Pastor Mary Haley Living with Interruptions
ReRead: Mark 10:47-48
Thursday 2/26/15 Day 8
Ponder: If Jesus was to pass by us would we be driven to call out to him? Would we abandon what others thought and grab ahold of Christ’s attention by asking for mercy? Is that what we would ask Jesus to extend or do for us?
Living with Interruptions
Read: Mark 10:46-52
Wednesday 2/25/15 Day 7
Ponder: Our culture seems to be defined by interrupting communications. We can experience constant phone calls, text messages, and emails. It is not unusual to be interrupted by all of these things as you are trying to get out the door to an appointment. Can you relate to having interruptions when you have someplace else to be? How do you respond to the demands for your time?
Interruptions as Opportunity
ReRead: Mark 5:34
Tuesday 2/24/15 Day 6
Ponder: The very day this desperate woman reaches out to touch Jesus she is healed. Her life is forever changed in that moment. Joy permeates her being; truth flows from her lips. However, I’m also very sure, even in the midst of this joy, she remembers how she felt for the past twelve years. She remembers how she was treated by others and how she was shamed. She will not forget where she has been. This healing did not erase the pain she had felt, nor the rejection she had experienced; it did change the way she looked at God, herself, and others. She received a new glimpse of love.
Interruptions as Opportunity
Monday 2/23/15 Day 5
ReRead: Mark 5:30-33
Ponder: Please notice that both the woman and Jesus is aware of the healing. Jesus is actually on his way to touch Jairus’ daughter when he is interrupted. This woman falls at the feet of Jesus (just like Jairus) and tells him what she has done; she touched him. Jesus gives this broken and hurting woman and opportunity to be real with him; to tell him the truth.
Interruptions as Opportunity
ReRead: Mark 5:27-29
Saturday 2/21/15 Day 4
Ponder: Are you quick to interrupt Jesus by asking for help? Do you think about the magnitude of other people’s problems and decide your’s are not worth bothering the Master? Or, maybe you think you can handle your own problems by yourself.
Interruptions as Opportunity
ReRead: Mark 5:24-26
Friday 2/20/15 Day 3
Ponder: I cannot answer for you, but I will confess that my cell phone brings constant interruptions. Sometimes the calls are simply casual or informative; sometimes the calls mean painful life changes for those whom I love. Can you, or those you love, relate to painful news and the need to search for answers from God?
Interruptions as Opportunity
ReRead: Mark 5:22-24
Thursday 2/19/15 Day 2
Ponder: Jesus welcomes our interrupting prayers. How might you describe what you need from Jesus?
Interruptions as Opportunity
Read: Mark 5:21-34
Ash Wednesday 2/18/15 Day 1
Ponder: How do you handle interruptions? Does it unsettle you when things do not go as planned? Could you benefit from looking at interruptions differently?
According to Robert McGee there are four false beliefs that Satan uses to undermine a person’s sense of worth. 1) The Performance Trap: “I must meet certain standards in order to feel good about myself.” 2) Approval Addiction: “I must be approved and accepted by others to feel good about myself.” 3) The Blame Game: “Those who fail are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.” 4) Shame: “I am what I am. I cannot change. I am hopeless.” We need to connect to Christ. In doing so, let’s now replace those lies with the truth of God’s Word: 1) “I bear Christ’s righteousness and am, therefore fully pleasing to the Father” (Romans 5:1). 2) “Although I was…alienated from God, I am now forgiven and totally accepted by God through Christ” (Colossians 1:21-22). 3) “Christ satisfied God’s wrath against sin by His death…therefore, I am deeply loved by God (1 John 4:9-11). 4) “I am a new creation in Christ (John 3:3-6). Feeling better now? Take a minute and say, “Thank you, Jesus!”
Faith Connections with Pastor Mary…
As many Christians celebrate Palm Sunday—the arrival of Jesus (the Light of Truth who illuminates the way to live a vibrant life in connection with God)—let’s prepare our hearts by reflecting on some challenging questions. For example, “Do I really want to know the Truth of God’s love? When I can see my level of love is deficient in certain areas (dark and selfish before God), will I trust Christ to enlarge my understanding and ability to love in a way that pleases God? To accept and know Christ and to follow his ways will lead us to victory (death to selfishness and eternal life in God’s love).
“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust me me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46
