Answered Prayer

You have been praying for my friend, Chuck Evans. 

Chuck's liver transplant went well and the blood clot concerns have been resolved without surgery.  Praise the Lord!

Today Chuck was moved out of ICU into a recovery room. 

Thank you for your prayers and please keep them coming.

God bless you,
Pastor Shane

In Spite of my Efforts

Saturday I was honored to speak at a graduation commencement ceremony. I personally know the graduates and consider it a privilege to be offering them words of encouragement and direction. In fact, I was so happy with my speech, days earlier, I posted it on my blog. Yea, I know. I was setting myself up for a humiliating experience. So, at the graduation, my name is announced and I step forward to speak -- open my Bible to Genesis -- glance at the notes and..... (((( wait for it )))) .... I brought my sermon notes from a Ecclesiastes Bible Study I taught a couple days earlier. CRUD I didn't even bring the graduation speech notes. The good Lord likes to keep me very humble. So I blathered on through my speech.... as best I could remember. God promised that He would always bless His Word. So I kept it simple and clear and shut up. Oddly enough, no one noticed I was "note-less". So either I frequently blather around in my sermons and that is what everyone is accustomed to OR the good Lord reached into people's hearts and blessed in a supernatural way -- in spite of my efforts. Don't you love the fact that God is in control? I find it a huge relief to accept that God is at work, always accomplishing what is best in every situation. I am the first to admit that often, I have not a clue what God's plan is or what He is doing. However, I am also the first to acknowledge that the King if Kings and Lord of Lord -- does not answer to me. God is under no obligation to explain His actions to me. The question, "WHY?" will not be answered this side of Heaven. That is why God calls you and me to, "walk by faith, not by sight". If you could see everything -- it wouldn't be a "leap of faith". “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life— whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,  yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:28-34

Graduation sermon notes 2012

Pastor Shane's 2012 Graduation Sermon
The Incredible Adventure Begins GENESIS 12:1-9
·        Today we honor our graduates ~ this is NOT the END ~ it IS ~ a beginning
·        A BEGINNING of a journey that will require you to draw on everything you have learned
God contacted Abraham & said, “I have a plan”
·        God gave a set of instructions to Abram
·        those instructions were perplexing

LESSON: when God uses someone ~ DEMANDS

                    they leave their COMFORT ZONE
·        What God is looking for a young person whom he can use; that individual who will follow him

NOTE:  #1.  Leave your country

·        #2. Leave your people
·        #3. Leave your father’s house
·        #4. Go where I show you
a)     GOD: Abraham, this is God ~ I want you to leave everything & everybody & go
b)    AB:  Go where?
c)     GOD: If I told you ~ you would not believe me
d)    AB: Try me
e)     GOD: It’s 1500 miles away called Canaan
f)      AB: Never heard of it
g)     GOD: I know, and there is more
h)    AB: More????
i)       GOD: I am going to make you the father of a great nation
j)       AB: ahhhhh I don’t have any kids
k)    GOD: Don’t Worry ~ I have a plan
l)       AB: let me see if I understand ~ you want me to leave everyone & everybody ~ travel 1500 miles across the desert to somewhere I have never heard of ~ and become the father of a great nation ~ RIGHT?
m)  GOD: Right
n)    AB: Is this some kind of joke?
o)    GOD: Nope
p)    AB: One last question ~ What am I supposed to tell my wife????

READ: Hebrews 11:8

·        Ab OBEYED & WENT
LESSON: when God calls ~ He never EXPLAINS
·        God will give you enough to get you moving
·        The rest is up to Him

Verses 6-9: 1,500 miles later… Canaan… PAGANS

·        Arrived at Shechem – Central Israel ~ W Bank
·        “the Canaanites were in the land”
·        Met by pagan idolaters ~ sworn enemies
LESSON:  Faith is never EASY
·        Abraham’s 1^st act: build an alter & worship
·        FAITH leads to ACTION
·        ACTION leads to WORSHIP
HELP for CHALLENGES:  
·        Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:13 & 19; 2 Corinthians 12:9  
·        No challenge can come without his care; no difficulty without his deliverance; no hardship without his help.
·        The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God will not sustain you!
·        Abram. He received no road map, Google Map with directions ~ but he went
The Question is:  WILL YOU????

Come Apart or Come Apart

When I was 18, I drove to Chicago to attend Bible College.  After 4 years of working all night at odd jobs and attending class full time all day, I came home exhausted. 

My dad “suggested” that I stop by the family doctor for a check-up.  Our family doctor was a wonderful Christian man named, “Doctor Herman”.  He looked me over and said, “So, you are in Bible College. Do you ever read the Bible? Have you ever read Matthew 14, where Jesus took time off work to get alone on a mountain to pray? If Jesus needed to take time off from work to rest and pray, don’t you think it is a good idea for you too?” 

I am living proof that even pastor’s need a word of correction on occasion. For me, being on the “hamster wheel” and running at full speed makes me feel like I am accomplishing a great deal. 

Our society finds validation in the “hamster wheel”.  We start teaching kids this by booking their every waking minute in some sort of activity.  They don’t know how to be anything but busy.  Becoming a “workaholic” is part of the natural progression.   

There are 10,000 reasons for becoming a “workaholic”.  Most workaholics use obsessing about work as a technique to AVOID addressing the root problems in our lives. It is easier to stay at work and hide behind the cloak of "making a living" than to go home and address the "issues on the homefront" or open God's Word and stand honest and humble before our Creator and "address matters of the heart".   

To fully grasp how deceiving the whole “workaholic” problem can be, think about a magician.  When a magician performs his tricks, one hand is used to distract the audience while the other hand uses “slight of hand” techniques to fool everyone. 

When a workaholic has one hand waving in the air, showing everyone how busy he is and how much he is accomplishing, it establishes validation through motion.  Meanwhile the other hand is working behind the scenes to keep the illusion going.

I heard an old pastor say, “No one who has passed away and stood at the pearly gates of Heaven, ever shook his head in remorse, because he didn’t spend more time at the office”. 

"Immediately after this,

Jesus insisted that his disciples
get back into the boat
and cross to the other side of the lake,
while he sent the people home.  
After sending them home,
he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
Night fell while he was there alone.”
Matthew 14:23 NLT

Why is that????

When I drive past the amazing bakery at Super 1 Foods and resist the urge to purchase a dozen hot apple fritters, I don’t lose 5 pounds.

If life were fair, I would loose weight -- simply for resisting temptation.   

Reality is, when I drive past the amazing bakery at Super 1 Foods and I get downwind of their bakery exhaust and I catch a whiff of their tantalizing pastries, I gain 3 pounds.  The reality is, I don’t even have to eat it to gain weight? 

Why is that?

Last month I fell off the wagon and ate a pizza before bed.  I was sure I would pack on the pounds and my Diabetes would go into “coma status”. 

The next morning I hopped on the scales and…. I had lost 2 pounds and my blood sugar was “average” for my morning testing. 

Why is that?

Recently my wife and I were in Spokane at a restaurant for lunch.  In an attempt to eat “healthy” (whatever that means), I ordered a “Cobb Salad” (whatever that is).  After I got the plate of random odd looking stuff, my dear wife mentioned that the calorie count for the Cobb Salad was terribly high.  So then I was stuck feeling guilty for eating something – I didn’t even like.  I understand feeling guilty for eating a hot apple fritter – because there is a reward.  But feeling guilty for eating a salad is simply twisted and wrong. 

Why is that?  

My type 2 Diabetes confuses me to no end. 

In the mornings, I need to eat sugars or I get light headed, shaky and stupid. In the afternoons, I need to avoid sugars because they make my blood sugar spike, making me light headed, shaky and stupid.  So that reasoning suggests at some point around noon, I am BOTH hypoglycemic (blood sugar to low) and hyperglycemic (blood sugar to high).... and no, I have no idea if I am light headed, shaky and stupid or if the opposite is true because the two disease symptoms offset each other.    

Why is that?

 When God is blessing me and life is going my way, I am 110% sure that a spiritual downturn is in my forecast.  In fact, the higher the mountain top experience I am having, I can be assured that there will be a valley of direct proportions just around the corner. 

No, I am not being a pessimist.  I believe the mountain top experiences prepare me for the valleys.  My soul heals on the mountain top. And my faith grows in the valleys. Without mountain tops, I would burn out.  Without valleys, I would remain an untested adolescent. 

Face it, if you were to remain basking on the sunny mountain top all the time, you would never see any need to rely on God.  However, when you are in the valley and you are in the deep end of the pool and you are going down for the 3^rd time, it makes sense to recognize God as our only Savior and safety. 

Why is that? 

“The Father who knows all hearts

knows what the Spirit is saying,

for the Spirit pleads for us believers

in harmony with God’s own will.  

And we know that God causes everything

to work together for the good of those

who love God and are called

according to his purpose for them.”

Romans 8:27-28

Very Challenging

Philippians 4:5, “Show a gentle considerate attitude towards everyone”.

One word describes the application of this verse, “ARGGGGGG”.

That in itself is very “do-able” within the confines of your friends and family. 

However, it takes on a different look when you begin to apply it with people that are, shall we say, “less than agreeable”. 

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? 

Even sinners love those who love them!” Luke 6:32

I bring this up for a reason.  I have found this principle challenging here lately and I have been praying for enlightenment on how God wants me to HONESTLY accomplish this. 

The answer, was not what I expected.

“So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them”

Genesis 1:27

Here is what God was saying, “I made ALL human’s in My image”. 

WHO do you think you are to think you are better than someone else?

There are 2 types of people in this world:  FIXED and BROKEN

What is painful to accept is, if you are in the FIXED category, then tomorrow, you may be in the BROKEN category.

The spiritual application for this is simple, every single one of us DEMAND understanding and forgiveness when we mess up.  However, when someone offends us, we demand JUSTICE.  The exact opposite of “understanding and forgiveness”. 

I realize this is a heartbeat from preaching, so I will end this praying that GOD uses it to challenge you and change your heart. 

My final shot is:  “Does your heart need changing?” 

GVCC sermon Ephesians part 2

Garden Valley Community Church Pastor Shane Moffitt            May 13^th 2012

“Where Do I Fit In?” series

Ephesians ~ part 2 ~ 1:4-14
“KNOW Who You Are In Christ?

1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our

        Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
        in the Heavenly realms with every
        spiritual blessing in Christ”
·        “has blessed” ~ past tense
·        READ: 2 Peter 1:3 & James 1:17
·        “heavenly realms” are the invisible spiritual realities of our life now                  Colossians 3 & Ephesians 2:6
·        WHY?  Ephesians 3:10

7 Blessings God has for Believers

·        OUR PAST: God chose  (verses 4-6)
·        OUR PRESENT: Redemption (6-11)
·        OUR FUTURE: Inheritance  (12-14)

1)    FATHER verses 3-4:
He chose us  before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight

·  Question: Do you have “free will” or does “God choose”
 2 Timothy 1:9 & 2 Thessalonians 2:13

·        Coin Illustration:  God is sovereign (John 15:16; 6:44)              

& Man has free will (Romans 10:13; John 6:37).                            

Two sides of one truth.

·        God has mysteries in His Word ~
to remind us of His greatness
Deuteronomy 29:29 Isaiah 55:8
·        The only way to understood this, is in the mind of God

WHY is this IMPORTANT? 

·        KNOW that God chose you KNOW you are of great value
·        HOLY:     position not practice ~  Colossians 2:10
·        BLAMELESS: practice should match your position before God

2)    FATHER verse 5: He adopted us as sons through His son Jesus
·        RESULT of God choosing you
·        John 14:1-4 ~ access to Father

NEXT WEEK:
3)      JESUS verse 6-7: We have redemption and forgiveness
4)      JESUS verses 8-9: He made known the mystery of His wisdom
5)      JESUS verse 11-12: We were chosen to be living examples to bring praise and                     
glory to God
6)      JESUS verse 13: We heard the….gospel of salvation
7)   HOLY SPIRIT verse 13b-14:  We were marked in Him with a seal,                   
 the promised Holy Spirit

Broken

There is a story of a shepherd that was observed feeding a lamb with a broken leg. Someone asked him how the lamb managed to break its leg.  The shepherd commented, “I broke the lamb’s leg myself”. 

“The lamb would not stay with the flock and frequently wandered away.  When I called it, it would not come.  When I went after it, it would run away and would do its best to avoid me.  So I broke its leg so it would learn to rely on me, the shepherd to provide everything it needed.  The broken leg taught the lamb to trust me.  Now it knows that I am its shepherd and will take care of whatever it needs.” 

 
Sometimes, when we insist of going our own stubborn way and leading others astray, the good Shepherd will have to "break our leg" for our own good. The broken leg restricts our decision making and ability to run into trouble.  And it forces us to focus on the good Shepherd who loves and cares for us. 

 “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11

Many people are under the impression that once they are saved, they will instantly be free of all problems. 

Truth is, there will be problems, every day there will be problems…. but you will not be facing them alone. 

The Bible teaches us that Satan is the “Father of lies” (John 8:44).  This means he is on a mission to convince you that you can do it on your own – you don’t need anyone or anything.  Satan will tell you that you have everything you need to succeed, without submitting to God. 

Satan wants you to believe that God is the cosmic kill-joy and He will do everything possible to hold you back and keep you from having fun. 

“Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice”

Psalm 51:8
                                                                                                
Today’s Prayer: "Dear God, please give me the good sense to recognize You as my good Shepherd.  I need You to provide me the wisdom I need to submit to Your leadership and plan. Help me understand that Your discipline in my life is assurance that You are my Shepherd. Thank you for loving me enough to correct what displeases You. "

Elusive Peace

I have a meeting coming up that concerns me.  There are more things that could go wrong than could go right. 

What I find interesting is, I have been running scenarios on all the things that could go wrong and my options for how I should respond or how I should not respond. 

This type of thinking is not only causing me an elevated level of stress but has led me to mentally fight battles that I have yet to face.  How silly is that?  I may be shooting rounds at a target that may never show up.  Fighting battles that may never happen.

I know, I know, I am the only person that does this.  But just humor me while I reveal my Achilles heel for a moment. 

When I allow my mind to “coast” on its own, for whatever reason, it naturally tends to “assume the worst”.  Which is why, I am sure, the Bible commands us to control our thoughts and only allow them to ponder things that are pleasing to God.

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise"  Philippians 4:8

So our spiritual take-away from this adventure is, “When you are facing a difficult situation that is causing you stress, do you control your thoughts or do your thoughts control you?” 

I know that sounds redundant but the heart of it is, do you turn things over to God or do you try to control them yourself? 

Think about this, God did not design us to control the weather.  So why would we base our happiness on the weather?  God controls the weather, so if you are unhappy with the weather, then in essence, your complaint is with God’s decision making.  That is dangerous ground. 

Think about this, God did not design us to control other people.  So why would we base our happiness on other people’s actions and attitudes?  We have no idea what work God is doing in other people’s hearts and lives.  So when I forget my role in the great scheme of things and feel the need to manipulate or control others, I am setting myself up for disappointment and failure.

I could go on with the scenarios but my point is simple, “God is God and (thankfully) I am not God.” 

Thank goodness.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“I will answer them before they even call to me.  While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers” Isaiah 65:24

Abandonment Issues

Over a year ago, my wife and I drove to Seattle and visited a Pug Rescue Center.  It was there that we met a 10 year old ½ Pug, ½ Bulldog, ½ Heinz 57 named “Bubba Joe”.  10 years ago, Bubba Joe and his sister were selected together from a litter in Seattle. 

About a year ago, his sister passed away of cancer and the owners (for whatever reason), dropped him off at the Pug Rescue Center for adoption. 
 

Michele and I were drawn to the forlorn looking pooch curled up at the edge of yard.  He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.  I plopped down next to him in the grass and he didn’t even look up.  He gave off the vibe that he had been through this before and for “self-preservation” reasons, he wasn’t going to get his hopes up. 

I told the veterinarian that owns the Pug Rescue Center that Bubba Joe was going home with us.  She seemed to understand what drew me to the old dog and was happy that he was going to a family that had room for him to freely roam.

I relate this story because over a year later, every time I tell Bubba Joe we are going for a “ride” and start walking towards the pickup, he freaks out and starts backing up with his tail between his legs and a look of fear on his face.  He loves living with us and is spoiled beyond words – but he still remembers his last owner loading him up and giving him a 1-way trip to the adoption agency. 
Our spiritual take-away from this story is simply this, “No matter what our past relationship experiences has been – God will never abandon you”. 

Do not take your negative relationship experiences and superimpose them over onto God. 

God loves you

God cares about you

God will always bring the best out of every situation

Believing this is called, “faith”. 

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”  Genesis 50:20

GVCC sermon Ephesians part 1

Garden Valley Community Church
Pastor Shane Moffitt            May 13^th 2012

“Where Do I Fit In?” series
Study of the book of Ephesians
Chapter 1:1-2 introduction
1:1  Ephesians
Notice the 2 worlds Christians live in
                   “saints in Ephesus” 

Faithful in Christ”

·     “in Christ” describes all who are Saints

1:1  Saints:  What makes you a saint is

       not what you do but what God has done

1:2  Grace is God’s undeserved gift

·        The ORDER is significant ~                   God’s Grace THEN 2 God’s Peace

·        Definition of GRACE: “what God does for man through His Son ~ which man cannot earn, does not deserve, and will never merit”

·        Grace stresses God’s character and man’s sinfulness                               Mercy stresses God’s strength and man’s helplessness

#1. God’s Grace gives God’s Acceptance

·        Grace means we are completely accepted by God because of the perfect work of Jesus Christ which:

redeems us (Romans 3:24), reconciles us (2 Corinthians 5:19-21), forgives us (Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:6,7), delivers us (Colossians 1:13), justifies us (Romans 3:24; 5:1), and glorifies us (Romans 8:30)

#2.  God’s Grace gives Spiritual Power

·        (1 Corinthians 15:10)

#3.  God’s Grace gives a New Position

• Every believer a priest (1 Peter 2:5,9)
• Citizens of heaven and left here on earth as Christ’s ambassadors                 (Philippians 3:20; 2 Corinthians 5:20)
• God’s family members (Ephesians 5:1
• Adopted as God’s children with all the rights, privileges, responsibilities (Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 4:16)

#4. God’s Grace gives Eternal Inheritance

·        (1 Peter 1:3-4; Romans 8:33-39)

God’s Peace:

  #1. Peace with God = reconciliation

          (Ephesians 2:14-18; Romans 5:1

          1 John 1:9; 1 John 3:21; Acts 24:16)

   #2. Peace of Assurance

          Confident that God is in control

          (Philippians 4:6-9; Psalm 119:165)

   #3. Peace of Unity ~ Harmony

          Single-mindedness in purpose

          (Ephesians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:13)

          Philippians 2:1-4

READ:  John 16:33