One day, while Jesus was teaching in someone's house, many people were sitting there. Some of them were Pharisees.  Other people were teachers of God's Law. They had come from many villages in Galilee, and from Judea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there with Jesus to make sick people well. Then some men arrived. They were carrying a man on a mat. The man could not walk or move his legs. They tried to get into the house, because they wanted to bring the man to Jesus. But the house was full of people, and they could not get in. So, they carried the man on to the flat roof of the house. Then they made a hole in the roof. After that, they put the mat down through the hole. The man was still lying on it. He came down in the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. Jesus saw them. He knew that they believed in him. So he said to the sick man, ‘My friend, I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
Luke 5:17-20
Jesus knew that spiritual healing was the most important, but we also know that he knew physical needs need to be met first. In psychology, there is an illustration called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  In this, it describes that before someone becomes comfortable with themselves and is "self actualized", they must have their basic needs met. For instance, if someone is starving, they will not see the need for anything but food. If one is in an unsafe environment, they certainly will not be thinking about the Higher things that spirituality brings.  Meeting basic needs is primary.  James said this too. If Someone needs food, and we only try to preach to them or tell them how much they need Jesus, we are not doing God's work. Sometimes you have to meet the physical need first. 
Jesus healed the man and then told him he was forgiven because of his faith. 
​He told the man because of the friend's faith, he was forgiven. Sometimes our involvement with our fellow man helps to sanctify them.  They may be prayed for or cared for or just get a cup of coffee from us, but this is planting a seed.  
Finally, keep in mind that as much as we, the church are the friends, we also NEED friends.  We all can carry one another.  The truth is we all need that. This is why groups are an important part of our church. Developing deep relationships is a vital part of our spirituality. There are times we cannot carry ourselves. it is then when our friends can carry our mats and we can do the same for them. 

One day, while Jesus was teaching in someone's house, many people were sitting there. Some of them were Pharisees . Other people were teachers of God's Law . They had come from many villages in Galilee, and from Judea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there with Jesus to make sick people well. Then some men arrived. They were carrying a man on a mat . The man could not walk or move his legs. They tried to get into the house, because they wanted to bring the man to Jesus. But the house was full of people, and they could not get in. So, they carried the man on to the flat roof of the house. Then they made a hole in the roof. After that, they put the mat down through the hole. The man was still lying on it. He came down in the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. Jesus saw them. He knew that they believed in him. So he said to the sick man, ‘My friend, I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
Luke 5:17-20

Until now everything that happened to that man was based on his friend’s belief.  He did not have the faith or ability to get where Jesus was.  This is a picture of the favor and grace that God gives someone because of our prayers for others.
 
Remember, your friend’s and your leader’s faith can help  get you into God's presence, but cannot take you from paralyzed to walking. You have to receive it. 
Some of us or those we love are so used to their mats they are not ready to leave it or don't even know it's a mat. Our hang-ups and weakness can be like that.   We don't want to give up that thing we use to numb ourselves or our habit that  is not the best for us. Think about if this is something you need to look at and give to God. 

One day, while Jesus was teaching in someone's house, many people were sitting there. Some of them were Pharisees . Other people were teachers of God's Law . They had come from many villages in Galilee, and from Judea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there with Jesus to make sick people well. Then some men arrived. They were carrying a man on a mat . The man could not walk or move his legs. They tried to get into the house, because they wanted to bring the man to Jesus. But the house was full of people, and they could not get in. So, they carried the man on to the flat roof of the house. Then they made a hole in the roof. After that, they put the mat down through the hole. The man was still lying on it. He came down in the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. Jesus saw them. He knew that they believed in him. So he said to the sick man, ‘My friend, I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
Luke 5:17-20

The man on the mat’s friends were willing to remove barriers. 
The friends saw that it was standing room only and they could have said this is too much work…. It's hard. There's no way or we can try next time.

The man likely felt he's already had a good day. How many times have we come to a situation and it has a barrier and we just say “oh well”. He got out and  saw his friends, took a trip. He was likely grateful for that alone and may have said nevermind-- thanks anyway, but his friends would not hear it. They insisted on getting him in front of Jesus. They worked for it. Sometimes being there for our church family or our friends who need our hope is going to cost us something . Pastor Vicky talks a lot about how God loves it when we treat his kids well. That is  what this means. Going the distance!

One day, while Jesus was teaching in someone's house, many people were sitting there. Some of them were Pharisee . Other people were teachers of God's Law. They had come from many villages in Galilee, and from Judea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there with Jesus to make sick people well. Then some men arrived. They were carrying a man on a mat. The man could not walk or move his legs. They tried to get into the house, because they wanted to bring the man to Jesus. But the house was full of people, and they could not get in. So, they carried the man on to the flat roof of the house. Then they made a hole in the roof. After that, they put the mat down through the hole. The man was still lying on it. He came down in the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. Jesus saw them. He knew that they believed in him. So he said to the sick man, ‘My friend, I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
Luke 5:17-20

The man on the mat’s friends carried him physically.  
Sometimes meeting the most basic need is the way best to bring someone closer to Jesus is to meet a need.  Ruth’s Boutique does this.  Just being real and meeting a need. It can be so simple....getting a cup of coffee for someone who is just not feeling loved or  letting someone know you care about them. It isn't preachy, but it's totally Jesus.  When we do things in his name and to give him glory, it's being Jesus.
When women walk into Ruth's boutique, often Jesus’ name is not mentioned, but it is all in His name that it is being done.  The women who come in will know this is a safe place and they can then let their guard down. In this world, we have our guard up all the time.  When we have the women from the boutique come in and they begin to share their lives, they're taking their guard down. We are meeting a need and showing them Jesus in a way that is real and is tangible.

One day, while Jesus was teaching in someone's house, many people were sitting there. Some of them were Pharisees . Other people were teachers of God's Law . They had come from many villages in Galilee, and from Judea and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there with Jesus to make sick people well. Then some men arrived. They were carrying a man on a mat . The man could not walk or move his legs. They tried to get into the house, because they wanted to bring the man to Jesus. But the house was full of people, and they could not get in. So, they carried the man on to the flat roof of the house. Then they made a hole in the roof. After that, they put the mat down through the hole. The man was still lying on it. He came down in the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. Jesus saw them. He knew that they believed in him. So he said to the sick man, ‘My friend, I forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
Luke 5:17-20

Our faith needs to be a get your hands dirty kind of faith.
We need to know that if we are carrying our fellow christians or those who are in need of the hope we have, we have to be willing to get our hands dirty.  Picture it, the friends go to visit the man and say, “hey we are going to visit a new speaker he is touted to be a great healer and a teacher. We want to see if he can help you.”   I'm certain that the man was hesitant.  We who have been through the wringer lose hope and sometimes just don't want to try. It's too much for us.  It's scary to have hope when you have been through so much. Sometimes we get hardened...don't be surprised if those you are trying to bring to Jesus are hesitant. Don't preach to them....just love them. just be Jesus' hands and feet. 

​His friends believed before they saw. They knew the talk was that Jesus was different than the others.  Their faith caused them to not lose hope. They didn't want this chance to go away. 

Our Words Make a Difference. 
 
But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!”
My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.  Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me.
Psalms 31:14-16 NLT
  
Henry Ford said when everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.
Don't let your words bring you along with the naysayers
 
Our claim of trust in the Lord is so important. It shows that we have faith in his ability to do what he says he will do, but also it shows our faith that we have the ability to speak out into existence some of the things that God has in store for us. Our words do not have magical powers,  but if in line with God's truth,  words can manifest good things.  God has given us the power over this world and given us the victory. If the Holy Spirit is living in us and through us, we are already conquerors!
 
Our trust is imperative in this process.  Our words can bring things to pass. If I say I'm having a bad day, I'll likely have a bad day.  If I say it started rough, but it's going to improve, there will likely be improvement. Our attitude is sometimes dependent on the words we say to ourselves and others.  If I verbalize positivity, I will likely be positive. If I speak ill of myself or others, often the negativity will overflow into my life. If we use words that are edifying and engaging, we will likely get the positivity we so long for.
 
As Pastor Vicky has discussed in this past year, the word for our church is Faithful.  The vision that God has given is that we as a congregation will look more and more like Christ because of our Faithfulness in being His disciples.  Her vision for our church is always for our best and His glory.  If we truly follow this faithful path, we will impact our little corner of the world. There is nothing more that we should want than to impact others to know God through our lives. He can do it...we just need to remember to use our words to be positive and not negative. It is truly up to us.
​
Meghan DeGregory- originally published 2/20
 

Friends in Faith Part 2 

We see another example of a characteristic of friendship in Paul and Timothy's relationship.  Paul was a mentor and an encourager to Timothy. He taught him about the faith and he took pride in  the mentoring he did so that Timothy could spread the news.  

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.
2 Timothy 1:6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2ti.1.6.NLT

Finally, another characteristic of friendship that we see displayed in the scriptures is loyalty and faithfulness.  Naomi was Ruth's mother in law. They had both lost their husbands and Naomi planned to travel away and told Ruth to stay back. She wanted her to move on as she still could have built a life with another man.  Ruth would not have any part of this. She wanted to be with Naomi. She was faithful and wanted to walk through the fire with Naomi. 

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”
Ruth 1:16-17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rut.1.16-17.NLT

We have been given  friendship as a gift.  We can be a friend and we can receive friendship.  It is a gift from God and friends are an important part of the joy of life.  Be a good friend. Be a strengthener, a mat carrier, a mentor and a faithful friend.  Pray for one another. Again, I ask that you pick someone in our church and pray for them. You do not need to let them know and it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Watch what God does with just a friend’s prayer.  


Meghan DeGregory- originally published 10/19 

​1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 ESV
Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Friends in Faith Part 1 

God has equipped us with many tools to use in the faith.  One of them is friendship. Friendship can edify and "season" our lives in a way nothing else can.  There are many examples of friendship and what it embodies displayed in the Bible. Let's take a look at a few.

Aaron and Moses were brothers but God used them as a team in leading the Israelites out of Egypt and in leading them spiritually.  Initially, Moses was hesitant. He didn't believe he was cut out for the job. God used someone already in his life to help him meet the task he was given and created to do. 
Moses did not believe he had the gift of leadership and felt he was not a good communicator.  

But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. And take your shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you.”
Exodus 4:13-17 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/exo.4.13-17.NL

God gives us people who can help us with his mission for us and the world.  Moses had the ability. God knew he had the ability and God wanted him to use his ability. However, Moses was afraid and did not have the confidence needed to execute that ability. So what did God do? God brought his brother into the mix. God knew long ago that Moses would need a spokesperson and would need someone to be alongside  him during this time. God knew that Moses could do it but that he would not do it without that helper. God equips us with people to help us in our mission. It may become their mission as well or it may just be that they walk alongside us. 

Another example is the four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to Christ on the mat through THE ROOF!!! 

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 2:1-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mrk.2.1-5.NLT

Can you imagine having friends that move such a barrier to get you to Jesus?   That's what true friends do. We are called to carry one another's mats and bring them to Christ when they are not strong enough.  That doesn't mean being pushy or bossy. Often it means praying for them, being Christ to them and sometimes it's just listening. 

​Meghan DeGregory- originally published 10/19

Unity



During the time that Jesus was experiencing the night before his crucifixion, He prayed for us, His church.   It was so important to our Savior, that he spent a great deal of time praying for HIS followers. He knew he would not be with them much longer and His work with them was done.   He began praying that they would be allowed to enjoy the fruits of a life filled with fellowship and community. There is nothing like a body of believers on a mission together to not only reach those within their environment, but also to enjoy the fruit and blessing of this mission. 

In his book The Pursuit of God, author A.W. Tozer wrote the following:

“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”May we enter each day into a covenant with one another and with God so that we grow together and bring others closer.  Reaching out is a great first step. In fact, just picking someone in your congregation and saying a prayer for them daily can open up the floodgates. Can you imagine if each person in the congregation picked one person to pray for daily for a month? Just praying for God’s blessing on their lives can be a huge game-changer.  Maybe this challenge intrigues you. If so, pick a person in our church and pray daily for them. You don’t have to tell them you’re doing this and it doesn’t have to be a long, elaborate prayer. It will make a difference, I guarantee you.  Let’s see what we can do with one another in unity so we can move forward and reach even more.  Don’t get greedy with God’s love and peace. We want to share it and a quick prayer for another believer can make all the difference.

“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.  John 17:20-23 ERV
​
Meghan DeGregory- originally published 9/19