Ministry

Holding On and Letting Go: Let Go Of Anger
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Holding On and Letting Go: Let Go Of Anger

In light of the current “chaos” being caused by both the known and unknown facets of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), here is day four of the daily devotions from the prayer-based devotional I wrote to be used within disaster relief situations.  I believe many of the same lessons we need to learn when dealing with recovery from a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake can be helpful as we get through, and recover from, the current levels of chaos we are experiencing.  The book itself is laid out with each day’s devotion alternating between something to hold on to and something to let go of in the midst of life’s chaos.  I’ll be posting a devotion from the book each day or you can find the book on Amazon.  For 5 days, March 13-17, the Kindle edition will be free and you can find it at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGGBPQ9

Here is day four and an important reminder to check your anger and deal with it in a godly way.

Let Go Of Anger

“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” 
(Ephesians 4:26-27)

Let Go Of Anger

Does the current chaos you are experiencing make you angry?  Should it?  How does anger influence the way you respond to both people and your situation?  Does anger typically cause a good or bad response?  Explain.  How will letting go of anger free you to see your situation more clearly?

Anger is a natural emotion and reaction, especially when faced with unexpected and unreasonable loss.  The problem with anger in the midst of chaos is that it tends to cloud the vision of both our mind and our eyes.  When the Bible says, “in your anger do not sin”, I believe the instruction is to acknowledge our anger and deal with it so that we can let it go before it infects our actions.  While there may be things, circumstances, and even people that you feel you have a right to be angry with, feeding the anger will only make it grow to the point that it adds to the problem.  Letting go of the anger allows us to address the chaos, and even address the cause of the chaos, from a healthy position of resolution rather than hatred.  When we learn to be angry at the right things, we find that we can allow God to use our anger as an internal motivation for us to make changes we need to make.  It is then that we are able to let go of that anger so that we can begin to see hope in the midst of our chaos.  Unresolved and/or unaddressed anger destroys hope and it is in the addressing and resolving of our anger that we find we can let the anger go and allow hope to grow.

As you pray, ask God to help you understand why you feel angry, and specifically who or what you feel angry toward.  Pray that you would not simply attempt to hide the anger, but address it in ways that allow you to let go of it.  Pray that you would know the hope that comes through letting go of anger after it has been dealt with.

In prayer,
Tom  

Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On To What You Have
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Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On To What You Have

In light of the current “chaos” being caused by both the known and unknown facets of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), here is day three of the daily devotions from the prayer-based devotional I wrote to be used within disaster relief situations.  I believe many of the same lessons we need to learn when dealing with recovery from a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake can be helpful as we get through, and recover from, the current levels of chaos we are experiencing.  The book itself is laid out with each day’s devotion alternating between something to hold on to and something to let go of in the midst of life’s chaos.  I’ll be posting a devotion from the book each day or you can find the book on Amazon.  For 5 days, March 13-17, the Kindle edition will be free and you can find it at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGGBPQ9

Here is day three and an important reminder to not forget the things you still have.

Hold On To What You Have

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
(Revelation 3:11)

Hold On To What You Have

What do you have?  How difficult is it to answer that question?  Why?  In your current situation, do you tend to think more about what you have lost or about what you still have?  Why?  I don’t know what you have lost in this current crisis.  Perhaps finances, health, trust, peace of mind, freedom of activity, or an entire list of other things may have disappeared in the midst of the chaos surrounding us.  Even if it seems you have lost everything, how focused are you at holding on to faith?

One of the most difficult things for many people to do in the midst of loss is to see what they haven’t lost.  Our mind gets so focused on the disaster we faced that we become blinded to the things we still have.  As we discussed earlier, one of those things should be the people God will bring into our life to provide help and comfort.  The old hymn that says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one”, may sound trite when recovering from a disaster, but taking inventory of what you do have really is a good practice at any time.  When we begin to count more than possessions, we often find much that is within our grasp to hold on to that should give us at least glimmers of hope.  For most of us, there seems to be something within our nature that longs to possess things that we can call our own.  Even the most open and sharing child seems to learn how to say “Mine!” all on their own.  So as you do inventory of both the tangible and intangible things that you still have, find hope as you hold on to the things you have and especially to the things that can never be taken from you.

As you pray, ask God to help you grieve what you have lost even as you identify what you still have.  Pray that you would find hope and comfort through holding on to relationships that continue in the midst of your chaos.  Pray that your time of inventory would help you discover important things that God would have you hold on to.  Pray for the courage to hold loosely even as you hold on to what you have.

In prayer,
Tom  

Holding On and Letting Go: Let Go of Things You Can’t Control
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Holding On and Letting Go: Let Go of Things You Can’t Control

In light of the current “chaos” being caused by both the known and unknown facets of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), here is day two of the daily devotions from the prayer-based devotional I wrote to be used within disaster relief situations.  I believe many of the same lessons we need to learn when dealing with recovery from a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake can be helpful as we get through, and recover from, the current levels of chaos we are experiencing.  The book itself is laid out with each day’s devotion alternating between something to hold on to and something to let go of in the midst of life’s chaos.  I’ll be posting a devotion from the book each day or you can find the book on Amazon.  For 5 days, March 13-17, the Kindle edition will be free and you can find it at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGGBPQ9

Here is day two and an important reminder to let go of the things you can’t control as you trust God to bring you to a place of peace and hope in the midst of chaos.

Let Go Of Things You Can’t Control

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?”
(Matthew 6:27)

Let Go Of Things You Can’t Control

What part of your current situation feels most beyond your control?  How much do you worry about things you can’t change?  Are there things in the midst of your current chaos that you do have some control over?  How much does the lack of control over some things keep you from taking control of what you can?

Facing a disaster of any kind often brings with it a bewildering feeling of having no control over anything that is going on.  The truth is, even in our most controlling moments, we have far less control than we would like to admit.  When faced with loss, it is important to identify specific things that we simply can’t control.  Some of those things may well be the disaster which brought about the loss, as well as the timetable for any recovery.  Letting go of control doesn’t mean that we give up, or that we don’t put any effort into doing what we can, rather it means that we learn to accept that our recovery will take place on a timetable that will likely change often and is very different than what we would want.  Letting go of the things we can’t control can be one of the early steps toward trusting God to bring hope in the midst of our chaos.  It is important to remember that just because we can’t control what is going on, it doesn’t mean that it is out of His control.  Often times identifying what we can’t control, and then letting go of it, frees us to take appropriate action in the areas that can make a difference in our recovery.  Letting go of what we can’t control helps to bring hope not only because it shows our trust of God, but it allows us concentrate on the things we can still do.

As you pray, ask God to help you let go of the things that you can’t control.  Pray that He would give you wisdom in distinguishing between that which is simply difficult and that which isn’t yours to take care of.  Pray that your trust of Him would grow as you learn to let go of control.

In prayer,
Tom  

Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On to One Another
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Holding On and Letting Go: Hold On to One Another

In light of the current “chaos” being caused by both the known and unknown facets of the Coronavirus, for the next nineteen days I will be sharing the daily devotions from the prayer-based devotional I wrote to be used within disaster relief situations.  I believe many of the same lessons we need to learn when dealing with recovery from a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake can be helpful as we get through, and recover from, the current levels of chaos we are experiencing.  The book itself is laid out with each day’s devotion alternating between something to hold on to and something to let go of in the midst of life’s chaos.  I’ll be posting a devotion from the book each day or you can find the book on Amazon.  For the next 5 days, March 13-17, the Kindle edition will be free and you can find it at the following link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGGBPQ9

Here is day one and an important reminder to hold on to one another as you look out for each other’s needs and share in their joys and sorrows.

Hold On To One Another

“And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
(2 Corinthians 1:7)

How alone does your current situation make you feel?  Why?  Are there others affected by the same thing you are currently going through?  Do you think they feel alone?  Why?  Are there people in similar circumstances who would benefit from your willingness to hold on to them?  Do you know people who have already been through what you are dealing with that you could hold on to?  Who?

In the midst of loss, it is God’s desire to bring seeds of comfort to you through people who have received the same comfort that you now need.  No matter the loss, it will generally feel amplified if you must face it alone.  Sometimes the loss is very personal and the enemy would want you to think no one will understand.  Other times the loss is one suffered by many others and the enemy will try to convince you that people have enough grief of their own to worry about.  Neither of those could be further from the truth.  Whether in our most private pain or a very public loss, God has helped to carry others through the very nature of what you are dealing with.  While it may be fun to “rejoice with those who rejoice”, it is just as necessary to “weep with those who weep”.  Holding on to one another won’t solve all the problems, or bring back what was lost, but when those we hold on to are holding on to God, we discover we truly are not alone.

As you pray today, ask God to help you find those who will be someone you can hold on to.  Pray that God would give you the strength needed so that you can be someone others will hold on to, even in your weakness.  Pray that you would find, and be, a community that holds on to one another.

 

In prayer,
Tom  

#PraySTRONG! (Sermon Audio)
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#PraySTRONG! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the December 29, 2019 sermon, “#PraySTRONG”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Zechariah 4:6, Ephesians 6:10-11, 18

Learning to pray strong begins when we realize that the strength of our prayers is not by our power or might, but by the Spirit of the Living God.  

As we develop a lifestyle of prayer seeking to pray strong, we must learn to pray:

  • Submissively:
    • Matthew 6:10 — Perhaps one of the toughest parts of praying strong God’s way, is learning to empty our prayers of self and be fully submissive to God.  Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done on earth just as it is in heaven.  For that to happen, we must take captive every thought and motive that influences our prayers toward our selfish desires.
  • Truthfully: 
    • Luke 18:13 — I suppose we get so used to hiding behind a mask with one another that somehow a lack of honesty with God infiltrates our prayer life.  When we pray truthfully, we begin by being honest with  God about our own weaknesses, shortcomings, and sins so that they don’t become a hindrance to our prayers.  Adam and Eve’s communion with God was interrupted not only by sin, but by an ill-conceived attempt to hide the truth from God. 
  • Repentantly:
    • Matthew 18:3 — Learning to pray truthfully really only becomes powerful when we follow it up with praying repentantly.  It is not enough to be truthful with God about our attitudes and actions, we must turn away from all that is not of Him and allow His transforming power to change us.  Praying repentantly leads us to the freedom necessary to walk in conversation with God in all that we do. 
  • Observantly:
    • John 4:35 — The disciples that walked with Jesus each day often missed the opportunities that were right in front of them simply because they weren’t looking with the same kind of eyes that Jesus was looking with.  Praying observantly leads us to notice people and situations that are far too easy to walk by without a second thought.  When we ask God to open our eyes to see the fields which are ripe unto harvest, we soon discover that the harvest is indeed plentiful and it is much closer than we probably thought.
  • Noticeably
    • Matthew 5:16 — While praying noticeably may sound contradictory to the scripture that tells us to go into our closet and pray in secret, there is a difference between praying to be noticed and praying that is noticed.  In fact, if we learn from Jesus, we see that His prayer life got the attention of the disciples to such an extent that it was the one thing we find recorded in scripture that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them.  Prayer ought to make such a difference in our life that people notice it and even if they don’t know prayer is the reason, they want to know how to have what we have.
  • Globally
    • Matthew 9:38 — I suspect when you read this topic, one of the first things that comes to mind is to pray for those involved in missions work around the world.  While that definitely is included, the oft overlooked part of praying globally is the fact that your next door neighbor, coworker, stranger you encounter in your day to day life, and the homeless person sleeping on the streets are all part of the global population.  Praying globally will have you praying for people who are like you and for people who are very different from you no matter where they live.

When I think about praying strong, I think about Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel.   If you didn’t know the story and who was on which “team”, I think the American concept of praying strong would tend to choose the wrong side of this epic showdown.  Rather than finding strength in numbers, volume, activity, or even length of prayer time, the real strength of prayer was found in a sole individual who humbly asked God to answer in such a way that the people would have no doubt that God was indeed the one and only true God. 

I pray that you and I would learn to pray Submissively, Truthfully, Repentantly, Observantly, Noticeably, and Globally in such a way that those who are watching us would know that the God we serve is the one and only true God.

In prayer,
Tom

Looking For the Perfect GIFT! (Sermon Audio)
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Looking For the Perfect GIFT! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the December 1, 2019 sermon, “Looking For the Perfect GIFT”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text: John 4:10, Colossians 1:27

As we enter a season when many individuals are looking for the perfect gift for someone special, or even for themselves, let’s look at some lessons we can we learn from the things we look for in the perfect gift we give or receive.  Each of these lessons not only help us to give the perfect gift, they help us see Jesus as the perfect gift that has been given to us.  

When looking for the perfect gift, look for:

  • Goodness:
    • Psalm 27:13-14 — When giving a gift that we want to be “just right”, we search for something filled with goodness.  Something that is appropriate for the person and situation the gift is meant for.  The gift must not only meet our standards, but it must be acceptable by the standards the recipient is known for and deserves.  Jesus reminds us that while our nature is to give good gifts to our children, even greater is the nature of His Father to give good gifts to those who are His.  Even in the midst of a very up and down life, David writes of being confident of seeing God’s goodness in the land of the living.  Yes, he knew the goodness of God exists throughout heaven in eternity, but there is also an element of God’s goodness that He showers upon us here on earth — with the supreme example of that goodness being the sending of Jesus to die for our sins.
  • Instructions: 
    • Psalm 25:8-9 — When looking for the perfect gift, we want to be sure it does what it should.  Whether we read them or not, we want to know there are instructions and help available should something not make sense in the use of the gift.  With all of the “some assembly required” gifts that we give, the quality of the instructions go a long way in making sure the gift will look and work as it is supposed to.  When it comes to the perfect gift of Jesus, God has given us His Word to instruct us in every area of life we will face.  Working in combination with His Word, the Holy Spirit has been given to God’s children to help us know and understand the instructions God has given each of us for life.  From entering the kingdom of God, to living as kingdom citizens here on earth, to be ready for eternity in the presence of the King, God’s instructions are both clear and complete. 
  • Freedom:
    • John 8:34-36, 2 Corinthians 3:17 — The perfect gift always comes with an element of freedom, otherwise the gift quickly becomes our master and we soon resent both the gift and the giver for enslaving us.  Many people have received gifts that at first glance appeared to be beneficial and wonderful . . . and then they discovered the time and financial commitment required to keep such a gift.  God has shown us that His laws, even the “thou shalt not” laws, are given to us for the purpose of teaching us how to live as those who are truly free.  The gift of Jesus has been given to us to set us free from both the penalty and the power of sin in our life.  Being cleansed of our sins and living by the power of the Holy Spirit within us frees us to live for Christ rather than for self. 
  • Truth:
    • John 1:14-17, 14:6 — Finally, the perfect gift is always given in truth.  No misrepresentations, no double-talk, no hidden agendas, no bait and switch, and no exaggerations.  In a world that not only wants something for nothing, but wants you to believe it is giving you more than it can, truth in giving can be a very uncommon trait.  The advertising world thrives on making things appear bigger, better, faster, quieter, louder, or whatever other characteristic you desire; than what they really are.  A few years ago, a national sandwich chain took a lot of heat because their “foot-long” sandwiches weren’t really twelve inches long.  They’re initial response did little to satisfy the general public as they simply claimed “foot-long” was meant to be an approximate term and not an actual measurement.  With Jesus as the perfect gift, He makes it clear that He is truth.  In fact, He expects the same from us as He calls us to let our yes be yes and our no be no.  Part of the prayer of Jesus for His followers is that we would be set apart by truth, the truth of God’s Word.

In all the gifts ever given, there is none so perfect as Jesus! 

It is my prayer that you not only accept this perfect gift, but that you would live your live sharing this gift with others.

In prayer,
Tom

How To Give THANKS! (Sermon Audio)
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How To Give THANKS! (Sermon Audio)

 

This will serve as the November 3 post in the series I am writing this month on giving thanks.  This is the audio from the November 3, 2019 sermon, “How To Give THANKS”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text: Psalm 100, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Anyhow, this version of “How To Give THANKS” is based around a “made-for-the-movies” stereotypical family thanksgiving day.  Here are six things I think we can learn about giving thanks from a traditional Thanksgiving Day gathering:

We give thanks to God, and to others, when we give:

  • Turkey:
    • Hebrews 5:11-14 —   I know, you probably have the same reaction that the congregation did this morning — “What?  Did he say what I thought I heard?  He didn’t just say turkey, did he?”.  Yep, I said turkey!  When you think of Thanksgiving, for most people, the first thing that comes to mind is turkey.  It is the traditional main course, the very center and substance to the meal which surrounds it.  When I say, “give turkey”, that is what I mean — give thanks with substance and meat at its very heart.  Don’t settle for simply mouthing the words thank you when you can give thanks with turkey — with real depth and meaning behind it.  This is a thanks that settles in and satisfies the deepest reaches of a person’s being.
  • Humor: 
    • Psalm 126:2-3 –Without a good sense of humor, Thanksgiving and other family gatherings can fall apart quite quickly.  We give thanks when we don’t take our self too seriously.  God says that a cheerful, or merry, heart is good medicine!  I believe that there are boundaries that need to be kept when it comes to humor but laughter is not only good for the spirit, it is good for the body.  This is not only true of an individual but it applies to a family, or a church family, as well.  Don’t take every situation more seriously than it ought to be taken.  True joy can shine through brightly when you give thanks with humor.
  • Abundance:
    • 2 Peter 1:2, John 10:10 — Does anything symbolize the American Thanksgiving Day gathering any more than a table overflowing with every variety of food imaginable — a table of Abundance?  Jesus said He came to not only give us life, but to give us life abundantly!  Do you give thanks with abundance, or just enough to get by?  When we want to celebrate or to remember great things, we would likely never ask how little can I do and still look good.  No, we would examine our resources of every kind to determine how abundantly can I celebrate to make my joy known to all.  When we want to express deep-felt thankfulness it ought to be the same way — not what do I have to do but how much can I do.  Your generosity overflows when you give thanks with abundance.
  • Naps:
    • 1 John 3:18-20 — Ahhh . . . turkey, plenty of good humor, an abundance of food . . . I’m tired.  What good Thanksgiving Day gathering would be complete without a Nap?  We give thanks when we give Naps!  When we allow a person to relax and rest we communicate that we value both them and their time.  If every interaction with a person has you walking away knowing that they expect something from you it is not likely that you will feel a true appreciation regardless of any words of thanks.  Resting is a God-given concept and gift that we typically don’t use enough ourself and seldom think to give to others.  The sabbath concept, a day of rest, is connected by God to the fact that on the seventh day He rested from His work of creation.  We, and those around us, are more tolerable when we give thanks with naps.
  • Kindness:
    • Ephesians 4:31-32 — What family gathering is complete without that cousin that’s . . . well, he’s just different.  Regardless of his different looks, different political views, different lifestyle, different pie preference, or different whatever, he is part of the family so we give Kindness.  Extending kindness doesn’t mean that we agree or approve of everything about him — we may pray and work desperately to influence positive change in his life.  It does mean, however, that we acknowledge his value as a person and do our best to include him in the family celebration of the Thanksgiving Day gathering.  We all sin and find our self in need of God’s greatest kindness — the undeserved gift of forgiveness and salvation through the blood of His Son, Jesus!  It is this example that we must follow when we give thanks with kindness.
  • Sweets:
    • Proverbs 16:24 — Finally, the part that no one really needs but no Thanksgiving Day gathering is complete without — Sweets!  Take away the pie, the ice cream, the cookies, the fudge, the chocolate, the candies, and the other desserts and what do you have?  You have one very unhappy and disappointed family!  Sweets are those over-and-above extras in life that shout “thank you” in ways that little else can.  When we really want to give thanks, we adopt an “and then some” attitude.  We do what is expected and required . . . and then some.  We walk the extra mile.  We take the extra time.  We give the extra attention.  With our actions we say loudly, “you’re worth it!”.  Just as dessert completes the Thanksgiving Day gathering, our expressions of gratitude are completed when we give thanks with sweets.

So, how are you at giving THANKS?  I pray that as you gather with others this Thanksgiving day, and any other day, you would give “Turkey”, give Humor, give Abundance, give Naps, give Kindness, and give Sweets!

Living As ONE! (Sermon Audio)
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Living As ONE! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the October 6, 2019 sermon, “Living As ONE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Here are the main points from the sermon:

Being one in Christ means we learn to live as:

  • Obedient:
    • 1 Corinthians 12:15-16, 2 Corinthians 10:5 —  Living as one with Christ and with one another will require a steadfast pursuit of an obedient life.  One key to bringing our actions into obedience to the will of God is learning to “take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.”  Our obedience to Christ will lead us to do the work that God uniquely created us to do.  Not only do we grow in obedience to Christ, our living as one should lead us to a greater obedience or submission to one another.  .
  • Necessary: 
    • 1 Corinthians 12:17-21, Ephesians 4:11-16 — Living as one with Christ will also require a recognition of how necessary we are as a part of His body.  Our culture seems to have trained us in the very bad habit of evaluating a person’s usefulness based on a standard that doesn’t take into account what each person was created to do.  When we come to understand that we are vital to the well-being of the body as a whole, we are more likely to live as one with those who bring different gifts and abilities to the body.
  • Enough:
    • 1 Corinthians 12:22-25, Romans 15:5-14 — Living as one with Christ will also require that we accept that we are enough just as Christ made us.  To be fair and honest, this isn’t an excuse to quit growing and improving.  God’s desire is that we would always give Him our best and be our best in our interactions with others.  What it does mean, however, is that when we offer ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, what we offer is enough.  We don’t have to become what someone else is or what they want us to be — in fact, doing so would often lessen the effectiveness of the body as it would be missing the part we were created to be!  

Choosing to live as ONE will always have to begin with me.  I must live as Obedient, Necessary, and Enough before I can expect that from others.  Because we are part of one body, the body of Christ, after applying these lessons to ourselves we then begin to see how each attribute benefits the body.  Our obedience prospers when it is built on the Word of God and grows out of submission to one another.  Our sense of belonging grows when we realize just how necessary we are and how equally necessary all of the other members of the body are.  Our value is measured accurately when we no longer have to measure up to the standards and expectations of another person whose task is different than ours.  When the body functions as one and each part of the body lives as Obedient, Necessary, and Enough, we will make great strides in being the disciples God has called us to be and the witnesses for Jesus that He needs us to be.