The Breath, the Bite, and the Blessing

Sermon notes for February 22, 2026

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
2:15The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
2:16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden,
2:17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
3:2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
3:3but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'”
3:4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die,
3:5for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
3:6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
3:7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
——-
Psalm 32
32:1Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
32:2Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
32:3While I kept silent, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
32:4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
32:5Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
32:6Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
32:7You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
32:8I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
32:9Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
32:10Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD.
32:11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
——-
Romans 5:12-19

5:12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned-
5:13for sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law.
5:14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam, who is a pattern of the one who was to come.
5:15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many.
5:16And the gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the gift following many trespasses brings justification.
5:17If, because of the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
5:18Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.
5:19For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
——-

The Breath, the Bite, and the Blessing
Let us pray: Lord, create in me a clean heart, O God. Open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your words. Open our ears to Your truths. Amen.
Good morning, friends. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I welcome you to the first Sunday of Lent. From Ash Wednesday until Resurrection Sunday, we enter a season of reflection—a time to look in the mirror of the soul and examine what we find there.
Our study today draws from Genesis 2 and 3, Psalm 32, and Romans 5. I’ve titled this message: The Breath, the Bite, and the Blessing.
The “Software Update” of Sin
I’ll be covering familiar ground—Adam, Eve, a serpent, and a piece of fruit—but I pray you find a new perspective in this ancient story.
You see, in Genesis, the serpent didn’t show up with a “Team Evil” T-shirt. He was subtle. Temptation rarely looks like a villain; it looks benign like a … Software Update.
The serpent approached Eve like a tech support scammer. He convinced her that her “Life 1.0” operating system was glitchy and that she was missing out on a vital “God-Mode” plug-in.
He didn’t mention that the update would crash the entire hard drive of humanity or that there was no “Restore to Factory Settings” button hidden in the bushes.
The “death” God warned about was immediate, yet invisible. When they took that bite, they didn’t drop dead physically; instead, their relationship with reality died.
From Immersion to Observation
Now, I want to go a bit deeper here. I feel a bit like the author of Hebrews, wishing I could offer you the “meat” of the word while I’m still navigating the “baby food” myself. But I’m hungry for steak, so let’s attempt to describe a concept that shifted the very fabric of the universe.
Before the “bite,” Adam and Eve existed in a state of pure, transcendent presence. There was no “I” to stand apart from “God.” They didn’t just have a relationship with the Divine; they were immersed in the Divine. But the “bite” represents the birth of dualistic consciousness—the moment we began to perceive the world as “me” vs. “not me.”
Suddenly, the “immersion” was replaced by “observation.” God became an external “Other” to be feared. This is why they hid. Hiding among the trees represents the birth of the Shadow. We began to believe that parts of our nature must be kept in the dark to stay safe. We stopped being with the Source and started trying to manage our image before it.
The Blame Game and the DIY ß
Once we see ourselves as separate from God, we inevitably see others as separate, too. The union is shattered. Notice how quickly the “we” becomes “me vs. you.”
Even though the command was given to Adam before Eve was even formed, Adam immediately projects his failure onto her.
Eve then deflects to the serpent. Both are attempting to protect a fragile new ego from the weight of its own choices.
The “Other” is no longer a partner, but a target for unresolved guilt. Love, once an effortless flow, becomes a contract fraught with defensiveness.
This brings us to the second tragedy: Shame. Guilt says, “I did something bad.” Shame says, “I am bad.”
To fix this, they reached for leaves. Adam and Eve’s attempt to fix their own shame with foliage is the ultimate DIY disaster.
Just imagine Adam trying to look dignified in a wilting, itchy suit of leaves. And honestly, it isn’t hiding anything from the Creator of the Universe!
We do the same today with our “modern fig leaves”—projecting images of success or perfection to mask the fear that we are unworthy.
The Heavy Hand of Pursuit
This “human effort” is the beginning of the religion of self, and it leads to the “wasting away” mentioned in Psalm 32.
The Psalmist describes a physical reaction to a spiritual problem. He speaks of God’s “heavy hand,” but I don’t think that’s a hand of punishment. It’s a hand of pursuit to get our attention. He’s saying, “Whoa!” to our mule-headedness.
God is trying to lead us, but we can be like the horse or the mule mentioned in verse 9. Some of us treat God like a GPS that we’ve muted because we think we know a shortcut.
Come on, I know I’m not the only one who does that, right?
We’re like a stubborn mule that is so sure of itself. God is trying to lead us to a lush pasture, but we’re standing with our feet firmly planted on the path that leads to destruction.
The Great Exchange: Federal Headship
This brings us to the “Much More” of the Gospel in Romans 5. Paul introduces a concept that I understand. But until very recently I didn’t know that it was called Federal Headship. It means one person’s actions can represent an entire group like a union boss or congressman.
Through the First Adam, we inherited a spiritual bank account that was $50 trillion in the red. We didn’t even spend the money; we just woke up with the debt.
But then comes the Second Adam (Jesus) who performs the ultimate debt resolution. He pays off our debt and gives us full access to His limitless resources.
In the Romans passage Paul uses the phrase “much more” many times. He is highlighting that the solution is vastly more powerful than the problem.
Adam’s disobedience was a taking.
Christ’s obedience is a giving.
The resulting justification isn’t just a “not guilty” verdict. The Greek word (dee-kai-OH-mah) dikaiōma implies a restoration to the status of a son or daughter. It’s like trading in a 1973 Pinto with no wheels for a brand-new Rolls Royce, and the salesman says, “Don’t worry, the previous owner already paid the insurance and will cover the fuel for eternity.”
Conclusion: Back to the “You May”
In the Garden, the original command was, “You may freely eat.” After the fall, life became a series of “You must or must not” But through Christ, we are invited back into the “You May.”
We don’t obey the leading of the Lord to avoid death; we obey because we have been given life. The “reign” we are promised isn’t power over people, but power over the sin and shame that has kept us shivering in the bushes.
It’s time to shed the foliage. Drop the masks. Step out from the trees and embrace the freedom that Christ has won for us.
Amen.

——-
Call to Worship
(Based on Genesis 3 and Psalm 32)
Leader: The voice of the Lord echoes in the garden, calling out: “Where are you?”
People: We are here, Lord, often hiding in the shadows of our own making.
Leader: Why do you hide behind masks of perfection and leaves that will surely wilt?
People: Because we are afraid; we have seen our nakedness and felt the weight of our own choices.
Leader: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered by the “Much More” of God’s grace!
People: We will no longer stay silent. We will pour out our hearts to the One who is our hiding place.
Leader: The First Adam took, but the Second Adam gives. The old reign of death is over; the new reign of life has begun.
People: Let us step out from the bushes! Let us lay down our defenses!
Leader: Come, let us worship the God of restoration and Shalom.
All: Create in us clean hearts, O God, and let our mouths declare Your praise!
——-
Opening Prayer
“Gracious and Holy God, we come before You this morning at the threshold of Lent. We thank You for the breath in our lungs—a gift from Your very Spirit. Lord, we admit that we often enter Your presence wearing masks and clutching our ‘fig leaves,’ trying to hide the parts of ourselves we think are unlovable. Today, we ask for the courage to be seen. Quiet the noise of our own egos so that we might hear Your still, small voice. Open our hearts to the reality of Your ‘Much More’ grace, and help us move from being observers of Your Word to being fully immersed in Your love. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”

——-
Closing Prayer
“Lord God, we thank You for the ‘Glitch in the System’—for the radical obedience of Jesus that deleted our debt and restored our inheritance. We confess that we have often been like the stubborn mule, chewing on the cardboard of our own self-effort while You offered us the feast of Your Kingdom. As we leave this place, help us to stop running the marathon with a backpack full of bricks. Teach us to trust Your ‘righteous verdict’ over the whispers of our own shame. May the truth of our identity as Your sons and daughters be the ground we walk on this week. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.”
Benediction
“May the peace of God, which is the true Shalom—the wholeness that was lost in the Garden and won back at the Cross—guard your hearts and minds today.
Go forth now:
Step out from the bushes of hiding,
Shed the wilting leaves of self-justification,
And walk in the ‘Much More’ abundance of His grace.
May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you now and forevermore. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”
——-
Possible hymn selections:
1. Opening Hymn: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (UMH 57)
2. Hymn of Response: Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy (UMH 340)
3. Scripture Hymn: Of the Father’s Love Begotten (UMH 184)
4. Closing Hymn: Grace Greater than Our Sin (UMH 365)
Bonus: A “Psalm 32” Selection
“Happy the Man Whose Filthy Stain” (UMH 416 – O Come, Loud Antiphons)

The Call to Higher Ground

Sermon notes for February 15, 2026

First Reading:  Exodus 24:12-18 Second:  Matthew 17:1-9

Exodus 24:12-18

The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there; I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up onto the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come back to you. Look, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the Israelites. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

—-

Matthew 17:1-9

Christ revealed as God’s beloved Son

17:1Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.

17:2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became bright as light.

17:3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

17:4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

17:5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

17:6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.

17:7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”

17:8And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

17:9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

From The Mountain To The Valley. 

​The Texts: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and stay here…’” — Exodus 24:12

“There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun…” — Matthew 17:2

1. The Call to Higher Ground: From “To-Do” to “To-Be”

I remember watching Sesame Street with my kids. There was the time that Grover was demonstrating near and far. He would move very close to the camera and say, “Near” then he would move a long way away from the camera and say, “Far!” He repeated it over and over. It was very memorable.

I mention this because these two scriptures also, in their own way, demonstrate far and near. The messages from Exodus and Matthew are a move from far to near. 

At Sinai, the people stood at the base of the mountain, trembling. They were far from God, who they witnessed as a fire that consumed. The relationship was negotiated through stone tablets. It was transactional: “Do this, and live. Fail this, and perish.”

​In the Transfiguration, the fire doesn’t destroy the person; it reveals the person. Jesus doesn’t bring new rules to memorize; He brings a New Life to participate in.

​The Law is a mirror that shows you how dirty your soul is.

The Transfiguration is what actually cleanses it. 

2. The Art of “Staying Put”: Resisting the Impatient Spirit

​We live in an age of “Life Hacks” and “3-Minute Devotionals.” We want the wisdom of a sage with no more effort than microwaving a burrito. But Moses and the Disciples remind us that revelation requires duration.

​God told Moses to “stay here.” Why? Because it takes time for our internal noise to quiet down enough to hear the “still, small voice.”

​The Six-Day Silence: Moses waited six days for God to speak. That’s a lot of time to think. Maybe God was waiting for Moses’s soul to grow quiet so he could really listen.

Sometimes staying put means resisting the urge to “fix” our lives and instead letting God “fill” our lives.

3. Spiritual Metamorphosis: The “Butterfly” Effect

The Bible says that Jesus was transformed. The Greek word used was metamorphoō; it implies a change from the inside out just like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. 

This isn’t just an external change, that would be like putting a tutu on a pig. It doesn’t change the pig into a ballerina. She’s just a strangely dressed farm animal. Transformation is about becoming a new creature entirely.

When we accept Christ we also are metamorphosed, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!

We may not glow like the Son but Christ’s light should shine through us 

Moving toward Christian Perfection can be thought of as building a house. Just as a house is not complete without a strong foundation. Our spiritual growth and relationship with God needs a solid foundation as well. As we strive to become more Christ-like, we must not only focus on the superficial areas of our faith, but also the deeper, hidden aspects of our lives. 

It is not enough for God to just come and tidy up the living room of our faith, we must also allow Him to renovate the basement and the attic – the hidden parts of our hearts and minds.  Only then can we truly experience the fullness of God’s love and live out our purpose as His children.

​When the light of Christ fills a room, the shadows (our pride, our ego, our need to be right) naturally flee. Perfection is often associated with being flawless and without any imperfections. However, true perfection is not just about the external appearance. 

It goes much deeper than that. Perfection is about having a heart that is so pure, kind, and full of love that it has no room for malice. It’s about being faultless in terms of having a loving and compassionate nature towards others. It’s about cultivating a heart that is free from negativity and hate, and instead filled with empathy, understanding, and love for all. 

4. “Listen to Him” 

Peter’s reaction to glory was to start a construction project. “Let’s build three shelters!” 

How often do we do the same: we experience a moment of grace and immediately try to treat it like a new law or systematize it, or market it, or turn it into a 5-step program.

The Father’s voice literally interrupts Peter.  Verse 5 says, While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”

I’ve often thought that “Be still, and know that I am God” in Psalm 46:10 was just a polite way of telling me to “Shut up and listen!”

Listen to him: If what you’re hearing in your head doesn’t sound like the grace, mercy, and truth of Jesus, it’s not the Father speaking. 

Listening to God is a crucial aspect of living a Christian life. By focusing on the teachings and guidance of Jesus, we can move away from the noise and distractions of the world and follow a single, guiding voice. 

This allows us to cut through the confusion and simplify our approach to living as a Christian. By following Jesus, we are able to prioritize our actions and decisions based on his teachings of love, compassion, and grace. But to know his teachings we have to actually read the Bible.

5. Taking the Glow into the Valley

​The mountaintop wasn’t a retirement plan; it was a refueling stop. The disciples wanted to stay on the peak, but the miracle was meant to be taken with them back down the mountain. This enlightenment is meant to be shared.

​Real spirituality isn’t measured by how inspired you are during worship, but by what you take with you when your feet hit the road. We must live daily in the reality that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Just as the moon has no light of its own but only reflects the sun’s light, we don’t have our own light. We just have to spend enough time near the Light Source to reflect the Son’s light into the dark corners of our work places, schools, and homes.

Perhaps a lighthouse is a better analogy than the moon. In a traditional lighthouse, the light source (Christ) remains steady while a  lens or a mirror rotates to create a sweeping beam to help guide the way.

So be the lighthouse. Lighthouses just shine steadily while the storm crashes around them. Your peace in a crisis is the most powerful sermon you’ll ever preach.

Because, in a crisis, people instinctively look for a “non-anxious presence.” When you remain grounded in your faith, you provide an anchor for everyone else. You aren’t just telling them things will be okay; you are showing them that you are okay, which is infinitely more convincing.

The mountain shouldn’t be a place to hide from the world. Peter wanted to live on the mountain top. It’s a great place to visit. Those mountaintop experiences are truly life altering but we need to live that new life in the valleys among others where it truly matters.

Amen.

——

Opening Prayer

​Gracious and Almighty God, You are the One who speaks in the thunder of the mountain and the silence of the heart. We ask that you help us to leave our checklists, our laundry lists, and our “to-do” lists at the trailhead so we can focus entirely on You.

​Lord, we admit we are often like Peter. We start talking before we’ve started listening. Silence our inner chatter. If our hearts are like those stone tablets, cold and hard, write Your love upon them with Your own finger today. Transfigure our thoughts and clear our vision, so that we might see Jesus. We don’t just want to hear a talk about You; we want to encounter the Living Light that is You.

Amen.

—–

​Closing Prayer

Lord God, we thank You that You don’t leave us shivering at the foot of Sinai, wondering if we’ve been “good enough.” Thank You for the gift of Your Son, who stepped into our darkness so we could share in His light.

​Forgive us for the times we’ve tried to build “booths” around our spiritual experiences trying to bottle up Your Spirit instead of letting Him change us. We ask now for that heart strangely warmed and a life completely surrendered. As we prepare to head back down into the “valleys” of our Monday mornings, our offices, and our kitchens, don’t let the glow fade. May the love we’ve found here become the love we share out there.

Amen.

——-

​Benediction

​Now, as you go down from this place, May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He give you a “Moses-like” courage to seek His face, A “Peter-like” passion to follow His lead, And a “Jesus-like” light that shines through your very skin.

​Go forth with your hearts warmed, your minds cleared, and your lives transfigured.

Don’t just carry the Word; reflect the Light.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Go in peace. Amen.

Sermon notes for February 8, 2026

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Feb 08, 2026

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

God’s wisdom revealed through the Spirit

2:1When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the testimony of God to you with superior speech or wisdom.

2:2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

2:3And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

2:4My speech and my proclamation were made not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

2:5so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

2:6Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are being destroyed.

2:7But we speak God’s wisdom, a hidden mystery, which God decreed before the ages for our glory,

2:8and which none of the rulers of this age understood, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

2:9But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”

2:10God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

2:11For what human knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God.

2:12Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.

2:13And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.

2:14Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

2:15Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.

2:16″For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Sermon thoughts. 

​Text: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12

Introduction: Beyond Fancy Words

In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit I welcome you to this study. 

I promise to keep this moving because I know the only thing standing between you and lunch is me, and that’s a dangerous place for a preacher to be.

​My friends, when the Apostle Paul arrived in Corinth, he didn’t lead with flashy audio visuals or a professional PR team. He told them plainly: “I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom.”

​Why? Because Paul knew a dangerous truth: you can win a man’s mind with a brilliant argument and never touch his soul. 

You can impress a congregation with a polished performance and leave them just as cold as when they walked in—or worse, they leave thinking the preacher is great, but forget that God is greater. (I’m praying that doesn’t happen today)

​Today, I want to talk about the difference between “religion in the head” and “religion in the heart.” Paul determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

​Now, don’t let Paul fool you—he wasn’t exactly a slow learner. He was highly educated, studied under the Ivy League rabbis of his day, and grew up in Tarsus, which was basically a center of Greek philosophy.  Today he would have enough degrees to cover a wall.

​But Paul realized that compared to the Cross, his education was scrap paper. 

Does this mean we should be ignorant? Of course not. But if your spirituality is just high-minded philosophy or—God forbid—endless political debates on Facebook, it is a bloodless husk. 

If you have the “ten-dollar words” like Substitutionary Atonement but you don’t have the love of Jesus, you’re just a walking dictionary with a cold heart.

​The Cross is our “get out of jail free card”. 

You must understand that Christ paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. 

Is Christ the center of your life, or is He just a Sunday decoration—like that fancy “guest towel” in the bathroom that nobody is actually allowed to use?

​Paul admits he came in “weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.” This flies in the face of every “Alpha Male Leadership” podcast out there.

​Mother Teresa said, “God cannot fill what is already full.”

​If you show up to heaven’s gate and try to show God your “Good Person Reward Card” or your perfect attendance trophy, you’re going to leave empty-handed. 

We have to admit our spiritual poverty. I will admit that I can’t even find my own car keys some mornings. I’m certainly not able to  save my own soul.

Paul’s admission resonates with me because, for a long time, I rejected the Christ story as foolishness. I thought the miracles were just tall tales. Water into wine? Walking on waves? I was way too “rational” for that.

​I was so full of myself that there wasn’t even a folding chair left for God to sit on. I wanted the Creator of the Universe to play by my rules. 

I was like an ant trying to explain nuclear physics to the person about to step on the anthill. 

Eventually, I realized that the God who built all of reality can flick it on and off like a light switch whenever He pleases.

​Paul says the “rulers of this age” think they are wise. They chase wealth, status, and the latest iPhone. 2,000 years later, we’re still doing the same thing.

​But this “wisdom” is coming to nothing. The world says seek revenge; God says forgive. 

The world says “He who dies with the most toys wins”; God says “Give it away.” 

To the world, God’s wisdom looks like it’s standing on its head, but really, it’s the world that is upside down.

​The person without the Spirit is like someone trying to describe colors while standing in a pitch-black room. They just don’t have the “spiritual senses” for it.

​But for those of us who have felt the warmth of God’s love, this wisdom is more precious than gold. It’s the “deep things of God” whispered to our souls—usually right when we’ve finally stopped talking long enough to listen.

​I beg you today: don’t trust in a faith built on human logic. Logic is great for balancing your checkbook, but it’s a terrible savior.

​Search your heart. If you feel “cold” spiritually, ask Him to turn up the heat. If you are “almost” a Christian — meaning you like the ideas but haven’t met the Man — pray to be “altogether” a Christian.

​Let us go forth not just “informed” by a sermon, but transformed by the Holy Spirit. Let us be people who know nothing but Jesus Christ — and maybe where we parked our cars.

​Amen.

I have an epilogue to this sermon. 

John Wesley often invited his listeners to a “Covenant Prayer” of total self-surrender, a prayer designed to be a deliberate turning away from the “spirit of the world” toward the “Spirit of God.” 

I am providing you with a type of covenant prayer. Use it as a starting point for your own contractual agreement with God. 

Understand that through the life, teaching, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has made His convenient with mankind. 

What I’ve tried to put into this prayer is basically my understanding of and agreement to His covenant. 

This is my prayer. If it doesn’t speak your truth, edit it until it does. God already knows your heart so don’t make promises you don’t intend, with the Spirit’s help, to keep.

Eternal God, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You now, setting aside all pretenses and every mask of formal religion. I confess that too often I have been a “halfhearted Christian” maintaining the appearance of faith while living far from its true power. I have allowed the spirit of this world — its pride, its anxieties, and its shallow wisdom — to take root in my heart.

​Lord, I am exhausted from living a divided life. I am tired of having one foot in Your kingdom and one foot in the world. I realize that this double-mindedness has robbed me of Your peace and left me feeling empty. I see now that the spirit of this world and Your Holy Spirit cannot live together. Therefore, by Your grace, I choose today whom I will give my soul to.

​I surrender everything to You. I give You my will, my reputation, my desires, and my very life. Take away my “heart of stone” — that cold, self-centered spirit that is so easily offended and so slow to love. Instead, give me a “heart of flesh,” made soft and responsive by Your grace.

​Holy Spirit, come and take full possession of Your temple. Search me: Reveal the deep parts of my heart so that I can see myself as I truly am.

Fill me with love: Let the love of God be poured into my heart until every root of bitterness and pride is gone.

Confirm my identity: Do not leave me in doubt. Speak to my spirit and remind me that I am truly Your child, forgiven through the blood of Jesus and being made holy by Your power.

​I am determined now to focus on nothing but Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. Let that cross be the end of my pride and the beginning of a holy life. May I no longer live for myself, but for the One who died for me and rose again. Transform me from the inside out, so that my life clearly shows Your Spirit at work and brings You praise in everything I say and do.

​In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and my everything,

​Amen.

Sermon notes for February 1, 2026

Matthew 5:1-12

The teaching of Christ: Beatitudes

5:1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.

5:2And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

5:3″Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:4″Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5:5″Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

5:6″Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

5:7″Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

5:8″Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

5:9″Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

5:10″Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:11″Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

5:12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Call to Worship (Inspired by Matthew 5:1-12)

​Leader: Come, all who are weary and heavy-laden; come to the mountainside of the Lord.

People: We come with open hearts, seeking the wisdom of Christ.

Leader: Blessed are those who know their need for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

People: We bring our spiritual poverty; we ask to be filled by His grace.

Leader: Blessed are the peacemakers and the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

People: We come to be transformed by the “Upside-Down” way of Jesus.

Leader: Let us rejoice and be glad! For our reward is not found in the things of this earth, but in the presence of our King.

All: Let us worship God together!

​

Opening Prayer

Gracious and Holy God, We gather today just as the disciples gathered on that mountainside long ago—hungry for a word that is true, a hope that is real, and a life that matters.

​Lord, we admit that we often live by the rules of a different kingdom. We strive to be first, we hide our weaknesses, and we chase after comforts that do not satisfy. We ask that You would quiet the noise of the world around us so that we might hear the “blessed” whisper of Your Spirit.

​As we look into the Beatitudes today, open our eyes to see the beauty of Your way. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours, soften our spirits where we have grown proud, and ignite in us a fierce hunger for Your righteousness.

​May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight. We don’t just want to study Your teaching; we want to be shaped by it. Transform us today, from the inside out, that we might leave this place as bearers of Your light and agents of Your peace.

​In the name of Jesus Christ, our Teacher and Savior,

Amen

Sermon:  A Reflection on Blessed and a Mirror on Ourselves

. Introduction: The Setting of the Sermon.

I’ve never been to the Holy Land and seen the supposed mount from which Jesus delivered his sermon on the Beatitudes. But even if I had been there, the event took place nearly two thousand years ago. I’m sure it has changed considerably over time.

So we are free to use our imagination. In my mind’s eye I picture a gentle rise up from the sea. The sun sparkling on the ever shifting waters and the tall grasses imitating the waves on the sea. 

Jesus arrives and immediately a  crowd gathers around him. His fame as a healer and a dynamic speaker have brought the people out to see what he will do next. 

He ascended the hill not like Moses who left the people behind when he went up the mountain to talk to God. No, Jesus brings the people with him to meet God.

He took a seat on a bit of higher ground so that he could be more easily seen. He invited his disciples to come near and began to speak. 

 In his sermon you’ll hear the word “blessed” a lot so it’s important to understand what it means. It comes from the Greek, “ma-CAR-ee-os,” makarios, meaning more than just “happy.” It describes a state of spiritual well-being and divine favor that exists regardless of outward circumstances.

​My friends, if we are to understand the mind of Christ, we must sit with Him on that mountainside. What He said was not a new law to crush us, but a divine revelation of the soul.

​But let us be honest: we often prefer our own “versions” of these virtues—versions that at times look more like a comedy of errors than a life of holiness.

​I. The Poverty of Spirit vs. The “Humble-Brag”

​”Blessed are the poor in spirit…”

​To be poor in spirit is to admit you are spiritually bankrupt. To be lower than a whale’s bellybutton. That means being down so far that you have to look up to see the bottom. 

Yet, how often do we treat humility like a badge of honor? I’m humble and proud of it! 

We are like the man who wrote a book titled Humility and How I Attained It, and then complained when people didn’t flock to him at a book signing.!

​True poverty of spirit isn’t saying, “I’m the worst sinner in the room,” while secretly peeking to see if everyone is impressed by your modesty. 

It is the end of self-importance. It is realizing that standing before a Holy God and boasting of your “good deeds” is like a man standing in a hurricane and boasting that he brought a fan to help the wind along.

​II. The Holy Sorrow vs. The Grumpy Saint

​”Blessed are those who mourn…”

​There is a holy grief for sin, and then there is what I call “sour-milk Christianity.” Some think they are “mourning” for the world when they are really just annoyed at the way things are going.

​I once heard of  a man who thought he was being “spiritual” by wearing a perpetual scowl at every event he attended. My friends, that is not the mourning Christ speaks of! 

Holy mourning isn’t being miserable because you can’t have your way; it is weeping because we have strayed from the Heart of Love. 

If your “sorrow” just makes you difficult to live with, it isn’t from the Holy Spirit—it’s likely just your indigestion.

​III. The Strength of Meekness vs. The Doormat

​”Blessed are the meek…”

​Meekness is power under control. It is not being a “moral doormat” that everyone wipes their muddy boots on.

​I have seen people who act “meek” only because they are too afraid to speak up, yet they harbor a secret list of grievances long enough to paper the walls of this worship center.

That isn’t meekness; that’s just a slow-boiling pot with the lid tied down! 

The truly meek person is like a Great Dane being barked at by a Chihuahua: he has the power to snap, but the grace to simply yawn and go back to sleep. He does not need to defend his “honor” because God is his shield.

​IV. The Great Hunger (and the Spiritual Junk Food)

​”Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”

​We all hunger for something. The tragedy is that we often try to satisfy a God-sized hunger with “spiritual junk food.”

Let me explain. “Spiritual junk food” refers to easy, instant-gratification spiritual inputs (like shallow lip-service praise, self-aware positivity) that feel good temporarily but don’t provide real nourishment, leading to spiritual emptiness, anxiety, or a focus on self rather than God, 

unlike true spiritual food (like deep scripture study, genuine service, and real Christian fellowship) which fosters deep growth and connection. Junk food clogs the soul, leaving one hungry and dissatisfied, preventing deeper spiritual understanding and connection to Christ. 

​We spend six days a week gorging ourselves on the gossip of the town, the pursuit of a few extra dollars, and the latest fashions — and then we wonder why, on Sunday morning, we have no appetite for the Word of God! 

You cannot feast on junk food all week and expect to have a gourmet soul. 

If you don’t hunger for holiness, ask God to give you a holy appetite. Stop snacking on the world’s trifles, and you will find yourself famished for the Bread of Life.

V. Mercy And Vengeance 

In a world that often demands “an eye for an eye” or prizes getting even, Jesus offers a radical alternative: mercy. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Mercy is more than just feeling sorry for someone; it is a deliberate choice to withhold punishment and extend kindness to those who may not deserve it. It is the bridge between our brokenness and God’s restoration.

The beauty of this Beatitude lies in its give-and-take. It suggests that our hearts act like a valve:

When we open our hearts to forgive others and show compassion, we create space within ourselves.

In that open space, we become capable of receiving the vast, unending mercy of God.

To be “blessed” here means to experience a deep, spiritual joy that comes from being in alignment with God’s character. We are never more like our Creator than when we are being merciful.

When you choose to let go of a grudge, to help someone who can’t pay you back, or to offer a second chance, you aren’t just being “nice.” You are participating in the very rhythm of heaven.

​VI. The Final Proof: Persecution

​”Blessed are you when people insult you…”

​Now, a word of caution: if people dislike you because you are rude, impatient, or just plain difficult, that is not persecution! That is simply the natural harvest of being a nuisance.

​I have met some who claim they are “suffering for the Gospel” when they are actually just suffering the consequences of having a sharp tongue. 

To be persecuted “for righteousness’ sake” means you were so much like Jesus that people found it uncomfortable. 

If the world is throwing stones at you, make sure it’s because you look like the Savior, not because you were throwing stones at them first!

​Here is a call to action. ​Do not settle for a “Sunday-Christianity” that is all talk and no heart. Do not be an “almost Christian” who has the vocabulary of a saint but the temper of a wet hen. Seek his inward holiness.

Lord, we come to You as a people who often care more about looking healthy than actually being cured. 

We confess that we’ve frequently mistaken our own stubbornness for “standing firm” and our own complaining for “holy sorrow.”

​Lord, give us a clear and honest look at ourselves.

Strip away our pretenses and our “humble-brags,” so we can be truly poor in spirit and ready to receive Your grace.

Melt the coldness in our hearts, so that we stop chasing things that don’t satisfy and start hungering for You alone.

Quiet our need to be right, so we can trade our defensive tempers for the quiet strength of the meek.

​Lord, Write Your Way of Life— deep within our very character. Let Your love be the only source of our moods, our words, and our choices.

​Lord, we aren’t asking for an easy life, but for a holy one. Whether we are enjoying the sunshine of Your peace or facing the heat of a world that doesn’t understand us, keep us anchored in You. 

May we never settle for “good enough” until our entire lives are filled with Your love and our every thought reflects Your goodness.

​In the name of the Father, the Sd the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We thank You that Your Kingdom is not reserved for the elite, the powerful, or the perfect, but is opened wide for the broken, the mourning, and the humble.

Lord, we confess that our hearts often hunger for the wrong things. We chase after the world’s version of “blessing”—status, security, and the praise of others—only to find ourselves thirsty again. Today, we return to the mountain. We sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His voice.

Give us the courage to be poor in spirit, depending entirely on You.

Give us the strength to be meek, using our influence to lift others up.

Give us the vision of a pure heart, so we may see You moving in our lives.

For those here today who are being persecuted or reviled for doing what is right, remind them of their great reward. Let them feel the “great gladness” that comes from being counted among Your children.

As we leave this place, transform us into a “City on a Hill.” May our lives reflect the beauty of Your upside-down Kingdom, bringing light to the dark places and peace to the broken spaces.

In the name of Jesus, our Teacher and King,

Amen

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work powerful deeds? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts. 

Sermon: The Stubbed Toe Test 

​Based on 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

​1. The Reality of Our Connection is stated in 1 Corinthians 12:12

​”For just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ.”

The human body is a remarkable creation, with intricate systems and functions that allow us to move, think, and survive. It is truly a masterpiece of engineering, designed to adapt and evolve in a constantly changing environment. 

However, when we take a closer look, we can’t deny that the human body is also a bit comical in appearance. We have weird organs like the appendix that apparently serves no purpose, and appendages like earlobes that seem unnecessary. Yet, despite its oddities, our body somehow manages to function seamlessly, allowing us to carry out daily tasks and activities. It is both fascinating and amusing how this collection of organs and limbs work together to get us out of bed every morning. From the involuntary beating of our hearts to the conscious movements of our arms and legs, the human body is a wonder to behold. 

Paul tells us the Church is much like the human body. ​Through the Holy Spirit, we’ve all been fused into one “body.” 

In the eyes of God, it doesn’t matter what social or economic status we hold in society. Whether we are a CEO with a luxurious lifestyle or a struggling college student surviving on ramen noodles, in Christ, these distinctions disappear. 

The love and grace of Jesus surpasses any worldly measure and unites us all as equals. Our worth is not determined by our job titles or bank accounts, but by our faith and relationship with God. In His eyes, we are all valuable and loved.

It can be easy to feel like we are alone on our journey in life, but the truth is that we are all part of something bigger. We are all connected and part of a greater whole. Just like a body is made up of different parts, we are all unique individuals that make up the family of God. 

And just like a pinky toe doesn’t get to choose which foot it’s attached to, we don’t get to choose who our siblings are in this family.  We are all interconnected and have a purpose within this greater whole. It’s important to remember that we are not alone on this journey and to embrace our place in the family of God.  So let us embrace our connection to each other and trust that we are all part of a greater plan.​

2. The Trap of Comparison is illustrated in verse 15

​”If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong…’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.”

​One of the enemy’s favorite tools is comparison. We look at the person leading worship or the “super Christian” who memorizes whole books of the Bible, and we feel like a spiritual appendix—useless and just waiting to be removed.

Listen to me. ​Comparison is a “thief” because it does two things simultaneously:

1. ​It breeds pride: If you find someone “worse” than you, you feel self-righteous.
2. ​It breeds despair: If you find someone “better” than you, you feel disqualified.

​Either way, you are looking at others instead of looking at God in whose image we all are made.

When you are busy wishing you were a “lung,” you neglect the specific work God gave you to do as a “fingerprint” or a “heart valve.”

​The Christian author Ann Voskamp sums it up this way, “Comparison is the death of joy, but the birth of a lie: that God was ungenerous when He made you.”

​But imagine if your body went on strike because of jealousy. Imagine your Left Foot looking up at your Hand and saying, “It’s not fair. You get to wear a fancy watch and high-five people. I spend all day in a dark, sweaty sock. I quit!” 

If your feet walk off the job, you literally aren’t going anywhere.

​If the whole body were an eye, we’d be a giant, crawling eyeball—which is a terrifying image from an old black and white monster movie. Such an eye would not be a functional human being. God designed you with a specific set of skills for your individual role.

When you refuse to use your gift because it isn’t “flashy,” you may think you are being humble, but in reality, you are doing a disservice to both yourself and the rest of the body. Each person has unique talents and abilities that they can contribute to the greater good. By holding back and not using your gift, you are depriving others of the benefits and insight that your gift could provide. You are also hindering your own growth and potential by not fully embracing and utilizing your abilities. This can lead to a sense of incompleteness and unfulfillment in your life. Additionally, by not using your gift, you are making the rest of the body stumble along half blind or footless. Your gift could be the missing piece that helps others navigate through their own challenges and obstacles. So instead of shying away from your gift because it may not seem impressive or flashy, embrace it and use it to make a positive impact in the world. As a collective body, we are stronger when each individual is fully utilizing their unique gifts and talents. Don’t underestimate the value of your gift and how it can contribute to the greater good..

​3. The Danger of Self-Sufficiency is seen in verse 21

​”The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.'”

​On the other hand, we have to watch out for spiritual snobbery. This is when the “eye”—the person with all the vision and “deep” insights – looks at the “hand” – the person setting up chairs or balancing the church budget—and thinks they are superior to that hand.

​Try this experiment: The next time you think you’re too “spiritual” to need the rest of the body, try to tie your shoes using only your “vision.” You can stare at those laces with all the spiritual intensity in the world, but until the Hand gets involved, you’re going to trip over your own feet.

​Paul points out that the “unmentionable” parts are actually indispensable. Think about your liver. Unlike your eyes, your hair, or eyes, nobody writes poems about a liver. 

So, here is a short poem that you can add to your Hallmark card in honor of National Liver Awareness Day

“So here’s to the liver, the martyr,

Regenerative, loyal, and stout.

Be kind to him now in your twenties, Or he’ll certainly give you Gout.”

Yes, the liver is an unsung hero going about its important job without recognition. Just like many members of our church body.

This body, Cross tracks church, has countless invisible, indispensable people who make it function. I’m not talking about the paid staff at the moment. Don’t get me wrong. They are vital. But it is the volunteers who mow the grass, pickup trash, unlock the doors, wash the windows, brew the coffee, wash the dishes, move chairs, set up tables, light candles, turn on lights, change the paraments to the correct liturgical color, schedule the liturgists, read the scriptures, pass the collection plate, help with communion, run the audio visuals, play the music, watch the babies, teach Sunday school, make vacation bible school happen, buy the groceries, and on and on and on. God has arranged the Church so that these “invisible” people are often the ones keeping the whole body moving. 

We are intrinsically interconnected as human beings, and every action and event affects us in some way. When your big toe hits the corner of the coffee table, it is not just a problem for your toe; your entire being is impacted. Your brain does not simply ignore the pain and continue thinking deep thoughts, but rather your whole body reacts. Your lungs gasp, your knees collapse, your eyes tear up, and your hands naturally reach down to cradle your injured foot. This is a natural and instinctual response to pain, and it illustrates how we should react to one another’s pain in the Church. We are called to be a community that supports and cares for one another, just like how our body automatically responds to an injury. When one member of the Church is hurting, it should affect all of us, and we should come together to comfort, support, and help heal that person. We are called to be interconnected in our love and care for one another, just as our body is interconnected in its response to pain.

​4. Verse 27 directives Our Shared Mission

​”Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

​God hasn’t called us to be a collection of identical clones. He’s appointed some to lead, some to teach, some to heal, and some to be “forms of assistance” (the holy art of helping out).

​Listen up! Unless you are called to be a kidney, Stop trying to be the kidney and start being the best “ear” or “elbow” or whatever your gift is. All gifts are given to build others up for the glory of the Lord. 

Finding where your gift “fits” starts with a shift in perspective: spiritual gifts aren’t about your personality or your “ranking”—they are tools given to you to help others.

​You don’t need a supernatural vision to find your gift; usually, it’s hidden in your natural inclinations and the needs around you.

• ​The “Need” Test: What is the one thing in your church or community that “bugs” you because it’s not being done well? (e.g., If you’re bothered that new people aren’t being greeted, you might have the gift of Hospitality).
• ​The “Joy” Test: What spiritual activity makes you feel most “alive” and connected to God? God usually aligns our gifts with a sense of peace and fulfillment.
• ​The “Affirmation” Test: What do other people often thank you for? Sometimes others see the “hand” working before the “hand” even realizes it’s doing anything.

I pray that during this week you will:

• ​Embrace Your Inner “Liver”: Do something vital but invisible for someone else this week.
• ​Stop the Sock-Envy: Thank God for the specific role He gave you, even if it feels “underfoot.”
• And Take The “Toe-Stub” Test: When you see someone in the church hurting, don’t ignore it. Feel it, and move to help.

 And all the church said, “Amen!”

First Reading:   Psalm 40:5-11

5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.

6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

7 Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.

10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

11 Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever

Second Reading:  John 1:35-42 

35. The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,

36. and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

37. The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

39. He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

40. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).

42. He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

———

Title: Hear, Come, and Tell

Scripture Focus: John 1:35-42 & Psalm 40:5-11

Introduction: 

The Beautiful Burden of a Secret

Have you ever received news so good that it felt like you would burst if you didn’t share it right away? Perhaps a job offer, a pregnancy, or a clean bill of health? 

The one that immediately came to my mind was when my oldest daughter was baptized. When we returned home she immediately ran to the neighbor to tell her.

In those moments, silence is impossible. Joy, by its very nature, demands to be shared.

Today, we look at two passages separated by centuries but united by a single heartbeat: the necessity of sharing the wonderful works of God. 

From the poetic testimony of David in Psalm 40 to the practical invitation of Andrew in John 1, we see that the Gospel of Christ is not a treasure to be buried, but a light to be held high.

I. The Foundation: Recognizing the Wonder (Psalm 40:5-8)

Before we can share the Gospel, we must be overwhelmed by it. David begins by marvelling at God’s intentionality:

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you…” (Psalm 40:5).

Sharing the Gospel isn’t about reciting a dry manual; it’s about reporting a miracle. David notes that God doesn’t just want ritual or “sacrifice and offering”—God wants a heart where the Word is written.

The Internalization: To share Christ, we must first let Christ “dig out” our ears (v. 6) so we can truly hear Him.

The Motivation: We share because we have discovered that God’s thoughts toward us are too many to count.

II. The Proclamation: Breaking the Silence (Psalm 40:9-11)

David makes a bold claim that challenges every “quiet” believer:

“I proclaim your saving help in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, Lord, as you know.” (Psalm 40:9)

He uses four powerful words to describe God’s character: Righteousness, Faithfulness, Salvation, and Love. We often fear “witnessing” because we think we need to be theologians. But look at David’s strategy: he simply refuses to hide what God has done. He speaks of God’s “saving help” in the assembly.

The Challenge: Are our lips “sealed” by fear, or “opened” by gratitude? The Gospel is public news, not a private hobby.

III. The Invitation: “Come and See” (John 1:35-39)

Moving to the New Testament, we see David’s poetry put into action. John the Baptist sees Jesus and points: “Look, the Lamb of God!”

Two disciples hear this and follow Jesus. When Jesus asks what they want, they ask where He is staying. His response is the greatest evangelistic tool ever given to the church: “Come and see.”

Low Pressure, High Impact: Andrew didn’t start with a sermon; he started with an invitation to come see.

The Experience: They stayed with Him that day. We cannot lead people to a Christ we haven’t spent time with ourselves. Our “sharing” is most effective when it flows from a recent encounter with the Master.

IV. The Multiplication: The “First” Thing (John 1:40-42)

The text tells us something vital about Andrew:

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.”

The Priority:  For Andrew, sharing Christ was not just another task on his list of things to do; it was the top priority. 

Unlike many people who may have put off evangelism or sharing their faith as something that could be done later, Andrew understood the urgency and importance of spreading the message.  

For all those who seek to follow in his footsteps must make sharing Christ their top priority as well.

The Impact: Andrew is often overshadowed by his brother, Simon Peter. But without Andrew’s simple act of sharing, would there have been a Peter to preach at Pentecost?

Your “Simon”: 

In every person’s life, there is always that one person in their circle who is just one invitation away from meeting the Messiah. 

This person may have gone through difficult times and may have strayed from their faith. However, there is still a glimmer of hope within them and they are just waiting for someone to extend a hand and guide them towards the light. 

They may be searching for something greater in their life and are open to the idea of finding spiritual fulfillment. 

It is up to us, as members of their circle, to recognize this potential and take the initiative to invite them to meet the Messiah. With a simple invitation, we can potentially change this person’s life forever and bring them closer to God. 

Conclusion: Will You Seal Your Lips?

The Gospel is a chain reaction of grace. David sang it, John the Baptist shouted it, and Andrew whispered it to his brother.

We don’t have to save the world. Jesus had already done that. We are only required to share the good news of what God through Jesus has done.

God has done “many wonders” in your life. He has drawn you up out of the slimy pit and set your feet on a rock. Now, He asks you to unseal your lips. You don’t need a degree; you just need a story and an invitation.

The call today is simple:

Look at the Lamb (John 1:36).

Come and see where He dwells (John 1:39).

Go and find your “Simon” (John 1:41).

 As believers, we are called to be witnesses of God’s faithfulness and help in our lives. We must not hide the blessings and miracles that He has bestowed upon us, but rather share them with those around us. 

By doing so, we can inspire and encourage others to also put their trust and faith in God. Let us not keep His goodness to ourselves, but let it echo through our words and actions for all to see. 

I pray the grace that we have received from God may continue to flow through us, spreading hope and love to those around us. As we lift up His name and proclaim His faithfulness, may others be drawn to experience His goodness and mercy as well. Let us be vessels of His grace, shining His light in a dark world and bringing glory to His name. May the echo of grace continue through us, touching hearts and transforming lives for the glory of God. Amen

First Reading:   Psalm 40:5-11

5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you. Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.

6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.

7 Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.

10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.

11 Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever

Second Reading:  John 1:35-42 

35. The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,

36. and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

37. The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

39. He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

40. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

41. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).

42. He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

———

Title: The Echo of Grace: Hear, Come, and Tell

Scripture Focus: John 1:35-42 & Psalm 40:5-11

Introduction: 

The Beautiful Burden of a Secret

Have you ever received news so good that it felt like you would burst if you didn’t share it right away? Perhaps a job offer, a pregnancy, or a clean bill of health? 

The one that immediately came to my mind was when my oldest daughter was baptized. When we returned home she immediately ran to the neighbor to tell her.

In those moments, silence is impossible. Joy, by its very nature, demands to be shared.

Today, we look at two passages separated by centuries but united by a single heartbeat: the necessity of sharing the wonderful works of God. 

From the poetic testimony of David in Psalm 40 to the practical invitation of Andrew in John 1, we see that the Gospel of Christ is not a treasure to be buried, but a light to be held high.

I. The Foundation: Recognizing the Wonder (Psalm 40:5-8)

Before we can share the Gospel, we must be overwhelmed by it. David begins by marvelling at God’s intentionality:

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you…” (Psalm 40:5).

Sharing the Gospel isn’t about reciting a dry manual; it’s about reporting a miracle. David notes that God doesn’t just want ritual or “sacrifice and offering”—God wants a heart where the Word is written.

The Internalization: To share Christ, we must first let Christ “dig out” our ears (v. 6) so we can truly hear Him.

The Motivation: We share because we have discovered that God’s thoughts toward us are too many to count.

II. The Proclamation: Breaking the Silence (Psalm 40:9-11)

David makes a bold claim that challenges every “quiet” believer:

“I proclaim your saving help in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, Lord, as you know.” (Psalm 40:9)

He uses four powerful words to describe God’s character: Righteousness, Faithfulness, Salvation, and Love. We often fear “witnessing” because we think we need to be theologians. But look at David’s strategy: he simply refuses to hide what God has done. He speaks of God’s “saving help” in the assembly.

The Challenge: Are our lips “sealed” by fear, or “opened” by gratitude? The Gospel is public news, not a private hobby.

III. The Invitation: “Come and See” (John 1:35-39)

Moving to the New Testament, we see David’s poetry put into action. John the Baptist sees Jesus and points: “Look, the Lamb of God!”

Two disciples hear this and follow Jesus. When Jesus asks what they want, they ask where He is staying. His response is the greatest evangelistic tool ever given to the church: “Come and see.”

Low Pressure, High Impact: Andrew didn’t start with a sermon; he started with an invitation to come see.

The Experience: They stayed with Him that day. We cannot lead people to a Christ we haven’t spent time with ourselves. Our “sharing” is most effective when it flows from a recent encounter with the Master.

IV. The Multiplication: The “First” Thing (John 1:40-42)

The text tells us something vital about Andrew:

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.”

The Priority:  For Andrew, sharing Christ was not just another task on his list of things to do; it was the top priority. 

Unlike many people who may have put off evangelism or sharing their faith as something that could be done later, Andrew understood the urgency and importance of spreading the message.  

For all those who seek to follow in his footsteps must make sharing Christ their top priority as well.

The Impact: Andrew is often overshadowed by his brother, Simon Peter. But without Andrew’s simple act of sharing, would there have been a Peter to preach at Pentecost?

Your “Simon”: 

In every person’s life, there is always that one person in their circle who is just one invitation away from meeting the Messiah. 

This person may have gone through difficult times and may have strayed from their faith. However, there is still a glimmer of hope within them and they are just waiting for someone to extend a hand and guide them towards the light. 

They may be searching for something greater in their life and are open to the idea of finding spiritual fulfillment. 

It is up to us, as members of their circle, to recognize this potential and take the initiative to invite them to meet the Messiah. With a simple invitation, we can potentially change this person’s life forever and bring them closer to God. 

Conclusion: Will You Seal Your Lips?

The Gospel is a chain reaction of grace. David sang it, John the Baptist shouted it, and Andrew whispered it to his brother.

We don’t have to save the world. Jesus had already done that. We are only required to share the good news of what God through Jesus has done.

God has done “many wonders” in your life. He has drawn you up out of the slimy pit and set your feet on a rock. Now, He asks you to unseal your lips. You don’t need a degree; you just need a story and an invitation.

The call today is simple:

Look at the Lamb (John 1:36).

Come and see where He dwells (John 1:39).

Go and find your “Simon” (John 1:41).

 As believers, we are called to be witnesses of God’s faithfulness and help in our lives. We must not hide the blessings and miracles that He has bestowed upon us, but rather share them with those around us. 

By doing so, we can inspire and encourage others to also put their trust and faith in God. Let us not keep His goodness to ourselves, but let it echo through our words and actions for all to see. 

I pray the grace that we have received from God may continue to flow through us, spreading hope and love to those around us. As we lift up His name and proclaim His faithfulness, may others be drawn to experience His goodness and mercy as well. Let us be vessels of His grace, shining His light in a dark world and bringing glory to His name. May the echo of grace continue through us, touching hearts and transforming lives for the glory of God. Amen

The Opening Prayer: A Petition for Gathering

Most high and holy God, you are the Shepherd of Israel and the One who seeks the lost. We come before you now as a people who have long been scattered by our own wrongdoings. You promised in your Holy Word to gather us from the north and from the farthest corners of the earth.

Please look down on us, Lord. Give sight to the blind so they may see your wonderful light, and give strength to the weary so they may walk in the way of your commands. Let your Spirit move through this gathering, so that we don’t just hear about your redemption, but actually feel its power deep within us.

​Draw us close with your loving-kindness, and turn our sadness into a sacred hope for your grace. May we come together today to experience your goodness. Please open our hearts, align our wills with yours, and prepare our souls to receive the living water you have so freely promised.

​We ask this through Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:1-14 NRSVUE

[7]  For thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.” 

[8]  See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor together; a great company, they shall return here. 

[9]  With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back; I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path where they shall not stumble, for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. 

[10]  Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him and will keep him as a shepherd does a flock.” 

[11]  For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 

[12]  They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. 

[13]  Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow. 

[14]  I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the Lord.

A Call to the Outcasts: The Ransom of the Lord

A Sermon outline on Jeremiah 31:7–14

​I. The Joyful Proclamation

• In these verses you will hear, “North country, Israel, and Ephraim”, all refer to the 10 tribes who broke away from the land of Judah. His message is delivered to Judah. 

​“For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations.”

Do you see, my friends, the divine order of grace? God does not wait for the sinner to find his own way home; He first sounds the trumpet of deliverance. In our natural state, we are like scattered sheep, lost in the wilderness of sin, wandering in the “north country*” of our own pride and rebellion.

*​Yes, the Almighty utters a cry of invitation! This is not a sullen call to duty, but a shout of gladness. 

Is it not the very essence of the Gospel that while we were yet sinners, Christ sought us? 

God commands His people to “proclaim” and “praise.” We are not to hide the light of His redeeming love under a bushel, but to proclaim it until the ends of the earth hear that “The Lord has saved his people.”

​II. The Inclusiveness of the Remnant

​“Behold, I will bring them from the north country… and with them the blind and the lame.”

Look at just who God gathers. He does not seek the strong, the self-sufficient, or those who boast of their own righteousness. No, He gathers the blind—those who cannot see the path; and the lame—those who have no strength to walk it.

​This is the very hallmark of Methodism and, indeed, of early Christianity. The grace of God is “free for all, and free in all.” 

Do you feel your own weakness? Do you stumble? Do you grope in the dark? Fear not! The Great Shepherd has a special care for the “woman with child” and the “woman in labor*.” His grace is sufficient for the most vulnerable. They will come “with weeping”—not the weeping of despair, but the holy mourning of repentance—and with “supplications” will He lead them.

• *”Woman in labor” and  With weeping they shall come” is a powerful metaphor used to describe the intense anguish, distress, and impending judgment facing Israel and Jerusalem, particularly as the “Daughter of Zion,” They will face destruction and exile; it’s also a call to summon professional female mourners to lead public lamentation for the nation’s sins. 

​III. The Watering of the Soul

​“And their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.”

​Here is the promise of Christian Perfection—that state of heart where the love of God is shed abroad so abundantly that the soul becomes like a garden, well-tended and blooming.

The Drought of Sin is a desolate and barren landscape, where the heart is left parched and cracked by the scorching heat of lust and the destructive winds of pride. 

It is a place where the absence of grace has left nothing but dryness and emptiness. However, through the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, the “rivers of waters” flow, bringing life and nourishment to this once barren land. The Living Water of grace quenches the thirst of the soul and fills it with peace, joy, and long-suffering. 

These are the fruits of the Spirit, which take root and flourish in a heart that was once overrun by thorns of malice. Through grace, the drought of sin is replaced with an abundance of spiritual growth and transformation. The heart becomes a fertile ground for love, kindness, patience, and all other virtues to bloom. 

The Living Water is a gift from God, and it is through this miraculous source that we can find true fulfillment and satisfaction in life. With grace, even the most desolate landscapes of our hearts can become beautiful gardens filled with the fruits of the Spirit.

​Does your soul feel like a desert today? The promise is to you! God does not merely offer a drop of comfort; He promises to ” (sāSHēˌāt) satiate the soul of the priests with fatness” and satisfy His people with His goodness.

​IV. The Exchange of Sorrow for Joy

​“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance… for I will turn their mourning into joy.”

​Can any power on earth transform a broken heart? No. But the power of God can. He takes the heavy garment of heaviness and replaces it with the “oil of joy.”

​Notice, it is a communal joy. Young and old rejoice together. This is the “fellowship of the saints.” We are not saved to be solitary, but to be built up into a spiritual house, where the “wheat, and the wine, and the oil” of spiritual blessing are shared by all.

​The Application

​My dear friends, are you still in the “north country”? Are you wandering in the cold indifference of a world that does not know God?

1. The message of “Repent: Turn your face toward Zion. Believe: Trust in the ‘Ransom’ mentioned in verse 11.
2. Look for the watering of your soul this very hour” is a call to turn away from our sinful ways and towards God. It reminds us that only through repentance and belief in Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice and ransom for our sins, can we be redeemed from the power of Sin and Death. The imagery of facing towards Zion, the holy city of God, symbolizes a turning towards God and His ways. 
3. By trusting in Jesus and expecting the watering of our souls, we can find true peace and salvation. This message serves as a reminder that no matter how strong the grip of Sin and Death may seem, the Lord has already redeemed us from it through His love and grace. It encourages us to put our faith in Him and eagerly await the refreshing and renewing of our souls through His power. 
4. This message speaks to the heart of every believer, reminding us to continuously turn towards God, trust in His plan, and expect His blessings in our lives.

​Let us not rest until our mourning is turned into dancing and our souls are satisfied with the goodness of the Lord. Amen.

​The Closing Prayer: A Benediction of Satisfaction

Lord God Almighty, you have rescued us from powers much stronger than ourselves. We give you our humble and sincere thanks for the Word we have heard today. We acknowledge that without you, our souls are like a parched and exhausted desert.

​We ask you to fulfill your promise: make our souls like a well-watered garden. Let the grain of your Word, the wine of your joy, and the oil of your Spirit overflow within us, so that we may never grieve like those who have no hope. Send us out into the world now—not as people still in over our heads, but as those who have been set free by the Lord.

​Help us be witnesses to the leading nations that you are a Father to your people. Keep us from wandering away; hold us close in your perfect love. Satisfy us so deeply with your goodness that we desire nothing but you, and nothing else in comparison to you. Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, be honor and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

First reading: Isaiah 42:1-9 

The Servant, a Light to the Nations

1Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2 He will not cry out or lift up his voice
    or make it heard in the street;

3 a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
    until he has established justice in the earth,
    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

5 Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:

6 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,[a]
    a light to the nations,

7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.

8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to idols.

9 See, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
    I tell you of them

Second reading: Matthew 3:13-17 NRSVUE

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Baptism of Jesus

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved,[a] with whom I am well pleased.”

Call to Worship

Leader:  Come! Let us follow Jesus to the edge of the Jordan River to be baptized. 

People:  We come to be cleansed and made whole.

Leader:  Come! Let us witness John’s confusion and Jesus’ insistence that John baptize God Incarnate.

People:  We come to join Jesus in choosing life in the kingdom of God.

Leader:  Come! Let us hear God declare the truth of Jesus’ identity and the truth of our identity as baptized people. 

People:  We come to remember and embody who we are as beloved children of God.

Leader:  Come! Let us worship God who leads us into the baptismal waters and salvation life.

People:  We come to worship God who empowers us through divine presence to live together as the family of God.

Opening Prayer

Everlasting God, during Jesus’ baptism, you revealed him as your own Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. We pray that you will guide and keep all of us who have been reborn through water and the Spirit, faithful to our calling as your people. 

We humbly acknowledge our own stubbornness, Lord. As we enter this season of your light shining upon the world and your blessings pouring out upon us, we find ourselves consumed with our own problems, needs, and desires. Help us to instead desire you, Lord. May our hearts yearn for your presence. Wash over us once again with the waters of baptism, cleansing us from self-pity and pride. Nourish and heal us so that we may joyfully serve you. Remove any jealousy, greed or negative thoughts that prevent us from truly living out our calling as your people. May we embrace the blessings of creation, Jesus’ birth and baptism, and the ministry of your holy saints.

We ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now hear these Words of Assurance

The love of God is always offered to us, freely, joyfully, for all eternity. Rejoice, dear friends, this is the good news of our Lord. Amen.

Sermon

We use as our text the readings from Isaiah 42 and Matthew chapter 3

​I. The Lowly Manner of the King

Friends, observe the method of our God. When the Almighty introduces His Chosen One, He does not speak of a conqueror with a sword of steel, but of a Servant. Isaiah tells us he shall not “cry out” or “lift up his voice” in the streets. There is no pride here, no worldly pomp.

​How does this match the scene at the Jordan? See the Lord of Glory standing in the muddy waters with sinners! John the Baptist rightly trembles, saying, “I need to be baptized by you.” But our Lord answers “To fulfill all righteousness.” True righteousness is not found in escaping the needs of humanity, but in stooping to meet them.

In the light of these scriptures, there are questions we must ask of ourselves.

​Am I willing to “fulfill all righteousness” by attending to the small, humble day by day actions of my life as though to the Lord, even when they bring me no worldly honor? Or do we ask, “What’s in it for me?”

Do I, like John the Baptist, allow my own ego to decrease so that Christ may increase in my life? Can I step out of being the center of my own universe? I remember a bumper sticker that said, if God is your copilot — you are in the wrong seat.

​II. The Gentleness of Divine Grace

​Mark well the character of this Servant: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.” Is this not the very essence of the Prevenient Grace of God?

​The Bruised Reed: 

Have you ever felt like a reed by the water that’s been stepped on? Snapped, hanging by a thread, feeling useless? 

The world would snap that reed the rest of the way and throw it aside. But Jesus says, “I will not break you.” Perhaps you have felt your soul is snapped by the weight of sin or the sorrows of this life. 

The words of Amazing Grace come to mind. “‘Twas Grace that caused my heart to fear.” There is great fear when we realize how unworthy we are of God’s love and forgiveness. We can feel crushed under the weight of our failures when the Spirit shines a holy light upon us.

However, the hymn writer also penned these words of hope, “and grace my fears relieved” because he understood that Jesus came to save, to lift up, and to heal. He sought us before we even knew him.

​Let’s now turn those inward thoughts outward and ask, “How do I treat the “bruised reeds” in my life—the weak, the struggling, or those who have offended me? Do I crush them with my opinions, my words, or my deeds?

Or do I lift them up with my words, works, and prayers?

The Dimly Burning Wick: Perhaps your faith is but a flicker, nearly extinguished by the cold winds of the world. Maybe your faith feels like a candle that’s been blown out, where there’s no flame left, only a little bit of smoke. 

The world would pinch that wick and move on. But Jesus says, “I will not put out that spark.” ​

Ask yourself, can I be patient with my own “dimly burning wick,” trusting God’s work of Sanctification, or do I give way to that spiritual apathy which prevents understanding or faith. It can be described as a deep spiritual sleep or paralysis against divine callings. It can impact prayer and spiritual awareness. This requires spiritual awakening through prayer and study. 

​Hear the Good News! Our Christ does not come to crush you or blow out your fading hope. He comes to “faithfully bring forth justice.” He comes to bind up what is broken. He does not grow faint until His work in your heart is finished.

​III. The Baptism of Spirit and Fire

​As Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens are rent asunder. The Spirit descends—not as an eagle, a bird of prey, but “like a dove.” 

Here we see the “New Things” Isaiah spoke of.

​The Father’s voice declares, “This is my Son.” Friends, this is the Witness of the Spirit. Just as the Spirit rested upon Jesus, so it is offered to you. 

It is not enough to have the “form of godliness” as described in 2 Timothy 3:5-7 “ holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power.” We must have the power thereof. It is this Spirit that opens the blind eyes and brings the prisoner out of the dungeon of habit and despair.

​IV. The Call to Holy Living

​Finally, consider that God has established a sacred, binding agreement with humanity in the firm of Jesus.  Christ was given as a light to the nations. If we are his followers, we cannot remain in the shadows.

​If the Father is “well pleased” with the Son for His humble obedience, shall He be pleased with us if we remain idle? We are called to be a Blessing.

1. ​Seek the Light: Allow the Spirit to show you your own heart.
2. ​Walk in Righteousness: Not by your own strength, but by the “Spirit put upon Him” which is now shared with us.
3. ​Tend the Reeds: Find those who are bruised and offer the same gentleness Christ offered you.

Here is the Life Application of this lesson. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit hear these words.

The Lord declares “new things” this very hour. Do not wait for the wick to go out. Come to the flame of grace. Let the Spirit descend upon your life, that the Father might say of you also, “In this child, I am well pleased.”

Let us pray 

Divine Creator, through the baptism of Your beloved Son in the Jordan River, You consecrated water for the symbolic cleansing of sin. We, Your humble servants, ask for Your gaze upon us. We are grateful that You have not extinguished our flickering faith or crushed our fragile spirits, but instead have supported us through Your unmerited grace.

We pray that as the heavens opened for Him, the radiance of Your truth will illuminate our dark hearts. May Your Holy Spirit descend upon us, not for our own glory, but for the restoration of all nations. Take us by the hand and steer us away from worldly temptations, molding us into a people of covenant – pure, passionately doing good deeds and following in the footsteps of Your Son until we are perfected in love.

Hear our plea, in honor of Him who is the Light of the World, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Benediction: 

May you depart with peace; show affection and concern towards one another in the name of Christ; and may the same divine presence that filled Jesus, Isaiah, and John also fill your innermost being. May the strength of God, which sustained them, empower you for each day; and may the same love of God, which guided their every deed, be your guiding force and guiding light, both now and for eternity. Amen.

©2026 Thomas E Williams 

Created January 11, 2026