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This past Sunday, Rev. Travis Garner preached on Matthew 7:1-6 which begins "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged." Many people were touched and challenged by the message that Travis offered. I would like to encourage each of us to imagine what it would be like if, when we feel the temptation to speak a judgmental word or have a judgmental thought, we remind ourselves of the two questions Travis left us with on Sunday: 1) Am I willing to live up to the standard of judgment I am about to place on someone else? 2) What can I do in this situation to lift this person up rather than cut them down? I plan to ask myself these questions throughout the week and I hope that you will join me. This is a great opportunity to be intentional about trying, with God's help, to practice one of Jesus' teachings. Next week, we will continue our look at the Sermon on the Mount. As we have progressed, I have been struck by how Jesus' many and diverse teachings actually seem deeply interconnected. This weekend, we will examine Matthew 7:7-12 where Jesus promises that "everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened". Will God really give us anything we want if we simply ask? Is there anything excluded from that list? What about the times I've asked God for something and haven't received it? Does that mean Jesus was wrong when he said this or have I just misunderstood his words? I look forward to exploring this text with you and pondering what this teaching means for us as praying people and as a praying congregation.
Laura
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