Jesus’ Stories about Priorities

Jesus told stories, lots of them. Not only were they very good stories, they were short and to the point. Nothing long and dragged out. But they were powerful stories, in an uncomfortable way because they forced people to confront things in their lives that most of us would rather ignore. He told stories about how to treat other people. He told stories about how NOT to treat others. He told stories about money (ouch!) and he told other stories about God. But when you take all the stories Jesus told and put them together, you could say, he told stories about priorities.

The reason these stories challenge us so is that Jesus showed us what God’s priorities are and how different they are from our own. And usually his stories ended with the warning, “Look, there are serious consequences if you ignore what I say.” That kind of talk doesn’t attract people. We’d rather be told, “It doesn’t matter what your priorities are, as long as they work for you!” But that statement could only be true if each one of us was God, and we know that isn’t the case!

So we are left with the stories Jesus told and the question, “Are we going to take his stories to heart?” Join us for one of our weekend services if you feel that it’s time for a priority change in your life.

Worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm, Sunday: 9:00 am & 10:30 am.

Where Is My Miracle?

It isn’t hard to be confused by the subject of miracles. For some people, it seems there are miracles a minute. Whether it is an unexpected check in the mail or a parking space opening up near the entrance of Costco, some Christians see God’s supernatural working in everything! For others, while they believe God is indeed ruling all things according to his perfect will, they wonder if perhaps everything we might call a miracle isn’t. After all, some sick Christians pray for healing and aren’t healed. Others pray for family peace and stability only to live in a constant war zone. Maybe the question is, “If miracles happen, how do I get mine?”

It could be our questions about miracles stem from a misunderstanding of the miracles Jesus performed during his ministry. When we read the Gospels it seems like every time he turns around Jesus is doing a miracle. But the truth is, there are only about three dozen miracles which are recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Sometimes Jesus refused to do miracles. In one case, it says, he couldn’t do a miracle because of the attitude of the people!

We see Jesus’ miracles as immediate fixes to severe problems which made the lives of those receiving the miracles much easier and pleasant. And to be honest, the miracles we want would do the same for us. But what if that really isn’t the purpose of Jesus’ miracles? What if he intends something much deeper and profound than making people happy for the moment?

If you’re struggling with miracles, join us for one of our weekend services. You might change your mind about what they’re supposed to mean in our lives. And that may actually lead to a miracle!

Worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm, Sunday: 9:00 am & 10:30 am.

Get Serious

 

Each week I do an internet search for photos to use with this sermon summary. Today I typed in “get serious”. Knowing that this weekly message comes from a Christian church you have a pretty good idea that the article is going to have something to do with getting serious about God. From the results of the search, however, most people are more interested in getting serious about body building than they are God because the first photos were of an incredibly muscular medical doctor by the name of Brett Osborn who wrote a book entitled “Get Serious” about health and fitness. If one can judge by the results Dr. Osborn had following his own advice, one would come to the conclusion he knows what he is talking about!

Jesus probably did not work out all that much or even worry about his diet. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his health. No, his problem wasn’t getting enough physical exercise, it was getting enough rest. And as for food, the issue wasn’t which types of foods to eat, it was getting enough food period on some days. Life was much different in Israel of 30 AD than it is in the United States of America in 2021. But if Jesus came to live in America today, his preaching would be the same.

You see, while he was concerned about physical health, Jesus spoke much more about the necessity of spiritual health and one’s relationship with God. That is kind of ironic to us as the subject of God for the majority of people is much less compelling than workout programs. However, Jesus said some shockingly spectacular things about himself and what those statements mean in regard to our long-term future.

Dr. Osborn is an incredibly impressive example of physical fitness. But 50 years from today, he won’t be. And that was exactly the point Jesus made over and over. No matter how good a physical condition we may have, we will become victims of death. We need something more than a strong body, we need a Savior. And that is exactly who he claimed to be.

Join us for one of our worship services this weekend. Together, let’s get serious about what matters most!

Worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm, Sunday: 9:00 am & 10:30 am.

Short-Term or Long-Term?

 

When it comes to investing, the first question any financial advisor has is, “How long are you going to leave your money in?” The differences in strategies are significant depending on the length of the investment. Unfortunately, most of us have a great difficulty in making those important long-term investments because it would mean we would have to put off buying certain things we feel are essential to our happiness right now.

An even more serious question is, “In what are you going to invest your life – the short-term or the long-term?” In this case too, the short-term has a powerful appeal. If we don’t enjoy life now, when will we? Who knows if we’ll even be alive a year from now so why not live life to the max? Jesus, however, shared a much different view of life investment in what has been called throughout history, the Sermon on the Mount. It’s really short, as sermons go, but it is packed with a power which has transcended the millennia. In a few words he says, “God created and saved you for the long-term, so your best bet is to live right now for the long-term.”

The incredible thing about the life Jesus describes is that while it goes completely against the ideas for happiness which saturate our society, the person who puts them into practice discovers a solid, stable sense of peace, contentment and fulfillment. As one Christian put it, “If you live for the next world, you get this one in the deal; but if you live only for this world, you lose them both.” ^{C.S. Lewis}

Jesus’ long-term lifestyle is a win-win proposition. Since he rose from the dead, doesn’t that give him a credibility unmatched when it comes to life investments?

 Worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm, Sunday: 9:00 am & 10:30 am.