I have begun preaching through the Gospel of Matthew. At the pace we are going, it will be into 2011 before we finish, maybe longer! Part of this is my desire to see us return to the basic story of Jesus, part of it is a desire for us to see the Gospel story as just that…a story. As we walk thru this book over the next few months and see how certain themes and ideas are repeated, we can get a better idea of what God wanted to reveal to us through the life and teachings of Jesus.

But one other reason Matthew wrote his gospel was to link the God of Israel and the OT with the Jews and Gentiles that God was reaching out to through his son, Jesus Christ. You see, Matthew was very interested in linking with the story of God in the past, bringing it to the present, and pointing to the future kingdom of God.

Matthew, echoing Jesus’ words (Matthew 5:17-20), never wanted to negate anything that God had done or said in the Old Testament, but he also knew that God was doing something new in Jesus, and that the kingdom of God was not a static, unmoving thing; but instead the kingdom of heaven was a dynamic, never before seen reality. God was doing something new!

Last fall, we were fortunate to get a few hostas from El St. John’s garden. Hostas are a lily-like plant, one of many, many plants to be found from El’s home. Annie planted them in front of the parsonage, not knowing whether or not they would take. Well, I am happy to say that in the past couple of weeks all of them have come up and look to be good and healthy!

Some day, a new pastor will come along, never having met El St. John or so many other Big Island saints that have gone on to glory. I feel it will be part of my responsibility to make sure they know the story behind those hostas. They may not want to keep them, they might want to move them or do something new with them; but I still want to make sure they know their story.

This is our task in the kingdom of heaven today. Let us never forget or neglect the past, but also let us never be afraid when God desires to do something new in us and in our community. May our hearts always be open and our faith courageous as each new day dawns upon us. What is God doing new in your life? And if you can’t answer that, pray to God that He will reveal His plan for something new in your life.

This Sunday we will have several reminders of God doing something new in our world – Dot Abel will be baptized as a symbolic act of being buried and resurrected with Christ into new life, and we will celebrate communion as a reminder of the new life all believers have through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and our repentant hearts. Our handbell choir will be playing, too. Our text will be Matthew 4:23-25…hope to see you there!

Grace and Peace

Pastor Bryon

Good afternoon! I hope this email finds you all well. May God bless you today and throughout the week!

Annie has started a Bible Study for women as part of our Wednesday night ministry, and she and I were talking about some of what she would be presenting tonight. As she shared, there were a couple of things she had found in the text/topic that I had not really researched or considered before. I was reminded then of how exciting it is to me to know that someone else is digging into God’s Word and finding new truth and application for their life.

How often do we “read” the Bible but not really “learn” anything from it? Sometimes it can become just so many words on a page, and when we finish, we check it off our list, and go to the next item. No, God’s Word is something to be savored, something we should linger on and consider its meaning for us in that moment.

When I do Bible Study these days, I have as many as 8-10 Bibles spread around me along with 2-3 commentaries/dictionaries as I try to understand as much of the text as I can. I can’t say I always did this, but recently I have had such a hunger for this that I have so enjoyed digging in deeper and deeper. As I find out new details and things to add to my understanding, I am so blessed and challenged. I have much to learn, that much is certain.

But that also becomes the difficulty – as I have been preparing for preaching from Matthew for the next few months (likely more than a year, to be honest) I am already struck by Jesus’ words and his teachings. Can I be honest? I am going to say some things this Sunday that are likely to make several folks very uncomfortable, potentially even more than that! I certainly pray that I am faithful to the text and in my delivery, but as I see the radical faith and life that Christ calls us to, I can’t help but see some serious challenges that you and I (oh, yeah, I’m guilty, too!) really need to work on.

If you don’t regularly attend worship with a community of faith, I hope you’ll come join us Sunday. Warning! Might be some tough things to hear. But I also firmly believe you’ll come to know the love of God deeper through an engagement with the Bible and fellowship with others. Let’s take life seriously…let’s take God seriously! I don’t believe there is any one of us that couldn’t benefit from a deeper relationship with God.

My text Sunday will be Matthew 4:18-22. You can listen to last week’s sermon on Matthew 4:12-17 here. Hope to see you Sunday!

Grace and Peace

Pastor Bryon

First, God needed to show me who I was being.  I had some stereotypes I was working from and so I jumped to some conclusions before I even really had a chance to find out a decent portion of the story.  In short, God humbled me, and He did it in a much nicer way than I deserved.

Then, He opened my mind up to some new things I hadn’t really considered; in fact, He showed me that I don’t know everything!  Soon after, God reminded me that one of the greatest things He does is redeem relationships.  He redeems humans to Himself through the sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but more than that, He offers redemption within human relationships when we allow grace to flow through us.

Quite a couple of days, huh?  So, I’m reminded that I need to listen better.  And now I’m trying to really listen.  If the past couple of days is any hint of what God is up to, I really hope I don’t miss anything He has to say before the end of the week!

This is a quick story, but let me leave you with this question…What is God trying to do new in your life?  How well are you listening?

I’ll be preaching on Ephesians 4:1-16 this Sunday.  The title of my message is “Us + ??? = One” – hope to see you there!

Blessings

Pastor Bryon

1:00pm-10:00pm

Sedalia Center

space(Hwy 122 halfway between Big Island and Bedford)

Admission = $10/person (12 and under free)

GREAT FOOD

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, etc. will be available all day (BAKE SALE, too!)

A BODACIOUS BBQ with all the fixins’ available beginning at 4:30

LIVE MUSIC

1:00-2:00 Black Bear Express 3:00-4:00 Long Mountain Grass 7:00-8:00 Faithridge (Dobie Toms)

2:00-3:00 Bib Overhauls 4:00-5:00 Bib Overhauls 8:00-10:00 Williams Brothers

**Oscar Brooks will be playing throughout the day in between sets

LIVE AUCTION

Begins at 5:00pm – items include a Hammered Dulcimer, 19th Century Hope Chest, Antique David Brown 1955 Diesel Tractor (running!) w/3pt-hitch & PTO, and more! (Pictured below are the Hammered Dulcimer and a hand-made tin lamp.)

MOTORCYCLE POKER RUN

Registration begins at 9:30am, depart at 10:30am.

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Camping will be available Friday and Saturday nights. Those with campers can set up with full hook ups for $20 for one night or $30 for both nights. Rough camping is also open for $5/night.

For more information, call 434-299-5080 or email Rev. Bryon LePere.

Fall is here, and the leaves are changing!  It was a great day in worship today.  We certainly rejoiced as we baptized one of our young people.  I am excited about what God is doing in Tyler’s life.

As you listen to the sermon, I want you to think about the grace that God has offered you in Jesus Christ.  More than once I have heard someone say that they didn’t believe God could forgive them, that their sins were too many and too bad for God to forgive.  Scripture is very clear that the grace of God is open to everyone, including you!

In addition, we need to be careful how we judge others and their ability to gain this grace.  As much as we are unworthy of God’s gift, so is everyone else, and yet the same potential for salvation lies with everyone.  We as Christians need to be cautious that we don’t put man-made obstacles in front of those seeking a deeper relationship with God.

Thanks for checking in, and I pray this message blesses you!

Download the message here:  No Camels Allowed – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Acts 10:9-23
• Hebrews 9:22-23, 10:2, 10
• Acts 10:43
• Titus 3:3-8, 1 John 1:9, 1 Corinthians 10:13
• John 1:29, 3:16, 8:12, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:19, 1 John 2:2
• Romans 14:13, Titus 3:9-11
• Acts 2:1, 46, 9:31

What another glorious day to be in God’s house today!  We were blessed to have 3 of our young people baptized during the service.  Taking a cue from the meaning of baptism, I challenged us to rethink how we approach our marriages.

Just as in baptism we are to die to self and live for Christ, in marriage we should die to self in order to live for the “one flesh” that we become when we are married.  In addition, where Christ says that “what God has joined together, let no one separate”, I believe this is not simply a reference to divorce, but that anytime we reject or neglect our spouse we are acting in a way that separates us from that which God has joined together.  I pray this message will bless you and your relationships.

Listen to the message here:  Wearing Your Neighbor’s Ring – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Mark 10:2-9
• Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:1-4
• Ephesians 5:28
• Leviticus 19:18
• Genesis 2:24
• Jeremiah 1:16
• Deuteronomy 10:20, Joshua 23:8
• Galatians 5:14-15

We started last week looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan and the important question – who is my neighbor?  I wanted today to challenge us to look at the neighbors we live with.  What I mean is – before we can love our neighbor next door and around town, we need to do the best we can to love our immediate family under one roof.  How we treat our spouses, children, etc. is more important than how we treat others if we look at the direct language of 1 Timothy 5:8.

This morning I challenged the congregation…and I want to challenge you…each day this week (Sunday thru Saturday) I want you to take a moment and hug each member of your household and then tell them that you love them.  That’s right, every person and every day, hug them and tell them you love them.  Blessings…Pastor Bryon.

Listen to the sermon here:  Living With Your Neighbors – Rev. Bryon LePere

***The sermon begins at the 15 minute mark of the file.***

Scriptures Referenced:

• 1 Timothy 5:3-8
• Matthew 15:3-6
• Psalm 15:3, Romans 13:10
• Hebrews 13:4, Ephesians 5:22-33, Mark 10:9
• Proverbs 13:1, 15:5, 19:26, 20:11, 22:6, 31:15, Ephesians 6:1-4
• 1 Timothy 6:17

Another beautiful day today!   God’s Creation has certainly been on full display here recently as fall is approaching.  Yesterday my sermon came from the parable of the Good Samaritan.  My hope was that as we studied and thought about the idea of loving God and loving neighbor that we would be reminded that the reason we are asked to show mercy to others is because God first showed mercy to us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Over the coming weeks, I plan on discussing more about what it means to love our neighbor, and why it is so needed and important in our world today.  I pray this message blesses you!

You can listen to the message here:  Neighbors Place – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

• Luke 10:25-37
• Deuteronomy 6:5
• Leviticus 19:18
• Romans 13:10, 1 John 4:11-12
• Isaiah 53:1-7
• 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 2:2
• John 19:23, John 19:1

Today is Grandparents Day, and as I considered this I looked at Jesus’ family tree.  As I looked at the story that is written within Christ’s lineage, I noticed that it was not a story of perfection, but a story of faith and perseverance.

We need our grandparents/seniors today as much as ever.  We need them to teach us about prayer, about tithing, about marriage, and about faithfulness in general.

I hope this message blesses you, and I hope you’ll take time to call your grandparents (or another significant senior in your life) and tell them how much you love and appreciate them!

You can listen to the message here:  Generation to Generation – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures referenced:

• Matthew 1:1-17
• 2 Timothy 1:5
• 1 Kings 16:30
• 2 Timothy 4:6-8
• Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Know what I mean?  Thankfully, I’m not allergic to them, but still I was nursing my wound for a while.  By the time I went to bed, it was still irritating me.  The next day, it was an annoyance that itched a little.  On the second day, I could tell it was there, but only a couple of times.  Finally, today I can’t feel it at all.  The pain is gone, the itch is gone, the annoyance is gone.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of how we deal with being hurt by other people.  When someone wrongs you, hurts you, or sins against you, how does it feel?  How do you deal with it?  How long does the hurt linger?

Hebrews 12:14-15 reads, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

When someone hurts us, we should seek for it to be like a bee sting.  It may hurt initially, but within a short period of time, the pain should leave and eventually it should stop bothering us all together.  This happens best when we speak openly and honestly with the person who has hurt us, and we resolve the issue (Matthew 18).

I realize there are some pains out there that are harsher than others.  But let’s be honest, how often do we let a little hurt go a long way?  If we hold on to these things, they become a bitter root that grows and affects too much of our daily life.

I see too many relationships today being hurt by what I would call little things.  Sure, they hurt a lot at first in that moment, but in the big picture, how big of an issue is it?  Unfortunately, too many of our marriages, friendships, etc. are letting bitter roots grow and choke out the love that should be growing.

I’m over my bee sting, just a few days later.  What kind of stings are you holding on to that you need to let go of?  Why not start today?