Love As Jesus Loved #268

John 15:12-13

12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. New Living Translation (NLT)

Who do you love? Who loves you? How much do you love them? Jesus is near the end of His life and He gathers the disciples together for the last discourse. He is giving to them the instructions for being a true disciple. The primary emphasis of Jesus is love. To this very day the emphasis of those who are true disciples of Jesus is to love not only one another, but to love your enemies as well.

The commandments of Jesus are not a burden to you. The commandments of Jesus can be summarized as loving one another and believing in Him. Jesus reminds the disciples of he kind of love He wants them to have. Jesus explains how His followers are to love; as I have loved you. No doubt after following Jesus all over Palestine they know that He loves them. This close relationship is seen throughout the Gospels. Jesus has placed the welfare of the disciples above His own. He has done that for you too.

Within hours of this time of teaching Jesus is arrested and later crucified. His reason was because of His love. John 3:16 tells us clearly, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, and that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.”

He then reminds the disciples using Himself as the example, “there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.”

How valuable are people to you? You would give your life without question for your family and your close friends. One of the ways you are like Jesus is your willingness to sacrifice whatever it takes to express your unconditional love. Why not tell someone today that you love them? Why not showing in your actions that you love someone. Do something for some friend that they don’t expect.  

Direct your love to someone and something specific. Remember as you do that Jesus did something very specific for you; He died for you on the cross. He died for you His friend.   

_______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

Have you again come to the conclusion that God is Good. I couldn't help but be impressed with Rick and Kay Warren's testimony of faith on the Pierce Morgan program on CNN this week. Rick and Kay have recently lost their son to suicide. His mental illness finally drove him to that depth. 

The Warren's who were questioned by Pierce stood firm in their faith in the love, the grace and the mercy of God. One of their statements was especially impressive to me. They said in spite of all they still believed that, "GOD IS GOOD!" I whole heartedly agree. No matter what we face it does not change the goodness of God. 

They also said that God did not cause what happened to their son, but allowed it. Words that I am sure you have heard me state over and over. We all make bad choices in life. Don't blame God.

Sandy and I have enjoyed a week of grandsons. Several of you have commented on Johnny's sermon preparation skills. Some have noticed the calculator next to him and suggested maybe he was really working on our budget, or maybe discovered the balance in our checkbook. The calculator says 0. 

Bennett and Burke were busy with music presentations this week. Bennett also had a choir concert. They are both wonderful musicians. (see pic) I will be going on a field trip Tuesday with Collin. His band in playing in a district band contest. 

My schedule follows:  

September 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

September 29th-October 3 Second Baptist Church Lebanon, MO

October 13th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

October 20th Camping Grace Community Church at Roosevelt Lake, AZ

November 3rd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

November 17th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

November 24th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 1st First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 15th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 29th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

January 5th 2014 First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

Sandy continues teaching The Book of Ruth on Tuesday mornings. The group is Young Moms. Right down Sandy's alley. She so enjoys them. They meet Tuesdays at 9:30AM at First Baptist Church of Tempe. 

I am very excited about getting to see my Dad in about a week or so. It will be a quick trip into Eldon while I am in Missouri. My brother has been in the hospital this past week. He is doing better and is home. 

I do pray you are trusting God for all you many needs. He loves you and cares for you. The scripture says, "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." NLT

Try it, you'll like it!! ~ DGW

                                                                                                                                

Relief From Depression #267

Psalm 32:1-5 

1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!

2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
 And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
 My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
 And my iniquity I did not hide; 
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; 
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

David, the Psalmist consistently declares that people are blessed. He speaks to his own soul and instructs his soul to ‘bless God.’ The thirty-second Psalm reminds the readers that they are blessed. Are you blessed? David’s recollection of his own sins reminds him how blessed he is to be forgiven. As a believer in Jesus Christ you have already been forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus and your faith in Him. David says that everyone who has been forgiven is blessed. The Old Testament idea of atonement says that the sins are covered, referring to the blood of the lamb sacrificed on the Day of Atonement.

He also declares a blessing on all whose iniquity God does not charge to their account and in whose spirit there is no deceit. David then gives personal testimony to his own blessings. Before his confession of sin and his transparency and his acknowledgment of his sins he was physically sick. He describes a person in deep depression. He was loosing weight through his groaning all day long. He felt the guilt as if the heavy hand of God was on him.

It so affected his physical body that even his energy was gone. His vitality was drained like he had been out in the sunshine in the heat of summer. He was drained of his ability to function. He found the answer. He acknowledged his sin and the guilt of his sin was gone. It is the feelings of guilt that accompanies your sin that deprives you of your strength. Repent of your sin and find the refreshing that comes from God’s forgiveness.    

_______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

What a wonderful week. As you can imagine Sandy and I are quite busy right now. We kinda like it that way. This past week was no exception. On Friday Sandy commented that Saturday we had nothing scheduled. But one of those unexpected fun things happened. Our three oldest grandsons spent the night Friday night. They were their rowdy selves. Then on Saturday morning the two little ones came by for a while. Before the day was over all three of our grown kids, Roger, Mandy and Susan had also come by for a while. It was like old times with the addition of 5 grandsons. So much for a day with nothing to do. WE BOTH LOVED IT!!

We all met up at the Mall Friday evening, and also had a run to Krispy Kreme.   The boys had to try out the fun stuff at the Mall. I have trained Johnny to write my sermons now. LOL 

Sandy got started this week with her Young Moms Bible study. She had ten young moms, several with new babies and some with babies on the way. She is teaching the Book of Ruth. She enjoyed every moment. The class for young mothers is at 9:30AM on Tuesday mornings at First Baptist Church of Tempe. 

The study of Revelation has been a real challenge for me. It has meant a lot of time in books, on the internet, praying, writing and hoping. So far the messages have been ready in time to preach on Sunday. The LOFT service at First Baptist Church is a contemporary service with some wonderful people leading us in worship.

I am looking forward to being in Missouri for a week. I will be preaching at Second Baptist Church of Lebanon and also seeing family and friends. I look forward to seeing my Dad. 

Please continue to pray for me and Sandy as we share our lives, hearts and God's word with as many as we can. God continues to open doors to serve Him and for that we are grateful. Your prayers mean a lot to us.

My Schedule for next four months:           

September 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM                                    September 29th-October 3 Second Baptist Church Lebanon, M
October 13th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
October 20th Camping Grace Community Church at Roosevelt Lake, AM
November 3rd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
November 17th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
November 24th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
December 1st First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
December 15th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
December 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
December 29th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM
January 5th 2014 First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM 

Someone said, "Attitude is Everything." I pray that I will always have an "attitude of gratitude."  I pray you will also. We are all so blessed. Thank God and others. Be grateful for everything. May God bless you as your heart is filled with thanksgiving.  ~ DGW                                                           

What's Your Aim In Life? #266

Acts 20:24

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (NIV)

What are your goals, aims, objectives, and desires for your life? Are you ambitious about where you are headed? Do you see a future that will give you a sense of accomplishment and success? Your life may be lived with no goals or aims. It could be you are merely living in an existence with no real purpose. Over the past few years much has been said about finding purpose for life. No doubt you have thought about your own life and your desires to find real meaning.

Life is filled with ups and downs and curves and frustrations. Without an anchor that holds you fast there is a good chance you are not getting much out of life, or maybe you would just like to find more.  

The aim of the Apostle Paul as he shared with the Elders at Ephesus was to finish the race and complete the task that the Lord Jesus had given him. Let me assure you that God has a task for you also. You are probably not a missionary or a preacher or an apostle like Paul, but you still have a purpose, an aim in life.

Paul says his aim is to finish the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. He was not only speaking of his personal experience of meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Syria, but his task of testifying that all of life is achieved, lived by and finished with God’s grace. His grace is sufficient, saving, serving, fulfilling, finishing and final.

You have an aim in life also. No matter what your vocation, your family, your lot in life; you still have been put on earth to glorify God and tell of His amazing grace. It is simply to testify (tell) what the Lord has done for you. Tell someone today of your testimony of God’s grace.

_______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

This was a spiritual, fun-filled, uplifting and fruitful week. Of course weeks are always better for me if I get an opportunity to preach. Sunday I preached at the Intersect Service in the LOFT at First Baptist Church of Tempe. I will be there again this Sunday. It is also a real joy to meet up with old friends and to hear from you via email. Appreciate so much you dropping me a line. Sandy and I heard from several of you on our anniversary. Thanks so much for remembering us. 

Sandy and I had the joy of caring for our two little grandsons, Johnny and Justin a couple of times this week. We have so much fun when we babysit with them. A little warning: "watch out for "Dash".  Johnny hides behind the mask. 

There are several things I can think of that I would really not like to do if I had a choice. One of those is seeing the dentist. I made appointments for Sandy and me both. Really not excited about the experience. Amazingly I find many of you who likewise do not enjoy a visit to the dentist office. 

Arizona is supposed to have a dry climate. Well tell that to the rain clouds. It has been a rainy monsoon season this year. For that we praise the Lord. Rain is when all the kids go outside to play. We all sorta calm down and enjoy the weather. 

Sandy and I each have speaking engagements through the end of the year. Sandy will be teaching a Young Mom's Group at FBC Tempe this fall on Tuesday mornings at 9:30.

My schedule is as follows:  

September 15th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

September 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

September 29th-October 3 Second Baptist Church Lebanon, MO

October 13th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

November 3rd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

November 17th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

November 24th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 1st First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 15th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

December 29th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

January 5th 2014 First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

Thanks for your prayers. Sandy and I both are so grateful for your concern and prayers for us personally and for our ministry. If we can minister to your group or your church please email us. We would love to see you. 

God bless you all. Hope and pray that God's wisdom will fill your decision making this week. To Him be the glory. God is Good. 

DGW  

How's Your Soil? #265

Mark 4:9-12

9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear (or listen).”                                                                                  10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.” (NASB)

James 1:22

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. (NASB)

Jesus was the teacher of all teachers. He often taught in what we call parables. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. It is a simple story taken from life and life experiences that convey a deeper spiritual or moral teaching. Jesus was a master at telling these parables. One of His most famous parables was the parable of the sower or the soils. In it He taught the principle of listening. It has been called the parable of parables.

Jesus spoke many words. The Gospel of John says the world could not contain the words Jesus spoke. Through the use of simple stories Jesus conveyed deep messages. The parable of the sower told of the scattering of the Word of God, using seeds to represent the Word. The places where the seed fell determined its effectiveness. Some died, some grew quickly then died, some were strangled by the weeds and some produced a crop.

The difference in how the seed developed was in the kind of soil in which it fell. It is much like that with you.  When you are ready to listen and apply the Word of God you will hear a different message; a spiritual one that you can apply to your life. Listen with spiritual ears to hear spiritual messages.   

________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ.

After a few days in San Diego with its 70 degree weather I almost couldn't write 'in beautiful Tempe, AZ' since it is to be 109 today. Tempe's beauty is mostly experienced in the winter months. 

Sandy and I had a wonderful time in San Diego. We had the privilege of leading a memorial service down on the beach with the family of Betty Tillery. It was a beautiful service. The whole family shared special memories. We then released long stem red roses into the surf. That all happened at sunset. Simply beautiful. 

Wednesday the 4th, Sandy and I celebrate our 47th anniversary. We already did some celebrating by staying over an extra day in San Diego. It is so fulfilling to know that after 47 years she is still the love of my life. I thank God for her. The last seven years have been hard for her because of my cancer, but she has stuck by my side and cared for me. What an incredible blessing she is.

Prayer requests for speaking engagements:

Sandy begins the Book of Ruth at First Baptist Church of Tempe on September 10th at 9:30AM.

Dennis' Schedule:

    September 8th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    September 15th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    September 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    September 29th-October 3 Second Baptist Church Lebanon, MO

    October 13th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    November 3rd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    November 17th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    November 24th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    December 1st First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    December 15th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    December 22nd First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    December 29th First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

    January 5th 2014 First Baptist Church Tempe: in the LOFT at 9:30AM

First Baptist Church is currently teaching through the Book of Revelation so most of my preaching and STUDY will be from Revelation. PLEASE PRAY!

I still have several openings during the next four months, so please let me know if you have a need for a preacher. I would love to preach in your church or to teach your small group. 

Periodically someone asks permission to use The Encourager in a Sunday School class, a Women's Group, Choir rehearsal, a basis for a sermon, to print and leave on the counter of a business and other things. PLEASE use The Encourager  to encourage anyone, anywhere. It is a blessing to me to know it is being disseminated to fulfill its purpose "of encouraging God's servants."  

If you know someone that you would like for me to send The Encourager please send me their name and email address. 

God bless you this week. May you find a renewed strength from God's Word as you listen and apply it to your life.  ~ DGW