Here is Pastor Karen's devotion today, well worth a read!
Good afternoon!
Are you an expert?
I am always impressed with people who are so dedicated to their jobs that they continually update their skills and knowledge. They utilize training programs, belong to professional trade organizations, read trade magazines, and attend continuing education opportunities. Some may go back and finish degrees or take more technical courses—just so they can do the very best job they can do.
Wouldn’t you want your mechanic to be updated in his skills and knowledge when your new car breaks down or a light starts flashing? He or she has to look up the manual and instructions for your exact model, right? They have to have the right tools. And they have to know how to diagnose the problem using the latest technology.
And this is how it is with Christianity. But you don’t accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, go to church one Sunday and read a chapter of the Bible and suddenly become an expert. It’s something that takes effort and time. Christians have to be continually nourished by the Spirit and the faith community or they will simply stop growing—perhaps even fall away from their calling to serve Him.
And yet, I hear excuses why some people don’t need to read the Bible or pray. They’re too busy. The Bible is too hard. Or they know enough if they know that Jesus died for their sins and they have eternal life.
Some feel that only the pastors need to know Bible and have a personal relationship with Jesus. Or they feel that the one-hour in worship on Sunday morning is all they need to build their faith and live the Christian life.
Well, it is good to go to church every Sunday. That’s an excellent start! But there is more we can do to be spiritually nourished. It’s like saying, “I only feel like drinking milk” when there is a feast set before us in our Bibles—meat, milk, potatoes, vegetables, desserts—way more nourishment for the soul than 15 minutes of a sermon on a Sunday morning.
That’s not how Paul and Peter and all the other apostles thought when they were taking the gospel to the world in our Acts reading today. Being a Christian was a full time job for them and they had to pursue learning and growing in the faith. They had to keep up with what was going on in their world and they had to know the story of Jesus by heart, beginning with the Old Testament that would point to the coming of the Messiah, a descendant of David.
Wherever Paul went on his missionary journeys, he would be asked to tell the story—and it wouldn’t be just, “Jesus died and rose from the dead.” Paul’s story went way back to the Israelites’ captivity in Egypt and progressed through the cries of John the Baptist in the Wilderness who warned of someone coming after him, someone whom he was unworthy to untie his sandals.
Are you hungry for more than the milk of the Word you receive on Sunday morning through attending church or listening to TV preachers? If you aren’t, ask the Lord to give you spiritual hunger and thirst for Him—so you will pursue growing in godliness like some pursue becoming experts in their professions.
Don’t be afraid to read the Bible for yourself and pray, asking the Spirit to be your teacher.
Being a Christian is a lifelong pursuit of learning and following our Savior. The rewards are sweet—blessings of peace and joy and abundant life in this world—and “treasures” awaiting you in the kingdom of heaven.
Every change you get, seek out fellowship, Bible study, worship, and prayer with other Christians. You will enjoy a feast of spiritual nourishment that will leave you wanting more… and draw you ever nearer to Him.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we have been content to drink only the milk of the Word that we hear once a week on a Sunday morning—when we could draw so much closer to you if only we would read the Bible and pray every day. Give us opportunities and motivation to gather with other Christians for Bible study and prayer and for serving together in shared mission to the needy of our community and world. Forgive us when we get spiritually lazy and stop pursuing the things of God, saying we are too busy or too tired. Forgive us when other things seem so much more important than feeding our relationship with you and obeying your call to grow up in Christ and disciple the nations. Thank you for your salvation in Jesus and for your grace that covers all our sins. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Job 19:1-7,14-27; Acts 13:13-25; John 9:18-41; and Psalm 31.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Karen
Good afternoon!
Are you an expert?
I am always impressed with people who are so dedicated to their jobs that they continually update their skills and knowledge. They utilize training programs, belong to professional trade organizations, read trade magazines, and attend continuing education opportunities. Some may go back and finish degrees or take more technical courses—just so they can do the very best job they can do.
Wouldn’t you want your mechanic to be updated in his skills and knowledge when your new car breaks down or a light starts flashing? He or she has to look up the manual and instructions for your exact model, right? They have to have the right tools. And they have to know how to diagnose the problem using the latest technology.
And this is how it is with Christianity. But you don’t accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, go to church one Sunday and read a chapter of the Bible and suddenly become an expert. It’s something that takes effort and time. Christians have to be continually nourished by the Spirit and the faith community or they will simply stop growing—perhaps even fall away from their calling to serve Him.
And yet, I hear excuses why some people don’t need to read the Bible or pray. They’re too busy. The Bible is too hard. Or they know enough if they know that Jesus died for their sins and they have eternal life.
Some feel that only the pastors need to know Bible and have a personal relationship with Jesus. Or they feel that the one-hour in worship on Sunday morning is all they need to build their faith and live the Christian life.
Well, it is good to go to church every Sunday. That’s an excellent start! But there is more we can do to be spiritually nourished. It’s like saying, “I only feel like drinking milk” when there is a feast set before us in our Bibles—meat, milk, potatoes, vegetables, desserts—way more nourishment for the soul than 15 minutes of a sermon on a Sunday morning.
That’s not how Paul and Peter and all the other apostles thought when they were taking the gospel to the world in our Acts reading today. Being a Christian was a full time job for them and they had to pursue learning and growing in the faith. They had to keep up with what was going on in their world and they had to know the story of Jesus by heart, beginning with the Old Testament that would point to the coming of the Messiah, a descendant of David.
Wherever Paul went on his missionary journeys, he would be asked to tell the story—and it wouldn’t be just, “Jesus died and rose from the dead.” Paul’s story went way back to the Israelites’ captivity in Egypt and progressed through the cries of John the Baptist in the Wilderness who warned of someone coming after him, someone whom he was unworthy to untie his sandals.
Are you hungry for more than the milk of the Word you receive on Sunday morning through attending church or listening to TV preachers? If you aren’t, ask the Lord to give you spiritual hunger and thirst for Him—so you will pursue growing in godliness like some pursue becoming experts in their professions.
Don’t be afraid to read the Bible for yourself and pray, asking the Spirit to be your teacher.
Being a Christian is a lifelong pursuit of learning and following our Savior. The rewards are sweet—blessings of peace and joy and abundant life in this world—and “treasures” awaiting you in the kingdom of heaven.
Every change you get, seek out fellowship, Bible study, worship, and prayer with other Christians. You will enjoy a feast of spiritual nourishment that will leave you wanting more… and draw you ever nearer to Him.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we have been content to drink only the milk of the Word that we hear once a week on a Sunday morning—when we could draw so much closer to you if only we would read the Bible and pray every day. Give us opportunities and motivation to gather with other Christians for Bible study and prayer and for serving together in shared mission to the needy of our community and world. Forgive us when we get spiritually lazy and stop pursuing the things of God, saying we are too busy or too tired. Forgive us when other things seem so much more important than feeding our relationship with you and obeying your call to grow up in Christ and disciple the nations. Thank you for your salvation in Jesus and for your grace that covers all our sins. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Job 19:1-7,14-27; Acts 13:13-25; John 9:18-41; and Psalm 31.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Karen
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