10/30/2023
The Quotable John Wesley
At the 10:30 service Sunday, I used the following directive created by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.
“Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can,
in all the ways you can,
in all the places you can,
at all the times you can,
to all the people you can,
as long as ever you can.”
It’s a mouthful, but it’s a wonderful way to make a point. The result of a loving relationship with God is the desire to choose what is right over what is wrong, to accept our neighbors and not reject them, to do what is good, kind, and helpful over what is bad, self-centered, and hurtful.
I also love the reverend doctor Wesley’s philosophy about wealth.
He wrote the following rules—as much for himself as for others:
- Gain all you can, without hurting either yourself or your neighbor, in soul or body, by applying diligence, and with all the understanding which God has given you.
- Save all you can, by cutting off every expense which serves only to indulge foolish desire, to gratify either the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life.
- Waste nothing, living or dying, on sin or folly, whether for yourself or your children.
- And then, Give all you can, or in other words give all you have to God.
Archived Posts
Prayer Changes Things
Here is a transcript of the prayer I prayed at the end of yesterday’s sermon.
Optimism, Faith, and Hope:
Practical Steps For Increasing All Three
Here are some practical, spiritual, and relational ways to grow faith, hope and optimism:
Listening Heart
It’s kind of crazy when you think about it. Wisdom in the Bible is all about listening. Of course it makes sense that wisdom would start with listening to God, to God’s law and commandments, as well as the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit.
Here are some quotes that
didn’t make it into Sunday’s sermon.
(But it doesn’t mean that they don’t offer real insight into the power of risk over the fear of failure...)
Such A Rich Passage (Luke 19:1-10)
I reflected a lot on the passage about Zacchaeus because it has been written off as “been there, read that, little guy in a tree.” But it is so rich in getting to the heart of what it means to be saved by grace through faith—to live our lives out of gratitude rather than obligation.
The Power of Presence
This last Sunday I had so much more to share than time to share it. The last Emotional Management Technique was to stay present in the process. Just as Jesus stayed with the woman who was judged and found guilty by the angry crowd, we stay by our children and our friends, especially when they need us the most. Here a couple of examples...
What’s In A Benediction?
Last Sunday I used one of my favorite benedictions.
It was inspired by a saying from about ten years ago: