Healthy Relationships Matter

2020 at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church (CLPC) is the Year of God Sightings! We’re looking for signs of God’s activity in the three spheres of a growing disciple: healthy relationships (embrace), spiritual practices (empower), and service (engage). Yesterday, we talked about how a disciple’s healthy relationships can change the world.  While power, sex, and greed fuels broken relationships in the present age, the Apostle Paul invites our relationships to be energized with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12-17). Our new life in Christ invites us to see every person we encounter at work, school, and home, as a sacred spiritual being made in the image of God and deeply loved by the Heavenly Father. If you missed yesterday’s message, you can listen to it here [link].

Healthy relationships can be a challenge when we are struggling personally or dealing with a loved on who is. CLPC’s Mental Health Ministry offers a variety of resources that can help. Check out https://www.clpc.org/MentalHealthMinistries for more information.

Are you looking for a smaller group of people who are eager to serve, learn, and grow together as followers of Jesus? Join a Connect Group or Connect Group Snapshot. Send an email to Pastor Josh (josh@clpc.org) or go to our website for more information (https://www.clpc.org/Current-Connect-Groups).

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