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Daily Devotional: Wednesday, Sept 30
 Speaker: Ben Sigman Theme: Religious Baggage Weekend Music links on iTunes: My Savior Lives by New Life Church; Majestic by Lincoln Brewster; How Can I Keep From Singing by Chris Tomlin; Today is the Day by Lincoln Brewster. Think: Have you noticed how nice hospitals are getting these days? They've got good cafeterias, gift shops with pretty flowers, and TVs in every room. I've even found plenty of parking the last few times I've visited. The only real bummer about hospitals is all that illness and injury. Church can be like that. We like the music, we like the preaching, and we love the espresso cart. It would be great, if it weren't for all the sinners around the place! It's an absurd thought, obviously. Pastor Ben talked about this flawed thinking in his most recent sermon, pointing out that one manifestation of toxic religion is a disdain for ‘sinners'. He cautioned us about looking down on others for their sin, which is especially easy when it's a different sin from ours. Maybe, like me, you've experienced this issue from the other side. I've been in church settings where it was made quite clear to me that I wasn't meeting the high standards of the group and that I needed to shape up. It was true, I'm sure, but lacking in the grace that is at the heart of the gospel. Fortunately, God brought people into my life that didn't just hate my sin, but also loved me, the sinner. Just as hospitals exist for the sick and hurting, churches exist for sinners. According to Luke 5:32, Jesus came to call sinners - you and me - to repentance. Once we've answered that call, we need to make it easier for others to do the same.
Pray: Lord Jesus, basking in your forgiveness, I am tempted to forget that I have sinned in the first place. Show me clearly that I am a sinner forgiven by grace, and help me extend that grace to all around me. Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church. |
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Timberlake Church | 4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, Washington 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@tlcf.org | ||||||
