Listening to the Word

Ecclesiastes 1-3; Psalms 45; Ephesians 2   “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless…” Ecclesiastes 2:11 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do…In him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:10, 22 Whose work are we doing? – God’s or our own? Solomon discovered that all his great projects, insights, and pleasures left him empty. He felt they were meaningless. Without significant meaning or purpose to our work, we, too, will feel empty. God’s great building project is the Church, the people of God, being built together for God to indwell. Finding our assignments in this work connects us to an eternal outcome and investment focused on the transformation of people, families, communities, and nations. When we join God’s kingdom-building mission, we offer our lives, gifts, talents, and...

Proverbs 30-31; Psalms 33; Ephesians 1   “…In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons [daughters] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace,…in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory…to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:4- 6, 12, 14 At the core of our being we were created for God’s glory. Knowing and experiencing the reality of God’s love and pursuing grace, frees us to respond with worship and surrender. Living for self-indulgence, pleasure, and status cheapens our lives, while living for the praise of God’s glory makes our lives eternally valuable. Without purpose even the most beautiful moments, experiences, possessions, and relationships can become empty. Living for God’s glory transforms all we are, have, and experience into worship. Have we discovered this life-transforming secret, or is life (including salvation) still all about us? “Lord Jesus, thank y...

Proverbs 28-29; Psalms 60; Romans 16 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.” Romans 16:1, 2 How we welcome and relate to people reveals a great deal about our values. Paul commends “our sister Phoebe” to the church in Rome: first, as a fellow member of the family of God; then as a servant, or discerned deaconess or elder of the church; finally as a saint, or highly esteemed servant of God. Paul values God’s salvation and call on a person’s life as the basis from which the church should view them. He didn’t focus on Phoebe’s nationality, gender, net worth, or even her age. Rather, Phoebe was to be received “in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints”. Is that how we receive others in the family of God, regardless of where they are from? “Lord Jesus, welcome others through my life i...

Proverbs 25-27; Romans 15   “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Proverbs 27:6 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5, 6 There are few challenges as difficult as “wounds” from a friend. We quickly lose energy, endurance, and encouragement when those closest to us wound us. How we respond to these wounds can often determine whether we continue in our ministry assignments, and even whether the teams and ministries we serve will survive. In painful, personal wounding through conflict, do we respond to one another from a position of trust or mistrust? Do we respond in kind, or do we go to God who gives endurance and encouragement? It is in unity that the Spirit of God anoints teams with his power to love this broken world. This is a costly unity that endures, despi...

  Proverbs 22-24; Romans 14 “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house….I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.” Proverbs 24:27, 30, 31 Does the harvest take priority over ‘building our house’? Neglecting our garden while we focus on ourselves can mean we lose everything. When the church is focused on its internal structure and serving itself, we, too, become irrelevant in the field in which God has placed us. The priority of living on mission meant Jesus went to people rather than expecting people to come to him. We prepare our fields for harvest by breaking up the unplowed ground in repentance. We remove the thorns of worry and wealth through surrender to Christ. We build up the protective walls of self-control and discipline in our lives so the enemy cannot rob us of the fruit of the Spirit. Are ...

Proverbs 19-21; Romans 13   “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs is like a watercourse wherever he pleases…The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” Proverbs 21:1; 19:23 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” Romans 13:1 Paul wrote his letter to the church in Rome, not realizing it would be the location of his martyrdom. The Roman Caesar, whom Paul called the church to submit to, eventually tortured and killed Paul. Paul’s hope and our hope come from the greater authority of God in whose hands are the heart of the king and our very lives. More importantly, our hope is in the resurrection of the dead through Christ’s victory over sin and death. Submission to authority begins with God and the point of our salvation. Without submission to God’s authority we are not saved. From the point of surrender, we then entrust our lives fully to the...

Proverbs 16-18; Romans 12   “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…Do not repay anyone evil for evil…If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath…” Romans 12:14, 17-19 Practical peacemaking in relationships is costly and courageous. Peacemakers bless and do not curse. In response to evil, peacemakers respond with generosity and practical love that feeds, clothes, and shelters. Peacemaking, like forgiveness, is a choice we make each day before the circumstances of the day confront us. Peacemaking is a lifestyle, rather than just a response to evil. We are to live at peace with everyone. Peace with God brings the peace of God to fill our lives through which we approach all of life. We trust in God’s ultimate justice to punish evil and we live with gratitude for the ...