This morning I began a trip up to South Carolina.  We left around 5:30 and jumped on I95 north.  I asked about our route and found that there are many different ways to get to our destination that are all about the same travel time.  I asked about how we would decide which route to take which led to a discussion about the different paths.  I started thinking about how often we have different paths to what we are doing or where we are going.  It made me think about the following scripture from Proverbs.  Let’s look at it together today. 

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

God reminds us that He will direct our paths if we seek Him.  He will show us the way to go and how to live in our life.  While we are driving and talking about which route to take on this trip.  God offers clear guidance about the “paths” we should take in life.  When we follow Gods path for our life we avoid some of the wrong turns we tend to take when we go our own way.  I’ll let you know how this journey to SC goes but I know that we will always be on the right path when we follow God’s direction for our lives. 

In His Grip
Pastor Dave

Some observations as I slowly approach my 50th birthday.  When you are younger you get aches and pains from cool things like sports, or I fell while climbing this mountain, or I wiped out on my jet ski.  Now I wake up with aches and pains from exciting things like, I must have sat on the coach funny, or my pillow gave me a crick in my neck, or I sneezed, or just because I have aches.  As a child you hated when your parents made you take a nap.  Now I would literally pay for a nap.  There are however some advantages that come with age and perhaps the biggest one is wisdom.  Let’s look at the words of Job about wisdom together today. 

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
    or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
    or let the fish in the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.

Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?

Is not wisdom found among the aged?
    Does not long life bring understanding?

“To God belong wisdom and power;
    counsel and understanding are his.

What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
    those he imprisons cannot be released.

If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.

To him belong strength and insight;
    both deceived and deceiver are his.

Job reminds us that God is the source of wisdom but that as we age we tend to acquire more and more of it.  Often we acquire wisdom from mistakes we have made along the journey of life.  We also gain wisdom the more time we spend with the source of wisdom, God.  We all could use more wisdom so while we cannot control how fast we grow old we can control how much time we spend with God.  May we all seek wisdom from the source of wisdom today and each day!

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Have you ever come across someone who was so set in their ideas that basic logic could not persuade them? Jesus seemed to face this with the Pharisees time and again. He wanted to show them a better way a way into a relationship with God instead of simply blindly following rules. They were unwilling to embrace this even when it seemed the obvious way. I great example of this can be found in Mark 3. Let’s look at it together today. 

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Jesus is not trying to sneak around and break the rules in fact he asks the man to stand up in front of everyone. There were strict rules on what you could or could not do on the Sabbath. These rules seemed to miss the point of a day of rest and worship. Jesus asks them if they should do good or evil on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are unwilling to even answer the question they are so caught up in wanting to condemn Jesus. Jesus has a better way for them but they are unwilling to see it. Perhaps there are areas in our lives as well where we are “stubborn” and unwilling to see what Jesus has for us. I pray that we might all have eyes to see and ears to hear the truth that Jesus has for us!

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you have competing values vying for your time?  Perhaps there are several things that are important that you want to do that are all at the same time.  How do you respond in such a situation?  How do you prioritize things that are important to you?  The key with competing values is to keep first things first.  When it comes to the things in our life that are of first importance we should not compromise for other competing values.  Paul reminds us of this in I Corinthians 15.  Let’s look at it together today

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Paul reminds us that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is the most important truth for us to hold on to.  This was particularly important to the early church as they faced extreme persecution for their beliefs.  For us it is a good reminder about what is of first importance.  There are times in all of our lives when we have wrongly prioritized things.  Take some time today and examine your priorities.  Be reminded of Paul’s words and keep things of first importance first.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

I spent some time last night reflecting on just how big our God is.  I thought about this week as we had a service Sunday morning focused on God as He reveals Himself, I’m that I am.  Then we had a blessing for all of our wonderful teachers and prayed for a great year for them all.  Sunday night we had a great service with baptisms for 7 students and a wonderful time of teaching and praise.  We kicked off our school year ministering to almost 500 students and their families.  The Pastor who built most of all of this place moved into Advent Square a place that he once dreamed of.  The last night we had a prayer service for a dear member and her family going through a time of struggle. What a week! I don’t know about you but I have been thinking about just how amazing it is that our God is intimately involved in each and every one of those situations and the lives represented from this past week.  It reminded me of Psalm 139.  Let’s look at it together today.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise;  you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;  you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue  you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.   My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;  all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them,  they would outnumber the grains of sand—  when I awake, I am still with you.

Aren’t you glad that our God is as big as He is.  Not only that but that He loves the way He loves as well.  That is what is so amazing about God.  No problem, no joy, no situation is too big that He is not involved in it.  From first day jitters, to huge life moments God is there with us each step of the way! We are forever and always –  In His Grip

Pastor Dave

Have you ever had one of those vivid dreams that almost seemed real when you woke up.  Last night I had a doozy.  I had discovered a “new” method of fishing and we caught more fish then could even fit in the boat.  I woke up thinking about it and then began to chuckle as I realized that I knew a familiar story.  Let’s look at that story together today from Luke 5.

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.

Perhaps this dream was because I haven’t gotten to go out fishing in awhile and was thinking about it.  I like to think that it was a reminder from God about what I am really called to do and what we are called to be, fishers of people.  The interesting thing in this story is that Simon (Peter) doesn’t do anything different than what he had been doing all night.  He simply listens and obeys Jesus and Jesus provides the difference.  He provides the catch.  The same is true when it comes to being fishers of people.  We are simply called to obey His command to go and make disciples.  He is the one who provides the “catch”.  I pray that we would all be like Peter and listen to Jesus.  I pray that we do that and that he fills our boats with a catch!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Today is the first day of school for Advent Elementary and Middle School.  Our Early Childhood students began yesterday and another year is off and running.  I have always liked the start of a new school year.  A new opportunity for each and every student to make new friends and try new activities.  Often there are new responsibilities that come with advancing up a grade.  New things always bring about excitement and possibility.  The Bible talks about us being new in Christ in II Corinthians 5.  Let’s look at the passage together today.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God has made us new, given us a new start and a new job.  Since we have been reconciled to God through Jesus we are now told that we are to be His agents of reconciliation here on earth.  I remember when I was in high school leadership, a few short years ago, I had a job the first day of school to make sure that new students met people and knew where they were going around campus.  I loved this job plus it got me out of a few classes the first week of school.  That is kind of like the job Jesus has given us as a ministry of reconciliation.  We are responsible to introduce others to Jesus.  I pray that as a new year starts we would all be reminded about this job that we have been given and be agents of reconciliation for God. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Last night I watched a little bit of the little league World Series.  It is fun to see these young kids play a sport so enthusiastically.  I particularly love their celebrations when a good play is made.  One team even high fives the other team after a kid hit a home run that might still be going.  The first baseman, shortstop and third baseman all went over and congratulated the kid on his massive home run.  My favorite celebration was when an outfielder, who looked more like he should be playing tee ball, made a spectacular diving catch.  It was the third out and ended the other teams rally and the players went crazy!  It got me thinking a lot about celebration and what are the things that we celebrate?  The Psalms are filled with celebrations of God, who is certainly deserving of celebration.  Let’s look at Psalm 149 together today.

Praise the Lord.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

Let them praise his name with dancing
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.

Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.

May the praise of God be in their mouths
    and a double-edged sword in their hands,

to inflict vengeance on the nations
    and punishment on the peoples,

to bind their kings with fetters,
    their nobles with shackles of iron, 

to carry out the sentence written against them—
    this is the glory of all his faithful people.

Praise the Lord.

The little league world series team was jumping and dancing and shouting and piling on each other.  Maybe that’s not what we should do to celebrate God but we should certainly celebrate Him.  Celebrate what He has done and continues to do in our lives. Take time today to celebrate God with some enthusiasm.  Just give someone a warning before you jump on them!

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Do you ever find yourself wrestling with competing ideas in your head?  I think we have all had times where we have struggled between different choices.  The Bible talks about our ongoing battle between our flesh and the spirit.  Let’s look together at Paul’s words found in Romans 8 on this matter.  

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

To get a full picture of this passage we need to find out what the first word – Therefore is there for.  Looking back at Romans 7 Paul talks about his own wrestling between the flesh and spirit.  He talks about how he doesn’t do the good he wants to do but sometimes it is the flesh, that he is trying to avoid that he falls into.  I know that we have all experienced this a time or two.  That’s why Romans 8 is so very important.  Jesus has freed us from law of sin and death and given us the freedom to live by the law of the spirit.  We are told to set our minds on the things of the spirit so that we would live more and more by the spirit and not our flesh.  Yet even as we all face times of our own struggle and failure we fall back to that same amazing first verse.  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus.   When God looks at us He doesn’t see our failure He sees the righteousness of Jesus.  This helps us all to be free to live by the spirit without a fear of failure but with a spirit of thankfulness for all God has done in our lives.  That’s a truth that we all can hold on to!

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

The other morning as I was backing out of my driveway I saw a couple walking at the last second before I backed out.  I quickly apologized and went on with my day.  No one was harmed and I didn’t even come close to hitting them.  They were simply in my blind spot.  The thing is sometimes we have blind spots not just in our cars but in our spiritual lives as well.  It is important that we have people in our lives to help point out those blinds spots so that we can avoid trouble.  Let’s look together at Proverbs 27 today and reflect on having someone in our life who can help us along the journey of life. 

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
    an outsider, and not your own lips.

Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
    but who can stand before jealousy?

Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
    but an enemy multiplies kisses.

One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
    but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

Like a bird that flees its nest
    is anyone who flees from home.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
    and the pleasantness of a friend
    springs from their heartfelt advice.

Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
    and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—  better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;
    then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.

If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse.

A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping
    of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;

restraining her is like restraining the wind
    or grasping oil with the hand.

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

Who do you have in your life that helps to sharpen you?  Sometimes that means encouragement.  Sometimes that means pointing out our blind spots.  It can be a pat on the back or a kick in the backside.  The point is we all need people in our life who have our back and have our permission to be that for us.  If you have someone like that in your life thank them today.  If you don’t seek that out in your life.  We all need it in our life so that we can be the best version of ourselves.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave