Series: Luke’s Gospel
Sub-Series: The Birth of Christ
Sermon: Confidence in Uncertain Times
Bethel Church–Jackson, Michigan
November 19, 2023 AM
Pastor Ken Pierpont
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The Power of An Invitation (Audio)
One of the simplest ways to powerfully influence another is with a sincere invitation…
The Power of An Invitation
Bethel Church | Jackson, Michigan
November 12, 2023 AM
Pastor Ken Pierpont
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The Power of An Invitation (Video)
One of the simplest ways to powerfully influence another is with a sincere invitation…
The Power of An Invitation
Bethel Church | Jackson, Michigan
November 12, 2023 AM
Pastor Ken Pierpont
Have You Had the Best Ruben in Michigan?
Yesterday was my day off. I normally like to stay on Bittersweet Farm and putter and read and study and do little chores, depending on the season, but I got a call from one of our missionaries who happens to be the husband of my niece Elisabeth and we agreed to meet for lunch at Zingerman’s Delicatessen in Kerry Town—a neighborhood in Ann Arbor.
His name is Ty Perry and he is an old soul. I love to spend time with Ty. He is with Friends of Israel and I was eager to pick his brain and get his take on the situation in the Middle East. We always meet at Zingerman’s. Ty’s ministry is to Jewish people and Zingerman’s is a Jewish Deli, so we feel it’s almost our duty.
Zingerman’s Deli is “…in a historic building near the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market. Serving up thousands of made to order deli sandwiches with ingredients like premium Black Angus corned beef and pastrami, free-range chicken, turkey, housemade chopped liver, and chicken salad. Zingerman’s Deli also stocks an exceptional array of farmhouse cheeses, unique olive oils, varietal bottles of vinegar, smoked fish, high-quality salami, locally roasted coffee, exquisite teas and locally sourced vegetables for salads. Today, Zingerman’s Delicatessen is an Ann Arbor institution, the source of great food and great experiences for thousands of visitors every year.’
They say Zingerman’s Delicatessen has the best Ruben in this part of Michigan. I love Zingerman’s and yes, I had the Ruben, hold the kraut, please and thank you. I had the big pickle. After a great conversation with a fine young man and Michigan’s finest Ruben, I dove home with a smile on my face.
Do you see what I did there? Now you want to go to Zingerman’s. You are craving a deli sandwich, aren’t you?
I could do the same with the Jerome Country Market. Sometimes I take a drive in the country and drop in for a brisket sandwich. I’m never disappointed. It’s a beautiful drive and it is a well-run, well-stocked market and getting there is restful for the soul. It’s situated in some beautiful countryside.
See what I did there? Now some of you are tempted to take a drive in the country and see what that brisket sandwich tastes like, aren’t you?
That is what I like to call the power of invitation. We all have human appetites and when trusted friends tell us where to find the good food we are like moths to the flame…
And our souls have appetites too, appetites that can only be satisfied by our creator. That is what we are about at Bethel Church. We are about showing people how to have their deep spiritual appetites satisfied in God.
One of the most powerful things you can do to bless others, honor God, and strengthen the church of God is as simple as recommending a good brisket sandwich or deli. Just have some personal enthusiasm and invite them. Invitations can have life-changing power.
I just went to lunch and invited a friend there to Bethel. He promised he would come. Only God knows what will come of that but it could be good and we could be talking about many years from now. He is a family man. We are dealing in powerful and eternal things here at Bethel every week. It could bless his whole family for many generations to come. Just that simple invitation through the window.
Not long ago I had a sense that the Lord directing me to invite more. I am always inviting but I felt an impulse from God to invite more and build a team of others to invite more. I asked my prayer partner to hold me accountable to invite more. I’m excited to see what God has in mind.
Will you join me on the inviter team? Who knows who will come and what will happen.
Bittersweet Farm | November 2023
Four Steps to Deal With Anxiety
You Don’t Have to Be Afraid
Our grandson Aiden Redemption is like his dad. He is bright and organized. He loves to break things down into manageable steps. You can see his little wheels turning and he will say, “First, we will do this, then after that we will do this, then we will do this…” He always has a plan with steps. I think God wired him that way and I think he learned it from is very organized dad. Steps. When you face a big tasks, maybe it is a good idea to break it down and tackle one piece at a time. What do you do when you are overwhelmed with worry and anxiety? How to you deal with low-grade fear? Let’s break it down.
1. Clearly Name What You Fear.
Whenever you are tempted to worry, immediately get to a quiet place if you can and identify the source of your worry. What do you fear will happen? What do you fear will not happen? Write it down if you have to. Talk about it with someone if you have to but quiet your heart and do what you have to do to process it, but figure out what it is that is driving your anxiety. When you have isolated it, write is down as clearly as you can.
2. Identify It’s Opposite.
Now take that fear and imagine the opposite of it. If your inner voice is saying, “What happens if you run out of money before you die,” turn that into a positive request. Maybe that would sound something like this: “Lord, I pray that you will allow me to have what I need all the day of my life and that you will provide for my basic needs.” Or, “Lord, help me to be faithful to bring you glory with my life even if you allow me to die hungry.”
If your fear is that your children will walk away from the Lord, turn that worry into a prayer like this, “Lord, I pray for John, that he will walk with God all the days of his life and never turn aside and die faithful to God as an old man.”
3. Pray. Ask the Lord for That.
Now you have isolated that for which you need to pray. Pray. When you turn a worry into a prayer it is no longer a worry. You are not worrying you are praying. You are not disobeying God, you are obeying God. That is why the Apostle Paul said this:
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV)
4. Now Thank the Lord and Anticipate Peace.
Paul wrote: and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds…” God wants your heart and your mind to be free of fear and worry and anxiety.
Recently I have been learning that I will not achieve my ideal weight by start and stop fad diets. I need to eat what I need to maintain my ideal weight now nothing more and I need to do that with prolonged consistency. I don’t need to cut back drastically a few days at a time and then get discouraged and break over. I need to eat what I need consistency every day.
A coach I was watching said, “Do this for 90 days without any variation before you tell me it’s not working. If it is not working after you have faithfully done what you should do for 90 days in a row, we will lower your daily calorie goal.
I need to say the same thing here. Take these steps over and over for 90 days, every time you are tempted to worry. See the difference it makes after you discipline yourself to repeatedly obey this simple instructions Paul has given.
Don’t worry. Take a slow drive down a country road and pray.
Bittersweet Farm | November 2023
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