In the Corinthian church there was a problem.  People were following the leader they identified with instead of Jesus who they were called to follow.  Paul reminds them of the truth that it is Jesus who has done the work in their lives not Paul or Apollos or anyone else.  He tries to point them toward a more mature view of their faith and help them to be rooted in the right place. Let’s look at his words together from I Corinthians 3 together today.

For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? 5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

I remember when I was first getting involved in ministry as an intern.  I followed my mentor around constantly and wanted to learn and be like him.  He recognized this and quickly straightened me out.  He told me that my attention needed to be more rightly focused on following Jesus and not him.  It was a good and valuable lesson and one that I have held on to, to this day.  We all will have mentors in life but our true role model, our true person to follow is Jesus.  I pray that we might all follow Jesus in the way that He lived, loved, and walked through this life.  

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

I can remember the very first sermon that I preached; it feels like it was so long ago that Steve Laine was just a kid.  (By the way, happy 95th birthday buddy!!!) I was quite nervous and worried about what I was going to say and how it would be perceived.  I remember a friend sharing with me the following passage from I Corinthians 2 that made me feel a lot better.  Let’s look at it together today.  

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The message I received that day was the importance of simply pointing people to Jesus.  It is His wisdom that we all need, not human wisdom.  Jesus crucified, risen and coming again is what our faith is truly about.  While we are here on earth seeking to live a life of love like He modeled for us and taught us.  Then when we get the chance to point others to Jesus and His better way of life.  I hope that we all strive to do that well.  We don’t need wise and persuasive words, we simply need Jesus.  

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever thought about why you are the way that you are?  Why do you have the gifts and talents and experiences that you do?  God has made us all the way we are for a purpose.  He wants us to all use our gifts to build up His church.  Paul writes his first letter to the church in Corinth and recognizes that God has blessed them with a wide variety of Gifts and talents.  Let’s look at his words in I Corinthians 1 together today.   

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul notices that none of the gifts are missing from the church in Corinth.  That is one of the beautiful things about the way that God builds His church.  He brings together a group of people with a wide variety of gifts, talents, and experiences.  When we all use those it is a beautiful picture and a powerful force for the gospel.  I pray that God might give us all the grace and strength to use the gifts He has blessed us with. Watch and see the amazing ways He uses those gifts in the lives of others to build His church.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave 

Do you know people who are just great at making others feel welcome?  Perhaps they are the kind of person who just brings a smile to your face when you see them.  Perhaps they do an amazing job at greeting people.  It is in treating me that at the end of the book of Romans, which is this great letter of theology from Paul, he spends 16 verses talking to us about greeting others. He reminds us that it is incredibly important to make others feel welcome.  Let’s look together at this passage from Romans 16 today. 

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

It would be very easy to read over this section and not think too much about it.  If I am honest I probably have done that many times.  Greeting others and making them feel welcome is a way of loving and affirming them.  I remember a friend of mine who had Cerebral Palsy who always would run up to me and hug me whenever he saw me.  That small act always completely made my day no matter what I was going through in my life. Greeting others like that is certainly the way that Jesus acted and lived.  He made the unwelcome feel welcome time and again.  It is a way to affirm others and value them when we take time to greet them well.  Today, make it a point to intentionally greet others well.  Share the love of Christ in that little way and see how God uses that in others lives. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

One of the things we see throughout scripture is a desire from God for His people to be unified.  This particularly becomes evident through Jesus’ prayer in the garden from John 17 and then in the early church as the church grows with both Jews and Gentiles embracing Jesus and His teachings.  Let’s look at Paul’s words from Romans 15 together today.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.

Paul gives us a similar message throughout his letters to the churches he ministers to.  When we are unified and one it brings glory to God.  It is attractive to the world and points others to Jesus as well. This does not mean that you will always get along with everyone or be close friends with all other followers of Jesus.  It is more a general love for one another and a common goal that unites us.  We are all working together to bring others to Jesus.  To share His great love with the world.  When we are unified our gifts come together and complement each other’s gifts and we become more effective in our common mission.  I pray that God might give us all a spirit of unity and mission as we seek to share His love with the world.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

On this Good Friday I thought instead of my usual devotion I would simply put this passage from John for each of us to read and reflect upon.  He endured the cross for us.  

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. 4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” 7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” 13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened so that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,“They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever been in a disagreement with someone and at some point you realized that while you may have been having a heated argument, what you were arguing about was actually not that important?  I know there have been times in my life where this was the case.  Let’s look at what Paul has to say about disagreements over “faith” matters in Romans 14 together today.

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. 5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Paul reminds us not to dispute matters that are of our own convictions.  When he says to accept the one whose faith is weak he is speaking to both sides.  When we become so convinced of something that we begin to look down on the “other” side we need to pause and remember these words.  If someone is teaching something that goes against Scripture that is something different but I find that many of our disagreements do not fit into this category.  We argue over politics or worship preferences, or any number of things that may be important to us.  Paul says to stick to our convictions if we feel strongly, but reminds us not to look down on the other side or even enter into arguments with them.  We should be a people who when the world looks at us the very first thing they think is that we are a people who love like Jesus loved.  I pray that might be the case in each and every one of our lives!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

If you could sum up the Bible in an over simplified way you might say it was a love story of God’s incredible love for us, His people.  He pursues us, protects us, provides for us and ultimately sacrifices Himself to save us.  In the midst of this love story God also calls us to live lives of love as well.  Not simply love for Him but He also calls us to be a people who love others well.  We are called to love our neighbors, one another, strangers, and even our enemies.  Paul reminds us of Jesus’ great commandment in Romans 13.  Let’s take a look at his words together today. 

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet, and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

This is nearly a direct quote from what Jesus says in response to being questioned by the Pharisees about what law is most important.  Paul, a former Pharisee himself, recalls these words as he calls us all to have a debt of love for one another.  That is an interesting way to look at our call to love.  It is not an option or a rule to follow.  It is a debt, something that we owe one another as our way of following Jesus.   We embrace His love and we owe that love to each other as a debt.  Today and every day make it a point to pay your debts to each other and share Jesus’ incredible love with others.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

There are a few places in the Bible where gifts are spoken about.  God has given us all unique and special gifts.  These gifts when used well help to make the church stronger and help others come to know of the great love that Jesus has for us.  In Romans 12 we are given a slightly different perspective added on to this.  Let’s look at the passage which is found in Romans 12 together today.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

Paul talks about our acts of service or using our gifts as our spiritual act of worship.  In other words when we use our gifts we don’t simply help each other or the church but it’s also how we offer worship to God.  When we think of the amazing love that God has poured out on our lives our response is to worship Him by using the gifts that He has given us. God has made us each unique parts of the body of Christ.  We all need to be worshiping God with our gifts for the body to function at its best.  I pray that we might all worship God with our lives by serving Him and serving others in the special and unique ways that He has gifted us.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

When God builds the early church He uses the Apostle Paul as His primary missionary to the Gentiles.  While some Jewish people embrace Jesus as the Messiah, many cling to their old ways and religion.  Paul has a heart for his people and speaks a lot about their hopeful embracing of Jesus.  Let’s look at what he says about this in Romans 11 together today.  

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

It is always amazing to me to watch the plans of God unfold.  He rarely does things in a way that we might plan or expect on our own.  Even as He builds the early church, God uses unexpected people in unexpected ways.  He uses Paul, perhaps the most Jewish person He could find, who persecuted the church, jailing and killing Christians, to reach the Gentiles of the world with His message.  He uses a group of Jewish fishermen, sinners, and tax collectors to reach the Jewish people with His message.  He uses impulsive Peter, the biggest wild card out there, to be the primary leader of the early church.  The beauty of God’s message of love and grace is that it is on full display even in the delivery of His message.  He uses a rag tag group to bring His message to the world.  There is grace even in the delivery system!  God did not forget His people at all, He simply embraced the Gentiles as well.  He used their inclusion to make the church better and stronger.  Paul recognizes this and appreciates his own role in the process.  The thing we all need to know is that God wants to use each of us in the unfolding of His plan as well.  He continues to build His church and he wants each of us to be a part of His delivery system.  He wants us to carry on His message of love and grace to the world.  I pray that we would all have the privilege to be a part of God’s unexpected plans.  

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave