David's Bucket

I will be spending the first three days of next week with our Senior Pastor, Mike Ramsdell, putting together the message series we will be sharing this fall. The feedback we hear from our congregation is always an important part of that process as we seek to discern what topics and themes we need to address in this upcoming season.

Here’s a few questions I want to invite you to ponder. If you a moment to shoot me an email with your response, I would greatly appreciate it!

What struggles are you encountering in your own life or do you see in the lives of others that you think our pastors should address in an upcoming series? 

What have we looked at in the past year that you would be interested in hearing more about? 

What series or themes might we address that you think would be particularly interesting to new Christians or those still seeking out understanding of the Christian faith? 

What parts of the Bible [books, themes, etc] would you like to see us address in an upcoming series? 

I will be teaching a class entitled, “Utilizing GPS for Daily Direction” that begins tomorrow night [Wednesday] at 6:30 pm in our chapel. GPS is the daily devotion guide we provide in all our weekend services as well as through an email subscription at www.growpraystudy.org. The class is focused on how to utilize this resource as well as how to read the Bible and allow it to speak into your life.

This is the first time we’ve offered this class. You can attend “in person” or pick up the audio via our new Church App. To download that new app, click here.

In the first message of the Power Failure series, I shared the following questions as a way to “test” to see how if we are somehow missing out on the power of the Holy Spirit. These questions were written in response to what Paul describes as the “Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

To listen to the full message, you can either listen here or watch here.

Do you ever find yourself wrestling with fear? 

Do you worry about what the future holds for you or those you love? 

Does worry ever seem to drive your life? 

Do you ever find yourself up at night unable to sleep because of anxiety about a potential outcome? 

How busy is your life? Do you ever feel like there just never seems to be enough time to do the things you believe you need to do? 

When you have the opportunity to be with the people you love the most, do you feel a sense of peace or do you find distracted by the busyness of your life? 

Do you often find yourself craving quiet space to connect with God? How often do you find that space in your life?

Do you ever feel alone?

How do you normally respond when things don’t go your way? Do you roll with the punches or does one wrong turn throw you completely off track?

Do you ever feel a strong sense of motivation to sacrifice for other people? Is sacrifice something that consistently enters your thoughts? 

Do you practice generosity? How generous are you with your time? When someone needs something from you, what initial feelings or thoughts enter your mind? 

As you receive financial resources, do you consistently and faithfully share those resources with others? When you give, do you do so cheerfully? In your giving, do you experience an increased trust in God’s love and devotion to you?

How often do you express gratitude to others? How often do you express gratitude to God?

Do you ever feel confused not knowing which direction to take with a small or large decision? 

Do you expect perfection from yourself or others?

Do you ever worry that you’ve disappointed God? 

Would the people who know you best describe you as a patient person? 

Between anger and compassion, which would you say is the more dominant and consistent emotion in your life?

When someone unintentionally hurts you, how do you normally respond? 

How hard is it for you to forgive?

Do you find yourself struggling to control those impulses in your life that you know are destructive to you or others? 

What do you do when you get stressed, frustrated or angry? Would the practices you turn to in these situations be those you would recommend to someone else dealing with similar situations?

Do you live with a confidence that comes from a belief that God loves you and is working in your life? How does your daily living reflect that? 

In preparation for General Conference, the quadrennial gathering of all lay and clergy leaders in the United Methodist Church from around the globe, Bishop Robert Schnase is doing a 30 day blog series entitled, “Remember the Future.”

You can read today’s post, click here.

To subscribe and receive each post of this series via email, click here.

O Lord, this holy season of Lent is passing quickly.
I entered into it with fear, 
but also with great expectations. 
I hoped for a great breakthrough, 
a powerful conversion, a real change of heart;
I wanted Easter to be a day so full of light
that not even a trace of darkness
would be left in my soul. 
But I know that you do not come to your people
with thunder and lighting.
Even St. Paul and St. Francis
journeyed through much darkness
before they could see your light. 
Let me be thankful for your gentle way. 
I know you are at work. 
I know you will not leave me alone. 
I know you are quickening me for Easter - 
but in a way fitting to my own history
and my own temperament. 
I pray that these last three weeks, 
in which you invite me to enter more fully
into the mystery of your passion, 
will bring me a greater desire to follow you
on the way that you create for me. 
Let me die to the desire to choose my own way and select my own cross.
You do not want to make me a hero
but a servant who loves you. 
Be with me tomorrow and in the days to come,
and let me experience your gentle presence.
AMEN.

*Taken from Henri Nouwen’s Lenten Devotional Guide, Show Me The Way