Read: Genesis 37-50      

Who comes to your mind when you think of someone who has given you good examples to follow in life?  During a recent game of Bible baseball (Bible trivia), a question was asked about the life of Joseph in the biblical book of Genesis (chapters 37-50).  It was a reminder to me of how many wonderful life examples he shows us in those chapters.

Like all of us, Joseph was not perfect.  Jesus is the only person to ever live a perfect/sinless life. (1 John 3:5)  When it comes to examples sometimes we can learn from others mistakes as well as their positive character traits.  In essence, we learn what and what not to do.  Joseph displayed some of both in his life, but this week I want to focus on the positive life examples he left.  Here are just a few of them…

Make the best of a bad situation:  After being sold to slave traders by his brothers in Israel, Joseph made the best of his circumstances and was eventually put in charge of the entire country of Egypt. His wisdom and discernment saved many people from a famine throughout the region.

Resist temptation and stay true to God:  While in Egypt one of the leader’s wives tried to tempt Joseph into adultery.  Joseph resisted this temptation and stayed true to the Lord.  Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him, and he was thrown into jail.  The Lord was with him in jail and eventually he was released to interpret dreams for Pharaoh.  This led to him being put in charge of Egypt.

Live a life of grace and forgiveness:  Some years later Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt to get food because of a famine.  They did not realize that their brother Joseph (whom they had sold to slave traders years before) was now the one in charge of Egypt.  Instead of getting revenge Joseph reveals himself and eventually extends grace to his brothers.  He then invites the family, including his father Jacob, to come live in Egypt in order to survive the famine.

Make it Personal:  There is much more to this wonderful story and many other life examples that can be learned.  I encourage you to read it for yourself.  The story of Joseph encourages all of us to ask what kind of life example we are leaving for those closest to us.  How do we handle the challenges as well as the blessings in life?  Others are watching!

Have a great week, Pastor Glen Rhodes

Read: Proverbs 1

        I don’t always have time to watch television on Saturday mornings, but recently I found some interesting programs that air at that time.  NBC has a series of programs focused around the theme of “The More You Know.”  These are educational programs that help you to learn about other lands, cultures, jobs, hobbies, and people.

These Saturday morning television programs were a reminder for me about how important it is to continue to learn and grow in life.  There is so much to learn that no one person can possibly know everything, but we must continue to seek after knowledge and not ignore wisdom and instruction.

In our Bibles the book of Proverbs says that respect and worship of God is the place to begin.  Knowledge and wisdom are found throughout God’s Word.  The more you know, the more you will understand, and the more you will grow in your spiritual life.  In fact, the Bible is full of all kinds of practical and helpful guidance.  It can lead us, comfort us, guide us, in things that really matter in life.  It also directs us to the grace and salvation of Jesus.

This past weekend the Masters golf tournament was played in Augusta, Georgia.  Professional golfer Justin Thomas commented in an interview about how he learns how to improve his game by watching others.  By doing this he learns what to do and what not to do.  He said that he asks others, watches others, and picks up little things along the way that can help his game improve.  He said, “I always get useful advice.”  Watching and learning from others can be helpful if we are watching the right examples.  Of course, Jesus should be our main source.

Verse 7 of Proverbs 1 says that it is foolish to despise wisdom and instruction. In other words, we should seek out opportunities to learn and grow.  We should treasure the chance to gain wisdom from those who have been there, done that, and learned.  Life can be challenging, I hope we will take the opportunity to learn from God and learn from those whom God has placed in our lives.

Make it Personal:  What are some ways you can learn and grow?  Think about that in a spiritual sense.  Think about that in relation to your job.  Think about that in relation to other situations you might be facing in life.  The more you know, the better you will be able to grow!

Have a blessed week, Pastor Glen Rhodes

Read:  Deuteronomy 10:12-22

         March Madness is over, and April has arrived.  Villanova is your NCAA National Basketball Champion.  But something else in college basketball has recently caught my attention.  I have noticed the unreal number of players who leave their teams and transfer to another school each year.  On average there are 700-800 players who leave one team and transfer to another each year.  Recent statistics show that 40% of recruits are gone by the end of their sophomore seasons.  Perhaps we need to remember this when our favorite college team gets excited about their latest blue-chip recruit.  In two years they may not be around.

It is a reminder of how commitment is very fragile in our current culture.  This fragility extends from sports, to civic organizations, to volunteer opportunities, and even to church.  It begs us to ask the question what has changed or what is going on?  After all, commitment is key to being faithful, trustworthy, counted on, and devoted to what we are called to.

Perhaps it is not a new problem though.  This reminds us of what happened to the disciples of Jesus after he was arrested, tried, and crucified on the cross of Calvary.  Peter denied knowing Christ three times, the other disciples fled the scene, and many of them feared that their lives could be next.  Their commitment to Jesus their Savior had wavered.

But as we often say, the resurrection changed everything.  After Jesus rose from the grave on Easter those same disciples found renewed hope, strength, and commitment.  Yes, Jesus was who he said he was.  Yes, Jesus did what he had said he would do.  And Yes, Jesus confirmed that he was the Son of God.

In Deuteronomy 10:12-13 we are encouraged to follow God and be totally committed to his will for our lives.  This commitment is such an important part of realizing the blessings in life that God has for us.  In those verses Moses says, “What does the Lord want from you?  The Lord wants you to respect and follow him, to love and serve him with all your heart and soul.”  Sounds a lot like commitment to me.  When we are committed we are faithful and trustworthy.

Make it Personal:  Whether it be basketball teams or other areas, there is much discussion about the level of commitment these days.  How about we up our game and take it to next level?  Let’s be committed, faithful, and devoted, and let it start with our commitment to God.

Have a blessed week, Pastor Glen Rhodes