Category: Matthew 5

Part of the Family

Kevin Draper

Based On: Hebrews 2:10-18

I just happened to see part of a TV show where family members were brought back together.  For example, in the episode I saw a man and his wife were looking for the girl they had given up for adoption more than twenty years ago.  They were young and unmarried at the time and believed that letting someone else raise their daughter would be best.  Since then they had married and had other children and were raising their family, but they always wondered what happened to their first child.  They tried to find her, but couldn’t.  Then this TV show came along, found their daughter and reunited them.  

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Change your perspective

Kevin Draper

Based on: Revelation 12:1-6

Have you ever witnessed a car accident?  Your perspective can make a big difference in how you think about what happened.  Imagine that you were just at an intersection and you saw a car coming from your right.  It swerved out of its lane and hit a car coming from the other direction.  Perhaps you think how foolish it was for the one driver to not pay attention.

But what if you saw the accident from another perspective?  What if you were looking down from above and you saw the little boy get away from his mother and run toward the street?  You would understand why the driver swerved out of his lane.  What if your perspective even included the thoughts of this driver as he recognized that little boy as his own?  Your broader perspective helps you better understand the event.

Now let me ask, “With what perspective do you watch the events of Christmas?”  Is it from the side, is it from above, or do you know what God thinks about Christmas?

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Deliverance by Disaster

Kevin Draper

Based on: Genesis 6:17-18

I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

In the early 1800s the British East India Company controlled much of what is now the country of India.  In 1857 many Hindus rebelled and threatened to kill as many of the English people as they could.  As the rebellion began one young child was separated from her parents. One man went to get her and put her on his horse.  They rode through the riots that had begun in the streets as the the little girl’s rescuer defended her from people who wanted them both dead.  When they reached the girl’s parents, the little girl was furious.  To her the trip was a disaster.  She had been forced away from her friend, held too tightly, and bounced around way to much.  Yet, by this disaster she was delivered from those who would have killed her.  Think about deliverance by disaster as we remember the flood at Noah’s time and as we consider the disasters of our own life.

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Flood Legends

Kevin Draper

Our brief overview of Old Testament history in summer worship and Bible class will bring us next to Noah’s flood.  According to an article in the Answers in Genesis magazine, there are hundreds of ancient stories about a disastrous flood from cultures all over the world.  The stories are not identical to the account in Genesis chapters 6-8, but they do share interesting similarities.  Here are some examples cited in the article:

Hawaiians have a flood story that tells of a time when, long after the death of the first man, the world became a wicked, terrible place. Only one good man was left, and his name was Nu-u. He made a great canoe with a house on it and filled it with animals. In this story, the waters came up over all the earth and killed all the people; only Nu-u and his family were saved.

Another flood story is from China. It records that Fuhi, his wife, three sons, and three daughters escaped a great flood and were the only people alive on earth. After the great flood, they repopulated the world.

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How Well Do You Know Your Salvation History?

Kevin Draper

History is one of those subjects that some people really seem to love and others . . . well, perhaps that don’t hate it, but they don’t find it all that interesting.  No matter which group you find yourself in I think you will enjoy the “history” we will cover this summer.  We will use several Sundays this summer to take a look at some of the events that led up to the coming of our Savior.  I think you will find it interesting, and – even more important – it will strengthen your faith as you see God use world events to prepare people for the coming Messiah.  Here is our schedule for the summer:

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Jesus Became One of Us

Kevin Draper

Based On: Hebrews 2:10-18

Have you ever considered how utterly preposterous the Christian religion is?  I’m not saying that I don’t believe it.  By the grace of God I certainly do believe it, but when you look at the fundamental truth of Christianity, that the creator became one of his creation to save those he created, it is absurd to our human way of thinking.  No other religion has anything like it.  Of course there are Greek myths that talk about the gods only appearing to be human, but usually not for the benefit of human beings. 

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Let the Peace of Christ Fill Your Life

Kevin Draper

Based On: Colossians 3:12-17

Have you ever walked into a house where someone just finished baking bread?  Do you remember the smell when the oven door opens and the bread is taken out to cool?  It is a delicious smell and no matter where you go in the house, the aroma seems to follow you.  The smell fills the house so that no matter where you go in the house you can’t stop thinking about fresh bread.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.  In the same way that the aromas from the kitchen permeate the entire house, let the peace of Christ fill your life.  First, Paul describes what it looks like to be filled with the peace of Christ, then he explains how we have that peace.

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