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Cathi LeFleur wrote a nice summary of the message: "In this season of thanksgiving, I need to remember that the God who called the Apostle Paul and walked with him through all his hardships is the same God who walks with me today. That reminder, if nothing else, allows me to be hopeful in an evil world and optimistic that, despite all appearances to the contrary, God is still the Victor. Knowing that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, I can live in expectancy of his continued faithfulness, mercy, grace and love and look forward every day to something that will confirm and bolster my faith.
"I can live and give generously, being proud that Christianity is -- and always has been -- a religion of Peace. Therefore I can stand in the gap for others with prayers of intervention, to be purposeful in my living and my speaking, to be thoughtful in my decisions and my actions. I can be bold and wise in my faith, taking every opportunity to plant, water, and fertilize seeds of hope. In every situation I can test my motive and my direction by asking "Would Jesus be pleased?" by that action or thought. I am committed to knowing and doing God's will in all areas of my life, knowing that nothing can stop the perfect will of God because He has already won the Victory." Introduction to the message: The older I get, the more I like Thanksgiving. I obviously really do like the turkey and the food. Now that my children are growing up, gathering together is pretty special. More than that, the older I get, I don’t take the blessings of life for granted quite as much. Even in the midst of a difficult world ~ “the days are evil” or (another translation) “these are desperate times” is the way it says it in today’s scripture ~ I am more thankful than ever. As a nation we are losing freedoms, traditional values are being eroded, ~ that makes me more thankful than ever for God’s blessings. I like the quote in the bulletin about seven graves for every hut built, yet the people who lost so much are the ones at the first Thanksgiving… often the prayer of Thanksgiving is a list of blessings we have right now… homes, families, food, country, God. All good and wonderful things. Thanksgiving, however, should also point to the future ~ to be Thankful for what is coming. Even though “the days are evil,” We have reason to be optimistic. We who believe in Jesus Christ are called to be optimists, people who expect God’s guidance and blessings. Thanksgiving is the grease for an optimistic future, a future of hope and expectancy, a future orchestrated and directed by God. Amen?
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 The theme of Romans: How sinful people can be an accepting, loving, affirming community centered in Jesus Christ. The leaders of the church in Rome have standards nobody can possibly meet so the circle of acceptance must be broadened ~ we are all sinners in need of God’s grace, nobody is worthy, No Not One. Yet God in his merciful and loving wisdom wants the best for us all. And he wants Christians to be together. And he wants Christians to bless each other. Not just tolerate each other, but bless…
In this old world there is too much stress, too much tension, too much fighting, too many opinions, too many disagreements, too many expectations of what other people should do. I’m talking about within the church. REPEAT. Too many people distance themselves from the church because there is too much. I have fallen in love with a verse in today’s scripture that is a refreshing, realistic bit of wisdom, that describes the power we all have to change the world right now. Rom. 12:18. Unpack this verse ~~~~ you can only control your decisions, your behavior, the way you respond to other people. On Friday, I enjoyed listening to the enthusiasm of a young idealistic Bible student boldly proclaim the church needed his creativity, his ideas, his challenges. He got caught up in the moment as part of an evaluation for Jack. I’m sure he will be a wonderful asset to God’s Kingdom wherever God chooses to use him, but it did make me smile. The world only needs one thing. You know what it is? (it’s not my brilliant ideas, that’s for sure…). For God so _____ the world…. All that really matters is loving people as God loved us…Amen!
I need to be loved. Today I have a refrain to repeat. Whenever I say, “I love all of you.” You say, “We love you too Pastor Carl.” Let’s practice… We are called to love others as God loved us. Love is the glue that cements relationships together. To love others is our high calling in Christ Jesus. Did I tell all of you: “I love all of you.” [refrain] [get others to say it....] 11/4/2013 Rom. 12:3-8; trusting others (the path of spiritual health); Carl Crouse; 11-3-13Read NowHow does a crazy person travel through the woods? A: They take the psycho path.
Taking the path of craziness is easy… today’s scripture is about the path of health, the path of spiritual health. Physical health is important, but what is of even greater concern ~ spiritual health! Today’s scripture paves a path towards good health for individuals AND the body of Christ! A healthy church needs healthy people! And people need a spiritually healthy church! The Pathway to spiritual health: 1. Examine yourself. 2. Trust other people. 3. Get involved. The Church at Rome had problems. The leadership is limited in their idea of what it means to be a good healthy church, they don’t trust people who don’t meet their narrow standards. This is why in the early chapters Paul reminds them that we are all sinners and nobody is worthy. He reminds them that nobody has perfect understanding. |
 
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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