Author: Jesse Walz

Turn the volume up! 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Col 3:16)

We have so much around us trying to mute or drown out God’s word. So how can we turn the volume up on God’s word? How can the word of Christ dwell richly in us? Let’s focus on the individual level now, and then look at how we do this as a group next week. Here are some basics we can all do:

Read the Bible each day – Pick a time and stick to it. Read a section or a chapter a day. That might take up to 10 minutes. Our culture suffers from biblical illiteracy – they have no idea what the Bible says. Don’t be content to be biblically illiterate.

Pray the Bible each day – What can you pray about in your reading? What did you learn about God, Christ, the world, you? Pray about it, consider it, even pray the very words back to God (“Thank you, God, that you are my shepherd, and that I don’t want.”)

Memorise the Bible each day – This is the one people get stuck on, but we shouldn’t! Take one of the shorter letters in the New Testament, and take the year to memorise. Some tips: Read one verse ten times out loud; say it from memory ten times (glancing back if you have to). The next day, recite the previous verse, then read the next verse 10 times, and recite it ten times. And keep going! Recite what you’ve learned, then add to it. When you finish the book, say it all for the next 100 days. Then move on! It won’t stay word perfect, but it’ll be very familiar! (I’m working on 1 John. Why not try Philippians?)

If we do this the word of Christ will begin to dwell in us richly.

What dwells within you? 

It’s been a dramatic few weeks, both here and abroad. In Florida we’ve seen yet another school shooting – the second worst public school shooting in US history. At this stage it’s difficult to know what motivated the attacker. Was it mental illness? Vengeance for his expulsion? Something else? What were the thoughts that were running through his mind?

Closer to home, Barnaby Joyce has been exposed as an adulterer, and now a father from that adultery. What motivated him to do this?

While there are no doubt complexities to these questions, it’s unmistakable that the answer, (at least partially in the shooter’s case), is sin. Sinful thoughts and desires. Selfishness. Arrogance. A lack of love and compassion. A desire to live for self and mould the world around them how they desired it to be.

But we can’t look down on these men. Aren’t those same thoughts and motivations in us? We get angry at others, and lash out. We selfishly expect others to serve us and our wants, and are too often thoughtless when it comes to serving in return. The sin within us is the same, even if only expressed differently. How can we battle against what is inside us?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… (Col 3:16)

We must replace the words of our former sinful nature with the words of Christ. Instead of listening to those words of selfishness, we must fill our hearts with the word of Christ, who speaks of service. Instead of vengeance, slander and gossip; instead of thinking the worst of each other, we fill our hearts with grace, love, truth and generosity.

Does the word of Christ dwell in you richly? Over the next few weeks we’ll explore what that might look like.

We’re all in this together

Paul, an apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead – and all the brothers who are with me… (Gal 1:1-2)

Whenever I think about it, I’m always blown away by how much is in God’s word. It’s the preacher’s dilemma that he always discovers more in the text, and thinks about so many ways it could apply to our lives, than he could possibly communicate (unless the people are willing to sit for an hour or two)!

Think about these two verses for a moment. “Paul.” A long time could be spent thinking about Paul – who he was before Christ, his conversion, his mission. “An apostle.” We could think about the task of an apostle, his responsibilities and authority. Do we treat the words of Paul as those of an apostle with authority, or as just someone else with an opinion?

We could go on, but have you ever noticed that last phrase: “and all the brothers who are with me”? When we read through Paul’s adventures in Acts, and his letters, it’s easy to forget that the great Apostle Paul was not a lone-ranger. He had men and women with him, partnering with him, in the gospel-mission.

Throughout Acts, Paul was with Barnabas, Silas, Luke, Timothy, and many others. He constantly mentions name after name at the end of his letters. Despite his calling and the revelations he received, he worked with others to proclaim the gospel.

Gospel-ministry isn’t the responsibility of one person in the church. We’re all in this together. We’re a family, meant to encourage one another and spur one another on. Gospel-work isn’t the task of the “called one” only. So are you ready to get to work? What a privilege we all have!

Please, forgive me

I wonder what you expect now that I’m here. Are you expecting change? If so, is it good change, or bad? Are you expecting me to be like those who’ve come before me? Would that be good?

There’s one thing I can guarantee you: I will disappoint you. I will disappoint you in many different ways. And for that I can only beg your forgiveness in advance. How will I disappoint you?

I will disappoint you by sinning against you. There will be times when I am rude, do not listen, fail to love you, and more. Like you I am a work in progress – a sinner saved by grace, but still a sinner. So please, be ready to forgive me.

I will disappoint you by what I change, and what I do not. My style will be different. The order of service will change. Where I stand, the length of sermons, the songs I choose will change. Some you might like, but maybe not all. So please, be ready to forgive me.

I will disappoint you by not knowing all the answers. Lives are messy and complicated. You will face challenges I have never faced, and maybe have never thought about. I’m young, inexperienced, and just out of College. So please, be ready to forgive me.

One of my prayers for our church is 1 Peter 4:8 – ‘Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.’

I can promise you, I will try. I will work hard at bringing God’s word, and loving you. I will point you to Christ in suffering and encourage you in evangelism.

Please tell me when I’ve sinned against you or disappointed you. And please, forgive me.