He Knows

Matthew 6:31-34

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we

wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. We all worry about things. Some worry about passing a class, others worry about their children or tension at work and still others worry about the roof leaking or being accepted in a group of people. We all worry, not always the same things, but we all worry about something. Jesus knows that, and this is what He said about it: “Don’t do it!” Just don’t. And here’s why.

Your Heavenly Father knows you need these things. He knows! In so many ways He knows. He knows because He created you. He created you to love and to want and to hunger and to thirst. He created you that way. Because of creating you, He knows what you will worry about. On top of that, He knows because he lived as a human and He hungered and thirsted and was cold. He experienced it and knows what we need. So in confidence we can say, “I won’t worry because God knows what I need and has already made provisions for me.”

So what should you do instead of worrying? Seek first His kingdom. At CAA week of worship this week Pastor Urijah talked about fasting. During a fast there are times when hunger and cravings come. Those are signals that tell our body to eat and consume what we are craving. The key to fasting is when those signals come, they become reminders to pray and to spend time with God.

So the next time you feel worry, take that as a reminder to look for the kingdom of God. Take that moment to trust God and be thankful that He knows what you need. Take that moment to be grateful that He is watching out for you and has already made plans for taking care of you, because He loves you very much.

 - Pastor Kristen

Higher Than Harvard

2 Peter 3:17-18 says, “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and forever!  Amen.”

Peter encourages us to not slowly be carried away, but instead to steadily grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.  I’m so grateful we value learning and growth within the Meadow Glade SDA Church!  We so value our schools and the excellent learning that takes place on these two campuses every day throughout the school year.  I hope all of us who are now out of school always value learning every day also through eternity!

This past Sabbath we talked about how lovely it is to learn from Jesus.  The context of Christianity is the greatest framework for learning found in this world and beyond!  Jesus is next-level learning and there is no better focal point for our forward progress than Him, period.  For an example, on Sabbath we looked at the Harvard Business Review and found four key attributes for successful learning:  1.  Aspiration, 2.  Self-awareness, 3.  Curiosity, and 4.  Vulnerability.  Harvard was absolutely right.  It's not difficult to believe these attributes can bolster anyone’s context for learning.  But inject Jesus into the matrix, and it gets even better.

Does Jesus provide greater aspiration?  He promises and proves to be the Way, the Truth and the Life and that He has come that we may have life more abundant!  Does Jesus provide greater Self-awareness?  He tells us without Him we can do nothing but with Him all things are possible!  We don’t have to rely on ourselves but absolutely can rely on Him!  Does Jesus provide us with greater curiosity?  He promises to never leave us and to work all things together for our good.  Even the negative events in our life He promises and proves to use to help us grow!  These facts can keep us optimistic and curious to what’s ahead!  And does Jesus help us with vulnerability?  Jesus helps us embrace vulnerability and endorses greater humility.  He made Himself of no reputation to elevate us to the highest possible place with Him in the Heavenly kingdom coming!  We are called to humble ourselves now all for the sake of elevating others.

Peter was right.  To Him, Jesus, belongs glory both now and forever!  Amen.

 -Pastor Michael

Learning With A Purpose

I believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word to us from beginning to end.  Within it there are books rich in history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom, biography, and I’m sure other genres, but all with the narrative that tells us of God’s love and redemptive desire for mankind, in spite of our sinful condition.   In reading it we can gather trivia, factual information, stories of dysfunctional people, and the drama of life.  However, that is just breaking the surface of the beauty of scripture, with so much more to learn.  

In John 5:39-40 Jesus shared these words, “You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me, but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.”   Jesus wants us to know that Biblical knowledge without a realization and acceptance of our sinful rebellion, our inability to fix the problem, and therefore, our need of Him, our Savior, is just the gathering of information that may come in handy on Jeopardy. 

God calls us to approach the studying of His word prayerfully, knowing that when we do, He will take us deeper into understanding His character, and His plan for us.  Submitting ourselves to His authority, the Holy Spirit will ground us in the truth, strengthen our faith in Jesus as the way, truth, and life, and change our hearts and way of thinking so we can better reflect Jesus to the world around us. 

Today, with so many differing opinions on God, and so much natural and political unrest happening around us, we are wise to find out what God would say to us about why, about His return, and His great love that just wants to get us all home.  But it won’t just happen.  We actually have to read and listen, and that takes time, not a lot, but if we’re honest, probably more than we have been giving.   Together let’s be recognized as people of “the Book,” who are getting to know Jesus as the answer to the questions of life, so that we too can live and love like Him. 

May God bless you as you learn from Him.

-Pastor Jim

I am the Woman

This past Sabbath we reflected on Jesus interaction with the women at the well. Again, I invite you to reflect on this story by reading the poem, I am the Woman, by Rose Teteki Abbey.

- Pastor Evan

I am the Samaritan Woman.

I am the Woman who met Jesus at the Well.

He asked me for water and I refused.

After all, he was a Jew, I was a Samaritan

But there were other reasons for my refusal.

People condemn me and my lifestyle.

Women shun me for reasons best known to them.

And men?

Ask the five who stayed with me. They use me in secret and despise me in public.

I was used to loneliness, it was welcome to me.

It was better than being condemned by people.

How then was I to socialize with this man at the Well?

How could I add him to the long string of my accusers?

But, before I was aware, he had drawn me into conversation.

He was not ashamed to sit with me.

He sat with me at the Well and had a long conversation with me.

My culture said I was nothing without a husband

But Jesus didn’t care that none of the five men was my husband.

He gave me the meaning of true religion.

He corrected my notions about faith.

True worshipers, he said, worship in Spirit and in Truth.

Listening to him, I felt liberated.

It didn’t matter any longer that I was a woman-

A woman without a husband.

What mattered was that I was hungry, I was thirsty.

He gave me the living water.

I left my jar and ran to the village.

“Come!” I said to the people.

“Come and meet the liberator”

I truly was liberated.

I could talk about my fears to Christ. I still do.

He neither rebuked me nor laughed at me. He still doesn’t.

I felt full because Christ gave me the Living Water.

I still feel full, because Christ still gives me the Living Water.

Climbing

Ever since I was little I loved to climb things.  Rocks, trees, mountains, even onto the roof of my house.  When I climb up high on a mountain and look out across the valley, I begin to see how small I am in comparison to the rest of the world.  Things that might seem like big problems when I’m in my office seem to be less important up there. 

“In prayer I shift my point of view away from my own selfishness.  I climb above timberline and look down at the speck that is myself.  I gaze at the stars and recall what role I or any of us play in a universe beyond comprehension.  Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God’s point of view.” -Philip Yancey

With how busy life can get its easy to loose sight of God’s point of view.  But we shouldn’t let it go that easy.  Take a moment today to pray for God’s point of view.  And if it helps, go climb something!

- Pastor Kristen

Big Toes Belong

This past Sabbath we talked about the value of belonging as seen in the New Testament's teaching on the body of Christ.  1 Corinthians 12:12-14 says, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  For in fact the body is not one member but many.”  The church is called the “body of Christ” for the poignant point that we all belong.  There are many individuals, yet we are one.  Every part is important!

Last year I dropped a heavy, wooden food tray on my big toe.  It was summer and we were headed to Big Lake and we stopped off at a restaurant to eat.  I was wearing flip-flop sandals.  As I sat the tray on the table and took our family’s food off the tray, it slid off the table and like a would-be guillotine hit my toe with astounding torque!  My whole body radiated pain in that moment while leg pain continued throughout the day.  The effects of the injury lasted for months until finally a new toenail grew and replaced the purple one that I thought might just become permanent! 

Why am I talking about my big toe?  That’s weird.  Well, maybe some of us feel more like a purple, big toe than a pumped-up bicep in the body of Christ.  I know I often have!  Though we sometimes feel weird and awkward in comparison with some of the more attractive parts of the body of Christ, God wants us to know we are all vitally important.  As a matter of fact, listen to these three different statements found in 1 Corinthians 12:20-26:  1.  Those members that seem to be weaker are necessary.  2.  Those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor.  3.  God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it. 

The passage concludes by saying, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”  My whole body suffered for a long time when I hurt my big toe.  I’m happy to report it feels great and looks as good as it can now!  I’m happy to also report I won’t be talking further about my big toe.  I’m ecstatic to be a part of a wonderful church family that values belonging, believing that every single person is vitally important.  Let’s lift up those who feel like the least, so they can realize our mighty Savior thinks they’re the best!  Though we all suffer some now, soon we will all be rejoicing together, experiencing belonging like never before in God’s glorious eternal kingdom!

 - Pastor Michael Brackett

Worth Living

The famous philosopher Socrates once said, "An unexamined life is not worth living."  This line was recorded in Plato's Apology but most would agree there is no apology needed for anyone wanting to evaluate their life in hopes of improving it.   The Meadow Glade SDA Church family has recently convened with a Strategic Planning Committee with hopes to examine our ministry by humbling ourselves before God and asking for His Spirit's leading.  17 unique and beloved individuals (nominated by your pastors) answered the call to meet for four months at the beginning of this calendar year.  We are happy to report that God blessed throughout the course of those meetings! 

The Committee emerged with the following new vision statement:  "Growing Together to Love Like Jesus."   This statement speaks to our four identifiable core values of "Belonging, Learning, Sharing and Serving."  We hope to keep this in front of us – vocalizing and exploring it together often.  Over the next couple of months, we’d like to unpack this with our sermon series.  We’ll spend two Sabbath on each core value.  Next week I’ll be preaching on our core value of “Belonging” and we will conclude the series just before Thanksgiving.

I’m so grateful for our Strategic Planning Committee team.  We are so grateful for our beloved church.  We are so grateful for our incredible God Who continues to lead us onward to His coming kingdom.  1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.”  Though we are a people with a diversity of gifts we serve the same God.  He is moving us collectively to an ever-improved life as we allow Him to examine us always.   I like Socrates statement, but I think it would be even better if he added God into the equation.  An examined life with God's leading is always worth living.

-Pastor Michael