Sermon Challenge
Matthew 20:1-16
Workers in the Vineyard

Jesus tells an interesting story here in the 20th Chapter of Matthew. A Vineyard owner hires some help for his Vineyard. He hires a few guys bright and early in the morning, promising them a full days wage. Later on in the morning he hires a few more, promising them a fair wage, later on he hires a few more, and even hires a few guys just before quitting time. At the end of the day, he begins to pay those who had arrived latest (who had only worked for one hour). He pays them a full denarius (one days wage), the others expect to be paid more, naturally. Yet, the land owner pays each and everyone of the workers the same exact wage.

Yesterday we looked a few different aspects to this story. It is a story about grace, each and every one of us does not deserve grace, yet God gives it to us, not based upon how we live or who we are, but based upon who we follow. There are some warnings that God gives:

1. Be careful of comparison: Those who had put in a full day expected more, they compared themselves to the others who had not worked a full day. There will always be someone more holy than you are, and there will always be someone far less holy than you too. Don't worry about it. You need to be concerned about you. Are you giving all that you have to God?
   
2. Be careful of complaining: The first thing the guys who had worked a full day did when they received their pay was to complain. The felt they deserved better. They probably had a pretty good beef, it doesn't seem fair to me from a worldly standard. Yet, God makes it quite clear that we are not to be focused on the things of this world. God's ways are far better than ours, we need to trust his judgment in the things happening around us.

God is sure mysterious. Isaiah 55:8 says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." We certainly saw evidence of that on Sunday with the snow. What incredible beauty the snow brings, and consider the power of the weather, knocking down trees and power lines. I don't remember hearing about that kind of storm in the weather on Saturday night.

Our lives with God in control, are built to handle the storms of life. We serve God with an eternity in mind. Let's keep from complaining, from comparing, let's focus on what matters. How is your relationship with God? It matters not if you are 10 or 100, we work, we serve, we follow our God until the end.

This week, strive to be a follower of God!

aaron

Sermon Challenge
Luke 16:1-9
Using our Treasure

Today, is Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year (according to people who know that sort of thing). It is the day that people's lives come crashing down. Monday's are generally no fun at all anyway, combine that with an unmet New Year resolution, the reality of over spending during the holiday, and the average January full of cold, cloudy blah. Today is a reality check day for most of America.

Yesterday we talked about being wise with our treasure, being smart about how we share our faith and how we use the hope God has given us. Today is a pretty good day to use that schrewdness. How many people do you know that have over spent during this holiday season? How can you be an encouragement to a friend or neighbor on these dreary days? Who can you talk to about your faith?

As sermon challenges go, this is not an easy one. It takes fore thought, planning and the usual follow through. Let's start with this. . . write down the name, maybe two names of people in your life that need to know Jesus. A friend a neighbor, maybe a co-worker. Then, pray! Pray that God will give you the right words to say, the right circumstances to say them under. Last of all, I pray that you will share this person you are praying for with another believer who will help you pray for him/her. Share it with your small group, or close friend.

We need to work together on this one! Let's ALL accept the challenge.

ae

Sermon Challenge
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-14

Are you ready? That is the questions we posed yesterday. Well, are you? Jesus is very clear that his return is pending and that when he does come back, he will return without warning, like a "thief in the night." Many people speculate the return of Jesus and the type of things that will go on before his return. Recently, a man in northern Idaho chopped his hand off and put it in the microwave, truly believing that he had the mark of the beast.*

We can either live in fear of the Lord's coming, or we can stand confidently knowing that as followers of Jesus we have a glorious reunion to be preparing for. In the parable of the 10 virgins, there were 5 who were prepared and 5 who were not. The bridegrooms return was delayed and 5 were not prepared for the long haul. Are you prepared to stick it out? The prepared virgins had enough to last, they were fueled up, and though the bridegroom's return was delayed, when he arrived they were ready!

This week take some time apply this passage and ask yourself that hard question. Are you ready? Maybe we should ask this question in another way: Are you excited about the return of Jesus? If you can answer yes, than most likely you are ready. If you are not ready, it's time to get ready. Make a plan, a decision to know your creator and be ready for his return.

*read more about it: here
**The best thing to remember about the return of Jesus, is that Jesus wins!

Applying Scripture

Application: The step between knowing and doing what scripture tells us.

Often times we talk about "living out our faith", or being "doers of the Word," but do we really understand what we are talking about, or even how to do that? I believe there are some very important steps that we as readers of God's Word need to know and to understand so that we to can apply God's Word to the way that we live. Each time you open your Bible, or dig into your devotions there are a few things to consider:

1. What is the Challenge? In trying to understand what God is challenging you with, you may want to consider why and to who was this section of scripture originally intended. What then are you being challenged with today through this passage. It may be challenging the way you treat others, the way you parent, the way you manage, your attitude, etc. So, what is that?
   
   
2. What is your plan to change? How are you going to apply this scripture? If you are being challenged to be a better father, how are you going to do it? Maybe God is encouraging you to have a better attitude, how do you pull it off? Make a plan, put legs to the idea. This is action required stuff, what is the action going to be.
   
   
3. Seek accountability. Who is going to encourage you to follow through with your plan? Many times we make a plan and never tell a soul about it. Then it is easy to simply not follow through. If you really want to follow through with the plan, tell someone who will bug you until it gets done!
   
   
4. Do it. Don't talk about it, do it!
   

I hope these thoughts help you as you dig into God's Word this year. The Bible is soooo full of awesome ideas, lets work on putting some action; some application, to our reading this year. In all things God will receive the glory.

Sermon Challenge
The Parable of the Treasure
Matthew 13:44-46

The last couple of weeks we have focused on the parable of the Treasure. Jesus gives us an awesome picture of the importance of the Gospel and our relationship with God. He equates the Gospel and this relationship that we have with Jesus to a treasure, a treasure you would give anything to have.

The best part of this treasure, is no matter how much you give away, you will never lose any of it. God does not want us to be stingy with this treasure, he wants, he needs us to give it away. Our treasure is not to be buried or hidden, it is to be shown and shared. Make sure you are sharing your treasure.

My challenge to you this week is to take your treasure and share it. This can be as simple as telling someone about how excited about you are about your small group, or church family that you are. Sometimes it's that simple, we don't have to know all the answers, we just need to be excited about our Savior.

Have a great week!

aaron

Sermon Challenge
The Christmas Story
Matthew 1, 2; Luke 2

I love the Christmas season. There is something to be said for this time of the year. I love Christmas trees, I love Christmas lights, I love peanut butter fudge. I love Christmas music, giving gifts and yes, the cold rain brings it all together nicely.

Sometimes in the midst of all of this we forget the real purpose, the real meaning behind Christmas. I want to give you an action required Challenge this week. I want to challenge everyone to spend some time this week in the Christmas story. Read it aloud to your spouse, to your children or grand children. Soak in the story, remind yourself, all of these things about Christmas are fun, but the real meaning about Christmas revolves around a little baby.

(future students?)
Our Visit to Boise

We just got back from a trip to Boise to spend time with family. On our trip, we went to Boise Bible College to see some friends and to check out the new buildings. It was awesome! The new class rooms are state of the art and it was great to see Seth and Ash, they seem to be doing very very good.

Our trip was great, you can see and read more about our trip at www.earlywinefamily.blogspot.com

See you Sunday.

Aaron

This Week's Challenge

The Prodigal Son
Luke 15

Luke 15 gives us an incredible indication of how much God loves those who have not accepted him. He gives us an awesome picture of how far he goes to get his message heard. Ultimately, we are the tools that God uses to bring people to Him. All of us at one point in time or another were prodigal sons and daughters of God. We had to make a conscious decision to follow and accept our Savior Jesus. He waited on us, the same as he waits on others.

It really struck me while I was preaching this Sunday about how closely the last two weeks connect. I even thought about how much better these sermons would have fit flip flopped. Last week we discussed the sermon about the banquet and this week we talked about the prodigal son, who's father throws him a banquet upon his return. In each case, we see that coming to Jesus and seeing other's come to him is reason for CELEBRATION. God is all about a party.

This week, let us not forget the absolute joy that God brings when one returns to Him. With this in mind, we should be sharing this incredible news to those around us, in a natural joyous way. Ask God to help you live a life naturally expressing your love for God and others. Let it not be a forced expression, but a natural expression based upon what God is doing for you.



On another Note:
Please be praying for my family as we travel to Idaho to visit friends and family. It is always nerve racking to travel the roads this time of year.


Book From Yesterday's exert:
What's so Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey

This Week's Challenge:

The Parable of the Banquet
Matthew 22

This week we looked at the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 22. The great King throws a banquet for son, a wedding banquet none the less. He invites all of his friends and some ignore the invitation and others kill the servants who deliver the request. So, the King sends out his servants again, to invite everyone that they see both good and bad. The banquet is full, packed with people dressed in their wedding garments. The king walks into the banquet and notices one dressed, not in the wedding garments, but in other clothes. "How did you get in?" the King asks. He doesn't know how to respond and the king sends him away.

The Application:
Yesterday, we applied this parable in a few ways:
1. Sometimes people will respond to the invitation of Jesus and the Gospel the same way they responded to the King's request. Some will ignore the invitation and will find better things in life to do. Some may actually respond negative to the Gospel and may even harm or kill those who bring the message of Christ.

2. When the King receives negative responses, he gives another opportunity for his invites to respond. Finally, he opens the invitation to everyone. God, first of all will always give more chances. He is patient and full of mercy, not wanting anyone to perish. Secondly, his invitation is not just for a select few. His invitation is extended to everyone, both good and bad. It's not about who you are, it's about who you know.

3. The King at the banquet, notices that their is someone at the banquet who does not have the proper clothing. These wedding garments are not earned, they are given, based upon your relationship with the King.

The Challenge:
This week, take some time to consider your role as a servant and a messenger of the Gospel. Are you ready for the banquet? Pray for those you know and love, who need to hear this message.

This Week's Challenge:

What's Best for the Gospel

John Whitaker from Boise Bible College was our guest on Sunday. He had some very cool insights on Acts 16 from the life of Paul. The decisions that Paul made, he made with the Gospel in mind. The way he conducted himself and the decisions he had to make.

This week, in the midst of your decisions, consider very carefully the impact that those decisions will have. How are they going to affect the mission of Christ? What are those decisions going to say about your witness? How we carry ourselves makes a BIG difference. Carry yourself well.

aaron

A lot of memories have come flooding back to me lately. I was just recently made aware that a pastor in this beautiful city of Cottage Grove, that I call home has come down with brain cancer. It is a pretty serious sort, all brain cancer is and it's kind of scary. In fact, not too long ago a friend of our church was also diagnosed with the same form of cancer. It seems that both families struggle with this. It is not easy and it doesn't make sense.

The thought that has been returning, is the experience that I had with my best friend Cory that died of stage 4 brain cancer a couple years. The frustration, the anger. Yet, the things that stick out most in my mind are the things that happened, that could not have happened had Cory not had this cancer.

I remember one evening when we were gathered around in our small group. The room was full, and we prayed for long time and everyone in our small group prayed. We were calling out to God, praying for healing and even more than that, we were praying that God would give Cory the strength to fight this thing. At the end of our prayer time, Cory's dad, asked if he could pray. I remember seeing the tears in Cory's eyes as his dad prayed, how powerful.

At the funeral service, Cory's doctor got up. He mentioned how he had been to many of his patients services. He had seen many people die of this cancer, but this was the first time that he got up and spoke at any of his patients services. He said some words that ring in my head even today. "Cory was different than my other patients. He had hope, and love for people that I had not seen before. To give you an example of that, on Father's day this year, after a hard surgery that left Cory weak and in bed, Cory called to wish me Happy Father's Day. Even in the midst of this harsh battle, he was thinking of others."

I know this cancer thing is really lame but I live with hope and encourage you to do the same, that God knows what is going on and he will work to bring good out of every tragedy!

aaron

A Popular Day:
November 15th

November 15th, tomorrow, is a very popular day, at least in my world.

November 15th, Carl Hurd turns 75 years young.

November 15th, AJ turns 4 years old.

November 15th, Howard (my neighbor) turns somewhere between the 4 and 75.

November 15th, is also America Recycles Day. (at least there is one day to recycle huh?)

November 15th also marks my time here at the church in Cottage Grove. It was on this day, 5 years ago that I started as the youth minister. What an awesome experience this last 5 years have been. Lord willing I, Carl, AJ, Howard, and all of those recyclers will have many more November 15th's to celebrate.

aaron

The Least of These

I had never really considered this idea of reaching the "least of these." As a pastor, my concept of ministry was reaching out to all people. Yet Jesus was very specific with who and what and who he was a part of. He did not minister and preach to the religious people of his day. He brought Jesus to them.

That really got me to thinking about the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus came to set up. This Kingdom was the church, God's kingdom. As the people of his Kingdom, are we good stewards of what we do. Our King spent a lot of time with the people who did not know him and the people that needed him. Shouldn't our church reflect that? Our building even on Sunday morning should be welcoming to the "Least of Theses." Our ministries should be targeting the sick, homeless, poor, broken, drug afflicted, you name it.

I have to say, my heart is confused by how this looks and what it entales. Yet, at the same time, my heart is repentant for not seeing this better. How could I have missed this? Starting in a couple of weeks I am going to spend some time preaching through a few of the Parables of Jesus. I want to hammer the idea of community through the heart and narrative of God. To spark a church that is more than a community group, but a church that cares for its community. A church that finds its significance in the their relationship with God and understands that relationship so well that it becomes a part of their life.

Simply Jesus

I had a great opportunity to go to a great conference at the Oregon Christian Convention. The guest speaker for the one day conference was LeRoy Lawson. He is a native of Oregon and has gone to wonderful for the ministry. He gave us some very important encouragement on making our lives and ministry simply about Jesus.

One of the points that Lawson really drove home for me, is this idea of making sure that my life is simply about Jesus. As a pastor I sometimes get caught up in the ministry around me. I get stuck trying to come up with the answers, looking for the right program or formula to have effective ministry. The kind of business that takes away from Jesus.

All of those things are important. Yet, the most important thing is my relationship with Jesus. I have to put that as my primary goal, in life, in relationship, and in ministry. Everything we do as a church MUST be focused around Jesus, finding the effective ways to reach people with the message.

It is not about our church building, it's not about our Sunday School Program, or Small Groups. It's not about our fellowship times, our potlucks or our building project. It is about Jesus. All of these ideas are ways to bring the knowldege of the creator to people but they are not the only ways. They are not the end. Jesus is the end. Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the program. If we are not pointing people to Jesus through any of these, we need to stop it.

Let our lives be about Jesus, let the way we treat others be about Jesus. Let's not complicate things, lets simplify them. The one question we need to ask, "How is ____________ about Jesus?"

aaron

Our faith series has come to a conclusion and I have recieved a lot of wonderful feed back from our faith adventures. In particular, I really got to thinking about applying this to our lives. A life lived by faith is something completely different, something unique. A life lived by faith is lived with excitement and joy. A life lived by faith is specifically defined as a life of hope.

If this is truly the case (I think it is), than my life should have more hope and joy. I should be more than excited to be a part of living, and when things aren't going the way I expect them to be going, than I should remember that it's not me that is in charge. Hmmmmm

I was listening to Bob Welch, who was at a local church of a men's ministry evening. Bob was talking about how important that it is that our lives are a better representation of our faith. He spoke at the beginning of a man who had called him angry about a piece that he had written for the Register Gaurd. The man was yelling frustrated and when Bob mentioned the church he attended, this man replied with, "Oh, you are one of us Christians." From then on the man was nice.

Shouldn't it not be that way. Shouldn't we be nice regardless of the person, doesn't my faith call me to be different. Anyway, Bob talked about a time when he was in the library and heard a little girl singing. Frustrated that she was cause a quiet library to be not so quiet, he moved closer, considering asking the girl and her mother to be quiet. As he approached, he heard the words to the song, "Jesus loves me this I know. . . " Wow, he thought, she is one of us.

Than it hit him, shouldn't he have showed love and grace to her regardless of the song?

It is very important that our faith is not only something very personal, but something very public. People should notice the joy love and peace that we have in Jesus. They should notice the love that we have for EVERYONE. Does your faith give you the confidence to live your life like that?

Lets do this, together.

aaron

All we need is that one thing. . .

I have been really reminded of something extremely important. This week at the schools of mission, the missionaries have reminded me of the importance of knowing and following Jesus. Terrorism, boarder patrol, drug and alcohol abuse have a simple answer. Jesus. Last night, a missionary by the name of Jaffet spoke of this important relationship. He said, "We have 12 step programs and therapy sessions and all sorts of things like that, but we are missing the 13th step, Jesus."

Every other religion finds it's significance, it's heaven based upon living the right kind of life. If you are to take away that religion, there is no true heart felt desire to live right. That is the importance of this faith. We have a unique religion in Christianity, that salvation we recieve is not conditioned on how well we obey the rules. God does care that we are Holy but he desires for us to be holy based upon our love for Him, not because the law tells us to.

aaron

A Faith that Pleases God

"Without faith is it impossible to please God." That right there is an exact quote from the Bible. What does it mean though? Frankly, it means exactly what it says it means. Without faith, we cannot please God. Here is something we may not have spent a lot of time on this Sunday: Our faith defines who we are in the eyes of God. God pays no attention to our lip service, he cares about the way we live out our beliefs.

So, ultimately please God is simple. Live for Him.

This pretty much encompasses every part our lives. Pleasing God requires that I have faith and I show that I have faith by my actions. I please God through the way I carry myself.

There were these T-shirts everyone wore while I was growing up, they were called "Trash Talking T's." One of the T's said, "You talk the talk, I walk the talk." As Christians, how good are we at walking our talk. One of the many excuses I hear about people who do not attend church, is that Christians are hypocritcal. I have difficulty with this excuse because I believe that a majority of Christians, try as they may, fall short. I am by no means perfect and have fallen short in terms of my word too. Yet I'm not certain those are the kind of people that they are talking about. I have seen a lot of people claim the name Christian and their lives are polar opposite of the name they claim. Those are the hypocrite I do not want to become.

The best way that I have found to see how you are doing at this, is what I call the characterization test. When you are described by those whom know you best, do they characterize you as a Christian, or not.

Aaron

Thoughts on Faith

Yesterday, we had the chance to begin the thought process of faith. We dove into the premise of what faith is and the awesome gift that faith brings. I have a couple reminders and challenges for you this morning and this week to consider. If you would like to participate in this discussion, click on the thoughts link at the end of the article, or send me an email by clicking here. Enjoy.

This faith we are talking about has a very distinct start. Faith is not just something that you stumble upon, like a great coffee house. Faith is often purposeful and we may not recognize its beginning, but it has one. “so, faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17) Faith comes from the Word of God. Without the Good News (the Gospel), there is no faith. It just can’t happen. You have to have something to put your faith in.

The day that you heard, read or were told about Jesus was the day that faith began to grow within you. Sometimes it may take years for that seed of faith to sprout, for some it may never sprout at all. I remember very distinctly the day that my faith officially sprouted. Call it a scare tactic, persuasion, whatever you will, but it worked. I was sitting around a Bible Study at a youth retreat on the Oregon Coast, when the speaker paused and said this: “About ½ of you will not be Christians by the time you go to college.” I sat there in amazement at that statistic. I realized I better take this seriously, or get out. I allowed that seed to sprout on that day and I allowed God to be the conqueror of my life.

Do you remember the day you put your faith in Jesus? As a former youth minister, I have seen the faith dance played out in many lives. Some, I expected faith to grow, flourish and take hold. Others, I doubted their faith would last. Often times I have been surprised and completely disappointed. Yet, I have to say I have learned a lot by watching people go through this journey.

"Jess" had come from a broken home, she had an alcoholic mother and a father who lived in another state all together. She came to know Jesus at a Christian sponsored concert through the church. I was shocked to see her walk on stage to accept Jesus as Lord. As we sat and talked about this important decision I could see a real desire for change, yet with her background and friends I wasn't sure this was going to really stick. She was baptized into Jesus and has since done some very incredible things for the Lord. She took hold of her faith and lived by it.

"Tod" was quite different. He had grown up in church and had been surrounded by Christian people his whole life. He came to youth events, shared his faith, and invited just about everyone from school to attend. He began to drift a little from the church as he experimented with drugs, skipping classes and distancing himself from the church. Now, his parents still remain conected to the church they attend, but he is far from it.

It is often difficult to understand how this faith takes root but I believe it can be seen. For Tod, his faith never took root, not because he didn't have the knowledge but because he never really allowed it to penatrate his heart. Maybe he was living out the faith of his parents, maybe he never really had a faith of his own but it didn't take root.

Jill on the other hand, allowed the faith in her life to change her life. She changed friends, activities and places she hung out. She allowed Jesus to run her new life, and allowed God to change her.

What are some ways we can encourage a stronger faith with in our children and grandchildren?

What was the difference between the experience Jill and Tod had?

Is your faith grounded, rooted and ready to withstand anything?



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Just as a fun side story, my kids did something incredible this morning. They caught a mouse. I have been setting traps, finding them unsnapped, missing the bait for the last 3-4 days. I play basketball at the high school on Monday mornings. When I arrived at home, there was my furry friend, captured by 5 strong willed children. Have a mouse problem, I've got something better than a cat.

Enjoy

Aaron

We are stepping out in faith here in a few weeks. We are going to be trying something we haven't tried since at least I have been here. We are shooting for an outdoor service, combining both of our services together. It should be awesome. Come check it out.