Day Twelve with Mark: Mark 3:31-35

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

Today in our daily journey through Mark, we look at Mark 3:31-35:

The True Kindred of Jesus
31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus has been ministering in his home. And He had seen great conflict there. Faced opposition. Folks tried to restrain Him, keep him from teaching, really not received Him well. And today, we see His family come to Him again, and it doesn’t really go well.

He says this is my family. Those that do my will.

Ok, a couple of things here. First, before we get too harsh and think that family doesn’t matter to Jesus, remember a couple of things. One of the very last things Jesus did upon the cross was look to Mary and look to John the Apostle and says to her – this is your son. And to John – this is your mother.

One of His very last acts up before His death and resurrection was to take care of His mother. Also, notice how in the Gospels and in Acts how his mother is one of His followers. You can’t take this one passage here and say that Jesus is saying – don’t take care of your family. That’s not what He is saying, His life didn’t doesn’t show that, nor do His words.

Be careful building an entire theology or worldview on one verse alone. We read scripture in relation to other scripture. We interpret the Bible through the Bible. You want to look at one verse through the lens of other verses. Jesus here is not saying don’t care about your family.

Ok then, what is He saying? This is what He is saying. Our family is more that just biological. As believers, as followers of Jesus, we are family. We are His family. And we are family to each other. If you are in Christ, tan you are as much my family as anyone that is “blood” kin to me.

As Christians, the blood relationship that matters the most is being washed in the blood of the Lamb. If you are His, if you are His child, if you are His disciple, then you are my sister or brother. And I am called to love you like family.

And you are called to love me like family.

Because we are.

This is Jesus family. Not just biology. But those that love Him and follow Him.

And this is my family. Not just biology. But those that love Jesus and follow Him.

Today, through Jesus, we are family. No matter what race, what denomination, what theology, what worship style, what whatever. Today in Jesus, we are family.

What questions do you have? How does this strike you? Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.

Monday we’ll look at Mark 4:1-9.

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You (and your gifts) Matter

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

Last night at St. Matthew’s we had the opening kickoff for our Wednesday Night Live programming! It was a great time, featuring the best food around Madison County, and our District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Connie Shelton sharing with us. Last night Connie shared with us parts of these verses found in 1 Corinthians 12: 14-21. Listen to what they say:

14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

Two things stick out about the body to me.

First, you have a gift. You do. Everyone in the body has a gift. There is no ungifted person. Now, your gift will not be someone else’s gift. It will be unique to you. It will be something that you possess. It’s not better than someone else’s, it’s not worse that someone else’s. It yours. Be thankful for it. God has given it to you for a reason. Live into it.

You are special. You are unique. And you are gifted by God for something that only you can do.

And that leads us to the second thing, your gift matters to the church. You were created not to live alone, but to live in the body of Christ. You have a special place that God has created for you, and that the church needs for you to live into. Until you are doing that, you won’t be living into the total purpose of your gift.

You are gifted. You really are. And your gift is needed by the church, not just for the community that you will receive in it, but for the purpose that God for you.

You matter. Your gifts matter.

So, what are they?

One of the things that Connie shared with us was a really good, and really easy, spiritual gift assessments. Click here and take it for yourself. What are you gifts? What has God given you? And are you using it in the church?

Your church needs you. It needs your talents, your gifts, your passion, all that you, for the building of God’s kingdom. Plug in, serve, live!

Today, you are so gifted! May we use those gifts for God’s glory!

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We are One

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

In Jesus, we all are equal. We are. There is such an equality with Jesus. An equality of need. An equality of grace. An equality of calling. We are all equal.

We all, me, you, all of us, we stand in equal need of salvation. None of us are perfect. None of us can earn it, none of us will get it right. We all need grace. We all need Jesus. We all need His mercy.

And what we find in Jesus, is we find that grace and mercy is there for all of us, no matter who we are, where we come from, any of that. We all find that His mercy is there, waiting for us, no matter what. No matter who we are, what we have done, any of us.

We find Jesus there.

So if we are equal in need and equal in grace, we are equal in worth. Listen to what Paul says today in Galatians 3: 27-28:

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In Jesus, there is not male or female. There is not Greek or Jew. There is not slave or free. We are all one.

No matter what. No matter what barriers, differences, or distinctions the world tries to place on us, in Jesus, we are one.

No matter your race. Your views on things. Your wealth (or lack of). Your job. Any of these things. If you are in Jesus. If you are a believer. If you are saved through Jesus, then you are my brother or sister.

You are. In Jesus, we are one. Through Jesus, we are one. Because of Jesus, we are one.

Today, I love you like family. Because through Jesus, we are. Today, may we as the church, may we live as one. Because through Jesus, that’s just what we are.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

The Church is Bigger Than Me

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

The Church is bigger than me. It is bigger than my church. It is bigger than the denomination that I’m a part of. It’s bigger than the churches that I’m in partnership with here locally.

The Church is bigger than me.

It’s made of people (and churches) that are different than me. It’s made of up of people (and churches) that are like me. They may worship like we do; they may worship differently than we do. They may have disagreements on lots of things.

And that’s ok. Because the church is bigger than me. It’s bigger than my church. It’s made up of all of those that profess the name of Jesus Christ.

Listen to what happens today in Luke 9: 49-50:

John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

Jesus said; it’s bigger than just us. While they may not be “part”
of us, they are part of us.

So, today, if we are working for the same God, have the same purpose, the same salvation, the same calling, the same reason, we are on the same team.

We are. In spite of differences, in spite of preferences, in spite of all these things we are part of the same team.

And we as Christians, we’ve got to live like that. Seriously. We’ve got to live with that truth in our lives. We’ve got to live with that purpose.

The church is bigger than me. It’s bigger than my church. It’s bigger than my style of worship. It’s bigger than my theology.

It’s bigger that all of these. It’s about Jesus. And His will and His purpose.

Let’s live like that today. Me and you. We can do it.

And I know if we all do, each of us together. We can change the world.

The Body is Like . . .

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

I guess I’ve started a trend of pop culture devotionals! Yesterday we talked about how God calls use to places that we don’t want to go, and I used Doctor Who as part of my illustration. Today, I’m talking about the Body of Christ. And I’ve got a totally different pop culture reference.

Today, listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:18-21:

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.

One of the things that we can be tempted to believe, as Christians, is that what we are passionate about is the most important thing. And if you really loved Jesus like I love Jesus, then you’d care about my mission, or my passion or my whatever.

Or, if you really loved Jesus, you’d like my style of worship.

Or go to my church/denomination.

Or share my view point.

Or agree with me.

And, that’s simply not the case. Paul reminds us that we are body. We are all different. We all have our different callings, different passions, different likes, different dislikes. We are all different.

But, we focus not on our differences, and focus on the Gospel, and focus on the things that unite us, we see this. We all matter. And the body needs all our passions. It needs your passion. It needs my passion. It needs all of us. And all of us have a part to play.

Individually, we are ok. Together, we can do AMAZING things for the Kingdom. We are stronger united and together than any one of us are alone.

Like Voltron.

Yes, Volton. Each of the lions has as different strength (and color) but they only achieve their true purpose when they unite. Then, they smash evil and accomplish good (all in 30 minutes, no less)!

So, today, let’s work together. Let’s do great things. Let’s unite for the kingdom. And do amazing things.

When we do that, just like Voltron, we find our true strength, and are able to defeat the darkness, and bring forth the light.

By being the Body. And working together.

That’s our purpose.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phone.

Lord Make Us One?

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Andy Stoddard

We live in a world of differences. We all have our side. Sports, politics, music, hobbies, churches, we all have different likes and dislikes, different things that really are significant, but that separate us.

And we live in an age we are told and encouraged to put our differences aside and work together.

And you know what? That’s hard. It’s hard to be one. It’s hard to be united. It’s hard to be on the same page.

Even with someone you like. It’s hard to always agree and work together.

And so, when the church and when our faith calls us to be one, the question is how?

Lord, make us one. How?

Listen to what Paul says this morning in Ephesians 2:16-19:

and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Paul says that we are reconciled into one body, through the cross and through Jesus. Through Him, we are no longer strangers, through Him, we are fellow citizens, through Him, we have the same father.

Through Him. Through Jesus. Through ourselves, we will tear each other apart. We will fuss and fight. We will find our problems, and find the things that we disagree on and that separate us.

When we focus on ourselves, we find division. When we focus on Jesus, we find unity. He is our unity. He is our peace. He is our hope. He is our life.

When we place the focus on ourselves, our stuff, and our opinions, we will find and have more division.

When we take our eyes off ourselves, and put them on Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection, we find unity, hope and peace.

Lord, today, please make us one. Let us each focus on Jesus with all that we are. And in that, we can find that unity.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

We Need Each Other

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Andy Stoddard

We are all connected to each other. Through Christ, we are connected.

He is my Father. And if you are His, you are His child as I am. That makes him your Father as well. And if He’s your Father, that makes us family. That makes us siblings. We need each other. We are connected. That’s just the way that it is.

None of us were made to walk this path of life alone. None of us were made to walk it without someone beside us.

No matter how unworthy you may feel. No matter how little you may feel. No matter how unimportant you may feel. You matter. You are important. You are important to God, important to the Body of Christ, important to us all.

You matter. You do. No matter where you are, we need you. Listen to what Paul says today in 1 Corinthians 12:21-26:

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Every part of the body is important. The hand. The foot. Each matters. Each is vital. Each is needed.

As it is with us. We matter. Each of us matters. To God. To the church. To each other. And, we need each other.

To love each other. To hold each other accountable. To help each other. To challenge each other. To grow each other. To disciple each other.

We are a body. We are family. We need each other.

Today, is my deepest prayer that you are plugged in somewhere where you know that and you feel that. That you know that you matter. That you know that you are needed. That you know that you belong.

Today, you matter. Today, you belong. Today, in Christ, are you family. Today, we need each other. May we not live along. May we love, plug in, help, and care for each other.

We are part of a body, Christ’s body. May we never forget that we need each other.