Sometimes it seems like Peter gets a bad rap. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he certainly puts his foot in his mouth a good bit and definitely makes mistakes. He does at least act though. He never sits back and watches the action, he is always an active participant. Let’s look at one such occasion in Matthew 14 together today.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”29 “Come,” he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Peter may fall down into the water but I don’t see any of the other disciples getting out of the boat. It’s not like there are 11 other guys standing there next to Jesus on top of the water. They are sitting there afraid of the storm in the security of the boat. What they don’t realize is that it’s safer with Jesus on the water than it is inside the boat. Peter does the right thing by leaving the boat and walking to Jesus. Like many of us Peter sees the “winds” of life and gets afraid and loses sight of Jesus. The thing is the storms of life aren’t nearly as bad when our gaze is fixed on Jesus. It’s when we lose that focus that life can get overwhelming. Jesus reaches out and grabs Peter and steps into the boat and immediately the winds are calmed. We could all use a little more of Peter’s spirit to step out of the boat in faith and fix our gaze on Jesus.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Matthew 13 is an interesting chapter in the Bible. It is filled with several different parables where Jesus teaches through stories. Perhaps the most famous is the parable of the sower. Let’s look at it together today.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

I have always been fascinated by the way Jesus teaches. Sometimes He is very straightforward and others He almost seems to hide the message. In this case He comes back around and explains the parable later in the chapter but to me the real message is not the response to to the scattered seed, but rather, the work of the sower. Our job is to scatter the seed. We are told to spread the message of the gospel wherever we go in life. Told to share the love of Jesus with the world. Our job or responsibility is not the response of others. In fact our “success” in our job is not others response. We are simple told to share the message. The results are up to God. This sort of takes the pressure off of us in our role. We want to be faithful and share the message in the best way that we can but the Bible is clear that if we don’t share the message even the rocks will cry out. I think we can all do a better job than a rock! (although if a rock spoke I certainly would listen). Today be encouraged to share the love of Jesus with others and know that He is responsible for the results.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were faced with a choice and you had competing values guiding your decision? Maybe you wanted to help someone but that was going to keep you from doing something else important. Often we are faced with a choice where both options seem important based on what we value. Or maybe it’s the other side of the equation you have two choices and don’t like either. We live in a world that can face us with complicated situations often. The Pharisees tried to trick Jesus into several situations like this in order to be able to bring charges against Him. Let’s look at one such situation today in Matthew 12.

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

One of the best things to guide us when we have tough choices with competing values is the idea of first principles. What are the first principles that guide our life that are above all else? Jesus helped us with this when He summed up the law by saying to love the Lord our God with all of our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. That is the first principle that He uses in the above situation. Obviously the Sabbath is important to Jesus. It is one of the 10 Commandments. Yet, loving people is a first principle, one that would reign above Sabbath law. Whenever I am in a situation that seems to have competing values I always try to rely on first principles to decide a path. I have found that to be extremely helpful over time. Thanks to Jesus for His example of how to live that out.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever been really tired. Maybe in your college days pulling an all nighter to study for an exam. Perhaps after some very difficult work and you are just drained. Maybe you have been just emotionally exhausted after several tough things. I think, often spiritual and emotional exhaustion can be the most difficult to overcome. When you are tired or physically exhausted you simple get some rest and your body recovers. Emotional and spiritual exhaustion is a little bit different, there is often work that must be done to overcome it. Jesus tells us to “rest” in Him at times like this. Let’s look at His words together in Matthew 11.

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

It’s interesting that Jesus’ answer to overcoming weariness is to take on a yoke. A yoke was used to pull incredibly heavy things or plow fields. This means to take on more work in the midst of our weariness. Yet, the work Jesus is describing actually fills our emotional and spiritual tanks. Anyone who has ever been on a short term mission trip can tell you that while they may have worked hard they come home refreshed spiritually not drained. When we find ourselves spiritually weary we should take the advice of Jesus, “rest” in Him and serve others in love. When we do that we just may find that this work actually refreshes us instead of draining us.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Hello Advent Family,

Matthew 10 is the conclusion of Jesus calling the disciples. They are listed and then sent out on mission. It is interesting that the Bible spends a little more time focusing on the sending then the calling. Today we focus a lot on calling. How did you become a follower of Jesus? What is your story? How is it you came to ______ church? These are questions that we ask a lot. When is the last time you asked a person about their personal ministry? Today is churches all over the country one of the greatest struggles is to find volunteers to serve. Jesus doesn’t do a big sales pitch about trying to get them to serve in fact He tells them how very difficult and challenging it will be. Then He just sends them. Let’s look at the account together in Matthew 10.

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be

afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

We often talk about how the disciples never really got it and were not understanding what Jesus’ ministry was really about. One thing they did get was going out and serving. They did it and the result is the Church today. They are the ones who built it through the power of the Holy Spirit once Jesus was gone. Perhaps we all need a little more disciple spirit in us today. Maybe we don’t get it all, we may put our foot in our mouth like Peter or worry about our position like James and John. Yet, no matter our struggle we go, we serve, we build Jesus’ church because that’s what He told us to do and that is why we were called, to be sent. May we be a people who GO and share God’s love with the world.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Jesus has just finished a string of healings in Matthew 8 along with calming a storm. He is finally asked to leave after casting demons out of a man into a herd of pigs. He gets in a boat to head back home. Perhaps the disciples are thinking about a little R and R, maybe get some quick fishing in but Jesus immediately stirs the pot again. Let’s look at what happens right after he gets out of the boat.

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Jesus could have healed this man any number of ways. He could have touched him, told him to pick up his mat and walk, or even simply stated that he was healed. He makes a point of saying that his sins are forgiven. Sometimes He does this to stir the pot but this time He has a particular reason which He states in verse 6. He wants everyone to know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. Jesus is in the forgiveness and grace business. He is not simply trying to make things right now but for all eternity. It’s the business He calls us to as well when He commands us to share the gospel. From fishermen to fishers of men. Jesus has called us to join in the family business and share His love and grace with the world.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Hello Advent Family,

Jesus did much of His ministry right around the Sea of Galilee. Several of His disciples were fisherman and they traveled often by boat. I will be on a boat for the next two days on a fishing trip with my dad and some other friends. I thought I’d choose a couple of “boat related” stories from Matthew 8 and 9 as devotional thoughts for the next two days. Hopefully on Wednesday I will come bearing tales of giant fish that were caught. Let’s look at one story in Matthew 8 together today.

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

I have always loved the fact that as the disciples are panicking Jesus is sleeping. They are the ones who were fishermen and should be used to the storms the would brew up suddenly on the Sea of Galilee. To Jesus it is just another storm that He can easily calm while the disciples are focused on the waves and think they are going to drown. How often do life’s storms hit us that way. We get stuck focusing on the wind, the rains, and the waves of the storms that life throws at us instead of focusing on the One who can calm the storm. The next time you feel a storm brewing in your life try and switch your focus from the storm to Jesus. I think you just may find that things will go a lot better.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave