Friday, September 25th

Take a moment and read Matthew 14:15-21- 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Five loaves and two fishes in my hands is just a lunch for me and one other person. Five loaves and two fishes in the hands of Jesus feeds thousands. How have you seen what is small in life and been limited because you only see it in your hands? What would happen if you shift your view to see what you have to offer in the hands of Jesus?

Or maybe as Pastor Bill said that most people live a much smaller version of the story God has for their lives -- what fears, habits, or hang-ups might be keeping you from stepping into the fuller story God is calling you toward?

Because as I reflected on how a series of broken decisions and pain led me to where I am today. Not stuck in my pain and brokenness but working through that to be here at New Life since the inception, and pastoring here for 20 years.

I’m reminded of Paul’s message to the Corinthians about something that he battled, never resolved, but continued on the faith. Read 2 Corinthians 12:8-10- 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

How have your own failures or difficult seasons ultimately redirected you toward something God was preparing for you?

Take a moment and offer up this prayer …. Father, thank you for your faithfulness -- to us individually, and to this community. Thank you that you run toward us before we even reach the door. Give us the courage to pause, to reflect honestly, and to respond to wherever your Spirit is leading. Help us to be people who walk faithfully with you, who extend grace freely, and who are willing to fly when you call us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Thursday, September 24th

There was a statement made on Sunday during our “Ministry Spotlight” of Celebrate Recovery, where Stephanie Johanning said, “she felt like she was seen for who she was, not what she struggled with.” Founding Pastor Bill, in our interview of how we ended up here as a church, referred back to that statement of the value of being seen. Which is my desired focus for today.

What does it mean to be “seen”? “Seen” for who you versus who you want people to think you are? To be accepted, by being seen?

I want you to read a familiar story. Actually it was a story that Nevin, our Youth and Young Adult Director shared with us at our staff meeting this week. I won’t get into all of it, but Nevin asked us, what does it look like to see the characters in the story? Actually see them? See the woman, the religious, and see Jesus? What do you notice in the story of John 8:2-11?

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us
to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Again, you may be very familiar with the story, don’t rush past it. What do you see with the woman? The religious leaders? And Jesus?

There is a way to see others that is damning and there is a way to see others that is grace filled with correction. How do you want to be “seen”? How do you want to see others? Do those match?

Spend some time in prayer, grace, conviction, and invitation around what it means to see and be seen.

Wednesday, September 23

We’ve been observing the question, how did I end up here. Yesterday we looked at Luke 15 and the prodigal story. We looked at how the younger son had to wrestle with that question when he was in the pig trough, how did I end up here? He came to his senses and went home, embraced by a father that loved him, even though he offended him.

Today, I want to keep going with the story from the older sons perspective because I think we need to ask the older son the same questions, how did you end up here?

Read Luke 15:25-32- 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

What did you notice about the older son? What about the Father? If you could answer for the older son, how did he end up here, how would you respond?

My uncomfortable push is that we can have a tendency to be the older son. I know I have.
We think we’ve always been with the Father, but you haven’t because our heart has wandered into religion, transactional relationship with God, rigidity. As the older son said, “look all I’ve done for you, yet this son of yours.” Some of you are older sons that need to wander back, run back to the father and put your judgement away and receive his grace, for yourself and for others.

Are you extravagant with grace, like the father, or are you stingy like the older brother? How you may have wandered from God and now you need to run back to the Father?

Tuesday, September 22

This week we are reflecting on the question; how did I end up here? Yesterday we used it as a guiding element of growth and encouragement. It can also be an assessment; do I need to make a course correction in life because I have wandered from my true north? Do I need to reroute because I’ve not been walking faithfully with God or I’ve walked away from the things of God? Where you’ve paused and said, how did I end up here?

Probably why one of my favorite stories that Jesus tells is exactly that. The younger son says, “how did I end up here, especially when my father has all that he does?”

You may know the story as the prodigal son. Remember the younger son wanted his inheritance early, his father gave it to him and he went off, ran away from his father and spent it on wild living.

Read Luke 15:17-20- 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

Did you see it? How did I end up here? He came to his senses and went back to his father.
Keep reading, what was the father’s response? Luke 15:20-24- “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Father’s response to the son wandering away, ending up in a place that was far from him, was a response of celebration, love, renewed identity. The son came home, came back to the father he offended and the father’s response was celebrating his son’s homecoming, love, and a renewed identity.

Reflect for a moment, some of you have wandered off and you’ve wondered, how did I end up here? Come to your senses and run to the father, come home. As you reflect, use this song as a guiding element as well. Run to the Father

Monday, September 21

Let me set our time today this week with this question- Have you ever wondered or thought, how did I end up here? How did I get here?

It could be anything, it could be driving, getting lost, and before you know it, how did I end up here? It could be your career path, you started in one place and now you are looking back and you are like, how did I end up here?

Or relationships or marriage, how did we get here? How did we end up here?
Or even your faith, how did you end up here, with your faith?

The question isn’t necessarily a bad question. It’s actually a question you can do something about. Think about it.

For instance, last week, we talked about Enoch and Noah in Genesis 5. What stood out to you about their lives? Wasn’t just their longevity, it was the statement, “they walked faithfully with God.”

I think there are times, when it is worth stopping and wondering, how did I end up here in my faith journey? How did I end up here in my character growth because I’m a different man, husband, father, friend. I’m a different woman, wife, mother, friend.

Pausing to reflect on, how are you walking faithfully with God? How have you seen the changes and growth within life and celebrating God how you got here.

Take a moment today and reflect, how have you grown, how have you walked faithfully with God?

Also encourage you to use this song, Oceans, as a guiding element, I believe the lyrics will be an honest encouragement.

Friday, September 18th

In the original passage of Genesis 5, what two names and descriptions stood out?
Let’s take a look again at Genesis 5:24, 29- 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away… 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” Enoch and Noah, their descriptors are different.

Enoch even has mystery, he walked with God and then was no more, God took him. Took him where? Your guess is as good as mine. But again, what should get our attention? Not if
he went to heaven or paradise or some in between. Our focus should be on the fact that he walked in such a way that God desired to be with him.

Also, Enoch wasn’t a king who gets God’s attention, like the Sumerian Kings, what got God’s attention was one who walks faithfully with him.

Then we see Noah, his namesake means rest. The biblical authors define him one who will comfort us in the midst of hardship. Genesis 6:8-9 also says that Noah walked faithfully with God.

Earlier we read how the people began to call on the name of the Lord, which means there was trusting faithfulness in pursuing God and walking with God. Which is illustrated here by two people, Enoch and Noah.

Which means, it’s not about how long they lived or how long you live, the focus of the list of names and dates is about HOW you LIVE.

C.S. Lewis says in his book, God in the Dock, “I care far more how humanity lives than how long. Progress, for me, means increasing goodness and happiness of individual lives. For the species, as for each man, mere longevity seems to me a contemptible ideal.”

How you live is more important than how long you live? How do you live?

Again, a choice… back to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve had a choice; trust in God’s provision or take for themselves. Lamech in Cain’s line took, took two wives, took a life, multiplied evil.

Then we see Enoch and Noah, they were noted for walking faithfully with God to the point, Enoch was brought to a destiny unknown and Noah’s purpose was renowned. A man who brought comfort and rest, a new covenant with God, the new Adam, eventually pointing to the last Adam, in Jesus.

Make it personal- are you more focused or energized on how long you live or how you live? What gets your time, energy, resources, and attention?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t be healthy or take care of ourselves or even spend resources in such a way that we enjoy life. I’m not saying that at all.

I’m saying, can you wrestle with what it means to faithfully walk with God? Because that has greater value than the dates on your headstone. The dash means more than your birth date or death date.

What does it mean for your faith walk to be consistent not erratic? Persistent not perfection? Side by side with God, not from a distance? Not religion but relationship. And that relationship, walking faithfully with God should influence every other area of your life; the way you love, the way you work, the way you interact with others, what you put your time, energy, and resources towards.

A life well lived tells a story, something of value tells a story of impact.

Which means I want to leave you with this reflection from a man who championed a life well lived, but faced the curse in so many ways, Martin Luther King Jr. I want to share a portion of his speech on April 10, 1960, called Keep Moving from This Mountain.

“I do not give you this element of faith and superficial optimism. I do not stand here as a detached spectator. As I say to you this afternoon, have faith in the future, I speak as one who lives every day amidst the threat of death. I speak as one who has had to stand often amidst the surging murmur of life’s restless sea, I speak as one who has been battered often by the jostling winds of adversity, but I have faith in the future. I have faith in the future because I have faith in God and I believe that there is a power, a creative force in this universe seeking at all times to bring down prodigious hilltops of evil and pull low gigantic mountains of injustice. If we will believe this and struggle along, we will be able to achieve it.

Keep moving, for it may well be that the greatest song has not yet been sung, the greatest book has not been written, the highest mountain has not been climbed. This is your challenge! Reach out and grab it and make it a part of your life. Reach up beyond cloud-filled skies of oppression and bring out blazing stars of inspiration. The basic thing is to keep moving. Move out of these mountains that impede our progress to this new and noble and marvelous land. Langston Hughes said something very beautiful in his poem, “Mother to Son.”

‘Well son, I’ll tell you Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, splinters, Boards torn up, places with no carpets on the floors, bare! But all the time, I’se been a-climbing on and reaching landings And turning corners and sometimes going in the dark where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you stop now. Don’t you sit down on the steps cause you find it’s kinda hard. For I’se still goin boy, I’se still climbing, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.’

Life for none of us has been a crystal stair, but there is something we can learn from the broken grammar of that mother, that we must keep moving. If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.”

Thursday, September 17

Yesterday we engaged with what appears to be something simple in life, life and death, blessing and curses. But my push wasn’t that they exist, my push was, how do we respond to both blessing and curses?

Remember, blessing is goodness, life, increase; curse is challenge, hardship, pain, chaos, and yes death. Both are the reality of life, no one can escape blessing and curse, how you respond though, can make all the difference.

The old adage, “when life throws you lemons, make lemonade” or “don’t get bitter, get better.” Sure, we need to have a healthy mindset or attitude, but I think it’s bigger than that. It’s knowing that life is filled with both and that God is faithful and worthy of trust, regardless of what we face.

John 16:33- Jesus says, in this world you will have trouble (not if, not maybe, not if you don’t do the right things), you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world. Besides if Jesus faced the curse of death, and lived a perfect life, don’t you think we will see some troubles as well?

Psalm 23-Blessing and curses, life giving and death. We see walking in green pastures, beside still waters and then “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Why? Because God is with me, his rod and staff comfort. God was in the green pastures, still waters and the valley of the shadow of death.

Read Habakkuk 3:16-19- 16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

We don’t’ rejoice in our circumstances, we “rejoice in the Lord who is with us in our circumstances.

James 1:2-4- 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

It’s not, “wooo-whooo, I get to go through hard things.” There can be a lamenting, there can be a crying out, but not why me. The crying out is, “God this is hard, I need you to walk with me.”

That’s why it is critical if you believe God did this to you, you won’t trust, you will be bitter and hardened. But if you keep moving towards God, walking faithfully with him and other like-minded believers, that is of value and that tells a story.

At creation God desired humanity to create sacred space of blessing amongst his presence, evil came and we have a choice. Do we continue to look to bring sacred space to our mind, heart, and those around us? Or do we look to bring chaos? The choice is yours, how do you respond in life to blessing and curse, bring life or bring more chaos?

Wednesday, September 16th
 
Read Genesis 5 (yes, I know, it may be a struggle- but what do you notice? What stands out? BTW- don’t worry about pronouncing the names, it doesn’t matter)
 
This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”  when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father[b] of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah[c] and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
 
What did you notice? What stood out to you?
 
First quick observation, what do we do with the names and the numbers? There are ten generations from Adam to Noah, on both lines (Cain and Seth). Simply put, there’s no point in doing mathematic gymnastics to figure out dates and times. In part, remember this is a Jewish rendering of the creation story. There were scores of other stories, but one in particular was the Sumerian Kings list, which is the Babylon genealogy of the kings of Babylon and their reign. I won’t get into it all, but if you want to Geek out do a comparison between the biblical genealogies and the Sumerian King list.
 
Truth is, there is a balance between interpreting this passage symbolically and /or actually. People way smarter than you and I are split on understanding how this works. Besides genealogies during that time, in comparison to how we understand genealogies, are different.
 
Which means, we need to go back to the question we’ve been asking along the way, what should get our attention? Two things I want to draw your attention to, first what was consistent with every name? Regardless of their name or how long they lived.
 
They were born and they died. I know, I know some of you are like “duh, captain obvious.”
Pay attention to what we’ve been studying all along.
 
Remember God gave us life and breathed into us, then assigned us to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:7). Simply put, birth = life = blessing. (Hold that thought)
If we keep reading, Genesis 2:17, God’s command was to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, if we did, we would surely die. Genesis 3 the evil serpent deceives Adam and Eve, they eat and the “curse” takes place. They don’t necessarily die a physical death, even though there are limitations put on our life, they die also a spiritual death. Simply put, death = curse.
 
The first thing I want you to pay attention to is that within the course of life, we have life and death, blessing and curse, but you already know that. But that’s my push, what do we do with that?
 
How do we respond to both blessing and curses? How do we respond to life and death? How do we respond to ease and challenge?
 
So many times we believe goodness based upon circumstances, versus seeing goodness based in the character of the creator.  How many times do we need to see struggle, not based upon God punishing, or devaluing, or not loving, that hard things (curses in life) are a part of life and it is holding onto God’s character in the midst of those hard things?
 
We will spend a bit more time on this tomorrow, but sit with that struggle of blessing and curse, life and death and how you respond within life.  As you do that, take a listen to this song as well.  Goodness of God

Tuesday, September 15

Read Genesis 4:25-26- 25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

What do you notice? This has a different feeling, doesn’t it? Reference to God’s provision for a son, Seth. Where, especially Lamech, didn’t reference God’s provision, he took wives and they had kids.

But the author made a point with the last line, “people began to call on the name of the Lord.” Yes, violence, taking, chaos, was in the world, but there were some who called on the name of the Lord.

That phrase is a declaration of dependence, in other places of scripture it equates to “taking hold of God” (Isaiah 64:6), aligning with his purposes (Isaiah 44:5-6) and declaring him as the one and only God (Zechariah 13:9).

Like last week, do you see the two paths? Not necessarily Cain’s path and Seth’s path, even though some do define it that way. I don’t define it that way, because each of us has our struggles of pain, chaos, and sin. I think the author is getting our attention, with the choice of how we live.

Take a moment and open up your bibles to those three passages on what it means to call on the name of the Lord. How can you live that out today? (Taking hold of God, aligning with His purposes, declaring He is your one and only)?

Monday, September 14th

I understand that everyone’s algo rhythm is different, and I don’t pretend to understand, nor do I care. But I do find it interesting that my algo rhythm has a lot to do with “not” getting older or shall I say, staying younger. Try this cream, this pill, this workout. This will help with losing weight, growing hair, and other … and if that doesn't work, try this shirt or undergarment, with the purpose of staying younger or living longer.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to live a full life, I don’t want it cut short. If I can live to see triple digits, I think that would be pretty awesome. Granted, if I had a semblance of my mind and body.

But the lengths people go to keep living is mind-blowing. I just did a brief search, 30 seconds, on cryogenically freezing your body.

Check out these questions- Is anyone still cryogenically still frozen? Yes, hundreds of people are still frozen, the first was Psychology professor Dr. James Bedford, stored in 1967 in Alcor facility in Arizona.

Has anyone ever been woken up from cryogenic freezing? No human has ever been successfully woken up or revived from cryogenic freezing.

What is the future hope? Proponents rely on future breakthroughs in nanotechnology and regenerative medicine to repair cells and reverse death, though mainstream science currently views the practice with extreme skepticism.

The lengths people go to reverse death or to keep living. But is that the point? I know that the start of this message can come with a variety of questions; the fear of death, the purpose of life, what’s on the other side? But the question I want us to wrestle with is the title of the message, “Is it more about the how, or the how long?”

Read Genesis 4:17-24-(don’t’ worry about getting the pronunciation right) 17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24 If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.”

What stood out to you? What did you notice?

First of all, Cain was supposed to be a wanderer, instead, what does he do?

He creates a city, he gathers others, we see progress. We see that some of the family live in tents and raise livestock, some musicians, some are blacksmiths. Which is interesting because the next thing we read is the first poem written by humanity. Actually, I should probably say, it’s not a poem, with eloquence and beauty. It’s more like an anthem of death, where Lamech takes pride in unjustly killing someone. Did you notice that he was wounded, some translations say bruised and because of that he killed a man. Not eye for an eye, or tooth for tooth, Lamech escalated the demise, you wounded me, I’m going to kill you.

Which brings me to this observation. We saw sin and evil in Cain, as it impacted one man, who was to wander, but now as people gather, what happens when sinners congregate together? An increase of pain, chaos, murder, and outcry.

Theologian John Walton says it very pointedly. “Violence is glorified, and the mark of Cain no longer stands as a stigma of exile but a badge of honor that brings protection equivalent to invulnerability. The human situation is degenerating.”

By the way, this is also our first instance of polygamy, where Lamech “takes” two wives. He takes, just like his great-great-great grandparents. He took, instead of trusting.

I believe the author is getting our attention and saying, this is A way of life, one that is very familiar throughout scripture, the increase of taking, control, violence, chaos, actually, one that is familiar to even us today.

I know this may be a startling reflection today, but I think it is worth pausing here. We can’t simply put our head in the sand and ignore the path of chaos that is all around us, and as I’ve shared last week, we are all just one step, one choice, one response from walking out the same path.

It is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the “how” we live and what are we multiplying within life?

Friday, September 11th

John Walton in his commentary shares it this way. “How much more should we be in awe of God’s mercy and compassion. We can never know whether Cain responded with such gratitude to God, though his initial response might suggest not. But it is irrelevant how Cain responded. What is important is how we respond once we are impressed with the power of God’s mercy and grace.”

Two roads, do we go on wandering through life, thinking and hoping that “our actions” will be enough to work out our sin, that we will do enough good or believe in the right religion to make it all better. Or do we choose the path that is marked by mercy? Knowing full well what our sin deserves and yet, that is not what is offered to us by God through his son Jesus. Do we live wandering or marked by mercy?

Tim Mackie from the Bible Project states it so well. “There are two wills at work: anti-creation and creation, death and life, self-destruction and flourishing. It’s our choices that show our allegiance.”

Which path, the path of creation, life and flourishing, if so then let us live with favored intention, rule over, as we are marked with mercy. Or the alternative?

Today, in your prayer time (either with a journal or in your mind/heart), allow yourself the opportunity to reflect and see the moments you chose the road of God and the times you didn’t. It isn’t a shame exercise, it is learning where you need to grow and be less like you and more like Jesus.

Be encouraged with this son as well- Less Like Me by Zach Williams

Thursday, September 10th

Last thing I want us to pay attention to in this passage, marked by mercy. The interchange between God and Cain continues where God lays out the consequences of Cain’s actions. This wasn’t necessarily a punishment, as much as it was the reality of consequences.

Because Cain didn’t tend to what was crouching within, this is the pain that resulted from it. We get this glimpse that Cain says, “it is too much to bear.” Some theologians argue this was a reckoning for Cain, where he began to see the waywardness of his actions, to the point of repentance. But again, I want us to draw our attention to God’s response. Notice Genesis 4:15- 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

Yes, Cain was going to bear the brunt of his actions, continue to wander; isolation from God and family, the ground was going to be even harder to work, those were the consequences.

But how should God have handled Cain? What did Cain’s actions require? Later we will see a law that God establishes of, “do not murder.” We will see an eye for an eye. We will see capital punishment. If you take a life, your life should be taken.

But that’s not what God does. The first murder that takes place, God extends mercy, to Cain by marking him. I would go back and read that sentence again.

God, despite Cain not heeding his warning, allowing sin to rule, lying to God, God still extends mercy by not giving to Cain what he deserved. God didn’t treat Cain according to his sin.

Psalm 103:8-12- 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

This is a reckoning passage for how God doesn’t treat us as according to our sin.

Which should be a “blowhorn” for us as well. Aren’t you thankful that God doesn’t treat us according to our sin. When we don’t heed his warning, when we don’t tend to the sin that is crouching within and live in moral failure, our sin deserves punishment, deserves payment. But because of Christ and Christ alone, God does not treat us as our sin deserves. Because our sin was nailed to a cross, in the life of Jesus, and we don’t deserve that kind of love and grace, yet it is given, given freely, but given at a cost.

I encourage you to sit with this song, in light of your life today, how can God meet you right where you are and invite you into love, forgiveness, and mercy?

To the Table by Zach Williams

Wednesday, September 9th

Read Genesis 4:6-9- 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

God is saying, if you don’t tend to what is going on it will cost you. He uses the language of doing what is right versus not doing what is right. Again, this is not “right and wrong” as we know it. Because what you think is right and what I think is right in any given situation can be different.

This is a callback to the tree of knowledge of good and evil, tov and ra, right and wrong, the battle of choice between the way of God or the way of “other”. When we don’t choose the way of God, way of tov, good, right, sin is crouching at our door ready to pounce.

This is such a powerful image. The author of Genesis is giving us a picture of how sin, moral failure works, they are saying sin is like an animal, sin is a croucher within waiting to pounce. Sin is a croucher.

I really wanted to put a compilation of giant cats, lions, jaguars, leopards, and tigers pouncing and devouring their prey, something from National Geographic, but then I thought that might be too graphic.

But that’s the picture of sin that God is trying to communicate to Cain. If you don’t tend to what is lurking within you, if you don’t investigate why you feel, respond, choose what you are feeling, responding and choosing, sin will attack you and take you down. Sin is a croucher and it will attack.

Pastor Lee Eclov shares it this way in an article he wrote. “But in these days’ temptations find new toeholds because of our new fears, our isolation from most people, and from the inescapable company of a few. Temptations lurk in our boredom, frustrations, and the disruption of healthy routines…. Sin knows where our doors are, too.”

Friends, this is another message for another time. But this isn’t about sin management, this is about taking the time to wrestle with the two roads. Do I live ruled by sin, not paying attention to what I am doing, feeling, responding, which means I live defeated?

Because Cain didn’t heed God’s divine warning, he lived defeated, marked by his actions.
But if we choose the road of tov, good, God’s road and allow God to rule our life, with God’s power we can have victory or rule over what is crouching within and in order to do that, the other path is tending to what is crouching within.

Allowing God, through quiet time, journaling, prayer, pause, trusted others to ask questions, investigate, reveal, and release what could be a potential warning sign. Learn when you could be at greater risk of sin crouching, looking to pounce. I know for me, when I get really tired and I don’t tend to my heart, I am more susceptible to not being vigilant and sin is ready to pounce. Maybe it is your schedule or isolation or failure or maybe even success. But all of that are opportunities for a divine warning from God and to tend to what is crouching within.

By the way, Jesus references that in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:27, that untended anger can brew into murder. Paul gives us this guide in Ephesians 4:26-27- “don’t let the sun go down when you are angry.” It’s not just, don’t go to bed mad, it’s if you don’t tend to what is making you angry, it may pounce on you later.

Today, how can you decipher these two roads- Ruled over or ruled by, live defeated or tend to what is crouching?

Tuesday, September 8th

Let me ask you this question that should get our attention within Genesis 4. Are we ruled over or ruled by? Read that questions again before you jump into the passage.

Read Genesis 4:6-9- 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

There is so much depth in these verses. First off, God and Cain talking, engaging, God actually giving Cain a divine warning, asking powerful questions, Cain ignores the honest questions, kills Abel, yet God still engages, with a dialogue similar to the dialogue with his parents, Adam and Eve, after they sinned. Instead of “where are you (Adam and Eve)”, it’s “where is your brother?” Then Cain lies and dodges responsibility.

What should get our attention is God’s divine warning and the powerful imagery of sin. God asked Cain two honest, critical questions; why are you angry and why is your face downcast?

Both of those questions were a warning sign to Cain about the content of his heart. It was a warning sign to tend to what is going on within in him, his ego or his identity, something was dysregulated.

Which means if we ignore what is going on inside of us, pain will come, either pain for ourselves or pain in relationships with others or both.

Think about those questions like lights on the dashboard of your car. The lights aren’t the issue; the lights indicate that there is an issue. Ignore the lights, ignore the issue. Pay attention to the lies, pay attention to the issue and seek to resolve it.

This is why it is so critical to pay attention to what we are feeling, what we notice about our body, responses, attitudes. Taking a pause when we do feel dysregulated and allowing God to ask you those questions: why are you _________? Or What is the emotion and the source?

Take a moment and look at the dashboard of your mind and heart. What are you feeling? What could be the source of what you are feeling? How is God getting your attention to tend to what is going on the inside? Sit with God around those questions and see where he is inviting you to tend to the issue, not just the warning signs.

Monday, September 7

Last week I shared the quote from the classic poem by Robert Frost The Road Not Taken, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

How many times do we truly understand the road we take? How many times, as we look back, do we see that we had options and wish we had a warning, or had greater intention versus simply wandering through life.

I believe this is true about the passage we looked at last week, Cain and Abel, from Genesis 4. Brief refresher read Genesis 4:2-16- Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

I think when we look at this passage, we can look at the characters or we can look at the responses and we can keep it at an arm's distance to say, “you know what? I don't think this relates to me.”

But what about the jealousy? What about the envy? What about the anger? What about the fact that Cain just wanted to be accepted? He just wanted to be looked on with favor. What about the sadness or the heaviness or the fact that his face was downcast?

Have you ever felt any of those before? Because if you have, maybe we connect with this story than we think. So, what do we do with this story? I mean, is it just sibling rivalry? Is it just one story amongst the many that's happened thousands and thousands of years ago and it doesn't really have much to do with my life?

Or is there more than meets the eye? Which leads me to the next setup question. When you read through the passage, what got your attention in this passage?

Because there’s a difference between what got our attention and what should get our attention. Remember, it’s God’s activity in the story that should get our attention. People, places, and experiences come and go, but God’s activity is consistent with it all.

As you reflect on this portion of the passage what got God’s attention? How should that apply to your life?

Friday, August 28th

Two people, two paths, one God. Reminded me of the last stanza in Robert Frost classic poem, The Road Not Taken, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

One path is the path of perceived rejection. You don’t believe that God is for you, that he is generous, or if you do, it’s because you’ve been good enough or done the right things and pulled the right levers to get what you needed. But when you don’t get it, you rely on yourself, create greater walls and simply put there is no way that God’s intention is to show you favor, grace, love and acceptance. You walk the path of perceived rejection and there is sadness, anger, jealousy, and envy that rattles your life.

But the road less traveled, you can take the path of favored intention. Where you trust the method and timing of God’s generous grace. Because you live with favored intention the
path that you walk is one of celebration, honor, and love, not because you owe it, but you desire to love in return.

In your own words, describe the difference between the path of perceived rejection and the path of favored intention. Which path do you find yourself on more often, and what tends to push you toward one or the other?

Spend some time in prayer around these prayer prompts.

Ask God to reveal where your intentions have been off and to soften your heart toward genuine, first-fruits generosity.

Thank God specifically for his grace -- that he did not wait for you to get it right before offering his best.

Ask for the courage to walk the road less traveled -- the path of favored intention -- even when circumstances make it hard to believe God is for you.

Thursday, August 27th

Read Matthew 20:1-15- “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

Jesus tells a story about a landowner who pays every worker the same wage regardless of how long they labored. The early workers grumble. They feel cheated. But the landowner asks a piercing question: are you envious because I am generous? This is Cain's story retold. When we witness God's grace poured out on someone else, our response reveals the true condition of our hearts. Grace, by definition, is undeserved favor. The moment we believe we have earned it, we have misunderstood it entirely. God's generosity toward another is never a subtraction from you.

Reflection Question: Is there someone in your life whose blessing has produced envy or bitterness in you rather than celebration?

Practical Application: Pray specifically for that person today, asking God to replace any envy with genuine joy over what he is doing in their life.

Wednesday, August 26th

Read Genesis 2:2b-5- Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

What gets God’s attention? The offerings got God’s attention, Cain brought some, Abel brough the best of the best, the fat portion of the first born.

The other reason I say that Cain’s intention was “off” is because notice his response when God showed favor to Abel? He got angry and his face was downcast.

Here me out, I get it, Cain expected something different from God, because come on, he is the first born.

How many first born? First born, we pave the way, our parents are learning how to be parents with us. They barely had anything to start, by the time #2, #3, or #4 come, they either figured it out or more chill or don’t care. Which the “baby” of the family gets what they want, right? Not in all cases and trust me, I’m not trying to rip open any major family wounds here. But family dynamics play a role today as well as then.

The difference then is the first born expected to get the favor, expected to get the best of the best, they expected to get more because they were first. Remember the frustration of the oldest son in the Prodigal story? His intention was, I did all this for you dad, why haven’t you blessed me.

Here’s my point. God didn’t reject Cain’s offering, God simply showed favor, grace to Abel. But because Cain’s heart intention was “off” it caused a greater ripple effect. Cain was essentially saying, “don’t I deserve favor, I’m the first born?” What about me, that’s not fair.
Does favor for one mean rejection for the other?

Cain’s story is humanity’s story. When we don’t get what we think we deserve, we plot and take it for ourselves. Even at the expense of others. It’s hard when we don’t think God’s face is shining upon us. Hard to see others succeed, when you fail, especially when it seems you’ve done nothing wrong.

Let me put it this way, can you trust God’s favor (grace), but according to his method and his timing? Cain, as the first born was saying, “God, I don’t like your method, and I don’t like your timing. I want the favor and I don’t know the rules of how to get your favor. You are holding out on me, it’s not fair, where’s mine, why wasn’t what I did enough?”

Yet, God is saying, “I am a generous God, can you trust me, but it’s not about the how or the when.”

Abel’s intention, even though we only have two verses about him, we know that his intention was to give God the best of the best, to honor, celebrate and love God. As a result God expressed His favor to Abel. Not that he was more favored, simply expressed his favor. Cain’s intention was different. He gave “some,” gave the leftovers and when he didn’t see the favor in the way he wanted, it led to perceived rejection, anger, sadness, revealed envy and jealousy.

Spend some time with the question- can you trust God’s favor (grace), but according to his method and his timing?

You can also share in this song as a guide- 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Matt Redman

Tuesday, August 25th

This week, as we look at the passage we are looking at what MUST get our attention. We want to be drawn towards what got God’s attention.

The first element that got God’s attention, that should get our attention is the favored intention. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of this summary, unfortunately I didn’t take enough time to wordsmith it better. But my hope is that by the end of our time you will be able to see in these verses, that favor and intention matter.

Read Genesis 4:2b-5- Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Let’s briefly look at the offering. Remember, giving an offering to the “gods” was common place in the day. People gave offerings all the time to the sun god, moon god, prosperity god, rain god. It was so they would be in “good” standing with the gods. Specifically, this word offering is minah which is a gift to honor deity and usually given in a context of celebration. It can be grain or an animal. According to Leviticus 2, both of these gifts are legitimate offerings in celebration or praise of God.

But again, our focus is on intention. Intention is heart thing. How many times do you see someone go through the motions because what, “their heart isn’t in in.” Or they have different intentions.

There are two clues to see that Cain’s intentions were off. First look at the description of the offerings. Cain brought “some” fruits. Anything special about it? Nope, he just brought something to offer to God to celebrate him, to honor him. “God, here you go”…..

What was Abel’s offering? Abel brought from the firstborn, he didn’t keep for himself, he gave what came first and he gave the best portions, he gave the fat portions. He gave the best of the best to celebrate, honor God.

Two brothers. Two offerings. One God. Intention to celebrate God, Cain brought leftovers and Abel brought the best of the best.

God is not impressed by the performance of generosity; he is moved by the intention behind it. Before you bring anything to God today, whether your time, your worship, your resources, or your attention, pause and examine the condition of your heart. Are you giving God your leftovers or your first and best?

Reflection Question: In what area of your life are you offering God "some" when he deserves your best?

Practical Application: Identify one specific way you can give God your first fruits this week, whether in your schedule, your finances, or your attention in prayer.

Monday
 
Today I want you to take some time and read this story, that may be familiar, but take your time with it. Underline, highlight, jot down questions or thoughts of discovery.
 
Genesis 4:1-16-Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
 
First off, how many of you can relate to this story? Your jealousy, envy got the best of you that you killed your brother. Show of hands? I think we read this story and for many, we know at least the names of this story and we think, “I’ll just skip right past this story because I can’t relate at all.”
 
Fair enough, I don’t disagree with you. Especially, I don’t have a brother, even though I am a brother. I’m not really a farmer or rancher. Which is also interesting because during this era, farmers were considered city folk and ranchers were considered rural folk. Here the city slicker farmer, Cain, killed the rural cowboy Abel.  
 
Yet, what about the jealousy, envy, desiring acceptance, anger, sadness? Have you ever felt that? Maybe we connect with this story more than we know. So what do we do with this story? Is it just a sibling rivalry? Is it just one story? Or is there more than meets the eye?
 
Which leads me to the next set up question, what got your attention in this passage? Why was Cain’s offering “not accepted”? What went wrong? What was the mark on Cain’s life? Were there other people around to even threaten him? Do we know anything more about Abel? What was the exile like? Others?  
 
What must get our attention? God’s activity in the story. Reread that question and answer again.
 
We tend to focus on the people, which makes sense, since we are people. And to apply this passage we will need to respond like people. But what must get our attention in this passage is God’s activity in the story and what gets his attention should give us a clue as to how we should live our life.  
 
Go back and jot down what you think got God’s attention and reflect on that today.