This week we look at verse two of the hymn “The Church’s One Foundation.” In this verse, we see how God’s work did more than just save you and me. It was enough to save all people. The church is much larger than what we see on Sunday mornings. It’s vast and it spans space and time. Listen as Pastor Derrick shares the wonders of the Christian Church.
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Throughout Lent this year we’re looking at something we do in church all the time. We’re dissecting it and looking at it from different angles to see all that God wants us to know. We’re looking at communion.
Now at face value it seems pretty simple actually. On the surface, it’s just bread and wine. The bread in many cases is dry and the wine isn’t really of the greatest quality but that’s not the point. The point of communion isn’t the pastor, the wine, the bread, whether you use a small plastic cup or a large gold-plated one. It’s not about red vs. white wine. It’s not about whether you stand or kneel. It’s about something happening that you can’t even really see. It’s about the word, the promise that’s connected to the bread and wine.
This week we look at communion through an old testament story known where Israel was complaining about being hungry so God fed them with bread from heaven. Each day they received just enough for that day. They couldn’t vacuum seal it or put it in a storage bag. Only take today what you can eat today.
Now look at communion for a minute. We don’t come up here hungry for food. And if you do, you’re likely going to leave still hungry! There’s not enough bread there to fill even the smallest of bellies. You don’t come to get your thirst quenched because that tiny sip of wine really isn’t going to do a whole lot for a parched tongue. No we come because we have a different hunger that needs fed. We have a different thirst that needs quenched. Like the Israelites, we can’t take extra for tomorrow. We can’t pack some in a baggie or freeze it for tomorrow. Just take what you need for today.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells us he’s the bread of life. He’s the bread of life that we receive when we eat this bread and drink this cup remembering what it means. It’s a celebration. It’s a memorial of what Jesus did on the cross. Communion is about Jesus’ work done for you and me. Jesus as bread of life is a reminder that even our daily needs are taken care of by the God who sent his son to die for you.
Each Wednesday through Lent, the goal is to write a little poem that brings the promise of God with the reality that this promise was fulfilled in Jesus. Here’s the poem for this week.
We gather here this Lenten eve, our souls some truth to find
Onto the cross we all must cleave, with faith some say is blind.
We see tonight God’s people old, they whine for drink and food.
God will provide is what they’re told, but will it taste so good?
They grumble that they should have died, with in their place of woe.
They think their fearless leader lied, they should have told him NO!
But God was faithful to them still, They would not starve and die
For each new day it was his will, to give them food. But why?
Each morning when they did awake, upon the ground they’d see
Some bread that fell they need not bake, and take just what’s for thee.
This bread they found would point us to, our savior’s pain and strife.
His body broken all for you, is called the bread of life.
Now at the altar when we stand, and take this bread and wine
It is his body in our hand, upon which we now dine.
All this he did to give us hope, our sins he did forgive
And snatch us from the downward slope, eternal life to give.
Remember the last time you tried to get that perfect picture? Maybe it was a beautiful landscape shot. Perhaps it was a picture of your kids who just never seem to stand still. Maybe it was a picture of you and your significant other. Who or what the subject is really doesn’t matter. The point is the picture is about to be ruined! Someone #photobombs the picture.
Jesus saves is the foundation of the confession of the church. But over time we’ve added something to the message. We’ve added things to the message of Jesus saves. This week Pastor Derrick shares how Jesus plus anything is really no gospel at all. Pastor Derrick takes some intentional time to teach about the importance of Jesus and the means of grace in this week’s message.
Life is pretty much a game of perspective. One day flat sucks while the next is your best day ever. How can that be? Well, it’s all perspective. Perspective is basically a combination of your position and any extenuating circumstances that surround you. Perspective is what makes you see the rain one day and the beauty of the clouds the next. This morning our song is really one about perspective. Continue reading
When Jesus went up to the mountain, he took on a different form. He glowed in white. He was bright and shining. It was great for the disciples to be there but they couldn’t stay. They had to leave. We’re tempted to teach about a faith that is more show and tell than go and see. Listen as Pastor Derrick shares how you must go and see before you can show and tell.
Ever feel like all is lost? Ever feel like nothing can go right? Ever feel like just throwing in the towel and just giving up? Well, I know the feeling. There are days when it feels like everything I touch just falls apart. Perhaps it’s a word I have spoken that is taken out of context and ends up hurting someone I love. Maybe I didn’t go out of my way to show how much I care quite enough and it’s taken personally. Whatever the trouble, sometimes we just need a little hope. Continue reading
I personally live by the philosophy that I never trust a person who says trust me. If you have to tell me to trust you, then chances are I probably shouldn’t trust you! But to be fair trust is pretty tricky. It’s one of those things that has to be earned. You can’t just assume someone will trust you. You have to go out of your way to live a life that is trustworthy. Continue reading
There was a time when life was just a little easier and a whole lot less messy. Can you remember when you were a child? You know what I mean. Your biggest worry in the world was what kind of cereal you were going to have for breakfast. You didn’t know if you should ride your scooter or your bicycle. Those were the good old days weren’t they? Sometimes we just want to go back to those more simple times. Continue reading
Throughout the Old Testament, the temple was a very important part of the worship life for the people of God. They would travel to be in the temple for special festivals. They would even just look in its direction because they knew that’s where God was. But today, things are a little different. There’s not a physical building that’s the temple today. Listen as Pastor Derrick shares how in Christ we are God’s ONE Temple.
