Last week we talked about the whole idea that in uncertain times we tend to look up instead of around. During 9-11 and the whole Building Trade Center issue, people flocked to church looking for answers. We said last week when the U.S. Airways flight crash-landed in the Hudson River the head flight attendant said everyone on the plane was praying.

And so it is, when we face uncertain times as a nation with many people loosing their jobs, people not being able to sell their houses, finances spiraling downward, difficulties in relationships with our health – when we have times of uncertainty, we tend to focus on God and give him our undivided attention.

Last week Paul challenged with these words from Philippians. He said, Rejoice in the Lord always Philippians 4:4

In times of uncertainty, we are not called to rejoice that we’ve lost our job, or half of our 401k. We are not called to rejoice in the fact that you and your spouse are not speaking, We are not called to rejoice that you have cancer or a chronic health issue – NO!

But we are called in the midst of those uncertain times to rejoice in the Lord – to focus on him. Because when we focus on the uncertain situation, our heart, mind, and soul fills up with fear and anger, and bitterness and we get grumpy, moody, and edgy, and that will bring us nothing but Hell. It brings us down, it robs us of all our joy and peace. It brings down there up here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Big Idea: During troubling times we become anxious, depressed, lack hope, and generally have a bad outlook on life. Praising God during troubling times takes our focus off ourselves and all the troubles of our lives and puts our focus where it should have been all along, on God.

Our nation, and particularly our state is seeing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Somebody recently asked me, “What happens in a church during a recession?” I said, “well it’s pretty predictable, you have more people and less money”, because in uncertain times, troubling times God has a tendency to get our undivided attention. Isn’t that true?

  Read the rest of this entry »

Big Idea: Love is greater than life. God’s love for us is so great that we would do anything . . . in to help us live abundant, joy filled lives.

Video clip: Passion of the Christ – Roman soldiers driving the nails into Jesus’s wrists and legs, and then turning him over and allowing his full weight to hold his body on those nails.

God came down in the person of Jesus to show us how to love. That makes sense to me. But God dying on the cross for me, that has confused me most of my life. The whole idea of God dying doesn’t seem right in my head. Does it really make sense to you?

The Bible says that “Jesus died to take away the sins of the world.” But it always seems like it would have been easier and make more sense, to me if God would have just asked people to repent and ask for forgiveness, and then forgive them, or wave a magic wand or his little finger or something, but that’s not the way it happened.

  Read the rest of this entry »