A Way Of Life

This past week our country set aside a day to give thanks. For many of us, it was a time to be with family and friends. Some of us spent the day at a casual pace, enjoying the free time, while others were busy, working at a frantic pace wishing for more time. The television, if turned on, showed us the parades and the ball games and hundreds of commercials filled with things we can not live without. At some point in the day most of us gathered around a feast and we ate and laughed with those who had gathered.

Those pictures have defined Thanksgiving, for me, for years. Today I have a different picture of Thanksgiving. Today I am grateful not just for the harvest, today I am even more grateful for the harvesters God has placed in my life, those people who show me God. I am grateful for Mike and Sharon who have shown me the faith of a giant this year. I am grateful for my sons who have held Julie and me up this year with their support. Today I am grateful for two churches that have shown me God’s love. I am grateful for new friends and new partners in ministry.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday; it is an even greater way of life.
1 Chr 16:34
34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
(NIV)

In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Giving Thanks - Saying Grace

I grew up in a home where we always said a prayer before the evening meal. When it was time for that prayer, we would all bow our heads, we all knew what to do. When we had company, dad would inform everyone what was about to happen, he would say something like "lets all give thanks",or "so and so would you please offer grace".

Lately I have been thinking a lot about giving thanks to God, and I have been thinking about grace. On the surface these two topics are vastly different. Grace is what God offers me and thanks is my humble response of gratitude.

Many years ago, a third grade teacher taught me that grace was unmerited favor, recently a friend told me that grace was unmeritable favor, I think both are right and I think they both only have one reasonable responce, thanks.

When little children pray they give thanks for everything, from little bugs with red wings to mommy and daddy. As adults there are times when we get to busy to thank God for all He has done and we just concentrate on what we consider to be the "big" things, after all we could never thank Him for all He has done can we.

I think that is why we are to "pray continually" (1Thes 5:17)and "always give thanks to God the Father for everything" (Eph 5:20). I think "thanks" should always be on our lips because of the "grace" He has shown us.

We have the right to say "thanks" directly to Him because of His "grace" and there is no other single word left to say if I am His child, unless it is "Father".
I Jn 3:1 says "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

So the next time you are ask to say grace, give thanks, because there is no other responce that can be given to grace.

In Him
J. Tom Washburn

New Glasses - New Eyes

This past week I got a new pair of glasses. My last pair of glasses were single vision glasses, these are progressive. Everyone tells me I will love these glasses, but right now I am having to learn how to look at the world differently. You see, every part of the lens has a different focus point so that I can see clearly at any distance. Before I could only see one way, but now I can see more.
The thing I like about these glasses (besides the fact that they make me look cool) is that the easiest place to focus is at the top of the lens. The world is in focus when I look up. There is a great spiritual lesson there.
Ps 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (NIV)"
There is another thing I have noticed about these glasses, people are not in focus when I look down on them, I must look straight at them in order to see them in focus. Rom 14:10 "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? ...(NIV)"
I think I am going to like these progressive lenses, they remind me of the new eyes God wants me to have.
In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Prayer - Discovery

There are times when we can not wait to go to God in prayer, and then there are other times when it seems like we have to drag ourselves to God in prayer.
I love watching little children, the enthusiasm of new discovery. How can you keep from smiling when you watch a child discover a butterfly for the first time, or a worm, or a firefly? Children always want to show their great discovery to mom or dad. It warms your heart as you watch and listen to a child tell of their great discovery or adventure.
I have also seen children reluctant to tell parents of mishaps or mistakes.
I think the biggest thing that keeps people away from prayer, is sin. We don't want to let God know of our mistakes.
What we forget is that God wants us to bring Him, not only our discoveries, He also wants us to bring Him our sins. He loves to watch our eyes open with discovery, and He longs to lift our eyes back to His with forgiveness.

Ps 121:1-2
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
(NIV)


Ps 147:11
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
(NIV)

In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Grace

Today I am trying to frame my sermons on Grace. The problem is, how do you explain a gift, and how do you explain a gift of such great value? Most gifts today seem to come with a strings attached, or even chains attached, that's just the way people are.
If I give somebody a nice book, I want to take it back if they don't treat it "right". If I give my children a car, I want to take it back if they don't treat it "right" or appreciate it. If I give somebody money, I want them to treat me with respect. When most people give gifts, they don't give them to people they hang them over people.
Grace is Gods' gift. This gift is given to us when we don't deserve it and even before we knew we needed it. This gift is not forced upon us, we can reject it or accept it. This gift is not yanked away from us the moment we don't live up to its' glory, in fact its' glory transforms the way we live.
Most gifts given by parents that are truly "no strings attached gifts" are given after their deaths, the same thing is true of Grace. Grace was God's gift after a death. There is no measuring up for Grace, there is just receiving or discarding.
And if you receive such a great gift, it is like moving into a great house, it transforms you. When you lived outside, you lived like a man outside. When you lived in a barn, you lived like a man in a barn. Now that you live in a perfect house, you are learning to live differently.
It is the Grace that transforms us, we don't live differently to earn the house, the house transforms our behavior. At first I may not accept all the blessings the house has to offer, but after awhile I can not imagine life without the blessings the house has to offer, that is what Grace is like for my life. At first I couldn't accept all Grace had to offer but after discovering more of the blessings that lay behind each door, I can not imagine going back to live outside or even in the barn.

I was just thinking
In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Victory

Tonight, Julie and I will go to a High School football game, and we will cheer for our team and hope for a victory. That phrase "hope for a victory" is what I want to talk to you about, you see, I just found out that there will be a baptism this Sunday, so I know that this Sunday there will be victory. "Hope for a victory", isn't that a strange phrase when you talk about the Christian life. The young man that will be baptized just got out of jail, he just got set free and now he is truly going to be set free, I love it.
There is one thing I don't like about our baptistery, there are decorative bars separating it from the rest of the church, the one place in the church that should symbolize being set free and unity, and we have bars.
I want the world to hear this loud and clear, Jesus Christ came to remove the barriers between God and Man, Jesus Christ came to remove sin. God give us the eyes and heart to remove those barriers that Satan erects to harm the fellowship of believers.
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
(NIV)

In Him
J. Tom Washburn

Always Thinking Of You

When Julie and I started dating, so many years ago, she was always on my mind. When Julie and I had our children, they were always on my mind. It seems like I am always thinking of my family. I want to know how they are doing and I want to do everything I can to make their lives as good as possible, that's what a father does, he cares for his family.
God cares for His children with a perfect love. From the very beginning He had a plan to save us, so that we could spend eternity with Him. He watches over us and teaches us how we are to live. God walks beside us and comforts us, He also loves us enough to discipline and teach us. What God does every minute of every day, He cares for you with an undying love.
1 PETER 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

In Him
J. Tom Washburn