Music Devotion Day 1 - At the Table//Josh Garrels

This summer my intern Jake Wingfield and I decided to write a devotional based off of popular Christian music for the youth group. We came up with an 11 Day Devotional. Which will be one a day from now until New Year's Eve. This first one is by Jake.

At The Table//Josh Garrels

Here’s the thing. In today's society, we are all raised by a standard that we have to live up to. And when we don't live up to these preset expectations, these ideas of what success is, we are a failure. That's not true.

In Luke, Jesus tells us a parable in which there are two sons and a father. One son stays to help the father and the other takes all of his money and goes and squanders it all on earthly desires. That son, one day, realized that his father's servants were better off than he. So he goes home to beg his father to be a servant. Upon his arrival, the son is greeted with a feast.

WHAT!? The son that left his family to fend for themselves is greeted with a party?! That's crazy to think about. And the son that stayed in the farm is jealous. He has been there working his whole life and has never gotten a feast in his honor.(Luke 15:11-32)

Come on home

Home to me

And I will hold you in my arms

And joyful be

There will always always be

A place for you at my table

Return to me

I know, in my case, I identify with both sons in a way. I do my best to help my family, and my friends and I want to stay around as long as I can. But at the same time, I've gone and “squandered all my money” just to return to my father and ask for forgiveness. Here's where it gets even crazier.

I went the ways of wayward winds

In a world of trouble and sin

Walked along a crooked mile

Behind a million rank and file

Forgot where I came from

Somewhere back when I was young

I was a good man’s child

Whether you spend all your family's money, or “stay on the farm”, both are preparing you to be the father that welcomes his lost son to a feast and invites all into his home for the celebration.

Everybody has this father in their life. His name? God.

Luke 15: 11-32 “Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!  I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Gold Star Day

When you are a child and you do certain tasks you often get a sticker or some sort of prize. But for some reason we forget to give ourselves this kind of encouragement and grace when we are adults. Yesterday I had what I call a gold star day, and I'm still proud of myself this morning, because I also started today off in the gold star direction.

This is why yesterday was a gold star day:
1. I had a stressful morning at work and I didn't lose control!
2. I successfully went grocery shopping with the baby!
3. I got all of the groceries put away with the baby around!
4. I made dinner!
5. I cleaned up from dinner!
6. I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher.
7. I did laundry
8. I didn't have to restart the washer because I forgot about the clothes.
9. I spent time with my husband and baby!
10. I made cookies
11. I cleaned up from the cookies.
12. I got the coffee ready for this morning.
13. I didn't drink any pop.

Now most people would look at this list and think yeah good job you were successfully an adult today. And its true I didn't do anything extraordinary yesterday. But my house was not a disaster when I woke up this morning. That is a big deal. I hate housework. The whole Mary and Martha story I would much rather sit at the feet of Jesus than do any household chores. I always make sure the laundry is done, but the rest often just stresses me out. Even grocery shopping is something I hate doing. So when I accomplish a lot of the things that I hate doing and am not stressed out, I feel like I should get a gold star! Or some kind of reward!

The real reward though, was the fact that I just had to push a button for coffee this morning. I was able to sit in my clean living room and do a devotion and relax before Adah got up. (I should have added I got up before the baby started crying to that list...). I was able to go to sleep last night not disgusted with myself for leaving the kitchen a disaster again. I will be able to make dinner tonight without first cleaning the kitchen.

I don't know why days like this are a big deal, they really should be the norm. But there are so many days that after working and taking care of my baby I don't feel like doing anything from the above list.

So today as I sit here proud of myself for adulting well yesterday and hoping I will do so today as well. I can't help but laugh at myself too. We can't forget to give ourselves a little grace. Jesus didn't require a perfect house when He came to visit, so on the days when I'm utterly exhausted I can lay down at the feet of Jesus and not feel guilty for the mess in the kitchen!

Don't forget to give yourself grace today, it is a way better reward than a gold star!

Pulling the Splinter - Notes from the Sermon 10/16/16

Pulling the Splinter
Matthew 18:15-20
Pastor Keith Schadel

2 ways to read this passage:

1. If your brother or a member of the church sins against you....
2. If your brother or a member of the church sins.....

Sin, that, that gets in the way of a right relationship with God. 

If someone sins against you, as part of the family of faith, how are you supposed to deal with that?

Often what we call Christian community is Pseudo Christian Community.

    It's pretense: everyone is nice. This chapter of scripture is Jesus' assault on Pseudo Community.

People don't like to take splinters out because they hurt. But you can die from the infection of a splinter. You have to take the splinter out.

Jesus is saying you can't overlook these things, you have to deal with them.

Sometimes there is conflict in the church, it's painful, it causes deep wounds, it's real. We would rather ignore it, than acknowledge it. Christ says, love each other enough to deal with it. Don't let the body die because of a splinter.

Sometimes a splinter causes people to leave the playing field, we are called to go and invite them back in.

Binding and Loosing!

• Pharisees had legal jobs.
• Maximum sentence - Binding
• Minimum sentence - Partial Binding
• Suspending the Sentence - Loosing
• Heaven will back the body of Christ in their binding and loosing of those who have sinned against them.
• Reconciling Believers
• Go one on one
• Then go get 2 or 3 witnesses (Small jury in the judges chambers)
• Then bring the body of believers
• Then treat them like a gentile.
• Come to them with grace and forgiveness as Christ did.
• If someone leaves the family and at any time shows an interest in returning....you let them back with grace and love.

Where two or three are gathered Christ will be there too. In good times and times of conflict, this is true. Christ spent a day on the cross dealing with conflict. Christ is the tie that binds.

Spotting the Counterfeit - Notes from the Sermon 10/9/16

Spotting the Counterfeit
2 Peter 2:1
Pastor Keith Schadel

What does scripture mean by false teachers?

Ultimate truth has been revealed. - Jesus said, "I am the truth."

1st Doctrinal Statement of the UMC: We believe in the scriptures as revealed in the Old and New Testament.

The basis on which I understand false teaching is scripture.

Anything that leads us into right relationship with God is right teaching.

Anything that separates us from right relationship with God is false teaching.
            Anyone who consistently does this is a false teacher.

There are many false teachers in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

7 Points:
1. What's the source of the teaching?
     False teaching: Teaching something as truth that is counter to the Bible.
2. Is this a different message?
3. Where does the message lead you in relationship to sin.
     Christ was made sin so we could be freed. What kind of character does the message bring us to? I        can do nothing in myself but I am amazed at what Christ can do in and through me. Our                      brokenness is greater than what we can fix.
4. What character does it build in you?
5. Where is our appeal? Is scripture the source to which you appeal to or something else?
6. What fruit does the message produce?
7. What is the endgame?
     Do you know how many people we would have here if we had a strong children's program?
           vs.
     We need a strong children't program because of how impressionable and precious our children are.

Conversion - Notes from the Sermon October 2, 2016

Conversion
Acts 10:25-35
Pastor Keith Schadel

If I was born in a different culture what would my faith system be?
     The short answer is: I'm not sure, it depends on where you were born.

Cultural Determinism (Sociology Term) - You will be what your culture is.

Canned Octopus (funny thing Keith bought for fishing, that appeared in the sermon)

We have freedom of choice.

From the Scripture:
Cornelius was raised in a religious culture that was Polytheistic. In this scripture he was responding to God in the best way he knew how. Peter presents Cornelius the story of the Gospel. He heard, believed, and was baptized.

You are born into a culture that is not of God, no matter where you are born. No one is born connected to God, all are separated from God. We have to be born again in order to see the culture of the Spirit.

There is enough evidence of God, that everyone is responsible for their response to that evidence.

Salvation comes from your acceptance of Jesus.

Cornelius responded to God the best way he knew how. So do Buddhists, Hindus, Native Americans, and all other religions.

God prepares their hearts to hear the Gospel.

Then they have a choice to receive or reject the Gospel.

Christianity is the only religion that says we NEED a savior.

The Backside of the Tapestry - Notes from the Sermon 9/25/16

The Backside of the Tapestry
Scriptures: Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:33-36
Pastor Keith Schadel

How does God pick who gets which parents?

There are things we do not know, because God's ways are not our ways.

I don't think I'm supposed to know the answer.

We can know:

• There is a big problem: We are a fallen race.
• We are no longer in fellowship with God except through Jesus Christ.
• God's plan was for us to rely fully on Him, not on our own knowledge.
• God's plan will be fulfilled.
• God said if they would put their trust in Him they would be made right in the law, not the other way around.

Paul is telling the Romans, yes, you have come to Jesus, but now instead of trusting Him you are starting to try to do it yourself.

Bad and good are a God concept, not a human concept

What happens when we put faith in ourselves?

• Hearts harden to God.
• The less you accept God's Grace

We can't know this! All we can see is the backside of the tapestry. God is on the front he can see the beautiful masterpiece.

Trust because God is God and only God is good.

We should respond by remembering the Gospel! 

Jesus is the fix!

We should praise God because He is Sovereign and knows the answers.

Angels and Demons - Notes from the Sermon 9/11/16

Angels and Demons
Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 1
Pastor Keith Schadel

Angels are not Jesus, we don't worship them.

Ten Questions and Answers on Angels!

1. Do people become angels?

• No, there are humans in Heaven and Angels. They're not the same thing. People do not become angels.

2. What are angels?

• The Hebrew and Greek word that gets translated to angel means Messenger.
• Spirit Beings.

3. Do angels have bodies like humans?

• No, Jesus said Spirit is not flesh and blood.
• Sometimes they take on forms.
• They can appear as humans, most of the time they're invisible.
• Under normal circumstances we don't see them.

4. What do they look like?

• Sometimes humans, usually male.
• Crazy looking creatures
• Seraphs

5. Do angels have wings?

• They do in pictures, but those pictures are not photographs.
• Seraphs do.
• They can fly, but that does not necessarily mean they have wings.

6. How do angels compare to humans?

• Angels are stronger, they can move things we can't.
• Angels know things we cannot know.
• Angels are more mobile than we are, they can go places and speak things we cannot.
• They cannot reproduce.
• They are not as strong, mobile, and all knowing as God.

7. Where do angels come from?

• They're created
• They predate humans, but not God.

8. Are all angels good?

• Not in the sense we know the word good.
• Romans 8
• They have freewill like humans do - Some have rebelled against God, we call them Demons.
• They have a hierarchy
• Michael is the archangel - head angel
• Satan is Michael's counterpart - head demon
• He is not God's counterpart, nothing is equal to God.
• There is a war between angels and demons - spiritual warfare.
• When we put our trust in Jesus, He keeps us safe from this warfare.

9. What is the purpose of angels?

• Praise God unceasingly
• Serve Humans
• Guidance
• Many wonderful tasks
• Newsbearers - Heralds

10. How many are there?

• Too many to count!