Monday Morning Musings ...

Yesterday was a very positive day. Our time of singing during worship went well and people seemed to be responding and participating. The sermon was simply on the fact that "Yes, Jesus Love You". Using John 3:1-21 with obvious focus on John 3:16-17. I used the question that I have been asked many, many times throughout my ministry "How can this be?". People want to know how can Jesus/God love them given their doubts, past, present, questions, etc... It is the exact question that Nicodemus asked in John 3:9. I love telling people that God loves them a lot, that he has given them a lot, that he doesn't desire their condemnation but rather their salvation. I built this on the song "Jesus Loves Me" and we finished the service with that song. A trio sang the verses and all of us sang along with the chorus. There was a very positive, spiritually refreshing feel to the service as we finished.

In the evening there were a couple youth small groups that met and then the children and adults had a Bible study. We looked at shepherding styles. I asked them to compare the shepherd styles of Jesus Christ and Little Bo Peep. If you don't remember, Little Bo Peep realized that she had some lost sheep and wondered what to do. Her style was to leave them alone and they would eventually come home, and actually be happy when they came. Christ's style was to go in search of the 1 lost sheep and when finding the lost one to joyfully carry it back and then to celebrate that the lost one had been found.

Among Christians and churches, I see both styles. I want to be more like Christ and always be among the sheep. To know when one is missing, lost or hurt and then to go to them and carry them if necessary to aid their healing.

What is your style?