West Cobb Sermon Blog

Do you remember when “grow up” was a popular insult? As a kid, that was an argument-ender. There was no comeback to “grow up”? But what if “grow up” were an encouragement?

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

What if we really treated each other like that? What if we really sought to serve each other with this on our hearts? What would people say about our church, the church as a whole? This is what should accompany the name of Jesus. This is what has the power to turn the world upside down with His message. It’s childish to attempt to serve with any other motives.

I hear God today gently pulling me along. “You need to grow up a little here, a little less pride there, more about others here, be more protecting there.” Following him in that is how I get to a love that lasts forever. Now, why can’t I find that on a Hallmark card?

What were you challenged or encouraged by today in 1 Corinthians 13?

Make sure you check out the comments from yesterday’s post. Ken gave a little update from Belarus, and he talked about the humility of the pastors he trains while he’s there. Thanks, Ken, for keeping up with us, and giving us a peek into what you’re doing over there.

How can these two verses go together:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

I think that we must misunderstand the first verse to believe that it means that the list of difficulties in the second verse will never happen to us. God doesn’t just make life perfectly rosy for those who follow him. But he does work to meet us in our deepest darkness and bring his light of hope for our good. And sometimes, that hope just might be that neither what we face today nor whatever trial comes our way tomorrow can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

What direction did God take your heart from today’s reading?

So here’s the point today:

What you set your mind on determines your mindset, and your mindset determines your direction.

Pretty simple when you think about it…if you are focused on the here and now, the here and now is all you get. When it’s gone, it’s gone. We end up trapped in the rat race of pleasing ourselves, obsessed with the desires of the present. And the best reward we can get is a shiny casket and a plot with a view. A pretty wretched plight.

But if you focus on God’s Spirit, and what he desires, you can taste a life that lasts long after a final heartbeat; you can experience peace that frees you from the cycle of self-absorption. When this life’s done, it’s only the beginning. Even better, having a Holy Spirit mindset opens doors today for you to walk in a totally different direction, to live a different kind of life, to be a different kind of person, to be one who reflects the light of Jesus Christ in a world that is lost in the here and now.

That’s why I love what we’re doing with Rooted so much. We are daily refocusing our mind on the Spirit of God through the Word of God, and each day is an opportunity for our mindset to be transformed. Every day is a step towards a new direction…real life and lasting peace.

What transformed your thinking today from this passage?

I got two letters last week from my homeowners’ association about my yard. Truthfully, it made me a little upset for quite a few reasons, and as I rolled through the reasons again in my head the other day, it hit me. I’m mad because I’m wrong. The neighborhood has a very clear set of rules that we all have to live by, kind of a forced “love your neighbor” sort of thing. I didn’t follow the rules, and they reminded me about my responsibilities.

You know, I had always thought that righteousness was living by the rules, just doing what God said, following the list of do’s and don’ts. Today’s reading says that the law of God makes us conscious of our sin. It is not a prescription for righteousness; it’s a reminder of our rebellion. Righteousness actually has more to do with our relationship with God. Loving God gives us a love for living the right way. Enjoying our faith in God takes us down the pathway prescribed in the God’s commands. Kind of like really loving your neighbor leads to doing the things that are in your covenants.

I guess this means I can return the pink exterior house paint to Lowe’s.

What’s God showing you today?

I saw something last night that I’m not sure I’ve seen in a while. It looked to me like Peyton Manning was rattled by the pressure in the final minutes of the Super Bowl. I really couldn’t believe it! Peyton is usually so smooth and steady, and it was so uncharacteristic to see him stumble when we’ve become accustom to seeing him shine in those moments (sorry Colts fans). But c’mon who didn’t love seeing Drew Brees holding his son, cherishing one of the greatest moments a father could have. Priceless!

Anyway, I am feeling the pressure this week as I take the helm of the WCC blog, but I’m just excited to get the opportunity to share my heart with you this week! What really jumped out at me today was that God is…well…God. He is steady even when we are unsteady. He is perfect under pressure. He has it all together even when we’re a mess. The crazy part is that he steps into the middle of that mess, and he weaves our mess into a masterpiece of his faithfulness.

Where has your faith come up short today? What lies are you listening to this morning? What temptation has caught your attention this morning? God is ready to step into your mess, ready to be steady in your storm, ready to be perfect in your pressure, ready to step into your mess and start weaving it into his masterpiece.

What is God teaching you today?

Conceited. Interesting word for Paul.  In this chapter, he’s saying… ‘even with ALL he horrible things that have happened to me, I still struggle with conceit, so I have a continual issue that reminds me of my weakness.’

Conceit is almost impossible to see in the mirror.  That’s why it’s so tricky.  We see it in others, but miss it in ourselves.  It’s affects are devastating, though, especially to people who are close to us.  And God cares about us (and them) enough, to keep us from becoming too conceited.

Funny, huh?  We resent humbling times and events, but they’re really a gift from the Holy Spirit.  They’re one of the advantages of being a Christ follower.  And even though we may resent the ‘thorns in the flesh’, something tells me that the people who are closest to us appreciate them.

What’s God teaching you?

If you’ve ever had a day where you started off behind and didn’t make time to read the Bible & pray, then you know what my day’s been like.  Sorry.  It’s just been one of those days for me.  I’m stopping and SOAPing my passage right now.

So I guess the today’s devotional thought is… Better Late Than Never.

In the meantime, what’s God teaching you?

I was blown away by a paragraph that I read the other day from a book by Gary Moon….

“It was a favorite theme of CS Lewis that only lazy people work hard. By lazily abdicating the essential work of deciding and directing, establishing values and setting goals, other people do it for us; then we find ourselves frantically, at the last minute, trying to satisfy a half-dozen different demands on our time, none of which is essential to our vocation, to stave off disappointing someone.  This theme is perhaps best described by Eugene Peterson: ‘I am busy because I am lazy. I indolently let others decide what I will do, instead of resolutely deciding myself.  I let people who do not  understand my work write the agenda for my day’s work because I am too slipshod to write it myself.’ “

As a recovering people-pleaser, these words struck me as odd, but right.  As I reflected on the last few verses of Acts 28, I thought about how focused Paul was.  He loved people and loved God, but Paul let the purpose of God set His daily agenda, not the whims of people.  That’s convicting and freeing for me.  I’m learning this skill, but I’m far from mastering it.  Maybe you could pray for me today.  Pray that I see the difference between the purpose of God and the expectations of people.  Pray that I seek the purpose of God… boldly and without hindrance.

What’s God teaching you?

Do me a favor.  Go back and skim Skeptical1’s posting from yesterday’s blog. I find his approach refreshing and honest.  And I sooooo love his last line.

I am always far less concerned about someone who is venting to God than someone who is holding it all in.  When we hold it all inside of us, we’re dangerous, very dangerous.   Give us time and we’ll explode.  And when the explosion happens, it’s not pretty.  For some, the explosion is outward – spewing on everyone around them.  For others, it’s inward – pulling away from everyone.  Either way, the explosion leaves a wake of hurt.

I love the raw twist that our dialogue has taken.  Keep it up.  Our joys – and our hurts – are important to God. Paul was honest with God.  That’s the first step toward perseverance and hope.

Now, go back and skim that post.  Then, share what God’s teaching you today.

According to psychologists, last week was the “gloomiest week of the year” for Americans.  They say it’s especially gloomy for a combination of reasons – everything from Christmas bills pouring in, to the weather in January.  In the reading today, it’s a gloomy time for Paul, too.  He was arrested and will be taken to Rome, ultimately to die.  Paul knows his time is short.  And even though God uses him during these times, the isolation, loneliness, and lack of visible purpose weighs heavily on him.

Those times can happen to us, too.  There are some people in our church who are in a situation similar to Paul’s – misery and disappointment with no end in sight.  Listen to this post from a wonderful guy in our church.  (His wife has Lupis):

“What’s God teaching you today?”………well this is probably not the kind of response you’re looking for, but lately it seems the lesson has been try and get active in church, just try to “get rooted” and I’m going to let satan kick your teeth in by allowing your spouses health to get even worse, as if almost three DECADES of sickness isn’t enough! I’m sorry, I really am, but that’s where I’m at. I don’t expect anyone to understand or respond. I won’t even be surprised if this is removed from the thread and that’s okay too.

As I watch people like Paul or this man in our church, I’m reminded that life is very hard for people – some far more than others.  It humbles me that I don’t know the answers.  (I can’t even relate to their pain.)  All I know to do is, gather around them, pray for them, and walk with them in their difficult times. (Acts 14:20 w/ liberties)

What is God teaching you?