Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Passing God’s Tests

Pastor Sherry’s message for March 8, 2026

Scriptures: Ex 17:1-7; Ps 95; Ro 5:1-11; Jn 4:5-42

There is an anonymous story told of an Ohio State University student who was academically competent but tended to need time to complete assignments (he was smart but not speedy). He was troubled by a Calculus class he needed to pass—and wasn’t—taught by an annoying professor. The guy seemed to delight in frustrating his already discouraged students (You know the type. They seem to dislike students and should never be allowed to have authority over them.) During exams, he would walk around, watching them like a hawk, hoping to discover someone cheating; and he would frequently announce the amount of time left just to interrupt their trains of thought and to agitate everyone. In a class of 1,000 students, the slow-but-steady young man was the only one not to turn in his exam when time was called. The prof waited impatiently and then, an hour later, when the young man finally finished his test, the prof asked him what he thought he was doing. The young man answered, “Turning in my exam.” The prof replied, “Your exam is an hour late. Congratulations! You’ve failed it. So, I will see you next term when you repeat my class.” 

The student smiled and asked, “Do you know my name?” The professor replied gruffly, “What?” The student rephrased his question, “Do you know what my name is?” With irritation, the prof replied, “There are 1,000 students in this class. What makes you think I would know your name?” The student then smiled, and, lifting up a tall stack of test booklets, placed his completed test in the middle of the pile and casually exited the huge lecture hall.

Life sometimes presents us with tests–and authority figures– like that one. We may think our prospects are slim and we don’t have much of a chance at succeeding. The truth is that if we have a relationship with the Lord, we can make it through about any trial that might come. Let’s see what light our passages today have to shed on this issue: 

A. Our OT lesson comes from Exodus 17:1-7. The context is that God is leading His people from the Wilderness of Sin—and doesn’t sin truly place us in a wilderness?–to a placed called Rephidim. The Children of Israel have already experienced God’s miraculous deliverance of them from Pharaoh’s Chariots at the parting of the Red Sea. Three days into the desert, they come across a pond of bad water which the lord empowers Moses to turn good. He then leads them to an oasis with 12 delicious fresh water springs, so they can load up their water skins. By the 15th day out of Egypt, they have run out of food (except for their herds), but God supernaturally supplies them with manna. Now they find themselves at Rephidim where there is no water.

Having apparently learned little about trusting in the Lord for His provision, they fail to pray and ask for His assistance. Instead, they turn on Moses. It’s a test which they flunk. God has provided for them already, at least 3-4 times! Psychology tells us the best single predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Jehovah Jirah truly is our provider. By now, they should have trusted in the Lord and sought Him out in prayer. Moses, afraid for his life, pleads with God to intervene. And God uses him to lead them to the Rock at Horeb, at the base of Mt. Sinai (where they will soon receive the Ten Commandments).

There God makes water rush out from the rock, enough to satisfy 2 million people and only Heaven knows how many animals. Moses names the place Massah—which means testing—and Meribah—which means quarreling. It becomes a monument to their lack of faith in God.

It is also a testimony to their rebellion, their hard hearts, their ingratitude, and their self-pity. Many centuries later, Paul will write 1 Corinthians10:1-4-→I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. And he followed up in verses 9-10-→Do not…put Christ to the test, as some of them did and… don’t grumble as some of them did….Because Massah and Meribah is also a reminder of God’s gracious and abundant provision—in spite of His peoples’ attitudes and behavior! Unlike the calculus professor at Ohio State, God is for us, not against us. Our Lord tests us to help deepen our faith and trust in Him.

B. Psalm 95 picks up the same theme! This is one of the psalms that memorializes the Israelites’ rebellious lack of faith. Verses 8-10 state (NLT)-→The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. For there your ancestors tested and tried My patience, even though they saw everything I did. For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts turn away from Me. They refuse to do what I tell them.” Other psalms say essentially the same thing: Psalm 81:7-→You cried to Me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah. Psalm 105:40-41(NIV)-→They asked and He brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of Heaven. He opened the rock and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. Psalm 106:13 (NLT)-→Yet how quickly they forgot what He had done! They wouldn’t wait for His counsel!  In the desert their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that wasteland.

You see, our God tests our faith in Him. As we develop in our spiritual walk, He tests us to discover whether we love Him for what He does for us or because of Who He is. As Paul reminds us in Romans 5:3-5-→We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know they they help us develop endurance [patience, persistence]. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

Returning to Psalm 95, God provided for that generation, but—because they repeatedly failed His tests, (v.11)—So in My anger I took an oath: They will never enter my place of rest [the Promised Land]. He did not detest them, but He was angry and grieved with and disappointed in them. They wandered in the wilderness because they did not trust God. He waited for the last of that adult generation to die before leading the people into the Promised Land. 

C. Our Gospel lesson (John 4:5-42) relates Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman around her need for living water. First, we note that He had to go through Samaria. Jews normally avoided traveling through Samaria.

The Samaritans had intermarried with non-Jewish northern people after 721BC, and were considered mongrels by their Jewish kin in Judea. Nevertheless, Jesus stopped there to fulfill a divine appointment with this woman. (Never believe that women are second class citizens in God’s eyes! Jesus, the King of Glory, went into Samaria precisely because the Father told Him to meet with this woman.)

She comes looking for water at noon, a time when other women would have been elsewhere. No doubt she hoped to avoid them, and their “snarky” comments. Additionally, she was probably lonely, discouraged, and feeling empty and weary.

She encounters Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, the Living Water. He engages her first, thus overcoming barriers of gender, race, religion, religious practice, and morality. He meets her where she is, with compassion and love. He steps into her reality, promising her water that…becomes a spring gushing up to eternal life. She is curious and asks Him to give her this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water. But one thing stands in her way: her sinful lifestyle. Unlike the student from Ohio State, she is known to Christ. He knows her sinful history of 5 husbands and a 6th paramour. When He calls her out on her sins, she believes He is a prophet. But He reveals Himself to her as the promised Messiah. Thrilled, she abandons her water jugs and brings her whole village to Him. She and they all partake of the true Living Water, the Word of God, Jesus Christ. She and they—considered by the Jews to be no better than feral dogs—are transformed and saved!

We need to be aware that God will test our faith. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we should expect the testing to begin and not be surprised. Further, we don’t want to be stubborn and stiff-necked like the ancient Israelites, repeatedly failing God’s tests. No, we want to be like this Samaritan woman, realizing we are lost, unfulfilled, and desperate without Jesus. We want to learn from the tests to deepen our faith. We want the Holy Spirit to develop in us endurance and patience; to mold and shape our characters to look more and more like that of Jesus; to transform our attitudes and behaviors; to increase our hope; and to discover if we can continue to love Him even when He doesn’t give us what we want.

So the question really is, Will we pass God’s tests? When we experience deprivation, loss, a heart-breaking health diagnosis, or some trauma, will we doubt God’s presence and His provision, like the ancient Israelites? Or will we like Moses, go to Him in prayer for help, trusting in Him to rescue us? Or will we, like the Samaritan Woman, open ourselves to His loving correction and transforming power?

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

©️2026 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams  

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Forgiving the Unforgivable

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 22, 2026

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Yesterday and the day before that, I led a women’s retreat on forgiveness. In three talks, I focused on “Forgiving Others,” Forgiving Self,” and “Forgiving God.” All of human forgiveness takes its cue from our God who sacrificially forgave us through the atoning death of His Only Son on the Cross. I’m not going to recapitulate for you what I had to say during the 2-day retreat. However, I do want to bring to your attention the documentary film work of Laura Waters Hinson. Back in 2006, she debuted her 53 minute, masters thesis film, called “As We Forgive,” a treatment of the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. I was present at a church conference where her film debuted and was amazed at the story she had to tell.

Perhaps you are familiar already with the genocide. The Hutu tribe—mostly farm workers—had gained power over the wealthy, landowning, and cattle breeding, but smaller tribe of Tutsi. The Hutu waged a campaign of hatred against the Tutsi, first dehumanizing them, then urging disaffected Hutu to search out and kill them. They had been neighbors for years, living together peacefully in the same villages. But in 100 days, the Hutu killed over a million Tutsi’s, mostly hacking them to death with machetes. Twelve years later, the Rwandan government decided to let the over 40,000 incarcerated, men who had murdered their countrymen and women, go free. Many were very worried about what would happen when convicted murderers returned home to their villages. 

At this point, several Christian Churches stepped in. They trained men as reconciliation counselors to meet with victims of the massacre, as well as with perpetrators of the violence. In Hinson’s documentary, she traces the stories of two women: (1) Rosario, a woman of faith, who had lost her husband and 4 children. She had been pregnant when the murderers found her family. They macheted her left shoulder, stabbed her in her left thigh, rammed her chest with rifle butts, and left her for dead. 6 months later, she gave birth to her daughter and named her the Rwandan word for “gift.” It is clear that her faith helped her cope with the heinous tragedy. She was going about life and seemed at peace. (2) The other woman in the film was Chantele. Her father had been ambushed and killed, by 3 men, two years before the genocide. During the genocide her husband and 28 members of her family were killed. She felt God had failed her, left the Church, and appeared to be embittered and depressed. 

A man named Saveri admitted in the film that he had killed 7 people. He said what he had done had “shattered his heart,” and that he was left with “terrible guilt.” When the reconciliation counselors approached him, he seemed to sincerely ready to apologize to Rosario and to do what he could to make amends to her. He, with others, helped build her a new home and joined with other villagers to harvest her sorgum crop. She was grateful to him and was able to forgive him. John was one of the men who had killed Chantele’s father. He felt very guilty and ashamed, saying he could not look her in the face, and that he was afraid to talk to her. With the assistance of a counselor, he did ask her to forgive him. She refused, adamantly, for 3 years, but was eventually convinced—perhaps by observing the difference in others who had reconciled—to grant John forgiveness. Her village friends cheered as she stated her forgiveness, and she, John, and John’s wife became friends. Her depression has lifted, her bitterness is gone, and her face seems lighter and brighter. This is demonstrated in a second short film (7 minutes long), a 3-year-later epilogue to “As We forgive.”  [I showed this epilogue in church this morning and recommend that you locate it and the longer film and watch them.] 

These Rwandans have truly forgiven the unforgivable. They have taken very seriously Jesus’ admonition in the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor (or the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant). I am including it below in the New Living Translation:

Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” [The rabbis taught that 3 times was enough, so Peter was being generous.]

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” [490 times, essentially meaning an infinite number]. 

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars [10,000 talents; scholars say the amount was worth $400,000,000 in today’s money—an inconceivable number; currently more than the Gross National Product of 80% of the countries in the world].  He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 

“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all’ [an offer of impossible retribution; notice he did not ask for forgiveness]. Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. [So who absorbed the debt? The king did, just as Father God did through Jesus’ atoning death for our sins!]

“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars [100 denarii, about 100 days’ wages for a working man then]. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded [notice his statement is almost the same as the unforgiving debtor].. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king [like modern day whistle-blowers] and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 

“That’s what My Heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.“

This is Jesus speaking! We will be tortured if we do not forgive. He’s not referring especially to hell, though unbelief and unforgiveness can land us there. He is implying that our own focus on what was done to us will continue to torment us unless we forgive. Remember, refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and expecting the wrong-doer to die. It is also giving them, and what they did or failed to do, space in our brains rent-free. We stay preoccupied with them and what they did to us; we ruminate over it, stay stressed, run up high levels of hydrocortisol, impair our immune system, and leave ourselves unprotected against opportunistic illnesses and diseases like flu, colds, cancer, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, etc. We unforgiving ones suffer while the wrong-doer may not care or may not even remember what they did or did not do.

The Koine Greek word Jesus uses in this parable is aphime which means—among other things—cut em loose. You see the Romans had another horrible way to exact capital punishment besides crucifixion: they would chain a cadaver to your back. It would stink and begin to break down until you became diseased and died. Imagine trying to sleep at night while attached to a cadaver. Jews in those days would be forbidden from attending synagogue (unclean due to touching something dead) and expelled from the village or town to live isolated and alone. It was a slow and horrible way to die. Jesus is saying “cut yourself free from the cadaver of offense and forgive.”

Notice, at the end of the parable, Jesus says our Heavenly Father forgives us in the measure to which we forgive others. If we fail to forgive, well we aren’t forgiven. YIKES!! No wonder those brave Rwandans cooperated with the Christians counseling them to forgive. They too wanted forgiveness. If you watch Rosario and Chantele, you can see by the end of the epilogue that they are transformed persons. So too can we be. Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Alleluia, alleluia!

(Side note: The Irish have contacted the Rwandans to learn how their two tribes came to reconciliation; so too have some other nations.)

©️2026 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Closing the Loopholes

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 15, 2026

Scriptures: Deut 30:11-20; Ps 119:1-8; 1 Cor 3:1-9; Matt 5:21-37

Do you know there are entire websites devoted to reporting stories of people who located loopholes and benefited their finds?

A. In the following real life example, a daughter reports: 

  “My Dad’s Lexus was stolen right out from his carport, so he reported it as stolen to the police and insurance company. After two weeks, when the car never turned up, the insurance company paid him for the car. Another week goes by, and he gets a call from the police saying they found his car parked two towns away. There wasn’t a single scratch on it, and not a lot of miles had been put on it either. So now the insurance company owns the car, and they put it up for auction. My dad goes to the auction and bids on his car to get it back. He won the bid with $10,000 to spare. So he drove home in his car with an extra $10,000 in his pocket.”

(As shared on http://www.Buzzfeed.com, 2/12/2026)

Isn’t it just in our nature to enjoy a tale in which a “little guy,” an average citizen, outsmarts the “big guys”—in this case Corporate America/the insurance company? We think, “How clever of this dad!” But wait a minute! As Lee Corso (the college football coach and commentator) used to say, “Not so fast my friend.” That clever dad defrauded the insurance company! He should have told the company that his car was found, returned the money they paid him, and retrieved his car. This kind of behavior raises all of our insurance rates.

And aren’t there loopholes that are even more damaging? Consider the court cases in which a guilty party gets off due to a technical error on the part of the District Attorney’s office or the police. For the past two weeks, the news has been full of speculation surrounding the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie. Friday night, I heard several police and FBI experts criticize the sheriff of Tucson, Arizona, for having released the crime scene—her house–too soon. They claim that that gave the opportunity for news reporters, neighbors, and curious “lookey-loos” to contaminate evidence. Should the kidnapper be apprehended, any evidence collected from the house after the crime scene was no longer secure would be suspect, and could not be admitted into court. There is always the possibility that someone planted that evidence. This is a kind of a loophole, isn’t it? If they lack sufficient evidence to get a conviction when the crime scene was closed off, a guilty party could get off “scott-free.” There would be no justice for Nancy Guthrie nor for her family.

Several of our Scriptures passages today address God’s view of minimum standards and loopholes. Let’s take a look.

    A. In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, God Himself speaks to the Israelites, giving them two choices (He is speaking through His prophet Moses). The former Egyptian slaves are about to go into the Land of Promise without him.

He puts before them two choices: Life and prosperity/blessings, or Death and destruction. The choice God lays out is an either/or choice, with only 2 options: If they/we love God and obey Him, if we walk in His ways and keep His commands, decrees, and laws, they and we will reap blessings. If, however, they/we abandon God or are disobedient, our lives will turn out badly; we will live with regrets over lost opportunities. Notice how straight forward this is—no both/and; no loopholes.

    Then He reminds them, in v.20 , they/we want to do this because…the key to their life, as individuals and as a nation, is absolute commitment to the Lord. Or as Jesus says in John 15, …apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. There it is again, in the New Testament, choose life or choose death.

If we want to be productive, if we want to make a difference in this life, if we want to leave a meaningful legacy, we need to love God and obey Him. Again, God leaves us no loopholes. 

  B. In our Psalm, Psalm 119:1-8, the author, inspired by God, lays out what happens to the persons who make the right choice: Verses 1-2–> state that they are joyful. Verse 3–>says they do not compromise with evil, like seeking out loopholes. Instead, they walk in a way that pleases the Lord. Verses 4-5–>assert they desire to keep God’s commandments and obey His decrees. Verses 6-8-→indicate that the man or woman who pleases God has an obedient, surrendered attitude toward God and a desire live out the Lord’s will.

And, at the very end, he pleads that God not give up on him, knowing we are all unable to do all of this perfectly–knowing there are no loopholes by which we can wiggle out of being held accountable; knowing we need the assistance of the Holy Spirit to live holy lives.

  C. Paul, in our 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 lesson, lectures the Church in Corinth—a true sin-city like Las Vegas or New Orleans–on having chosen Jesus but continuing to live a carnal life. They are living like “Baby Christians,” persons new to the faith, trying to live a life that reflects knowing Jesus, but also looking for loopholes that allow them to behave as they did before confessing Christ. Paul is not having it! In chapter three, he confronts them on their jealousy, their quarreling with one another, and their division into factions.

He wants them to be united in Christ, recognizing that Paul may have planted the seed—won them to Jesus—but Apollos came after to disciple them, and God has made their faith grow. Who did what is not as important as is God. In fact, Paul and Apollos are both servants of God. Back to what the Lord said in Deuteronomy: Choose life or death; no loopholes!

     D. In our Gospel lesson, Matthew 5:21-37, Jesus expands upon several of the 10 Commandments, with a view toward how we please our heavenly Father. This is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. Prior to this passage, He has told us the kinds of heart attitudes that please God/result in blessedness (the right choice): (1) Humility; (2) Self-restraint and self-control because we are obedient to God; (3) Sincerity, integrity; (4) Caring deeply for the welfare of others; (5) Being merciful toward others; and (6) Living at peace with them. He has also encouraged us to be salt and light in the world.

     Today He turns His attention to what it would look like if we truly lived by Biblical principles, teaching what is at the heart of God’s commands and decrees.

In verse 21 He says, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder’…but I tell you…He is digging down into the 6th Commandment. He says, don’t allow yourself to get angry; it’s the start of an escalation that can destroy you and others. Catch anger as it intensifies. Stop yourself and back down from seeking revenge or escalating to bitterness and unforgiveness. Don’t even allow yourself to use abusive language toward another. Instead of name-calling, as much as it is dependent upon you, be reconciled to others. Forgive others before you present your worship or gifts to God.

  In verses 27-32, He deals with adultery and divorce. He is digging down into the 7th Commandment. He is holding up the marital ideal: No adultery; No divorce. He is saying we need to guard our primary relationships because they are foundational to our children’s security and to our society. He is making the point that adultery and marital unfaithfulness begin with lust. He wants us work intentionally to overcome lust–not to literally blind or maim ourselves, since a blind or lame person can still lust. Those are exaggerations for effect. God allows divorce to prevent cruelty or even murder. The Rabbis were teaching that a husband could divorce if his wife burned the dinner. Jesus is saying the grounds must be much more severe than that.

In Verses 32-37, He deals with oaths. He is addressing the 3rd & 9th Commandments He says, don’t swear on God’s name and don’t lie or bear false witness. We are to be honest in our dealings with others. If we live with integrity, there is no need for us to take oaths at all. Sister Judith, my first principal back in 1970, when I first taught high school Social Studies used to say to me, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” High School students respect that, and so do others.

Jesus sets very high standards, doesn’t He? No loopholes. In the Sermon on the mount, He spells out for us some lofty expectations about how we are to love God and love others. However, He also knows we cannot achieve living this way on our own. In our sinfulness, we will blow it. We will get angry. We may engage in lust. We might make vows and break them. We need to help of the Holy Spirit to live into these new heart-attitudes. Fortunately, we can be assured that God forgives what we confess to Him. The Apostle John writes in 1 John 1:8-9 , If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. God has so set things up that we can take any sin to Him, ask His forgiveness, and He will grant it—an infinite number of times. That is God’s grace and mercy in action. But as we continue to walk with the Lord, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us. We learn the rough lessons from our sins that way lies pain, shame, despair, and isolation. Violating God’s laws, without confession and repentance, is spiritual (as well as emotional and even physical) death. And we also learn the wisdom of God. He desires to lift us up, out of the miry pit. He wants to heal us, to bless us

God has set out His standards for us—and they are not minimums.

He does not want us to search out loopholes. As we attempt to be salt and light, as we prepare for Lent (which starts on Wednesday), make it your goal to walk the walk. No one said it would be easy; God’s standards are high. But He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us move more and more into compliance with them. When you fall short—and we all do—ask God’s forgiveness and believe He gives it to you. AMEN!

©️2026 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Eye-Black as Salt and Light

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 8, 2026

Scriptures: Isa 58:1-9a; Ps 112; 1Cor 1:1-12; Matt 5:13-20

Some years back, I read Tim Tebow’s autobiographical book, Shaken (WaterBrook, 2016) which I would recommend. In it, he shares some facts that are rather astonishing: You may remember he became known for citing a Bible verse address in his eye-black. On January 8th, 2009, for the National Championship football game against Oklahoma, he put John 3:16 on his cheeks, in his eye-black. Not only did the Gators win that game, but then Coach Urban Meyer told him afterward that 94 million people watching had Googled John 3:16-→For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Tim writes (p.155), “Talk about humbling. God is so big that He used something so small, a tiny biblical reference painted under my eyes, to impact people to search His Word.” Interesting that soon afterward, the NCAA made a new rule banning players from placing messages in their eye-black. Now some 10-15 years later, players are once again placing Biblical references in their eye-black.

Nevertheless, exactly 3 years to the day later, Tim was playing for the Denver Broncos in an NFL playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now the NFL also didn’t allow players to put messages in eye-black. You may remember that Denver beat the heavily favored Steelers 29-23, in overtime in that game, with a touchdown thrown by Tebow to Demaryius Thomas. Following that astonishing win, a Bronco’s PR man told Tim (p.156), “Do you know that it was exactly 3 years since you wore John 3:16? And during this game, you threw for 316 yards. Your yards/completion were 31.6. The time of possession for Denver was 31:06. The ratings for the night were 31.6 million. And during the game ninety million people Googled John 3:16,” (based on statements by the TV commentators).

I find this astonishing! Tim says, “I was reminded that God…is always at work—with or without me. Just goes to show you that we never know what God can do with the small choices we make, with the stands we take, or with something positive we do even unintentionally.” Tim had done something small—changed the citation in his eye-black for a big game—and God kept using it for His glory 3 years later. Clearly no one can say our God isn’t concerned about details.

Most of us don’t receive the kind of attention a Tim Tebow does, but even so—as our Scriptures today demonstrate—we can make a difference in this world for our God, if we behave like salt and let our light shine:

A. In Isaiah 58:1-9, God is explaining to the Judeans that their religious words and actions are all about going through the motions. If they really want to show God they love Him, they will quit performing empty rituals and spouting off meaningless prayers. I know we have at least two parishioners who are really into movies. But do any of you remember “Clueless” from 1995? In it, Alicia Silverstone immortalized the sarcastic statement of skeptical disbelief, “As Iff….” Isaiah is making an “As iff” statement to the Israelites. “Yeah, right, you say you love God, but….” God is saying through him, “Yada, yada, yada…same ole, same ole; precise but meaningless worship. I am not impressed!”

Instead, He wants them to demonstrate their faith in Him through their actions—the way they live their lives: Free the wrongly imprisoned; Lighten the burdens of your workers; Stand up for the oppressed; Share food with the hungry; Clothe the naked; and Provide shelter for the homeless. If they (and we) do these things, God says, Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and He will say: Here I am (vv.8-9).

The Israelites then, and we followers of Jesus Christ now, are to be light in the world. If we are making God first in our lives, and loving others as we love ourselves, our examples will both preserve and demonstrate God’s love and shine brightly in this dark world, helping others not to stumble and to see their way.  

B. Psalm 112:1-10 is the masculine equivalent of the Proverbs 31 woman, listing the characteristics of a man who “fears”/respects the Lord` Timothy Keller, in his book Forgive (Penguin Books, 2023, p60), asserts that the fear of the Lord is not the terror kind of fear, but rather a sense of being deeply affected or in awe of who God is and what He’s done. God is saying through the psalmist that He blesses those who are in right relationship with Him. The righteous man is blessed in that his children reflect well on him; he is economically and spiritually secure; he is generous and just, and cares for the poor; and he is well thought of by others. And even though the wicked are jealous of him, they cannot prevail against him. Light shines from this person, doesn’t it? Such a man (or woman) is exceptional, like a Tim Tebow. Their life and witness help others to come to Christ and to be salt and light. 

C. Our Gospel lesson is Matthew 5:13-20. It is part of the Sermon on the Mount, and occurs just after the passage containing the Beatitudes. In it, Jesus calls Israel (and us) to be salt and light. He also challenges us to live that out in our world.

Salt in the Ancient Near East was a preservative then as they lacked refrigeration. It stopped fermentation and decay of meats and other foods. 

You could say it was an early “green” or conservation method. Jesus is saying we are to live our lives in such a way as to preserve others. What we model in the way we live our lives should encourage others want to know the Jesus we know;

Because of the way we love God and others, they will come to want to function that way too.

Additionally, light banishes the darkness. It helps us to see clearly and to avoid obstacles. If I forget whether or not I have locked my front door at night, I may use a flashlight to light my way from my bedroom to the door. I see what is illuminated in that small circle of light and keep from stubbing my toes on furniture.

As Paul reminds us, in 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, we have the mind of Christ because of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and reminding us of all that Jesus taught. We are clothed in His righteousness, we seek His will, and we reflect the light of His Holy Spirit from our eyes and from our spirits. So, as we go about our lives, walking in His light, reflecting His light in a dark world, people are drawn to us and to what we have in us.

In this Gospel passage, Jesus says He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He is the only human being who has ever lived out the Law completely. This is how He fulfilled it—by being salt and light. This is also how He is able, this side of the Cross, to apply His righteousness to us.

When we are salt and light, God uses even the little things we do to bring glory to Himself. I read a story this week of a woman’s reaction to her mother’s cancer diagnosis: Her name was Emily Potter and she was disturbed ot receive a call from her sister affirming, “It’s cancer,” describing the diagnosis their mother had just gotten. “Not my mom,” thought Emily. “Please not my mom.” Cancer had already devastated their family once before, and they had lost friends to it as well.

“The only way that Emily knew how to express herself was to create something. So, she made a sweatshirt with the word “salty” sown across the front. She showed up to her mother’s first round of chemotherapy wearing the sweatshirt. And why did she choose that particular word? Emily says that being salty “means that I am extremely bitter, angry and resentful towards her cancer.” But it also sends the message that her mom is “tough and a fighter.”

“According to Emily, people with cancer are some of the toughest and most courageous people on earth. She wears her “salty” sweatshirt as a kind of armor, one that strengthens and preserves her bond with her mother. When she puts it on, she is saying, “I love you. I’m here for you. Let’s be salty. Together.””

(As shared in http://www.proclaimsermons.com; 2-4-26)

I want to invite you to look around this week and ask God to show you to whom you are to be salt and light; and then do what He prompts you to do: Pay a visit. Make a phone call. Send a card or an email. Provide a meal. Contribute to a worthy cause. We don’t have to do everything, just do what God places before you. Remember Tebow’s eye black…such a little act, with such a huge response. Paul quotes for us in 1 Corinthians 2:9–>No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him….Be willing to do something little, out of your love for God, and watch the Lord do big things with it. AMEN!

©️2026 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Where is Jesus in the Car of Your life?

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 1, 2026

Scriptures: Micah 6:1-8; Ps 15; 1 Cor 1:15-31; Matt 5:1-12

Years ago, when I was in seminary, my home church in Tallahassee flew me to Camp Weed (in Live Oak, Florida) to attend a women’s retreat. The speaker was a woman named Norma Dearing. She worked at the Christian Healing Ministry in Jacksonville, Florida, alongside Fr. Francis MacNutt and his wife, Judith. Norma, like the MacNutts, was able to pray for a person while hearing from the Holy Spirit exactly what they needed healing for. I remember we were all seated in rows and she came behind us, placed her hands on our shoulders, and proceeded to lift to God—without having spoken to us beforehand—exactly the issue most on each of our hearts. At first, I could hardly believe it! She had absolutely zeroed in on my needs. Then she accurately summarized those of my friends seated near me. I was so amazed—yet still skeptical—that I got up and took a seat near other friends so check to see how dead-on she would be for each of them. Wow! She blew me away! I had never heard of such a thing before. It was as though she knew us all intimately and yet she’d only just met us! I figured out that the Holy Spirit was downloading our needs into her mind as she prayed for each one of us. What a gift! 

She was also just as effective and memorable in the talks she presented. I’ll never forget that she asked us to consider where Jesus was in the “car of your life?” Is He a hood ornament? Or a bumper sticker? A decoration for show, but with no real impact on our driving. Is He in the trunk?

Perhaps we’ve taken Him in but it’s as though He’s bound and gagged–He’s along for the ride, but we don’t listen to or attend Him. Maybe He’s in the backseat, trying to direct us, but we don’t tune in or pay attention. Or is He in the passenger seat? We think of Him as our friend, but again, He has no real influence on the direction we take, the speed with which we drive, or how skillfully or carefully we manage our life. Well, the point is that Jesus should be in the driver’s seat of our lives. Occasionally you may still see a bumper sticker that says, “God is my copilot.”  But the truth is, He should be the pilot.

This is where the Beatitudes, today’s Gospel lesson (Matthew 5:1-12), clearly place Him. The first four put Him clearly behind the wheel.

We accompany Jesus where He wants to go. Our hearts are surrendered to His direction. As a result, our attitudes and behaviors are more Christ-like. The last 5 help us demonstrate Christ-like behaviors to others. Together the 9 beatitudes of Matthew constitute a road-map which directs us to a transformed and a blessed Christian life.

All nine begin with blessed-→makarioi in the Greek. It means supreme blessedness; ultimate well-being; genuinely fortunate! It can also mean jump for joy! Or Celebrate! These are Scriptural promises of both ultimate and present day blessings for persons who demonstrate these behaviors in their lives.

Let’s examine them together according to the New Living Translation (NLT):

1. God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Because we know that all good things come from God, we surrender our need to control our progress. Instead, we put Jesus in the driver’s seat of our lives. We say, in our hearts, “Lord, I can’t go anywhere without YOU!” And Jesus replies, “When you let Me drive, you will journey alongside Me and toward heaven.” The reward is that God reigns in our hearts, and we experience/live out the fruit of the Spirit.

2. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Mourners care deeply. They have lost someone (or a pet, a relationship, or a job that was very dear to them. They may also be mourning their sinfulness. Sin separates us from God (leaving Jesus in the trunk or left out on the roadside.)

An ancient prayer of confession says, “…we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we from time to time have grievously committed.” Mourners may also grieve the evil and sin that abounds in our world today-→abuse, betrayal, desertion, abandonment, massive fraud, acts of revenge, violence, etc. Suffering teaches us compassion and strengthens our faith. Some has said, All sunshine makes a desert, and it’s true isn’t it. We need some rain in our lives to learn to consider the needs of others. Eugene Peterson has written, “Suffering hallows out a place in us for God and His comfort which is infinite joy.”

Jesus in His grace says such mourners will be comforted. The reward for grieving is God’s comfort. In other words, we will be snuggled up with Jesus in the front seat.

3. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.  Meek does not mean weak-→Jesus says (Matt 11:29)-→for I am meek and lowly in heart. It means He has a gentle spirit, He is unassuming, unpretentious, not proud. Our Micah lesson (Micah 6:8) says,…Oh People, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  This means we are to be self-disciplined and self-controlled. This position of obedient trust and submission to God’s will puts Jesus in the drivers’ seat. Jesus in His grace says that such persons… will inherit the earth! The reward for being humble or meek is inheriting the blessings of God! These blessings include God’s peace, provision, and power.

4. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. While we may seek after food, love, money, influence, etc., this is instead a longing to be right with God and to want to see God’s righteousness prevail. St. Augustine and later, Henri Nouwen, referred to…a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill-→This is a spiritual hunger. Matthew 6:33 says, Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Our reward is to to be filled to overflowing.

5. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Our love of self is replaced by our love of God and for others. We are kind, compassionate, forgiving. We live out the behavior of the Good Samaritan—helping a wounded enemy–and that of Jesus on the Cross—forgiving His murderers. In His grace, then, Jesus rewards us with extending grace to us.

6. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. The Hebrews believed the heart was the location of cognitions, decisions, motives, and the will. So a pure heart would be one that is sincere and truthful, whose motives are good. If we are pure in heart, we live our lives with integrity. In His grace, Jesus then rewards us with being able to discern Him in other people, and to enter into His presence through prayer and worship. Our Psalm (15) today was written by King David. In it, he maintains that only those with pure hearts or godly character can dwell in God’s presence.

7. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. Like Jesus, we have been given a ministry of reconciliation. God’s peace, His shalom means perfect welfare, serenity, prosperity, complete good. We are to wage peace with everyone-→Romans 13:18-→If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. This includes being at peace with God, with others, and even with yourself. We are not to harbor self-hate, but to cultivate a healthy self-love. In His grace, Jesus declares that such behavior labels us as sons (and daughters) of God. In other words, being a peacemaker renders us God-like!

8 & 9. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember: the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. If we are living out Christian lives, we will e persecuted. Right living convicts those not living right. Right living riles Satan. Peterson says, “To be persecuted is to be take seriously as a Christian.” Our gracious reward is that we are in great company! Romans 8:17 says, If we suffer with Christ, we shall be glorified with Him. And Paul goes on to state in 2 Timothy 2:12-→If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him.

So, are you aware of where Jesus is in the car of your life? We tend to puyt ourselves in control, and may bring Jesus along somewhere. But the Beatitudes teach us to put Him formly in the driver’s seat. These Beatitudes are a road map for Christian transformation, which place us on the route to true happiness. May we each, with the help of the Holy Spirit, learn to live them out. 

©️2026 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Resolve in 2026

Pastor Sherry’s message for January 4, 2026

Scriptures: Jer 31:7-14; Ps 84; Eph 1:3-14; Matt 2:1-12

Some dear members of our congregation who have a huge movie collection loaned me a video that I watched several days ago. The name of the film is Purgatory, and it was released in 1999. It featured some actors you might recognize: Sam Shepard, Randy Quaid, and Donnie Wahlberg. The premise is that some famous gunslingers from the Old West, fellows who actually had good hearts, are resurrected to live in the supernatural town of Refuge. They can advance to Heaven if they avoid violence, immoral living, and cussing/dirty language for 10 years. However, if they slip up, an old American Indian from their era collects them and throws them off a cliff into the fires of Hell. The town of “Refuge” is actually Purgatory.

Roman Catholics believe in Purgatory as a place where you burn off your sins until the prayers of your family or others get you released to heaven. This is a very comforting belief because it promises another chance after death to receive forgiveness for our sins. The problem is there is no Biblical support for this belief. In fact, in the parable of Lazarus and Dives, the Rich man vs. the Poor Beggar, Jesus makes the point that there is no coming back from Hell. We make our choice over where we spend eternity by how we choose to live our lives while we are alive.

At any rate, the famous gunslingers include Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, Jesse James, and Billy the kid. They are all doing pretty well at controlling their carnal natures until a gang of about 25 bank robbing killers enters their town.

The 4 are then faced with a terrible dilemma: (1) Strap back on their guns and save the citizens of Refuge from this murderous gang, thereby consigning themselves to Hell; or (2) maintain their good behavior record but let the violent, lawless hoodlums rape and pillage their friends and their town. Following some pretty rotten behavior on the part of the bad guys, the four “fastest guns in the West” decide to sacrifice their eternal future to save their friends. Wild Bill says he’d spent almost 10 years (and his previous lifetime) thinking only of himself, but that it was now time to think of others.

In a massive shoot out, the 4 manage to kill every last bad actor. They are sure they have thus lost their chance at Heaven, and present themselves to the old Indian. However, they are shocked and relieved to discover their sacrificial love and selfless defense of their town has saved them from Hell. 

To those of us who know the Bible, the theology of the movie is obviously faulty: This life is where we make the choice to follow Jesus and are saved—there is no purgatory. Additionally, we are not saved through our own goodness; in fact, we really cannot redeem ourselves—we need Jesus! However, what I liked about it is that they were redeemed by putting the needs of others before their own, even at such a colossal price.

On this first Sunday of 2026, I would encourage us all to resolve to love God and to love others—in ways that are self-sacrificial–before we take care of ourselves. Our Scripture passages today all speak to why this should be the case.

A. Our Old Testament lesson comes from Jeremiah 31:7-14. Speaking for God, the prophet tells the Israelites that even though Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian armies are at the gates of Jerusalem, the Lord promises to eventually bring them back. Following the 70 year penalty for their idolatry and disobedience, they will be returning to the Promised Land. The Lord promises to carefully hand deliver the most vulnerable, like the lame, the blind, children, and nursing mothers. 15 times in chapter 31, He says, I will…,” vowing to redeem them. In spite of their impending defeat and captivity, God is promising, in advance, that He will restore them because He declared, back in (v.3, NLT)-→>”I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.”

Later, in verse 9, He calls Himself the Father of Israel, the collective people, the nation. This is significant because He calls Moses (Job 1:2)–> “MY servant;” King David, too, He refers to as (Psalm 89:3)->”My servant.”

Because the nation of Israel consists of His sons and daughters, He will restore them following their discipline.

(J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on Jeremiah, Thomas Nelson, 1991, pp.130-136.) 

We want to resolve in 2026 to love God more than ourselves because we, the Church, are—like Israel—His children.

B. Our psalm (84) describes how someone feels who truly loves God above all things. Verse 10, as paraphrased in Peterson’s The Message (p.1019) reads-→One day spent in Your house, this beautiful place of worship beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palaces of sin. Our worship of God is both a beautiful and a pleasing thing to God. That’s why it’s important for us to be here each Sunday. We honor our God, but we also leave feeling better, elevated, even comforted somehow.

Spending time in God’s House is also safe. The psalmist mentions the sparrows and wrens that nest in the Temple. They are noisy and messy birds, but neither the Lord nor the Levite keepers of the Temple ever chased them off. God’s House is a safe place, a sanctuary.

When we truly Love God more than our own comfort, we make sure we come to worship Him. The writer to the Hebrews said (10:25)-→Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage on another. This is how we do life together. This is how we dwell in Christ.

We want to resolve in 2026 to spend time in God’s House each week as a way of showing both the Lord and our church family that we love Him and them more than we do sleeping in late—or doing all the less important things that compete for our attention here on earth.

C. Our New Testament lesson (Ephesians 1:2-14) is a true celebration of God the Father and of Jesus Christ His Son. Listen to portions of this passage as paraphrased by Peterson in The Message (p.2126)-→How blessed is God! What a blessing He is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in Him. Long before He laid down the earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago, He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ….Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, His blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’ re a free people … And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!…It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. It is in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it…, found yourself home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit.

In other words, God has adopted us through the saving work of Jesus on the Cross. Like the nation of Israel, we are now His Chosen People, His sons and daughters. Ultimately, with Jesus’ 2nd Coming, God the Father will place all things under the authority of His Son. Because we are God’s children we will be co-heirs with Jesus, sharing in His inheritance. 

We want to resolve in 2026 to love God and to love others better than we love ourselves because—just like the supernatural stagecoach coming to pick up the 4 famous gun-slingers—we want to avoid Hell and share in God’s glory in Heaven.

D. Finally, our Gospel lesson (Matthew 2:1-12) reminds us that wise persons of all times, places, ethnicity, and nationality have sought the Christ. They model for us the appropriate response to Jesus: The wise men seek Him earnestly, even at considerable time and expense to self.  When you locate Him, kneel in reverence and worship Him. Bring Him gifts of your time, talents, and finances. Be aware that there are forces at work who would try to destroy your faith. These include the world, the flesh, and the devil. Recognize and fight against the attempts of these forces to draw you away from God.

We want to resolve in 2026 to love God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ so strongly that nothing can take us away from them.                                            

In 2026, Let us resolve to love God above all things because He is our creator and redeemer. Let us resolve to spend time with the Lord each week, in His house, worshiping Him and sharing fellowship and love with other believers. Let us resolve to do all that is necessary to spend eternity with God and share in Christ’s glory and inheritance in Heaven. Let us also resolve to be watchful, guarding against all attempts of the evil one to pull us away from our Lord and Savior.

The driver of the Heaven-bound supernatural stage coach in “Purgatory” tells the four newly redeemed “The Creator may be tough, but He’s not blind.”  I take this to mean that the Lord has standards but He also is grace-filled. It makes me happy to think that Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, Jesse James, and Billy the Kid could be in Heaven. But it will make me even happier to arrive there one day and find each one of you there as well. Amen!

©️2026 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Single-minded Devotion

Pastor Sherry’s message for September 21, 2025

Scriptures: Jer 8:-9:1; Ps 4; 1 Tim 2:1-7; Lk 16:1-13

Have you ever considered to what or to whom you might be single-mindedly devoted? To what in your life do you most give your attention and your effort? (1) Your spouse, focusing on his or her health and wellbeing? Charlie Kirk’s wife Ericka said recently that he asked her daily, “How can I serve you today?” He was a committed Christian but it also seems like he approached his marriage with a servant’s heart. (2) Your children or grandchildren? Are you fixated on their behavior, good or not so? Do you find yourself praying for their future spouse or for them to make wise decisions? (3) What about an aging parent? Are you absorbed with remembering their doctors’ appointments? Their medications? Their physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing? (4) Or perhaps you are obsessed with your physical home? The repairs that are needed? Worried about worn out appliances or systems (roof, AC, heat, etc.) that should be replaced? Perhaps your pets take most of your attention (health, food, behavior.) This week I spent a significant time at the vets with a sick cat, so I know how that can happen. (6) Or maybe you are fixated on your work? Crops that demand harvesting now, or looming deadlines that demand your time and energy? Someone told me he had 4 deadlines to meet in 4 days this past week. It made for a very stressful few days. Frustrations with a boss that cannot be satisfied, miserable office mates, or work that has become boring and meaningless can all engross your time and mental effort.

Do you notice what I haven’t yet mentioned: Our God. Can we honestly say we have a single-minded focus on our Lord? This is the point of today’s seemingly “squirrely” Gospel (Luke 16:1-13). In it, Jesus tells the story of a dishonest but street-smart steward—let’s think of him as a manager of a “big box store” like Lowe’s or Home Depot. He’s supposed to be overseeing the condition and sale of the corporation’s goods, the dedication and performance of his employees, the satisfaction and safety of his customers, and the orderliness and cleanliness of the physical plant. But instead, corporate hears (probably due to a whistleblower) that he’s been dishonest and needs to be fired. The higher ups call him to task; his head’s on “the chopping block.” “Be prepared to endure an audit,” they say. “Be prepared to explain why you should not be fired immediately.”

This shrewd manager calls in customers whose accounts are in arrears, and offers them sweet deals. True, he’s tampering with the books—cheating the company–but says to one building contractor, “Here, I’ll cut what you owe Lowe’s in half.”  For another, he reduces the balance owed by 1/5th. Why the difference? Maybe one is his cousin or his brother-in-law, while the other is only a stranger. This is certainly a corrupt way to conduct business, but remember, the guy is a scoundrel! His single-minded devotion is to his own future! He’s hoping that when he is fired, these guys will remember him kindly and perhaps offer him a job. They may offer him a job not because he’s competent or honest, but because he did them a huge favor (quid pro quo).

Jesus is not commending him because he’s a model manager. The guy’s a crook who deserves to be fired! This parable is what is called a “parable of contrast”; by contrast, we don’t want to follow this guy’s immoral example. Think about the Rich Man, Lazarus, and the poor beggar, Dives (Luke 16:19-31). Lazarus never helped Dives while they both lived. Jesus says this Lazarus goes to hell but he wants Dives, who went to heaven, to go warn his living brothers of the dangers of being selg-focused and neglecting the poor. Jesus is saying, Don’t be like this Lazarus. Similarly with the fellow who goes to the king’s wedding but refuses to wear the wedding garments (Matthew 22:1-14). The king has already invited his friends, but they all give lame excuses not to attend. So, in anger, the king tells his servants to go out into the streets and bring in even strangers and the homeless. This random guy attends the wedding, but is not suitably attired, even though the king provided the appropriate clothing. The man is thrown out, losing heaven due to his ungrateful and rebellious spirit. Again, Jesus is saying, Don’t be like this guy!

Jesus does commend the unscrupulous manager due to his single-minded devotion—even though his focus is on himself and his personal economic security. Our Lord wants our focus to be single-mindedly on Him and on His Kingdom. We are to put Jesus first, daily, hourly.

I The other passages appointed for today help explain why our focus should be single-mindedly on Christ:

A. In Jeremiah 8:8-9:1, we find God about to punish the folks of the Southern Kingdom for not attending His prophet. Jeremiah weeps over Jerusalem and his countrymen. The Lord has allowed him to see into the future. He knows and describes the extreme devastation about to come. The Lord, too, is heartbroken that they are so hard-headed and so rebellious. Clearly there was enough balm or healing ointment in Gilead to heal them all; but they refused to humble themselves, ask God’s forgiveness, and accept His remedy. If they had remained faithful to the Lord, the Babylonians would not have been able to invade and subdue them. If they had single-mindedly focused on the Lord, they could have averted calamity and chastisement.

This brings me to an important aside: Do we really want to be healed? Sometimes—not always—it takes being submitted to God’s will, humbling ourselves, and also being repentant. It takes being willing to do whatever it takes. I remember a woman in seminary whose teen daughter was bedridden with an auto-immune disorder. She spent all she had chasing a cure for her child. She was actually single-mindedly focused on helping her daughter get well—to the exclusion of classes, assignments, and a fulltime job. She traveled to cities at some distance, whenever someone would say they knew of a doctor there or of an allergy specialist who had cured someone with similar symptoms. When one doctor at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh accused her of having Munchausen’s by Proxy—a condition where the parent makes the child sick so the parent can receive attention—the woman grew furious and told the medical fellow he was blaming her because he could not figure out what was wrong with her child. Finally, she heard of a doctor at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore who was researching teenaged autoimmune disorders. She took her adolescent there and they discerned the girl had all the classic symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Disorder, an illness little understood in the late 1990’s. Nevertheless, the girl and her mother finally had a diagnosis. It took another several years before the teen was healed, this time at a church in South Georgia who had a healing ministry. Are we willing to do all it takes to be healed? This woman was, for the sake of her child. 

B. In 1st Timothy 2:1-7, Paul tells us we must pray for our leaders and pray for our country. We are to pray for our leaders even if we didn’t vote for them; even if we don’t like or respect them; and even if we believe they are corrupt. Apparently there is an “assassination culture” gathering strength in our country today whose adherents believe that it is acceptable to kill those with whom we disagree politically. This should be abhorrent to us as Christians. We are not to kill our political adversaries. Paul insists we pray for those with whom we disagree. We ask God to help them see the Light (God’s Truth); we intercede for them; and we even give thanks for them.  

Paul goes on to say that he was chosen by Jesus to carry the message of Christ, as the Mediator between us and God the Father, to the Gentiles (the Lost at that time). We too are to carry the message that Jesus died to redeem sinners to those who don’t yet believe in Him. As he says in 2 Corinthians 5:18, we are Christ’s ambassadors, meant to join Him in this work of reconciliation. Without a doubt, Paul certainly served as a great example of single-minded devotion to Jesus.

C. Finally, in Psalm 4, David emphasizes for us the idea of God as redeemer and protector. In verse 1, he reveals that he is just like the rest of us—“His heart failed in the time of trouble.” (McGee, Psalms, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.42.) It’s true, isn’t it? Like the Shrewd Steward, we often focus on “Woe is me” when we encounter trouble, instead of taking our trouble to the Lord and trusting Him to deal with it. In verses 2-3, David rebukes his enemies, and reassures himself that God will answer his earnest prayers. Further, in verses 4-5, he gives advice to the godly, those of us who love the Lord to not sin in our anger, and to trust in God. In the final three verses of the Psalm, he remembers God’s goodness to him, and that he can sleep well knowing the Lord keeps him safe.  David was, for the most part, single-minded in his devotion to God.

Let’s review the steps he recommends: (1) Recognize that our default is to lose heart when challenged with a crisis. (2) Reassure ourselves that God is for us, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). (3) Don’t proceed to sin, but trust in God. (4) Remember God’s goodness—you can rest in it.

This week, let’s try to follow his example and that of Paul. Lord, please give us hearts that are truly devoted to You. Amen!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Lost, but Found

Pastor Sherry’s message for September 14, 2025

Scriptures: Jer 4:4-12, 19-28; Ps 14; 1 Tim 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-10

Perhaps you have been more discerning than I have as you have read the 15th chapter of Luke. In studying our Scripture passages this week, I realized I had never quite put it together that the 3 parables Jesus provides the Pharisees about “lost things” are each a response to their grumbling criticisms. They notice that He hangs out with and even eats with notorious sinners.  They are critical of Jesus because He does not behave as they do–He does not always go along with the status quo, the expected way they think people, especially rabbis, should behave. He dares to do something different, something unexpected.  Rather than consider that they might be wrong in their attitudes and behavior, they find offense and reject Jesus. Nevertheless, He shares 3 stories (parables) that perfectly demonstrate God’s attitude toward “the lost.”

The Pharisees could easily grasp the need to locate a lost sheep.  A sheep represented money on 4 hooves. Any economically shrewd shepherd would go search for this absent asset–perhaps not because they valued the particular sheep per se, but because they valued the asset it represented. They could also understand the imperative to search for a missing coin of significant value. What was lost to them, however, was the Lord’s priority to locate and bring into His Kingdom people who had wandered far from God—people whom He knew needed Him.

Jesus wanted them…”to make the leap from sheep and coin to tax collector and sinner.”  (borrowed from www.Sermons.com, 9/9/2025.)

Our Lord knew that our values drive our behaviors. He knew that the Pharisees, God’s spiritual shepherds, did not value lost people.  He knew that God the Father did, as did He.  He taught these parables, hoping the religious leadership of His day would get it. Our God is a God of grace, love, and mercy. But they stubbornly held to their notion that He is a rather heartless God of rules.

At one time or another, we have all been lost. Aren’t we grateful we have a God who searches for and saves the lost? Consider this true story:

“Nine hundred miles out to sea, on an ocean liner headed to the Middle East, a sail was sighted on the horizon. As the liner drew closer, the passengers saw that the boat—a small sloop flying a Turkish flag—had run up a distress signal and other flags asking for its position at sea. Through a faulty chronometer or immature navigation the small vessel had become lost. For nearly an hour the liner circled the little boat, giving its crew correct latitude and longitude.  Naturally there was a great deal of interest in all the proceedings among the passengers of the liner.  A 12 year-old-boy remarked aloud to himself—‘It’s a big ocean to be lost in.’

“It’s a big universe to be lost in, too.  And we do get lost—we get mixed up and turned around. We despair, we make mistakes, we do evil to each other [e.g., the man who killed the Ukrainian refugee woman on the train in Charlotte, NC, and the assassin of Charlie Kirk].  We deserve the wrath of God and that is what the Pharisees who criticized Jesus maintained.  But Jesus understood God more.  He knew God as a Shepherd in search of the one lost sheep.  He knew God as if He were] a woman searching in the dark, in the crevasses, for that valuable coin.  In the end it was Jesus’ view of God which prevailed and not his critics. 

(Brett Blair, Christian Globe Network, as presented by www.Sermons.com, 9/9/25.)

Thank God our Lord is concerned about the very least of us—those without wealth, influence, popularity, and looks. Thank God our Lord loves us despite our sin and how often we disappoint Him.Thank God our Lord seeks to find and save the lost.

Hear the cry of God’s heart for the lost:

A.  In our Old Testament lesson (Jeremiah 4:4-12, 19-28), beginning back in verse 1, the lord makes it clear that He wants the people of Jerusalem and Judea to give up their idol worship and return to Him.  As J.Vernon McGee states, “He is vitally interested in them and He wants to bring them back into right relationship with Him.”  (Mc.Gee, Through the Bible commentary on Jeremiah, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.42).  God wants them to (v.4)  surrender your pride and your power.  The situation is dire:  Unless they obey God, He is going to unleash a lion of destruction upon them (The Babylonian Empire).

While Jeremiah weeps as he gives his countrymen this dreadful prophesy, God says in verse 22 (NLT)  My people are foolish and do not know Me…they are stupid children who have no understanding.  What would He say about us in America today?  Don’t you think His message would be similar?  We tend to believe we can proceed as a country indefinitely into the future.  But our founders at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts made a covenant agreement with the Lord.  We would be a city built on a hill, a light to the nations.  They dedicated our country to God.  We have over the past 250 years broken this covenant.  The choice facing the folks in Jerusalem during the 580’s is the same one we face today:  Pray, repent, fast, turn back to God, or face the destruction, the ruins, the barrenness Jeremiah predicted in verses 23-28.  There is a cost to stubbornly, willfully remaining lost.

     B.  In Psalm 14, King David is also prophesying, but about the depravity of humans in the last days.  He agrees with God’s assessment, as I just reviewed and as was stated later in Jeremiah 4:22, asserting  Only fools say in their hearts, there is no God.  They are corrupt, and their actions are evil.  None of them does good.  David predicts that in those days many will turn against God.  Without God, neither their intellects nor their academic credentials (nor their money or their influence) will save them.  David predicts people will turn against God and against each other.

However, due to God’s mercy and His pursuit of the Lost, in verse 7, David concludes that salvation will come out of Zion’s hills  Jesus will arrive, riding on the clouds.  (Look up on YouTubeMusic the contemporary Christian song, “These are the days of Elijah.”  Listen and see how the writer incorporated verse 7 into the chorus.)  Even when things appear the darkest ever, our God has a plan for our redemption.  Jesus, in His 2nd Coming, will once again rescue those who have survived the Great Tribulation, believing in Him.

    C.  Finally, we see in Paul’s 1st letter to Timothy (1 Timothy1:12-17)– who he brought to faith and mentored—that Paul is exceedingly thankful for God’s grace-filled pursuit of his lost self.  He admits that he was saved by grace; he knows that Jesus Christ Himself put him into the ministry.  This was nothing he had earned or merited.  He had been an enemy of the infant Christian Church.  In verse 14, Paul praises the Lord for filling him with faith in and love for Jesus.  And then, in verse 15 (NLT), he asserts so beautifully and so famously—This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.  “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.”  How honest he is with Timothy and with us!  How many of us would be willing to admit—especially to someone who looks up to us–that we are terrible sinners?

Paul realizes that he was lost, and then found and redeemed by Jesus.  He admits he was a sinner who repented, and that the Lord has used him in ministry as both a preacher of the Gospel and an example of the Gospel in action.  (J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on First Timothy, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.32.).

Essentially, what Paul is saying to encourage Timothy is that he was lost and now found, and so can anyone be who believes in Jesus!  He admits he was a sinner who repented, and that the Lord has used him in ministry as botha preacher of the Gospel and as an example of the Gospel in action (J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on 1st Timothy, Thomas nelson, 1001, p.32.).

Our Lord Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  That’s us…each one of us in the words of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” I once was lost but now am found.”  This is why we need to be mindful of the God-ordained opportunities that present themselves to us to tell others about Jesus, and to pray for their faith and their situations.  Thank you, Jesus, that You seek us until You find us. We are all so grateful!  We praise You, we bless You, and we adore You. Amen!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Living by God’s Grace

Pastor Sherry’s message for September 7, 2025

Scriptures: Jer 18:1-11; Ps 139:1-6, 13-18; Phi 1:4-21; Lk 14:25-33

Consider the following true story:

“Missionaries Robert and Mary Moffat labored faithfully in Bechuanaland (now called Botswana) ten years without one ray of encouragement to brighten their way.They could not report a single convert.

“Finally the directors of their mission board began to question the wisdom of continuing the work. The thought of leaving their post, however, brought great grief to this devoted couple, for they felt sure that God was in their labors, and that they would see people turn to Christ in due season. They stayed, and for a year or two longer, darkness reigned.  [They worked there for 12 years!]

“One day a friend in England sent word to the Moffats that she wanted to mail them a gift and asked what they would like.Trusting that in time the Lord would bless their work, Mrs. Moffat replied, “Send us a communion set; I am sure it will soon be needed.” God honored that dear woman’s faith. The Holy Spirit moved upon the hearts of the villagers, and soon a little group of six converts was united to form the first Christian church in that land. The communion set from England was delayed in the mail, but on the very day before the first commemoration of the Lord’s Supper in Bechuanaland, the set arrived.”

(Robert J. Morgan, ed., Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes (Thomas Nelson, 2000, p.138).

At first brush, it would seem this is a story about the persistent faith of the missionaries, Mary and Robert Moffat.  It clearly is a great example of trusting in God no matter your circumstances. But let’s not miss that it is also a lesson about God’s grace.  Remember grace is unmerited favor, undeserved and often unexpected blessing. It was by God’s grace that their English friend offered to send them something right then to help them with their missionary work. It was by God’s grace that—after 12 years without a convert—6 Botswanans were ready, at that time, to choose to follow Jesus. It was by God’s grace that the communion set arrived just in time for their first communion service.

And so it is with all of us…instead of the Humpty Dumpty poem, let’s consider this version on grace:

Jesus Christ came to our wall,

Jesus Christ died for our fall;

So that regardless of death and in spite of our sin,

Through grace, He might put us together again.

(Anonymous entry in Chuck Swindoll’s The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word Publishing, 1998, p.251.)

You may recall in the original poem that, “all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty back together again…” but Jesus can!

Paul wrote long ago in Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) God saved you by His grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  Grace is a gift from God. And grace is also a choice we make:  We can choose to offer it to others; Or we can choose to withhold it.

Our Scripture lessons today are all about what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.  As we review them this morning, let’s examine them through the lens of giving or withholding grace.

A.  Our OT lesson is from Jeremiah 18:1-11.  God directs the prophet to go observe what takes place at a potter’s shop. Then, as now, potters worked moist clay on a wheel. As the wheel spun, the potter would use his hands to shape the clay into a bowl or pot to then be fired or hardened in a kiln. The image of a potter with wet clay is a metaphor for God’s relationship with Judah, back then, and with us now. If the clay (we) are malleable, then the potter (God) can mold and shape according to His plan.

Notice, the power of the Potter is absolute!  He has a plan, a purpose as He works in and with us. If we allow Him to do so, He has the power to shape us into vessels of honor.  This requires us to be totally cooperative and totally committed.  True disciples say “yes” to this process. But perhaps even better, if we turn out rebellious or flawed in some way, He can rework cracked pots like us, as a result of His love, mercy and grace. Disciples and followers of Jesus Christ cooperate with God, the Potter, because we realize He approaches us with grace.  He has chosen to be grace-filled toward us.

God has chosen to offer grace to us. As a consequence, we should be willing to offer grace to others.

B.  Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 gives us a perfect rationale for becoming a true disciple of Christ.  In Verses1-4, King David affirms He has searched us and He knows us. He knows who we are.  He knows our thoughts. He knows what we intend to say before we say it. He knows everything we do. There is no hiding from Him!  We may hide things from our friends and families, but not from God! And yet He loves us and offers us His grace. 

Since He is omniscient (knows all things) and also omnipresent (is everywhere), There is nowhere that we can run to escape Him or His knowledge of us.  If His intentions for us were bad, this would be excruciating for us.  But He is patient with us.  He loves us and offers us His grace.

And, verses13-16 He made us (knit me [us] together in my [our] mother’s womb).  He ordained how long we would live.  And He envisioned a plan and a purpose for each of us.

This psalm assures us that God knows us intimately—better and longer than anyone else—and despite our faults and flaws, wants us to form a deep, loving relationship with Him.  Doesn’t it just make so much sense for us to want to fall into step with God’s plan? Those of us who have ignored God’s plan for our lives, and walked our own way, know that pathway leads to turmoil and trouble. Truthfully, aren’t we both surprised and gratified by God’s grace toward us?

Again, as a result, true disciples of Christ choose to offer grace to others.

C.  Our NT lesson this morning is from Philemon—such a little jewel of a letter!  Paul is in prison, waiting to be executed (about 60AD), but he takes the time to write a Christian friend, Philemon, who lives back in Colossae (present day Turkey).  Remember, most all of Paul’s epistles were to churches.  A few, like his letters to Titus and Timothy, were intended to teach and to encourage new pastors of the infant Christian Church.  But Philemon is the one personal letter included in the canon of Scripture to teach us about grace.

Paul, who had persecuted the infant Church, knew he had been a proud, wicked, wrong-headed, man saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. As a result of having been shown grace, he uses the word grace over 100 times in his writings (Jesus and the other disciples use it about 40 times).

Here he addresses Philemon, the slave-owner of Onesimus, both of whom Paul had led to Christ.  Instead of insisting Philemon accept Onesimus back without vengeance, Paul blesses the man and asks him to accept Onesimus back as a freed brother-in-Christ.  He is asking Philemon—out of love for Paul and as a true disciple of Jesus—to offer grace and freedom to Onesimus. In those days, slave owners had life and death control over their slaves and slaves were considered their property.  However, as the Apostle John reminds us, (John 8:36) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  Paul is urging, not demanding, that Philemon offer forgiveness to Onesimus. This is no longer an economic  or property issue, but a moral and a spiritual one.  In those days, the Roman Empire was said to have a population of 120 million, 1/2 or 60 million of whom were slaves.  The practice to own another person was common, but Paul wants the members of the Church to choose grace.  Again, true disciples of Christ seek to please the Lord by freely offering grace to others.

D.  Finally, in today’s Gospel lesson (Luke14:25-33), Jesus draws our attention to the cost of discipleship. Believers or followers should think through committing themselves to being disciples, as the cost is high.  Nothing is to come before Jesus in our hearts–not spouses, children, parents, siblings, self, etc.  We don’t have to hate these relationships. There is a place for them in our lives, but all of them need to take back seat to Jesus.  This is one cost to consider.

Additionally, just as a builder considers his/her resources before planning construction, and just as a king considers his resources before engaging in battle, so too must we estimate or count the cost of becoming a disciple of Christ.  If you can’t commit all, then remain a believer, a follower. But being Jesus’ disciple, a true disciple, means being willing to give all of one’s self to the effort, including carrying a cross.  It also means offering grace to others, even though you might be angry with or disappointed in them.

We offer grace to others not because they deserve it, but because God has offered it to us when we did not deserve it. True disciples of Jesus allow God to mold and shape us, like a potter with clay. True disciples of Jesus understand that since God made us, knows us, and knows the future, it makes good sense to fall into line with His plans for us. True disciples of Jesus learn to let go and let God. True disciples of Jesus have reviewed the potential cost, but commit to Christ, choosing to live by God’s grace, and choosing to extend grace to others.  Amen!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Running an Endurance Race

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 24, 2025

Scriptures: Jer 1:1-10; Ps 71:1-8; Heb 12:1-13; Lk 13:22-30

Our Gospel lesson this morning (Luke 13:22-30) is very sobering.  In it Jesus states firmly to His Jewish followers that many may know of Him, but only a relative few of them will enter His Kingdom. 

Consider this story told by Ravi Zackarias:

“On his way to work every day, a man walked past a clockmaker’s store.  Without fail, he would stop and reset his watch from the clock in the window, then proceed on to the factory.  The clockmaker observed this scene morning after morning.  One day he stepped outside and asked the man what he did and why he set his watch every morning.  The man replied, ‘I’m the watchman at the factory, and it’s part of my job to blow the 4:00 whistle for the end of the day.  My watch is slow, so I reset it [by your clock] every morning.’ The clockmaker laughed and said, ‘You won’t believe this.  That clock in the window is fast, so I reset it every afternoon by the factory whistle. Heaven only knows what time it really is.’”

(retold from The Real Face of Atheism, Baker books, 2004, p.52.)

Each man’s standard was the other guy’s timepiece. Incidentally, often before church I compare my watch and the church clock with a parishioner’s phone. My watch runs slow and so does the church clock. I know your time is important to you. I don’t want to start church either too early or too late. We figure the time on our phones is probably most accurate—but again, who really knows? Nevertheless, the point of the story is that we have to be aware of the accuracy of the standard against which we measure our behavior.

No standard is going to be as accurate as that set by Jesus. He’s on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified, teaching as He goes, no doubt imparting what He knows are the most important teachings to leave with folks.  Someone in the crowd asks, (v.23):Lord, will only a few be saved?  Whoever this is has been listening to Jesus’ Kingdom parables and apparently finds the standards the Lord sets out to be high. And Jesus answers that that person is correct in his assessment. The door by which we gain entrance is narrow—only through Jesus–though the road to Him is broad.  Not everyone who attempts to enter will be allowed in.  In fact, (vv.25-27):When the Master of the house [God the Father] has locked the door, it will be too late.  You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’  But He will reply, “I don’t know you or where you come from.’  Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with You, and You taught in our streets.’  And He will reply, “I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from.  Get away from Me, all you who do evil.” 

The door is narrow because it’s not enough to simply know about Jesus. The only ones entering His Kingdom are those with a personal relationship with Him (those who are born again): Those who believe in Him; Those who are obedient to Him. The fact that you may have heard of Jesus will not be enough. The fact that you were a nice person in this life will not be enough. Neither your DNA, nor your church attendance, nor the fact that your grandma or grandpa was a believer will be enough. You, yourself must have made a decision during your lifetime for Christ. Even more alarming is the fact that Jesus already knew many of His Jewish brothers and sisters—despite His death on the Cross–would reject Him, and yet He still trudged on toward Jerusalem. He ends the parable by saying that many Gentile believers would enter in while God’s Chosen People would exclude themselves by their unbelief. No wonder a few verses later (34-35), Jesus will weep over Jerusalem. 

Why would our Lord be so grieved?  He loves us and He desires that none should perish.  Our other lessons point out some additional reasons.

A.  Jeremiah 1:1-10 recounts for us God’s call to Jeremiah to become a prophet.  Jeremiah was probably between17-20 when God ordained him (around 626BC). His father, Hilkiah, was already serving the Lord as a priest in their home town of Anathoth, located just north of Jerusalem. Because of his age and position, scholars believe Jeremiah and King Josiah may have been friends.  King Josiah was about 22 at that time and reigned until he died at age 39, another 17 years later. Jeremiah served all during the remainder of Josiah’s reign, as well as during the reigns of kings Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim (sons of Josiah), Jehoiachin (Josiah’s grandson), and Zedekiah (a third son of Josiah’s). Josiah had been a good and godly king, and had led his people in a revival, leading their hearts back to God.  But his sons and grandsons were another story.  Because of their idolatry and wicked behavior, God allowed the last (Zedekiah) to be defeated and carried off into slavery by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  In fact, Nebuchadnezzar forced him to watch his sons be murdered before putting his eyes out.  Zedekiah’s last sight was observing his sons die, a truly cruel punishment. 

But, to return to Jeremiah, notice how God calls him into service:  Verse 5, NLT:Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.  This is pretty impressive, isn’t it?  It implies that God knows us before we are even conceived, that He calls us into being, and that He has a plan for our lives.  This is the best argument against abortion that I know.  We come into being at God’s behest.  What right have we to contradict God’s will?  The Lord tells Jeremiah He had determined that he would become a prophet to deliver to His people God’s own words.  Jeremiah, a humble and an obedient young man, tells God, (v.6):I am only a child.  In other words, “Yes, I will do it, but I am young and inexperienced; I wouldn’t know what to say!”  God’s response must have been very reassuring (v.7):Do not say,’ I am only a child.’  You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.  The Lord gave Jeremiah words and direction; and He promised to take care of him, even though He was calling him to prophesy divine judgment on Judah and her heretical kings.

So here is another reason why God grieves over us.  Our God clearly knows us and the plans He has for us as He calls us into being in our mother’s womb.  How happy He must be when He sees us choosing to believe in His Son.  How pleased He must be when we endeavor to move forward in His plan for us.  And how it must disappoint Him when we veer away from His plans and from Him.  Remember, He later tells Jeremiah (29:11, NIV):”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord.  “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

B. The psalmist who penned Psalm 71 was clearly an elderly person (perhaps King David), looking back over his life, recalling the times the Lord had protected him.  This person was a man of faith.  He remembered (v.1) how the Lord had saved him and rescued him.  He appears to need help again, and asks God to (v.3):Be my Rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress.   Because of his “lived experience” with God, he trusts that God will respond to him and help him once again (vv.5-6):O Lord, You alone are my hope.  I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb [There it is again.  The psalmist believes Psalm 139 and what God says to Jeremiah in chapter 1] You have cared for me.  No wonder I am always praising You!

The psalm encourages us each to do the same. To trust God, not grieve Him, from our birth until our death.  We are to trust God because He knows us and loves us.

C.  The writer to the Hebrews reminds us in chapter 12:1-13, that we have to keep moving forward in our faith.  In other words, just as we can’t say, “We’ve heard about Jesus, therefore we are saved;” we also can’t say, “I’m saved, therefore there is nothing further expected of me.”

The writer to the Hebrews likens the Christian walk to a race that requires endurance and faith.  Difficulties will come to each of us:

1.) Sometimes as tactics of the evil one to discourage us and pull us away from God;

2.) Sometimes as a result of our own sins or poor choices (we reap what we sow);

3.) Difficulties may come to us for standing up for what is right.

4.) Sometimes because the Lord is disciplining us, causing us to adjust or correct our course. The Lord disciplines those He loves. We need to accept that He wants us to shape up.

No matter the reason, we are to persevere in our faith, just like the heroes of the faith listed in chapter 11. We are also to cast off whatever impedes us in this race.  We don’t run with a backpack filled with boulders.

We take frequent inventory of our sins and confess them to God.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:31:If God is for us, who can be against us?  Our fuel and our ability and our motivation to run an endurance race is God’s love.  Most of us are not called to be prophets, but our God knew each of us from the womb also. He has given us various gifts and talents. We are to use these to make our way in the world and also to build up His Kingdom. When we squander or horde our gifts, we grieve Him. Remember, in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the Master was angry with the fellow who had not used his talent but had buried it in the backyard.

God is willing to be present to us all of our lives long. He protects us and provides for us. He is present to us–only a prayer conversation away. It’s got to grieve Him to watch us suffer when He is ready to help if we would just call upon Him.

From the day we choose to follow Jesus until the day we die, we are running an endurance race. We win this race if we keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. And if we don’t grow weary or lose heart.  AMEN!

©️Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams