October 2017

Wind By Mike Woolley

I went for a run one morning in Texas on a beautiful sunny day. I was cruising along at a good pace and it felt almost effortless. It was just one of those days where everything seemed to be clicking. And then I reach the turnaround point and felt the wind for the first time. The wind had been blowing the whole run, but I didn’t realize it until I turned around. Once again, I made the mistake of believing I was responsible for my amazing performance when it had been aided by the unseen wind the entire time.  

And that is a window into my bleak little soul. When things are going well, I tend to think it as a result of the combination of my hard work and flawless wisdom. Of course, that is never the case. Whenever life is chugging along smoothly with my marriage, my job, my children, it is never solely because of me. There is a wind at my back even though I can’t feel it.

One of the gifts of coming back around on a run is you get to discover the truth of the wind. The wind has been helping you the whole way out, and now for the first time you realize it. And that means it’s too late to really enjoy it. You took it for granted, and now the run has become really hard.

Just about every runner I know would rather start a run into the wind and then when they loop around have the wind at their back all the way home. The reason is it’s the only way to really enjoy the wind. The whole time you are running into the force of the wind you are saying to yourself, “Wow, this is hard. But it is going to be a blast when I turn around and head home.”

Here’s the point. If things are going well for you, then stop and be thankful. It’s not all your hard work that’s paying off. The wind is at your back and that’s wonderful. If you are struggling, then you may have missed it when the wind was helping instead of hurting, but if you are a follower of Jesus you eventually make the turn to go home.

In all of the time I have been running I’ve realized the wind is never against me the whole way. I always get to come home. So do you.

 

Withdrawing By Taylor Roche
 
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 (NIV)
 
When was the last time you withdrew into a “lonely” place to be alone with God? I chose the NIV because I like its choice of the word “lonely”. Other translations use the word “desolate” or “wilderness” which are different but really mean the same thing. Jesus, God in the flesh, would often leave his disciples and the crowds following him, retreat to a secluded place alone and pray. When was the last time you or I took an hour to get away from all the distractions that clutter our lives and just be alone with God? I would imagine that many of us have daily Bible reading plans and hopefully time set aside each day to pray, but if you’re anything like me even those times seem overflowing with scattered thoughts and constant distraction. I think maybe it’s significant that Luke doesn’t say Jesus slipped out of bed every morning and prayed before he began his day. Or that Jesus spent the first hour of every day reading Scripture. Now for all I know, Jesus did do those things as well. But that’s not what Luke recorded here. Here in Luke 5 he makes sure to record that Jesus left and went somewhere lonely. Literally he says that Jesus withdrew into the “wilderness”. Somewhere away from people and things. And he did so to commune with God.

Now I know we’re all busy. I know there aren’t enough hours in the day. And I think that’s the main reason we find ourselves unable to engage in longer, unstructured amounts of time spent with God. But Jesus was busy too. In fact the larger context of this passage informs us that Jesus did this, as “the news about Jesus spread all the more, and great crowds came to hear Him and to be healed of their sickness.” It was precisely when Jesus was busy and growing busier that Luke chose to record this practice of Jesus. Because no matter how busy Jesus was (and bear in mind “busy” for him meant healing people and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God) he still made time to retreat, alone, and be with God. As if the example of our Lord isn’t enough, I don’t imagine that many of us will argue with the fact that our relationship with God is far more important than anything, literally anything, else we might be doing.

So here’s the challenge I’d like you to join me in. What if we found one hour this week outside of our regular prayer or bible reading time to get away from everything else and spend quality, unstructured time with God? I know this won’t be an easy thing to accomplish, but I can’t really imagine anything that might be more refreshing or necessary. So let’s follow Jesus’ example and find some time this week to be alone, to be still, and most importantly to be with God.

He Knows Us By Brenda Woolley

Last weekend I was sitting out in my backyard and reading my Bible and I read a verse that I just couldn’t get over.  I had read this verse maybe 20 times before, but this time it stopped me in my tracks. 

“BEFORE I formed you in the womb, I KNEW YOU; and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the Nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

Our church is getting ready to start up a new Children’s program on Tuesday Evenings.  It is going to be awesome!  The curriculum is called, “The Gospel Project”.  The kids will be learning about how the Gospel has been weaved into the whole Bible.  It is going to be fun, and it will be on a much more intimate and small group level.  I have been praying for this time with them for a while now.  I can’t wait to see what God will do in each of their lives.  I pray for each child by name, whether they are able to be there or not.  If they are in our children’s ministry, they are being lifted up to God.  How does this relate to the scripture I read over the weekend?

I was so struck with how Great God is!  The fact that he knew each one of us BEFORE He even formed us is truly mind boggling.  I love it.  I love to think and think and think on it…and in between my thinking I am marveling at who He is, and how He has a plan for each one of us.  So, when I am preparing to teach our children, I am pondering these things…knowing that each child will have a story.  Each child God has a plan and a purpose for.  Do you see why I love teaching them?  It makes what I teach so valuable.  Who knows how a scripture will impact their life?  How the Holy Spirit will guide and direct them?  I get a bit weepy thinking about it.  I pray over our curriculum.  I pray that God uses it all.  I want these kids to LOVE the LORD and find joy in serving Him.  I pray that I am doing what God has called me to do so long ago as well.   I know I find joy in it.

Please take time this week to lift up our children, and new children that may come to our church on Tuesdays.  Pray they fall in love with Jesus!  Pray we have all we need to teach our next generation the Gospel, the Good news, and that it will change their lives for eternity. 


2 Responses to “October 2017”

  1. Abigail Lillvik says:

    This is wonderful, it’s nice to know that I can come to your website and hear more than what I hear on Tuesday’s and Sunday’s. Thank you so much

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