Genie or Savior?

 

All of us want a miracle every now and then. Even people who claim there is no such thing as miracles secretly wish for one when things get tough. And who can blame us? There are times in life when we have exhausted all our resources and still the pain of our problem is just too much. But, if we’re honest with ourselves, the miracles we want are actually very significant quick fixes. We want our problem to go away so that we can return to enjoying life on our terms. 

Jesus did about 40 miracles during his earthly ministry. They varied from healing the sick, to multiplying food, to demonstrating control over nature and even human death. Though he was usually very discreet about his miracle making abilities, the word got out and people thronged to him, hoping to get their own personal miracle. Which is all very understandable. People still turn to Jesus for miracles today, even if they aren’t all that interested in becoming one of his followers. We can get so desperate; we’ll try anything or anyone to give us relief. 

When we look closely at the miracles of Jesus, however, we find that the last thing he intended for people was to see him as a miracle maker specializing in quick fixes. Jesus’ miracles always had long term objectives for the person he was helping – specifically a lifelong relationship with him. The quick fix miracle was meant to lead the person into an eternal cure far beyond anything they could imagine. 

If you are praying for a miracle, keep on praying. The power of God to do miracles hasn’t diminished in the last 2000 years. But as you pray for relief of some kind of suffering which is making life miserable, ask the Miracle Maker, Jesus, for the most important miracle – the forgiveness of sins and life in heaven. Any physical miracle will someday lose its importance. Christ’s forgiveness never will. 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

Heart Check

 

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ^{(Jesus Christ)} 

Those are challenging words of Jesus. He’s calling us to do some soul searching to discover what it is that drives our lives. Doing a heart check isn’t something we tend to do. It’s much easier to dive into each day’s activities without thinking why we’re living life the way we are. To be honest, it’s too hard, too complicated to get serious about what matters most. Being busy is exhausting, but it’s easier than facing the truth. 

We are constantly being warned about keeping our focus. Road signs tell us to put down our phones and keep our eyes on the road. Being distracted can have tragic consequences. Jesus’ call to re-evaluate what we are living for is no less serious. How disastrous it would be to find out one day that everything we worked so hard for in life wasn’t important at all – that we missed out on the real purpose for our lives. 

When Jesus spoke with people, his primary goal was never to make them feel good. It was always to bring them to the understanding and desire to get to know him better, to benefit from who he is and what he does for us. It is no different today. Jesus’ call to re-examine the direction of our lives makes us uncomfortable, but that distasteful effort promises to produce benefits in our lives we have difficulty comprehending. 

If you are ready to get off the relentless treadmill of distracted busyness and feel the need for a heart check, join us for our Sunday morning worship service. You probably already know – Jesus is in the business of heart transformations. 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

Motives Matter

 

It is an unexpected surprise to open a gift which you don’t think is going to be much and discover that the giver of the gift bought you something not only valuable, but useful. It’s not just the monetary cost that makes you feel good, but also that the person took the time to find something you really like. Their gift giving effort shows they care. However, if a few minutes after opening the present, you overhear the person who gave it to you saying to someone else, “You know I detest having to give these office party gifts. Fortunately, I was at Ross and accidentally found something that looked impressive and useful but was incredibly cheap. I really scored!” 

The value of the gift nor its usefulness has not changed in the least. But your attitude toward the giver of the gift has been completely reversed. Your feeling of gratitude has been replaced by anger and a strong desire to throw the gift at him and shout, “If that’s the way you feel, you can have it back!” 

Motives matter. They matter big time. One of the reasons human beings are not constantly fighting is we very often can’t know the motives of others and so we assume the best. God, on the other hand, knows our motives, just as he does our thoughts. He knows when we try to con him, when we play the religious game, appearing to be righteous and holy, but for all the wrong reasons. 

Whether we play nice with God to create a pious impression for other people or do something extraordinarily good because we want God to do something for us, the message of Jesus is loud and clear: “It doesn’t work.” Playing games with God is so serious because we deceive ourselves into thinking that everything is great between us when in reality we drift farther and farther from him. With God, sincerity is everything. Join us this Sunday as we continue to be challenged by Jesus’ description of the Christian life. While it is humbling, it is the life he saved us to live! 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am

The High Road

 

You don’t hear too often these days the phrase, “Take the high road.” Taking the high road means a person chooses to do what is right, regardless of whether it will benefit him/her or not. The “high road” refers to a lifestyle based on integrity even though a person may be surrounded by others who have morally compromised themselves. 

It’s an uncomfortable question to ask ourselves, “Am I a person who usually takes the high road?” It’s a common question for many to wonder, “What is the high road?” Jesus Christ addressed both questions for us with a detailed and disturbing discourse called the Sermon on the Mount. In just a few words he said, “No, no one has taken the high road much of the time and that is because that road is a whole lot higher than anyone ever imagined.” 

For some, their idea of the Christian life is to smile, hold up two fingers and say, “Love and peace” as much as possible. That might be part of it, but Jesus leaves no doubt that a serious commitment to him on a daily basis involves a transformation that is so drastic it requires supernatural intervention. 

The high road Jesus describes is neither easy, comfortable, or pleasant. But it is revolutionary in the sense our broken humanity needs revolution. If you are looking for a challenge that will shake up your world, join us for our Sunday morning worship service. You may not appreciate everything we study, but the opportunity to change can’t help but leave you excited. 

Sunday Morning Worship – 10:00 am