Episodes

Sunday Aug 25, 2013
Amazing Grace #2 - Christ In Me
Sunday Aug 25, 2013
Sunday Aug 25, 2013
In the letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul discusses the
revelation of relationship with God, by faith, through grace. He had
lived the majority of his life zealously pursuing the traditions of his
forefathers, and the attempted fulfillment of the Law of Moses. What God
showed him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9)
& beyond was that the only way for a person to be justified (made
right) in their relationship with God was by faith, through grace. No
matter how hard a person tried to be made right by their own works and
strict adherence to the Law, they would always fall short (Romans 6:23). Paul even discovered that this had been God's plan all along, as shown in God's covenant agreement with Abraham in Genesis 15, where it says, "Abraham believed (had faith) in the LORD, & He (the LORD God) counted it as righteousness (right relationship with God.) Further, in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 10) God
challenged His people not merely to attempt the outward keeping of the
Law, (which meant going to church, praying, maintaining ritual purity,
being circumcised, etc...) but to live lives of faith & devotion to
Him, loving Him with all of their heart, soul, mind, & strength. God wanted ALL of them, not merely sacrifices & rituals. This has huge ramifications for us, as Paul points out in Galatians 2:20-21:
I have been crucified
with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God...
This means when we exercise faith in Christ, we receive God's grace to
live each moment of our life being lead by the in-dwelling Holy Spirit,
by the power of Christ. Which means I'm not following God by rote, but
rather walking with Him, doing what He would be doing if He were in our
shoes! That is a beautiful thing.
Blessings, grace, & peace to you!
Louie

Tuesday Aug 20, 2013
Amazing Grace #1 - A Study in Galatians
Tuesday Aug 20, 2013
Tuesday Aug 20, 2013
The Apostle Paul begins his letter to the Galatian church with a
greeting intended to remind his readers of the basis for their
relationship & standing with God. He writes, “Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins
to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our
God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5
God’s grace (God’s unmerited, unworked for, unearned favor) is
at the very essence & heart of the gospel – the Good News – which
declares that because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, EVERYONE who
calls upon His Name can be forgiven of sins & restored to
relationship with God, through Christ. God’s peace (His blessing of peace, well-being, & physical/spiritual harmony)
is upon our lives as a result of grace, & is at work in, through,
& around our lives as evidence of God’s working in us. The gospel
truly is good news!
In the next portion of Galatians 1, Paul confronts the
church because they have forgotten the gospel of grace by which they
were saved, & have embraced a different ‘gospel’ – one rooted in
religion, guilt, shame which emphasized & evaluated ourrelationship
with God based on performance & deeds instead of the love/faith
relationship intended by God, begun with the victory of Christ’s work on
the cross.
Grace is a big deal - & our embracing God’s amazing grace enables
us to live lives free of the weight of sin, guilt, & condemnation –
to live full of the power of the Holy Spirit, freely embracing the great
gift of salvation, redemption, & transformation as sons &
daughters of God.

Monday Aug 12, 2013
The LORD is my Shepherd... & I shall lack nothing...
Monday Aug 12, 2013
Monday Aug 12, 2013
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing. Psalm 23:1
I was reading over Psalm 23 this morning… it’s
familiar. I memorized it when I was small. I know that its good to know
scripture – at the same time, I have found that I have to make sure not
to just know it in my head but to also let it sink to my heart. There’s a
difference.
If it’s in my head, I can recall it, remember it, think about it. And
then when I’m done & off to the next thought, the Scripture goes
back into the file in my head & is put away in its virtual filing
cabinet until the next time I come across it. If it’s in my heart, I
live it. It affects me at the deepest level of my being. It becomes like
a handy-dandy smart phone app, perhaps invisible but still actively
running below the surface, having a definite influence. Back to Psalm 23 – The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.
David wrote it – he GOT it at a gut level – he had
been a shepherd, & he knew intimately of the similarities between
what he had done, & what God did with him on a daily basis. So
David’s declaration of The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want, is a
faith statement – rooted in thankfulness – contentment. There was
nothing that God had not, did not, would not make sure that David would
get if he was in need. And from his self-assessment, he wasn’t lacking
anything.
This hit me hard. The LORD is MY shepherd. He is the One who cares
& provides for, protects, directs, instructs, heals, & feeds –
ME. But when I read the second part after the ; the I shall not want, I
realized there were/are areas in me where the ugly stuff resides –
rather that being able to see where God is shepherding me well, &
that I am not in lack, want, or need – instead, my soul is striving;
discontent; frustrated; needy; ungrateful; blind to God’s faithful &
miraculous care for me.
Ouch. All that, revealed in a moment. I know Psalm 23.
But is it in my heart today? I repent. Reorient. Return. Ask my
shepherd to pick the thorns & stickers from my soul. Right now I
intentionally choose thankfulness. Contentment. Gratefulness. Awareness
of God’s work in & around me & mine. The LORD is my shepherd; I
shall lack nothing. And I mean it.

Thursday Aug 08, 2013
Get Off The Bench & Get In The Game
Thursday Aug 08, 2013
Thursday Aug 08, 2013
This week, our guest speaker is Chris White, Pastor of UTurn Carson City Youth...