Southwood Lutheran Church

Act 25 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to Where You're Going

Acts 25 is a chapter that is mostly narrative and on the surface it seems to contain very little devotional or deeply spiritual meaning. The cool thing about this passage is that it reveals part of the process that Paul goes through on his way to Rome. Paul had always wanted to preach in Rome and Jesus revealed to him earlier in Acts that he would get the opportunity to share Christ with people in Rome. However, his journey to Rome was a bumpy one to say the least. Here in Acts 25 he goes from trial to trial and gives his testimony before many people. Read all of Acts 25.

The Jews desperately wanted to silence Paul and his teaching about the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, they wanted to kill Paul for being the leading teacher of The Way. They wanted Paul to be transferred to another city so that they could ambush and kill him on the way there! However, God protected Paul from the zealous Jews. Paul was able to share his testimony with Festus, a Roman proconsul and eventually to Agrippa, the highest ranking Jewish official of their day. Paul remained faithful throughout the trails and continued to share his testimony at each opportunity.

Many times in life we have a sense of where we would like to be or where God is calling us to be. We know that God wants us to achieve something for him or to take a new path for him. But sometimes life seems to get in the way. We face financial, relational or time constraints. Our dreams and goals sometimes feel like they are unattainable or that maybe we misunderstood where God was trying to lead us. I think that we need to take the attitude that Paul had. He was undeterred by all of the trials that he had to face. He continued to remain faithful to Jesus in word and deed and instead of focusing on the fact that he wasn’t in Rome where he wanted to be, he made the most of every opportunity he was given.

Like Paul, we need to be people who don’t always focus on the trials of life, but instead on the promises. We need to remember that God has promised eternal life to all who believe. He has promised that walking in relationship with him will bring us true joy and fulfillment that our world can never give us. God has promised to always be with us. He wants us to remain faithful where we are along the way to where He wants us.

What is God’s plan for your future? Do you feel called to take a new step or move in a new direction? Are you making progress or do you seem to be running in quicksand? If you are currently facing trials of any sort, remember that part of following Christ is making the most of every opportunity that we are given. We need to imitate Paul and trust that God is in charge and that He will lead us to where He wants us on His timeline and not ours. Who is God calling you to share His love with? How are you making the most of the opportunities that He is giving you? Be sure to take some time this week to enjoy life no matter what is going on. Stay focused on where you are going, but don’t forget to enjoy the unexpected stops along the way.

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.

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.

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

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.

Act 16 - A Blog in 28 Acts

The Power of an Open Heart. Read all of Chapter 16 here.

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. – Acts 16:13-15

I love how scripture is full of small events that on the surface don’t seem to mean much, but in reality are full of significance. These three short verses are just this kind of passage. As I read them the Holy Spirit guided me to dig a little deeper into the context. Several important things can be noticed about this passage.

First, notice how Paul and Silas weren’t ashamed to change their plans in order to share the Gospel. They went to a quiet place to pray and instead found several women with whom they began to share the story of God’s redeeming work in Christ. Lydia was a “worshiper of God,” but she was a "seeker". Lydia desperately wanted to know more about God; and Paul and Silas provided her with the truth that she needed to believe. The message says that “the Lord opened her heart”. She was earnestly seeking God and he provided for her through the witness of Paul and Silas.

Second, notice her response to hearing about Christ. She immediately was baptized and then brought her entire family to be baptized as well. Then she practically demanded that Paul and Silas spend time at her house to rest and eat and share life. Lydia was immediately transformed by the Gospel and was hospitable to the traveling evangelists.

On the surface this story seems to be a neat story of God directing Paul and Silas to a seeking woman who would accept Christ and transform her family toward being Christ Followers. What is more significant is not mentioned in the passage, but implied. Lydia became the first Christian convert in Philippi and thus, in Europe. A new continent had been reached for Christ and it began because of the seeking, open heart of a woman named Lydia. She and her family were the beginning of the church at Philippi, a church that Paul deeply loved and wrote at least one deeply personal letter to. We know this as the New Testament book of Philippians. In fact, some scholars call the letter of Philippians Paul’s most affectionate and loving letter because of the connection that he felt towards them. This great church began in Philippi because Lydia was open to the Gospel.

Imagine what would have happened if Paul and Silas wouldn’t have shared Christ with Lydia. Would there be a church in Philippi? Would her household have come to Christ? Do you actively share your faith with those around you? Why or why not?

There are people all around us today who are seeking. They are longing for truth to invade their hearts. My prayer is that you’ll have the courage to share with those around you. You never know what impact it will have on individuals, families, communities and the Kingdom of God among us. We must have an open heart to share the Truth, just as Lydia had an open heart to hear it.

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.

Going the Extra Mile

On Sunday, April 20th, you may have noticed several middle and high school students walking or running on a treadmill in our Café area. They were raising both money and awareness for the Extra Mile walk for the Food Bank of Lincoln. The walk specifically benefits the Backpack Program and will be held this Saturday, April 26th at 10:00am.

About 15 high school students and adult leaders from Southwood will be walking on Saturday as a team to support this cause. Many more Southwood students will be walking as a part of teams from their schools. All told, the students and adult leaders raised $520 for the Extra Mile, which will provide 7 students a backpack full of food for an entire school semester!

If you want to Get involved with Southwood's efforts at Saratoga Elementary school click here.

Check out what Jacob and Jay had to say about participating in this great cause!

Act 13 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Paul's First Mission Read all of Acts 13 here.

In Acts 13 Saul (soon to become Paul) and Barnabas set out on their mission to carry the good news of the Gospel to "the ends of the earth." They travel through 7 cities, three regions, and through various temples and synagogues. They carry their message with passion and conviction. The church today has much to learn from their committment to this mission. Four things stand out for me in chapter 13 that I think really apply to us in the church today.

ONE - Paul and Barnabas are not afraid to be direct, even confrontational. They know they have good news to share and they will not let anything get in the way. As chapter 13 opens we hear these words from Paul:

"You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

This was spoken by Paul to a "false prophet." Paul knew that if he was going to proclaim this message he had to confront anything that stood against it. What are the things that followers of Christ today would be called to confront?

TWO - Paul connects the Gospel to a story they already know. In Acts 13:16-22 Paul recounts the story of the People of Israel all the way to King David. Those who were gathered in the temple that day would have known this story very well. Then in verse 23 and following Paul begins to connect Jesus to this story. Paul doesn't say - "what you knew before was wrong and you must start over with a new story." No - Paul takes great care in connecting this new Gospel to a story that they already know, a story that is very close to their hearts. In what ways does the Gospel of Jesus connect to the stories of people in the 21st century culture?

THREE - They looked for places in which the Gospel could do something completely new. Paul and Barnabas were not afraid to go beyond the temples and synagogues. They carried their message even to the Gentiles (or non-Jews). Before this, this non-Jewish crowd was not even considered human in the eyes of the Jewish Leaders. Paul and Barnabas knew that Jesus had been intentional about carrying his message beyond those already on the "inside." Who are the groups in today's culture that we are afraid to share the good news with? How could the church do something new in the world today?

FOUR - They could shake the dust off of their shoes and move on. As humans we do not want to fail. I am sure that Paul was no different - of course when he preached he wanted people to hear his message and be transformed. Of course this was not always the case. Often times the crowd would turn on him. As Chapter 13 ends we see that Paul and Barnabas shake the dust off of their feet and move on. They have not been completely successful in their work and yet they Holy Spirit continues to fill them with joy and purpose. As the church today, we have to do all that we can to proclaim the Gospel, and then we have to be content to walk away and let the Holy Spirit do its work. Have you ever felt unsuccessful as an apostle of Christ? Have you had to shake the dust off? How did the Holy Spirit work in that situation?

Continue to think this week about how the Holy Spirit is empowering you to carry the good news about Jesus to "the ends of the earth." What is difficult for you? What is new? What fills you with joy?

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 9 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Experiencing God Read all of Acts 9 here.

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 9:17-22

Have you ever had a situation where you experienced the presence of God in your life? Maybe it was through a song, a sermon, a trip to the mountains or the kind gesture of a stranger. I’m not talking about an awareness of God, but truly experiencing the love, forgiveness and power of God. Saul experienced God in Acts 9. He was on the road to Damascus when the resurrected Christ appeared to him personally and blinded him for three days. After these three days, Ananias prayed for Paul and laid hands on him and scales fell from his eyes and he was able to see again.

Imagine being in the presence of the resurrected Jesus and then having Jesus take away your sight for three days. Unable to see or find your way around. Unable to explain to others what really happened. I have to image that those three days seemed like an eternity for Saul. Then imagine the incredible joy that you would feel if you were Saul and Ananias placed his hands on you and at that moment of prayer God restored your sight and gave you a specific mission and purpose on earth. Imagine how much power you would feel and how your life would be changed.

We see that Saul’s life was indeed changed. As we read above, Saul immediately went to Damascus to learn about Jesus form the disciples. They he began to teach others that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Essentially, Saul did a 180 degree turn. He became one of the people he formerly hated. He began to preach to the people he once was. Instead of pride and jealousy, Saul began to live a life of humility and community. His life was so transformed that the disciples were afraid of him and his former friends, the Jewish leaders, wanted to kill him. Saul had experienced God and it transformed his life. Saul had known about God all of his life, but he wasn’t changed until he truly experienced God.

So the question for us today is two-fold. First, have you truly experienced God? Not just hearing or believing in God, but really experienced God? And second, if you have experienced God, what difference has it made in your life? I truly believe that all of us who belong to Christ have at some point had an encounter with God. It probably wasn’t as dramatic as Saul’s experience, but we have encountered God nonetheless. We were forgiven by a friend. We served on a mission trip. We gave to a church or mission organization from our heart. We felt God’s presence in a time of need or trial. We all experience God on various levels through various experiences. After we have these experiences, our lives should be transformed. We should live a little more like Christ each time. Saul didn’t delay. Once he encountered Christ, his life was completely transformed. For many of us this transformation happens more gradually and over time, but we should experience this transformation and growth.

How have you experienced God in your life? How has that experience changed your heart and life?

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.

Act 5 - A Blog in 28 Acts

What's Your Heart Condition?  Read all of Acts 5.

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.  Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?  Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.  Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?"  "Yes," she said, "that is the price."  Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.  Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.  Acts 5:1-11

To me this story is alarming and frightening.  God killed Ananias and Sapphira for their deceit and betrayal towards Him and the budding Church.  I actually have read this story numerous times now and the way the events unfolded still shock me.  Why would God take their lives for a sin as simple as lying?  Why would Ananias and Sapphira keep some money for themselves and then lie about it?  It was their money and they were free to give what they wanted.  It seems to me that the problem was not their greedy actions, but their hearts. 

This passage reminds me that God sees into our hearts and knows the purpose, intent and desire of each of them.  As scripture records in 1 Samuel 16:7, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."   God knows every desire of our hearts, good or bad.  He knows when we are being honest with Him and when we'€™re not.  Some of us are great at hiding.  We can hide our secret sins and pain from others.  Our emotions and outward expressions can often mask our true selves to people and give people the impression that everything is fine and dandy.  However, we can'€™t fool God.  We can'€™t try to pull a fast one on Him or convince Him that everything is fine if it isn't. We desperately need to purify our hearts continually by communing with God in prayer, confessing sin and turning toward Him in repentance.  We need to check our attitudes and our lifestyle against God'€™s Word and make sure we are living our lives in a way that honors God.

What is the condition of your heart?  What "€œsecret"€ things do you have in there that people don'€™t see?  How do we overcome a fear of being honest and real with God?

Take time this week to search your heart and ask God to reveal areas that might need some healing and repentance.

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.

Keystone or Bust!

Over Spring Break we had our annual senior high ski trip as we tore up the slopes in Keystone, Colorado! Sixteen students and four adults went on this trip. We skied three days and even one night.

Night skiing was definitely the highlight of the week for the students in terms of skiing. Most of them had not skied or boarded under the lights and were amazed at how cool and different it is. During the evening we shared our meals together, had a town-wide scavenger hunt in Breckenridge and shopping in Silverthorne and Colorado Mills Mall.

Each night we crammed in to one hotel room to share a time of devotion and prayer. We discussed three main Nooma videos that talked about wanting the right things, God’s breath of life inside of us and how to experience God in the Divine Whisper and silence. Devotional times were deep and full of sharing and reflection.

Our final devotional time focused on how God has displayed His glory to us during the week and what we had learned. We closed by sharing the game “Remember When”, where we reviewed all of the fun moments of the week. We stayed up and laughed in the hotel room well into the night!

God protected us during the trip, as the roads were great and nobody was severely injured. One of my favorite moments form the trip was squeezing 20 people into an order-only pizza shop! We looked like sardines.  I look forward to our trip in 2009 with excitement and great anticipation. I want to especially thank Pat and Jill Hurlbut and Rick Ziegler for sharing their time, energy and listening ear to all of the students last week. They were an incredible blessing to all of us who went!

Chip