Can You Hear Me Now? (Improving Your Reception)

Listening is hard...It's work.

James 1 :19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Pastor Dennis gave us three things that hinder our hearing...I think the first one is the most destructive....Presumption. Haven't we all experienced what happens when we or others assume!

It's interesting to me how often circumstances just seem to fall into place to justify our assumptions. Almost like someone is orchestrating the events. Let's not play into the enemy's plan. Let us Think- before we react...and give the benefit of the doubt to the folks God has in our lives. If we're not sure and it looks bad...Ask questions and then-be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Can we hear them now?

How to Add Value to Your Relationships

If you want good friends, be a good friend.

I think that is really something to reflect on this week...how good a friend am I? People have expectations of what they want in a friend (you can find out what the expectations are when people complain about their friends!) so turn it around and ask...Do I, "fill in the blank," for others?


Then Garth talked about practical, simple (though not necessarily easy) thoughtful ways of improving our relationships.

The one that particularly struck me was-
Demonstrate loyalty.
I liked his definition-Being on someone's side consistently. And that being on their side means that you will take on anyone that's coming after them, even if it is them themselves.

An open rebuke is better than hidden love!Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. Proverbs 27:5&6

One aspect of this loyalty that came to mind is-be careful how you talk about that person. If you are on their side you will protect their reputation...if there is something that your family member, friend, neighbor, etc. needs to address in their life, address them about it or maybe include a person that will help in the issue...but it doesn't need to be discussed with everyone that knows that person. Don't we sometimes do this in the guise of "concern". Please pray for so and so He/She is....We can just ask them to pray for so and so. God knows what they need. Hey, this is an area I need to work on... Am I alone!

Letting Go of Your Past

With the end in mind (remember what Pastor Dennis said week), asking ourselves what kind of old person do we want to be...Sunday's message is such a key to being a kind, loving, giving and wise "chronologically blessed" person.

Teach us to understand how many days we have. Then we will have a heart of wisdom to give You. Psalm 90:12

Sean reminded us this morning that life is a gift from God. Pondering this, I asked myself how do I want people to treat a thoughtful gift that I have given them...I want them to appreciate it and use it the way it was intended. I think that reflects God's desire for us....appreciate the gift of days He has given us. Use them the way He intended. To start, throw out the garbage from our past, better yet recycle...( To extract useful materials from garbage or waste)...Let God take our past hurts, disappointments and bad experiences and turn them into what will work for our good.

3 Types of Emotional Garbage

• We rehearse our resentments...letting the sad, bad, mad story go round and round in our minds and sometimes out loud to anyone that will listen...(Put the ball down!) stop the "voices"...I think a verse that is helpful here is-

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2Corinthians 10:5

• Remember our regrets...God doesn't remember them, why should we..."For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12.

• Reinforce our remorse...think about what reinforcing looks like- thick, heavy, built up, hard...that is what our heart looks like when we reinforce our remorse. But God- " will give them(us) an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them(us); I will remove from them(us) their(our) heart of stone and give them(us) a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:1

I want to be a person that can pass on the love of Christ to others and so this week I am going to put the garbage out, put the ball down...run the race looking forward to the goal...to be like Jesus.

What Kids (and we all) Need from Caring Adults part 2

Pastor Dennis talked about needing to "start with the end in mind".

As a parent of grown kids, I reflected that that is what we did as we raised our children...as Pastor Dennis said there are no guarantees. As I reflected on that, I realized that God did the same for us...."start with the end in mind"... in Genesis He begins foretelling of Jesus' coming. And why did Jesus come-

"...For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10

So I was encouraged to continue to hope in my prayers for my Children...it's never too late (or too early) for hope in God.

What Kids (and we all) Need from Caring Adults

Luke 22:14-20 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”... He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me. After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

I really enjoyed the explanation of Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, Eucharist, the Lord's table....seriously, I think Pastor Dennis should do that every year.

Bread-His body, meaning the whole of Jesus, broken, given as a sacrifice, given as a gift for us- so that we can have the life He purposed for us.

Wine-His blood, the power of Jesus poured out so we can have power to live the life He purposed for us.

Jesus said, "Do this to remember me." When we remember His life, death and resurrection (and that God created all things, redeemed us and sanctifies us) it helps us to gain His perspective of what is going on in our lives. The good, bad and the ugly looks different when we remember what Jesus did and now does. It is not just a ritual to do...it should be a pause in our life to readjust our attitudes.

And after that Pause Don't look for the problems or bad in what is going on around us...figure out the truth. From our Saviour's perspective!

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life..." John 14:6