Some of Our Questions
This life can be difficult, confusing, and even appear meaningless. So often we chase after the things of this world expecting that “once I have/achieve this, then I’ll be fulfilled,” only to find that once we achieve/have it, it didn’t fill the void or another achievement or possession to chase after took its place. This Lenten season, we are using Ecclesiastes as our guide to challenge our assumptions of what we’re chasing after and how we think things should be so we can receive things as God intends them to be.
Ash Wednesday | Feb 22, 2023
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the lenten season on the Christian calendar. It is the 46 day season before Easter Sunday focusing on repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately the celebration of Jesus’ victory over death. The lure to rush to the resurrection is in all of us, but it is helpful to pause and remember our mortality and humanity in order to more greatly appreciate the gift of what God has done in our lives.
Some of Our Questions | Feb 26, 2023
It was such a blessing to gather with you this morning, worship our Lord and Savior, welcome back Pastor Dale, and hear his teaching in the book of Ecclesiastes. This morning we looked at Ecclesiastes 1 and 2 where the writer is talking about the meaninglessness of life. The Hebrew word for meaningless is "hevel" and it means vapor. The teacher is challenging the things we focus on in our lives. The teacher testifies that he lived his life with everything the world has to offer - riches, success, love, wisdom. And at the end of his life as he looks back he realizes it's all meaningless.
To apply this to our lives, it's the notion that we often live with the thought "my life would be better if I only had this..." It may be a job, a relationship, finances, etc. The teacher is showing us he had it all, experienced it all, and in the end, it was vapor, it was meaningless. This master teacher is expressing to you the things that are all around you…
There is the created and the uncreated
The things we long for with the flesh are vapor
Responding to the life we have been given is the only thing that brings peace… joy
The question we must ask ourselves is - are we living our lives as an expression of something we've already received or are we striving for something we don't have?
We invite you to sit with the Father and ask the question: Father, as I survey my life, what am I living for?
We encourage you to write down what you hear. Ask the Father for a next step and write that down as well. We invite you as you go through the week to continue praying through what you hear from our Father and take that next step.
Some of Our Questions | Mar 5, 2023
This morning Pastor Dale continued our series in Ecclesiastes. Last week, we looked at "hevel," the vapor we often try to manage our lives around - things we create, buy, obtain, consume, and desire. All of these things will go away. This morning we looked at another type of vapor, one the uncreated has placed in the created heart that does not go away. It is ageless, disconnected from the effects of time, it is "ha olam." Love, joy, peace, happiness, contentment, perspective all can be found in ha olam. Jesus called this place: “The Kingdom of God.”
The Kingdom of God is in us. It has been placed in us by our Father and is available to us. We can access peace, joy, contentment, despite the circumstances around us. The question becomes, how?
It begins with a trusting relationship with Jesus.
It is maintained with ongoing participation in this trusting relationship with Jesus.
To access this, we invite you to sit with the Father and ask: Father, as I survey my life, what do I need to give over to you? What do I need to surrender and what do you want to give me in return?
We invite you to pray this prayer: Jesus, I want to begin participating with you. Create in me a clean heart. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation. In your name I pray, Amen.
Some of Our Questions | Mar 12, 2023
This week, Danny Busch continued our series in the book of Ecclesiastes. In the first week of the series, we learned about vapor management. Culture would say we're defined by the vapor we have. God asks what we're doing with the vapor He has given us. Last week, Pastor Dale taught how the uncreated places eternity in the hearts of the created. Jesus calls this the Kingdom of God. We can experience and cultivate the kingdom of God now by being in relationship with Jesus. This week, we looked at Chapter 4 where the teacher transitions into how we practically do this. It is through relationships.
In Chapter 4 the teacher shares how he had wealth, yet it was meaningless. The teacher then shares the importance of being with another and how two people are better than one. As the teacher looks back on his life, he realizes the success and wealth at the expense of isolation weren’t worth it.
In culture today, loneliness is rampant. People are feeling unseen, unknown, isolated. Isolation isn't something that just happens. It's something people drift into over time. The question becomes, how do we get out of isolation? How can we come alongside others to keep them from being isolated?
One of the best ways to combat loneliness is to serve. It immediately connects us to others and if you ask someone who has served or if you reflect on your own experiences serving, you'll likely hear about or remember the innate joy that is felt as you serve another. For opportunities to step into, simply scroll to the bottom of the email.
The second way to combat isolation and loneliness is to invest in relationships. Scripture shows us we are meant to do life with one another, to bear one another's burdens.
Our invitation to you is to sit with the Father and ask: Father, as I survey my life, are there places where I've isolated myself? Is there a wound that needs tending to?
If you felt the Father answer yes, if you feel lonely or isolated, would you be willing to tell someone you need help carrying your burden? If we can be this support for you we'd be honored to do so. Simply email us at prayer@calvarylg.com and we will connect with you and pray for you.
Some of Our Questions | Mar 19, 2023
This morning Pastor Dale took us through Ecclesiastes 5 and what the Teacher says about approaching the house of the Lord. We are told to "guard our steps," but what does that mean? The Hebrew word that is used for guard is "shamar" and it means to keep, to watch, to protect. It's in our nature to carry things with us when we enter the house of the Lord. It could be we had a hard week. It could be an agenda of what we wish God would do differently in our lives or those in our lives. It could be thoughts and distractions or it could be wounds or unforgiveness we're carrying. The Teacher guides us as we enter the house of the Lord, as we approach our Heavenly Father, to prepare our hearts. That could be setting aside our agendas, releasing our burdens to him, opening our hearts to wait and listen for what He wants to say to us. To do this requires intentionality, honest and vulnerable intentionality with our Father.
When we do this, when we guard our steps …
We slow down to be with Jesus
We go beneath the surface of our lives to be deeply transformed by Jesus
We offer our lives as a gift to each other, and the world, for Jesus
We invite you to sit with the Father today and ask: Father, are there places in my heart where I'm coming to you with an agenda or carrying things that you want me to release to you? Will you reveal what those are? Will you show me what it looks like to guard my steps as I approach you?
Some of Our Questions | Mar 26, 2023
This morning Pastor Dale took us through Ecclesiastes 9 and what the Teacher says about wisdom and foolishness. In the verses we see the Teacher impressed by the wisdom of a poor man. “But there was found in it a poor wise man and he delivered the city by his wisdom." (Ecclesiastes 9:15)
We all deliver something to those around us. The question is, what is it we’re delivering? Is it foolishness or wisdom? Questions we can ask ourselves to reveal what we may be carrying or bringing to others:
Where have my eyes been?
Where have my feet walked?
What have my heart and mind been dwelling on?
Where are my emotions directed?
What are my ears hearing?
We invite you to sit with the Father today and seek his revelation on what you may be carrying in your heart.
Father, is there something I need to let go of and release to you? Will you reveal what that is? Will you show me what next step I can talk to walk in wisdom and be led by you?
We encourage you to write down what you hear and continue to pray through it this week.
Some of Our Questions | Apr 2, 2023
This morning, Danny Busch brought to a close our series in Ecclesiastes, and we looked at worship and obedience.
The wisdom of Ecclesiastes connects the fear of God and keeping his commandments very intentionally. When we worship God without keeping the commandments, without really knowing God, our worship is foolish vapor. When we keep the commandments without the fear of the Lord, it’s under the sun appeasement.
It is when we fear God and keep his commandments, we experience life as it’s meant to be. When we fear God and keep his commandments, we can bring that life into the community searching for wisdom around us. When we fear God and keep his commandments we can deal with our sin like David, not pacify our sin like Saul.
On this Palm Sunday, the beginning of the inauguration of King Jesus – What’s the kingdom you're longing for? Maybe more accurately, if you were to think about the kingdom of your life, who is the king in that kingdom? The kingdom Jesus brought is a kingdom of service and sacrifice, love and healing, self-denial and humility.
The risk we face going into this holy week, if we've separated the fear of God and obedience of his commandments, the worship of God and the knowledge of who He is, we too could be missing the Messiah we need when he’s right in front of us.
We invite you to sit with the Father today and seek His revelation.
Father, have I separated my worship of you and my obedience to you? Have I elevated one over the other?
Maybe you use the words of David when he says,
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
See if there be any dangerous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
