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“They don’t stay connected to the head. The head nourishes and supports the whole body through the joints and ligaments, so the body grows with a growth that is from God.” Colossians 2:19 CEB I have always enjoyed dreaming of things that I could create. When I was in elementary school I loved art class because I could create drawings, paintings, and clay sculptures. I would learn of a new assignment and I would dream of what I would create. I thought about what colors I would use and what the overall project would look like when it all came together. It was an amazing process for me and one I loved taking part in. I loved to create. As an adult, I still enjoy creating. That is what excites me about writing, preaching, and even leading within the church. I thoroughly enjoy new things. I believe that all of this creative passion within me is a gift given to all of us from God. God is the ultimate Creator of everything we see and even the things we cannot see. God loves to create. God loves instilling that love of creating in all of us. We each have this inherent quality in different ways. It is something that comes naturally and may come more easily to some than others, but it is there. In The Book of Colossians, Paul reminds us that God created us and God alone qualifies us through the Son, Jesus. We are the masterpiece of the Creator of all things. Genesis demonstrates God’s love of creating perhaps more than anywhere else. After all, God created ex nihilo (out of nothing) in Genesis. God’s love of creating is demonstrated in God’s love and care for every human life created. This demonstrates God’s love for us. We are God’s priority. We are God’s plan A to continue God’s redemptive work in the world. God created you, God qualifies you, and God calls you to serve. No one can ever disqualify those whom God has qualified. As we continue in our message series Qualified , we will look this week at this fact that no one can disqualify you. Last week we looked at God’s qualifying love in Jesus Christ. This week we will discuss how no one can reverse what God has done in you. This truth can transform our life when we truly receive it and live in it. It is my prayer that you will come to a deeper understanding of this qualifying love through Jesus. May you realize this day that God is the one who created you and qualifies you. May you realize that God loves you so much that he qualifies you for a purpose—for God’s purpose. I hope you will join us for worship this Sunday at either 8:15 | NINE45 | 11:15 or via livestream at SAUMC.NET . I love you and cannot wait to see you in church. The best is yet to come. #qualified #aplaceforgrace

“He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him.” Colossians 1:17 CEB This year at the St. Andrew’s Easter Egg Hunt the families started off in the Great Room of the Family Life Center. There were crafts the families and kids could make, including cookies to decorate and eat. There were also games the kids could play with each other or with their parents. One of the games was a giant version of a game I grew up with. It used chicken wire standing tall in a large bucket making a tall cylinder. Through the chicken wire were a bunch of wooden dowels crisscrossing in what appeared to be a random design. As the dowels crossed over and under each other they took up all the space inside the chicken wire. The last piece of the game was to place many plastic balls on top of the dowels. The object of the game was to have players alternate in pulling one dowel at a time without any plastic balls dropping. The player that had the fewest balls drop during their pulls wins. The classic game this is modeled after is called “Kerplunk.” As I watched the kids playing this game I began to think of the reality of our faith journey. It takes the dowels to hold the balls in the air. With each dowel that is removed there is less support for the balls and some of them drop. When the last dowel is withdrawn there is nothing left to hold up the balls and the game is over. The one thing that holds it all together—and makes the game possible—is the chicken wire. There has to be something that supports the dowels, which in turn support the balls. Why did this make me think of our faith journey? I remember playing the game Kerplunk as a kid. It was stressful. You never knew if you were the one that would cause the marbles to fall. You also didn’t know if you would end up with the most marbles in your bin and ultimately lose the game. I think this aspect of the game can mimic the way life feels at times. We have all of these balls in the air—kid’s activities, work responsibilities, family life, church activities, exercise, keeping the house in order, our devotional life, etc.—and we wonder if we can keep them all in the air. We worry that one of the dowels will be pulled and one or all of the balls we are trying to keep in the air will fall and hit the ground. It will all come apart and somehow we will lose. Life can be stressful and we don’t always feel qualified to handle everything that is thrown our way. Yet, when we think of what it means to be qualified we often get it wrong. We often have bought into the cultural definition of what it means to be qualified. We feel like we need more training, education, or experience to be able to keep all of those balls in the air. When it comes to disciples of Jesus Christ, there is another way. Let’s go back to the game for a moment. It appears that the main pieces of the game, the most important pieces, are the dowels. Without the chicken wire frame neither the dowels nor the balls would be able to be held in place. Many times we think the goal in our faith journey is to keep all the pieces together. I assure you that is not our role. In our faith journey Jesus is what holds it all together. What is truly important is knowing the One who holds everything together in all areas of our life. As the author of Colossians writes concerning Jesus, “He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him.” We too often approach our faith journey, and our life, like a game of Kerplunk—believing that everything depends on us. That is incredibly stressful. Trying to keep everything in place and trying to make the right move every time so nothing will get dropped is very stressful. The key is knowing the One thing that needs to remain in place to support all of the rest. In our faith journey, and in all of our life, that One thing is Jesus. So know this, you are not qualified to do everything in life! You may not be qualified to give medical opinions, legal advice, run a company, or a cash register. When it comes to your faith in Jesus Christ—you are qualified. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our life, Jesus qualifies us for everything we will face in our faith journey. Jesus qualifies us to be children of God and persons of great worth. Jesus qualifies us to be brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus qualifies us to be joint heirs with Christ Jesus for all of eternity. Jesus qualifies us to face anything that life throws at us, to do anything Jesus commands us, and to go anywhere the Holy Spirit leads us in Jesus' name. All of this is because Jesus existed before everything else and he holds all things together. There is nothing that can happen in your life that Jesus hasn’t already qualified you to face. Jesus does not promise that it will be easy, but He promises you can do it through him who holds all things together. You are qualified. This Sunday we begin a new message series entitled “Qualified.” We will look at how Jesus qualifies all of us as we walk through The Book of Colossians together. In Jesus you are qualified to face each and every day. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 in worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #qualified #aplaceforgrace

Lent Devotional | week six John Wesley used the imagery of a house to explain the movement of God’s grace in our lives. He said that the front porch of the house was like God’s prevenient grace—the grace that goes before we realize we need grace at all. The front porch is welcoming for everyone who wants to come and sit for a while and talk. Wesley said that the front door of the house was like God’s justifying grace. It takes a decision to open the door of your house and let someone in. When we open the door and let someone in, we are welcoming them into our house and into our life. It is a deeper level than the front porch. This is what happens when we accept the gift of God’s grace and allow Jesus Christ into our lives by faith. We receive Jesus by grace through faith and Jesus comes into our lives as our Lord and Savior. Wesley then referred to the rest of the house as God’s sanctifying grace. When we allow Jesus into our life we begin at the front door. As we allow Jesus to be Lord over all of our life—every room of the house—we are sanctified, or made holy, with each room. The goal of sanctifying grace is what John Wesley referred to as entire sanctification, or Christian Perfection, where we are able to love God and neighbor as fully as Jesus did. Wesley recognized that Christian Perfection usually was only able to be achieved at the end of this life as we are heading toward eternity. It is possible, however, to give full reign of our life over to Jesus and be entirely sanctified. I have always loved this imagery of the house. To me it explains at a deeper level what was going on in Jerusalem the day of Jesus’ miraculous entrance. You see there were a ton of front porch people there that day. They were curious and wanted to catch a glimpse of Jesus, who they thought was a prophet of God. They wanted to hang out on the front porch and get to know who this guy was that they had heard so much about. The only concern with that is that very, very few went to the front door. Hours after the entrance Jesus made into Jerusalem the crowds had dissipated and it was Jesus, the twelve disciples, and the closest disciples who had been following Jesus. The front porch was full that day, but very few people opened the front door and went into the house. Even fewer people actually allowed/received Jesus into the rest of the house. The twelve disciples—his closest friends—still were coming to grips with all that meant. They wouldn’t even fully comprehend what it meant until after Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Then they would understand fully what it meant to follow Jesus with all of their life. Where are you in the house? Are you and Jesus still hanging out on the front porch? Are you still having casual conversation with Jesus? Or perhaps you have opened the front door and, by God’s grace, placed your faith in Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. Are you allowing Jesus into the living room? Maybe even the family room or kitchen? Where Jesus can get to know you even better, but not completely allowing him into every room of your house. Ultimately, the question for all of us is whether we have allowed Jesus full access to every room of our house/life. There are no hidden places, no closed doors, no stockpiles of things we don’t want anyone else to see—especially Jesus. Does Jesus have full and complete reign in our house and over our whole life? You see, Jesus wants to miraculously enter every part of your life and mine. We simply have to allow Him to do so. We have to welcome Jesus into every part of our life shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” As you think about the miraculous power from Jesus pray over and answer these questions: 1. Have you been spending time getting as close as you can to Jesus? 2. Do you desire to have Jesus enter every part of your life? 3. What part of your life do you keep Jesus away? 4. How would your life be different if Jesus was allowed free reign over it all? 5. How does the possibility of Jesus miraculous entrance inform the way we pray and the way we live? Prayer: Almighty and living God, in your tender love for all of humanity you sent your only Son our Savior Jesus Christ to become in human form, to walk with humanity, to enter into Jerusalem as a celebrated messenger from you, to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility. Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his humility, his devotion to you, and his suffering so we will share in his resurrection. We pray this through the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

“And when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. “Who is this?” they asked. The crowds answered, “It’s the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10-11 CEB The feeling was always electric. The closer we got to the start time the more energy seemed to be coursing through the audience. Anticipation and excitement are the best words for the atmosphere in the arena. Everyone was ready: men and women, boys and girls, people of all ages were ready. Then it happened. The lights dimmed and the band began to play the big number. As the band played more loudly and intensely the performers began to file into the arena in beautiful and bright colored clothing. Following them were the animals—all kinds of animals. This was my favorite part of the whole event—the entrance. The first time I ever saw the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus I could hardly take it all in. The entrance was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The sights and sounds, the amazing performers, and the exotic animals. It truly was an amazing experience. Every time I have been to the circus, since I was a kid, I absolutely loved the opening number and the grand entrance of all the performers, acts, and animals. I am sure there were no similarities to what is sometimes referred to as the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This is what we know as Palm Sunday because of the Gospel accounts telling of the use of palms to cover the road and being waved as Jesus entered the city. The only similarity between Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem and the opening of the circus would have been the excitement. Tens of thousands of people were gathering in Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival. The city of Jerusalem was said to have swelled to many times its normal size with all of the pilgrims coming to celebrate the Passover together. In the midst of all this activity and crowds is Jesus. Jesus had been gathering large crowds all on his own and now more people are there to see him. His reputation as a prophet, teacher and healer was well known. There was a huge buzz about Jesus being in town. When he arrives in town his entrance was nothing short of miraculous. Perhaps, it was miraculous for reasons the crowd could not see. Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem was miraculous simply for who he was, not anything he had done. On his way into Jerusalem he heals two blind men—restores their sight immediately. Many would have thought it was for these miraculous healings that Jesus was welcomed so heartily. However, he had done these things in every city and crowds formed there. The reason for the excitement this time was that everything was coming together at once. Jesus, the Messiah, was coming to Jerusalem—the center of Jewish religious activity—for the highest Holy day of the year. Whenever a prophet came into town it was a big deal. The people recognized him as a prophet. But Jesus was so much more—he was the Messiah, the Christ, God-incarnate. It was who Jesus was that was miraculous, not anything he had done. The people in Jerusalem didn’t know what Jesus would do in just a few short days. Jesus would turn everything upside down that Passover. Jesus would give new meaning to the sacrifice of the Lamb and the mercy of God. It is the fact that the Messiah rode into town on a borrowed donkey that makes his entrance miraculous. The demonstration of Jesus’ miraculous love was about to be displayed and the people did not know. Jesus enters into our lives in miraculous ways each and every day. Where is Jesus working and present in your faith journey? Like the blind men in Matthew 20, are you shouting out for Jesus to have mercy on you? Jesus can make a miraculous entrance into our life each day and in every moment when we recognize that He is the Messiah, our Savior, and the Lord of our life. Jesus does this because of who He is and who you are to Him. You are a child of God and a person of great worth. Jesus is ready and willing to do miraculous things in your life—will you let him in? This Sunday we continue our message series for Lent entitled “Miraculous.” We will look at Jesus’ miraculous entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus enters the life of all those who believe each and every day. We can choose to live a miraculous life in Jesus Christ. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 in worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #miraculousentrance #lent #aplaceforgrace

Lent Devotional | week five In the Bible story we discussed yesterday in church, we learned that Jesus knew power had left him. This is why he had asked who touched him. There are so many things we were unable to get to in this discussion. I would like to walk through some of them in this devotional. My hope is that we will see how very rich this one story in the Bible is in helping us understand the power Jesus offers to us all. Mark wrote that Jesus realized that power had left him when the woman touched his clothing. We discussed how ridiculous the disciples thought it was for Jesus to ask who touched him. The disciples did not have the same awareness of Jesus’ power. Jesus knew his miraculous power had been released. The word translated as power in this story is the Greek work dunamis, which is the root word of the English word dynamite. This word means power, explosive, and noticeable power. It was not explosive as in a huge fireball, the likes of what you would see in a Hollywood action movie. However, this power was dynamite in what it did for this woman. The power of a touch, a connection, was what transferred the power of Jesus to the woman. That connection was key. The power of the connection was immediately known by Jesus and the woman. To say it was a dynamite connection is not too far off. There was great compassion in Jesus’ response to the woman. We don’t often couple power and compassion together. You are either powerful or compassionate. Jesus always seemed to bring two things together that we don’t usually put together. In Jesus we see humility coupled with confidence, we see surrender coupled with sovereignty, we see love coupled with commands. In this story we see Jesus carrying such miraculous power in his being that it can be released with a single touch. We see that single touch releasing miraculous power to heal a condition that no one else could even come close to healing. We also see Jesus' great compassion in seeking to know the person who was healed. Jesus knew someone had been healed. He could feel the power being released and knew the result. He asked who had touched him not out of anger, but out of compassion. When the woman tells him what had happened to her, Jesus speaks out of love and compassion for her. Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace, healed from your disease.” It was Jesus' love and compassion that moved him to want to interact with her in a more personal way. How does this story from Scripture impact your life today? There is supernatural, explosive, miraculous power available to you today. Jesus wants for you to get so close you can touch him, feel him, and receive his power. Whatever it is you are facing, and however long it has been plaguing you, and nothing else has been able to help, Jesus has the power to transform that part of your life. It is available to you today. Why? Because more than the power Jesus possesses is the love Jesus has for you. Jesus loves you and wants to shower you with grace and compassion. Sometimes that looks like the release of miraculous power. Other times it is the gift of miraculous purpose, healing, forgiveness, or peace. Jesus loves you and wants for you to experience the miraculous in every part of your life. Jesus only has the power to offer this miraculous life. Will you draw close to Jesus today [through silence, prayer, Scripture] and receive the miraculous power that Jesus alone can release in your life? As you think about the miraculous power from Jesus pray over and answer these questions: 1. Have you been spending time getting as close as you can to Jesus? 2. Do you desire to touch Jesus and receive his power? 3. Where do you need this miraculous power in your life? 4. How could Jesus bring power in your life? 5. How does the presence of miraculous power inform the way we pray and the way we live? Prayer: Almighty God, you alone hold the power to tame our unruly wills and affections; Grant us your grace to love what you command and desire what you promise. The world we live in changes very quickly, grant us the power to keep our hearts fixed where true joys are to be found and to desire only the power and compassion available through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever, Amen. Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

“At that very moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” Mark 5:30 CEB When I was 19, I worked in a retail warehouse and buying office. I started out unloading trucks and invoicing the packages. Once they were all invoiced, they went to the lines to be unpacked and prepared to be sent to the stores. Quickly I was moved to another area where I was asked to totally redo the archives room of the warehouse. After finishing that project, they used me to do all kinds of odd jobs. One day the manager of the warehouse called me over and asked me to do what he thought to be a very easy task. An electrician had been doing some work on the breaker box and had forgotten to put the front panel back on the box. My manager asked me to put the panel back on. I agreed. I mean how hard could it be to put the panel back on with the four screws designed for just that purpose. I grabbed the appropriate screwdriver and the screws and went to work. I placed the panel on the box and tighten the first screw. The second one went in with no issues. Then I began to tighten the third screw, and something happened. A loud pop and a huge flash occurred. It physically moved me back from the panel and scared the living daylights out of me. Thankfully, I was wearing tennis shoes and the screwdriver had a rubber handle. As a result of this experience, I developed a new respect for power. The power in the Scripture above is very different, but the result of the power has some similarities. Jesus is walking through a large crowd after being asked to heal a man’s dying daughter. Jesus is pressing through the crowd with a purpose. As he is walking through the crowd, Mark writes, “At that very moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him.” Jesus knew that divine, healing power had left him and gone to someone else. There was a discharge of power that was large enough for Jesus to recognize it—and for the woman to be instantly healed in such a way that she knew it. Jesus knew it and she felt it. The power that was released was tangible and real. It was also divine and supernatural. It affected both Jesus and the woman. It affected Jesus because he knew he had blessed someone, and he wanted to know who. I have heard some preachers talk like Jesus may have been upset with the woman for touching him. As I read this passage, I believe Jesus was not upset. Rather, I believe Jesus is moved out of love and compassion for the woman and wanted her to have the complete blessing from him. This is why he turned to her, and she turned to him and confessed. Jesus was moved to say to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace, healed from your disease.” Imagine how this affected the woman. She had spent 12 years going to specialist after specialist and spending everything she had. After 12 long years she was no better off—instead she was worse. She followed her faith in going into a large crowd, as an unclean woman, and touching the clothes of a teacher. She took a great risk that immediately paid off. Scripture says as soon as she touched the hem of his garment she was healed. Not a little healed, completely healed. She was so healed that she could literally feel that her body was different. Undoubtedly, the power that came from Jesus entered into her like a supercharged shot of vitamin B12. It was as if she had been shocked by an electrical panel with high voltage power throughout her body. It changed her body, healed her disease, and transformed her life. That is miraculous power—straight from Jesus. I believe that this miraculous power from Jesus is still available to us today. This power can heal diseases, bring restoration and reconciliation to relationships, bring peace to mental and emotional illnesses, and transform the lives of everyone it touches. When we choose to get close enough to Jesus a simple brush of his garment is all the power we need. How close to Jesus are you today? How close to Jesus are you willing to get? The closer you get to Jesus the greater the power available to you. Keep doing all you can to get close to Jesus: spend time in silence listening for Jesus, spend time in prayer talking with Jesus, and spend time reading about the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. Do this everyday and you will get close to Jesus, the giver of miraculous power. This Sunday we continue our message series for Lent entitled “Miraculous.” We will look at the way Jesus offers miraculous power—available to all who believe. We can choose to live a miraculous life in Jesus Christ. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 in worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #miraculouspurpose #lent #aplaceforgrace

Lent Devotional | week four The complaints have been around before now. What used to be a fairly sleepy little town has become overwhelmed with people, places, traffic, activity, and more traffic. What used to take a few minutes by car now takes what seems like forever. The busyness can begin to be too much. If you add to that the inundation of messages we receive all the time. There are hundreds of television stations, streaming services, social media outlets, satellite radio, and all of this at our fingertips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The question is quite simple, w here do we find peace? Peace is becoming harder to find in the world we live in. There are more ways to send us messages, more activities to be involved in, and more of everything than ever before. What does peace even look like? In the message yesterday I said that I believe miraculous peace is not found in the absence of noise and activity. Miraculous peace is found everywhere and anywhere. Jesus was in the back of the boat asleep when the disciples were afraid for their life. What was the difference? — the presence of miraculous peace with Jesus. Jesus might have well been anywhere and in any circumstance. It wouldn’t have mattered one bit. The kind of peace Jesus possessed was miraculous because it was not dependent on the circumstance in which he found himself. It was miraculous because of the faith he had to know that he was going to be fine. Jesus knew that God the Father had sent him for a purpose. Jesus also knew that God the Father was going to watch over him. We were reminded of the words of Psalm 121, “He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Jesus knew that God the Father was watching over him and would not take his eyes off him. As Christine Caine [author, speaker, founder of A21] says, “There is no need for both of us to be awake.” Jesus knew that he could sleep without worry or concern because the creator of the wind and waves was on watch over him. Have you been waiting for the absence of noise, activity, or busyness to have peace? Miraculous peace is not bound to those circumstances. Miraculous peace helps us to get through those circumstances. The faith we have in Jesus will give us miraculous peace in the middle of the storm. You don’t have to wait another second—it is available now. Whatever you are going through now—or whatever you will go through tomorrow—does not dictate the amount of peace you are able to experience. To experience the miraculous peace that Jesus demonstrated we need to place all of our faith and trust in Jesus. We need to know that Jesus is with us, watching over us, and giving us peace. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is John 14:27 where Jesus tells his followers, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So, don’t be troubled or afraid.” The peace Jesus gifts us with is a sleep soundly in the back of the boat while the storm rages on and everyone else is freaking out kind of peace. Will you take hold of this peace today? Will you place all of your faith and trust in Jesus’ ability to give you peace? Will you and I stop looking at the storms in our life and fix our eyes on our Savior? If we will … we will find miraculous peace in Jesus for all of life. As you think about the miraculous peace from Jesus pray over and answer these questions: 1. Have you been going through a storm? 2. Where had your focus been? On the wind and the waves? Or on Jesus? 3. What is it about your circumstances that seems overwhelming? 4. How could Jesus bring peace in the middle of the storm? 5. What will you do this week to take your focus off the storm and put it on the Savior? 6. Is there anyone you can ask to pray for you and hold you accountable? 7. How does all of this inform the way we pray for miraculous peace for ourselves and others? Prayer: Almighty God, kindle in every heart the true love of peace, and guide us with your wisdom. May those in power seek peace instead of power. Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus instead of the wind and the waves in our life. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit grant us the miraculous peace of Jesus in all of our circumstances. May this peace be evident in all we do so everyone around us will gain knowledge of your love for them. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

“He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still! Then the wide ceased, and there was dead calm.’” Mark 4:39 NRSV It was our second full year in Florida. The news reports had been warning of the possible threat for a few days. As transplants from the state of Michigan we didn’t really know what to think of all the news. My parents were not fully aware of the needed preparations and the extent of the potential threat. There had been a huge storm brewing in the Atlantic Ocean for quite a while and most of Florida did not seem overly concerned. But now it was almost upon us. I remember our family putting masking tape on the windows of our home. I also remember wondering what in the world masking tape was going to do to protect us. Then, in August of 1979, Hurricane David [a category 2 hurricane] made landfall near West Palm Beach, Fla. and skirted the coastline. We lived in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and we experienced the northern side of the storm and the 75 mile per hour winds. It seemed to last for a long time as the wind and rain continued. Then something happened that I had never experienced before. Just as quickly as the raging winds and pounding rain had come it was gone. The eye of the storm passed directly over our house. For about 20 minutes it was as calm as could be with the sun shining and clear skies directly over us. Then, after 20 minutes, the rain and the wind came back with abandon. There were several hours on either side of the eye of the storm where the storm raged. However, when the eye went over it was calm. Every time I read the story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves, I remember my experience in 1979 with Hurricane David. As Jesus and his disciples are traveling in a boat a storm blows in on them. The storm was so intense that the waves were crashing in over the sides of the boat and the wind was tossing them around. Some of the disciples were seasoned fishermen and they were afraid. This is how bad the storm was. Yet, Mark records that in the midst of the storm Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat. The disciples wake him up and ask him if he cares that they are going to die. Jesus responds by commanding the wind and waves to stop. “Peace! Be still!” Jesus commands. Sure enough, the wind stops blowing and the waves stop crashing. Mark writes that, “… there was dead calm.” It was as if the eye of the storm had just settled in directly over them. There was miraculous peace. Actually, there are two kinds of peace in this story. First, there is internal peace. This peace is evidenced in Jesus. Jesus was at peace in the midst of the storm. Yes, he was asleep. He was asleep because he was at peace internally. No outward circumstance could take away that peace and he was able to sleep—even in the middle of a raging storm. The peace Jesus had was internal, rooted in his faith, and not bound to any external circumstance. The second kind of peace was external peace. This is the peace that Jesus brought by calming the storm. Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to cease. Jesus did not calm the hearts and minds of the disciples. Instead, Jesus took away the circumstances that caused them to lose their sense of peace. Jesus produced a miracle that removed the circumstances and the disciples responded to what Jesus had done. Their peace did not take faith, but it brought them to be in awe of Jesus. The miraculous peace in this story was Jesus’ peace while he was asleep in the back of the boat. Jesus had internal miraculous peace because his complete trust was in the maker of the wind and waves. In the middle of the storm he could be at peace because of the One in whom he had placed his faith. When we wait for the miraculous calming of the storm we miss the miraculous peace Jesus offers in the midst of the storm. Maybe you have gone through the storm already. Perhaps you are in the middle of the storm right now. It is certain there will be a storm in your future. The key to miraculous peace is to know that it comes from within. Peace isn’t dependent on your circumstances it is dependent on your faith. When we look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we will always find the miraculous peace that allows us to remain calm in the midst of the storm. Where do you need to experience the miraculous inner peace of Jesus Christ in your life? This Sunday we continue our message series for Lent entitled “Miraculous.” We will look at the way Jesus offers miraculous peace—even in life’s storms. We can choose to live a miraculous life in Jesus Christ. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 in worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #miraculouspeace #lent #aplaceforgrace

Lent Devotional | week three The Scripture story that we discussed in church yesterday has an interesting relationship. It is not the relationship between the friends and the paralyzed man. It is not the relationship between Jesus and the paralyzed man or his friends. In fact, it is not the type of relationship we would normally think of when we read a passage like this. There are two Greek words that represent the relationship of which I am referring. The first Greek word is soma which is translated into English as “body.” The second word is pneuma which is translated into English as “breath," or "spirit.” When the paralyzed man is brought to Jesus by his friends this relationship between soma and pneuma is at the center of the encounter. The relationship between body and spirit is primary as Jesus interacts with the paralyzed man. Bible scholar William Barclay writes, “In Palestine it was a universal belief that all sickness was the result of sin, and that no sickness could ever be cured unless sin was forgiven.” Jesus, a devout Jew, knew this was the belief of his day. When Jesus made the decision to forgive the man’s sins first he was addressing the man’s pneuma or spirit. It was necessary for Jesus to forgive his sins to set the stage for healing him. Jesus knew this, and most likely knew the legal experts’ objections before they were even levied. Jesus chose to address the man’s sins and forgive them so that he could show his authority to both forgive and to heal. As Jesus tells the man that his sins are forgiven we also see perhaps the first charge leveled against him. Jesus is charged with blasphemy by the religious leaders. In broad terms blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt toward God or sacred things. In this more specific incident it is the act of taking God’s place according to the legal experts. Jesus dared to do what only God could. Of course, we discussed that they did not recognize that Jesus was God incarnate. It is only when they accuse Jesus of blasphemy that he demonstrates the totality of his authority. Jesus turns from the pneuma to the soma or body to show them who he is. Jesus’ authority is over both spirit and body. The forgiving of the man’s sins and the healing of his body work together to make him whole, complete, and well. Jesus addressed the whole man. Forgiveness makes our spirit right with God and paves the way for all other healing in our life. If we are not right with God, we will not be open and available for the rest of what God wants to give us. Barclay writes, “If Jesus was able to make this man get up and walk, then that was unanswerable proof that the man’s sins were forgiven, and that Jesus’ claim was true. So, Jesus demonstrated that he was able to bring forgiveness to a man’s soul and health to a man’s body. And it remains eternally true that we can never be right physically until we are right spiritually, that health in body and peace with God go hand in hand.” It is about the relationship of spirit [pneuma] and body [soma] that is at the heart of this biblical encounter. Jesus is Lord over us—mind, body, spirit—when we accept him as the Lord and savior of our life. It all starts when we experience God’s grace and place our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. When our spirit/soul is saved all of the rest of us follows. Have you placed ALL of your trust in Jesus as the Lord of your life? Experiencing the grace of forgiveness and the love of Christ will change everything! As you think about the miraculous forgiveness from Jesus pray over and answer these questions: 1. Have you believed in Jesus and placed all of your trust in him today? 2. Have you been convinced of your sin and asked Jesus to forgive you? 3. Have you known the peace that comes from the forgiveness of your sins? 4. How could forgiveness be related to the rest of your life? 5. Is there anyone you need to forgive for something they have done to you? 6. Is there anyone from whom you need to seek forgiveness for something you have done? 7. How does all of this inform the way we pray for miraculous forgiveness for ourselves and others? Prayer: Jesus, you have all authority in heaven and on earth. You have created all things and seen that everything was good. You forgive the sins of all who turn from their sin and come humbly to you. Create and make in us new and broken hearts so we may be before you in right relationship and receive complete forgiveness because of your great mercy. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

“People brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a cot. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘Be encouraged, my child, your sins are forgiven’ ... ” Matthew 9:3a CEB The line was a little longer than usual in the drive-thru on a hot summer morning. People seemed to be taking a lot more time in placing their order. It felt as though the cars were not even able to move at a normal speed. Everyone seemed to be getting impatient. Finally, it was time to place the order. It was a simple order of a large iced tea. After the order was placed there was still a wait to get to the window to pay and pick up the large iced tea. The car in front of me was at the window and seemed to be taking longer than any other car had taken. At last I was at the window—somewhat irritated, impatient, and ready to be on my way—when I received a nice surprise. The person working the window handed me the iced tea and said, “The person in front of you paid for you. Have a nice day.” Wow! Don’t mind if I do! Indeed, that did help me to have a nice day. It was a nice gift and I know I am not the only one for whom this has happened. Have you ever had this happen? Most refer to it as paying it forward. I have been able to do this many times as well—pay it forward, that is. Someone makes it possible for someone else to receive a blessing. It is often times unexpected but can also be less spontaneous. I believe this is an ancient practice found in the Bible as well. In essence, this is what took place in the Scripture from above. Jesus arrives in a town and some of the people from the town bring a paralyzed man, still on his cot, to him. What happens next is amazing. Jesus doesn’t notice the man right away. He doesn’t move to his need right away. Instead, the Scripture says Jesus saw the faith of the people first. Jesus notices that the people were carrying this man to him with the belief that Jesus could, and would, heal him. What the people were doing for their friend was far more inconvenient than putting a couple extra dollars on their ATM card. They were carrying their friend a good distance in the hope and belief he would blessed. They believed if they could get him there he would be able to walk home with them on his own. Jesus did not heal him right away. The first thing Jesus says, after noticing the faith of the people, is, “Be encouraged, my child, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus sees the faith of this man’s friends and he forgives the man. The people, presumably the man’s friends, were making it possible for him to receive a blessing. Their motivation was to have him experience a life of health and wholeness. They wanted to see him healed. They had the faith that this could happen through Jesus. Their faith in Jesus results in forgiveness for their friend. Jesus is saying that because of their faith he has made their friend right with God. Spiritual healing preceded physical healing. Forgiveness of his sins made the man whole and healed spiritually. It was only after the legal experts, experts in religious law, claimed that Jesus was insulting God that Jesus healed the man. Jesus forgave his sins because of his friends’ faith. Jesus healed him to prove his authority to the legal experts. Jesus said, “Why do you fill your minds with evil things? Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins’—he said to the man who was paralyzed—Get up, take your cot, and go home.” Jesus forgives because of faith, heals because of authority, and transforms one man’s life forever. Where do you need forgiveness? Do you need to be forgiven for something you have done? Do you need someone to forgive you for something you said or did to them? Do you need to forgive yourself? Wherever it is you need forgiveness Jesus stands ready to forgive you. If Jesus will forgive a paralyzed man because of the faith of his friends, imagine how much more he will forgive you when you place your faith in his willingness to forgive you. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins today. Jesus is ready, willing, and able to forgive anything and everything. Will you receive that forgiveness today? This Sunday we continue our message series for Lent entitled “Miraculous.” We will look at the way Jesus offers miraculous forgiveness. There will also be an opportunity for seeking forgiveness at each service. We can choose to live a miraculous life in Jesus Christ. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 in worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #miraculousforgiveness #lent #aplaceforgrace

Lent Devotional | week two There has been a debate in my lifetime concerning miracles. Does God, Father—Son—Holy Spirit, still work miracles? There is one area of the miracles of Jesus recorded in the Gospels that is most debated. Did Jesus actually heal people in a miraculous fashion? I admit, I am going to over simplify the argument against Jesus actually performing miraculous healing. I will do so for the sake of brevity and wanting to make a different point. Those who deny the miraculous healings of Jesus offer other explanations of what happened. It was thousands of years ago with no real understanding of medicine, anatomy, biomedical sciences, microbiology, and certainly no idea about molecular microbiology. In short, some believe that the healings listed in the Gospels as being miraculous were not that miraculous because the illness was something easily explained by modern science. Take, for example, the incident we talked about yesterday. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. When Jesus arrived, he looked at her and touched her and the fever left. Some might say that it was just a matter of timing—the fever simply broke as Jesus arrived—and didn’t really have anything to do with Jesus being there. I imagine this debate will continue to go on for another thousand years or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. The question I want to ask is, “Do you believe in miracles?” Especially when it comes to healing. Jesus healed individuals and Jesus healed groups of people. In The Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke, John] Jesus is credited with around 40 miracles of healing. Jesus healed people of issues with demons, skin diseases, crippling physical conditions, fever, and blindness. Jesus would heal people through speaking, touching, prayer, through the faith of the individual, and even using his own spit. All of these healings were done because Jesus was one with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. This oneness came from his constant communication with both through prayer. Jesus was motivated to heal because he wanted every human being to be whole and fully able to experience the fullness of their created potential. These miraculous healings were motivated out of Jesus’ love for all of humankind as ultimately demonstrated at Calvary. It seems from the preponderance of the evidence that Jesus either did heal people miraculously or there were a great number of miraculous coincidences. As for me, I stopped believing in coincidences 33 years ago. Can we agree that Jesus performed miraculous healings while on earth? If so, how do we understand healing today? There seem to be examples of miraculous healing occurring in our current times. We have heard of people experiencing healing in ways that medicine cannot explain. These occurrences seem to provide anecdotal evidence that miraculous healing is still possible, and even does occur, today. How then do we account for those who pray for miraculous healing and do not receive it? This is a very complex question. The Scriptures say several things we can lean on: 1) Jesus does not play favorites—Jesus loves everyone, 2) Jesus is able to heal everyone, 3) The Fall is a definite factor in the world as we know it—including illness, 4) Jesus did not take away the effects of The Fall, he took away the penalty for our sins, 5) Even when Jesus walked the earth he did not heal everyone who was sick, 6) The ultimate healing is when we arrive in heaven for eternity. None of these things explain why some people are not healed miraculously, they simply help us see things from an informed perspective. Miraculous healing still happens today. It does not happen every time for every person. In fact, you may say that it does not happen anywhere near as often as we would like it to. We also need to remember that miraculous healing often happens through medical teams and medical advancements. God works through human endeavors as well. God creates the human beings and all of the created resources that they use to come up with cures and advancements. Miraculous healing comes in many ways, shapes, forms, and experiences. Perhaps the best Scripture to recall when thinking of miraculous healing, and miracles in general, is Luke 1:37 “… nothing is impossible for God.” As you think about the miraculous healings of Jesus pray over and answer these questions: 1. Do you believe miraculous healing still happens today? 2. Is there anything that is impossible for God/Jesus? 3. Have you known anyone who experienced miraculous healing? 4. How could advancements in medicine be seen as miraculous? 5. How does all of this inform the way we pray for miraculous healing for ourselves and others? Prayer: Jesus, you have all authority in heaven and on earth. By the might of your command you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all infirmity: Be present in your goodness with your servants, that our weakness may be banished, and our strength restored; and that our health being renewed, we may bless your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

“That evening people brought to Jesus many who were demon-possessed. He threw the spirits out with just a word. He healed everyone who was sick.” Matthew 8:16 CEB Several years ago, a member of the church I was serving asked to meet with me. They came to my office so we could speak in private. This person had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. They had gone through chemotherapy, several trials, and a lot of dietary and lifestyle changes in an effort to beat the cancer. The person told me that their bloodwork had come back and everything looked really good. Everything, at that time, was trending in the right direction. This person was very, very encouraged. This was a very positive person by nature. I had never heard them complain or wish it hadn’t happened to them. As I listened I was amazed at such positivity in the face of such an uncertain diagnosis and long treatment. I asked, “To what do you attribute the positive results? The chemo? The trials? The dietary changes?” Without hesitation the answer came … ” I attribute the success to God and the power of prayer.” I was reminded that day about the true power behind healing. I believe that at times healing comes through medicine, doctors, nurses, and other members of a medical team. I believe that new trials and special techniques can heal as well. There are amazing people with truly amazing talent, intellect, education, and skills. There is a long list of people for which I am praying that their medical team does everything within their power to bring healing in their life. However, I believe that the ultimate member of the medical team is the great physician himself, Jesus. The reason my friend and fellow follower of Jesus was experiencing healing at that time in his life was because of Jesus. Countless people were praying, visiting, supporting, and loving this person in the name of Jesus. There isn’t any physician, nurse, or medical professional that can make the claim that Matthew makes of Jesus. Matthew makes the claim, “He (Jesus) healed everyone who was sick.” That is truly miraculous healing. There are a lot of occurrences of Jesus performing miraculous healing for people. The one thing that amazes me as I read these accounts in the Gospels is why Jesus performs these healings. It seems clear that Jesus was healing because he felt compassion for those who needed to be healed. Whether the person had leprosy, bleeding, a fever, a lame hand, or any other infirmity, it was not the illness that motivated Jesus to heal. Jesus was motivated to heal out of love for the person. It is obvious in Scripture that Jesus healed to make people well, to make them whole. The love Jesus demonstrated through every healing was to set the person free from what ailed them. Perhaps the most obvious of these healings was his friend Lazarus. Everyone was grieving for their dead brother, relative, and friend, including Jesus. Because of his great love for his friend, Jesus raised him to life. This was not simply to demonstrate he could, it was because he loved his friend also. Miraculous healing is a loving encounter with the divine nature of Jesus Christ who desires for us to be whole. Because the desire is for us to be whole, healing is not just for our physical health. Healing can come physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Where do you need healing today? Are you facing an illness which needs physical healing? Are you experiencing emotional or mental illness that needs healing? Is there a broken relationship in your life that needs healing? Are you in need of spiritual healing? Whatever the need is, I assure you that Jesus wants you to be whole. Jesus can perform miraculous healing in your life. [It is at this point that I want to caution us. Because Jesus can perform a miraculous healing in our life does not necessarily mean that Jesus will. There are a lot of things about healing that we cannot understand. One of the major things we cannot understand is why some people experience healing and others do not. After 33 years as a serious student of Christianity and the Bible, I still do not fully understand this. I also believe we will never fully understand this until we are face-to-face with Jesus in heaven.] We should pray that Jesus would have compassion toward us and bring miraculous healing to us and those we love. The rest is completely up to Jesus. Where do you need healing today? This Sunday we continue our message series for Lent entitled “Miraculous.” We will look at several of the ways Jesus healed miraculously. There will also be an opportunity for healing prayer at each service. We can choose to live a miraculous life in Jesus Christ. I hope you will join me this Sunday at 8:15|NINE45|11:15 in worship. You can also go to SAUMC.NET and join us via livestream. The best is yet to come. I love you all and can’t wait to see you in church! #miraculoushealing #lent #aplaceforgrace