WEDNESDAY'S WORD - RESPOND - Sadell Bradley - 07/31/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD RESPOND 7/31/2024 "LIFE...it tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations." — Richard M. DeVos, American Businessman         "Sometimes, the best response is no response." —Brian Ortega, American Athlete RESPOND means to say something in reply. In congregations, it is to sing or say something in response to a priest or liturgical leader. In the card game Bridge, respond means to make a bid in answer to your partner's preceding bid. In Architecture, a respond is a half-pillar or half-pier attached to a wall to support an arch. Finally, respond means to act or behave in reaction to someone or something; or to react quickly to a stimulus or treatment. Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist, philosopher, psychologist, Holocaust survivor, and author of the bestselling book "Man's Search for Meaning," said, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." I can't imagine how someone who has experienced the concentration camps, starvation, slaughter, and burning of friends and family could choose to respond in a way that is joyful, life-giving, and forgiving. Frankl wrote, "“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Notre Dame championship football coach and commentator Lou Holtz once said, "Life is ten percent what happens to you, and ninety percent how you respond to it." The word responsibility can literally be described as the ability to respond, or the willingness to provide a positive, wise, and trustworthy answer. Choices and action in the face of difficulty are so crucial that we call the folks we trust to care for us in such situations, First Responders. The rest of us have not been trained on how to respond under the pressure like nurses, doctors, and EMT's. Perhaps at times we find ourselves reacting in stressful situations. Reacting is responding with hostility, contrariness or opposition. We are more prone to react when we're tired, hungry, anxious, in conflict, under duress— when we've been accused, or a boundary has been crossed. Even if that is the case with a fellow Believer, the Apostle Peter instructs: 8Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. 11He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 13Who can harm you if you are zealous for what is good?14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.” 15But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ. 17For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. With these things in mind...how will you respond? REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE $10 for BREAKFAST

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - BEHAVE - Sadell Bradley - 07/24/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD BEHAVE 7/24/2024 "You can't talk your way out of problems you behave yourself into." —Stephen Covey, American Educator     “If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another." —Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister BEHAVE! This is a word most of us associate with our childhood. It was usually said in the imperative as a threat or an enticement toward proper action. So this word could possibly be a trigger for some. BEHAVE means to act or conduct oneself in a specified way, especially toward others, or in accordance with the accepted norms of a society or group. Since the connotation of behave can evoke difficult memories, perhaps it is a word that needs redemption. BEHAVIOR is the way in which a person acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus. Leadership guru Stephen Covey asserts above that bad behavior can lead to negative, irretrievable consequences. That might mean it's possibly true that good behavior can result in blessings with positive, lasting benefits. Whether we're talking about physical or spiritual fitness, handling money, or having good relationships; we can behave into or out of a variety of circumstances. At times when we 'don't feel like' doing the right thing, we can behave our way there. Author James Clear in his book Atomic Habits (video summary attached), suggests that small changes in our behavior can change the trajectory of our lives. Do you remember a parent, teacher, or coach saying, if you stop talking about what you're going to do...and ACT or BEHAVE as if it's so...those good feelings you desire will come. Paul, in Colossians 3 details how Christ followers hold personal responsibility before the LORD to BEHAVE like Jesus: 5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. BEHAVE YOUR WAY THERE...

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD -PATIENT - Sadell Bradley- 07/17/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD PATIENT 7/17/2024 “Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The Spring will come." - Robert H. Schuller, American Clergy AREA WIDE PRAYER GATHERING THIS SATURDAY 9:00 AM The Warehouse Church 691 Fleming Road, Cincinnati, OH 45231     "Patience is not simply the ability to wait, it's how we behave while we're waiting." —Joyce Meyer, American Clergy Some things take time. No truer words have been spoken. This lesson was not impressed on many of us. We were told things should come fast and easy, especially if it's "from God." When the rock group Queen sang, "I want it all! and I want it now!" they aptly described us. So we become disappointed, even angry when we have to wait. We joke that the thing Christians avoid praying for most is PATIENCE—the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. I'm not sure if our first priority is dodging the wait, evading the trouble, or bypassing our emotions...but we seem to instinctively know that patience's root pati in Latin means suffering and delay. I'm in awe of endurance athletes. No matter if they're warm climate Triathletes, climbing a mountain peak, or cold weather skiers navigating snow banks: the power to endure unpleasant or difficult climates and situations without giving way is amazing. The satisfaction is reaching the zenith or crossing the finish line of a marathon. The number of times they've thought of quitting is probably high. Paul wrote to the Church in Rome that they should, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12) For them, patient endurance was not a sport, it was a matter of life and death. Patience as a fruit of the Spirit enables us to suffer long with people without getting angry or seeking retribution, Greek makrothumia. It also enables us to bear up under and endure difficult circumstances, Greek hupomenó. The old folks used to sing, "You can't hurry God. You just have to wait. You have to trust Him and give Him your time...no matter how long it takes. He's a God, you can't hurry. He'll be there, don't you worry. He may not come when you want Him but He's right on time." We want the LORD to fix our situations immediately. Though God, the ruler of the universe, is never late, at times it seems He's moving at a snail's pace. The LORD recently informed me one of my problems was impatience. After getting over my shock, I "reminded" Him just how long I'd been waiting. But patience is not just the length of time your desire hasn't happened, it's also your attitude throughout. I'll admit being on a dispositional/emotional rollercoaster. Jesus told His disciples, "By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls." (Luke 21:19) Our mind, will, emotions, and decisions are all affected by how patient we are, or are not. Guards at Buckingham Palace are trained to endure insult, injury, and indignity while they stand faithfully to protect the Monarchy. Nothing can dissuade them to leave their post or fail to fulfill their duty. When things are difficult for us, we are tempted to throw in the towel, go AWOL, or flee. The writer of Hebrews described our deficiency in those moments, "For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised." (Hebrews 10:36, AMP) So, don't be weary in well doing, in due season you will reap if you don't give up, cave in, and quit. (Galatians 6:9) Wait on the LORD!

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - MERCY - Sadell Bradley - 07/10/2024

WEDNESDAY'S WORD MERCY 7/10/2024 “Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to other's show, that mercy show to me." - Alexander Pope, English Poet         "Cowards are cruel, but the brave love mercy and delight to save." —John Gay, English Poe We are living in what too often seems to be a merciless society. I'm not just talking about the violence, war, and political vitriol that is pervasive—making us feel less and less human. A single mistake, wrong answer, or show of weakness can disqualify a lifetime of good in this "cancel culture" where folks are so easily written off. We're really hard on ourselves, and on each other. It is no wonder so many suffer with anxiety, perfectionism, and depression. In this current climate, there is little safety and security, and much to fear relationally. This is also true in the Church, where in 2022, 42% of its clergy considered quitting—citing stress, loneliness, and isolation, as top issues. The pressures are not just around personal and church sustainability, congregational attendance, and buildings. It is also navigating the unforgiving, intolerant, and often ruthless environment in which we now live. MERCY is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. It is said that mercy is not getting the bad you deserve. Grace is getting the good that you don't deserve. In faith-based social justice circles, one favorite verse is Micah 6:8, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." One pastor I know is so fanatical about mercy because he knows how much he needs it. Clergy experience people, (and they sometimes experience us), in the worst of moments. Pastors are called to understand, and are expected to show mercy and give grace to others, even if we don't receive it ourselves. In particularly difficult situations where he had the opportunity to scold, judge, write off, or punish...this pastor would opt for mercy, saying, "I don't want to reap that," He believed that mercy was part of the sowing and reaping cycle. Jesus taught His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." The Good Samaritan in Luke 10, was willing to offer a Jew, his cultural foe, the love, care, and compassion he needed after being beaten and left for dead on the road. When the despised Samaritan came, he felt compassion for his enemy, bound his wounds, and put him up in an inn. Where two religious leaders had looked the other way and passed by...he mercifully acted to save his adversary's life. A teacher of the law had asked Jesus earlier what was the greatest commandment. Jesus replied, loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself. The leader, testing Him, asked..."Who is my neighbor?" (vs. 25-29) After telling the parable, Jesus asked the leader, "36“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE $10 for BREAKFAST

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD - IDOLATRY - Sadell Bradley - 07/03/2024

 

WEDNESDAY'S WORD IDOLATRY 7/3/2024 “We call an obsession with having someone's approval "co-dependency;" the Bible's word for it is idolatry. A country can be an idol. A family can be an idol." - John Ortberg, American Clergy

IDOLATRY is the worship of idols; an extreme admiration, love, or reverence for someone. An IDOL is an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship; a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved or revered. From the time Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai, God's instructions on idols were very clear in Exodus 20: 3“You shall have no other gods before Me. 4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Modern pastors like John Ortberg above, hold interesting thoughts on idolatry. Ortberg, suggested that an obsessive need for the approval of others, nationalism, and even an over-emphasis on family can be idols. We live in a country with a show called, "American Idol," from which many 'stars' have been made. Actor Emilio Estevez said on social media outlets like Twitter, each of us tries to secure as many "followers" as possible, intimating that we are very invested in our own praise, affirmation, and admiration - idolatry. We work to collect a group of fans, adherents, and sometimes worshipers. Pastor John McArthur is quoted as saying, "I wouldn't fight for religious freedom because I won't fight for idolatry. Why would I fight for the devil to have as many false religions as possible and all of them to be available to everyone?" The First Amendment in the US Constitution's Bill of Rights "forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual's religious practices." (Cornell Univ.) I wondered how Jesus would answer McArthur's stance. Jesus didn't seem insecure about the probability that some would not choose to worship Him. With the Samaritan woman at the well, after He parsed out her tendency to use relationships with men to meet her needs, Jesus gently corrected her misguided thoughts on the object and physical location of worship, and pointed her to Himself, the well of living water. 21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain (Mt. Gerizim for the Samaritans), nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” True worship is an internal, unseen exercise. While we humans seem to always be searching for and finding ways to worship and to be worshiped by one another...God the Father is seeking those who will voluntarily choose to worship Him only. Even as a pastor, I've had to check myself for being overly concerned with what individuals think or say about me. There have been times when I've prioritized work, family, desires, and entertainment over my connection with the LORD. Sadly, I've at times been more concerned with how many people are following me verses how deeply and truly folks are following JESUS.