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.

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!

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.

Listen

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

Sorry no posts the last few days. Holly’s grandmother passed away this last weekend and we’ve been back in Lincoln county and I didn’t have a lot of computer/internet access in the mornings. We are back home now, so everything should be back on schedule for the rest of the week!

In today’s readings listen to what Jesus says in John 10: 25-27. And that word listen is huge:

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Jesus tells the religious leaders that do not believe because they are not His sheep. His sheep will hear his voice. They will follow Him. They will hear, and they will listen.

It’s hard to follow Jesus if we aren’t listening. It’s hard to follow His command, if we aren’t listening. It’s hard to know which way to go, what to do, where we should be, if we aren’t listening. As His sheep, we’ve got to listen.

We live in a world of real distractions, things pulling at us. Emails, texts, social media, instagram, everything. So many things vying for our attention, for our mind, for our heart. We’ve go to listen. We’ve got to slow down, if just for a moment, and listen for that still small voice, calling out to us.

If are in a place of confusion, slow down, and listen. If you struggling with things in your life, slow down and listen. If you are unsure, slow down and listen. Listen.

Listen for His voice in His word. Listen in your conversations with other believers. Is the music you listen to. In the things you read. Listen.

He is speaking. He is the good shepherd, who loves His sheep. That means us! And He will speak to us. Listen. He is there. Calling out. Listen. He will speak.
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!

Why We are Healed

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

Hey y’all, remember me?

I’ve been out of pocket a lot the last two weeks, one for a family trip up to St. Louis, the other to Jackson for our Mississippi Annual Conference. Things should be back to normal now, or as normal as they can be the week of VBS. If your in the Petal area, we’d love to have you join us for Night Two of our Wilderness Escape VBS here at Asbury. You can show up tonight starting at 5:15 or you can go and register on our website.

Today as I was reading, I read this passage here in Matthew 8: 14-15. This passage talks about why Jesus heal us, and why He saves us. Listen to what it says:

And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

In this passage we see Jesus heal Peter’s mother in law. We don’t know exactly what she was suffering from, but we know that she had a fever.

So, Jesus heals her, and then what happens? The text said she rose and began to serve Him. She wasn’t heal for her own sake, her own glory, or her own purpose. She was healed so that she could serve Jesus. She had a purpose in life, she had a purpose in that moment. That purpose wasn’t hers, but it was to serve Him.

So is ours. That’s what this whole thing called life is all about. It’s not about us. It’s not about what we want to do, or about how we want to do it. But it’s about Him. It’s about His purpose. It’s about His plan. It’s about His reason.

We are healed, we are forgiven. We are restored. Not for ourselves. Not for our purpose. But for His.

Never forget that. Never forget that is what this life is ultimately about; never forget where life is truly found. In Him. And for Him.

That’s why we are healed.

Today, may we rejoice in our forgiveness, and may we live in His power.

The One Thing I Know

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

There’s a lot of things that I don’t know. There’s a lot of things that I don’t understand. There’s a lot of parts of the Bible that don’t make sense to me, a lot of mysteries of God that I can’t fathom. There’s a lot that I don’t know in life.

And, by the way, the older I get, the more that I’m ok with not knowing everything.

There’s a lot that I don’t know. But there is one that that I know for sure. I’ll let what it says in John 9: 24-25 explain that:

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man. This man was hauled before the authorities to be questioned about his healing, about Jesus, about everything. And they hurl question after question at him, to the point where he’s finally fed up with it. And this is how he responds. I don’t know everything. But I know this. I was was blind, but now I see.

The one thing I know is this. I once was blind, but now I see. There’s a lot of things that my mind will never understand. But I know this. Jesus changed my life. He made me different. He changed my purpose, He changed my plans, He changed everything about me.

I once was blind, but now I see. I once had no purpose, now I have purpose. I once had no peace, now I have peace. I once had no hope, now I have hope.

I once was blind, but now I see. I know that. I’ve experienced that. I’ve lived that.

There’s a lot I don’t know. But I do know this. Jesus changed my life. And there’s not a single life that He can’t change. That’s what I do know.

The Secret to Life

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

One of the relentless commands Jesus gives to His disciples in Gospel of John is this – Follow Me.

Over, and over at the end of John He gives this command, they are leave behind all that have, all that they are, and they are to follow Him. He has a plan, He has a purpose, He has a goal, He knows what He is going to accomplish in them, and through them. Listen to what He says in John 21: 18-19:

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

He is talking to Peter in this passage, and He tells him that He is to follow. But, before, He tells Peter – it won’t always be easy. There’s going to be some tough times, you will be lead to places that you don’t want to go, and have to do things that you don’t want to do, and yes, Peter, you will even die a way that you don’t want to die.

And it’s ok.

Because in all the places that Peter will go – it will glorify God.

You want to know the secret to life? You want to know how to live a life, truly worth living, a life that is full, and abundant, and full of joy? An amazing life?

The secret to life is to understand this. It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s not about any of us. It’s about God. It’s about living for Him, His glory, His purpose, His plan. That’s where life is found. That’s where purpose is found. That’s where it is all found. Not in our stuff, but in His stuff.

And so Jesus tells Peter, it’s not going to always be easy. Follow me anyway. Because when you follow me, you’ll actually find a life worth living.

That’s the secret to life. To understand that it’s not about us; it’s about Him. When we understand that, then we actually, actually get to live. And that’s when the fun really starts!

(One of) The Most Misunderstood Verses in the Bible

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

Our Wednesday Night bible study at Asbury is one of the highlights of my week. It’s always a fun time of conversation about scripture, life, and what God is teaching us. We laugh, ask questions, and try to dig deep into God’s Word.

And, as I am prone to do, I will usually chase a rabbit or two. We are finishing up Galatians, and last night, we took a sidebar conversation into what I said was one of the most misunderstood verses in the bible – Don’t judge lest ye be judged yourself. We had some good conversation about it, and today, I wanted to share a little bit about this verse. It can be found in Matthew 7:1-5:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Now, notice what I did first. I didn’t just include that verse, but I included the verses after it, and I could have included the verses in front of it. One of the most important things we can do when we read the bible is to understand context. What is happening before the verse, what is happening after the verse. You don’t just want to look at one passage but look what’s happening around it, to get the full picture.

Jesus said, don’t judge, so you won’t be judged. How we judge others will be how we are judged ourselves. Then look at what happens. Your neighbor as a speck (a small thing), while you have a log (a large thing). Take the log out of your eye. Why? So you can help your neighbor take the speck out of their eye.

I think this passage teaches at least two things – humility. We are no better than anyone that we may want to “judge.” We are human. We have made mistakes. We have failed, we have major things that we have done. We need to always understand that as Christians, we are not better than anyone else. We are simply sinners saved by grace. We have to approach everything with humility. That’s the only way that we can make a difference, the only way that we can help others.

Understand your weakness and sin, own it, and when you do that, you will really be able to help others with their weakness and sin.

We have to understand and live out humility in everything.

The second thing is this – the point of “judgement” is heal others. To help others. We are never to judge. We are to help. If someone you love is doing something wrong, you job is not to beat them up, but to help them come to healing. To restore them. To love them. To help them to be complete. You never want to beat them up. But you do, through love, want to help others (just as you would want them to help you) come to a healthy and whole place in their life.

And sin, in the end is destructive. Destructive to our walk with God, and our walk with each other. That’s why our log, and their speck, must both be removed, so what we can walk in peace with God and each other. Sin destroys, and God desires healing and wholeness for all of us.

That’s point here. Not judgement. But healing. Forgiveness. Restoration. So, yes, help your neighbor with their speck. But first, humbly look for the log in your own eye. And then, let every action, every word, every thought you take for them by about what is best for them, and be about loving them, as Jesus loved them.

Blessed

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

You will be blessed today! You will. But, what does that mean? What does it mean to say that we will be blessed? You are probably like me, when something good happens, we say, wow, we are blessed. That is true, because the Bible teaches that all good gifts from above. So, those are blessings.

But, that’s not the only way that the bible looks at blessings. That’s not the only way that the bible talks about blessings. Listen to a passage that you’ve heard from many times from before, The Beatitudes. Listen to what it says in Matthew 5:2-12:

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Each one of these things that makes us “blessed” this morning – poor in spirit, mourn, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted, revived, lied about, each of these things, we don’t see them as blessed. We see these as being opposed to, or being attacked, or being hurt, or maybe even being punished.

Nothing on this list is fun. Nothing on this list is easy. Nothing here is something that we even want.

But yet, Jesus, in his teaching, says that when these things happen to us, we are blessed. We should be thankful.

Why?

Because when this happens, when we feel this pain, when we feel this loss, when we feel alone, hurt, and forgotten, you know what? We find that Jesus is all that we really need. When He’s all that we got, He’s all that we need.

When all the stuff of life is stripped away. When all the busyness, all the distractions, all the things that draw us away from Him are gone, and we find that all that we really have in life is Him; we have everything that we could ever need.

We have life, we have peace, we have joy, we have hope, we have everything.

We are blessed. Now, it may not look like the blessings of the world, it may look different. But it truly blessings that can’t be taken away, by anything.

Today, even if life isn’t easy, and in fact, especially if it isn’t, you are blessed. Today. In Him, you are blessed.

Through One Man

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

One of my favorite things that the Bible teaches about Jesus is this. He’s the second Adam.

Wait, huh? What does that even mean, to say that Jesus is the second Adam? Listen to what Paul writes here in 1 Corinthians 15: 20-22:

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

The first Adam (you know Adam) was created, he and Eve walked with God, and all was great. Then, as we know, they ate from the tree they were forbidden to eat from, and they fell. And then all of creation fell with them.

So, as it says here, death came through one man. When Adam fell, all of creation fell him. Both creation, and humanity. So, we all now, struggle with our sin, our temptation, our stuff. All of us.

To say you struggle with sin and temptation doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you human. All of us, me, you, all of us struggle with sin. We are the children of our father Adam. Through one man, all fell.

But, it says that just as through Adam, all fell, through Jesus all can live. So, one of the coolest things that Jesus did, was he undid what happened in the fall.

Think about it. What happened in the fall – sin and death. What happened through Jesus – forgiveness and life. So, in other words, you don’t have to stay the same. Yes, we all suffer under temptation and sin, we all struggle, but Jesus came to restore us from what we inherited.

Through one man, all have died. But, through one Man, Jesus Christ, all of us can live. For in the resurrection, God has overcome sin, death, and the grave. You don’t have to be dead anymore. You can live. The second Adam has destroyed the work of the first.

Today, you can live!

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.

God’s Got a Plan

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Andy Stoddard

One of the things I like most about Matthew’s Gospel is how many times things are fulfilled in prophecy. So many times, Jesus will do something, or something will be said, or something will happen, and Matthew says, this was done to fulfill the prophet.

For instance, look at today’s text, Matthew 12: 15-18:

Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

Matthew is showing how each of Jesus’ actions, all that He was doing, from His birth, His teaching, His death, and His resurrection, were all part of God’s plan, not just for Jesus, for the world.

Why do I like this so much? Why does this give me a sense of hope and peace? Because God’s got a plan. God knows what He is doing.

We have choice, we have decisions to make, we have things that we have to do, but God has a plan. God has a plan for us, for our lives, for our families, for all that is going on. You are not just floating randomly through life. This is not happenstance. This is not all just random noise.

God has a plan. He knows what He is doing.

And you can trust in that, today. Trust. God knows what He is up to, God know what He is doing. And God will accomplish that plan in your life and through your life. Be obedient to His calling and His leading today. Follow.

And let that leading guide you. Follow Him. Even when you don’t understand. God has a plan. You can trust.