Southwood Lutheran Church

Did you see the poll?

Did you see the poll over in the right hand column of the blog? Did you wonder why we're asking you this ridiculous question about Festus?  Don't worry - be sure to check in on Wednesday March 14th - Pastor Greg has a blog post on Acts 26 that explains the discussion about the infamous Festus!

This poll question will change from time to time - go ahead and vote its totally anonymous!  Let me know if you have ideas for questions you'd like to ask our blog readers - (I'm open to poll suggestions, but should let you know that I reserve the right to veto too!)

Did you vote yet?

Pastor Sara

p.s. - I voted for the uncle on the Addams Family.

Act 24 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Two Faced Felix  Read all of Acts 24 Here.

Acts is full of interesting people, with interesting names (Dorcus and Drusilla, Festus and Felix - just to name a few.)  Today we tackle Felix.  Felix is the Governor, he is in much the same role here with Paul as Pilate was with Jesus at the end of the Gospels.  Like Jesus, Paul has been arrested at the urging of the Jewish leaders and now handed over to the government to be sentenced and punished. Now Paul is in Felix's hands and we get a sense that Felix is a greedy, ambitious, and two-faced leader.

We are told right away that Felix is "well acquainted with The Way."  It could be that he just knew something about this group of Christ followers - but it is more likely that he was actually very interested in them.  It seems might even seem to us that he is placed in this situation in order to be transformed by Jesus.  In fact, he brings his wife to Paul and together they listened as Paul spoke about faith in Jesus Christ.  We have to ask, why would a government official bring his wife to meet and learn from a prisoner if he/they weren't interested in what this prisoner was teaching?  Why would he allow Paul freedom and the benefit of his friends' assistance if not for a genuine interest in Jesus.

At first glance Felix seems to be on the cusp of a transformation in Christ.  But if we take another look, a few more details appear that will make us rethink this conclusion.   In the verses that follow we find out that Felix was inconvenienced by this message, that he was looking only for a bribe from Paul, and that he was strategically positioning himself  to be "in" with the Jews.  What? What happened here to make Felix turn away from the message about Jesus so abruptly?

The turning point is verse 25 - As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you."  For Felix, righteousness and Self-control seem to be the deal breakers.  We know that Paul must have been speaking to him about the ways in which life changes when you follow Christ - for Felix this was "inconvenient."

When does following Christ become inconvenient for us? Is it with an expectation toward righteousness?  Self-control?  Is it Christ's command to us to lose our lives for his sake?  To live sacrificially?  To love our neighbors?  To put God first and foremost in our lives? 

Take some time to examine your faith.  When is it that being a follower of Christ is inconvenient for you?  Pray this week that God will strengthen you so that you can follow Jesus in every way.

Pastor Sara

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16.  We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day.  Be sure to join us in reading this entire book.  We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Act 23 - A Blog in 28 Acts

God or Religion?

The events of 9-11 were a stark reminder, especially for Americans, of the destructive power of religious fanaticism. As fresh as it is for us, religious fanaticism is really nothing new. It led to the crucifixion of Jesus, the stoning of Stephen, and in Acts 23, it leads a group of 40 men to plan a way to ambush and kill Paul. Read all of Acts 23 here. (And lest those of us who live in glass churches throw stones, don’t forget about the Crusades.)

All of these examples have some basic commonalities:

• People isolate themselves from others
• Plans are shrouded in secrecy
• Commonly held ethical principles are violated (don't lie; don't kill)

Although the examples are extreme, they illustrate the twisted-in-on-itself nature of choosing “religion” over “following God.” In more subtle ways, we make choices between religion and God every day. It's usually easier to call it out in others than it is to see it in ourselves, but we all do it. Here are some more common examples:

• When being Lutheran or Methodist or Catholic (insert your denomination of choice) is more important than being Christian
• When being Christian is more important than being a disciple of Christ (they’re not always synonymous)
• When we're insiders and others are outsiders
• When we place a higher value on being right than on loving people
• When we territorially protect the institution at the expense of caring for the individual

In Acts 23, one of the Pharisees in the Council accusing Paul asks a good question, "What if it turns out we're fighting against God?" It's a question I want to ask myself as I make decisions as a leader in the church. Am I following God or just maintaining the religious institution? It's a serious question....but here's a light-hearted look at what the difference between "being religious" vs. "following God" might look like today.

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Act 22 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Can I have a Testimony!  Read All of Acts 22 here.

In Acts 22, St. Paul gives his testimony.  He is sharing with the people the kind of person he "used to be" and how God is now using him in a new way.  It is a powerful testimony that displays how God can even use someone like Paul (who in his former life was nothing more than a glorified bounty hunter of Christians).  God changed Paul into the most successful evangelist the Christian church has ever known. Amazing! 

His testimony reminds me of how powerful God's transforming love is.  It can really change people from the inside out!  It transformed Paul, and it can transform you and me.

His testimony also prompts me to ask myself; What's my testimony? How can I share with people the transformation that God has made within my heart?  What difference does my relationship with Jesus make in the way I think and behave? 

These are questions we all should ask.  In fact, we should know our answers to them, because someday we will be with someone who will need to hear how God has transformed us into a new being.  It will be our opportunity to really touch someone with the incredible grace and transforming love of God by sharing our own testimony.  And who knows, that testimony might be the very thing that person needs to hear to begin a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ!

Today, think of your own testimony.  How has God made a change in you?  How are you different because of his love and grace in your life?  Then prepare to share it with someone.  Because you never know when the opportunity will offer itself when someone may ask; "Can I have a testimony?"

Pastor Greg

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Sweet Sweet Spirit

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (Matthew 3:16 NIV)

Noted recording artist, music arranger, and director Doris Akers was born in Brookfield, Missouri, and started writing songs at age ten. Many of her more than three hundred songs are found in many songbooks and hymnals and have been sung by millions of worshipers. In addition to songwriting, Doris also directed the Skypilot Choir of Skypilot Church in Los Angeles.

One Sunday morning, Doris said to her choir, “You are not ready to go in.” She didn’t believe they had prayed enough! They were accustomed to spending time in prayer before the service, asking God to bless their songs. Doris had communicated to her choir that prayer was much more important than great voices. Although the choir members had already prayed this particular morning she asked them to pray again, and they did so with renewed fervor.

As the choir members continued to pray, Doris began to wonder how she could stop this wonderful prayer meeting. Finally she was compelled to say to the choir, “We have to go. I hate to leave this room and I know you hate to leave, but you know we do have to go to the service. But there is such a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place.” The next morning she went to the piano and began to write, “There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place.” In her song she recognized the “Spirit” in the room as the “Spirit of the Lord.” She could see in the “sweet expressions” of the choir members that they also recognized the “presence of the Lord.” The chorus of the song calls us back to the New Testament’s description of the Spirit of God descending like a dove, lighting upon Jesus at His baptism (Matt. 3:16).

Doris Akers passed away in 1995, but her songs will live on in the hearts of those of us who have sung them and have learned to love the God she wrote about. Until her last day on earth, Doris strongly believed that god wants His children to pray. From The Sacrifice of Praise; by Lindsay Terry.

There's a sweet, sweet spirit in this place And I know that it's the spirit of the Lord

There are sweet expressions on each face
And I know that it's the presence of the Lord

Sweet Holy Spirit
Sweet heavenly dove
Stay right here with us
Filling us with your love
And for these blessings
We lift our hearts in praise (hearts in praise)
Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived
When we shall leave this place

Words & music: Doris Akers © 1962, renewed 1990 Manna Music, Inc.

Denise

How Big is God's Love?

I saw this poster awhile ago on another blog. Read more about it here.

Then today I ran across this quote:

No abyss of evil can hide from [Jesus] through whom the world is reconciled with God. But the abyss of God's love encompasses even the most abysmal godlessness of the world.

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Meditations on the Cross

and this Bible verse:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. - Romans 5:6-8

... and they all just seem to go together.

What do you think? How big is God's love? Just something to think about on a Tuesday afternoon.

Pastor Sara

VIDEO of the Week: Parenting Influences

One parent asks: I don't like my twelve-year-old daughter's friends. I find them stuck up and gossipy. I told her what I thought, but she got very angry and stuck up for them. How do I keep her from becoming like them?

We're real people - a simple solution doesn't often work for our deepest struggles and questions.  Tune in each week on Tuesday to watch a series of videos by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend.  Here you will find advice from seasoned leaders about everything from parenting and marriage, to spirituality, goals, and leadership.

For over 1800 other free videos check out the Solutions for Life website.

Act 21 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Thy Will Be Done.
Read all of Acts 21 here.

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." - Acts 21:10-14

Thy will be done. We say these words every time we recite the Lord’s Prayer. We talk about doing God’s will. But do we really understand what God’s will could demand of us? Sometimes God’s will is easy to understand and accomplish. Other times it seems nearly impossible to comprehend and terrifying to accomplish. It seemed that way for Jesus. For Jesus, God’s will meant sacrificing his life for all of us. For Paul, it meant giving his life up as a testimony to Jesus.

In this story, we read that Paul was with some of his friends in Caesarea when a prophet named Agabus came to him and described his upcoming imprisonment for the Gospel and future suffering. Paul’s friends pleaded with him not to go and to avoid the suffering to come, but Paul responds decisively, “I am not only ready to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Apparently, Paul said it with such conviction that he couldn’t be convinced otherwise. Finally the only thing left for the people to say is, “The Lord’s will be done”. Paul’s friends understood that as hard as it was for them to fathom, Paul’s destiny was to suffer for the cause of Christ. What faith Paul had! What deep understanding of the ways of God his friends had!

Put yourself in this story today. What if you were Paul and a prophet approached you and told you that you would be imprisoned and tortured when you traveled to a nearby city? Then imagine that all of your closest friends were begging you not to go. But you have deep conviction that you are supposed to go to that city because God wants you to and because you actually choose to suffer for Christ’s name to be glorified. Imagine this situation if your best friend is Paul. How hard would it be to accept that God actually wants your friend to be imprisoned for His sake?

I am amazed and humbled by the faith and trust of the people in this passage. Paul had the courage to know what was right. His friends trusted God in the midst of their fear and grief. God’s will isn’t always pleasant or easy. When God calls you to do something difficult or to suffer something for His name, will you be ready to say, “The Lord’s will be done”?

Chip

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

HEAR it on Sunday. USE it on Monday.

On Sunday Chip talked about what it means to live a life of faith. Listen to the sermon - "Walking With God" now.

“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love. And don’t take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.” Micah 6:8 - The Message

The people in Micah's time were so concerned with doing what was "right" in the temple that they forgot about doing what was right and good for God's people. They got caught up in religious rituals and forgot about relationships. They were more concerned about appearances and less concerned about the condition of their hearts. If we fast forward from Micah's time to today we can really see that we often do the same thing. We think the things we do in church are more important than anything else. We place more emphasis on these practices and forget about what God really wants - he wants our hearts. Micah says that God wants us to shape our hearts around justice, mercy, and humility.

On Sunday we celebrated Confirmation. 48 students affirmed their faith. We as pastors, parents, church staff, mentors and leaders pray that this past Sunday wasn't just a ritual - but that it marked an important turning point in a relationship. We pray that each of these 48 students will continue to grow in love for God and for God's people throughout their lives. That their hearts would be focused on acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.

Take some time this week to think about the questions Chip asked during Sunday's sermon:

• What evidence or proof do people see in your life regarding your belief in Jesus? Do they see justice, mercy, and a humble relationship with God?
• How are you acting justly in your life?
• What things are you actively doing to show others mercy?
• What does it look like to walk humbly with God in your life?
• Ask God to guide you as you ask Him for ways that you can show your friends, coworkers, neighbors and strangers the love of Christ.

**This is a new weekly feature. You will find it each Monday Morning on our blog. Each week you can come here to find tools and resources to help you incorporate the things you hear in worship on Sunday to your daily walk of faith during the rest of the week. You will find a variety of scripture readings, questions, illustrations, prayers, and stories; they all connect to the themes from Sunday's worship. Hear it, Use it, GROW!

A Thank You from Iraq

I received this email from a Southwood member, Dan Moss, who is deployed in Iraq. Dan recently received a Military Care Packages prepared and sent by a team of Southwood members. Dan's message is below. If you have a message of encouragement for Dan and our other deployed service members, share it in a comment to this post. I will make sure they get your messages.

Pastor Ryan,

Thanks to you and the members of Southwood that sent the cookies, magazines and newspaper. We are still living in a tent so we really do have everything we need. But the reminders from home are great to see. I couldn't tell you the last time I read a newspaper. We are on the list to move into more permanent housing, but no move-in dates yet.

Our camp is pretty small, but busy. The mission is important, so visitors and media are common. We have a gym and a tent to watch movies, play ping pong and pool and play X-box, but that's pretty much the extent
of it. Thankfully, I guess, we work long days so there isn't a lot of free time. The weather is starting to heat up some. Got up to 107-108 earlier in the week. We still have about 20-30 degrees to go once summer hits us. Thankfully, I work at night so I get to miss the heat of the day.

Thank you again for the care package, and more importantly, for all of the thoughts and prayers that go out to me and all service members abroad.

1LT Daniel Moss
530th MP BN

Act 20 - A Blog in 28 Acts

The Long Goodbye. Read all of Acts 20 Here.

Growing up I learned what Minnesotans affectionately call "the long goodbye." There are about 10 steps involved.  When visiting the home of a friend, its good to know the proper way to say good bye. 

• First look at your watch and mention that you should get going.
• After about 10 minutes, stand up and mention again that you should be going.  Make no sudden movements.
• In about five more minutes you will get your coat on and move toward the door.  At this point, you will usually have one hand on the door knob, but your conversation will likely continue before you actually open the door.
• It is not unlikely that a topic will come up and you will move back into the house or back yard to see the garden or the latest home-improvement project.  At this point you may have to move back to the first step.
• When you do go outside, don't be surprised if your host goes with you and continues to converse for even 10 more minutes.
• When you do get in your car, you should roll down the window and lean out so that your host doesn't think you're trying to rush off.
• As you start to pull away your host will probably walk a few steps with your car and then stand waving until your car is no longer in site.  Don't drive away to quickly.  Look back at least once.

You really should begin these steps about a half hour or more before your car will actually be driving away.  Remember, this "long goodbye" is done with almost every visit. You might think that the two people were never going to see each other again, when in fact they will most likely do the whole thing once more in a day or two.

In the end of Acts chapter 20, Paul is saying a "long goodbye."  He has spent not only an afternoon with these people, he has spent three years with them.  He has built churches, he has endured persecution, he has been involved in a riot, he has preached with both compassion and urgency, and now he will leave them. This is no short and sweet goodbye - this will take time.

And Paul is more willing to spend the time!  He wants to depart from these Ephesians in a way that gives honor to their relationship with each other and with God.  In his goodbye, (verses 25-36) Paul accomplishes several things:

• He is clear that they will not see him again. (vs. 25)
• He reminds them that he poured his heart out for them.  He left nothing out. (vs. 26-27)
• He gives them the task of caring for each other, empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so. (vs. 28)
• He warns them of the danger ahead, danger that might even come from within their group. (vs. 29-30)
• He commends them to God and God's word. (vs. 32)
• He reminds them that he worked among them only to proclaim the Gospel and not for any kind of payment. (vs. 33-34)
• He encourages them to support the weak and live generous lives. (vs. 35)
• Finally, he prays with them, hugs them, and grieves with them.  And then they walk him all the way to his car ship. (vs. 36-37)

Paul's relationship with these people is open and honest at the deepest and most intimate level. He is not afraid to say to them exactly what he needs to say.  He speaks to them upon this departure as if he were going to die tomorrow.  Of course Paul does know that what is ahead of him is going to be difficult, he will be imprisoned, and he will die for the sake of the Gospel.  No matter what is ahead of him or behind him, he will treat this present moment, and these current relationships as if they were the most important thing that ever happened to him.  This is a long goodbye in the very best way.

The beautiful thing about this long good-bye is that it puts the person above the planner.  Paul was an incredible example (to them and to us) of devotion to God and God's people.   So, how about it?  How about we all become experts at the long goodbye?  Or at least say "how are you?" like we really care about the answer!

What if we treated every good bye as if it were our last?  What if we entered into each conversation with each person we ever spoke to as if they were the most important person God ever put in our path?  What if we could walk away knowing that we said every single thing that needed to be said? 

Pastor Sara

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16.  We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day.  Be sure to join us in reading this entire book.  We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

USE it on Friday.

This week we're thinking about our work and how God's purpose for our lives may or may not be lived out in our work.  If you missed Sunday's sermon click here, for other blog entries click here and here.

Today I encourage you to spend some time in prayer. Talk to God about both your challenges and your joys in your work.  Ask God to lead you in your work.  Pray that you would be a compassionate and generous example for your co-workers.

I stumbled upon this prayer website today. 

Check out Dear God.  There are lots of different people writing in their prayers, and lots of other people praying for and with them.  Its mostly anonymous - but its like a big huge internet prayer chain.  Check out this link with prayer requests specifically about work.

We know there are all kinds of people out there and all kinds of work situations - those who love their jobs, those who hate their jobs, those who are on the job search, those who've lost their jobs, those who feel stuck in their jobs, and those whose families wish they'd spend less time at their jobs.  Whatever your situation is - whatever your prayers are - please be sure to keep all workers in your prayers.

Pastor Sara

Are You Wise or Foolish?

Matthew 7:24-27

24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Here's a modern day illustration of this Biblical story:

I wonder how long this "scaffolding" will hold?

I love this picture because it really is a metaphor for our lives. Jesus says that the wise person builds the foundation of of their life upon the Word of God. The word of God is like rock - immovable. Instead, we often make our homes, our possessions, our popularity and power the foundation of who we are. Jesus says only the foolish person lives this way. When we insist on living like this, we might as well be standing on a piece of plywood 30 feet in the air balancing on a leaning tower of hay bales propped up by some 2 by 6's. I don't know how this story ended, but I'd be willing to be it was with a "great crash."

I don't know about you - but I'd rather stand on a rock.

Pastor Sara

This picture comes from a whole series of "questionable foundation" photos that someone else decided to label "why women live longer than men." I'm not going to argue.

Act 19 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Following Christ Means Change

Acts 19 shows 3 different examples of people reacting to the changes a life in Christ brings. And the examples leave me with questions about my own faith life. Read the entire chapter here.

First, Paul encounters a group of “disciples” in Ephesus. They believe in Jesus as the Messiah, but they have not heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul baptizes them in the name of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit comes on them all. As followers of Christ, they become complete in their baptisms as they receive the Holy Spirit. They are changed. I leave that story with more questions than answers, though. 

• What did they do next?
• Was the change permanent?
• Were all of them changed?
• Was the change reflected in their daily lives?

I can ask those same questions about myself and my own baptism. Acts doesn’t give the answer, perhaps because each of us must look within ourselves for the evidence of the change.

During his 2 year stay in Ephesus, Paul had extraordinary healing powers and the ability to cast out evil spirits. The evil spirits themselves proved that Paul’s power came from Jesus when some traveling exorcists tried to cast out an evil spirit by invoking Jesus’ name. In reply, the spirit said, “I know Jesus and I know Paul, but who are you?” Those exorcists couldn't cast out that demon, and people began to change their minds about Jesus, the source of Paul's amazing powers -- powers that far surpassed those of your everyday magician. Everyday magicians turned away from their old lives, going so far as to burn their books of spells and incantations. Their books totaled 50,000 pieces of silver (a piece of silver was equivalent to a day’s wage). Notice they didn’t sell their books….they burned them, turning their backs on that life and refusing to pass it along to others.

• What are the things in my life that I need to turn my back on so that I and others can grow as followers of Jesus?
• How do I eradicate them completely without leaving any trace of them?

Around the time Paul was preparing to leave Ephesus, trouble was brewing. The businessmen started to worry that Paul’s teachings would ruin their sources of income. Ephesus was the home of the Greek fertility goddess Artemis (at right), and the craftsmen of the town made a lot of money selling silver shrines to the goddess. They incited a riot in Ephesus, whipping up people’s patriotism and religious zeal as a flimsy mask for their selfishness and love of money. Here’s an example where people didn’t change in response to hearing about Jesus. The allure of monetary gain and the prevailing culture made it impossible for people to open their hearts and minds to the possibility of change.

• What gets in my way of accepting Jesus fully into my life?
• What things do I hold more dear (as idols like Artemis)?

Following Christ definitely means change. How far will you go to follow Christ?

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16.  We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day.  Be sure to join us in reading this entire book.  We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

USE it on Wednesday.

This week Pastor Greg preached about our jobs. If you didn't get a chance to hear the sermon, click here to listen. What is it like to really have a sense of purpose in vision in your work? Maybe this is a concept you haven't spent much time thinking about. What is your purpose in work and in life? Are you living out that purpose? Is that purpose honoring God? Is it led by God?

If you'd like to think more about this here are a couple of books that my be helpful to you. They are both in Southwood's Library, stop by and check them out.

Chazown, A Different Way to See Your Life, by Craig Groeschel. Do you wake up each day motivated by knowing exactly why you were created? Guided by intention in every step? Enter: Chazown. Hebrew for “vision,” God wants to give His for you, and this book will reveal it! Living God’s dream will rock your world and align every area of your life, from your relationships to your finances and health. Chazown is packed with storytelling graphics, in-your-face honesty, bite-sized chapterettes, step-by-step guidance, surprising self-assessments, and scarcely containable energy in a fast-paced style that will drive you forward with purpose!

What Now, Making Sense of Who You Are and Where You're Going, by Marc Estes. There are times in life when the road is unclear, advice is scarce, and the question on your lips is "What now?" Author and pastor Marc Estes addresses this question in What Now as he takes the reader from inspiration to action on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, he provides the tools necessary for a safe arrival.

Let me know if you find these books helpful!

Pastor Sara

Act 18 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Keep it Up. Read all of Acts 18 here.

 One night the Master spoke to Paul in a dream: "Keep it up, and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you. [10] No matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city." Acts 18:109- (Msg) 

Paul was preaching in Corinth.  There was great resistance and push-back to his Gospel message.  It had to be discouraging.  Then God speaks to him with these words. 

"Keep it up, and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you."  It can be discouraging to be sharing the Good News and nobody listens.  It can get discouraging to desire someone to know Christ and yet they demonstrate through their lives that they don't know him.  God says to St. Paul as well as to you and me, don't give up.  Hang in there.  Keep being the light of Christ in the world. Keep sharing the Gospel.  Sometimes it takes a long time before people get.  But they will never get it if you stop sharing it.  Be strong and courageous!

"No matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you." Remember this promise.  Always remember this promise.  God is with us!  Always!  You are never alone!  Nothing can separate you from the love of God! So, share the gospel!

"You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city."  There is spiritual strength in the Body of Christ.  We need to stay connected with the Church to sense that strength for we can carry each other's burdens and encourage one another along the way. 

So how are you doing in sharing the gospel?  Are you afraid of sharing your faith?  Do you get push-back when you share your faith?  Are you ignored or ridiculed because of your faith? Take a lesson from Acts...

• Keep sharing your faith and never give up.  There is someone's eternity at stake.
• Remember that God will be with you.  You are never alone.
• Keep connected into the church.  Worship regularly.  Get into a small group that prays and studies scripture. 

Keep on sharing the Gospel.  WE are Christ's voice in the world.  If we don't do it, it will not be heard.

Pastor Greg

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Lord I Lift Your Name On High

“Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.” (Psalm 148:13 NRSV)

The song, “Lord, I Lift Your name on High” was written by Rick Founds. The song was written when he was serving as the music director at a church in California. It was born out of Rick’s typical morning devotions. He had a small Macintosh computer and an electronic Bible, which he would bring up on his monitor and begin reading where he had left off the precious day. Rick had developed a habit of playing his guitar while reading the Bible on his computer screen.

One day, As Rick was having his daily devotional, the Lord impressed on his heart that His work on our behalf was a cycle of events—Christ came from heaven to earth, gave His life on the cross for us, was buried and three days later rose from the dead, and went back to His heavenly Father, making the cycle and our salvation complete. That, essentially, is the lyrics of the song. Rick picked up his guitar and began to sing “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High.” Rick explained, “It is just a simple song, but it is what the Lord dropped into my heart. The whole song came quickly; I didn’t struggle with it at all. . . I sang it for an evening Bible study. They seemed to love the song. At the time I had no idea that it would be so popular—I had simply written another song, much as I had done so many times before.” The song has become widely popular and now can be heard in other countries of the world, in many languages.

From The Sacrifice of Praise; by Lindsay Terry.

Lord I Lift Your Name On High
Words & Music by Rick Founds

Lord, I lift Your name on high
Lord, I love to sing Your praises
I'm so glad You're in my life
I'm so glad You came to save us
You came from heaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the cross
My debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high

Confirmation: A Rite of Passage But Not a Graduation

For me, Confirmation Sunday is a mix of great joy and sadness. I celebrate our work as a church to connect students to Christ and to model life as a follower of Christ. And I mourn because I will never see more than half of the students again. They’ll think they’ve “graduated” from church and will disappear from Southwood altogether.

Studies show that 88% of students will leave the church by the age of 18. If that holds true, 42 of our 48 confirmands this year will leave the church by age 18. But there’s hope! The same studies show that if all of our 48 confirmands have parents who model their faith and share their faith with others, only 2 of them (5%) will leave the church. The difference is staggering and highlights the importance of parental involvement in the discipleship process of their children.

I frequently tell parents that what happens at home will have a far greater impact on the hearts, minds, and choices of their children than what happens at church will. An average middle or high school student probably spends 3-4 hours at church per month. They spend 200+ hours at home with their parents. If parents aren’t teaching their children how to become followers of Christ, then sending them to church and expecting the church to “educate” them won’t have the impact that they desire, and it won’t fulfill the vision of Southwood for our youth.

My prayer is that parents will actively model the life of faith for their students and encourage them to stay involved with Southwood throughout their lives. I hope that every year fewer and fewer students will leave the church after they are confirmed.

Make no mistake, growing Christ followers is a difficult task. But it is the most important gift we can give our children. What are you doing at home to actively disciple your children? How do you model your faith at home? Do your children see Jesus living through you? These are difficult questions, but they have eternal significance.

Chip

Tonight!

Tonight at Southwood - Bishop deFreese of the Nebraska Synod will be helping us to think about the question: What does Lutheran Theology have to do with Life Today?

Join us for this teaching time and discussion at 7:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Any questions - contact Pastor Sara.

Act 17 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Presenting a Truth People Can Understand Read all of Acts 17 Here.

The second half of Acts 17 tells the story of how Paul preached to a very educated and pagan (non-Jewish) group of people called the Aeropagus in Athens. This crowd was very different from the Jewish and God Fearing audience he usually taught in the local synagogues. They were very secularized and worshiped any god they chose. You could say that theologically, they were very far from God. Yet Paul didn’t shy away from presenting the Gospel story to them because he realized that they had equal value in God’s eyes as everyone else and were worthy of being saved.

So Paul stood in front of this council called Aeropagus (literally means hill or place of the God Ares) where the philosophers typically stood to teach, and he began to share the Gospel. He did so by using one of their own statues in Athens that they had dedicated to “an unknown god”. Paul used this statue and inscription as a starting point to describe how the God that was unknown to them was Jesus and then progressed through the basics of the Gospel. Acts 17:34 tells us that “a few men became followers of Paul and believed”. There was no great group of people coming to Christ, but the mere fact that some believed the message and came to Christ is a miracle.

This story from Acts 17 reveals three main truths about sharing the Gospel with people in our culture today, who are often “far from God”. First, we must be bold and courageous when sharing our faith. It had to take a lot of courage for Paul to preach a new message to very educated and high society people. But Paul didn’t shy away from the challenge. He properly understood the value of the Athenians and their need to hear the Gospel.

Second, when we share Christ we need to use language and images that people understand. Paul radically altered his message when he preached in Athens compared to when he spoke to a Jewish audience. Did the Gospel change? Of course not, but the way Paul presented it certainly did. Paul used words the people of Athens would understand and he began his message with a cultural reference point that everyone could understand. We need to follow his example and share Christ with words that make sense. We shouldn’t use church words like regeneration, sanctification, salvation etc. We need to use terms like love, forgiveness, breaking God’s commands and belief. We need to use our personal testimony and share what God has done in our lives.

Thirdly, we learn from Paul that even if only a few people believe when we share Christ, our efforts are worth it. Sometimes we expect everyone to respond to Christ’s love the first time they hear it and fell like we are failures if someone rejects us. In reality they aren’t rejecting us, but God Himself. Our job is to share the Gospel and leave the results up to God. The bible tells us that the Holy Spirit draws people to himself. We are only the messengers.

Who are the Aeropagus people in your life? Who are the people who seem to know everything, but are far from God? How can you present the Gospel to them in a way that will make sense to them? What cultural reference points can we use to reach people today? Preaching Christ today is as important as it’s ever been. We need to find relevant and contemporary ways to share the timeless message of the Gospel. We need to make it a Truth that people can understand.

Chip

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.