Each Day Already is a Challenge

MONDAY! - Updated at 10:20 pm

By now, we know that the groundhog is just a-laughing and a-laughing. Not only didn't Spring arrive early, it almost looks as if it will never arrive. Or maybe those few days of warm weather were Spring and Summer combined and now we're heading back into Autumn and Winter. That's how it feels! I know the birds are confused. They were building nests, now just a few of them can be heard in the trees. Did the others fly south again? I wouldn't blame them!

On a happier note, Daizy May has started a blog. Be sure to check it out:
http://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1242039

Okay, I promised to share my sermon notes from yesterday. So kick back a while, 'cause here they come...

As usual, some of the notes I made in the margin (as opposed to the ones in the fill-in-the-blank part of my note page) are things I want to remember or chew on.

We are a nation of characters, not of character.

Secular magazines are realizing that people are searching for something spiritual, for God. That's evident in the focus of front page stories. Our pastor's power point display showed at least 15 fairly recent magazine fronts. (Sorry, I didn't get which magazines, nor the titles.)

Marriage is not cool unless you're gay.

When you play Scrabble, there are rules. It's the dictionary. If it's not in the dictionary, it's not a word. Real life has rules too. The real rules, the only ones that don't change, are in the Bible. That's our instruction manual, made by the Creator. What better instructions can there be than by the Creator???

Okay, on to the real sermon notes. The sermon was about building character.

Cause of character deficiency

Convinience and pragmatism: truth decay.

Is it easy? Does it work? I don't care if it's true or not.

Individualism. These aren't new things. They're already addressed in the Bible. See Judges 21:25 NCV. "In those days Israel did not have a king. Everyone did what seemed right."

I live for me. I judge whether or not I'm right or wrong. You can't tell me what to do.

Materialism. Romans 1:25 NIV "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen."

Some think God is unnecessary. Others think God is only one slice of life. They attend church, then leave God at the door, worrying more about material things than spiritual ones.

Relativism. Ephesians 4:17-19 NLT "Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their closed minds are full of darknesss; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They don't care anymore about right and wrong."

In today's world, people insist that there are no absolute truths. My truth may not be your truth, according to "those folks." By lowering standards, there is no guilt. Fifty years ago, everyone knew exactly what was right and wrong. Today, the number one source of morals is the TV and media. (Yikes!)

Cost of character deficiency

Proverbs 29:18 TLB "Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild; but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep His laws."

Isiah 5:20 NLT "Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter."

Cure for character deficiency

Proverbs 2:9 TLB "He (God) shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time."

We have choices in where to seek our guidance.

1) internal source - I

2) external source - they

3) eternal source - God

When we are different than the character of the Creator, we are wrong. When we are the same, then we are right.

In the long run, our pastor's sermon series is going to point to something about which he feels rather strongly - that small groups are what will keep our church growing and thriving and will help each of us grow stronger in our faith and closer to God.

He reminds us - often - that we need God and each other. And he's concerned that it isn't just folks out in the world whose behaviors are less than godly, those of us within the church suffer the same maladies. He's convinced that the only way we can bring others into the Chuch is for us to treat each other kindly and to show love within the Church.

John 13:34-35 NIV "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

I forgot that I also made a quick note after the pastor's closing prayer. I was reminded of a short online conversation I had with someone not long ago about her pastor who insisted that prayers should be full of thee's and thou's. Our pastor, as he spoke rather familiarly to Dad called us all a bunch of goofballs. Hmmm.

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And if you're looking for something of mine to read - besides the blog - I did write something these past few days and finally posted it today.

How to Send E-mail Forwards  (E) Basically - don't. But if you must, please read this first. #1248948 by Kenzie