our sound/media system is being cantankerous so there's no podcast of this week's sermon, i thought i would type up some highlights:

Yes your pastor is still in the longest sermon series known to man, actually now it's a sermon series within a sermon series (Tim Hawkins would have a hayday with that, hee hee)...

Of course I started with something funny, another email from Angie Hoff, she's always sending me the funniest stuff!

Holy Mess part 4, Luke 18

Now we have visited some of Jesus words in all 4 gospels in this wonderfully holly mess!

This chapter contains the danger of prayer meetings. I often meditate on whether or not i'm playing the part of the tax collector (Lord have mercy on me a sinner) or pharisee...

My hero, Michael Yaconelli, writes... what keeps many of us from growing is not sin but speed. Spiritual growth does not happen by running faster. Speed damages our souls because living fast consumes every ounce of our energy. Speed has a deafening roar that drowns out the whispering voices of our souls and leaves Jesus as a diminishing speck in the rearview mirror. While the church earnestly warns Christians to watch for the devil, the devil is sitting in the congregation encouraging everyone to keep busy doing "good things." Run faster! (the church bulletin screams)

It turns out that it's weariness that's next to godliness, because when our souls are tired, we are able to hear HIS voice, and according to Matthew 11:28, what HE's saying is, COME, REST!

Rest is a decision we make. Rest is choosing to do nothing when we have too much to do, slowing down when we feel pressure to go faster, stopping instead of starting. Rest is listening to our weariness and responding to our tiredness, not to what is making us tired. Rest is what happens when we say one simple word: NO! Rest is the ultimate humiliation because in order to rest, we must admit we are not necessary, that the world can get along without us, that God's work does not depend on us. (my ministry completely changed after reading a book written by Eugene Peterson and Marva Dawn entitled: the unnecessary pastor)

Once we understand how unnecessary we are, only then might we find the right reasons to say yes. Only then might we find the right reasons to decide to be with Jesus instead of working for him. (i'm a mary and you can't make me a martha)

FOUR NONPRINCIPLES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

1. spiritual growth encompasses a lifetime of decisions

We would all like to believe that growth results from one mighty decision, a once-and-for-all commitment to God. And while we should celebrate our initial decision to follow Christ, it's just the beginning of our spiritual journey...

2. spiritual growth looks different for each of us

Even though most people in the church believe spiritual growth should look like it, growth cannot be charted as a steadily climbing line. Genuine growth follows as many patterns as their are people. In spite of all the growth gurus and experts out there, we can't clone, manipulate, or systematize spiritual growth. We can't predict the unpredictable...

3. give God 60 percent

This preacher has proclaimed along with most other spiritual leaders, "you either love God or you don't. you are either committed or you aren't. give God 100 percent." Sounds very spiritual, but the truth is there is no such thing as 100 percent commitment. We strive, want, wish for 100 percent, but life isn't quite that simple. Sometimes a 70 percent is 100 percent of all we have to give...

4. reluctant growth is still growth

No matter how much we've grown, we still need to grow more. No matter how mature we are, we never stop maturing. And no matter how unspiritual we are, as lons as we want to grow more, Jesus will show up in the life of even the messiest of disciples...

...and the sermon was concluded with the tear-jerking story of Daryl (the reluctant volunteer mistaken for Jesus) and Oliver Leak's peaceful death...