CONNECT: How did you feel?
Devotions this week based on Sunday’s Message: Compass: Direction begins with Connection! (LISTEN HERE)
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou
We have all experienced a setting that has great content, but poor “vibe.” Every space from theater to restaurant from gas station to hotel elicits an “emotion.” Whether that emotion is valid or not, it is how you feel.
A hotel that had a stick in the window to keep the window from being opened from the outside…didn’t feel safe.
A restaurant that had good food, but a waitstaff that was not friendly…not coming back.
A hotel that has a staff at breakfast welcome you, say “Good morning,” and offer to dish you up a plate of breakfast…amazing start to the day!
A downtown decorated in Christmas lights with festive music and people walking by wishing you a “Merry Christmas”…tremendous feeling.
How about church?
Your church…our church has a “vibe” to it. Visitors will “feel” your church before they “hear” your content. Even if your content is solid, if the “vibe” is off or not friendly, they may never come back again.
A recent survey indicated why people wouldn’t come back to your church. Notice how many of these seven have to do with relationships:
- Refuse to see me
- Don’t offer me a smile
- Neglect to offer help
- Abstain from introducing yourself to me
- Forget that I’m a person who wants to be known, just like you
- Ignore my boundaries
- Forget my name
All seven.
People matter. Relationships matter.
The leadership guru, John Maxwell, quipped, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Theology and solid biblical content are very important (we will get to that next week), but we have chosen as a first “pillar” of our church “Connect,” realizing that we must connect relationally and emotionally with people first. While faith can be developed and explored alone, God designed people to be in connection with others, especially in the church.
God created us for connection. It was not good that Adam was alone, so God made Eve for him. Not only was this the first marriage, it was the first human relationship. God made us to be social beings. Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
He also desires us to enjoy others and express kindness to others. In describing the top two commands, the second Jesus said was this: Matthew 22:39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
The vers we chose for this pillar is Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.”
We were made to connect with others and through that connection be blessed by others and be a blessing to others…we’ll explore more as the week goes on!
Apply: What relationships have you enjoyed that made you “feel” very good and positive? How about your church? What could you do to make sure every guest/person feels welcome and cared for in your congregation?
Prayer: Lord thank you for people and the relationships we enjoy. Enable us to be part of meaningful relationships to be blessed and be a blessing to others. AMEN.
What’s so spiritual about spaghetti?
Tuesday night our family had spaghetti for dinner. I noticed my older daughter was wearing a nice new white sweatshirt she had received for Christmas. I said to her, “If I were you, I would take your sweatshirt off while you eat.”
“Why?” she asked.
I said, “I don’t know what it is about spaghetti, but it tends to find its way to put spaghetti sauce on white, new clothes.”
She decided she didn’t want to get up and take off her sweatshirt. About five minutes into eating, our younger daughter exclaimed, “You got sauce on your shirt!”
“Where?”
Then she saw it. Her nice new white sweatshirt had a small, but noticeable drop of spaghetti sauce.
“I should have listened to you, dad.” She said.
I just listened (with a bit of a “dad, can be right” attitude 🙂 )
Sometimes we play this way with sin. We are warned over and over that sin can happen, even when we think we are good or we can navigate the situation without changing our behavior or circumstance.
“Watch out when you are online…temptations come.”
“Watch out when you are with friends…some influence to no good.”
“Watch out when you pay your taxes…it’s tempting to cheat.”
“Watch out when…. (what is your temptation?)
“I’m good.”
With the same spirit we think it will happen to others, but not to us.
But then the reality hits…Look! There’s a spot!
Not just one spot, but many.
King David thought he was good. An evening stroll where he caught the glimpse of a beautiful woman. “David, you should go inside.” “I’m good…” Adultery stained his garment.
“I’ll have her husband come home and sleep with her. That way she will think the child is Uriah’s, not his.” “I’m good.” Murder stained his garment.
As my daughter looked at her sweatshirt, my wife told her, “Go put some Prespot (a stain remover) on it.”
The stain will come out and the sweatshirt will be white again.
This is a glorious picture of what the Lord does. He is willing to apply spot remover to our sin to restore the glorious purity of our souls.
He probably does sit in heaven thinking, “One day my children will realize I am right and listen.” But, in love, he solves the stains of sins and cleanses us with his blood and covers us with his perfection.
So our clothes are white again. Inspired King David captured God’s work with these words in Psalm 51:7-9:
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Apply: What danger areas should you avoid to prevent temptation to sin? What spots of sin need Jesus’ cleansing?
Prayer: Lord, help me listen better to your warnings and praise you often for your stain-of-sin-removing grace and forgiveness. AMEN.
How did God bless you in 2022?
“O give thanks to the Lord for he is good…his mercy endures forever.”
We are at the end of another year.
“Can you believe it?”
“Each year goes by faster than the next.”
“What will next year hold?”
“Are you going to make New Year’s resolutions?”
“I can’t wait to start the new year. This one was horrible.”
Perhaps these are some of the thoughts you have as you end one year and begin the next.
Your perspective of the year drawing to a close forms your enthusiasm or lack of it for the year ahead.
Let me invite us to end the year with a reflection on all the blessings that God has given. Perhaps those blessings have come in different ways. Here’s a few Scriptures and questions to reflect on:
- What blessings have come in the day to day routine of life? The Lord love and mercy are new every day!
Lamentations 3: 22-24 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
- What blessings have come from the challenges and hardships of this year?
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- What celebrations did you have this year that remind you of the Lord’s faithfulness?
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
- How has God grown and developed your faith in him this year?
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
- How has the Lord shown his presence and strengthened you this year?
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
- List what you would consider the top 10 blessings from the Lord this year. (Remember blessings come in things we consider good or bad!)
Numbers 6:24-26 “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
Our family had many celebrations this year…confirmation, graduation, work anniversaries, significant birthdays. Each was and is a reminder of the goodness of the Lord and his constant presence and blessings. As you reflect on 2022, may the Lord bring to mind his many mercies and his many blessings. Know with confidence, that as he has been with you in 2022, he will go with you into 2023!
Happy New Year to all!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for going with us and providing your presence and blessings in 2022. In your mercy, go with us to strengthen, guide and bless us in the year ahead! AMEN.
Best News Ever…Merry Christmas!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
If you were busy last night, take time today to join us for worship
Crosspoint Church – 3800 Shell Road, Georgetown, TX 78628
Or online: Click Here
(Reprinted from 12/25/2020)
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” —Luke 2:10-11
There’s been so much bad news this year in the era of doomscrolling. How about some good news headlines?
History brings us some momentous ones: “Peace. Greatest War of All Time Over.” “Victory. Nazis Reveal Surrender.” “Man Walks on the Moon.” “Nelson Mandela Freed.” But we can also find these feel-good stories from the past year: “A 6-year-old ordered $350 in Barbies from Amazon. Her parents gave them to a hospital.” “A farmer fell ill. So dozens of his neighbors showed up spontaneously and harvested his crops.” “Bride and groom had extra food. So they took it to a shelter and served it.”
Today we celebrate the best, most momentous news of all time: Christ has come! Jesus is here! He comes in the midst of troubling times. He brings hope in our despair. He brings peace in our worry. He brings joy in our sorrow. He brings love in our conflict. He brings life in our death. This is the good news angels announced in the night. It is the good news we can proclaim on this morning. Jesus is who we expectantly await in Advent, and Jesus is who we celebrate at Christmas. He is the Good News no matter how troubling the times. Jesus is here. Jesus will come again. Jesus will never leave us.
In Jesus, let’s celebrate with hope, peace, love, and joy in our hearts as we worship with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom
his favor rests.”
Apply: How will you rejoice and celebrate today? How can you carry Christ’s hope, peace, joy, and love forward with you all year?
(Reprinted with permission from Outreach.com “Advent Reading Plan”)
TONIGHT: Find the HEART of Christmas!
TONIGHT: Find the HEART of CHRISTMAS!
Christmas Eve Worship – 5pm
In person @ Crosspoint Church, 3800 Shell Road, Georgetown, TX
Online: Live Stream
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. —Luke 2:4-5
“This is sooo not what we need right now!” Mary and Joseph must have thought when they found out they had to report in Bethlehem for that Roman census. Mary should have been at home nesting, preparing the nursery, cleaning the cupboards, or weirdly reorganizing the hut for the twelfth time. If you’re a parent, you know what I mean. But instead of those final preparations, Mary had to endure a 90-mile journey on foot from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
In pregnancy, you know the time is drawing near, but you never know exactly when the baby is coming. There are contractions. There may be false starts. But one moment you are rearranging the kitchen, and the next, labor has begun. There’s no going back. Your body and mind completely focus on the process of labor. This new life is entering the world, and your life will never be exactly the same.
In these moments, there is joy and there is uncertainty. There is contentment and there is expectation. There is the planned and the unexpected. There is completion and there is the journey ahead. Here on Christmas Eve, we find all the same things.
As we finish our Christmas preparations, let’s also pause to rest a few minutes in the expectant now. The celebration will erupt. The emotions will swirl. The memories will be created. Our lives will add another new day, a special day not exactly like any other, and in that sense, our lives will never be the same. Like Mary, let’s ponder and treasure these moments in our hearts as we reflect on this threshold of birth and life, expectation and celebration, and God turned human in our hearts and lives.
Apply: What is heavy on your heart in the anticipation of Christmas? What is joyful in your expectant spirit?
(Reprinted from 12/24/2020 with permission from Outreach.com “Advent Reading Plan”)