The Backwards Brain

Chuck welcomed us by asking who had the coldest thermometer reading this morning. He had a 24 below, but someone else shared that they had 25 below. Brrr

Announcements
Covenant World Relief Soup Can Colleciton, Jan 22 & 29
Prayer Team: Call Pearl Harmon or Nancy Peyton
Looking for drama queens... to participate in short skits. See Cheryl Borndal
Ladies Bible Study, 10-Noon Tuesdays
New Members Class will be held in January...
Paula invited everyone to come Friday for a Craft Fun Day here at the church. Paula will teach paintinng classes ($15 includes supplies) Friday January 20.
January 22 is Candidate Sunday...

Terry and the worship team opened with a song followed by a second during the offering. Sue Jessico gave a children's talk this morning. "What are some of the ways you, your family and others do to help other people?" One child shared, "Giving money." Another said, "We give Bibles." Other things mentioned included giving food and clothing and shoes. In Matthew 25: 25 & 26 Jesus said in the parable of the sheep and goats, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

The Backwards Brain

Pastor Terry thanked us for the gifts and cards we gave over Christmas. He then read Isaiah 55.

In verse 11 God says His word, when it goes, will accomplish God's purpose.

Terry began the year last week encouraging us to get into God's word and read a Psalm each day. Today is the 8th so he read Psalm 8 for us next. "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?... Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name!"

God is good and it is a great day to be alive.

Sometimes, however, sometimes life is like Psalm 38.

We were then shows a YouTube video about the Backwards Brain. It was an object lesson on how hard it is to change our thinking. He was given a bike that had been re-engineered to go the opposite direction of where you intend to point it.

The video shows the problems of cognitive bias. Our brains become rigid in how they perceive and behave.

Rigid ways of thinking need to be changed, but it is not easy. This is why we need to wash our brains with Scripture. By being washed over with the truth day after day we are being changed.

We all look at the world with a bias, the one we've developed within and the Biblical world view.

Terry ended by inviting us to ride the bike of faith that is at odds with the world as it is.

So we entered into a time of communion as he asked us, "What is the backwards brain moment in your life? In what area is God wanting to change you?"

We closed the service with Communion and a time of worship.

Changepoints

Arrows of sunlight streamed from the morning sun today as we busied ourselves making ready for church. Pastor Brad had a planned absence with his family so we were greeted this morning by Chuck, who led the service with his usual warmth and aplomb.

The announcements were brief: a summation of yesterday's rummage sale which netted close to $500.

The music today was especially meaningful, dovetailing as it did with the guest speaker's testimony. The quartet has expanded now to include Levi Landsverk, and this particular reviewer would state without reservation that the blending melodies had a seamless sweetness that was both evocative and deep. As they sang "Come to the Waters" my eyes were moistened, and it only got better from there.

After the offering and time of prayer, the Scripture readings were from Deuteronomy 30:9-14 and Luke 10:25-37.

In lieu of a traditional sermon, this week Ed Newman took the pulpit and shared his testimony.

Changepoints

Ed began by sharing a short version of his testimony: "Once I was lost and then I was found, and then I ended up even more lost, and then I was found… again."

As an opening Scripture he read from Paul's greeting to the Church at Galatia, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Ed then told about an experience he had while doing some prison ministry in Puerto Rico. "In 1979, while I was in Bible school, I served my internship in Puerto Rico. During that year, God opened a door for me to be involved in prison ministry at the Bayamon Prison. A prison chaplain named Bruce Fowler, with the aid of the Holy Spirit and good timing, got me a pass so that I could help minister to the English speaking prisoners one day a week while Bruce worked with the Spanish speakers.

"I used to lead a Bible study. There were a few small classrooms within the prison where about fifteen to twenty seekers came. It was a very special time for me because God was working and touching some very needy people. On one occasion, a prisoner named Johnny was standing in the corner staring at me in an unusual sort of way, his head cocked to one side. I knew Johnny because he was in for 15-25 years for more than 320 armed robberies. He had not been a nice guy and was especially peeved that his friends ratted on him.

"Johnny looked at me hard and said, 'I know you.'

"I felt the small hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, because as I looked at him, I realized that he did know me. But I could not figure out how. The last five years of my life (since 1974) I had been a Christian, either involved in nursing home ministry or a Bible school in Minnesota.

"But then, he figured it out, for both of us. 'Did you ever cop?' That’s street slang for buying dope. And the answer was clear… Five years earlier, and 35 years ago this past week, I was shooting heroin in his 9th floor apartment in New York’s SoHo district, a seedy part of the City."

Ed shared about how there are certain watershed moments in our lives which at the time may seem small but whose consequences are significant. He cited a quote by Sir James Jeans, a physicist, astronomer and mathematician. “The course of a railway train is prescribed for it at most points of its journey by the rails on which it runs. Here and there, however, it comes to a junction at which alternative courses are open to it, and it may be turned on to one or the other (destination) by the quite negligible expenditure of energy involved in moving the points.”

How does a smart kid from a nice home, a kid who grew up going to church and was confirmed, National Honor Society, cum laude college graduate… get to the point where he is so desperate to get high that he actually stoops to sniffing glue, and is so depressed he wished he could die? It doesn’t happen overnight.

Ed reflected on the key changepoints in his life which ultimately brought him to the Cross.

He was raised in a typical middle class family first in Cleveland, Ohio and then New Jersey. He played baseball, went to church with his mom and brothers, did all the usual things. The messages of the culture during the Sixties, political assasinations, riots in the cities, Viet Nam, hippies, all left him with a personal confusion about his life and how to deal with his sense of alienation from family after the death of his best friend.

How do we deal with our sense of alienation? His church didn't seem to offer answers. He later learned why. During that period of time the Presbyterian church his family attended had a inister who did not believe in the Resurrection. Music and art did bring a measure of comfort, but did not offer answers to the deeper questions.

Ed shared how his inward life had been drifting for two years while he continued to be a good kid, got good grades, did not do drugs or alcohol. But when he left for college he knew he wanted to explore what was out there. Within a week he was smoking pot, and was soon introduced to hashish. Before the first semester passed he was experimenting with psychedelics as Timothy Leary had implored, "Turn on, tune in, drop out."

In addition to the moral and cultural explorations, it was also a time of swirling spiritual explorations and over time Ed was reading a range of counter-cultural philosophers and drinking from the fountain of New Age spirituality.

Over a period of time he enjoyed success in the art school at Ohio University, had many things seemed to go his way, but a failed relationship and other disappointments began to undermine his inner confidence. During this period his brother Ron, who had initially been following in Ed's footsteps (drug experimentation) had a powerful conversion experience at a Catholic Christian Retreat Center in West Virginia where he was a freshman. Ron's love for his older brother led him to get every church he attended to pray for his brother Ed.

"Suddenly, I had Christians appearing out of nowhere," he said, referring to fellow art students who were Christian, but he had not noticed before.

Many hard things followed as God ultimately placed him in a corner. After a painful surgery in December 1973 he made a list of resolutions for the new year. Unfortunately, his will power had the strength of wet toilet paper and within a week he despaired of living the life he knew was right. Ron visited from West Virginia and after much talk and prayer, Ed asked Jesus to forgive him for his sins and come into his life.

"At that moment, it seemed like I heard the Lord say, 'Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.' And in that same moment God gave me a deep peace in my heart," Ed said.

Unfortunately Ed was not prepared for the months ahead because he had no real Biblical understanding. He did not know how to deal with his guilt and shame when he yielded to temptations, as if he were the only one who ever failed. It is interesting that despite these failings, there were people whom the Holy Spirit touched through his witness, faulty as it was.

When Ed graduated from college, however, he was exceedingly depressed, both by his failings as a Christian and the uncertainty of where to go with his life. He'd already decided to stop going to church, and spent many hours in the back yard staring at the sky.

The family next door had teens who had become deeply entangled in the drug scene, some of them junkies who regularly went to New York to shoot smack (lingo for heroin.) Ed began to take them into the City to make their connections. Before long, Ed was invited to take participate.

Ed's last week running from God included several excursions to the City. The night before the last, without money and without prospects of getting any other kind of dope, Ed and a friend stooped to filling a bag with airplane glue, inhaling as much as they dared.

There were many details which were shared of how God incrementally hemmed him in and brought him to a place where he was open to hearing God's still small voice. After reading an Ann Landers column in which a reader asked what the worst ten drugs people were doing (Ed had done nine, and five that week) he went up to his brother's room and experienced a profound despair. In the room, the Lord got his attention in a miraculous manner, and said, "I will never fail you or forsake you."

Ed's heart broke at this revelation of a merciful God. He then shared how he had no interest in going through the same ordeal again or failing God and running, and how someone said that the only way to stay on track is by getting into the Word and renewing your mind, a commitment he made and kept, God being his help.

In closing he asked the following questions...
1. Are you moving toward the light or away from the light? Inwardly…. What’s going on in the inside will eventually show up in your behavior on the outside.
2. Does the life you project correspond with the person you are on the inside?

3. If you want to feel meaningless, do meaningless things. If you want to have a deeper sense of meaning, think about how your actions contribute to the greater good of your families, church, community and world.
4. The Bible is the Revealed Word of God. If you have doubts about the Bible being the unique and fully authoritative Revelation of God and need help in this area, you should talk with Pastor Brad, but I will do whatever I can to help you settle this question, because it’s probably the most important issue in your life.

A Fresh Start

With summer’s passing, and a crisp wet chill in the air, we begin a new season with new adventures. Pastor Brad appropriately chose this theme for today’s message: A Fresh Start. In his opening welcome he shared that his goal is not for new programs, but that everyone here would individually and corporately fall in love with Jesus.

Your humble blog writer regrets not having a camera along today to capture the brightly colored helium filled balloons that had slipped loose in the sanctuary. The bright colors gave a festive air to the service. Next week be sure to remember that Sunday School begins again at 9:00 a.m. and our worship service returns to a 10:15 start time.

Scriptures today were read by Eric Borndal.
Exodus 12:1-14
Matthew 18:15-18

During our prayer time it became apparent that there are many needs among us. We were reminded to lift one another up in prayer as those among us face many challenges.

A Fresh Start

Pastor Brad opened by sharing how he loves remodeling projects. Sometimes, for his own amusement, he likes to stop at houses that are for sale to see what kind of remodeling they require. One time he looked at an abandoned house that was so rundown it had a sign that said, “Uninhabitable.” He imagined the people who had once lived there, the happy times and laughter that once resonated within those walls. What a contrast to the old abandoned house that now remained with its broken windows and peeling wallpaper.

He then told of a pizza place he once ate at in a revitalization district in a major city. While eating he noticed the stained glass windows and realized it had once been a church. He felt saddened that this former house of worship was nothing more than a pizza parlor.

These images were designed to set up his message about the Letters to the Seven Churches from the Book of Revelations, chapter two.

Brad began with the context of the seven letters. In Revelations 1:4-8 we read these powerful words about the author of these letters.

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

The scribe for the letters was John, one of Jesus’ closest friends while He walked on earth, who took care of Jesus’ mother Mary after He was crucified. John had been a pillar in the early church, but under the reign of Emperor Domitian was exiled to the island of Patmos. It was here that John wrote the Book of Revelations in the twilight years of his life and service to Christ.

Chapters two and three of this last book of the Bible are a set of seven letters to the inboxes of seven churches. “You’ve Got Mail!”

The first letter is to the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was a significant city in the ancient world. It was a major center for emperor worship. It was also where the Temple of Diana was situated. Diana was the Goddess of Fertility, and the area surrounding the temple had become a swamp of immorality in the name of religion.

The Ephesian church had been founded by the Apostle Paul himself, who spent a great deal of time there. It was an important church and he cared deeply for it, weeping many tears when he had to part from those he’d poured himself to serve. It was a church with strong leadership. And when this was written, forty years after its founding, it was a period of new leadership, a new generation of Ephesian Christians now carrying on the work.

“You’ve Got Mail.”

The inbox for the Ephesian church had a message from Jesus, written by the hand of John. Jesus begins by reminding them that He walks among them still and cares about this church. It is a reminder that we, too, have Jesus walking among us. Jesus cares about our church today because it is His church.

Jesus begins the letter by commending them. He knows their strengths, their deeds and hard work on behalf of the Gospel. It’s a happening church that has demonstrated legendary perseverance.

In verse six He notes that they hate the teachings of the Nicolaitans, another plus. The Nicolaitans were a sect that believed in cheap grace. The Ephesians didn’t go with them, which was a good thing.

But then, the letter’s tone turns with these somewhat attention getting words. “I hold this against you…” The chastening is, in effect, “You’ve got everything except the Real thing. You’ve lost that initial passion that flows out of the first moment you had realizations of God’s amazing grace.”

It’s a sharp word. “You don’t love Me any more. You used to be a flaming inferno and now you’re barely a pilot light. I want people who will burn with passion for Me.”

Brad turned to Paul’s earlier letter to the Ephesians to illustrate some of what has happened to the church. Paul’s letter can be broken into two halves. The latter is practical, outlining things that we should do if we are believers. For example, Eph. 4:25 “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” And Eph. 4:31 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

The first half of the book of Ephesians flows out of the abundance of Paul’s overflowing heart with passionate passages like these: Eph. 1:15-18 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…”

And again, Eph. 3:16-19 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Our tendency is to jump to the second half of the book, to make practical checklists of rules for behavior. This is not our greatest need, to have more rules. We need to revitalize our love for Jesus. We become like Jesus when we spend time getting to know Him. Yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him lead you. Our goal is to become like Jesus. The way we become more like Him is by knowing Him better.

The three key words are Remember, Repent and Return.

Remember how far you have fallen from your first love. Remember, too, the pit from which you were rescued and how it felt when you were first forgiven.

As we entered into a time of Communion, we were asked to think about our commitments to God’s word, to our relationships, to obedient living and to worship. These four items form the acronym GROW.

God’s Word
Relationships
Obedient Living
Worship

After sharing the bread and wine, Pastor Brad ended our service with a fervent appeal to be passionate about Jesus.

The Best Way To Live

Blue skies and warm temperatures ushered us into week two of our summer schedule with services beginning at nine-thirty a.m. The sanctuary was abuzz with energy from the beautiful morning here.

Pastor Brad welcomed everyone and noted that his sermon today was going to be more of a journal entry than a sermon. If we were to take nothing else away from this service, he underscored James 1:22 as a lynch pin in this morning’s message.

Announcements included two especially big events taking place in June. First, on June 29 we will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary. Stayed tuned for more information about this big event. And finally, Vacation Bible School will begin in two weeks, always an exciting time in the life of the church.

Today’s Scripture readings:
Genesis 6:9-22
Matthew 6:24-34

The Best Way To Live
Why would you ever want to place your life under God’s authority? Because it is the best way to live. He’s bigger than you, knows more than you, sees how things are for you, and more. God loves you, knows what's best for you and wants to lead you.

At the beginning of His ministry, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan even He never considered going His own way. God’s way was the only way for Jesus.

Temptation comes to all of us. The enemy of our souls is relentless. But we can overcome temptation. We win by hiding the Word of God in our hearts. Preceding even this, we win when we become convinced that God’s way is best for us.

James 1:13-15 says that God does not tempt us.
13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

To illustrate how temptation works Pastor Brad told a story about fishing with a friend who had a fish finder. The bait was dropped into the water and he watched as the fish came over to it, enticed. It was interesting watching as the fish looked at it from this angle and that, and after examining from all sides, he nibbles. Then after another nibble he grabs the whole thing and runs with it. Next things you know he’s hooked, cleaned, filleted and fried.

The congregation laughed out loud because of the vividness of this apt illustration.

Don’t be deceived, James write. God has good things for us, perfect gifts. These gifts are ours through the word of truth.

Pastor then underscored verses 19 and 20.
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Anger screws up your relationships, he said, calling it a “weapon of mass destruction.” Referencing Job 5:2, he said that anger hurts the angry person, so you need to let it. go.

Our culture encourages revenge and the nurturing of anger, resentments and bitterness. But God’s word says, “Justice is mine, says the Lord.” This is true freedom.

Verse 21 states, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” Humble acceptance of the word of life is an attitude for life.

The key verse that Pastor Brad emphasized was verse 22. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” The word “listen” in this passage is the root word we use for our word audit. In other words, don’t just audit, don’t be passive about it. Rather, apply it to your life. If you listen and do not act, you are simply deceiving yourselves.

The last verses in this section flow out of this thought. 26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

If your heart isn’t growing toward the people God loves, then you’re missing something. Words without practice is one of the great self-deceptions. If you’re just talking about it, and not living it, you’re just kidding yourselves.

God’s word is a mirror. And it is life to us. Drink it in, live it out. God’s word can change your life. And God’s ways are absolutely the best ways to live. He’s not out to wreck your fun.

Read and re-read these passages. Truth leads to confession and action. Resolve now to apply it to your life.

25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Why obey? Because we’re grateful for what He’s done for us. And it’s the right way to live.

After a closing hymn we shared in the sacrament of communion.