Fall Creek Christian Church

" I waited patiently for the Lord to help me and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me up out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:1-3 Growing up near Lake Michigan, I've made many trips to the sand dunes of Indiana and Michigan. They truly are a wonder to behold. Sitting on the top of those dunes watching the sunset sparkle off the surface of the water speaks peace to the soul. To get to this joyful place, however, one must endure an arduous hike up the sand dune. The energy expended for every step is absorbed by the sliding sand. It is slow and it is fatiguing. It is also, once at the top, worth it. We read in our verses for the day that the longing for stability and a new perspective is not a new phenomenon, nor is i

" Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)   But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, 'Why does he eat with such scum?  When Jesus heard this, he told them,  ' Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call sinners not those who think they are already good enough'" Mark 2:15-17 Looking in from the outside is not a fun place to be. Hearing of an activity that everyone else went to, but you weren't invited ... Walking up to a group talking and they immediately stop and disperse ... Entering a church only to receive the, "What are they doing here?" looks ... It doesn't feel good at all. The verses for today reveal that the "holier than thou" attitude has b

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, an expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!"  Exodus 30:1-5     My first significant project with a circular saw didn't go so well. Myself and another high schooler were tasked to build large sections of storage shelves. We had the plywood, the 2x4's, the hammers, the nails and of course, the saw. As the sawdust began to fly, the shelves began to come together. As we made our way through a particular piece of plywood, the saw hung up and I asked him to adjust the plywood while I continued to saw. Unfortunately, his adjustment resulted in the near amputation of his thumb. The subsequent trip to the

" Then Jesus said to the crowds and to the disciples, 'The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden. Everything they do is for show..."  Matthew 23:1-5a    It's been my observation of late that people have grown weary of the fake. My personal level of cynicism is at an all time high. Substance has been replaced by appearance. Character by expediency. Reality by perception.  It leaves one pondering the question, "Is there anything real and genuine?" This question is not exclusive to our experience. Jesus dealt with it too ... head on. He confronted the religious leaders of his day for their "do as I say, not as I do" lifestyles. These guys were real showmen. They had the rou