Strong Language

Introduction
I will never forget the first time I saw my mother cry.  I was still quite young and my mom was trying to close a window.  Somehow it pinched her finger and it must of hurt pretty bad.  It made her cry.  I remember how it shocked me.  I had always seen her (I guess like many young children see their parents) as super human.  I knew children cried--I had cried many times--but I didn't know mama's could cry.  I don't remember her saying any bad words when it happened, but she did cry.

Growing up, my mother taught me not to use bad language and I so I avoided it.  There was one time I was at my uncle’s house and he and my cousin were playing catch with a baseball.  One time it missed the ball and it rolled over into the hedges my uncle had recently trimmed.  I ran over and carelessly stooped down to pick up the ball.  One of the recently pruned limbs cut to a sharp point jabbed me directly in my naked eye!  It hurt!  And it scared me too!  I jumped up screaming "Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!" (Only, I didn't say shoot.  I used a bad word that sounds the same.)  To my credit, after only four expletives I realized my aunt and uncle (who wouldn't approve of such language) were looking on and quickly switched to "Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!"  To their credit, my aunt and uncle never said anything about my language, but they did make sure I made it to the doctor to get my eye checked out.  Thankfully, I didn't gauge my eye out and go blind.  I just had to wear an eye patch for about a week.

Have you ever though about what makes a word a cuss word?  I mean, why is it ok to say your baby has a poopy diaper but another four-letter word for the same bodily function is considered highly offensive?  Part of the reason is the value society places on some words.  Another reason is sometimes people intentionally use certain words to make a strong statement that won’t be ignored.

Categories of Bad Language
There are actually several categories of language people consider taboo.  We tend to use several terms to describe foul language and often use them interchangeably.  Technically, however, each term describes a different category of taboo language.

Profanity is using words that profane what is sacred. (Last week I talked about how our actions can also be profane and that’s even worse than using profane words.  You can read that blog here.)

Cussing (or cussin’, as we say in the south) is slang for cursing as in “She placed a curse on her ex boyfriend”. (That really gave me pause when I thought about how frequently people cuss in America these days. What spiritual damage might all these curses floating around be doing to our society?)

Swearing was originally religious act. We still see a remnant of this religious practice in our moderns courts of law.  People may swear on a Bible to “…tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” However, swearing is taboo if a person swears falsely or swears flippantly (which is why we often use swearing to describe using bad words). Originally, the category of swearing was reserved for taboo language that misused words associated with religious oaths. Today it can describe any kind of bad language people shouldn't say.

Dirty language is a category that uses words for foul things, private acts, or subjects that ought to be avoided if possible. Of course, even unsavory subjects must be discussed from time to time. In those situations, there are polite ways to discuss using the bathroom, spreading manure on your corn field, or making love to your wife. Dirty language takes those delicate subjects and intentionally uses strong taboo words in order to intentionally make language offensive.

Strong Language
And that brings me to a final category that is the subject of today’s message—strong language.  Strong language is a category that intentionally uses words from any of the previous categories to make a bold statement that gets people's attention. In church society, we usually avoid using strong language.  We prefer to be nice and polite (most of the time).  However, we do read several situations in the Bible where people used strong language to make a critical point.

Matthew 3:5-10
⁵ People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. ⁶ And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

⁷ But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? ⁸ Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. ⁹ Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. ¹⁰ Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

Brood of Snakes!
John the Baptist was a wild and fiery preacher sent to prepare the people of Israel for the coming Messiah.  John appears at the beginning of the New Testament, but he followed a long line of Old Testament prophets who often used strong language to shock their listeners into paying attention God’s Word.  

In 1 Kings 18, the prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to see if Yahweh or Baal were real.  They both built altars for sacrifice and then Elijah invited the prophets of Baal to ask their god to send fire from heaven to to consume their sacrifice.  The prophets of Baal cried out in prayer all day and Baal didn't answer.  So, Elijah started taunting them.  In verse 27 he mocks: "“You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself."  Now, Bible translators tend to soften strong language, because they know these things are going to be read in church.  But you can be sure when Elijah mocked the false prophets, he was intentionally using strong terms for Baal when he said Baal was "relieving" himself.

The prophet Amos called the women of Samaria “fat cows” in Amos 4:1.  

In Galatians 1:8, the Apostle Paul says anyone who corrupts the Good News message about Jesus should be damned to hell by God. (Again, our modern translations clean it up a bit so we can read it in church, but Paul used the Greek word anathema and it literally what it means to be damned to hell, and God is the one to be doing the damning.)

John the Baptist called the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of snakes.  Sweet Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 12:34.  A brood is a large number of offspring from a mother animal.  Usually, we talk of broods being from birds or snakes.  However, I have heard some mothers jokingly referred to as having a brood of children when they have a lot of children.  In the case of John the Baptist (and Jesus), he was saying these Pharisees were the offspring of a snake.  In other words, he was saying, "Your mama’s a snake!"  Now, it’s offensive to talk about someone’s mama! Those are fighting words!

Also, remember that in the Bible in Genesis 3, the Devil was a snake that slithered up and deceived Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit and causing sin and death to enter the world.  To call someone a snake in our culture is pretty bad.  In the Bible, calling someone a snake had an extra strong meaning.  John the Baptist was saying these religious leaders were children of the Devil.  That’s strong language.

John offended on purpose.  Sometimes it takes strong language to verbally slap someone upside the head and get their attention.  The way the Pharisees and Sadducees were living was leading them to eternal damnation.  Even worse, they were taking thousands and thousands of people to hell with them.  First century Jews looked up to these Pharisees and Sadducees as their religious leaders who were supposed to know the right way to live in order to please God.  John (and Jesus) verbally slapped them for their damnable behavior.

What do you do when you see someone carelessly walking and texting on their phone and they’re not paying attention and they are about to step out into the road and get run over by a car?  Do you say, “Excuse me sir.  I don’t want to bother you, but would you mind being more careful.”  No.  That won’t do the job.  You scream: “Hey!  Look out!”  You pick the right language for the right occasion.  And if the person keeps being careless day after day, you might even start yelling, “Hey!  You idiot!  Stop looking at your phone and pay attention or you’re gonna get killed!”  That might be what it takes to shake a person enough to make them be more careful.

A wise person learns to use the right words at the right time in the right way.  There's a place for strong language, but overusing strong language weakens its effect and using it inappropriately is just rude and ungodly.

Bleeping Expletives
There is another category of bad language people often use—expletives.  An expletive is what we might call an empty word added to fill out a sentence.  Comedian Grady Nutt joked of inventing a few harmless cuss words for pastors to use.  (Here's a funny clip of his routine.)  He joked it wasn't fair for ministers who stumped their toe to exclaim "Behold!"  So he invented boogley and blotchey.  So you could say, “Get your boogley feet of my blotchey bed.”  You could say the words boogley and blotchey are empty, meaningless words.  But they’re not really empty, pointless words are they?  They intensify the the language.  It’s one thing to say, “Get your feet off my bed.”  It’s stronger language to say, “Get your boogley feet off my blotchey bed.”  It carries more passion.

The more common custom in our day, is to use taboo words as expletives.  People don’t say boogley and blotchey; they use foul words we all know were quite offensive in the past, but today those offensive words have almost become common place.  It may soon be that some of the words our mama told us not to say are just the new adjectives everybody uses. 

I hope that doesn't happen, because I believe words matter.  Words shape our attitudes and affect the way we relate to one another.  I don’t want our world to be a place where offensive language is just the normal way people talk (and treat each other).  I want our world to be a place where people are kind and patient and gracious to one another.  I want love to be the prevailing attitude in people’s hearts.  I want goodness and purity and holiness to abound.  And so I want us, as Philippians 4:8 says, to “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  My prayer is that we will use words that express thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, and excellent, and worthy of praise.

There is a place for strong language.  The prophets sometimes  used strong language.  John the Baptist and even Jesus spoke the harsh truth when they called the Pharisees a brood of vipers.  Those weren't empty words.  They had meaning and godly purpose.

Flee from the Coming Wrath
Today, I want you to hear me when I say, you need to get your heart right with God.   Are you listening?  Do I need to use strong language to offend you out of your indifference?  John asked the Pharisees: “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”  

A common site in New Testament Israel was a farmer burning the tall grass and weeds off his field to clear it for the next season of planting.  As the fields burned, snakes that were hiding in the tall grass would come slithering out to escape the fire.  John had this common sight in mind as he scolded the Pharisees "Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?"  And then Jesus came preaching, "Repent!  The Kingdom of God is near!"  In other words, a day of reckoning is coming.  You're going to be held accountable.  You better repent and turn to God and start living right.

The same is true for us today.  The Day of reckoning is coming.  It is closer than you think.  Either Jesus is going to come back for us all (as He promised he would one day) or you are eventually going to die and face God's judgment as an individual.  Thankfully, we can repent because Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross.  Jesus invites us to turn away from our sins and swear to follow Him as our Lord.  We can be forgiven for all our past mistakes and sins and even find grace for the ones we might make in the future.  We must trust Jesus and choose to follow Him as our rightful Lord in order for that grace to be applied.  If we do, we don't have to fear the Day of Reckoning.  For when God comes to judge us, he will no longer sin a sinful person.  Instead, God will see His perfect Son living in us.

Won't you trust Jesus and turn to Him today and so be saved?

Profanity

Exodus 20:7 You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

Introduction

Have you ever looked up at the clouds and saw they were shaped like animals?  One minute, you see what resembles a cow.  But a few moments later, the wind blows, the clouds move, and the cloud changes to something else.  

Our words are like the wind reshaping world around us. We need to be careful how we use words, but that can be tricky.  The meaning of the words we use and how we use them changes from one generation to the next just like the clouds above in the sky.  And words can mean different things in different communities.

A young pastor had an unfortunate experience on his first day pastoring a small church.  He grew up in the city.  So on his first day as the pastor, he was full of wonder driving through the countryside.  Unfortunately, he offended half the congregation in his opening remarks when he talked about all the bulls and cows he saw on the way to church.  Unknown to the young minister, the polite society of this rural community only used the words cow and male cow! “Bull” was a profanity to their sensitive ears.  Can you imagine the horror of finding out half the congregation thought you were cussin’ them in your very first sermon?

Do you consider the word “bull” a profanity?  I guess some communities do.  There may be words you consider profanity that others don’t.  One polite way to refer to a person’s backside is to call it a fanny.  We even have “fanny packs” to hold stuff when you go for a walk.  However, don’t ever call it a fanny pack if you take a walk in Ireland. Fanny is a very vulgar word in Ireland.  (Call it a bum bag.)  Meanwhile, while in Ireland you will find the Irish sprinkling the word “F.E.C.K.” liberally throughout their conversations.  They use this word on TV and radio; even nuns and priests use “F.E.C.K.” in polite company.  For them, it simply means “very” or “extremely”.  So they might say something like "That fecking idiot told the nun he was wearin' a fanny pack! How vuklgar!"

Last Sunday, I shared that words matter.  Today, I want to talk about profanity.  We have a serious problem with profanity in our society.  However, profanity may not mean what you think it means.

Profanity is deeper than just using cuss words.  Profanity is desecrating something that is sacred--whether it is God’s name and reputation or something sacred He has made. Ultimately, profanity is living with the attitude that nothing is sacred.

The Apostle Paul wrote the Church in Corinth about their problem with profanity.  Listen to what he said.

1 Corinthians 11:20-22, 27
20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

Desecrating the Holy
In the first century church, what we now call Holy Communion was still full meal.  Just as Jesus originally shared dinner with his Disciples at the Last Supper, New Testament churches would gather for a special dinner to eat and drink and remember their sacred Savior.  As they dined, they would break bread and recount what Jesus said: “This is my body, given for you, and this is my blood shed for you...”  Jesus told his followers to do this often and remember how he died on the cross for their sins.  Though these meals served the common function of nourishing the body, they were also sacred and holy.

What Does It Mean to Take the Lord’s Name in Vain?
Many Christians share how offended they are when people take the Lord’s name in vain--whether it is as extreme as using God’s name to damn something or someone or even something as simply as using God’s name to express ecstatic excitement like--“Oh my god! I love your new car!” Many have shared how hearing God’s sacred name used this way is extremely offensive, and I understand.  You love the Lord and revere Him and you want to honor His name.  That’s noble.

However, I want to make sure you understand the prohibition of using God’s name in vain goes far, far beyond merely the words you say.  When Exodus 20:7 says, “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain...”, the word name means God’s reputation.  You see, the Israelites (to whom the Lord gave these commandments) were supposed to represent God to the world.  God set the Israelites apart as His royal representatives.  Everywhere they went, it was like they were carrying a banner that said, “We are God’s people.  Look at us and you will see what God is like.”  So then, it would desecrate God’s perfect pure reputation if His people were dishonest, disrespectful, vulgar, immoral, bad people.  

In the same way, Christians today are to represent Jesus Christ to the world.  In the New Testament in 1 Peter 2:9, it says, “You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God...”  You can live your whole Christian life without ever saying GD or even OMG, but if your bad behavior misrepresents God’s character, you are just as guilty.  Scripture repeatedly shows that behavior that profanes God's name is far more offensive than mere words.  

Profanity - Definition
Profanity is becoming more commonplace in our world today.  People use profane words and even use the Lord’s name in vain. We hear it in the workplace, at school, and profanity has even become more prevalent on TV shows where the FCC used to censor offensive language.  We also live in a time when our attitudes and actions toward one another are not very gracious.  People are angry, divided, and mean-spirited to one another.  I suspect the two go together.  Our words matter.  They affect our actions.   If we speak profanity, we soon act profanely.  And the more we act profanely, the more profanity comes out our mouths.

Just because something is sacred, doesn’t mean it also must be somber or boring. There are many sacred ceremonies full of joy and celebration. At a wedding, we sing, we dance, we laugh, and we love. It’s a wonderful celebration, but it’s also a sacred time when a man and a woman stand before God and a group of eye-witnesses and promise to love each other for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for the rest of their lives.

Sacred moments don't necessarily have to be religious ceremonies either. One of my church members just had a baby. This is a time of pain and joy, and it is also something very sacred. So something sacred doesn’t have be a sombre or even "religious".
However, there’s a fine line between sacred joy and profane behavior. Unfortunately, the Corinthian church had completely abandoned the sacred nature of Holy Communion. Some would hoard a bunch of food to themselves while others didn’t get anything to eat at all. Others were drinking so much communion wine they were sloppy drunk and acting very vulgar. The spirit and remembrance of Christ’s love was not their focus. They were desecrating the sacred memory of Jesus and how he died on the cross for our sins. Appalling!

However, I want to make sure you understand the prohibition against using God’s name in vain goes far, far beyond mere the way people use words. When Exodus 20:7 says, “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain...”, the word name means God’s reputation. You see, the Israelites (to whom the Lord gave these commandments) were supposed to represent God to the world. God set the Israelites apart as His royal representatives. Everywhere they went, it was like they were carrying a banner with God's name that said, “We are God’s people. Look at us and you will see what God is like.” So then, it would desecrate God’s perfect, pure reputation if His people were dishonest, disrespectful, vulgar, immoral, bad people. God would not put up with His people sullying His name with their bad behavior. This command was more about behavior than words.

In the same way, Christians today are to represent Jesus Christ to the world. In the New Testament in 1 Peter 2:9, it says, “You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God...” You can live your whole Christian life without ever saying GD or even OMG, but if your bad behavior misrepresents God’s character, you are just as guilty. Scripture repeatedly shows that behavior that profanes God's name is far more offensive than mere bad words.

I don’t want to be naïve nor a prude. However, I believe Christians are to be salt and light that makes our world a better place. I believe the words we use matter and affect the world around us. We need to be gracious and loving to one another in both our words and deeds. 

Furthermore, we need to remember that God made the whole world. It is not that the church sanctuary is sacred and the world outside is not. All of life is sacred. We gather around the sacred table in the sanctuary to share Holy Communion. but then we will go out and interact with people all week long. They are sacred too--living beings God created and loves who have a purpose. The environment is sacred and God command us to be good stewards of creation. Our own bodies a called "living stones" in the temple of God. We house the Holy Spirit of God. We are sacred and out to treat our own bodies as sacred spaces. All of life is sacred, but too many people in our times live as though nothing is sacred. This is profanity--in its deepest sense. And Jesus wants us to live a different way, a better way.

How can you do that this week?

%#!$ - Words Matter

Genesis 1:1-4

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

John 1:1-3

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He existed in the beginning with God.  3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

Introduction

When I was a child, we had a saying. It was meant to protect us from the mean things other kids said in school.  You’ve probably heard it.  We would say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”  

Is that really true?  I don’t think it is.  Mean words really can hurt.  The whole course of a person’s life can be changed by the words spoken to them.  I've heard countless stories of women and men whose whole course of life was shaped by the things they were told as children. Either they were encouraged and uplifted in a positive way that led to success or they were damaged by hurtful words that shackled them with a negative mindset that hindered them throughout life.  Perhaps today you can think of some of the words--both positive and negative--that people spoke to you that shape who you are today.

When I was still in elementary school, my grandma looked at me and said, "One day you will be a preacher." I wasn't thinking anything along those lines. I had no thought or desire to be a preacher in those days. However, that's what she said. Am I a preacher today because of her words or was she given a word from God about what my future was to be? I don't know, but here I stand as a preacher now with over 20 years experience. Words matter; they change our lives.

Words are important and powerful.  God created the universe using only words.  Jesus is called the “Word of God” and He is the Lord and Savior of the whole world.  We are not as mighty as Him, but our words matter too.  They reveal what’s in our heart and they affect the world.

%#!$ - A New Message Series Over the next 5 weeks, we will consider how we use words and seek God’s wisdom to help us use our words well.  We will also seek grace and forgiveness for ways we may have misused words in the past and make a new commitment to let the Holy Spirit empower us with words that bring light and life.  Ultimately, I hope the light of Christ will shine even more brightly in each of you so you can carry that light with you to all the dark places of our world.  Christ came to bring light into the darkness and Christians are called to bear that light everywhere we go.

The overarching theme of this message series is that the words we chose to speak in everyday life have real consequences on the world around us.  Could it be that much of the darkness, hate, and evil we see in our world stems from the words we use?  Does it seem incredible that the language people choose to use in everyday life could really affect our world so drastically?  Words matter.  What you say and how you speak changes the world.

Matthew 12:33-37
Jesus said… 33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Words Reveal the Heart
Jesus shared this parable about fruit trees and good and bad fruit on a particular occasion.  Jesus had healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and couldn’t speak.  The crowd was amazed and began to wonder if Jesus was the Messiah who would save them. 

Now, anyone can claim to drive out a demon and it might be hard to verify, but Jesus actually made a blind and mute man see and speak. It was an irrefutable miracle.

However, the Pharisees were jealous and threatened by Jesus’ popularity.  So they slandered Jesus and said he was only able to drive out demons because he got his power from Satan.  They took a good thing--Jesus saving a man from demon-possession--and said it was an evil act done through the power of the Devil.  Do you see the hate and darkness in their words  Do you see how it reveals hate and evil in their hearts?  Furthermore, do you see how their slander could do devastating harm to others?  Their lies about Jesus could actually turn people away from the Son of God who was sent to save them.

It’s no wonder that Jesus used some very strong language about these Pharisees.  He calls them a “brood of snakes!”  In other words, he said, “your mothers were snakes!” Now you know if you start talking about someone's mama, it could start a fight! That's harsh! In today’s language, I guess that’s like calling someone a rotten SOB!  If the perfect, sinless Son of God called them that, they’re actions must have been pretty evil.  And if you think how their lies about Jesus could lead to someone’s eternal damnation, I suppose you can understand Jesus’ outrage.  He doesn’t mince words on the issue.

Through His words about fruit trees, Jesus shows that what we say reveals whether our hearts are full of goodness or evil.  Furthermore, Jesus warns we will have to give an account for every “idle” word we say on judgment day.  Another translation of “idle” could be “careless” or “useless”.  

If you took an inventory of the words you use throughout your typical day, how many of them would you classify as: idle, careless, or useless?  How many would you classify as: mean, ugly, or hurtful?  How many would you say are helpful, encouraging, and meaningful?  What does the language you use say about what’s in your heart?

One reason I feel a strong call to preach this message series is it seems the language people use in our world right now is growing more idle and vulgar and harmful than it used to be.  Our language is becoming more and more offensive and more charged with hate.  Profanity is more commonplace and acceptable.  Lies and the distorting truth have become normal.  People speak divisively, disparage one another, and think and speak the worst of their neighbors and those with whom they disagree.  And words matter.  When we speak this way, I believe it leads to a world that is more offensive, hateful, vulgar, dishonest, and divisive.  

Our world needs an attitude adjustment and I believe Christians are called to be salt and light that helps shape our world in a more positive way.  And so I’d like us to consider over the next 5 weeks how we can use our words to make the world a better place--to build up and not tear down, to save the world and not destroy it.  

You’re Invited
As we begin this journey together, I think it is important that we make some commitments.  First of all, I invite you to make a commitment to be light in a dark world.  There’s already too much darkness out there.  Let us decide to bring as much light as we can and not darkness.  We do this through our actions--through acts of goodness and kindness.  But we also must pay attention to our words.  What we say matters.  I invite you to pay special attention to what you say and how you say it.

When we try to bring goodness and light in the world, we may quickly find it an overwhelming challenge.  We can’t do it on our own.  Often we find there is way too much darkness in our own hearts that needs to be fixed before we can give light to anyone else.  We need help. Thankfully, Jesus gives us just what we need.  I invite you--especially if you’ve never done so before--to turn to Jesus today and trust Him to extinguish the darkness in your own heart and replace it with His perfect Light.  Jesus gave His own life so that all your sins and shortcomings can be washed away forever and you can be given a new heart and a right spirit.  I invite you to turn to Him today and make a commitment to follow Him and let Him change your from the inside out.

Finally, I invite you to make a commitment to listen to each of the messages in this series over the next 5 weeks.  You can do this best by joining us live for worship each Sunday, but if you can’t be with us live (if you are sick or out of town), you can watch a recording of the service on our Facebook page or YouTube channel or read the message on this blog.  Make a commitment not to miss a single message and prayerfully and earnestly consider in each one what the Lord is saying to you. 

Prayer

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to show us the way to salvation.  When we try to be light, we are often overwhelmed by the darkness around us.  But Jesus is Your Son, the Word of God, the Light of the world and the darkness cannot overcome Him.  Help us today to trust Him for salvation.  I pray for each person listening that they may welcome Jesus into their heart and let Him be Lord forever and so be saved from sin and death.  And let us also follow Him from this day forward and be changed by the power of His Spirit. I pray also for our commitment to listen to each of the messages in this series.  Speak to us and reveal Your Truth to us each week that we may faithfully live and speak so as to bring the Light of Christ into darkness everywhere we go.  Amen.

Guest Blog: 4 Ways to Stay Grounded as a New Immigrant to the US

The community around Pleasant Grove Methodist Church is home to a large immigrant population.  I am proud of the diversity in our community.  One of my church's 3 main goals as we share the love of Jesus is to build new relationships.   We would love to build a new relationship with you.  We invite you to come join our church family and experience the unique advantages of being part of our church.

I'm pleased to share a guest blog by Jason Lewis that highlights the importance of community and how participation in a local church can benefit immigrants.

About our Guest Blogger: Jason Lewis is a personal trainer by day and the primary caretaker of his mom after her surgery. He writes for StrongWell.org and enjoys creating fitness programs that cater to the needs of people over 65.

4 Ways to Stay Grounded as a New Immigrant to the US

Traveling to a new country is a big step. Now that you’re in the United States, what’s next? You might feel unsure about how to reach out to others or where to find support. Immigrating can be challenging emotionally and culturally, but there are ways to stay grounded while adapting to your new home.

Find New Community

Connecting with other people is the best way to start feeling more comfortable in the US. You can form friendships and learn about your new home by reaching out to the community. A great way to find friends and support is by joining a local church like Pleasant Grove United Methodist. Attending services and forming fellowship with those who share your beliefs supports your spiritual path in life. The church can also offer a social platform that helps you feel less alone as you navigate your new country.

Nurture Your Connections

Missing your loved ones left behind can be a complicated feeling. While moving to the US offers you new opportunities, it also means being far away from those you love. Fortunately, technology makes it simpler than ever to reach out even if you’re thousands of miles apart. From video chatting to updates via social media, finding ways to stay in touch with your friends and family is an excellent way to boost your mood anytime you feel stressed out or homesick.

Help Family at Home

One of the positive impacts of immigrating to the US might be the opportunity to support your family back home. In fact, the United Nations highlights the importance of these remittances for people living below the poverty line all over the world. If you’re able to offer financial support to your loved ones, you may feel more empowered and less homesick. After all, if you moved to the US to help support your family in India, that fact could help you adjust to your new routines and responsibilities. When the time comes to send money to family, avoid prepaid cards or sending cash, and instead opt for a transfer service that delivers funds on your timeline. A platform like Remitly makes it easy to send funds home to India, and you’ll never pay more than $3.99 for a transfer.

Build a Professional Network

Many people choose to immigrate to the United States for professional and personal opportunities. If your profession is the reason for your move, building your network could help you achieve your goals while you develop deeper skills in your field. In fact, Pew Research notes that the number of immigrant workers who hold high-skill jobs is increasing in the US. From collaborative projects to conventions (online or otherwise) and even attending social events with co-workers, there are countless ways to strengthen professional connections. You never know what opportunities might come up when you have the right contacts in your field.

Making the decision to immigrate to the US is a big step, but it’s also a chance to change your life, learn new things, and make connections that could be instrumental in building your new life. Taking these steps to become more connected in your new home while keeping in touch with your roots is a great way to build on your past while looking to the future.

Photo via Pixabay

Seeing is Believing?

Introduction
For our messages over the last couple of months, we’ve been comparing the conventional wisdom of our world with what Christ actually said.  

Today, we conclude this series with the common expression “Seeing is believing.”  Seeing is believing means you need to see something before you can accept that it’s real. 

We live in the age of science.  Most people don’t believe in silly superstitions anymore because science has shown them to be imaginary.  Furthermore, we know talk is cheap.  How many times have leaders made promises and not followed through?  Talk is cheap.  Seeing is believing.

One state in our union even made the philosophy “seeing is believing” their state motto.  In 1899, Representative Willard D. Vandiver said, "Frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I'm from Missouri. You've got to show me." This led to Missouri being called the “Show Me State”.

Maybe we could all do with a little more of the Missourian’s common sense.  It seems like some people will believe anything.  A little skepticism may help guard you from being so gullible.  But what did Jesus say?  Did Jesus subscribe to “seeing is believing”?

Last Sunday was Easter.  We celebrated the incredible ressurection of Jesus Christ.  He was crucified, dead, and buried in tomb.  On the third day, he rose and appeared to His disciples.  Today, we read John 20:24-29.

John 20:24-29
²⁴ One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. ²⁵ They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

²⁶ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

²⁸ “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Jesus is Alive!
(and patient with our skepticism)
I sort of feel bad for Thomas.  First of all, he missed it the first time the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples.  Thomas must have been out doing errands and when he gets back the other Disciples are all like, “Jesus is alive!  And he appeared to us!” Thomas must have been like, "Great and I missed it!"  In all seriousness, Thomas understandably doesn’t believe their fantastic story.  He says, “Unless I see it for myself, I won’t believe it.” 

I probably would have said the same thing.  After 20 years of church ministry, I seen enough supposed miracles turn out false to make me plenty skeptical.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve also seen countless answered prayers and legitimate miracles of God.  But I've also seen enough illegitimate ones to give me a healthy dose of skepticism. Furthermore, I've seen enough duplicity in people to make me wise enough not to accept everything or everyone at face value.

And—let’s just be honest—if all the other disciples started claiming something as fantastic as Jesus coming back from the dead, a lot of us would be like Thomas.  We might even use the expression: “seeing is believing”.

That’s why I love that Jesus showed himself to Thomas.  He didn’t leave Thomas out.  He came back to visit His Disciples when Thomas was with them.  And to Thomas, he’s like, “Here I am.  You need to see it to believe it.  Go ahead.  Look at me.  Touch me.  Feel the scars.  It really is me.” 

Jesus is patient with Thomas’ skepticism.  He helps him. And I think Jesus is patient with our skepticism too.  He understands.  We live in an age where much leads us to be skeptical.  Jesus understands.

However, Jesus also knows the value of faith—deep faith.  Faith is critical, and because Jesus loves us, he doesn’t want us to miss out on the full power of faith.  He even told Thomas and the Disciples something in verse 29 that we need to take to heart.  He told them, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Seeing is Believing vs. Believing is Seeing
Have you ever thought of all the things in life you believe without seeing?

When you heat up your leftovers for lunch in the microwave, do you really know how it all works?  Probably not, but you trust that it will.  You press start and the magic light comes on inside the box and heats up your food.  

How about when you use your computer to connect to the internet.  If you are really smart, you may understand how it works in theory, but really you just have faith that it will do it's computer thing when you need it too.

You probably don't give it a second thought that your brakes will work when you drive in a car.  One minute you are hurdling down a road at 60 miles per hour and the next you press the pedal to slow to a safe stop.  You have faith your brakes will work.

We believe these things work the way they are supposed to because someone who knows better than us told us.  We believed them and we trusted the these machines.

Have you ever thought about the kid of faith it takes to go to the grocery store?  I grilled hamburgers for dinner the other night.  My wife went to the grocery store and walked up to the meat counter.  She picked up a styrofoam container wrapped in cellophane.  Inside was some mushy red ground flesh called ground beef.  Why are you able to take that bloody meat home and cook it and put it in your mouth and chew it and swallow it?  Perhaps it's because you trust the food from the grocery store is safe.  We believe because we trust the grocer has kept that meat safe and sanitary.  Or maybe it's because we trust the Food and Drug Administration (FDA )has monitored our grocer and ensured they did the right thing.  Now think about that for a minute.  You trust a government agency to ensure what you put in your mouth is safe.  Government and their agencies have not always had a stellar record of being trustworthy.  Let that sink in for a minute.

We live a lot more of our lives by faith than we realize.  We put our faith in people, products, companies, and even the government.  Hopefully these are worthy of our faith.

When it comes to religion, in whom do we put our faith?  Christians are known in the Bible as “Believers”.  In whom do we believe?  

Sometimes, people put their faith in a pastor.  (Listen, I'm a pastor and I know my own heart.  It’s a scary prospect to think of people putting their faith in fallible pastors.)  People will often put their faith in a church or a denomination.  All of these have proven to be unworthy.  Through the centuries, we have seen corruption and the abuse of power in these organizations.

True Christian faith must be in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The most reliable witness we have to Jesus is the Bible, which we call the Word of God.  John 3:16 says, “…everyone who believes in him [Jesus] will not perish but have eternal life.”  And in John 16:9, Jesus said, “The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.”

I appreciate that the NLT says "refuses to believe in me."  People are capable of believing.  We live by faith and believe in things all the time.  However, when faced with the choice to believe Jesus or not, very often people refuse to believe.

Would you be skeptical of Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Word of God who was with God in the Beginning, who gave life to everything that was created and whose life gave light to everyone? (See John 1:1-4)  Would you doubt Jesus’ own word in the Holy Bible while at the same time you trust the FDA, your grocer, and even the mechanic who fixes your car’s brakes?

The resurrected Christ showed himself to Thomas, the other Disciples.  In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes Jesus had appeared to more than 500 people.  That’s a lot of people, but the vast majority of Christians over the centuries have accepted Christ’s ressurection by faith and not by actually seeing.  We are able to see Jesus is alive because we believe what the Bible says about him and this opens our hearts to know He is walking with us in all of life's circumstances.

Faith Makes All Things Possible
In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, “Anything is possible if a person believes.”  Have you ever thought of all the incredible things accomplished over the centuries because someone believed it could happen when no one else believed? 

500 years ago, no one really believed people could fly.  Then in the early 20th century, the Wright brothers switched from making bicycles to flying machines.  That made one that could fly only a few hundred yards.  Today, we have airplanes that can fly anywhere in the world and people travel all over through the air.

On hundred years ago, no one really believed a man would walk on the moon.  Then in 1969, we had "One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind."  For the first time ever, a human foot touched down onto the dusty surface of the moon.

In 1966, the TV series "Star Trek" debuted.  People were amazed at all the fantastic, futuristic gadgets they portrayed--things they believed people might only way off in the distant future.  They had things like personal handheld communicators (cell phones), hand held computers (tablets and smart phones), and voice activated computer ("Hey Siri...")  I wonder what crazy, outlandish, impossible inventions will become a reality next al because someone imagines it and has a vision and faith that it is possible even if everyone else says it's impossible.

How can a high school senior face graduation and an unknown future unless they believe that somehow, they can do it and a bright future lies ahead of them?

How can a wife and husband reconcile a broken marriage if they don’t believe it is possible (if only through the help of God)?

How can an addict become sober if they don’t believe it is possible through the help of a Higher Power than their own?

How can NICU nurse care for a 2 pound baby born 3 months early unless they believe that somehow, that child full of tubes and IVs can make it and live to have an incredible life if only her caretakers believe it is possible?

How can a cancer patient find healing through a incredibly difficult chemo treatment without faith that it might just work?  Or how can they hope to face death if the treatment doesn’t work unless they have faith that their is something more to life than just death?

How can a person work through the grief of losing someone they really care about without faith that somehow the future hold more than just sorrow and tears and darkness and loneliness?

There are countless real-life examples of times when faith is essential to help people imagine a better future despite their current situation. 

Seeing is believing is not enough.  Sometimes, we just can’t see it until we believe.

If you are from the Dalton area, you may remember how on April 5^th, 2013, Coahulla Creek High School student Hannah Locke was in a terrible car accident that left her paralyzed.  Her tragedy and also her faith and determination have inspired countless people.  Her journey has not been easy.  For some, it would have been impossible, but Hannah’s faith helped her do the impossible.  Though Hannah is still in a wheel chair, she is a living example of how faith can motivate and inspire a person to live their best life despite tragedy.  Hannah is now married (Hannah Mackenzie Reed) and expecting a child. 

Hannah's faith has inspired so many.  In a recent public Facebook post, Hannah shared this: “As I reflect over the past 8 years, I can’t help but to think about how immensely blessed I have been. While these 8 years have brought trials & tribulation, frustration & heartache, it has also brought growth, perseverance, and immeasurable joy. If it took these 8 years to bring me to where I am today, filled with the peace that only comes from God, full of love for life and the people in it, and full of thanksgiving for the many blessings, I would do it all over.”[i]

Faith makes Hannah's positivity and progress possible.  Faith is absolutely essential for us all.

Conclusion
Today, I invite you to trust Jesus.  His Word is trustworthy.  You may be wise to be skeptical of some things or people in this world.  However, you can always trust Jesus.  Put your faith in Him today and let Him save you.  

And one more thing.  Don't let your skepticism about people or other things in this life cripple your potential.  There will always be disappointments and let downs. But don't give up.  Keep having faith.  It's worth it. 

---

[i] https://www.facebook.com/hannah.locke.5