2023
A Wilderness State Of Mind 2 27 23 - Mike
2021
Making Friends With The Night 1 1 21 - Madeline
2020
All Things New 3 6 20 - Madeline
Reshaping 3 8 21 - Mike
God In The Mystery 3 30 20 - Mike
Hope In Dust 4 21 20 - Mike
Holding On To Hope
5 12 20 - Mike
Incarnate Love 12 7 20 - Mike

2019
Vessels 3 29 19 - Mike
Jesus Breaks The Cycle 12 20 19 - Mike
2018
Amen 3 28 18 - Mike
Christmas Shopping 12 13 18 - Mike
2017
Labor Pains 3 22 17 - Mike
Salvation Begins Today 4 5 17 & 11 19 20 - Mike
God's Perfect Love 12 8 17 - Mike
2016
God Is Calling 11 28 16 - Mike
A Statement Of Intent 12 20 16 - Mike

 

Monday, February 27, 2023

A Wilderness State Of Mind by Mike

Scripture: Exodus 17:2-6 (NLT) - "So once more the people complained against Moses. 'Give us water to drink!' they demanded. 'Quiet!' Moses replied. 'Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?' But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. 'Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?' Then Moses cried out to the Lord, 'What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!' The Lord said to Moses, 'Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.' So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on."

Message: The people of Israel spent more time in the wilderness than they wanted to. As someone who has traveled in the Sinai Peninsula I can tell you the conditions are rough, dry, rocky, and the sun is blazing.

The wilderness wasn't just a place for the people of Israel. It was also their state of mind. They were not ready to move into the promised land. After God led them out of slavery, across the Red Sea in front of Pharaoh's army, and on the way to their new future they still had not learned to trust God. Without trust it is hard for a relationship to grow.

The Season of Lent can feel like a wilderness. We are preparing ourselves to enter God's promise of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. During this season I challenge you to ask God for living water as the anxious people of Israel did and to ask God for the faith of Moses who believed God is at work even when it doesn't feel like it.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us faith to trust You even when we are in the wilderness and when we are thirsty. Lead us Lord into Your coming promise. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski
Spring of Life United Methodist Church
Orlando, Florida

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New Years Day, Friday, January 1, 2021

Making Friends With The Night by Madeline

Scripture: Genesis 32:24-30 (NIV Extract) – “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak…. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’…. Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’…. Then he blessed him (Jacob) there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’” (Please read the entire text in your Bible)

Message: When I think of Advent, I imagine a cool night, sitting wrapped in a blanket, gazing at the stars. Maybe it is because we are told the birth of Jesus happened at night and the shepherds were watching their flocks and the magi followed the stars. In the season of Advent, I imagine myself in a spiritual place of darkness. Not the kind of darkness that is helpless and hopeless. The kind of darkness that brings peace and tranquility… that allows us to stop seeing for a moment, and instead focus on our other senses: feeling, hearing, smell. Many of us are not so good at sitting still and making peace with the darkness. We have come to fear the dark because it is filled with unknown, rather than approach it with curiosity about what it could birth in us.

One of my favorite scriptures is when Jacob wrestles with God. Jacob has some inner work to do after stealing his brother’s birthright. He wrestles with God in the dark the night before he is to meet his brother after decades of being apart. He probably pokes God in the eye and grabs at God’s ear, trying to see and understand. We know after his night of wrestling, Jacob leaves with a limp and a new name. I wonder what it would look like to make peace with ourselves in the dark… and how that would change who we are in the light.

Prayer: Holy God, You were born and so often revealed to us in the dark of night. Help us to make friends with the dark and see it as a place of transformation, rather than a place of shame and fear. And then, when we are ready, draw us into the newness of light. Amen.

Pastor Madeline Luzinski

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Saturday, March 7, 2020

All Things New by Madeline

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-5a (CEB) – “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband….. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, ‘Look! I’m making all things new.’” Please read the full text in your Bible.

Message: Sometimes there are things in our lives that happen and we wish they had not. Maybe a friend said something hurtful and you are not sure you can keep being friends with them. Maybe someone you know is very sick and you want them to get better. When these things happen, we sometimes wish that we could make things go back to the way they were before. Often times that is not possible. Instead, God uses the parts of our lives that feel broken and creates something new with them. God gives us new life.

Family Activity: Supplies: 2-3 pieces of different colored paper; 1 piece of white paper; tape. Take one piece of colored paper and tear it into small pieces. Then try to tape it back together. You might be able to do it, but it will never look exactly like the piece of paper you started with. Tear up the other two pieces of colored paper. This time instead of trying to make them look like they used to, use the pieces to make a new picture by taping them onto the white sheet of paper. Maybe you make a butterfly, a flower, a beach scene, or whatever comes into your imagination. This is what God is able to do with the broken parts of our lives. God is able to take them and make them into something new and something beautiful!

Prayer: God, Help us to see the ways You are taking the difficult parts of our lives and making something new from them. Amen.

Pastor Madeline Luzinski

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Monday, March 8, 2021

Reshaping by Mike

Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NRSV) - "The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Come, go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.' So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done?' says the Lord. 'Just like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.'"

Message: Lent is a season of reflection and spiritual growth. I have found in my life that when I am growing I am often uncomfortable. When I read the words of the prophet Jeremiah my first thought is, "ouch!" I t must hurt to be the clay being reshaped. It must be uncomfortable to be one shape and then be bludgeoned into another shape. The hands of the potter can be forceful.

I have had seasons of my life where I felt dizzy and bruised from being spun and shaped on the potter's wheel, 2020 was one of those seasons. Being a follower of Jesus is sometimes an experience of being on the potter's wheel. It requires deep hope and faith to remember that the outcome of the banging and the reshaping is something better than before. I've experienced, God working through experiences of pain, grief, and conflict to make me a better vessel of the Holy Spirit.

Being a useful vessel of the Holy Spirit is at the core of a life of faith. May the Holy Spirit flow through us so that we can share the life transforming Grace of God. May God use this season of Lent to shape us if we are in need of reshaping.

Prayer: Lord we submit ourselves to be shaped by You. We know this is a lifelong process and we know it is uncomfortable. Lord give us the grace to be shaped by the potter's wheel. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Monday, March 30, 2020

God In The Mystery by Mike

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:16 (NRSV) – “Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He Jesus) was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.”

Message: Mystery can be fun when you’re reading a novel, watching a movie, or in an escape room. At other times, mystery can be demoralizing, confusing, and draining. Lent is a season of mystery and waiting. Growing up in church, I was taught that everything was black and white, good or bad. I confess that as I first started to study more deeply I thought divine mystery was just a way people tried to sound smart while saying “I don’t know”. As I’ve grown in my faith I believe that leaning into the mystery of God is a key part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Lent is a perfect time to contemplate the mystery of faith. After all, it wouldn’t be faith if we understood everything. There are a lot of things I learned about in seminary that I still don’t understand. I confess to you that I went to seminary thinking that I would learn the answers to all of my questions. I left with more questions and better questions. I still don’t understand how Jesus is totally human and totally divine. I still don’t understand how resurrection works but I believe it to be true.

It took me a long time to accept that not having an answer was alright. I think I struggled with the emotional side of the question. Admitting that I didn’t have an answer made me feel powerless and small. Maybe those feelings lead us towards humility and open us to be better vessels of God’s grace. During this season of Lent may we reflect on God’s mystery and be at peace when we don’t have all the answers.

Prayer: God, You are mysterious and You reveal Yourself to us each day. Lord give us grace to serve You even when we don’t fully understand. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Tuesday April 21, 2020 - "The Connection" Series

Hope In Dust by Mike

Scripture: Genesis 3:19b (NRSV) – “you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Message: This scripture draws our collective gaze back to Ash Wednesday, when we courageously acknowledge the reality that we will all face death. Reminding ourselves of the truth of our mortality prepares us for resurrection. New life comes after death. During this difficult season we are reminded each day of the small deaths we are experiencing. Those small deaths hurt. We are not able to go out or gather at church as we normally do. Some of us are experiencing even more painful things, like not being able to be with your family member while she in hospice. These are difficult, dark, and painful times that we are all going through.

In the midst of it all, may we hold on to the good news that God is with us and death is never the end of the story. There is always new life springing forth out of the ground, especially in this season of spring. This resurrection truth reminds me of my grandmother’s favorite hymn. When she was alive I never understood why she liked it so much, but now that she is gone I am beginning to see what she saw.

“In our end is our beginning; In our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; In our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; At the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season,
Something God alone can see.”

(Hymn of Promise: Words & Music by Natalie A Sleeth, 1982© Hope Publishing Company)

Activity: Today spend time paying attention to where new life is springing forth. Take a walk around your neighborhood and make a list of all the places you see new life.

Prayer: Let’s pray, Lord Jesus we confess that we are suffering and hurting. We feel it in ourselves, in those we love, and in our world. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us so we may have the vision to see resurrection in the midst of the ashes. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Friday, June 12, 2020 - "The Connection" Series

Holding On To Hope by Mike

Scripture: Ephesians 1:17-19 (NRSV) – “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.” 

Message: Lately many people have been feeling out of control. The things I want to change the most in my life are the things I can’t control; I wish I could end the pandemic, I wish I could give jobs to those who are unemployed, I wish I could bring healing to those who are sick and scared to go to a hospital. It can be easy to feel helpless and dejected believing there is nothing I can do. That feeling is real but the idea behind it is a lie. The apostle Paul reminds us we have hope in God’s power. He implores us to hold on to “the hope to which God has called you” and rest in the “immeasurable greatness of God’s power.” This is good news!

How do we hold on to hope and rest in God’s power? In my experience, the first step is admitting I am out of control. This can be done through prayer or a conversation. I often admit my powerlessness out loud, “God I can’t control the pandemic.” That liberates me to ask God for help. Once I’ve given the heavy lifting over to God, I am free to direct my time and energy on smaller things I can control. Instead of solving the pandemic, I can lament for those who are hurting, be a good friend who listens, and affirm the feelings of those who need support. May we be beacons of hope for one another shining the light of Christ in the midst of the darkness.

Prayer: Lord Jesus give us grace to accept our feelings of being overwhelmed so that we can place our hope in Your faithfulness and power. We trust You are at work in the midst of everything going on. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Pearl Harbor Day, Monday, December 7, 2020

Incarnate Love by Mike

79 years since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor

Scripture: Ephesians 3:8-10 (NRSV) – “Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” 

Message: This year I feel tired of waiting to enter into the season of Advent. Why do we have to continue to practice waiting? I’ve been waiting since March for things to get better and that experience has been far from satisfactory. We must remind ourselves what we are waiting for during the season of Advent, the birth of Jesus Christ! We celebrate the birth of Jesus as the precise moment of incarnation. God’s love is made tangible in human form. Can you think of what incarnates the love of God today?

The church, we the body of Christ exist to make God’s love tangible and we are waiting expectantly to celebrate the good news of the gospel and we are taking the opportunity to live it out. The apostle Paul challenged the church to embody the love of Jesus. My challenge to you during this season of Advent is the same. Remember that you and I have a great gift to share, “the boundless riches of Christ.” God’s love is coming and it is worth waiting for. The healing power of love is always just around the corner.

Prayer: God we come to You today remembering that Your love is made tangible through Jesus. Lord Jesus open my heart to receive Your love that I may be a vessel of Your love to others. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Friday, March 29, 2019

Vessels by Mike

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV) – "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."

Message: My wife would tell you, I qualify as "not wise by human standards" or maybe even "foolish." Maybe you qualify too! I love this passage because it reminds me that ministry is not about you or me. It is about what God is doing! We're a part of it, but it is about God's Spirit flowing through us to bless others. In the process, we are blessed. The best metaphor I've heard is that we are often like a cracked cup that has been glued back together. If we are facing God, then we are able to be filled up when God's Spirit is poured out (maybe we've had times when our cup is facing upside down, that can get messy quickly). When we receive the gift of God's Spirit we are able to be poured out in a way that benefits the people around us.

Prayer: Holy Spirit of God, be poured out during this season of Lent. Open our hearts to receive the gift You so freely give, not for our own benefit but to share with the people You have placed in our lives. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Friday, December 20, 2019

Jesus Breaks The Cycle by Mike

Scripture: Judges 2:11, 16 (NRSV) - "Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals"; "Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered thorn out of the power of those who plundered them."

Message: How many of you have thought to yourself, "I will never do that when I'm a parent." If you're like me, you have also realized you are more similar to your parents than you first thought. Sometimes we even live into family cycles whether we realize it or not. Some of these patterns are harmless but others can be quite serious.

Sometimes we can just go through the motions of celebrating Christmas without ever realizing that Jesus came to earth to break our old patterns of sin and death. God came to shine light In the middle of cyclical darkness. Christmas isn't the first time God has disrupted a pattern of human behavior. Like any good parent, God has done this before.

The book of Judges describes Israel's cycle of violence and falling away from God. God raises up leaders to move them out of that dark place, but somehow the cycle keeps repeating, Jesus came to break the cycle of violence and apostasy permanently. When Jesus came to earth, He experienced violence and replied with nonviolence, thus inviting humanity into a new way of being.

This Advent Jesus Invites us to break the harmful cycles we too easily get trapped in. What pattern do you find yourself falling into? How can the Holy Spirit empower you to embrace God's grace by breaking the cycle?

Prayer: God, Your incarnation breaks the cycles of violence. Remind us that Your Grace calls us into a new way of being, centered on the Hope, Love, Joy and Peace of God. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Amen by Mike

Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19, (NRSV) - "Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Message: 2018 will be a year of new things for many of us at Asbury: new neighbors, a new pastor, and many more. Some people say a new thing is better than an old one, but I don't agree. Sometimes, old things are preferable, like a well-worn Bible or a vintage bottle of wine.

How do we balance the old with the new? How do we create space to hold onto our history and be open to new things? Lent is the perfect time to pray and reflect on these questions.

When I first read these words of Isaiah, I was troubled. Forgetting the things of old doesn't seem like a good strategy for moving forward. What does the prophet mean?

Here’s one possibility: if we hold on too tightly to the former things, we won’t be able to grasp the new.  We must have free hands for the ministry God has called us to do, because Easter is ongoing and transformative.  It occurs when an addict is set free, when miraculous healing takes place, and when a broken relationship is restored.

As we prepare our hearts for Easter, may we make the space to see and perceive the ongoing resurrection of Christ.

Prayer: God, You bring the dead to life. You are the God of miracles; use me and use Asbury to bring forth Your resurrection. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Thursday, December 13, 2018

Christmas Shopping by Mike

Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-2 (NRSV) – ““Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food”

Message: I love watching a child rip through wrapping paper with a gleeful laugh and excitement in their eyes. The pure joy of the experience is beautiful.

On the other hand, one of my least favorite aspects of Christmas is the rampant commercialism and chaos at the Altamonte Mall.

In the midst of all this noise, the prophet Isaiah speaks: "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." (Isaiah 55:1-2)

Most of us are guilty of buying things that do not satisfy. But people have been doing the same thing throughout history. Modern Americans just found better ways to market the purchasing of what doesn't satisfy us. So I have a question for you: "Have you stopped and asked God to show you what things really satisfy?"

During this season of Advent, ask God to help you be intentional about how you spend your precious resources of time, energy, and money- each an amazing gift.

Prayer: God, as we celebrate Your incarnation this Christmas, show me how I can live more faithfully. To what might I need to say no to in the new year? For what might I need to carve out more time in my schedule? In Christ's name. Amen.

Mike Luzinski

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Labor Pains by Mike

Scripture: Romans 8:22 - "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

Message: Have you been groaning during Lent? In this season, we are working to prepare our hearts for Easter. We are anticipating the great change that happens when Christ comes. Yet, there is tension. Christ already came, Christ already rose, and the world is still really messed up.

Paul is wrestling with a deep theological question in this passage. He asks, how can we hope in a good God who created a good world when we see brokenness and sin all around us? How do we make sense of the truth that God is present while also facing the reality of intense suffering in the world around us?

Paul helps us bridge the disconnect between the pain we see on the news and the good things we know God is doing. Paul makes the argument that the discouraging suffering we see is only the beginning of something new. Those things are just the birth pangs of what God is doing. This is a source of hope that reminds me of a conversation I had with my mother. She told me that the hope and joy of having a child helped her cope with the pain of childbirth. This was especially true for my younger brother, and this is precisely what Paul is saying. We should have hope because this present suffering is the labor working towards a new creation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the hope to anticipate Your resurrection when we can only see pain and suffering. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Wednesday, April 5, 2017 & Thursday, November 19, 2020 - "The Connection" Series

Salvation Begins Today by Mike

Scripture: Luke 23:42-43 (NRSV) – “Then he [the thief on the cross] said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’”

Message: Jesus speaks these words to the thief while being crucified. Stop and think about that. God was still listening to sinners while He was dying. God was extending the grace of salvation in the midst of the brutality of the cross. These actions of Jesus reveal a lot about who God is.

The cross has become a symbol of love. When we look at it we are reminded that not even sin and death could come between God and us. Yet, this story raises a fundamental question that we can meditate on during this season of Lent. "When does salvation begin?" In this story, salvation began “today,” before Jesus was resurrected!

I have studied different atonement theories, and other scholarly works on the death and resurrection of Christ. Salvation is a miracle in the same way that the resurrection of Christ is a miracle. This miracle is a Holy mystery, and we will never know exactly how God blots out our sins and restores us to relationship with our Creator. I bet the thief on the cross wasn’t thinking about atonement theory. He was thinking about being united with God in that moment and forevermore. Maybe that is what we should be thinking about, too. When we prepare our hearts during this season of Lent, may we begin by finding hope and strength in the promise that our salvation has already begun. When we celebrate the resurrection at Easter we are celebrating once again God’s promise that salvation begins here and now.

Prayer: Jesus, remind us that our relationship with You starts here on earth and so does our salvation. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski
(first published in 2017)

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Friday, December 8, 2017

God's Perfect Love by Mike

Scripture: Genesis 15:8-10 (ESV) - “But he [Abram] said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He [God] said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.”

 Genesis 15:8-10, 17-18a (ESV) - “When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your offspring I give this land,’”

Message: God promises Abram descendants and land, but Abram has a question as recorded in Genesis 15:8 “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” After Abram carried out God’s instructions, God made a covenant with Abram. This is one of my favorite Bible stories because it shows us just how much God loved Abram, and how much God loves us, as Abram's descendants.

Why does God make this covenant? Surely, He knows the most likely outcome is that Abram, and his descendants, will let Him down. And that makes God’s promise—and His faithfulness—all the more marvellous.

God confirms this ancient contract with Abram by essentially agreeing to pay the price if we fail to hold up our end. In other words, God says, “I’m willing to suffer and die so that I can be in relationship with you, even if you don’t want to be in relationship with Me.” This story is the purest articulation of the gospel I can find in the Bible.

During this season of Advent, may we revel and rejoice in the perfect love God extends to us. The perfect love that was born humbly into a manger.

God was willing to leave heaven and become fully human to be in relationship with us. And that love is something to celebrate!

Prayer: God, Your love for us extends beyond our capacity to receive it. Draw us deeper into relationship with You this Advent. Amen.

Pastor Mike Luzinski

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Monday, November 28, 2016

God Is Calling by Mike

Scripture: Genesis 12:1- "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.'"

Message: God called Abraham to go. To leave the comfort of his life. He was 75 years old when God called him to leave the land of Haran, the land where he lived for a long time. God made a covenant with Abraham and through him blessed every person on earth. I bet it was hard for Abraham to leave, but look at what God did in and through his obedience.

As we anticipate Jesus Christ leaving heaven and taking on human flesh, it is good to remember that God has been working to restore human relationship with God for a long time. God worked when Abraham went. What is God calling you to go and do?

Prayer: Redeeming God, we pray that you would empower us to answer the calling you place on each of our lives so that we might be faithful like Abraham. Amen.

Reverend Mike Luzinski

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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

A Statement of Intent by Mike

Scripture: Luke 4:16-19 - "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'"

Message: The God who is coming into the world comes with a purpose. When Jesus reads the words of Isaiah, He is making a statement of intent. Jesus didn't come to make us feel good. Jesus came to change the world. As the anointed one, He is God's chosen instrument of change. The change taking place through Jesus' ministry is the liberation of those who are oppressed, the relief of those who are suffering, the humanization of those who have been dehumanized. When we anticipate Jesus' coming in this season of Advent, we must keep in mind the purpose behind His arrival. Through the relationship with Jesus, we are changed and so is the world. As we celebrate the arrival of Jesus, we must ask ourselves, are we proclaiming good news to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed and the prisoners, and the year of the Lord's favor? Being ready to celebrate Jesus' birth entails carrying on His mission. Let's pray.

Prayer: Living God, we thank you for your mission, and we pray that you would focus us so we can carry on the holy work of your Son. Amen.

 Mike Luzinski

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