Blog: Forest Lake Talks

Scripture: Romans 8: 22-23 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Despite our society’s ills, or perceived ills, the idea that the world is in ruin is not a new phenomenon. The world and Gods people have, since biblical times, cried out in great pain and longed to be delivered into a greater place. We as believers should be an example to others.  We have received the Spirit of…

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Be patient with everyone.  Yeah, this one stings especially for me.  I’m reminded of Christmases past of waiting until the last minute to go and purchase gifts for my loved ones.  I’ve never been one to do this before Thanksgiving or Black Friday or even two weeks before Christmas.  Before the days of online shopping, this procrastination got me in the thick of holiday shopping with all the others that waited the…

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:3 (ERV, Holy Bible: Easy to Read Version): “I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned.  But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.”           If someone asks you for the definition of the word love, how would you answer that?  I started thinking about it and I kept coming back to this feeling in my chest more than I have words for.  I sometimes feel like my heart will explode when I think about the love…

James 5:7-10 Be patient. Wait with expectation, but not anxiousness. Strengthen your hearts because the Lord is near. Do not grumble against each other, as not complaining about our siblings reflects our patience and strengthens our hearts. Be patient. Strengthen your hearts. Do not grumble against one another. In so doing we will be ready to meet the Lord, our judge, who is very near. Advent provides us a season to reflect on our readiness to meet Jesus Christ. James gives plumb lines for us to evaluate that readiness. In a culture enamored with instant gratification and an age with…

Scripture: Luke 15: 31-32 31 Then the father[a] said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’” After receiving a significant inheritance, Person Y spent his twenties at home with his wealthy family living modestly and disciplined with a focus on family, forgiveness, generosity, and compassion – all the while working for little wages at the family business.  Person X placed all value on other ideals such as material items…

Scripture: Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. A customer was explaining her past and how she ended up jobless and without a permanent home because of a…

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:10-15 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give…

Scripture: Colossians 1:11-14 (NRSV) 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. When you rise up each day, how do you approach what is ahead of you? Whether you are headed off to…

Scripture: Romans 8:24-26 24 For in this hope we are saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.  26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  A few years ago I suddenly developed a rash on my hands.  They were almost like little blisters. These little blisters…

Romans 15:4-13 Romans soars with a litany of words this week: steadfastness and encouragement, hope and harmony, glory and truth, mercy and rejoice, praise and joy. The combination of verbs and adjectives describes the Christian life. We who know the grace and goodness of God through Jesus Christ respond with lives of hope and harmony, praise and joy. As Paul admonishes earlier in Romans: Do not be conformed to this age, instead be transformed. In other words, be different than the culture that often does not relish or reveal all of these beautiful characteristics: steadfastness and encouragement, glory and truth.…

Scripture: Ephesians 6: 10-12 (NIV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. As a child (and teenager and college student and an adult with children of my own), my mother would always say, “Be sweet, be kind, and be careful” when I was leaving.…

Scripture: James 1:21 (NRSV)  Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. “….word that has the power to save your souls.” What a wonderful and mighty promise!  The word made flesh is Christ and as we prepare our hearts and minds and wait during this advent season, James 1:21 reminds us to remove our sin, which does not reflect Christ, to enable us to hear and receive what the Lord is telling us through his word.  I recently spent several days at…

Scripture: Hebrews 12: 1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that cling so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Many years ago my sister recommended the book Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide…

Scripture: Ephesians 4:22 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” The Encyclopedia Britannica says that advent is “the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.” I would add a third aspect to this definition . . . preparation of our hearts to receive Christ more completely in the present so that we can more fully serve God and God’s Kingdom. For many Christians, this “preparation” primarily…

Scripture: Ephesians 5:12-14, NRSV  12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake!    Rise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.” We commonly use “water” and “cleanse” in the same sentence, and while this is certainly appropriate, what if we additionally considered light as cleansing? Our church does a wonderful job of reminding us we are children of God, but what if we also said we are children of light? A light to illuminate our paths? Expose our flaws? Remind us we’re…