Archive January 30, 2022

Signs vs. Listening

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Matthew 16:1-4

Passage

In Matthew 16 the people are asking Jesus for a sign to prove who He was, and His response reminds us that there are many “Signs” out there, but they can be interpreted in many ways. Asking God for a sign can limit our ability to ensure we are following His direction. Signs in our lives do not intrude on our thought processes, since they can be interpreted based on our beliefs and are a quick justification for our actions.

When we look closer at Jesus’ example we find that it is more important to listen for God’s direction, but that means we have to stop, open our mind, and pay attention. The Bible has many examples of where Jesus did just that. He went to a secluded place and spent time with the Father, even when everything around Him was vying for attention. How often do we take time in Solitude and Silence with our Father?

Sabbath

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Matthew 12:1-8

Passage

In our reading this week Jesus and His Disciples were walking through a field on the Sabbath when His Disciples grab a snack. The Leaders of the Jews confront Him on their action that appears to violate their laws about the Sabbath. Jesus’ response to the leaders makes us ponder what is the true meaning of he Sabbath as God intended.

Today the meaning of the Sabbath has been watered down and pushed aside as we chase after our own desires in the world. We need to look at the true meaning of “Shabbat” in the Hebrew language, which is not only to stop or take a break, but also means to take delight and celebrate. We need to follow the example set down for us by God to not only take a break from “work”, but spend time celebrating what God has done, and get our desire back on Him.

Looking?

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Matthew 6:1-23

Passage

In this week’s reading in Matthew Jesus covers some of the Spiritual Disciplines around being righteous (doing good), prayer and fasting. His coverage makes us think about “who are we doing these for?” Is it to get praise from the people around us, or are we focused on God and following His guidance, and let Him pass along the blessings.

Jesus lets us know that our Spiritual Disciplines will be rewarded based on who our target audience is. Do we want to accumulate rewards from the people around us, or do want to store up our rewards with God? Where is our focus? Where are we looking for our reward?

Remembering 2021

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Looking back at 2021 we had a very active year. From the 50’s Diner meal and entertainment, to potlucks, Womens’ Tea, the Carnival in July, the First Annual Car Show on Labor Day Weekend and the Christmas Party.

A lot of time was put in by volunteers to help pull off the events, and the attendance by our members and community helped make them a huge success. Here are a few reminders of the great time we had up here on the mountain.

Jospeh

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Matthew 1:18-25

Passage

This week’s message provides a perspective on Joseph as the “step daddy” of Jesus. We find from the passage that Joseph was just, and he was Godly, but more importantly he listened and obeyed as God spoke to him. God had a purpose for him to be the earthly father for Jesus. To care for him, to worry when he was missing as mentioned in Luke, and to follow God as he was directed.

Danny mentions some quotes to reminds us that all we experience must first pass through God for His purpose. That makes us think “What if we focused on Kingdom purposes instead of trying to fix things as we see fit?”  Keep in mind that God has a purpose for us too. It may seem messy at times, but the results are beyond what we can imagine. A truly abundant life.

What Do We Hear?

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1 Samuel 3:1-14

Passage

Hearing takes on several contexts that can appear as noise or pleasant sounds. The Bible mentions hearing several times where we are instructed to not only hear, but to listen, understand and obey. The story of Samuel and his calling is one of the examples where God spoke directly.

This week John W presented our message on how critical it is to not only hear (listen) to what God is saying to us, but to understand and obey. With all the background “noise” from the world, it is difficult to discern what God is guiding us to do, unless we focus on Him.