Recovery Elder Announcement
Redemption Warriors will no longer be affiliated with Christ’s Redemption Church. In addition, Curtis Walsh has retired from his Elder position.
We wish Curtis Walsh well in his endeavors with Redemption Warriors and look forward to his continued growth in the recovery space. We pray that the Lord guides his journey to his version of success and that many are blessed by him and the program he created from the love for those in addiction and recovery.
Curtis has requested space during this time of transition. He appreciates everyone’s support and prayers.
Vacancy Holder:
Mary has accepted the role of Interim Elder. This will be temporary until we hold an Elder nomination and election. We will discuss this during church service announcements.
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We are still fundraising for Mary’s wheelchair ramp. This is something she desperately needs. If you would like to learn more, click the button below.
Sermon
What does it mean to listen? I’m talking about really listening, “active listening.”
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “active listening” in a couple of ways.
- “communications in which the listener exhibits attentiveness to the speaker and interest in and comprehension of what the speaker is saying through the use of various techniques such as repeating information back to the speaker or asking questions”
- “the act or practice of listening mindfully and attentively to someone or something”
Basically, active listening is the act of giving someone your full, undivided attention to truly understand what they mean, rather than just waiting for your turn to speak.
When playing the telephone game, can it be hard to hear and understand what the person is whispering to you? The noise of your environment likely makes it much harder to hear and understand. Right? How might distractions in our lives cause us to not be able to hear the whisper of God?
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. -John 10:24-27
Yeshua says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” How do we hear our Lord’s voice?
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to observe your righteous ordinances.
I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord,
and teach me your ordinances.
I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
Your decrees are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
forever, to the end.
-Psalm 119:105-112
The Bible blatantly tells us that Yahweh’s will is revealed through the Scriptures, the written Word. It points us in the right direction. No, more than that. It illuminates the path.
Have you ever tried to walk in pitch black? I know I have, and I can tell you I would never be able to be on any semblance of a path without even the smallest of light sources. However, our Scriptures tell us that they are more than a pinhole light; they light things up. It gives life. It teaches. It also points to the living Word found in Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus Christ).
We also see in the New Testament how important the letters in our Bibles truly are.
That very night the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea, and when they arrived they went to the Jewish synagogue. These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing. -Acts 17:10-12
Acts 17:11 describes people who eagerly examine the Scriptures to see if the Gospel, the Good News of Yeshua Hamashiach, is true. They don’t blindly accept what they are told. They do their own research by scouring the pages of Scripture. They are even called “more noble” for testing the claim of these disciples. They knew the voice of Yahweh because they knew the Word. This was how they knew the LIVING WORD, because it all pointed to him, Yeshua Hamashiach!
So, we know what holds God’s voice. But how else can we hear him?
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God!…” Stillness, free of distractions. Prayer, building that communication with God, is very important. But sitting in silence and waiting for God to speak. Then, compare it to the Scriptures. That is how we listen. How we move. How we understand that still small voice. “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him…(Psalm 37:7).”
Put your phones down. Step back from the stresses of the world. Find a way to turn down the volume. Because just like trying to hear a friend’s whisper in a noisy room, it will be nearly impossible to make out if we don’t.
Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12
God’s written Word penetrates our souls so deeply that it puts light on everything. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Without the Scriptures’ guiding hand, we can mistake weapons for prophecy. We mistake manipulation for preaching. Greed for selflessness. Fear for protection. Chains for freedom. Test every spirit, person, and teaching. Test it according to the written Word. Allow it to be what sharpens you. What guides you. Do not be deceived. Not even by me or any other.
Amen.
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