Preacher Paul's Blogs

  This Sunday we will reflect on Hebrews 11:1, where we are told that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith does not mean having all the answers, knowing how the story will end, or believing that everything will always work out the way we want. Sometimes faith means standing at a place in life where we cannot see what comes next and choosing to trust God anyway. Hebrews reminds us that our faith is grounded in the God who has been faithful before, the God we have come to know in Jesus Christ, and the God who remains with us even when the way ahead is hidden from view.  As you prepare for worship this week, consider:  Where in your life are you being asked to trust God without knowing what comes next?  What has God done in the past that gives you reason to trust God today?

What comes to mind when you hear the word holy? For many of us, holiness may sound like something reserved for saints, monks, or Mother Teresa.  Those who seem to have everything figured out. Yet in 1 Peter 1:14–16, the call to “be holy” is given to ordinary followers of Christ trying to live faithfully in an ordinary and sometimes difficult world. This Sunday, we will consider what Peter means by holiness and what that calling might mean for the way we live today.  As you read 1 Peter 1:14–16 this week, consider:  What does it mean for you to be holy,  and what difference should that make in your everyday life?

  This Sunday we will turn to Lamentations 3:22-23 and one of Scripture’s hopeful promises: “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, God’s mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  What makes these words so powerful is that they were not born out of an easy season, but out of devastation and loss. Yet even among the ruins, the writer of Lamentations could still see that God was not finished. Every morning brings new mercy, but it also brings a day we have never lived before, with new people to meet, new opportunities to serve, new blessings to receive, and new work God may be calling us to do.  As you read Lamentations 3:22-23 this week, consider these questions:  What new mercy might God be placing before you today?  What might change if you began each morning believing that some of God’s best gifts for your life may still be ahead of you?

This Sunday we will revisit the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden from Genesis 3:8–13. While we often think of this passage as being only about the first sin, it is also about the first excuse. Instead of accepting responsibility, Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent, and the blame game begins.  We'll explore what this story reveals about our own lives, why confession is so much more powerful than excuses, and how God's grace meets us when we honestly admit our need for forgiveness.  As you prepare for worship, read Genesis 3:8–13 and ask yourself:  When am I tempted to blame others instead of taking responsibility for my own actions?   What might change in my relationship with God if I replaced excuses with honest confession?

This Sunday we will reflect on one of Jesus' familiar teachings: "I am the light of the world," and the call to let that light shine through our lives. Together we will explore what it means to receive the light of Christ and to reflect that light through love, mercy, compassion, and faithful discipleship in our everyday lives.  This week, I invite you to ponder these questions:  Where is Christ calling your light to shine in your daily life?  How can someone catch a glimpse of Christ through your words and actions this week?

This Sunday, our Summer Destinations series takes us to a house on Straight Street in Damascus, where Ananias is sent to meet Saul, the very man he has every reason to fear. In “Brother Saul,” we will see that Saul was certain he was serving God, while Ananias was certain Saul did not belong. Yet God interrupts both of their certainty and calls Ananias to welcome Saul as a brother before Saul has done anything to earn that welcome. This story asks us to consider whether we are doing the work of Jesus or simply protecting our own need to be right.  I invite you to ponder these two questions this week as you read Acts 9:1–19:  Whose work are you doing, Jesus’ work or your own?  When you decide who belongs, whose best interest do you truly have at heart: another person’s or your own?

  This week we continue our Summer Destinations journey with Abram in Genesis 12:1-9 and a sermon titled “Destination: TBA.” Most of us like to know where we are going before we begin a trip. We want the route planned, the reservations made, and the details settled. Yet God called Abram to leave everything familiar and begin a journey without knowing the final destination. Abram stepped forward, not because he had all the answers, but because he trusted the God who called him. Along the way, Abram discovered that faith is not always about seeing the entire road ahead.  Sometimes faith is simply trusting God enough to take the next step. As you read this week’s scripture and prepare for worship, consider these questions:  Where might God be calling you to take a step of faith without knowing every detail?  What promise of God helps you keep walking when the road ahead feels uncertain?