In the middle of Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the chief priests start to openly confront Jesus to try to expose Him as a false teacher and blasphemer. It was backfiring on them because people were amazed at His teaching. The power of God was flowing through Him and no one could stop it. He is looking like a prophet in the eyes of the crowds gathering around. The Pharisees try to stump Him on paying taxes or not. Jesus amazed the people at His response. The Sadducees get in the ring and pull out the marriage of several brothers to one wife and whose wife will she be at the resurrection. Jesus flies through this as well and the crowds go from amazed to astonished at His teaching. This just means that they were impressed at what He said and how He handled Himself. Why wouldn’t they be, He was God.
 
Now comes the Pharisees again. An expert in the law is intent on stumping Jesus in front of everyone. 
 
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40
 
Again Jesus drops the microphone and moves on. He was the Word that became flesh. They were never going to be able to trap Him. As a matter of fact, they helped Him reveal who He was. His light was exposing the darkness in which they were living. 
 
Have you ever loved anything with all that you are? Have you ever risked giving the totality of your being, entrusting it to the care of another? In the first part of the greatest commandment, have you ever considered that it’s not God who needs all of us? It is we who need to give all of ourselves to God. For those of us who are followers of Christ, we know that we need all of God, but do we know as clearly that our wholeness is dependent on our giving all of ourselves?
 
I don’t know if I fully grasp what it means to give all of myself in every dimension as Jesus describes. I am learning and growing more everyday to understand it a little more than I did yesterday. Here is what I do know – I know what it is like to love healfheartedly or to be doubleminded. I am far more acquainted with holding back, playing things close to my chest, and keeping my inner most vulnerable part guarded. Love always requires trust, and trust always requires risk. Yet God is inviting us to give all of ourselves, even down to the core. Did you know that God can be trusted with all of who you are? He knows we will never fully experience the love He intends to give us until we give all of ourselves away. Even those who have been hurt and betrayed in the past, God wants all of us. He will never betray us. Paul discovered in his own life experience that if you take the risk and give your whole self to God, you will never be put to shame.
 
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 10:11
 
May you trust God with your all today. Let God comfort you at your deepest need. It is much better to live vulnerable before a loving God and trust that He will carry you through than it is to protect yourself and look like everything is in control. That choice leaves you all alone with no place to go. 
 
I’m looking forward to continuing our series, “Simply Grace” on Sunday. Invite someone to come with you and experience the grace of God.
 
Joy in Jesus!
 
Pastor Mike

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Next week we will have over a thousand people go through our Family Life Center in 3 days. Why? That is a great question. Families will be coming and bringing their children to be evaluated for Upwards. We try to divide the teams up with kids at different skill levels. It makes the competition a little more even and more fun. Cheerleaders will come and learn a few basic moves for the season coming up. The place will be hopping. This is our 22nd year of hosting Upward Basketball & Cheerleading. It has brought many children and their families to church and we have seen many of those same kids come to faith. That is why we invest so much into this ministry.
 
Pastor Tracy has been doing a great job leading this ministry for the past several years. This year is going to be a great year of seeing many more come to Christ.
 
Having a ministry like this for as long as we have had it can have some challenges. Many people will assume that someone else is volunteering for it since we have had it for so long. That is a myth. Every year we need to be as passionate for Upward as we were when we first began in 1999. We need everyone to come and work together to see a great harvest. There are many ways we each could serve next week and next season as our games begin in January.
 
I think of the story of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet in John 13. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” John 13:14-17. 
 
Sometimes we need to get out of our routine and not only minister to people who participate in Upwards, but we need to minister to those who are on the front line. We have several people who put many hours in behind the scenes in order to make this season as smooth as possible and to remove any obstacles that distract us from our purpose and mission. We will have more people come through our building than any other ministry over a period of 3 months. Can you imagine the relationship of trust we can build with some families? This is where you come in.
 
Would you be willing to help us serve the many families that will be here for Upward Evaluation week? Next week Monday through Wednesday, we will be registering people, helping kids with proper uniform sizes, finding out their skill level, and loving each person who comes through the door. Don’t assume someone else will do it. Inform the church office that you are willing to help with something during these crucial days. 
 
Remember that this Sunday night we will also have our Harvest Dinner at 5:30pm. Who have you been inviting to come with you? Let’s all come together as one and see Jesus transform lives. 
 
I pray that you will pray and do what you can to help us love others in the name of Jesus this next week.
 
Joy in Jesus!
 
Pastor Mike

On Sundays, I have been focusing on the mission and strategy of our church. The series of messages is entitled, “This Is Us.” Now it has nothing to do with the show on TV this fall. It has all to do with who we are as the Body of Christ. Where has God been leading to operate in this community and universal body of Christ?
 
I have been reminded over and over how important it is to reach all generations at all times. We would be missing an important part of our ministry if we neglected the younger ones and their spiritual growth. The church needs to make youth a priority because they are often the key to major revival movements. Making youth a priority is not neglecting the older generation. It is actually pulling all generations together to be holistic in our approach. 
 
In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul is investing in young Timothy and training him in how to shepherd and lead the church of Jesus Christ in all matters. This is a letter to Timothy that we draw from to train pastors and also to get some of our administrative direction as a church. You cannot separate the person from the church. So it dips in areas of personal growth as well as body growth issues.
 
In Chapter 4, Paul is instructing Timothy about speaking the truth and counteracting false teachers that are deceiving many people. Some are trying to pull back believers and have them adhere to old ways and customs. He instructs that everything we do is to be consecrated by the word of God and prayer. I want to jump in at verse 6.
 
6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:6-16
 
For the next few weeks I would like to unpack a few of the concepts touched upon in these verses. For this focus, take a look at verse 12. As a matter of fact, let me turn that into a prayer for our younger generation.
 
“Lord, don’t ever let me look down on the youth of the church because of their age. Instead, let them be the ones who by their love for you set an example for the rest of us. Enable them to be exemplary in speech and life and love and faith and purity. I pray for the time to come when they younger generation will challenge us all by the way they live. Do it today Lord!”
 
I look forward in the days ahead, to pull out the many different thoughts Paul poured into Timothy and in turn, pours into us.
 
Let me challenge you to come and learn about the strategy of our church to reach not only this next generation, but all of those who walk within impact of our local church and beyond. 
 
May God show us all how we can spur others and especially this younger generation to put God first in all of their endeavors.
 
Joy in Jesus!
 
Pastor Mike

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​We are familiar with the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha is preparing a meal for Jesus but her sister Mary is not much help because she is sitting at Jesus feet listening to what he said. Martha gets upset because Mary isn’t pulling her weight and helping. Martha wants Jesus to tell Mary to help her but Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better thing by sitting at his feet in fellowship.
 
Many people have given Martha a bad rap over the years as we use the phrase, “Be a Mary and not a Martha.” I don’t think the point of this passage is to say that Martha was bad and Mary was good. They both were good. We should learn that we can’t make another person the way God wired us. We need to celebrate our differences and yet submit ourselves completely to God with the way he has made us.
 
Did you know that I sat in camp meeting this summer between Mary and Martha? It was not an easy task to do. They were fighting back and forth the whole service. One said, “this,” the other said, “that.” I could hardly keep the noise down because of their complaining about each other. Ok, maybe it wasn’t all that bad. Yes, I did sit between Mary and Martha. They actually rode together each day to go the service. The truth is that they were not actually fighting. I just made that up for fun. It was fun to tell people that though. Mary Honecker and Martha Weigman just rolled their eyes.
 
There is another passage in John 12 where Martha serves a meal. Jesus must have eaten at Martha and Mary’s house several times. This one is before the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We celebrate that on Palm Sunday. It is the beginning of Holy Week. Lazarus and the disciples are there too. Martha, in only the way she could do it, served up another great meal. This occasion was to celebrate the raising of Lazarus from the dead. I would have loved to have been there. There was Good food, good company – and just being in the presence of Jesus. Then Mary, in typical fashion, took some expensive perfume and anointed the feet of Jesus. She has gone from questioning where Jesus was when Lazarus had died in the previous chapter, to not being able to contain herself by worshipping Him with all of her heart and mind. It was an expression of giving your best to Jesus and worshipping Him like no other. Mary was extravagant in her worship, holding nothing back. 
 
When Jesus makes his presence known, an outpouring of worship naturally flows from people who have been touched by the Savior. Mary expressed her heart and wouldn’t you know it, others were there to criticize as if she is auditioning for America’s Got Talent. When things are done with a pure heart and motive, don’t let other’s criticism steal your worship. Don’t let it steal your joy. Express to God how much He is worth to you in spite of your surroundings. 
 
By the way – I want to be like Mary and Martha. I don’t want to have to choose between two women that Jesus loved hanging around with. Martha was a hospitality queen and Mary could not hold in her expression of worship in showing Jesus love in her own way while not worrying about how the meal was going to be prepared. We need both. Please don’t draw a line and wish someone else was like you or that you were more like someone else. God made you just the way you are. He should be in the center of what it is we feel called to do.
 
May God bless you today as you are all He created you to be. I am looking forward to worship Jesus with you on Sunday.
 
Joy in Jesus!
 
Pastor Mike