A bruised heart. The unseen wounds. When I was in school one of the most valuable experiences I had was an internship at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. The chaplain had a wonderful philosophy. Chaplain Manley told us, go visit people with all their wounds, hurts, spiritual pains, hidden wounds, physical ailments, all these people you have never met, so that someday, when you are out in the local communities, you will meet people with the same ailments, the same wounds, the same bruised hearts, and be able to look past the hurts and see the person. Whatever your issue, your pain, your hurt, you are a person that is valuable, loved by God, a delight to the Lord.
 Just as children need consistent parents, students need consistent teachers, workers need consistent bosses, wives need consistent husbands, so the world needs consistent Christians.
(llustration of the pancake mix…just as pancake mix has to be mixed just right for the right consistency, so the Christian. You cannot make pancake mix the night ahead and put in the refrigerator, because it will get to thick, have to get it just right. One recipe I had called for exactly 30 stirs..., ). The right feel, the right sense of goodness, the right sense of humility and confidence. Earlier this week I posted the need for consistency on Facebook and asked for responses. One person looked ahead to the next chapter and the need for grace-- all God, I agree, yet God allows us to choose our attitudes. The judgment of God is good! Judgment that is kind and loving is good and leads to changed lives and spiritual maturity. We bristle at the word “judgment” because the negative kind of judging is too common. Ironsides, a century ago, tells a story in the life of a man called Bishop Potter. "He was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purser's desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship's safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, 'It's all right, bishop, I'll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same reason!'"
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Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
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