"Our Air Supply" by John Rice

Although the Wisdom series ended officially two Sundays ago, Dusty's sermon this last week seemed to me to add another piece, an extremely important piece to the study of wisdom. If the fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, as Psalm 111:10 says, who better to look to than the Holy Spirit to help us in our quest?

Recently in a class on the science of the brain, I heard a teaching on the "Wise Brain". Developed by a secular psychologist, the thought here is that combining our logical brain and our emotional brain will give us a wise brain. Although I understand the theory that the emotional brain alone or the thinking brain alone is incapable of making consistently wise choices, it seems to me that a REALLY wise brain must be submitted to the Lord if our thoughts and actions are to be of eternal significance.

So here's where the pneumatic tool illustration fits so well. What does a pneumatic tool have to do with any of this, you may ask? In case you weren't in church Sunday,  Dusty gave the analogy of our souls needing to be infused with the Holy Spirit, kind of like a pneumatic power tool needing to be attached by a hose to an air supply if it's to be of any use at all. Our souls, our minds, need the infusion of the Holy Spirit if we're truly to live wisely and in accordance with God's will.

Randi Nelson put it so well in her teaching on "Walking in Wisdom" when she said, "Wisdom is not so much about a HOW as it is about a WHO." To whom are we looking? To whom are we listening? To whom are we submitted? Who are we following? If the answer to these questions is God, then we are attached to the ultimate power source, the ultimate source of wisdom, and we can be assured that we will be used for Kingdom purposes and that the wisdom He brings just might spill out of us and season the community around us in substantial and even miraculous ways.

John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:13
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.

"Walking with God's Spirit" by Darla Beardsley

I find it amusing when I set out to do something that I feel is ministry to someone else and then God uses it to teach me something. That happened recently. 
 
A couple of months ago, Pam approached Sue Paris and me to do some acting for this year’s kid’s camp. So we got together to brainstorm on an idea that had been floating around in our heads. Sue felt she had a scripture and a direction, so we took off from there.
 
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
 
As the Epic Kingdom camp criers we would proclaim these attributes as proper kingdom deportment and hopefully drive home to the kids that this was only possible by walking with God’s Spirit. So I took notes while we laughed and devised screwy characters. Afterwards I took all our ideas and put it to dialog. A funny thing happened while we were memorizing and rehearsing. I found that the lines said more to me than I had been aware of when writing them down. Ideas connected that I hadn’t thought of during the brainstorming and laughing. I felt like we had received a word that we didn't fully hear until we attempted to share it with the kids.
 
I found myself looking for the Fruit of the Spirit in my life. I wondered if I really understood what it meant to walk with God’s Spirit. How do I do it? Is it an action? Is it an attitude? Can I measure it? I am sure that praying, reading His Word, worship and fellowship are all part of the process. As I pondered this another scripture came to mind—the revelation of which was life changing for me many years ago.
 
Jeremiah 29:12-13
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
 
I know I don’t have all the answers, but I have a direction. I don't know how to do everything, but I have a great, wise and patient Teacher. I know Who to ask. And He promises me that if I put my whole heart into it, I will find Him. So I will seek to learn to walk with God’s Spirit, something I am sure will take me all of my life. Sometimes I see this fruit in my life and sometimes it is greatly lacking. But my prayer is that next year I will look and see more of it, more often and so on year after year, from glory to glory.
 
Last Sunday John spoke on the proper perspective of work in the bible. We are not saved by our works, but work has been prepared in advance for us to do. If we have faith but no works that give evidence to it, then our faith is dead. I have an additional thought. I cannot work my way into heaven by exhibiting all the attributes in Galatians 5: 22-23, but because Jesus took care of my sin on the cross I can seek to walk with His Spirit and see these things become a part of my life. When I fail and fall flat on my face, God’s grace gives me the option to get up and try again.
 
Encouraging Words:
 
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Jeremiah 29:12-13
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
 
Isaiah 30:15
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

"People of Wisdom" by Randi Nelson

There is something very attractive about people of wisdom. For example: 
   Joseph’s wisdom brought him favor wherever he happened to be (except at home with his brothers) until one day the king of Egypt said, “… there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house …” (Genesis 41:39-40). 

   Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah comported themselves in such a way that the king of Babylon found them to be “ten times better” than the other royal advisors in “every matter of wisdom and understanding about which [he] consulted them.”  (Daniel 1:20). 

   1 Kings 10:24 says, “The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God put in his heart.” Backing up that statement is the story of the Queen of Sheba who traveled far to test the rumors she’d heard about his wisdom. She found that “the half had not been told her” (1 Chronicles 9:6).

   Bible scholar C. Hassell Bullock says that the terms “wisdom” and “wise” in the Bible “apply to men and women who represent a way of thinking and conduct that is orderly, socially sensitive and morally upright.” It makes me think of 2 Corinthians 2:15: “for we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”   I’ve always known that wise living has tremendous value and blessing for me. What I’ve not considered before is how that wise living affects the people around me. Those who live wisely catch the attention of a wisdom starved culture. In the cases of Joseph, Daniel and Solomon, the people who paid attention to their wisdom also noted that their wisdom came from God. There was an aroma of the “wisdom that comes from above” (James 3:17).
   And so it is dawning on me that learning to live wisely is two-pronged: it not only brings blessing to my life; it also brings glory to God and Christ in the eyes of others. Luke 2:52 says, “[Jesus] grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” I think we can conclude that wisdom is an attractive and powerful evangelistic tool! Does the word “evangelism” make you hyperventilate? Live wisely. The world will notice and God will get the glory.

Randi Nelson

Encouraging words:

 "… making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him."

Ephesians 1:16-17 

"Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God!"

Romans 11:33 

"I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."

Luke 21:15 

 

 

Easter Photos Are Now Available...

Thanks to Bob, Lauren and Madison you can access some great candids and portraits taken during our 2014 Easter Service.  You can now access them on our website at the following link: 

http://www.southhillschurch.net/easter-photo-gallery/

The page is password protected so that access is limited to friends and members of our congregation. When you visit the page simply enter in the the following password:

faith252

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@southhillschurch.net. Enjoy!!! :)

 

Volunteers Needed This Saturday, May 31st!

Volunteers Needed This Weekend!

This Saturday, May 31st from 10am-1pm for a work day in preparation for the upcoming Grand Opening (June 21st) for the new Washington Jefferson Skate park here in Eugene.  I will be joining some of our Whitaker friends to help support the community and would like to invite you to come join us!  

Volunteers will be helping to plant a large number of native sword ferns at Washington Jefferson Park just north of the horse shoe area.  The park located between Washington St. and Jefferson St. at 1st Ave. beneath the I-105 bridge. Eugene Park Stewards will supply, gloves, tools, and a snack.  If you just dress for close contact with the soil that’s all you need.  It is covered so you won’t get wet even if it’s raining. 

If you haven’t been to the Skate park since it opened, this is a great opportunity to serve your community, get some exercise, meet new people, and check out the perpetual energy of the skaters and bikers. It is a great addition to our city!
 
If you can make it on Saturday, please RSVP by noon on Friday so I can relay the number of volunteers coming from our church. You can reach me by email at dusty@southhillschurch.net.

Hope to see you Saturday to help spread some love to this great city!  :)

Pastor Dusty

"Life" by Betty Fletcher

     I love life—most of the time. I love how confusing and hard and sweet and glorious it is.  This beautiful life has many challenges, not the least of which is a creeping numbness that can spread through our souls as the decades go by. Then one day, because God is gracious and because we really do love him, we wake up and sense the profound loss. It’s painful, but we’re glad because we’re actually feeling something again.
     And slowly, if we are quiet and begin to open up to God about the doubts we’ve been hoarding and the fears we’ve been hiding, we begin to feel life flowing through our spirits again. 
     After a friend passed away last week, another friend asked to go hiking. I knew she wanted to grieve together and very likely pray. I normally say no to this kind of closeness. I’m afraid of praying, especially in public. Afraid of throwing piles of words at God and feeling I should duck as they fall back down. But lately in the depths of my being I’ve been practicing just being with God. And I’ve begun to experience his compassion. So in an unimaginably beautiful setting, we simply sat and quieted our hearts. We gave God room to show us how he felt about our friend. Then we prayed our guts out. And God breathed on us, bringing us one heartbeat closer to him.

Encouraging Words:

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

 Psalm 46:10

Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near. 
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:6,7

 

 

"Love is Waiting" by Jennelle Schnabel

Is there something going on in your life right now that doesn’t seem to fit what you thought?
Are you spending hours upon hours dissecting everything that has happened up to this point, trying to figure out why you are in this place?
If so, I have some words of wisdom for you, “put the shovel down.”
You will NEVER get there. You can keep digging, keep searching, but you will never be able to figure it out – and even if you did, think of all the time you could have saved by doing one very simple thing (not easy…simple).

Talk to Him.

I’ve been there. God had made me a promise a few years back. Flash forward & I felt like I got another word from God that did not seem to be matching up to the promise. Nothing made sense.
I was SO afraid! I actually didn’t want to talk to Him (you know, God), because I was afraid of what I might “hear.” Not a smart move. It paralyzed me. It sent me into depression. It literally kept me bed-ridden. I missed A LOT of work! I ignored friends – their texts, calls, even house- visits! It was terrible. And I don’t recommend it!

A word of love from someone that’s been there, it is way way easier on your mind/heart/soul/body to just talk to Him. Tell him what you’re afraid of. Find someone you trust, a friend/family member, to confide in. 

And you know what, whatever it is that you’re afraid of – God is bigger than that. He will give you the grace for whatever it is that He’s asking of you. TRUST HIM. He really does LOVE YOU!

 

Encouraging Words: 

“ Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.”

-Proverbs 3:5-6

"No Fear" by Terry Sheldon

Recently I was confronted with a new situation. Well it wasn't completely new because the older you get, the more things cycle around. The opportunity was new, but the load of negative emotions that followed wasn't. Picture this unfortunate vehicle caravan - a shiny new car glistening in the sun, and towing a Jed Clampett-like trailer piled high with rusted junk, items that had certainly outlived their time. Pretty sad, to be honest, and the primary emotion in tow? Fear.

This was a classic case of mixed emotions. On one hand the challenge was fresh relief from a drought, a long chunk of time filled with The Whys. Why wasn't a particular good thing coming my way? I do have rights as a child of God, don't I? Yes I know it's wisdom to wait for the right time, and I certainly cannot comprehend the celestial time-keeping upstairs. But really (speaking heavenward), hadn't I learned some valuable lesson from my trial yet? The wait was getting so old that the hopes-raised/hopes-dashed wave was getting flatter and flatter, like ripples in a pond that quietly disappear.

And with this "calm" came a certain complacency. No pain, no gain. And no stress, like an over-medicated patient. But not facing fear doesn't make it go away. It just postpones the inevitable confrontation.

Yes the other side of this was fear, that rusty old nemesis who had tortured me in the past. I instinctively started the tap dance of excuses, why I couldn't do this. Outwardly I rationalized everything in a logical manner. Inside, I knew the ramifications of "put up or shut up". Was it fear of failure or its equally evil twin, fear of success? Likely both. I felt like a pimpled 16 again, trying to put a cohesive sentence together to ask the girl to the prom.

What do we do when fear attacks? 1st John 4:18 tells us, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." Perfected in LOVE. In prior situations where I felt betrayed by others, I didn't feel safe, and I certainly didn't show love either. But I realized that maybe I had learned a few things during my desert time. I am better at giving and receiving love now.

I asked someone who I know loves me for their perspective. They pointed out some things that helped me process. And I went to the Lord and asked Him too. He said, "Just lean into me. You're safe here." I felt a renewed sense of confidence.
So I started walking. One foot after another, baby steps. I remembered that classic scene near the end of the movie "A Beautiful Mind", where the gifted but flawed mathmatician didn't rid himself of his imaginary tormenters, but he learned to deal with them. They were still there, but now they were almost friends. In the process, he learned to live again.

- Terry Sheldon

Encouraging Words:

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

1 John 4:18

"Great Expectations" by Dusty Johnson

Like me, some people have a love-hate relationship with their expectations.   I love it when mine are met, and hate it when they are not. The upside to high expectations is the privilege to dream and contend for extraordinary outcomes.  The downside is the disappointment when the preferred future does not materialize.  After a few years of these experiences, some continue to dream big and deal with the downside later, while others dream small to avoid the risk of disappointment altogether.
 
The strength in an expectation is absolutely dependent upon the reliability of the person or circumstances in which we trust.  As you consider areas where you are feeling discouraged, I want to encourage you to put your hope and future in the hands of Jesus Christ--the author and perfecter of our faith, who takes great pleasure in you (Hebrews 12:1-3).  When Christ is given the role of Lord and Master, we can surely trust him to bring his preferred future to pass, and to care for us when we feel the loss and disappointment of an unfavorable outcome.      
 
Though imprisoned and facing many setbacks, the apostle Paul understood disappointments, yet trusted God’s love and plan for his life.  No matter where you are on your journey with disappointments, may you be encourage by Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:20 as you aim high and keep trusting Him “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”   
 
Unto Him,
 
Pastor Dusty

 

Encouraging Words:

12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 
 
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:12, 16-21

 

"Hezekiah's Challenge" by Darla Beardsley

"Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered."   2 Chronicles 31:20-21

Hezekiah was one of the good kings of Judah. He loved God. He was dedicated to cleaning up Judah and turning wayward hearts back to God. These two verses sum up the previous chapters chronicling Hezekiah's reign and God blessed him for it. 

Now read on in the next verse...

"After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. " 2 Chronicles 32:1

I think that when things get tough or go wrong in our lives, we tend to look for reasons why. We want to make sense of it, even if that means blaming ourselves. How many times in your life have you heard someone say something like, "What did I do to deserve this?" On the other hand if we have been seeking God and serving Him with all our heart than maybe our thoughts go the other way. Why would God let this happen? Doesn't He appreciate my efforts? Interestingly, Hezekiah doesn't do either.

In 2 Chronicles 32, Hezekiah, it would seem, accepts the fact that the attack of an enemy is always possible, even likely. He does not waste time placing blame. This is just the way life is on this planet. In a broken and fallen world, stuff happens. There is evil to be contended with. We have enemies that don't like to see us get ahead. If anything, his obedience and that of the Israelites had prepared them for this moment. It had set the stage for God to act on their behalf, to show them who He was and why He was different from the idols they had allowed to infiltrate their lives. Hezekiah immediately faces the challenge head on. He behaves like you would expect a king to behave. A king who trusts in a powerful God.

When faced with a formidable challenge, I think we can learn something from Hezekiah in chapter 32. Just because we face difficulty, it doesn't mean we did something to deserve it. Stuff happens. And if we seek to serve God with all our hearts, we have opened the door for a powerful God to show up in a mighty way during life’s toughest moments.

--Darla Beardsley

 

Encouraging Words:

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”  2 Chronicles 32:7-8

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

"The Freedom of Easter" by Sarah Moorhead

The Holy day is over. The chocolate bunnies have been eaten and the pretty dresses put away. As Christians, we are grateful that Jesus died for us and was resurrected. But I think Easter sometimes raises the question - is there something more I should be doing? We may be inclined to treat Easter as a kind of spiritual New Year’s, resolving to be better Christians.

But what is the bottom line? How would God have us live in light of Easter? I believe the answer is simpler that you may imagine. In a word - rest.

Rest. Cease striving. The Bible says God created us for His pleasure. We are objects of His affection and delight. He does not want our efforts. He wants to be in relationship with us. Rest from self effort. Rest from worry. Just be with Him. If this seems too difficult, ask Him to help you.

Think of it this way. When you first held your newborn child, did you love that baby because he had cleaned his room or done his homework? No. You loved him simply because he existed. He didn’t have to do anything to earn your love.

That’s how it is with God. He loves us simply because we exist. Learn to rest. Learn to simply be with Him. He will take care of everything else.

-Sarah Moorhead

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

"The God I thought I Knew" by Kayla Erickson

We all know who Jesus is, right?  The Messiah.  Our Savior.  God’s Son.  King of Kings.  But what happens when we pass through something that doesn’t have room for the God we thought we knew?  We experience something that is so beyond the scope of how we thought God worked that we suddenly realize, “Maybe I don’t know God like I thought I did.”  How can we know him when all our previous attempts got us to a place that, when it came down to it, wasn’t enough?

A few blessed men and women had a unique way to know God: those who lived with Jesus during his earthly life.  How did they know Jesus?  They loved him.  Maybe they didn’t even know exactly why they loved him.  They certainly didn’t understand everything he said or did.  But there was a way about him, I imagine, that made them know suddenly that there was a beautiful “right” out there, that it was possible to truly belong.  If I had been a disciple, I imagine my favorite times would not have been the feeding of the multitudes or the calming of the storm, but the talks to pass the time while on the road from one place to another.  I suspect that when Jesus was near, broken things inside those followers and friends began to shift toward wholeness.  And I can imagine their confusion and concern when he would talk about death and blood, when he would go off by himself for hours to pray and they would hear his groans and sobs.  There was no room in their knowledge of Jesus for something that would make Him act like that.

But what was it like in that eerie predawn waiting for Pilate’s sentence?  Surely, Peter must have thought, I will hear news that he has miraculously escaped.  Crucify?  Even then they must have believed that angels would descend to protect him.  Maybe it was the moment they saw his face dripping with blood and his back revealing all that flesh where skin should have been.  Maybe it was the moment they heard his cry of human suffering as the nails secured him to the tree of death.  Maybe it was the moment they heard his divine suffering as he cried out in deprivation of his father’s presence.  At some point during that horrible day, their experience far surpassed the Jesus, the God they thought they knew.

Yet God kept them.  Somehow they survived those three excruciatingly disorienting days.  Then the unbelievable news, “The tomb is empty!”  Then meeting him face to face again.  Sitting, roasting fish on a cold morning, being restored, being in his presence again, they must have realized: It’s still Him.  It’s still the one I love, the one who loves me. 

Just to be with the God who loves me- that’s the only answer that satisfies... But this whole thing is going to look a lot different than I thought. 

-Kayla Erickson

 

Encouraging Words:

Rom 8:38-39 NIV
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 66:8-12 ESV
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet your have brought us out to a place of abundance.

Revelation 21:3 ESV
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

"An Attitude of Worship" by Kim Phelps

Several weeks ago I had a disappointing event that took my breath away. In the scheme of things it was a small ripple in a big ocean, but I was making a tidal wave out of it. My heart was set on attending an event, but by my own fault I ended up not able to go. My reaction to this was far short of mature, let alone Godly and I knew I needed to change my attitude. But I sure did not want to. I was angry and sad. I felt a loss of entitlement and just plain ugly.

This minor setback was challenging my faith and my relationship with God. I could give up now and seek Him, thus avoiding the rigmarole of having to learn this lesson a harder way (it was not my first choice). Then the thought came to me (very much inspired by the Holy Spirit I might add) that I could use the time I would have spent at this event to pray for those who were there. So I began to pray. I prayed for their success, for their learning new things, for all that God had for them. And I began to have fun! I praised God, worshiping and singing and dancing and in the middle of all this I realized that I was exactly where I was supposed to be and each of them was exactly where they should be.  I was at peace. 

 What I was not inclined to do, God in His mercy and grace accomplished. My attitude was changed and I was ok with the entire situation. And I felt loved and ministered to by God. This last Sunday as Dusty, John and Randi talked about worship and drawing near to God I realized what had happened. I worshiped and God met me and I was change by His grace.

-Kim

Scripture References:

1Peter 5:6-7 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much....”

Psalm 42:5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.

Message from Kid President...

We showed this clip in church on Sunday, April 6th... it is a great message that can apply to anybody who in a new at anything.  New baby, new relationship, new to a job, new to a group or new to a church.  Nobody can say it like Kid President and it's good for us to remember to dance!

"Are You Feeling Tired?" by Dusty Johnson

Are you feeling...

Trapped?

  • Feeling tricked, sad or in a “no win” situation?

  • Feeling you don’t measure up and things not turning out like you imagined?  

Indicted?

  • Feeling inadequate or something is wrong with you?

  • Feeling you are a bad person, bad friend, bad Christian, bad spouse, bad Christian?

Responsible?

  • Feeling responsible for everyone and everything?

  • Feeling overwhelmed and burdened?

Exposed?

  • Feeling vulnerable or dirty?

  • Feeling observed, measured or watched?

Defensive?

  • Feeling suspicious and believe a good defense is a good offense?

  • Maintaining an air of being right, even when you are wrong?

Certainly, the pace and circumstances of life can be overwhelming.  The ebb and flow of the human experience can have a way of depleting our joy and zapping our optimism. Gratefully, we serve a God who understands our human condition and we don’t have make weariness a life-long companion. Jesus addresses this reality when he says,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 – Matthew 11:28-30

Unfortunately, we often become so weary in trying to do good and be good that we get stuck focusing on efforts for God rather than our relationship with God.  The fact remains that God is not mad.  His love for you does not change and He stands ready to be your closest friend in the midst of the struggle.  So give up simply trying to impress Him and others by "trying harder" or "doing better" and reconnect your soul to the one who longs to strengthen you with His endless mercy, generous grace and abiding presence.  

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, I encourage you to make an appointment with Jesus in the next few minutes, hours or days. Make a time to get quiet, soften your heart and re-connect to God. Heart to heart. As you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. And as you reestablish your connection to Him, I pray you will find his promise of easy yoke and lighter burden.  He loves you and stands ready!

In His Grip,
Pastor Dusty

 

Encouraging Words

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 

James 4:8 The Message (MSG)

7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

 

“Spiritual Disciplines – the Highways to Zion” - Randi Nelson

One of my favorite places to go for a nearby nature fix is Mt. Pisgah. Many different trails are available, most of which end up at the summit where one’s exertions are rewarded with a nearly 360° panoramic view of the local cities, farms, rivers and mountains. The nice thing about multiple trails is that it gives me options. When I want to have a hard, up and back workout, I choose the main trail. When I want a less strenuous hike and have more time, I take another. When I want a more solitary hike, there are a couple of other places that I like to go.

It’s a good thing to have experience with each of these trails. That way, when the weather has been very wet, I know first-hand which trails will be impassable. If it is hot, I know which trails will offer the best breeze or most shade; when it is cold, I know where the most sheltered areas are; and when poison oak is in season, I know which trails to avoid!

So our recent exploration of “Spiritual Disciplines” only makes good sense to me. Experience with various practices and habits that carve pathways for intimacy with God in the good times, will prepare me for those times of adversity when one or more of the paths may be blocked or inaccessible. Psalm 84:5-7 (MSG) seems to agree:

And how blessed [are] all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!

Opening the trails for God to travel in our lives requires some exertion on our part. We have to get off the couch and move. But the Holy Spirit is an extraordinary tour guide, delighted to meet us along the way, to show us new trails and to lead us to the very best views!

~Randi Nelson

Encouraging words:

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

— James 4:8 (NAS)

“How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring, the early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion.”

— Psalm 84:5-7

“… The Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

— Psalm 84:11 (NAS)