Devotional Blog

The Gift of You

11/30/2018

‘Tis the Season! The Christmas season is here with all of its pageantry, beauty, charm and warmth. We think of faith and families, we think of decorations and dinners, we think of gifts to loved one, and we think of God’s greatest gift of love. It is also a great time to reflect on God’s gift of you—that’s right you are an incredible gift from God. God created you uniquely, beautifully…wonderfully. You have gifts and talents from God. Unwrap the gift of you –learn to appreciate your unique God-given gifts and talents. Of course gifts often need put together –we all know the words all too well “some assembly required!” But in the end we get the help of others, learn to laugh at our mistakes, and enjoy the gift all the more once it is assembled. The gifts in our lives also require some work and assembly--that is part of life. But those gifts are worth all the more as we strive to use all our gifts and talents to be all that we can be and to use our lives to touch others for good. The Apostle Paul challenges us to discover and develop our gifts and use them in harmony with one another:

(Verse of the week)
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a person’s gift is prophesying, let them use it in proportion to their faith. If it is serving, let them serve; if it is teaching, let them teach; if it is encouraging, let them encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let them give generously; if it is leadership, let them govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let them do it cheerfully….
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in genuine love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12.4-18)

Your life is a gift from God—what you do with your life is your gift back to God!

(prayer of the week)
Lord, thank you for the gift of my life. Help me to develop and use the gifts and talents you have given me to joyfully serve you and others, amen.

Open your heart to God’s amazing love!—Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
If man can take moldy bread and make penicillin out of it, think of what a loving God can do with you ---Muhammad Ali

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Thankful

11/22/2018

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Psalm 136 is a wonderful psalm with a wonderful refrain “His love endures forever.” Try reading it aloud and feel free to add a few lines of your own. It is wondrous how a thankful heart opens your life to the love that is around you from God and others and stirs the joy within. A thankful person shines light and love where they go, and touches the hearts of many. Take a moment…rejoice. And may you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2     Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3     Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4     to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5     who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6     who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7     who made the great lights--
His love endures forever.
8     the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9     the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.…
26   Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever. Psalm 136

(prayer of the week)
Lord, our lives overflow with blessings. Help us like our forefathers and mothers of so long ago, to give you thanks as you have seen us through adversity to a season of blessing. And remind us as you did them, that you are faithful whatever season we find ourselves in, come battles or blessings. Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving—Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
Giving is the highest level of living --John Maxwell

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Sharing Hope

11/15/2018

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Sometimes facing the challenges of life, we find our confidence wavering and our strength wilting. The writer of Hebrews inspires us with these words of encouragement. This scripture reminds us that we may approach God with a heart full of assurance and faith, knowing that God has forgiven and renewed us, and loves us with a love that is awe-inspiring. We are also encouraged to inspire each other to love and good deeds. Take heart! --God promises us his love and strength, and God is faithful.

(Verse of the week)
Let us approach with a true heart full of assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with a pure water.
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who has promised is faithful.
And let us consider how to inspire one another to love and good deeds,
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10.22-25)

(Prayer of the week)
Gracious God of power and love, thank you for your great love and forgiveness that has come to us in Christ. Fill my heart and life with your hope and peace and love. Help me to be an encouragement to someone today. Amen.

Have a blessed week!—Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope – Martin Luther

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Tree of Life

11/8/2018

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Sometimes when hatred and violence fill our world, we find ourselves struggling to see the light of love. Like so many others, my heart was broken when I heard the news of the violence carried out on the worshippers at Tree of Life Synagogue in suburban Pittsburgh. Tragically, a hate-filled individual gunned down innocent worshippers at the synagogue. We join in prayer with others from across the country and around the world for the families who have lost loved ones. We as Americans have long prided ourselves in freedom of worship regardless of the person’s religion, so this act cuts to the very core of who we are as Americans. But it goes even deeper. It hurts those of us who cherish faith. I could not help but reflect on the name of the synagogue, Tree of Life, and its roots from the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis, where wrong choices brought a removal from the peaceful garden and the presence of God. In a very real sense, such a hateful act of violence re-enacts God’s heartbreak and our alienation from God and each other. Let us pray not only for the families of those who lost loved ones at the Tree of Life Synagogue, but also pray that our country would seek a new era of understanding and peacefulness.

(verse of the week)
“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God” (Matt. 5:9 NIV).

(prayer of the week)
Lord, grant us minds that seek to understand, hearts that seek to care, and hands that seek to build up rather than tear down, through your power and to your glory, Amen.

Blessings--Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved through understanding – Albert Einstein

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Halloween Hospitality

11/1/2018

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Halloween has often been at the center of tensions in faith. One the one hand, there are people who think it has a tendency to celebrate evil or at least the darker side. It is after all a holiday we sometimes seem to celebrate scary ghouls and goblins. On the other hand, there are those like myself who simply view as a fun night for kids to dress up with a great deal of imagination. In our home, my daughter has typically been a princess, movie star, or some fluffy animal. But what if Halloween really has a sacred side? What if it was a night of radical hospitality? Someone once said, “One sunrise is all that separates a trick-or-treater from a beggar.”   Think of it. A complete stranger dressed in very strange clothes comes to your house and you give them a gift--If that happened on any other night, you‘d call the police!   And certainly, no gift or treat. Perhaps it is more holy than we would ever realize. For our doors are more open on Halloween than on any other night as we open our homes to complete strangers.
   Last night our church had a wonderful Trunk-or-Treat with people hosting cars with decorated trunks full of treats, games and snacks and even more treats in our fellowship hall. The guests ranged from the scariest of monsters to the cutest of princesses, young and old and everywhere in between. Thanks to a world-renown university in town, we had people from as far away as China and Russian and Brazil and Pakistan. None of us were scared. Well maybe for a moment--There were a few pretty scary ghouls. But then we laughed and welcomed them with open arms. It was a night of wonderful warmth and cheer. The truth was in the end not only were the strangers we welcomed blessed, we also were blessed in return. As I served hot cider, I invited many personally to return on Sunday and wondered aloud how truly wonderful it would be if they did.
I was reminded of Abraham and Sarah who welcomed three strangers into their home and then after sharing a meal with them received the blessing of a confirmation of God’s promise of a son and a people from whom all nations would be blessed. Abraham later even heard God whisper to him to gaze at the night sky and count the stars to give him a renewed vision of the coming blessing.
Where might we open our doors anew to a stranger and feel God’s blessing as individuals and a family of faith? For in so doing we might not only bless a stranger that may well become a friend, we may also discover a hidden blessing of God in the starry night.

(verse of the week)
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

(prayer of the week)
Lord, I am reminded in John’s Gospel that you came into this world which you created and still were often regarded as a stranger, yet those who did welcome you felt touched and transformed by the Light of the World.   Help me to be open to the strangers along life’s way that I may share your love and discover new friends and new blessings along life’s way. Amen.

Blessings in Christ—Pastor TJ

(quote of the week)
There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met--William Butler Yeats

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The Gift of You

Thankful

Sharing Hope

Tree of Life

Halloween Hospitality

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The Gift of You

​Thankful

Sharing Hope

​Tree of Life

​Halloween Hospitality

Author

Archives

Categories

Thankful

Tree of Life

Halloween Hospitality