Podcasts

The Paradox of Holy Week

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Palm Sunday kicks off the great paradox of Holy Week. Can you imagine God, the omniscient, omnipotent Creator of the universe, the source of all we are and all we have  – you know, God! – humbling himself in front of you? But that’s what He did: 

  • He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a stallion, the gallant horse of a king.
  • Crowds were shouting acclimations of “Hosanna” when in just a few days that same crowd would cry out “Crucify Him.”
  • He could have called on legions of angels to fight for Him. Yet, He allowed soldiers to take him to court. He remained silent in front of Pilate. He endured spitting and lashes. He took on a crown of thorns, and carried His cross.
  • People thought He would take His seat on a throne. Instead, He wound up in a tomb.

Jesus knew who He was. But though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:6-8). He did this for you. He did this because He loves you.

Stewardship, like Holy Week, is also a paradox. It is striving to be like Jesus, living counter-culturally, living courageously, giving sacrificially. It is regarding others as more important, looking out for their interests ahead of your own (3-4),  It is humbly submitting to God’s will, and being obedient to His word.  

Stewardship is going deeper in our relationship with Jesus. What would your life look like if you ran to Him and tried to live as He would wish: humble, other-centered, self-sacrificing, and generous?

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Suffering Through Lent

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Hebrews 5:8  Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.

The Lenten practices of fasting and almsgiving can sometimes be thought forms of suffering. Giving up sweets and social media are hard enough. Fasting from worry and gossip are certainly difficult. Fasting detaches us from our comforts and ourselves. Giving as the first expense item in our budget helps us prioritize our spending. Giving sacrificially, as we are called to do, may require giving up certain activities or luxuries. 

By fasting and almsgiving, we intentionally acknowledge God’s authority in our lives. This small-scale suffering helps us learn obedience to His will.

We admit that God is God and we are not. He is in control and we do well to be obedient to His commandments. Whatever suffering comes from these practices we offer up for the good of others and for the benefit of His kingdom. 

So – put God first in your life, including in your finances. Pray, fast, and give alms first in your budget. It is in this obedience that we begin to realize the peace, contentment, and joy that we truly seek. 

Photo credit: Bob Davis

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What is the Best Gift You Ever Received?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Take a moment to think about the best gift you ever received. Now consider – how does it compare to eternal life? We read in John 3:16,  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Eternal Life!  No more stress and aggravations. No more pain or sorrows. No more “what ifs” or “if only’s”. Just simply life in heaven with God, wanting nothing. 

How awesome is that?! And it is ours for the asking. In fact, we can not do anything to earn this marvelous gift. All we have to do is believe in Jesus – for by grace we are saved through faith (Eph. 2:8). When we truly grasp the reality of this gift, it is overwhelming. “Thank you” seems so small and weak. Still, what else can we say but in utmost humility, “Thank you, Lord.” 

God so loves us that He gives Himself to us. Receiving such an extraordinary gift invites a response. Our best response is to love in return. We do that with joyful praise. We do that by receiving God’s gifts gratefully, managing them to the best of our ability, and then sharing them with those most vulnerable amongst us. God gives us everything including eternal life, and so, we can’t help but give back of our Time in prayer, using our Talents to serve others, and giving our Treasure in support of the mission of the church – thank you, Lord.

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The Law of the Lord is Trustworthy

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Psalm 19:8-11   The law of the LORD is perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, and true. When we embrace God’s laws, our soul is refreshed, we gain wisdom, our hearts rejoice. We know deep down that His laws are more desirable than gold, than a hoard of purest gold.

We often think that rules and regulations hem us in, that they can sometimes infringe upon our freedoms. Think about it, how do you feel when something you want to do seems to go against the rules? Do you become indignant when someone else issues an order, thinking to yourself, “No one can tell me what to do.” Do you cringe at having to obey? 

Yet, we know that laws allow us to live in relative safety. Just so, God’s laws lay a foundation for a safe and just world. Obedience to His word refreshes us and brings us joy – more so than having a hoard of assets. His laws are perfect, trustworthy, right, pure, and true. 

Trust that God knows you, loves you, and wants the best for you. Believe in faith that His commandments are for our good. As good stewards, we believe that being obedient to His word is how we find the true sense of peace, joy, and contentment that we seek. 

Photo credit: Robert Davis

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God Calls You

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

 How do you respond when God calls you? Are you quick to say, “Here I am” as Abraham said in Gn 22:11 and Jacob in Gn 31:11? Or, do you cringe a little, and worry about what His call might mean, what it might cost?                                                                                                                                                                                                           

We hear a great message from St. Paul in Romans 8:31-32 where he tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?”

God calls us to be good stewards of all of His gifts. That means we recognize and admit that everything we have is from God. We are to receive His gifts gratefully, develop them and manage them well, and share them with others. We are to be more concerned for others’ needs ahead of our own. And we are to be obedient to God’s commands, believe with faith and hope that He loves us and wants what is best for us, and trust that He will provide. 

So, what will your response be? Does your response change if you think the call will take too much time and effort? Do you hesitate if that call costs you money? Could you sacrifice your only son? That’s a tough one – to have to choose God over my children.

Living stewardship and giving courageously requires our unqualified, heartfelt response to God, “Here I am, Lord. Count on me.” And why wouldn’t we? After all, if He is for us, who could possibly be against us. We can trust that He will give us everything else along with Him! 

Photo by Robert Davis

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