Shadyside Church of Christ

Scripture teaches us that Jesus was in agony in the garden when He was facing the cross.  Certainly, anticipating the excruciating pains of being crucified would be enough to cause any human being to be deeply troubled.  However, when we consider everything that happened with Jesus on the cross, we can see another reason which would cause Him to be in agony.

 In recent years, masculinity and being a man in general has been looked down upon and ridiculed by many.  Men have been blamed for all the trouble in the world.  But perhaps it's the world's interpretation of what a man should be that has caused all the trouble?  Jesus was a man.  He demonstrated to the world what a real man should be.  All of us men need to follow His lead.

Perhaps you are a fan of the game of baseball and perhaps not.  But if we take some time to consider the game and how it's played, we'll see why life is very much like the game of baseball.  You're on a team.  It's a long season.  Sometimes you get a hit.  Sometimes you strikeout.  There is more.  A lot more. 

Through the years, mountains have played a significant part in God's dealings with people.  Four of the most important events in Moses' life happened on mountains.  These events also mirror our own lives as they reflect the same events which happen to us.  These are all happenings which bring us close to God - shall we say "mountain top experiences"?

Since there have been people on the earth, they have sought the answers to these questions of life:  Who am I?  Where do I belong?  What is my purpose?  The answers to these questions are found in God's word of life.  And the answers are powerful and thrilling!  We just need to seek them out, take God at His word, and follow Jesus.  Then see where He leads you.

We are all familiar with the childhood chant of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me."  Although this may be true for some, we know that name calling (bullying) has hurt and deeply harmed many young people.  Scripture says that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."  Words have meaning and power.  Christians need to speak up and use their voices for good.

The narratives in scripture are filled with meaning about God, life and ourselves.  We just need to take the time to read them thoroughly.  Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar is one such narrative.  It just overflows with meaning like the living water which Jesus promised would become "a well of water springing up to eternal life" in those who drank of it.

Jesus said that if we loved Him we would keep His commandments.  His commandments can be very challenging, especially considering a person's individual weaknesses and history of interaction with the world.  What is your most difficult commandment to keep?

God blesses all people though His creation and graciousness.  Everyone can enjoy the beauty of our world, tasty food, the love of family and friends, etc.  But beyond such blessings, some people are blessed in a multitude of other ways, even carrying over into the next life.  And having a "next life" is one of those blessings!  Are you one of these people?

When the Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's wisdom and the splendor of his court, she had to come and see for herself if it were true.  Jesus praised her for her honest perception of all she heard and saw saying that she would rise up in judgment against His own generation who did not believe in Him.  We can learn a lot from this queen.

As promised, we want to look at some scriptures in this lesson which especially bring us joy, hope and comfort.  We need such words from God to inspire faith and to strengthen our faith in times of trouble and distress.  We all have some of these "go to" scriptures which are particularly meaningful to us.  Perhaps we'll use one of yours in this message.

God's book contains many of the saddest words and most distressing events which we will ever read about.  They can bring tears to your eyes and make one's heart to hurt.  Yet, we can learn many great and profound lessons from these very sad words.  Let us be careful to do so.  (Next week, Lord willing, some of the most joyous and hopeful scriptures!)

Jesus' instructions in Matthew about making disciples (28:18-20), include several uses of the word "all."  Some of these speak of an inclusiveness and others of an exclusiveness.  We need to correctly understand what Jesus is teaching us and telling us to do.  We need to remind ourselves that all means all.

Covenants have been the primary way in which God has dealt with individuals and peoples from early on.  Some of these early covenants are still in effect, but some are not.  Misunderstanding these differences has led to a lot of confusion in what people believe today and how they try to serve and worship God.  In fact, many Christians don't even know what a covenant is!