Rejected ... Released! (Mark 6:1-13)

Here are the PowerPoint slides for Sunday, April 28th.

Rejected ... released mark 6 - 1-133 - april 8, 2013 from John Smith

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pj

Christ or the World? Self-denial or self-indulgence? Which Will It Be?

What Does Jesus Mean to You?, Day 5 Reading: Luke 9:18-27

Luke 9:23-25   And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"

Jesus makes something very, very clear here. Following Jesus is not just something we decide to do and then go on living as if nothing had ever happened. Following Jesus involves a radically new direction in our lives. Before we come to faith in Christ, our sinful flesh controls us. As a result, life as we view it is about ME ... and we pursue those things that will benefit ME. But Jesus tells us that at the very heart of following Him is a denial of self and a taking up of the cross. So we must say "No!" to self-centered desires, and yes to sacrifice for Christ's sake! And this, my friends is not a "once-and-done" thing ... but it is something we must intentionally do each and every day! 

Friends, the odds are great! Don't miss this! Choose Christ over the world. There's not a better choice you could ever make! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

P.S.  If you have any questions about this decision to follow Jesus Christ, check out Two Ways to Live: A Choice We All Face. 

I Once Was Blind, But Now I See!

What Does Jesus Mean to You?, Day 4 Reading: Acts 9:1-19

Acts 9:17-19  So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.

Talk about an eye-opening moment in the life of the apostle Paul (a.k.a. Saul)! As Ananias laid his hands upon him, Paul's physical eyes were opened. But more importantly, he also received his spiritual sight! And that to which he had been blind for so long, became very clear. For it was at this very moment, he realized he had gotten things all wrong. Very wrong! And this Jesus whom he had denied and whose followers he had been fervently persecuting was exactly who he claimed to be: the long promised Messiah ... the Son of the Living God! The Savior of the world!

All of us who now follow Jesus, were also at one time in that same blind state. Scripture states that Satan is blinding unbelievers to the truth about Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). Add to this blindness is the deadness of the human soul (Ephesians 2:1) and the verdict is clear: we are hopelessly lost! Unless God were to take the initiative ... we would never come to faith (John 6:44; 1 John 4:19).

All this to say ... if you know Jesus today, then take a moment and thank God for his grace toward you! The only reason you are a part of God's family today is because he first set his love upon you! Praise HIM for his grace, love and mercy!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Thirsty?

Who Is Jesus to You?  Day 3 Reading: John 4:1-42

John 4:4a. 13-14 (NLT)  He [Jesus] had to go through Samaria…Jesus replied, "People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water.  But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether.  It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life."

I have always been drawn to verse four where it says, “He [Jesus) had to go through Samaria (emphasis, mine).”  For a Jew in Jesus’ day, there was nothing further from the truth.  Jews avoided Samaria at all cost.  They despised the Samaritans to such a degree that to rub shoulders with them was to become ceremonially unclean.  Jews traveled out of their way to avoid going through Samaria.  Yet Jesus made a special point of going there. 

Jesus loved people so much and was so committed to His mission that He went through Samaria in order to have a divine appointment with an outcast, Samaritan woman.  This woman had three strikes against her from the get-go.  She was a woman, a Samaritan, and she had a reputation as a sinner.  All of these things would have rendered her “off limits” for any self-respecting Jew, but Jesus went out of His way to give her life and change her life forever.

He does the same for us.  Because He loves us so much, He pursues us, longing to give us life and change our lives forever.  How does He do this?  He gives us living water. This is not water pulled from a well dug in the ground – water gotten by our own efforts.  This is living water -- His life within us that perpetually springs up from our soul giving us abundant, eternal life.  This water cannot be obtained by human effort.  Rather, it is the free gift of God. The moment we accept Jesus as our Savior, His living water is readily available to us.   We can fully enjoy this thirst quenching water as we trust Him with every part of our lives, daily walk in the awareness of His presence and  stand on the promises of His Word.   

                   

What does Jesus mean to me?  He is everything to me.  He is my source of abundant life here and now, and He is my hope of eternal life in Heaven- with Him! 

   

Lord, may each of us who have received your living water be like the Samaritan woman and share it with others.

Written by guest blogger, Patty Deiter. 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

The Message!

What Does Jesus Mean to You? Reading for Day 2: John 3:1-21

This scripture is packed full of theological messages but the greatest point for me is the words spoken by Jesus to one of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Jesus stated; “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When one is born again they are given a new slate, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. It is not on our own merit but by the saving power of Jesus death and resurrection.

Jesus continued to explain that being born again requires belief that He is the only way to heaven. He made reference to his upcoming death on the cross by comparing himself to the days of Moses. Jesus has made it very clear that anyone who does not believe He is the Son of God is condemned and will never see the kingdom of God.

This is the message we need to relate to all people in our circles who are non-believers.  We must explain that being a good person will not get them into heaven, as many people have a tendency to think.  It takes a believing faith that Jesus died for us, to reconcile our sinful nature before the father, and that Jesus arose from the dead and now sits at the Father’s right hand on the throne. This is what gains us entrance into the Kingdom.  It really is quite simple.

From this message of Jesus comes one of the most powerful, well known verses of all time, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I think that deserves a “Praise the Lord, Amen”! If Jesus said it, we must believe it!

Written by guest blogger, Don Mills. 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Do You Love the Gift ... or Giver More?

What Does Jesus Mean to You?, Day 1 Reading: Matthew 19:16-30

Matthew 19:16, 21-22 (NLT)  Someone came to Jesus with this question:  ‘Teacher what good things must I do to have eternal life?’… Jesus told him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.’  But when the young man heard this, he went sadly away because he had many possessions. 

In today’s reading, we meet a rich young man who comes to Jesus wanting to know how he can have eternal life.  I’ve heard/read various commentaries regarding this man’s motives for coming to Jesus.  Was he arrogantly challenging Jesus’ teaching of “blessed are the poor”?  Was he filled with the pious self- righteousness of a self-made man?  Was he looking for a full-proof sacrament or a quick and easy five-step method for achieving peace with God?  Did he wish to add “Member of God’s Kingdom” to his list of social credentials?  Or did he hear Jesus teach, see His miracles and see something in Jesus that he genuinely wanted – needed?  I am inclined to lean toward the later.

Sometimes, I believe, we modern-day readers can tend to quickly read over this passage and harshly judge this wealthy young man.  Thinking we are not wealthy by the world’s standards, we don’t identify ourselves in this story.  Walking away from Jesus is something worldly (those wrapped up in a secular world-view, driven by the standards of society) people do.  Loving the riches and pleasures of this world more than Jesus is what those outside the church do.

However, if we take some time to really analyze what is taking place here, chances are we can see ourselves in this story.  Most likely, this young man did not realize that all he had was a gift of God’s grace and that what he was essentially doing was choosing the gifts instead of the Giver.  If we are not careful, we can do the same thing.  We place the gifts and pleasures God lavishes on us as a higher priority than Jesus – the Giver of all good gifts. 

Sometimes this faulty exchange manifests itself in our spending more time in activities, hobbies, pleasures, etc. than in cultivating a relationship with the Lord.     Sometimes it can even happen while serving in the church.  The Lord had to bring to my attention that I, at times, have been guilty of enjoying the gifts of music and teaching – which come from Him, more than I enjoyed time with Him.  I had placed the gifts above the Giver. 

Lord, all I have and all I am is from You.  You mean everything to me.  Help me to guard my heart from placing Your gifts above my love and devotion to You.  Amen

Written by guest blogger, Patty Deiter 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Jesus Our Cornerstone!

Psalms about the Savior, Day 5 Reading: Psalm 118:1-29

Psalm 118:22-24, 29 (NLT)  The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone.  This is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous to see.  This is the day the LORD has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it… Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.

I am not a yard sale or flee market shopper. However, I know some avid yard salers who take great delight in finding a special treasure at a bargain price.  They then take what some would consider a piece of junk and turn it into a focal point around their home.  An item rejected by one person becomes a thing of value to another.

In our reading for today, we see the ultimate illustration of this type of exchange when the Psalmist writes; the stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.  A cornerstone, sometimes referred to as the capstone, was the most important or critical part of a structure.  It was the foundation stone upon which the rest of the wall/building was constructed.  Acts 4:11 identifies this cornerstone as Jesus, the foundation of our faith.  Verse 12 of Acts 4 goes on to say that Jesus is the only Name by which we can be saved.  This verse affirms that He truly is The Essential Jesus.  There is no salvation, forgiveness, peace with God or eternal life without Him!

Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2 that to those who believe, this stone (Jesus) is precious.  How thankful and blessed I am to know Jesus as my Savior, Lord and Friend.   But Peter goes on to say, that to those who do not believe, Jesus becomes the stone over which they stumble.   There are people all around us stumbling without the Savior.  

“Dear Jesus, out of a heart of gratitude for all that You have done for us, help us to extend your love and grace to others so that they may see You in us and be drawn to You.  We thank you for your faithful love that endures forever!”

Written by guest blogger, Patty Deiter. 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj