“Good News, God is Liberal!” – Luke 6:38

Luke 6:38
“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
 
One of my favorite treats, before diabetes (and probably why I have diabetes), is a Coke Slurpee. In fact, April has standing orders that if I go the death bed route, the last thing to pass my lips will be coke flavored, fine-grained ice brimming over the hole of those specially made, dome-shaped lids riding atop an XXL stadium cup. Those lids are proof positive that Slurpees were meant to be filled past the rim and spilling over. And that most of these stations are self serve, we are to understand that the good owners of the Slurpee Corp. intend for us to do just that.
This overflowing attitude is one that God expects US to have. But instead of self-serve, it’s others-serve.
This is hard, because our default nature is one of scarcity. We look after ourselves and get all we can, afraid that no one, let alone God, is really going to look out for us like we can look out for ourselves. Sadly many times, Christians can be more stingy than unbelievers. Just ask any waiter or waitress. Sunday is the worst day to work because of the lousy tips left by folks who have just been to church. And if you want to really offend someone at church, just start talking about giving. “I knew it! That church is just out for my money!”
Jesus in this passage is letting us in on an important characteristic of God – He’s liberal! Not in the political sense (how we almost exclusively use the word now), but in the truest meaning of the word. He can’t wait to give away far more than we deserve or can even imagine, while we are tempted to be conservative with our resources (see what I did there?) as if His blessings are going to run out.
Jesus paints an image of a marketplace, where the merchant, instead of taking advantage of the customer,  surprises them by loading them up with product. “Into your lap” refers to taking their outer robe and pulling it up to make the front like a large pocket. The merchant packs it down, shakes it around and piles it high to give them all that they can carry! Jesus is saying here – this is what God wants to do with you.
In fact, Jesus told a parable about day laborers that got mad at the land owner for being overly generous with other workers that came later in the day. The land owner basically said, “look, I paid you a great wage, one that you were happy to accept. If I want to be overly generous to those who showed up later, it’s my money and my prerogative.” (see Matthew 20:1-16)
Jesus gives another basic principle about generosity – not just that God wants to give it, but that it’s related to our own generosity. We are His ambassadors, and as so, we not only represent Him but should emulate Him. Others should see how generous God is through our own generosity. So be liberal, just as your Heavenly Father is liberal!
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions:
  • What “measure” do you use in treating others? How might that need to change in being more generous with your attitude and resources?
  • In what ways might you need to change the standard by which you measure out love, judgment, giving, and forgiveness?
  • Can you be described as liberal in your generosity? How have you seen God’s generosity in your life?
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you?
Explain – what does the passage mean?
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today?
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Jon Price

“Good News, God is Liberal!” – Luke 6:38 Read More »

“All Hat and No Cattle” – Galatians 6:3-5

Galatians 6:3-5

“For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”

When I was in seminary in Ft Worth, I went down to the Texas coastline with a classmate to spend a day at the beach. I brought my surfboard so we might catch a few waves, but we pretty much took turns floating around on the glassy gulf water, not a wave in sight. My friend had never surfed so he was excited just to be out on the board. A month or so later, my friend told me he was going back home and asked if he could borrow my surf rack and board for the weekend. No problem. I thought it curious though when I saw him the next week driving around town with my rack and board on his car as if he were Bodhi from Point Break. 
 
It’s tempting to impress others by presenting ourselves as something we’re not, but humiliating when we’ve done so and the truth of our inability comes out. Sometimes we can walk around with a lie for so long that we begin to believe it ourselves. It’s one thing to drive around with a board on the top of your car, it’s another to actually be able to paddle past the break, drop in on a wave, and ride in to shore with some modicum of grace. Full disclosure, I’ve never been a good surfer, but I’ve found it quite freeing to be honest with myself and others upfront.
 
Humility preempts humiliation. Of the very few things, I might consider getting a tattoo of, this phrase might be on the list. And I would make sure it was where I could see it every day. We are called to honestly evaluate ourselves and the work that we do for the kingdom. This isn’t the “works of the law” or the “works of the flesh” but the good works that we do when we walk in the Spirit – works that glorify God and reveal His Kingdom. We are each gifted and shaped for ministry, to make a difference in this world. We are His ambassadors, so it is our responsibility to represent Him and to use our freedom for eternal purposes. 
 
As we’ve seen in previous verses, Paul encourages us not to waste our freedom and the opportunities to make a difference. This is what he is referring to when he says we will each bear our own load. At first, this seems to contradict verse 2, where we’re told to bear each other’s burdens. But the two words are different. Verse 2 refers to a burden that is oppressive and crushing, while ‘load’ in verse 5 is referring to a soldier’s pack, something designed to be carried as part of one’s job. This type of load is manageable, in fact, Jesus says that his burden is light – just perfect for those of us who are weary! And part of our load is to help carry each other’s burdens.
 
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions: 
  • Where are some areas where you have considered yourself more highly than you ought? 
  • At Belmont, we refer to the load we carry as “Take In and Pour Out.” As you “test your own work” is there anything you need to add to your load to help you grow (take in) and make a difference around you (pour out)? This might include being in a life group, getting involved in a ministry in the church or community, or having a daily time in God’s word and in prayer. 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond? 

Jon Price

“All Hat and No Cattle” – Galatians 6:3-5 Read More »

“A Goal to Restore” – Galatians 6:1-2

Galatians 6:1-2

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

It’s been said that the church is the only army that shoots its own wounded. There’s something about catching someone else in sin that takes the focus off of our own failures. We can be tempted to make a spectacle of calling them on the carpet or making them feel like they should be made an example of. Is it any wonder that believers can be hesitant to confess their weaknesses to others in the church? It’s common practice to pretend that we have it all together, even when we’re falling apart. I had a religion professor that warned his young students, “the people in your church want you to be yourself – until you are.” Admittedly that was a bit jaded, but not without many actual cases to support it. 
 
As we consider Paul’s ground rules for dealing with the spiritually fallen, there are three major things to remember: 
 
We should have humility. Many are familiar with the proverb, “pride goes before a fall.” In a survey done by Leadership magazine, the two common denominators of pastors who had fallen to sin were a lack of personal devotion time, and the thought, “that could never happen to me.” All of us have sinned and fall short, so we should come to our brother with this fresh on our mind, knowing that it could just have easily been us. 
 
We should be tender. The word ‘restore’ here in the greek is used to describe resetting a dislocated limb to its proper place. We should be aware of the pain that their decision has caused them and those around them. Most of us know people who are no longer in the church because their sin was dealt with in a ham-fisted manner. They left wounded and many times still entrenched in their sin.  
 
Our aim should be restoration. When we are tempted to pile on to the fallen, Paul encourages just the opposite. We are to lift each other’s burdens, to help carry the weight of one another’s struggles. He says that in doing this we fulfill the law of Christ. What is the law of Christ? It is restoration. Christ came to restore humanity into a right relationship with God the Father. And as his disciples, our mission is to help bring others into restoration as well. So when we talk about living and loving like Jesus, one picture of that is restoration. 
 
An example from the gospels paints this beautifully. A woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus by religious leaders ready to stone her. He called them to humility with the words, “you who are without sin, cast the first stone.” As they walked away one by one, he spoke gently to the woman, asking “where are your accusers?” Jesus lifted her burden with the assurance that just as the others no longer stood against her, either would he. His final admonition was to “go and leave your life of sin.” It’s interesting to note that Jesus, the last man left in the conversation, was in fact, the only one qualified to cast the first stone. Yet, he chose to restore.  
 
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions:  
  • Have you seen an example where Christians used Paul’s counsel to restore a fallen brother or sister? Think back to how it was handled and the following results. Have you ever seen such a scenario mishandled? What was the result there?  
  • Who is someone that you can help by carrying their burdens? What might that entail?    

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Jon Price
 
Photo by Owen Beard on Unsplash

 

 

“A Goal to Restore” – Galatians 6:1-2 Read More »

“Don’t Ruin This” – Galatians 5:26

Galatians 5:26

“Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
 
Ammunition has been hard to find the last few weeks, but the other day I found some online.  I was so excited to order a few rounds…until I saw the price.  It was double what I normally would pay!  The excitement turned to a frown and I did not buy the ammo.  Does that ever happen to you?  You see or hear something that brings joy, but something comes right behind it to ruin the moment.
  
In this passage Paul gives us a heads up on how not to ruin the freedom we have in Christ.  Paul reminds us that our walk is with the Spirit. It is the Spirit that abides and works in us. It is the Spirit that we have surrendered to work through us. Therefore, we should not be conceited, challenge someone else’s walk in the Spirit, nor be envious and compare ourselves. Basically, do not think you have a spiritual advantage over others. Do not challenge people as if you are the expert. Do not compare and become bitter at someone else’s success. Just walk in the Spirit.
 
The entire point of this book is that we have no advantage over other followers of Christ. It is the fruit of the Spirit that works, not our efforts. Do not ruin your fruit with selfish thinking. Do not use your walk in the Spirit for fleshly means. When we start comparing, bragging, and challenging others, we abandon our walk in the Spirit and go right back to the bondage of the law. We live without love, without fruit, without joy, and become destructive forces in the church. WALK IN THE SPIRIT!
 
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions:  
  • Do you know someone who is no longer active in the church or their faith because they were hurt by those within who exhibited spoiled fruit? (comparing, bragging, challenging, being destructive)
  • If so, what are some ways that you can be a healing presence? 
  • Have you experienced hurt from spoiled fruit that needs healing? How can walking in the Spirit help you heal?   

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 

Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond? 
 
 A big thank you to Pastor Stephen for today’s devotional thought. 

 

“Don’t Ruin This” – Galatians 5:26 Read More »

“Left. Left. Left, Right, Left.” – Galatians 5:25

Galatians 5:25


“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” 


I think back to my time in high school. I remember trying to find my niche. Belonging was, and still is, an important desire. I am sure many of you can identify. We want to belong. We want to fit in. We want to be a part of something bigger and greater than our individual selves. I played several sports and was involved in various activities and clubs throughout my school years, but Galatians 5:25 brings me back to my time in the high school marching band. I was a percussionist (the annoying drummer that couldn’t stop ticking or beating on things), in a 150+ strong member band. I remember band camp in the brutal summers of Georgia. I remember long days and nights from July until December drilling down every step, beat, form, sound and rhythm until blisters and calluses formed on my hands and feet, preparing for our weekly performance or yearly competition. The hard work always paid off though and it was rewarding. It was rewarding to see a collective group of individuals give up their personal ambitions in order for something greater than themselves to be accomplished. It was rewarding to see so many individuals learn to take every step in unity. It was rewarding to hear the gifts of individuals come together to create a harmonious and dynamic sound. It was rewarding to see hundreds become one. All of that took effort, though. All of that took practice. It took sacrifice. We had to learn as individuals and as a collective whole how to march forward in unity. In the process, we learned to keep in step as a band. Our band was the source of our belonging. When we realized what our source of belonging was, we were then empowered and compelled to give our individual best effort for the benefit of the whole band. So it is with the Christian walk of faith to a certain degree. As Christians, we belong to something greater than ourselves. We fit in with the Kingdom of God. We belong as children of God along with all Christians because of our unified faith in Christ. We are one body, on one mission just as a band and we all contribute our God-given talents and gifts to edify and build unity among the Church to accomplish the mission. We must learn to give up our personal ambitions and fleshly desires to live a life submitted to the greater good of the Gospel for the world. That’s what Paul is instructing the Galatians to do. He is instructing them to get rid of the fleshly desires and personal ambitions, so that they would embody the fruit of the Spirit and reach the world for Jesus. So, the question you may be asking is: How do I embody the fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5:25 helps us answer this question. Realize the Source. Our belonging comes from God. What Paul is saying in 5:25 is that, as Christians, we live by the Spirit. The Greek word for ‘if’ or ‘since’ is in the indicative mood which basically means: WE DO LIVE BY THE SPIRIT. The Spirit indwells our lives and gives us assurance of our faith in Christ. We live by the Spirit of God. The Spirit is our source of life in Christ. Understand the Source compels us to walk by the Spirit. As we recognize our salvation comes from faith in Christ alone and not by our works, we are then empowered and compelled to walk by the spirit or to keep in step with the Spirit. Just as our salvation comes from the Spirit, our sanctification comes from the Spirit as God conforms us into the image of Christ through the power of the Spirit. Our works come from the Spirit. Our fruit comes from the Spirit. All things come from the Source which is the Spirit of God! Paul wants to make it clear the same way we come to Christ is the same way we walk with Christ. He doesn’t save us and then leave us on our own. He brings us to new life and helps us walk in new life. He saves our lives. He sustains our lives. He empowers our lives. As we remember the source of our salvation, let us also be reminded of the source of our Christian walk. The Spirit is the Source of our faith and our works (fruit). Yes, we show effort and give God our very best. Yes, we work hard. Yes, we learn to grow. Yes, we put in time and sacrifice for the greater good, but it is not our efforts that save us or cause God to accept us. It is by faith in Christ alone that is our source of belonging. Therefore, we must keep in step with the Spirit by understanding it is God who saves us and God who compels us to love and live like Jesus and embody the fruit of the Spirit. We learn to keep in step with the Spirit by understanding the Source in which our steps come from. Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? Explain – what does the passage mean? Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? Respond – how is God leading you to respond?


A big thanks to Zach Gallman for today’s devotional thought. Zach and his wife, Michelle, are new members at Belmont. They are helping to start a school in Kuwait and will be leading a Life Group while in the states. They will be sharing in our worship services on November 22.

“Left. Left. Left, Right, Left.” – Galatians 5:25 Read More »

“Words Fail” – Galatians 5:22-24

Galatians 5:22-24
 
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
 
In looking for just the right word to describe something, there are times that we can’t express it just with one word. And as we have seen more than once on our trips to Guatemala, when conveying an idea from one language to another, there are certain things that might be lost in translation. 
 
That’s what we find here in Galatians 5. It’s common to view this passage discussing the fruit of the Spirit as a shopping list that we need to check off one at a time. The fact is that in English, the word fruit can be understood as singular or plural. And since we’re looking at a list of characteristics, we assume that it’s plural. However, the word ‘karpos’ is the Greek word for fruit, and in this case, it’s singular – plural singular in fact. Paul is saying here that what the Spirit bears in us is a love-joy-peace-patience-kindness-goodness-faithfulness-gentleness-self-control kind of fruit. It’s a nine-layer dip of awesomeness that as it grows in us both compels a lost world and repels our own selfish fleshly desires. 
 
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following questions:  
  • What’s something you’ve tried to describe in the past where words failed? 
  • Does understanding this verse in light of its context change the meaning for you in any way? If so, how? 

Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond? 

Jon Price
Photo by Samuel Holt on Unsplash

 

 

“Words Fail” – Galatians 5:22-24 Read More »