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Sermon Note Sundays: Flow

December 11, 2011 in love of God, sermon note sunday, spiritual gifts, the Body of Christ with 0 Comments

Today’s service at the Heart of Mesa was beautiful from start to finish. I love all Sundays, but the memory of this one will linger in my heart.

I love it when we start off a service with a baptism…especially when the person being baptized is full-grown.

About a year ago, Ryan came to our Celebrate Recovery program a broken man and an atheist. Through the loving acceptance of Believers at Celebrate Recovery and miraculous expressions of love from God, Ryan became convinced  that God not only exists but also lives to have relationship with us.

We all held our breath until Ken got Ryan up out of the water. Kind of a size difference. :)

The music helped our worship rise like rich incense to the heart of God. I love how my sweetie connected “Forever” and “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.”  When the Christ Child uttered His first cry, it was a divine announcement of God’s forever faithfulness.

During the family prayer time, Pastor Gary asked us to join hands and spend time in prayer for our upcoming Christmas outreach event for shut-ins connected with our church.

I left the platform and took the hand of Cheryl, our youth minister’s wife. Shortly before the end of the prayer time, she had to head up to the platform to sing the special music. She took my hand and placed it into a teen-aged girl’s hand to keep our prayer circle connected.

The moment my hand joined hers, I heard God speak. I swear, it was almost audible. Love this girl. Invest in this girl. Support this girl.

After hearing from the Lord so clearly during the prayer time, I almost laughed when Pastor Gary started his sermon on using our God-given giftings to demonstrate His love and build up the Body of Christ.

He took us to 1 Peter 4:7-11:

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

As Believers, we are given spiritual gifts God intends for us to use to build up the Body of Christ. We are the Body of Christ, so lovingly using our gifts to build up the Body is the epitome of “love your neighbor as yourself.”

When we refuse to use our Holy Spirit-given gifts, we are essentially saying, “I don’t love the Body of Christ.”

It’s all about His love flowing through us.

Above all, love fervently.

The word “fervently” is the same word used to describe a galloping horse or a runner pushing to reach the finish line.

No half-hearted, haphazard love is gonna cut it. God’s love is a free-flowing current, not a dried up stream or stagnant puddle.

God’s love makes the first move and holds nothing back.

A love that covers a multitude of sins.

God’s love flowing through His people is an outstretched love veiling the shortcomings of others.

It’s not about another’s worthiness. It’s about His worthiness.

It’s about His sparing love that says, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”

We’ve all received that sparing love, and the same variety is in us to extend to others through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grumble-free hospitality.

To be hospitable is to welcome strangers…even when are really are sorta strange.

To pull them into the fold causing them to feel as if they have found ”home.”

Relishing in the opportunity to love, we embrace the differences and even the irritations that come with loving people not like us.

Rather than let others irritate us to the point of grumbles, eye rolling, and loud sighs, let’s think about irritations from the point of view of the oyster.

Pearls are the result of irritation you know. Just think what would happen to this world if we allowed our irritations to refine us instead of repulse us? Mother of pearl! It would be a beautiful thing!

Using our spiritual gifts by the power of the Spirit.

God desires for us to meet people where they are and love them in our own unique way.

When we allow the Spirit to empower our gifts, there’s nothing our loving service can’t do!

When we minister to others, we are like table waiters anticipating their needs.

All Believers are stewards of our God-given gifts. The question is…are you are good steward or a bad one? Do you wake up each morning ready to love, to serve, and to allow God’s power to course through your words and actions?

Our gifts are not our own. God entrusted them to us, and He expects us to use them wisely, liberally, and in His power.

When we use our giftings in our own strength, we will be like a firework that starts off strong and then fizzles before the big kaboom.

But when we use our giftings in the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, we light up the lives of those we encounter in an awe-inspiring way.

Know your gifts and get busy using them!

If you don’t know your gifts, you can know them in no time! Just start serving and prayerfully watch how God uses you. Pay attention to the service that makes you feel the most alive. Ask your church family for insight. They may see your giftings at work even when you don’t.

Lord,

Empower us to be the best possible stewards of the gifts You’ve given us. Give us hearts that relish in the opportunity to be a free-flowing river of Your love…your fervent, outstretched, hospitable love. As we live our lives, may our words and actions quote Your heart and build up the Body of Christ.

In the loving name of Jesus, I pray, AMEN

Ashes and I-Pods

August 2, 2011 in answered prayer, family, love of God with 4 Comments

Amidst my Thursday morning rush, my sister called. The news wasn’t good.

Wednesday night, a fire broke out in our Aunt Venia’s Mississippi home. Extensive smoke damage. Two bedrooms and bathrooms destroyed.

Clueless, Aunt Venia was completing a 12-day Alaskan cruise with her sister…our mom.

We can’t tell her until she gets back…it’ll upset her too badly.

Thoughts swirled over Aunt Venia’s possible reaction.

She’ll be crushed over losing all the pictures of Uncle Joe…his blazers hanging in the closet…the bed they shared.

The destroyed guest room contained so many memories. Pictures of Granny and Paw. Solemn-faced family pictures from the early 1900′s. Portraits of war heroes who share our family tree.  

I sent out the alert. Pray for my auntie to take the news well, to keep the loss in perspective, to focus on the blessings.

God heard us. On the airplane home, Aunt Venia made small talk with the gentleman beside her. He asked her about her children.

I don’t have any children of my own, but my nieces and nephews are like children to me. They’re always there for me.

Little did she know her nieces and nephews were taking care of her at that very moment.

Local ones got her rent house habitable. They made sure the dogs and cats were safe. They made initial calls to the insurance adjuster.

My sister and niece drove to Jackson to pick her up at the airport and break the news. Sometimes, I’m sure my sister hates being the strong one.

Karla and I both feared Aunt Venia would fall apart. A brittle diabetic, stress always throws her blood sugar into a tail spin.

But you know what? She took the news just fine. When I spoke to her Friday afternoon, she said to me:

Lee, I’ve talked to the Lord about this. I may not ever understand why He let this happen, but I know He had a reason. I have to believe that. I have to focus on that.

Such faith from my auntie who’s more like a momma. My worry wart auntie choosing to trust.

In my Sunday morning rush, the phone rang again. This time, it was my cousin Kathy in Knoxville. Sobs rattled her chest. Anna has run away. She was home for her birthday, and now she’s gone. We’ve looked everywhere. Please pray.

The adopted only child of Kathy and Les, Anna has been away at a residential therapy center to help her deal with myriad problems.

 She turned 18 this weekend. Her parents can no longer force her to receive help. She must make the decision.

I prayed with my broken-hearted cousin over the phone. For peace and protection. For intervention and insight. For resolution and recovery.

I shot out a prayer plea on Twitter and Facebook. My cousin Anna has run away. Please pray she runs smack-dab into the arms of Christ.

This morning, Kathy called again. The steadiness of relief replaced the shakiness of sobs.

Anna came home. She spent all night and all day loitering around Wal-Mart. Employees talked to her, fed her a meal, and kept an eye on her. She sat on the employee break bench for hours trying to decide what to do. “Should I go home or call my old running buddies?” Off and on she listened to her i-pod. Blaring sounds from her favorite bands provided a little distraction.

Then it happened. In the midst of her rock music, the soothing words of an old chorus serenaded Anna’s conflicted soul.

Oh, how He loves you and me! Oh, how he loves you and me! He gave His life, what more could He give. Oh, how He loves you. Oh, how He loves me. Oh, how He loves you and me.

Anna didn’t put that song on her i-pod.

Not only do her parents not have a clue how to use an i-pod, they don’t own a copy of that song.

There’s only one explanation. Anna Katherine Johnston ran smack-dab into the arms of Jesus.

Do you have glory bumps right now? I do!

God is so sweet. So sweet.

A new week is here.

Aunt Venia has months of rebuilding and clean-up ahead.

Anna has decisions to make about her future and her healing.

I ask you, my bloggy prayer partners, please pray for my auntie and my Anna. That Jesus will hold them and point them toward truth and hope and joy. That He will heal their wounds and use the scars to remind them of His healing hand. That His mercies will be new every morning.

Lord, You’re just plain wonderful. Oh, how You love us! And I love You!

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