Tag: jesus

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 9

Station #9: Jesus falls for the third time…


Written Reflection:

Jesus falls for a third time. This last fall he can barely move. His body shudders at each moment. Agony shoots throughout his limbs. The soldiers know he cannot carry the cross any more, and they drag him forward. This man who gave life everywhere – who healed the blind, cured the sick, and set free the oppressed…slowly his life is being drained by the cross…slowly he is dying. This depth of brokenness reveals the completeness of the love of Jesus Christ. He is this broken, this bruised, this devastated so that we might be made whole and healed. His love compels his actions, but the weights of our sin drag him down. As you reflect on this image offer thanks to Jesus for his love, and confess your own sin and brokenness that brought Jesus there…

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 7

Jesus falls for the 2nd time…

Written Reflection:

With each step Jesus takes the weight continues to grow. It grows to much, and Jesus falls to the ground. His knees scrap the earth, and his face hits the dust. Maybe he remembers the verse, “from dust you can and to dust you will return” He catches a raspy dust filled breath before he is forced to continue.

Store up this image in your heart and mind. Though he felt alone in the dust we never have to because of his sacrifice. Jesus is on the ground, so that we might be raised up. This is for me and this is for you. Jesus breathes in dust, so that he might breathe out life.

Today take a deep breathe and breathe in life. As you do reflect on this: you have been given a gift from Jesus how might you show him gratitude today.

by Andrew Mills

Struggling with Speaking of Sin

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Through the past few weeks I’ve started to notice something about myself. There are certain Sundays where I come away from speaking and don’t feel that I’ve done my best. I feel like I’ve missed the mark and messed up. And then I started to notice a pattern. The Sundays where I felt like I struggled, and where I lost confidence were all sermons related to conviction and challenge. The sermons where I lost confidence and left feeling a bit shaken were all related to sin, sacrifice, and conviction. Through some reflection I realized that I find it easy to preach a sermon on grace and gift, and difficult to preach a sermon on sin and challenge.

The struggle I face is maybe one you face in your own relationships. I know it is important to talk about sin. I know it is important to challenge people and let the Spirit do his work of convicting. I know this is important because I need it personally. I need to be challenged to give up greed, hate, unforgiveness, lust, and all sorts of sinful things. The struggle I have is in how to do it. How to share in a way that is convicting but not condemning, that is challenging but not judging.

What is even more disturbing to me is a growing realization that I may not feel confident in this type of sharing because of a lack of practice. What I mean by that is perhaps I struggle because I am unaccustomed to sharing about sin. This is concerning to me because Jesus talks about sin, the Bible talks about sin, and sin, we are told, leads to death. Therefore, sin isn’t something I should avoid or struggle speaking about. I should share honestly with the dangers of consumerism, violence, greed, and lust. I should share openly with the temptations and struggles I face. And I shouldn’t ever shy away reminding people that sin leads to death while following Jesus leads to life. And this is something we know deep down. We know that hate kills relationships. We know that lust destroys marriages. We know that unforgiveness wrecks families. So we need to learn to speak about sin in such a way that it leads to life not death.

So I’ve made a personal decision. I will grow and learn in how to share about sin in such as way that conviction without condemnation happens. To share about it in such a way that challenges someone, but doesn’t lead to damnation. To share in such a way that, like Jesus, people who are broken and struggling feel freed; and people who are haughty, prideful, and oppressive to others sees their need.

In essence, I’m going to work on struggling to speak of sin a little less…

by Andrew Mills

The gods of Greed, Hate, and Sex

On Sunday we looked at a difficult passage in the Bible. Some passages are difficult because they are hard to understand, confusing, or out of our context.

This passage was hard for none of those reasons.

This passage was hard because it called us to repent. It called us to follow Jesus. It reminded us that we live in an age with gods all around us that vie for our attention, worship, and loyalty. We live in a world where greed, sex, hate, violence, power, and self-image seek to hgodsave us follow them.

But our calling as Christians is to follow Jesus because following the path of greed, sex, hate, or power simply ends in darkness.

So on Sunday we listened to the call of Jesus to leave those things behind. That just as how 2000 years ago people were called to leave behind Athena the goddess of war, Dionysius the god of sex and wine, or the emperor the god of power and image; we are called to leave behind all the gods of our age if our witness is to have any power.

Jesus is clear in Revelation that if we compromise our character, it compromises our message. That while each god has its own temple in the world; he has no temple but us.

So this Lent we ask a deep question: “What does it mean to live faithful to you in this world”

This is a question worth spending time and reflecting on today, this week, this month, or for the rest of our lives…

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Stay true…Live Differently

Take Aways…

  • The Spirit is whispering…are we listening?
  • The gods of Pergamum
    • Asclepius ~ known as the savior who healed
    • Athena ~ goddess of war and wisdom
    • Demeter ~ bathed in bull’s blood goddess of grain
    • Dynoisus ~ son of a god and human mother, drank to connect with him
    • Zeus ~ known as creator, life-giver, and had a huge alter
    • Emperor ~ had the right “to give or take life”, known as “lord”, declared “son of god”
  • In a pluralistic world compromise dilutes and confuses the message
  • Deep witness is shown through difference
  • You are Jesus’ temple in the city, you are his representation
  • Jesus says don’t tolerate compromise, because it is killing your light, witness, and life.
  • Our world is dominated by subtle gods of Greed, Sex, War, Self-Image, and Selfishness
  • Stay true, and turn to follow Jesus

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What made you laugh? What did you take away? How has the Spirit been speaking to you over the past few weeks? What “gods of our culture” are the most difficult for you to resist? What are some reasons for that? How is Jesus asking you to follow him, and him alone? How does compromise kill our message? What message are your actions sharing about you?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Spend some time with your kids watching TV. Yes watching TV. Look at the ads that are there. Ask them what they are showing, what they are teaching. Is it that if you have this “thing” you’ll be happy? Is it that if you look “this way” you’ll be accepted? Talk through the messages they receive, and share with them the message of the Bible. That God loves them as they are and that greed, lust, and hate lead to darkness.

Challenge for this Week

Repent from any of the gods of our culture that have captured you

 

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 5

The fifth station of the cross, Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross.

Written Reflection:

Jesus experiences the depth of what it is to be human, to be weak, frail, and unable to continue. So Simon comes and is forced to help Jesus carry the cross. Jesus allows another to help him, just as he still does today.

Jesus allows us to partner with him in bringing life, hope, and love to others. Help us to remember Jesus to carry our crosses. Help us to remember to help others carry theirs as well. We are not meant to carry a cross alone. Remind us to depend on you, and to let others help us with our burdens. Jesus during this season will you remind us to stop, and see others who are struggling. Will you direct us to lift them up. Today Jesus who are you sending me to help?

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross, Station 4

Here is the fourth station of the cross reflection where Jesus meets his mother…

Written Reflection:

Jesus continues to carry his cross, and as he does he meets his mother. This is the one who has since the beginning treasured each moment with her son. Except that this isn’t a moment to be treasured.

There eyes connect and their pain meet. Think about how Jesus trust in God’s plan allows him to move forward. Think about how Mary’s trust in God must be challenged and how difficult it must be.

Walking through sorrow challenges trust. So today ask Jesus to strengthen your trust. He never gave up his trust in God the Father. Ask him to give you trust even in the darkness…

by Andrew Mills

Remain Faithful and Win Life

On Sunday we explored the letter written to Smyrna in Revelation 2. There was a lot of difficult news for the church in Smyrna to hear. It heard that there would continue to be testing, persecution, and difficulty. But there was one beautiful verse in the end of the letter that gives hope, not only to them but to us as well…

Jesus says, “Remain faithful, even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life”

Jesus simply says remain faithful and you will win life. He says hold on and you will win life. This is beautiful because sometimes in difficulty it seems impossible to win. Sometimes in chaos and hurt it seems like life is over. But here Jesus offers us a promise that even in the darkest times, when you are facing death, don’1346127_31038032t give up and you will win life.

This is a great reminder for all of us. Because isn’t this what we need in the dark? A reminder that the dark doesn’t win. A reminder that the dark doesn’t last. A reminder that we don’t have to conquer the darkness…we just need to hold on and we will win life.

This is what we need to hold onto in the middle of tragedy and difficulty. Not that whatever situation we are currently facing isn’t tragic, difficult, or even wrong. But that in the end the dark won’t win, it won’t last, and it won’t linger. In the end life wins. Isn’t that the whole message of Christianity in a nutshell? Death loses, and life wins if we can simply hold on…

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Be faithful and win life.

Take Aways… 

  • “Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it.” Dallas Willard
  • We need to truly be open to hearing the Spirit Speak
  • Jesus didn’t die because he said, “God loves everyone”. Jesus died because he challenged the system.
  • Jesus says, “Remain faithful, even when facing death, and I will give you the crown of life”
  • If you hold on, you will win life.

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: What surprised you? What made you think? What did you take away? What has helped you to hold on in a difficult time? Who has helped you to hold on in a difficult time? How can you thank them? If you are having a difficult time how can you reach out to someone? If you aren’t struggling how can you support those around you who are?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Spend sometime talking with your kids about some difficult times you’ve been through as a person. Help them to understand that they will come to difficult times but that Jesus helps us see it through. Give them a model and a story to remember when they go through difficulty.

Challenge for this Week:

Trust that Life Wins

by Andrew Mills

Lenten Reflections: Stations of the Cross 2

On Sunday we reminded ourselves of the beginning of Lent. Throughout this lenten time where we pause, reflect, repent, and sacrifice we are going to be releasing reflections based on the Stations of the Cross. On Sunday we began with the first one asking the question “Why does Jesus stand condemned for us? Why does he take your place?” And today’s in today’s second station we will be asking the question “Why does Jesus choose this path of difficulty?”

May we be reminded that Jesus is carrying this cross for you and for me, and be reminded of his sacrifice during this season of Lent.

by Andrew Mills

Duty is Dying Love

1407388_63124442On Sunday we started walking through the book of Revelation. We began with the first letter written to Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7. In it Jesus speaks highly about the orthodoxy and the beliefs of the church. Yet he holds one complaint against them, “you don’t love me or each other as you did”.

Love in Ephesus has cooled. Love is slowing, and their hearts are turning harder. While Jesus praises them for their right actions, he isn’t just looking for right actions he wants their heart.

Because the truth is that when love cools in any relationship doing our duty doesn’t last. Duty is depleted love. Duty is drowned love. Duty is dying love. And once the love dies there won’t be enough left to sustain the relationship.

So Jesus says to the church, and to us in any relationship where love is dying – start again! Start again! Go back to the things you did at first. Remember why you started this relationship in the first place. Stop doing things just out of duty, and start doing them out of gratitude, grace, and a desire to care in the relationship.

And as Lent starts on Wednesday I think this is a good time to reflect on our relationship with Jesus. Are there areas that have cooled? Are there areas of duty where love should abound? If so, how can you go back to the beginning and regain love? What actions can you start and what new attitudes can you bring to old actions?

Because one thing is clear: duty isn’t the same as love. And just as we all want deep love in our relationships so does Jesus…

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Go back to the things you did at first…

Take Aways…

  • “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches”
  • We are learning about dying.
  • Its easy for love to slide from a passion, to a duty, to being absent totally.
  • Our connection to Jesus Christ isn’t just based on having right beliefs, but having a right heart.
  • “Our orthodoxy will not save us, our traditions will not save us, our soup kitchens and social programs will not save us; what will save the church is Christ” Joseph Magina
  • Duty is depleted love. Duty is drowned love. Duty is dying love.
  • Go back to the things you did a first
  • “Lord, I don’t love you. I don’t even want to love you. But I do want to want to love you” – Mother Teresa

Adult / Group Discussion Questions: How have you ever experienced the “cooling” of love? What is it that keeps love strong and going? How is your relationship with Jesus? Is it cooling? What are some things you might be able to do to bring life back to the love? Who might be able to help in this?

Discussion Questions for Young Families: Talk about how important it is to put effort into things that matter. Talk about how if your family matters that means putting effort into it too – that if you love someone you show them. Ask them who matters to them and how they can show them love. Help them to carry it out!

Challenge for this Week

Focus on building up your love for Christ

by Andrew Mills

Seven Letters and Seven Sundays

On Sunday we are starting a brand new series for Lent here at the church.

7 Letters

We are going to explore the seven letters of Revelation. Revelation is a book that is complex on the best days, and downright confusing on the worst days. But in this ancient book the Spirit still speaks. In fact, in each of the letters that is wrote there is this phrase, “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches”

This is very true and worth reflecting on as we come up to the season of Lent next week. What is the Spirit saying to you? What is the Spirit saying to you as a church? Are there ways he is asking you to repent, to change, or to sacrifice?

Why not spend some time today and ask this question: Holy Spirit, what would you say to me?

This is a good way to start anyday…

by Andrew Mills