Today's Sermon

Today's sermon "A Servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ" is up on the website.

www.kitterychurch.org/audio_sermons

The Mosaic of life

Have you ever really thought about how our lives are pieced together over time? People come and go in our lives. While we're not looking, everyone of them has a profound effect on who and what we are.

Family, friends and even strangers effect change in us. Know that every person that passes through your life has left their mark on it.

Know that every interaction, good or bad has shaped you into the person you are today. And so it will be until you breath your last.

Embrace the journey, know that whatever you experience in life, there is a reason for it. 

Just don't forget to meet the one that will make the most profound effect of all; Jesus. Let Him be the one that has the lasting effect on your inmost self. Let him give you life eternal. Read the gospels and see how every interaction He had with those around Him changed them. Hear His call and respond and be changed for eternity. He is the most important piece in the mosaic of your life. He will complete the masterpiece that is you.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

(C) 2012 Leo J. Woodman

Sunday's Sermon

Last Sunday's sermon "The Epistle of James, An Introduction" is up on the website.

www.kitterychurch.org/audio_sermons

He was despised and rejected by men

-->He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:3 ESV

Soak in the words Isaiah uses to describe our savior; despised, rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.

Do you see Jesus hanging on the cross as you read these words? The one, that came to show the world love and compassion is hanging on the tree. His life blood flowing away for a world that has no use for Him. He is hanging in shame and sorrow. His mother looks on in horror as He dies before her eyes. God Himself, cannot even look upon Jesus, He bears the sins of the world. Jesus cries out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Mark 15:34 ESV Jesus is being executed in the most horrible way imaginable. The death he is dying is reserved for the worst offenders. Yet He is the only one, that was ever innocent of any sin.

When the verse says “he was despised, and we esteemed him not” it means we ignored Him and had no respect for Him and what He came to do. His own people had rejected Him as their King.

Isaiah prophecies the reaction the world would have to their own Lord and Savior. 

 

Today we all have to do decide what we will do with Jesus. Will we accept Him or ignore Him? Will we honor Him or disrespect Him? When the Jews were asked what to do with Jesus they said, "Crucify, crucify him!" Luke 23:21 ESV

If we ignore His call today, we are guilty of His death on the cross. We are just as guilty as those Peter preached to on the day of Pentecost. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 2:36 ESV Our sins put Him on the cross, His blood can remove our sins. What shall we do?

As “Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 ESV To receive the forgiveness for our sins we must obey the command that Peter gave that day. If not, we stand convicted of Jesus death on the cross.

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman

Gander Brook men's retreat

We're having a great retreat. Harold Shank is bringing great lessons on the book of Isaiah. Check out his website.  WWW. Haroldshank.com

Yesterday's Sermon

Yesterday's sermon "Sweet and Sour Don't Mix" is up on the website

www.kitterychurch.org/audio_sermons

He had no form or majesty

 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Isaiah 53:2 ESV

This verse speaks to the fact, that Jesus the promised Messiah would not come in a form that would draw attention to Himself.

When He appeared, he looked just like everyone else. People weren't attracted to Him because He was majestic in appearance, He didn't look like a King. Many were amazed by the things they heard Jesus say because they knew Him simply as the son of Joseph a carpenter: “And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" Luke 4:22 ESV Jesus was born into the world and raised just like any other boy born in that part of the world at that time. Until He began His ministry He didn't really stand out in a crowd.

The Gospels don't tell us that Jesus was particularly good looking. Yet, for the lack of majesty in His appearance He drew people to Himself. There was something about Him that people found irresistible. When He would call people, they would follow Him. It wasn't His appearance that drew people, it was what radiated from Him that caught their attention. He exuded Godliness, He was God in the flesh!

When Matthew writes his gospel, he quotes an angel quoting scripture concerning who Jesus was "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23 ESV The angel was quoting Isaiah 7:14. Jesus birth was prophecy fulfilled. God had come to live among His people.

As we read the bible, both Old and New Testaments we have the privilege of hindsight to see who Jesus was. Those that had seen Him in person didn't really know who He was until He completed His work of salvation.

God came in humility to save us from our sins.

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman

Walking along Spruce Creek this Morning

 

Walking along Spruce Creek this Morning

I went walking along Spruce Creek this morning

I enjoyed God's beautiful creation

I went for solitude and recreation

I found myself amid a crowd

There were birds and squirrels, people and dogs

I realized the message the Lord had for me

You came to enjoy my creation...

Let Me show you my handy work

When you think of the beauty of creation, never forget My crowning achievement.

People

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 NIV

While the world is beautiful and captivating, none of it compares with those that He created in His own image.

Enjoy people

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman

"Who has believed"

 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

Isaiah 53:1 ESV

In the opening verse of Isaiah 53, the question is asked “who has believed”? If you believe in Jesus, you believe in the prophecies concerning Him. Isaiah chapter 53 is what is know as an Messianic prophecy. In other words it is a prophecy concerning the Messiah. The prophecy in Isaiah 53 declares Jesus to be this Messiah. Although His name is not mentioned in this passage, it is about Him.

We will look at this chapter verses by verse over the next week or so and make the connections to this prophecy that are fulfilled in Jesus; as we read about Him in the New testament.

Chapter 53 of Isaiah truly depicts what our Lord and savior went through on our behalf. It truly shows the reader that Jesus' sacrifice for our sins was in God's plan for our salvation. Isaiah 53 is a favorite chapter of the bible for many Christians.

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman

Sunday's sermon

Sunday's sermon: "The Lord Satisfies" is up on the website.

www.kitterychurch.org/audio_sermons