Monsoon season

Have you heard the saying “when it rains it pours”?

Certainly that’s the way it felt over the past two years, didn’t it?  We not only just went through (and continue to be in) a global pandemic, but some of us went through other crises as well. The loss of loved ones, serious health concerns, caring for aging parents, caring for young children, becoming a home school teacher, loss of job/income, not to mention trying to find toilet paper (remember that?).

Sometimes when it rains, it pours.

I read somewhere that astronauts do not prepare for disaster they prepare for multiple disasters all happening at the same time.

So how do we prepare life’s occasional monsoon season?

Is there a way to prepare when you don’t know what crises are coming?

We are beginning a sermon series entitled The Power of Pre-Deciding?  Pre-deciding is the act of thinking through how we will respond in a crisis. So, instead of being ruled by my emotions, we can decide in advance how I will react. It’s the idea of planning, not panicking. And the beauty of this is that we are not doing this alone.

Jesus said:  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27, NIV).

Join us as we together discover the power of pre-deciding!

What have you decided?

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:15

There is a plaque hanging on my wall that says:  “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”  I love it and it is a great and constant reminder of my decision to put God first. But, if I am completely honest, try as I might — even though the sign is hung in a prominent location — it does not mean I always get it right.

Today, we are bombarded, with so many voices on the Internet and elsewhere eager to give advice on every little topic. It’s easy to see God as only one of the experts available to us. We’re tempted to ask for God’s blessing on choices we have already made, rather than asking for God’s guidance in our decision-making in the first place.

When the Israelites came to the prophet Jeremiah to ask for the Lord’s guidance, they promised that “whether it is favourable or unfavourable, we will obey the Lord our God.” But when Jeremiah told them what the Lord wanted them to do, they refused. They decided to put their trust in Egypt for protection rather than the power of Almighty God.

What a contrast from Joshua. Joshua made up his mind to serve only God!

Whom will you choose to serve at every turn?

Lord Jesus, help us to trust in you so that we can “test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). Amen.

Taking a Risk

Have you seen the movie Pay it Forward? It’s a great movie and in it is a scene when a seventh grade Social Studies teacher writes an assignment for his class on the chalkboard, it reads:

“Think of an idea to change the world – and put it into ACTION!”
The teacher asks the class what words come to mind when they read this assignment.
Kids share their thoughts, "Crazy, Hard”
The teacher says how about "Possible."

He tells them it is possible and then asks, "The realm of possibility exists, where, in each of you?"  "Here." (And he points to his head).

This is a wonderfully inspiring movie and if you haven’t seen it can probably find it on Netflix or Amazon Prime - but here is the part that is implied but the teacher neglects to say explicitly - and that is that, the impossible is possible, if we put our faith in God.

Throughout scripture we see God doing the impossible, like with Moses and a burning bush that is never consumed (Exodus 3: 1-15), the Immaculate Conception (Luke 1:26ff), healing the blind (John 9:1-12) and raising people from the dead (John 11:38-44). Impossible things – made possible only through God.

Have you ever had a big dream?  Something that you really wanted to do, but were afraid to try?

Seek God First —  God will not plant a dream in your heart without a purpose.

And then, Fight Fear with Faith  — even though it's natural to feel fear about taking the risks necessary to pursue our dreams, giving into our fear will stop our progress.

God can take our hopes and dreams, along with a little elbow grease from us and turn it into a reality!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to God, and God will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV