Love God Love One Another

This Lent we're continuing to ask the question: Where do you experience God in your life? Today we'll tackle the difficult topic of doubt. We live in a country where the fastest-growing religious affiliation is NONE. Disbelief in God is at an all-time high. All of us experience doubt throughout our lives. Where is God in the midst of our doubt? And what tools does Scripture give us to confront doubt and wrestle through it, with the help of God?

Lenten testimonial by Kelly Reed

How and when do you experience God's presence in your life? What does it mean to be sick, and what does it mean to be well? This Sunday, the second Sunday of Lent, God reminds us that often when we think of as wellness is defined too narrowly, and that God is equally with us in both times of sickness and health. Remember the stories of Jesus healing others find the places where Jesus is healing you, and remember that although the timing is God's and not our own - God promises to heal us, in this life and the next.

Lenten testimonial by Chris Mash

“Lord, if you had been here”…was Martha’s lament in a grief-filled moment. Jesus entered the fragility of that moment to weep with Mary—and to suffer with the suffering world. Jesus weeping was an outburst of brotherly love, a broken heart for his friend, Lazarus. In this same way, today, God hears our cries and demonstrates love for us. We are not alone in the midst or our grief, tragedy, and disappointment. Emmanuel, God is with us.

Love, love, Love! Isn't love great? It is. Love is free. We don't earn it. But that doesn't mean love didn't come without a cost. What is the cost of love? How did Jesus pay it on the Cross? And as we close out 1 Corinthians 13 and our message series on Paul's Most Excellent Way, we dwell in the final six verses of the chapter. What are the costs and caveats to our earthly love? And what kind of love does God promise us in the end?

Love in action comes easily when we make ourselves fully available to God. What makes this natural is recognizing we follow a “love in action” we received first. God gives his first and very best to us. Jesus, the very author of life…gave up his life for each of us. And the Holy Spirit of God encircles us daily. As the widow feeding Elijah learned, giving God our first and best will sustain us daily. Faith, trust, and love grow from a life of thankful generosity.

These are the questions we all seek to answer…Why am I here? What is my purpose? The answer is closer than you might realize. God shares “the most excellent way” to know. In I Corinthians 12 and 13 it is to participate in “the most excellent way” to be loved and to show love. It’s love, love, love…like the sun, like a lighthouse, and like a disco ball.

Today is the final week of our Where Do You FIT series. For the past three weeks, we've been talking about how we as individuals fit into the Body of Christ: the church. We've learned how we come together, how each person is important, and how to be present together in times of rejoicing and in times of suffering. This final week we'll put it into practice—asking ourselves as individuals and as a church: as the body of Christ: What do we DO? You'll learn action steps we take together as a church, and we'll be sharing examples of apostles, prophets, teachers, deeds of power, gifts of healing and more, right here at Messiah. As followers of Jesus, we are called into action—knowing that our action is blessed, even when we are persecuted. So take heart, you are fit for action and it's time to get to work for God's Kingdom.

Oh, how the world needs Jesus…to model the way. We rejoice in His victory, of course, but do I equally comprehend the pathway of suffering Jesus endured for me? God demonstrates love through action. Jesus didn’t run, didn’t strike back, didn’t shrink from any opportunity to spread grace. In the image of God, we are to do likewise. Love requires an action. We are to rejoice and suffer…together. Who needs my compassion today? Let’s not let any fear reduce our capacity to be compassionate.

Questions about “what, where, and how” we should use our gifts are all secondary to the question “why?” In every setting we find ourselves, God wants us to use our gifts and to share them together to benefit the environment we are in…to reciprocate the love God first showed us. Where do I fit? has everything to do with recognizing “everyone matters.” If it wasn’t for our getting in the way, God’s love would flow to every person and every need. As we join our energy and serve united we unleash the spirit of God’s love for greater impact.

Last fall, many of you shared in Messiah's Fall Small Group and Message Series - Fit to be a Disciple. You learned about the skills and tools of being a disciple and follower of Jesus, and you learned that no matter who you are, where you're from, or how long you've been a Christian—you are FIT to be a disciple! Now as we begin 2017, we'll take those skills of discipleship and move them into Christian community. Where do you FIT? Where do I FIT? How can you work with others to follow Jesus and love God and one another? We'll begin exploring that this week, with a 4-week message series that unwraps 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, understanding what it means to be a disciple AND be part of the Body of Christ here at Messiah.

God is passionate for our lives and our bright future. The world in Jesus’ day was no less tumultuous. Then and now—despite terror, extremism, and views of mundane Christianity—God calls us to be alert and hopeful. We draw on the power of heavenly love and our inter-connectedness on earth to be a part of God’s bright future.

Happy New Year! Today we're continuing a tradition we started last year at Messiah. The first Sunday after Christmas, we'll take time to recount our year - to share moments of hope, joy, peace and love - and remember where the God of hope, peace, joy and love was present amidst it all. What did you get for Christmas this year? We hope today you see how richly Jesus blesses us all - and how he calls us into God's service. Feel free to join the conversation during worship!

Christmas is a classic love story. It is the "meet-cute" of the most unlikely kind...the intersection of a pursuing God and the target of those affections—you. The cosmic message of Christmas is endearing and unending love and side-by-side attention. God is with us!...today, in every place, and in any circumstance. The ultimate gift of Christmas is God with you!

This Christmas we're celebrating the Ultimate Gift—God's Ultimate Gift to you. It's a gift that changes everything. A gift that goes beyond the baby in the manger to the Savior on the Cross. It's a gift for the living, not for the dead. It's a gift that's meant to be shared. It's a gift that costs everything and nothing all at once. It's a gift that's among us tonight. O Come O Come Emmanuel: God with Us.

We crave good news and we wish for more of it, and yet we can’t turn away from dwelling on the bad. It envelops us, it comes crashing in…how do we push through? Loss, grief, illness, failure, disappointment? Is this your Christmas context? Do not be afraid! The timing, the purpose, and the context of our lives is all in God’s plan which began at creation and is fulfilled with the coming of Jesus. Immanuel—God with us! Repose in the arms of God, receive the angel chorus. God has come to dwell in you today!

In a time of instant gratification and virtual reality, we might be forgiven for thinking we've lost our capacity to wonder. The truth is though, in such an age, we need even more reminders that there is something greater than ourselves. This Christmas, God gives us the Gift of Wonder. This gift reminds us that we can choose this season: Fear or Joy; Despair or Belief. God comes again to the manger each Christmas morning. Have we prepared our hearts to receive the wonder this baby Jesus brings?

Surprisingly, throughout the world, dignity, health, joy, and love are not universally a part of every child’s life. Messiah stands with Tom Eggum and his worldwide outreach to address these basic four pillars of hope—Hope4Kids. The power of prayer and willing people make miracles possible: education, nutrition, clean water wells, medical care, and safe structures for living and worship. These are fueled by short-term mission trips, generous donations, and monthly child sponsorships. May we share with Tom in this daily prayer: Loving God, thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. This is all we have. Thank you for another day to serve you. Like Isaiah who heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” May we say, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 5:8)

Today we begin our four-week Advent message series: The Gifts of Christmas. At a time when the world wants you to speed up - go to more parties, wrap more presents, buy all the things --Jesus wants you to slow down. Remember that the gifts of this Advent season don't come tied with a bow. Instead, they remind us of gratitude (remember Thanksgiving?) that God is in our midst each and every day. Today we'll learn about The Gift of Moments. You might feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to do it all. Maybe you feel like your best time has gone by. Or like you're waiting for your real life to begin. Wherever you are in your life journey, God promises you moments of communion with Him. Moments where the clock stops - and you feel the Holy Spirit in your midst. Today we'll remember those moments and give thanks for Jesus' giving them to us this season and every season.