Different Plans

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

You ever felt like there was something that you really wanted to do, maybe even something you needed to do, and you weren’t able to do it? Maybe things came up and kept you from doing it. It could have been a million different reasons, a million different things.

But for whatever reason, it doesn’t happen. We’ve all be there. We really have been. It can be frustrating when God has different plans. Listen to what happened to David today in 2 Samuel 7:4-6,12-13:

4 But that same night came to Nathan:5Go and tell my servant David:Thus says the LORD: Are you the one to build me a house to live in?6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. . . . 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever

David wants to build God a Temple. You know what? That’s a good idea. That’s a good thing. David says it’s not right for him to have a beautiful house, while God’s Ark of the Covenant stays in a tent. That’s just not right, and he wants to do something about it. So he wants to build a Temple.

All sounds good. But God says no. That’s not his place, that’s not his calling. One will come after him that will build that Temple for God. But that person will not be David.

God had different plans. God had better plans; even better than David’s dreams.

Here’s the thing. God’s plans for your life are better than your dreams for your like. No matter what it is that you think is best or we think that we want to do, trust me, what God wants is better.

We just have to trust, especially when it doesn’t make sense.

God’s plans for your life are better than your dreams for your life. Trust in His plans, even when they are different plans.

God knows what He is doing. May we have faith to hold on, even when aren’t sure of what He is doing. May we trust, even with those different plans.

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They are Listening

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

One of my coaches at Bogue Chitto said something in an FCA event that has stuck with me through these years. Coach Micky Myers said – “your life may be the only Bible someone ever reads.” I’ve always thought about that, how I live, how I act, how I react, those actions say so very much about who God is, how He loves, how we cares, how He wants to know all people.

As believers this morning, as those that follow God, people are watching us today, to see how we react to life and circumstance. People are paying attention. The are listening.

I was thinking about that this morning as I read one of our texts today, Acts 16: 25-31. Listen to what it says:

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ 29The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ 31They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’

There are no unimportant words in the Bible. Everything there has a meaning or a purpose. So today as I read, what stood out to me was the end of verse 25 “and the prisoners were listening to them.” Luke (the author of Acts) didn’t have to include the fact that the other prisoners were listening to Paul and Silas singing hymns. It wasn’t really “important” to what was happening. That’s what we tell ourselves.

But, it’s in the Bible. So do it does matter. So what does it tell us today?

They were listening to Paul and Silas sing. They were in prison. It was awful. It was terrible. It was not a good place to be. And what did the other prisoners here in that moment? Faith. Hope. Believe

They were listening to Paul and Silas. They wanted to know if their faith was real, was it something that truly matter when times got to. And I believe, they really wanted to believe. They wanted that faith. They were listening to see if it was real.

The world is listening to us today. They are listening. They are paying attention to what we do; to what we say; to what we live.

They want to know that we really, actually believe what we say that we believe. They want to know that we mean it. In a world that is changing and so temporal, they really want to know that we actually believe what we say that we believe.

They are listening. Today, what do they hear from us?

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The Forgotten Commandment

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

I’m a fan of checklists. I always like to know what I’ve got to do, when I’ve got to be somewhere, what is on my plate for that moment. I’m always looking to what is next. That’s just how I’m wired. Believe me, I’m not saying it’s good, I’m just saying it’s how I’m wired.

And today, as busy as many of us are, even if we aren’t wired like that, it’s sort of how we feel, isn’t it? Even if we don’t want to go, go, go, go, we feel like our schedules, our lives, all that’s going on makes us that way. That’s sort of modern life today. Or at least that’s how it feels.

I think today that we can learn a lot from what happens in Mark 6:30-31. Listen to what it says:

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

Jesus had sent the Disciples out on a task, they had a lot that they were called to do for Him. They come back, they are excited, but they had been going, going, going, going. And what does He tell them to do?

Come away and rest.

When was the last time you rested? I mean, really? When was the last time you let the concerns of work, of school, of life, of family, of everything, just go, if just for a moment, and rested.

We can’t go all the time. Remember one of the Ten Commandments is to keep the Sabbath. We have got to have times of rest. We must. We have do. We can’t go all the time.

Jesus understood it.

He made the Disciples live it.

What about us? Do we live out this forgotten commandment? Now, believe me, this is a do what I say, not what I do. You can ask my wife, I struggle with this. But the older I get, the more I’m learning that I can go and go and go without taking that rest.

So today, take some Sabbath. Catch your breath. Rest. Trust. Hope.

You can rest. God has it all under control. You can trust that. He’s got it. Remember that forgotten commandment. Take Sabbath. Take rest. And see how God uses it in our lives.

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Confidence

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

I mentioned last week in my sermon here at St. Matthew’s that I really love the book of Psalms. They are honest, they are beautiful and they speak to the heart, and come from the heart. They really are some of the most powerful words on all the scripture.

So, often when I am reading the texts for each day, my eyes are drawn to whatever the Psalms for the day may be. Today was Psalm 37. Something about verses 7-9 caught me today:

7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Two times it mentions, do not fret. Do not get anxious. Do not get all roiled up. Just breath. Relax. It’s ok. It is. Just take a moment and breath and breath out.

Why? Why shouldn’t we get all kinds of anxious? Don’t you know what’s happening in the world? Don’t you know what’s happening in my life?

Sure, lots of things are going on. But here’s why we shouldn’t fret.

First, we don’t need to get anxious because of what that produces. “Do not fret – it leads only to evil.” Think about how much evil, how much done wrong, how much that causes pain to others comes out of worry and fear.

Fear is a dangerous thing. Fear leads us to do things we normally wouldn’t do.

As Christians, as the church, we can’t and we shouldn’t be fearful. First, because it can cause us to act in ways that just aren’t Christian. Fear affects our tongue. It affects our actions. It affects so many things. Don’t fret – it leads only to evil.

And second we shouldn’t fret because we know who is in control. God is not surprised by anything that happens in our lives; He is not surprised by anything that happens in the world. He has it. Seriously. Don’t fret. Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry. It’s ok.

Live a life guided by confidence in God, not shaken by the fear of the unknown, or even the known. Don’t fret. Trust. Obey. It’s ok. God has it. Be faithful. He’ll take care of the rest.

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What are We Looking at?

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

Holly and I will have interesting conversations when we are driving somewhere, especially if it is a place that we have both driven to before. I’ll see something interesting and say, hey, did you see that? And Holly will always, without fail, say no, I was looking at the road. What are you looking at?

I always joke that I survey the entire field of vision while I’m driving and she looks at just the road. And honestly, I think we know who is probably both right and safer!

But what we are looking at so often determines where we are going and where we will wind up. What we are looking at is so very, very, very important. Listen to what happens today in 1 Samuel 18: 6-9:

6 As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they made merry,

“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”

8 Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 So Saul eyed David from that day on.

What is Saul looking at? He’s looking at David. And what happens? He gets incredibly jealous. He was already jealous of David, but it gets worse and worse and worse. The more he looked at David, the more jealous he became. The more that he wanted to destroy David. The more that he wanted to preserve his kingdom and his power. The more that he was led down the road of his own destruction.

So is it for me and your today. What are we looking at? Are we looking first to our faith, to our God, to our Saviour? Or are we looking at others? At what they have? Their success? Their stuff?

What are we looking at?

If we are looking to others first, we will never be happy and content. Never. We will never, ever, ever be happy.

If we look to God first, we will find our purpose and life in Him. And we will find that happiness and contentment, because we will find ourselves in Him. That’s where life is found. Not in ourselves, not in others, but in God.

What we are looking at determines so very much in life. Today, what are we looking at?

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Don’t Worry Baby

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

I’m not a huge Beach Boys fan, but there are a couple of their songs that I really just love. For some reason, I really like their song “Don’t Worry Baby.” I wasn’t really sure what it was about, in fact I had to Google the lyrics just now to find out. Apparently it’s about a guy getting a car race and his girlfriend is telling him not worry about what happens because she loves him. Who knew?

The reason I liked that song is I just loved the chorus. Just a reminder everything will be ok – don’t worry baby.

Man, that’s a good reminder. In this song, his girlfriend tells him she loves him, and she shouldn’t worry. Well, you and I today potentially face something more worrisome that. What about Greece? What about our economy? What about the world? Everything. Everything is spinning out of control. Everything is awful. What do we do?

Don’t worry, baby.

Not because of the lyrics of this song, but because of what we read in Matthew 17: 1-7:

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”

This is who is on our side. Read that again. Look at Jesus in all His glory. He is not weak. He is not frail. He is not defeated.

He is King of Kings. He is Lord of Lords. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning nad the End, the First and Last.

In other words, it’s ok. Really, it is. He’s got this.

He is glorious, He is powerful, and nothing happens that He is not aware of and not in the midst of.

I’m not saying that there are not things that are scary. What I’m saying is this. Jesus is bigger. Never forget that.

So, don’t worry baby. Jesus is bigger. He’s got this. You can trust in Him, no matter how afraid you may be.

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Success

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

What determines today if you are a success? Is it our preparation? Is it our hard work? Is it just luck? Today, what determines our success? What is it that makes us a success?

I was thinking about that today when I read one of the Psalms for this morning. Listen to what David writes in Psalm 127: 1-2:

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.

You can build the biggest house you want. But unless the Lord builds it, it is in vain.

You can stand guard. But unless the Lord keeps watch, it is in vain.

You can wake early and work and worry. But don’t fret, the Lord gives sleep.

Success doesn’t come from our hand alone. But it comes from the Lord. Now, this isn’t a thought not to work hard. No, work hard, be faithful. Give your full effort. In the Garden, one of the first things the Lord did was He gave Adam a task. Work is good. Having a purpose is very, very good.

But life is not just about our efforts. It’s about living out of God’s strength and God’s purpose and God’s mercy. Remember that.

And I’ll tell you what happens to me. When I remember that all I have to do is do my best, and leave the rest up to God, it makes me more efficient. It helps me accomplish more. it helps me work even better.

Why? Because I know it’s all His. It’s all up to Him. It’s His world, we are His people. I know it’s all for His glory, so I’m going to do the very best that I can in all things. For Him. For His glory and praise. As my act of faithfulness to Him.

So today, don’t worry. Don’t stress. Don’t obsess. Just be faithful. Do your task, do you duty, do what you should.

Don’t eat the bread of anxious toil. It is God that is at work in all things. Trust in Him, lean on Him and He will be the world that enables and empowers us in all things!

Be faithful. Trust God. All will be well.

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Fighting a Losing Battle?

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

You ever feel like you are fighting a losing battle? Ever feel like you’ve got a task that you just can’t get done, dealing with something that you just can’t get right, working with something that you just can’t change?

We’ve all been there at some point in our lives. We’ve all been in a battle that we just can’t feel like we can win. We’ve all felt that frustration, that anger, that doubt, that pressure, that worry. One of my favorite characters in Greek mythology is Sisyphus. If you’re not familiar with his story, basically he was punished for all eternity by having to push a boulder up a mountain, only to have it roll back down up on him. And he had to do that for all eternity.

Sometimes we feel like that, don’t we? Sometimes we just feel like things won’t change and we can’t win. Listen to what happens to Ezekiel today in Ezekiel 2: 4-7:

4 The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.” 5 Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them. 6 And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns surround you and you live among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words, and do not be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for they are a rebellious house.

God sends Ezekiel to preach to the Israelites. And He says this. They may not listen. They are rebellious. They are hard-headed. They may not listen to a word you say.

But you say it anyway. Because your job is not to change them. Your job is to preach that word.

What a word for us today! Your job is not to win that battle. It’s not. Your job is to be faithful. That’s your job today. It’s God’s call if the battle is won or lost. You can’t in the end control that. You can’t control them. You can’t control the situation. You can’t control any of that.

All you can control is yourself. That’s it.

So, our job is not to worry about the things that we can’t control. Our job is to worry about what we can control. That’s ourselves. That’s our response. That’s our faithfulness. That’s our effort. That’s us. That’s all we can do.

So, today, be faithful. Even if it’s a battle that you don’t think you can win. Be faithful. The battle is Lord’s. He will take care of what happens in the end. Today, though, for you and for me, let’s be faithful. Let’s be obedient. Let’s do what God wants us to do.

And the rest is up to Him. Don’t worry. Don’t fear. Don’t doubt. Be faithful. That’s our main duty!

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Give it a Try

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

We like to eat sweets in our house. We love snow cones, ice cream, all kinds of goodies and sweets. But the thing with a lot of the sweets that we like it eat is this. There are so many options. I mean, how can you choose among so many flavors? What are you to do?

So, we’ve learned this. We get sample. We’ll get a sample of this, a sample of that, we’ll try a bunch of them until we figure out exactly what it is that we want. We give them all a taste and see what it is that is just right for that day.

I thought about that when I read today’s Psalm. Listen to what it says in Psalm 34: 4-8:

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.

This is coming from someone who has tasted the Lord’s goodness. David says, the Lord delivered me from my fears. He answered him. His soul cried out and God was there.

He needed God, and God responded. He cried out, and God was there. He called upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord showed His face.

And so what does David do? He says this. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Give it a try. Try it for yourself. See what happens.

Put your complete and total faith in God. Turn to Him, give it all to Him, truly turn it over to Him, and see what happens.

You won’t be disappointed. Happy are those that have done it.

So, today, maybe that’s what God is trying to say to us. Put our whole faith in Him. Look what David says, He delivered David from his fears.

Have you given your fears to Him? Not just your worries, but your fears? Taste and see. Give it a try.

Have you truly turned in that moment of doubt, worry, and stress? Taste and see. Give it a try. See what happens.

Turn to Him. Give it to. Really and truly and totally and completely. Taste and see. Give it a try.

He is God. You won’t be disappointed.

Today, may we give it a try. May we taste and see. And may we find God’s goodness.

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God Trusts You

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Andy Stoddard

Life is made up of choices. Some are really big. Some are really small. But so much of life is about choices.

You know what one of the things is that I love most about God? He trusts us. I know that sounds crazy, like a huge mistake. After all, don’t do things wrong? Don’t we get in trouble? Don’t we choose wrong?

Yeah, we do. We get it wrong, a lot of the time. We make those wrong choices. We blow it. It happens. And then you know what else happens?

The sun sets. The sun rises. And it’s a new day. A new day full of choices and possibilities. A new day to be faithful. A new day to follow after God. A new day to see exactly what it is that God will do. And what we will do. Listen to what happens today in Deuteronomy 30: 19-20:

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

God tells the people as they go into the Promised Land – choose today. Choose life, choose death. Choose.

He gives them that choice, because He trusts them.

And He does you today as well. Today, you will have lots of choices. Some big, some little. Some you’ll get right. Some you’ll get wrong.

Listen to God. Listen to His voice in His Word. In prayer. Through others. Listen. And follow wherever it is that He is calling.

Because of all the choices you have to make, this is the most important. Will we listen to His voice? And will we follow it? Because if we make that choice right, everything else falls into place.

Today, may we be faithful with the choices we make. God trusts you, He loves you. Follow Him where He leads.

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Tag Archives: Trust

Different Plans

They are Listening

The Forgotten Commandment

Confidence

What are We Looking at?

Don’t Worry Baby

Success

Fighting a Losing Battle?

Give it a Try

God Trusts You