seven deadly sins sermon 4 anger and kindness

Special thanks to Dan Croy who gave us an incredible model and teaching on anger, which i have liberally used in this sermon. Dan you are the best. thanks for allowing us to use it.

Scripture Ephesians 4:26-32
Is it possible to be angry and not sin?
· One out of every five Americans has an anger management problem.· Anger related violence is the reason stated for 22% of the divorces in middle-class marriages.· According to FBI statistics, 28% of the homicides in the US were brought on by arguments that occurred in the home. Gang related killings accounted for only 7.6%.You have 4 times the chance of being killed by your own family than you do by gangs, all because of anger… That’s comforting to know!Everybody gets angry – Even God got angry we are created in His image. Get angry about what God gets angry about.
Anger is expressed in some manner in regards to personality.
What is source of anger?
People think events happen and then anger. Events anger

ANGER MODEL

The cause of anger is when expectations and reality don’t match up.
Expectations: needs and desires, want people to like us and accept us, early messages, plans, theological perceptions, way life should be
Reality: experience and maturity, meet people who are unlikable and find out some people won’t like us, transformations and learning, interruptions to plans, theological revelations, the way life is.

This is the moment of truth! When expectations and reality crash into each other!

The crashing of the moment of truth leads to our experiencing primary emotions. The three main ones that lead to anger are: Fear, Hurt, Frustration.

When we experience these emotions we make a Behavior Choice.
That behavior choice is either a healthy and responsible choice or an unhealthy and irresponsible choice.
Unhealthy
Express and Explode
Deny or Suppress ***Christian thing we do***Unresolved anger turns into bitterness. Bitterness is an ugly plant that will take root in your heart if you allow it. Eventually this anger gets expressed. Almost always it is expressed not towards the person who initially caused it but is expressed towards someone who we feel safe with or feel we are more powerful than. We thrash people over something stupid and little. ((Pastors, kids, church members, teachers, employees, spouses, friends, people in cars around us…))
Place Blame
Healthy
Aware and Think through it
Aware and Express the primary emotions involved.
Aware and change: reality is often different than expectations, accept it and change to match reality.
A train was filled with tired people. Most of them had spent the day traveling through the hot dusty plains and at last evening had come and they all tried to settle down to a sound sleep. However, at one end of the car a man was holding a tiny baby and as night came on the baby became restless and cried more and more. Unable to take it any longer, a big brawny man spoke for the rest of the group. "Why don’t you take that baby to its mother?" There was a moment’s pause and then came the reply. "I’m sorry. I’m doin’ my best. The baby’s mother is in her casket in the baggage car ahead." Again there was an awful silence for a moment. Then the big man who asked the cruel question was out of his seat and moved toward the man with the motherless child. He apologized for his impatience and unkind remark. He took the tiny baby in his own arms and told the tired father to get some sleep. Then in loving patience he cared for the little child all through the night.
What do you do when you realize you are angry?
((Time with shrink in Caldwell)) I am angry and miserable and until I give my life and this to Jesus I will remain so! Then why don’t you give your life to Jesus? Because I don’t want to yet!
((Fear of being powerless, fear of having to deal with the fact that life hurts and I had been one of its victims.))
What do you do? You confess the primary emotion to God and ask for His healing. You confess that you have held that pain, fear, or frustration to your own detriment. Confess… Turn it over to JESUS!
God’s Holy Spirit will meet you at the point of your greatest fear, pain, and frustration. You can be healed and made healthy! It happens at the point of surrender and asking God for healing.
God desires to transform your life making you healthy so that your behavior decisions can be healthy and free from sin. Be angry and do not sin. The result of being healthy is that Kindness/compassion/ and forgiveness begin to be our life style. “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” It is a Jesus life-style.
Want to know if you are angry? Want to know if you are walking around with unresolved pains, fears, and frustrations? Ask yourself some questions:
When offended what is your initial response? Are you quick to forgive or quick to blame, attack, accuse? How do you treat people who are lower on the pecking order than you?
God is waiting to meet you to change that.

Conclusion:
The wife of a Zulu chief happened to attend a meeting of Christians & heard for the very first time in her life about Jesus. The message of a God who loves us & forgives our sins was something new & wonderful for her to consider. She had never heard of such a God before. And it wasn’t long until she became a Christian, too. When her husband learned of this he angrily forbade her, on pain of death, ever to attend a Christian meeting again. However, eager to hear more about Jesus, she dared to go, & when her husband found out what she had done he met her on the trail & beat her so savagely that he left her for dead. But it wasn’t long until curiosity got the better of him & he went back to look for her. She was not on the trail where he had left her. But he did see broken twigs & other signs to indicate where she had crawled away. Following them he finally found her lying under a bush. Cruelly, he asked, “And just what is your Jesus Christ doing for you now?” She opened her eyes, & looking at him, said gently, “He is helping me to forgive you!”

seven deadly sins sermon three envy and love

Envy: dictionary defines envy as a painful resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with the desire to possess the same advantage.
Scripture: Mark 7:20-23
Greek word for envy has two words: opthalmos and porneros. It literally means eye pornography or evil eye. If you have secretly or not so secretly enjoyed it when something bad happens to someone, you know what envy is. If you resent someone because they have things or enjoy experiences or relationships that you don’t have or enjoy—you know what envy is. If you have felt loss over someone else’s joy you know what envy is. If you have little to no gratitude for your possessions, experiences, relationships, and abilities because others have one you don’t then you know what envy is. If you struggle to be thankful when others get then you know what envy is.
The nasty thing about envy is it robs us of gratitude for the things we do possess, the experiences we do enjoy and the abilities we have. Most of the other deadly sins, at least initially provide some kind of pleasure. For a moment, the proud feel happy about their supposed superiority. The angry can feel righteous in their indignation. The gluttonous certainly derive pleasure from food as do the lustful from their lust. But the envious person feels no pleasure he only feels a sense of deprivation, of loss, of nothingness, of self-torment, of being imprisoned by his own apparently pitiful life.
Envy says, “It is not enough to want what you have, but I must despise/hate/and wish for bad things to come to you for having something I don’t have.” Envy is a feeling in the heart that says you’re terrible you have something I don’t have or may not ever have. It turns into an emotion of despise, which changes into the sin of hate and then a desire for you to suffer loss of what you have, whether I will ever get it doesn’t matter. Since you have it and I don’t you’re to be hated and in turn I must wish for something bad to come to you.
One man said envy is the sin no one confesses. Any doubt why
Os Guiness says envy has several common characteristics:
Envy is the vice of proximity.
Envy is highly subjective. (It is the subjective perception that causes us problems.)
Envy doesn’t lessen with age. It gets worse, as we run into more people of happiness and success, offering more fodder for envy.
Envy is often petty but always insatiable and all consuming. No matter how small the occasion that gives rise to envy, envy becomes central to the envier’s whole being. Envy begins with pride and plunges the person into hatred.
Envy is always self-destructive. The envier’s motto is “if not me, then no one.” What the envier cannot enjoy then no one should enjoy, and thus the envier loses every enjoyment.
Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Envy if continued in our lives will lead us to be damned. If you practice such things you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Not my words, His. Practice: Habitual practice not lapses. Have someone you wish bad things happen to? Have a person that you despise because their life seems far more charmed than yours? Missing thankfulness for what you have, experienced, can do or are? If you continue to practice such things…
It is not a pretty sight. But there is hope.
Titus 3:3-7 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
The opposite of envy is love. This is what Titus is telling us is that you can live in love because of who God is and what God has done.
This is the love God gives. We possess no quality attractive to God and have nothing to give that God requires, including our worship. The vain and silly notion is sometimes put forward that God has need of our worship and praise, but this makes no sense if we take God to be the Creator of all and utterly complete in Himself. God loves us because we exist, and we exist because He loves us. This is not a circular argument: it is not an argument at all. God is love, and so He created us so we might be loved. He gave us free will so we could love others in the way He does. It is nothing less than astonishing that we can love as God loves; it is equally astonishing that we have consistently refused to do so.
To love as God loves is to love without reason, without thought of return, without bound. It is to desire the best for others, but not to decide what is best for them. It is to desire happiness for others without necessarily knowing what will make them happy. It means helping others reach their potential, but not running their lives. It means being involved in others' lives while keeping our own self interest out of it, being willing to suffer great loss rather than use the other person for our own benefit.
Jesus gave us the perfect example, saving a world he could not live in for long. He did not seek his own private happiness in this life, but gave everything he had for our benefit, taking nothing from us during his life and dying utterly abandoned.
Quite possibly there is no greater danger to love than the pretenders of romance, affection, infatuation, lust or duty. Love is made to excuse many sins, and ignoble motives are often buried under protestations of love. To love perfectly is to be a bit colder in some respects, not relying on emotion but on resolution. Love is not a feeling, it is a decision. In deciding to love, we have the full power of God's Grace in us, for He always supports love and gives us the ability to channel it. In fact, it is never we who love, but rather we become channels of God's love, floodgates of love from Heaven, letting God love through us. This is the highest calling possible, and completely possible for every human being.
Galatians 5:16, 22, 23

If you want to overcome the sin of envy and enjoy the freedom
of God turn your life over to the Holy Spirit. What the Holy Spirit offers to us is a life of freedom to be all God wants and the power to do it.
If you struggle with envy or any other sin in your life, God wants to pour out the Holy Spirit on you richly that you may live in His grace, love with His love and be all God desires. The problem is not a change and control of your attitude. The problem is a spiritual problem and requires a spiritual solution. Why not allow the Holy Spirit to make the difference in your life so you can be changed?

seven deadly sins sermon two greed and generosity

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19
Greed = an overwhelming desire to have more of something than is actually needed. (Fax)
Greed is the problem everyone else we know struggles with.
1 Tim 6:9-10, Greed causes our life boat to sink.
Why?
Greed is our statement to God that He is not enough and has not blessed us enough. We’re saying God You don’t know what we need, when we need it or how we will need it. In other words God I believe you are either, incapable or unwilling to care for me.
Greed is a blatant affront to God.
Scripture says we can fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge us into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil
And some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Greed attacks faith, it makes God into something He is not.
But does greed have to be solely for money?
Obviously we all know someone and have experienced greed in our own lives for money and stuff.
It is what has caused the gambling industry to flourish. (Pastor visiting the Elko church)
Kid was hooked, $1 can turn into $500 instantly.
Can you be greedy with your time? Relationships? Power/Influence?
What would it look like?
Greedy with our time = no time for service, no time to help. (Other people’s needs are intrusions into our lives.)
Greedy with relationship: we have seen it the person who can’t let the other out of their sight. They have to be together all the time. If the other person has a chance to do something without the other it crushes them. The friend can’t be all God’s called them to be because they have to spend all of their time with the greedy one.
Greed of Power/Influence = use of power/influence for our own good. Work the crowd and others so we can get our way! (Emotional Terrorist is the one who goes around and builds a case against you with others behind your back using influence for their benefit and when they are confronted they use their new gained influence through the lies, innuendos, divisive speech and the like in an attempt to beat you down.)
Greed itself is not the motivator.
Fear is the motivator of Greed: Fear says if you acquire enough then you will be safe from want. There is no amount that is enough. Fear says you have to get all you can because you can’t trust God.
Fear says you don’t give up your time because once you give some you’ll be asked for more people are never satisfied especially pastors.
Fear says you can’t let the other person become all God wants or do what they need they may outgrow you or find someone or something else that’s better.
Fear says you have to maintain your power/influence you could become helpless and lose control of the situation. If you don’t hold all the cards then something you don’t want to happen could!
Result of greed is this:
Slavery!
Anything we allow greed to drive us towards owns us. Interesting how the owner changes. You’re owned by what you desire. What you most want controls you. ($, Time, Relationships, Power) You will do whatever it takes to get and keep these. They own you.
Makes you wonder if you ever really are the owner. Maybe we are the managers and the owner is God or stuff? (Matthew 6:24 2 masters)
What do you do? How do you deal with it?
1st Confess the problem!
2nd Repent of greed and replace it with trust in God.
Repenting means you change directions. It requires real actions.
What is the real action that changes the direction of Greed?
Generosity is the real statement of trust in God. Generosity says God You’ve provided all of it I am your manager use it how You want.
Greed holds everything this way.
Generosity holds everything this way.
Generosity with $ (Some teenage girls who loved God started a do without club in order to raise money for missions. They would go without something they enjoyed to fund missions. All were from rich families and found ways to contribute easily. One poor little girl Margie found it difficult. One day she knelt by her bed and asked the Lord to show here something she could do without. As she prayed, her pet spaniel licked her face. She remembered that the neighbor had offered to buy him. The tears came as she exclaimed, “Oh bright, I can’t think of parting with you!” then she thought of the words, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.” I’ll do it she said. Going next door she sold the dog for $50. Even though she missed her pet she was still happy because she had been able to put all the money into the mission fund. The neighbor was pleased with the dog, but he wondered if a pressing need had caused the girl to part with him, so he went over. When he heard her story, he went home deep in thought. In his life of abundance he had never denied himself anything. The next morning Margie found the dog scratching at the door. This note was fastened to his collar: Your practical Christianity has done more for me than any sermon I’ve ever heard. Last night I offered what’s left of my wasted life to God. I’d like to join your club, and begin by doing without Bright.)
Generosity with Time (Miguel DelGado / She didn’t give up)
Generosity with Relationships: (Places and keeps Jesus in the center of the relationship. He is the focus of the relationship and His desire for the other person is now our desire for them as well.)
Generosity with Power/Influence: We are generous with our power and influence when we stop trying to control everything and everyone. We’re generous as we grant power to others and are submissive, and avoid jobs that are a temptation to power grab and as we share credit with others and claim our fair share of responsibility for failures.
Conclusion:
A.W. Tozer said: As base a thing as money often is, it yet can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality!
Let’s make this all practical now. Ushers are going to come forward. Been struggling with greed? Time to break it’s hold on your life by confession and the resulting action of generosity. (Alabaster offering as well.)
Generosity with time, relationships and influence (1 of a 1000). Service opportunities.

seven deadly sins sermon two greed and generosity

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19
Greed = an overwhelming desire to have more of something than is actually needed. (Fax)
Greed is the problem everyone else we know struggles with.
1 Tim 6:9-10, Greed causes our life boat to sink.
Why?
Greed is our statement to God that He is not enough and has not blessed us enough. We’re saying God You don’t know what we need, when we need it or how we will need it. In other words God I believe you are either, incapable or unwilling to care for me.
Greed is a blatant affront to God.
Scripture says we can fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge us into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil
And some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Greed attacks faith, it makes God into something He is not.
But does greed have to be solely for money?
Obviously we all know someone and have experienced greed in our own lives for money and stuff.
It is what has caused the gambling industry to flourish. (Pastor visiting the Elko church)
Kid was hooked, $1 can turn into $500 instantly.
Can you be greedy with your time? Relationships? Power/Influence?
What would it look like?
Greedy with our time = no time for service, no time to help. (Other people’s needs are intrusions into our lives.)
Greedy with relationship: we have seen it the person who can’t let the other out of their sight. They have to be together all the time. If the other person has a chance to do something without the other it crushes them. The friend can’t be all God’s called them to be because they have to spend all of their time with the greedy one.
Greed of Power/Influence = use of power/influence for our own good. Work the crowd and others so we can get our way! (Emotional Terrorist is the one who goes around and builds a case against you with others behind your back using influence for their benefit and when they are confronted they use their new gained influence through the lies, innuendos, divisive speech and the like in an attempt to beat you down.)
Greed itself is not the motivator.
Fear is the motivator of Greed: Fear says if you acquire enough then you will be safe from want. There is no amount that is enough. Fear says you have to get all you can because you can’t trust God.
Fear says you don’t give up your time because once you give some you’ll be asked for more people are never satisfied especially pastors.
Fear says you can’t let the other person become all God wants or do what they need they may outgrow you or find someone or something else that’s better.
Fear says you have to maintain your power/influence you could become helpless and lose control of the situation. If you don’t hold all the cards then something you don’t want to happen could!
Result of greed is this:
Slavery!
Anything we allow greed to drive us towards owns us. Interesting how the owner changes. You’re owned by what you desire. What you most want controls you. ($, Time, Relationships, Power) You will do whatever it takes to get and keep these. They own you.
Makes you wonder if you ever really are the owner. Maybe we are the managers and the owner is God or stuff? (Matthew 6:24 2 masters)
What do you do? How do you deal with it?
1st Confess the problem!
2nd Repent of greed and replace it with trust in God.
Repenting means you change directions. It requires real actions.
What is the real action that changes the direction of Greed?
Generosity is the real statement of trust in God. Generosity says God You’ve provided all of it I am your manager use it how You want.
Greed holds everything this way.
Generosity holds everything this way.
Generosity with $ (Some teenage girls who loved God started a do without club in order to raise money for missions. They would go without something they enjoyed to fund missions. All were from rich families and found ways to contribute easily. One poor little girl Margie found it difficult. One day she knelt by her bed and asked the Lord to show here something she could do without. As she prayed, her pet spaniel licked her face. She remembered that the neighbor had offered to buy him. The tears came as she exclaimed, “Oh bright, I can’t think of parting with you!” then she thought of the words, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.” I’ll do it she said. Going next door she sold the dog for $50. Even though she missed her pet she was still happy because she had been able to put all the money into the mission fund. The neighbor was pleased with the dog, but he wondered if a pressing need had caused the girl to part with him, so he went over. When he heard her story, he went home deep in thought. In his life of abundance he had never denied himself anything. The next morning Margie found the dog scratching at the door. This note was fastened to his collar: Your practical Christianity has done more for me than any sermon I’ve ever heard. Last night I offered what’s left of my wasted life to God. I’d like to join your club, and begin by doing without Bright.)
Generosity with Time (Miguel DelGado / She didn’t give up)
Generosity with Relationships: (Places and keeps Jesus in the center of the relationship. He is the focus of the relationship and His desire for the other person is now our desire for them as well.)
Generosity with Power/Influence: We are generous with our power and influence when we stop trying to control everything and everyone. We’re generous as we grant power to others and are submissive, and avoid jobs that are a temptation to power grab and as we share credit with others and claim our fair share of responsibility for failures.
Conclusion:
A.W. Tozer said: As base a thing as money often is, it yet can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality!
Let’s make this all practical now. Ushers are going to come forward. Been struggling with greed? Time to break it’s hold on your life by confession and the resulting action of generosity. (Alabaster offering as well.)
Generosity with time, relationships and influence (1 of a 1000). Service opportunities.

7 deadly sins and 7 life giving virtues series: 1st sermon pride and humility

One of the big problems with pride is that it is so evident in others and hardly at all in ourselves. It is fun to watch when some arrogant jerk gets his.
David: Toby Gaper
David was a guy in college who liked to talk big about his bike riding abilities. He bragged about being able to ride his bike more than 50 miles in under an hour. Professional bike racers don't even do that. We knew he was full of it, but he continued to talk. All of us on the bike team wanted to finally shut this guys mouth. He would never take a ride with us. Until one day after much badgering we were able to get him to join us. The reason we called him a toby gaper is that toby gaper was our term for a guy who thought he could ride well and couldn't. David showed up that day with floppy shoes (bike shoes have a stiff sole) hairy legs (we all shaved our legs for the purpose of when you fall it peels the first layers of skin off rather than grabbing and tearing the flesh deeply. Or so was our theory.) He told us he was ready to ride with us. We always took the first few miles at a leisurely pace to warm up and laugh and joke. When we reached the lake about 5 miles away we would start to be more aggressive in our riding. This day was different. I was sick and tired of Toby gaper doing his big mouthed talking. So right from the start I was pushing the pace. I rode hard all the way to the lake. A couple of the guys rode near me saying slow down man your killing us and you are going to drop him meaning leave him in the dust. When we arrived at the lake David was huffing and puffing. We all had a good sweat, but were ready for a big ride. David at this point says, "Hey guys I already rode 50 miles today so I am going to turn back." At that he left huffing and puffing all the way back to school. Liar!!! I was mad. I wanted to get him on the back side of the lake and drop him at about 15 miles out.
I thought now he will shut his mouth and be humbled. Actually he told a couple of friends that he didn't ride with us because we were too slow for him.
The rest of us explained how he couldn't keep up with us and was nearly dropped in the first couple of miles. With a group of witnesses we were able to shut his mouth. It felt good.
Why did I enjoy it so much? Because the person with the pride problem was not so much David as it was me.
The best pride detector is this: how much am I bothered by the pride of others? If I feel attacked, in my response, “Others are worse?” A strong indicator of pride is competitiveness.
In almost every list pride is considered the original or most serious sin, and the ultimate source of all other sins. It is the desire to be more important or attractive to others, failing to give credit due to others, or excessive love of self. Dante’s definition is love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one’s neighbor. Pride is the sin that says, I deserve this… or I don’t deserve that… anger, lust, envy, greed, gluttony, and laziness all come from pride.
The terrible thing about pride is that it is incredible deceptive. Jeremiah tells us that pride deceives the heart. The Bible also tells us that pride hardens the mind, brings contention, binds us in captivity like a chain, and brings destruction. A proud heart stirs up strife and is an abomination to the lord. A proud look God hates and those who engage in it will stumble and fall. Pride is the parent of discontent, ingratitude, presumption, passion, extravagance, and bigotry. There is hardly an evil committed without pride being connected in some sense. The early church fathers held that pride was the very essence of sin. Pride is always easier to see in others than it is in ourselves. Pride keeps the lights dim when we inspect our heart and shines brightly when we look at others.
It is why when we hear a sermon on pride we can think of hundreds of people who need to hear it, while missing the point this is about each of us. We need to hear it. Pride is about us. It would be great to keep our illusion of humility by pointing to others, saying: “But they are very proud. I really don’t think I am that great, but they do.” The best detector is how much are you bothered by the pride of others?
Scripture warns us that first Pride then the crash. Bike story at New Stine and Stockdale. One day while riding in Bakersfield I came up on a stoplight at one of the busiest intersections in town. My feet were clipped into my pedals and I didn't feel like unclipping them to stand and wait so I did what is called a track stand (Keeping your feet in the pedals holding the brakes and pushing on the pedals placing some tension and keeping your balance.) It looks pretty cool to see someone do that. I was thinking I was looking pretty cool doing that. In fact there were two cute girls in the car next to me watching. I was sure they were checking out my manliness as I did this track stand with impressive form. After waiting for a couple of minutes the light turned green. As I released the brake and was ready to push off and go I lost my balance and did the long slow fall to the gutter. It was not impressive. It was quite humiliating. The cute girls if not watching before were watching now and laughing.
The antithesis of pride is humility. Since God resists the proud we should learn to hate pride and clothe ourselves with humility.
But what is humility?
We know what it is when someone gets humbled.
Back door of church; thank for the sermon pastor, don’t thank me thank the Lord. I thought of that, but it wasn’t quite that good. That’s being humbled.
When we think of humility we usually think of people thinking less of themselves than they are. If not that then we think it is when we talk about our faults and shortcomings as compared with everyone else’s superiority and achievements. These are not humility.
Humility is a simple recognition of the truth about ourselves; and then most often, a forgetfulness of self that allows genuine concern for others and genuine worship of God.
Philippians 2:3-8
Jesus is a great example of humility.
How do people like us live like this? Our trouble is that we try to do before we ever be. We hear a sermon on pride and humility and we attempt to do humility while we attempt to stop being proud. Then we think we got it and we fail because we are proud of our humility. It is the dilemma humanity has lived with for centuries. How do I change?
Mark 7:20-23 warns us that the problem is the heart. Change who you are and what you do will be changed. You do what you be.
The issue is not so much the action as it is the heart that drives the action. If the heart is set straight then the doing will follow. The struggle of pride is not the struggle with doing as it is being proud. The problem is with the heart. Out of the heart proceed…pride. If you want to overcome the deadliest of the deadly sins start with the heart. Without a heart change you are doomed. Beg God for forgiveness for the sin of Pride. Ask God for a heart of humility and gratitude. Ask God to break your pride and replace it with a life of humility. Then when God changes your heart start doing what He makes you. Be grateful always. Treat even the things people are expected to do as great gifts. Be grateful for your food, your change at McDonalds, rain, life, your annoying neighbor… Be thankful and thank everyone.
It starts with the heart. Is your heart right?
The first requirement of pride is spiritual blindness. A glimpse of God reveals our frailty and sinfulness. When was the last time you looked at God and dealt with the reality of who you are in His presence? Change the heart and the rest will follow. Is your heart the heart God wants?

can these live?

It was people as far as the eye could see. Two huge armies overwhelm the landscape. Soon there would be a battle in Death Valley. The two warring armies are making preparations to face each other. Swords are sharpened, spears prepped, bows and arrows readied and shields repaired.
The war cry “prepare arms;” and the trumpets blast. Swords rattle, spears are strapped to backs, bows grabbed arrows are shoved in quivers and strapped to shoulders and shields strapped to arms. Lines drawn the march to battle begins.
The pounding of millions of feet marching to war, war cries pierce the air.
The clang of metal on metal the whiz of arrows and sounds of death fill the air. From morning to night fall the battle rages, corpses are strewn about.
It was a slaughter one entire army is massacred. Their corpses scavenged and tents ransacked. The conquorering army pillages their supplies its war to the winner goes the spoils.
Birds, animals, and insects alike eat the lifeless forms of the defeated army hundreds of thousands of dead bodies. In just a matter of weeks the bodies are stripped of flesh. In the following months the bones are chewed and sun bleached. If you came upon the scene you’d have no idea of who any of these people were.
Can dead people, completely destroyed people live again?
A few hundred years later a man prepares for the holy day. It is time for the national religious celebration. One of the high holy days of the year is upon them again and he being a good Jewish male will be at the temple. He has no choice now does he? It is his religious duty. A man must fulfill his religious duty his father used to tell him. You are what you do! Make sure you do your best. Be at every religious celebration and try to prove yourself worthy.
After finishing his early morning routine he makes the short/long walk to the temple. It isn’t that long it just feels long. A question bothers him. Is he worthy? He’s tried to be good. He’s done his best. But how good is good enough? Why does it seem something missing inside? To be honest it feels as though he’s dead on the inside even though he is strong and healthy. He’s doing his best. He’s tried to be worthy. He’s done his best. Is it good enough?
Could God bring life to a living dead person? If He can why hasn’t He yet?
A couple of thousand years later the alarm clock beeps. It’s the usual for the people of Tulare. Shower, shave for the guys, dress, grab a cup of coffee and off to work, school, the front porch… It’s routine. It’s life. Do what you have to do to make sure everything in life is taken care of. Have to pay the mortgage, car payment, do your homework get good grades, and prepare for life. You know how it is.
A question haunts many of the people of Tulare. Is this all there is? Isn’t life more than school, work, paying bills, making ends meet mostly and then maybe a few good years of retirement before we fall apart and die? What happens after we die? They push the thought out and get back to business as usual. Stick to the routine it keeps you from getting into trouble. You want to be in enough trouble to have fun, but not enough to be bad. Life seems empty most days an emptiness followed by multiple attempts to bury the emptiness.
Can God give life to the living dead? Will He give life to rebels like us?
The bones have dried out there is no sign of life in Death Valley. And then... Ezekiel 37:1-10
Can the dead live again? What if there is no sign of life in fact they are so dead you cannot even recall what they looked like? What if they are just bones and dried up wasted away bones at that? Can the dead live again?
He knows better than to doubt God, but these are dead dead people. Ezekiel plays it safe with “God you know.”
The Lord says prophesy. Speak My Words of life to the dead. Speak words of life to them. They have no ears. They are bones and although there are bones in the ear there are no ears. Can bones hear? Yet Ezekiel speaks God’s words of life to the dead. By the power of God’s Spirit He speaks.
The dried up dead bones of Death Valley grow back together. The rattling of bone to bone is inspiring. Then the sinews and muscles grow back. The organs and skin reconnect and now there is a valley full of corpses. It looks like the birds, animals and insects will be well fed. Before the thought can fully form that God’s word may have failed God speaks again. Ezekiel prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, thus says the Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”
Ezekiel filled with the Holy Spirit speaks to the breath and wind. The mighty army once dead is fully alive. Can the dead live again? The way things were is not how they’re supposed to be. Dead people are supposed to live!
Ezekiel 37:11-14
Back to our Jewish friend headed to the national religious celebration. The thoughts that bother him continue all the way to the temple. Can the living dead come to life? He makes his way up the steps into the temple. He’s doing what the Lord commanded. He has the best offering available. Prove you are worthy. Is he worthy?
He made his way into the temple with the mass of worshippers. Offerings are given chants are made. And the Scripture is revealed and read. “And there is no breath at all inside it. But the lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.” God are you really here… Can the living dead live? “Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O Lord, revive Your wok in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” Are you here God? Will You make the living dead come alive? “God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise. His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, and there is the hiding of His power. Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”
Suddenly there came a noise like a violent rushing wind, filling the house. The throng of worshippers hear the sound. Could God be restoring His shekiniah glory to Israel? They chase the sound and find the disciples. Filled with the Holy Spirit speaking the languages of the entire crowd in perfect dialect they speak of the mighty deeds of God. Some in the crowd say they’re drunk. Peter their spokesman moved to the front and spoke. His words like a knife cut to the heart. What must we do the crowd cried? Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The living dead trying to be worthy are confronted with their unworthiness. 120 people filled with the Holy Spirit spoke God’s words. The living dead are alive. 3,000 added to the number of saved. The spiritually dead are supposed to live. Can the living dead live? They’re racing around Tulare. Wondering is there more to this life? They’re rebels! Will God give life to rebels? Ephesians 2:1, 2.
Then you come along intersecting the life of these rebels. You are neighbor, husband, wife, mother, father, child, co-worker, schoolmate, friend. What will they find?
Ephesians 2:4-10
You were created and saved for this good work. Speak to the spiritually dead, and rebels the words of life. In the Power of His Holy Spirit speak. And watch the spiritually dead, and the rebel come to life. Speak His Words through His Spirit and watch them live.
Acts 1:8
Can the spiritually dead and living dead live? Will God give life to the rebel? Of course! He’s waiting to use you like He used Ezekiel, Peter and the one who shared with you. Will you speak His words to them?

Jan 21st Stewardship of Submission

A Galveston housewife had a prized singing pet parakeet named Chippie. She made some terrible mistakes with Chippie. While vacuuming the carpet she decided to clean the bottom of Chippie’s cage with her vacuum. BIG MISTAKE!!! The phone rang she turned to answer the phone without turning off her vacuum. Sssssp!!! Chippie got sucked through the tube and into the canister. BIGGER MISTAKE!!! She dropped the phone, shut off the vacuum and opened the canister. There was Chippie feathers ruffled dirt all over. He was stunned but alive. She rushed into the bathroom, BIRD IN HAND and held Chippie under the faucet and turned it on full blast. Then she grabbed the hair dryer. BIGGER MISTAKE!!! She turned it to hot and high. The blast of hot air dried him, but nearly finished him. After hearing about the incident a reporter called. “How’s your prized parakeet?” he asked. She said, “Well, Chippie doesn’t sing any more. HE JUST SORT OF SITS THERE AND STARES.”
Ephesians 5:15-21
Be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
Why does he say speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? More than the non-poetical books, they tell of God’s greatness and His attributes His love for us and His provision and His desire for our fellowship. They tell of His saving power and His delight in those who delight in Him. They are words of JOY! They remind us of God’s presence, power, purpose and passion. They are real they hit right where we live. They remind us God’s real.
Take psalm one an admonition to righteous living, psalm 7 a story of how it appears evil is winning and concludes with “I’m thanking God, who makes things right. I’m singing the fame of heaven-high God.”
Psalm 85 “I can’t wait to hear what he’ll say. God’s about to pronounce his people well, The holy people he loves so much, so they’ll never again live like fools. See how close his salvation is to those who fear him? Our country is home base for Glory! Love and Truth meet in the street, Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss! Truth sprouts green from the ground, Right Living pours down from the skies! Oh yes! God gives goodness and Beauty; our land responds with Bounty and Blessing. Right living strides out before him, and clears a path for his passage.”
They’re words of Joy! God has done something amazing. He has seen our need for rescue He has responded with help, were different because of who He is and what He has done.
The tension is the world attempts to steal this away. This joy this sense of everything is going to be all right even when everything says it won’t; comes from the deep confidence of the heart fully submitted to God. Thus Be filled with the Holy Spirit. It reads, be filled and keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. Don’t think in terms of water pouring into a pitcher. The Holy Spirit is a person not a force. As such it indicates our submission to God. In other words, submit completely to God and keep on submitting to God. Make the decision to be submitted to God and keep on being submitted to God. Make the decision today, but make it again on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… Be submitted live in submission to the Holy Spirit and keep on living in submission. The world attempts to do you like Chippie sucking you up soaking you down and blasting you with hot air to get you to sit stunned and dumbfounded. So you won’t make the conscious decision to be submitted and remain submitted.
Since this is how it works God knows on your own you are unable to live the Holy Spirit submitted life He gives you us. Be filled and keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Notice He didn’t say we are to sing these to one another, but speak them to one another.
So how do you talk to others? Are your conversations laced with the goodness of God? Do your words convey the fact that you are different because of who God is and what He’s done? Are your words of encouragement from a life of radical faithful submission to God? Do they hear the joy of living in submission to God? I am not saying that you gloss over the facts. If you are facing a hard time have suffered great pain it scars and hurts. But the submitted life knows the incredible healing of the Holy Spirit. Do you share God’s incredible healing from experience or are they words? The experience of healing happens at the moment and moments of submission. We struggle with this since it means we aren’t in control, we don’t choose how and when we face the hurt, pain, anger, fear, and other emotions attached. God is so He can heal.
So how do you talk? Are they words from a page or words from the experience of submission? The difference is words from a page often ring hollow words of experience hold power. What do people hear when you talk? What do you hear when you talk? Are you a song stealer or a song giver? Do you provide joy or???
Paul writes sing and make melody with your heart to the Lord. We’d probably say it means sing with great emotion. Not the point. The heart is the center of the will the decision center of life. Sing and make melody with your heart, intentionally place your self in submission to God and as a result there is a song in your heart. Remember song=joy. Joy’s gained when we make an intentional decision to live in submission which overflows in worship. Worship is both song and life. The center of your decision making placed in submission to God that’s worship expressed through song that’s worship.
Singing and making melody with your heart reminds you to remain in consistent submission to God. It does something else as well. The song speaks to others instructions of the joy of living in submission to God. It reminds us and teaches others. Love God. It is also love people. It is also Believing Great things happen when God and people meet together as we tell them through speech, song, and lifestyle submission to God is the way to live.
The practics of living joyful consistent submission happens with others. I become like Jesus. What was He like?
Philippians 2:5-8
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Jesus lived in submission to God and humanities cruel punishment not because He had to, but because of His incredible love for you. He willing chose to be subject to you and for you because He values you so highly that you are worth His suffering that you might be changed and enjoy His freedom and grace!In return when we come to Him He asks us think of yourself the way I thought of myself. Be subject to one another. Express through the real actions of aligning yourself under each other for the benefit and blessing of the others because their worth it. If were submitted and living submitted He eventually leads us to this challenging moment of submission to one another for their benefit even at a cost to ourselves. Do you live submitted to the Holy Spirit? Does it reveal itself in submission to others? Even other Christians you may not like? Are you doing your best to speak, think and act for their best? Do you protect their character? Do you do your best to help them become like Jesus?
Is there a song in your life? Do you know the Joy of God? Do you provide that joy to others through your words, song, and actions? Do you live in gracious submission for the blessing of others? If not there is a submission problem. Be filled, and keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jan 21st Stewardship of Submission

A Galveston housewife had a prized singing pet parakeet named Chippie. She made some terrible mistakes with Chippie. While vacuuming the carpet she decided to clean the bottom of Chippie’s cage with her vacuum. BIG MISTAKE!!! The phone rang she turned to answer the phone without turning off her vacuum. Sssssp!!! Chippie got sucked through the tube and into the canister. BIGGER MISTAKE!!! She dropped the phone, shut off the vacuum and opened the canister. There was Chippie feathers ruffled dirt all over. He was stunned but alive. She rushed into the bathroom, BIRD IN HAND and held Chippie under the faucet and turned it on full blast. Then she grabbed the hair dryer. BIGGER MISTAKE!!! She turned it to hot and high. The blast of hot air dried him, but nearly finished him. After hearing about the incident a reporter called. “How’s your prized parakeet?” he asked. She said, “Well, Chippie doesn’t sing any more. HE JUST SORT OF SITS THERE AND STARES.”
Ephesians 5:15-21
Be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
Why does he say speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? More than the non-poetical books, they tell of God’s greatness and His attributes His love for us and His provision and His desire for our fellowship. They tell of His saving power and His delight in those who delight in Him. They are words of JOY! They remind us of God’s presence, power, purpose and passion. They are real they hit right where we live. They remind us God’s real.
Take psalm one an admonition to righteous living, psalm 7 a story of how it appears evil is winning and concludes with “I’m thanking God, who makes things right. I’m singing the fame of heaven-high God.”
Psalm 85 “I can’t wait to hear what he’ll say. God’s about to pronounce his people well, The holy people he loves so much, so they’ll never again live like fools. See how close his salvation is to those who fear him? Our country is home base for Glory! Love and Truth meet in the street, Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss! Truth sprouts green from the ground, Right Living pours down from the skies! Oh yes! God gives goodness and Beauty; our land responds with Bounty and Blessing. Right living strides out before him, and clears a path for his passage.”
They’re words of Joy! God has done something amazing. He has seen our need for rescue He has responded with help, were different because of who He is and what He has done.
The tension is the world attempts to steal this away. This joy this sense of everything is going to be all right even when everything says it won’t; comes from the deep confidence of the heart fully submitted to God. Thus Be filled with the Holy Spirit. It reads, be filled and keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. Don’t think in terms of water pouring into a pitcher. The Holy Spirit is a person not a force. As such it indicates our submission to God. In other words, submit completely to God and keep on submitting to God. Make the decision to be submitted to God and keep on being submitted to God. Make the decision today, but make it again on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… Be submitted live in submission to the Holy Spirit and keep on living in submission. The world attempts to do you like Chippie sucking you up soaking you down and blasting you with hot air to get you to sit stunned and dumbfounded. So you won’t make the conscious decision to be submitted and remain submitted.
Since this is how it works God knows on your own you are unable to live the Holy Spirit submitted life He gives you us. Be filled and keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Notice He didn’t say we are to sing these to one another, but speak them to one another.
So how do you talk to others? Are your conversations laced with the goodness of God? Do your words convey the fact that you are different because of who God is and what He’s done? Are your words of encouragement from a life of radical faithful submission to God? Do they hear the joy of living in submission to God? I am not saying that you gloss over the facts. If you are facing a hard time have suffered great pain it scars and hurts. But the submitted life knows the incredible healing of the Holy Spirit. Do you share God’s incredible healing from experience or are they words? The experience of healing happens at the moment and moments of submission. We struggle with this since it means we aren’t in control, we don’t choose how and when we face the hurt, pain, anger, fear, and other emotions attached. God is so He can heal.
So how do you talk? Are they words from a page or words from the experience of submission? The difference is words from a page often ring hollow words of experience hold power. What do people hear when you talk? What do you hear when you talk? Are you a song stealer or a song giver? Do you provide joy or???
Paul writes sing and make melody with your heart to the Lord. We’d probably say it means sing with great emotion. Not the point. The heart is the center of the will the decision center of life. Sing and make melody with your heart, intentionally place your self in submission to God and as a result there is a song in your heart. Remember song=joy. Joy’s gained when we make an intentional decision to live in submission which overflows in worship. Worship is both song and life. The center of your decision making placed in submission to God that’s worship expressed through song that’s worship.
Singing and making melody with your heart reminds you to remain in consistent submission to God. It does something else as well. The song speaks to others instructions of the joy of living in submission to God. It reminds us and teaches others. Love God. It is also love people. It is also Believing Great things happen when God and people meet together as we tell them through speech, song, and lifestyle submission to God is the way to live.
The practics of living joyful consistent submission happens with others. I become like Jesus. What was He like?
Philippians 2:5-8
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Jesus lived in submission to God and humanities cruel punishment not because He had to, but because of His incredible love for you. He willing chose to be subject to you and for you because He values you so highly that you are worth His suffering that you might be changed and enjoy His freedom and grace!In return when we come to Him He asks us think of yourself the way I thought of myself. Be subject to one another. Express through the real actions of aligning yourself under each other for the benefit and blessing of the others because their worth it. If were submitted and living submitted He eventually leads us to this challenging moment of submission to one another for their benefit even at a cost to ourselves. Do you live submitted to the Holy Spirit? Does it reveal itself in submission to others? Even other Christians you may not like? Are you doing your best to speak, think and act for their best? Do you protect their character? Do you do your best to help them become like Jesus?
Is there a song in your life? Do you know the Joy of God? Do you provide that joy to others through your words, song, and actions? Do you live in gracious submission for the blessing of others? If not there is a submission problem. Be filled, and keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jan 14th Stewardship of Money

Scripture Ephesians 5:15-21

Dissipation = One who spends too freely on what flatterers tell him he needs. One who spends too easily on his lusts, appetites, and desires.
Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.
The command to not be drunk with wine is not solely an admonition to not being drunk, although it is that. It is an admonition to not allow anything to possess and control you that is not God. If there is an outside controlling influence it leads to dissipation. Being one who spends to freely on what flatterers tell him he needs. One who spends too easily on his lusts, appetites and desires.
Dissipation is a problem in American lives. The saving rate in America is at the lowest level in 60 years5.5 million addicted gamblersOver 1 million bankruptcies a yearMore people go bankrupt each year in America than graduate from colleges and UniversitiesAverage Christian household only gives 2.5 of their income to churchworse than during the depression!The average church member only gives $20.00 to missions, but spends $1,174 in gambling.Churches have ignored the topic all together, while there are over 2,350 verses and 2/3 of scriptures speak of stewardship.64% couples argue over money and 54% it is the #1 reason for divorcetill debt do us part!
It reminds me of a quote I recently read, “Let’s all live within our means even if we have to borrow to do it.”
The mantra of the American religion of materialism is “Charge It.”
Consider the scenario of Tom and Susan need a new washing machine, the find one at Sears for $299. They get a Sears charge card and make the minimum payment each month. By the time the washing machine is paid off, how much will Tom and Susan actually pay? $1,199!
Proverbs says, “The borrower is slave to the lender.” It doesn’t mean don’t ever borrow, but it does warn us to be wise to the realities of what it will mean.
Let’s be honest though it is tough to live in our society when all around us we are bombarded with the siren call of materialism. Ads pour through TV screens proclaiming our need for everything, they fill the Sunday paper, magazines. Then your neighbor brings home new cars, TV’s, computers, clothes and other stuff. Everywhere we look we have materialistic stuff crammed down our throats. It makes it tough.
The reality is how we treat money is the most decisive test of the controlling influence of our lives.
Do not be controlled by outside influences, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
We know what materialistic living looks like. It is everyone else who has anything more than we have. Honestly it is all around us and we get caught up in it if we are not careful. It is allowing anything other than God to determine what we spend and how we spend it. We know the consequences maybe even have felt them or are feeling them now. The consequence of excess living it is especially tough to work for money you have already spent for something you didn’t need.
Dissipation leads to ruin. Materialism leads to financial struggle which leads to poor decisions, which lead to relational struggles, which lead to great difficulties in life. Being controlled by outside influences lead us to making poor financial decisions, which lead us to struggles in life.
Spirit led financial life leads to freedom, contentment, peace, and enough.
How do I know if I am living a life of dissipation or being Spirit led?
What controls your financial decisions, money and the desire for gain, or the Holy Spirit?
How do you determine what to spend and on what?
How much do you invest in eternity? (You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.)
Do you make kingdom investment decisions on faith or on financial facts? (The average Christian household only gives 2.5 of their income to church worse than during the depression!The average church member only gives $20.00 to missions, but spends $1,174 in gambling)
Do you know what you want to do with your financial life? Do you have a plan?
Have you ever set a goal for giving? Starting point is 10% build from there. Tithing is not the ceiling for giving it is the floor, it is not the finish line it is the starting line in our financial life. The one sure fire cure for materialism is generosity. The way to become generous is to be led of the Holy Spirit.
Steps to control in your life.
First, confess that you have been out of control financially.
Second, invite God to be the controlling influence in your life again.
Third, establish a plan.
Fourth, set some goals for kingdom investing and do it religiously.
Fifth, pray and recheck the first four regularly.

Conclusion:
How did you do answering the questions? Can you answer them with certainty that you are Spirit led? If not it is time to make the move confess the reality, and invite God to be the controlling influence of your life. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine (Don’t be controlled by outside influences) which is dissipation, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
God longs to fill you with His Holy Spirit it is His will. His will is that He would be the controlling influence of your life. Will your future be determined by God’s leadership or outside influences? Come as we sing.

Stewardship month, Jan 7th Stewardship of time

Ephesians 5:15-21
If I were to give you $525600 what would you do with it? If I were to give you that each year what would you do? How would you spend it? How would you invest it? It is a large amount of money and really probably unmanageable in our thinking so let’s make it manageable. What if I were to give you $1440 a day everyday for the rest of your life?
One stipulation: you have to spend it all each day there are no leftovers, no saving it for the future. It is either spent today or lost. You choose each day how you will spend it, but you must spend it all. Would you tithe? It would be easy to give 144 a day if you knew every day you were going to get 1440. If you did that you would have 1296 left to spend on anything you wanted.
Now what if I gave you another stipulation for the money? To sleep or eat you have to pay me a dollar a minute. So as an average person you probably sleep and eat for about 480 minutes a day so that would leave you with $816 a day to spend. That’s a lot. Since you like work I’ll let you work, but it will cost you as well a dollar a minute. Which means you will probably spend 550 dollars a day to work. You still have $266 a day to live on. Could you do it? That is still more than 70k a year on a five day work week. That is still after you have tithed 144 a day. How cool is that? If you were to consider the amount left over for everyday of the year it is 97k+. Think you could make it then?
525600 is the amount of minutes you will have to invest this year. You are given 1440 minutes a day. So how do you plan on spending them this year? Could you tithe them by investing in your relationship with God? Even if you were to have 4+hours left over each day after sleeping and eating for 8 and working for 9 hours a day tithing just over 2 hours a day?
What is the value of time? Consider that we waste it, kill it, use it, spend it, wish it would speed up and slow down. We look back and wonder where it went and we look ahead hoping it will arrive.
Make the most of your time: Buy up all that is anywhere to be bought and do not allow a suitable moment to pass by unheeded but make it your own. Do you sense the urgency? Time is important and is not meant to be killed, or wasted. It is meant to be used for the purposes of making the most of it.
If you had to buy time would there be any difference in how you spend it? Would the days of our lives be used more wisely? What if you had to pay in advance $60 an hour for the time allotted to you? Would you waste it? The answer should be obvious.
So how do you plan on using your 525600 minutes this year? Make it manageable how do you plan on spending your 1440 minutes today? How about tomorrow?
How you use your time speaks about your life in Christ! It tells us where you are in relationship to Him. Do you use it wisely?
Paul says walk carefully!
There is purpose, direction and intent to life. Life is not aimless, nor is it a series of frenzied activities followed by down time. It is the steady progress toward the goal. How you invest the 1440 minutes given to you each day should be based upon some established goal. But if you are like most people it is an unspoken, probably not clearly defined goal that you may be embarrassed to actually share if you were to make it clear. Most of us have shown and expressed by how we spend our time what is most important to us. The goal may be unspoken and not clear, but it drives us. It is the collection of stuff for the hope of a moment to relax and enjoy that stuff. We spend our time for the purpose of pleasure, whether now or in the future. We live for the moments of enjoyment of our stuff and our time. Is it wise?
As an average American you will spend nearly 20 years of your life working. The amount of time you spend on your job will amount to 20 years. 23 years will be spent sleeping. 9 years will be spent on TV and other amusements. 7.5 years spent dressing and personal care including exercise. 6 years will be spent eating and 6 more traveling. You will spend 5 years of your life waiting in lines at the bank, stores, theaters, sporting events, the post office, etc. You will spend 1 year searching for lost items like keys, the TV remote and your glasses, eight months opening junk mail, six months waiting at stoplights, and 6 months in worship and praying if you are an average American. If you are like most Christians you will spend between 1 and 2 years in worship/praying/ spiritual life. This is in an average of about 80 years of life.
Where is our greatest investment? Pleasure activities account for more time than spiritual activities. But you don’t understand I don’t have the time to give an hour a day to God stuff let alone 2 hours. It’s a lie folks, we are all given the same amount of time each day. The question is not the amount it is where we are choosing to invest it! What is most important in your life will get your best time.
Be careful how you walk not as unwise, but as wise making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
When Christians speak of discerning the will of the Lord they usually mean major decisions like who will I marry or what will be my career choice. This is not what the text is about. The text is more concerned about God’s intent for the way we live every day, about what is pleasing to him. Perhaps we would not have so much trouble in finding God’s will for important decisions if we were more accustomed to discerning his will throughout life, making our lives conform to the pattern Christ has given us.
What is God’s will? Your salvation! Your Sanctification! Godly relationships! A thankful attitude!

What are we going to do with the 525600 minutes of the year as a church?
God’s voice: Concerted prayer effort. Sat. 10 pm crew what happened, what will it take for us to do it again? Altar prayer life.
Purpose: Unity in the church. Growth in spirit, numbers, passion, life changing results, outreach opportunities, each of us sharing God’s love with others in a real way, service a priority to those who need it, kids, youth, mens, womens, café, Sunday school, small groups, cindy ronny, kurt, Andrew, nursery, summer series creatives, the opportunities are endless.
Make the most of your time.
So how will you invest your time this year?
1440 minutes a day, 10,080 minutes a week, 43,200 minutes a month, 525,600 minutes this year. How will it be invested?
“Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Mary: God is looking for the available and obedient

Have all young ladies age 12-14 stand.
? Can these few change the world?
Of course we believe they can. Why? Because we know our kids are some of the smartest, strongest greatest people to ever live. They live in a time when every opportunity is afford them and they are the best trained most well-equipped people ever. But is it possible that all of that though great in the world’s eye is what could be hindering them and us from receiving God’s honor and best in our lives? Is it possible God is not looking for our greatness?
Consider that all of God’s great people have been weak people who did great things for God because they counted on His being with them; they counted on His faithfulness rather than their strength.
Luke 1:26-38
What is it about Mary that makes her worthy to be chosen of God? List any of her credentials. She is a young girl with little education, few job skills, even fewer opportunities for greatness she lives in a backwater hick town that is not known for producing greatness. People aren’t looking for the next great thing from Nazareth. There is little about Mary that is appealing. Her one highlight is her virtue and character. She has little to offer, she is not strong, she has not been told how great she is, she is not the most beautiful, nor is she the smartest. She is an average young teen girl with character. Why in the world would God favor her?
Mary is honored by God not because of her own value or because she has done anything, but simply because she is the chosen vessel for this demonstration of God’s grace.
What you think makes you great or not great is not what brings God’s favor or honor to your life. You’re not able earn or deserve God’s honor. It is something He chooses to give. Your strengths don’t grant you greater ability to be used and useful to God. What God wants is availability.
Mary is the person God unexpectedly chooses to use. She brings few credentials and is the person on the edge of the nation. She brings nothing other than availability. So God puts her to use in His plan, giving her an assignment for which she has no training or preparation. He simply promises to be with her in the journey, and she responds by being willing to go on the ride.
What I want you to get is that this has a little bit to do with Mary, but a ton to do with God. God is not impressed by our spiritual resume of greatness and incredible strength. All of our super abilities and wonderful sense of self esteem are not what God’s looking for. God is looking for a person with character enough to say yes to Him.
Mary’s response reveals her character, “Let it be to me as you have said”. This is not a simple matter. She’s being asked to have a child as a virgin. In saying yes to God, she will become the object of doubt and ridicule. Mary knows she is God’s servant, so she allows God to work through her as He wills. He can place her in any difficult circumstance he desires she knows God is with her.
God shows his greatness by working with anyone who is willing to be used by Him. Spiritual greatness is not a matter of social class, physical beauty, or educational background; it is a function of the heart. God’s approach stands in contrast to the type of credentials our world looks for and honors. God does great things through people who follow Him in complete trust. That means when God leads, you simply reply, “May it be according to your will.”
When God spoke Mary responded, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be according to your word.
God’s grace was extended to Mary and what God desired was her obedience. Her response is significant.
“Behold the bond slave of the Lord” In that time and place this was quite a thing to say. A slave was counted to be less than human. By law, the slave was a piece of merchandise, a piece of property. They had no rights and could own no property. Even his own family did not belong to him. The master had absolute rights over a slave and no one could stop a master from doing with a slave what he wanted. “Behold the bond slave of the Lord” Mary is stating she is dedicated to the Lord’s service. She expresses her willingness to follow God’s leading and to live a life of obedience, availability and willingness.“Behold the bond slave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.”
“Behold, the bond slave of the Lord,” What does this mean? A slave’s calling is to serve the master. He has to devote all of his time, talents, and abilities to the master. Along with service there he includes obedience. A good slave serves the master by being available, obedient, and willing.
God’s challenge to us through Mary is not a challenge to greatness in your ability strengths and power. It is a challenge to availability and obedience. The question that beats at the hearts door from this passage is Am I completely available, completely obedient and completely willing in service to God? Am I willing to do whatever He asks even if it cost me, my comfort, my time, my reputation, my dreams, my future, and requires me to live in my weaknesses? I wonder this morning if maybe you and I have been living it the wrong way at times thinking it was about us more than it was about God? I wonder if you are trying to hard to do something for God rather than just being available to God? Now is a great time to change that in your life.

The Gift.

The Musical was a gift from the kids to you. I trust you enjoyed this morning as much as I have.
Have you ever been the guest of honor when you did nothing to deserve the honor? It is an embarrassing moment.
Elko July 1997: poor, far away from home
Christmas was coming vacation was planned could we make it?
No money for gifts, maybe we could afford the gas down and back and possibly we could afford to eat out once or twice, but it was going to be a tight Christmas.

Nampa 1st church phone call and plans: Dec 5th be there Dec. 4th in the morning please. Also please fill out a questionnaire that tells us about you and what you like.

Struggle with the idea of driving the church van: gas $50 to fill up in elko, in nampa, in elko when we returned. This was when we were trying to figure out how to make it home?

Arrival in nampa with little expectancy and many fears.
First visitor a man who took me to a suit shop in town to be fitted for a suit, then that afternoon a lady came by with a card from her sister who lives in dallas but heard about the day, inside a check for 1k.

That night we arrive at the church, entire stage filled with gifts, 3 eight foot tables filled with food and money tree filled with money. Is there someone else here with us? No this is all for you! JJ open gifts from dec 6th to the 20th everyday and still had gifts left over. Food from food pounding lasted three years. They also gave us a gift of Christmas all year round in which they sent us $250 a month for the year. After we got home there was another card from a doctor in the church who did not want the people to know how much he gave and it included a check for 1k as well. When it was all said and done they gave us over 10k worth of presents, cash and food.
No one in the church knew us. We had not done anything to warrant such an amazing offer. They did it simply because they loved God, and loved people. It was an amazing night, a humbling night. To be the guest of honor and recipient of such amazing love when you have done nothing for it is awesome. How do you ever respond to it? Saying thank you isn’t enough, I’ll never be their pastor to thank them that way, so what do you do? You receive the gifts with complete gratitude, enjoy the gifts and use them to the max.
As amazing a night as that was it pales in comparison to the night of Christmas. When Jesus was given to people who didn’t deserve the gift, but God gave anyway.
John 3:16-18
What do you do with a gift like this? You receive it with complete gratitude enjoy the offer of God and go for it to the max!
God offers us through Jesus a gift far greater than 10k worth of stuff that is now mostly gone. He offers us life that never ends. I wonder if being the guest of honor when you don’t deserve it has kept you from receiving the gift. Or maybe it is the incredible sense of obligation you feel you will incur at the reception of the gift. It is worth it, why not this Christmas enjoy Christmas the way it is meant to be enjoyed?

Christmas message on Joseph

Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph the silent man of Christmas there is no record of any spoken word from the man. If you think about Joseph he is a minor player in a major drama. He is a bit actor in the greatest story ever told. He is an extra in the drama of Christmas even the Shepherds are recorded saying more than Joseph. When nativity scenes are set up for the season Joseph is one of the last placed and possibly the first knocked over wrapped up and put away for next year. He is an average person in greatest story of all time. He is just like us and nothing like us.

Trans: Joseph just may be the most important unimportant person there is.

The only word we are certain he is credited with is Jesus. Vs 25. We are not certain how he communicated this did he say it, write it, gesture it? Not one word comes before or after “Joseph said.” Talk about a minor role no spoken parts. Joseph is mentioned up to the time when Jesus as a young boy stayed behind in the temple. When Jesus launches into ministry Joseph disappears. Not one line to his credit. Joseph is an extra in the Christmas drama.
Or is He?
When Joseph and Mary were engaged it created a legal binding agreement between them. Mary would veil her face from the day of the engagement until the day of the wedding celebration. She is signifying to the world she is pledged to be married. During the engagement Joseph would prepare a home for her while she would get ready for their wedding day. We know happens next. Mary ends up pregnant. We’re privy to the miracle of God. Poor Joseph doesn’t know. The rest of the town, Mary’s family no one knows this but Mary. Elizabeth knows Mary’s pregnant and there is something special happening. But they are stuck seeing this from a human perspective. She’s pregnant and we all know how that happens.
To be engaged and pregnant is big trouble. Deut 22:20, 21, 23, 24
Joseph has the right and some would say the obligation to have Mary stoned to death. It is obvious how you become pregnant. She is pregnant so therefore the law says stone her to death. Think about it the extra Joseph is actually going to play a major part in this drama. Mary and her baby could end up dead if Joseph doesn’t intercede.
What would do if you were in Joseph’s place? Would your first thought be how can I protect and bless the one who has obviously violated our covenant and commitment?
This is where we find a secret about silence. Quite possibly why Joseph is attributed no words. How does a man who has had his heart broken his pledge mocked find the strength to care for and seek the best for the one who did this?
We know this about Joseph. He was righteous, merciful, contemplative and obedient. He was a good man; and therefore inclined to be merciful as God is, and to forgive as one that was forgiven. After a season of contemplation he can see no other way than to put her away secretly. He’s protecting Mart and the child even though it appears she has sinned against him. Mercy flows from silence. In the silence and deep contemplation Joseph is able to move past the pain to consider Mary and how to protect her.
It is when Joseph has come to the end of his ability to consider anything more than quiet divorce that God meets him. Isn’t it like God to meet us when we come to the end of ourselves? Where does God meet Joseph? In the silence! In those moments of contemplative thought and silence God finally speaks.
It is quite possible that all four of the gospel writers record no words from Joseph to challenge us to make silence a part of our lives.

Trans: I can hear what you are thinking. Silence during this season; are you nuts? I am busier than ever and doing more than ever. There is no time to sit still be quiet and think deeply.

I hear you. Silence is not my favorite idea during this season either. Is it possible we’ve missed something in our lives because they are filled with the empty noise of busyness? Are we missing the God’s whisper?
Before you make up your mind consider some of the benefits silence affords us. If we are people who say the very first thoughts and feelings we miss opportunities for deeper consideration. Think about the miracle we would have missed if Joseph was spoke his first thoughts and feelings. Imagine a world without Christmas. In the silence Joseph was able to consider the situation and at the end of his thinking he meets God and is given the bigger picture. Is it possible we miss God’s bigger picture? Is it possible by forsaking silence and contemplation we miss some amazing miracles of God in our lives? Could we miss Christmas the celebration of God with us?
Silence and contemplation allows us to discipline our tongues as well. Know anyone who needs that?
Silence and contemplation allows us to do deep soul-searching resulting in spiritual growth and development so we can be like Jesus.
The problem with silence and contemplation is we have to deal with who we are. This is the scary side of silence and contemplation we are revealed as we are and God reveals Himself as He is. It’s scary to see ourselves as we are in the light of who God is. That fear has driven many of us into busy white noise filled lives. A white noise life keeps us safe for a moment, but puts us in danger of missing the miraculous.
The challenge:
During these weeks of the Christmas season I challenge you find some moments of silence for contemplation. Before you speak, act, and before you race off into life be silent and listen for God so you don’t miss the miraculous this Christmas. Silence can be found in the car turn off the radio, at home if you leave the TV off, or as you steal a moment to get out of the noise.
Take some time for silence and contemplation. Listen for the voice of God.
Conclusion:
One righteous person who takes time in silence and contemplation + God’s voice = greatest miracle of all time for the world. Joseph is an average person an extra in the drama of Christmas and because of his silent contemplation and obedience to God’s voice – Christmas!
What could happen with average people like us? Christmas! God with US! Let’s not miss Him this year.

Christmas messages sorry for the laxity in posting over the fall

The initial idea and much of my source material comes from the incredible teacher Ray Vander Laan and his great videos "That the World May Know" Check them out you will be greatly blessed.
Herod? I am not sure what you think about Herod when you hear his name. But it probably rates right up there with other infamous people. Your first thought is all the babies he must have killed in Bethlehem.
There is something more to this man.
Matthew 2:1
Herod’s building plan: Did you know that Herod was instrumental in building an amazing fortress and palace at Jericho, Masada, and near Bethlehem. He built an incredible palace in Caesarea along with a huge theater. He also rebuilt the temple and did incredible building in Jerusalem. The man was an incredible builder and engineer. He built the largest swimming pools in the middle east at the time. The temple in Jerusalem was the one of the largest enclosed buildings in the world. His palace at Caesarea had a fresh water swimming pool that extended 100 yards into the ocean. He built an incredible sea port at Caesarea. The guys was phenomenal. Near Bethlehem he built the Herodian which was an incredible fortress palace. To see some of the pictures of the ruins of this time check out community.gospelcom.net
The fortress palace called the Herodian was an incredible structure that dominated the scenery around Bethlehem. Herod had a huge palace fortress built and then built a mountain around it. It is awesome and would overshadow everything in the area. All built by herod and his money. Herod had captured the spice trade of the time. He was a shrewd businessman as well as builder. He was a visionary and powerful leader. He let nothing stand in his way of accomplishing what he desired and was willing to take anyone out who stood in his way. He was an awesome man with incredible skills.
Jesus birth and entrance in comparison to Herod> While Herod is sitting in an incredibly powerful fortress/palace at the Herodian Jesus is being born in a manger down in the little backwater town of Bethlehem. The manger was not some neat nice clean place. It would be most likely a cave with inches of soot on the roof and possibly feet of manure on the ground. Inside were the sick and decrepit of the animals. It was not the most appealing or amazing place to be born. Especially while the king of the earth is sitting in an amazing palace.
Challenge: can you take Jesus as King when Herod is so overwhelmingly amazing? Can you accept a king in a manger when the present ruler is in an awesome palace?
Herod’s background (Herod is from Idumea making him an edomite which means he is related to the Israelites. Genesis 25:21-24 “Isaac pleaded with the LORD to give Rebekah a child because she was childless. So the LORD answered Isaac’s prayer, and his wife became pregnant with twins. But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. And the LORD told her, “The sons in your womb will become two rival nations. One nation will be stronger than the other; the descendants of your older son will serve the descendants of your younger son.” From Esau comes the Edomites of which Herod is one.
Edom=evil Herod being an edomite is representative king of evil. He is the king of wickedness while Jesus is being born in this humble place as the king of Righteousness.
It would appear that the king of evil has won the day as he sits in the powerful fortress while the king of righteousness is being born in a lowly stink pit in a backwater no place town. How can the shepherds, wisemen and people of Israel choose Him over Herod? What an incredible challenge to their understanding of the way things appear versus the way things are.
Challenge to us is can we live for Jesus as our king when all around us it seems as though evil is winning the day?
God has a promise for them and for us.
Obadiah 21 “Deliverers will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to rule over the mountains of Edom. And the LORD himself will be king!” Obadiah 2-4 “The LORD says, “I will cut you down to size among the nations, Edom; you will be small and despised. You are proud because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. ‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’ you ask boastfully. Don’t fool yourselves! Though you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
Revelation 21:1-8 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband.
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his
people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making all things new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars—their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Can you choose Jesus as King even though it appears the world and evil are winning the day?

Which came first the chicken or the egg? Myth 3 in the summer Bible Mythbusters series

Check out www.kdve.com/Nazarene.htm and watch the video for myth three before reading.

Colossians 1:15-20, Genesis 1:20-23
Evolution slide (progression of man not from ape to man based on science but based on watching as we try to get up and moving after a hard days work.)
Which came first the chicken or the egg? The question is a matter of identity for humanity. Are we the special creation of God or the fortunate masters of the universe by a random act?
The answer determines how we live. If we are a special creation then we have God to answer to. If not then we are free to do what we desire and want. The passage in Colossians tells us that God through Jesus has created us and through Him has done what is needed to redeem us from our sins. And He claims to have priority over our lives. If He created the world then we are under obligation to value life as He values life. If not then we are free to view all people through the lens of their value to society and our lives. Inconvenient then get rid of them. Socially, monetarily, ethically draining we can remove them because well survival of the fittest as long as it is ethically and socially acceptable remove them.
Struggles with the beginning:
How did it all get here? Something has to be eternal. Is matter eternal? If not then how did matter come to be that we might come to be? Something is eternal, either the creator, or creation. Something does not come from nothing unless you have a Creator who is overall.
Big Bang theory: (Special watch)
It just existed and came to be this way: (Special microphone)
Creation exhibits for us the reality of a special design. The intricacies of creation are too incredible for chance.
Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
F = Fossil Record: The fossil record does not support evolution, but does support creation of each animal after its kind. There are no transitional forms found in the fossil record. Dr. E. J. H. Corner of Cambridge University says, “to the unprejudiced, the fossil record of plants is in favor of special creation.” “Evolution in Contemporary Botanical Thought, eds. Anna M. Macleod and L.S. Cobley, Oliver and Boyd, for the Botanical Society of Edinburg, 1961, P. 97
“The evolutionary origin of birds is largely a matter of deduction. There is no fossil evidence of the stages through which the remarkable change from reptile to bird was achieved.” W.E. Swinton, “The Origin of Birds,” Chapter 1 in Biology and Comparative Physiology of Birds, A.J. Marshall, ed., Vol I (New York: Academic Press, 1960),p.1
But what about the fossils for early man?
A= Ape men Ape men have been proven each time to not be what they were initially considered. Consider Neanderthal man is now known to be human. Java-man, has been shown to be a fraud. They were average ape bones that had the teeth filed down and other special work done to them. Peking man was found in a cave along with some tools. At first we believed they were half monkey half man creatures that first used tools. After more study we know they were monkeys who had the tools used on them so people could eat their brains. Nebraska man was a great find that showed the missing link. Nebraska man was a tooth from an extinct pig. Lucy the famous little chimp/human cross has been proven to be a chimpanzee that had been injured thus the unique leg bones. The missing link is still missing.
C= Chance: The statistical probability of our universe forming as it is by chance is statistically impossible. Professor of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin James Crow writes: “…mutants would usually be detrimental. For a mutation is a random change of a highly organized reasonably smoothly functioning living body. A random change in the highly integrated system of chemical processes which constitute life is almost certain to impair it – just as a random interchange of connections in a television set is not likely to improve the picture.” James Crow, “Genetic Effects of Radiation” Bulletin of Atomic Sciences, 14 (1958) p 19-20
The evolutionist says billions of years were needed to develop our world. But is the universe billions of years old?
Evolutionists generally use five different methods in determining the age of matter: salt content in the oceans, deposition of sediments, rate of soil erosion, disintegration of radioactive materials, and Libby’s Carbon 14 experiment. Problems can be found with all of these methods the biggest problem is the method they ignore the study of half lives.
Consider the following information: The sun is continuously burning out at a rate of 5 feet per hour. This means that the sun would have been twice the size that it is now only 100,000 years ago! Only 20,000,000 years ago, the sun would have been so large that it would be touching the earth!
Interplanetary dust falls upon the earth at a rate of at least 14 million tons per year. Evolutionists claim that the planets are at least 4.5 billion years old. Meaning there should be a layer of space dust on the moon 500’ thick. However, less than three inches of dust were found.
The half-life of the earth’s magnetic field is believed to be less than 1400 years. 1400 years ago the earth’s magnetic field was twice as strong as it is today. 10,000 years ago the earth would have a magnetic field as strong as the sun! What it would have been like 4.5 billion years ago? © 1994 James L. Melton
It’s good chance it didn’t happen that way.
E=Empirical Science cannot be used to prove the theory of evolution. In fact many of the laws of the universe directly contradict what evolution teaches. C.S. Lewis said “In the whole history of the universe the laws of nature have never produced a single event. They are the pattern to which every event must conform, provided only that it can be induced to happen.” A billiard ball hitting another billiard ball follows the law of Physics, but those laws did not set the ball in motion; someone with a cue did. “The laws are the pattern to which events conform; the source of the events must be sought elsewhere.” “The Laws of Nature” in Undecptions: Essays on Theology and Ethics, ed. Walter Hooper (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1971) 53-54
In other words, the meaning of the universe can only be found outside of creation. Christians can have some understanding of its purposes only because of their knowledge in Christ, who is beyond creation yet within it.
Conclusion: The Bible says, God created the Chicken first not the egg and we can tell He created a mature universe from what He says at Creation; “be fruitful and multiply.” Only mature animals and humanity can do that. Reality is though we cannot prove either evolution or creation by scientific method. None of us were there and we are incapable of creating something from nothing and science has not been able to duplicate evolution either. The best we can do is see what exists and by faith make our choice. The issue is a matter of faith. Where do you place your faith? Is that faith in a loving God who created or in the by chance mutation of evolution?