|
As I was shaving last night (yes, I do shave some of my face), I noticed that my razor was getting dull and my shave wasn't quite as smooth as I would like it to be. I buy my razors in bulk online so I have plenty, but being frugal, I try and use each blade as long as I can before I throw it out. Eventually, despite my cheapskate nature, I do throw out a dull blade because they just don't work as well as one that is sharp.
Proverbs 27:17 says "as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" I like to think of myself as one who helps others live out their faith well. I try to encourage, challenge and speak life into people. I know that in my own life there have been many who have helped me grow sharper through their regular and intentional effort to build me up, make me stronger and sharper. Over time, our love for God can grow dull if we allow it to. Just like a muscle that doesn't get used, our faith can weaken without use. A friend, or pastor, or spouse who encourages you in your faith is a great gift from God. They will make you sharper, stronger and better equipped in your life to go with God's strength. Seek these people out, spend time with them...you will be better for it. But, it's a double edged sword. You need to be encouraging, challenging and helping others in their faith. We each are sharpened and we each need to do the work of sharpening others. Find a friend like that. Be a friend like that. Sharpen each other so you don't grow dull and useless. In Christ, Pastor Scott McDermid
0 Comments
They say that everything is bigger in Texas (and that may be true) and it seems that all Americans believe that bigger is better...but small can be powerful.
In 1 Kings 19, God speaks through the "still small voice". In Matthew 17, Jesus tell us that we only need faith as small as a mustard seed and we can tell the mountains to move. Jesus is born into a small town (Micah 5:2) but He would go on to save the world. Small isn't bad, in fact small can be powerful. In just a few weeks we are launching 9 new "small" groups at Six Points Church. In many ways these groups are small (only about 10 people per group, meeting for only 4 weeks, reading a short book of the Bible) and yet I believe that these groups can have HUGE power! People in these groups (and the the groups that currently exist and are joining this study) will grow in fellowship, grow in Biblical knowledge and can help us grow together in grace. I can't wait to see what friendships might be formed or strengthened and how God uses these small groups to make a big impact in our church and community. This week is the last Sunday to sign up for one of these groups before they start...so don't miss out on God's big plans for our small groups! In Christ, Pastor Scott McDermid I get a LOT of emails and a whole bunch of them are junk or spam from companies that I bought one thing from a long time ago or who gave me 20% off if I signed up for their email list. Every morning I wake up and check my email and then spend a few minutes cleaning out the junk.
Yesterday, I had enough. I spent 30 minutes going through my email and hitting "unsubscribe" to all those junk email senders. It wasn't easy, they make that unsubscribe button hard to find or make you go to multiple pages to tell them that you are sure you don't want their spam emails anymore...but I can officially say that I will now be getting a lot less junk each day. Sometimes in life, we have to look around our hearts and get rid of the junk that is cluttering everything. Are there places you spend time that you should not? Are there people you talk to who are a drag on your heart? Are there TV shows or websites that are all spam and no positive content? The season of Lent is coming up (starting on Ash Wednesday which is February 26 this year). Lent is typically a time to fast and for many people, that means giving up sweets or meat; but for many of us, it means getting rid of things that are cluttering up our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says we should "guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Do you need to spend some time cleaning out your heart this Lent? Join us on Wednesday the 26th at 6:30 pm for a special service where we can reflect on fasting (from food or other things), prayer and repentance. I think you'll come away feeling like I did yesterday...uncluttered and free. In Christ, Pastor Scott McDermid In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah is burned out, depressed and scared. He is in hiding and afraid for his life. God comes to speak to him (and care for him) but not in big impressive ways (not in the earthquake or the fire) but in the "still small voice."
This past Sunday in worship, I was just about to preach a sermon I had worked on all week long...when it became clear that the Holy Spirit was up to something. I felt a tug on my heart (that still small voice) to ask the congregation if any wanted to share a word of praise and we spent the next thirty minutes hearing praise after praise from those who were there about God's goodness and faithfulness. I am so glad I didn't quench the spirit by insisting that we stop sharing and start preaching. I have, over the years, had mentors who set the example to me that the Pastor's job is to tend to the flock by any means necessary; and while that might often include a well thought out sermon, it might also involve sitting down and letting the Spirit move. It wasn't a normal worship service (and the livestream was pretty terrible viewing) but I am so glad for those of you who stood up and shared your testimonies of God's goodness. Your courage to share and love for God were an example to us all. In Christ, Pastor Scott McDermid |
Archives
May 2024
|
RSS Feed
