Category: Sermon Ideas

Blessed and humbled

/ CD Hamman / 1 Comment

Last night I received a blessing that truly humbled me, yet showed me that God is still at work through His people. I went to an Aldi grocery store here in Springfield so that I would have something besides fast food and junk food to eat at the hotel.

I picked out my groceries, went through the checkout only to find out that I did not have the correct means to pay my bill. Wow, so many thoughts and sermon ideas are going through my head now. But I digress. Anyway, I’m told how much I owe, and pull out my credit card, only to be informed that they don’t accept Visa or MasterCard credit cards. But they do accept Discover, which I do not have. Or, I can use a Visa or MasterCard debit card. However, I may only use the debit card with a PIN number, which I do not know. I don’t carry cash, so I say the only thing I can at that point, “I’m sorry, I’ll have to cancel my purchase.”

Just as I finished telling that to the cashier, and as she calls for a manager, a lady steps forward and offers to pay for my purchase. Of course, I protest. I mean, I have the funds to cover my purchase. Just, apparently, not the correct means to transfer those funds in a way that would satisfy the debt that has just been created.

The lady, however, was politely insistent, and even praised God for the opportunity. She called it one of those pay it forward things. I have to be honest, I love it when I have the opportunity to pay it forward. Yet my own pride and embarrassment almost caused me to deny a fellow believer that same blessing that comes with helping another. Not to mention, I would have missed out on the blessing, and the lessons that come from from allowing her to help me out.

Don’t let pride, or embarrassment rob you, or another, of the blessings, and lessons, that God may have for you.

Train up a child

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Imagine my surprise, and horror, when I logged into my Facebook account and saw a picture of my teenage daughter giving the middle finger. I immediately posted a comment that she has not been taught to behave that way. Immediately after posting my comment a horrendous thought went through my mind: what if she had been taught to behave that way? Even worse, what if I am the one who taught her that?

Proverbs 22:6 tells us to train our children in the way they should go, and when they are old they won’t depart from it. The New Living Translation puts it this way: “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”(NLTse)

This verse has been repeating itself in my head non-stop for nearly 16 hours now. I mention this because, as much as it pains me to admit, it is likely that I taught my daughter to behave that way. All of my children have learned some atrocious behaviors from me. Yes, I taught my children the Bible stories, and all the Sunday school songs. I tried to make sure they were raised in church. But that wasn’t enough.

Where did I go wrong? The answer to that question lies not in what I told them, but what I showed them. There was a time, when my children were younger, that I frequently allowed my emotions to rule my actions, and my words. I’m embarrassed to admit that, at one time, I frequently used obscene hand gestures. You cut me off? No problem, I’d just “flip the bird.” And I did this without even thinking about it. Some of the words, and thoughts that use to come out of my mouth were horrible. I am almost 45 years old, and if I still talked like that and my mother heard it, she would proceed to vigorously wash my mouth out with soap. And she would probably still smack my hand if I flipped the bird, or made some other obscene gesture.

Now in my case, my parents did not teach me to use those gestures or words. I learned it at school from the other kids. I recall the first time I used a vulgar word. I had heard a kindergarten friend use that same word as we were walking home from school. However, when I used the word immediately after she did she said she was going to tell on me. I didn’t even know it was a bad word. I ran all the way home, locked the door and begged my mother not to open it, when the little girl knocked. Funny thing, my friend was a preacher’s kid too. And her parents were friends with my parents, so I think I can safely say that she didn’t learn that word from her parents either. I also recall that upon hearing what I had said my mom asked me where I had learned that word. She then asked if I had heard her or my dad use that word and I hadn’t. Up until that day, I hadn’t heard words like that.

Knowing that our children are exposed to these behaviors, and words and attitudes makes it even more imperative that we as parents not simply tell them how to behave, but we must also set the example. The “do as I say, not as I do” mentality is simply not the proper way to teach our children. If we are to follow the verse to train our children in the way they should go, then a large part of that training must include us behaving in the way that we expect our children to behave.

Do you want your children to respect others? Then you must be respectful toward others.
Do you want your daughters, and sons, to dress modestly? Then dress yourself appropriately.
Do you want your children to clean up after themselves, and help with the dishes? Then pick up after yourself, and show them how to do the dishes.
Do you want your children to respect you and your spouse? Then you and your spouse need to respect each other, as well as your children.
Do you want your children to learn to trust God? Then you must trust God.
We set the example. And our example for living lives that are pleasing to God is Christ.

Sometimes I wonder if the concept is too simple for us to grasp. It’s not enough to simply tell our children how to behave. We must show them how to behave. If we don’t, then we are not completing the task. If we simply tell our children how to behave, or what to do or not do, without following our own instructions, then we have failed in our mission. Our children, and their souls are too precious, and too important to only do a halfway job.

I pray that my changes didn’t come about too late for my children to benefit. I also pray that they really give themselves fully to God. Which brings me to one last important part of parenting. Our children also need to see us praying.

My challenge for 2014

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Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colosians 3:12-15 NLTse)

My challenge this year is to put the above passage into practice. What would happen, first in our individual lives, then in our local churches, then in our communities, if each of us who call ourselves Christians would seek to put this passage into practice? If instead of seeking to condemn another person, we simply forgive them. I suspect that there would be a gradual transformation that would spread, and we would become even more effective than ever at reaching those who are lost.
Now, I am certainly not going to claim that this is an easy thing to do. Forgiveness is not for wimps. It’s actually one of the hardest things to do, and even when we manage to forgive, the memories creep up on us when we last expect it. But it is possible. If we will allow the Holy Spirit to work within our hearts, He will transform us into more Christ-like individuals, who are able to share the love that Christ has for is with those whom we may otherwise find unloveable.

Also notice it doesn’t say forgive if the other person asks you to forgive them. It says we are to make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends us. Further, this isn’t a suggestion. It is an order, a command. Paul goes on to say that we must forgive others.

I admit, I have felt some serious conviction over this. Forgiveness does not come easy. But I must. Because God demands it. Because Christ forgave me. And because, if I want peace in my own life, then I have to be willing to let go of the garbage that comes along. It doesn’t say forgive only if the offense was unintentional. And it certainly does not say it’s ok to hold a grudge if the other person purposefully offended you.

Further, it is love which binds us together as believers in Christ. Can you, or I, truly love others if we refuse to forgive? I don’t think so. In fact, I’ll change that to a straight “no, we cannot.” Because when we refuse to forgive we allow our hearts to begin to harden. A hard heart is simply not capable of love, or peace.

Finally, be thankful. When? Always. I’ll be honest, I think Paul was a bit off his rocker here. How am I supposed to be thankful when so much of life gets in the way? You know what I mean. How am I supposed to be thankful when all the bad things like bills, accidents, sickness, death, foreclosures, and disasters seem to be an endless cycle? I have to honest here too, this is also a tough one for me, and probably for many people. But I think I have a solution. Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving to figure out something to be thankful for, think of at least one thing each day. I don’t care how depressed you get, and I am talking from experience, if you ask God to name just one thing that you have to be thankful for, and listen to Him, He will show you several things.

So I think I can sum up this challenge with just a few words: forgive, love, peace, and thankful.

Will you accept this challenge? Or maybe God has a different challenge for you this year. Whatever He asks of us, may our Heavenly Father bless us, and help us to grow stronger in our faith, and in our love for one another this year.

Thankful

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Today we pause to give thanks. So, what am I thankful for? I am thankful for grandparents who raised their children in the church and who modeled lifestyles of service and worship. I am thankful for parents who continued to model the same lifestyle, and who raised my brothers and me in church. I am thankful for my children and my grandchildren, and I pray that I am continuing the legacy left by me parents and grandparents. I am thankful for my brothers and sister who pray for my children and me, and who encourage me, and even challenge me when I may post something questionable. I am thankful for my extended family, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and for their prayers and encouragement. I am thankful for faithful friends, who continue to stand by me, encourage me, and pray for me and with me. I am thankful for those churches I have had the privilege of visiting over the past seven months who are open and inviting to visitors, and for those brothers and sisters in Christ who, even though they don’t know me, have extended a hand or hug of friendship and fellowship.

I am thankful for those who have served and who are still serving our country in the military, be it active, reserve, or national guard. I am thankful for those who serve in public safety: police, fire and EMS, as well as the many medical professionals who are taking care of patients, even on a holiday.

Most of all, I am thankful for a God who loves us so much that He gave His only son. That Son gave up his own glory, and brought himself to down to our level and gave His own life to pay the required penalty for our sins so that we may have eternal life with Him. I am thankful for a Savior who not only accepts me as I am, but through the Holy Spirit, works in my life to change me into what He desires. A God, who even when I screw up, is there, arms outstretched, pleading and ready to take me back. Who, even when depression sets in is right there to remind me that I am His. When experiencing even the deepest of sorrows He gives the comfort of His Holy Spirit. Even when I have been ready to give up on myself, He never gives up on me. When the accuser brings up past sins and mistakes, my Heavenly Father says, “What sin? What mistakes? My child, I not only forgave them, I have forgotten them. The slate is clean. Your future is with me.”

For all this and so much more that I just don’t have words to express, thank you, Lord.

What are you thankful for today?

Bad words or bad attitudes?

/ CD Hamman / 1 Comment

Ephesians 4:29 – Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (NLTse)

What makes bad words bad? Some of the words that we consider to be bad today, were commonly used at one time. Words like “ass” and “damn” are found in the Bible, yet even when used in their proper context many people get self-righteous and offended. So often we get offended and indignant when people use swear words, or other words deemed to be vulgar but we seem to have no problem using words like idiot, moron, fool, and other equally demeaning words to refer to other people.

I must admit, I’m not as offended by the words that many considered to be “vulgar” or swear words. I’m more offended and concerned about the harsh words and names that we use toward each other.

We carelessly throw around words that hurt and demean people, not giving a single thought to what we are saying, or even to the effects or implications that those words have. When I think of some of the things we say to each other I can’t help but wonder, what we are doing, not only to each other, but also to the cause of Christ. We are certainly not showing the love of Christ when we call each other demeaning names. It’s time we stop and think about the words we use.

Ephesians 4:31 gives us a list attitudes and behaviors that we are to rid ourselves of. Immediately after bitterness and rage, the NLT includes “harsh words” among that list.  I think those three things tend to go together. Maybe if we truly get rid of the bitterness and rage, well be more successful at ridding ourselves of the harsh words and cruel names that we call each other. Just a thought.

Are You a negative Nell?

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I have a confession. I am a much more negative person than I care to admit. A good friend asked me this morning how my week had been. I answered that it had been good. But then, then I screwed up and let negativity take over. I then stated that I had earned some over-time that should have been on my paycheck but it wasn’t there. I completely contradicted my own testimony that it had been a good week and focused on one bad thing. As soon as I said it, I realized what I had done. But it was too late. We can not take back our words.

I completely ignored that I woke up each day, that I have a job and an income; I even failed to praise the Lord that my blood pressure readings the past couple weeks have been better.

Bottom line…ask yourself if you’re a negative Nell. If you are then you and I both have some work to do as we seek to become more positive influences in our world. Paul tells us that we are to be thankful no matter the circumstances. It’s kind of hard to be thankful, then in the same breath be negative and whiney.

So I end this with a praise. Thank you Father for all you have done and just for who you are. Thank you for working in my life, and thank you that at least I’m not as negative as I once was. Continue to work in my life to sanctify me through and through, and to make me like your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Forgive us, (as we forgive others?)

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Matthew 6:12-15 (NLT) : “…forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. ‘If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.’”

Most of us are familiar with the Lord’s Prayer. But have you ever really thought about it? This one section is my focus today. Do we realize what these verses mean? I hate to admit it, but there are many times when someone does something and the last thing on my mind is grace and forgiveness. Driving down the road and someone cuts me off, at that moment I am often not thinking of forgiveness. I want to just lay on the horn, and make sure the other driver knows he was just plain wrong.

Fortunately, in those moments the Holy Spirit is always right there to remind me who I am, a child of the Most High God. And it certainly is not because of anything that I have done; simply because of God’s amazing grace and love.

But what if I hold on to the anger and the pain and refuse to forgive? When that happens I have allowed myself to become open to temptation. It is bad enough that satan attacks without our help. But when we open ourselves up to the temptation because of wrong, unforgiving attitudes, I think it becomes easier to rationalize whatever we may then be tempted to do. Not to mention, our refusing to forgive often doesn’t have any effect on the one we are angry with. But holding a grudge can have very serious consequences to our physical, as well as spiritual and mental health. Finally, Jesus makes it very plain that we must forgive others if we expect God to forgive us.

In 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Paul chastises the Corinthian church for taking each other to court instead of finding some in the church who are wise enough to help settle their disputes. But he goes a bit further and says that they are wrong for even having these lawsuits. He asks them why they don’t just let themselves be cheated; instead they are actually cheating each other. In verses 9-10 Paul describes those who will have no part of God’s kingdom. And it is a pretty extensive list, covering everything from dishonesty to sexual immorality to those who are abusive and those who cheat others. He then reminds them that that is exactly what each one of them was at one time. To be sure, that is exactly what each one of US today was, before we were cleansed and made holy, and made right with God.  When we refuse to forgive others we are exactly like the wicked servant in Matthew 18:23-35 who was forgiven of a great debt, yet then turned around and demanded a much smaller debt owed him by a fellow servant, and could not spare even the smallest bit of grace, in spite of the vast grace and forgiveness he had just received.

So, instead of focusing on the wrongs that have been done to you this week, work on focusing on the abundance of grace and forgiveness that we all have received from God, and be prepared to let it flow from us to others. It is certainly NOT by the grudges that we hold that we are identified as Christ’s. It is the love that we show that the world knows who’s we truly are.

Who Needs Transformation, Anyway?

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I need transformation. I can sit here, and pass judgment on everyone else, but I still have to start with myself. It does not do any good to pass judgment if nothing changes. I cannot have a positive impact on those around me if I am not willing to allow myself to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Too often, while the world goes on looking for fulfillment in sex, drugs, alternative lifestyles, and even alternative religions, we who are supposed to have the hope of Jesus Christ sit in our beautiful houses of “worship,” singing praises with our lips, yet condemning, even hating those who most need our love. We worry about the specks in the eyes of those around us, while we ignore the massive logs that invade our own eyes. We piously, and often proudly, let everyone know how holy and sanctified we are because we don’t use certain words, we don’t eat certain food, we don’t drink certain beverages, and we don’t participate in certain activities. Yet, at the same time we show absolute contempt and even hostility and hatred for those around us; sometimes even for each other. We take pride in our works around the church, and we neglect to truly share Jesus Christ with those who need Him. We do not want to lower ourselves and befriend those who need to see Jesus.

I have been guilty of this far too often.  If I am completely honest, sometimes I still am. I truly want to lead the lost to Christ. But I am often afraid of getting dirty, afraid to associate with sinners. Jesus got dirty. Jesus associated with sinners. Jesus loved sinners, and I believe He still does. I cannot lead anyone to Jesus until I have allowed the Holy Spirit to transform me from a mere religious person into a true disciple of Jesus Christ. You know, someone who acts and behaves like Jesus. Before I can do His will, I have to let Him start working in me. So I come back to the question: Who needs transformation? We all do. More importantly, I do.

Where were you? Where will you be?

/ CD Hamman / 1 Comment

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Where were you on the following dates: January 20, 1981; March 30, 1981; January 28, 1986; January 16/17, 1991; April 19, 1995; September 11, 2001?

There are several days in our lives during which events occur that are so dramatic that the moment is forever etched into our minds. The earliest such event that I recall is January 20, 1981 when Americans who had been held hostage in Iran were released from captivity, shortly after President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. Then came March 30, 1981. That is the day that an assassination attempt was made on President Reagan’s life. I was in the sixth grade, in art class at Heritage Christian School, in Canton, Ohio, when the principal announced that our president had been shot, and had a moment of silence followed by a brief prayer.

Then on January 28, 1986 came the first space shuttle disaster when the shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff. I was a junior at Kenmore High School, in my American literature class when I heard the news.

The next major event that comes to my mind is the day President George H.W. Bush began the first Desert Storm. January 17, 1991 local time, January 16, 7pm Eastern time in the U.S. I was in church, attending midweek service when someone came in and announced that we had begun bombing Iraqi forces in response to their invasion of Kuwait.

Then, on April 19, 1995, I was just beginning to wake up in my apartment on the campus of Southern Nazarene University when I was jolted fully awake by what I at first thought was thunder but just a minute later found had been a terrorist attack several miles away on the federal building in Oklahoma City.

Ironically, six years later, on September 11, 2001, I was working as a detention officer at the Oklahoma County jail, and my assignment that day was guarding Terry Nichols, one of the conspirators of the Oklahoma City bombing. I had just completed a sight check of Mr. Nichols when I heard the news of the attack against our nation on the radio.

Today, is a day when we, as Americans, remember the attack, twelve years ago, by terrorist cowards. We honor the memories of those who gave their lives responding to those attacks, from the Twin Towers in New York City, to the Pentagon, and the passengers United Flight 93 that went down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We also honor the survivors and the family members of those whose lives were lost.

To be sure there are other important and memorable events: April 12, 1981 – the first space shuttle mission, and November 9, 1989 – the fall of the Berlin wall are just two.

As I reflect on the events of twelve years ago, as well as the other events listed above, I am also reminded of two events that have not yet occurred, but will eventually take place.

First, there will eventually be the rapture of those who have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those who have already died will be raised from the grave, followed by those who are still alive. Regardless of when this takes place, well you be one of those raptured, our will you be one of those left behind?

Second, there will also be a day of judgement, where we will all stand before God and he will divide us according to whether or not we have accepted His Son as our Saviour. Those who have accepted Christ will be welcomed in to eternal life, in the New Jerusalem. Those who have rejected Christ, or who have only paid him lip service will be condemned to eternal death.

As we reflect today on the events of twelve years ago, I also ask you to reflect on your future. We don’t know where we will be when the next earth shaking event takes place. But you can know where you will be after the final event takes place.

If you have not already accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, I beg you to do so now. If, at one time, you had accepted Him, but have allowed yourself to slip away, or even if you walked away, it’s not too late to return to Him. Today is the day of salvation. Those who died twelve years ago most likely had no idea it was to be their last day on earth. Are you ready for eternity?

A time to weep…

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The other morning I was told about a family who’s one year old son passed away after a week long battle. I don’t really know the family, yet I find myself crying and heartbroken, as though we were close friends or family. My heart is breaking for the parents and grandparents of this little boy.

I am reminded of some questions that I have for God. This family prayed, as did their church, and their pastor, and many others around the country. Why didn’t all of these prayers seem to make a difference? Why was God’s answer to these prayers for full recovery the complete opposite of what was being asked? Why bother with the brief miracle of keeping this little boy alive for a week just to take him from his parents’ loving arms anyway? What was the point of people praying just for God to take this little boy anyway? Does God really care? And many other questions that I fear to give voice to. To be honest, I asked these or similar questions right after the May 20 tornados when we found out 7 children in Moore died, and I keep coming back to them from time to time, especially in the face of tragedy.

I know the nice, “churchy” and religious answers. You know, the cliché responses like: “He’s in a better place.” “She’s not in pain.” “He’s completely healed now.” “God needed her back.” And let’s not forget what is possibly one of the most cliché response we in the church frequently pop off with, Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good, for those who love the Lord.” But, I find these well intentioned responses to be unsatisfying. They don’t really seem to bring comfort in times of trouble and questions.

So I scream out, demanding that the Almighty answer me. I need to hear God in these times. God, you owe me, and the rest of us answers! You owe my friends some answers! We want to understand. We want to see the big picture. We want to trust you, but we need answers!

And in the midst of all my questioning, and demanding answers from God, there is a constant, quiet presence, and another persistent barrage of new questions, possibly not unlike Job’s conversation with God: “Who are you to question me?” “Are you God?” “What have you created on your own?” “Can you control the beasts of the fields, and of the oceans?” “Do you hold the power over life and death in your hands?” My answer is a simple, weak “No, but…” and before I can even really express the “but” I am stopped.

I am reminded that I am not God. But that as lowly as we are, God feels our pain. He holds our tears. And I am reminded that He gave His Son for us. And Christ also experienced the same pain we feel. When Lazarus died, it is recorded that “Jesus wept.” Of course, in my infinite human wisdom, I quickly respond, “But Jesus also raised Lazarus from the dead, immediately. He didn’t have to weep for long.” And I hear, “My child, be still. Know that I am God. I hold your tears. I know your pain. I feel the pain of your brothers and sisters. I know my children are weeping. But I have not left them alone. I have allowed others to share in their pain with them, so that it may be bearable; so that they may not be crushed.”

To my friends who have lost their little boy: I have no magic words to ease your pain. And I offer no pious words. I simply weep with you. My heart is broken with yours. Finally, please also know that you are being lifted up to our Heavenly Father.

Confession of an adulterous, murdering king

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Hi. I have been known by many titles: shepherd, warrior, king, man after God’s own heart. Truth be told, though, the labels adulterer, thief and murderer also described me. I definitely wasn’t always good at seeking after God’s heart. In fact, as much as I wanted to please God, I often lived to please myself.

In fact, I have to confess what may be my biggest indiscretion. One evening I was up on the roof of my palace and I glanced next door and saw the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, bathing. Well, instead of being a gentleman and thinking with my brain, and my heart, I allowed myself to become a walking hormone. Once she caught my eye, I was hooked. I mean, in my defense, she was H-O-T, HOT. I knew I should have looked away and not looked back, but I couldn’t help myself. Honestly, if I had been out on the battlefield with my army, as I should have, I would not have found myself in this predicament, but my advisors assured me that my presence wasn’t needed. So I stayed behind. And at that moment, I was very happy that I had stayed at the palace.

Well, anyway, I’m just staring, watching this gorgeous babe. Even if it had been available, she did not need any type of plastic surgery. Like far too many guys, I quit thinking with my brain. I think all the blood rushed away from my brain, honestly. I just had have her. I saw her and I knew what I wanted. I just had to be with her. So I asked some of the palace staff about her. To be honest, I really don’t think I paid attention to anything other than her name, Bathsheba. Beautiful, gorgeous, lovely Bathsheba. I think someone might have said something about her being married, but I really wasn’t paying attention to that part. Nor did I really care. I sent for her immediately.

Well, she came to the palace and I wined her and dined her. And yep, you guessed it, we spent the night together. What a night. Well in the morning, she went back to her place, and I was just on cloud nine, and all was well. And, I was pretty sure I had gotten away with it. That is, until she sent word several days later that she was pregnant.

Pregnant?! How in the world did that happen? Oh no! And there was definitely no way I could pull a Bill Clinton, and claim “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” My deed was about to be exposed. Man I couldn’t let that happen. After all I’m the king. I can’t even just marry her, because she’s already married; to one of my most loyal warriors?! Yep, she was the wife of one of my most trusted and faithful warriors, Uriah, the Hittite. I had to think, and fast.

So, I did what any smart leader in my position would do. I decided a plan that was fool proof. I figured all I needed was for Uriah to spend some quality time with his wife and, no more problem. In fact, I would be able to congratulate Uriah on the birth of his baby. So, I sent for Uriah, under the pretense of wanting him to bring me word from the battlefield. When he arrived I listened carefully to his report. The very next thing I did was to send him home. Whew, problem solved, right? Well, I thought so, until the next morning. Remember how I said he was one of my most loyal warriors? Yeah, he was too loyal. He slept in the palace courtyard by the gate. I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. So I ordered him to go home and sleep with his wife, and enjoy her company. I even tried getting him drunk. Even drunk he was loyal to me. Man, what is wrong with him? If I had been away from my wife that long a team of wild horses couldn’t have kept me away from her. But not Uriah. He insisted that as long as the ark and the armies of Israel and Judah were sleeping in tents in the field, that he would never go to his own home and sleep with his wife. This guy was just too loyal.

Well, I had to think quick, again. So I relented, and sent him back to the front. But I included a note to my commander, Joab. I told Joab to put Uriah at the front, where the fighting would be the most fierce, and to suddenly pull back so that Uriah would be killed.

Joab did as I commanded. Unfortunately, Uriah wasn’t the only one killed. I actually lost several good men that day. But most importantly, my secret was now safe. As soon as she was done mourning, I married Bathsheba. Shortly after we were married, she gave birth to our son. Wow, now I was lucky enough to be married to the most gorgeous woman in the world, and she gave me a son. And best of all, no one would ever know what had really happened.

Not. So. Fast. You see, not long after our son was born, the prophet, Nathan, showed up. He told me about a rich farmer who had plenty of land, crops, flocks and herds. This rich farmer had a neighbor who was really poor. The poor man had one lamb, that was really more like a pet. Actually, it was more like a beloved member of the poor man’s family. Some of you can relate, I’m sure. I’ve seen how some people treat their pets like a member of the family. I mean this man even let the lamb eat from his own plate.

Well, it seems that one day this rich farmer wanted to throw a banquet for a guest, but he didn’t want to use an animal from his own flock or herd. So he took the poor man’s lamb, killed it and prepared and served it to his guest. I was so furious when I heard this that I immediately declared that the rich man deserved to die. Then Nathan looked me in the eyes and he proclaimed “You are that man!”

What?! Nathan proceeded to remind me of all the Lord had given me. And I stole another man’s wife, to satisfy my own lust. Then, to hide my sin I murdered him.  When I confessed, Nathan told me the Lord had forgiven me, and that I would not die. But my son whom Bathsheba had given birth to would die.

Soon after Nathan left our son fell deathly ill. I prayed, and fasted, and begged God to spare our son. I knew how much his mother loved him, and my heart ached for her too. In spite of all of my begging and pleading, God carried out His judgement. My sin and my attempts to cover it up had caused several deaths, and much grieving. Oh, how I suddenly wished I could undo my sin. And the problems my family suffered because of my own sin. My family was in turmoil the rest of my days. It is not a pleasant story at all. One of my sons raped his sister, and another tried to steal my throne. It’s pretty difficult, if not downright impossible to tell your children how to behave and serve the Lord when you, their father, don’t live and act as you know you’re suppose to.

There have been attempts by many to try lessen my guilt of my sin of lust. In fact one Jewish tradition has it that what really happened that day on the roof was that Satan took the form of a bird and in my attempt to kill the bird, I missed and knocked over the privacy screen that had been set up. Others have tried to say that Bathsheba should have refused. But folks, I am here to tell you that I alone am responsible for my sin. I didn’t have to take that second look. I didn’t have to continue to stare and lust and scheme. I alone sent for her. I alone am responsible. Not to mention, would you have had the courage to tell the king “No”? And I alone plotted the murder of a most trusted servant, which also took the lives of several other good men.

I was an adulterer, a thief, and a murderer. But the most amazing thing is that there was still hope. When I repented, God forgave me. And in spite of my sin, and because of my repentance, God still used my relationship with Bathsheba for his glory. She later gave birth to my son, Solomon. He was the one the Lord had chosen to succeed me, and to build His temple.

It’s amazing how the Lord works. Even the most wicked can be redeemed, if only we repent and commit to following His way. If God could forgive my sin, then he will forgive any sin. All you have to do is repent and commit to following His commands.

To be sure, our actions do have natural consequences, and God seldom, if ever, relieves us of those consequences. But He does, when we repent, and follow Him, relieve us of the ultimate consequence of sin…an eternity in hell. Instead, because His Son, Jesus, paid the price of our sin by His death on the cross our sins are forgiven. Of course, His resurrection also gives us the assurance and hope of eternal life. We are now joint heirs with Christ. We are adopted as sons and daughters of the King. The Creator of the universe is our father. So please, leave your sin behind. Turn and follow after Christ. There is new life in Him. He has promised to forgive us, of only we confess sins to Him. And He’ll give us His Holy Spirit to guide us, and to help lead us away from temptation. Temptation will always find us as some point. But God gives us His Holy Spirit to show us a way out. And to show us the way back when we do sin.

How does your garden grow?

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, NLTse)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control. (Galations 5:22-23, NLT)

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In March, I moved into a second floor apartment that has a southern facing balcony. I decided it was the perfect time to try my hand at container gardening. I went out and bought a seed starting kit that contained seeds for cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and lettuce. In April I started the seeds indoors, and it took until almost June before they were ready to be put outside. Now at this point, for those who don’t know me well, I should probably point out that God has not blessed me with an abundance of patience (hereafter referred to as “that p word”).

My lettuce never did develop into heads, although, according to the package it was suppose to be a head variety.  I finally harvested the leaves a few weeks ago and have given up on growing more lettuce this year.

One of my cucumber plants has finally produced about six or seven cucumbers over the last several weeks. The other one has given me one or two, with little sign of continuing. But I am working on being that “p” word. I do see a few beginning cucumbers, so I’m praying that at least one of them will continue.

My pepper plants are finally producing peppers that I think I will be able to start harvesting in the next few days. And it appears that they will be producing for a while longer.

And my two beefsteak tomato plants? Well, so far each plant has one small green tomato. But they also have a lot more blossoms, so I am hopeful of more to come.

In mid to late May, I also decided to try to grow jalapeno peppers and cherry tomatoes. Again, I started from seeds. They actually seem to have grown and begin producing a little bit faster. I put the cherry tomato plant into a hanging planter that grows upside down and put the jalapeno plants into regular pots, one of which has two plants the other just a single plant. I actually have several cherry tomatoes, though they are still green, and several jalapenos already. Granted, none of them are ready to be harvested yet, but those plants do seem to have produced faster than any of the others.

I have, however begun to learn a few things from this gardening adventure. (These are not in any order, other than as they have occurred to me as I write this):

First, when starting from seeds you really want to begin several weeks before you intend to move the plants outside, if you intend to begin harvesting earlier in the summer.

Second, research a little bit and find out how much space each plant needs. I screwed up and tried growing two cucumber plants in the same container. I did the same thing with the tomato plants. I was able to separate the cucumber plants into their own container, but transplanting them when I did almost killed them both. The root systems of the tomato plants are so intertwined, and after almost losing both cucumber plants, I thought it best to leave them this year. But next year, they will be grown in separate containers.

Third, the harvest does eventually begin. Everything in it’s season.

Finally, I think I am beginning to grasp a couple things that apply to our spiritual lives. As I was picking a couple cucumbers the other day, and noticing that the other plants were finally beginning to produce, I was reminded of the above verses, as well as John 15. The produce will come in it’s time. I have been tempted several times to give up, but with more of that “p” word than I usually have, a commitment to care for my plants, a willingness to learn, and allowing God to do His part, I am beginning to enjoy the fruit of my labor.  The spiritual life also requires much more of that “p” word than many of us care to think about, a willingness to learn, caring and nurturing, and allowing God to do His work in His way and in His time. This will produce a harvest in our own lives. We will also be privileged to participate in various ways of planting, watering, tending to, and eventually to reaping harvests of others for Christ. We can’t rush the producing of the fruit, or the harvest. We have to allow ourselves, and others the grace to grow as directed by God. And sometimes, as I have been reminded over the past year or so, we may even have to tolerate the spreading of excess fertilizer by those who just don’t know any better. And when that happens, just remember, that fertilizer can lead to a better harvest.

The price of infidelity

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered how God feels when we reject Him? Or maybe even worse, when we who profess to be his people turn away from Him? One day I realized I have probably felt, as close as humanly possible, the pain that He feels when we are unfaithful to Him.

Being rejected by people is painful enough. Being rejected by people you love is even worse. But what about the rejection a spouse? Can you imagine the pain of that type of rejection and insult. Sadly, there are many of us who have experienced that pain. Now, please understand, I am not sharing this to elicit pity for myself or any other person who has experienced the pain of marital unfaithfulness. I simply believe that God has allowed me to use my experience to understand how much He truly loves us and desires a relationship with us.

It has been several years since I divorced my ex-wife. But I still remember clearly the pain that I felt when I first suspected she was cheating, as well as that when I found out for certain. It was actually the same feeling for me, but the difference was the intensity of the physical and emotionoal response.

Sadly, there are others who have experienced this pain, and their experiences are no doubt different. But I think we would all agree that there is almost nothing as painful as infidelity.

I’ll try to describe own pain. First there was this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something wasn’t quite right. Most of us have heard the term “butterflies in the stomach,” I’m sure. Well in the case of infidelity, for me, it felt like blenders, or electric mixers had been turned on inside my stomach and were turning it inside out. Then there’s the rush of adrenaline, due, no doubt, to the human bodies built in “fight or flight” response. Of course that rush of adrenaline leads to many other physical responses. Then there is the sudden stabbing pain I felt in my heart and in my spirit. Finally a type of physical and emotional fatigue set in. The woman to whom I had pledged my love, and had given my heart had betrayed me. It crushed my spirit. It truly hurt me to the core.

Now I am not naive enough to think that any of the pain we experience comes anywhere close to the pain that God feels when we reject or walk away from Him. I can only imagine that the pain our sin causes Him is a million times worse.

Remember when I said above that there is almost nothing as painful as infidelity? Well there is a pain that is indescribably worse; there is the pain of having your child ripped away. I have experienced the pain of having my children ripped away from me. I cannot begin to describe that pain. As painful as having my children ripped from the safety of my home and arms was, the only thing I imagine can be more painful is losing my child to death.

Now I have not experienced that pain caused by the death of one of my children. And my heart goes out to those who have. But I also know that our Heavenly Father has experienced both of the pains I have experienced, as well as the pain of a Son’s death.

There is a reason that at times He refers to Israel as a wayward wife who has left her first love. There is a reason that our relationship to Christ is described in terms of marriage. God desires an intimate relationship with us, his people. We were created for that relationship and fellowship with Him. But too often we reject Him. Even worse, we often, even after we turn to Him, return to satisfying our selfish desires instead of fulfilling our vow to God. We caused Him to experience the pain of having an unfaithful spouse. Our sin caused Him to experience the pain of losing His only Son, even to the point of death. The death of a mere human could never satisfy the debt of our sin. So the Son, Jesus Christ, stepped forward.

I can only imagine that the conversation went something like this:
The Son said, “I’ll go. I will give up my own glory, and live among them. I will show them the way to live. I will be their example. Finally, I will pay the penalty for their sin. I will even suffer the indignity and humiliation of death on a cross.”
And the Father replied, “my Son, go. Stay in constant communion with me, so that my power will remain in you that you may bring me glory. Your death will satisfy the penalty for their sin. As you take their sin upon yourself on that cross I will have to look away, because I cannot look at sin. But after three days I will raise you back to life, and you will again be glorified. Your resurrection will defeat death once and for all. After you return to my side I will send my Holy Spirit to comfort and guide them. They will again be capable of enjoying eternal fellowship with us.”

So I have just two questions:
If you have not yet accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, will you now turn from your sin and accept the free gift He has given, or will you continue to reject Him.

If you have previously accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, but have since turned away, will you return to One who loves you to the point He gave up His own life for you; or will you continue in your infidelity?

Are you part of the infection, or the cure?

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self- control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT)

I came across this passage by accident while looking for another one. I honestly don’t think I had really seen, or paid attention to this passage before. But when I came upon this, in light of some recent events it seemed to become really clear to me. I’m not sure what concerns me more. How true this passage really is, or how infected the church has become with the behaviors described. Make no mistake, the church is infected at all levels, from the highest ranks of leadership, clergy and lay people alike, down to the lay person occupying the pew.

It’s time we begin to ask some hard questions in the church:
Is the pastor burying his head and overlooking obvious sin in the lives of his board members? Is the church board overlooking obvious sin in the life of their pastor? Is the congregation holding the board and the pastor accountable? Is the pastor really preaching the word, or is he picking and choosing who he wants to preach to according to who he is angry with that week? Or is he preaching a sermon that just makes the people feel good because he doesn’t want to offend anyone with the truth? Is the pastor a bully? Are there members who bully the pastor? Are we parents ensuring that our children are truly being grounded in the word of God, and ensuring that the people we encourage them to follow and listen to are proper Christian examples? Are we as parents setting the examples ourselves that our children need to see?

Sadly, it’s not limited to any one church or denomination; it has infected all of our churches to some degree. The real difference is how a church, including everyone, from the layperson in the pew, to board member, and right up to the pastor deals with the infection. Too often, I think we overlook these very serious problems because we’re afraid of offending someone. Or it’s just easier to go along so we can get along. And in the home as well as the church, we don’t want to fight with our children, or risk making them uncomfortable, so we let their happiness dictate our choices.

Sadly, I must confess that I have been guilty of overlooking serious problems in the church and in my own home. Not addressing issues immediately in my home, because I was afraid of the risk of divorce, cost me my family, and I still ended divorced. Even worse is that it has cost my children in ways I can’t begin to describe, or even imagine. Fortunately, my God has overcome my own stupidity and fear and through His power, and my loving parents and family, my children are safe and, my family is intact.

Not addressing the issues in my church has also had some very detrimental effects. Now, before I go on I have to say, I have been blessed to have been a part of some great churches with some wonderful pastors throughout my life. Sadly I have also been a part of a couple churches, at different times, where sin was allowed to come in and undermine God’s Word; Where selfishness ruled and egos ran high. In both cases I kept my mouth shut, because I didn’t want to rock the boat or upset my pastor, and because I was afraid. In both cases I was not only a church member, I was also a board member. In both situations, the pastor was actually the root of the problem, but wanted to blame the problems on the board, or previous boards, or the congregation, or previous pastors. They were too proud to admit their own weaknesses, let alone admit that they might actually be capable of committing sin. In one case, the church doors were shut and the church officially closed not long after I left. In the second church, I continue to pray for the pastor and the church, because it really will take God getting a hold of people and them getting a hold of God in order to for anything to change for the better. It’s a sad day whenever a church closes its doors. It’s even sadder when it is caused by sin that had infected the church and fear that infected the people.

Please understand, I am not saying it is always the pastor’s fault. I have also known of congregations who bully the pastor, and refuse to confront sin.  I have heard horror stories, where congregations and church boards were so full of pride and egos, and hate that if Christ himself were to physically walk through the doors they still would not listen.

I have a few suggestions to help fight these infections:
First make sure you yourself are immunized. Make sure you are truly listening to God and keep yourself close to Him. Ask Him to examine your heart, and to point out anything on you that is of a wicked, sinful nature. Make sure you rely on Him to guide your life so that you are living a life pleasing to him.
Second, laypeople, pray for your pastor, and your board members, and pastors and board members pay for those in your congregation. In other words, people, pray for each other.
Third, be willing to pray with your pastor. Regardless of how sanctified he or she may be, your pastor is only human and needs your prayers to uplift him or her.
Fourth, when God is telling you that something is not right, pay attention. And begin to pray about it.
Finally, where there is sin, regardless of who, it must be confronted. It must be done lovingly with a goal of redemption. But it must be dealt with. If you simply overlook it, like any infection it will spread. Just as an infection left untreated in the human body, can kill the body, sin infection in the church will kill the church, as well as an untold number of souls.

A final thought: I wonder, when we refuse to confront sin, if we aren’t just holding the gates of hell open for others and inviting them to make that their eternal destination.

God knows my name is Carl, and I am His child. He is more than able to use me.

/ CD Hamman / 1 Comment

First, thank you for your prayers. I’m not really big on sharing my feelings, but I also needed to let some things out. This seemed like a fairly healthy way to release it all. I actually am often guilty of stuffing my feelings and pain. The problem with that is that the things that get stuffed eventually build up pressure until it all just explodes out, often hurting those we love, as well as other innocent bystanders. Not to mention the damage done to the one who does the stuffing. By God’s grace, that is not who I am any more.

The title is in reference to the three songs that appear at the end. When I wrote my prayer request I was feeling defeated. I looked in the mirror and all I saw was a loser. It didn’t help that satan, through others, and even in my own mind, was reminding me of all my failures. I was beginning  to believe the names he was giving me: loser, moron, bad father, felon, defeated, fat, worthless, and the list goes on. Some of you reading this may be experiencing this same problem right now. The names that satan is trying to call you by, and the tactics he is using may be different. But his end goal is the same; to make you believe that God doesn’t really want you, that you are unworthy of God’s love. But, the thing is those are lies.

The first verse many of us ever memorized tells us just how much God loves us. John 3:16 tells us that God’s love for us is so great that he gave up His only Son in order to save us. In spite of all we have done to push Him away, He still loves us. He still wants a relationship with us. To be brutally honest, there is nothing any of us can do to be worthy of the love and forgiveness God has offered us. But because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection when we accept Him as Savior and Lord all of those things we once were guilty of are wiped away. I know many may have heard this before, and it may be a bit cliché, but now when satan brings up our past faults and sins, instead of letting him remind us of our past, remind him of his future.

Because of God’s amazing love and mercy I don’t  have to accept the false names satan wants to call me by. I don’t have to accept the false labels that others may try to force upon me. God has used the following songs to speak to me this weekend, and to remind me of my worth in His eyes. The first song listed kept playing over in my mind after I posted my prayer request Thursday night; especially the chorus and the second verse.

The last two songs were sung in the church service that I attended Sunday. They also fit perfectly with the pastor’s sermon. His sermon was based on John 6, the feeding of the five thousand. Here were his main points: 1) NOTHING and NO ONE is inadequate in the hands of Jesus. 2) Jesus often uses UNLIKELY sources to perform miracles. 3) NEVER waste a miracle. The pastor also asked a few questions to think about. what if the little boy had been a typical kid and been selfish? How many miracles are unperformed because we are selfish?  And what happened to the leftovers?

I have a fourth question: What if Andrew had been the typical adult, and been already totally convinced that the little boy had nothing to offer? Just something to ponder next time we’re tempted to judge someone else as unworthy or as having nothing to offer.

By the way: Hi. My name is Carl. I’m a Child of God, and He is more than able to accomplish His will in me and through me. And guess what else: He actually knows my name.

Hello My Name Is (by Matthew West)
Chorus: Hello, my name is child of the one true King I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free “Amazing Grace” is the song I sing Hello, my name is child of the one true King

Verse 2: I am no longer defined By all the wreckage behind. The one who makes all things new Has proven it’s true Just take a look at my life

He Is Able (by Henry Smith)
He is able, more than able To accomplish what concerns me today. He is able, more than able To handle anything that come my way. He is able, more than able To do much more than I could ever dream, He is able, more than able To make me what He wants me to be.

He Knows My Name (by Tommy Walker)
Verse 1:
I have a maker he formed my heart,
before even time began
My life was in his hands

Chorus:
He knows my name He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls and hears me when I call

Verse 2:
I have a father, he calls me his own
He’ll never leave me,
No matter where I go

Immoral government or immoral church?

/ CD Hamman / 1 Comment

Today’s Supreme Court ruling is definitely morally wrong. No real surprise there. But I must be clear on this, as much as I am against gay marriage, and as much as I believe that homosexuality is wrong and is a sin, it is just as sinful to commit adultery, yet many so called Christians are currently doing this, some openly. It is just as sinful to be a liar, and yet there are many so called Christians, including some ordained ministers, who are practicing liars. It is just as sinful to to hate another person, yet many so called Christians openly hate even those in their own church, as well as hating those who they disagree with outside the church. Yet 1 John 3:13 equates hating a brother with murder. In other words, all sin is an abomination. Yet many in the church, even those who are ordained ministers pick and choose which sins are wrong and which they will go ahead and practice.

In short, is it any wonder that our government is corrupt and immoral when the church is corrupt and immoral. Have I offended anyone yet? If so, GOOD. Our sin should offend us, just as it offends God.

Finally, having said all that, to my friends, family and even those I do not know, who have chosen lifestyles that I believe are sinful: I choose to try to be more like Christ; to love you as people who Christ loves and to continue to pray for you and be your friend and brother. My prayer is that everyone should see Christ in me, in spite of my own shortcomings and failings. And that hopefully, prayerfully, I can be a faithful representative of Christ.

My Challenge

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

I admit to cheating for this first post. The following was first posted in January to my status on Facebook. However, my initial goal is to simply get started. Over the next several months I plan to begin using this forum for everything from my required journaling for classes to sermon ideas, to random thoughts, with the ultimate goal being to remind me to keep my focus on Christ.

I have a challenge for the Church, and all those who profess the name of Christ. My challenge is this… Instead of focusing our blame for sin and our nation’s decline on the sins of others, spreading emails and FB posts that blame our government leaders, or other religions, or people who do not accept the truth of God’s Word; How about instead focusing our attention and energy on something radically different… PRAYER. Yes, many of our leaders are screwing things up, and there are groups who have come out strong against Christ and His Word. But I do not believe that focusing our attention on them and arguing with or against them is doing much good. Because I believe that we have forgotten about prayer, and repenting of our own sins.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God clearly commands us to pray: At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. (2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NLT)) And Paul’s first letter to Timothy tells us to pray for all, including those in authority: I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. (1 Timothy 2:1-6a (NLT))

While I admit I have not gone through line by line of the Bible, I have done a thorough enough search that I believe that I can honestly say that nowhere are we commanded to complain about other people to God. Nor are we told to complain about our government. Complaining will not change things. But prayer… prayer is the most powerful weapon we have in our arsenal against the Satan. Our war is not with men and women, but it is a spiritual war. We cannot win this war by complaining, and finger pointing, or judging. We who proclaim the name of Christ know that the victory has already been won through Christ’s death and resurrection. So let’s re-learn to fight this war like men and women of God, on our knees with holy hands lifted to God.