Today We Have a Choice

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

Every day, life is full of choices. Every day. We make choices to do things or to not do them. Some choices aren’t that important, and some choices are very important; they may change the course of our lives from that point on.

We make choices every day of our lives. About work, play, money, faith, family, everything. There are choices that we make. Sometimes, we don’t realize how important a choice was until after we have even made it.

Jesus, preaching His first public sermon in Matthew, talks about choices. Listen to what He says in Matthew 4: 13-17:

And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The choice He talks about is at the very end. This is the choice He lays out. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The choice He is talking about is repentance. See, that’s what repentance is. It is a choice. It’s a choice to turn away from our stuff, our sin, our mistakes, and a choice to turn to Jesus.

And here’s the cool thing. Each day is a new day. Each day is a new start. As important as yesterday was, it is now done. It’s over. Don’t worry about it. Today is the day that the Lord has given you.

Yesterday’s mistakes don’t have a bearing on today’s choice. Today, we choose. Will we choose to turn away from the things that will only bring us pain; will we choose to turn to Jesus and find strength, mercy, hope, and life.

We have the choice to make today. We do. We can choose which path to walk down.

Today, Jesus says, repent. Choose to follow me in the big things; choose to follow me in the little things.

Today, may each of us choose to follow Jesus with all that we are.

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Not For You to Worry

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

There are so many questions that we would like for God to answers, wouldn’t we?

We’ve probably got a long list of things we can’t wait to ask Him when we get to heaven, huh? Some of them are probably personal, why did this happen? What were you doing in this? Probably the kind of thing I talked about yesterday.

Some will be about passages of the Bible that we don’t understand or theologically questions. We’ve all got questions that we wonder about.

We aren’t the first The folks that walked daily with Jesus were the same way. Look what happens in Acts 1: 6-8:

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The disciples are asking a question that so many folks have asked. When is the Lord coming back? When will it be? What is the date? What is the time?

That’s a question that so many of us would like to know.

And look at what Jesus said. I’m going paraphrase. Don’t worry about it.

He says it is not for you to know the times or places. Don’t worry about it.

But you know what you can do? Instead of spending time worrying about this, spend time being busy for the gospel. Spend time taking the good news to the world. Spend time living, loving, preaching, serving.

There are a lot of things that we don’t know and may never know. But we know this. There are folks that need to know Jesus, folks that need grace.

And we can use our time worrying about things that we will never know, or we can spend out time, taking the good news of Jesus to a world that needs to know.

There are things we will never know. But we know this. WE are loved by an amazing God. And we need to take that love with us everywhere that we God.

Not What It Seems

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

Ever seem to you like God has no idea what He’s doing? I mean, we know that we should have faith, and we know that we should trust, but sometimes we just wonder, man oh man, God what are you doing?

Why are you doing this? Why is this happening? What is the point of all of this?

What are you trying to accomplish?

We’ve all been there. We have all (if we are going to be honest) struggled to understand and hope in God’s plan, when we have no idea what in the world He is up to and trying to accomplish.

It’s ok. We aren’t the first people to ever feel that way. Listen to what the Word says in Matthew 21: 39-43:

And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God

At that moment, it looked like God’s plan wasn’t going to work. From the narrow human perspective, it seems as though Jesus was dying, and it was all over. That was the way that it looked to everyone watching the cross.

It looked like God’s plan wasn’t going to work.

But all was not what it seems. God had an amazing plan.

We know the rest of the story don’t we? We know what the Old Testament told us that this would happen, and we know what was yet to come, the Resurrection.

God’s plan was more than the people watching the cross could have ever understand. They didn’t see everything.

God did. God does. And He knows what He is doing.

So, when it looks like His plan doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t look like He knows what He is doing; remember. He does.

He knows. He knows what He is doing. Trust. Cling to Him. Believe. Have hope. God knows what He is doing. Belive.

God has a plan. It is a plan that we can trust; no matter what. God knows what He is doing.

Keep Holding On

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

Sometimes we get tired of walking the walk. Sometimes life is just hard. We know that we are called to be faithful. We know that we are supposed to chase after Jesus, we know that we are supposed to grow, to be faithful, to work for good, all of that.

But man oh man, sometimes it’s just hard to do that. Sometimes we fall, we stumble, we make mistakes.

And we want to quit. We want just to lay down. We want just to quit. To stop. To give in, to give up.

We’ve all been there. We may be there at this exact moment. If that’s where you are right now, or if you’ve ever been there, listen today to what Paul writes in Philippians 3: 12-14:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus

Paul says we are going somewhere. We are chasing after Jesus, we are seeking to be made like Him, we are seeking to grow. And when we want to quit, you know what we do?

We keep walking.

Because of this. Christ Jesus has made us His own.

As tightly as you feel like you are holding on to Jesus, remember this. He is holding on you even more tightly.

Hold on to Him. Because He is going to hold onto you. He is. He has you. You are His. You are.

Keep walking. Keep fighting. Keep straining. Keep being faithful. Even when it’s hard. Keep holding on to Jesus.

Because Jesus is holding on to you. Never forget that.

A Week on Forgiveness

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

I’m going to be walking through the concept of forgiveness this next week with a friend during a daily Bible Study. I thought I’d share the passages with you, in case you may want to walk with us.

Saturday – Psalm 103

Sunday – Matthew 18:21-35

Monday – Isaiah 53

Tuesday – 1 John 1: 5-9

Wednesday – Romans 12: 9-21

Thursday – Luke 17:1-4

Friday – Ephesians 4: 26-27

How Should We View Others?

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

How do we look at other people? What are we to think about them? What should be our main thought of others?

We all know that we are supposed to love them, after all as Christians we are supposed to love everyone. We get and understand that. But, that doesn’t really answer the question.

When you see someone, someone you like, or someone you don’t like, how should we see them? Listen to what Paul says in Romans 13: 13-15:

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

Paul is writing here about food sacrificed to idols. That was food that had been dedicated to an idol that was then for sale, sometimes, you would be at a feast and not realize that the food you were eating had been dedicated to an idol until the feast had started.

What did you do then? Paul says that the food is fine. But, look at what he says in the end. You can eat it, sure, but by what you eat – do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

So, if our actions, can bring harm to another, we need to very careful consider what we do. Because we don’t want to harm another for whom Christ died.

That’s what we’ve got to remember. Jesus died for the world. The folks we like, the folks we don’t like. He died for everyone.

And that’s how we should view others. As someone that Christ died for. As someone that matters to Jesus. As someone that is important. There are no unimportant people; there are no people that don’t matter.

Every matters. Because Jesus died for them.

Remember that today. How should we view others? As someone that Jesus died for. That right there, that can change our lives.

Peace and Quiet

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

I’m someone that likes noise. Always have, always will. I like background noise. I like having the TV on. I like having Spotify or Google Music up in the background when I’m at church. I go to sleep each night listening to podcasts or to the news.

I like noise. Always have, always will.

Silence makes me nervous. I don’t always know what do do, or probably more important, what to say. I like the noise.

But, there are times, really deep times, really important times, when words fail. When there isn’t anything that you need to say, there isn’t anything that you need to do.

You just need to sit there, in silence, and know that you are in God’s presence, that you are loved, you are valued, and that you matter. Listen to what it says today in Zephaniah 3: 16-17:

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

It says here that God will quiet us with His love. There is nothing more to say. There is nothing more to do. You are loved. You are. You are valued. You are.

The Lord is mighty to save. He is strong to save. He loves you. The sovereign God of heaven, who can do all things, will sing over you.

As parents stands over, sings over, prays over their child, our loving God sings over us. He quiets us. He loves us.

In Him, we can have peace. And we can have quiet. Because of His great love.

Today, if just for this moment, sit where you are. And know this. No matter where you, what you are doing, what you may do, you are loved. You are.

Let that sink in. Let it become real. You are loved.

You can have peace. You can have quiet. Because of Him.

Know that. Today. And each day.

No One Wants to be Alone

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

I know this may sound like a simple statement, but is one that is really true. If we want to know how to live and what we should do in life, we need to look to Jesus.

The Bible tells us that if we want to know God’s heart, we need to look to Jesus (Colossians 1:15). To know God, we need to look to Jesus.

And I think we sort of know that already. There is something though that I think we know, but we forget. The Bible teaches us that while Jesus is fully God, He is also fully human.

What does this have to do within anything? Listen to what we read today in Matthew 26:26-38:

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

Jesus is fully God, right? But we also know that He’s fully human. And, when this hour comes, what is one thing that He wants? He doesn’t want to be alone.

He wants to be surrounded by the people who He loves, and that love Him. He doesn’t want to be alone.

And neither do we.

And you know what we see here in this text? That’s ok. If Jesus, the very Son of God, creator of all that is, both seen and unseen, knows that in times of trial, He doesn’t want to be alone, it’s ok for us to know that as well.

It’s ok for us to realize that there are some loads to heavy, some hills too high, some rivers too deep, that we don’t want to deal with them along. It’s ok. Neither did Jesus.

So today, if you are going through a tough time, don’t be alone. Surround yourself with folks that love you. Lean on there, let them help. Let them be a friend. Cling to them.

And if you have something you love going through a tough time, walk with them. Be there. Hold their hand.

No one wants to be alone. Neither did Jesus. That’s why we have each other.

Move Forward

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

One of the most well-known stories in the Bible, and honestly, one of the most important stories in the Bible is when Saul gets saved, and the Lord later changes his name to Paul.

It’s a story of how the Lord intervenes and has plans bigger than Saul (Paul) and bigger than any of us. God has a calling for him, and He has a calling for me and you. I was reading that story this morning, and something jumped out at me.

Listen to what it says in Acts 9: 3-6:

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

What stood out to me was the last thing that Jesus said. Saul asks who it was that was shining down on him, and Jesus responds by asking why he was persecuting Him.

But what jumped out to me was what happened next. Jesus tells Saul it’s Him, and then says “But rise and enter the city.”

Yes, Saul has been persecuting Him. Yes, Saul had done some bad stuff. Yes, there was a lot of water under the bridge. But rise and enter the city.

Look ahead. Look forward. Look to the future. Don’t worry about the past. Don’t worry about what’s happened. Don’t worry about all that has happened in the past.

Look at ahead. God has a plan that is greater than anything in your past. Don’t focus on what has happened (good or bad). Focus on what is to come. Focus on the future.

Rise and enter the city. Move forward. Keep going. God is more worried and more focused on your future than He is on your past.

God has great things in store. May we be faithful with what He is calling us to!

How to Endure

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

I’ve often said that I’m not a bed of roses preacher. Sometimes the prevailing thought is this – you become a Christian, and man, life is easy! You have purpose! You have a plan; you have a goal. Man, you become a Christian and everything is a piece of cake.

I’ve heard that type of message before in sermons; I’ve seen it in Christian movies, read it Christian books. You get saved and you win the ballgame, everything is awesome!

I don’t know about you, but that’s not always been my experience. Sometimes, in fact, being a Christian seems to make things harder. Listen to what it says in Hebrews 10: 32-36 talking about this:

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

We are reminded in this text that there will be tough times ahead as Christians. They struggled, they suffered, they dealt with many different issues. They had their property taken. They were mocked. They had so many things happen to them.

And they had endurance.

You know why? They remembered their hope. They knew God would be there. They knew they had a greater home. They knew that while there would be tough times ahead; if they just held on, it would be ok.

They knew that God would not forget them. No matter how hard it may seem at times, God would not forget them.

They kept hope. Even when it was hard. Because they had a hope greater than this world.

So, how do we have endurance? How do we endure? Remember your hope. Your hope is not in this world. Your hope is not in fame, or power, or wealth, or popularity, or anything that this world can offer.

You hope is in God. And He will never disappoint. Hope in Him. Believe in Him. Cling to Him.

And we can endure whatever comes our way.

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Monthly Archives: July 2014