Summer Sermon Series: the Lord's Prayer

 Seven short sermons on the Lord's Prayer presented by Rev. John Stuart of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

A Little Yeast - Galatians 5:9

Galatians 5:9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” (NIV)

I’ve never made bread, so I don’t know what the process involves. I understand that the little portion of yeast enables the bread to rise when being baked and creates a great texture for eating. All I truly know is that I love bread – buttered, toasted, freshly baked or shaped into rolls, sticks, and loaves – to dunk in my soup, or at the side of my plate, or even filled with meat, cheese, tomatoes, and pickles. I may not know how to bake it, but I sure know how to take and consume it!

Last night, I attended an ecumenical meeting in our town called ‘Justice Knox.’ Two other folks from our congregation were also at the event. The whole purpose of ‘Justice Knox’ is to encourage people of all faiths to come together from our churches, synagogues, and mosques to tackle social justice problems in our city. Individually, we cannot do much on our own, but when we combine our focus and resources together, we can act like yeast to work with our local leaders and authorities in dealing with issues of Affordable Housing, Mental Health, Public Schools, Accessible Health Care, and Drugs and Crime. If we pray, meet, and work together, we can effectively influence local politicians and policies to make life better for everyone in Knoxville.

Being the yeast is something that Christ calls all of His followers to become so that the Bread of Heaven may be effectively and fairly shared with everyone. If we are willing to do this, then we will bring better and more lasting changes to our community and society.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to effectively give of ourselves to lovingly share and support all whom we meet today. Allow us to be the yeast of Your grace that is needed in whatever circumstances, events, or encounters we experience. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Call to action: Ask God to bless people of faith in our community by providing us with opportunities to share in ministry, mission, and service together. Please share this devotion with your family & friends, too.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of my Knoxville drawings called Sunsphere City. If you want to view a larger version, please click this link: Sunsphere.

All for Nothing? - Galatians 2:21

Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (NIV)

            Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and I remember an embarrassing mistake or something foolishly spoken that I committed years ago. The event or the expression I used stings my pride and I feel sorry for having said or done something stupid that may have hurt or disappointed other people. As I think about my mistake, I wish I could go back and change the past, but that’s not ever going to happen, so I make a silent prayer to God and ask for Jesus to forgive me. I cannot alter the consequences of my error either, but I am able to leave it in the hands of God after confessing my sin.

            This reminds me of why we all need a Savior. We could say to God that we regret the past and will try to be better people by making it up to Him with a whole load of good deeds, but all we would be doing is covering our shame and blanketing our remorse. We can never do enough good things anyway because there are other countless times when we have said or done something stupidly and selfishly sinful in all of our past.

            It is also the reason why the Cross is at the center of our faith. Without Christ’s sacrifice, we would sadly remain unforgiven for the numerous sinful moments across our entire lives. Without the effective work of the Cross, we could never be restored to God’s gracious love. If we could do this all by ourselves then, as Paul simply states, Jesus would have died for nothing, but because we cannot save ourselves, we need the power, purpose, and peace that the Cross of Christ provides for every one of us to be forgiven.

            So, perhaps the next time you or I awake in the middle of the night and recall an embarrassing or sinful moment from the past, instead of dwelling on our stupidity we should think about the wonderful opportunity to be totally forgiven and completely reconciled to God through Christ’s death on the Cross.

Point to ponder

What past regrets do I honestly have that still embarrass or shame me? Have I asked God to forgive me of them in Christ’s Name?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are at the center of history and the focus point of all this universe. Your Life matters to us in so many ways, but Your Death has significantly impacted us by negating our sins in order to let us be restored to our Creator. Thank You for such an amazing gift of love! In Your Holy Name, we humbly and gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Good Friday drawings called ‘Empty Sky.’ If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Sky.

Sleepless Nights - 2 Corinthians 11:28

2 Corinthians 11:28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (NIV)

Like most pastors, I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about and worrying over people in the congregation that I serve. I guess that other professionals – doctors, teachers, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and counselors experience the same kind of sleepless nights. Like them, I carry around in my heart and mind the many circumstances, issues, and even secrets that the people under my care have shared with me. At times those burdens are hard to carry, so at night I sometimes lose sleep by worrying about the church folks.

The good thing about this is that I also get some quiet time to pray for their situations. During the day, there is a lot going on and finding a quiet place or a quiet time can be hard to do. However, in the wee small hours of the morning, I can quietly come to God to pray for the healing, help, or wholeness that people need. I can whisper their names to God and ask for strength, guidance, and grace to be given to them. Usually, when I have about finished my prayers, sleep begins to drift over me, so I can return to my bed and get beneath the warm blankets to myself.

When I read today’s verse from the Apostle Paul, the first thought that crossed my mind was ‘he gets it.’ We tend to think about Paul being a fearless preacher who faced many dangerous and life-threatening moments in his ministry. But he was also a pastor who had a heart for the people he met – this is why he writes of the daily pressure he endures because of his concern for all of the churches that he cared about. I believe that Paul, too, had some sleepless nights and quiet moments of prayer for the church folks that he knew.

Maybe you’ve been waking up at night because of family, work, school, or health issues. Perhaps you are worried about money or concerned about the future. May I humbly suggest that you use those sleepless times effectively by seeing them as sacred moments when the Holy Spirit is calling you to pray? I think you’ll find an answer to your problems and a much better sleep after praying.

Point to ponder

What concerns do I presently have? When and where can I quietly pray about them?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when we have sleepless nights because of our current issues and prevailing worries, help us to quietly turn to You in prayer. Enable us to share deep concerns with You and to sincerely seek Your guidance and grace, strength and healing. In Your Holy Name, we quietly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s autumn drawings called ‘Fall Retreat.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Retreat.

Christian devotion - Life's Greatest Gift - Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9          For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

            If ever there was a Christian who did a lot of great works and fulfilled many mighty tasks for God, it was the Apostle Paul. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he spent the rest of his life sharing the Gospel, planting new churches, and writing inspirational letters which have largely shaped our faith for over 1900 years. He was an exceptional servant of Christ and an amazing church leader, the likes of which we shall probably never see or experience again. If Heaven was only granted to us through what we do, then Paul could stand at the very beginning of the line of billions of people waiting to get in.

            And yet, even with all of the great and important things he fulfilled, Paul understood that his salvation did not depend upon what he did, but it absolutely hinged on everything that Jesus accomplished.

            The gift of Heaven comes to us through Christ’s grace. We are saved because He allows us to be forgiven and restored to God. Without Christ, we would end up being eternally separated from God; with Christ, we are uniquely given the promised opportunity of entering God’s everlasting and loving presence. Salvation is not awarded to us because of who we are or what we have done; salvation is given to us because of who Christ is and what He has fulfilled. His crucifixion has given us forgiveness; His painful death has granted us everlasting life.

            Today, we should all feel blessed to be Christians and cheerfully share that blessing with others – our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues – for in the end, isn’t this the gift that everyone is looking for at the end of their lives?

Questions for personal reflection

What do the words ‘salvation’ and ‘grace’ mean to me? How have I experienced them in my life?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of grace and the opportunity of salvation. Remind us each day that these promised gifts are real blessings in our lives. Give us the courage to share these blessings with our loved ones and others. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today’s image is one of his latest Pentecost drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Pentecost.