“Strong willed” – when that term is used for children it is a code to warn adults, “Those kids are going to do things the way they want. You aren’t going to force them to do anything, so don’t even try!”
The truth is, people don’t grow out of being strong willed just because we get older. How many times have we heard or even said about our own lives, “I know I made a big mistake but at that time nobody was going to tell me what to do. I was going to do it my way no matter what.”?
Jesus taught that this issue of being strong willed is something we need to pray about. He said,
“When you pray, pray like this,
Our Father in heaven,
May your name be kept holy,
may your Kingdom come,
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
We wring our hands over the immense and complex problems of the human race, and yet every one of those problems is a result of strong willed people choosing their will over God’s will. As our Creator, God made us in his image – that means we are designed to operate according to the way he made us and the world in which we live.
If you’re strong willed but wondering if maybe there might be a better way, think about joining us for one of our services this weekend. You might just find God’s will is a breath of much needed fresh air.
Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning services: 10:00 am
Friday, August 28, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015
Who’s the Boss?
Everybody has a boss. Someone might think, “Not me. Nobody tells me what to do. I do what I want.” Well, that person does have boss – themself. Now that might not seem like a “boss” in the sense that we usually use the word, but the bottom line is that individual is the one who calls the shots in their life. Just as a boss tells the workers under him what to do, people make daily decisions based on what they think is best for them.
In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray about this matter of who’s boss. In a few short words, “your kingdom come,” he says, “God is the only one who deserves to be the boss of our lives.”
Have you recently thought about who is Number #1 in your life? It’s easy to get so busy that we don’t think much about why we are doing what we’re doing. We just get caught up in a routine and don’t reflect on who or what is driving our lives.
Many people in our society resent the idea of someone telling them what to do. In fact, that may be the most common reason so many don’t want anything to do with Christianity. They just don’t want to be told what to do. What a sad understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what he means to our lives.
Jesus said he came to give us a full, rich life. His intention isn’t to enslave us by a set of strict rules, but free us from the stranglehold of our distorted desires. Consider the cross and what happened there. Would the One who suffered on the cross go through what he did for our sake only to later make our lives miserable?
Someday every knee will bow at the name of Jesus and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. The greatest blessing, though, is for those who receive him as the king of their lives now.
Today, pray the words, “Lord, be the king of my life. Your kingdom come to me.”
Saturday night service cancelled this week only.
Sunday morning services: 9:00 am at church - 11:00 am Foster Point – Hickam AFB
In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray about this matter of who’s boss. In a few short words, “your kingdom come,” he says, “God is the only one who deserves to be the boss of our lives.”
Have you recently thought about who is Number #1 in your life? It’s easy to get so busy that we don’t think much about why we are doing what we’re doing. We just get caught up in a routine and don’t reflect on who or what is driving our lives.
Many people in our society resent the idea of someone telling them what to do. In fact, that may be the most common reason so many don’t want anything to do with Christianity. They just don’t want to be told what to do. What a sad understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what he means to our lives.
Jesus said he came to give us a full, rich life. His intention isn’t to enslave us by a set of strict rules, but free us from the stranglehold of our distorted desires. Consider the cross and what happened there. Would the One who suffered on the cross go through what he did for our sake only to later make our lives miserable?
Someday every knee will bow at the name of Jesus and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. The greatest blessing, though, is for those who receive him as the king of their lives now.
Today, pray the words, “Lord, be the king of my life. Your kingdom come to me.”
Saturday night service cancelled this week only.
Sunday morning services: 9:00 am at church - 11:00 am Foster Point – Hickam AFB
Friday, August 14, 2015
Honor God
If a TV journalist conducted a live interview with God, one question to be asked would surely be, “God, just exactly what do you want from human beings? We have all these people claiming to represent you saying, ‘Do this and do that.’ But much of what they say is contradictory. So most people just do what they think is right. Can you clear us up on this subject?”
God’s answer just might be very short, two words: “Honor me. That’s all I ask of you.”
In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches his followers the basics of prayer – who to pray to and what to pray for. After telling us to address our prayers to God our Father, he says, “Honor God.” We say, “Hallowed by thy name” but the meaning of those words is, “Honor God.”
Every human being has hopes and dreams for their life. They are what drive us, what keep us going when things get tough. All too often, however, those hopes and dreams are rooted only in this life. They have little to do with the God who created us and everything to do with us getting what we want. When we die, those hopes and dreams lose their meaning.
When God tells us to honor him, he’s telling us that if our lives are going to have any meaning or purpose or hope beyond the day we die, he must be in first place. In its most basic sense, honoring God is worshiping him and living under his rule. Everything else flows from that relationship.
How often do you pray that – to honor God? If life has been challenging lately, maybe the reason is God hasn’t been getting the honor he deserves. Maybe that honor has been going to someone else who doesn’t deserve it. Join us for one of our weekend services. It could be getting back to the basics of life is just what you need.
Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am
God’s answer just might be very short, two words: “Honor me. That’s all I ask of you.”
In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches his followers the basics of prayer – who to pray to and what to pray for. After telling us to address our prayers to God our Father, he says, “Honor God.” We say, “Hallowed by thy name” but the meaning of those words is, “Honor God.”
Every human being has hopes and dreams for their life. They are what drive us, what keep us going when things get tough. All too often, however, those hopes and dreams are rooted only in this life. They have little to do with the God who created us and everything to do with us getting what we want. When we die, those hopes and dreams lose their meaning.
When God tells us to honor him, he’s telling us that if our lives are going to have any meaning or purpose or hope beyond the day we die, he must be in first place. In its most basic sense, honoring God is worshiping him and living under his rule. Everything else flows from that relationship.
How often do you pray that – to honor God? If life has been challenging lately, maybe the reason is God hasn’t been getting the honor he deserves. Maybe that honor has been going to someone else who doesn’t deserve it. Join us for one of our weekend services. It could be getting back to the basics of life is just what you need.
Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am
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Hawaii Lutheran Church (WELS)
- Community Lutheran Church
- Honolulu, HI
- Community Lutheran Church holds protestant chapel services in Honolulu, Hawaii near Pearl Harbor, HI. We are next to the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hickam Air Force Base, and Fort Shafter Hawaii. Look for us directly behind the Salt Lake, Hawaii, Target.