Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday September 24, 2006
Ezekiel 37:1-14 The Valley of Dry Bones
Luke 8:4-15, 22-56 Teaching and Healing
One of the most amazing events in our lives is to experience a re-birth of something or someone left for dead. Crushed, but not defeated were the words of Apostle Paul from our reading just two weeks ago. It is one thing to be in the presence of one who is riding high, on top of the world, and has it all going their way. It is entirely another thing to feel the power of one who was lost, but now is found; was blind, but now can see. God’s grace which leads to the new life of re-birth is always amazing. I believe real worship happens when we yearn to feel God’s healing presence and witness to this Spirit in our midst. I want that worship for me, and for you.
I am blessed to pass on a little piece I received this week on Jorge Acevedo, Pastor of Grace Church in Cape Coral and Olga Fort Myers Shores, Florida (www.egracechurch.com) While we were experiencing a huge Sunday here at Salem last week with 479 people gathering for worship Pastor Acevedo was in the midst of an old fashioned two hour tent revival at his church in Florida with about 1700 folks. Read on as he describes how the Spirit moved in new lives.
“After I preached, Matthew West sang "History" while 50 people transformed by Jesus walked to the center of the stage and held up a placard with a few words describing their life before Christ and then flipping it over with a few words describing their new life in Christ. The most memorable one for me was Eugene's. His old life sign said "Guilty, D65379." This was his prisoner number. Eugene spent 11 years in prison. Then he flipped it and it read "Not Guilty. Romans 3:24" Our people went crazy. Then Matthew West transitioned into his song "Only Grace." The 50 people holding the placards stood in front of the congregation holding up their signs. Tears flowed all over the tent. Our people got it. They saw what is at stake….”
We may want to think that this passage from Ezekiel is just a long ago story about some bones in a forgotten place. We may try to even deny the power that the Gospel offers. But the truth is that this is our story about our lives. What does your placard say? Are you willing to hold it high for others to see? It is good for us to know that God is at work all over the kingdom as well as right here in our hearts. As we move forward into that closer walk with our Savior, we find that our dead lives are being put right and healed. And that my friends moves us all just a little closer to home. Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Sermon Title: “Thus Says the Lord”
Monday, September 11, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Thoughts for September 03, 2006
Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday September 10, 2006
Exodus 1,2,3 The Call of Moses
Luke 5:27-32, 6:12-16, 8:1-3, 19-21 Call of the Apostles
Except for Abraham, Moses is probably the most important figure of the Old Testament. God used Moses’ leadership to bring the people of God into the promised land. No one else can claim that distinction. He was prophet, priest, a person of justice, he acted with malice and grace. He did it all.
The story of Moses birth and call to service is by it’s self amazing and I plan to preach particularly about the women who’s disobedience made Moses life possible. Sometimes a little civil disobedience can be a heavenly thing, but we must be careful to count the costs and ready to take responsibility for our actions. The mid-wives were not willing to let the Hebrew children die as they were instructed. They then lied to cover their actions. Have you had an experience when this was your story as well?
The story takes the baby Moses into pharaoh’s house as a ward of pharaoh’s daughter. He is given the Egyptian name Moses (say Mo-ses, like Ram-ses.) He grew and was educated but felt the pain of the Hebrews who suffered in slavery. He killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. Worried that he would be caught, he fled the country to the wilderness where he found a nomadic family who needed someone to watch the sheep. It was here Moses encounter God in the burning bush. Notice that Moses has narrowly escaped at every turn of his life. In addition he has killed a man, lied to cover the death, and then fled as a fugitive. If God was ever going to choose someone to use to save the people, this guy would have to be at the bottom of the list. And yet, God works in mysterious ways, even in our lives.
You know the rest of the story. Moses went back to Egypt and led the people out into the wilderness where they wandered for 40 years before finally entering the promised land of Israel. We note that Moses did not enter, he died across the Jordan River. Moses did not enter the land but through his faithfulness, he did move himself and all the people of God just a little closer to home. Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Exodus 1:15-21
Sermon Title: “When Being Bad, Isn’t”
Sunday September 10, 2006
Exodus 1,2,3 The Call of Moses
Luke 5:27-32, 6:12-16, 8:1-3, 19-21 Call of the Apostles
Except for Abraham, Moses is probably the most important figure of the Old Testament. God used Moses’ leadership to bring the people of God into the promised land. No one else can claim that distinction. He was prophet, priest, a person of justice, he acted with malice and grace. He did it all.
The story of Moses birth and call to service is by it’s self amazing and I plan to preach particularly about the women who’s disobedience made Moses life possible. Sometimes a little civil disobedience can be a heavenly thing, but we must be careful to count the costs and ready to take responsibility for our actions. The mid-wives were not willing to let the Hebrew children die as they were instructed. They then lied to cover their actions. Have you had an experience when this was your story as well?
The story takes the baby Moses into pharaoh’s house as a ward of pharaoh’s daughter. He is given the Egyptian name Moses (say Mo-ses, like Ram-ses.) He grew and was educated but felt the pain of the Hebrews who suffered in slavery. He killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. Worried that he would be caught, he fled the country to the wilderness where he found a nomadic family who needed someone to watch the sheep. It was here Moses encounter God in the burning bush. Notice that Moses has narrowly escaped at every turn of his life. In addition he has killed a man, lied to cover the death, and then fled as a fugitive. If God was ever going to choose someone to use to save the people, this guy would have to be at the bottom of the list. And yet, God works in mysterious ways, even in our lives.
You know the rest of the story. Moses went back to Egypt and led the people out into the wilderness where they wandered for 40 years before finally entering the promised land of Israel. We note that Moses did not enter, he died across the Jordan River. Moses did not enter the land but through his faithfulness, he did move himself and all the people of God just a little closer to home. Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Exodus 1:15-21
Sermon Title: “When Being Bad, Isn’t”
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Thoughts for August 27, 2006
Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday September 03, 2006
2 Corinthians 4 & 5 God’s Treasure
Luke 18:18-30 The Rich Young Man
Non-Breakable; now there is a concept. How many times over the years have we encountered something with the side tag of being non-breakable. Too often I would guess. My experience is that everything breaks eventually. Perhaps the product could be promoted with the phrase almost non-breakable or pretty much non-breakable. I get a good laugh out of stuff that is supposed to be rough and tough, the best thing on the market place, and then we find out it comes with almost no guarantee or warrantee. A 30 day limited warrantee and non-breakable status do not go together.
When I was a young man I believed I was unbreakable. Most of us feel this way as a youth. But as we grow and mature we have some hard knocks, make a few dumb mistakes and learn that we too are breakable. It happens to all of us, none are immune from the tumbles of life. And yet here is the funny thing; our culture seems to hold to the idea of unbreakable and even promotes it as a goal of a life lived to its fullest. The other night I had the opportunity to see some of the X-games motorcycle stunt competition. There were guys flying motorcycles 60 feet in the air, upside down, with out hanging on to the bike. Most landed safely, a few bite the dirt and were out cold. Nuts, these folks are nuts. And yet I know that if some of the stunts I have done in my youth were on national TV you would be saying the same thing. We all move to the edge of unbreakable at times in our lives; some lose their balance and go on over the edge. None of us are non-breakable, no matter what we may think.
The Apostle Paul offers to the church in Corinth that we are like clay jars, highly breakable. And inside these jars is a valuable treasure. All this is so that the power of God may show through in everything we accomplish. No matter what happens, even if our jar becomes broken in the course of its useful life, the treasure will remain and be established. What we believe is this: God’s promise of grace for our sin will not be broken. We believe life has the last word, not death. We believe God offers this extraordinary power to even ones like us. And when we realize our physical lives are breakable, but that our Spiritual lives are unbreakable, non-breakable, and even come with a guarantee, we are moved just a little closer to home. Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Sermon Title: “Not What I Wanted to Hear”
Sunday September 03, 2006
2 Corinthians 4 & 5 God’s Treasure
Luke 18:18-30 The Rich Young Man
Non-Breakable; now there is a concept. How many times over the years have we encountered something with the side tag of being non-breakable. Too often I would guess. My experience is that everything breaks eventually. Perhaps the product could be promoted with the phrase almost non-breakable or pretty much non-breakable. I get a good laugh out of stuff that is supposed to be rough and tough, the best thing on the market place, and then we find out it comes with almost no guarantee or warrantee. A 30 day limited warrantee and non-breakable status do not go together.
When I was a young man I believed I was unbreakable. Most of us feel this way as a youth. But as we grow and mature we have some hard knocks, make a few dumb mistakes and learn that we too are breakable. It happens to all of us, none are immune from the tumbles of life. And yet here is the funny thing; our culture seems to hold to the idea of unbreakable and even promotes it as a goal of a life lived to its fullest. The other night I had the opportunity to see some of the X-games motorcycle stunt competition. There were guys flying motorcycles 60 feet in the air, upside down, with out hanging on to the bike. Most landed safely, a few bite the dirt and were out cold. Nuts, these folks are nuts. And yet I know that if some of the stunts I have done in my youth were on national TV you would be saying the same thing. We all move to the edge of unbreakable at times in our lives; some lose their balance and go on over the edge. None of us are non-breakable, no matter what we may think.
The Apostle Paul offers to the church in Corinth that we are like clay jars, highly breakable. And inside these jars is a valuable treasure. All this is so that the power of God may show through in everything we accomplish. No matter what happens, even if our jar becomes broken in the course of its useful life, the treasure will remain and be established. What we believe is this: God’s promise of grace for our sin will not be broken. We believe life has the last word, not death. We believe God offers this extraordinary power to even ones like us. And when we realize our physical lives are breakable, but that our Spiritual lives are unbreakable, non-breakable, and even come with a guarantee, we are moved just a little closer to home. Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Sermon Title: “Not What I Wanted to Hear”
Monday, August 14, 2006
Thoughts for August 27, 2006
Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday August 27, 2006
Philippians 2:1-18, 3 Christian Living
Acts 16 Lydia Grows the Church
Some days are like jewels. They come and go with a brightness that offers hope and illumination. Some days we are comfortable with ourselves and we do not spin or toil in anxious worry. Some days we are sure of our destination and the knowledge of a solid path under our feet. Some days are like jewels offered as a gift from a king.
Paul the Apostle writes to the church in Philippi of the hope offered by the life offered in discipleship to Jesus. However Paul is not only hopeful, rather he is expectant of God’s transforming grace to do a great work among the people of the church. When God has started a good work, God will finish the work. We take Paul’s words as a promise for our lives today. We move through our days with this hopeful promise offering that same solid footing for our life trek. This good work made manifest makes such a difference in the lives of Jesus’ disciples that they are easily distinguished from the common population. The goodness and hopefulness offered by the life focused on the mercy of Jesus’ love changes everything it contacts. True faith needs no introduction; it is as distinguished and rare as it is attractive.
Fertile ground is everywhere. Paul knew this and offers his prayers to all who would listen. Our lives have the capacity to make change and add blessings into others. The Christian life is not about finding security in the things of this world. We do not accept the grace of Jesus Christ so that we may avoid pain or suffering. Following Christ is costly in the ways of this world. Our value is found in the love of Christ. In God’s kingdom the bright shinny penny carries the same value and worth as the penny dull from use, lost, and forgotten underfoot.
The Christian life is full of grace. The Christian life is practical and moves at a thoughtful pace. The Christian life maintains the rule of love as the distinguishing mark. The Christian life is a gift from the King and is more precious than any bit of stone found on this earth. The Christian life completes our life path in full circle and like a dream, moves us a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11
Sermon Title: “Clueless”
Sunday August 27, 2006
Philippians 2:1-18, 3 Christian Living
Acts 16 Lydia Grows the Church
Some days are like jewels. They come and go with a brightness that offers hope and illumination. Some days we are comfortable with ourselves and we do not spin or toil in anxious worry. Some days we are sure of our destination and the knowledge of a solid path under our feet. Some days are like jewels offered as a gift from a king.
Paul the Apostle writes to the church in Philippi of the hope offered by the life offered in discipleship to Jesus. However Paul is not only hopeful, rather he is expectant of God’s transforming grace to do a great work among the people of the church. When God has started a good work, God will finish the work. We take Paul’s words as a promise for our lives today. We move through our days with this hopeful promise offering that same solid footing for our life trek. This good work made manifest makes such a difference in the lives of Jesus’ disciples that they are easily distinguished from the common population. The goodness and hopefulness offered by the life focused on the mercy of Jesus’ love changes everything it contacts. True faith needs no introduction; it is as distinguished and rare as it is attractive.
Fertile ground is everywhere. Paul knew this and offers his prayers to all who would listen. Our lives have the capacity to make change and add blessings into others. The Christian life is not about finding security in the things of this world. We do not accept the grace of Jesus Christ so that we may avoid pain or suffering. Following Christ is costly in the ways of this world. Our value is found in the love of Christ. In God’s kingdom the bright shinny penny carries the same value and worth as the penny dull from use, lost, and forgotten underfoot.
The Christian life is full of grace. The Christian life is practical and moves at a thoughtful pace. The Christian life maintains the rule of love as the distinguishing mark. The Christian life is a gift from the King and is more precious than any bit of stone found on this earth. The Christian life completes our life path in full circle and like a dream, moves us a little closer to home.
Blessings, Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11
Sermon Title: “Clueless”
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Thoughts for August 20, 2006
Scripture Readings Leading to
Sunday August 20, 2006
Job 1,2,3,40,41,42 Suffering & Evil
Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man & Lazarus
Suffering is a fact of our lives. Nothing will protect us from pain and grief. As humans we are easily broken and bruised. All our strength will not protect us. Our wit and wisdom will not keep us from harms path. Try as we might, we will not escape this simple truth: suffering is a fact of our lives.
As we mature and are schooled in this difficult lesson, we learn to not invest our entire attention on avoiding suffering. Rather, we rightly focus our energy in surviving and managing our pain. Many times we see someone who has excelled in a particular field of endeavor and we are want to dismiss their accomplishment as one of privilege or a lack of personal suffering. My study offers that nothing could be further from the truth. The successful persons I admire are those who have learned and grown through some very difficult personal lessons and then gone beyond their pain and begun to offer themselves selflessly into the lives of others. Did you see Tiger Woods pump his fist and weep in the arms of his caddie following his victory at the British Open this past month? That was victory over the death and suffering he has experienced in the loss of his best friend and coach, his father.
Why do we invest so much energy in avoidance of pain? When in reality we learn so much from our suffering. Do you really want a pastor, or a church for that matter, who/which has never experienced a moment of pain and grief, or would you be more comfortable with one who displays a knowing heart towards the grace of healing and new life? Would your life be richer, fuller, and somehow more complete with an absence of any struggle or pain? A friend once offered to me these simple but profound words, “Lean into the pain and cry out to God.”
The good news is that as suffering comes to us all, God has promised to be with us. God is offering the Holy Spirit to walk with us and remind of us everything we need to survive and learn from our experience. As we are strengthened by the presence of the Spirit, we begin to offer grace to the world around us. We claim only Jesus as the victory over suffering and death and that realization moves us ever a little closer to home.
Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Job 1:22
Sermon Title: “When the Sky Falls”
Sunday August 20, 2006
Job 1,2,3,40,41,42 Suffering & Evil
Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man & Lazarus
Suffering is a fact of our lives. Nothing will protect us from pain and grief. As humans we are easily broken and bruised. All our strength will not protect us. Our wit and wisdom will not keep us from harms path. Try as we might, we will not escape this simple truth: suffering is a fact of our lives.
As we mature and are schooled in this difficult lesson, we learn to not invest our entire attention on avoiding suffering. Rather, we rightly focus our energy in surviving and managing our pain. Many times we see someone who has excelled in a particular field of endeavor and we are want to dismiss their accomplishment as one of privilege or a lack of personal suffering. My study offers that nothing could be further from the truth. The successful persons I admire are those who have learned and grown through some very difficult personal lessons and then gone beyond their pain and begun to offer themselves selflessly into the lives of others. Did you see Tiger Woods pump his fist and weep in the arms of his caddie following his victory at the British Open this past month? That was victory over the death and suffering he has experienced in the loss of his best friend and coach, his father.
Why do we invest so much energy in avoidance of pain? When in reality we learn so much from our suffering. Do you really want a pastor, or a church for that matter, who/which has never experienced a moment of pain and grief, or would you be more comfortable with one who displays a knowing heart towards the grace of healing and new life? Would your life be richer, fuller, and somehow more complete with an absence of any struggle or pain? A friend once offered to me these simple but profound words, “Lean into the pain and cry out to God.”
The good news is that as suffering comes to us all, God has promised to be with us. God is offering the Holy Spirit to walk with us and remind of us everything we need to survive and learn from our experience. As we are strengthened by the presence of the Spirit, we begin to offer grace to the world around us. We claim only Jesus as the victory over suffering and death and that realization moves us ever a little closer to home.
Dave Weesner
Sunday Worship
Scripture: Job 1:22
Sermon Title: “When the Sky Falls”
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