In keeping with the spirit of Lent and following last week’s message regarding prayer, today I want to share with you a prayer that years ago I discerned to pray: God, may all your plans for me be successful. The rationale behind this prayer is that I want to position myself and do everything that is in my power to let God fulfill God’s plans in my life. Notice that I did not say “my plans” but God’s. This is a risky prayer by all standards. Basically, I am putting myself at the mercy of God! And you know what, that is the best place I could ever imagine being at. However, sometimes I make it hard for God to do this. Can you relate? We delay God’s success … Read More
Praying the Right Way
Today, the message is about prayer. Prayer is one of the foundational and central practices of the Christian church. By definition, prayer is “a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.” What is prayer to you? Have you ever asked yourself if your prayers are being heard or if you are praying the right way? Many would agree that prayer is talking with God. Not that complicated. Like a person-to-person phone call. Prayer also involves intercession, meaning, praying for the needs of other people. Others may also say that prayer is asking God what we need, which is correct too. Jesus said, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if … Read More
The Paradox of God’s Blessing
The Paradox of God’s Blessing We are almost halfway in the season of Lent. This is a time of deep reflection of our mortality and God’s life-giving grace through Jesus Christ. Lent is a time to remember we are far from being perfect; however, even as we continue to struggle to listen to God and do what God says, we know we are loved without preconditions or limitations. Jesus offers an incredible insight into this in his Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5:3, he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” What does this mean? Let us be honest. It is hard to make sense of this Scripture. In the world, we … Read More
Relationslips 3
Today I am sharing the third and last message on this series called “Relationslips.” Let’s do a quick recap from the past two Sundays. What is a relationslip? A relationslip is when we say or do something we shouldn’t have that hurts someone and hurts the relationship. Having relationslips or causing them is painful and emotionally consuming. When our relationships are hurting and broken, they weigh us down like a backpack full of bricks. Our minds are distracted continuously as we obsess about how to fix what we broke. We even get sick thinking of it trying to find solutions. The truth of the matter, all of this has lasting and impactful effects on our lives. Many struggle with discouragement … Read More
Relationslips Part 2
Today I am sharing the second message on this series called “Relationslips.” What is a relationslip? Last week I spoke to this and said that a relatioslip is when we say or do something we shouldn’t have that hurts someone and breaks the relationship. One way we hurt our relationships with people is when we talk negatively about them by criticizing, judging, and emphasizing their wrongs so everyone can take notice. This is the second message of this series of sermons on Relationships. Today we are learning about the behavior that has been normalized in today’s society but one that Jesus warns us against: judging others. Not long ago, I read the story of a woman in the airport who … Read More
