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Mark 12: 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”    29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”  Jesus began the answer to this question in a way with which his questioner was very familiar. Loving God above all was a concept well known to Jewish thought. But loving your neighbor as yourself was something new. Jesus was all about love. He lived it in his incarnation; He made it eternal by His death on a cross. In His answer he ties together love of God and neighbor. He advises that there is no commandment greater than these, the two together. Love of God is our source, played out daily in our love for each other. It forms the […]

The church isn’t a building or organization. The church is the body of believers. It spans many denominations, races and nations.  Carefully considered, this is a pretty radical concept. It confers authority, and responsibility, to individuals. If we are unhappy with the state of “the church” we need to look in the mirror not at a priest, pastor, or other leader. If we believe the church should be doing a better job of being “salt” and “light, ” preserving what is good in the world and casting light into corners of darkness, we need to get salty and brighten up. The church isn’t perfect, because it’s made up of imperfect humans. But it’s pretty good because it consists of individuals changed into new (and significantly better) creatures by their faith in Christ. And, by the way, it DOES NOT include everyone who calls themself a “Christian” or “Church Member.” We know who we are. We don’t get to vote on the membership of others, but He does. Come on Church. Let’s get moving. There’s much to be done. Be blessed. Nick

I recall fondly the days of my youth as an altar boy in Crowley. I remember waking up before my parents or 8 brothers and sisters and silently dressing and slipping out of the house before dawn. In  my memory it’s always a cold morning as I pull my bike to the street and pedal the two blocks to church. I remember slipping in the back door of the sanctuary and quietly dressing for mass before assisting the priest to prepare and lighting the candles. Those memories still warm me as they impressed me with the solemnity and holiness of “church.” Most of us have memories of church and those memories form our current concept of what church is. Some of the memories are positive  but others are quite negative. They may involve institutions or persons, perhaps a favorite Sunday School teacher or wise pastor. We may remember being scared to death by fire-and-brimstone sermons or forever damaged by someone whose heart was filled with more judgment than love. The point is that it’s easy to lose touch with what the church should be. We are affected by what imperfect people in the church have done for us or […]

The first week of our small group semester is nearly over. Have you taken advantage of any of the many opportunities to participate in a small group? You have a last chance tomorrow night at 6 p.m. as “Being the Church,” “Through the Bible” and “Your Move” all begin. Perhaps the subject of the meeting you choose is less important than the fellowship that goes with it. Jesus told us that by our love for one another, others will know we are His. How can we love each other if we don’t know each other? Sitting in the same room on Sunday mornings isn’t enough. If you are like me, you don’t know the names of most of the members of your church. You sure don’t know their struggles, loves and needs. You won’t get to know them unless you spend some one-on-one time with them. Maybe you should start Sunday night. See you at 6? Nick

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 Every successful business has a mission statement. The mission statement should be a clear and succinct representation of the enterprise’s purpose for existence. Maybe it isn’t a bad idea to have a written personal mission statement. The devil would love to get us distracted and off the course on which God has placed us. God has something He wants us to do and we had better not substitute the good for the best. Find out what God wants you to do and refuse to be distracted by the devil. We need to say as the apostle Paul said, “This one thing I do!” Know what it is that God wants and do it with all your strength for His glory! Take a few minutes to write out a mission statement about your life focusing on “that one thing”  that you think God has called you to do. With that thought written on the paper before us, we can base every decision on consistency with our Mission Statement. We’re all on a mission. It’s a blessing to be able to clearly […]

Psalm 55 16 As for me, I will call upon God,         And the LORD shall save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon         I will pray, and cry aloud,          And He shall hear my voice. 18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,         For there were many against me. 19 God will hear, and afflict them,         Even He who abides from of old.  Selah           Because they do not change,          Therefore they do not fear God.           20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;         He has broken his covenant. 21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,         But war was in his heart;          His words were softer than oil,          Yet they were drawn swords.           22 Cast your burden on the LORD,         And He shall sustain you;          He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.  We know that we should cast our cares upon the Lord. But maybe we need to consider just how, in practical terms. to do that. Here’s a suggested procedure.  1. Write down the causes of your anxiety.2. Pray specifically each cause into the hands of God.  3. Visualize placing the situation into God’s omnipotent hands.  I know, visualization, has a bad name. […]

Yesterday I did something spontaneous. I took my wife and daughter-in-law to a movie in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week. I highly recommend that exercise. I also highly recommend the movie, The King’s Speech. After the death of his father King George V  and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII, Bertie  who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric and not very successful speech therapist, Lionel Logue . After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill, the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Now I must warn that the movie is rated R for language. It seems the future king doesn’t stammer when he sings, is angry or curses. So we occasionally hear him curse. But […]

 “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 The problem is we aren’t satisfied with daily bread. We want the assurance that we will have bread next week, next month and next year. We fail to recognize that a person with a loaf of bread is not better off than the person whose father owns a bakery.  What Jesus was trying to teach us when He taught us the Lord’s Prayer is dependence. God wants us to be dependent on Him, to trust Him for all that we need. I am over 60 years old and God has provided abundantly all that time, and not just bread and water. He has provided french bread, muffins, and unending variety of not just what I need but what thrills me.  Yet I still find myself worried about tomorrow. I don’t know what it will take for me to trust and relax; but I hope it happens soon. Be blessed and, pass the butter. Nick  “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.  Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him or a lifetime” G