny group over the course of four centuries would become the people of Israel and number 1 million. God sure was up to something!

Then after Joseph and Jacob finally meet and their tears were shed and their embraces were exchanged, Joseph reveals his plan to his brothers: They are to tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds and tend livestock — since shepherds are “an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Huh? That doesn’t seem like such a good thing, does it? But we must acknowledge that Joseph didn’t rise all the way to second in command in Egypt because he’s stupid, either! He has a plan. Joseph knows that when his brothers tell Pharaoh their occupations, it will result in them living in the land of Goshen — which Pastor Scott shared is in the delta of the Nile River. Literally the very best land for crops, and his family will get to live there. The very best of life for them!

And we can also see it’s the beginning of God “setting his people apart.” The Lord doesn’t want Joseph’s family to get too close to Egyptian culture, for the Egyptians do not know the one true God and — like many in the known world at the time — they worshiped every “god” that came down the pike. No, Joseph’s family — the future Israelites — would be set apart.

As Pastor Scott noted, this is where things come into focus for us as we meet the challenge of being “in the world but not of it.” It’s all a matter of how we balance “separation” (pulling away with other believers in church for a time to gain strength and insight for the daily struggles the world throws at us) and “assimilation” (living out our faith where others can see us and be influenced by us).

The rub, of course, is that it can be a tricky balance, and none of us navigate it perfectly. Sometimes we pull away from the world too much and default to “church things” during the week and avoid our interactions with non-Christians to the point that we become anemic witnesses. Then if we assimilate into the world too much, we can adopt way too many of the world’s perspectives that we’re actually compromising on a regular basis — perhaps even to the point that if we were placed on trial for being Christians, a judge and jury couldn’t convict us for lack of evidence.

A difficult balance, indeed.

One of the remedies Pastor Scott suggested that really stood out was that rather than simply improvising this difficult balancing act “as it comes up,” instead — like Joseph — we should figure out a plan. Pastor Scott’s football analogy really hit home, because that’s literally what good offensive squads do: They huddle up before the play, agree on it, and each member of the team knows exactly what needs to be done. Everybody has a special role; and the play works a lot better if each member of the team executes his job. Surely not easy — because nobody’s perfect — but when a football play is executed perfectly, it’s difficult to stop.

In the same way, Pastor Scott added that we practice the craft of taking a breath in (as we huddle together in church) and then exhaling (executing our play as we take on the world and reach non-believers whom God has placed in our lives).

We need to balance both — the separation and the assimilation — as we daily fulfill God’s special mission for us as individuals, and as a church body.

But remember: If we’re fulfilling our individual and collective missions from the Lord in the way he’s called us to carry them out, we’re going to run into trouble. Jesus said the world would hate us for sharing the gospel, which is an offense to the world. (No one enjoys being told they’re sinners and they don’t measure up to God’s ultimate standard.) And sure, it’s no fun to be the object of scorn even if we’re kindly and respectfully sharing the Christian faith — but we can take comfort in that even if we’re scorned and demeaned, the Lord is planting seeds. Nothing is wasted as he works out all our actions — just as he worked out all the actions (even the wrong ones) of Abraham and his descendants — for his good and miraculous purposes.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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As believers, when we fully embrace and understand the providence of God, our lives will change.

Not only will such an understanding change how we think about the Lord, it also will change how we think about others — and how we think about ourselves. It’s like receiving a big dose of spiritual vitality directly into our souls.

Joseph understood the providence of God — we can clearly see that after having observed his remarkable life unfold before us in the book of Genesis. And in the Lord’s providence, Joseph — and we as well — see God’s sovereignty, his compassion, and his wisdom.

Sovereignty is obvious part of the Lord’s providence. Certainly, Joseph knew who was in charge of his life — whether he was in the depths of prison or on top of the heap as Pharaoh’s ruler in Egypt. We don’t see Joseph spending a lot of time wondering why things have seemingly taken a turn for the worse; instead, he kept moving forward after he got knocked down as the Lord gave him life and breath. Pastor Scott suggested we all ask an important question: Lord, what haven’t I turned over to you yet? May we let go of that which is temporal — no matter what our circumstances — and continually hand things over to God, who’s ultimately in control of everyone and everything.

When we got into chapter 45 again, we picked up at the point where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, all of whom thought he was gone for good. When it started to sink in for them that Joseph was right there in the flesh — the brother they betrayed and allowed to be sold into slavery — they were quite disturbed. Understandably so.

But Joseph was not vengeful; far from it. Rather, he exhibited compassion (the second element of God’s providence). “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Again, God is in charge — his sovereignty on display.

One of the incredibly freeing things about living in God’s providence is that we no longer are at the center of our lives. While some folks might have a hard time giving up that “status” — whether due to selfishness or some other sin — it’s actually quite a relief. It seems on par someone who very reluctantly is heading to a doctor for a mysterious ache or pain — and the relief that comes by finally handing over control to the physician whose medical expertise really should be driving the situation.

We also saw the amazing overflow of God’s provision for Joseph’s brothers through the generosity of Joseph and Pharaoh — underscored by Joseph instructing his brothers to refrain from quarreling during their journey back to their father Jacob. Wisdom! Another element of God’s providence, which helps us to see the goodness, mercy, and grace that the Lord pours down upon us every day. (I mean, what would believers truly have to argue and fight about when their eyes are focused like lasers on what God is giving to them?)

By the end of the chapter, Jacob’s spirit is revived by the news that Joseph is still alive, and Jacob declares his intention to see his long-lost son before he dies. Truly a dramatic ending and chapter, too, as Pastor Scott pointed out — full of emotion and forgiveness and reconciliation. Cue curtain fall! 

But you and I are still on stage, aren’t we? We’re still part of this grand, divine drama that God has written. So, what is our place in it? What are our roles? But just as important, have we allowed the Lord to revive our spirits as he revived Jacob’s spirit? As Pastor Scott noted, the words in Hebrew describing the miracle of Jacob’s soul coming back to life are the same Hebrew words used to describe the Lord breathing life into Adam. It’s that powerful — and all of us have access to it!

So now, if life has been bringing you down recently for whatever reason — big or small — why not make it a point to turn from the temporal things and to the One who provides living water, who restores our soul (Psalm 23), who quenches our thirst forever. 

And remember: You and I are but dust. We see only infinitesimal pieces of the tapestry God has been weaving since before time and the universe began. Let us be reminded today and in all of our days that God is writing the drama of life and exhibiting his wisdom, his compassion, his sovereignty over all things in the process. Indeed, by the power of his incredible providence.

May we all rest in that truth right now.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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Last week we got a look at Joseph’s positive and robust attitude that kept him moving the right direction despite difficult circumstances. And this past Sunday we saw yet another one of Joseph’s positive traits: his integrity.

As Pastor Scott shared, exercising integrity allows us to do three important things in life: 1) Resist temptation, 2) Exercise strength to face challenges, 3) and behave honestly.

Joseph certainly showed his ability to resist temptation by avoiding the sexual advances of Potiphar’s wife, going so far as to run out of her house rather than being around her one second longer! He also showed his strength in the face of immense challenges — most notably being thrown in prison for years after Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him. And Joseph was incredibly honest, telling the baker hard truths and not taking credit for helping Pharaoh but instead giving credit to God alone as the one who interprets dreams.

And now with the Lord having delivered Joseph from prison to become the governor of Egypt under Pharaoh, we witnessed a massive turning of the tables. With a famine engulfing the region as Joseph correctly predicted, his long-lost family is in trouble. So, we read that his father Jacob sent Joseph’s brothers — save for Benjamin, as Jacob feared harm might come upon him — to Egypt to buy grain so they won’t starve to death.

Do you remember the dream Joseph had years earlier that got him trouble with his brothers — that they would one day bow to him? Well, it came to pass as his brothers all prostrated themselves before Joseph in their plea to acquire grain! Thing is, though, while Joseph’s brothers failed to recognize him after more than 20 years apart, Joseph recognized them! Uh oh.

At this point, one naturally might assume someone in Joseph’s position would take revenge on his brothers. Certainly, Joseph had the power to put them to death with a single command and wave of his hand. But he didn’t. No, instead Joseph tested their honesty and integrity. And amid various tests Joseph put them through, his brothers had the chance to examine their hearts and experience a reckoning in regard to their sinful treatment of Joseph when he was but a teenager. 

It was an important moment: they were enduring the uncertainty of waiting to see what Joseph would do. Would he kill them? Throw them into prison? Turn them away and leave them in hunger? As Pastor Scott noted, we all endure periods of waiting and uncertainty — and it’s rarely fun. But as believers in Jesus, we can be confident that he knows the outcomes and is holding our lives in his hands. And as Christians, we can rejoice that God has forgiven us of our sinful pasts through the blood Jesus shed on the cross.

But Pastor Scott shared something else all of must take to heart, no matter where we are in our spiritual lives: If one believes in Jesus but is living a sinful life, that person is asking for trouble. Because the Lord loves us and wants us close to him, he will discipline those he loves — and that can result in serious and even unpleasant circumstances as God motivates us toward repentance. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be better to act now in repentance so we don’t live in unnecessary fear of “what might happen”? To live in the promise of Isaiah 41:10? “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

As we made our way into chapter 43 and encountered Joseph’s brothers telling their father everything that had happened to them, Pastor Scott noted yet another game-changing moment: Jacob reluctantly agreed to let his sons return to Egypt with Benjamin and face Joseph, and he told his sons, “May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man.” In other words, “El Shaddai” — the God who fulfills promises.

Are we passing the integrity test in our own lives? We must remember that our feeble human strength not sufficient to live lives of integrity, filled with instances in which we resist temptation, face difficulties, and operate in complete honesty. We can’t do it on our own. We need the strength only El Shaddai possesses. Only he can bring about deep change in us.

That principle is present in Jesus’ words found in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” 

We are indeed dust; living and breathing at this very moment only because God allows us to live and breathe at this very moment. So, let us acknowledge this truth, come before the Lord in humility, and practice leading lives filled with continual repentance — and integrity.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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Joseph’s gut-wrenching circumstances and Godly decisions amid them in Genesis 39 are incredibly valuable examples that all of us can apply to our lives.

Whenever we go through hard times and want a bit of comfort — thinking deeply about what Joseph lived through is a good idea to get a sense that someone else endured incredibly difficult things so we don’t feel as alone. Imagine being hated by your own siblings so much they want to kill you, then being betrayed by them, and then sold into slavery and taken to a foreign land. Everything you had and everyone you knew is gone, probably forever. You don’t know anything about where you’ve ended up. You’re completely alone — and no one is coming to your rescue. Your life, practically speaking, is over. That’s what happened to Joseph. And taking some time to fathom the waves of sadness and grief he must have gone through very likely will put our own troubles in perspective.

But what made the big difference here is that the Lord was with Joseph.

And the same God who was with Joseph in his awful circumstances, the same God who showered grace upon him, the same God who gave him favor in bad times … is our God, too!

Indeed, while Joseph was betrayed, sold into slavery, and taken to a foreign land — the man who bought him was Potiphar, the Egyptian captain of the guard. Only God could have orchestrated that. And wouldn’t you know that Joseph excelled while serving Potiphar, who saw that the Lord was with Joseph and eventually placed him in charge of entire household — which God blessed for Joseph’s sake.

Joseph also had a part to play in God’s grand story: he positioned himself to be in the very best place to receive the shower of grace the Lord wanted to pour down upon him. And as Pastor Scott reemphasized this past Sunday, we also have to be “positioned” under God’s grace shower to experience it; we can’t be camped out in the living room escaping watching TV.

And what five principles did Joseph follow amid his difficult circumstances that we can value and incorporate into our own lives?

First, we must integrate our faith into our daily lives. When we do, as Psalm 1 says, we will be “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Just like Joseph.

Second, we must share with others the grace God has given to us — it’s one of the ways we’ll end up advancing in life. “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” (2 Corinthians 8:7)

Third, we mustn’t get sucked in by sin. This is huge. Sin — especially sexual sin — is always out there ready to overtake us, and we must commit ourselves to avoid it. Partaking in it hinders our ability to receive and pass on grace to others.

Joseph knew this very well. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph reply is amazing: “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

But this wasn’t just a one-time proposition; Potiphar’s wife was after Joseph on a daily basis. And one day it got so bad that when she grabbed for his garments, they came off — as Joseph fled! That’s commitment to God and the righteousness he calls us to. And it certainly reflects Scripture’s command to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Now here’s the kicker: Joseph did the right thing by fleeing from Potiphar’s wife — but bad things happened to him anyway. She lied and told Potiphar that Joseph tried to have sexual relations with her — and had Joseph’s garments to “prove” it — and with that, Potiphar threw Joseph into prison.

Which brings us to principle number 4: God’s sovereignty overcomes our darkest moments.

This had to be a huge blow to Joseph. Just when things were looking up in Potiphar’s house, and he was excelling, Joseph suddenly finds himself in prison over a trumped-up charge. Yet another betrayal! And it happened after he made a righteous and Godly choice. It’s certainly a stark example of a bad thing happening to a good person. There’s no explanation for it — and often many of us wonder how God can possibly be on our side and looking out for us if he lets something like this happen.

But when we think this way, we’re misunderstanding God. His promises haven’t changed. He will be with us. He’ll be with us when we’re prospering and excelling in life, and he’ll be with us when times are bad. When we’re betrayed. When we’re treated unjustly.

And wouldn’t you know that despite being thrown in prison, Joseph ends up at the top of the heap there, too? Because God is with him, Joseph is soon placed in charge of all the prisoners because those above him saw — just like Potiphar — that the Lord was with him. Joseph doesn’t mope and feel sorry for himself amid his horrific circumstances — and God turned them around in a big way.

As we saw Sunday, one of the big secrets to Joseph’s success is the fifth and final principle: Don’t focus on the results; focus on being faithful.

In our own lives, if we focus on results, we start doing things that impact results, such as cutting corners and stepping on other people on the way to the top. Instead, we must obey the Lord and leave the results up to him. Our job is to just be faithful.

And God certainly took care of the results while Joseph was in prison, just as he did while Joseph was in Potiphar’s house. The final sentence of Genesis 39 reads, “And whatever [Joseph] did, the Lord made it succeed.”

So, let’s integrate our faith into our daily lives, share God’s grace with others, not get sucked in by sin, believe that God’s sovereignty overcomes our darkest moments, and focus on being faithful rather than on the results. Now those are some Godly principles to live by!

Written by Dave Urbanski

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When we left off in Genesis 37, we were introduced to 17-year-old Joseph who found himself in the middle of an exceptionally bad case of sibling rivalry. His father Jacob favored him over his 11 brothers, Joseph got a great-looking robe in the deal — and then Joseph decided to ally himself with his dad rather than look the other way when his brothers didn’t do a good job in the fields. In short, Joseph’s brothers hated him.

This past Sunday we started looking at what happened next: Joseph’s dreams.

Thing is, Joseph — perhaps showing youthful exuberance — didn’t keep his dream to himself. Instead, he told it to his brothers: “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”

His already steamed brothers replied, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” And according to the Scriptures “they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.”

But as Pastor Scott pointed out, another way of looking at Joseph’s reaction to his dream is that he wasn’t craving power or dominance over his brothers — he was simply excited and wanted to share the vision God gave to him. And we can learn something from Joseph’s reaction, too: We should expect big things from the Lord!

Do we not limit God from time to time? View him from our own mortal perspective — and then end up believing somehow that the Lord is no more powerful than we are? No more merciful than we are? No more loving than we are? If our God is no bigger than our own assumptions and limitations — if he can’t explode from and rise above our faulty, flawed, tiny boxes — then it’s not surprising why we sometimes react to him in faithlessness rather than faithfulness.

Then Joseph had yet another dream — and it didn’t appear to get any better for him, because it turns out he dreamed that “the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” And this time Jacob also heard Joseph describe his dream and asked, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And the Bible says his brothers were jealous of him, “but his father kept the saying in mind.” 

Perhaps Jacob also is open to how big God can be — which indeed reflects important moments from his life we’ve already seen. Indeed, as Pastor Scott emphasized, we also must maintain the wonder of God in our lives, and always be ready to ask the question — in good times and in bad — “What is the Lord doing right now?”

And that very well may be what Joseph soon began to ask as well, as the next part of the chapter describes how his brothers plotted to kill him and ended up stripping Joseph of his many-colored robe and tossing him into an empty cistern containing no water. With how big and grand the Lord has been so far in Joseph’s life, how will Joseph view God now, in what must be a shocking circumstance? To make matters worse, his brothers managed to talk themselves into selling Joseph into slavery rather than killing him as a way not only of getting some money but also to make it seem as though they did the “more honorable” thing by not killing their own brother. Finally, his brothers concealed their deed by dipping Joseph’s robe in goat’s blood and convincing their father Jacob that Joseph had been devoured by an animal.

What possibly could have Joseph been thinking now? What is God doing in his life in this awful circumstance? He’s cut off from his father Jacob and his family and headed to Egypt as a slave and will end being there into adulthood. But as Pastor Scott reminded us, God had his hand on Joseph — and when the Lord has his hand on you and me, nothing that happens in life will change that. Nothing will get in the way of what the Lord wants to do in Joseph’s life — or in our lives.

Therefore, let us all be sure to ask ourselves more and more frequently, “What is God doing right now?” The more we ask that question — and the more God reveals his answers to us — the closer we’ll be to the Lord and what he has in mind for us in our lives. And that is the very best place to be.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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It’s safe to say that after Sunday’s study on Genesis 34 — a difficult and sobering passage of Scripture — we’re all taking stock of our hearts.

There was a rape. There was an attempt to selfishly brush it aside and mask it with tenderness. There was a deal between factions that was full of deceit and treachery. There was vengeful murder on a large scale. And there was a reckoning of the heart amid the untold carnage and damage.

Pastor Scott introduced us to a number of human hearts on display in Genesis 34. The first is Shechem, a pagan and the son of Hamor. Shechem raped Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. If that wasn’t awful enough, Shechem thought he could make it all better though tender feelings for Dinah — and a desire to marry her (as if that could fix anything). So he asked his father to make it happen, and Hamor thought he could make a deal with Jacob to give Dinah to Shechem in marriage — in fact they would enact a kind of “trade”; Hamor’s daughters to Jacob’s sons, and vice versa. One big happy family, right?

But it was not to be.

Instead Jacob’s sons dealt with Hamor and Shechem deceitfully, making circumcision for all the males in Hamor’s city a condition of the deal — and then afterward when all the men in the city were “sore,” Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi drew their swords and killed all the men in the city, including Hamor and Shechem, and took back Dinah. What’s more they stole everything in the city, taking “their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.” 

Simeon and Levi — the second and third hearts on display in Genesis 34 — didn’t enact justice. No, they carried out deceit, murder, revenge, and theft. A completely over-the-top punishment that didn’t fit the crime.

Jacob — the fourth heart on display — was not pleased by his sons’ actions, telling them that they’ve brought “trouble” to him. But all Simeon and Levi could say in response was, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?” Yet amid his trouble, Jacob in chapter 35 demonstrates that his heart is open to God’s leading — and he listens to the Lord, who tells him:

“Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

Four hearts on display — and four outcomes based on where those hearts were directed.

Shechem’s misdeed demonstrates the dangers of the power of male sexuality when it is not in line with God’s “one flesh” design in marriage according to his guidance. Shechem was selfish. Levi and Simeon took justice into their own hands and ended up killing every male in a city and plundering it. Their hearts were set on vengeance and acted out in anger. The hearts of Shechem, Levi, and Simeon show what can happen to any of us if we don’t allow God’s Holy Spirit to continually fill us and show us the way. When we let worldliness to creep in, we can be consumed with sinful tendencies that we’re soon acting out — and then we’re in a dangerous place.

But Jacob’s heart is open to the Lord’s leading. He listens to God, travels to where he’s instructed, and — once again — builds an altar to the Lord. A physical reminder to serve God always in the deepest part of his heart.

We must do the same.

As the Lord instructed Jacob, for the sake of our spiritual health, we must do away with everything that gets in the way of communion with God and continually renew our hearts so they stay open to him.

What words are God speaking to you right now? No matter what you’ve done or thought, the Lord is waiting for you to come to him in repentance so he can fill you up again with his love and grace. 

Written by Dave Urbanski

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Jesus told one parable in particular that spoke to everyone about their lives. I find the parable fascinating because it’s very real to us today. Now He told it in two different parts. He described the parable and then he told its meaning. I’m going to bring those two things together first here so that you can understand them and what it looks like.

You see Jesus said this. There was a sower that went out to sow. And he cast the seed out and it fell onto the soil. Now the seed He says represents the word of God and as the seed is being cast out, it falls on four different kinds of soil. The soil represents the heart of people.

The second kind of soil (and this going to be particularly important for Jacob’s life) was a soil where the seed was cast and it fell onto the rocky soil. So it grew up quickly. But when the sun came out it was so hot it scorched because it didn’t have the roots necessary. When we don’t have the roots necessary then the challenges of life cause some problems. In fact let me take you right into the parable and show you that. It says there – The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and once receives it with joy. (These are Jesus’ words here.) But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution come because of the word, they quickly fall away.

When you’re done today I hope you’ll be constrained or compelled to have your roots go deeper.

We’re going to see that Jacob lacked that. So when the pressure grew he lost it. That’s a good word to describe Jacob. He really lost it in our passage.

Let me bring you up to speed as to where we are; remember Jacob had been working for Laban for twenty years. Now he has this impression that it’s time for him to leave. Things aren’t the same as they have been in the past. It’s just time for him to move on. We talked about that desire sometimes that we have. It’s time to move on. We talked about that last week. So he takes that desire to the Lord and the Lord affirms that in his heart. Yes, He says, you can go back to your father’s country. And He says these five words: And I will be with you. We need those words. Because when we know that God is with us it helps us to trust Him. It helps our roots to go deeper into the soil. So that when the problems, the challenges, the thlipsis of life come, we know that God is with us, even in the midst of the scorching sun that takes effect on our lives and puts pressure.

Now verse 20 we get to the place where Jacob makes the mistake. The pressures of life get too much for him. His root isn’t deep enough. If his roots were deeper, he wouldn’t do what he’s about to do. You see he knows the Lord. When he left his home, he had determined that he was going to live for the Lord. He had the special experience with God, with His head on the rock pillow and seeing this stairway with angels ascending and descending but in verse 20 –it says And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean. Now he’s under significant pressure. And under the significant pressure when any of us find ourselves hemmed in, we tend to resort to self-defeating, unproductive patterns that maybe we engaged in the past and Jacob falls right back into those patterns!

Now I want to draw some applications we go back to Jesus’ parable. Because see the real challenge for all of us is that when we face trials, when we face pressures in our lives, what are we going to do with them? Do we just start yelling at people and we start berating people? Are we going to experience a lot of anxiety? Turn back to patterns that we have left behind to serve the Lord?

How do we develop those strong roots that sustain us in times of trials, problems?

Turn to the Lord and seek His plan, his way (not ours) and dig into the word to see what the Lord is saying in our lives. Then we trust Him in and with the challenges of our lives as we live out in obedient surrender to Him.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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How can our messiness be transformed into messages? How can God turn the messiness of our lives — our unpredictable left turns, our head-on collisions, and even our self-inflicted speeding tickets along the way — into messages of his love for others?

As we saw in our study together Sunday, the story surrounding Jacob’s highly dysfunctional family is a prime example. And once again, the Bible pulls no punches — it doesn’t attempt to hide the sins of multiple wives, deception, dishonesty, jealousy, selfishness, passivity, pleasure as a primary objective, and the daily attempts to orchestrate and manipulate life in directions against God’s will rather than letting him do the driving.

Even though Jacob had two wives — Rachel and Leah — let’s not entertain the idea that God was OK with it. As Pastor Scott told us, just because it’s in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s the Lord’s design. If anything, the polygamy grieved God not only because it was a direct sin against him, but also because of the resulting envy and sorrow and anger that polygamy brings among his beloved creation. God wanted — and still wants — the very best for us, and when we invent ways of doing life that ultimately aren’t the best for us, of course it saddens the Lord to see the pain that such decisions bring.

Yet out of that incredible messiness, Leah — the wife Jacob didn’t want — bore sons who would form the tribes of Israel. And that genealogy went all the way to Jesus — our salvation. 

Whenever we attempt to deemphasize God’s role in our lives and do things our own way, the Lord isn’t hamstrung. He has no limits — and there are no limits to how high and deep and wide his love is, despite our lack of love for him. As Pastor Scott noted, God works in our lives despite ourselves and despite our humanistic tendencies. He’s the maestro who orchestrates to perfection amid our bum notes and out-of-tune instruments. 

So, if you’re in despair because you don’t think God is working in your life, or you’re stuck in sorrow over bad decisions you’ve made or bad habits you just can’t seem to break, be encouraged — for just as God worked through the messiness of Jacob’s family to ultimately bring about our salvation through Jesus, the Lord certainly can do that and more in our lives. And whether you’re aware of it or not, he is!

More than that, despite whatever pit you perceive yourself to be in today, believe it or not God wants your life to be a shining beacon to those who still don’t believe in him. Ask God today how he can help you give him the glory by sharing your life with others in all its messiness. If you need to repent of the path you’ve been on, then repent — and then move forward. If you don’t see that God is working in your life, ask him to reveal to you the good things he’s doing — and then move forward.

Your messiness can — and will — be a message to others, too!

Written by Dave Urbanski

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I have benefitted tremendously over the years from apologists who’ve offered rock-solid evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The proofs they’ve shared never cease to be exciting and encouraging — not only for the tools they can become during conversations with those who haven’t yet come to faith, but also when my own faith needs a boost.

Pastor Scott’s Easter message offered another kind of proof and evidence that’s equally important: What does Jesus’ rising from the dead 2,000-plus years ago mean for us on a practical level? Nuts and bolts. Day to day. Where the rubber meets the road.

To start we looked at the words of three individuals in the Bible who share our faith: Peter, Paul, and John.

We know from Scripture that while Peter arguably possessed the most faith of any of Christ’s initial disciples, he also ended up denying his master three times following Jesus’ arrest — and after having proclaimed him the son of God when his friends still had doubts. But later when the 12 got word on the third day that Jesus wasn’t in his tomb any longer, Peter ran with John to the place where Jesus had been laid to rest, charged past John right into the empty sepulcher, and immediately believed! Jesus’ resurrection was everything to Peter — as it should be for us. He even began his first letter telling us that God the Father’s mercy made us “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

As Pastor Scott emphasized, those two words that make up part of the name of our church — “living hope” — offer infinitely more than human, false hope. Those who hope to “feel better” through drugs and alcohol, sexual immorality, rebellion — and even through what may seem like righteousness through monetary offerings, baptism, membership, and service at church — are relying on false hopes. In the end what we strive for and hope for in our frail humanity doesn’t come close to Christ’s living hope, which is way bigger and more powerful than what we can possibly fathom. It’s time to let our false hopes go!

Now Paul came to faith in a completely different way than Peter — and in fact began making a reputation for himself not as an evangelist but as a persecutor of Christians. But one day God literally knocked this very learned Pharisee right off his high horse and blinded him — and all so he ultimately could see Jesus. Soon Paul was traversing the known world with the gospel message — and with the same energy he formerly exuded to persecute believers in Christ. But while Paul didn’t see the resurrected Jesus in the flesh like Peter did, he knew the event came to pass because Jesus literally spoke to him and told him what he must do in his name. And that kind of power compelled Paul to write the following in the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians:

^“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Think about it: Raising someone from the dead takes a kind of explosive power no human being possesses. A supernatural strength that can only come from God. Yet that kind of otherworldly power is at our disposal right now when we ask the Lord to help and guide us! No more guilt or regret, either. Christ’s forgiveness washes all of that away with the same force that raised him from the dead. Losses, disappointments, dead dreams and visions? Give them over to Jesus and watch him bring those dead things back to life! So indispensable was Christ’s resurrection that Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, that “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” In other words, worthless. Rubbish. To be pitied. But since Jesus has been raised, our faith is constantly empowered with his power.

Then we looked at John — author of one of the four Gospels along with other New Testament writings — and we were reminded through John’s recollections after Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, he proclaimed that “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live …”

Which brought us to the other immensely practical element of Jesus’ resurrection: Life.

As Pastor Scott shared, there are three forms of the word “life” in the Ancient Greek language found in the New Testament — and they all represent different levels of life. The first level represents “life” as a child understands it: What are my wants right now and how can I get them? The second level is what parents often find themselves in when corralling their kids: How can best act responsibly with my children for their ultimate and best benefit? But interestingly, the word “life” in the latter verse isn’t either of those forms in the Greek. No, it’s a form of the word “life” that denotes another dimension of thought — a spiritual level of “life” that has us asking how God fits into everyday events. In other words, this is the kind of life Jesus died and rose again to usher us into!

But still the Lord doesn’t simply want to grant us eternal life and then ignore our lives in the here and now as if they don’t matter. He also wants you and me, as Paul records in Romans 12:2, to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Jesus wants us to change the way we think so that more and more we’ll be transformed from the inside out — and not at some distant point in the future, but right now.

As you ponder Jesus’ resurrection from the dead this Easter, remember that his rising gives us a “living hope” that will never pass away, power that this world cannot comprehend, and the highest level of life that we can know. And it’s right here for all of us as we humbly call upon his name.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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How in tune are you to the mercies of God in your life?

As we discovered in our study of Genesis 26 on Sunday, as we grow in our understanding of the Lord’s mercies and are ready to experience them, it increases our gratefulness, our hope — indeed our quality of life.

This particular chapter is about Abraham’s son Isaac — and we see that God wants to bless Isaac just like the Lord blessed Abraham. But one of the things we notice about Isaac is that he avoids conflict — and that he wants peace. And as we know in life, conflict is inevitable and peace between human beings isn’t always possible.

And right off the bat we see Isaac repeating the sin Abraham committed — lying — by telling King Abimelech that his wife Rebekah is his sister. Of course, Abimelech soon saw right through Isaac’s deceit and confronted him and rebuked him. Amazing that once again the Bible openly acknowledges that man of God is absolutely subject to correction from a pagan — and it teaches us that the world is watching God’s people to see if indeed they live godly lives and practice what they preach.

But even after this sin, God blesses Isaac with great wealth. So much so that Abimelech told Isaac to leave since had become mightier than him. Amazingly sometimes the Lord pours out his blessings upon us even when we do wrong — and it’s an illustration of the biblical principle that ultimately God’s blessings aren’t dependent on what we do. It’s not a transaction between us and the Lord.

Rather it’s completely dependent on God and how he wants to pour out his blessings, his mercies, upon us.

It seemed wherever Isaac went and whatever he did, God blessed him. After he successfully dug wells in the Valley of Gerar and then moved on to Beersheba, verses 24 and 25 tell us that “the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.’ So, he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”

Even Abimelech recognized what was happening and paid Isaac a visit — and he is as shocked as we are! “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” Isaac asked the king. Abimelech saw how the Lord was blessing Isaac and wanted to make a pact with him, which Isaac did, again moving again toward his goal of peace in life.

However, we see in the final verses of the chapter that total peace won’t come for Isaac, as his son Esau at age 40 “took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.”

What is it that you’re seeking in life? Is it peace? Is it security? Is it safety? Is it adventure? Is it wealth? Whatever motivates you, don’t lose sight that it should be pursued with the filter of desiring God’s blessings — which we don’t always “deserve” and aren’t always what we planned on.

And as Pastor Scott emphasized, a deeper understanding of God’s mercies and why he pours them out on us will lead to good things — particularly an increased desire to seek after them. The Lord wants to pour out his blessings so that we will recognize and appreciate what a good and loving father he is — and be drawn to him. Such an understanding changes how we think and act. It’s the difference between “being good” — as part of a transaction — and being in relationship with the Lord because He is good! And that’s when the blessings can really flow.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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What are your motivations? What drives you to do what you do day to day?

The Bible has a few things to say about human motivations. For example, each one of us tends to believe our own moves and decisions come from places of goodness and justice (“All of a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord”—Proverbs 16:2). It’s also very easy for us to be people pleasers rather than God pleasers (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Or as James notes in the fourth chapter of his epistle, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Who among us can’t relate to that latter observation? How often do we pursue happiness or pleasure, only to find that it doesn’t last or that the objects of our pursuits are sorely lacking? Instead the Scriptures repeatedly implore us to take the narrow road that leads to God himself — and in the end the Lord will meet our needs and much more.

On Sunday Pastor Scott gave us two lists — one that spells out external motivations and another that looks at internal motivations — and noted that as believers in Jesus, we should be driven by internal factors. Specifically, rather than being motivated by things like fear of punishment, peer pressure, desire for fame, power, and control, the tendency to compare and compete, Christians should instead have internals on our minds and hearts — motivations such as love and loyalty, gratitude, the desire to serve the Lord and make the world a better place, personal growth, a sense of accomplishment, and responsibility and integrity.

And we also learned Sunday that three important decisions Abraham made in Genesis 14 were based on internal motivations. For example, love and loyalty to his family likely drove Abraham to leave the safety of his home to rescue Lot, who had been taken captive after making a bad decision to move in close proximity to Sodom. And Pastor Scott said something that really hit home: As Christians we should be embarking on rescue missions of our own every day! Not necessarily physical rescues — although they certainly can and do happen — but spiritual rescues. Missions of the heart based on love for others and our motivation to see them be made whole inside and out by believing in and trusting in Jesus.

We also saw Abraham was motivated by gratitude when he gave Melchizedek king of Salem a tenth of what he’d won in battle (decision #2) and by personal integrity when he declined to take anything away from the king because Abraham had made an oath to the Lord not to (decision #3).

Such examples from Scripture beg the questions: What is driving you? What is motivating you?

As we grow in our faith, we should be noticing that internal motivations such as love, integrity, and gratitude are driving us. We should be making it a practice to forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us — to bear the burdens of others, to help the weaker among us. To be rescuers.

So, here’s a challenge for all of us this week: Will you ask the Lord to shine his spotlight on your heart and show you the forces that are driving you? And that if externals such as fear, peer pressure, or the desire for power and control are motivating you, ask God to help you put such motivations aside.

The Lord will always honor such a prayer request!

Written by Dave Urbanski

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When our faith is strong, we’re better able to cope with life — even when difficult things are happening to us and around us. But when our faith is weak — watch out! In those times, we tend to feel more anxious, angry, and disappointed with our circumstances.

As we learned from an episode in Abraham’s life found in Genesis 12, not even heroes of the Bible are immune from reduced faith in God, periods of weakness, and bad decision-making.

It’s important to point out that Abraham’s weakened faith in this chapter preceded an awesome experience: God himself promised Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on all the world’s beaches. Seriously, if God had shown himself to you in such a way, would you need reassurance ever again that the Lord is taking care of you, providing for your needs, and keeping his promises? Perhaps we would respond by saying, “Of course not!” But also, we shouldn’t forget that none of us has ever walked in Abraham’s sandals, and all of us can probably recall numerous occasions when our faith in God was low — despite all the amazing things he previously had done for us.

Well, Abraham’s weakened faith coincided with a famine — surely a difficult circumstance. It shows, however, that the Lord allows not-so-pleasant things to happen to us even when we closely follow him and obey his commands. One thing that stuck out in Pastor Scott’s message was the key detail that Abraham departed the famine-ravaged land for Egypt — and that a flight to that country in Scripture often meant a move toward the world and its solutions, rather than a focus on the Lord and his solutions.

It certainly rings true, given that Abraham immediately made a really bad decision: Looking to save his own skin, he convinced his wife to pretend they were brother and sister so that the Egyptians — who were likely to take Sarah from him — wouldn’t be tempted to kill him. Doesn’t that sound oddly familiar? Not that any of us have been in such a situation in today’s world — but many of us can probably recall times when we acted out of fear, and perhaps even sinned in the process, instead of trusting God for the outcome. And again, you’d think someone like Abraham who experienced what God personally showed him wouldn’t need to make decisions out of fear ever again — but he did. And we certainly do, too.

Oh, and then came the consequences! Besides the awful plagues, there was what had to have been a humiliating confrontation from Pharaoh, who by then figured out Abraham’s scheme — and you had the pagan telling the child of Israel, “You sinned!” What a gut punch that had to be. Of course, we likely can relate to this also: How many times can we recall our bad and faithless decisions resulting in terrible — even embarrassing — circumstances? Like, crawl-under-a-rock, cartons-of-eggs-on-our-faces humiliation.

But as Pastor Scott also pointed out, God has a plan even when we mess up. Truth is, the Lord is infinitely bigger than our worst sins. He’s able to take us from where we are and still do great things. God did that with Abraham when Pharaoh let him go, and again, all of us can probably relate to the Lord getting us out of sticky situations — even when we deserved the worst results.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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Our culture sells us way short when it comes to marriage. 

It emphasizes romance and emotions with regard to marriage — but marriage isn’t about romance and emotions.

It looks down upon those who aren’t married, as if they’re second-class citizens — but God values us all the same whether we’re married or not.

It also cheapens marriage by holding up divorce as an option when a couple “just isn’t into it anymore” as well as sex before marriage — but we know that isn’t the way the Lord operates.

As Pastor Scott pointed out Sunday as we studied Genesis 24, it is not easy to be married. But as Christians — whether we’re married or not — we all must value marriage and lift it high as an expression of love and commitment that God himself ordained.

And whether we’re married or not, we can apply the five principles Pastor Scott drew from the account of Abraham’s servant finding a wife for his son Isaac.

First off, Abraham instructed his servant to find a wife for Isaac not from the Canaanites where he lives but “to my country and to my kindred.” That’s the first principle: Narrow the pool. As Christians, we should only marry other Christians. But it’s more than that. We should be marrying like-minded Christians, those who place Jesus at the very front of their lives.

Then Abraham’s servant when he reached his destination, prayed that God would bring to him the maiden who would become Isaac’s wife. That’s the second principle: If we’re looking to get married — or have any other life decisions to make — we must pray that the Lord will lead us and provide.

Abraham’s servant also went to a well where women were gathering water — which bring us to the third principle: We must go to the figurative wells in our lives if we’re looking to get married — in other words, be a part of the day-to-day lives of other Christians. Be a part of a church, for example. If we’re in college, be a part of a campus ministry group. Or be involved in Christian activities such as missions and service. Thing is, this applies to all of us, whether we’re looking to get married or not. We all must be part of a church that will help us grow in our spiritual lives — and not merely because we hope we’ll meet a spouse there! We don’t know what today holds for us, or tomorrow, either. The Lord may have someone in mind, or he may not. Either way, our primary mission is to serve God and grow closer to him, whether that’s in singleness or in marriage. But drawing from the well of fellowship is a principle all of us should follow.

The fourth principle is to consider character when choosing a spouse. The person may be a Christian and may even love the Lord like you do, but is this person’s character full of good qualities? Does he or she persevere when times are tough? How does he or she treat others? In the passage, Abraham’s servant watched the actions and behavior of Rebekah, the maiden the Lord brought to him, to ensure she possessed quality characteristics. We should do the same — and that often comes only after spending a lot of time observing how another person lives his or her life amid a wide variety of circumstances.

Finally, the fifth principle is that decision making of all kinds is a spiritual experience for the Christian. Abraham’s servant placed the Lord in the center of all of his steps before he found Rebekah and after he found her. God must be our destination, the well from which we draw love and life, the one with whom we communicate and lean on day by day for help and guidance, and our example when it comes to character.

Let the Lord be the center or our lives at all times whether or not we’re looking to get married — and may we always support, uphold, and value the gift of marriage.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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After these things…

That’s one of the important phrases that loudly and clearly resonated from our Sunday study of Genesis 22, which contains the famous account of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice.

Indeed, it’s one of the Bible’s most well-known messages — but what many people so often miss are the rich details and poetic parallels that can help us increase our understanding of the passage and the broader truths it carries.

First off, I was right there with Pastor Scott when he said he couldn’t have done what Abraham did. Many of us are parents, and our first reaction is, “No way would I be able to obey the Lord and be willing to sacrifice my child.” And that’s where the phrase that starts off chapter 22 — “After these things” — becomes so important. Those three words point to the fact that God has brought Abraham through many circumstances and problems already — he’s experienced fear, loss, deceit, weakness, triumph … and along the way his faith in God has increased with each experience.

We tend to look at Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac and say, “No way.” But if we view this account in a vacuum — without considering the context surrounding it — we’ll miss the bigger picture. Abraham had his mountains to climb prior to that moment, and God brought him a point in chapter 22 where his faith was strong enough that he was able to obey the Lord’s heart-wrenching command. And what about you? What mountains has God placed before you to climb? What has he brought you through to this point in your life? Wherever you are in your journey with Christ, God will use the faith you’ve already acquired through trials and triumphs to help you take your next step of faith. God only asks us to place one foot in front of the other — not to ascend to the top of Mount Everest in a single bound! Just to take the next step. And amid that next step, we can look back and see how far the Lord has brought us.

Another phrase that stood out Sunday: There is no Plan B.

One of the difficult things God brought Abraham through was his son Ishmael departing with Hagar earlier in Genesis. But why does the chapter 22 describe Isaac as Abraham’s “only son”?

As Pastor Scott explained, perhaps it’s because Isaac is directly connected to God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah — and Ishmael, while indeed Abraham’s biological son, is connected to Abraham and Sarah’s human attempt to make God’s promise happen by having a child through Hagar. And at this point, with Ishmael gone and Isaac left as Abraham’s only son, there is no “Plan B” if Abraham sacrifices Isaac. Had Ishmael still been around, it may not have required as much faith on Abraham’s part to obey the Lord — and things seem to have been orchestrated by God in just the right way in order to bring about the most faith within Abraham.

Another crucial phrase: God will provide for himself the lamb…

It’s so helpful to meditate on the poetic parallels between Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, and God’s willingness to sacrifice Jesus. Both sons carried wood on their backs and ascended hills to places where their sacrifices would be carried out. Both were bound. But the difference is that the Lord halted Abraham prior to the sacrifice — and God allowed Jesus’ life to be taken. No doubt our human hearts cannot fathom the depth of sorrow the Lord endured over his only son’s death on the cross — nor can we do anything to “repay” the Lord for the gift of eternal life that Jesus’ death and resurrection has given us.

In both cases God provided for himself the lamb. After Isaac was spared, Abraham found a ram caught in a thicket; and Jesus — the Lamb of God — was offered up for our sakes.

As we each ascend our new mountain today, let us remember that God will provide for us — even when it appears all hope is lost, and there’s nothing but sorrow waiting for us. Let us remember that Jesus is our everything: There is no “Plan B” for us. He is our only answer. Our salvation. The way, the truth, and the life. And finally, let us remember that we each have our own “after these things” stories of God bringing us through tough times. Let’s harness those things we’ve gone through so that we can take the next steps of faith upward to the summit of the next mountain with confidence.

We are God’s church — and nothing will stand against it. No matter who is in the White House, no matter what world leaders do, no matter how strong and scary viruses are, we are still advancing the kingdom of God. The score is settled; we are on the winning side. So, let us complete the race before us with strength and joy.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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Abraham did it — again.

You’d think that after all he went through after insisting to Pharaoh that Sarah — his wife — was his sister in Genesis 12, Abraham lies about the very same thing to King Abimelech in Genesis 20. It was over fear that the pagan people of Gerar would kill him otherwise.

Lying often follows fear, doesn’t it? And even Abraham — a man of great faith in God, the father of Israel, and the Lord’s favored son — seems to be very slow to learn in this area.

But as God is so adept at doing, he provides a way through this sticky situation. Not only does he prevent Abimelech from sinning with Sarah, God also speaks to this pagan king in a dream and tells him to give Sarah back to Abraham — and Abimelech does so.

Still, there’s much more happening under the surface in this chapter. As Pastor Scott noted Sunday, this biblical account very much mirrors the idea of believers going to work in a non-believing environment — a challenge most Christians face daily. Abraham’s work — tending his animals in a nomadic situation — leads him into a pagan land, and then fear sets in. Then Abraham lies about Sarah, and his lack of integrity got Abimelech’s people in a lot of trouble. Abraham finally explains to the king in verse 11 that he said Sarah was his sister “because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’”

And this brings up an interesting notion: Just because people you work with aren’t Christians doesn’t mean that they aren’t upstanding people with integrity. King Abimelech had a great deal of integrity and wanted to do what was right. God recognized this, too. And just because your coworkers aren’t believers doesn’t mean the Lord isn’t working in their hearts — indeed, he is! And therefore, it’s important to learn from Abraham’s sin that non-Christians are watching you — and in fact you have the opportunity to be a signpost for Jesus so that others who God may be drawing to himself will be able to see their savior a little more clearly.

Also, did you catch the intellectual contortions Abraham goes through with the king, even after the truth is revealed, explaining to him that Sarah is technically his sister since she’s “the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife”? Wow. So, out of fear and self-protection, Abraham can call Sarah his sister when it suits him? The jury may be out as to whether Abraham has a handle on this integrity thing by this point in Genesis.

It also shows that sin often is no accident; it’s not usually something we simply wander into. That’s true in life, and that’s true in our work, too. And it appears Abraham was basically saying, “There are not godly people at my job, so I don’t have to play by the same rules I play by when I go to church.” But as we all know, God responds with a big NO to that. Even when we’re afraid, even when we’re stressed and under pressure, and most importantly, even when no other human is watching, we must do right as Christians at all times.

But even if you’ve sinned and messed up and blew it on the integrity question, the Lord can still heal you and forgive you — all you have to do is confess, repent, and move forward. And keep planting your flag for Jesus in your pagan land.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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As we’ve seen from previous chapters in Genesis, the Lord isn’t squeamish about telling us the difficult-to-face truths — particularly with regard to how we treat each other.

Abraham’s family, we can safely say, doesn’t model a loving, stable, sacrificial home life — quite the opposite. In fact, his family life resembles a lurid soap opera, full of sin and selfishness and bad choices. Abraham’s wife Sarah couldn’t have children, so she lobbies for Abraham to impregnate her servant, Hagar. Abraham unwisely agrees. Of course, it all leads to anger, blame, contempt, doubt, and strife.

(Side note: Do you see how such unvarnished storytelling only strengthens the Bible as authentic? After all, if ancient people had actually fabricated Scripture, why would they use story after story of believers’ non-belief and failure? Not a very effective “marketing campaign,” is it? But then again, the Lord isn’t looking to “sell” us anything! The truth is always free.)

Yet in the midst of all the pain Abraham’s family members inflicted upon each other, God keeps meeting them at their lowest points and lifts each of them up. First Hagar — who now knows down to her bones that God has truly seen her — and then Abraham, who’s encouraged by the Lord to think much bigger. And now we come to Sarah in Genesis 18.

But first we’re thrust into an intriguing scene during which Abraham sees three men standing in front him — and one of them (denoted by the capitalized word “LORD,” or “Yahweh”) actually is God himself. However, Abraham apparently doesn’t know this, as he refers to the “man” as “Lord” — not all capitalized letters — which is another way of saying “Mister.” Abraham then implores the men to sit for a spell, after which Abraham and Sarah wait on them hand and foot.

The cool thing about this passage is that it underscores the stark differences between eastern and western culture when it comes to hospitality. Did you catch Pastor Scott explaining how in America when people knock on our doors, we’re all about the task at hand — and perhaps even reducing as much as face-to-face interaction as possible in those moments? But it’s the complete opposite in eastern cultures — in other words, efficiency and sticking to the task is decidedly not of the essence! Instead, relationships are where it’s at. And indeed, we see Abraham and Sarah putting the visitors’ needs way ahead of their own, and no matter what tasks they were up to, they’re putting to the side their work for the moment and attending to their guests and welcoming conversation, no matter how long it takes.

In that vein, let’s not forget Pastor Scott’s exhortation for all of us — that hospitality can be incredibly strategic and effective as a way of drawing others closer to Christ! As the New Testament book of Hebrews notes in chapter 13, verse 2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” All of us can simply open our homes — and hearts — for others. Just like Abraham did.

Now as for Sarah — despite her tendency to place blame on others and manipulate situations to her advantage — she’s a woman who loves God and who’s considered by others who came after her in the Bible as someone to look up to. In fact, she’s a member of the “Faith Hall of Fame” as noted in Hebrews.

But as Genesis 18 points out, doubts can take over the minds and hearts of even the godliest among us. And in Sarah’s case, she laughed at the Lord’s promise that she would bear a child — not a far-fetched reaction given her age and barren condition. Then Sarah even lies to God, denying that she laughed when she did. And don’t we lie to God sometimes, too? And more than that — why? Doesn’t the Lord already know what the truth is before we can fathom or understand it? But like Sarah, we also are afraid of God’s plan; we want others to like us, and we compromise; we take life’s matters into our own hands instead of trusting the Lord to lead us.

Then God simply and patiently asks Sarah and us: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

Brothers and sisters, God’s purposes will be completed in you. He who sparks life itself into being where no life existed before is more than able to help and guide you through life. But even more, God wants you to be part of his spiritual family.

He wants to be your father — and he wants to be your friend. Believe it.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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Do you need a spiritual tune-up? As we saw this past Sunday in our study of Genesis 15, Abraham sure did.

We already know from Pastor Scott’s previous messages that Abraham has been through quite a lot in his journey with the Lord. Some failures, some triumphs — and many challenges. And just as it often is with us, fear and doubt has creeped into Abraham’s heart amid the pitfalls and potholes of life. But God already knew his child needed something, as verse 1 reads, “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’”

Abraham pulled no punches with the Lord upon hearing this. He didn’t act like he had it all together or that things weren’t so bad. No, Abraham wasn’t afraid to let it all hang out, as he told the Lord in verse 2 and 3, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”

Isn’t this interesting? God in chapter 12 promised Abraham that he would “make of you a great nation” (verse 2) and that “to your offspring I will give this land” (verse 7). In chapter 13, after Abraham settled in Canaan, the Lord told him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted” (vv. 14-16).

Obviously, God clearly communicated to Abraham — despite his age and his wife Sarah being barren — that he would have offspring. A lot of offspring! Did Abraham simply forget? It’s not clear, but as Pastor Scott said, such doubt — even after steadfast promises from the One who never breaks them — is a common human flaw. We see it throughout Scripture. The disciples over and over allowed fear and doubt to overtake them — the storm on the Sea of Galilee with Jesus in the boat with them, for example, despite what they knew about their Savior. Perhaps you find yourself in that same boat, with the troubles of 2020 having worn you down. But as we saw in Genesis 15, the Lord was as patient with Abraham as he is with us.

At that point God brought Abraham outside and reminded him of promises he’s already made. And the Lord gave Abraham yet another “window” illustration in verse 5: “Look toward heaven,” God told him, “and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” (Of course, he couldn’t — there are too many!) “So shall your offspring be.” And then the Scriptures tell us that Abraham believed the Lord, who counted it to Abraham as “righteousness.”

That last phrase, as Pastor Scott emphasized, foreshadows the connection between faith and righteousness that Jesus fulfilled in the New Testament. The Lord was pleased with Abraham not for a specific thing he accomplished, but for Abraham’s simple act of faith. In the same way, Christ paved the way for us to spend eternity with him — not because of good things we do, but through our simple act of faith in Jesus righteousness on our behalf!

The next few verses offer more insight regarding God’s heart for Abraham — and for us. Didn’t Abraham just express faith in the Lord’s promise that he would have heirs? Yes! But what happened next? Abraham questioned God yet again! After the Lord told Abraham he’d possess the land, Abraham actually asked, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” Wow!

But the Lord wasn’t giving up on Abraham and went out of his way to prove yet again how trustworthy he is by making the most serious of covenants with his child — the kind that results in death if one party doesn’t keep it. But the thing about this covenant — just as it is with our relationship with God through Jesus — is that it was an unconditional, one-party deal. And that one party was the Lord himself, as he told Abraham in verse 18 “to your offspring I give this land.”

God without a doubt has Abraham’s back through his never-ending love and grace. The Lord wants a relationship with Abraham despite Abraham sometimes doubting and questioning the Lord. Despite Abraham sinning. Despite Abraham forgetting. And the cool thing is that we can substitute our names for Abraham’s name in chapter 15. Because the Lord loves each one of us just as much as he loves Abraham — and has so many amazing things in store for us. So, as 2020 draws to a close, and when the busyness of life starts to mess with our heads, may we all approach the throne of grace and ask the Lord to give us a spiritual tune-up. May we pray, “Lord, I want to live my life serving you. Please show me how to renew my faith in you right now — and each day after!” No matter how 2021 pans out — no matter what circumstances come up, good or bad — let all of us rely on God’s promises as the days and weeks and months go by. For just as the Lord kept his promises to Abraham, so he also will keep the promises he’s made to us.

Written by Dave Urbanski

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You don’t have to be a Christian to be familiar with the account of the Tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 11 — when God put a stop to people speaking the same language, caused confusion among them, and dispersed them throughout the earth.

But as with most elements of Scripture, there’s way more going on — and much that is applicable to our lives — if we have ears to hear.

On Sunday Pastor Scott talked about pride — and identified it loudly and clearly in verse 4: “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Let us make a name for ourselves.

How interesting that this very attitude, which is all-encompassing amid our present-day culture, also was alive and well way back in the time of Genesis.

Pride is a problem for us, just as it was for the people building the tower. They were puffed-up, discovering they could build a city and a tower and put all the focus on themselves — and essentially become famous. They could make a name for themselves. Superstars! But where did God fit in with all of that? The answer, as usual, was nowhere. It’s a familiar human pattern: Pride grows within us, we want to be our own gods, and we push the real God to the margins. We build our towers and our walls, try to make a name for ourselves, and keep the Lord out of our lives.

Pride often is the central factor in what becomes our worldview as well — and such pride, which places each of us in the center, can lead to and justify all sorts of bad behavior. That’s what took place in the hearts of those who were building the Tower of Babel.

But what’s amazing is how God responded to them. It’s common to confuse the Lord’s discipline for punishment — and along the way God’s gotten a bad rap. Sometimes in our weak moments we fear the Lord will do “X” to us if we do “Y” when in reality God employs discipline as part of his loving relationship with us. He’s constantly steering us in the right direction. For the people building the tower, God saw their way of looking at the world — their prideful attitudes — and knew they needed an adjustment. So, the Lord took something away from them — their ability to communicate with each other — in order to stop their selfishness in its tracks.

Something else Pastor Scott shared rings so true for us today: It’s way easier to listen to God’s whispers and obey them — especially if we don’t share his passion for the places where he wants to take us. Indeed, it’s a lot more difficult when the Lord has to take drastic action to get our attention!

If you’re a Christian, and you’re wrestling with pride and the temptation to make a name for yourself and push God to the sidelines, you’re not alone. Christ’s saving grace in our lives doesn’t mean Jesus is all finished molding us into the people he wants us to be — that’s an ongoing, lifetime process. As Pastor Scott said, the Christian life means daily self-examination. It means waking up each day and asking God, “Am I on the right track? Is there any pride hindering me from doing what you want me to do?”

How about we all put away our bricks and mortar and cease building our towers and walls? Even more, let us tear down those human-made fortresses that keep God out — and instead be open and vulnerable before the One who will never betray us, who will never crush us as we take such a step of faith.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” — Psalm 139:23-24

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Who are your heroes?

Perhaps they’re fictional characters on a movie screen or comic book. Perhaps they’re real people you’ve looked up to — or better yet those who’ve helped or mentored you in your life. We all have heroes in one way or another.

This past Sunday we looked at Genesis 6 and were introduced to perhaps the very first hero in the Bible — Noah. The guy who constructed the ark. And quite simply, Noah was a hero because he walked with and obeyed God. And he did so in the face of every visible fact in front of him that easily could have influenced him to do otherwise.

Put yourself in Noah’s place for a moment: You’re living in a world that’s become quite wicked and that has turned away from the Lord. But you don’t join the crowd: You keep walking with God. You keep talking to him, believing in him. You maintain your integrity and keep doing the right things. It’s hard sometimes, though, to see people you know going one way — and you proceeding down another path alone. But staying close to God is more important to you, so you keep at it. And you find favor with the Lord.

Then one day God tells you to build a massive ark. You don’t know why. You don’t even know what an ark is, much less a flood. But as you’ve been doing, you continue to believe and obey the Lord, so you start cutting the wood. But this is no weekend project: Scripture says it took Noah 120 years to build the ark. Now that’s persistence — and still in the face of every snicker and sarcastic remark from those who passed by. After a while Noah likely was viewed as little more than that “crazy guy” in the neighborhood.

And then rain came — and the importance of every step Noah took to do what was right and to obey God came to fruition.

What about you? Does God also have an ark for you to build? Has the Lord been whispering to you about an important task, a crucial mission he wants you to carry out? It might be something really big and countercultural — and even something you don’t completely understand, just as Noah didn’t completely understand why God had him build an ark. Or maybe you’ve been sensing God’s nudging in regard to things you need to change in your life — things you’ve been holding on to you need to let go of.

You can do all those things! Despite whatever cultural or personal obstacles that stand before you, God wants you to have a spiritual breakthrough. But remember that it won’t come because of your own strength, or smarts, or will. Just as you’re being led by God to do what seems to be an impossible task, you need to get on the path with the Lord and let him “take the wheel” and give you the strength to steer your ship in the right direction. All you have to do is ask.

Noah walked with God. Noah did all that the Lord commanded. He maintained his integrity and endured what must have been intense pressure to finally, once and for all, throw away his hammer for good and join the crowd. But he didn’t. And we must not, either.

You know what else is compelling about Noah’s ordeal? When he and his family and all the animals were safely on the ark, his task of trusting the Lord wasn’t over — not by a long shot. Sure, they were sheltered from the storm, but it took 371 days for the water to recede — and that’s a long time to wonder if you’re ever going to step on dry ground again!

As Pastor Scott observed, we’re going through something like that ark experience right now. We don’t know how much longer the pandemic will restrict us — or even if life will return to normal. The longer it takes, the easier it is to lose hope. And a crazy election just happened, and none of us is sure what will take place in the streets of our nation in the next hour much less after next January’s inauguration. So much uncertainty. It’s tiring and frustrating — and there is more suffering going around than we can possibly know.

But amid it all, there is one thing we can count on: God is still on his throne, he hasn’t moved, and he knows exactly how things will go — and he’s not the least bit worried. The key for us — like Noah — is to walk with God. To do what he’s commanding us to do, even if we don’t understand it completely, even when others look at us funny or talk about us behind our backs.

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Written by Dave Urbanski

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Marriage is under attack today and has been for a long time. There’s no arguing that. But while we can easily point to outside forces such as our anti-God and I-want-to-do-what-I-want-to-do-when-I-want-to-do-it culture, plenty of negative forces are at work within married people themselves that undermine their unions: Neglect, busyness, laziness, selfishness. Too many people aren’t doing the work they need to do to keep their marriages strong.

So, let’s take a look back at what we learned Sunday as we examined more of Genesis 2 — specifically that God created marriage and four principles we can use to keep them not just alive but thriving.

Principle #1: God created marriage. He designed it for us. And if you believe God created marriage, then doesn’t it stand to reason that we should follow his plan and his design and his instructions for marriage? You’d better believe it.

Principle #2: God designed men and women to be companions. In our previous study in Genesis, we talked about God’s personal touch as he created man — whom he formed from dust like a potter forms clay on a wheel until it’s something beautiful and useful. Indeed, the Lord’s touch is deeply upon his human creation. But when all other possibilities for the man’s companion were exhausted, God got creative again. Verse 22 tells us that while the man slept, the Lord took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

With that, the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” God again was very personal in his creation of the woman — and the word “made” in this context actually means “built,” as in the process of building an altar. A sacred process! And the Lord built the woman to be the perfect complimentary companion for the man — and were designed to fit together not just sexually but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Principle #3: God designed men and women to be united in “one flesh.” Verse 24 reads, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This verse is talking about sex, plain and simple — and God designed it! But most folks look at sex as a biological function that can be reduced down to pleasure. But that’s like changing a lightbulb in the rain. Lightbulbs weren’t designed to operate around water, and the likelihood of getting zapped is quite high. Sex is very much the same way; we can argue until we’re blue in the face that it’s just physical, but God designed as something much more — it’s a spiritual activity. And when we relegate what’s ultimately a spiritual activity to the lesser rung of the physical, we’re messing with God’s system.

The Apostle Paul warns us about this in 1 Corinthians 6 and refers back to Genesis as well: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’”

Sex is actually devotion — a uniting of two spirits with Jesus right there with you. That might sound strange, but it’s true. When he sees a married couple enjoying sex — the context within which he designed it — that pleases him. Just as God stated his creation was “very good,” Jesus says sex in proper context is a wonderful work of creation.

Principle #4: God designed marriage for deep intimacy and closeness. Verse 25 reads, “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Obviously, this verse is saying that neither the man nor the woman was embarrassed to be unclothed around each other — but it’s also saying way deeper things that that. In marriage, we’re also unclothed from our emotions — and our mates are supposed to be so close to us that they know more about us than anyone else. It means husbands and wives accept each other and are there for each other, differences and all.

Maybe you’re telling yourself that these principles don’t describe you — that you’ve been hurt and damaged by others … maybe even as part of a marriage. Well, God is not surprised by your reaction! It’s OK. In fact, the Lord is holding nothing back. In Genesis 3 we’ll discover that this wonderful creation God put together was, in fact, damaged by human beings. Our disobedience brought brokenness into the marriage relationship, into family relationships, and into our relationships with God.

The Good News, however, is that the Lord is in the business of redeeming us and restoring us — all of us, no matter where you think your life is right now, or if you’ve convinced yourself that your life is beyond repair. Maybe you’ve experienced extreme and horrific loss. The Lord knows about it. And he has an eternity’s worth of incredible gifts for you in the midst of that pain and loss that he wants to give you starting today. Count on it.

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Written by Dave Urbanski

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What do we do with the Sabbath day?

As we continued in our study of the Book of Genesis this past Sunday, we read from chapter two, verses one through three, which describes what happened on the seventh day of creation — when God’s work was done:

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

First off, let’s remember that just because the Lord finished his work creating the universe, that doesn’t mean he stopped being creative. In fact, when people accept Jesus into their lives, those also are miracles of creation — for as the Bible says, with new Christians the old has passed away and the new has come. We are new creations in Christ!

But there’s quite a bit of meaning behind God’s decision to rest on the seventh day — and it’s important to remember that he set aside that day of rest for us. For our benefit.

One way we can think about a day of rest is that it’s an opportunity to pause and reflect on what God has done — to look around us and acknowledge, “Wow. God has made a beautiful world.” To pause and count all the blessings the Lord has given to us. To be thankful.

God also gave the Sabbath as one of the many signs of his relationship with his people. Ezekiel 20:12 reads, “Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” God provided other signs of his covenant with us — promises we can count on — from the Lord’s pledge to Abraham that his descendants will outnumber the stars in the sky and that through him all nations will be blessed to the sign of the rainbow so Noah will know that the Lord will never again destroy the earth by a flood.

Remembering and observing the Sabbath also has been a way for God to teach his people who he is — and for us to learn godly qualities such as humility, generosity, and righteousness. But here’s the other side of it — and for many it’s a tough truth to swallow … but oh so important to keep in mind: WE CAN’T DO IT! The reality of God’s laws and requirements for his people is that, in the end, they’re impossible for us to follow perfectly.

But as always, the Lord has a plan. The prophet Jeremiah notes the following:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This promise of a new covenant points directly to Jesus. Instead of an endless cycle of animal sacrifices to cover our sins, Christ became the once and for all sacrifice on our behalf — and because of his work on the cross and resurrection from the tomb, by believing in him God deposits Jesus’ righteousness into our spiritual accounts. We are saved! And the Lord remembers our sin “no more.” No more shame. No more guilt. No more sorrow over the fact that we can’t keep our end of the bargain. When we surrender and hand it all over to Jesus, he welcomes us into God’s family forever.

But what of the Sabbath day when Jesus appears on the scene? What role does it play?

As we know from the Scriptures, when Jesus introduced the new covenant to us, it included some head-turning moments involving the Sabbath. In Luke 6, we see Jesus and his disciples breaking the Sabbath — and Jesus’ response to the Pharisees is that “the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” Wow! That was probably something very new for the Jewish leaders to hear. Jesus also inquired of them on another occasion, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” With that he healed a man, and the Pharisees were not happy — and they plotted to kill him.

But the larger truth Jesus teaches us is that he represents the new way of living. The law — including the Sabbath — is the old way of doing things. Those old ways are still important because they’re part of God’s story, and that story culminates with Jesus — but with Jesus, God has given us something new. Jesus said he didn’t come to abolish the law; rather he came to fulfill it!

It used to be that Israel’s high priest would approach the holiest place in the temple to come before God — but now that Jesus is our high priest, we can come directly to God through him. When Jesus died on the cross, the tabernacle curtain in the temple was torn in two, representing the end of a barrier between us and the Lord. Just a few of the signs of God’s new covenant with us.

In the early church, keeping the law was a HUGE issue among Jewish believers. And understandably so. They built their lives around keeping the Old Testament law — but with Jesus bringing a new covenant, how are they supposed to live day by day? The Apostle Paul was especially attuned to this. In fact, Paul was a Pharisee and an expert in the details of the law. His answer in New Testament was helpful for his brethren and for us today: The old law — including the Sabbath — isn’t necessary to keep anymore. Jesus is the new law. We must follow him now.

And while Christians today generally don’t observe the Sabbath, it’s still important — particularly as the Sabbath, like the rest of the old law, has been fulfilled in Jesus. Christ, in fact, is our Sabbath. Jesus promises us rest if we follow him. He promises us peace as only he can give.

And at this moment in history, rest and peace have been hard to come by. We’re dealing with racial strife, a bitterly divided America, violence in the streets, controversy surrounding a possible new Supreme Court justice, a presidential election that may make the fraught contest of the year 2000 look like a walk in the park — to say nothing about a worldwide pandemic that has taken many lives, many people’s means of employment, and many people’s hope.

In the midst of all that, Jesus still wants to be our Sabbath rest. He still beckons, “Come to me.” And as we heed his call and rely on him, has there ever been a time you’ve experienced when Christ’s invitation may be welcomed by those who don’t yet know him? As you let Jesus be the rest for your soul today, also ask God for opportunities to point others to the rest and peace that only Christ can give.

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Written by Dave Urbanski

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On our first Sunday looking at the first chapter of Genesis — the first day of creation — we discovered that the magnificence of creation itself cries out, “Worship me!” But who is me? Of course, we know “me” is our Lord Jesus Christ, the author of all creation — but still many people actually worship creation itself rather than the One who brought it all into existence. The bottom line: Every day we have a choice to make … will we worship creation or the Creator? Will we put “things” at the top of our lists … or the Person who made all those things possible?

This past Sunday we looked at the next few days recounted in Genesis 1 and learned more about God’s creative process — and his unfathomable power to hold together everything he’s created. And what should encourage all of is that if the Lord can bring the universe into existence and keep it all functioning, doesn’t it make sense that he has the ability to bring about amazing, wonderful things in each of our lives?

Verses 6 through 8 read: “And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.”

Let’s look again at some science that underscores the detail God used in his creative process. When we consider what makes up our atmosphere, we probably first think of oxygen. True enough! But the fact is that it’s only 21 percent oxygen — the rest is mostly nitrogen. But if more oxygen took up our atmosphere, things on earth would tend to burn up or blow up — and catastrophic regularity. Not fun! And you know what else our atmosphere does? Working with gravity it presses down and keeps water upon our oceans, lakes, and streams. And who wants to live on a planet where we can’t access water because it can’t stay put? And furthermore, according to our human perspective the atmosphere is pretty huge — about 60 miles wide. That’s quite a vertical haul into the sky, especially considering most commercial planes only ascend about five miles up! But did you know that in the much larger, cosmic perspective, if the earth were the size of an apple, our atmosphere would only be the thickness of an apple skin — which is pretty thin! Yet that’s all that separates us from the uninhabitable environment beyond our atmosphere. OK, let’s review: God created our atmosphere — which in the cosmic perspective is just a tiny sliver of thickness — with just the right amount of oxygen and with just the right amount of size to press down and keep water on the planet for us.

God holds all things together.

And speaking of water, verses 9 and 10 say, “And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.” We can’t have life without oxygen, and we can’t have life without water, either. Besides the obvious — drinking water sustains us — the Lord also built some amazing properties into that water we drink. Did you know that because water freezes from the top down instead from the bottom up, ice forms over lakes and provides insulation so that fish can survive in the winter?

Continuing in verses 11 through 13: “And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.”

The Lord saw to it that his creation of vegetation — which is sustained because of God’s initial creation of our atmosphere and water and the nutrients in the earth’s soil — is strategic. Vegetation also has the ability to reproduce itself. (You see where this is headed, don’t you?) God has it all figured out and is putting all the pieces together as he’s painting his masterpiece.

Want some more hard facts? There’s a principle in mathematics called the Fibonacci Sequence. It’s a series of numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 — and on to infinity. The key is that each number is the sum of the previous two. But what’s really cool is how the Fibonacci Sequence is seen in nature. According to eniscuola.net, we can see the sequence in flower petals: “Most have three (like lilies and irises), five (parnassia, rose hips) or eight (cosmea), 13 (some daisies), 21 (chicory), 34, 55 or 89 (asteraceae).” And further, if we observe flowering plants, they tend to follow a spiraling pattern that’s related to the Fibonacci Sequence. It’s remarkable how much of the Lord’s creation has his very fingerprint on it.

God holds all things together.

Then the fourth day came — verses 14 through 19: “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. And God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night — and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.”

The moon is just the right size and just the right distance away from us to create the ocean tides. It’s our closest neighbor; at a bit over 300,000 miles away we can get to it with rockets in a few days. The sun, however, is quite a bit farther away: 93 million miles. Not that we’d ever want to travel anywhere close to it, but the sun sits in space at just the distance from our planet to provide us with the correct amount of heat and light so that we can survive. The stars God created are uncountable as far as our abilities go, and they’re far away. The closest star to us after the sun is four light years away, meaning that we’d have to travel at the speed of light — 80,000 miles per second — for four years straight to get to it. Unfathomable!

Oh, and another word about the Fibonacci Sequence: Not only can we can see its spiral pattern in something as tiny as a flower, but also we can observe it in something as huge as the Milky Way — and in other galaxies and celestial bodies. Again, God’s fingerprint.

And yet, God made it all in a day. With the wave of his hand, by the command of his voice, he brought it all into existence.

Our study together on Sunday concluded with verses 20 through 22: “And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.’ So, God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’”

The first chapter of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians reminds us of Jesus’ creative power — and the grip he has on us: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

God holds all things together.

As we’ve seen from our study, it doesn’t matter how large or how small — God created all of it, and he holds it all together for us. And what that also means is that Jesus can do just as many miraculous things in our lives. He reminded us in the Gospels that God clothed the lilies of the fields with such splendor — and will do much more for us!

So, if you’re feeling weak today or under heavy burdens, give it all to Christ. He who created the microscopic, intricate patterns found in flowering plants and in the massive Milky Way and brought it all into existence can create new life in us — today. Cast your cares upon him. He loves you — and is already holding everything together for you!

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Written by Dave Urbanski.

This past Sunday we completed our study of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians — and it’s amazing to consider that when we began it months ago, we also commenced life with the rest of the world in dealing with the coronavirus and were unable for the first time to meet together as a body of believers.

Fittingly, however, 1 Thessalonians has provided us with many insights on how to deal with challenges — and is that not what we’ve all faced for the last several months, in one way or another?

On that note, here are the last two verses we’ll examine in detail from the very first book of the Bible the Apostle Paul ever wrote (chapter 5, verses 23 and 24): “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

Would you believe that God actually wants to give us rest and not more work or yet another list of things to do? That’s part of what the Lord means when Paul prays that God will sanctify us completely. In a way our heavenly Father wants us to take a kind of vacation so he can peel off — spiritually speaking — all the things that entangle us in this life.

So … how are you doing today? If you’re tired due to what our world has handed you lately, you’re not alone. There is weariness everywhere. But God really does want to give us rest — but he doesn’t mean the absence of conflict or challenges; rather the Lord means peace and strength and energy in the midst of difficulties.

Now here are a few other important points: Who do you imagine is doing the sanctifying in you? Well, of course God is behind it. The “God of peace,” in fact. And our passage says the Lord “will surely do it.” What a promise that is — one we can count on! But at the same time, it’s crucial to keep in mind that we also need to come to God in this process — not just be passive about it.

And the Scriptures also say that God will do the sanctifying in us “completely.” It’s fair to say that such a word means not just in our spirits and souls, but also in our bodies, minds, and emotions — through and through, truly rested holistically. But it’s no surprise that we would need such a reminder, as we tend to divide ourselves up into separate compartments: If we’re feeling physically ill, we see a doctor; if our minds or emotions are bothering us, we may see a counselor; and if we’re feeling spiritually out of sorts, we may visit a pastor for advice.

But God wants to be all of those things to us!

The Weary Test

As we came to the end of our study of 1 Thessalonians, we also took some extended time to examine chapter 5, verses 12 through 22 — a look at various characteristics that Christians share. Of course we’ve been through these points recently, so they already may be fresh in your mind; but here’s something to do right now: Read through this list, and ask yourself if you need work in any of these areas … and then ask God to guide you the rest of the way so you can actively move toward him. Let’s get started:

1. Are you gaining as much as you can from the authorities in your life? (1 Thessalonians 5:12) Would you believe that in addition to what we owe to authorities, they in turn can give a lot to us? It’s true … so take advantage of that!
2. Are you able to practice peace on a daily basis? (5:13) Remember that Jesus said to come to him, and he will give us rest. (Did you catch that? Getting rest from Jesus is an active process — we come to him; he doesn’t necessarily just toss rest upon us if we don’t ask for it!)
3. Do you feel confident to help other people deal with their issues? (5:14) Relationships can be tiresome! But God wants us to do something to address those challenges — and perhaps that means when we give our patience to others, we will get it in return. Consider this another instrument to add to your relational toolbox.
4. Are you pursuing goodness? (5:15) If we continue to harbor a justice mentality — or worse, repay evil for evil — we’re never going to be at peace in our lives. So, the next time you’re in traffic and someone cuts you off, why not give that driver the benefit of the doubt? In so doing, you can do away with anxiety and tension so you can be freed up to focus on doing good in Jesus’ name.
5. Is your joy level high? (5:16) It’s important for us as believers to be able to see God’s joy — and it’s not close to the same thing as happiness. Joy can come to us in all situations; even during hardships. Ask the Lord to help you sense his joy; it’s one of the many things he’s waiting to give to you!
6. Are you accessing God’s grace each day? (5:17) The Bible says we must pray without ceasing, and that God knows the answers to our prayers even before we ask him. But again, we have a part in it: To access God’s grace means we must reach out for it; in fact, that’s part of the Lord’s amazing love relationship with us — he’s thrilled when we come to him! And he’s just waiting for us to access all the riches at his disposal and ask him to help us; and remember … we must ask BIG!
7. Are you experiencing a lot of gratitude? (5:18) We must give thanks in all circumstances; as we’ve learned, the act of gratitude is recognized by medical professionals the world over as a vital component of excellent mental health — clearly God was on to something here!
8. Are you unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? (5:19) “Do not quench the Holy Spirit,” the Scriptures say. So often we’re so busy doing other things that we regularly push away the promptings of the Holy Spirit; but even if that has defined us to date, that doesn’t mean we’re destined to continue like that. So, let’s get busy and start responding to what the Spirit is telling us every day. And again, all of us have the power to unleash (or quench) the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives: it’s all up to us.
9. Are you hearing God speak? (5:20) The Bible says that we should not despise prophecies but test everything we observe and hear. That takes practice! And if we’re out of practice, all we need to do — and boy is this becoming a theme — is ask God to help us do so. Seriously, why wouldn’t our Lord — who longs to spend time with us — give us the power to hear him speak to you and me?
10. Can you tell the difference between what’s good — and what looks good but is really bad? Why would we look at two similar plates of food but decide to eat the dish containing maggots? It’s our sin nature, unfortunately, along with our world’s system that deftly sells such meals to us. But it’s our job to hold on to what is good — and determine the difference between good and bad.

And now as we conclude 1 Thessalonians, let’s look at Paul’s final words that come after verses 23 and 24: “Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

We know what Paul means by a “holy kiss.” It’s a sign of being connected with each other in the spirit of Christ; something we long for today as our separation continues. Next, Paul wanting this letter read to all those in the Thessalonian church reflects a confidence and hope in their spiritual progress — which we can apply to our own lives as he and all the saints cheer us on.

And of course, we all need the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” to be with us — every day. It’s what will give us vitality instead of weariness in a world that battles against that minute by minute. Surely, we need the Lord every day — but we must do our part and reach out to him!

Therefore, let us all take hold of what Jesus so desperately wants to give each of us. And without delay.

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Written by Dave Urbanski.

As we begin to wrap up our journey through 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 12 through 22, and discover what characterizes us as believers in Jesus, this past Sunday we looked at verses 20 and 21: “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”

So, let’s take a look by going to the Scriptures and seeing what they have to say about prophecies.

First off, prophecies are found throughout the Bible. Arguably the most well-known prophecies are the ones that foretell the coming of Jesus and his saving work on the cross. But not all prophecies necessarily discuss the future. Prophecies can be a declaration of God’s word that’s relevant to a personal situation.

And indeed, the Lord speaks to us through his word. We know that Scripture is like a sword that cuts through our own thoughts and intentions so we can hear the heart of God speaking to us — and that’s when good things can happen.

But prophecies also can be God speaking to us in relevant ways through other people — such as preachers, friends, spouses, and family members. All of us can offer prophecies — you don’t have to hold the office of “prophet” to do so. For an example that’s relevant to all of us, what we experienced on Sunday when Pastor Scott declared to us God’s word and shared what his study of the Scriptures taught him over the previous week was a prophecy. We must dispense with the notion that prophecies are only dramatic moments when the Holy Spirit comes over someone and inspires a “prophetic word”; that’s actually not the norm. It’s more common that a friend during a Bible study mentions an insight that speaks powerfully to us — that’s also a prophecy.

Prophecy can be words of affirmation — for example, when others speak God’s word into our lives and help us if we’re feeling worthless and missing the truth about how much God loves us. God can use all of us to pass on his grace to others. What is God teaching you today? Maybe the Lord will use what he’s teaching you to speak to others and help them with whatever they may be experiencing or struggling with. And then perhaps that will cause others to think more about how God is speaking to them. In these cases, prophecies can be very important in our lives — and we must take to heart what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5: 20 “Do not despise prophecies.”

Then there’s the second part of the Scripture we looked at on Sunday: “But test everything.”

Of course, we must always evaluate prophecies to make sure they are in line with God’s word. We may run into situations when others give their opinions with regard to our lives — whether it’s about buying a new car, taking on a new job, or what to do about a relationship — and human opinions aren’t always correct! Sometimes we use God’s word to support our own ideas. That’s why we always must test what we hear others say and ask, “Is this from God or not?”

Because in the end, the standard is always God’s word. Which of course underscores the importance that we know God’s word and how to study it — and figure out what God is saying through Scripture. And most definitely not “what Scripture means to me.”

Listen to the sermon here:

God has created in us the need to attend worship services together. In times like this, gathering together can help us regain our sanity. There’s just something about being together that calms us down, makes us feel connected and whole, and simply allows us to breathe again.

Research shows that people who regularly attend church report stronger social support networks and less depression. They smoke less and lead healthier and even longer lives. In a very real and physical way, church is actually good for your health.

Here are some benefits you’ll experience by attending church with others:

1. You will connect with God. Entering a house of worship, whether it’s a school, or a barn, or a traditional building you are instantly elevated to a sense of opening up to God and trying to understand His message. The simple act of walking in the door to be with God’s people brings you closer to Him.
2. You will experience gratitude. By practicing gratitude, you can reframe negative or frustrating situations into learning opportunities. Gratitude helps you to realize how blessed you are. Attending church can help you open your hearts and eyes to see the things you have.
3. You will be connected socially. Social distancing wears on a person. At church you find friendly people and you actually make and strengthen good friendships.
4. Your family is strengthened. Families who attend church together report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction with life. Why? Church reconnects you to your shared beliefs. When you commune with God at church on Sundays, you’re reminded of your pledge in marriage and your brother-sister connection is reinforced even with your children.
5. You will feel reverence. When you attend church, you’re transported to a place of worship and peace.  It gives you a space to pray and to express humility and gratitude. It allows you to feel at peace and gives you respite from the hustle and bustle of your daily life.
6. You will have an opportunity to give back. Church offers an opportunity to donate your time and money to causes you believe in. You can also help out through interaction to share God’s grace and love with others.
7. You will discover the lessons in your trials. How many times have you been struggling in a particular area and found that the sermon or message applied directly to your situation? Church helps us “get it,” whether we are ready for it or not.
8. You will learn and practice forgiveness. It can be hard to let go of disappointments, frustrations and annoyances. There’s no better place to be reminded of the gift of forgiveness that we’ve already received than by going to church, and your heart can’t help but be softened in the process.
9. You will experience refreshment through worship. There’s something special about worshiping together. Participating in hymns and spiritual songs uplifts you and gives you messages you might not otherwise hear. It’s amazing how open your heart can become through worship, and how sometimes, even the weight of the world can be lifted off your shoulders the moment that first song begins to play.
10. You will find deeper meaning in life. When you go to church, you’re given a greater sense of purpose and meaning. You can see the history of what has led us up to this point, and the promise that lies in our future even beyond this world. Church helps you revisit the larger narrative of life and the reasons to hold on and keep the faith.

(These 10 ideas were adapted from an article written by Ruth Soukup and can be found at livingwellspendingless.com)

Written by Dave Urbanski

This past Sunday we talked about the rapture.

One of the first things we covered is the fact that the word rapture doesn’t appear in the Bible. But that’s OK. The word trinity doesn’t appear in Scripture, either, but that doesn’t diminish the complete legitimacy of the trinitarian nature of God when it comes to our faith as Christians.

We also looked at what the word means. Rapture communicates the idea of being “snatched away” without warning — in the same way a thief comes in the night and suddenly takes away what he wants, and you never knew what hit you. That’s what the rapture of the church will be like. Suddenly. Instantaneously. No emergency broadcast system. (Sounds pretty exciting so far, doesn’t it?)

Then there’s the how. How will the rapture happen? Well, Paul tells his readers in 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 15 through 17, the following process. First, Jesus himself will descend from heaven with a “cry of command.” If you recall the gospel account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the tomb, he literally gave an order to his deceased friend to “come forth.” And with that, Lazarus — dead as dead can be — walked out the tomb. That’s what Jesus will do when he comes for the church in the rapture. And what will his command produce? Well, all the Christians we’ve known who’ve died (and those we’ve never known) will rise first. And what about believers who are alive when the Lord comes back? This is the exciting part, assuming we’re alive when it happens: We’ll be “caught up together” with the now formerly dead in Christ “in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

Given all the strife and worry and disease and fighting and killing and hatred going on in our world at this very moment — and turned up to an intensity few, if any, of us have ever known — wouldn’t it be glorious to suddenly leave all our troubles behind and be with Jesus forever? It without a doubt will be the most amazing thing to ever happen on earth, save for Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead and ascension into Heaven. And some of us, someday, may get to experience it.

Another way to understand the rapture is the biblical account of Jesus’ last moments on earth, which took place a good month or so after he rose from the dead. In the book of Acts, we’re told the disciples asked Jesus when he would come again, and his reply was that no one knows the hour or the day. It’s a hidden entry on God’s calendar, and one of our only tasks is to live each day as if “this will be the day.” Even more clues about the rapture came when Jesus was blessing his followers on the mountain amid that Acts passage — and he was taken from them into the air and covered by clouds. Boom! Gone. What an indescribable sight that must have been. But then two man dressed in white — angels — appeared and asked why they were staring into the sky — and that Jesus would return one day in the same way he departed from them. (So, if you’re wondering what it will look like when the Lord himself descends with a word of command, we might want to consider what Scripture says about his ascension.)

Our passage in 1 Thessalonians also tells us that as a church we should “encourage one another with these words.” Indeed, beyond all our present troubles, the promise this passage brings is the best kind — especially for those of us who’ve lost loved ones in the Lord. The rapture means we’ll get to see once again those we’ve lost to death. And all of us together will be with the Lord — always. Which also explains the early part of the passage which says we should “not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

Paul continues with his discussion of the rapture in chapter 5 and gives yet another clue — that when people are feeling full of “peace and security,” a “sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Ouch. That is a sobering truth to digest. But fortunately, as believers in Jesus, we can put on the “breastplate of faith and love” and the helmet of “the hope of salvation.” We have nothing to fear, as “God has not destined us for wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”

So, let us live like the rapture could arrive at any second. Indeed, it could happen right now — exactly at the moment you read these words — but also let us live without distractions. Let us live the truth that we all have purposes in Jesus moving forward — right now — that can be marked by our witness and spread of the gospel.

Get ready to fly.

Listen to the sermon here:

Written by Dave Urbanski

In our continuing study through Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church, we find the apostle in chapter 4 getting down to the nitty gritty of what it means to live the Christian life — particularly for those who are brand-new believers, as those in the Thessalonian church were.

The first phrase to notice in verse 1 is “how you ought to walk.” And the Greek word for “walk” here and throughout the Bible means how we live — our conduct. For Christians our walks aren’t about lists of dos and don’ts that we live by legalistically and then cross off to determine how well we’re living; it’s about freeing ourselves up — leaving our sin behind — to be completely on the cutting edge of availability in service to God.

There’s a sense of mission in how we walk — how we live — as Christians. And Paul reminds his brothers and sisters in that he’s already gotten them started on exactly how since they “received” (verse 1) such instruction from him already. Much like the Israelites who “received” the Law and the Ten Commandments from the Lord in the Old Testament, when we “received” Christ into our lives — as the Thessalonians did — it signaled the beginning of forward movement. The start of a walk. The opening up of our hearts to Jesus and trusting him — as verse 1 says, “more and more” each day. And that pleases God.

And on that note, exactly how else do we please God? On Sunday we discussed several examples in the Scriptures outside Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians: First, we must have faith (Hebrews 11:6). Second, we must be spiritually minded (Romans 8:6-8). Third, we must fear God (Psalm 147:11). Fourth, we must follow Christ’s example (Matthew 17:5). Fifth, we must obey God (1 Samuel 15:22). Sixth, we must give God the sacrifices he wants (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Now here comes Paul’s first point in our passage: Our sanctification is God’s will for us (verse 3). And what does sanctification mean? Well, as you might expect, it’s literally the essence of our Christian walk. It’s the process of becoming holy. It’s not having reached it or mastered it — it’s about the journey, the movement forward. And while that certainly means change, it’s something all of us can do and should embrace.

What’s Paul’s next point in verse 3? “That you abstain from sexual immorality.” Pretty straightforward. When it comes to sexual purity, God wants to be right in the midst of our efforts in this area. In other words, since sexuality and purity are big and powerful issues in all of our lives, the Lord wants all the more to help us. And part of that happens when we’re being sensitive to God’s leading and instruction — because if we’re not, and we blow off God’s voice, we very well may veer into the carnal, the worldly ways of “anything goes” sexuality. But if we’re listening for God’s leading and desiring to follow him, God will empower us to grow and become strong in the area of sexuality.

Holiness sometimes can be a difficult concept to completely understand. Of course, walking in holiness pleases God — and that’s always a good enough reason to keep our steps going in that direction. However, the Lord himself says that walking in holiness also is “for our own good.” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13) Holiness is also for you and for me. What a gift!

So, as we journey on our walks, remember that even when we trip and fall, we can get up. If we become out of step with God, we can listen to his voice, make an adjustment, and get back in rhythm with the Lord. Because the Christian life lived to the hilt, to ultimate, is an epic journey, an adventure to end all adventures — but if we’re not seeking after holiness on our walks, we miss the most amazing stuff the Lord has for us. And by all means, don’t miss it.

“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”—1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

Listen to the sermon here:

Join us for this special testimony of Don Brien. One year ago his son Caleb took is life. Today Don will share how God has worked in and continues to work in his heart. Watch Don on Facebook live by clicking on the image above.

Our series on 1 Thessalonians — titled “Real Christians in Challenging Times” — had been planned for a quite a while before we finally began it a few weeks ago.

But who could have known that when we started it, our church — and our world — would begin battling a pandemic that has closed schools and businesses? That has put millions out of work? That has overwhelmed doctors and nurses? That has struck fear in hearts and minds? That has forced friends, family members, and coworkers to stay separated from each other?

It is indeed a challenging time. But it’s also an exciting time to be part of God’s plan for the planet. And we’ve been learning through our study of 1 Thessalonians that the Lord has given his sons and daughters in Christ many resources to deal with life’s challenges.

This past Sunday we looked at seven verses in chapter two. And at this stage of state-mandated social distancing measures — which have been in effect for a little over a month — we can all relate the Apostle Paul’s longing to be with his brothers and sisters in the church at Thessalonica. Check out what he writes in verse 17: ^“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face.”

Wow! We at Calvary Chapel Living Hope sure can relate to Paul’s longing. We were torn away from each other by the coronavirus — and we certainly want to be together again and see each other face to face. Paul’s term “torn away” in fact implies the idea of being orphaned. (It can feel like that sometimes, can’t it?) But he also uses the word “heart” — and we know that just as Paul couldn’t see his church family, he still shared a heart connection to them that’s beyond flesh and blood presence. And we have a heart connection with each other just like that!

And keep this unexpected blessing in mind too: Since we’ve started “virtual” small groups which meet online, we have more people in them than we had before the pandemic hit! Something else to consider: Before this crisis happened, a survey came out saying that 72% of people feel lonely. Can you imagine what those people who don’t have a church home are feeling right now? Where do they go for support? Where do they go to safely be vulnerable? Where do they go when they need prayer? Let us keep them in mind and in heart as we move forward to stay connected as a church body, even though we can’t be together in person.

In verse 13, Paul writes: “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” Let’s look at the word “received.” The idea here is the same as when Jesus in Gospels tells his listeners that whoever welcomes one of these children welcomes him. It’s that kind of welcoming in and taking to heart, just as if you’re caring for a little boy or girl. That’s the degree to which the Thessalonians received the power of God’s word in their lives!

And God’s word is also “at work” in them. Which means that, just like the Thessalonians, God through his word empowers us and encourages us, especially when we’re frustrated or need energy to complete a task the Lord has given us to accomplish.

We’ve indeed covered a few more resources in this passage: First, our connectedness to each other; second, God’s word at work in our lives. And there is a third resource: Sharing the gospel with others. What does sharing the gospel mean to you? What has your experience been when you’ve tried it? It’s not always easy to do, that’s for sure. We’re treading on very personal ground with others since it means more or less telling them there’s sin in their lives (like there’s sin in everybody’s life), and they have an eternal need: Jesus.

And how many times have you heard non-Christians declare that they don’t need Christ in their lives? That they’re happy with the way things are? Well, remember — that may be true! God’s “common grace” falls upon everybody to one degree or another, and people who’ve been rejecting God still may be the recipients of his grace and mercy. It can be quite a concept for Christians to wrap their heads around, too, because seeing others living apparently happy lives without God can make our gospel efforts seem pointless. But take heart — they’re not! One of the biggest misunderstandings about the gospel is that it’s supposed to make us “happy.” Not true! The gospel is supposed to save us and launch us into an amazing relationship with God — one that certainly may take us to great heights of happiness … but also through dark times when we suffer, emotionally and physically. The gospel of Jesus rescues us from sin that would kill us eternally. It’s not built to make us temporally or materially “happy.”

When you’re faced with the other common misconception about the gospel — that God looks at our lives with a scale and determines that if we’ve done more good things than bad, he welcomes us into heaven — remember that’s also not true. Not even the person who’s done the most “good” things in life is worthy of heaven because everyone is still stained by sin. And Christ is the only one who can clean that sin from our lives as we put our trust in his finished work on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Keep that in mind as you share the gospel with others.

And there’s one more thing we can examine from this passage. In verse 18, Paul tells the Thessalonians that Satan “hindered” him from coming to them. So, who is Satan, and what does he do? For starters, he’s a liar, an accuser, a tempter — and yes, a hinderer. He puts roadblocks in front of our best efforts so that hopefully (in his mind) our thoughts will stray from God and hurt our faith in him. But remember: Whatever hinderances or roadblocks Satan puts in front of us, God still wants to empower us — and to remember that when all is said and done, Satan will never destroy the church. Jesus said so. No amount of political unrest or persecution — and not even the coronavirus — will prevent the church from moving forward.

Consider what Satan and his angels may have realized after the pandemic forced churches to stop meeting in person around the world: Sure, all the churches may be empty … but instead churches opened up in every home. Nothing will ever stop or destroy Christ’s church. Count on it.

Written by Dave Urbanski

Entering the Living Room of God

What do imagine the living room of God looks like? Or better yet, feels like? Could it be that it feels like the very best experiences we’ve ever had with friends and family over the years — times infinity? Every loving hug from your parents. Every birthday celebration. Every Christmas morning opening presents. All in the brightest technicolor you’ve ever seen — and your heart is full to overflowing, forever.

With that in mind, the passage we covered this past Sunday — 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 — is full of family metaphors. We find the Apostle Paul relating to the church in Thessalonica like a dad and a brother — and even as a mother! His words have great implications and applications to our own lives and in the life of our church. Let’s take a look once again.

In verse 7, Paul tells the Thessalonians he treated them with gentleness, like a “nursing mother taking care of her own children.” This reflects a sense of warmth and the act of cherishing others — the same way Jesus cherishes us. Verse 8 talks about Paul’s affection for the Thessalonians — so great that he and his coworkers were ready to share with them “not only the gospel of God” but also their own lives since the fledgling church “had become very dear” to them. That kind of love is reflected an agape love that we at Calvary Chapel Living Hope should have for one another — which always sees the value in others.

In verse 9, Paul calls the Thessalonians “brothers” and reminds them how hard he worked on their behalf; not differently than a family member — especially parents — will go to any lengths for relatives. And in verse 10, Paul says his conduct was “holy and righteous and blameless” — which is what Christians should be able to count from each other on as we live life together.

Finally verses 11 and 12 show Paul saying, “like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” We don’t come to church just to get something; we come together with a sense of mission as we serve, encourage, and care for each other.

Clearly, we believers in Jesus are connected to each other as a family — and it’s with this family that we all enter the living room of God. And while we have connections to each other individually as well as in earthly family units, all of us also are connected to God — who provides our ultimate example of love.

As we concluded Sunday’s service, we looked at seven attributes of God that reminded us not only of who he is but also about what he gives to us:

1. God is loving. When it comes to entering God’s living room, often we want to move on — but believe it or not, God wants us to move in. God is inviting us in because he loves us!
2. God is gentle. Gentleness is not a synonym for weakness; rather God uses gentleness as a strength in our lives.
3. God is righteous. Perhaps you’re thinking right now that you are unworthy to enter God’s living room because you don’t measure up to God’s righteousness. Well, it’s true. None of us measures up; but it’s not true that you’re unworthy — only because of Christ’s righteousness can we enter God’s living room with boldness and confidence. And now that we trust in Jesus, and he lives in our hearts, God no longer looks at our sin. All he sees is Jesus’ perfect life and sacrifice.
4. God works hard. In our day-to-day lives we tend to focus on the work we’re doing — but God is looking at the work he’s doing in us.
5. God encourages us. We’re the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is our comforter and encourager — and who is with us always.
6. God comforts us. In the Gospels, Jesus once said, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Do you believe that God does nothing but demand things of us? Well, it’s not true. More than anything God just wants to be with us — and for us to spend time with him. And that can be done by coming before God’s presence with the simple expectation that he will give us rest and comfort — and that we can experience that with him.
7. God points the way. The Bible says the only way into this amazing living room of God is through Jesus Christ. And if you haven’t let Jesus be that entryway yet, you can ask him to be your Lord and Savior right now.

Amid the heightened challenges we’ve been facing, amid the social distancing that’s made it impossible for us to be in the same room as a church, all of us nevertheless can still look to God and come into his living room together. We don’t need a physical building for that, and we don’t need to be in the same physical space, either. Let us instead thank the Lord for the challenge he’s placed before us in this strange but exciting time, let God lead us to connect with each other in every way we can, and encourage each other with words from 1 Thessalonians 2:8: “Being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

See the sermon video here:

Written by Dave Urbanski

What does spiritual vitality look like in our lives?

The theme we’re examining as we go through 1 Thessalonians as a church is “Being Real Christians in Challenging Times.” It’s not hard to figure out how such a theme applies to all of us right now, is it?

On Sunday we continued our journey through the very first book of the Bible the Apostle Paul wrote and got into verses 5 through 10 of chapter 1. Starting off we’re introduced to the idea of being “imitators” and “examples.” Verses 6 and 7 say, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”

If we’re serious about living out our Christian faith, we will look at those around us we can imitate or take after. Particularly in the first-century church, persecution and danger lurked everywhere for believers in Christ — and naturally they had to have been asking themselves, “How do we live under pressure as believers?” Well, one of the best ways to do so — then and now — is to be a good imitator. But here’s the other side of that coin: Once we become imitators and have a grasp of how the Christian life should be lived, we then become examples. In this circle of the spiritual life, we who’ve been blessed with instruction and understanding must do the same thing for others coming after us!

Further, the importance of spiritual vitality shines through the passage as we see four related traits of believers: They are centered on others, they are Bible powered, and they endure under pressure and exhibit supernatural joy. Let’s look at those traits.

In verse 5 Paul tells the Thessalonians that he and his companions came to them for their sake. That’s what it means to be centered on others. In times of crisis and persecution, many people focus on themselves — but as believers in Jesus, we’re called to look out for the needs of others as more important than our own. So, if you’re feeling pressure from outside forces today, it’s time to get into God’s word and see the best path to relief from anxiety — especially during a crisis like COVID-19 — is to reach out to others who may be in need.

In verse 8 we read that “the word of the Lord sounded forth from” the Thessalonian church. What a tribute to the young church from the Apostle Paul! He recognized that his flock was all about the business of “echoing out” the Good News of the gospel. And one incredibly important thing to remember — particularly now when any number of people you know are looking for answers — is that more than likely you are the gospel, and people see the gospel in you. Long before they crack open a Bible! That’s a sobering but exhilarating idea.

Following that same thought in verse 9, we find Paul looking into the pasts of believers who — like most people of their time and place — worshiped idols made of stone, wood, or metal instead of the true God. But do idols have to be things we can touch? Of course not. For us, idols are anything we worship or bow down to. How does such a definition impact your own life? Well, is your idol the stock market, your personal financial security, your health? Thing is, the stock market — for all the power it’s been exuding lately — has been in free fall and is incredibly unstable at the moment. There are so many things we can’t control — but we do know the Lord is the one who’s in control of all things. And that has to be part of our communication of the gospel.

Finally verse 10 says we’re to wait for Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. We learned Sunday that the Greek word for the verb “to wait” takes on the meaning of to “remain up.” Interestingly last week we talked about having steadfast hope — and the Greek meaning for that idea is to “remain under.” In this latest passage, we see that the idea of “remain up” is closely related to our lives not being bound to earthly things since we’re waiting for Jesus, the Son, to come back from Heaven. These days people are waiting for a lot of things besides Jesus Christ: They’re waiting to start socializing again, they’re waiting for the COVID-19 infection rate to reduce, they’re waiting for their kids to go back to school and for the economy to improve — all very important things. But as Christians we have supernatural joy about what Jesus is going to do in our lives whether there’s a deadly virus going around the world or not. And we always should wait on Jesus to deliver us as we “remain up” in our worship of him.

Listen to the sermon here:

Written by Dave Urbanski

The coronavirus suddenly has affected every one of us. And not just at Calvary Chapel Living Hope, but in every church across America and across the globe. And at this time when the earthly foundations of our everyday lives begin to buckle under, each of us must ask ourselves, “What empowers you to keep going in life?”

The passage in our brand-new series we covered on Sunday in 1 Thessalonians answers that question.

One of the interesting aspects of this book of the Bible is that it’s the very first letter the Apostle Paul wrote. He did so after a series of journeys and escapes from persecution, and one of the spots he landed in — for a mere four weeks — was Thessalonica in Greece. After his stay, Paul was in Corinth for over a year, waiting for his companions Silas and Timothy to bring him news of how the churches they planted were doing. Finally, Paul’s friends showed up — and brought him amazing news: The church in Thessalonica was flourishing! With that, Paul put pen to parchment and sent his fellow believers an inspiring, encouraging message.

Paul writes in verse 2, “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.” That gets to the very heart of what we’re looking at today: What empowers us to keep going is life is God’s power. This gospel power through prayer enables each of us to grasp God’s supernatural strength so it can be unleashed in our lives.

Verse 3 continues, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Faith. Love. Hope.

Let’s look at faith first. Paul doesn’t mean merely a belief system. Real faith goes beyond that; it’s as an active, living force in our lives — and we need that kind of faith, because we don’t have enough of it on our own. It’s the kind of faith from God during dark times. Through anxieties. Through hardships. Through job losses. Through divorce and loss of friendships. Through death and through disease. Exercising that real faith means taking bigger and bigger steps toward God each day, even when the path appears too daunting. Because with God, all things are possible! And when we’re faced with what seems impossible, we need to move forward and give it all over to God. Note to self: Get more faith.

Now let’s look at love. Of course, we’re talking about agape love — the love associated with God’s unconditional love for us. But like faith, this kind of love is more than a feeling or an emotion; it’s a power God grants us so it can be used. So we can put it into action. Love must be our motivation, each day. We must act not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others. Note to self: Get more love.

Finally let’s examine hope. The Greek word for hope means to “remain under.” And Paul spells it out so well, telling the Thessalonians that their endurance (or steadfastness) was “inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Think about that: When you consider the struggle to just get through the day, to deal with school closings, and curfews, and reports of the coronavirus spreading deeper into our communities — that all takes endurance and steadfastness. And where does such strength come from? Hope that God has given us!

God is working in all of our lives right now. He’s been there in the good times, and now for all of us, this is a bad time. But he’s here all the same. God allows us to live in challenging situations in order to stretch us. We don’t merely agree with a belief system, we don’t merely feel love, and we don’t sense hope like it’s 50-50 proposition and we’re crossing our fingers and we’re “hoping for the best.” No. Faith, love, and hope from God is rock solid. And with those powers inside of us, God wants to do incredible, supernatural things in our lives. Let us believe on that as we move forward in these days to come.

Listen to the sermon here:

Written by Dave Urbanski

What does it mean to be committed to the Lord?

That’s the question we’ve been exploring over the last couple of weeks in our study of Nehemiah. We’ve been encountering the Israelites rediscovering their spiritual lives and declaring they want to make changes and be committed to God.

We initially looked at how they learned to be obedient to the Lord — the first commitment. Then we looked at valuing and raising up the marriage relationship — the second commitment.

Then this past Sunday we investigated how to operate in our business and financial lives — and it comes from this verse in Nehemiah 10:31: “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.”

Let’s first look at the relationship between the Old Testament and New Testament. As believers in Christ, we’re not under the Law as the Israelites were in Nehemiah. But the Old Testament nevertheless contains valuable principles we can apply to our lives today.

The Jews honored and celebrated the Sabbath. As Christians, we do not. But why? The answer has to do with covenants God set up between himself and his people in the Old Testament. There was God’s “rainbow” promise to Noah that no more floods will cover the Earth; there was God’s promise to Abraham that all nations of world would be blessed through him, which extended all the way through to Christ. Then there were the covenants of circumcision and keeping the Sabbath day to set apart the Israelites. And then we find the prophecy in Jeremiah 31, in which God tells the Israelites that he will write the Law on their hearts — a sign of a new covenant to come in Jesus.

With the coming of Christ, there’s a shift from the Law to grace. There will be no more temple sacrifices needed — Jesus made one sacrifice on the cross for all and for all time. Through Christ’s covenant, we are now the temple where the Holy Spirit lives, giving us the closest possible relationship with the Lord. As for the Sabbath day and keeping it holy, as believers in Jesus, he instead gives us the rest we need, and we’re no longer required to keep the Sabbath day.

So, what do we do with a passage like Nehemiah 10:31, where we find the Israelites declaring they won’t do business on the Sabbath day? Well, the idea of Sabbath-like rest is still very valuable — and can apply to how we go about our financial lives. And namely it’s about Who is ultimately in control: God! If the Lord is responsible for our livelihoods, then we will be trusting him and letting him impact the way we work at our jobs and businesses. Do you bring your work home all the time? Do you labor 24/7? Is your mind constantly on money — how much is coming in, how much is going out? Where does God fit into all of that? By finding time to rest from our labors, we’re saying to God, “I trust you. May your will be done in my financial life.”

The verse in Nehemiah also talks about leaving the ground fallow every seventh year — which is a principle that farmers still use. It’s about using the Earth in a respectful, healthy, sustainable way and not continually robbing from it. But that also requires trust in God. Leaving the ground fallow one season so it can replenish itself means that we won’t be able to use it for a while — but again, it comes back to the question: How much am I trusting God and believing that he will sustain me?

Finally, the verse talks about cancelling all debts every seventh year. This is a valuable principle that shows us not only caution in terms of loaning to others but the power of giving to others. When we do things like loan money to family and friends, for example, that can forever change those relationships — and often in negative ways. But when we freely give, we don’t have to worry about those relationships changing negatively — as all good gifts ultimately come from the Lord.

So let us take time to rest from our labors as we trust in God to provide for us and deepen our relationships with him; let us honor the Earth that God has given us and be good stewards of it; and let us freely give to each other as the Lord freely gives to us.

Listen to the Sermon here:

Written by Dave Urbanski

The movie Chariots of Fire is based on a true story, in part about Scottish runner Eric Liddell — a Christian who’s looking to compete in the 1924 Olympics. But Liddell’s sister — also a Christian — puts pressure on him to return to China as a missionary.

And at one point, Eric tells his sister that he’s finally decided to go to China — but that he first has a lot of running to do.

“I believe that God made me for a purpose — for China,” Eric tells his sister. “He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure.”

Eric’s passion for running has hit a noble height: He doesn’t run for his own glory or to feel proud of himself or for the personal thrill of winning. He runs because he recognizes God has gifted him with fleet legs and feet — and when he exercises that gift, he senses God cheering.

Cheering on his creation that he made for a specific reason and purpose.

In our passage in Nehemiah 10:28-29, we find the Israelites have reached a point in their spiritual lives where they want to make an oath to God to keep all the commands he’s given them in the Law of Moses. But their decision to obey is not due to a desire for reward or fear of punishment or even their growing wisdom, trust, or gratitude to the Lord. They’ve been down those roads with God already — and now they’re experiencing passion for him.

They want to obey God out of love for him.

Each of us faces the same question every hour of every day: Will I obey God? But there’s another important question: Why will I obey God? What is our motivation for doing what he wants us to do?

Make no mistake, it’s always better to obey God than disobey God — no matter what your motivation! But as we grow in our spiritual lives, we should be arriving at a place where obeying God means much more than hoping good things will come to us as a result of obedience … or merely to avoid pain or heartache … or not wanting to anger the Lord.

Hopefully, we’re on a road of learning that there’s real wisdom in obeying God — and more, that he’s even taken us through hard times and difficult circumstances to show us how trustworthy he is. Maybe we’re even at a point where we gratefully obey God because of how much he’s done for us.

Again, all great motivations. But the best place to be in our relationship with God is when we obey out of love.

It’s very much akin to a long marriage at its peak, with a husband and wife who have been and continue to be committed to each other. They’ve been through thick and thin together — and they discover they don’t love each other because each does nice things for the other … or that they’re compatible … or that they’re constantly full of pleasant feelings. No. Instead their love has deepened as a result of their commitment. And the intense feelings they experienced early in their relationship have blossomed and matured into delight for each other.

It’s the same in our relationship with God. Psalm 34:7 spells it out: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

And finally, in a deep and long marriage, there’s always sacrifice … laying down our lives for the other. Giving things up … even good, legitimate possessions and experiences and pursuits. Again, it’s the same way in our love relationship with God. There will be good things we will say “no” to — things we sacrifice. But when we’re deeply committed to the Lord, the result is more depth … indeed, more of God.

Which is exactly where we ought to be.

Listen to the sermon here:

Written by Dave Urbanski

Listen to the sermon here:

In today’s passage, we find the Jews desiring to start over with the Lord. To turn over a new leaf. To begin a new chapter, get clean, put their wanderings behind them, and move forward with God.

What they were after is what we all need today: Spiritual renewal.

But what does that mean? And how and when do we do it — and why?

A helpful way to look at the process of spiritual renewal is through four components: Confession, Separation, the Word, and Worship. You might say they represent the “how” of spiritual renewal.

Let’s take a quick look at them:

1. Confession: Everybody does wrong. All the time. We can’t help it. It’s part of our sin nature. But while the world often says we’re doing OK as long as we keep more tokens in the “good ledger” than the “bad ledger,” Christianity is far different. The way of Jesus starts with admitting and taking responsibility for our sins, our mistakes, our transgressions — so we can be forgiven and have the slate wiped clean. Which sets us up for spiritual renewal.
2. Separation: We were created for community, but there are times when we need to pull ourselves away from the world — a world that often corrupts and stains us — so we can effectively refocus on God. In the Nehemiah 9 passage, the Jews fasted and donned sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. Why? They were ways of physically reminding themselves that sometimes with comfort comes complacency. When we get hungry due to fasting, it’s an opportunity to remind ourselves why we’re fasting and to harness God’s power over our fleshly desires. Same thing with sackcloth — itchy, uncomfortable clothing — as well as covering their heads with dust. Who doesn’t want to get rid of all that stuff and get clean?
3. The Word. In the third verse of Nehemiah 9, the Jews spent a notable part of the day — about three hours it turns out — reading from the Law. While confession and separation are about removing things that don’t belong in our lives, the Word is about filling ourselves up. It’s another strategic step in spiritual renewal. (Do you have a method in place for getting into the Bible daily? If not, why not try John Piper’s Solid Joys app? Or something similar you enjoy? It’s so easy with today’s technology to get connected to God’s Word in an instant. Why not give it try today?)
4. And for our fourth element, we have … Worship. Nehemiah 9 also says the Jews spent time in worship during the time they spent in confession. Here’s an encouragement: We can confess our sins while we’re worshiping God. One needn’t follow the other or go in a particular order. Confession can give way to worship when we feel the joy of God’s forgiveness; worshiping God can remind us of his love, which can lead to confession when we’ve fallen short.

Now, you might be asking yourself, “When do we exercise the process of spiritual renewal? Once a year? Once a month? Weekly Daily?” How about this for an answer: Continually! It’s more than a task on a time sheet; it’s a lifestyle. We should strive to be in a constant state of mindfulness regarding God’s desire to renew us — continually. Do you have a quiet time at night? Great! But why wait until bedtime to ask God to forgive you for this or that? Or to pray for others? Not that we shouldn’t have such a time set aside — but we also can adopt a continual attitude of spiritual renewal throughout the day. (Sort of like living as if God really is by our side always — as he is!)

Finally, it will help us if we also ask why: Why do we need spiritual renewal? Answering this question will assist us during those times when we’re on auto pilot and forget why we’re doing it in the first place.

Simply put, the reason we need spiritual renewal is because it clarifies our purpose, our mission, our identity in Christ. Like food and drink in preparation for a race, it gives us the energy we need to live as believers in this world.

So, come partake. Taste and see that the Lord is good. You need not call ahead for a reservation; you always have a place at his table of spiritual renewal. Plus, his gathering place is never closed, and your money’s no good there.

Come.

Written by Dave Urbanski

Listen to the sermon here:

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength “, now if you want to exercise this Joy in your life, Nehemiah is going to go on in the passage and tell us how to do that. How do we maximize this joy, how do we exercise this joy solution when our hearts are heavy?

This what Nehemiah told the people they needed to do:
1) Go and celebrate God’s grace by enjoying a meal together, allowing God to bring joy into their hearts to deal with the mourning, regrets and the grieving that’s going on.
2) Share God’s grace with others, by sharing their food with others and shifting their focus from their pain to others who can be blessed.
3) Finally they’re going to understand God’s word by listening intently and seeing that He is at work in their past, present and futures. Joy at its depth is understanding God and what He’s done for us.

Today is the day we’re going to embrace the joy of the Lord in our hearts. Today is the day we’re going to be different people. We’re going to think about the future, we’re going to allow God to forgive us for the past, and when the grief and the loss and the pain that we experience in our hearts reveals itself, we are going to rely on the joy of the Lord as our strength.

And that joy’s going to grow to be so strong that we may not forget the regrets and the mourning, but the perspective of having the joy of the Lord as our strength allows us to be able to have compassion on others, to be able to give a testimony about the things we’ve done in the past that we regret, and bless others in the midst of that.

Written by Dave Urbanski

Link to the Sermon here:

Now that it’s the year 2020, why not pause for a moment right now as you’re reading these words and briefly reflect upon what you accomplished in 2019.

Did you make more money or increase your assets? Did you get a promotion at work or a better job? Did you improve your health? Did you make strides in your relationships with people — or in your relationship with God?

Today’s passage deals with a similar theme, as it’s about an important milestone Nehemiah reached.

But while achieving visible goals is important, we also must remember that God looks at our hearts, too, and sees deeper ways we’re growing and changing — strides that often aren’t measurable.

Nehemiah has just built the wall of Jerusalem and set the doors in place — a huge accomplishment! But afterward he shifted his focus. First, he solidified the wall by appointing gatekeepers to look after it. Then he celebrated the milestone by appointing musicians and Levites to lead his people in the worship of God. 

Whatever measurable goals we reach, let’s follow Nehemiah’s example by solidifying and celebrating them according to God’s will. 

What does God want to accomplish in your life in 2020? What changes does he want to make in your heart? Whatever those things are and wherever God leads, let’s all make sure to take the necessary steps to keep the Lord at the center of our “to-do” lists.

When is it acceptable for Christians to feel anger? We live in a world full of social injustice. Through this sermon you will learn about Nehemiah’s righteous anger and how through his anger he was close to God’s heart. “When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. ” You will learn when it is justified to feel angry and how to handle it, to become part of a solution. “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? “

Why do we act with integrity? We’re act with integrity because we know that we serve a God that’s concerned about justice in our world. We know that we believe in a God that’s concerned about the hearts of people, the needs of people, and that He’s chosen us to be part of the solution to those challenges.

Pastor Scott – “So I go away from this message that I read in Nehemiah with a feeling of the need to be part of the solution. So I asked myself, what does that look like? What does it mean to be part of the solution?

So I listed ten things that you might consider in your internal staff meeting and ponder for yourself. I suggest you want to do these things and make them convictions in your own life. “

Never compromise your faith.
Share the gospel with excitement.
Live boldly.
Love unconditionally.
Be a light in your home and in the world. Be kind.
Give generously and sacrificially.
Speak out.
Be courageous.
Where God leads, take action.

Discouragement is one of Satan’s best tools to weaken believers. We all need to have a plan. Nehemiah faces the discouragement from outside forces as well as from internal challenges. His solutions are ones that we need as well. As you listen to this sermon you’ll discover tools that will help you face difficulties in your life right now. And don’t forget to pass this message on to someone you know who might be discouraged.

Stop, take a deep breath.

Reflect on how the hand of God is working in your life. God is always working in your life, even when it feels like a time of silence. God loves and cares for you. The gracious hand of God is on you. 

Pastor Scott teaches today’s message from Nehemiah ch 3.  Word by Word he goes through the chapter and applies insights that you will be able to incorporate into your daily life. You will learn about the rebuilding of gates, how God loves all his people, and how God uses the family.

This week you will face opposition; are you ready? How do you handle the opposition? Do you take it personally or plan revenge?

God wants us to do neither. As Christians we have different ways of handling our daily struggles.

Today you will learn, from Pastor Scott’s teachings, how God equips us to deal with opposition. Continuing our study of Nehemiah we look at two different people and how they opposed Nehemiah. Pastor Scott gives practical ways you can handle confrontation. You will learn the difference between carnal desires and Godly desires.  God has equipped us all with the Holy Spirit, so we can all do what is right.

God knows your struggles and through trusting Him we can meet our challenges with confidence.