Rev Doug Hollida wrote about Loving God with all your strength!

A Note from the Director of Worship and Arts:

 

"Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind."  That is the theme of our current sermon series.  This Sunday, Rev. Carol will look at what it means to "love the Lord with all your strength." 

I think we can all define the word "strength," but what does it mean to "love the Lord with all your strength?"  Does it mean we should lift weights?  I remember 20 years ago a Christian weightlifting team came to our town-they would give a demonstration, and then witness about Jesus.  I guess we could say they were literally loving the Lord with all their strength.  And yet, the weightlifting was just to draw folks in; the Christian work was the witness.  And that takes strength too-physical strength to go out and do it and also emotional and spiritual strength.

Every aspect of our existence is from God and belongs to God-it was created by and given to us by God, and God has a plan for every aspect of our lives.  It takes strength to put away our selfish, worldly ways and open our hearts, souls and minds, and yes, the use of our strength to God's purposes.  But the Lord, speaking through the prophet in Isaiah 55, says that we can come to him and get what we need for free.  Our ways are not the Lord's ways, but the Lord's ways are better and easier.  So there is every reason to turn to the Lord in love and seek the Lord's ways for our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Seek the Lord while he may be found,
   call upon him while he is near;
 ⁷ let the wicked forsake their way,
   and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
   and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
 ⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

                                      Isaiah 55:6-8 (NRSV)

We will see you Sunday, as together, we continue on the journey to loving the Lord with everything we have.

Rev. Doug Hollida,
Director of Worship and Arts

How Is It With Your Souls? Questions about Loving God and Living Life

In my sermon on Sunday, January 9, I mentioned  that John Wesley developed 22 questions that he used in his small group, which was called John's Wesley's Holy Club. 

When you ask yourself the question, How Is It With My Soul? 

John Wesley’s Holy Club Questions

These are 22 questions the members of John Wesley’s Holy Club asked themselves every day in their private devotions over 200 years ago.

1.       Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2.      Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3.      Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?

4.      Can I be trusted?

5.       Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?

6.      Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

7.       Did the Bible live in me today?

8.      Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?

9.      Am I enjoying prayer?

10.   When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11.    Do I pray about the money I spend?

12.   Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

13.   Do I disobey God in anything?

14.   Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15.    Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16.   Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?

17.    How do I spend my spare time?

18.   Am I proud?

19.   Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?

20.  Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

21.   Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22.  Is Christ real to me?

These questions make you think!

In Jesus,
Barry

PS I also quoted Rocky Balboa in my sermon, here is that quote, , “But it ain’t how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.  How much you can take and keep moving forward.  If you know what you’re worth, go out and get what you are worth, but you got to be willing to take the hits.”  (From Rocky 6) or you could watch it here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1tXhJniSEc 

Happy New Year!! Do you like a fresh start!!

Happy New Year!!

Do you like a fresh start? I know that I do. There is something special about a new year. Over the past week, in the church office, we have been finishing up all the paperwork, finance bookkeeping, attendance figures, budget review, etc, as we bring 2010 to a close. Maybe you have been doing the same at your house, trying to figure out how your finances did in 2010. You took down the Christmas decorations and maybe realized that you need to get into that garage, basement or closet this year and get out the old stuff that nobody is using.  Sometimes though, we can get so busy taking care of last year's stuff that we don't focus on the opportunities of the new year.

This year I decided to spend some time, in the week after Christmas, looking forward to 2011. I spent time planning sermon series, reviewing the goals I have for our ministry in 2011, calling people and asking them to step into new leadership roles, thinking about the changes with The Vine moving offsite in March and my return to the 11 Worship Service leadership.

Cindy and I have also been working on the New Course that is starting this week called Next Steps: Living and Loving Like Jesus.   This 7-week journey is designed for all who want to continue on a life-long journey with Jesus. Whether you are a committed disciple, a new believer, or still exploring questions of faith, everyone has a “next step” to take on the journey with Jesus.  In this course, we’ll explore seven essentials of Christian discipleship, offering tools for growth that are designed to meet you where you are, and help you take your next faithful step. Each evening begins with casual conversation over dessert. Then we’ll gather for a time of worship, learning, and small group discussion. Childcare is available upon request.

It's been great looking forward into 2011 and anticipating how God is going to touch our lives, how we can grow in our faith and help our church to grow. I know that the Homeless Shelter is going to stay open because churches like Bel Air have been stepping up across Harford County by giving in the Christmas season. We collected over $8700 in our Christmas Eve Offerings for the Shelter! It will give the shelter a fresh start in the new year.

So my question for you is, how will you grow in 2011? What fresh start in your faith will you take in 2011? Will you expect the same old, same old in your walk with Christ. Just getting by? Or will you seek to love God and live the life that Jesus wants for each of us?

Jesus us tells us there are some things we can do that will show us how to LIVE. Luke 10:25-28 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

I am starting a new series on Sunday that will focus on what it would mean for each of us to love God with our heart, soul, strength and mind! That pretty much sums up all of life and faith! Won't you join with me in being open to doing something new in 2011 and just maybe we will end up Loving God and Living Life in a most powerful way!

In Jesus,

Barry

PS I must admit that I have also spent some time this week planning how the Ravens will get to the Superbowl!! Just as we can only live for God one day at time, I know the road to the Superbowl is taken one game at a time. Go RAVENS! I've got my purple on!!