Clever Free Methodist

  The Bible can definitely capture a wide range of our emotions as we read. Sometimes, that emotion is more of a convicting “sting” that suddenly stops me to think much deeper. In fact, I had to literally stop reading and forego the rest of the passage to do study and research on the particular verse that struck me so powerfully. One such verse came from a daily devotional reading that referenced a particular Scripture verse. It was Revelation 3:2 , “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.” This strong message to the Church in Sardis got my attention.   After just a short study, I realized how this connected to other warnings to keep alert. Hebrews 3:12, “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.” Then also, the warning of 1 Corinthians 10:12 , “So, if you think you are standing firm, be care...

  As a Free Methodists pastor, I not only teach, but preach about three distinct kinds of grace that we can experience in our life with God: prevenient grace, justifying grace and sanctifying grace.   We most certainly want to progress to the highest form of grace which is sanctifying grace of becoming holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Sanctifying grace is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit that changes us so that our lives are increasingly conformed to the mind of Christ.   The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, referred to this lifelong process of sanctification as becoming "perfected in love" or “going on towards perfection.” We must surrender daily to the world and to “self” to become more holy and like Jesus.   Sanctifying grace draws us toward Christian perfection, which Wesley described as a heart "habitually filled with the love of God and neighbor" and as "having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked."   What that means to me, ...

There is a lizard that loves to change its colors depending upon the type of environment it finds itself. We all know those masters of camouflage as the chameleon. However, this trait is not as flattering or acceptable as a follower of Jesus Christ.   The Lord does not believe in the separation of faith from life, church from business, and even church from state (as we mistakenly understand it).Our faith is not something we tuck away in our closets after Church on Sunday and then go about our week ahead.   We are not to be Christians on Sunday then wake up secular humanists on Monday. We must not be one way at church and different at home or work. Also, we don’t leave our faith at home and behave wildly just because we’re on vacation where nobody knows us. The Lord does not believe in spiritual split personality disorder.   Trust me, God is all about perfection and not dismantling and destroying. God did not make us “bi-polar spiritual beings” to flip-flop back and forth ...

There were several denominations who emphasized the ministry and passion of John the Baptist this month. His account is detailed in the Book of Luke in Chapters One and Three . John is clearly a pivotal figure in the salvation history of God. Although most of his formative years were lived in obscurity in the desert, his public ministry ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence. John was truly that voice “crying in the wilderness” preparing the way for the coming Messiah.  John preached the Good News without compromising his convictions or calling. This means going beyond the gentle, non-offensive sermon topics, and addressing the truth of the Good News that teaches repentance, freedom, healing, and restoration through Jesus’ death and Resurrection. John was truly a transitional Biblical figure, forming the connecting link between the Old and New Testaments. He spans the generations with one foot firmly planted in the Old Testament and the other squarely placed in...

I have to admit that it can be mind-boggling when I learn something new that changes the dynamics toward understanding something I have been accustomed to knowing nearly all my life. Especially, if it involves “re-thinking” parts of a fairly adaptable “memorization” from the church such as Psalm 23, The Apostle’s Creed, and even the Lord’s Prayer.   One such encounter led our church into a full-hour discussion as our Sunday School lesson. It was part of the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:13 , “And do not lead us into temptation….” What, exactly, does it really mean to “not lead us into temptation?”   I found is that it does not literally mean “keep me from being tempted.” The key word here is “temptation” which means “ trial ” or “ proving .” It has a stronger, spiritual meaning than a mere whimsical approach such as “help me resist the temptation to eat another slice of cake!” It also puts to rest that God is “messing with us” to see if we “take the bait” and choose to sin....

  The Sunday sermon. Just that statement, alone, provokes many different thoughts and opinions. It isn’t easy. The Pastor’s challenge is how to be faithful to the Scripture without diluting the truth to conform to the pressures of social norms, or the latest philosophical fads of progressive thinking. Also, there is the battle of not succumbing to the world of entertainment by downplaying the holiness of Scripture by the over-use of humor, theatrics and boisterous antics in the pulpit. Where’s the balance? We don’t want to bore our people to sleep? We really don’t want people to mentally check out on us….do we? How do we maintain interest and connect with people on a deep spiritual realm so that they desire to listen, learn, and become dynamic members of the church who reflect the light of Christ?   The dynamic involved is keeping the message simple . However, simplicity does not mean hovering in the realms of shallowness. Simplicity is not a “free pass” for the pastor not...

As a pastor, I have always thought of the people sitting in the Sanctuary during a Sunday morning worship service was much like the “one-room school house” I have seen many times in episodes of “Little House on the Prairie.” Why, so?   Regardless of what grade the children were in and no matter what level of their true knowledge and wisdom, they were still altogether in one room learning together under the guidance of one teacher.   However, in the learning process, it was expected that all students show patience and respect towards their fellow students who struggled with learning or were much younger and at a different level of curriculum.   It would be cruel for a senior student to laugh and jest at a six-year-old learning to read for the first time. The difference between 12 th grade and Kindergarten is beyond obvious and should be understood and respected. It is no different in the Church.   Sitting in our church pews (chairs) each Sunday is a group of people...