Choosing to Change

 What does spiritual change look like in your life?

Over the past few weeks in worship, we have been in a sermon series entitled: Change my Heart O God. There are times when change is inevitable. We can fight against it all we want, but life is going to move forward. At other times, the choice is left up to us. We have to be the ones who open our hearts and respond. Either way, change can come with a lot of difficulties. 

I know as a parent I feel like I spend a ton of time just getting my kids to accept change. Last Monday, I had the day off with my two boys. The school district had an inservice day, and I was off too. That part worked out great. I love all the moments I have with my kids, but sometimes it takes so much energy just to get them moving. They didn't even want to get out of their pajamas. By the time they we found their shoes, got dressed, and brushed their teeth, I felt burnt out. They wanted to fight me every step of the way. To make matters worse, it was also raining that day. I started to wonder if I should have just let them stay in their pajamas and watch TV. Perhaps that would have been easier, but I knew they needed something a little more. We wound up finding our rain jackets and jumping on our bikes to take a ride on the trail. It turned out to be a beautiful experience. My kids laughed as they splashed though the puddles. They opened their mouths to catch raindrops, and we went and explored the Pitman wash. We had a ton of fun. I wouldn't want to trade those moments, but sometimes I wish it didn't have to be such a battle.        

That may be a silly example, but there are plenty of times we refuse to do the work of change. We don't feel a need to search our hearts to grow. We would rather find excuses instead of reasons to change. However, we learn in the Bible that Christ is always asking us to grow. We are called into this incredible love He offers, and we are asked to be transformed by the Spirit.

Today I hope you can all search your hearts and listen for the Spirit. You may feel like change is impossible. You may feel like God doesn't care about you, or that you may not be worth it. However, God's Love promises to conquer all of this. God always wants us to grow and find new life. My prayer is for the Holy Spirit to lead you on that journey.

Blessings,

Brian Ward

Experiencing Change

We live in a world full of change. No one knows what adventures or difficulties await us this year. There are going to be joys and there are going to be great sorrows. The only thing we can really be assured of is change. Sometimes we welcome the changes that come our way, but there are also times that we will try to resist life's curveballs.

As I write this, we are less that two weeks into 2024, and I have already been surprised by the new year. I have watched new leaders step up in youth group. I found some extra time to spend with my family, and I got to go on a hike with some friends. On the other hand, I have also been to the Emergency Room after my five year old slammed his face into the sidewalk, and other family members are facing long and sudden hospital visits.

Throughout the month of January, Community Lutheran is diving into a sermon series all about change. God promises to love us, but when our lives get flipped upside down, we can forget this fact. Last week, we spoke about a person in the Bible named Naomi. This woman lost all the men in her life who were supposed to provide for her. She found herself in a different country surrounded by pain and sorrow. The only person to stand by her was a young woman named Ruth. Ruth was not from Israel, and she did not grow up worshiping the the same God. However, these two women found hope together. They had a faith that was bigger then what their eyes could see.

God is still working in our world today, but sometimes I let the small stuff get to me. Life is going to have difficulties, and there will be setbacks. Sometimes I will just lose it, because my kids won't go to bed on-time. However, none of this has to be a big deal compared to all the blessings before me. 

Today I hope you can all take a little bit of time to reflect on how God is working in you. I hope you can realize that your life is bigger than the twists and turns we may face. God has a plan for you, and you are constantly being transformed by the power of the Holy Sprit.

Peace,

Brian Ward