Category: Service

Everyday Faith

7/8/2018

Shannon shared a poem called I'd Rather see a Sermon by Edgar A. Guest:

I'd rather see a sermon
than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me
than merely tell the way.
The eye's a better pupil
and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
but example's always clear;
And the best of all preachers
are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
is what everybody needs.
I soon can learn to do it
if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lecture you deliver
may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons
by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.

The faith of the mustard seed is enough.
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you [a]had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would [b]obey you.
7 “Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and [c]sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly [d]clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and [e]afterward you [f]may eat and drink’? 9 He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” Luke 17:5-10

You just need a little faith.

So many times we focus on big events. It's not the #s that count. It's the faith of the every day.

When did your faith affect your life this week?

What would my days be like without faith?

What we do because of our faith is that servant part of the above passage in Luke.

Your everyday faith must be a life of servanthood.

We cannot do more than what is expected of us.

God's grace is a gift.

We don't get extra praise for doiing what we'resupposed to do.

Salvation is assured. It is an act of God.

God's blessing and face is grace, not something earned.

So many times we want recognition for what we do.

The work itself should be enough.

27 "And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

Am I fulfilling this daily?

Faith is service on display.

Sanctification is living and growing to be more like Christ.

The real challenge is that we strive to be disciples.

All you need is consistent faith -- that little bit that never goes away. Don't try to be a superhero.

Faith is like a muscle. When you use it it gets stronger. If you don't use it it will shrink.

When you take time off you have to work your way back to where you were.

The challenge is to constantly be trying. Be consistent.

Be the sermon for others to seee. Let them see you working towards living more and more in God's love. We are being watched all the time. Our everyday life is watched.

15 "but [a]speaking the truth in love, [b]we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ," Ephesians 4:15

We should be maturing.

He took care of things everyday.

It's not the things we do, but the things we leave undone that cause the greatest heartache.

How Do We Do That?
1. Spend time in the Word. It's not a visit. It's a lifestyle.
2. Spend time in Fellowship, listening and sharing your faith. Who/what you spend your time with you will reflect.
3. Live everyday immersed in the grace you have been given.
4. Live everyday as the servant we are meant to be.

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Bread

3/19/2017

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Ezekiel called bread the staff of life.

The U.S. population spent 23.6 billion dollars on bread in 2016.

50% of Americans eat a sandwich daily.

Genesis 3:19a "By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread."

That is the first time bread is mentioned in the Bible.

Jesus and the 40 days in the desert.

Bread and Water -- prison food.

Daily bread.

Parable about "even the dogs eat the crumbs off the children's table."

Tradition tells us they'd save the crust of the bread to wipe their fingers on and give these scraps to the dogs.

Offerings.

Wave Offering -- bread they made from the first grain from the harvest.

Abigail -- gave a huge offering of bread (and other things) to David to cover her husband's guilt.

Luke 9:10-17.

They had a little bit, but when it was broken and shared it fed everyone. And there were tons of leftovers.

The more you give away, the more comes back.

The more our gifts will expand.

Just do it. Don't worry -- just do it.

John 6:26-40. Jesus calls Himself the "bread of life."

You should be hungry for the Word of God.

Walk by faith means stepping out. Step off that ledge. The disciples delivered the bread and fish.

Matthew 26:26 Jesus is the bread.

breaking of bread means sharing.

Acts 2:46. Continued to break bread together.

1 Corinthians 10:17, "Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread."

To put it together, we all need to be actively involved.

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Sowing Seeds

2/5/2017

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Great crowd in church today. I wish you could have been there! Good sermon. Following are the pastor's wife's notes (and following that is the sermon -- you can just click on it to listen as you go about your day):

Mark 4:26-29.

A seed just needs to be planted. It grows on its own. Don't fuss with it.

Genesis 1:12.

From the beginning God ordained the reproduction of plants to come through seeds. We don't need to worry about it after we plant.

"the soil produces crops by itself." Mark 4:28a

We don't need to micro-manage. Let God do His work.

Wind makes trees stronger.

Plant seed and plant the Word in ourselves. If we aren't growing we're dying.

We need to be receptive. We need to plant true seeds. What you plant is what you'll get. You don't have to intentionally plant bad seed for it to sprout. Seeds get planted no matter what from our words and actions -- how about we make an effort to plant good stuff?

Am I adding to the weed crop or the good crop?

I must intentionally plant seeds of faith.

Isaiah 5510-11

Our seed produces much. It produces a crop and more seed for the sower.

The more you plant the more you'll be able to plant.

2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Let the seeds grow in me so I am strong.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11.

Give generously from my own seed store. Anybody who gets it should be spreading it.

Seeds must be planted. Seeds will be planted continuously. What's the benefit to the sower?

Multiplied it -- reward is more seeds, more tasks, more things to do for the King.

The third servant allowed fear to stop him from trying. The master called him wicked and lazy.

Seeds are falling off me constantly.

Sow generously; reap generously.

Just let the Spirit lead.

Generously cast out the seed.

Nothing but God can give peace. And He will give peace.

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The Harvest: Help Wanted

11/13/2016

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Following are the notes I (Jane, pastor's wife) took today at church:

Today Shannon talked about The Harvest. In Matthew 9:36 -38. Jesus says the "harvest is plentiful."

We aren't the lords of the harvest. Father God is the Lord of the Harvest. It is the Father's harvest.

Sheep can't see what's right and wrong. They get confused and lost. They need a shepherd.

We need to ask for harvesters. Pray that the Lord sends workers to the harvst. We can't do it alone.

The affect one person can have is incredible.

John 4:36-38

Look out and see the harvest waiting to be harvested. "Look up and see the harvest."

Stop looking at yourself. Look up and see the harvest.

A farmer who doesn't harvest or who doesn't know what he's/she's doing will fail.

Are we a hobby church?

Go Get Em!

Drop everything to get the one who is lost.

Don't be content where we are.

We're supposed to be working.

Six million people were asked what it would take for them to go to church. The number one reason was "If I was invited."

The harvest is meant to be done on God's time. It isn't our time. Time we have in life is a gift. it is from God -- seek Him on how to use it.

Luke 10:1-4

It's not about .....NO EXCUSES.

Take no excuses and just go. He did not say think about it. We are not supposed to reject Jesus for them. When the opportunity is gone it's gone.

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God's creation

11/8/2016

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Well folks, we heard that some people prefer the notes to the podcast. So, we will furnish both on this blog (or should it be a plog or a Blogplog). Below I will type out my notes and then share the video from this 11/6/2016. I recommend you look up the scriptures too. I'll put a link to Biblegateway so you can read them right online. Thanks for visiting:

God's creation is perfect in that God created it exactly as He intended to. Think about this -- all the things we create (we humans that is) have purpose. Even art that hangs on a wall has purpose.

Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:26

God created us for a purpose. He created us to be good stewards (managers) of His creation. God created us to be His vessels. We carry the Spirit of God within us. We can have compassion for everything (no other animal can do this). He created us to be stewards like He is in regard to us.

Romans 1:20

No one is immune to seeing God's handiwork. DNA -- God's signature! We are surrounded by God's creation, His very fingerprints. God doesn't have a reject pile.

Randall Factory story -- if the knives aren't perfect the Randall staff don't allow them out of the factory.

Again, God doesn't have a reject pile!

Psalm 139:13-14 -- I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God made me the way He wanted me to be. I ought to respect this. God's fingerprints are on me. On everything I've done, experienced, seen; my gifts -- they are all over me (His fingerprints). We will see the whole picture of our lives when we get to heaven. We will see that God was always there. God never let's go of us. We should acknowledge God's handiwork in us.

Romans 8:19-21

God created us for life. The whole earth fell when the stewards fell (If a rancher would suddenly leave his ranch and cattle unattended for months on end, that ranch and the cattle would suffer. If a business manager/owner left the business and didn't take care of it, it would suffer or be closed up).

The creation waits to be reborn. We have a glimpse of that. We got a special peek of life -- God showed us eternity through His Son.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Part of the reason I accept where I am is because I know where I am going.

James 1:18 We have a new job. We were created spotless through Christ as God's first fruits!

We are all that special. We are each a custom creation. We are intended for great things. God made you specifically for a specific job.

Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

God created the work when He created the tool.

When we are reborn we have a job to do. We are meant to be doing something in our lives. When we accept that salvation we have a job to do. We won't be truly happy until we are doing the work God has called us to do. You will be most content when you are God's instrument. We have to be about our Father's business.