Sunday Morning Starters

How Long Has It Been…

Since you met someone new?

Since you took something by?

Since you sent someone a card?

Since you did something unexpected?

Since you prayed for someone sick?

Since you did something difficult for you?

Since you had someone new over?

Jesus said that the little somethings we do for someone else we do for Him. How long has it been?

Jason Moore

Practical Pointers From Proverbs

“17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated. 18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:17-21; NASB).

Work on these and you’ll be wise today:

Be peaceable. Those soon angry are foolish. Peacemakers are most like the Son. “They shall be called sons of God,” Jesus said.

Be inquisitive. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is an acquired appetite. Work at it, because “the simple inherit folly.”

Be good. It may not seem so from the headlines, but the evil will some day “bow before the good.” In fact, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess” before the good God.

Be merciful. Know someone who needs a friend? Don’t ignore them—he that despises his neighbor sins.

Get Wisdom. And character will follow.

Jason Moore

Idols of Our Age

Scripture: Jeremiah 10:1-10

Song: Father I Adore You

It is a marvel that men ever served idols. It is even more a marvel to read of the distinguished believers who fell prey to the folly of idolatry. Even Solomon, the wisest man of his age, succumbed to the practice. Men of lesser wisdom should take warning and observe the idols of our day.

Myhobby. He is the god of leisure. The god of simple pleasures gone to seed. The vestiges of his worship are the deer lease, the fishing boat, the woodshop, the golf course, the latest computer upgrade. There is nothing wrong with leisure, but we live in a time when folks are fat with leisure while their religion is anorexic.

Morestuff. He is the god of things. Bigger barns. Better cars. Louder speakers. Clearer pictures. Faster hard drives. The evidence of his duping of mankind is excessive credit. Men are slaves to indebtedness. They work not to share but to meet their minimum monthly payment. They have not the time or the means to invest in heavenly treasure because men cannot serve two masters.

Imbusy. He is the god of the jet set, a people who are preoccupied with their own schedules. There is no nobility in being so busy that there is not time for God, for worship, for family. Good intentions won’t do. That’s the reason men worship idols. They expect less of you. They’ll settle for excuses. Jehovah expects the best of your time and your person, not the leftovers, not lame sacrifices.

Jason Moore

Fulfilling Our Charge

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Song: Where Love Is In The Home

The commandments of the Lord are uttered with such wisdom and precision. They are so stated that the accountable person is left without any excuse for his disobedience. His submission to or his rebellion against the commandments of God is entirely a matter of his own personal regard for God and for God’s right to rule his life.

Take the commandment for children to obey their parents. There is no condition attached to this commandment save the obvious one—that such obedience be “in the Lord.” There is no other. Obeying one’s parents is not conditioned upon agreeing with them. It does not depend upon understanding or even hearing their reasons. Some things cannot be explained to the immature. The only thing to be understood is that such obedience “is right.” Those who bless their parents with such honor will live long and prosper in their dealings.

The commandment to fathers answers any questions about roles and responsibilities. Who is responsible for the spiritual education of the child? The preacher? The elders? The Bible class teacher? None of the above. It is the father. And he must not shirk this responsibility. By shouldering this load which the Lord has equipped him to carry he will not only avoid provoking his children to wrath, but avoid provoking them to the wrath to come.

Jason Moore

The One Leper

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Song: Fairest Lord Jesus

Jesus had passed through Galilee into Samaria, making His way toward Jerusalem and the Cross (Luke 9:51; 13:22; 17:11). Coming to a small village, He encountered a group of lepers—nine Jews and a Samaritan—who, keeping their distance, tried to call Him. "Go, show yourselves to the priests," Jesus said. He didn't heal them on the spot but gave them an assignment to go to the priests in Jerusalem who were designated as the only ones who could pronounce them cured (see Leviticus 13-14). The ten started off by faith. As they walked along, they noticed their skin was clearing up. They were being healed. That's when the Samaritan stopped and said, "I'm going back to thank Him."

Have you noticed there were two thankful people in this story? The leper and the Lord. The Lord Jesus was thankful for thankfulness. Being the God-Man, He both receives and renders thanksgiving. Thankfulness is simply an element of Christlikeness. When we're thankful, we're modeling the Master.

The Lord's response to this leper is two-fold. While appreciating the thanksgiving of the one man, He noted the ingratitude of the nine. We must consciously watch ourselves that we don't fall into the 90% who never pause to regularly say, "Thank you," to GOD. Thanksgiving, after all, is a command, and Jesus always notes disobedience. Thanksgiving, remember, is therapeutic. It lifts the soul. If you want to enroll in Thanksgiving University where the Master Teacher tutors us in Gratitude 101, begin intentionally thanking God and others for the blessings surrounding you.

A sense of our spiritual leprosy should make us very humble whenever we draw near to Christ. We may look for GOD to meet us with mercy, when we are found in the way of obedience. The others only got the outward cure, he alone got the spiritual blessing.

Question: Who am I?

Answer: I am the one leper.

This week meditate on…

“I am the one leper.”

Jason Cicero

Christ Gave Thanks

Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7

Song: God Is The Fountain

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7; NKJV).

Thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude. Thankful people express gratefulness to GOD, the source of all blessings. Christ gave thanks.

To GOD the Father for the revelation of His will. “At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes’” (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21; NKJV). Jesus expressed gratitude for the revelation of GOD’S will.

To GOD the Father for food. “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks…” (John 6:11). When Jesus fed the 5,000 He gave thanks for the food. He also expressed thanks for the food that fed the 4,000 (Matthew 15:36).

To GOD the Father for hearing His prayer. “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me…’” (John 11:41-42; NKJV). Jesus expressed thanks to the Father for listening to His prayers.

To GOD the Father for the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, ‘Take eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they drank from it” (Mark 14:22-23; NKJV). Jesus gave thanks for the emblems that symbolized the sacrifice He was about to make for all mankind.

Jesus came to do GOD’S will (John 8:28-29). It is GOD’S will for His people to give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). To be this man’s disciple one must deny self, take up His cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

Follow His lead. Give thanks for the revealed word of God (Ephesians 3:3-5). Give thanks for the food you eat (Romans 14:6). Give thanks for the hearing of prayer (1 John 5:14-15). Give thanks for the body and blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:26). And above all else, give thanks to the Father for “His indescribable gift,” the one who will deliver us: “I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

Jason Cicero

Sunday Morning Starters

“17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated. 18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:17-21; NASB).

Work on these and you’ll be wise today:

Be peaceable. Those soon angry are foolish. Peacemakers are most like the Son. “They shall be called sons of God,” Jesus said.

Be inquisitive. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is an acquired appetite. Work at it, because “the simple inherit folly.”

Be good. It may not seem so from the headlines, but the evil will some day “bow before the good.” In fact, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess” before the good God.

Be merciful. Know someone who needs a friend? Don’t ignore them—he that despises his neighbor sins.

Get Wisdom. And character will follow.

Jason Moore