Sunday School Answers....

Could it be that Satan wants to make things more complicated?  As I teach my  young children gospel truths, I’m reminded how those simple answers are what my soul desperately needs, as well.  "Sunday School answers" are sometimes the best answers. 

Sunday School Answers

A believer experiences an unexpected break-up, and a friend responds, “God works all things for good.”  Another Christian expresses struggles with his or her  family, and their friend answers, “Trust in the Lord.”  And the discouraged follower of Christ becomes frustrated.  They look at their Christian friend and say, “Well, I know that.  Give me something that helps.”  Or, more likely, the truths are never stated.  The basics are just assumed.  After all, people know the Sunday School answers, right?
Certainly we must fight against insensitivity. It’s often appropriate to hold a hand, give a hug, or simply sit in silence.  Most of us don’t want to be preached at in the midst of suffering.  But the basics are truly what we need.  Truth is what comforts us. 

The Simplicity of the Gospel

Jesus taught us that the kingdom belongs to children.  We are to receive him with the faith of a child (Luke 18:16-17).  What’s the answer to monsters under the bed?  God is in control.  How are we comforted when someone teases us at school?  He loves us, and that’s what counts.  What do we do if we find our friends talking behind our backs?  We reflect upon our joy in Christ.  Our need is not for better answers.  It’s for our hearts to embrace the right ones.  Gospel truths are not simplistic.  They are rich and deep.  But they’re simple.
I remember a skit, back in my college ministry days, where three Christians were competing in a game show.  One girl, trying to play the airhead, kept answering “Jesus,” with much enthusiasm, to every question.  Everyone laughed.  But maybe it was our Enemy who was truly laughing.  If he can get us to assume gospel truths, he’s won most of the battle.  If he can get us to mock God’s word, that’s success for him.  In our counseling, in our preaching, and in our evangelism, is “Jesus” our answer?  Are the promises of Scripture our comfort?  If not, we might just need to go back to Sunday School.
This fall at Grace Community Church here in Wasco, we are starting a new avenue of Sunday School. We are meeting as one. All families all ages together. We begin at 9:00am, come check it out and let's get back to the basics.

Random Thoughts From The Bathroom

  Growing up back east my winters were filled with Snow Storms, Ice Storms and freezing rain!! Although snow can be fun for like 48 hrs, it does get really old. After living in Ca for almost 3 yrs now, I would have to say living in a cold environment is crazy!! So my random thought today is this......

Why would people willingly choose to live in a colder climate?

Daily Devotion

Mark 1:35-39

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for." And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.

Nothing is more important for my ministry in the future than my prayer in the present!

Read the verses that precede today's passage, and you'll see that the day before this morning of prayer in Jesus' life was filled with God at work. Jesus' teaching that day had a massive impact on the people in Capernaum, and then the evening was filled with miraculous healing. You might think Jesus would want to sleep in the next morning.
But He woke early and slipped out to pray. His mind was on the ministry he would have in other towns. It would be easy to think that since God worked so powerfully in Capernaum, the same would be true elsewhere. But Jesus knew that God's work through Him would match His prayer life. If God's work through you were to match your prayer life, would He be doing a lot or a little?

Daily Devotion

Psalm 32:3 NIV
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long

Suppression of emotions is a conscious denial of feelings. Those who suppress their emotions ignore their feelings and choose not to deal with them. Suppression is an unhealthy response to your emotions.
King David had something to say about the negative impact of suppressing his feelings in his relationship with God: "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. . . . Let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him" (Psalm 32:3, 6). David is not saying that God takes Himself out of our reach. When extraneous circumstances loom larger to you than God, it will not take long for your emotions to overcome you. When suppressed emotions build up within you like "mighty waters," you won't turn to God. Your emotions will be in control. It's important to open up to God while you can, because if you bottle up your feelings too long, it will disrupt the harmony of your relationship with Him.
David also commented on the impact of suppression on relationships with people: "I said, 'I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle, while the wicked are in my presence.' I was dumb and silent, I refrained every from good; and my sorrow grew worse" (Psalm 39:1, 2).
Don't cover over your emotions. Suppression isn't good for you, for others, or for your relationship with God. God knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, and others can sense that something is wrong, because more is communicated non-verbally than verbally. When the verbal doesn't match the nonverbal, people believe the nonverbal. If we don't accurately express what we believe, people will believe our nonverbal messages about what we believe. Don't leave room for guesswork. Instead, "Speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:25).

Prayer: Lord, I want to live in honest agreement with You and others. Give me the grace to speak the truth in love.

Daily Devotion

Revelation 21:21-27
  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Our eternal future will be totally focused on God Himself!

In this life it's so easy to get distracted from God and to get focused on the temporary things of this world. But in that day God will be the focus and center of all life. The very light of heaven is the glory of God! In that day, how glad we'll be if we can look back and see that we put Him at the center of our lives in this life. And see all the work we did for Him and His Kingdom. What are you doing to share your faith? How have you been living for His Kingdom? Or are you too focused on your little world and becoming popular and having fun? Today make the decision to take a stand and live for God's Kingdom!!

Daily Devotion

First Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to be thankful in everything; it doesn't say be thankful for everything.  There is a distinct difference.  When things go wrong, we are to give thanks to God in the midst of the trouble.

Although all your worldly efforts and pursuits may fail and you're in the worse season of life, you must still praise God for all He has done.  You may not be able to praise God for your circumstances, but you can praise God that He is with you in those circumstances.

Job praised God even at the lowest point of his life. King Jehoshaphat was terrified of the approaching enemy.  Yet he commanded the people to praise God. God saved Israel. When you give thanks, you are in God's will.  He puts everything together in His time and His will. Let's give Him thanks everyday for the way He works in our lives. 

Scripture Reading: Ephesians  5:21-33  

Daily Devotion

Revelation 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
If you will not accept God's forgiveness, you will face God's judgment!
How will your life stand up to the scrutiny of God when the books are opened, revealing your sinful deeds and thoughts and motives? It is a very scary thought, isn't it? Yet it is so much better to face the reality of my need for God and to turn to Him for forgiveness than to ignore it and come to the end of life facing such a terrible day of judgment.