Journey to The Journey

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Like father, like son. That’s an old saying people use to point out that sons, more often than not, turn out to be like their father. That reality may excite or depress you, but that’s beside the point. The reason that saying is often true is that we all tend to imitate those who take care of us. We pick up both their good and bad qualities as we’re figuring out life for ourselves. In many ways this is true of our relationship with God, only we’re nothing like God when we sin. He’s a father who always does what is right and good. When we do what is wrong, we don’t resemble Him in any way at all.

In this week's lesson, Cody asked us the question, "What is the object of your faith?" If you profess to be a Christian, then you likely know that the answer to that question is, obviously, Jesus. The problem is, a lot of different people who would claim to fall under the banner of Christianity would likely present to you many different descriptions of Jesus...who he is, what he taught, and what it means to follow him. With so many choices, who is the arbiter of truth when it comes to Jesus?

Knowing the ins and outs of God’s plan of redemption is a beautiful thing. The meaning and significance of that Gospel have been taught and shared around the world for centuries. It’s no wonder— understanding how and why Jesus did the things He did can be incredibly inspiring to think about. However, merely being captivated by the story of Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll ever be changed by Him. The details of the gospel of Jesus become life changing only when someone appreciates their personal need for what He’s done.

This Sunday we’re starting a new teaching series through the book of Hebrews! There’s always something special about the first Sunday of a new study. Gathering on that first Sunday always renews an excitement in my heart to teach God’s people. However, this weekend feels a little awkward though doesn’t it? Here we sit in a stay-home order that’s sure to last the entire month of April. I don’t like that we can’t physically gather, it’s not ideal. I’m not cut out to be a YouTube-preacher and I miss seeing your faces more than you know. All that being said, I’m no less excited to study through this season together!

Bad stuff happens. It takes little life experience to understand that something isn’t right with this world. There’s pain, suffering, hurt, injustice, and death - it’s messed up. Nobody likes it but everyone knows the world has a tremendous amount of problems. It had troubles yesterday, there were more today, and unless something drastic happens, it will continue tomorrow too.

Read that verse above very carefully. What comes to mind when you read it? If all you learned from that verse was, "do what your dad says," then you have more digging to do. There’s a lot to think about in that little verse, which is typically the case for a sentence in the book of Proverbs. Ultimately the verse is about gaining wisdom. How does one become wise? The answer

I have a confession. I have been struggling for quite some time with contentment, particularly in regards to my vocation. I have shared this with numerous Christian friends and family. I've sought counsel. I've asked for prayer. I've fought to gain healthy perspectives and to wage war on my sin. I desire genuine repentance in this area. And yet, I still struggle.

With everyone stuck at home (myself included), I figure it may be a good time to share some midweek encouragement. In many ways, just a few short days into this "experience," if you are like me, it probably already feels like the walls are suffocating and time is crawling by...and I'm an introvert and an acknowledged homebody! For a society that has become so accustomed to having an endless supply of options, this real lack of choices may feel like a prison sentence. But I think that a simple change in perspective may lead us to see our current circumstances as less of a burden and more of a blessing. Allow me to list several that I think we may be missing...

As you may have heard, today Ohio Governor Mike DeWine passed an executive order closing all public and private schools from March 16th through April 3rd in response to growing concerns over the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). We received additional clarification today from Marietta High School administrators that this will also prevent us from using the school building for our weekly church gathering.

The great 21st century philosopher Eminem once said "my words are weapons." I may say that tongue in cheek, but the reality is, he was on to something very true there. Jesus himself taught this truth to his disciples when he said, "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person" (Matthew 15:11). Our words have great power. With our mouths we can build up and bless, but we can also harm and destroy. The Ninth Commandment focuses narrowly on bearing false witness against your neighbor, but the larger teaching on the command in scripture, as Cody pointed out in his sermon, greatly expands this focus to include all types of lying, of course; but also to provide us instruction for how we are to wield the great power found in our words for the good of others and the glory of God.