God Chooses You By Beth Demme Last week I shared my thoughts on how some Christians take on legalism and judgmentalism instead of the yoke Jesus offers. Like the Pharisees, they focus on the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the law. I think Jesus releases us from the prison of self-righteousness. We don’t have to try …
Wearing the Right Yoke Leads to Freedom
Wearing the Right Yoke Leads to Freedom By Beth Demme “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden …
Messy Beautiful
Messy Can Be Beautiful By Beth Demme My daughter is an artist. She has always had an eye for shape and color and an incredible ability to understand spatial relationships. I find her skills especially amazing because they are so different from my own. Spatial relationships–and all things geometrical–are fairly mysterious to me. I remember feeling utter confusion as a …
But God Prayers
But God Prayers By Beth Demme Sometimes it comes out as a whine. “But God, I’ve been waiting for so long.” Other times, regrettably, it comes out like a toddler-style tantrum, “But God, that’s not what I want (or how I wanted it)!” Sometimes it comes out like a plea, “I hear you, but God, please help me!” These are …
Why I Mumble the Lord’s Prayer
Why I Mumble the Lord’s Prayer By Beth Demme I love it when we recite the Lord’s Prayer in worship, but recently I started mumbling it. On purpose. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And …
Jesus Was Amazed By An Outsider
Jesus Was Amazed By An Outsider By Beth Demme Picture the scene. A Roman soldier, a Centurion in charge of 100 men, comes to see Jesus. There’s been an accident or maybe an illness. The Centurion’s servant, someone important to him, has been paralyzed. The Centurion comes to Jesus, sure that Jesus can help. The Centurion comes as a man …
The Paradox of Worthiness
The Paradox of Worthiness By Beth Demme Remember the movie Wayne’s World? Or maybe you remember it as a skit on SNL? Mike Myers and Dana Carvey play Wayne and Garth. Whenever Wayne and Garth meet someone famous or someone they idolize, the bow repeatedly and say, “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” That’s how we feel before God, isn’t …
For Abundance Live In Dependence Not Independently
Abundant Dependence By Beth Demme I think it was Kurt Vonnegut who first said, “I am a human being, not a human doing.” In a society where busyness is a sign of accomplishment and significance, it’s easy to blur the lines between being and doing. It seems like we do more to have more because we want to be more. …
God Is Bigger Than My Theology
Boat Theology By Beth Demme You know the passage in Matthew where Jesus walks on the water? Jesus and the disciples feed over five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish. (Matthew 14:17-21) Jesus then herds the disciples into a boat and sends them across the Sea of Galilee. Later, Jesus was ready to join them and “he …
God’s Love Comes Before Your Mistakes
What if God’s Love Comes Before Your Mistakes? By Beth Demme It surprised me. I didn’t expect to find new, and personal meaning, in a concept as old as shepherding. I was studying John 10:1-10 for a recent sermon. In this passage, Jesus refers to himself as the shepherd and also the gate. My favorite part of this passage has …