5 Mondays - 5 Radio Programs

That's right - in the month of December, my little radio program, Wake Up With The Word, will be heard five times, Monday morning at 8:25 am on 1280 AM radio.  If you miss the program or live outside of the Phoenix area, go to our home page and see the column on the left hand side to find the current program.

12/3 - "We Saw Your Smoke Signal" - a reminder that God can turn disaster into something that works for our good.

12/10 - "Waiting for that Glorious Moment" - a visit to a labor and delivery room provided a reminder of how much things have changed in 2000 years.

12/17 - "Something Bigger Than Phil" - the comedy routine, "The 2000 Year Old Man," helps to illustrate that our God is a big God!

12/24 - "Are We There Yet?" - Do you suppose Mary asked this question of Joseph as they made their way to Bethlehem?

12/31 - "The Story of Teddy Stallard" - a heartwarming story of how one teacher's heart was changed by a hard-to-love little boy.

Are you willing to take "the road less traveled?"

Last summer I began my time of renewal by taking a personal retreat and spending a few intense days working through Kurt Senske's great book, "The Calling - Live a Life of Significance."  One of the most important points Senske makes in his book (maybe the most important and most fundamental) is that God must be at the center of our lives if we wish to live a life of real significance.  He also emphasizes how difficult this is.  The devil, the world we live in and our own sinful flesh wants to pull us in a different direction than the one the Holy Spirit is leading us to take. 

God wants us to love our neighbor.  We are often (daily!) pulled in a different direction - to love and serve and satisfy ourselves.  We must decrease in order to give God first place in our lives.  The temptation is to want to take that place for our own enjoyment.

So the journey is not easy but the blessings are greater than you can imagine.  Senske writes: By taking the road less traveled, we, in effect, turn the post-modern world, with its elusive, and ultimately unfulfilling, values, on its head.  No longer do we ask, "What's in it for me? How can I get ahead?" Instead, we ask, "How can I be the hands and feet of Christ in this world?"  In this way we reflect who we truly are, "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God..."  (1 Peter 2:9)

To whom can you be the hands and feet of Christ in the world today?

Luther tells the Law to "Shut Up!"

From Pieper's Dogmatics, vol. 2, pg. 375

Therefore, when the Law comes and accuses you of not having kept it, bid it go to Christ.  Say, "There is the Man who has kept it; to Him I cling.  He fulfilled it for me and gave His fulfillment to me."  Thus, the Law is silenced.

Sermon Illustrations

A fellow I used to work with years ago is always sending me stories and jokes that he thinks would make good sermon illustrations.  But I haven't found any that I thought would be suitable.  Here's an example:

An elderly man was dying in his bed.  In death's agony, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies wafting up the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself up out of bed.  He slowly made his way out of the bedroom and down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands.  With labored breath he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen.

Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven: there, spread out upon newspapers on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.  Was it heaven or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left his world a happy man? Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture.

He reached out to the edge of the table and took one of the cookies, bursting with dozens of chocolate chips.  A glass of cold milk would have made this would have made this moment perfect, but the old man couldn't wait.  His parched lips parted; the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.  The aged and withered hand was bringing the cooking to his mouth when suddenly it was smacked with a spatula by his wife.

"Stay out of those," she said, "they're for the funeral!"

Everyone in this church is going to die!

Another story from Mitch Albom, "Have a Little Faith."

The pastor of the little country church began his sermon with a stirring reminder: "Everyone in this church is going to die!" The minister looked around and he noticed a man in the front row with a huge smile on his face.  The minister asked, "Why are you so amused?"  The man answered, "I'm not from this parish.  I'm just visiting my sister for the weekend."

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Watch!

As we come to the last Sunday of the church year, it seems that we come full circle.  The theme of Advent is "watch!" That's the Word Jesus gives to us in the Gospel lesson from Mark, chapter 13.  Come and receive God's gifts with us at worship tomorrow.  We'll have a baptism and our outstanding Choir will sing.  Services are at 8 and 10:45 am.  Christian LIFE Hour offers classes for all ages at 9:15 am.  And even though some people say donuts are bad for you, ours are amazingly good! Join us this Sunday at LICL!

Max Lucado on Black Friday

God is on the cross.  The creator of the universe is being executed.

Spit and blood are caked to His cheeks and His lips are cracked and swollen.

Thorns rip His scalp.  His lungs scream with pain.  His legs knot with cramps...

And there is no one to save Him, for He is sacrificing Himself. 

It is no normal six hours...it is no normal Friday.

From His book, "Six Hours One Friday"