pastor jeff's neighborhood

September 5
Shout for Joy

Scripture Readings for Today: Psalms 100:1-5 | Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14 | 2 Corinthians 8:1-15| Proverbs 22:20-21

Today’s Scripture Focus: Psalms 100:1-5

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. (Psalm 100:1-2 NIV)

The most enthusiastic worship experience I’ve ever seen took place in the fall of 1987. I lived in Minnesota then. The Metrodome in Minneapolis was the site of the worship experience. For weeks leading up to the event, there was talk about the possibility of this event happening. As the day arrived, it was all that people could talk about. People waited in long lines in order to get tickets to be a part of the experience, but there were too many people and not enough seats. The rest of us had to worship at home in front of our TV’s.

Usually…

September 4
The Right Response

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 99:1-9 | Ecclesiastes 7:1 — 9:18 | 2 Corinthians 7:8-16 | Proverbs 22:17-19

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 7

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV)

How do you respond to your pastor’s message? It’s an important question. When God speaks to you through his word—and especially through the preaching of his word—how do you respond? Unless you respond—and respond rightly—you’ve missed out on a vital part of your worship experience.

Worship is our response to God’s glory. He is always the audience in worship. It’s easy to see how that works through singing. We sing to Him; praising for who he is and thanking him for what he has done. But the whole worship service is a response to God as he reveals himself to us…

September 3
Good Friends

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 98:1-9 | Ecclesiastes 4:1 – 6:12 | 2 Corinthians 6:14- 7:7 | Proverbs 22:16

Today’s Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 4-6

“Two are better than one…if one falls down, his friend can help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV)

It’s a dangerous thing to try to live the Christian life on your own. You really do need some friends for the journey; Friends who will be there to encourage you when you get down; Friends who will keep you accountable and speak the truth in love when you are tempted to fall; Friends who will be faithful even when you do fall; Friends who will accept you and love you through it all.

Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto, his faithful sidekick. Yet many today try to live the Christian life on their own, without a group of faithful friends to come alongside them to…

September 2
I’m Bored

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 97:7-12 | Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 3:22 | 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 | Proverbs 22:15

Today’s Scripture Focus: Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 3:22

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher “Utterly Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” “All things are wearisome; more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 8 NIV)

The Teacher is bored. “Everything is meaningless” “All things are wearisome.” He has tried stimulating every one of his senses with the best life could offer. Where did it take him? Nowhere. He was bored.

In these chapters, he describes a search for meaning in life through education, money and possessions, power, position, relationships (hundreds of them—the most beautiful women of all the earth), and the pursuit of pleasure. He had it all, by the world’s standards, and still he felt that he was coming…

From Today’s Devotional in Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

September 1
When God Asks the Questions

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 97:1-6 | Job 40:1 – 42:27 | 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 | Proverbs 22:14

Today’s Scripture Focus: Job 40-42

Job has asked his questions. He has finally said all that he could think of to say. Now he is waiting for the answers. Then something surprising happens. God shows up not to answer the questions, but to ask His own.

The questions that God asks are real “doozies”: Questions that only he can answer. Questions like: “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?” “Who marked off its dimensions?” “Who stretched a measuring line across it?” God continues his questions for several chapters. Each is a question that no man could ever answer.

God answers Job’s questions not with answers, but with even more difficult questions.

I think…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

August 31
Eternal Glory

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 96:7-13 | Job 37:1 – 39:30 | 2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:10 | Proverbs 22:13

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”( 2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV)

I love the phrase Paul uses to describe troubles: “Our light and momentary troubles.” Remember his light and momentary troubles? “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed” (4:8-10).

A few chapters later he further details his “light and momentary troubles”:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged…

August 30
Sing a New Song

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 96:1-6 | Job 34:1 – 36:33 | 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 | Proverbs 22:10-12

Today’s Scripture Focus: Psalm 96

“Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the Earth” (Psalm 96:1 NIV)

Do you like to sing new songs? The Psalmist did. I do too. It’s not that there aren’t great old familiar songs to sing—and there is a place for that too. But, we dare not get stuck in a rut. Here the psalmist calls us to worship the Lord with new songs.

Why new songs? God is always doing something new and fresh. We must proclaim “his salvation day after day”. If our relationship with God is growing—if there is a newness and freshness in our walk with him—there will be new songs to express that vitality. With every fresh move of the Spirit of…

From Open Up Your Heart by Jeff Syverson

August 29
Glowing with Glory

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 95:1-11 | Job 33:1 – 33:33 | 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 | Proverbs 22:8-9

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 3

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)

Moses walked intimately with the Lord and the effect was sometimes seen on his face–it would glow with reflected glory. But over time, the glory would fade, so Moses began to put a veil over his face.

The New Testament promises a “surpassing glory” that goes beyond what Moses experienced. As we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into the very likeness of the one we worship–the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’m encouraged to know that as I…

August 28
What is that Fragrance You Are Wearing?

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 94:12-23 | Job 28:1 – 30:31 | 2 Corinthians 2:12 – 17 | Proverbs 22:7

Today’s Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV)

“What is that fragrance you are wearing?”

“It’s called ‘fragrance of the knowledge of Christ.’ Do you like it?”

As we know and walk in the fullness of Christ, we begin to take on an aroma– the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. Wherever we go, that pleasant aroma follows us. Just by being around us, people sense Christ’s joy, or his love, or his kindness, or one of his other winsome character qualities. As Christ lives out his life in us, we become more…

August 27
Purer Than Gold

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 94:1-11 | Job 23:1-27:23 | 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11 | Proverbs 22:5-6

Today’s Scripture Focus: Job 23-27

“But he knows the way I take; When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”(Job 23:10 NIV)

Job was wrestling with feelings of abandonment from God. He wanted to state his case before the Almighty, but he seemed unable to find him. Often the trials of life bring on such feelings of abandonment. “But if I go to the east, he is not there, if I go to the west I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”

We all have these “dark nights of the soul” where God is teaching us to trust him in the dark. They are…