Grace Community Church

3 hours ago

Dear GCC Family, (Tue, 1.19.21)

Love

Love makes the world go around, right? So they say. But love is much bigger than any cliche or song about love could ever be. God’s love, that is. There’s a book in the New Testament where we find love permeating every chapter in one way or another. It’s Paul’s letter to the Romans. You could call this letter a love letter. Long story short, God shows us his love for us in sending his Son to die and He promises us that nothing we can possibly imagine will ever separate us from His love. Then it seems, if God pours his love into us, there must be enough love to go around. So it is.

Romans 12:9, Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Love and hate. Two seemingly opposite concepts. Paul invites us to show a similar love in our relationships. First with God. Then as a result of experiencing His overflowing love, loving others. Paul may be qualifying this, however, it needs to be a genuine love and respect for another person created in God’s image. Therefore deserving love from us.

What do you think sincere love might be? Could there be insincere love? Why do you think Paul insists that our love toward others must be sincere? I wonder if Paul is taking into account here our natural inclination as a result of our fallen nature to sometimes be insincere in our love. When someone else isn’t acting nicely toward us they become harder for us to love. We may be tempted to give up on them. Look for someone easier to love. Maybe this is Paul’s concern here.

When love becomes insincere it becomes something else. A distortion. Ugly. Hurtful. Manipulation. A mask. Pretense. A quid pro Quo deal. But love and truth are in some sense twins. They naturally go together. Or they should. So you will find Paul elsewhere bringing these two together in the same sentence. Speaking the truth in love is a central concept for Paul. So love must be discerning. Love must make distinctions between good and evil. Not a favorite topic in our culture. We don’t want to make any judgments of any kind today. But no one can actually live like that. We make judgments all the time of one kind or another. So Paul elevates our judging to a high level here. Truth vs. evil. Evil vs. good. We can’t give that up and love like God wants us to love.

Romans 12:10, Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Hold on, Paul. Are you saying I’m supposed to consider others better than myself? If honor means respect or value the other person. I’m all for that. I see the need to treat each person in a way that shows I believe they really matter. It’s the ‘above myself’ I’m struggling with. Are you? How do you do that? And why? I get it that when someone else is speaking I should listen. I should listen to their words carefully with the goal of understanding. I need to allow others to differ from me and my opinion, respecting their opinion and feelings. I’m still wrestling with the ‘above myself’ part of this. It’s probably good that we do wrestle with it. Not just read right on by it, forget it. I’m tempted to. It would be easier. I read somewhere that this should look kind of like a friendly competition. Two of us should try to outdo each other in showing honor to the other one. Trying to outdo another in treating each other well. I think that helps. I remember an acronym here that fits. J.O.Y. Jesus first, others second, then you (me). Others before me. What a concept! Agree?

Pray with me: Father, you have loved me with an everlasting love. In spite of myself. Nothing can ever change your love for me. I can’t merit more of your love. I can do nothing to cut myself off from your love. Thank you for that degree of security and comfort I wake up to every morning. Help me share it with others. In Jesus name, Amen!

10,000 blessings,

Pastor Bill ... See MoreSee Less

Grace Community Church

1 day ago

Dear GCC Family, (Mon, 1.18.21)

Confidence

What kind of music do you enjoy? What kind of music touches you at such a deep level that it is profoundly satisfying in every way? What kind of music gives you deep joy? David answers this question.

Psalm 27:1, The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Confidence jumps off the page at us when reading this psalm. From beginning to end a confident trust shines through. To be sure there is reason and need for this confident trust. Not everyone loves David. There is something that could produce a deeply disturbing fear in the soul. Twice in this first verse that possibility of something causing one to fear is mentioned. This must be a real fear. Not a surface feeling of insecurity. But a deeper fear. But have no fear, Yahweh is near. He is my light. He is my salvation. He is my stronghold of life. Why do you think David mentions those three qualities of God’s character in this opening verse?

Psalm 27:2-3, When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear, though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

So how does each of the three qualities of God mentioned in verse one relate to David’s confidence? Do you think he has some past experience in mind that are reflected in these verses? What could they be? Whatever they are, this presence of his God, this level of care of his God encourages and gives him a deep enabling to stand firm against any enemy. He expects to come out the other side the winner in this battle.

Psalm 27:4, One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

He is seeking God. To seek God means to commit yourself to him. To seek God means to commit yourself to his ways. All in a context here of worship. He mentions the ‘house’ of the Lord, the tabernacle and temple, where God shows up in a personal way at that time. David’s almost obsessed with his God and wants to be in his presence at all times. If you ask David “What is your greatest wish?” How do you think he answers? It’s pretty clear from this verse. “I want to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” Why?

Psalm 27:5-6, For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

David’s favorite music was music that drew him close to the Lord. That was the kind of music that brought him the most comfort in light of all his enemies. What draws you closer to the Lord? Music? Other?

Pray with me: Father, help me realize more and more, the one thing that I really need in life is to sense your beauty and presence. Draw my heart. Capture my imagination to be able to find my fullest joy and pleasure in you. In Jesus name, Amen!

10,000 blessings,

Pastor Bill ... See MoreSee Less