Discipleship

Praying For the Church: Wisdom (Session One)
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Praying For the Church: Wisdom (Session One)

 

This is the audio of session one from the September 7, 2019 Praying For the Church Prayer Event held at Michiana Christian Camp.

This first session focused on praying for the church with the wisdom that comes from God’s Word, His Spirit, and a fear of the Lord.

WORK That Matters! (Sermon Audio)
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WORK That Matters! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the September 1, 2019 sermon, “WORK That Matters!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

 

Text: John 6:28-29

Here are the main points from the sermon:

When it comes to having work that matters, make sure these elements matter in your work:

  • Worship that matters:
    • Romans 12:1 — When you present your body to God as a living sacrifice, your work — the things you do with your body — ought to become a big part of the worship you offer God.  Seeing the work that you do as an element of worshiping God helps you to see  your work as something that matters to God.  Learning to have worship that matters within all of your daily activities will go a long way toward helping others see Jesus in the midst of your daily work.  In seeking to have work that matters, find ways in all circumstances to have worship that matters.
  • Occupation that matters: 
    • Colossians 3:23-24 — “Whatever you do.”  While there are some tasks done by mankind that I believe are sinful and therefore should not be done by Christians (or anyone else for that matter), God’s desire is that whatever you do would be done for Him.  In the Kingdom workforce, there is work “created in advance” for each one of us to do.  Just as we have been created uniquely, the work God has for us to do will rarely be identical to the work He has for someone else.  Having work that matters isn’t nearly as dependent on finding the right occupation as it is in working our occupation with the proper attitude.
  • Rest that matters:
    • Hebrews 4:9-11 — Having work that matters will require us to have rest that matters.  When God chose to rest after the six days of creation, it wasn’t so much that He was worn out and needed it but rather it was to serve as an example of our need for rest.  While there are times we must press on even when we’ve become weary, being able to stop and rest at appropriate intervals will generally improve our ability to work in such a way that we believe our work matters.  In our culture today, we often have a tendency to fill our “non-work” hours with so much activity that real rest is rather elusive.  When we learn to have rest that matters, I believe  we will grow in having work that matters.
  • Knowledge that matters:
    • 2 Timothy 2:15 — We live in a time that I think could well be described as information overload.  It seems we are constantly being bombarded with sound bites and headlines that contain talking points of information but very little actual knowledge.  When Paul instructs Timothy to “study to show yourself approved”, it is in the context of being a worker who won’t be ashamed.  While our culture prides itself on having an ever-increasing base of knowledge, any knowledge that does not have the Word of God as its foundation tend to make a prideful people rather than a humble worker.   When we spend time fully digesting and putting into practice the Word of God, we set our self up to have work that matters because we have knowledge that matters.

Having WORK that matters isn’t really so much about what you do as it is about how you do it and who you do it for.  I believe you will find that as you fill your life with worship, occupation, rest, and knowledge that matters, you will discover great growth in your understanding and practice of work that matters.

Living Life Each Day
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Living Life Each Day

What if each day that God gives us life,
We would do what we can to reduce all the strife?
If we celebrate moments that happen each day?
And aim for the good in all that we say?

If we learn from the bad, and rejoice in the good?
If we bear others burdens as God says we should?
If the life that we live isn’t all about “me”,
But helps those around us, Jesus to see?

I think such a lifestyle would surely stand out.
And make others question what our life is about.
When we listen to Jesus in all He did say,
We ought to live life in a much different way.

So, think before acting and pray before thought.
Ask God to help you to do what you ought.
And when you’ve been faithful in the smallest of things,
Rest in the peace that knowing God brings!

It’s been a rough start to the day as Susan has had seizures throughout the early morning hours. Yet even through her struggles, and my attempts to comfort and calm her, God teaches me and reassures me of His presence. As I reflected on life, this poem crawled out of my thoughts this morning.

In prayer,

Tom

Count the COST! (Sermon Audio)
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Count the COST! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the August 4, 2019 sermon, “Count the COST!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

 

Text: Luke 14:25-35

Here are the main points from the sermon:

When it comes to living life and being a disciple of Jesus, He want us to count the  . . .

  • Cash:
    • Luke 14:28-30 — Asking what something will cost before you commit to it is not just a wise action, it is a biblical action.  Much of the current debt crisis in America is the result of committing to a course of action without considering what it will actually cost.  When you are living as a disciple of Jesus, your cash belongs to Him and He ought to have the only say in how you use it.  Living that way will cost you greatly, but He promises to increase what you have in accordance to your faithfulness with the small things He gives you.
  • Opposition: 
    • Luke 14:31-32 — Living as a disciple of Jesus will come with its share of opposition.  But worse than the opposition of people who reject Christianity is the opposition of God against those who are filled with pride and reject Him.  Counting the opposition means that you consider the ridicule of men to be of no regard in your decisions compared to the praise of the Father saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
  • Sacrifice:
    • Luke 14:33 — There is no greater example of sacrifice than Jesus leaving heaven to live on earth for the purpose of being crucified for my sins.  Being a disciple of Jesus means that I will not only learn from Him, but I will learn to be like Him.  By His own words, doing so will require that I unconditionally surrender all of me to Him and live a life that shows His sacrifice to the world.  This isn’t a matter of choosing what I’m willing to give up and then calling it a sacrifice for doing so.  No, this is a full surrender so that my life becomes a living sacrifice devoted fully to Him.
  • Trust:
    • Luke 14:34-35 — Most of us are pretty good at surrounding ourselves with the things and people that we know we can put our trust in.  As Jesus calls us to give up everything to become the salt of the earth, often time the things we trust the most will have to be put aside so that we can learn complete trust in Him.  He is the master at using the most unlikely people to do things they are unequipped for in order to bring praise and glory to Him rather than to mankind.

Counting the COST isn’t really the end to anything, rather it is the beginning point of a decision each of us must make — Is it worth it, and am I willing to pay everything I have in order to become a child of God?  I pray that the answer to those questions is a resounding, “Absolutely Yes!”

Life’s Journey
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Life’s Journey

I stare at the calendar after I turn the page,

For the month has arrived that I increase in age.

I pause for a moment to look back in time,

And consider the mountains that I had to climb.

Some peaks were chosen, but many were not.

Deep sadness and great joy have both been my lot.

I doubt I’m alone when my head wants to know,

Have I chosen wisely each step I did go?

The answer’s not easy, if truth would be known.

There are those disappointed in what I have sown.

It seems I’m rejected more often than not.

And it’s hard to find many who want what I’ve got.

But you cannot judge rightly when you only look back.

For the truth of the ending you surely do lack.

The seeds sown today rarely look all that great.

And a life as it grows is a tough thing to rate.

So, I also look forward to the mountains ahead,

The ones filled with joy and the ones filled with dread.

For both are a part of this journey of life,

The paths that are pleasant and those filled with strife.

The secret I’ve learned is to keep looking above,

To the top of the mountain where I’ll rest in God’s love.

He helps me along when the way looks so dim.

And I find there is hope when I’m focused on Him.

“Well done, good and faithful” l do long to hear.

So I just keep on climbing, knowing He’s always near.

© 2019 by Tom Lemler

The calendar says I will be turning another year older this month, though there are days that I think I already have. 🙂  It is easy for me to become very reflective regarding the past and it seems these poems flow most freely when those times of reflection are filled with great discouragement.  I suspect it is God’s way of walking with me through the discouragement and helping me to see the hope that He offers to me and to all those who remain faithful to Him.  The mountains and valleys of the past have shaped me, but in the perspective of eternity they don’t define me in the way that being faithful in the journey yet ahead will.  I pray that wherever you are in your life’s journey, whether looking back with pride or discouragement, you would choose to look ahead to the One who calls you to Himself and only asks that you arrive as one who is faithful.

In prayer,
Tom

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Living As Fully FREE! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the July 7, 2019 sermon, “Living As Fully FREE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

 

Text: Luke 15:11-32

Here are the main points from the sermon:

In Christ, we are fully  . . .

  • Forgiven:
    • 1 John 2:12 — When we come home to the Father, our sins are fully forgiven because of Jesus . . . not because of us or our efforts.
  • Restored: 
    • 1 Peter 5:10 — Even through suffering and difficulty, and sometime because of them, we have a God that will fully restore us to Himself when we “come to our senses” and return to Him.
  • Equipped:
    • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — The freedom we find by gazing into the perfect law of God’s Word will fully equip us for every good work He calls us to do..
  • Embraced:
    • Luke 15:20 — From wherever we are, our return to the Father will be met with a loving embrace.  His touch gives us the hope and courage to grow from the child He created to the son or daughter He designed us to be.

Until we find true freedom in Christ, the freedoms we chase after will only be temporary at best and will never fully satisfy.

Learning To SEEK God! (Sermon Audio)
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Learning To SEEK God! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the May 5, 2019 sermon, “Learning To SEEK God!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text: Isaiah 55:6

“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.”

Here are the main points from the sermon:

We SEEK God when we learn to  . . .

  • Serve God:
    • Joshua 24:14 — In a world filled with many voices claiming to be truth, we must choose to serve God in order to seek Him with a whole heart.
  • Expect God: 
    • Psalm 5:3 — Seeking God wholeheartedly requires that we learn to wait in expectation, trusting God to work in the time that is just right.
  • Engage God:
    • Deuteronomy 30:14 — As we grow in our desire and practice of seeking God, we must learn to engage every part of our being with Him.
  • Know God:
    • Psalm 46:10 — Perhaps the most difficult part of seeking God is the simplest part to say . . . be still and know.

Seeking God is not a “once and done” activity but rather a lifetime of learning.  When scripture teaches that we should “seek the Lord while He may be found”, it suggests that there could be a time when He can’t be found.  Our walk on this earth is the time given to us to seek God.  Once we are gone from the earth, whether through death or the Lord’s return, the time of seeking and finding will be over.

Seeking God: How Are You Seeking? (Session Three)
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Seeking God: How Are You Seeking? (Session Three)

 

This is the audio of session three from the May 4, 2019 Seeking God Prayer Event held at Michiana Christian Camp.

This third session focused on the how of seeking God with an emphasis on the whole-hearted pursuit that God desires from us.   When you seek God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you can be assured that you will find Him.  If you don’t really care if God is with you, you will likely not be aware of His presence.