Today in the Word for July 22-26
Today in The Word
Monday July 22, 2019
Do you feel the pressure of what everyone else expects of you? Welcome to the Word with Pastor David. Luke 10:38-42 tells a story of Jesus:
“…he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
…the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed---or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better…”
Martha has an expected role to play as a hostess and she wants her sister to fulfill her domestic duty as well. But Mary has decided to spend time with Jesus, and he says that the only thing that is truly needed is spending time with Jesus. The rest is just a distraction in comparison.
What about you and I? Do we get distracted by life’s expectations, like Martha, and miss out on time spent with the King of the Universe? There are many practical things that we do that we believe are expected of us, but what is truly important? Isn’t it a priority to spend time with Jesus? Mary would say, we ought to do ‘what is better’ first.
And that’s the Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday July 23, 2019
Does your relationship with God affect your day-to-day choices? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul and his missionary team shared the story of salvation with a group of ladies in Acts 16:14-15:
“One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth…The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message… she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,: she said, “come and stay at my house.”…”
This businesswoman got saved, and then shortly thereafter makes an offer to Paul and his team to use her home as a base of ministry in that town. She is in effect underwriting their ministry financially. They will be eating her food and staying in her place, and holding house-church services there (v 40). Lydia puts her money where her mouth is. She converts to faith in Jesus, and she commits her resources to the advance of the gospel.
What about you and I? Does our salvation inform how we spend our resources? Has our faith in Christ made it all the way to our wallets?
And that’s the Word from David Baker of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday July 24, 2019
Are we willing to stick our neck out for our faith in Jesus? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul is greeting and thanking many folks at the end of his letter to the church in Rome. Romans 16:3-4 reads:
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.”
This married teaching/pastoring team is like the married leadership team in verse 7:
“…Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles...”
These Christians are willing to stick their neck out to advance the gospel of Jesus. Some were jailed for their faith. Some took great risks to share about Jesus.
I know that sharing your faith in Christ can sound scary. We do not know how the other person will react. But scripture is full of people who changed their world by taking risks to advance the message of forgiveness through relationship with Jesus Christ. If they can take those big risks, is it possible for us to take small ones to advance the gospel in our world?
And that’s the Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly. Join our Wednesday adult Bible Study at 6:30 for more of the Word.
Today in the Word
Thursday July 25, 2019
Is there more for us to learn? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Acts 18: 24-28 tells of someone willing to learn:
“…a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria…was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He…taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John…When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained the way of God more adequately…he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted hie Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.”
Apollos was a very smart student of the Bible. He could understand scripture and discuss it with the best of them. Yet he was willing to be taught by the wife and husband team of Priscilla and Aquila. He was willing to be shown ‘the way of God more adequately.’
How about you and I? Are we too proud to learn more? Do we think we have already got all truth down pat? We should be humble like the talented and studious Apollos—always willing to learn more about the Lord and our relationship with him.
And that is the Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday July 26, 2019
Do you feel like you are the ‘wrong sort of person’ to be used by God? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Paul says this to the church in Rome in Romans 16:1-2:
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people…for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.”
Phoebe lives in a time when women did not have much opportunity to be a leader religiously. They were mostly focused on tasks in the home. However, this new religion of faith in Jesus was operating differently! So, we see here that Phoebe is a deacon-the leader of a church in the city of Cenchreae. And beyond that, Phoebe is being commended by Paul to this church in the same way that he commends others who are carrying his letters to other churches. They then read his letters to those churches and explain what Paul means by what he wrote. (Ephesians 6:21-2; Colossians 4:7-16)
If Phoebe is the carrier and explainer of Romans—the deepest theological letter of Paul in the New Testament, then she is quite the trusted leader in the church. Her status as a woman appears to be a non-issue.
The point is that Phoebe could have felt, by virtue of being female that she was the ‘wrong sort of person’ to be used by God. But Paul entrusted her with his letter to the Romans and God used her to be a benefactor to many.
Maybe God can use you too!
And that’s the Word. You can enjoy more of the Word this Sunday at 10:45 at Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.