Pastor’s Ponderings October 2024
IMAGINE
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise. (Psalms 51:10-12, 15-17)
Imagine our church without an organ or a piano or any musical instruments.
Imagine our church without any Sunday School or Bible Class or fellowship time.
Imagine our church without a kitchen or a furnace or a phone or electricity.
Imagine our church without a Baptismal Font or an Altar or Pews.
Imagine our church without a pastor or teachers.
Imagine our church without people.
We know that it costs to plant a field of wheat or to feed a lot of cattle.
We know that it costs to drive to Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or Branson, MO.
We know that it costs to see a doctor or buy groceries or mow the lawn.
We know that it costs to have cable or Netflix so we can watch a movie.
We know that it costs to go to a football game or a restaurant.
We know that it costs to live here in this world.
Salvation is free; but missions cost. If we believe that, if we believe it is important to share the gospel, if it’s important for others to know that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, what will you do, then imagine what God can do with us sharing the ‘Good News’!
- not having any worries. not having any challenges.
- no one caring. no one sharing.
- no one rejoicing. no one kneeling.
- our God not loving you. not being forgiven.
Thank you, Lord, for Your sacrifice!
‘Create in me a pure heart, O God’,
‘O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise’.
Pastor’s Ponderings September 2024
“Stirred to Serve and Share”
Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and
earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the LORD’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD. (Exodus 35:20-29)
In the stewardship workshop I attended last month, the presenter spoke about ‘Giving’ personally, with a plan, and proportionately. In the presentation, he didn’t talk about ‘tithing’, he wanted us to think how people can give personally, with a plan, and proportionately in their current life circumstance.
In the Scripture passage from Exodus 35, Moses reported to the people what God had commanded and what was needed in order to build the tent of meeting, a place to worship God. As you reread the above passage, what are the people stirred to do? Everyone who had something to give personally, with a plan, and proportionately brought it to the Lord. And the people were stirred to share jewelry, spices, oils, fabric, animal skins, wood, and precious metals as they were able. And the people were stirred to use that time and talents to build a place to worship, where they would worship the Lord.
Rev. Dwayne J Schroeder
Pastor’s Ponderings Aug 2024
Richness toward God
Nine for you, and one for me; nine for you, and one for me; nine for you, and one for me. Would anyone dare divide his money and goods with another like that? And you might say, “Only a rich man, only a man who lacks nothing could divide his possessions with another like that, but I’m not a rich man.”
Then again, we live in a time when so many people in America have never before in human history had so many things. And yet we often want more, and we will strive to get all that we want.
One day, Jesus warned a great crowd of people following Him about the self-satisfying behavior of greed. He told them a parable about a rich man (found in Luke 12, vs 13-21) whose fields produced an excellent crop. Upon seeing the bounty, the man thought “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” So the man who was already rich tore down his old barns and built new ones. And then he said, “I have plenty of good things laid up for many years. I’ll take life easy. I’ll eat, drink, and be merry,” but God had other plans for that man.
When the rich man asked, “What shall I do?” I think he also thought, “What shall I do with MY crop, MY life, with all MY blessings that I produced?” His take on things side stepped the true owner. He stepped around the Creator and patted himself on the back for a job well done. The rich man was foolish. He had fallen into the trap of self-importance and self-indulgence. He thought that the amazing bountiful crops were his because he put in a lot of time and money to get them. He thought that his future was his in hands, but God had other plans.
The most profound truths in this parable centers on one question:
How can I be rich toward God?
Richness toward God comes through seeing everything as a gift from His hand. Whatever is received in money or material goods or opportunities or in the moment of each day is purely and simply a gift from God. It’s an expression of His love. It is evidence of His grace.
Richness toward God comes through seeking His direction before settling on decisions. In Matthew 6:33, we are told “Seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His (God’s) righteousness, and all these things (what you have and hold) will be given to you as well.” Richness toward God, desires to do God’s will. And whenever we receive an excellent crop or a raise or an inheritance or a job, the first order of business is to ask, “How can God be glorified with His gift to me?”
Richness toward God comes through caring more about giving than getting.
The rich man in Luke 12 was consumed with greed and cared nothing about giving. And before we condemn him, we must realize and confess that we too have the same capacity to sin and be selfish. But, the self-control God gives us enables us to think about others before we think only of ourselves.
Nine for you, one for Me. Nine for you, one for Me. Nine for you, one for Me. God is our example of a gracious and generous Giver. He not only gives us material things, He gave us His only Son, sacrificing Him instead of requiring our life. We have been forgiven and declared holy in His sight. WE ARE RICH! And in this richness, we can be content while sharing the contents of God’s storehouse because of the treasure contained in God’s holy Word. Praise God from Whom ALL
blessings flow! Amen!
Pastor’s Ponderings June 2024
Go forth Planting Gospel Seeds …
while Serving Human Needs …
with God in the Lead
Watching the news while weather men and women track a tornado and then showing it touching down and tearing apart building and tossing vehicles is quite amazing and so sobering to see a tornado’s destructive power.
Many, if not all of you reading this article, have watched hours upon hours of television that was broadcasting images of destruction and interviews of victims that would go down in infamy. We know that there will be months and years of recovery. There will be daily reminders of what was lost for months, and there will be yearly anniversaries that will bring us back to those days (December 7th, April 19th, May 9th, September 11th, etc) when lives were changed forever.
And what will have come from all that destruction and debris and death? What will have come from hours upon days upon months of rebuilding? What will have come after billions of dollars have been spent and billions of man hours have been expended? Will we recall the Oklahoma Standard of how strong we are, how unshakeable we are, how resilient we are, how caring and giving we are, or how proud we are to be an American?
There’s a greater force than an EF5 tornado and that power is GOD. Believing in God, knowing and trusting Him, should comfort you as you watch TV or listen to the radio (as you remember what happened to you on an infamous day), as you see what God has done and is doing today. God was there with people as buildings were destroyed. God was there when death came and grabbed people from their family and home. God was there when He sheltered and saved so many people. God was there when the tornado stopped roaring. God was there when responders rescued. God is there as people serve people and as needs are being met. And why do we care, why do we give, why do we take time to answer, ‘Where was God when all this happened?’, because God is the Lord of our lives, and He motivates us; He moves us; He does mighty things through us, and we believe it’s very important to put Him first and to tell others:
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3).
The storm is over, but the cleanup continues and will last for months. The storm is over, and human needs are being met and will continue to be met. The storm is over, and the rebuilding has begun. God bless us as we go forth planting gospel seeds … while meeting human needs.