Scripture: James 1:19-22
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
Thought for the Day: Not being a manuscript preacher, there are often pieces of the sermon that were intended yet they were never actually shared in the preaching moment. This past Sunday when I preached the sermon, Wrath and the Parable of the Turtle, I talked about how God’s grace and unconditional love can challenge us, even making us feel uncomfortable. In each sermon, I spoke of how I don’t see God as inflicting pain or causing disease as a way of teaching us or changing us. Love is love, but what I forgot in one of the sermons was to emphasize that though “God’s love can push us, that’s not to suggest that God is abusive or would ever approve of abuse.” The idea of God’s love smacking us upside the head was intended as a metaphor. With that said, too often domestic abuse has been justified theologically. Let’s make it clear: God NEVER participates or justifies any form of abuse. Even though God’s love can challenge us – feeling like a smack in the gut – that’s not to suggest that God would ever seek to cause us harm. To make my point clear, I don’t believe the God we meet in Jesus would ever encourage or bless violence in any relationship whether it be parent/child, or between spouses/significant others, etc. God desires for us to know perfect love (1st John 4:18), and the desired end should always be fully expressed in the means to that end.
Prayer: Help my words match my faith, Gracious God, and when I stumble, let me seek to remedy any troubling consequences of my poor choices. Amen.
IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!
Parents of those in PreK – 5th
Sunday, August 11th – 3pm-5pm
Basel’s Gymnastics
4963 Louetta
Cost $10.00
(Includes Gym Time & Lunch)
Sign Up by August 8th
by contacting Tami at the church
