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What’s in a Name?...He will Be Called…
We named our daughter Sarah. Why? Because Jane loved the name and had said if she ever had a daughter this would be her name. My oldest son is named after my brother who died after living only three days. James is named after one of my very best friends. Names almost always have a story – a meaning – behind them. JESUS. EMMANUEL. What’s in these names? What is the story behind them? How about the title, “Christ?” Or the titles given to Jesus by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before He was born; “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace?” This will be our focus on the Wednesdays leading up to Christmas. What do they all mean?....for us?
Wednesday, December 2nd Jesus, Emmanuel (The Christ)
Do you know who named Jesus? It wasn’t Mary or Joseph. It was His Heavenly Father, God Himself. Tonight, we examine the name and the title that Jesus’ Heavenly Father gave to Him. It was no accident. And yes, it has great meaning for us.
Wednesday, December 9th Jesus, Emmanuel (The Wonderful Counselor/Mighty God)
Have you ever wished you had someone wise and understanding to whom you could pour out your heart and thoughts? One who would lovingly listen and then give you perfect wisdom for your life? Have you ever longed to have such perfect wisdom that you could lovingly speak into the life of another? Jesus is THE Wonderful Counselor…and He is here for you and for all for He is Emmanuel.
Wednesday, December 16th Jesus, Emmanuel (The Prince of Peace)
A baby tends to turn our lives upside down. We sleep less - sometimes a lot less. Our schedules are often turned upside down. And we are caring for another little person 24-7! Yet in the midst of it all there is a transcending peace. In Isaiah, Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace.” This baby also will turn our lives upside down but in the midst of it He brings THE Peace of God which transcends all things.
Christmas Changes Everything
Especially this year, we are all waiting for things to change, to get BETTER – right? Pandemic and social upheaval, uncertainty and shadows, hurt and heartache, violence and hatred, sickness and death, emptiness, despair, and hopelessness. It has been quite a year! Not one of us has been left unscathed. And yes, we all long for change!
But what if the change has already come? …And it somehow transcends everything that is wrong and broken? What if it is a gift placed right in front of us by God Himself to live in everyday?
What if this transcendent change came 2000 years ago? What if it came in a baby? Wouldn’t it be amazing if something that brings such change to our everyday lives - a baby - would be used by God to bring foundational, transformational, and transcending change to us all? This is what we will focus on throughout December as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. Christmas changes everything! Maybe the idea of the baby is that God doesn’t want us to miss it.
Sunday, November 29th “Not Ever Alone” (Praise His Name!)
“One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.” Can you relate to these words? They were sung by the band “Three Dog Night.” There are countless ways to experience loneliness – physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually. But at the root of all of them is the feeling that you are utterly alone. Christmas means it’s not true. It means that we are not ever alone. Today, God whispers this truth anew into our hearts.
Sunday, December 6th “God is Here (It Makes a Difference)
We all long for things to be different, even as we hope to be difference makers. How about you? Jesus came to make a difference not just by what He did but through what He would do in each of us. Christmas is meant to make a difference both in you and through you. This is our focus today.
Sunday, December 13th “No Doubts” And Living Like It!)
When I was a coach, you could always pick out the kids who were certain they wanted to be there. Being certain gave them focus, energy, drive, and purpose. Have you ever been in that place where you are unsure of your direction or what you should be doing? …where doubts are eating away at you, sapping your focus, energy, drive, and purpose? Are you perhaps carrying some doubt with you right now about God and your life in Him? Christmas means that we can be rid of these doubts. And Christmas means that we can live like it.
Sunday, December 20th “It’s Personal” (What Will You Do?)
We tend to live impersonal lives. We can go weeks never setting foot in the neighborhood as we go from garage to car and back to garage again - and even more so with the COVID 19 reality. We listen to or watch or read the News about struggles of people all around us, but we rarely connect personally with their struggles – am I right? At times we are even surrounded by people in close proximity, yet we carefully keep our distance on a personal level. After all they might want something from us. Do you think maybe, just out of habit, we do this with God as well? Perhaps this is why we can feel so disconnected to Him. Christmas means that in spite of us, God comes to us personally. His love is personal! And our lives lived out in Him are meant to be the same!
Adventure
With our move to a new building and the ways we've had to adapt through a pandemic, our St. Matthew family has been adventuring through a wilderness. Wilderness is a theme throughout Scripture. Through the wilderness, God teaches His people to pack light, to be adaptable to change, and above all to trust Him more as He prepares them for what is ahead. Through this time, God has been doing the same for us. We are learning to let go of the things that weigh us down as we let go of our plans and trust in His provision. Through the twists and turns of our adventure through a wilderness, God is growing our faith and trust in Him. He is preparing us for an exciting future!
Over the next few weeks, we are going to talk about the journey that we have been on. We are going to unpack what we've been learning and look more closely at how we can walk closer to God. Get ready as we journey as the St Matthew family together with God on an adventure as God equips us to make a difference in our lives and for His Kingdom.
Sunday, October 18th “Giants in the Land”
God has always called His people into the adventure of joining Him on His mission. Noah. Abraham. Moses. The Children of Israel. David. Daniel. The Twelve. And you. In every case, there has been obstacles. In the case of the Children of Israel, there were “giants” in the land. Today, we look at the Vision God lays before us and the giants that we face, as God would invite each of us to boldly and joyfully say, “Yes! I’m in!”
Sunday, October 25th “Wandering the Wilderness”
I remember my first year of playing little league football. It was like “wandering in the wilderness.” I remember the flutter kicks until you thought your stomach would burst. I remember the running. I remember how I didn’t even know how to get into a stance. I remember even having to be shown how to put on my pads. And I remember a coach that was right there with me from running the sprints to checking my gear. “Wandering in the wilderness”…but through it I learned and grew. As we “wander through the wilderness” during our lives of ministry with Jesus, just like with His ancient people God is with us to grow us into all we were meant to be as we “enter into a new land.” This is what we look at today as the Spirit of Christ would invite each of us to say boldly an joyfully, “Yes! I’m in!”
Sunday, November 1st “Are We There Yet?” (On the Shore of the Jordan)
Moses had led the Children of Israel to the brink of entering the Promised Land. But God had said He would not be able to enter it. However, God, in His grace, took Moses up on a high mountain and showed him the whole land. He saw the Vision but was not able to enter. Today, we see the Vision! And then God, in His grace, would invite us to enter.
Sunday, November 15th We Have Arrived! (Crossing the Jordan!)
As with the Children of Israel, God has brought us to this point to go into a new land with a new Vision as we continue to walk with Jesus. The Children of Israel, with joy and thanksgiving, being miraculously led into the new land, proceeded to make sure they never forgot as they committed to the new mission before them. And so it is with us. With joy and thanksgiving, we are led into a new land of mission and ministry. What will be our pillars of remembrance as God invites each of us to “cross the Jordan” into this new land? …as He invites us to boldly and joyfully say, “Yes! I’m in!”
Torn Apart
COVID 19. Economic uncertainty. Job loss. Racism. Racial tension. Violence. Social upheaval. Election fears. Unanswered questions. Distrust. Anger. Struggle. Loss. Trauma is best defined as a deeply distressing physical, psychological, or emotional experience. Sound familiar? Normally, 20% of the population is experiencing trauma at any given time, but it seems to me we are probably approaching 100% at the moment. That is, it would seem to me that every one of us is living through deeply distressing experiences (trauma) somewhere in our lives right now as we live through our world, our nation, our families, our friends, and our lives torn apart by all these things.
How are YOU doing? The next few weeks we will focus on how God meets us in our torn apart world – in the midst of our trauma – bringing his wholeness and healing. Why? Trauma is something one ignores at their own peril. It needs to be addressed, brought out in the open and talked about with other people, and into the healing power of our loving God. Why? So we can be whole again…and so we can bring this wholeness into the lives of broken, traumatized, people and our broken world.
Find Support & Learn How to Support Others
One great resource that we would suggest is the booklet “Beyond Disaster” from the Trauma Healing Institute.
But don’t go it alone! Experts say that in this time of trauma, we ought to look for ways to connect with others even if we feel like being alone. So, go through this resource with family or others that you know.
Join a virtual (4 week) ZOOM group as they work through the booklet together. Sessions begin the week of September 13. Click here to register for a session.
Messages
Sunday, September 13th Yet NOT Alone
One symptom of trauma is feeling like no one is listening to you, that you have “lost your voice,” that you are all alone. While these feelings may be there, God is also there. We are not alone. Today we explore what this means. Today we explore how we can act on it.
Sunday, September 20th Yet NOT Out of Control
Another symptom of trauma is the high anxiety caused by a feeling that everything has spun “out of control” and there is only chaos and destruction in our world and lives and there is nothing we can do about it. While these feelings may be there, the truth is that nothing is out of control. God firmly remains in power over all things. None of this surprised Him. Today we focus on this truth. And what this means for our lives.
Sunday, September 27th Yet NOT Powerless
Yet another symptom of trauma is the feeling of helplessness and because of this, symptoms of anger, irritability, and aggressiveness. While these feelings may be there, the truth is that we are not powerless. Rather, what we do can and does make a difference through Him who controls all things. This is our focus today.
Sunday, October 4th Yet Living in HOPE
Still another symptom of trauma is a feeling of hopelessness that lasts more than a few weeks. (Note: Hope is a belief that “things will get better sooner or later.”) How are you doing with this one? With all that is swirling around us, do you still believe that every day can be better than the last? While we can certainly experience the feeling of hopelessness attached to trauma, the truth is that there is a hope that will never fade; a certainty that tomorrow will be better that is grounded in God himself.
PAUSE
In the midst of this pandemic, in a way God has allowed the pause button to be pushed on the normal way we do things. I believe that God is inviting us to recalibrate our lives in this time and find real rest. Rest is a fundamental part of our human lives. In particular, we as followers of Jesus find our rest in our identity and rest in Jesus. Real Rest involves 4 components, Stopping, Resting, delighting and Pondering.
Stop
August 16, 2020
Rest
August 23, 2020
Practicing God’s Sabbath means more than just stopping work. If you work from home, then Sabbath might mean you need a change of scenery! As we stop from our work, God invites us to find rest--to rest from our worries, our tough decisions, our hurry. God invites us to rest in Him. This can and should look different for each of us. As a pastor whose job involves a lot of thinking and deep conversations, I find rest in doing projects around the house! As the Bible tells us, the Sabbath is designed to serve us. Not the other way around. While God’s command is clear in the Old Testament, Jesus brings a new vision for what Sabbath-keeping is, and it is marked by doing restful things that replenish us.
Delight
August 30, 2020
When Lindsay and I first went to visit Sedona for our first call to find a place to live and meet the congregation, we landed in Phoenix at night and made the 2 hour drive in the dark. I will never forget the astonishment that I experienced the first time I looked outside in the daylight and saw the beauty of the red rocks. At first, sitting on the back patio watching the colors change on the rocks as the sun set was a weekly if not nightly practice. But as time passed, we became accustomed to our surroundings zipping along with the local traffic.
It happens to us all as people. What has God given you to delight in that you are taking for granted? What do you need to look at again in gratitude, a spouse? a child? His Creation? God blesses us with things to delight in not because he has to, but because he loves us. May God's spirit renew your ability to delight in the gifts that He has given you as we talk about "Delight" this weekend as part of our Pause series.
Ponder
September 6, 2020
Flourish- Especially Now
Happy: Inside and Out
June 7, 2020
What to do with… Anger
June 21, 2020
It Looks a Lot Like… Well… Love
July 5, 2020
Words Spoken
July 19, 2020
In the Fight
August 2, 2020
Dealing with Fear
June 14, 2020
Not Good to Be Alone
June 28, 2020
Love Never Fails
June 12, 2020
Mercy
July 26, 2020
Resurrection Stories
Reset
April 26, 2020
Up from the Ashes
April 19, 2020
Belonging
May 3, 2020
Plans for You: It’s Personal
May 17, 2020
A Clearing of the Eyes
May 10, 2020
No Cause to Daydream
May 24, 2020
Faith over Fear
Spirit and Truth
March 22, 2020
In the Midst of Uncertainty
March 15, 2020
Redeeming Suffering
March 29, 2020
Palm Sunday
April 5, 2020
Plastic Donuts
About 10 years ago Jane and I went to Maui. On the third day she got very sick. I rushed her to the hospital where they told us that she had an infection that, unless they could identify the microbe in time, would certainly take her life. It was literally a race to save her life. I got out of the expensive, resort hotel room and found a “dive” near the hospital so I could walk back and forth every day. It was touch and go for about 7 days. On day two I went into a mall that I was walking by and bought her an expensive necklace. It was something I wanted to do. It had great meaning for me. About a year later, Jane told me how much the gift meant to her in that it said to her, “we’re going to beat this thing and get on with our lives. I mean, why would I be buying her an expensive necklace if I thought she was going to die?”
Giving good gifts. It is so powerful, a source of great satisfaction and joy, both for the one giving it and the one receiving it. How have you experienced this in your life? In the next few weeks this will be our focus as we live our lives in relationship with Jesus, in the blessing and lifestyle of “giving good gifts.”
In connection with our focus, we would like to give every family what we think is a very good gift; the book “Plastic Donuts.” The writer looks at this question of “Giving Good Gifts” from a unique perspective that I know has already been a blessing in my life and I am sure will be a blessing in your life as well as he looks at the power of gifts, the way we give, and to whom we give. Because finally, “Giving Good Gifts” is a wonderful, life-giving and life-enriching gift in our lives!
Sunday, March 1st The Heart of the Matter
Plastic Donuts? What’s that all about? It’s what we talk about today. It’s the heart of everything. It’s about our relationship with God. This honestly is from a perspective you perhaps have never thought of before. It’s worth taking a look.
Sunday, March 8th Does The Gift Matter?
People like to say, “it’s the heart that counts” when it comes to gift giving. But is this true? Doesn’t the gift reveal the heart? It’s what we talk about today.
Rule #1: There Are No Rules
Ok. What are the rules? Have you noticed that whenever we make relationships about rules we lose something? When it comes to Giving Good Gifts, there honestly are no rules. But where does that leave us? It’s what we talk about today.
Because You Can
So, if there are no rules, why do we give?...And are there any insights to help us? This is our focus today.
The Heart Matters
Bottom line. The opposite Bookend of week one. The heart is what matters. It’s about relationship. Why? Because that is what life is about!
Good Friday Connections
“Good Friday Connections”
Sometimes it is good to slow down and think about things. For over a millenia Christians have set aside the 40 days before Easter (not counting the Sundays) to do just this; to examine and reflect on their own lives as well as on the cross of Jesus and what this means for them.
Part of this is experienced in special worship. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a worship time of reflection both on who we are and how the cross of Jesus intersects with our great need. (Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, Victory in the Cross!). This is then followed by Wednesday worship on each of the following Wednesdays leading up to Palm Sunday. Again, the focus is on our unique human condition and how the cross of Jesus meets us there with the overwhelming love of God. Finally, on the Thursday and Friday before Easter there is special worship as we turn our hearts and minds to the last two days of Jesus life and His last words spoken from the cross.
Our theme for our Lenten Wednesday worship beginning with Ash Wednesday on February 26th is “Good Friday Connections.” Good Friday is the day on which Jesus died. And our connections to this horrible, yet wonderful day is with the people who were there. John and Peter and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and more. Each evening we will examine the great needs of our human condition through the eyes and experiences of those who were there – as well as what it means to be under the reality of the cross of Jesus.
Sometimes it is good to slow down and think about things, especially the things that matter and how Jesus is there. These Wednesdays are just such an opportunity.
Ash Wednesday, February 26th John: Not Meant To Be Alone (Imposition of Ashes/Holy Communion)
Do you remember the line from the song? “Number one is the loneliest number…” It’s true. We were not made to do life alone. Yet, at times, we feel so alone. It’s why Jesus came with the message of the cross.
Wednesday, March 4th Peter: A Difficult Forgiveness
I knew a man – a very good man – who had served in the Army in a war and could not forgive himself for what he had to do as a soldier. No matter what I said over a number of years, his self-condemnation was so great that I don’t think he could even hear my voice. Can you relate? If so, there is one voice that is strong enough for all of us to hear. It comes from the cross.
Wednesday, March 18th The Centurion: What Now?
Have you ever been in that place in your life where you are asking this question? (What now?) The cross of Jesus is like a line of demarcation in our lives. It changes everything. And it also brings an answer to our “What now?”
Wednesday, March 25th Mother of Criminal: Believe!
I think “faith” gets a bad rap. Everyone thinks it is so weak. But really, it is the strongest thing in our existence. Think about it. Would you get married if you didn’t believe the promise of your spouse to “love and to cherish you for a lifetime?” Would you go to work if you didn’t believe you were going to get paid? Would you pay to put gas in your car if you weren’t sure it was gas? Everything we do is based on faith. The message of the cross today to you?...Believe!
Wednesday, April 1 Mary: It’s Not Over
Do you know the Yogi Bear-ism? “It’s not over ‘til it’s over.” What he was saying is that in any athletic contest one should never relax and think they have it won because well… “it’s not over ‘til it’s over.” What does this have to do with the cross and our lives? It’s what we look at tonight.
Thursday, April 9th 7pm The Last Days: A Living Example (Maundy Thursday)
As my father got older, he would often say to us, his children, “Now I want you guys to love each other – and your mother – when I’m gone.” His words, spoken more and more often, were strong, but the most powerful thing he did was to live his life loving us and our mother. Tonight, we focus on the living example of Jesus for us in His last days. It too is powerful!
Friday, April 10th, 7pm The Last Word: It is Finished (Good Friday)
“Scoreboard!” It is what is said when there is a strong disagreement over who the better team is after they have played a game. Who won? “Scoreboard!” That settles it! It’s the “last word!” Tonight we look at the “last word” of Jesus for us. “Scoreboard!”
Living Your Best Life
“Living Your Best Life”
I know a young married couple who lived in the beautiful city of Seattle, with both of them having very good jobs. But they gave it up. He quit his job with no other prospects, she took hers with her – though she still has to commute to Seattle once a week – and they moved to the middle of Idaho. Why? They were looking to “Live Their Best Life.” He had really gotten into baking bread and they loved the small town life. So, he bakes bread and sells it on Saturdays at a kind of “Farmer’s Market,” and they live a much slower paced life which they love. But, to be honest, they don’t know how long they’ll stay there or how long he’ll bake bread as they continue to search for and live their best life.
How about you? Are you looking to live your best life? If so, how’s it working out for you? There’s so many questions, isn’t there? What is “my best life?” What does it look like? How do you measure it? How do you know when you’re there? How can you find it? What does it mean? Yet, we all seem to know that there is a reality of “living our best life,” a reality that would fill us up and make us whole and complete. Finally, it is what we are all looking for….have you found it yet?
In this message series, we will explore “Living Your Best Life.” It’s what Jesus talks about right at the beginning of his longest recorded message, oftentimes referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.” Over and over again he says, “blessed are they who…” What does this word “blessed” mean? Some like to say it means happy or full of joy but at it’s core the meaning is this; “A fortunate state of life.” Jesus came so that we could live our best life. This will be our focus in the next few weeks. Whether you are a Jesus follower or not – or perhaps just trying to figure it all out – this series is for you. Wouldn’t it be nice to live your best life?....and know it?
Sunday, January 5th A New Way (This One Is Different; This One You Can Trust)
Two things here. 1.They say it is insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. 2. Have you ever noticed how one just gives up after disappointment upon disappointment upon disappointment? Jesus came so we could “Live our best life.” He brings a new way. It is different from all the ways that have failed us. It is the one we can trust.
Sunday, January 12th No Dead Ends
Do you ever feel like you hit a “dead end” in your life? Or perhaps you see it in the lives of those around you?...or even beyond as you see the hurt and hopelessness in our world? It’s not true. Living your best life is knowing this and living in it.
Sunday, January 19th Having It All
I took my daughter to school on the first day of her freshman year in High School. She was so excited as she shared with me everything she wanted to do and be involved in that year. Being concerned that she was setting herself up for disappointment, I gently suggested she would perhaps have to make some choices because it would be hard to do everything she wanted to do. I will never forget her answer. With great joy she said, “Daddy, I want to do it all!” Living your best life is doing – and having – it all. But what does this mean and what does it look like? This is our focus today.
Sunday, January 26th Being Filled Up
The truth of the analogy here is striking. Like a car when the gas gauge is on the beg “E,” when one is on empty they won’t get far. Where are you on empty? Living your best life can only happen when you are “filled up.” It’s what we talk about today.
Sunday, February 2nd Eyes That See
What is that saying, “Perception is in the eye of the beholder?” So, if you want to perceive clearly, you first have to see clearly. Today we focus on how we see ourselves and others. It is a key to living our best life. The insight is given to us by Jesus.
Sunday, February 9th Focus
Multi-tasking. Did you know it’s a myth? Studies have now shown conclusively that a person can only do one thing at a time. And when we try to do more, these same studies show that our performance actually suffers and we do nothing well. So, what does this mean with respect to living our best life? It’s what we look at today.
Sunday, February 16th Making A Difference
It’s called the “search for significance.” Simply put, we all want to make a difference. Knowing that we are is really a key to “living our best life.” This is the focus of Jesus today. It may not be what you think.
Sunday, February 23rd Worth the Cost
Have you ever heard of a “mid-life crises?” What happens is that a person makes all kinds of (sometimes) crazy changes in their life because they are hit with their own mortality, that the time of their death is perhaps now closer than the years they have already lived. They are hit with the truth that everyday spent is one they will never get back….and they begin to wonder if what they are living for is worth the cost of each day given up to it… What does this mean for us as we look to “live our best life?” It’s our focus today. The gift of knowing that there is a life to be lived that is our best life and is worth the cost.