| Sunday’s a Comin’ |
| Let us lay aside every weight and run the race with endurance Hebrews 12:1 Tomorrow’s baggage: The Weight of Anger What’s your Hot Buttons? We love to think of Jesus as a loving savior, full of compassion, forgiveness and peace. Even God describes himself to Moses as a “…compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” Exodus 34:6 NIV So, what do we make of a table-turning, animal-driving, whip-carrying Jesus? What do we imagine set him off that day? And what do we do with this story? Isn’t it good to know Jesus got angry especially because most of us get angry at times. However, anger can be a powerful emotion destroying relationships with others, ourselves and even God. Jesus’s anger moved him to take action and our anger can serve the same purpose but only if we get angry about the right thing. So whether our anger is over the right thing ( you know that righteous indignation stuff), or the wrong thing ( think temper tantrums), how do we keep anger from weighing our spirits down and controlling us? Tomorrow we’ll look at both holy anger and unholy anger. Now, I’m not planning on turning over any tables but we will ask what attitudes or practices need to be overturned and driven out from our churches and our lives to live the life God desires for each of us…and I promise, no temper tantrums. Come and see, Pastor Rob Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. Eph. 4:26 |
| Getting Ready for Worship: Sunday’s scripture: John 2:13-23 NIV “When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.” Questions to ponder: Why do you think Jesus begins his ministry with such a dramatic act like cleansing the temple? In what ways can a church become a marketplace and have an adverse effect on worship and our service to God? Jesus got angry, but he got angry at the right things. How do we differentiate between a holy and an unholy anger? |
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