Our Bodies for God's Glory

 

The Corinthians had the mistaken idea that freedom in Christ meant they could indulge their sexual passions. They saw their bodies as part of a temporal, earthly, life that would one day be destroyed. (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). The Apostle Paul reminds them that our bodies will be resurrected, just like Jesus. Our bodies don’t belong to us, but to the Lord. They are a kind of house (temple) of the Holy Spirit. We are called to glorify God with our bodies. Today’s pornography is an example of the kind of disembodied and self-indulged sex that makes those on both ends of the screen less than human.

Street Grace is a new ministry partner with CLPC that is confronting the issue of sexual exploitation with compassion, advocacy and education. Check out their website for helpful information. If you missed Sunday’s sermon, you can watch it here.

Shining with Selflessness

Philippians Chapter Two reminds us that the way we’ll “shine as lights in the world” (vs. 15) is through servanthood and selflessness. In a culture of posturing, bravado, power-grabbing, and name-calling, we’re called to do “nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility [to] count others more significant” (vs. 3). When it comes to our ministry in our local and global neighborhoods, a posture of selfless service means we will 1) seek partnerships more than projects; 2) be quick to listen and learn, and slow with our answers and solutions; and 3) have an attitude of mutual transformation rather than just “helping the needy.”

If you missed yesterday’s sermon, you can listen to it here.

Our series on Philippians entitled “Prepared to Shine: Equipped for Witness in Difficult Places” continues this week with a look at Philippians Chapter Three. I look forward to learning and worshipping with you!

A "God Sightings" Prayer

The year 2020 at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church is the year of “God Sightings.” We’re looking for God to show up in surprising ways and telling one another when we see that happen. But, we can often miss God sightings if we’re not actively praying for them. That’s why Paul begins his letter to the Philippians with a God sightings prayer (see Philippians 1:9-11). My shorthand version of the God Sightings prayer is this: “Lord, make me alert to what you’re doing around me and in me.” Try praying this prayer multiple times a day and get ready to see evidence of God like you’ve never noticed before!

If you missed yesterday’s message, “Prepared through Prayer,” you can listen to it here.

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.