The Walk - Word / Scripture

 Last week our confirmation class started and I saw some of the youth walking around with the Bible we gave them and it reminded me of the Bible I got from my home church when I was in third grade, 1971.  When I went to college and got involved in IV, I wanted a newer version of the Bible so my parents gave me an NIV Bible for Christmas.  I used this Bible a lot and realized it was ok to write notes in it, so this one has some of my thoughts and reflections from those years, but then it started to fall apart and I wanted a paperback Bible so I got this one.  Again, it’s well used.

When I started as a pastor, I needed a good study Bible so I got this one, but I didn’t want to carry this with  me on Sunday mornings so I got this Bible to use on Sunday mornings.  I used this until the cover came off and someone was tired of seeing me with a taped up Bible so got me a new one.  The other Bible I have and use occasionally is called the Message, which is a paraphrased Bible in modern language.  I find it helpful at times and you’ll hear more about that in a moment.  

I still have all these Bibles because it feels wrong to throw a Bible away, although it really is just ink on paper.  I also have them because I am a bit of a sentimentalist so when I see them, it reminds me of being a kid, or in college, or being a new pastor.  But I also keep them because it’s interesting to go back and look at what I wrote or underlined.  I looked at a few of those markings this week and asked myself, why did that speak to me?  I don’t know, but it did.  All of this reminds me that God’s word is living and active.  

Let me share an example of how God’s word can be an active part of our lives.  I am reading through the Bible this year and because of some traveling and time away, I got behind.  I was catching up on some readings this week and on Tuesday, the day I started working on this message, I read this: For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

So the day I begin to write a message about God’s word, I read in God’s word about how God’s word is living and active and can speak to our situations and lives.  Some might say it was just a coincidence that I fell behind so I read that passage this week.  I don’t.  I say this is an example of God’s living word at work in our lives.  When we read and reflect on God’s word as an ongoing part of our life, we give God the opportunity to speak to us.  

We are in a series called The Walk and are looking at 5 spiritual practices that can help us grow in our faith.  Last week we talked about the power of worship in our personal lives and the importance of worshiping together.  Today we are going to talk about walking in God’s word.  

You might ask, why is it important for us to read the Bible at all?  Let me answer with a saying you may have heard.  Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.  While the origin of the saying is obscure, it sounds very similar to Proverbs 13:20a.  Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.  Or maybe you heard this: Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are.  That comes from the great theologian and philosopher… Vanilla Ice.  

The truth is that we become like those we walk with, so if we want to look more like Jesus, we need to spend time with Jesus, but how do we spend time with a man who lived more than 2,000 years ago?  One way for us to walk with Jesus is to walk with Him in His word.  We can read the gospels, or the stories about Jesus and His life, and we can hear His teaching.  We can place ourselves in the story and picture ourselves in the crowds.  The more we walk with Jesus in His word, the more we become like Him.   

Jesus Himself shows us how important it is to know God’s word.  At the beginning of His ministry, right after His baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting and praying.  At the end of those 40 days, Satan came and said to Him, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.  Matthew 4:3

At what might have been the most difficult moment of Jesus' life so far, being hungry and tired and alone in a desolate and difficult place, what Jesus may have wanted more than anything was bread.  He didn’t want to give in to the temptation and follow Satan, so to help Him stand strong and remain faithful, He turned to God’s word.  It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Matthew 4:4  

And do you know where Jesus got that statement?  It wasn’t from Vanilla Ice, it was written in God’s word.  Deuteronomy 8:3.  Jesus used God’s word to show us how important it is for us to feast on God’s word.  Two more times in the wilderness, Jesus quoted from God’s word in response to temptations by Satan.  When Satan tempted Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the Temple and let God’s angels rescue Him, He replied, Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

When Satan said he would give Jesus all the wealth and power of this world if He would just worship him, Jesus replied, Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.  Both of these responses are quotations from the book of Deuteronomy.  Because Jesus knew the word of God so well, He was able to use it as a source of guidance and direction for His life. It helped Him remain faithful to God and gave Him strength when he needed it.    

When we find ourselves going through a difficult time, God’s word can do the same for us.  It can encourage us.  It can help us.  It can comfort us and it can give us clear direction.  16 years ago, during the second week of Advent, I got a call about being the pastor here at Faith Church.  I came out and met some of the leaders of the church and I was then given the opportunity to either stay at my church in Lewisburg or move here.  

I didn’t want to leave my church in Lewisburg.  I loved the church and the people.  We had some great ministry going on in the community and with Bucknell University.  I had great friends and I really wasn’t interested in leaving, but several people told me I really need to consider this move.  So I prayed about it.  I asked God to speak to me clearly if I needed to go.  I had just started a Lenten sermon series on the beatitudes, a specific section of Jesus’ teaching, and since I couldn’t focus on making a decision, I decided to prepare for the sermon.  It was the second week so I read the second beatitude.  I read it in several different translations and then read this from the Message:

You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.  Matthew 5:4, The Message

As soon as I read that, I knew God was telling me I needed to take the appointment in Bellefonte.  You see, what was most dear to me were my friends and the ministry I had in Lewisburg, and I didn’t want to let that go.  I didn’t want to lose what was most dear to me, but if I didn’t, I would lose the One most dear to me - God.  Was I going to trust God at this moment?  Was I going to allow His word to give me guidance and direction at a difficult time in my life?

Well, I did because I’m here today.  But more importantly, it was God’s word that gave me direction. God’s word spoke to me and I didn’t have to do an open and point method of Bible reading because I went back to where I was in God’s word.  I went to God’s word right where God had me, and God spoke to me.  This week I went to God’s word right where God had me and He spoke.  God’s word is living and active.  

As we make reading God’s word an ongoing part of our lives, as we read and reflect on it regularly, we give God the opportunity to speak to us.  When I needed to know that there was a God who had rescued me and saved me, I came across this verse as I was reading the psalms before a class when I was in college.  

God reached down from on high and took hold of me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

he rescued me because he delighted in me.  Psalm 18:16-19

When I read those words, it was as if the psalmist had read my life and spoken on my behalf.  This was my life and yes, God had rescued me and saved me because He delighted in me.  He loves me.  God’s word has the ability to speak to us and for us if we give it a chance.  It doesn’t happen every day, it may not happen often, but if we make reading and reflecting on God’s word an ongoing part of our life, we will hear God speak.  

In a few weeks, we are going to hold a workshop on reading the Bible that we held last year called Lectio Divina.  Lectio Divina is a very unique way of reading the Bible because we specifically ask God to speak to us as we read.  Bonnie Harr will do an amazing job of not only teaching how we do this, but giving you the opportunity to read and listen to God’s word as part of the workshop.  If you are open and willing to listen on that day, God will speak to you.  The date for the workshop is March 10 at 2pm.

The one thing Lectio Divina needs, and really any personal Bible reading needs, is time and space.  We can’t read the Bible like we might read the news.  We have to allow time for God to speak and we need to quiet our hearts and minds so we can hear God's voice.  Lectio Divina requires us to take time because prayer and intentional questions and reflections are part of the process.  I encourage you to take part in the workshop.  Even if you took it before, you might want to take it again - you will learn something and hear something from God.  

Walking with God in His word is important.  It needs to be an ongoing part of our personal lives.  I invite you to read the Scriptures in some way from now until Easter.  Read one of the gospels and walk with Jesus.  Read a psalm a day.  Or maybe you want to start today and read through the Bible.  It doesn’t matter that you didn’t start 7 weeks ago.  A few weeks ago Pastor David said that the best time to start may have been weeks ago, but the second best time to start is today.  So start today and open yourself up to hearing the voice of God.  

The personal reading and reflecting on God’s word is important, but all of the spiritual disciplines and practices we are looking at during Lent also challenge us to walk in them together.  Reading and studying God’s word with others is equally important and Jesus shows us this.   

Last week we saw that at the beginning of every gospel, Jesus called some fishermen to follow Him.  Jesus then called some others to follow Him and soon He had 12 disciples.  What did these disciples do as they walked with Jesus? They listened to Him teach.  They watched Him perform miracles.  When they didn’t understand what He said or did, they asked Him questions and He answered.  

As a small group, they were not only learning scripture, they were actually living it out.  As a small group they were asking questions about who Jesus was and what He was doing and how they could have a relationship with God like they saw in Jesus.  The first thing Jesus did was form a small group to live and learn the scriptures together.  

We will also learn new and valuable things when we study God’s word with others.  Hearing how God’s word speaks to other people, or how others have applied it to their lives, helps us see how it can become part of our lives.  The first small group Bible study I took part in was during my freshman year of college and I was very intimidated because I thought everyone knew more than I did.  I asked all kinds of  questions and you know what?  No one laughed.  No one put me down.  In fact, I realized others had the same questions and no question was silly or insignificant. 

The one comment we hear most often from people about joining a small group or Bible Study is that they don’t know enough.  Well, there are times I feel like I don't know enough either.  But I will tell you that most of what I have learned about Jesus and having a relationship with God through Jesus, I learned by being in a small group.  

I needed those guys in my college Bible study to help me come face to face with Jesus.  When I was in seminary, I needed a Bible study to keep me grounded when I was struggling with concepts and ideas that I didn’t agree with.  I needed the Bible studies and small groups I’ve been a part of in each church I’ve served because I will hear something new, see a new perspective, or be filled with joy and hope when I hear someone else coming alive through God’s word.  

Everyone feels somewhat intimidated when they join a new group, but being part of reading God’s word with others will change your life. We have several groups that are open and available for you to join and you can find this information in the lobby or online.  

God’s word is living and active.  It can speak to us and give us hope, comfort, guidance, encouragement and sometimes a good swift kick in the butt.  God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, and when we meditate on it day and night, it will give us life and life abundant.  When we walk with Jesus in the light of His word, and when we walk in God’s word together, we become more like Jesus.  

 

Next Steps

The Walk - The Word of God

When has God’s word spoken directly to you?  

Go back and read that passage.  What does it say to you today?  Give thanks for God’s word being living and active.  

Read what God’s word says about the power of God’s word and why it is important for us to read it.  Make note of all the ways reading God’s word can help you.

● Psalm 119:105

● Isaiah 40:8

● Matthew 4:4

● Luke 11:28

● Ephesians 6:17

● 2 Timothy 3:16-17

● Hebrews 4:12

● James 1:22

Commit to reading God’s word every day from now until Easter.  Read a Psalm a day, or read through one of the gospels.  As you read, ask God to speak to you.  

Sign up for the Lectio Divina Workshop on March 10 at 2 pm.   You can sign up in the lobby or online.  

Join a small group, Bible study, or Sunday School class to read God’s word with others.  A list of available groups can be found at the connection table or online.

Start a new small group centered on reading God’s word.  For more information on this, contact Pastor David at  david.carter@bellefontefaith.com. 

The Walk - Worship

 Near the beginning of each gospel, you will find a story of Jesus inviting fishermen to leave their boats and nets and families behind to follow Him.  Mark 1:16-20

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.  

Peter, Andrew, James and John all left behind their business to walk with Jesus, and as they walked with Him, they learned who Jesus was.  They learned what Jesus was all about, they grew closer to God, they understood more about the kingdom and plan of God, and they had their lives forever changed.  What I love about Jesus calling these four men is that each one followed Jesus individually, but they also followed Him as a team.  They were already partners in business, they were family and friends who had been working together for years, so walking with Jesus was both personal and corporate.  They did it alone and together.  

Today is the first Sunday of Lent and for the next several weeks we are going to talk about what it means for us to walk with Jesus. Individually, but also as a church, we are going to explore 5 spiritual practices that we can do alone but also together, and when we participate in them, as we walk in them, we will learn more about Jesus, grow closer to God, and understand for ourselves more about God’s kingdom and plan for us and the world.  Today we are going to start with the practice and discipline of worship.

Several years ago we redesigned our children’s playground.  We took out a lot of the old equipment that wasn’t in good shape and got new equipment that would give the kids lots of new options.  The entire process was a nightmare. 

To make a long story short, and to keep my blood pressure from going through the roof, let’s just say the installation company that first arrived was awful.  They didn’t do what we asked and when we disagreed on what was included in the contract and how things were to be done, instead of waiting to get the problems resolved, they went ahead and put down mulch over grass and mud and dirt.  

After finally getting ourselves out of the contract with the company, we hired Jabco Landscaping to come in and do the job right.  With some help from people here at the church, Jabco literally moved all the mulch so they could install a lining to keep grass and weeds from growing through the mulch.  They reworked the border, installed the last few pieces of equipment we had purchased, and put all the mulch back in place. They were great.  

After months of frustration and delay, I remember watching the children on the day we finally told them they could play on the playground.  After months of watching all this take place and waiting, they ran from the back door yelling and screaming and then they ran from one piece of equipment to the next. They were hardly able to contain their joy and excitement.  To this day I still love to watch kids run to play on the playground.  I wonder if the joy I experience when I see the children play on the playground is similar to God’s experience when He sees us enjoy the world He gave us.  

I wonder if God looks at the world as a giant playground He gave us to explore and enjoy.  God didn’t have to make the world as beautiful as He did.  He didn't have to paint the sky with sunsets and fill the night sky with stars and planets and comets that we get to explore.  God could have made the entire earth as flat as Kansas - which would not have been very interesting, sorry those in Kansas - but He didn’t.  God gave us mountains and valleys and seashores and canyons.  God created deep forests and dry deserts which each have their own beauty.  God filled the world with all kinds of amazing life forms, some that terrify us and some that touch our hearts and fill our imaginations and make us laugh.  

When we think of this playground called creation and experience the awe and wonder and splendor of it all, what is an appropriate response from us to God?  One appropriate response is to give God thanks and praise.  One good response is for us to worship God.  The word worship comes from the Old-English word “worthship” which means to give thanks and praise to One who is worthy.  Worship is to declare the glory of God and state that He alone is worthy.  The Bible says that creation itself worships God.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.     Psalm 19:1-4

Without using any words, the skies proclaim the work of God’s hands.  The stars can’t help but shine.  The birds can’t help but sing.  The mountains can’t help but soar and the oceans can’t help but roar.  All creation worships God.  All creation declares God’s goodness, beauty and power, but in all of creation, we are the only ones who choose to worship God.  We are the only part of creation that decides whether or not we will walk in worship and give God thanks and praise.  

Like every other part of creation, we were created to worship God.  We were created to give God thanks and praise, so when we make that choice we are living into our purpose.  The Westminster Catechism, a statement of Christian faith that dates back to the 1600’s, says that the chief end of humankind is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Our highest purpose is to worship God so when we make that choice, we are living in that sweet spot of life where we experience all the fullness and beauty and joy of life.  So we need to learn what it means to walk in worship.  

In the New Testament there are three Greek words that are translated as worship.  The first and most common is proskyneo which means to bow down before someone in awe and reverence.  It’s why we bow in worship, or kneel, or prostrate ourselves on the ground before the amazing love, power and goodness of God.  We humble ourselves because we know the greatness of God.  

The word was also used to describe how a dog greets its owner.  While some dogs may sit when their owner comes home, most dogs I know dance around with joy.  Some dogs know the sound of their owner's car as it drives into the driveway, or the sound of the garage door opening, and they race to the door, hardly able to contain their excitement.  We had a little dachshund that got so excited that she would pee everywhere.  Her little body literally could not contain her joy. This kind of excitement is also part of worship, but please, let’s not make peeing part of it!  

Another Greek word for worship is sebomai which means to fall back in awe and reverence.  For me, this is the fear and yet reverence I have during thunderstorms.  Storms are amazing and beautiful, but their power and force of lightning causes me to shrink back a bit.  The sheer greatness and power of God might cause us to stand back in awe and fear, although God does not want us to be afraid of Him.  This kind of awe is part of worship.  

The third word for worship is latreuo which means to serve and give.  This is where we get the word liturgy, which is what we might call our order of worship.  The liturgy is the songs and prayers and readings that we use to give thanks and praise to God.  

All of these words shape our understanding and practice of worship.  There are times we bow in humility before God, or dance with joy when we feel God’s presence, or shrink back in fear and awe when we see God’s power.  All of this is a part of our worship, but the reason we worship is because God alone is worthy.

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Revelation 4:11 

We worship God because God alone is worthy of our praise and we worship God both individually and collectively as God’s people.  In the Old Testament you will find the book of Psalms which was the worship book of the Jewish people and the early Christian Church.  The book contains songs, creeds, and prayers which helped people worship God.  In a very general way, the Psalms can be divided into two categories, the “I” psalms and the “We” psalms. 

The “I” psalms are personal.  We might read them as a personal prayer or a profession of faith.  We might use these psalms as a personal song of praise and thanksgiving.  An example of an “I” psalm is the 23rd Psalm.  

The Lord is MY shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes ME to lie down in green pastures;

He leads ME beside the still waters.

He restores MY soul;

The “We” psalms are corporate and are meant to be used by a group of people or a congregation.  Psalm 95 is a great example of this:

Come, let US sing for joy to the Lord;

let US shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let US come before him with thanksgiving 

and extol him with music and song.

The book of Psalms shows us that worship needs to be personal and private, but also corporate.  Worship is something that we need to do individually and together.  Jesus modeled for us corporate worship when He went to the Synagogue and Temple.  Jesus worshiped with His disciples when together they would sing and pray.  Walking with Jesus means worshiping God with others.  

One reason it’s important for us to worship together is because there are things that can happen when we are together in worship that can’t happen when we are alone.  Look at Psalm 100.  

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness; 

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

Do you notice something about Psalm 100 that we also saw in Psalm 95?  Our worship is to be joyful.  We sing and shout for joy.  We praise God and give thanks to God and celebrate who God is and what He has done.  We enter God’s courts with praise.  

I’ll be honest, I don’t always feel this way.  I don’t always feel like giving God thanks and praise when I get here.  I might be burdened by a difficult week.  I might be dragging or feeling bad about the choices I have made.  I might be struggling in some way, but when I worship with others, and when I lift up God’s name with others, something happens.  I am encouraged.  I am lifted up and  I am reminded of who God is and who I am. 

Together we proclaim: He made us.  We are His.  He knows us.  He loves us.  He is the Rock of our Salvation.  When we come together in worship, I am reminded that we are God’s people.  God created us as the sheep of His fold and the lambs of His flock.  He hasn’t forgotten us or forsaken us.  He loves us.  When we don’t feel like singing and others do, we can find hope and courage and a strength that is often hard to find when we worship God alone.  

Corporate worship is important, but so is private worship.  Jesus often went off alone to pray and talk with God.  In moments of stress or confusion, when Jesus needed direction or strength, He would go off to be alone with God.  It was just Him and God in worship.  Private worship doesn’t have to be structured and organized.  You don’t have to sing songs or pray specific prayers or even read scripture, all you have to do is reach out to the One who is worthy of all honor and glory.    

The most powerful private worship we can engage in might be just repeating two simple words.  Thank You.  Thank you God for the gift of this day.  Thank you for my family, my friends, for the people you give me.  Thank you for the beauty of the world. Thank you for the signs of spring. Thank you that the groundhog didn’t see his shadow.  Thank you that we didn’t get a foot of snow this week.  Thank you for the food you give.  Thank you for the sun that warms the day and the moon that shines at night.  Thank you for the playground of your creation that you give us to enjoy and explore and play in.  Thank you for the adventure we call life. 

If you want to worship God in every moment of the day and with every breath you take, learn to say Thank You over and over again.  Five times a day, give thanks.  When you get up, when you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, when you go to bed, say thank you.  When you are happy say thank you God.  When you are sad, frustrated and even depressed and grieving say thank you God.  Thank God because we are His people.  He has made us and He will lead us to green pastures and through dark valleys.  

The Apostle Paul, who didn’t have an easy life, said this:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We were created to worship God and when we choose to walk in worship individually and together, we are experiencing the purpose for which we were created and enjoying all the fullness of life.  

Next Steps

Walk - Worship

Reflect on the following questions:

● What does it mean for you to worship God?

● Why do you worship God?

● Why do we worship as a church?

Reflect on times Jesus worshiped alone and with others?  

Mark 1:32-39, Mark 1:21-22, Mark 14:26, Mark 14:32-42

What do these times teach us about the importance of private and corporate worship?

The New Testament has 3 Greek words for worship:

● Proskyneo - to bow down in awe and reverence.

● Sebomai - to fall back in awe and reverence.

● Latreuo - to serve and give.

How do each of these words shape our worship of God?

Create private times of personal worship.

● Use Psalm 19, 23, 25, 27, 42, 51 in times of private worship.

● As an act of worship, write a psalm or prayer to God.

● Take time to worship God as you enjoy creation.

Commit to worshiping God with others.

● Commit to Sunday morning worship during Lent.

● Worship with others at the Easter Cantata (March 24)

● Commit to worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (March 28 & 29)

● If you are part of a small group, think about how you can worship together when you meet.

● How can you make time with family and friends be times of worship?

The Power to Change - week 5

 This month we have been talking about change and trying to focus not on the changes we want to make but the changes God wants for us.  We have asked difficult questions like why does God want us to change?  Who does God want us to be?  What do we need to start doing to make these changes, and maybe most difficult of all, what do we need to STOP doing in order to make lasting and faithful change.  Even after doing all this, there are times we still feel like we aren’t making any headway.  We’re trying but we aren’t winning.  If that is how you feel, then listen to what the Apostle Paul told the people of Corinth.  1 Corinthians 9:24-26

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

If we aren’t seeing the change we want in life, and if our faith doesn’t seem to be growing in the ways we want it to, the problem might be that we are trying and not training.  Notice that Paul doesn’t say that everyone who competes in the games tries their best.  He doesn’t say run for the participation trophy.  He says run to win and the only way we are going to win is to train.  The only way we will see lasting change and vital faith is if we stop trying and start training.  

There is a difference between just trying and hard training.  Trying is an attempt to change with minimal commitment.  It’s like when we are kids and we try the broccoli and cauliflower because if we don’t we don’t get the cake, so we try it, but we have already decided we aren’t going to like it.  Many times trying is just a half hearted attempt that gives us permission to fail.  

Training however, is a wholehearted commitment we make to achieve a goal.  When we train we are all in and we know we are in for some hard work.  The people of Corinth knew the difference between trying and training because every 4 years they hosted the Isthmian Games.   This summer we will be caught up in the excitement of the Summer Olympics.  The games have their history in the ancient olympics held in Athens every four years, but these were not the only games of ancient Greece.  In between the Olympic games were the Isthmian games held near Corinth.  These games included wrestling, boxing, running, chariot races, and poetry.  Yes, poetry.  I have no idea how you compete in poetry, but I don’t think it was to put the poets in a ring and try to knock each other out.  

Because the people of Corinth hosted these games, they knew all about training.  People would come to Corinth to train so they could get used to the climate and have an edge in competition.  The people watched the athletes train and their training was intense.  Like top athletes today, they had strict diets, they pushed their bodies to the limit, and they had some unusual training habits.  Some historians say that wrestlers would train by wrestling bulls and bears, I’m sure that is not part of PSU wrestling protocol.

The people of Corinth understood what Paul was talking about when he said, if you are going to run, run to win.  Don’t just try to win the prize, train to win the prize.  If we don’t feel like we are winning at the changes we want to make and if we aren’t growing in our faith the way we want to, it might be that we need to stop trying and start training.  

To help us think about what it might look like for us to train in life and faith, I thought it would be smart for us to get some advice from a real athlete - which I am not.  So we asked Ashely Auckerman, a Senior at Bellefonte HS and part of the cross country team  to share with us some of what it means to train as a runner.  Ashley is an accomplished runner who has made districts every year so far in High School.  Here is her interview with Pastor David.  

VIDEO

Ashely helps us identify three things that can move us from trying to training, and the first thing is to have a PLAN.  In cross country, Ashley said that they had some strategy and plans in their training.  They might go faster at the end of a run to feel what it’s like to run at a faster pace.  They might do cross training on a bike or weight training to strengthen other muscle groups.  They do things on different days to keep them moving forward.  They have a plan.  

If we want to experience real change in our lives, or if we want to grow in our faith, we also need a plan.  If you want to grow in your faith, your plan might include making sure you have a good study Bible, or resources to help you understand what you read.  If you want to pray every day you might need to set up a schedule of when you are going to pray and what areas of your life you will pray for.  Maybe Monday is your family.  Tuesday is your place of work. Wednesday pray for the church and your pastors!  Thursday could be all community leaders and first responders.  Friday you might pray for all your friends.  Saturday pray for the world.  And Sunday can be a day of rest as you pray in worship - because being in worship is also part of your plan.  

If you want to get your financial house in order, you need a plan.  What debt has the highest interest rates that you want to pay off first?  How much can you set aside for reserves?  What percentage can you set aside for God and how will you do that?  Some people make a plan to set up automatic giving through their bank so it goes out consistently.  Others like to write the check and see the commitment they are making.  What's your plan?  You won’t get out of debt without a plan.

When we want to lose weight we create a plan, it’s called a diet.  What food do we add in and what foods do we take out.  If we want to start exercising, we create a plan.  How far do I walk on day one?  How much do I increase each week?  Trust me, if you go out and run as fast as you can and as far as you can today, tomorrow you will be so sore you won't be able to walk.  All successful change and growth needs a good plan.  Training needs a plan.  

Ashley also talked about the importance of PEOPLE to successful training.  Teammates can push you and motivate you.  Parents and friends can cheer you on.  Coaches can provide you the information you need for nutrition, weight training and healthy habits.  All top athletes have a team of people helping them train.  

Please hear this, you can’t successfully train alone.  Change and growth doesn’t happen in isolation.  We all need support, encouragement, motivation and challenge from others.  We also need the wisdom and direction that teachers, mentors and coaches can provide.  If you aren’t experiencing change and growth in your life, it could be because you are trying to do it and you are trying to do it alone.  

Here at Faith Church we talk about how vital faith needs 3 dynamic and growing relationships.  A relationship with God where we experience grace and power, and a relationship with the world where we can share and bless others, but also a relationship with the church, the people of God who can intentionally help us.  The rhythms of this relationship are things like accountability where we allow others to give us feedback.  This would be like a coach offering us direction and guidance.  We need God’s people to be part of our lives to train in faith.  

Who is part of your team?  Who is your cheerleader and coach in life and faith?  If you can’t name people, then I would encourage you to think of those who might be able to be part of your team.  If you need a team then I encourage you to be part of a small group.  Join the choir or a Sunday school class.  Check out one of our weekly bible studies or small groups.  Join the brown bag Bible study during Lent and be part of a team that can help you grow.  No growth or change is successful when we try on our own, we need a team to help us train.  

The final part of training we are going to talk about that Ashley touched on is how to PLAY through the PAIN.  Let’s be real, there are times when we just want to give up.  

Living within new financial guidelines can be painful.  Diets and exercise are no fun.  Spiritual disciplines like daily prayer, Bible study, or serving in the church can be hard.  If we are just trying,  we will give up.  When we train we learn to play through the pain.  

I liked what Ashely said when she talked about working through the hard times.  She might set one small goal and work on that.  I see the runner in front of me and I am going to work to catch up with them, or pass them.  Sometimes we need to keep our eye on the next step because we can’t see the finish line.  

When I was hiking in the smoky mountains many years ago, I was on a trail that I had miscalculated the distance, and I didn’t realize that one long section was going to be in a rocky riverbed under the hot sun.  About ⅔ of the way through, I hit the wall.  I ran out of water and had no food.  I was exhausted and not feeling well at all.  I thought about lying down to sleep for the night or at least take a long nap, but I knew that wasn’t a good option, so I kept going, one tree at a time.  I would focus on a tree down the trail and walk to that tree.  I might have had to sit down for a while, but eventually I would find another tree and walk that far.  Literally tree by tree I made my way along the trail until I could finally see my car.  Sometimes we need to just get through the day, or work to the next goal, and then keep going.  

Making changes in life isn’t easy and we need to be prepared for the hard days and have a plan for how to keep going.  It’s also during the painful times that the people around us can be a support.  

Growing in our faith is also not easy.  We go through periods of doubt wondering where God is, or we think God should have worked things out differently than He did.  Or maybe God should have acted sooner than He did.  There are painful times we all go through in our faith journey and we need to be prepared for them.  We need to have a plan to work through, and we need to gather people who can support us.  This is exactly what Jesus did.

The most painful time for Jesus was the night before His crucifixion.  He didn’t want to die on a cross, but He knew that was God’s plan.  It was a painful moment, but Jesus had a plan.  He went off to pray.  He went to the Garden of Gethsemane, a place they often prayed so it was a place of comfort and peace and strength. Jesus' plan was to pray, not once or twice, but three times.  

And He didn’t go alone, Jesus took all the disciples with Him, and then He took Peter, James and John to watch and pray with Him.  While they failed and fell asleep, Jesus knew He needed people with Him during this painful and difficult moment.  If Jesus needed people and a plan to get through a painful moment, how much more do we?!  

Training in life and faith requires us to have PLAN and PEOPLE who can help us when it’s time to PLAY through the PAIN.  This is part of what it looks like to train in life and not just try.  So here’s the question we need to ask ourselves.  Based on who we want to be, how will we start training?  What’s the plan?  What are the good habits we need to start and the bad habits we need to stop?  Who are the people who can help us?  What will keep us motivated and focused when the going gets tough.  It’s time we stop trying to change and grow and start making a commitment to train.  

Next Steps

The Power to Change - Week 5

Stop Trying and Start Training

What areas in life and faith do you not feel like you are making progress or “winning”?  

Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

What’s the difference between trying and training?  

In the areas you identified above, how have you only been trying and what would it look like to start training?

Three steps in training:

PLAN

Create a PLAN to start training.

What resources do you need to be successful?

What is the first step you need to take?

Outline the training process to keep moving forward.

PEOPLE

Create a team of PEOPLE who can help you train.

Who needs to be part of your training team?

How can you invite people to speak into your life and hold you accountable to the training you want to do?

How can a small group, serve team, or fellowship group at Faith Church be part of your training team?

Whose team are you on and how are you helping others train?

PLAY through the PAIN

Identify the areas of PAIN you will have to PLAY through.

When have previous difficult situations derailed you?

What areas of faith are difficult for you to work through?

Identify the plan and the people who can help you keep going when the going gets tough.  

The Power to Change - Week 4

 

Last week we talked about the power there is in one small holy habit to change our lives for the good.  The habit of praying three times a day, every day, helped Daniel remain close to God.  That habit gave him the ability to interpret the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, who then decreed to all the people that there was only one God and it was the God of Israel.  The habit of prayer also gave Daniel the courage to trust God during a time of persecution and pain.  By adding one small holy habit to our lives, we can find the power to change.  It’s the spiritual what of our series.  

In this series we have talked about the spiritual why of change.  Why does God want us to change and why, deep down, do we want to change.  We talked about the spiritual who of change.  We do what we do because of who we think we are.  But who does God say we are and how does that vision shape how we see ourselves?  If we can change how we see ourselves and identify the ways God wants us to change, we can then find the holy habits, the spiritual what of change, that can help us transform our lives.  

Today let’s talk about the spiritual what NOT of change.  Based on who God says we are and who we want to be, what should we NOT be doing?  What habit do we need to break?   Is there one habit that we know isn’t good for us and is holding us back?  Is there one habit that is keeping us from God, from the life God wants for us, from the relationships that are important to us, and the vision and mission God has for us?  What is that one small thing we need to NOT do in order to transform our lives?  

Most people don’t set out to ruin their lives.  No one grows up hoping to file for bankruptcy because there is no other way out of debt.  No one sets out to become addicted to alcohol, pornography, or prescription drugs.  No one wants to find themselves in their third marriage because they are so critical and unforgiving of others that they can’t let go of the faults they see in those they love.   We don’t set out to ruin our lives and it doesn’t happen all at once.  It happens one bad decision, one wrong step, and one harmful habit at a time.   

King David didn’t set out to kill one of his best and most faithful soldiers, Uriah.  But the decision to have Uriah killed came after a decision David made to have an affair with Uriah’s wife.  Now David didn’t set out to have an affair with Bathsheba.  It wasn’t one of his life goals or part of God’s plan.  David wanted to be a man after God’s own heart and he wanted to honor God in all his ways.  David didn’t set out to have an affair, but he did after he made a bad decision by commanding Bathsheba to come to him. 

That bad decision came because David had seen Bathsheba bathing when he went out for a walk on the roof of the palace.  David didn’t set out to go watch Bathsheba take a bath, but he was home alone and there was no one around, so he went out for a walk.  Now the reason David was home alone because he had made a bad decision.  

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.  2 Samuel 11:1

It was the time of year when kings went off to war, but David decided to stay home.  He was going to remain where it was safe and comfortable and send his men out to fight for him. He was going to send out all the men, which meant he would have no one to spend time with, but it also meant that many of the women would be home and alone.  That was the first bad decision.

David’s downfall wasn’t one bad decision, but one bad decision after another.  He stayed home alone.  He got up in the evening and walked around the roof of the palace.  He saw Bathsheba taking a bath and instead of looking away or turning aside or going back inside, he sent for her.  As series of bad decisions led to an affair, a pregnancy and finally the decision David made to have Uriah killed.

David shows us that our lives aren’t ruined by one bad decision or one wrong choice, we are brought down by bad habits and one bad choice after another after another.  Bad habits are what often keep us from being the men and women God wants us to be and ruin our lives and relationships.  

We see this in the news almost every day.  No one sets out to ruin their lives through addictions, but the DUI led to the loss of a good reputation and job, maybe even the loss of a marriage and the death of a neighbor.  No one sets out to destroy their marriage through inappropriate online relationships or lose their home and life savings to online gambling, but it happens when we are bored and lonely and jump online to find some comfort.  One harmful habit and one bad decision at a time can destroy our lives, but it doesn’t have to be this way.  There is power to change. 

James, the brother of Jesus said, Get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you. James 1:21 GNT

God tells us to get rid of bad habit.  He doesn’t say entertain the habit or justify it and tell yourself it’s not that bad.  We aren’t to tell ourselves that we aren’t hurting anyone so it’s all ok, or that this is just the way we are and we are never going to change.  It says we are to get rid of it.  If God says, get rid of it, then God will give us the power to do it.  If you hear nothing else today, hear this, you are stronger than unhealthy habits and God does give us the power to get rid of them.  

The first step in getting rid of any unhealthy habit is to define it.  You can’t defeat what you can’t define.  If we can define the harmful habit, maybe even write it down where we can see it and confront it, then maybe we can begin to see that God is more powerful than this behavior.  Once we define it, we can then submit it and ourselves before God.  Maybe we need to ask for forgiveness and then the strength and power to overcome.  

For many of us, the bad habit we might want to overcome has to do with our diet.  We know our diets are filled with things that are not healthy for us and we want to give up the sweets and the carbs and the fast food, but we just haven’t been able to do it.  If this is something that needs to change in your life, define it.  

Maybe the bad habit isn’t our diet but our digital footprint.  Maybe we know that we spend too much time online checking social media and surfing the web and playing mindless games, but we just can’t stop.  I read this week that the average person spends 4 hours a day on their phone.  I looked at the screen time setting on my phone and felt really good because it said my average was just over an hour a day, but then I remembered that when I’m home I often use my iPad to play games, watch videos, check news, weather, sports and social media.  I went to see how much time I spent on my iPad and found the screen time setting wasn’t on.  I turned it on so I can monitor how much time I spend looking at a screen.  

If you aren’t sure your online activity is something that needs to change, consider this.  If the average person spends 4 hours a day on their phone, that would be 1,460 hours a year, or 14,600 hours in 10 years.  That would be like spending a solid year and a half, day and night, just staring at a screen.  If you account for 8 hours of sleep each day, 14,600 hours would be the equivalent of spending more than 2 years staying at a screen.  Is this a harmful habit that is undermining your faith or destroying your relationships? 

 

Our diet or digital footprint might be the bad habit we wrestle with, but for some it might be a persistent bad attitude. If you have already thought of 10 things you haven’t liked about worship this morning, then you might have a critical spirit that keeps you from experiencing consistent joy or peace.  Or gossip might be the habit you want to break.  The Bible talks about the negative impact of gossip over 50 times.  God says this is an important habit to break because gossip destroys the strength and health of the church.  

What are the harmful habits that you want to break?  What are the bad habits you have wrestled with and haven’t been able to overcome but you know God wants you to break so you can experience freedom and life?  Once you have defined the habit, the next step is to turn away.  

Solomon said,  Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.  Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.   Proverbs 4:14-15

Solomon doesn’t just say, don’t go down that road and don’t walk in the way of evil, he tells us to… Avoid it.  Don’t go there.  Turn away.  Go another way.  

In other words, run.  Run away from evil.  Run from bad habits.  Turn away from those things that you know aren’t good for you and lead to unhealthy thoughts, words, and actions.  James tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us, but we have to first resist.  Life would have been very different for King David if had run away that night on the palace roof.  But it’s not easy to resist unhealthy habits that have become deeply rooted in our lives.  

Studies have shown that there are 4 times when we are most susceptible to falling into bad habits and unhealthy patterns of behavior and it’s at these times that we need to stop and be careful.  These times are when we are  Hungry - Angry - Lonely - Tired

Notice what they spell.  HALT.  These are the times we need to halt, or stop, and be careful of what decisions we are making.  

You know how they tell you not to go to the grocery store when you are hungry?  It’s true.  If you are hungry, you will buy all the food you want to eat and come home with bags full of comfort foods you love but might not be healthy.  If you want to eat better, go to the store when you are full, have a list, and are focused on the right things.

When we are angry it’s easy to be critical of everyone around us and everything we see.  When we are angry, or know that our patience is thin, we need to be careful of what we say and who we talk to so that we don’t end up saying things we will regret later on.  

Loneliness is often what leads people to online relationships that are unhealthy and destructive.  When people feel lonely in their marriage, hooking up with an old high school friend on facebook might seem harmless, but it might be a harmful habit to start. 

In general, being tired means we are weak and vulnerable in all kinds of ways that can lead us to make decisions where there is a big payoff now but will lead to pain and disruption later on.  Maybe King David was feeling tired, so he decided to stay home when his men went to war, and maybe he was feeling lonely so decided to take a walk.  We have to be aware of these times when we might be more vulnerable to making bad decisions.  

To overcome bad habits we need to define it, turn from it,  and if needed interrupt the action.  If we don’t want to spend 4 hours a day on our phones, we need to literally turn them off and put them away.  My iPad is often by my bed at night which means I can easily grab it in the morning and spend time looking at news, sports, weather, social media, and email.  Before I’m even out of bed or in God’s word, I have allowed the world to set the tone of my day.  When I have worked to break this habit, I have put my iPad in the other room so I can’t easily get it.  

If we want to start a new habit, we make it obvious and easy.  If we want to break a bad habit, we have to make it difficult and uncomfortable.  If you don’t want to eat ice cream at night or snack on chips before bed, don’t buy them.  If you don’t want to hit the snooze button every morning, move your alarm to the other side of the room.  If you don’t want to hit one click shopping on amazon, don’t let it hold your credit card number. Do what you need to do to interrupt the action.   

As we talk about breaking bad habits, I do want to acknowledge that many people battle more than bad habits.  Some people wrestle with strong addictions and what’s needed here is professional help and even rehabilitation.  There is nothing weak about getting help when battling an addiction.  It takes real courage and strength to face the habits and actions that work to destroy us and there is nothing better than finding support and power to get healthy.  

If you are battling an addiction and want help, all of our pastors are here for you.  Jeff Pilger, our children and youth director, also has experience in assisting people in getting the help they need.  There are times when more direct intervention is needed to overcome addictions and help is here for you. 

Whether it is a harmful habit or a real addiction, if you don’t like the direction your life is going, there is power to change.  Jesus came because there are times we all head in the wrong direction and make bad choices.  But forgiveness is real and change is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.  God doesn’t give up on any of us just because we make a bad decision or have some harmful habits.  God offers forgiveness and grace and the power to change.  

God didn’t give up on David.  After David acknowledged his wrong steps, God forgave him and helped him find new life. When we acknowledge our sin, define the hurtful habit, and ask for the strength to turn from evil and run toward God, there is power to change.  This is how things ended with David.  He wrote:  

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12

May this be our prayer as we seek God’s power to change.  

Next Steps

The Power to Change - Week 4

Do you like the direction your habits are taking you?

What are some of the habits you would like to change?  

King David’s failure took place one bad decision and one wrong step at a time.  Read 2 Samuel 11.

● Identify the bad decisions and wrong steps that led to King David’s sins.  

● What could King David have differently at each wrong step he took?  

Read James 1:21.  

Steps to stop a bad habit:

1. Define it.  Write down the bad habit you want to change so you can clearly see it.  Confess it to God and be reminded that God’s power is greater than the habit.

2. Turn from it.  Read Proverbs 4:14-15.  Do all you can to turn and run from bad habits.

3. H.A.L.T.  Know when you are hungry, angry, lonely and tired as these are the situations where we are vulnerable and often make poor decisions and fall back on bad habits.

4. Interrupt the Action. Make bad habits difficult and uncomfortable to continue.  

Read Proverbs 13:20. Who is someone wise you can spend time with to help stop bad habits and start good ones?

Father, we know You give us the power to break the bad habits that hold us back. Please show us a bad habit You want us to break and give us the strength to make the needed changes in our lives. We ask for the power to change in the name of Jesus. Amen.