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This is the audio from the December 18, 2022 sermon, “The Christmas Surrender: Living As the LORD’S Servant!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Luke 1:26-38

Today continued our Christmas sermon series with a look at the surrender element which is central in the Christmas story.  At the very center of the Christmas story is Jesus who surrendered His position with the Father as something not to be grasped onto, but emptying Himself and becoming a servant of all.  And then there’s Joseph who wanted to both protect Mary and do the right thing from his understanding of the wrong which must have occurred, but surrendered his will and understanding to the message of God through an angel.  And of course, there’s Mary.  At the heart of Mary’s surrender is the statement in Luke 1:39, “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.”  As we gaze into the life of Mary, we discover how to surrender when we choose to live as the . . .

• Listening Servant.  Luke 1:26-28
  • Our journey to a Christmas surrender begins by choosing to be a listening servant.  The Lord’s servant must realize the relationship between servant and Lord and seek to listen fully to God.  It is through listening that we learn about God, about our self, and about others.  As we share the feast of Christmas with the people around us, we serve them well when we listen to God and listen to them.
• Observant Servant.  Luke 1:29
  • Our journey to a Christmas surrender continues as we choose to be an observant servant.  One of the great barriers to people gazing deeply into God’s Word and doing what it says is when we are greatly troubled by what we see.  Our honesty with God and His Word needs to carry us to a point of faith even when our initial observation leaves us with a lack of clarity.  God’s message to Mary was troubling to her yet she continued to watch and listen for what God would do and say.  As we share the feast of Christmas with the people around us, we serve them well when we deliberately observe the working of God in His Word, in us, and in others.
• Respectful Servant.  Luke 1:30-34
  • Our journey to a Christmas surrender also continues as we learn to be a respectful servant.  I suspect this becomes most tested when the request that is made is something we either don’t understand or don’t like.  One of the keys to being a respectful servant of God is to always keep in mind He is God and you are not.  Mary was troubled by the message delivered to her by the angel and I suspect there was great confusion in her mind yet her initial response is a respectful question.  Being a respectful servant doesn’t mean that we have no questions, or that we can’t ask questions, it simply means we honor God with the respect He deserves.
• Decisive Servant.  Luke 1:35-37
  • Our journey to a Christmas surrender also continues as we learn to be a decisive servant.  Having doubts and questions when it comes to serving God is a very natural thing.  We can express those doubts and ask our questions of God, but being a servant says that we will decide to do what God says no matter what.  There comes a time in our questioning and doubt that we must decide if we believe God and will walk by faith or if we will continue to stumble in the darkness.  Mary took her questions to God and listened to the answers given which led her to a moment of decision.  When we choose in the light to follow God’s Word no matter what, it makes it easier for us to be a decisive servant even in the midst of darkness.
• Submissive Servant.  Luke 1:38
  • Our journey to a Christmas surrender culminates when we take each of these characteristics we’ve talked about and use them to lead us in being a submissive servant.  In many ways, that is a rather redundant statement as you’re not really a servant if you are not submissive and a submissive spirit will always lead you to serve.  Mary’s response is one that ought to echo from our lips and our hearts each day that we live.  Our willingness to serve God is not measured by our words, but rather by our actions . . . and not just our actions toward God, but also our actions towards others.  When we choose to say each day, “I am the Lord’s servant.”, we find that our life will reflect the level of surrender found throughout the Christmas story.

Today, how will you live as the LORD’S servant?

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This is the audio from the December 4, 2022 sermon, “The Christmas Excitement: A Great JOY!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Matthew 2:1-12, Philippians 2:12-18

Today continued our Christmas sermon series with a look at the Christmas excitement experienced by the wise men.  When I think about excitement and exceedingly great joy, I often think about accomplishing or experiencing something that is extremely difficult or even thought to be impossible or at least highly improbable.  There seems to be a correlation between the effort put forth and the joy produced.  In fact, it can be the times of greatest difficulties which lead us to a joy that is unlike any other.  For these Magi from the east, it was the earnestness of their search that led them to “rejoice with exceedingly great joy” when the star reappeared and let them to the house in Bethlehem where they found the child Jesus.  As we examine the story of the Magi, I want us to also consider our own story and reflect on the elements of our great . . .

• Journey.  Matthew 2:1-8, Philippians 2:12-13
  • The wise men set out on a great journey with the goal of being able to worship a child who had been born king of the Jews.  They had observed a sign that led them on a great journey, not knowing exactly where they were headed.  Our journey to Christ is often similar in that we receive a calling from God’s Word and we continually grow in holiness and righteousness as we pursue God each day.  Given Herod’s reaction, it appears to have taken the wise men up to two years to find the Christ after first seeing the star in the east.  They kept searching and learning until their goal was accomplished.  When Paul tells us to work our our salvation, he is not talking about earning our salvation through our efforts bur rather to live in such a way that our path to salvation in Christ becomes evident to us and to those around us.  Life’s journey will be difficult and full of trouble but when it is a great journey toward God, it leads us to a great joy.
• Observation.  Matthew 2:9-10, Philippians 2:14-16
  • Having a great observation is not only about being able to see, it is also about knowing the significance of what we observe.  The wise men noticed something that stood out to them and for some reason it carried a message to them that no one else seemed to get.  We really don’t know if this star was exclusively revealed to the wise men or if it was visible to anyone who happened to be paying attention to the sky.  I tend to believe that it was something God placed in the sky for all to see, yet the vast majority of people paid it no attention.  Whatever the case might be, these men observed something that both got their attention and led them to action.  Paul writes to us and challenges each child of God to live as those who “shine like stars”.  Our joy ought to be amplified when we observe the working of God in someone’s life, just as the joy of the Lord ought to grow in others as they see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.  When we seek to live with great joy in the midst of a troubled world, we live in such a way that a great observation leads us and others closer to Christ.
• Yielding.  Matthew 2:11-12, Philippians 2:17-18
  • The wise men appear to come from positions of influence and power as they are able to spend much time traveling, they gain an audience with Herod, and they have precious and valuable gifts to give to Jesus.  Yet the very heart of their trip was to worship and yield to the authority of this child that was born king of the Jews.  Their plans, even in their changed departure, was a continual yielding to the will of God.  It is this very element that helps us in having joy that the world knows nothing of when we find ourselves dealing with the struggles of life.  Even when it feels like our life is being poured out through the trouble of this world, we gain strength as we yield to God and desire His will to be done in us and through us.  When we daily yield to Jesus, we find that even the sorrows and grief of this life can result in the growth of our faith and testimony as we seek to make Jesus known.

Today, how will you have a Christmas JOY that others can see?

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This is the audio from the November 27, 2022 sermon, “The Christmas Family: A Place for YOU!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Matthew 1:1-16

Today began our Christmas sermon series with a look at the Christmas family.  Often times the first thing that comes to mind when we think of the Christmas family is the simple family of Mary and Joseph and then the arrival of Jesus.  At times we may expand our thinking to include Zechariah and Elizabeth, but Matthew begins his account of the Christmas story with an entire list of the family involved . . . the genealogy of Christ.  If you were to spend time going through the names listed, you would find people from nearly every type of background you can imagine.  There is royalty and refugees, rich and poor, nationals and foreigners, prostitutes and powerful, givers and takers, there are liars, cheats, thieves, holy, noble, humble, and nearly any other characteristic you can imagine.  In fact the list is so varied that I suspect that it shouldn’t be too difficult to see yourself in it in more ways than one.  And the good news when you gaze into this list of the family ancestors of Christ is that seeing a place for them in the family ought to help you to realize this Christmas family has a place for . . .

• Yourself.  1 Corinthians 6:9-11
  • I suppose it should seem natural to begin our understanding of a place for you with a discussion of it being a place for yourself.  Paul writes to the Corinthians and addresses a sampling of the things that keep people separated from God.  He is even bold enough to tell his audience that they once were defined by these very things until they were washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus.  It is important to notice that God’s desire is to transform people from that which once identified them to becoming children of the living God.  Jesus was born into this specific family line as listed by Matthew and we have the privilege of being a part of that family when we are born again into the family of God.  When you look at the Christmas family as being the family of Jesus, you find that your past and present do not disqualify you from finding a place for yourself in this family.
• Others.  1 Corinthians 12:12, 27-31
  • Knowing that there is a place for yourself is great news, but it is not the only news of the genealogy of Christ.  As you look into the lives of those listed in the genealogy of Christ, it is important to note that regardless of what they once were, each one of them needed the others to complete the family line.  Even as Paul writes to let individuals know the great value they have in the family of God, he often reminds them that this is true of others as well.  Living as the Christmas family, the body of Christ, requires that we know it is a place for others.  Jesus made it clear that He came to earth as the central figure in this Christmas story in order to seek and to save that which was lost.  When we consider the scope of God’s family, we must learn to value others and the part God has created for them within the body.  When you look at the Christmas family as being the family of Jesus, you find that it isn’t all about you but that it values others even above yourself.
• Understanding.
  • When you combine the value of yourself and the value of others within this Christmas family, you discover the value of us.  And while “us” would have been a good topic for this third point, I believe understanding is more fitting because that is the necessary quality that combines yourself and others to become us.  God instructs us as His children to live in understanding with one another.  It is through a deliberate valuing of our similarities and differences that we are able to make the most of the variety of talents, skills. personalities, and giftedness God brings together within His body.  It is in seeking this level of understanding that we find and can declare that each person has value not only to the body of Christ in the big, kingdom sense of the word, but each has great value to the local body of Christ as it meets to worship God, encourage one another, and make Christ known among its community.

Today, how will you see the value which belongs to each person God is calling into His family?

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This is the audio from the November 20, 2022 sermon, “Loving the Ungrateful: LIFT Them!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Luke 15:25-32

As we continue our “Loved By Jesus, Love Like Jesus” series, we will consider a few people who encountered Jesus and experienced His love in the midst of their ungratefulness.  Then we’ll dive into the ending of the story Jesus told about the prodigal son and look at some lessons from Jesus of how that father loved the ungrateful.

Nine of ten lepers — Luke 17:17
Jesus healed them even though they did not return to give thanks.

The people of Jerusalem — Luke 13:34
Jesus longed for them to know His protection even though they had not appreciated His coming.

You and I — Romans 5:8
Jesus loved us enough to die for us while we were as ungrateful as possible — dead in our sins.

How thankful are you? Would the people around you agree? Would God agree? How has, and does, God love you when you are not as thankful as you ought to be?  By examining how Jesus loved the ungrateful and looking at the love of the father for the older son in the story of the prodigal son, we find that we can love like Jesus when we learn to . . .

• Love Them.  Luke 15:28
  • I suspect that most people find it uncomfortable and discouraging to be around those we consider to be obnoxiously ungrateful.  When we read the reaction of this older son in the story of the prodigal son, we aren’t left to wonder what the father’s reaction was . . . the father loved him and pleaded with him to join the celebration.  The ungratefulness of the son did not lessen the father’s love for him.  In fact, I think it actually makes the father’s love more obvious.  It shouldn’t take too long when we consider our own life to realize that we have been that ungrateful child more often than we care to admit.  Yet, just like the father in the story, Jesus loves us and pleads with us to come home.  When we choose to lift the ungrateful like Jesus does, we must chose to love people no matter what.
• Include Them.  Luke 15:31
  • While our first reaction to someone that is chronically ungrateful probably would have us running in the opposite direction, the father in our story did his best to remind the son that he was, and had always been, part of the family.  When our ungratefulness isolates us, it simply leads to an even deeper level of ingratitude.  Our act of including those who feel unappreciated goes a long way toward lifting them from the depths of despair that they may be feeling.  Jesus sets the example when He sacrifices Himself so that we can be included and become children of God.  When we choose to lift the ungrateful like Jesus does, we must choose to include them..
• Focus Them.  Luke 15:29-30
  • As we love and include the ungrateful, we gain an opportunity to help focus them.  The father in our story let the older son talk and give his side of the story but he didn’t leave it there.  Many times our ungratefulness comes because we can’t see the big picture yet we think we know everything that is going on.  Listening to the stories told by others ought to help us have a greater understanding of what is important to them and why they are not thankful for what they have.  When we choose to lift the ungrateful like Jesus does, we must choose to help focus people on the work of God that is taking place all around us.
• Teach Them.  Luke 15:32
  • The final part of loving the ungrateful enough to lift them is to take the time to teach.  After our thoughts are turned toward God, we are better prepared to accept the teaching that He gives.  When we love, include, and focus the ungrateful around us, and even within us, we set the stage for real teaching to take place.  In our story, the father takes the time to teach the older son why they had to celebrate and just how big of a deal it really was for the younger son to return home.  When we choose to lift the ungrateful like Jesus does, we much choose to teach them accurately and completely according to God’s Word.

Today, how will you LIFT those around you that seem to be ungrateful?

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This is the audio from the November 13, 2022 sermon, “Loving the Broken-Hearted: Learn to HUG!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  John 11:21-42

As we continue our “Loved By Jesus, Love Like Jesus” series, we will look at people who encountered Jesus and experience His love in the midst of their brokenness.

Rich young ruler — Luke 18:23
“I just can’t do it!”

Peter — Luke 22:62
“Why did I do such a terrible thing?!?”

Martha & Mary — John 11:21 & 32
“God, where were you?!?”

Brokenness seems to be a part of life and I suspect that most of us end up heartbroken more often than we would like, and perhaps more often than we would care to admit. The good news is that Jesus loved the brokenhearted whether that brokenness was a result of loss or of poor decisions or any other reason. By examining how Jesus loved the broken, we find that we can love like Jesus when we learn to . . .

• Hear Words.  Luke 11:21-23
  • Sometimes the words of the brokenhearted are difficult to hear.  Even thought there appears to be an almost accusatory tone in the heartbreak of Martha and Mary, there are also seeds of faith in their words.  Jesus loved them enough to hear what they were saying and to respond in ways that made it clear they were heard.  When we seek to love like Jesus, we must learn to really listen so we hear what others say.
• Understand Heart.  Matthew 14:15-16
  • Hearing the words of the brokenhearted ought to help us have a greater understanding of their heart . . . and of our own heart.  Through actively listening, Jesus understood the pain being experienced by Martha and Mary.  God calls for us to weep with those who weep.  I believe this instruction, and Jesus weeping in our text, is not just a matter of joining in the action but more importantly, joining in the sorrow.  When we seek to love like Jesus, we must learn to open our heart to an understanding of the hearts of others..
• Give Hope.  Matthew 14:17-19
  • I suspect we’ve all had times when someone has promised something that we knew they would never be able to deliver even if they really wanted to.  Jesus comforted Martha and Mary with words that were not just mere words, but were words He could back up with action.  He provided hope not just to Martha and Mary by raising Lazarus from the dead, but hope to all who believe.  His actions made it clear that what He said was true whether we could see immediate results or not.  Jesus being the resurrection and the life ought to give hope to everyone who hears that proclamation because He demonstrated His power of life over death.  When we seek to love like Jesus, we must do so giving the only hope that is secure — the hope of Jesus.

Today, will you love the broken-hearted by learning to HUG?

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This is the audio from the October 30, 2022 sermon, “Loving the Helpless: Provide HELP!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Matthew 9:36; 14:13-21

While it never appears that Jesus pursued popularity and the crowds, at least early in His ministry it seems that the crowds would gather around Him wherever He went.  The most common reaction of Jesus to the crowds was one of compassion.  He saw them as “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”.  As we continue our sermon series examining how Jesus loved people so we can love like Jesus, today we look at the feeding of the five thousand to see how Jesus loved those He saw as helpless.  As is common in these encounters Jesus had with people, He not only knew what they needed but He also was able to provide it.  In this case, if you love the helpless then you become more like Jesus when you provide . . .

• Hope.  Matthew 14:13-14
  • Even in the midst of His own grief and sorrow, Jesus would look into the eyes of the helpless and find ways to provide hope.  People sought out Jesus because He was unlike anyone they had ever known and could do what no one else had ever done.  We love the helpless like Jesus does when we choose to provide hope in the midst of the struggles and hopelessness of life.
• Eats.  Matthew 14:15-16
  • At a time when doing so seemed impossible to those around Him, Jesus looked at the crowd around Him and decided to provide the food that they needed.  While providing “eats” seems to be the central part of the story, it really is just a supporting part in the bigger picture.  The “eats” we provide others will vary from person to person and situation to situation.  Sometimes it will be actual food and sometimes it will be something more substantial, but when we love like Jesus we will provide eats that meet the need of the moment.
• Lessons.  Matthew 14:17-19
  • While Matthew’s account doesn’t specifically say so, the other gospel writers refer to Jesus teaching the crowds even as He healed their sick.  Jesus was not one to waste a single opportunity to help people learn what it meant to be a follower of His.  Perhaps one of the greatest lessons taught in this story is the lesson taught to the disciples as He gave instructions to do an impossible task.  We would do well to learn and accept the truth of God’s Word when He says that with Him all things are possible.  We love people like Jesus loves people when we seem them in their need and provide lessons that are useful.
• Plenty.  Matthew 14:20-21
  • One of the most known verses in the Bible speaks of God’s nature of generosity when it says that “God so loved the world that He gave”.  When Jesus saw the crowds and understood their need, He didn’t simply provide enough to get by for now . . . He provided plenty.  I always suspect that the twelve baskets full of leftover was intentionally designed so that each disciple had a basket of their own to serve as a reminder of the generous nature of God in meeting a need.  We love people like Jesus loves people when we choose to provide plenty in response to their need.

Today, how will you provide HELP to those who are helpless?

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This is the audio from the October 16, 2022 sermon, “Loving One Another: WASH Them!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  John 13:1-17, 34

When Jesus wanted to give an example of what it looks like to really love one another, He gathered His disciples together to show them the full extent of His love.  He did so by washing their feet and calls us to follow His example in noticing when the people around us need someone to WASH them.  When we love people like Jesus does, we will . . .

• Want Them.
  • In Luke’s introduction to this Passover meal observance, he tells us that Jesus had eagerly desired to eat this meal with the disciples — He wanted them with Him.  While times of solitude were an important part of the life of Jesus, His love for those closest to Him was a love that made it known they were wanted.  We act like Jesus when we eagerly desire to be with those of like precious faith.
• Accept Them.  
  • As Jesus went around the table washing feet, He encountered the feet of Peter who would deny Him, of Thomas who would have doubts about the resurrection, of James and John who would argue about who was the greatest, and even the feet of Judas who would betray Him.  With all of their weaknesses, failures, and insecurities, Jesus called them to Himself and accepted their faith as enough.  We act like Jesus when we accept those who desire to know Him by faith even when their life isn’t put together any more than ours is.
• Serve Them.
  • It is nearly impossible to talk about being loved by Jesus and loving like Jesus without talking about serving.  In the case of this Passover meal, the washing of the feet was something that would have typically been done by a household servant . . . and generally the lowest of all servants would end up with that job.  I suspect that each person entering the room was aware that the basin and towel were there but not one of them stooped to pick it up except Jesus.  We act like Jesus when we notice the needs of others that no one else will meet and we step forward to serve them.
• Honor Them.
  • Jesus used the washing of the disciples feet to teach about honoring others regardless of how society might view you compared to them.  To give honor to someone else requires a growing humility that sees their value as being more important than our own feelings.  Jesus made it clear that it was right to call Him Lord and Teacher, but the example of their Lord and Teacher washing their feet was to be a call to the humility needed to honor others.  We act like Jesus when we choose to humble our self and  honor those around us.

Today, how will you follow the example and instruction of Jesus to WASH others?

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This is the audio from the October 9, 2022 sermon, “Loving the Children: BLESS Them!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Mark 10:13-16

It seems the disciples thought Jesus was too important, and the children too unimportant, for Him to give them any of His attention.  It is important to realize that Jesus valued all people and seemed to pay special attention to those who were often pushed aside as being unimportant.  When we look at how Jesus loved children, we can learn to love children as we  . . .

• Believe In Them.
  • Believing in someone changes nearly everything about how we interact with them.  When Jesus chose to bless the children, it communicated His belief that they were important and valuable.
• Love Them.  
  • Loving someone with a love that is real involves looking out for their needs above our own.  When Jesus chose to bless the children, it communicated His love for them as He took them in His arms and accepted them.
• Encourage/Equip Them.
  • Encouraging someone involves a decision to be involved in their life in a way that helps them where they are and helps them get to where they need to be.  When Jesus chose to bless the children, it provided affirmation that helped them to grow as individuals.
• See Them.
  • Truly seeing someone will require us to turn our attention away from self so that we really notice who they are.  When Jesus chose to bless the children, it made it clear that they had been seen and were wanted.
• Serve Them.  
  • Serving others will require us to love in a way that seeks to understand what they need.  When Jesus chose to bless the children, He brought them close to Himself in order to serve them with a recognition of their value.

Today, how will you BLESS the children of any age, including your age?