Friday, November 6th

Faith isn’t superstitious, if I do, then I will get God’s attention or approval or influence him for my sake. Faith is done versus do. Faith is trusting in what God has done, stepping into the ruin of life to bring renewal. Stepping into chaos to reestablish his presence here on earth, in you and through you.

Because notice that last part of the “movie” or the story.

1 Corinthians 3:16- 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 

Paul asks it as a question. Is it rhetorical? Is it literal? How would you answer it?

Then notice what he says to the church in Ephesus.

21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:21-22

Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice and gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s personal presence is within you. That we are to be a dwelling place for God’s presence, a tabernacle of his presence, his justice and mercy.

For some today, you need to stop living a superstitious faith. Getting God’s attention, acceptance or trying to influence him isn’t about what we do, it’s what has been done. We don’t sacrifice to earn God’s favor, we sacrifice because that’s what our Heavenly Father has done and we, as his children, want to emulate our father. Or another way to put it, we don’t sacrifice for our King to earn his favor, we sacrifice for the King because he has sacrificed and he calls us to do the same because it is His kingdom ways.

Today, where do you need to surrender- your ways to His? It’s not about belief, the demons believe, it’s about surrender.

Where do you need to allow God’s presence to recreate your ruin?

Where do you need to sacrifice, not out of earning the favor of the King, but emulating the King?

Thursday, November 5th

On Tuesday I shared the quote from Tim Mackie. “Noah is one example in the larger pattern leading to the ultimate anointed one who will suffer on behalf of the wicked – a righteous one will die for the wicked and make atonement to open the way back to Eden.” God is making a way back to his created order and presence.

We saw this all the way through the OT and it continues, notice the language in the NT.

John 1:1-5- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Notice the capital “W” should give us a clue for a proper name. This is in relation to Jesus, but what else do you notice? Notice the creation language? The first three words is exactly the same words as the intro to Genesis 1:1, In the beginning. Which would give the audience a clue that God is calling us back to the creation story. What else do you see? Life, light, darkness; all clues to God’s work at creation, paralleling Jesus at creation and his recreative work that his about to start.

Then a few verses down, John 1:14- The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We see that Jesus became flesh and blood and dwelt among us. You know that word dwelt or dwelling among us, the Greek word is skenoo (skayno-o), which means tabernacle. It could be stated, Jesus became flesh and blood and tabernacled among us. Tabernacle would instantly draw people’s attention to God’s presence.

That’s why when Jesus says he’s going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days (John 2). He was saying that he was going to destroy the idea/construct of what the temple meant and “rebuild it” or resurrect it in three days, because he was the dwelling place of God’s presence.

Which leads us to our last element, we’ve talked about presence from the garden to Noah, to the tent of meeting to the tabernacle, to now Jesus. What about the sacrifice?

1 John 4:9-10- 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Seeking God’s attention, gaining his approval, influencing his ways was never about what we could do. It is what God has done. This passage says it all. In God’s love toward us, he put an end to all sacrifices, destroying the sacrificial system with the final sacrifice.

We see the first sacrifice, Noah, point the way to the final sacrifice, the atoning sacrifice. Christ’s righteousness to cover our unrighteousness, at the cross ultimate justice and mercy, and the resurrection is taking the ruin of death and bring new life.

Romans 3:23-26 (MSG)- Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

God satisfied justice and mercy at the cross through Jesus, the atoning sacrifice for all of our evil. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is what clears the world of sin. But you need to trust in who did that work.

The flood narrative was handing us over to the ruin we created, not living according to God’s creative order. The flood didn’t take care of the evil within the human heart. God, worked through the sacrificial system pointing to Christ, where all of God’s justice and mercy were satisfied and he put an end to all sacrifices.

What does that mean for you? How does that change your perspective or view on Christ’s sacrifice? Even the flood? Take a moment with this song as well, as the Love of God leads us to where we need to go.

Wednesday, November 4th

I want to pause for a moment and give you a different picture. Have you ever sat down and watched a movie, but you were coming into the movie either halfway through or towards the end?

That there were things going on that you didn’t understand because you didn’t see how the movie started.

For instance, the movie Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis, “I see dead people.” Now, I’m going to give you a spoiler, but the movie has been out since 1999, so if you haven’t seen it, that’s on you, not me. And if you don’t want to know skip the next paragraph.

But if you came in and watched Sixth Sense midway through, you would think Bruce Willis’ character was absolutely being ignored by everyone, most importantly his wife. She would walk right past him, not listen to him. Then at the end, you felt like there was twist, because you then realized he was dead the entire time and you missed that revelation at the beginning of the movie.

What God does at creation, the flood, Abraham, the sacrificial system is tells a greater story and points to a greater hope, inviting us into his presence and creative order. For a moment I want to put the pieces of the story together for you to see how God steps into humanity, into the ruin and the sacrificial system, to recreate order and his presence.

We are moving on from Noah’s sacrifice, skipping over Abraham for a moment, and into Moses and the rescue from slavery into the Promised Land. Notice how God wants to engage with his presence, while working with the sacrificial system.

Leviticus 1:1-4- The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock. 3 “‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord.

Notice the key words/phrases. God engaged with Moses, his presence was in the tent of meeting. That was the place to meet with God. But to be “acceptable” you had to sacrifice. Again, was that something they had to do to be accepted? Yes, but it was cultural, it was speaking the language of the day.

Numbers 7:1-5- When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. 3 They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle. 4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.”

Notice we are shifting from the tent of meeting to the tabernacle, more ornate, set apart presence of God’s dwelling. God, again, in personal way, says accept the sacrifice, the gift to God.

If you want to have some extra fun, read 1 Kings 18 where we see an stand-off of sacrifices between the prophets of Baal (pagan god) and Elijah with the One True God. Which can get the attention of their god? At the stand-off we see God’s radical justice and incredible grace. Because God is on display by destroying the false gods and working through the prophet Elijah, God’s grace is that Elijah wasn’t perfect, but he was faithful.

John Walton and Tremper Longman share it this way in their book, “The Lost World of the Flood”. “God extends grace to humanity through the covenant, he brings order through the Torah within the covenant, and he continues to move toward the restoration of His presence on earth, lost at Eden and reestablished in the tabernacle.”

I’m going to pause the “movie” here. We see throughout the OT that there are sacrifices, there are elements that are created to experience God’s presence, the altar, tent of meeting, tabernacle, sacrifices to be accepted and approved by a Holy God. We may not be able to get our arms fully around this, but it shouldn’t hinder us from experience that larger story; God’s presence and the creative order.

Today, are there things that are getting in your way to experience God’s presence or creative order in your life? It could even be “good things” or things of faith, that are distorting your view. Take a moment and sit with God around what that may be.

Tuesday, November 3rd

Yesterday I drew your attention to the language around God and that it was about his presence with Noah more than anything else. Today I want to draw your attention to the altar and sacrifices.

Read Genesis 8:20-22- 20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

I get it, especially in the Midwest, we don’t understand the altar and sacrifice. If you see your neighbor sacrificing a goat in their backyard, you are calling the police. But that wasn’t the case in this time and culture.

Altars and sacrifices were a very common practice, especially for pagan cultures. They would sacrifice to the sun god, rain god, sex god, warrior god, to get their attention, approval and influence.

I believe the author is meeting his audience right where they were at, because they would expect, especially after a major event like the flood, you would need to appease the gods. You would need to get the gods attention, get their approval and favor.

So even though we may not understand what is going on here, in our time and culture, for the ancient audience, this isn’t a surprise, but it will be soon.

What can we learn about this sacrifice? The phrase “burnt offerings” is the Hebrew word olah, which means “a going up offering”. It comes from the root word, alah which means “to ascend or go up”. Which means the entire offering goes before God.

Other offerings, which you see in other areas of the OT, are offerings for a different purpose and only the fat portion is given to God, the rest is either not used or is used to serve the priests.

My point is this, we see the righteous one (Noah) function as a priest, but the type of offering that Noah is giving is a full surrender offering, Noah is giving everything to God. Everything to dwell in and with His presence.

Hold that thought, because after Noah sacrifices what does God say. “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil…” The flood narrative brought justice to a ruined world. But did it solve the problem?
No. After the flood, God still saw, in his omniscient vision, that the heart was still evil. The flood didn’t fix the heart of man. Which means God needs to tend to the human heart and evil in a different way. “Justice only” wouldn’t work. “Mercy only” doesn’t satisfy justice. He will need an expression of justice and mercy.

That statement comes after the sacrifice, which should give us a clue that God is tying the sacrifice of the righteous Noah to cover the wickedness of the human heart. Or let me share what Tim Mackie highlights. “Noah is one example in the larger pattern leading to the ultimate anointed one who will suffer on behalf of the wicked – a righteous one will die for the wicked and make atonement to open the way back to Eden.” God is making a way back to his created order and presence.

God is doing something different and he uses something that is very familiar to get the attention of the ancients. How have you seen God do something different in your life, by using something familiar? Can God work in new ways? Or do you expect him to always work in the ways of old? What does it mean for you to ask God to do something new in you?

Monday, November 2

We just got done celebrating the first World Series victory for the Milwaukee Brewers. I understand that you may or may not be a baseball fan and that is okay. But I do want to share with you, that if it isn’t baseball, it may be something else. That there are some that fall into the category of superstitious. That if you do “something” it may influence the “baseball gods” or good-luck or maybe even foster bad-luck.

When it comes ancient understanding of the “gods” it wasn’t all that different. The origin of superstitious means "prophetic" or "full of dread of the supernatural," derived from the noun superstitio ("excessive fear of the gods").

Which means the ancients would do rituals or sacrifices to get the attention of the “gods”, to influence the “gods” in some form or fashion, or to be accepted by the “gods.”

Which means, my “superstition” of wearing an unwashed shirt for every game we won and when I didn’t wear it, we lost, meant that action was getting the “attention” of the baseball gods to influence the Brewers in our favor.

I get it, when said out loud it is ridiculous, but I wonder if we have a similar “superstition” when it comes to our relationship with God. If I do this or that I will get his attention or his approval or I can influence him in such a way to get the favor within life.

What if, what if, that understanding isn’t only false, but that as we look at the flood narrative, as well as the entire narrative of Scripture, God is getting our attention with something so much greater?

Notice this significant dynamic shift of how God gets our attention with the last few verses of Genesis 8:20-22- 20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Before we get to the sacrifice, I want you to pay attention to the language that is describing God and his experience. Notice the words that God “smelled” and “said in his heart”. That language is what we call anthropomorphic language. Where you give human descriptors to non-humans things, and in this case God. Did God actually smell, did he actually say in his heart? Or is the author giving us a perspective that that God is very personal, close, intimate?

We saw a bit of this back in Genesis 6, when “God’s heart was grieved”, but then he said, “in his heart he would never do this again” and makes a promise. Going from cosmic
collapse to cosmic order. Which means God is personal, he is intimate, he is close and desires to create order.

I believe the author of Genesis is establishing God’s presence with humanity. We see that with Adam and Eve, that God walked in garden in the cool of the day. Now here, we see a personal God, “smelling” and “saying in his heart”, establishing a personal presence of God, which will differ from the other, little “g”, gods.

What does God’s presence with humanity mean to you or look like to you? Do you feel as though you must “do” certain things to get God’s attention, approval, or influence God in a certain way? What would it mean to you for that to be different?

Take a moment with this song and reflect on His presence with you. Nothing Else

Friday, October 30th

The Relationship Principle-

Your relationship with God is reflected in your generosity.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Your heart gravitates towards your treasure.

Your treasure, your money/resources/time most easily flows through your hands to those things that matter most to you.

Your heart is directed by what you treasure; by what matters to you.

When you look at what you do with money, time, resources, you will see where your treasure lies and where your heart stands.

What does what you treasure say to you about where your heart is?

Read Luke 21:1-4. What strikes you? What stands out to you?

Notice that generosity is not about how much you give. Generosity is an attitude.

Generosity reflects the direction of a person's heart.

Generosity reflects your relationship with God, your willingness to trust Him.

Generous people make God and His purposes their highest priority

Generosity is important because

Generosity grows your relationship with God as you trust Him, it fuels your faith, your willingness to follow, to serve, to live for Him, His purposes, His values, His glory

The Outcome Principle-
God’s desire is that we experience and know the joy that comes from giving.

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously…God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6, 7)

What I sow is what I reap-
Where might God be asking you to sow?

Jot down what He’s saying to you.

Faith increases your generosity; generosity your increases faith

Generous people give according to how God has blessed them

Generosity isn’t a choice it’s a way of life

What has God been saying to you this week?

Jot it down and thank Him

Now what will you do?

How would God have you reflect Him by living generously?

What step(s) is He asking you to take?

Jot it down

Who do you trust who you might tell about your next step(s)?

Thursday, October 29th

“All that I am and all that I have comes from God.”

These are not my gifts, my talents, my resources, my relationships, my opportunities, my experiences, my personality.

All I have comes from the hand of God; He owns it, they are His not mine.
Which means I’m a manager- not an owner

The Manager Principle-
Everything you have is a gift from God - your talent, your intellect, your physical ability to work, and your opportunities to produce income, your gifts, your talents, your resources, your relationships. It’s all a gift from Him. Express your gratitude for what He’s gifted you with.

God asks that you honor Him and be wise a steward, or manager, with what He has entrusted to you.

Check out Matthew 25:14-30

Everything you have comes from God, consider this

God is the Provider I am the receiver so I hold it all with open hands
What He provides He entrusts to me

I’m responsible to mange what He provides; because it’s His not mine
I manage His resources according to His will, His plan, His values, His principles
All that I am, all that I have is His to manage. For His purposes, His honor.

In what ways have you, or are you focused on His purposes, His honor with what He has given you?

I manage what He has entrusted to me for the purpose of expanding not expending (expanding His Kingdom not expending on mine

What does that mean to you? Jot it down

How might you focus on expanding? Ask God, listen and jot it down

How might you choose to limit your expending so you can focus on expanding? Ask God, listen and jot it down

Wednesday, October 28th

What’s the Faith Challenge suppose to be? This week my challenge is for you to be with God, hear from God and respond to God. I don’t know what that will look like for you, but it’s your faith challenge. I hope you take up the challenge.

This week we’re considering reflecting the generosity of God in our world, as a way of life.

The Ownership principle
This first principle is probably the most foreign to our culture, to the American view of life. It’s seen early in life, it’s seen when the toddler grabs the toy and says “Mine”.

We grow up believing it’s “mine”.

That what we have is ours-“I earned it, I worked hard for that”.

Yet spiritual maturity recognizes that God is the true owner of everything we have.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1)

Really- everything? Everyone? Yup, that’s what it says.

What’s your gut reaction when you read that?

Jot down some words that come to mind when you consider-
 - God owns everything
 - His provisions are His not mine

What changes when you realize it’s not yours, that it belongs to God?

How does your heart respond to this?

“All that I am and all that I have comes from God.”

These are not your gifts, your talents, your resources, your relationships, your opportunities, your experiences, your personality.

All you have comes from the hand of God; He owns it, they are His not mine.
Tell God how you feel about this.

Tuesday, October 27th

Day two of this week’s Faith Challenge.

A reminder- What’s the Faith Challenge suppose to be? Where’s the challenge? What’s the challenge? Is it to read something new? To be challenged in your faith walk? An opportunity to grow? Yes, probably some of all of that. But this week my challenge is for you to be with God, hear from God and respond to God. I don’t know what that will look like for you, but it’s your faith challenge. I hope you take up the challenge.

This week we’re considering reflecting the generosity of God in our world, as a way of life.
Living generously is a trust issue. Not a resource issue.

In the Old Testament God says His people are blessed to be a blessing; blessing others is a reflection of our family heritage, of who my God is.

I’m not here for me. You’re not here for you. We’re blessed to be a blessing; to reflect Him
Caution, don’t limit living generously to time, talent and treasure.

It’s all of life, all that I am and all that I have. I trust Him for all of it.

Living generously, is not simply financial but with all of life, with all I have, with all God has given me. My gifts, talents, resources, relationships, opportunities, experiences, my personality; all He has poured into me and my life.

I want you to know the joy of living generously and reflecting the One who has given you everything.

Today we’re going to consider some Biblical principles of living generously

Here are a few basics-
1. God is generous (John 3:16)
It’s the nature of God to be generous, to give.
Tell God where you have experienced His generosity recently.
Praise and thank Him for His generosity in your life.
Tonight, before you go to bed jot down 10 things your grateful for.
Gratitude is my response to His generosity
2. Generosity matters to God- it’s reflected in all 66 books of the Bible. It’s not a sometime deal for God.
3. The early church was marked by generosity- Acts 2:45, 4:36-37 read these verses, what do you see? Feel?
4. Living generously reflects Jesus- read Philippians 2:6-8 and
2 Corinthians 8:9

Sit with these verses for a few minutes, then tell Jesus what they mean to you, how you feel.

Monday, October 26th

Day one of this week’s Faith Challenge. I’m wondering What’s the Faith Challenge suppose to be? Where’s the challenge? What’s the challenge? Is it to read something new? To be challenged in your faith walk? An opportunity to grow? Yes, probably some of all of that. But this week my challenge is for you to be with God, hear from God and respond to God. I don’t know what that will look like for you, but it’s your faith challenge. I hope you take up the challenge.

If one of the core desires of a Christ follower is spiritual maturity then what does that look like? How will I know if I’m maturing?

Consider this perspective “Spiritual maturity is reflecting Christ and His character in my world.”

As you grow in your relationship with Christ the goal is to reflect more and more of Christ and His character in your life, in your world. It’s what God promised to do. “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Romans 8:29
God promises to conform us to His Son. Spiritual maturity reflects increasing conformity to Christ; reflecting more of Christ in my life, my world.

In the past six months how have you seen your life conformed to the image of Jesus? Sit with that for a few minutes. Ask God’s Spirit where He’s been at work? Jot it down.
Pause for a minute and consider this-

God is a generous God. The Father gave us His Son, “for God so loved…”
The Son gave His life, the Spirit gives faith and spiritual gifts.

Generosity is at the core of who God is and you’re called to reflect Him by living generously.

This week I want you to consider reflecting the generosity of God.

When you hear the word generosity or living generously; what comes to mind? How do you feel?

Tell God what this is like for you.

You have two basic choices to make; two ways to live your life- with either open hands or closed fists. Holding all that I am and all that I have with either open hands or closed fists.
What do your hands look like? Is that what you want?

At the heart of that choice is trust, that’s why this is so crucial to your growth. Living generously is an act of trust and as you trust you grow.

Talk with God regarding your willingness to live generously.

Thursday, October 22

This week we’ve been discussing how the flood is more than just devastation, or even God wipe out the entire world and starting creation over. It is God, handing humanity over to the ruin in created and out of severe mercy, chose to recreate again with Noah, the man of comfort and rest. We said, God gave us a path from ruin to renewal.

Folks, I know that firsthand and God used a career change to show me what he means, out of death comes life, he brought me on a path from ruin to renewal.

I stepped away from pastoring in 2002 because of a series of selfish, sinful decisions. But part of the problem was trying to find a job when your degree is in Youth Ministry from a private liberal arts college, you are not very employable. My training wasn’t very transferable to the real world. I searched for a few jobs but then landed in grace at Fond du lac Bumper Exchange with David Genesier. Fond du lac Bumper was a company that took broken, damaged bumpers, plastic or steel, and refurbished/renewed them to sell to body
shops and dealerships. They also sold after-market collision parts, from hoods to trunks and most things in between.

But here is the other part of the problem. I knew nothing about cars. I couldn’t tell you who made the Grand Prix or the Astro Van or the Outback. But David met me in my ruin and had me start out as a grunt working in the warehouse and filling in on routes to deliver parts when needed. My path from ruin to renewal was interesting because after 10 months on the job and not knowing anything I became the assistant sales manager and then 6 months later I was brought on as the sales manager of a modest business.

We were in the business of taking bumpers that were ruined to a degree and renewing them. Which is exactly what God did with me, as I waited, working at Fond du lac Bumper, my ruined life of failure, lostness was renewed through grace and hard work.

As a parting gift David gave me a piece of art, taking broken down, “ruined” parts and putting together something wonderful, a sailboat with two people on it. One guy on the rutter and the other guy on the mast. It’s called “hiking out” so the sailboat doesn’t tip over as much. According to Dave, that guy was me. One who would have strength, courage and trust to go in the direction the captain wanted to go.

Folks, I don’t say that as a brag. I say that as a path from ruin to renewal. God’s work from fall of 2002 to summer of 2006 was working through the broken places of my life to create in me a new.

That’s why I love 2 Corinthians 5:17- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Or even Isaiah 43:19- See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

You notice the flood and creation language. From ruin to renewal. Which means you need to pause and ask some processing questions.

What areas in your life are in ruin, or dead or need to die so that God can create anew in you? To renew you?

What areas do you need renewal? (relationships, attitudes, mindset, healthy emotion, reactions)

What lies need to die so truth can live? What lies need to be destroyed so truth can be created within you?

Biblical creation is moving from non-order to order, chaos to peace, death to life. The Flood narrative is an invitation to see and live in that renewal.

Wednesday, October 21
 
Noah waited, we wait, we grow when we trust in the waiting. But trust what and who? Back to the flood narrative.
 
Genesis 8:16-19- 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.” 18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
 
I know this may sound like it is simply an animal parade, where the animals, Noah, and his family exit the ark. But pay attention to a few things.
 
There is a key phrase in the middle of this passage that should get our attention; multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it. Where have we heard that before?
 
Back at creation right, Genesis 1:22 for the animals and 1:28 for humanity. Not only that, but notice the verse parallels from Genesis 1, creation, to Genesis 8 and 9 recreation...
 
I would encourage you to take some time with the parallel passages.
 
Gen. 8:1 connected to Genesis 1:2, 2:7, Gen. 8:2 connected to Gen. 1:7, Gen. 8:5 connected to Gen. 1:9, Gen. 8:7 connected to Gen. 1:20, Gen. 8:17 connected to Gen. 1:25, Gen. 9:1 connected to Gen. 1:28a, Gen. 9:2 connected to Gen. 1:28b, Gen. 9:3 connected to Gen. 1:30.
 
What we see is that because God handed humanity over to its ruin, the cosmos was ruined, desolate, it had non-order like before creation. But now God is moving from ruin to renewal, from uncreation to recreation, from death to life. Tim Mackie shares it this way, “when God delivers from death, it is also an act of creation.”
 
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes today to sit quietly and ask God this specific question: "Where do you want to recreate something in me?" Write down what comes to mind without filtering or editing it.

Tuesday, October 20

Read Genesis 8:10-16a- 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. 13 By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark…”

Pause and put yourself in Noah’s boat. Noah didn’t have any windows, sure there was something on top that he eventually opens, but Noah, essentially was in the dark, waiting. But was he just waiting or was he waiting and trusting God?

Could Noah do anything to speed up the process? Could Noah insert “his” control to make something happen? Could Noah throw a fit because God wasn’t working on the same timeline as his?

I know it sounds ridiculous, especially cause Noah didn’t speak, so it would only be assumptions. Because I know that I have those rants with God, why? When? How long? I want control. But it should tell us there is something to learn in Noah’s waiting.

What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we’re waiting for. What that means biblically is that waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of renewal. While Noah was waiting, God was starting the renewal process; the olive branch is a clue. In the midst of the ruin, God was recreating, renewing while Noah waited. Which means when we wait God is renewing the ruin that is in us or around us, renewing who he created us to be. Can we trust God in the waiting?

There is a great story by Henri Nouwen in his book Sabbatical Journeys. He writes about some friends of his who were trapeze artists. They were with the circus, and their lives had an effect on him. They were called The Flying Roudellas. One thing they told Henri Nouwen is that there’s a very special relationship between the flyer and the catcher on the trapeze. The flyer is the one that lets go, and the catcher is the one that catches. As you might imagine, this relationship is important especially to the flyer. When the flyer is swinging high above the crowd on the trapeze, the moment comes when he must let go. He arcs out into the air, and his job is to remain as still as possible and to wait for the strong hands of the catcher to pluck him from the air. This trapeze artist told Nouwen, “The flyer must never try to catch the catcher.” The flyer must wait in absolute trust. The catcher will catch him. But he must wait.

Some of you are in a vulnerable moment right now. You have let go of what it is God has called you to let go of, but you can’t feel God’s hand catching you yet. And you want to start flailing around. Will you wait in absolute trust? Will you be patient? Waiting requires patient trust.

How do you need to shift your impatience to waiting trust? What don’t you trust about God or his process that makes waiting difficult?

Take a little extra time, especially if waiting is hard for you and hold onto these promises in Psalms. Psalms 5:3, 27:14, 33:20, 37:7, 40:1, 130:5

Monday, October 19th

We are still in the flood narrative, let’s pick up where we left off last week.

Read Genesis 7:22-24- 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. 24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

The state of the world is complete non-order, desolation, the only things still alive and that have breath are what is in the ark, Noah, family, and the animals. There they sit, “their” world covered in water, floating high above everything. Then notice the next line.

Don’t picture it like the next scene, imagine the narrator telling you the story, because that’s what is happening. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. Genesis 8:1-16a- But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible. 6 After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him. 13 By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark…”

There is quite a bit going on, we’ll touch on some things with our next point. But the first thing I want to draw your attention to is the time, not only the time, but the time Noah waited. Rains for forty days and forty nights, then the water sits for 150 days, then another 150 days the water begins to recede, it takes three months for the water to completely recede, then he sends out a few birds to get a survey of the land, which takes 40 days, then another week, and another week and when it is all said and done. Noah, his family, the animals were on the ark for an entire year.

Think about that for a second. Remember Noah was obedient and continued to do what God told him. But sitting on that ark, with the animals, in-laws, for a year. When God? When? How long do we have to wait? Just as much as he caused the cosmic collapse, couldn’t he speed up the process? Dry out the land a touch quicker? Why didn’t God act faster? Sooner? Why the wait?

How many of you like to wait? Wait in line? Wait in traffic? Wait at the doctor’s office? For some though, that’s nothing because your waiting has greater stakes. Waiting for a response from your boss. Waiting for the test results. Waiting for the right person to marry. Waiting to get pregnant. Waiting in pregnancy. Waiting for the next chapter in life. When it comes to waiting, I don’t think any of us like it too much.

I so appreciate how philosopher Lewis Smedes puts it. “Waiting is our destiny. As creatures who cannot by themselves bring about what they hope for, we wait in the darkness for a flame we cannot light. We wait in fear for a happy ending that we cannot write. We wait for a ‘not yet’ that feels like a ‘not ever.'”

What is your relationship to “waiting”? What is the struggle? What is the frustration? Can you have an honest conversation with God or trust “faith believing” friends around your struggle with waiting?

I would also encourage you, in the process, hold onto this song, as you wait. Promises

Saturday, October 17

Remember John Walton’s statement, “what God does through the flood is most important of all”? The last and foremost thing that should get our attention about this narrative is God’s deliverance- His rescue and redemption in chaos.

The critical verse for this declaration is Genesis 6:13, but here’s the challenge. The translation from Hebrew to English in the NIV is stifling or I would say inaccurate.

The NIV says, “I’m going to put an end to all people….” Other translations, like KJV, ESV, and NASB have this translation, “The end of humanity has come before me …”

Where else have we seen or heard that phrase or something similar? “Come before me”? God was aware, saw, heard? Genesis 4:10- Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

The phrase is a hyperlink, that connects the two, in both cases God is made aware of the violence and pain on the earth. The cries have come before him. Essentially what God is saying to Noah is that “Noah, the world is crying out to me, the pain of the world is before me, I hear the cries, I see the pain, and I MUST DO something.”

BTW- if you want to Geek out for a second, read Exodus 2. God also hears the people of Israel cry out because of their enslavement to the Egyptians and you know what God does to deliver them? An Ark and a baby …. Moses in the basket, swooped out of the water by Pharoh’s daughter. The word basket is the same word as ark.

God heard creation cry out, sent Noah and an ark. God heard his people cry out in Egypt and sent Moses in a basket. God heard Christ’s cry on the cross (Matthew 27:46) and sent redemption and deliverance.

My point is this. I don’t believe this is a story of God’s destruction over the earth. I believe that God, out of his great love said, “I MUST DO something.” He saw the violence, the ruin, the desolation on the land and with his creation, which he intended for good. He could either sit back and do nothing or out of his great love, take the disorder and recreate. I have a harder time believing in a god who would do nothing at the injustice that was ruining the world, than a God who did something, to redeem and deliver the cosmos from chaos.
The flood narrative is not primarily about punishment. It is about a God whose heart is moved by the cries of the suffering, a God who cannot remain passive in the face of violence and ruin. When you cry out, you are not crying into silence. You are crying to a God who has always heard and always responded.

Application

Do you genuinely believe God hears your cries, or does it feel like your prayers disappear into the ceiling? What has shaped that belief?

What do you do when your world or the world around feels like it is collapsing? Trust God’s deliverance, that he will rescue and redeem the chaos in your life. Even if it is hard.

God must do something when he hears the cries, his heart is moved, because if God did nothing, that is a greater offense. But here in lies the problem and where I will get a lot of push back. Because how many times have you said, maybe even in the midst of your collapse- why won’t God do anything? Why does it feel like God’s ears don’t hear my cries? Why does it feel like God is sitting on his hands?

Folks, I hear you, I see you, I’ve cried out in similar ways. The only thing that gives me solace is God’s character and activity throughout all of time, not just in a moment of time.
What does scripture say? His ways are higher than my ways, his thoughts are higher than my thoughts. A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. Which simply means, we don’t know his ways, his whys, or his timing, but we still declare, “I trust in you and not in my circumstance.” You promised to rescue and redeem and I will stand on the fact that you cannot lie. I don’t know how you are or when you are, but I believe that you will.

Write out this declaration and place it somewhere visible this week: "I do not know how. I do not know when. But I believe You will. I trust You, and not my circumstances."
Take a moment with this song as an encouragement for walking out this truth this week. God You're So Good

Friday, October 16th

What else do we notice about Noah? Genesis 7:7- 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

Don’t slide past that, that has practical and theological implications.

Think about it, the world was being handed over to its ruin because that’s what it chose. Noah and his family are rescued because of Noah’s righteousness. Which means, practically, what generational influence are you choosing? Generational influence of righteousness or ruin? What will you choose, tov or ra, good or evil, righteousness or ruin?
Noah's righteousness did not save only Noah. It saved his entire family. This is not a small detail tucked into the narrative. It is a theological signal pointing forward to something far greater. The biblical authors are drawing a line from Noah directly to Jesus. One man's obedience brought deliverance to those around him. One man's righteousness covered the unrighteous. Noah foreshadows Christ, but only partially. Noah survived the flood. Jesus did not. Jesus sank beneath the waters of death so that all who take shelter in Him might be rescued. The ark was a vessel of wood. Jesus is a living refuge for all of creation.

Romans 5:18-19 (NLT)- 18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

Application

Without suggesting that one person's faith automatically saves another, how have you seen the faithful choices of one person influence the people around them -- for better or for worse? How does that reality affect the way you think about your own choices? What change do you need to make to walk the path of righteousness, for your sake and the sake of the next generation?

Thursday, October 15th

Read

Did you notice that Noah never speaks a single word in the flood narrative?
He asks no questions. He voices no complaints. He makes no dramatic declarations of faith. He simply does what God commands, again and again. The narrator describes him as a flat character on purpose.

Notice that passages- Genesis 6:8-9, 22, 7:5, 16- 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord….9 Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God…22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him…5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him… as God had commanded Noah.

Noah's entire identity in this story is defined by one thing: he listened to God, did what God said, and trusted God in the gaps. That kind of obedience is not passive. It is the most active and courageous response a person can offer when the world around them is dissolving. Quiet obedience is not weakness. It is profound trust.

Application

Noah obeyed and trusted. How can you grow in obedience and trust?

Hear- seek God, listen to God. Remember Noah remained silent. He heard God’s instructions and he did it. Which means for our lives, for many of us, it’s not that we “can’t” hear, it’s the fact that the pace and noise of life is too much. Slow down, get quiet, and listen. Psalm 46:10 is a passage we like to memorize- Be still and know that I am God. But what we miss in the rest of the passage is that it is a passage of deliverance, refuge and rescue, to bring us into union with God. Be still, quiet yourself and listen to God.

Then, obey. Are you following your way, someone else’s way, the wrong way or God’s way? I can’t tell you how many times people “complain” to me about their life, blame it on God, when they haven’t done anything to choose his way. His way is harder, narrow, but Jesus says, “he is the way, the truth and life. No one comes to the father, except through him.”
Jesus is the only way, maybe, you haven’t made that declaration.

Have you personally placed your trust in Christ's righteousness, or are you still attempting to navigate life's flood on your own terms?

If you have never declared your trust in Jesus as Savior, consider doing so today in your own words. If you have, write a brief prayer of gratitude for the righteousness that covers you.

Which is that last observation of obeying and trusting. Declare that you trust him. Declaring your trust in Him is wrestling with why don’t you trust him in a certain area of life? Because there are times where I do need to declare, “God I trust you in this.” And other times where I wrestle with him, “God, why don’t I trust you in this?” And that is a way to grow our trust, wrestling with God why we don’t.

Where are the gaps in your own life right now -- the places where you do not have all the answers, where you cannot see what God is doing? What does trusting God in those gaps actually look like for you in a practical sense?

Wednesday, October 14th
 
For those of you wondering where Tuesday’s daily faith challenge was, you didn’t miss anything. I didn’t finish it in time and we as a staff had an awesome day serving in Howards Grove Tuesday, so I made the executive decision to bump it from Tuesday to Wednesday and go into Saturday.
 
If you need a refresher from Monday, go back and read Genesis 6:13-7:24, yes, it is a lot, but it gives the framework for where we are going. Simply because, we can have more questions than answers and can get distracted with what got our attention versus what SHOULD GET our attention.
 
Let me summarize it this way, from a wonderful resource The Lost World of the Flood by John Walton. “The literary-theological interpretation of the passage takes precedence over the compulsion many feel to reconstruct the event itself…What the narrator does with the flood is more important than what the flood does, and what God does through the flood is most important of all. If this is so, then we need to articulate persuasively what the narrator and God are doing through the flood….We are brought to the conclusion that Genesis 6-9 pertains to a local flood described rhetorically as a worldwide flood to make a theological point. Such a view honors both the biblical text when read in its literary and cultural context as well as the geological evidence (or lack thereof).”
 
That may be a mouthful, so let me summarize. I believe the flood happened, to the degree by which it happened isn’t the point of the author or of God. The intention, like with all of scripture, is to understand God, his character and His activity within the human story.
 
What should get our attention? This is a story of cosmic collapse. Which if you think about it, is greater than just a “flood” regardless if it was local or covered the entire world.
 
Let me draw your attention to a few things. God brought order at creation, separating and gathering, there was the deep, the land, and the heavens, a three-tiered creation (if you look back, three tiers in the ark (Genesis 7:16)- The ark is God’s new creation.)
 
But in Genesis 7:11- 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
 
Notice what happens, what split open? The deep. And what opened from above? The heavens. All of which collapsed creation from the top and the bottom, a deluge of disorder. God is allowing disorder to fill the land of disorder to recreated what he originally intended. (May want to reread that).
 
Not only that, remember Genesis 6:1-4, spoke of the sons of God and the sons of man breaking the boundaries by which God created, humanity and spiritual beings intermingling. Which meant he allowed the cosmic collapse of all of creation, to recreate something new through the new Adam.
 
So what? Now what? What do we do with this? These questions I asked at the end of my message, as a summary with all that we see in the flood narrative. Today however, I want us to take each one and process the application piece.
 
How do we apply this to life? Because if all you do is say, “hmm, that was interesting, I may rethink the flood narrative.” You are missing the theological impact of this narrative, God’s character and how he is always at work.
 
It was a cosmic collapse, the inevitable unraveling of a world that had chosen violence and ruin over the order God intended. Yet even in that collapse, God was not absent. He was watching. He was grieving. He was moving. When your world feels like it is unraveling, the question is not whether God sees it. He does. The real question is whether you will turn toward Him or away from Him in the wreckage. You can blame God, get bitter, or get better?
 
Write down one specific circumstance that feels out of control. Spend five minutes in silence, surrendering that circumstance to God rather than trying to solve it.
 
Collapse can be the beginning of renewal if you let God be present in it.

Monday, October 12th

Yes, I want you to take your time today and read the bulk of the Flood Narrative (Genesis 6:13-7:24). I want you to take your time. TRY not to read it with what you think you already know. TRY to read it with fresh eyes, which means slow, deliberate, with intention of God showing you something “other.”

Then, when you are done deliberately reading it, what did you notice? What got your attention? What did you see, hear, or believe differently?

Genesis 6:13-7:24- 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, 9 male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

13 On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. 14 They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. 15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. 16 The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in.

17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. 18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. 21 Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. 23 Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

24 The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

What did you notice? What got your attention? What did you see, hear, or believe differently?

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.

This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.
I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)

The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achieve their God ordained goal is, to me, a wonderful illustration of an authentic Christian spiritual journey. The Bible refers to “walking the narrow road”, “running your race”, “fighting the good fight” and many other illustrations, but let me add the salmon spawning migration to those!

Friday, October 9th

Romans 12:19-21
We will not be stopped!

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:21

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
Philippians 3:12

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”
II Timothy 4:6-8

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.

This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.
I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)

The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achieve their God ordained goal is, to me, a wonderful illustration of an authentic Christian spiritual journey. The Bible refers to “walking the narrow road”, “running your race”, “fighting the good fight” and many other illustrations, but let me add the salmon spawning migration to those!

Thursday, October 8th

Romans 12:14-18
There will be rapids…
“Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
Vs 17

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.

This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.
I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)

The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achieve their God ordained goal is, to me, a wonderful illustration of an authentic Christian spiritual journey. The Bible refers to “walking the narrow road”, “running your race”, “fighting the good fight” and many other illustrations, but let me add the salmon spawning migration to those!

Wednesday, October 7th

Romans 12:9-13
We swim in love.
“Love must be sincere.” Vs 9

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.

This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.
I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)

The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achieve their God ordained goal is, to me, a wonderful illustration of an authentic Christian spiritual journey. The Bible refers to “walking the narrow road”, “running your race”, “fighting the good fight” and many other illustrations, but let me add the salmon spawning migration to those!

Monday, October 6th

Romans 12:1-2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” Vs 1

There is a strong current of all things “the world” that tries to convince us to just go with the flow. Jesus makes it clear, that is the path to ruin for spiritual lives. Cultural expectations, political pressure, perhaps family pressure, “that’s just the way it has to be to make it in the world,” pick your own excuse or pressure you feel in the current of culture. “The pattern of this world.” Make the choice. Take your stand. Swim up stream!

Greetings New Lifer-s! Pastor Bill here.
This week I encourage you to work through Romans Chapter 12 with me. I have a suggested reading portion for each day and a verse I have chosen for you to focus on.
I love nature. (the fact that almost EVERY message I do has a nature illustration might hint at that!)

The amazing migration of salmon up the rivers, against the current and against all odds to achieve their God ordained goal is, to me, a wonderful illustration of an authentic Christian spiritual journey. The Bible refers to “walking the narrow road”, “running your race”, “fighting the good fight” and many other illustrations, but let me add the salmon spawning migration to those!

Tuesday, October 6th

Romans 12:3-8
We swim together… don’t try to do the spiritual journey on your own!
“In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.’
(V5)

Friday, October 2nd

Read Genesis 6:7-10- 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

You notice that God doesn’t wipe out ALL of humanity?

No, he sees Noah, name defined as comfort and rest, and we see this word, found favor. God’s heart breaks for humanity and he still desires to rescue. We must see God’s grace through humanity.

Noah found favor with God, because he walked faithfully with him, he was righteous and blameless. He wasn’t perfect, as we will see in a few weeks, but he had a right relationship with God, and he desired to be complete or pure.

Because fast forward, God sees the brokenness of the world again and sends one who will bring comfort and rest, whose life was marked by righteousness and blamelessness. That the evil of the world was placed on his shoulders and he brought redemption to all mankind, Jesus. God doesn’t give up on humanity, he is always working to give them a choice to come back to him.

What does it mean for you to live with gratitude of grace. Don’t settle for cheap grace, casual grace, easy grace, or even simple grace. God grieved over the state of humanity and the world and extended grace through one man so the world would be saved.

The flood points to Jesus, the state of humanity, the cross and the empty tomb. That is what the authors call severe mercy. Mercy taking the form of a just response. It is amazing grace, oh how He loves us.

Instead of justifying the ways to live, can we fall into grace, recognize that God’s heart is grieved when we settle for everything else, but him. Yet, not out of guilt, but out of gratitude that we allow God to overwhelm us with His love and grace.

What does a life shaped by genuine gratitude for grace actually look like day to day?