ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 9, 2020Prayer for the Week: What am I to do, Merciful God? What am I to do? Where is the rule book? Where do I find the daily schedule of tasks? Where have you outlined my job description as a follower of Jesus? I’m looking for clear procedures; for some indisputable edicts; for regulations that will clearly define every possible decision I make. Why is it
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 8, 2020Scripture: Mark 7:6-7Jesus replied, “Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human words…” Thought for the Day: These are the verses that follow our focus scripture this Sunday morning.
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 7, 2020Scripture: Romans 15:13-14May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. Thought for the Day: There are so many
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 6, 2020Scripture: Mark 7:1-2Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. Thought for the Day: Before we start pointing fingers at THOSE Pharisees and Scribes, let’s remove the log from our own eye. When have you ever heard folks in
TO THE CYPRESS CREEK FAMILY -In a news release earlier today, a doctor spoke about how this was a time not to be alarmist or naive, but smart… as we always should be. Those are some really good words of advice. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is grabbing our attention, and it should. But what is our response? As people of faith, our first response should be prayer – praying
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 5, 2020Scripture: Mark 12:28-31One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 4, 2020Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! Thought for the Day: After Sunday’s sermon on forgiveness, the staff conversed on why it is such an important point of discussion for so many. Among the many insightful things offered, we talked about the baggage people bring from other church
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 3, 2020Scripture: 1st Peter 5:7Cast all your anxiety on God, because he cares for you. Thought for the Day: On Sunday I preached on forgiveness, and I am always a bit caught off guard in the response. It tells me that I could probably preach on forgiveness twice each month and people would be pleased. No matter how healthy you are, there is almost always something
March 2, 2020ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSPrayer for the Week: Magnificent God, it is your Spirit that emerges from the ashes – it manifests and becomes visible in the remnant of human lostness and hopelessness. When the world only sees the fragments and dust discarded from brokenness, you show up with a word of life. In the mess and debris left in the wake of grief, rejection, suffering, humiliation and guilt,
ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGSMarch 1, 2020Scripture: Mark 2:16When some of the legal experts from among the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why is he eating with sinners and tax collectors?” Thought for the Day: On Ash Wednesday, we focused on these words from Mark. The real focus was on a single word, Why. In the Greek it is Tis, a