No Thanks.

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Rafael Benitez is the coach of the professional soccer team Liverpool of the English Premier League team based in Liverpool England. Born in Spain, he had a very promising career as a young player but was injured in a match against Canada at the World Student Games in Mexico. With his chances ruined for becoming a professional player, he became a coach, rising to the top level as the head of Liverpool. In 2007, “Rafa” as he is called, was offered not one but two lucrative contracts to change jobs. One to manage Chelsea, one of the top teams in the English league, the other to return to Spain and coach at Real Madrid, long recognized as one of the best teams in the world. “Each offered more money,” said Rafa, “But me and my family are happy here and I have the support of most of the fans, the staff and the players and I believe we can be brilliant here.” As Christians, we are often tempted by temporal and worldly things like power, sex and money. Like Jesus, we must learn to ground ourselves in the Word and prayer in order to resist temptation.

It is significantly important that the Bible recounts the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. While Jesus is in a weakened state after fasting, Satan tries to get Jesus to prove he is the Son of God by turning rocks into bread. Similarly, our greatest temptations will come when we are close to the point of powerless to defend against them. The opportunity will be present, our ability to do it won’t be in question and we probably will even want to do it. At the crucial moment of decision, we need to do exactly what Jesus did. He searched God’s Word for the answer. When we are angry, sick, tired, desperate, lonely or otherwise compromised; we are extremely vulnerable to temptation. It is in these times our knowledge of the scripture and our dedication to regular prayer help us to resist and overcome the desire to yield.

My prayer for you today is for the ability to recognize and resist temptation.

Deacon Larry Woodard

House Cleaning.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3

Spring and fall cleaning are a revelation for me. Busy commuting, working and traveling for most of the year; when I stop to organize and toss out I’m amazed at what I find. Unopened mail, bags from the drugstore forgotten before the contents were taken out, clothes I forgot I owned and enough magazines and books to open a small shop. Ironically, while I spend most of the year helping clients organize their marketing and advertising efforts, my organizing efforts go lacking. As Christians, we must guard against paying so much attention to the shortcomings of others we neglect to see, recognize and deal with our own.

The most completely documented sermon given by Jesus can be found in Matthew chapters 5-7. Jesus teaches in a simple, compelling straightforward manner. He gives us many practical lessons including how to pray, how to fast and why we shouldn’t worry. At the beginning of chapter 7 he deals with an issue that plagued the people of that day and continues to be a major stumbling block for us. He issues a command. Do not judge. Jesus says. For you will be judged the same way. Instead, he suggests, focus on your own shortcomings. Focusing on where we fall short humbles us and gives us the proper attitude to deal with problems others may have. It puts us in the frame of mind to be patient, forgiving and merciful. These are all traits in short supply in the world today.

Spend a little more time in front of the mirror this morning..

Deacon Larry Woodard

Care Bearer.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22

I woke up with stiffness in my neck and upper back. The precious few hours of sleep I had were insufficient to produce any relief from the issues I was dealing with. The stiffness in my back and the fuzziness in my head were quickly joined as list of problems I faced came flooding into my consciousness. As I lay there, I realized the weight of the burdens I was carrying was getting a little heavy. Right where I was began to talk to God about my circumstances and to align myself with his promises. I didn’t get up until I had put all of my problems on the altar determined to leave each of these issues with the God who is able to sustain me. As Christians, we need to always remember that God will actually carry our burdens.

How many times in life are we actually slowed down to the level of ineffectiveness as Christians by our personal problems? We who are supposed to have the abundant life Jesus promises in John 10:10 are paralyzed by our problems. No one watching us sees any difference in our lives as we wallow in our distress. In Psalm 55, David found himself in the pit of despair. His thoughts were troubling him. The voice of the enemy and the stares of the wicked had him trembling. He fantasized about having wings like a dove so he could fly away and be at rest. Then he remembers to call on the name of the Lord. Who, he writes, in spite of the opposition ransoms him unharmed.

Count on God to carry your burdens today and trust in Him to carry you through your troubles unharmed.

Deacon Larry Woodard