Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Day of Praise

Tues, 05/31/16, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 27:26 - "Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified."

So, what would you have done? Ya know, if you had seen Barabbas on the street after his release? I mean, he was in prison for murder. But he was set free because of Jesus. So, what would you have done?

I have some friends in law enforcement. They're responsible for some people being in jail. They also often work traffic shifts, and sometimes they help traffic get in and out of large churches. Consistently, they speak of seeing someone pulling into or leaving church who they had helped to put into prison. Every policeman I know says that it warms their heart when they see someone whose life has been turned around by Jesus. 

But, the question is still out there: what would you do? Ya know, if you saw Barabbas on the street after his release? He was in prison for murder. But he was set free because of Jesus. So, what would you do? Would you, like my police friends, rejoice in seeing someone have their life turned around by Jesus? Or would you harbor ill feelings, and say that they should be locked up forever?

Now, what if I told you that "Barabbas" literally means "son of the Father" and more broadly means "child of God"? In other words, what if I told you that Barabbas represents all of us? Ya know, Barabbas represents the fact that all of us are set free, in spite of our sin, because of Jesus. Jesus bears the penalty of our sin so that we don't have to.

God tells us plainly, in the Bible, for example, in Luke 15, that God rejoices and angels rejoice and heaven rejoices when someone's life is turned around because of Jesus. Luke 15 has the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Wayward or Prodigal Son. God rejoices when the lost are found, when the imprisoned are set free, and the wayward child comes home. 

So, though it broke God's heart to see his own son suffer, it warmed God's heart that Barabbas and every other child of God is set free because of Jesus. And that's what God would stir in us. When we see Barabbas or any other human being, because we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, God would have us see each other like God does (and my police friends do). God would have us rejoice in the new beginnings that are made possible for us all both through the death of Jesus and also through our faith in Him and His love. 

Dear God, help us to see each other and all people through the eyes of your love. Amen!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson







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Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Monday, May 30, 2016

Day of Praise

Tues, 05/31/16, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 27:26 - "Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified."

So, what would you have done? Ya know, if you had seen Barabbas on the street after his release? I mean, he was in prison for murder. But he was set free because of Jesus. So, what would you have done?

I have some friends in law enforcement. They're responsible for some people being in jail. They also often work traffic shifts, and sometimes they help traffic get in and out of large churches. Consistently, they speak of seeing someone pulling into or leaving church who they had helped to put into prison. Every policeman I know says that it warms their heart when they see someone whose life has been turned around by Jesus. 

But, the question is still out there: what would you do? Ya know, if you saw Barabbas on the street after his release? He was in prison for murder. But he was set free because of Jesus. So, what would you do? Would you, like my police friends, rejoice in seeing someone have their life turned around by Jesus? Or would you harbor ill feelings, and say that they should be locked up forever?

Now, what if I told you that "Barabbas" literally means "son of the Father" and more broadly means "child of God"? In other words, what if I told you that Barabbas represents all of us? Ya know, Barabbas represents the fact that all of us are set free, in spite of our sin, because of Jesus. Jesus bears the penalty of our sin so that we don't have to.

God tells us plainly, in the Bible, for example, in Luke 15, that God rejoices and angels rejoice and heaven rejoices when someone's life is turned around because of Jesus. Luke 15 has the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Wayward or Prodigal Son. God rejoices when the lost are found, when the imprisoned are set free, and the wayward child comes home. 

So, though it broke God's heart to see his own son suffer, it warmed God's heart that Barabbas and every other child of God is set free because of Jesus. And that's what God would stir in us. When we see Barabbas or any other human being, because we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, God would have us see each other like God does (and my police friends do). God would have us rejoice in the new beginnings that are made possible for us all both through the death of Jesus and also through our faith in Him and His love. 

Dear God, help us to see each other and all people through the eyes of your love. Amen!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mon, 05/30/16, "Day of Praise"

"This is the day the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!" - Psalm 118:24

Have a blessed day!

Praise God!






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Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Day of Praise

Mon, 05/30/16, "Day of Praise"

"This is the day the LORD has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!" - Psalm 118:24

Have a blessed day!

Praise God!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Day of Praise

Sat, 05/28/16, "Day of Praise"

Mark 4:8 - "And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

I remember the dad of an eighteen months old child being rightly excited to tell me how he and his wife had given their daughter a cracker. After a moment, this sweet little one put down the cracker and held out both hands in a way that plainly said, "Let's pray." Wow!

Friends, God is eager to see the seed of His word "growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold" as is recorded in today's verse from Mark 4:8.

Spread the seed of God's word, especially to those in your family, but also to others in your day. God is eager to bless and amaze all who do!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson






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Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Friday, May 27, 2016

Day of Praise

Sat, 05/28/16, "Day of Praise"

Mark 4:8 - "And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

I remember the dad of an eighteen months old child being rightly excited to tell me how he and his wife had given their daughter a cracker. After a moment, this sweet little one put down the cracker and held out both hands in a way that plainly said, "Let's pray." Wow!

Friends, God is eager to see the seed of His word "growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold" as is recorded in today's verse from Mark 4:8.

Spread the seed of God's word, especially to those in your family, but also to others in your day. God is eager to bless and amaze all who do!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fri, 05/27/16, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 10:12 - "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."

1 Peter 4:8 - "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

As one who can talk, I've been told more than once in my life to "put a lid on it." But one of my family's greatest memories was when the lid went flying off and through the air.

It was almost thirty years ago. My parents, my little sister, Cheryl, and I went from east Tennessee to Dallas to visit my brother who was located there with his first job out of college. 

For one of our last meals together, my brother suggested we go to a barbecue place called "Judge Beans." We were enjoying visiting and had just prayed over our food when I grabbed the bottle of ketchup by its base. I assumed the lid was on tightly, which proved to be a bad assumption. Holding the base, I gave that bottle a great big shake with a flick of my wrist. And before any of us knew what was happening, the lid flew off, and the ketchup flew out, and my father was absolutely covered in ketchup. I mean covered! 

Literally, everyone stopped breathing to see what my dad would do. And not only us but also the people at both tables next to us stopped breathing too. It seemed like an eternity. Even reliving this memory with my brother a couple years ago, we both recalled how we thought our dad was going to fly off the handle and get angry. The silence was deafening as we all waited for dad to react. He looked down at himself, kind of thought for a moment, then, to our wonder, a smile started to shape on his face, and he laughed. Belly laughed. And all of us, including strangers, joined in the biggest hee-hawing that I know I'd ever experienced.

A man who was covered in ketchup was the man who covered us (namely me) in grace.

'Cause that's what love does. It covers. Accidents. Oopses. And sins.

That day my dad was a picture of Jesus. He was covered with the consequence of my carelessness, coupled with the carelessness of whoever used the ketchup before us and didn't secure the lid in its place. But the man who was covered in others' mistakes was the man who covered us with grace. Thank you, Jesus!

So live today remembering the grace of a man who was covered in ketchup and, even moreso, the Son of Man, Jesus, who was covered in our sin. For God's Word in 1 Peter 4:8 is true: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

Praise God!


Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson







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Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Day of Praise

Fri, 05/27/16, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 10:12 - "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."

1 Peter 4:8 - "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

As one who can talk, I've been told more than once in my life to "put a lid on it." But one of my family's greatest memories was when the lid went flying off and through the air.

It was almost thirty years ago. My parents, my little sister, Cheryl, and I went from east Tennessee to Dallas to visit my brother who was located there with his first job out of college. 

For one of our last meals together, my brother suggested we go to a barbecue place called "Judge Beans." We were enjoying visiting and had just prayed over our food when I grabbed the bottle of ketchup by its base. I assumed the lid was on tightly, which proved to be a bad assumption. Holding the base, I gave that bottle a great big shake with a flick of my wrist. And before any of us knew what was happening, the lid flew off, and the ketchup flew out, and my father was absolutely covered in ketchup. I mean covered! 

Literally, everyone stopped breathing to see what my dad would do. And not only us but also the people at both tables next to us stopped breathing too. It seemed like an eternity. Even reliving this memory with my brother a couple years ago, we both recalled how we thought our dad was going to fly off the handle and get angry. The silence was deafening as we all waited for dad to react. He looked down at himself, kind of thought for a moment, then, to our wonder, a smile started to shape on his face, and he laughed. Belly laughed. And all of us, including strangers, joined in the biggest hee-hawing that I know I'd ever experienced.

A man who was covered in ketchup was the man who covered us (namely me) in grace.

'Cause that's what love does. It covers. Accidents. Oopses. And sins.

That day my dad was a picture of Jesus. He was covered with the consequence of my carelessness, coupled with the carelessness of whoever used the ketchup before us and didn't secure the lid in its place. But the man who was covered in others' mistakes was the man who covered us with grace. Thank you, Jesus!

So live today remembering the grace of a man who was covered in ketchup and, even moreso, the Son of Man, Jesus, who was covered in our sin. For God's Word in 1 Peter 4:8 is true: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

Praise God!


Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Pastor's Weekly Update

Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Christ The King Lutheran Church <office@ctkbham.org>
Date: May 24, 2016 at 2:00:04 PM CDT
To: <pastorchrisdegreen@gmail.com>
Subject: Pastor's Weekly Update
Reply-To: Christ The King Lutheran Church <office@ctkbham.org>

Pastor's Weekly Update
Thank you for taking the time to read this week's Pastor's Weekly Update! God bless!
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Your Pastor's Weekly Update

This Week's Notes

Thanks for reading these 3 items!
1.
Our CtK Child Development Center has room for 4 year olds both now and in the Fall. Tell your friends! Call CtK member and Director, Christy Ethridge at 988-3039. 

2. LOOKING AHEAD (3 ITEMS)
A. Annual church picnic and worship in the park – Sunday, June 5. Worship will begin at 11:00 A.M. - ??? at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road, just after Caldwell Mill Road intersection and in front of Spain Park High School. AS PARKING THERE IS LIMITED, PLEASE CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE AT 988-5004 TO SIGN UP FOR SHUTTLE SERVICE FROM YOUR PARKING SPACE TO OUR PAVILION BY ONE OF OUR CHURCH MEN.
B. Summer Wednesday night ministry schedule for June and July.
5:30 - Dinner in the fellowship hall
6:00 - Fun and Fellowship in the fellowship hall
6:30 - Faith Stories and Singing (worship) in the fellowship hall
7:00 - Patio Party (dessert and lawn games like corn hole) on the front patio and sidewalk and grass between the 2 buildings.
C.  Mark your calendars for Thursday, July 14 as young, inspiring Mary-Kate Martin, founder of Hosea's Heart in Swaziland, Africa (http://www.hoseasheart.org/about/mission) will be with us for a Mission Spotlight night of inspiration and worship as she tells us of her amazing ministry to rescue young girls from the abusive trafficking industry that hits us just down the road here in Birmingham. We'll gather at 7:00 p.m. for fellowship, an inspiring testimony from Mary-Kate, singing and praise, and coffee and dessert. This event is open to all Birningham churches. An offering will be received for Hosea's Heart.


3. Please help us to celebrate by spreading the love and message of Jesus. Mission Challenge 2016 began Pentecost Sunday, May 15, celebrating our birthday, remembering that when our church started 39 years ago, others invested in an outpost for the Gospel here. So every year, we gather a birthday gift to set up an outpost for the Gospel of Jesus elsewhere. This year we're working with our local mission partner, Christian Service Mission, in downtown Birmingham! Please pray about a gift of $100 plus our age (39), but any gift is greatly appreciated as we're working with CSM for our first $3,300 to go to a Fish Shed & Tanks. CSM has an aquaculture ministry on its campus and two green houses to grow Hydroponics in one and Aquaponics in the other. The Fish Shed will be built beside the Green houses. The cost of building a 10 x12 shed, holding 2,300 gallons, 200 fish and a water system connected to the other greenhouses is $3,300. The purpose is to grow more food and feed more people with health foods year round. It's a gift that keeps on giving. After our first $3,300, the next $3,000 will go to Mr. Theodore Dodson who's a Veteran from the Vietnam War and is disabled. He's 70 years old and has lived in his home for 30 years. He lives alone and his home was close as you can get to being condemned by the City of Birmingham. CSM came in a month ago and put a roof and windows on the house so he could continue to live there. A new door and window are now on the front. Today, we still need to paint the inside and outside. He also needs new pipes and one room dry-walled and a floor so that he can use this part of his home again. The cost of this project is around $5000 to complete. We know with your gift we could come close to completing this project to bless him for the rest of his life.  

 

The Next 2 Sundays' Preachers

We continue our new preaching series on good relationships entitled "GRACE" to "GRACE": "God's Riches At Christ's Expense" leads to "Good Relationships Are Cause for Eternity". Another way to say it is that God's grace for us brings about grace-filled and life-giving relationships through us to others. 
This coming Sunday, May 29, 2016, Memorial Day Weekend Sunday, will have Pastor Chris preaching and then the following Sunday, June 5, Kelly will preach.

This Sunday, May 29 --
8 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary, Pastor Chris preaching,
9:20 a.m. Sunday School,
10:40 a.m. Contemporary Worship in the Luther Room with Pastor Chris preaching,
5 p.m. Praise and Prayer Worship in the Luther Room.

The following Sunday, June 5 --
8 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary, Kelly preaching,
NO Sunday School to allow for everyone getting to OUR ANNUAL PICNIC AT VETERANS PARK
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship AT VETERANS PARK ON VALLEYDALE ROAD with Kellly preaching,
5 p.m. Praise and Prayer Worship in the Luther Room.

 
 
 


 
Many blessings, and Praise God!
Pastor Chris
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Day of Praise

Thur, 05/26/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 23:5 - "You prepare a table before me, even in the presence of my enemies."

Here's an image for being at table with your enemies. A five-year old sits by himself in a booster seat at the kitchen table with a plate of green beans and a green glass filled with red kool-aid in front of him. By the way, the green beans won and it wasn't a pretty sight. Enough said.

Here's a better image for today's verse. Whatever difficult and anxiety-producing situation, person, or reality is set before you today, God prepares a table before you as God says to you, "Sit down and eat. I've got the other stuff covered." Enough said!

So, have a great day!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson






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Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Day of Praise

Thur, 05/26/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 23:5 - "You prepare a table before me, even in the presence of my enemies."

Here's an image for being at table with your enemies. A five-year old sits by himself in a booster seat at the kitchen table with a plate of green beans and a green glass filled with red kool-aid in front of him. By the way, the green beans won and it wasn't a pretty sight. Enough said.

Here's a better image for today's verse. Whatever difficult and anxiety-producing situation, person, or reality is set before you today, God prepares a table before you as God says to you, "Sit down and eat. I've got the other stuff covered." Enough said!

So, have a great day!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Wed, 05/25/16, "Day of Praise"

Let God's Word speak joy into our hearts.

Philippians 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Psalm 13:5 - "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 40:16 - "But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, 'The LORD be exalted!'"

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Romans 5:1-4 - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Psalm 28:7 - "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Romans 15:13 - "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."

Psalm 64:10 - "Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!"

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson






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Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Day of Praise

Wed, 05/25/16, "Day of Praise"

Let God's Word speak joy into our hearts.

Philippians 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Psalm 13:5 - "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 40:16 - "But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, 'The LORD be exalted!'"

James 1:2-4 - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Romans 5:1-4 - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Psalm 28:7 - "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Romans 15:13 - "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."

Psalm 64:10 - "Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!"

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tues, 05/24/16, "Day of Praise"

Colossians 1:9-10 - "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

I once saw a church sign that on two lines read, "Is your life pleasing to God?" And then on the next line, it said, "Zumba - Wednesday 7:30." You can do all sorts of things with the sequence on the sign, but when I first read it driving by, it sounded as if a Zumba exercise class was their suggestion for pleasing God. So I chuckled.

Setting all humor aside, today's verses from Colossians are amongst sixty or so Bible verses that tell us what does and does not please God about our lives. In sum, God is pleased with our lives when we walk with Him and therefore walk in His blessings.

Walking with God is not difficult. Walking with God means surrendering to the faithful work of God's Holy Spirit so that we:
1) have faith in Christ, (both in Him personally and in His saving work),
2) look for Christ, (for example, look for the many chances to serve him daily by serving people in love), and
3) listen for Christ (for example, daily Bible reading, prayer, and at least weekly worship).

The result of such a walk with God, according to today's verses, is that we are:
1) filled with Christ and, therefore, his spiritual wisdom and power,
2) increasing in the knowledge of God, and
3) bearing fruit in every good work.
In sum, we are blessed. The result of walking with God is that we are blessed in such a way that we become a blessing to others and a glory to God.

To bring it full circle, when, through faith in Him, we are a blessing to others and a glory to God, then God is pleased indeed.

Happy day!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson






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Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA