AnotherJohn.Com

  Acts 10:1-8 Many Christians complain about younger generations' lack of faith. These faithful assume others have no interest in spirituality. They do so because these outsiders have no current interest in church. Yes, there are many people who will not see the truth of Christ. But that doesn't not mean there aren't many more who will in time. In fact, if you speak to younger people, there is already a strong interest in the spiritual. To be sure, there has never been a generation full of people who loved God and wanted to truly follow Jesus. We should give up that illusion. And the church doesn't just happen to grow. Thankfully, God has not abandoned us and the Spirit has not stopped hovering over our chaos. So, I'm always hopeful more Christians will rediscover the mission God gave the church. Gave to you. In Luke 23, Jesus was close to death on the cross. Darkness covered the skies and at three in the afternoon two things happened. First, the curtain of the temp...

  Deuteronomy 9:1-5 I often recall the words from one of my bishops. Years ago, our conference set itself to pursue some ministry initiative. Funny enough, I don't recall what the task was. But I do remember the commissioning the bishop gave to those who were to lead the effort. He asked the group to seek a vision so big and audacious that we would have to trust God to make it happen. We would have no choice but to seek God at every point. Whether the group brought back something so grand remains a mystery. But the bishop's charge remains a guiding principle for me. It's not that I'm hoping to pursue some large-scale objective. Rather, my hope is to carry that sense of trust and dependence on God with everything I do. I suppose that's easy to talk about when it comes to the big things. You can hype up a crowd preparing for something they've never done before. The people of God were a short time away from entering the promised land. They would "dispossess na...

  Luke 17:1-5 There's a back and forth strain within the conversation of faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is a personal, strong conviction in what you believe about who God is and what God has done through Jesus. Your faith is what you believe. But it is also more than what you believe. Faith is also what you do with what you believe. Jesus prepared his disciples to lead those who chose to follow him. Those people would come to believe Jesus to be the way and also live in the way of Jesus--a well-rounded faith. The Lord said that you'd rather experience a deep sea plunge with a stone hung around your neck than deal with God after causing a "little one" to sin. Jesus continued his leadership lesson with a word on forgiveness. That if someone repents of their sin against you, you must respond with forgiveness. Not once. Not even twice. Seven times a day, if need be. The disciples' response is ...

  1 Corinthians 11:17-22 Communion can be one of those practices that causes great division in the church. Sounds absurd, doesn't it? But across faith traditions how we practice communion is important. So important we argue with each other and even break communion with each other. Now, it's easy to discount the whys and hows of a different tradition. Before you do that, make sure you understand their theological approach to communion. The apostle Paul addressed communion practices in the Corinthian church. Specifically, he called out the greediness and selfishness of some in the congregation. In today's passage, Paul alludes to those who are wealthy and have more. They take the elements of communion, but "it is not really to eat the Lord's supper" (1 Corinthians 11:20). As best we can tell, the communion practice of the Corinthians included a full meal of sorts. So, when the wealthy of the congregation assembled for communion, they had their fill. And more. Di...

  Genesis 33:1-17 In worship this weekend, I referred to the story of Joseph reuniting with his brothers. It had been years since they sold him into slavery. A lot had happened in Joseph's life. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows fill his story. When he could no longer contain himself, the trap he designed turned into a family reunion. My comment was that our weekly gatherings are somewhat of a reunion as well. We've had ups and downs during the week. Sometimes, we even hurt each other. But God still draws us together. I kept thinking about the line in the hymn  Come, Share the Lord : Finding our forgiveness here, we, in turn, forgive all wrong. Forgiveness is hard, isn't it? We aren't always sure we can offer forgiveness to someone who has betrayed us. And we don't know if those we've wronged want to forgive us. There's another family reunion in the Bible worth remembering. Jacob meeting Esau is one of my favorite stories in scripture. Some of thos...

  Genesis 44:1-17 Recently, I preached a sermon that seemed to surprise a few people. What surprised them was the political nature of the sermon. Here's the funny thing. I didn't think it was political. At least not in the way people seemed to think. I didn't mention any politician or any political party. I did highlight a glaring disparity between how we view the rich and the poor. But that's hard not to do if you're preaching from Luke's account of the beatitudes. If that's political, then I've preached that sermon before. That to say, you might think today's note is a political one. The Genesis account of Joseph's life is inspiring. We look at different points in his story and admire how he responds. It's affirming to see how his trust in God helped him make sense of the evil brought onto his life. His story even makes for one of the greatest Veggie Tales episodes ever. In the closing chapters of Genesis, Joseph has a chance for revenge. E...

  Psalm 37:1-11 A backfire is a technique to help prevent the spread of a wildfire. As I understand it, firefighters start a new fire in the path of an approaching wildfire. The goal is for the new fire to consume fire fuel the already blazing inferno would use to continue to spread. That weakens the approaching fire. In a sense, this is fighting fire with fire. As you can imagine, though, a backfire can be dangerous. A quick change in wind direction easily intensifies the already consuming fire. In other words, a backfire can backfire. In the realm of human relationships, several well-known quotes portray this scenario. You've probably heard that fighting fire with fire only makes more fire. Or if you fight fire with fire, everyone gets burned. People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes. All that to say that our personal backfires can backfire, too. So, be careful when you match word for word, resentment for resentment or anger for anger. An eye for an eye isn't...

  Psalm 120 "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That's the singsong lie we repeated as kids. I don't recall how much we ever believed that or not. But I'm sure we knew the truth. Words can hurt. They do hurt. They hurt us as children who get made to feel unworthy or unloved. And they sting the ego and confidence of many adults just the same. And yet we know words can bring life as well. After all, we are a people that cling to the words of God. Christians affirm with joy "The word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!" Today's reading offers a two-fold reminder for us about words. First, the words that hang over our lives can be of great burden. How often do we hold on to a snide remark someone made years ago? A comment they soon forgot or even, perhaps, meant little by? Greater still is the pain of the intentional insults that come our way. Or the steady dose of verbal abuse. The psalmist cried to the Lord...

2 Corinthians 1:12-19 Yesterday, after worship, a young saint told me she was going to Walmart to buy a guitar. I told her how excited I was that she was going to learn how to play. She corrected me. She was going to buy the guitar because "that man showed us how to play." A church member joined the children's class, ukulele in hand. He showed them the sounds of the instrument and taught them how to sing along to "Jesus Loves Me." That lesson inspired my young friend to get her own guitar. In her mind, of course, she knows how to play. As good a teacher as I'm sure our member is, we know she still has a lot to learn. That is one of the great treasures of the church's connection together. We get to learn from one another. The Holy Spirit leads us all to new understanding and insight. At times, that's a discovery we make in unison. Most times, though, we piece together God's wisdom from one another. The apostle Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians...

  Listen on Spotify Watch on YouTube Monday: The Cookie Crumble Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34 Reflect on how Jesus’ words often contradict what the world sees as wisdom. Consider your reactions when encountering a piece of wisdom that challenges your comfort zone. This week’s sermon challenges us to not treat Jesus’ words as mere platitudes. Reflection Questions: Are there moments when you reduce Jesus’ teachings to mere “sweet sayings” rather than transformative truths? How can you maintain the powerful impact of Jesus’ teachings in your daily life? Additional Reading: Proverbs 2:6-11 Tuesday: The Blessings and the Woes Scripture: Luke 6:20-26 Focus on the differences between Matthew and Luke’s Beatitudes as presented in the sermon. Luke includes both blessings and woes, which add depth to understanding Jesus’ message. Reflect on how the addition of woes challenges us to examine our own lives and perceptions. Reflection Questions: Does the inclusion of the woes in Luke change y...

  1 Peter 1:17-2:1 One of the hopes of the epistle of 1 Peter is to encourage Christians to maintain their faith in Jesus. They had already endured through struggle and hardship related to their Christian convictions. It's quite likely they would do so again. Suffering would be a familiar cadence. Peter recognizes that "various trials" had already landed weary blows (1 Peter 1:6). Still, the message is to rejoice. He insists that Christians reorient their view of persecution and suffering. Learn to see the hope of God through it all. So much is his insistence, church history dubs him the "apostle of hope." All that to say, there is hope in the struggle of life. But not only the persecution kind of struggle. The apostle finished the first chapter with a reminder of the good work of Jesus on our part. As a result, God "raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your trust and hope are in God" (1:21). There's that hope again. Peter then turn...

  Acts 13:26-34 Reading your Bible daily is a luxury many Christians have not had. Even today. More than half of the world's languages don't have a complete Bible translation. I'm convinced we take for granted the gift we have of the biblical text.  You and I have access to every translation of the Bible available. We can choose the prettiest covers or the font size that helps you see better. You can buy a Bible at the dollar store or do a Google search for "premium Bibles" and spend hundreds of dollars. All that, and biblical literacy continues to decline. To be fair, reading any kind of book doesn't excite a lot of people. Kids are reading less, as are adults. Men seem to be the least likely to read. Thankfully, illiteracy has never impeded the Holy Spirit. Please do not misunderstand me. I want you to learn to love the Bible. Love it enough to read it and know it. But let's reflect on a scene from Acts 13 to appreciate our relationship with scripture. P...

  Luke 5:27-32 Whether it's in film or another form of storytelling, we all fill in the blanks of the Bible. Think about when we tell of Jesus choosing his disciples. We realize we don't know much about them. Gospel accounts may offer information about their vocation. Particular names may appear so much that we draw conclusions about their attitudes and personalities. But that's all we can do. Take Levi (Matthew) as an example. What does Luke tell us about him? Only that he was a tax collector. We know Levi hosted a dinner for Jesus after the Lord called him. Does that mean he was generous? Or was he hoping to score some points with the new teacher? Fill in the blanks. There's something else we can, perhaps, know about Levi. When it's time to talk about Levi, preachers usually throw in something about tax collectors' reputations. People despised them. They stole from and cheated the people. John the Baptist warned them to stop collecting more than what they shou...

  Psalm 115 In Psalm 115, the psalmist appeals to God's sense of credibility. That is, because of God's steadfast love and faithfulness, other nations shouldn't question God. Why should they question God's presence and power? After all, the psalmist goes on to say, they follow idols made from human hands. These idols make no sense because they have no sense. Crafted from silver and gold, they only sit in place. The psalmist confronts the idol worship of the nations by declaring Israel's God can do "whatever he pleases" (115:3). Interestingly, as impotent as those idols may have been, they sure had an allure for Israel. There are many times in scripture we read of the people of God turning to gods and idols from other nations. What was it about God's steadfast love and faithfulness that deterred them? That's a question for you and I to reflect on together. After all, they is us. In one sense, we are not ancient Israel. So, we have our own other-nati...

 Listen on Spotify Day 1: Responding to the Unexpected Scripture: Luke 5:1-5 Devotional: In our busy lives, we often encounter situations that are unexpected. Just as Peter was cleaning up after a long, unsuccessful day, Jesus entered with a request that seemed absurd. Yet, Peter listened and responded with, "If you say so." Sometimes, God asks us to step out of our routines and comfort zones. When we listen and respond to God's call, even when it seems counterintuitive, we open ourselves up to experiences that transform us. Reflection Questions: How do you typically react when you receive unexpected or challenging requests? What might God be asking you to do that feels uncomfortable or illogical? How can you cultivate a heart that is open to saying, "If you say so," to God's prompts? Additional Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5-6 Isaiah 55:8-9 Day 2: The Miraculous Catch Scripture: Luke 5:6-7 Devotional: ...

Judges 5:1-11 "You can't be great without the greatness of others." If you know me, you know I didn't miss last night's game. My team won and, of course, we celebrated. I even watched the post game interviews for fun. That's where I heard that quote from our head coach. You hear a lot of clichés in sports. But that quote stuck with me because right before the game I read the passage for today's devotional. Yes, even as I cheered on my team, I was reflecting on scripture. The prophet Deborah and the military leader, Barak, sang a song of victory, recorded in Judges 5. My team has a great fight song, but nothing like Deborah's. Hers recognizes the power of God. God won the battle Israel celebrated. As the song recounts the details of the battle, the assumption is God must've been at work for the people. After all, "was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel" (5:8b)? But notice the greatness Deborah leads with. The NRSV tr...

Acts 9:26-31 When the Lord allowed Moses to see the land given to the Israelites, Moses asked God to appoint a new leader. His successor, Joshua, would be someone "who shall go out before them and come in before them" (Numbers 27:17). In scripture, that is a sign of leadership and authority. The young king, Solomon, asked God for "wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people" (2 Chronicles 1:10). In the 1 Kings 3 version of that story, Solomon says he doesn't know how to come in and go out. Presumably, he knew how to use a door. What he didn't know was how to lead. And in the New Testament, the early apostles affirmed Paul as a new disciple. So much so that "he went in and out among them" (Acts 9:28). That was important because there were disciples who questioned Paul's presence, understandably. Quickly, though, Paul became an authority figure in the church. His personal testimony and ability to speak "boldly in the name o...

  Acts 9:19-22 In high school, I had a math teacher that wrote a quote on the chalkboard every day. He wanted to give us an encouraging or challenging message to think about when we came to his class. I'll confess there were many days I focused on that side of the board and not the equations he wrote on the other side. Each day's quote came from familiar sources. In quoting them, he taught us names of world leaders, famous philosophers and masterful artists. I appreciated what he wrote for class. They were messages related to self motivation, discipline, hard work and learning. One day, though, he shocked me. What surprised me was I knew that day's quote. He wrote: "Don't go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to." If you don't know, that's a line from an extremely popular song from the 1990's. At the time, it was one of the biggest songs in the world. How did he know that song, I wondered. He was, afte...

Today, I attended commissioners court. Usually when I'm there, it's to offer an invocation. This time, though, I went for another reason. One of our church members recently retired from the county after more than three decades. That person worked with the same judge throughout their career. Along with another retiring employee, our church member spoke a few words about working for the county and what they looked forward to next. Then the retiring judge spoke. She, of course, had a lot to say about her work, but she mentioned her staff a lot. In particular, she talked about the kind of person our church member was. It was obvious, their work was important, but who they were was just as meaningful. I stole this picture from one of our church member's Facebook post. We often limit where we can truly serve God. That is, if we want to serve God, it has to be in the church, we think. To be sure, folding bulletins and being a Sunday greeter is a witness. We need Sunday school teac...

  Luke 19:41-44 An Episcopal bishop addressed specific hopes during a recent homily. That the hopes carried strong political overtones surprised many people. Quite frankly, many took offense. This homily garnered much attention since its setting was the inaugural prayer service. I won't say the sermon sparked debate. Much of what I've read isn't debate but spewing. There's no dialogue. There's no listening to what each other has to say. Many of us are not talking to the image of God in others. But the topic is still important. One we should share conversations about. Of course, this is not a new discussion. When is it okay for a sermon to be political? That question has long agitated people. Some will say if the pastor wants to get political, tax the church. Then there are those who are confident faith has nothing to say to politics. Jesus never did, right? Maybe all the years of telling each other to not talk about politics and religion in good company has marred u...