There have been times in my life where I have faced a really big task that seemed intimidating.  The thing about big jobs is that they are not that big when you get a lot of people pitching in together.  Jesus left us a huge job of sharing his message and love with the world.  It can seem daunting and even impossible.  When everyone gets involved it becomes less intimidating.  He starts this off for the first time in Luke 9 when he sends out the 12 disciples.  Let’s look at the passage together today. 

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere. 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.

It would have been easy for the disciples to just sit back and watch Jesus teach and share with people.  Jesus knew that while He was the one best equipped to do the work, it was important for all of the disciples to share His message.  The same can be true today.  We are all called to share Jesus’ message and love with the world.  While missionaries, evangelists, and traveling speakers may have a platform to do this we all need to do this is our daily lives as well.  Every haircut, plane flight, meal eating out, and everything we might do in life is an opportunity to point people to Jesus.  Sometimes all it takes is the smallest thing.  I pray that this year we might all be more intentional about taking advantage of opportunities to share Jesus with the world. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

I am always amazed in the Bible at the variety of ways that Jesus provides healing.  Sometimes He speaks other times he uses mud or spit.  He even heals simply by being touched.  Let’s look at two stories found in Luke 8 together today. 

 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” 49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

I love both of these stories.  First the woman who doesn’t even speak or ask Jesus for help.  Honestly if Jesus doesn’t insist on finding out who she is we probably would not even have a record of this story in the Bible.  It makes me wonder if, perhaps there are more such instances that are not recorded.  She simply touches the hem of His robe and is healed instantly.  Then we have the interaction with Jarius.  I wonder the series of emotions that Jarius must have gone through.  Perhaps hope as he was going to see Jesus.  I’m sure pain and grief when he is told his daughter is dead.  Then when Jesus says not to worry and goes with him I have no idea what his thoughts and emotions were then.  Ultimately joy and amazement as Jesus brings her back to life.  The beauty of our relationship with Jesus is that He walks with us through all of our emotions and He experienced them as well during His time on earth.  We worship a Savior who gets us.  He is with us and loves us each and every step of our journey on earth. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever done a trust fall?  The idea is that someone is behind you and is going to catch you.  You are supposed to lean back and fall and allow them to catch you.  It is an illustration of what we are called to do in our faith.  I was once doing this in a group and explained how it would work and asked for a volunteer.  I got a “catcher” and someone willing to fall.  We set it up and on the signal the person leaned and fell forward instead of back like they were supposed to obviously no one was there to catch them and they hit the ground.  It turned into a completely different illustration about placing your faith in the wrong direction but today I’d like to talk about properly placed faith.  Let’s look at a story about Jesus found in Luke 7.

When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

The Centurion had tremendous faith in the power of Jesus to heal.  He put his trust in the right place and was rewarded for his faith.  To often I think we are like the student and place our faith in the wrong places.  We trust in our own strength.  We trust in our own resources.  We trust in comfort and security.  We trust in systems and companies.  None of these things are inherently bad but too often I think they take the place of the faith that we should place in Jesus alone.  The Centurion was a powerful man who had lots of different resources he could depend upon.  He knew that the true source of healing and strength was Jesus so that is where he turned to.  I pray that we would also all turn to the true source of healing and strength, Jesus!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever wondered why it often seems like Jesus intentionally irritated the Pharisees? Often in His ministry He did so to show them a better way of living and honoring God.  I think other times He did it because His ultimate reason to be here was to die for our sins and He knew He needed religious leaders to be the instigators of that.  Let’s look at a passage from Luke 6 where it seems like a little bit of both things are going on. 

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

When Jesus asks them if they have ever read what David did this would be considered a direct affront to them.  They were the experts on the Torah often seeking to completely memorize it.  They would certainly know every detail of David’s life.  Then when he heals on the Sabbath in front of them He also questions the very nature of the law itself.  The gospels are filled with things like this where Jesus is teaching us truth but also slowly marching toward His ultimate goal of dying to save us.  Today take some time to reflect on this double mission of Jesus and thank Him for fulfilling both of them. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

I truly enjoy fishing.  Catching fish makes it even better but just being out on a boat in the water in the middle of the ocean is special to me.  I don’t do it that often and I wonder what it would be like if I had to do it every day as a profession.  Peter, Andrew, James, and John were in the everyday category.  Their livelihood depended on catching fish.  After an unsuccessful night Jesus tells them to give it one more try and gets onto Peter’s boat.  Let’s read the rest of the story together today.  

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Jesus helps them one time to do what they had been unable to do all night.  They catch so many fish the boats almost sink.  Perhaps this is enough to take care of their families for a bit.  There is no hesitation at all however when they leave everything and follow Jesus.  Perhaps they recognize that Jesus will care for them.  Maybe they are tired of not catching fish.  Whatever the reason they become Jesus’ first and closest followers.  Jesus stays closer with Peter, James, and John than any of His other followers.  Maybe it is their willingness to follow.  They were not theologically trained.  Peter, in particular is impulsive and prone to bad choices.  They immediately followed Jesus though.  That is the key when it comes to us following Jesus today.  How do we follow?  Do we hesitate?  Do we hold on to some of our own ways of living?  Do we live our way and simply follow Jesus with our minds and not our lives?  Jesus asks us all to follow like these fishermen.  He wants us to embrace this Jesus life, this kingdom life and become fishers of people, inviting others to live life Jesus’ way as well. Let’s go fishing!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

It is almost uncomfortable to think about Jesus facing temptation like we do.  It also helps to know that He truly understands the things that we go through in life.  We have an example of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the desert from Luke 4.  Let’s look at it together today.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:“‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

I think we can learn a lot from this interaction both about the nature of temptation and how to stand up to it.  First Satan tempts Jesus in three specific ways.  First he attacks an area of weakness.  While Jesus didn’t have any areas of sin that He struggled with, He certainly must have been hungry after not eating for 40 days.  Temptation often comes at our areas of weakness.  Next He tries to appeal to Jesus having power.  Since Jesus had come from Heaven where He was ruler over all creation and now is a lowly unimportant human this would have been another temptation – wanting things that we don’t have.  Finally Satan actually tries to use the Bible against Jesus to get Him to stumble.  I often have seen people fall into temptation when they try and justify sin by using scripture.  Jesus doesn’t fall for any of these tricks and one of the reasons is that He knows the word of God so well that He is easily able to use it to stand up to temptation.  When God’s word is in our hearts and minds then we have the ability to do the same thing to stand up to temptation.  Psalm 119:11 – I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Another season of Christmas is behind us now.  I hope and pray that it was a special one for all of you.  When Luke writes his account of Jesus’ birth.  He includes Simeon and Anna meeting Jesus as a baby and then the very next thing he records is Jesus at age 12.  It is really the only thing we have recorded of the boyhood of Jesus and I think it is significant.  Let’s look it this passage found in Luke 2 together today.

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Have you ever wondered why God chose the shepherds to be the first witnesses to the coming of the Messiah?  We have no evidence that they were particularly devote or that they would be the best messengers to spread the word.  I might have chosen the innkeeper or the local restaurant or tavern owner.  They probably knew more people to share the message with. Perhaps the shepherds were chosen because they were nearby and awake watching the sheep.  Let’s look at Luke’s account in Luke 2.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The shepherds were ordinary and not exceptional but were given an exceptional task.  They were to share the news about the Messiah to the world.  This Christmas season is a good reminder for us all that we, too, may be ordinary but we also have been given an exceptional task to share God’s love and message with the world.  We did not receive this task from Angels singing but from Jesus, Himself.  His very last words on earth before He left were – “You will be my witnesses… and I will be with you always.” This Christmas may we all be faithful in carrying out the task He left for us.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever had a situation where your opinion or perspective changed quickly.  Perhaps you got more information or maybe your thoughts changed about the situation.  I love how we see this with Mary in Luke 1 when the angel Gabriel visits her.  Let’s look at the encounter together today.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary starts by being greatly troubled and confused about the angel’s greeting.  Gabriel begins to explain and Mary goes from troubled to skeptical.  I’m sure we all would be as she says how can this be when I am a virgin.  She probably doubted but just in case wanted a good story or explanation to give to others who would have even more doubts.  Then when Gabriel explains some more her last line is beautiful when she says may it be so I am the Lord’s servant.  My prayer is that might be our response to the things that God calls us to as well.  Loving God and our neighbors as ourselves, sharing God’s love with the world, reaching out to the least and the lost, and all of Jesus’ teachings for us during His time on earth.  May our response be like Mary’s, may it be so I am the servant of the Lord!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Do you ever find yourself struggling to trust in God’s promises?  If so you are in good company.  Many of the heroes of our faith have had moments of doubt.  Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Elijah, the list could go on   There is an interesting story about a priest who would have taught others about God always coming through despite our doubts and he struggled as well.  Let’s look at the story of Zechariah found in Luke 1 together today.

 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. 8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Zechariah would have taught others about God providing a child for Abraham and Sarah in their old age yet when it came to his own hopes and dreams and prayers being answered he had his doubts.  God doesn’t always give us everything that we want but He does give us what we need and He always comes through on His promises to us.  Today pray for the thing that you are struggling to trust God for.  Watch and see how He comes through.  It will always be for your ultimate best.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave