Day of Praise

Wed, 03/16/16, "Day of Praise"

2 Timothy 4:7-8 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

I wish I could remember so I could give them credit. But decades ago, I heard or read how someone ended every class by asking people, "What are you taking with you?" It is a way to make people stop and think about what they learned so they can give an account when somebody says, "What did you learn and talk about in class?"

It is a good practice for the end of life too and not just the end of a class. In today's Bible verse, St. Paul is, in essence, answering the question, "What are you taking with you?" St. Paul not only gives an account for his own life, but he also encourages all of us to love the appearing of Jesus because it brings a great reward. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, what St. Paul means is that there is great blessing for those who love it when God shows up and does his thing, which sometimes sets our enemies straight, but sometimes sets us straight, which we may not be so excited about.

So, as Lent is a season for us to think deeply about some things that we may not want to think about, the question is set before us, as with Paul, at the end of this day that God has granted you, "What are you taking with you from the day?" And, at the end of the big Day, when Jesus appears to take you to your heavenly home, what will you say to the question, "What are you taking with you from the class of life?"

May God grant all of us to say something like St. Paul, something like "I have believed to the end because the Lord is good!"

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

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/16/16, "Day of Praise"

2 Timothy 4:7-8 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

I wish I could remember so I could give them credit. But decades ago, I heard or read how someone ended every class by asking people, "What are you taking with you?" It is a way to make people stop and think about what they learned so they can give an account when somebody says, "What did you learn and talk about in class?"

It is a good practice for the end of life too and not just the end of a class. In today's Bible verse, St. Paul is, in essence, answering the question, "What are you taking with you?" St. Paul not only gives an account for his own life, but he also encourages all of us to love the appearing of Jesus because it brings a great reward. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, what St. Paul means is that there is great blessing for those who love it when God shows up and does his thing, which sometimes sets our enemies straight, but sometimes sets us straight, which we may not be so excited about.

So, as Lent is a season for us to think deeply about some things that we may not want to think about, the question is set before us, as with Paul, at the end of this day that God has granted you, "What are you taking with you from the day?" And, at the end of the big Day, when Jesus appears to take you to your heavenly home, what will you say to the question, "What are you taking with you from the class of life?"

May God grant all of us to say something like St. Paul, something like "I have believed to the end because the Lord is good!"

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, 03/15/16, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 5:13 - [Jesus said] "You are the salt of the earth."

My mom tells me that, when I was three years old, I would say that I was "Fwee." Furthermore, when somebody told me that I was three, then I'd say, "I'm not three; I'm fweeeeeee." In other words, I actually could say the right pronunciation, but I had myself convinced that the wrong pronunciation was correct.

And so it is with us all. Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth, which means, in sum, that God made us to be difference-makers. But we have ourselves convinced that life is too much and too hard. We, in essence, say, "I'm not salt; I'm small." We might as well be saying, "I'm not three; I'm fweeee." Being made in God's image, in our heart of hearts, we actually know who we are; we're salt, like Jesus says; we're difference-makers and world-changers; but we have ourselves convinced that we're something else altogether, namely, small and insignificant.

But no matter how much I insisted I was fwee, the truth remained that I was three. And no matter how much we insist that we're small and insignificant, the truth remains that we're the salt of the earth, world-changers, difference-makers, made in the strength and power and image of Almighty God!

So get out there today, believing that God's word about you is true. You are the salt of the earth! Get out there and change the world! Mmmm, let's go!

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/15/16, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 5:13 - [Jesus said] "You are the salt of the earth."

My mom tells me that, when I was three years old, I would say that I was "Fwee." Furthermore, when somebody told me that I was three, then I'd say, "I'm not three; I'm fweeeeeee." In other words, I actually could say the right pronunciation, but I had myself convinced that the wrong pronunciation was correct.

And so it is with us all. Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth, which means, in sum, that God made us to be difference-makers. But we have ourselves convinced that life is too much and too hard. We, in essence, say, "I'm not salt; I'm small." We might as well be saying, "I'm not three; I'm fweeee." Being made in God's image, in our heart of hearts, we actually know who we are; we're salt, like Jesus says; we're difference-makers and world-changers; but we have ourselves convinced that we're something else altogether, namely, small and insignificant.

But no matter how much I insisted I was fwee, the truth remained that I was three. And no matter how much we insist that we're small and insignificant, the truth remains that we're the salt of the earth, world-changers, difference-makers, made in the strength and power and image of Almighty God!

So get out there today, believing that God's word about you is true. You are the salt of the earth! Get out there and change the world! Mmmm, let's go!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/14/16, "Day of Praise"

Luke 18:13 - "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'"

Long ago, the followers of Jesus asked Jesus how to pray. At one point, Jesus taught them what we call the Lord's Prayer. But in telling this story in Luke 18, Jesus also taught them and us how to pray: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

These seven words have three key elements: 1) an humble acknowledgement that God is Almighty and to be feared, 2) an humble acknowledgement that we have rebelled/sinned against Almighty God, and 3) an humble plea for mercy, which is for Almighty God to not give us what we deserve, namely, to not give us what sin against God deserves, which is death.

Jesus goes on in that story and says that the man who prayed those seven words went away with his relationship with God made right. That reconciliation and restoration to God is what we all long for. In our heart of hearts, we all hunger to have fellowship with God, but we worry that God can't or won't have anything to do with us. Yet, in Jesus Christ and his cross, God has shown how eager he is to have fellowship with us; he is willing to pour out every ounce of energy and blood and life, showing he'd rather die for us than live without us.

This is good news, friends. God loves you. Turn your heart to him each day, remember his great love for you, and ask him for mercy. And when you do, just like the man Jesus described long ago, you too will walk in peace and fellowship with God!

"God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/14/16, "Day of Praise"

Luke 18:13 - "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'"

Long ago, the followers of Jesus asked Jesus how to pray. At one point, Jesus taught them what we call the Lord's Prayer. But in telling this story in Luke 18, Jesus also taught them and us how to pray: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

These seven words have three key elements: 1) an humble acknowledgement that God is Almighty and to be feared, 2) an humble acknowledgement that we have rebelled/sinned against Almighty God, and 3) an humble plea for mercy, which is for Almighty God to not give us what we deserve, namely, to not give us what sin against God deserves, which is death.

Jesus goes on in that story and says that the man who prayed those seven words went away with his relationship with God made right. That reconciliation and restoration to God is what we all long for. In our heart of hearts, we all hunger to have fellowship with God, but we worry that God can't or won't have anything to do with us. Yet, in Jesus Christ and his cross, God has shown how eager he is to have fellowship with us; he is willing to pour out every ounce of energy and blood and life, showing he'd rather die for us than live without us.

This is good news, friends. God loves you. Turn your heart to him each day, remember his great love for you, and ask him for mercy. And when you do, just like the man Jesus described long ago, you too will walk in peace and fellowship with God!

"God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 03/12/16, "Day of Praise"

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

As Forrest Gump says, "That's all I have to say about that."

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

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Sat, 03/12/16, "Day of Praise"

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

As Forrest Gump says, "That's all I have to say about that."

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, 03/11/16, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

There are all sorts of piles of dead clippings in front of houses and next to the road these days. It's pruning time. Tall grasses, flowering trees and bushes, they're all getting pruned back. You prune these things because you want them to bloom more fully, to bear more fruit. If you don't prune off the suckers, then the flowers and foliage and fruit will not be as colorful and rich and sweet.

Right now we're in the season of Lent. Lent is the season leading up to Easter, which is on March 27 this year, a few short weeks away. "Lent" is short for "lengthen". It's the season when the days are lengthening and things are starting to grow. But they don't grow as colorful and rich and sweet if they're not pruned. That's why many people have been doing a Lenten discipline since Ash Wednesday back on February 10. Lenten disciplines are when you take on something like praying daily or reading your Bible daily or serving at a mission each week. Lenten disciplines can also be giving up something like caffeine or coke or cigarettes or sweets or gossip. Whether you give up something or take on something or both, the purpose of a discipline is pruning, specifically pruning off the suckers from your life. 

Suckers in our lives, as they do in plants, drain the flow of nutrients that are needed to produce colorful and rich and sweet fruit, like "the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) So the suckers need to be pruned. With disciplines. In the strength of Christ. In the power of the Holy Spirit that changes us, heart and mind, from the inside out. So there can be more fruit. And less suckers. After all, who doesn't want more "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control"?

It's not too late. If you haven't already, ask God now to help you decide on your Lenten disciplines so the pruning can continue to Easter Sunday and beyond. The fruit will burst forth rich and lush and sweet.

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Fri, 03/11/16, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

There are all sorts of piles of dead clippings in front of houses and next to the road these days. It's pruning time. Tall grasses, flowering trees and bushes, they're all getting pruned back. You prune these things because you want them to bloom more fully, to bear more fruit. If you don't prune off the suckers, then the flowers and foliage and fruit will not be as colorful and rich and sweet.

Right now we're in the season of Lent. Lent is the season leading up to Easter, which is on March 27 this year, a few short weeks away. "Lent" is short for "lengthen". It's the season when the days are lengthening and things are starting to grow. But they don't grow as colorful and rich and sweet if they're not pruned. That's why many people have been doing a Lenten discipline since Ash Wednesday back on February 10. Lenten disciplines are when you take on something like praying daily or reading your Bible daily or serving at a mission each week. Lenten disciplines can also be giving up something like caffeine or coke or cigarettes or sweets or gossip. Whether you give up something or take on something or both, the purpose of a discipline is pruning, specifically pruning off the suckers from your life. 

Suckers in our lives, as they do in plants, drain the flow of nutrients that are needed to produce colorful and rich and sweet fruit, like "the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) So the suckers need to be pruned. With disciplines. In the strength of Christ. In the power of the Holy Spirit that changes us, heart and mind, from the inside out. So there can be more fruit. And less suckers. After all, who doesn't want more "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control"?

It's not too late. If you haven't already, ask God now to help you decide on your Lenten disciplines so the pruning can continue to Easter Sunday and beyond. The fruit will burst forth rich and lush and sweet.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/10/16, "Day of Praise"

1 Samuel 16:7 - "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'"

You're going too slow!

That's what I thought about the big car in front of me that was poking along about thirty miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone. But starting to pass him, I then saw clearly that there was a slow and very small car in front of him. There were no hazard lights flashing on either car, but I just got the feeling that the big, slow, nice car was looking after the little, slower, not-as-nice car.

Has anyone ever told you that you were going too slow? Like me with the car in front of me, whoever's fussing at you is often not seeing the whole picture. Maybe you eat slow because you savor the flavor of every precious bite. Maybe you're grieving a loved one slower than others are comfortable with because you just are, and grief has no timeline. Maybe you talk slow so people can actually understand what you're saying. Maybe you teens have told a boyfriend or girlfriend to slow down because there are more important things in life like an education and a marriage ceremony before two people bare their souls and more to each other. Maybe your education or your career is unfolding more slowly than you had planned. Maybe you walk slow because you're deep-thinking like a man in my life.

But if you're feeling worn down by people telling you to speed up, be encouraged because today's Bible verse reminds us that God sees through what's on the outside and understands what's going on with your inside. Yes, God sees what's going on in your heart. In your thinking. With your worries. With your plans. With your pace. With your trust that steady and sure is better than fast and furious. Unlike me with that car in front of me, God can see past what's immediately in front of him. God sees into your heart and guides you on a path and at a pace that the Lord deems right for you.

Hang in there! You're doing just fine!

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/10/16, "Day of Praise"

1 Samuel 16:7 - "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'"

You're going too slow!

That's what I thought about the big car in front of me that was poking along about thirty miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone. But starting to pass him, I then saw clearly that there was a slow and very small car in front of him. There were no hazard lights flashing on either car, but I just got the feeling that the big, slow, nice car was looking after the little, slower, not-as-nice car.

Has anyone ever told you that you were going too slow? Like me with the car in front of me, whoever's fussing at you is often not seeing the whole picture. Maybe you eat slow because you savor the flavor of every precious bite. Maybe you're grieving a loved one slower than others are comfortable with because you just are, and grief has no timeline. Maybe you talk slow so people can actually understand what you're saying. Maybe you teens have told a boyfriend or girlfriend to slow down because there are more important things in life like an education and a marriage ceremony before two people bare their souls and more to each other. Maybe your education or your career is unfolding more slowly than you had planned. Maybe you walk slow because you're deep-thinking like a man in my life.

But if you're feeling worn down by people telling you to speed up, be encouraged because today's Bible verse reminds us that God sees through what's on the outside and understands what's going on with your inside. Yes, God sees what's going on in your heart. In your thinking. With your worries. With your plans. With your pace. With your trust that steady and sure is better than fast and furious. Unlike me with that car in front of me, God can see past what's immediately in front of him. God sees into your heart and guides you on a path and at a pace that the Lord deems right for you.

Hang in there! You're doing just fine!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/09/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 119:165 - "Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble."

I love Twister!

Ya, know, Twister! That game from the '70's with the big spinner and the red-yellow-blue-green dotted mat, where everybody had to get a hand or foot on a colored dot and everybody would get all tangled up. The key to staying in the game was leaning on each other, but not knocking each other down.

Sometimes we play Twister in our worship. Kind of. At the Lord's Prayer, everybody is asked to grab hands so we can be family as we pray to "Our Father". It can be like Twister as you reach for one hand that's behind you and then another that's just a stretch-over-two-chairs-or-pews in front of you. The key to praying as God's connected family is leaning on each other, but not knocking each other down.

These are images for today's Bible verse from Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble." Life can get all Twister-like, having you reach in every direction, challenging your balance, and pushing you to stumble. But amongst God's wonderful laws is the law to "love your neighbor as yourself" which is in multiple books of the Bible. What God wants us to do when life becomes Twister-like is to love and lean on each other. When you lose a job, lean on each other. When you have a bad day, lean on each other. When you have a loved one who's dying, lean on each other.

God is here for us through each other. It's called the Body of Christ. It's called the Church. God is here for me and my family through our church. When we lean on God by leaning on our church, nothing can make us stumble.

Let's love each other by praying that everyone has or finds an awesome church and then leans on that awesome church so that, just as God promises, none of us would stumble.

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/09/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 119:165 - "Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble."

I love Twister!

Ya, know, Twister! That game from the '70's with the big spinner and the red-yellow-blue-green dotted mat, where everybody had to get a hand or foot on a colored dot and everybody would get all tangled up. The key to staying in the game was leaning on each other, but not knocking each other down.

Sometimes we play Twister in our worship. Kind of. At the Lord's Prayer, everybody is asked to grab hands so we can be family as we pray to "Our Father". It can be like Twister as you reach for one hand that's behind you and then another that's just a stretch-over-two-chairs-or-pews in front of you. The key to praying as God's connected family is leaning on each other, but not knocking each other down.

These are images for today's Bible verse from Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble." Life can get all Twister-like, having you reach in every direction, challenging your balance, and pushing you to stumble. But amongst God's wonderful laws is the law to "love your neighbor as yourself" which is in multiple books of the Bible. What God wants us to do when life becomes Twister-like is to love and lean on each other. When you lose a job, lean on each other. When you have a bad day, lean on each other. When you have a loved one who's dying, lean on each other.

God is here for us through each other. It's called the Body of Christ. It's called the Church. God is here for me and my family through our church. When we lean on God by leaning on our church, nothing can make us stumble.

Let's love each other by praying that everyone has or finds an awesome church and then leans on that awesome church so that, just as God promises, none of us would stumble.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/08/16, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

In less than two weeks, Sunday, March 20, Palm Sunday, to be exact, we begin the Spirit-filling, mind-sharpening, heart-warming week called Holy Week, which is an 8-day, Sunday to Sunday journey with Jesus, recounting his path to the cross and beyond to his glorious resurrection. Our congregation offers 18 worship times that week with at least one opportunity to worship on each of the 8 days.

Why such an intensive focus and expenditure of time and energy?

Well, in Galatians 2:20, alone, there are two mentions of death, five mentions of life and living, and one mention of God's love in Jesus Christ. Here's how we might think about all this: Without the love story, it's just a sinking ship.

Without the love story, it's just a sinking ship. That's what's been said about the movie, "Titanic," and another movie "Pearl Harbor," and a real life fact, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus died for us, but it's his love for us that takes his death for us and infuses it with power. He could have just died begrudgingly. But he didn't. He died on a cross from which he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Without the love story, the cross of Jesus is just a "sinking ship," a descent into a cold dark grave. But it's out of the power of love that Jesus died for us, and it's out of the power of love that God raised him from the dead.

The sinking ships of death and darkness and despair and the depths of the grave are always overcome by love. Remember? "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!" (Romans 8:38-39)

And that Jesus, who loves you, wants to live in you today and everyday because he not only wants to keep the ship of your life afloat, but he also wants to work through you by the power of the Holy Spirit so you can minister to people around you. Many of their ships are sinking. But your love in Jesus Christ poured on them, along with your Holy-Spirit-powered prayers for them and your promise-claiming words to them will help to keep their lives afloat too.

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/08/16, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

In less than two weeks, Sunday, March 20, Palm Sunday, to be exact, we begin the Spirit-filling, mind-sharpening, heart-warming week called Holy Week, which is an 8-day, Sunday to Sunday journey with Jesus, recounting his path to the cross and beyond to his glorious resurrection. Our congregation offers 18 worship times that week with at least one opportunity to worship on each of the 8 days.

Why such an intensive focus and expenditure of time and energy?

Well, in Galatians 2:20, alone, there are two mentions of death, five mentions of life and living, and one mention of God's love in Jesus Christ. Here's how we might think about all this: Without the love story, it's just a sinking ship.

Without the love story, it's just a sinking ship. That's what's been said about the movie, "Titanic," and another movie "Pearl Harbor," and a real life fact, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus died for us, but it's his love for us that takes his death for us and infuses it with power. He could have just died begrudgingly. But he didn't. He died on a cross from which he prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Without the love story, the cross of Jesus is just a "sinking ship," a descent into a cold dark grave. But it's out of the power of love that Jesus died for us, and it's out of the power of love that God raised him from the dead.

The sinking ships of death and darkness and despair and the depths of the grave are always overcome by love. Remember? "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!" (Romans 8:38-39)

And that Jesus, who loves you, wants to live in you today and everyday because he not only wants to keep the ship of your life afloat, but he also wants to work through you by the power of the Holy Spirit so you can minister to people around you. Many of their ships are sinking. But your love in Jesus Christ poured on them, along with your Holy-Spirit-powered prayers for them and your promise-claiming words to them will help to keep their lives afloat too.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/07/16, "Day of Praise"

Genesis 16:13 - "So [Hagar] called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.'"

Do you ever feel invisible? Like no one knows you exist?

God knows. God knows you exist. God sees you.

In today's Bible verse, we hear of Hagar. Through no fault of her own, Hagar was a person, specifically Hagar was a woman, who was looked down upon by everyone. Nobody saw her, except when they needed to get something from her. She might as well have been invisible. She might as well not have existed. She felt worthless.

Until God sent her a messenger.

And told her He sees her.

Then everything changed for Hagar.

Maybe not, probably not, in how people dealt with her. But now that didn't matter. Because she was not invisible. God saw her. God knew she existed.

And so it is for you. God has sent you a messenger, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He has seen you. And your situation. And he has done something about your situation, so that, believing He still sees you, you will see Him.

So everything has changed for you. Maybe not, probably not, in how people deal with you. But now that doesn't matter. Because you're not invisible. God sees you. God knows you exist.

And, if you look, believing that it's true as God promises in Jesus Christ, then you will see God at work in your life by His Holy Spirit so that you can exclaim with Hagar, "You are the God who sees me, Truly here I have seen him who looks after me."

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Mon, 03/07/16, "Day of Praise"

Genesis 16:13 - "So [Hagar] called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.'"

Do you ever feel invisible? Like no one knows you exist?

God knows. God knows you exist. God sees you.

In today's Bible verse, we hear of Hagar. Through no fault of her own, Hagar was a person, specifically Hagar was a woman, who was looked down upon by everyone. Nobody saw her, except when they needed to get something from her. She might as well have been invisible. She might as well not have existed. She felt worthless.

Until God sent her a messenger.

And told her He sees her.

Then everything changed for Hagar.

Maybe not, probably not, in how people dealt with her. But now that didn't matter. Because she was not invisible. God saw her. God knew she existed.

And so it is for you. God has sent you a messenger, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He has seen you. And your situation. And he has done something about your situation, so that, believing He still sees you, you will see Him.

So everything has changed for you. Maybe not, probably not, in how people deal with you. But now that doesn't matter. Because you're not invisible. God sees you. God knows you exist.

And, if you look, believing that it's true as God promises in Jesus Christ, then you will see God at work in your life by His Holy Spirit so that you can exclaim with Hagar, "You are the God who sees me, Truly here I have seen him who looks after me."

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Sat, 03/05/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 126:2 - "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'"

Do y'all think the Almighty laughs? I was so close to finding out.

The second Sunday of the month is our 5 p.m. prayer and healing service, which Almighty God has used to bring physical, spiritual, and emotional healing to many. It's an amazing service for those who come. 

After a few calming songs and corporate prayer, we grab a chair and invite people to sit in it. Everyone lays their hands on the person in the chair and prays for them. Getting more than 4 or 5 people around one person requires some creativity, and we always have more than 4 or 5. 

I myself love this service and want others to have a great experience, so I'll assume one of the "creative" positions as we lay hands on the person in the chair. And, for those who don't know me, I not only love worship, but I also take worship very seriously. I mean, we're in the presence of the Holy God. So there's room to be real and smile and laugh but not to turn worship into Comedy Hour. 

So this one night a while back, in all reverence, I creatively found a spot where I had to kneel down next to the person in the chair as we all gathered around. And then it happened. I started to cramp. Ya know, one of those wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-calf-or-thigh-stuck-in-pain kind of cramps. And I'm thinking that I'm about to fall over in pain and be rolling all over the floor and be unable to breathe let alone speak, but everyone's going to think that this moderately conservative, reverent in worship, believer in healing, Lutheran pastor has been slain in the spirit. So I'm picturing this imminent, comical, cramp scene in my head while we're all praying over the chair person. And, I'm serious y'all, God zaps me and tells me I've got to stop drinking so much Diet Coke.

And I'm just hoping that God has a sense of humor because I'm not feeling very reverent and spiritual through these three minutes. And all I can do is turn my heart to God and, in a way that only God could hear, I squeal, "Please, Lord!" And immediately, I was able to say as in today's verse, "The Lord has done great things," as the cramp immediately went away. 

And not wanting to unnecessarily put God to the test, I did find a standing position when the next person sat in the chair.

So y'all, have a blessed Saturday, believing that God loves you and wants to heal you. And don't forget, as is also in today's verse, to let your "mouth [be] filled with laughter, and [your] tongue with shouts of joy!"

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

Sat, 03/05/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 126:2 - "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'"

Do y'all think the Almighty laughs? I was so close to finding out.

The second Sunday of the month is our 5 p.m. prayer and healing service, which Almighty God has used to bring physical, spiritual, and emotional healing to many. It's an amazing service for those who come. 

After a few calming songs and corporate prayer, we grab a chair and invite people to sit in it. Everyone lays their hands on the person in the chair and prays for them. Getting more than 4 or 5 people around one person requires some creativity, and we always have more than 4 or 5. 

I myself love this service and want others to have a great experience, so I'll assume one of the "creative" positions as we lay hands on the person in the chair. And, for those who don't know me, I not only love worship, but I also take worship very seriously. I mean, we're in the presence of the Holy God. So there's room to be real and smile and laugh but not to turn worship into Comedy Hour. 

So this one night a while back, in all reverence, I creatively found a spot where I had to kneel down next to the person in the chair as we all gathered around. And then it happened. I started to cramp. Ya know, one of those wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-with-a-calf-or-thigh-stuck-in-pain kind of cramps. And I'm thinking that I'm about to fall over in pain and be rolling all over the floor and be unable to breathe let alone speak, but everyone's going to think that this moderately conservative, reverent in worship, believer in healing, Lutheran pastor has been slain in the spirit. So I'm picturing this imminent, comical, cramp scene in my head while we're all praying over the chair person. And, I'm serious y'all, God zaps me and tells me I've got to stop drinking so much Diet Coke.

And I'm just hoping that God has a sense of humor because I'm not feeling very reverent and spiritual through these three minutes. And all I can do is turn my heart to God and, in a way that only God could hear, I squeal, "Please, Lord!" And immediately, I was able to say as in today's verse, "The Lord has done great things," as the cramp immediately went away. 

And not wanting to unnecessarily put God to the test, I did find a standing position when the next person sat in the chair.

So y'all, have a blessed Saturday, believing that God loves you and wants to heal you. And don't forget, as is also in today's verse, to let your "mouth [be] filled with laughter, and [your] tongue with shouts of joy!"

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, 03/04/16, "Day of Praise"

Isaiah 51:3 - "For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song."

The work week can feel like a wilderness, leaving your soul in waste.

But in today's verse, God tells us of the renewal he will bring to Zion, that is to all people who would place their faith in Him.

Then after resting up, after finding comfort and finding Eden Paradise where you were feeling drained, we are plainly commanded by God to go find some joy and gladness by going to give thanks and sing.

It's a rhythm, Friends. It's a rhythm. Work, rest, worship, renewal. Work, rest, worship, renewal. Work, rest, worship, renewal.

So today's the last day of the work week. Tomorrow you're resting up. So, Sunday? Well, let's be some place in worship. Ya know, for some renewal, joy, and gladness!

Love, y'all! Have a great day!

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Fri, 03/04/16, "Day of Praise"

Isaiah 51:3 - "For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song."

The work week can feel like a wilderness, leaving your soul in waste.

But in today's verse, God tells us of the renewal he will bring to Zion, that is to all people who would place their faith in Him.

Then after resting up, after finding comfort and finding Eden Paradise where you were feeling drained, we are plainly commanded by God to go find some joy and gladness by going to give thanks and sing.

It's a rhythm, Friends. It's a rhythm. Work, rest, worship, renewal. Work, rest, worship, renewal. Work, rest, worship, renewal.

So today's the last day of the work week. Tomorrow you're resting up. So, Sunday? Well, let's be some place in worship. Ya know, for some renewal, joy, and gladness!

Love, y'all! Have a great day!

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/03/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 139:14 - "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

When God, in His word, talks about having made us and many other things, the word "fear" is regularly a part of the equation. Very simply, the fact that "fear" and being "made" go hand in hand is a testimony that we, and all things, are made by the Almighty God. It follows, therefore, that there are things about us being made that are "wonderful," which means "beyond our understanding."

Like the precision.

The precision with which we and the universe are made is the proverbial "mind-boggling." There's this guy at our church. Whenever he folds a letter to go into an envelope, it takes a while. He makes a fold without creasing it. Then he pulls the envelope next to the fold and measures it up, making sure the letter's going to fit precisely. After all, he doesn't want the letter to spill out of the "sealed" envelope. Who knows what might happen to the letter?

It's the same, and so much more, with God fitting you precisely into the unique mold that God made for you. To be silly, can you imagine if all your intestines weren't folded precisely and they spilled out of the envelope, ya know, like intestines hanging out of your belly button. That wouldn't be pretty. Kinda awkward. And, like a letter spilling out of an envelope, who knows if you'd ever get where you were trying to go because of all the holdups? (Can't you see yourself running late into a meeting and saying, "Oh, I'm sorry, my small intestine got hung up on the parking meter"?)

But God made you with precision. In fact, God made you with Almighty Precision, like the whole universe, where the calculations are so narrow that there is like no room for error or the sun would burn the earth to a crisp and every one of the billions of billions of the stars of the heavens would be bouncing into each other like a big pinball machine that has way too many balls (say, more than one?) going at one time, or like a dirt-track smash-up derby in Kingsport, Tennessee where it's fun to watch until you start wondering what would happen if all those colliding cars got out of the boundaries that have been set for them, and then you realize that you'd need to run for your life.

But you don't.

You don't need to run for your life because the colliding cars have a boundary and because the colliding stars, well, they aren't colliding because they too were fearfully, wonderfully, and precisely made by the same God (make that, only God) who fearfully and wonderfully and precisely made you with almighty power and incomparable wisdom and unmatched care, like a guy at my church fitting a letter into an envelope.

In sum, you are an amazing person. God fit you uniquely into your own, made-just-for-you, mold.

Take some time today for you. Use the amazing tools, like Google and Bing and better yet the Bible, to learn about yourself. Discover and discern and deploy your God-given gifts. In the strength and wisdom and care of the Almighty, become master over your self-destructive "leanings" instead of letting them rule your life. (Leanings? Sure, we can talk more about that. When would you like to get together?)

Let's say it again, you are an amazing person. God fit you uniquely into your own, made-just-for-you, mold. So let's all join the inspired Psalmist, who in Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Praaaaaaaaise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Thur, 03/03/16, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 139:14 - "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

When God, in His word, talks about having made us and many other things, the word "fear" is regularly a part of the equation. Very simply, the fact that "fear" and being "made" go hand in hand is a testimony that we, and all things, are made by the Almighty God. It follows, therefore, that there are things about us being made that are "wonderful," which means "beyond our understanding."

Like the precision.

The precision with which we and the universe are made is the proverbial "mind-boggling." There's this guy at our church. Whenever he folds a letter to go into an envelope, it takes a while. He makes a fold without creasing it. Then he pulls the envelope next to the fold and measures it up, making sure the letter's going to fit precisely. After all, he doesn't want the letter to spill out of the "sealed" envelope. Who knows what might happen to the letter?

It's the same, and so much more, with God fitting you precisely into the unique mold that God made for you. To be silly, can you imagine if all your intestines weren't folded precisely and they spilled out of the envelope, ya know, like intestines hanging out of your belly button. That wouldn't be pretty. Kinda awkward. And, like a letter spilling out of an envelope, who knows if you'd ever get where you were trying to go because of all the holdups? (Can't you see yourself running late into a meeting and saying, "Oh, I'm sorry, my small intestine got hung up on the parking meter"?)

But God made you with precision. In fact, God made you with Almighty Precision, like the whole universe, where the calculations are so narrow that there is like no room for error or the sun would burn the earth to a crisp and every one of the billions of billions of the stars of the heavens would be bouncing into each other like a big pinball machine that has way too many balls (say, more than one?) going at one time, or like a dirt-track smash-up derby in Kingsport, Tennessee where it's fun to watch until you start wondering what would happen if all those colliding cars got out of the boundaries that have been set for them, and then you realize that you'd need to run for your life.

But you don't.

You don't need to run for your life because the colliding cars have a boundary and because the colliding stars, well, they aren't colliding because they too were fearfully, wonderfully, and precisely made by the same God (make that, only God) who fearfully and wonderfully and precisely made you with almighty power and incomparable wisdom and unmatched care, like a guy at my church fitting a letter into an envelope.

In sum, you are an amazing person. God fit you uniquely into your own, made-just-for-you, mold.

Take some time today for you. Use the amazing tools, like Google and Bing and better yet the Bible, to learn about yourself. Discover and discern and deploy your God-given gifts. In the strength and wisdom and care of the Almighty, become master over your self-destructive "leanings" instead of letting them rule your life. (Leanings? Sure, we can talk more about that. When would you like to get together?)

Let's say it again, you are an amazing person. God fit you uniquely into your own, made-just-for-you, mold. So let's all join the inspired Psalmist, who in Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Praaaaaaaaise God!

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/02/16, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

We have two monetary offerings in worship. The one is the standard, pass-the-plate offering for all the ministries of the church. The second is what we call the "Mercy Ministry Basket," which is for a very specific mercy ministry. The Mercy Basket goes to something different each week.

The thing about the Mercy Basket is that it's not passed around. It's just placed on the floor in the front of the church at the same time the standard offering plates are being passed. People young and old must get up and go put something in the Mercy Basket. If nobody, gets up and goes, then the Mercy Basket stays empty. The Mercy Basket never stays empty.

Today is an ordinary workday. In an ordinary workday, just like we have two worship offering opportunities, we all have two workday offering opportunities. There's the work that comes our way that is our job for which we get paid or volunteer. And then there's the Mercy Work which will only get done if we get up and go put something into it. The Mercy Needs are the work of taking an interest in the people connected to our work. They're not just there to help us make money. They're people. They, like us, need mercy. If nobody gets up and goes, then the Mercy Needs stay empty. Ya know, like Jesus put some energy, not to mention all his blood, into having mercy on us.

There's more to a workday than the work that comes our way. Let's look at the people in our workday like Jesus looks at us. Our world is a better place to live in when the Mercy Basket doesn't stay empty. Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, puts mercy into the basket of our soul so we can put mercy into the soul basket of others.

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA

Day of Praise

Wed, 03/02/16, "Day of Praise"

Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

We have two monetary offerings in worship. The one is the standard, pass-the-plate offering for all the ministries of the church. The second is what we call the "Mercy Ministry Basket," which is for a very specific mercy ministry. The Mercy Basket goes to something different each week.

The thing about the Mercy Basket is that it's not passed around. It's just placed on the floor in the front of the church at the same time the standard offering plates are being passed. People young and old must get up and go put something in the Mercy Basket. If nobody, gets up and goes, then the Mercy Basket stays empty. The Mercy Basket never stays empty.

Today is an ordinary workday. In an ordinary workday, just like we have two worship offering opportunities, we all have two workday offering opportunities. There's the work that comes our way that is our job for which we get paid or volunteer. And then there's the Mercy Work which will only get done if we get up and go put something into it. The Mercy Needs are the work of taking an interest in the people connected to our work. They're not just there to help us make money. They're people. They, like us, need mercy. If nobody gets up and goes, then the Mercy Needs stay empty. Ya know, like Jesus put some energy, not to mention all his blood, into having mercy on us.

There's more to a workday than the work that comes our way. Let's look at the people in our workday like Jesus looks at us. Our world is a better place to live in when the Mercy Basket doesn't stay empty. Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, puts mercy into the basket of our soul so we can put mercy into the soul basket of others.

Praise God!

Day of Praise

Tues, 03/01/16, "Day of Praise"

2 Corinthians 4:8 - "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair."

Ever been perplexed? To be perplexed means to watch someone complicate a situation so badly that it's totally baffling and confusing.

One time in particular that I was perplexed stands out for me. Our son had a biology project due, and I was at Target to get the required neon-orange poster-board. I searched the stack of poster-board to find a piece that wasn't already wrinkled so Caden could have a nice presentation. And then, at the check-out counter, I laid it carefully on the conveyor so it stayed unwrinkled. I thought that surely the cashier would see that the poster-board couldn't fit if it was moved down the conveyor, so certainly the cashier would scan it while it was flat. But before I knew it, the cashier looked at the poster-board, started the conveyor, watched the poster-board get scrunched like an accordion as the conveyor pushed it through, and then they said, "How are you? Kid got a project?" 

I was perplexed, baffled, and confused. My son's poor, carefully-chosen, unwrinkled poster-board was carelessly destroyed by a person that I'm now going to have to pay.

But in spite of my perplexity, God reminded me of today's verse in 2 Corinthians 4:8, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair." God reminded me that life in this world can be a lot like that poster-board. You plan for it, pick it carefully, take care to keep it nice. But when you put it out there, it gets plowed into by the world. But the reason we're not "crushed" or "driven to despair" is because God has shown us in Jesus's crucifixion (being plowed into) and resurrection that God has the power and uses the power to (pardon the pun) straighten things out. And if we (pardon the pun) get all bent out of shape about our things, like poster-board, that just got bent out of shape, then we usually miss what God's about to do.

In the case of the poster-board, the young cashier started telling me how she was watching me interact with the others in line, and she wondered if she could ask me a faith question about how she should look at the chronic problem of pain that she had in her life. Of course, in light of that question, poster-board now became nothing, and God again showed what's most important, namely, the people in our lives who are perplexed and plowed over instead of the things that they might blemish.

So take a deep breath, y'all! Even when life gets a little hurtful, baffling, and perplexing, God's gonna straighten it out. Just trust him, and give him a moment. God's gonna smooth the way.

Praise God!

This email was sent to ctdegreen.pcblog@blogger.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Day of Praise Daily Encouragement · 1601 Southcrest Trail · Hoover, AL 35244 · USA