Pastor Craig's ConSpiritu Blog

Main Point for the sermon this week: There is power in religion to align our lives with our deepest values and beliefs. Matthew 5:13-20 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.  ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.  ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teach...

Yesterday I wrote about how Jesus shows us the way to look at the world from God’s perspective. When we look from God’s perspective, we are aware of how the human world is not set up according to god’s priorities. God is a God of justice, but the world is divided and apportioned unjustly. God’s perspective is to do justice. But also to love kindness. And significantly, to practice a humility that can only come from continual communion with God. The prophet Micah put it this way: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) What Micah describes is a courageously Integrated life – socially, interpersonally, and personally. Courage extends outwardly and inwardly, horizontally as well as vertically. Choose whatever metaphor or description conveys this sense of integration. Let’s examine this courageously integrated life more closely. ...

(Cherie Johnson at the First United Methodist Church in Pocatello, Idaho has set up a new sermon archive on our website, so I am now able to return to using this blogspot as a means to share thoughts and research in preparation for the sermon that I will deliver the following Sunday.) This next Sunday I will be preaching the third sermon in the Deep Spirit Sermon Series: “A Life That Is Courageous.” The idea of a courageous life traces to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, especially the first part, commonly known as the Beatitudes. This is what he says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,          for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.       Blessed are those who mourn,          for they will be comforted.       Blessed are the meek,          for they will inherit the earth.       Blessed are those who hunge...

(Note: This is the last full sermon to be published to this blog. The Sermon Archive on the church website is operational again. The Sermon archive is found on the website at  http://www.pocatelloumc.org .) Deep Spirit: A Life That Matters Sermon, February 12, 2012 Rev. Dr. Craig Strobel Matthew 4:12-22 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 
‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
   on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 
the people who sat in darkness
   have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
   light has dawned.’ 
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Pete...

Sermon, February 5, 2012 Luke 4:14-21 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.  When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:  ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,    because he has anointed me      to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives    and recovery of sight to the blind,      to let the oppressed go free,  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’  And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to th...