I once again want to congratulate all of our graduates this morning and a special shout out to my oldest son Samuel.  God’s knows the plans he has for you son.  Just continue to follow His will.

“Cast all your cares on Him.”  This is an easy verse to memorize and remember but so often very hard to put into practice.  We need to trust him with every aspect of our lives if we truly trust him.  The good news is that this trust in Jesus is never misplaced.  It is never wasted and never comes to naught.  He is faithful to help all those who call on his name.  And because of this we can have all the confidence in the world that he will bring us through whatever comes our way.  HE CARES FOR YOU!!!

I may shock us to consider burning our Bibles.  But if they are just sitting around collecting dust, they are not doing us any good and they might as well be burned.  Now do not get me wrong.  I am not advocating burning books.  But if we are not reading and studying God’s word as we should, what would be the harm?  God’s words are to be read and studied and carefully applied.  It is not to be used as a coffee table decoration.  Other books, yeah.  But we are to use the words that God has given us to minister to our needs.  And so I would urge you to pick it up this week, dust off the cover, and open it up to read it.  That is much better than burning it.

A bit late this week (and it will be next week as well since I will be at a conference), but I want to thank everyone for showing me such love on my birthday yesterday.  And thanks to the adult and teen challenge for sharing with us.

The life of Jeremiah was not an easy one for much of it.  But he remained faithful and did not run away like Uriah did.  Uriah was killed and some of that may have been because he did not remain faithful like Jeremiah.  But what is significant is that God protected Jeremiah even in the face of great adversity.  And God can protect you.  So do not be scared or timid in sharing your faith, just like Jeremiah did.

How do you keep the Sabbath?  This is a complicated question with a variety of answers.  The importance of taking one day a week for God cannot be overstated, but how, can fill multiple sermons.  What is considered man-make laws (i.e. the NT Pharisees) that Jesus criticized and what is following the 4th commandment is a fine line many times.  And I think often times this is a law that God looks at the heart much of the time.  And I think this is where Romans 14:5 comes into play.  “Each of you should be fully convinced in their own mind” how to follow this law.  And so you need to examine your own life to see how God wants you to obey this law and it might look a bit different for different people.  If God wants you to treat Sunday as sacred and a day of rest, than do it.  If another day is better for you to spend time with God, do that.  You also need to understand how Paul concludes this section about the “grey areas” like the Sabbath rest, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23). Let the Spirit speak to you on how exactly to obey, then do it, or you will be sinning.

I serve a risen Savior, he’s in the world today . . . You ask me why I know he lives.  He lives within my heart!

Easter is this week and our church is getting ready.  Help spread the word.  Invite people to our services.  Offer kids rides to our church (with the parent’s permission).  Volunteer.  Minister.  Use your spiritual gifts.  It is all possible this week so do not pass up the opportunities that God is putting in your hands.

God can and does still use cracked pots.  After the service, one person commented, “Not only are we cracked pots, but we are moldy oldies.”  Whether you are a cracked pot or a moldy oldy, God can use you.  But onlyif you are willing to be filled with his spirit and allow him to work in your life.  If we try to do it on our own or refuse to submit to him, he can not do what he wants to do and we might have to face the consequences of our inaction.  So let the Spirit fall fresh on you, melt you, mold you, fill you and use you (Chorus Spirit of the Living God).

I hope everyone in my state gets out and votes on Tuesday.  Yes, it is only a primary but voting is essential to what makes America great and free.  And it relates to my message on Sunday about cleaning up the rotten mess that our world is in right now.