Showing posts with label Proverbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Proverbs. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Choices(2) Proverbs 8:1-11 10-24-10

Sermon 10-24-10 – choices - Proverbs 8: 1-11

1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.


In this scripture wisdom is acquainted with god.
Personified in God It is one of his main attributes –
Sofia goddess of wisdom controversy
James- 1:5 if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God

God knows what to do.

Choosing with the mind, choosing with the soul
We do better when we consider decisions in the light of the soul.

Such Choices are very spiritual

We have some choices to make as a church family

[by the way, do who know what today is? Giving Sunday sermon – annual time when the pastor talks about giving]
2 men marooned on an island
giving first, giving prayerfully

We have some choices to make as a church family

In 1997 I took no position I was still new. I listened and checked the temp of the congregations. One day I took a basketball to church. It was time. I made my speech, told them where I stood and made my statement. I then gave you the ball.

So what are our choices about the proposed building addition
About out future
About how we will be the body of Christ to one another

We have important choices to make regarding this building campaign
[Which is almost over]

Paul Dodds praying in the chapel
If money were not involved, wouldn’t we all be for this
Making more room- yes probably so

So the concept is not divisive, it just asks us to participate
And here we find the pain

Someone has said, I cannot give
That is fine
Do not worry. It is ok
Do I love u less if you cannot give
Are you any less important if you cannot give?
No. each one is loved. Each one is valued.

If you cannot give, just bring your card back next week and say
I will paint. I will plant bushes. I will pray

Everyone is valued and loved regardless of what or how they give.

Choices are important in every aspect of our lives
1. Who we will marry
2. Decisions to get up and go to church on day lights savings time.
3. How we will be voting on Nov 2nd
4. how we treat the server at the restaurant

We can enter heaven without a building.
We can enter heaven without complete truth
We cannot enter heaven without love

choices that we make – are more important now than every

we are living in difficult times

do you need a litany of the issues
Economy, stock market, national debt, foreclosures, jobs
Decline of our nation on the world scene

Some have suggested it is the end of the world
We have mismanaged our country and so it’s the end of the world?
The Chinese and Indian people don’t think so

But we have issues in our nation and that angst spills over into our church

Issues at Church-
• new church start –
• capital campaign –
• other changes

Gosh, change is everywhere
I wish I could tell you that there would be no more changes
I am announcing another one today
Kris Bartman moving to north Carolina

Worry- fear- frustration
What is a Christian to do?
Fear can be a bad thing or a good thing
If you let it in, fear can take over
• You lose the heart of god
• You lose the faith in the future
• You forget about the love of God
• And we start to sink beneath the waves a peter did

Or fear can be a good thing.
• Fear puts us on alert
• It tells us that we have opportunities
• It causes us to check every box and cross every T and dot every i
• Fear causes us to lift up our eyes and look for the God who is deliverance

My wife and I have had some wonderful moments in our life together, but some of the ones that we most cherish are the times of worry and fear. Because in those moments we looked at each other and we took each others hands and we prayed to God and we came out on the other side

Greater things occur in times of struggle, not in times of abundance
I refuse to give my life over to fear

What is the message of Jesus for this moment in us history in our church?
what does the wisdom of god say to us in such times
God puts the ball into our hands, what do we say to others?

Fear not
In the valley of the shadow- we are not alone

At the last supper Jesus said, Jn 14:27
27Peace 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.

After his crucifixion and death, they are hiding in the upper room
He appears Jn 20:21-22

21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

This is a time for Christians to remind the world of hope.
This is a time for love to shine

Everything is ok. God is with us

This is still my father’s world

Choices Proverbs 8:1-11 10-24-10

Sermon 10-24-10 – choices - Proverbs 8: 1-11

1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.


In this scripture wisdom is acquainted with god.
Personified in God It is one of his main attributes –
Sofia goddess of wisdom controversy
James- 1:5 if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God

God knows what to do.

Choosing with the mind, choosing with the soul
We do better when we consider decisions in the light of the soul.

Such Choices are very spiritual

We have some choices to make as a church family

[by the way, do who know what today is? Giving Sunday sermon – annual time when the pastor talks about giving]
2 men marooned on an island
giving first, giving prayerfully

We have some choices to make as a church family

In 1997 I took no position I was still new. I listened and checked the temp of the congregations. One day I took a basketball to church. It was time. I made my speech, told them where I stood and made my statement. I then gave you the ball.

So what are our choices about the proposed building addition
About out future
About how we will be the body of Christ to one another

We have important choices to make regarding this building campaign
[Which is almost over]

Paul Dodds praying in the chapel
If money were not involved, wouldn’t we all be for this
Making more room- yes probably so

So the concept is not divisive, it just asks us to participate
And here we find the pain

Someone has said, I cannot give
That is fine
Do not worry. It is ok
Do I love u less if you cannot give
Are you any less important if you cannot give?
No. each one is loved. Each one is valued.

If you cannot give, just bring your card back next week and say
I will paint. I will plant bushes. I will pray

Everyone is valued and loved regardless of what or how they give.

Choices are important in every aspect of our lives
1. Who we will marry
2. Decisions to get up and go to church on day lights savings time.
3. How we will be voting on Nov 2nd
4. how we treat the server at the restaurant

We can enter heaven without a building.
We can enter heaven without complete truth
We cannot enter heaven without love

choices that we make – are more important now than every

we are living in difficult times

do you need a litany of the issues
Economy, stock market, national debt, foreclosures, jobs
Decline of our nation on the world scene

Some have suggested it is the end of the world
We have mismanaged our country and so it’s the end of the world?
The Chinese and Indian people don’t think so

But we have issues in our nation and that angst spills over into our church

Issues at Church-
• new church start –
• capital campaign –
• other changes

Gosh, change is everywhere
I wish I could tell you that there would be no more changes
I am announcing another one today
Kris Bartman moving to north Carolina

Worry- fear- frustration
What is a Christian to do?
Fear can be a bad thing or a good thing
If you let it in, fear can take over
• You lose the heart of god
• You lose the faith in the future
• You forget about the love of God
• And we start to sink beneath the waves a peter did

Or fear can be a good thing.
• Fear puts us on alert
• It tells us that we have opportunities
• It causes us to check every box and cross every T and dot every i
• Fear causes us to lift up our eyes and look for the God who is deliverance

My wife and I have had some wonderful moments in our life together, but some of the ones that we most cherish are the times of worry and fear. Because in those moments we looked at each other and we took each others hands and we prayed to God and we came out on the other side

Greater things occur in times of struggle, not in times of abundance
I refuse to give my life over to fear

What is the message of Jesus for this moment in us history in our church?
what does the wisdom of god say to us in such times
God puts the ball into our hands, what do we say to others?

Fear not
In the valley of the shadow- we are not alone

At the last supper Jesus said, Jn 14:27
27Peace 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.

After his crucifixion and death, they are hiding in the upper room
He appears Jn 20:21-22

21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

This is a time for Christians to remind the world of hope.
This is a time for love to shine

Everything is ok. God is with us

This is still my father’s world

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Mother's Day Proverbs 6:20-23 05/09/10

Mother's Day Proverbs 6:20-23 05/09/10

20My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
21bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.
22When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, the will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. 23For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of disciple are the way to life.

The teaching of a parent
What do they teach us?


My mother joined my father to teach us how to work
It is a vital like skill -
Not unemployed, but the sense of entitlement that so many have
Learning to work is a very important life skill

Story of work in the back yard in San Jose when I went off with my sweetheart,

Akin to this is to - Take responsibility
Man up
Put on your big boy clothes

2 Thessalonians 3 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

11We hear some among you are idle. they are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

My mother joined my father in teaching me needed social skills.
Do not talk with your mouth full.
Do not throw your clothes of the floor.
Put your dishes in the dishwasher
Open the door for a lady.

One of the greatest skills is to love others
How to treat others

Your family is your family
You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives
Many siblings hurt each other for silly reasons
this person will always be your brother/sister
Never leave your wing man

Love one another
If we love those who live in out own house, do we have a witness for Christ outside of our house?

By nature we are selfish
Open your heart to a paradigm of love

John 3 34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that your are my disciples, if you love one another."

My mother joined my father in teaching me to attend church

I was baptized at 8 days
Church and Sunday school
Attendance pins/praying hands

Story of 3rd grade Jeff who wanted to skip church
I think regular church attendance plants the seeds of many things needed later in life.
I can promise you that when your kids are 22, 25 and 30 what they learn in church will be much more important to them than what they learn doing all of the other things that they learn other places.
When they face relationship breakup, financial stress and trouble at work, that foundation of faith is very important for them to be able to fall back on.

Hebrew10 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another p and all the more as you see the Day approach.

Remember who you are
Do the right thing - the right thing to do is the right thing to do even if you are the only one doing it.

Galatians 6
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Everything is ok, don't worry
Relax, take it easy.
Some people are all balled up with worry and stress
Short term vs long term memory
Learn to see the good - Learn to celebrate life
Isn't it a shame that some people see this as a novel thought
Matthew 6 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

At the end of the day, learn to celebrate like.
It is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3 12I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is the gift of God.

On Mothers Day, let me say a few words about adoption...
Katie our cousin
Video

You are loved unconditionally
Note this week from someone who thought they had committed the unpardonable sin.

The women who sent her adopted son back to Russia.

King David...all that, yet a man after God's heart
Peter and the three denials. Yet he is forgiven and reinstated.

There is nothing that you can do to make God love you more, nothing that you can do that will make him love you less.
God so loved the world.

Romans 8 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship [adoption]. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

The teaching of godly parents is a lamp, a light, and the way of life.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Star Date 2012 Proverb 3:3-8 11-15-09

Star Date 2012 Proverb 3:3-8 11-15-09

3Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind then around your neck, write them on the tablet of our heart.
4Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6in all your way acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
8This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your cones.

Series - start dates...reasons to be thankful
10000BC
22 AD
2012 this is a sermon about trust and fear

Dec 21, 2019 at 11:11 am, the world will end
Maya's "Long Count" calendar marks the end of a 5, 126 year era.
Here is some information about it:
extremely close conjunction of the Winter Solstice Sun with the crossing point of the (Equator of the Milky Way) and the (path of the Sun).

some believers that the data may mark the end of civilization or perhaps the beginning of a time of great tribulation. It is also getting increasingly poplar to refer to the astronomical event as "galactic alignment" some Nostradamus connection

Are you excited? Fearful? Worried?
show the video clip
sky is falling

illustrated n movies: 2010 Armageddon, the Post Man, Independence Day, The Day After, Left Behind movies

trust, fear and rejection
these kinds of movies and doctrines play on our fears
some in the church have played on our fears

In our lives we have a dance going on between trust and fear
What fear?


  • Fear that we will be left out,
  • that we will not make it to heaven
  • that we don't know the secret info
  • fear that we are not good enough

Instead of trust, many Christians are awash in worry and fear

Why are we interested in this end of time stuff?

  1. We are afraid that we will live and die and that seems meaningless
  2. Maybe we see the Christ life as an eternity thing not a today thing
  3. someone, some church has put the fear of God into us

If this is not your experience, the smile and enjoy my dysfunction

If this is your experience, then I hope today to set you free

I received a good dose of fear from the church

  • youth group visited by men with guns
  • sermons that told me I was going to hell
  • they had us passion out tracts in the SF Golden Gate Park, on Fisherman's Wharf
  • Studying the 2nd coming charts in college

Ahh, second coming charts

So much of this is built on nothing...some of what I am going to tell you may be new.

Hapax-building a doctrine on something that has one point of reference

  • rapture
  • 2nd coming charts

who said that this random arrangement of a few scriptures should take up so must of our time and cause us so much fear?

Is the Bible a magic book with secret bible codes - if we just learn them then we will have the power? or a book that God gives us to learn to trust him through faith in Christ.

Rapture-Suppose to be a hope, but the people that I know that talk about it all the time are living in fear

  • Am I good enough
  • Will I make it

Beside being hapaz, I want to tell you something else about this doctrine

Doctrine arouse in the 1830's [two green poles]

Darby and Scofield

Arose in American

Almost absent in orthodox faith, they are not intruded by this

Getting dates, making charts and worrying about the second coming is just wrong...

dates people set that are wrong

Sept 12, 1997 - Y2K - the 90's and the 00's are riddles with dates set by one group or another - May 21, 2011, Dec. 21, 2012

in systems like this, normal people yearn for peace. Some take in the teaching on Sunday but the rest of the week try to forget it and live a normal life

here is my question...would you rather learn about the end of the world or how to live life and trust God here and now

conclusion
we don't have to worry about nay of this
2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The gifts of the Christian like is a daily walk of joy
We don't have to worry about 2010 or tomorrow

you can choose how you will live
worried or trusting
a life of trust - celebrating the good
enjoying the simple things
living in the now
recognizing the gifts that God has given us here and now

Trust in the Lord and lean not to your own understanding...
If will bring health to the body and marrow of the bones.
I am thankful today that we can live a life of trust




Monday, June 22, 2009

Relationships - friendship Proverbs 18:24, 8/3/08

Relationships - friendship Proverbs 18:24, 8/3/08

If I were to send my pastor on a renewal leave, this is what I would hope for
Be able to relax
Find a peaceful heart
Enter nature
Get inspired
Read some good stuff that will help me
Come back with ideas for staff and for our future direction
Most of all, I hope that my pastor would be gripped with a feeling of "I want to come back" I want to be here. I miss you.
All of this has taken place
Thank you for this time away

quote - first church I have been involved w that was secure enough to let its pastor be gone for a six week renewal leave

reading during this renewal leave I decided to preach on relationships - because I have felt again the truth that loving others and being loved by them is a key gift of life

week 1 - friendships week, 2-marriage week, 3 - when things go work, week 4 - rel w God

Read Scripture: Prov 18:24
If a man would have friends, he must show himself to be friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

The problem
In our culture, there's an unsettled feeling, a malaise, life is not giving me what I want. Spending our time on the wrong stuff.
We're so busy striving for income that there isn't time for friendship. The divorce rate also goes up when people become richer, and partly it's because their very effort to become richer is a strain on the family. In general, materialists are unhappy people. If earning and consuming are less satisfying than friendship, why do we pursue them so vigorously?

Friendship defined
Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are.

a small boy defined a friends as "Someone who knows all about you and likes you just the same."

Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. Aristotle.

Biblical examples:
Abraham and Lot
Ruth and Naomi
David and Jonathan
Daniel and his three companions
Jesus and Disciples
Mary Martha Lazarus and Jesus
Paul and Silas
Paul and Barnabas
Paul and Priscilla and Aquilla
Jesus...I no longer call you servants but friends

Why are friendships important
Life is about relationships
Babies that are hot held develop "failure to thrive"
All of us need people to be connected to
Friends are those people with which we find special connections

  • You want to hang w them
  • You look fwd to seeing them
  • They are good for you
  • You can tell them your secrets--I call u friends...full disclosure

a writer described the significance in friendship: "The human journey is so short. We no sooner realize that we are here than it is already time for us to be leaving. The brevity of life gives a subconscious urgency to our desire to know ourselves. Dostoyevsky said that one of the greatest tragedies is that so many people live their lives without ever finding themselves in themselves. Perhaps this is what a friendship gives us. The real mirror of your life and soul is your true friend. A friend helps you to glimpse who you really are and what you are doing here." -- John O"Donohue, "Soul to Soul," Utne Reader

So where do friendships come from
If a man would have friends, he must show himself to be friendly
Tom Bales.......mowing the grass......came over and we sat down and visited

Do you wait around for others to be nice to you
Or do you go out and make friends

Joan and the man that she wanted to date
Quote
George Bernard Shaw asked his readers if we would be "a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievance, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

Glass half full or half empty
See the good

Friendships are built and maintained on time invested
A Chinese proverb says, "the fifth cup of tea between friends is the best". Tea was made in old China simply by pouting hot water over loose tea leaves in a cup.

It is the fifth cup that becomes the symbol of friendship at its best.

We value friendship
Proverbs 17:17 - A friends loves at all times and a brother is born of adversity
From moments of pain, great relationships can arise
Because you have found someone that is trustworthy, who will care 4 yr heart

Jackie Robinson was the first black to play major league baseball. Breaking baseball's color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then, shortstop PeeWee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.

Paul McClain - tears

When you find a friend, you have found a connection
  • There is something inside of me that connects to you
  • There is something inside of me that responds to you
  • I want to hang around with you
  • I am better because of you

Softball coach........................I want you on this team
Cathy's old work friends wanted a get together...........We are not going to do this w/o you
Friends say, you matter

Do you have room for one more friend in your life?
reach out
Meet them in the coffee bar

Conclusion
Relationships are the most valuable thing that we have
Let us celebrate friendship
Let us show ourselves to be friendly

Lion video

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Power of Words Proverbs 15 7-23-95

Power of Words 7-23-95 Proverbs 15

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away.....seminary
first heard of the power of words in a spiritual sense
Robert Schuler
Fred Price......go to meat market, ask for steak....don't settle for hamburger
name it claim it

there is power in what we say
nice kids, nice wife, not as big of a dufus as I remember
strange prayers for mom
raise the dead prayer
I've participated too.....my family has taken a beating this week

never so glad to be a United Methodist
ministers.....Glen Wiggs,, Brad Reed
.....DS....Bishop
encouraging words W.W. Cobb
Card in the mail
phone calls from you
hugs

failures & lack of experience make us nervous about trying to say something nice
what if I'm rejected? what if they are left out

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all

a good word at the right time

this heart....this mouth....gifts from God
Let that good word come forth, and be a blessing

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Remembered for Simple Things Proverbs 15:1-5 5-30-04

Proverbs 15:1-5 memorial day remembered for simple things

Intro—Robert Nicholas, new baby, forgot his name

Memory matters
Memory is important
Memory marks our ability to measure ourselves
· We want to quit something because we are not as good at it anymore
· We want to quit because we embarrassed our selves.
With out memory there is no measuring
To exercise the gift of memory is to open the door to deeper thought
To consider the past and apply it to the present

How will we be remembered
Walking the ground at Mt Washington
Sinners and saints
Gosh what a great person….the millionaire? Or the kind person
Its not the big things that count, it is the little things that matter

Scripture….expressing kindness
………………….
Grandma will be 95 years old on Mother’s Day. It shouldn’t surprise me that she didn’t know who I was when I saw her last weekend—but it did. She knew me at Christmas. Was the marked decline because they had moved her from assisted living to nursing care or had they moved her because of the decline? I guess it really doesn’t matter—she still didn’t remember me.As we sat talking about the insignificant stuff you talk about with people you don’t really know, I laid my hand on her back. She immediately leaned forward and as I started rubbing her back she began smiling and purring. When it was time to go, she asked me to come again soon.The next day when I arrived at her door, she looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Grandma,” I said. “Do you remember me today?” “Of course I do,” she replied indignantly. “You are the girl who rubs my back.” I guess sometimes what I do is more important than who I am.

Sad when power of memory is ignored
Some wish to forget, or ignore their behavior, excuse it away
How you behave is how you will be remembered
And so to the scripture, what is coming out of your mouth…..
Mean words, selfish words, kind words?
Looking into a glass then forgets who he is…James 1
Gentle answer turns away others wrath…..yours too!

Damage to relationships…….
There’s a story about a city dweller who was visiting relatives on a farm and the farmer gave a whistle and his dog herded the cattle into the corral, then latched the gate with her paw. "Wow, that’s some dog. What’s her name?" The forgetful farmer thought a minute, then asked, "What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?" "A rose?" "That’s it!" The farmer turned to his wife. "Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?"

Kicker
· Did you come here hoping to get something today? Its memorial day weekend, you could have skipped…..many did…..
· I can relate to this, can you? I think so.
· Are you nice to people, does the way you carry yourself, and the things that you say reflect the love of Jesus Christ?
· Blessed are those who give without remembering. And blessed are those who take without forgetting.
· No gift is so cherished no gift is so emblazoned into our memories as an act of kindness freely given
· Tomorrow is a new day, start afresh

Conclusion
It is testament to the overwhelming success of the World War II generation that we can barely imagine a conflict in which nearly 300 young servicemen and women died each day—

Heroes of WW2---Most of us never had the chance
Thank God, what a blessing, we never had the chance to face evil and give our lives to save the world from it.

Does this mean that our lives to not matter?--Of course not.
We will be remembered as heroes of peace time
Those who got the chance to live in the day that others fought to make such a day possible for us.

Lets remember them and give thanks for what they did
Lets remember the chances we have to leave positive memories on those around us










Joke
An Australian travel writer touring Canada was checking out of the Vancouver Hilton, and as he paid his bill said to the manager, “By the way, what’s with the Indian chief sitting in the lobby? He’s been there ever since I arrived.””Oh that’s ‘Big Chief Forget-Me-Not,’” said the manager. “The hotel is built on an Indian reservation, and part of the agreement is to allow the chief free use of the premises for the rest of his life. He is known as ‘Big Chief Forget-Me-Not’ because of his phenomenal memory. He is 92 and can remember the slightest details of his life.”The travel writer took this in, and as he was waiting for his cab decided to put the chief’s memory to the test.”G’dye, myte!” said the Aussie, receiving only a slight nod in return. “What did you have for breakfast on your 21st birthday?””Eggs,” was the chief’s instant reply, without even looking up, and indeed the Aussie was impressed.He went off on his travel writing itinerary, right across to the East coast and back, telling others of Big Chief Forget-Me-Not’s great memory. (One local noted to him that ‘How’ was a more appropriate greeting for an Indian chief than ‘G’dye myte.’)On his return to the Vancouver Hilton six months later, he was surprised to see ‘Big Chief Forget-Me Not’ still sitting in the lobby, fully occupied with whittling away on a stick.”How,” said the Aussie.”Scrambled,” said the Chief.

Scripture
Prov 15:1-5
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. 4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
5 A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.
3 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.


James 1
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Seek the Kingdom Proverb 3 8-17-03

Sermon Aug 17 2003

Vacation with Kids
You missed me this summer…They missed me this summer
Orlando…Universal Studios
ET Ride
ET needs to go home….you must take him
You need a special pass to travel the light years to his home
Beautiful trees in the ride
You pick him up, avoid the bad guys, get him home
His heart is warmed

Ultimately, that is what it is all about
Living the journey in a way that we get home
Home is in heaven
Need a special pass from Jesus
Avoid the bad stuff
Arrive home
Heart is warmed

Wesley…I want to know one thing. Give me that book.
The way to heaven

How much of our time do we spend on earthly things
On heavenly things?

Maybe you are here today and you do not know which road you are on
Maybe you are on the road but have spent more time with the wrong than the right
Here is the good news
Prov 3: Trust in the Lord with all thy heart. Lean not to thine own understanding, and
He shall direct ty paths.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God

Matchbox 20

Heartwarming experience when you find home

Two Levels of Thinking Proverbs 21:2 8-25-02

Sermon 8-25-02 Prov 21:2
Every man’s way seems right in his own eyes, but God judges the hearts

Vacation/trip wanted to come home….missed you
Went to church…..dry, hungry. Sat night….so glad to be back at WCC

Caring about others….how we talk, show empathy, giving, today conclu…
The source of caring…how we think….no conclusion to caring about others.

learning to think differently/hope begins when we commit to open our minds

Babies…selfish…lifelong learning process
Process of new thinking is ongoing, doesn’t end with giving life to Christ
It just begins

Isaiah 55: 8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Paul…Romans 7:14-25

2 levels of thinking
Addiction/Dysfunction/Darkness/don’t like to admit to others or self
drink, somke, drugs, gamble, eating, working, shopping, sex, sports, hobbies, beauty,

Yes you can 2nd guess yourself too much…
I have a brainsurgeon friend….no second guessing please
but that is not our problem
We are on auto pilot….

David…Darkness, Psalm 51
He was open, he was humble….

1 Cor 10:12 let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall


Today … maybe you don’t know what church is about, maybe you didn’t really want to come here…I invite you to find a new way to think. Stop, open mind, commit your ways to the Lord.


Tell the Truth Proverbs 14:25 7-28-02

Sermon 7-28-02 Proverbs 14:25 6 16-17

Bible is full of lies
· Satan to eve…
· Rebekka & Jacob to Issac
· Josephs brothers to Jacob
· Herod to wisemen
· Peter…denying Jesus
Our job is not to tear others down, its to build them up

Lying

Talking about others
Love your neighbor as yourself
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Tell the Truth
Bearing false witness [sometimes we are too nice….]
john walker lind is nelson mandella
mother of solider who killed wife at ft bragg…..he was trained to kill
`I truly in my heart believe that his training was such that if you can't control it, you kill it,''
Politician speech
Things we say about each other
Often the hurtful things we say are about our pain, more so than about the reality of the situation.


Conclusion
I was raised to keep all the family secrets and present myself in such a way that people would be either envious or approving. But keeping up a façade like that takes so much energy. When my friend Pammy was going through chemotherapy, and I asked her if the dress I was wearing made me look fat, I was making a fuss about the dumbest things, and Pammy looked at me and said, "Annie, you just don't have that kind of time." It was so profound, it was like I was in a cartoon and somebody conked me over the head. I got it. Pammy died seven years ago. But I still live by her words: You don't have time to live a lie. You don't have time to get the world to approve of you. You only have the time to become the person you dream of being. You only have the time to clean out your mean and ugly spots, areas that drag you down and hurt other people. You only have the time to accept yourself as you are and start getting a little bit healthier so you can be who God needs you to be. In a way, it's exhilarating to say, "This is really who I am, and I'm not going to pretend just because I have the sneaking suspicion I'm not good enough." God meets you where you are
What upsets me is not that you lied to me, but that from now on I can no longer believe you.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Relationships - Proverbs6 - Sept. 17, 2000

Sermon 9-17-00 Prov 6
Tough scripture, lets look at the positive concepts here

Part three of relationships: you & the Lord, marriage, Playing well with others

Easy to do a sermon on being nice….but it doesn’t work without the roots
Steven Covey's 7 habits book, focus on root values, behavior will follow
Must have tools to behave well
Softball: Matt Swanson, go yard. Jeff, go yard. Don’t have tools

Values that lead to success in dealing with others
1. wicked vs good heart
measure what goes on in your mind, heart

Heart is used in Scripture as the most comprehensive term for the
authentic person. It is the part of our being where we desire,
deliberate, and decide. It has been described as "the place of
conscious and decisive spiritual activity," "the comprehensive
term for a person as a whole; his feelings, desires, passions,
thought, understanding and will," and "the center of a person.
The place to which God turns."Fan The Flame, J. Stowell, Moody,

2. negative or positive attitude
Always something we do not like/ok to not like whatever
Choose whether to disparage, bring others down

A survey asked mothers to keep track of how many times they made negative, compared with positive, comments to their children. They admitted that they criticized ten times for every time they said something favorable. A three-year survey in one city's schools found that the teachers were 75% negative. The study indicated that it takes four positive statements from a teacher to offset the effects of one negative statement to a child.

As much as 77% of everything we think is negative and counterproductive and works against us. People who grow up in an average household hear "No" or are told what they can't do more than 148,000 times by the time they reach age 18. Result: Unintentional negative programming.

3. tell the truth
blant lies
sowing mistrust by not following through
softball…."Ive got it"
keep your word, follow thru

Famous American Fibs
- The check is in the mail.
- I'll start my diet tomorrow.
- We service what we sell.
- Give me your number and the doctor will call you right back.
- Money cheerfully refunded.
- One size fits all.
- This offer limited to the first 100 people who call in.
- Your luggage isn't lost, it's only misplaced.
- Leave your resume and we'll keep it on file.
- This hurts me more than it hurts you.
- I just need five minutes of your time.
- Your table will be ready in a few minutes.
- Let's have lunch sometime.
- Open wide, it won't hurt a bit.

4. don’t be proud
George Gordon Liddy, Watergate conspirator recently released from prison: "I have found within myself all I need and all I ever shall need. I am a man of great faith, but my faith is in George Gordon Liddy. I have never failed me."

The essence of the Christian faith is to be Chrsit centered. Self centeredness sneaks up on us at every turn..

There is only 1 seat in the throne room of your life.
Either you sit on it, or Jesus Christ sits on it

Dallas moore. 22 years later, he is a man of integrity. Good choices lead to

I invite you today to choose to submit the core of who you are to the Lord
Then you will be able to love the Lord with all your heart, love neighbor as self



Relationships=