Category: Spiritual Growth - Jethro TOOLS

Challenge the Culture

2/1/2026

Colossians 1:9-12
What can weigh over 100 pounds and is known as a semi aquatic rodent? If you guessed the beaver, you would be correct. A beaver will work tirelessly to build dams that create and expand its water habitat. This increase in water allows the beaver greater mobility, protection and access to more abundant sources of food. However, a busy beaver will also create conditions that attract incests, birds and fish. As beaver influenced wetlands increase so also do the benefits for migratory birds, deer and moose increase. A simple beaver will work tenaciously to bring lasting change and influence its surrounding community. Believers in Jesus Christ are to do the same. We are called to bring the message of Jesus to a world that is dry and in desperate need of His life giving water (see John 4). We influence our world for Christ by appropriating His power and seeing Him use us to bring His lasting change within our community. In Colossians 1 Paul prays that God would supply this church with an abundant supply of the knowledge of His will (9). He prays the they would find spiritual stability in living for God (10), and the spiritual strength to patiently endure under pressure (11). The disciple who understands that their past is paid by Christ, and their future is secure in Christ, is presently able to live a life of joy that honors Christ (12). Regardless of the circumstances the believer finds their secure standing in Christ. Knowing that we belong to Christ we therefore have hope in all circumstances. From the position of spiritual security we are able to give joyful thanks to God. We are called to challenge our culture by living counter to our culture and spread the contagious joy of knowing Christ within our culture. When we do, God will use us to leave a lasting spiritual legacy that will influence our culture for Him.

For More See COLOSSIANS

Cure for the Culture

1/25/2026

Philippians 1:9-11
When we think of a broken heart we often think of a love that is lost and the individual flounders searching for a personal emotional cure to a failed relationship. However, there is actually a health issue called broken heart syndrome. This heart problem is caused by some sudden stress that is placed upon the individual. This stress may come from a physical event like a car accident, an emotional event like grief or fear and even perhaps from consuming certain strong or spicy foods. The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are very much like a heart attack with chest pain and shortness of breath. However, broken heart syndrome is reversible within a few days or weeks because its cause is tied to the body and its production of a large amount of adrenaline. As we look at our world we see people with a spiritual heart issue. We see people living with a broken heart and not knowing the cure, and yet searching for one. As Paul says in Philippians chapter one there is a cure, and we as believers in Jesus Christ carry the cure. Paul is praying for the Philippian church that their love will thrive and multiply (19). This is an admission that they are a loving church, but also a petition asking God to step in and work in the life of this church even more. This love that the church has is a love that imitates God’s love in its sacrifice and service. This is not a romantic love or even a love between friends. God’s love is to be lived out by His followers because He has loved them first and therefore the church has the ability, capacity and example of how to love (1 John 4:19). We carry the cure of Christ and His forgiveness and love to a world full of people with a broken heart. God displays His cure for our culture through us as we love like Him.

For More See PHILIPPIANS

Spiritual Maturity

10/26/2025

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
All grown up. That is a phrase used by grandparents to describe grandchildren who have surpassed them in height, but are they mature? Two years ago I planted several cranberry bushes in the yard. With much water and some fertilizer they are now taller than I am. Are they all grown up? Are they mature cranberry plants? Not yet, they still have to produce cranberries. Even though the plants have flourished and look healthy they have not produced the fruit that marks them as mature. The same is true regarding spiritual maturity. Our spiritual age and general spiritual health make it clear that we are getting enough to eat spiritually. However, if we are only measured by what we take in we still have some growing up to do. In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul commends a group of believers for their spiritual growth and the maturity of their faith, love and hope (3). The work of faith in their lives, by God, looks to the past and guides their present living (4-5). Their labor of love matures them through their personal practice and witness of their faith under pressure (6-9). Their hope remains steadfast and matures through the confident expectation of God’s future regardless of the present reality (10). These believers had a faith in God that changed them. They possessed a love that caused them to serve as active witnesses while possessing a hope in Christ that was exercised under pressure. That is a growing and maturing spiritual life. They did not allow their circumstances to limit their growth. Instead they allowed their hope and faith to direct their life to be lived as a loving witness for Jesus in all circumstances. The problem is that often we allow our circumstances to limit our spiritual growth. We look at the size of the problem rather than the greatness of our God. Ask God to mature your faith, love and hope through your circumstances.

For More See 1 THESSALONIANS

Membership Standard

8/17/2025

1 Corinthians 13
“I don’t like my job!” Have you ever said that. There is part of every job that is unpleasant. Most jobs are tolerable, some are terrible, while many jobs are terrific. Yet within every job there is often one component that is unpleasant and therefore we often avoid doing it. Simply avoiding the task does not remove our responsibility to complete it and therefore complete our job. The same is true when it comes to living the christian life. The church of Corinth was having a problem exercising genuine faith, love and service to God. As a whole they had distorted their relationship with Christ and turned it into a practice of self centered love. In essence they had turned their relationship with Jesus Christ into a self centered religious practice. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul challenges their distorted spiritual practice by addressing love as the central standard measurement for believers in Jesus Christ. This passage highlights what is wrong in the Corinthians spiritual practice (1-3), and what is actually the display of true love (4-7). The distinguishing characteristic of love within the believer is progress in Christlike maturity (8-12). We are immature and can never measure up to Christ’s standard of love, but there is progress over the course of our spiritual life. We are called to be followers of Christ and follow His example (1 Peter 1:13-16). Love is to be the substance of our actions because Christ loved us first (1 John 1:19). This passage is simple, yet so deep and confronting. If we are honest it is difficult to love and be loving. Yet, our belief in Christ the Savior who loves us changes us and connects us with His body the church so we can become people who serve with His love. Christ and His display of love for us is the standard measurement for our love and service. That is a hard job, but one that is attainable through His grace and strength.

For More See 1 CORINTHIANS

Member with Christ

7/27/2025

Acts 2:37-47
What is the best group to join? As people, we are not created to be alone. To solve that we spend time searching for places that we like and people that like us. We move to neighborhoods and communities we like. We become members of a country, communities, groups, associations, and even members of a family. The Bible refers to those that believe in Jesus as members of His body, a spiritual family called the church. The difficulty is that we view the church as a building. You may be asked, “What church do you belong to?” Our normal response is some form of directions to some building. The person who believes by faith in Jesus as their savior is made a member of God’s family (Romans 6:3, 1 Corinthians 12:27). The church is not a building, but the believers that gather together in a building are the church. In Acts 2 we see the beginning of the church, and the initial steps of church growth. It begins with Peter’s message encouraging people to believe in Jesus (14-39), and concludes with many people responding (41). These new believers, or new members, of the early church devoted themselves to the teaching of God’s word, fellowship, breaking bread and prayer (42). This chapter highlights what God does as He changes people, their beliefs about Jesus, and association with Jesus. You see, the early church was made up of people who had originally been opposed to Jesus. In coming to Christ they were changed by Christ. They now desired to learn of Christ through His word and live out those truths in a spiritual community with others. They were a changed people, who are now members with Christ. They had changed hearts and expressed the transformation through changed lives (46-47). Are you relationally connected to Jesus Christ and His church? Are you growing in Christ with others?

For More See ACTS

Restored

3/16/2025

Romans 6
The old shed on the back corner of our property seemed like a worthy investment. So in the spring, after thinking and planning repairs all winter, I started. The building had settled and rotted its original support beams, requiring the foundation to be rebuilt. Once the shed was level and stable the roof and the door were replaced to keep the structure dry and free from roaming critters. Since the outside was able to withstand the extremes of weather, I turned my attention to the inside to make the shed functional. A simple shelf and some hooks made a once rundown and deteriorated building useful again. In many ways we are like an old shed. God sees us, and purchases us, to restore us to the functional purpose that He designed us to be. In Romans chapter 6, Paul calls this process sanctification. From the point of salvation, God begins a process of removing the practice of sin from the life of the believer. The control of sin is broken (1-14) through what Christ has accomplished on the cross for us. But God does not just leave us there. He wants to restore us to the true servants that He originally intended us to be. There is a change that takes place as the believer no longer serves sin, but gives the control of their life to God (15-23). Gradually, the practice of sin is replaced with purity and a righteous life that pleases God. Sanctification is God’s life long process that He works in us to restore us to His standard. Speaking of our relationship with Jesus, Peter writes, “like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You Shall Be Holy, For I Am Holy. (1 Peter 1:15). What we believe will change the way that we live. What we live will prove what we truly believe.

For More See ROMANS or SHEBA

The Disciple's Purpose

2/16/2025

1 Peter 2:1-10
It was January of 2020 and we watched in shock as the coronavirus in China exploded out of control. The problem grew so much that the government immediately began building a thousand room hospital to try and deal with the epidemic and needed beds. Soon people were in desperate need of doctors, specialized care, and medicine all over the world. Medical teams and essential workers functioned in a ballet-like dance, as each one did a specific task for the purpose of eliminating the virus from their country. Throughout the pandemic we saw medical staff repeatedly praised for their sacrificial service. As we open the book of 1 Peter, we read along with an audience of believers who was living in hard times. In chapter 2 Peter reminds these believers under pressure that they have been given a new spiritual life for the purpose of growing in Christ, building others for Christ and continuing on with their belief in Christ. The end result is praise for what Christ has done in each life, regardless of the trials that have been faced in the process. Peter is challenging his readers, and us as well, to remember what God has done and what He is doing. This spiritual birth (1-3), formation and connection (4-5) are not things we can accomplish on our own. This is accomplished through God’s initial work of grace on the cross that is built on the foundation of Jesus our Savior (6-8). God’s purpose is to change us, and grow us, so we can praise Him (9-10). Just as a doctor is praised for his work on desperately sick patients, likewise, we are called to believe and carry the message of salvation and healing through a great Savior. If we can tell others how great our doctor is, can we not also tell others how great our God is?

For More See 1 PETER or DISCIPLESHIP

The Disciple's Connection

1/12/2025

John 15:1-8
The garden this past summer produced a bumper crop of sunflowers. In fact one was over sixteen feet tall. However, large objects like that do not handle the force of wind very well. Examining the garden after a bit of strong wind revealed sunflower damage. Several plants were down. Upon further inspection we saw that two of the sunflowers had broken stalks and were wilting because they lost their connection to the roots and the life giving nutrients supplied to them. The plants with the broken stalks were beyond repair. They wilted, died and had to be removed. Just as the connection to the roots is essential for a sunflower to grow so also the disciple must remain connected to Christ to grow. In John 15 Jesus tells His disciples that he is the true life giving vine (1). Spiritual growth and fruitfulness are only found though our connection to Christ as our savior. That connection is formed as we trust in Christ’s sacrificial payment of our sin. However, Jesus does not end the conversation with saving faith. He challenges the disciples to a growing faith that is spiritually productive (4). The production of faith and true spiritual life is never found through individual effort. Jesus says that apart from Him there is no life and no fruit (5). The challenge that Jesus leaves His disciples, and us, is to allow His power to flow through us to produce His results and His praise (8). God desires that we have fruitful spiritual lives known for righteousness, giving, serving, and witnessing. That can only be accomplished through a relationship with Christ as we are connected to Him as savior. That connection is maintained through time in the word, prayer, fellowship and worship. Are we connected to Christ? Remember, just like a sunflower, it is not how tall you grow, but that you remain connected.

For More See JOHN or DISCIPLESHIP

The Disciple's Commitment

1/5/2025

Luke 9:23-26
This summer I watched the population of rabbits grow in our neighborhood. At first we only saw a few adult rabbits and then, little by little, there were a bunch of little bunnies that began to emerge from their nesting area. It was comical watching as the little ones come out of their nest and scurry about on their tiny legs. What we saw in our neighborhood is a natural process from conception to birth, to immaturity and finally maturity. This is the life process that you and I go through. We are born to grow and be productive members in our family and society. We grow as people through learning, nurturing and guidance of those who are older. The same is true on a on a spiritual level. The Bible describes this process as being a disciple which simply means learner. However, this is more than just learning head knowledge, this involves knowledge and practice of what is learned. In Luke 9:23 Jesus lays down the challenge to be committed to following Him by stating, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Today the symbol of the cross has been popularized in the form of a necklace of an artistic graphic design on a shirt. In reality the cross is a sign of commitment even to the point of death. Jesus and His audience understood that clearly. That kind of total commitment is the sign of a mature believer in Jesus who lives, as Jesus says, without regard for one self, but is instead dedicated to the advancement of His kingdom. As in the natural life process the mature are used to nurture and grow the young. Are you willing to grow in your knowledge of Christ and be used by God to grow His family just like the rabbits in my back yard?

For More See LUKE or DISCIPLESHIP

Ministry of the Word

9/29/2024

1 Timothy 4
Do you remember the children’s story about The Little Engine That Could who had to work extra hard to keep up with the big trains? One day he had to pull a heavy load up a big mountain. The little train tried to remember all that he had learned from the old wise trains and then put it into practice. As he worked hard and strained to pull the load he kept saying to himself “I think I can, I think I can.” In 1 Timothy 4 Paul is challenging, Timothy, the young pastor, to remember what he has learned and continue practicing his faith in God by being a spiritual example for others by. Paul and Timothy realize that it is only faith in God and His salvation that will save them and the people of the church. Paul encourages Timothy to do three things. First, he is to preach God’s Word because spiritual life is found in Jesus Christ and the truth of Scripture (1-5). Others have wandered from the faith, but Timothy is to remain faithful. Second, lead in the practice of the Word because spiritual life is found in the truths of God’s Word (6-10). Timothy was given a check list in a way to keep the practice of his faith focused. Finally, Paul challenged Timothy to grow in the Word because the church needs a Godly example to follow (11-16). The young pastor was to be the example for all in the church to follow. How is your faith? Have you wandered from the truth or are you practicing the truth? What you believe about God and His Word, the Bible, will affect your life and the life of others. Unlike The Little Engine That Could, faith is not what we can do or think we can do on our own. The practice of our faith is God at work through us as we faithfully follow Him and His Word.

For More See 1 TIMOTHY

Tools for a Purpose

4/21/2024

Ephesians 4:7-16
We all like a nice gift, don’t we? We like to receive gifts that suit our desires and benefit us personally. On the other hand, we may refuse a gift that is unattractive or that we find unsuitable and therefore unusable. But what about the thoughtful gift? What about the gift that is beneficial for today and many years to come? At one time, my father gave me a gift like that. In fact, I still have it today. The gift was a small tool set that included a hammer, a square, a tape measure, wrenches and a pair of blue pliers. Over the years I used those tools for various projects. In the process of using those simple tools I learned how to use them. For example I learned that its best to pound a nail with a hammer, but a pliers may be a useful tool to remove a bent nail. My father gave me these tools to learn how to use them, with the goal in mind to use them to help him. The same is true with the church. God our Father has given various tools to the church to be used to build the church. In Ephesians 4 we see that God gives gifts as He determines for the ultimate benefit of the body (7-11). The problem for us today is that we want a gift that we think will benefit us. However, God’s purpose of giving each one in the body a gift is that they function in a way that will bring maturity, stability, growth and connection to each other (12-16). The only way that these gifts bring these results is when they are used in serving others. As each gift is used in serving we are to keep in mind that Christ served us. He sacrificially served us for our benefit and we are to serve sacrificially for the benefit of others. Our Heavenly Father has given us a set of tools, let’s put them to use!

Fore more see EPHESIANS

Reproducing Growth

1/10/2024

2 Timothy 2:1-2
Have you ever replanted trees? A number of years ago I dug up several trees from the woods and planted them along the road in front of the house for shade and privacy. Even though the trees were no taller than myself, the dirt on the roots made them almost too heavy to lift. With a bit of fertilizer and a lot of water the trees took root in their new location and started to thrive. There was noticeable growth each year, and now it is hard to imagine that I moved those trees. They are twenty to thirty feet tall and they look fantastic. Everywhere we look in life there is change because of growth. When there is no growth that shows that there is a problem. If you examine a tree that does not grow you will discover an infestation of disease, rot or predators. The same is true in our spiritual lives. If we are not growing we are plateaued or worse stagnate and in decline. Paul challenges Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-2 to take what he has learned and pass it on to others. Basically, he is saying, duplicate yourself in the lives of others and help others grow. This is the result of a personal and powerful relationship that Paul had with Timothy as a mentor. Timothy gleaned much from Paul. Now as a result of the changes and growth in his own life he was responsible to intentionally go and reproduce what he has learned and seen in the lives of others who would be able to do the same. This is not something that Timothy does in his own strength. It is a natural process of being connected to Jesus, growing spiritually and producing fruit (John 15:5). We can have a very bad habit of believing that our faith is only our own. However, just like a tree we are planted to grow and reproduce. If we do not grow into maturity and reproduce we have become stagnant and stunted or dead spiritually. Christ’s purpose in saving us is to grow us, mature us, and use us to grow others.

For more see 2 TIMOTHY or DISCIPLESHIP

Patient Faith in Pain

5/28/2023

by Job 2:7-13
Pain tolerance is the maximum level of pain that we can put up with. Each person has a different level of pain tolerance. Our body will feel the pain and our brain will register how bad the pain is on our personal pain meter. For example, getting a shot from a doctor would be on the lower end of the pain meter, but having a large rock fall on our foot and break bones is a completely different level of pain. We as people deal with all kinds of pain, through out our lives, that can’t be measured by our personal pain tolerance. We all face physical pain from the bumps, bruises, and cuts in life. Yet beyond that we face emotional or psychological pain over personal loss and grief. How do we deal with pain? If we expect God to protect us from a life of pain we will miss seeing His power to save and our faith grow as He works through our pain. In Job 2 we now see the godly man Job face personal pain after the loss of all his possessions. Job is personally impacted by pain from the sores that cover his body (7). He also faces social pain as he is now an outcast from society sitting in a garbage dump (8). To top it off, Satan uses Job’s wife against him, to carry out his plan of seeking to turn Job from God (9). Job corrects his wife (10), because he understands that God uses problems to test us, train us, and grow us. Job understands that faith involves more than his personal comfort. Yet many people today base their faith on their comfort rather than on God. When the pain of this life can no longer be tolerated they question, doubt, and turn from God. Job did not tolerate his pain, instead he saw God as the only solution to his pain. When our pain comes, may we be like Job and follow God by faith.

For more see JOB

Why Meet Together?

2/12/2023

Psalm 95:1-7
Much preparation has taken place, and now we gather with friends and family to share the joys and sorrows of a win or a loss. We honor and cheer the hero’s of the play by calling them the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). It does not matter if it is Football and the Super Bowl, Baseball and the World Series, Hockey and the Stanley Cup, Soccer and the World Cup, or Tennis and a Grand Slam, we participate with passion, and praise the people with the greatest of plays. There is nothing wrong with enjoying sports as a participant or a passionate observer. But, let’s stop and think for a moment about how this same drive relates to the spiritual life. What if that same preparation, passion and practice were true of our spiritual lives? Those who have believed in Jesus Christ as Savior have become part of His family and His body the church (Colossians 1:18). However, unlike sports, the purpose of our gathering is not to praise the ones who are seen, but the One who is unseen. The believer displays the authenticity of their relationship with God through their fellowship with other believers and their worship of God. Much like a sports game, but in a spiritual arena, fellowship is a shared partnership, purpose, and participation. In fellowship the believer connects with other believers in Jesus to strengthen their faith, participate in service for God, and grow in passion for God who saved them. Our purpose of gathering in church and fellowship with other believers is to display the greatness of our Savior through our lives and our words. Everything about us is to scream and shout that God alone is worthy of our total devotion. On earth there may be people that we celebrate, but as believers in Christ we must always worship and celebrate Jesus as the greatest of all time.

For more see PSALMS or DISCIPLESHIP

Reproduction of Disciples

1/1/2023

2 Timothy 2:1-2
Spring is just around the corner… well not really. However, now is the time to begin making plans for the garden. We may think of new or better locations to place certain plants based on how much shade or sunlight they need. We may gather the tools and plan a new garden design. But, all of this is useless unless we have seeds to plant in the warm spring soil. Seeds will naturally want to grow with the proper sunlight, soil, and water. Under these conditions the plant will sprout into a seedling, continue to grow as an immature plant, and finally develop as a mature plant that produces a crop. At maturity the plant is able to produce seeds that can be used to reproduce a crop for the following year. There is a life cycle in nature and people that starts with birth and leads to maturity. God has designed all that He has created to grow into maturity. However, do we think the same way about our spiritual life? Often when we think about our spiritual life we only think about the start. We think of the good news of Jesus coming at Christmas to bring us salvation. When we believe in Christ as Savior we gain His gift of salvation. That is only the beginning. That new life and the transformation is to be on going and maturing just as we see in nature. Our spiritual life does not stop at salvation, it is to continue, grow, develop, and mature in us. God has intentionally created all that is around us, including us, for growth and maturity. Stagnation and remaining in one spiritual life stage is not normal. It is unhealthy. God’s purpose in sending Jesus to be our Savior is to save us and mature us so we can spiritually reproduce and be used by God to plant new spiritual seed in the soil of others lives.

For more see 2 TIMOTHY or DISCIPLESHIP

The Problem of Temptation

7/17/2022

James 1:13-18
Earthquakes can be very dangerous because you never expect them. The ground heaves and shakes all because of the seismic shifts happening deep below the earth’s surface. The various tectonic plates that our world sits on shift and ever so slightly the surface that we live on also moves. However violent the initial earthquake, the aftershocks, or following quakes, may be just as deadly. Weakened or damaged buildings can collapse under the continued movement and stress. Just as in an earthquake weakens buildings so the temptation of sin has a way of weakening our resistance and it ultimately leads to death (15). But God desires to work His positive purpose over temptation in our life. James provides a warning that sin deceives us into seeing it as good (16), but God is the only one who gives what is good (17). God does not change and works His will to bring life to a life that was spiritually lifeless (18). His desire is to transform us so we begin to show the resulting fruit of His work in us with the promise of more to come. The problem for us today, like the scattered audience of James, is that we have a tendency to blame God for the temptation we face. That is a big spiritual earthquake that will lead to other continued problems. God is not the source of temptation and sin (13). In blaming God we inaccurately believe that God is faulty and we are shaken again in our weakened position by the evil of temptation (14). What is influencing your life and decisions right now? Is it God and His power to bring His good result out of your life or the lure of temptation to sin? James is reminding us that temptation should never shake us off the stability that our faith has in God who gives what is good.

For more see JAMES

The Purpose of Trials

7/10/2022

James 1:1-12
Do you know what an anagram is? An anagram is when you take a word or phrase and rearrange the letters to make a different word or phrase by using all of the letters only once. For example, some simple ones would be heart that turns into earth, part becomes trap, or secure that becomes rescue. Try it with any word and see what you can come up with. In fact why don’t we try one together! Let’s take the word trial. An anagram of trial could be trail. As we begin a new study in the book of James, we see that the author wants his audience to develop a faith that is lived out in everyday life and displayed through their actions, and attitudes that motivate their actions. James begins the first chapter by noting that faith in Jesus Christ brings stability to life in the midst of trials. A trial is simply God allowing difficulty and or pain to deepen and encourage our confidence in Him. James notes that trials have the purpose of growing an enduring faith in God (2-4). The practice of faith in trials causes us to seek God’s wisdom (5-8) which requires personal humility (9-11). James says that God will reward this life of faith (12). To summarize, James is not interested in his audience simply stating that they have faith. His desire is that they have a faith that impacts their behavior. Perhaps put another way, James wants his audience to view trials as a way to walk the trail of faith that God has for each believer. As we walk by faith down the trail of trial we humbly depend on God for the wisdom and strength to endure. This week may your faith impact your perspective of your trial so you can see that this is God’s way to grow you as you walk His trail.

For more see JAMES

The Life of the Believer

10/31/2021

Galatians 5:22-23
Lately I have been trying to paint two unfinished exterior walls of my house. If painting was all that I had to do, the job would be done in a day or two. However, there are other things that require my time and attention. Because other situations arise and normal responsibilities take longer than expected the painting project takes more time to complete. Currently, I am nearing the end of the painting project. All that I need to do is one more coat of white paint on the trim and then some touch ups where I slopped trim paint on the blue wall. It is interesting, when you stand on the street and look at the house you can’t see the small unfinished areas or the spots that need touching up. But the closer you get the more the flaws and the unfinished painting stand out. In Galatians 5:22-23 we see that God works in the life of the believer to produce certain specific character qualities described as fruit. These fruits are the results of spiritual growth and maturity that become more and more common in our lives. Just as my house could not paint itself so we can’t produce these spiritual results in our lives without the work of God’s Spirit. God’s work, like my painting job, will take time. For example, we are not instantly loving or continually filled with joy, but God is continually at work shaping our character to become more complete. So, as you consider these Christ like character qualities stop and ask, Which one do I need right now? Ask God to develop this area of your life. God will pick up His paint brush called grace and continue His process of making you a better reflection of Himself to our world.

For more see MATTHEW 28:19-20 or WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?

Sacrifice, Service & Grace

6/6/2021

Philemon 23-25
David Brainerd was born in 1718 and died of tuberculosis in 1747 at the age of 29. He was very prone to bouts of depression especially after the death of his father when he was 5 and his mother when he was 14. It might not seem like he had much time to make a difference for the cause of Christ, much less deal with his own struggles, yet David Brainerd is known as a servant who sacrificed much for the cause of Christ. He had personal struggles and shortcomings, but God in His grace was at work through all them to bring glory to Himself and growth to the church. For four short years, Brainerd was a missionary to the Native American people of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware where he communicated the love and grace of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. His sacrificial life and spiritual example are held up as a model to this day. As Paul concludes his letter to Philemon he too lists several men who sacrificed and served so as to make a spiritual difference in the lives of others (23-24). Epaphras was a pastor, Luke was a doctor, Mark had been useless but was now useful, while Aristarchus and Demas served Paul while he was in prison. Each of these men served with the abilities that God had given them to see others grow in their faith in Christ. Paul reminds Philemon that God has shown grace to him through Jesus Christ (25). Knowing and accepting the grace of Jesus changed everything for David Brainerd and Philemon. Paul desired that the grace Philemon had received from Christ flow from his life in sacrificial spiritual service that will benefit Onesimus. May the grace of Christ flow through our lives, benefit others spiritually and bring God glory.

For more see PHILEMON

Partnership with Grace

5/16/2021

Philemon 17
The “POP” and flash caused me to jump! The unexpected noise occurred when I turned on the light switch. Now I have a burnt out light bulb to replace. Have you ever had the unexpected happen when you expected the light to operate as normal? We all know that lightbulbs do not last forever, but that is what we expect of them. In this verse Paul is asking Philemon to continue functioning as he has in the past as a servant and encourager of the church. However, he is asking for more. This request requires new levels of spiritual practice. Paul first asks Philemon to trust him as a partner and to display grace to Onesimus by accepting the runaway, back. Paul wants all this to be done genuinely, as if he himself were standing in front of Philemon. This was most likely a life changing moment for Philemon. The past was no longer normal as Paul challenged Philemon to new heights and greater practice of his faith. This faith is based squarely on the grace that he has received from Jesus himself. May we like Philemon continually respond with God given grace to the unexpected explosions in life. Who knows, there might be someone like Onesimus that needs to see Jesus through us. Like Philemon, others in the church and community will be watching and they will learn from our example.

For more see PHILEMON

United Through Christ

3/28/2021

Ephesians 2:11-22
Have you ever walked into a room and realized that you did not know anyone? That happened to me the other day. I walked into a room and realized that everyone was looking at me and I knew no one. Did I feel uncomfortable? Yes, I sure did on a personal and cultural level. Did I turn around and leave? No, because I realized that those present were present at a church gathering where they wanted relationships with those present and a deeper relationship with God that would continue to transform their life. As we look at Ephesians 2:11-22 we note Paul highlighting the past relationships that the church had apart from Christ (11-12). They were distant from God, unconnected from others and hopeless. However, Paul states that this past reality is not true in the present because of Jesus (13-22). They have been brought near (13) to live a transformed life through peace with others (14-16), have a relationship with God the Father (17-18), and are unified for spiritual growth with others for God’s purpose (19-22). Like the Ephesian church, we may find others uncomfortable to be around, but God has them in our lives for a purpose. His desire is to interconnect us through Christ and unite us to grow us together. His relationship with us transforms our relationship with others.

For more see EPHESIANS

Prayer for Transforming Knowledge

3/14/2021

Ephesians 1:15-23
After a long, dark, cold winter many people in the north often find themselves infected with Cabin Fever or Seasonal Affective Disorder. These two do not sound like real diseases but they affect many in the population. Each year numbers of people come down with the symptoms of irritability and depression which are the result of hours in a dark house isolated from the world. The cures are fairly simple… get outside and do something or at least turn on all the lights inside and use bright colors to decorate. Likewise, in Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul prays that the church will know about God and translate that into a deep relationship with God. He first praises them (15-16), then secondly he tells them what he is praying for them (17-23). He wants them to have the perspective of Godly hope, the value of Godly riches and the power of God’s strength. Paul prays that they will understand what they already have in Christ and that they would implement this knowledge in their life. Like the simple cures for the mid winter blues, Paul provides encouragement and prayer for others who need it. Like the Ephesian church, we also need the encouragement and prayer of others to motivate our spiritual growth. Who is praying for you? Who are you praying for?

For more see EPHESIANS