07/24/2019
I ran across something by John Piper, a well known preacher. He says that every day God is doing perhaps 10,000 different things in our lives but you will only be dimly aware of perhaps three of those things. The number is arbitrary but the point is absolutely right. We barely get a glimmer of all that God is doing in us, through us and for us.
Did you know that the northeast side door into the sanctuary has a peephole? The purpose of placement for that peephole is to allow the pastor and groomsmen at the start of the wedding to be able to have a look inside the sanctuary to see where we are in the wedding order. We can take a peek to see how close the time is for us to enter. (Actually any one of the men may look in the peep hole because whoever placed the whole was taller than me! ) When we look into that peephole, at best we can see a sliver of what lies on the other side of the door. We often mistake that “sliver” for the whole spectrum of reality. God knows what He is doing and is NEVER clueless, even when we don’t have a clue.
As we continue to study the story of Joseph as found in the Old Testament, we certainly see a man who certainly had to trust that God was in control throughout many difficult circumstances.
Each day I am working to lean into that strength of God and learning to trust Him more and more. It’s a journey...life is a journey...faith is a journey!!
God is great all the time!!! Pastor Patti
Archived Posts
The Rest of the Story
I mentioned Russell Conwell in Sunday’s message. He was a famous preacher, educator, and lecturer. His sermon/lecture “Acres of Diamonds” was turned into a book and sold rather well. I used Conwell’s illustrations to talk about sharing the good news of Jesus with those closest to us first—family, friends, coworkers, and church family. The wider world is our ultimate aim, but until you invest in the people God has already put in your life, you are unlikely to have much success.
No One Said It Would be Easy
To love Jesus first is to learn to love all the other people in our lives with greater intensity and less selfishness
What’s Saved Is Often Lost
Here’s the benediction we didn’t have time for yesterday (Sunday, November 3). It’s one of my favorite quotations (portions of a newspaper column). I hope you find it as inspiring as I have
Leftovers Continued…
It’s not just the fact that God is un-impressed by our leftovers, it actually goes deeper than that. In a sense, Jesus is passionately and purposely opposed to anything leftover. To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to work diligently to make sure that in the end nothing at all is left over.
Less Stuff and Fewer Wants
Here’s a point I left off Sunday’s sermon due to time and length. In dealing with an Entitled mindset it is very helpful if you can Reduce Materialism and Consumerism.
Entitlement Can Hit You in Ways You Might Never Suspect
The people of God (Israel) were chosen by God to fulfill a unique calling—to be a light to all the other nations of the nations of the world. God chose them because of their willingness to be used by Him for His purposes. But after a while the Israelites began to think that they were chosen--not because with God they could fulfill a special purpose--but because they were a special people, uniquely favored and loved for who they were.
What Kind of Love Do You Have For God?
In Sunday’s message about Job, I talked about how important relationship is when it comes to getting answers to our questions about God. The question that Job is really being tested on is this: can he love God for who God is—or does he only love God for what God can do for him?