Pastor Tim’s Talk
“This is My most dearly loved Son-
always listen to Him.”
Father God, Mark 9:7 TPT
I have made it a habit of reading a chapter of Proverbs each day for more than a year. (This was a habit that my Uncle Max had and when he died last December, I decided to try out His reading plan.)
As I have read Proverbs over and over again, I have been amazed at how often we are instructed to listen. In the NLT, the word “listen” appears 31 times in Proverbs. The word is often used as an exhortation from a father to a child. Proverbs 1:23 is an example…
Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share
my heart with you and make you wise.
In reading the Proverbs I have noticed that listening is…
…a key in growing in wisdom and understanding.
…vital in avoiding all sorts of pitfalls of life.
…important to experiencing the abundant life.
…not an end in and of itself, the goal is to live out what we are learning as we listen.
…essential before speaking and acting.
…is a real difference between the wise and the foolish.
Another thing that is obvious as you read through the Proverbs. It makes a great deal of difference to whom we are listening.Those voices which have our ear will greatly influence our thinking and then our behavior.
Mark Batterson, in his book Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God, wrote about this. Mark wrote …
“You will eventually be shaped in the image of the loudest voice in your life- the voice you listen to most.”
This means that we need to be very careful about to whom we are listening, who has our ear. In the Garden story, Eve and then Adam allowed God’s voice to be drown out by a voice that led them astray.
There a couple of great verses in the New Testament dealing with listening which challenge me every time I study them. The first, in chronological order, is John 2:5. This verse comes in the story of Jesus turning the water into wine at a wedding in Cana. The wine ran out at the wedding and Mary, Jesus’ mother, gets Jesus involved in the problem. Here is what Mary says to the servants at the wedding….
“Do whatever He tells you.”
What great counsel! First, they need to listen to what Jesus is saying and then they need to do what He says. Those servants did just that and a miracle flowed out of their listening and doing that we are still talking about 2,000 years later.
I think that gives us a great formula for life.
“Listen to what He says and then do what He tells you!”
The second verse that really speaks to me comes in the story of the transfiguration. Jesus is up on a mountain with Peter, James, and John praying. (The disciples, according to Luke’s account, havefall asleep.) Jesus suddenly is shining with the glory of God and Moses & Elijah appear and are talking with Him. Peter, James, and John wake up and see what is happening. Peter, being Peter, just has to say something. God, then speaks to them out of a cloud,
“This is My most dearly loved Son- always listen to Him.”
What great instruction! We need to always listen to Jesus before speaking. Listening to what the Lord has to say is more important than our hearing the sound of our own voice.
My prayer for all of us in 2022 is that this will be a year when we learn to discern the voice of the Lord to an even great extent than we have in the past. I pray that as we hear His voice, we will follow through on what Jesus is saying to us! As we do blessings will flow!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
Forgiveness & Freedom
During this April we will remember Jesus’…
- …Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem.
- … Last Supper on the night He was betrayed.
- … Trial and Crucifixion.
- … Resurrection early on the Sunday morning
following His death on Good Friday.
We will remember all of this through prayers, the reading of Scriptures, singing hymns and songs, an Easter Cantata, and sermons. We will remember all of this by coming together to celebrate what God has done in Christ Jesus.
The question could be asked; “Why make such a big deal every year about this story with which we are so familiar?”
We do so because we humans need to be reminded that we need a Savior and that Jesus is the Savior we need!
You see this life-giving message of what Jesus did in His death and resurrection is truly good news for us. What Jesus has done for us makes possible our…
…forgiveness: We need forgiveness. In our attitudes, words, and actions we have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. (see Romans 3:23) Apart from Jesus giving Himself for us, we have no hope of a restored relationship with God, an abundant life here, and life eternal when this life passes. The Apostle John wrote this in 1 John 1:9…
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
…freedom: In Jesus’ death and resurrection we not only find forgiveness, but grace to live lives of freedom. Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin, addictions, destructive family patterns, and bondages.
In John 8:36 Jesus told those who believed in Him…
“…if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
Because of Jesus’ resurrection power at work in us we are set free to live new lives of purity, holiness, righteousness, and goodness. I like the way Paul expressed it in Ephesians 1:19-20 where he prays that the Ephesians would know…
“…His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms…”
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us to enable us to lead overcoming lives of faithfulness and fruitfulness. This is indeed good news!
So, this April as we remember all that Jesus did for us let’s remember all that He went through was so that those who have faith in Him will have both forgiveness & freedom!
May you have a great Easter celebrating our resurrected Savior who came to bring us forgiveness and freedom!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim's Talk
What are we full of?
I have been thinking of the phrase "full of.." for the last few
days. Probably the first time I heard that phrase used in a
sentence was when as a child my dad would say that my
brother Scott and I were "full of malarkey" or "full of pee &
vinegar." I think in dad's mind the first phrase was a negative
while the second was a positive.
What sparked me thinking about this phrase was what the
Apostle John wrote about Jesus in John 1:14. Here it is in a
couple of versions I use a lot.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who
came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
So the Word became human and made his home among us.
He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
NIT
And so the Living Expression became a man and lived among
us! We gazed upon his glory, the glory of the One and Only
who came from the Father overflowing with tender
mercy and truth!
TPT
As I thought of this phrase "full of.." I wrote in my journal,
"What am I full of???" and then listed lots of things that have
been true of me at one time or another. Some of these things
were negative and some were positive. You see we human
beings are mixed bags, aren't we? One moment we can be
full of faith and the next full of fear.
As we think about the negative side of the phrase sometimes,
we find ourselves "full of...
…Ourselves
…..pride
..doubt or fear or worry
...bitterness
…hatred
…envy or jealousy
...lust
..greed
Doing a heart check to guard against attitudes capturing our
hearts and minds is what Proverbs 4:23 is all about. That
verse reads….
Above all else, quard your heart, for
everything you do flows from it.
SNIV
You and I can be "full of..." in positive ways as well. We can
be "full of..."
the Holy Spirit
...compassion
_Jove
..faith
_life
peace
..jOy
...patience
Actually, we talk about being full of something in another
way. We talk about being joyful which means being filled with
joy or being peaceful or being grateful or being hopeful, or
being prideful or being lustful.
I would encourage all of us to ask the Holy Spirit to search our
hearts and show us what we are "full of.." today. God wants
us to be full of Him and all the good things His Spirit brings
into our lives.
May 2022 be a year when we as individuals and as a church
be "full of.
..hope
...love.
..joy.
...gratitude.
...peace.
..compassion.
...faith.
...God's presence.
May we like Jesus, by the work of His Spirit, be full of grace
and truth!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, and Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
“The Lord is rebuilding…” Psalm 147:2
Our Lord is a God who delights in rebuilding! The Lord delights in the work of rebuilding. restoring, refreshing, renewing, reviving, rebirthing, and recreating. In Psalm 147 the promise is that God was going to rebuild Jerusalem after it had been destroyed by the Babylonians.
This became a work that both Ezra and Nehemiah partnered with God in accomplishing. Their stories are told in the books in the Old Testament that bear their names.
I am convinced what Jesus came to bring to us in salvation is a work of restoring, renewing, and rebuilding our broken lives. Salvation involves the rebuilding of the whole of our lives so that we can live out the dreams that God has for each of us.
I don’t think it was any accident that Jesus’ was in the building trades. He is a Master Carpenter, a Master Rebuilder. Every rebuilding or restoration project takes time and Jesus is willing to take the time to help us become whole at every level of life.
What are some areas God desires to rebuild & restore? Here are some things that come to mind…
• Our hearts, minds, and bodies• Our marriages• Our families• Our churches• Our communities• Our nation
When God begins a rebuilding project, the Lord always is looking for co-laborers. God raised up Ezra to rebuild the Temple. God raised up Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. Jesus found some fishermen, a tax collector, and others to labor with Him in His rebuilding ministry.
God is still looking for people like you and me today to co-labor with Him in His rebuilding projects. We can co-labor with the Lord by praying for the broken, by sharing the good news that the Lord wants to do something fresh in their lives, and by meeting needs in tangible ways just as a sign that Jesus loves them.
As I think about God doing a work of restoration and rebuilding here at AUMC, here are some practical steps we can take…
• Pray for the pastors, staff, and leadership of the church. Pray that we will have renewed vision for what God wants to do in us and through us as a church. Pray for open doors for effective, fruitful ministry.• Participate in worship regularly. Worshiping together helps us get on the same page with God and each other.• Join a Sunday School class, small group, UMW, or Caleb Group where folks will know your name and care for your soul. These groups allow us to grow together and support one another. • Serve joyfully in a ministry such as the choirs, the Food Pantry, Sunday School or small group teaching, Children’s or Youth Ministry.• Give generously to what God is doing in and through AUMC. Your supporting AUMC financially is a way of partnering together to be a blessing both within and beyond the four walls of the church building.
The Lord is doing a work of rebuilding in our midst. Let’s partner with the Lord in His work!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow – Blessed to Share – Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
Holding on to Hope
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 NIV
We are called to be people of hope! We are called to be people who hold on to hope and pass hope on to others. You and I can have hope in the most desperate of situations because we are a resurrection people. We are people who know that even in the face of death our God can and will bring life.
Our circumstances and just living in this world tries to rob us of our hope. I have found that when I concentrate too much on the negative and lose sight of the positive that hope fades and despair sets in. I think that I am not that much different than you.
All that being said, we as human beings have to learn to hold on hope! Here are some proven ways you and I can hold on to hope…
1.) Remind yourself of God’s character. God is love and the One who knows you best, loves you most! God is also faithful. The Lord will keep His promises. We can depend on that.
2.) Remember the ways the Lord has seen you through in the past when things were difficult and you were tempted to give up hope. What God did then in making a way for you, God will do again both today and tomorrow.
3.) Think and meditate on God’s great promises found in Scripture. Promises like…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 NIV
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
Romans 8:28 NIV
…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it…
Philippians 1:6
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20 NLT
4.) Spend time singing God’s praise and giving God thanks. Praise and thanksgiving can help us shift our focus for what is draining our hope to the One who gives us hope. Praise and thanksgiving is like rolling out the red carpet and inviting God to be present with us.
5.) Spend time with hope-filled people. Hope like other emotions is contagious. One of the best things we can do to keep our hope alive is to be around hope-filled, faith-filled people.
May prayer is that you will hold on to the hope you have in Jesus today. Our God is able to see you through!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NKJV
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, & Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s
Tal
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you
ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep
on knocking, and the door will be opened to you”
Jesus, Ma!hew 7:7 NLT
As I write this article Debi and I are in northern
California getting ready to head to the Redwood
Forest and then on into Oregon. We have had a really
good trip thus far.
One of the things that I believe God is calling us to
become as a church is to be a house of prayer. We are
to be a praying congregaon and praying individuals.
Prayer is one of the primary ways we partner with
God in what the Lord is doing in the world. John
Wesley is quoted as having said…
“God does nothing in the world, apart
from believing prayer.”
That is a strong statement! I think what Wesley was
saying was that God had set up His interacons with
us in such a way that He does nothing in the world
apart from someone someplace praying about the
things God desires to do.
The Lord wants to partner with us in His Kingdom
work through prayer. This is the reason that Jesus
told His followers to be asking, seeking, and knocking.
(See Ma1hew 7:7 above)
All that being said I want to share some short prayers
with you. I am calling them FPPPs:
Frequently
Prayed
Powerful
Prayers
These are prayers I have found God responds to over
the years. Here they are….
Lord, rule and reign…
Lord, help…
Lord Jesus, have mercy…
Lord, I confess…
Lord, set up divine appointments
for me this day!
Lord, help me to say no more and
no less than You would have me
say in any given situaon!
Lord, help (insert name) to be growing in
wisdom, stature, and favor with Yourself
and others!
Come, Holy Spirit!
Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.
(When we pray this, we need to be quiet and listen
actually expecng God to speak to us.)
Lord, help me be faithful and frui&ul!
Lord, show me my next faithful step!
Lord, help me to see others and
situaons the way You do!
I could have given you several other FPPPs but when
we begin to pray these prayers consistently and in the
expectaon of seeing God’s hand move, I am
convinced that God will do more than we can even
imagine.
Let’s be partnering with God in prayer!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
“Freedom”
My dad was born on the 4th of July. Dad has always loved it hot and humid (not me. 50s, 60s, and 70s would be just fine with meyear round.) But the heat and humidity are why my dad and stepmom are living in Florida in retirement.
The 4th of July is a celebration of our independence as a nation and our freedom as a people. I am thankful to live in our nation and enjoy the freedoms we do as a people.
As we celebrate the 4th this year let’s remember that freedom isn’t really free. Someone paid the price for us to live as free people. Our freedoms had to be won and then maintained. There have been those who have sacrificed in the wars that have been fought. There have been those who have marched and stood against injustices based on the color of one’s skin or one’s gender. They have also sacrificed to extend freedom to all. Freedom isn’t free. Someone always pays the price.
There is a greater freedom available to each of us than mere political, economic, and social freedom. That greater freedom is what Jesus came to bring both you and me. Jesus said in John 8:36…
“..if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Jesus came to set us free from…
…bondage to sin and addictions.
…“stinking thinking” and mindsets that keep us from experiencing God’s best.
…our past.
…not realizing our worth and value.
…worry and fear about the future.
Jesus came so that we can be free to…
…not do what we want but what we ought.
…fulfill God’s plan and purpose for our lives.
…boldly approach the throne of grace as a cherished son or daughter of God.
…be honest and authenticate with God, others, and myself (no more false fronts).
The freedom that Jesus came to bring us wasn’t free. Jesus paid the price for our freedom by His sacrifice on the cross. Let’s give Him thanks for the freedom only He could bring to us. “Those whom the Son sets free are free indeed!”
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim Terrell
Angola UMC
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, & Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
“You don’t understand now what I am doing,
but someday you will.” Jesus, John 13:7 NLT
I have been thinking about this verse for several days. The setting is the Last Supper in the Upper Room on the night Jesus was betrayed. Jesus assumed the role of a servant and started washing all His disciples’ feet. (This was something the disciples had refused to do for each other.)
When Jesus came to Peter, Peter responded. “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus responded to Peter’s resistance by saying…
“You don’t understand now what I am doing,
but someday you will.”
Peter didn’t understand. He may have got a glimpse later on when Jesus had finished washing the disciples’ feet. It was then, that Jesus told all of His disciples that what He did in serving them, they should do for each other.
Later that night and the next day, the disciples and all of Jesus’ followers had their dreams and hopes that Jesus was the Messiah crushed. They didn’t understand.
I think there are times we do not understand or grasp what Jesus is saying and doing. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (see Isaiah 55:7)
There have been times in our lives, Debi and I have questioned what the Lord was doing. When Deb and I were serving at Huntertown, there was a teaching job that opened up only 10 minutes from our house. Debi was driving back & forth to West Noble High school each school day. That drive was 40 minutes, one way. We prayed for, named & claimed that close teaching position for Debi. The school system superintendent and school board president attended the Huntertown church. We thought surely the position was Deb’s.
However, that door of opportunity never opened. We were disappointed. Deb and I, like Peter, didn’t understand what the Lord was doing.
When we don’t understand what the Lord is doing, there are some truths to keep in mind…
- …even when we don’t understand, remember God is good.
- …even when we don’t understand, keep worshiping.
-…even when we don’t understand, keep trusting that God is working all things out for good.
-…even when we don’t understand, be patient. After all, Jesus promised Peter some day he would understand. I think that is a promise for us as well.
All of us have times we just don’t get it, times we don’t understand. When we find ourselves in that position we are in good company. Apostles, prophets, saints, pastors, and all the rest of us have moments & seasons we don’t understand.
In those moments keep trusting, worshiping, keep remembering God’s promises and nature, and be patient.
May you have a great Easter celebrating our resurrected Savior!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
…but God…
There are times a certain phrase reverberates in my mind. This has been happening for the last couple of weeks with the phrase …but God…!
But God is really a connector between our need and God’s provision. It is the connector between our desperate situations and God’s rescues. It is a phrase that depending on your translation of Scripture is used over and over again.
For instance…
- Adam & Eve were hiding in shame from God in the garden but God called out “Adam, where are you?”
- The people of Israel were in cruel captivity in Egypt, but God heard their cries and brought them out with a mighty hand!
- God’s people were stuck between a rock and a hard place with Pharoah’s army charging behind them and the sea in front of them but God brought them through the sea on dry ground!
- A young shepherd boy was facing a warrior giant, but God used David to bring down Goliath with a crash!
- Three Hebrew children were tossed into a wicked king’s fiery furnace but God walked with them through the fire!
- Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions for continuing to pray but God sent His angel to shut the lions’ mouths!
- Jesus died an awful death on the cross but God raised Him victoriously from the grave!
- A rag tag band of Jesus’ followers faced a hostile world but God used this motely crew, empowered by the Spirit, to turn the whole world right-side up!
I think you get the idea. As Jesus followers, we might be facing some difficult situations and are wondering how we are going to make it. It may seem like we are going down for the count, if so, just remember the but God principle.
Know this…
…we may not have the money we need today but God is able to supply all of our needs.
…we may be caught in deep sin and addiction, but God is able forgive, deliver, and free us.
…we may not know what to do or where to go, but God is able to lead us down the right paths.
…we may be filled with worry and anxiety, but God is able to bring peace that passes all understanding to our hearts and minds.
…things may be going from bad to worse, but God is able to cause all things to work together for good for us.
In Ephesians 2, Paul writes about our desperate condition as human beings but then he shares this good news…
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…
I am so thankful for “…but God…!!!”
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, & Sent to Serve
us,
Pastor Tim Terrell
Angola UMC
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, & Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
Joy
I was doing my reading in the Psalms the other day. (I am making it
my practice to read one Psalm a day- in addition to other Scripture
reading.) I was ready for Psalm 51. This Psalm is the prayer that
David offered when confronted with his sin with Bathsheba. It is a
powerful portion of Scripture.
As I read Psalm 51, the phrase “Restore to me the joy of Your
salvation…” v. 12 captured my attention. I think that David, the man
after God’s own heart, the sweet singer of Israel, had lost the joy of
the Lord’s salvation because of his wrongdoing and his covering up
that wrongdoing.
The good news for David is that God cared enough about him to
send His prophet, Nathan, to confront David about his sin. God
desired for David to come clean and experience forgiveness and a
restoration of right relationship with the Lord
I am convinced that abiding joy comes not from our circumstances,
but from our right relationships with God and others. Someone has
said that the key to experiencing joy is a proper priority of
relationships in our lives. That proper priority is…
Jesus
Others
You
That really lines up with the priorities of the Greatest
Commandments….
…love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and mind.
…love your neighbor as yourself.
(See Matthew 22:37-39)
My sense is that joy is a by-product of loving God and loving others
well. It is the fruit of walking in step with the Spirit of God. When we
are walking in right relationship with God joy naturally grows and
flows.
I would encourage us all to do a “joy check” like we would do an oil
check on our car. A lack of joy can be an indicator that something is
not quite right.
We might be like David and have lost our joy because of hidden sin
or guilt. If that is the case, we need to confess our sin and pray for
forgiveness.
It may be that we have lost our joy because we have fixed our gaze
on our changing circumstance rather than on Jesus. If that is the
case we need to “turn our eyes upon Jesus.” Shift our gaze! Look up!
It may be that we just feel overwhelmed and overextended for all for
which we are responsible. Our To-Do list is far too long. It may be
that we need to cut some things out of our lives. Even good things
may not be our things to do!!! If you and I don’t have time for God
and our primary relationships we are too busy.
We may also want to do a physical evaluation. There are times that
chemical imbalances in our bodies or illnesses can affect us
emotionally & spiritually. If we experience a lack of joy and
depression sets in we may need to consult a medical professional.
I believe there are things we can do to obtain and maintain joy. Here
are some of life giving, joy giving practices…
Make spending time everyday with Jesus a priority.
Sing for joy! (Singing songs of praise & thanksgiving can lift our
spirits.) We sing because we have joy but I also think that we can
sing for joy by faith.
Don’t worry or be anxious about anything but pray about everything-
giving it all to Jesus. Letting worry and anxiety get the best of us can
eat our lunch and rob us of our joy.
Maintain an outward focus on others rather than just focusing on
oneself. Some of the happiest most joy-filled people I know are living
lives of service to others.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in
him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit!!! (see Romans 15:13)
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim Terrell
Angola UMC
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, & Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
“FYIs”
I want to highlight a couple of things that will be happening this summer around AUMC….
Combined Service on Father’s Day, June 19th
This year on Father’s Day we will all meet together in the Sanctuary at 10:00 am for a combined service of our Traditional service and the Gathering. There will be lots of music- both the hymns & worship songs. It has been a long time since we have met together for one service and it will be good to worship together!
After the service there will be a Food Truck, Party on the Patio, parked along the street where we can purchase meals and eat lunch together. We will be giving all the dads a “cold one” on AUMC. (That is a cold soda pop from Party on the Patio.)
Be sure to come and celebrate Dads’ Day with your AUMC family!
Summer Sermon Series
God’s Story; Our Story
Throughout the summer at AUMC we will be looking at the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. We will be looking at the major themes of the Bible and what those themes teach us about God and ourselves.
The Scriptures tell a unified story which points to Jesus. In John 5:39, Jesus told the religious leaders of His day…
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about Me…
We miss the point of the Scriptures if we miss Jesus when we study them. A few years ago, we gave all the AUMC kids The Jesus Story Book Bible. This Bible has as its tagline…
“Every story whispers His Name!”
So, I want to invite you to come each Sunday as we look at these ancient stories and see what they teach us about who God is and who we are.
Also, at 403 Small Group on Wednesday evenings we will be going through this series. This will give us a chance to dialogue, ask questions, and grow together in our understanding of God’s Story & Our Story.
I am convinced that powerful things happen in our lives when our understanding of what God is doing in the world and who we are is informed by the story of the Bible.
I am looking forward to being with you and growing with you this summer!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, & Sent to Serve
Pastor Tim’s Talk
“Who Has the Last Word?”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Jesus, Revelation 22:13 NIV
Have you ever been in one of those arguments where both you and the person you are arguing with has to have the last word?
I know I have been in a few of those situations. Having to have the last word tends to escalate the argument. Letting the other person have the last word tends to take the wind out of the sails of the argument. (I am not saying that giving the person the last word means you agree with them.) Stopping the verbal sparring creates some time and space to pray and ponder. It gives you time to think.
I have been pondering “who has the last word?” as I have thought about two passages of Scripture- one passage is the story of Moses and the burning bush- the other is what Jesus said above about being “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
In the story of Moses and the burning bush, Moses spends a chapter and a half of the Bible arguing with God about why he shouldn’t be the one to go to Egypt and tell Pharoah;
“…the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Let my people go…’” Fortunately, for the people of Israel (and for Moses too) the Lord had the last word. By letting the Lord have the last word, Moses was able to partner with God in seeing his own people released from bondage and cruel oppression.
Great things can happen when we let the Lord have the last word in our lives, families, and church!
I have also been pondering Jesus’ words, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” I have really been focusing on “the Omega” (which is the last letter in the Greek alphabet.) and “the Last” in what Jesus said.
My pondering has led me to this question, “Does the One, who is the Word of God, have the last or final word in my life?”
Does Jesus have the last word in terms of my understanding of who I am? Or is my identity more shaped by what voices of the past have said about me? Or past failures?
Does Jesus have the last word in how I use my money or time?
Does Jesus have the last word in my plans for the future? My goals and hopes (my retirement someday)?
Does Jesus have the last word in how I handle my relationships? In how I relate to Debi and the kids? In how I relate to my parents? Coworkers? Those here at the church? In how I treat my enemies?
I am convinced part of growing as a Christ-follower is allowing Jesus to have “the last word” in more and more areas of our lives.
My challenge to us all, myself included, is for us to give the Lord the last word in our lives! As we do I know that like Moses we will be able to partner with God in seeing life-giving, liberating things happen!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim
Angola UMC & the Gathering
Called to Grow, Blessed to Share, Sent to Serve
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