Next steps

Last Sunday's sermon from Daniel 3:16-18 was titled, "But If Not, What Then?" What are the "next steps" God will have us take in response to the Word we heard?

 

"May we receive the word we hear each in an honest heart

And keep the precious treasure there, and never with it part."

 

1. Does anyone in your life have the power of a "terrorist" - the power to change who and what you are? How can you take that power back? Keep asking the question, "How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?"

2. We noted that the Chaldeans in the story in Daniel 3 could not have noticed the Hebrews who did not bow down if they were in fact obeying the orders of the king. What is distracting you from doing what you are supposed to be doing as you move toward maturity (in worship, in work, in ministry, in duty, etc.)?

3. What is the conviction that governs your life and ultimately decides for you in times of crisis (i.e., Deuteronomy 6:4-5 in the lives of these 3 Hebrews)?

4. Are you praying for God to get/take you out of the fire, or are you committed to trusting God in the fire? Can you trust that God will get in /be in the fire with you?

5. What questions/thoughts/convictions were raised in your mind after hearing this sermon or reading this passage? How is God speaking to you now?

 

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart."
Psalm 119:33-34

Pastor Kenneth Q. James

Next steps

Good morning,

Well, we are back! And once more, let's reflect on the Word of God from Sunday and see what are the "next steps" God will have us take in response to the Word we heard.

 

"May we receive the word we hear each in an honest heart

And keep the precious treasure there, and never with it part."

(from the hymn, "Once More We Come Before Our God")

 

1. What does it mean to have "a made up mind?" Is that true of you? In what way?

 

2. Because Daniel has his mind made up, he refuses to "sell out" by eating portions from the king's table. What convictions have led you to where you are today? Remember, as Jonah Lehrer says, "We always need to be thinking about how we think."

 

3. When Daniel "purposed" in his heart what he would do, the context of the word suggests that his decision was not dependent on the acceptance of anyone else and therefore required no long or further explanation. Taking such a principled stand raises this question for us: how do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?

 

4. In the sermon, we heard that "some people make progress; other people make excuses." What are you doing - making progress, or making excuses?

 

5. When you make a decision, you are taking a risk, and also affecting the lives of those around you. What is at risk for you to decide who you want to be, or how you want to live? Who will be affected (positively or negatively) by your decision?

 

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart."
Psalm 119:33-34

Pastor Kenneth Q. James

Fast Day

Greetings, all,

Just a reminder that tomorrow, September 3, and each first Friday in the month is a FAST DAY for Memorial. All members who are physically able are asked to fast and be in prayer for our church, our leaders, ourselves and the ministry God has given us to accomplish.

As you pray, be mindful that you don't have to go away somewhere and get "deep." If a whispered prayer, such as the prayer that is found in Mark 10:47 - "Jesus...have mercy on me" is all that time allows for, that is sufficient. And then let's watch what happens when we pray!

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart."
Psalm 119:33-34

Pastor Kenneth Q. James

A Thought for Today

I am inspired by these words from Ruth Haley Barton in Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation (p.24):

 

"Your desire for more of God than you have right now, your longing for love, your need for deeper levels of spiritual transformation than you have experiences so far is the truest thing about you. You might think that your woundedness or your sinfulness is the truest thing about you, or that your giftedness or your personality type or your job title or your identity as husband or wife, mother or father, somehow defines you. But in reality, it is your desire for God and your capacity to reach for more of God than you have right now that is the deepest essence of who you are. There is a place within each one of us that is spiritual in nature, the place where God's Spirit witnesses with our spirit about our truest identity. Here God's Spirit dwells with our spirit, and here our truest desires make themselves known. From this place we cry out to God for deeper union with him and with others."

 

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart."
Psalm 119:33-34

Pastor Kenneth Q. James

A Thought for the Day

I read this today in my devotions, and I wanted to share it with you as it challenged me deeply. It is by Oswald Chambers in the book, "My Utmost for His Highest."

 

"There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Luke 18:22

 

"Have you ever heard the Master say a hard word? If you have not, I questions whether you have heard Him say anything. Jesus Christ says a great deal that we listen to, but do not hear; when we do hear, His words are amazingly hard.

 

"Jesus did not seem in the least solicitous that this man should do what He told him, He made no attempt to keep him with Him. He simply said - Sell all you have, and come, follow Me. Our Lord never pleaded, He never cajoled, He never entrapped; He simply spoke the sternest words mortal ears ever listened to, and then left it alone.

 

"This man did understand what Jesus said, he heard it and he sized up what it meant, and it broke his heart. He did not go away defiant; he went away sorrowful, thoroughly discouraged. He had come to Jesus full of the fire of earnest desire, and the word of Jesus simply froze him; instead of producing an enthusiastic devotion, it produced a heart-breaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, He let him go.

 

"Our Lord knows perfectly that when once His word is heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later."

 

So this is my challenge today: do I want to bear fruit for God in my life now, or later? And if later, when will be the opportune time? And what guarantee do I have that I will do it then if I put it off now? What excuses am I making for not being and doing all that God is asking of me?

 

Now I remember a song I learned as a child, and as I wait in the presence of God, this song occurs to me once more:

 

O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

O let me feel Thee near me! The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me, around me and within;
But Jesus, draw Thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin.

O let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self will.
O speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

(If you wish to listen to this song, Click here: O Jesus, I Have Promised)

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart."
Psalm 119:33-34

Pastor Kenneth Q. James

A Thought for the Day

I came across this quote today from Tony Campolo, so I thought I'd share it:

 

"When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?"

 

"Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart."
Psalm 119:33-34

Pastor Kenneth Q. James

Sermon, August 1 - Next steps

Good morning, all.

Let's talk about the "next steps" after yesterday's sermon.

The text was from Hosea 11, continuing the topic and discussion we began last week, "I Can't Stop Loving You." What did the Spirit say to you after hearing the Word?

1. Which metaphor do you feel more relates to your experience with God - the loving husband betrayed by the unfaithful spouse, or the patient parent loving a disobedient child?
2. How do you respond when you hear a sermon like the one Jonathan Edwards preached ("Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God")? Do you think of God as "not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it"?
3. In what ways has God shown you "instructive, tolerant, patient, unconditional, corrective or healing" love?
4. Do you think of God more as being "angry" or "loving"? How has this affected your relationship with God?