11/21/2019
On Sunday morning, we continued in a series where we explore four different Old Testament persons who each had a 40 day experience which challenged and grew their faith. This last week we discussed Elijah.
During those 40 days, Elijah was instructed by God to stand in the mouth of a cave. A giant wind, a strong earthquake and a fire went by but God was not in those. Following those, there was silence and a still, calm voice of God that spoke to him. It was in a calm and silent moment that Elijah experienced the small voice of God speaking to him.
I shared a video clip of a moment in 2003 that reminded me of what that small voice speaking in his ear must have felt like. CLICK HERE to see that clip.
The small voice of the coach of the Mavericks, Maurice Cheeks, literally spoke into Natalie Gilbert’s ear giving her exactly what she needed at that moment to continue. I believe that was the experience that Elijah had in that moment at the mouth of the cave in the silence.
What I did not share on Sunday is what happened next to Natalie. She went on to have some significant air time sharing her experience and doors of opportunity were opened for her. The following year at play offs, she was invited back to sing the National Anthem which she did beautifully.
Following the time that Elijah heard God’s voice, he went on to serve according to God’s will with strength.
We desperately need to stop living our lives of our own accord and our own energy and to be still and listen for that still small voice of God. We are so blessed to have a God whom did not create and desert the world but instead who continues very present with each of us daily. Can you regularly practice this stillness in your life so you may hear God’s voice? I especially pose this challenge as we run into what tends to be a busy and distracting season...Christmas.
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: