Jesus and Me ... and the Cats

This is the third in the series, "Wholeness in Christ."  In the next three sermons, we will  look at the individual aspects of the interconnected human trinity of mind, body and soul.  We talked previously that the health of each these aspects impacts the other two.  We will explore ways of how our wholeness in Christ can be brought back into balance based on God's Word. John 17:9-19 Ephesians 4:20-24, 6:14-17 Experiencing freedom as whole persons in Jesus Christ -- what does that mean to you?  What do we need to be freed from?  John 8:32 tells us that the truth of God that we experience through Christ sets us free.  Today, we're going to find out how the Truth can free the mind and free us for wholeness. Sometimes, it is so annoying when some song gets stuck in my head.  Usually it's a song I don't remember all the words to, and a single phrase, verse or chorus, gets played over and over again. Songs are not the only things that ...

And He was saying to them all, "if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.   Luke 9:23 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.        Galatians 2:20 - For six days, Harley, my calico cat, has been trying to catch a moth.  Always out of reach, she has been relentless and somewhat obsessive in hunting it down.  This morning, it came to ground (or rather carpet), and I easily caught it and released it back outside.   It amazed me how fixated she was on that moth.  But then again, it is in her predatory nature to stalk, kill and devour.  It is how her species was created to be, and I wouldn't want to change it.  She has an important role to play, a purpose beyond companionship, and that is to keep my home vermin f...

This is the second in the series, "Wholeness in Christ" which looks at holistic self-care (mind, body and soul) as a spiritual discipline. "... By the seventh day, God had finished his work.  On the seventh day, he rested from all his work.  God blessed the seventh day.  He made it a Holy Day because on that day, he rested from his work, all the creating God had done."                                                               Genesis 2:1-4 (The Message) " Then Jesus said, 'The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren't made to serve to Sabbath                                                             Mark 2:23-28 (The Message) I live in a house of playing card...

This is the first in the sermon series, "Wholeness in Christ." Luke 10:25-28 Genesis 1:24-27    God spoke:  "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature..."             Genesis 1:26 (The Message) P art of the purpose statement of the United Methodist Women is to "...know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ.  It's something I think worthy of all Christians to aspire to.  But what does it mean to be a whole person and to live holistically through Jesus Christ?  It speaks to the nature of who we are as human beings and that means to first examine the nature of God whose image we are made in and base the concept of our wholeness in that. Image.  Imagine.  Imagination. God, all loving and all powerful, imagined a creation filled with beauty and wonders, spoke it into existence and smiled.  It was good.  And into this community of stars and...

Salt is good; but if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? Maintain salt among yourselves and keep peace with each other.”                                                                        Mark 9:50 (CEB) What is the source of conflict among you? What is the source of your disputes? Don’t they come from your cravings that are at war in your own lives?  ...    Brothers and sisters, don’t say evil things about each other. Whoever insults or criticizes a brother or sister insults and criticizes the Law. If you find fault with the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge over it.   There is only one lawgiver and judge, and he is able to save and to destroy. But you who judge your neighbor, who are you?                 ...