Joseph's Choice

When Mary turned up pregnant before their wedding day, Joseph had a well-ordered plan to divorce her quietly. His plan would spare Mary additional humility and protect his reputation in the village. But Joseph’s plan gets interrupted in a dream by a messenger from God. The angel tells Joseph to abandon his plan for God’s plan and he does! 

Most of us wish we had an angel telling us what to do. And yet I imagine it wasn’t that simple for Joseph. As we celebrate new birth in Christ and press on toward a New Year, where might God be calling you to interrupt your plans in order to make room for his? If you missed yesterday’s message you can listen to it here.

I look forward to worshipping with you on Christmas Eve at 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, or 9:00 p.m. You can find more information about each service on our website.

Give us this day our daily bread

Praying “give us this day our daily bread,” is Jesus’ invitation to a life of freedom. First, when we realize everything we have comes from, and belongs to, God, we are freed from craving the latest gadget or fashion. We can like things without having to want them. Second, trusting God’s provision for daily bread also frees us from worry about our material needs. “Give us this day our daily bread,” is a prayer that God delights to answer. Finally, God’s “daily bread” frees us for grace-filled living. We can trust God to satisfy even our deepest longings and desires. When I’m trusting God for “daily bread” I don’t have to grab, grasp, or try to manipulate and control the world around me in order to meet my needs. God will provide. 

If you missed Sunday’s message you can listen to it here. This coming weekend our series on the Lord’s Prayer continues as we consider, “lead us not into temptation.” I look forward to worshipping and learning with you!

Thy Kingdom Come

The Lord’s Prayer petition, “Your kingdom come, thy will be done…,” invites us to relinquish control of our kingdoms to God’s control. We acknowledge God’s will for our life is always better than our own. With this prayer, we commit to a life of “THY will” rather than “MY will.”

If you missed this weekend’s message, you can listen to it here. 

Faith and Politics

For many the “separation of church and state” means we shouldn’t mix faith with politics. We carry the idea that faith belongs to the “inner,” personal, and private world, while civics, policy-making, and politics belong to the “outer” world. Don’t talk politics at church and don’t drag religion into politics, we say. Keep the worlds separate.

But this is not how Daniel, the Jewish youth exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar, behaves. Daniel’s faith and politics are intertwined in his public and private lives. He lives out his heavenly and earthly citizenship with seamless integrity. Daniel embodies the exhortation of 1 Peter 2:17 to “love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the emperor.” What might this look like for us today? Yesterday’s message offers some guidance. If you missed it, you can listen to it here.

Pray for One Another

Praying for one another is one of the most powerful ways we live out the communal reality of the Kingdom of God. James says anytime is a good time to pray. When we’re in trouble. When we’re happy. When we’re sick. And when we’re stuck in sin. These are the seasons of life when we need the prayers of others. (James 5:13-16). The power of intercession isn’t reserved for the select few. James reminds us even Elijah “was a man with a nature like ours.” (James 5:17). Elijah’s prayers were great because the God who answered his prayers is great. The same can be true for us. This week, look for an opportunity to pray with someone on the spot. Don’t just promise to pray for them later. Take the risk and pray for them in the moment. See what God does! If you missed yesterday’s message you can listen to it here. Our summer sermon series is “Hot Seat: Conversations on Controversies.” I want to know what difficult topics you’d like to hear a sermon about. Follow this link to give me your suggestions. In this fractured, polarized world, it’s important we practice talking about the hard stuff with integrity and grace. Have a great week. And see you this weekend! Yours for Christ,

The Work Has Been Done

The "scapegoat" from last weekend's sermon
ended up in my office on April Fools' Day!

Dear Steve, While all the work was being done by the Great High Priest on the Day of Atonement, what are the people of Israel doing? What’s their part in this great sacred ceremony? The answer is, nothing. Nada. Zilch. Their job is to rest. The Day of Atonement is linked to a “Sabbath of solemn rest” (Lev. 16:31) because God is the one providing all that is needed. If you missed Sunday's message, you can listen to it here. We spend a lifetime striving, grabbing, straining, grasping to appease the gods of job, career, family, body shape, and popularity. Meanwhile, God invites us to rest in the abundance of his provision. Are you stressed out today? Is your to-do list growing my the minute? Why not pause for a moment and rest in the knowledge that God is for you, that God loves you, and that God has provided for you. Receive today as God’s gift and rest in God’s bountiful grace. Join us for worship this weekend as our Starting Over series on Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement continues. Read Hebrews 9 and Isaiah 53 in preparation. It’s going to be a great Palm Sunday of celebration. I look forward to worshipping and learning with you! Yours for Christ,

Steve Oglesbee steve@clpc.org

Starting Over

The Netflix show, Tidying Up, features families overrun with mounds of unmanageable clutter. Unmanageable, that is, until the organizer guru Marie Kondo arrives at the door. Gently, yet ruthlessly, Kondo helps couples sort through piles and bring order to their homes. Similarly, the book of Leviticus teaches Israel how to deal with the clutter of sin. The book reveals God’s curriculum for Israel’s fresh start after 400 years of slavery. The Netflix show resonates because we are powerless to remove our own clutter of sin. We need God’s help. The heart of God’s plan for Israel's Starting Over is the Day of Atonement as described in Leviticus 16. The Day of Atonement, and all of God’s plan in Leviticus for Starting Over, is ultimately fulfilled in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. It is the Good News we celebrate during Lent and Easter. 

If you missed this message, you can listen to it here.

Our series, Starting Over: Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement, continues this weekend. Read Leviticus 16:1-10 in preparation. I look forward to learning and worshipping with you!

In Christ,

What Kind of a Church?

What kind of a church does the world need? The world needs a church that loves with grit, determination, and persistence. The world needs a church that keeps on loving even when we're not noticed or thanked. The world needs a church that loves the unlovable. The world needs a church that loves when we don't feel lovable. The world needs a church that loves Democrats and loves Republicans. The world needs a church that loves to serve more than it loves to win. Why? Because, "Love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8).

If you missed yesterday's message, you can listen to it here.

Our series on 1 Peter, "Chosen People - Living as Strangers," continues this weekend with a look at 1 Peter 4:12-19. This sermon is for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood, ridiculed, or left out because you follow Jesus. I look forward to worshipping and learning with you.

Yours for Christ,

Steve Oglesbee

steve@clpc.org

When Things Don't Go Our Way

How do you respond when things don't go your way? What do you do when you're having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?" 1 Peter says:

• Remember that Jesus suffered too. (1 Peter 2:21; 3:18). There's no kind of suffering we face that Jesus did not experience also. We're in good company when we go through difficult times.
• Remember your baptism. (1 Peter 3:20). In the same way Noah and his family were kept safe from the flood, you are safe in the kingdom of God. Life can be hard. But nothing can undo us when we're living under Christ's protection.
• Remember the Heavenly Father sees everything and is working out his eternal purposes in the world. (1 Peter 3:12). All earthly powers have been subjected to his authority. (1 Peter 3:22). We don't have to worry about getting even or retaliating. Let God be your defender against slander and false accusations.
• Remember to be thoughtful with your words. (1 Peter 3:14-15). Rather than speaking words that attack, defend, explain, or deflect your actions. Talk about the hope you have in Christ and the hope you have for that difficult situation.

Did you miss yesterday's message? You can listen to it here.

Read 1 Peter 4:7-11 in preparation for this coming weekend's teaching. I look forward to worshiping and learning with you!

Yours for Christ,

Steve Oglesbee

steve@clpc.org

Real-Life Holiness

Our relationship with God invites us into an entirely new way of life. It frees us from old habits and ways of thinking that beat us down and wear us out. 1 Peter says the way the world normally does things "wages war on our soul." (1 Peter 2:11). In this new way of life, Jesus Christ becomes the "Shepherd and Overseer of [our] souls." (1 Peter 2:25). With Jesus in charge, we're able to "live as people who are free." (1 Peter 2:16).  And yet, this new freedom demands intentional and deliberate daily decisions to "abstain from the passions of the flesh." (1 Peter 2:11). Not everything the world offers is good for our souls. 1 Peter challenges us to live a visibly and tangibly different kind of life for the sake of our souls.

If you missed yesterday's message, you can listen to it here.

Our series on 1 Peter, "Sent Together: Chosen People, Living as Strangers" continues this weekend. Read 1 Peter 3:8-22 in preparation. I look forward to learning and worshipping with you!

Yours for Christ,

Steve Oglesbee

steve@clpc.org

Called to be Holy

The book of 1 Peter addresses Gentile Christians much like the Old Testament prophets address the Jewish people living in exile. The constant challenge for God's people living in exile (away from their homeland) was forgetting their true identity as God's chosen people. Like the Israelites, who were delivered from the "futile ways" (1 Peter 1:18) of slavery in Egypt, you and I have been rescued from the futility of the world's way of doing things ('Might makes right.' 'If it feels good, do it.' 'Only the strong and good looking succeed.') Last weekend's message explored the parallels between Israel's Passover liberation and ours. We saw how God calls us to holy living in grateful response. We are called to "love one another earnestly from a pure (holy) heart." (1 Peter 1: 22) If you missed the message, you can listen to it here. Our memory verses for this series are 1 Peter 2:9-10. Read 1 Peter 1:1-10 in preparation for the upcoming message as our "Sent Together: Chosen People, Living as Strangers" series continues. It's going to be a great a weekend of worship and learning at CLPC! Yours for Christ, Steve Oglesbee steve@clpc.org

Elect Exiles

Being labeled "elect exiles" (1 Peter 1:1) seems like a funny title. After all, nobody voted for us and we're not living in some far off land! But according to Peter, this is who we become when Jesus grabs hold of our life. When we receive Christ's choice to love us, we are "elect" (or "chosen"). But our new relationship with God also puts us at odds with the world around us. The values of God's Kingdom are often the reverse of those in our workplace, our politics, and even in our homes. But the world needs the love, grace, and witness of this other-worldly kingdom. The world needs God's people living out healthy relationships, exhibiting radical love, defending the weak, and caring for the planet. The world needs the church.

If you missed yesterday's message, you can listen to it here.

Our series on 1 Peter, "Sent Together: Chosen People, Living as Strangers," continues this weekend. Read 1 Peter 1:13-25 in preparation. I look forward to worshipping and learning with you.