Today’s message was written by my friend Rev. Charlie Landreth

A young couple became concerned about their young son who always took his teddy bear to bed with him. As the boy got older they thought he should give this up. Finally, they asked him: "Why do you take the teddy bear to bed with you?" Without hesitation, he replied, "To have something to hold on to in the night." 

In the darkness of our lives, we want something to hold on to. 

What do you do when nothing seems to be turning out the way you had expected: What do you do when you gather up the bits and pieces of your life and spread them out before you and most of what you experience is pain and disappointment? Do you have anything to hold on to in the night?

In the 8th chapter of Romans, Paul affirms "Nothing can separate you from the love of God." A broken home or a broken life cannot separate you from the love of God. Your past failures and mistakes cannot separate you from the love of God. Old age, broken bodies, cancer, heart disease, depression none of these can separate you from the love of God. That is good news! That is something to hold on to in the night!

God's love will not let you go. It is constant. It is constant, not because of your faith, nor because of your strength, nor because of your gritty determination but because of the love, the faithfulness and the grace of God. That is something for you to hold on to in the night! 

Prayer: Loving God, visit those for whom this day may hold special challenges: those facing hard choices, those persevering in long struggles, those undergoing surgery or treatment. Grant comfort and courage to these and may they sense your loving and tender presence accompanying them in the difficult moments of this day. Amen.

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Today’s message was written by my friend Rev. Charlie Landreth

I share with you a familiar scripture verse about forgiveness:

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. 

This means for me that forgiveness is not quantifiable, but a qualitatively different attitude and practice, drawn from the very being of God, whose nature it is to offer grace. 

"As far as the east is from the west, so far does God remove our transgressions from us”, says the psalmist. 

In the emotionally powerful novel by Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven, The major character, Eddie, is talking to Ruby.

“I hated my father”, Eddie says; “He was hell on me as a kid and worse when I got older”.  

Ruby stepped toward him. “Edward”, she said softly. It was the first time she had called him by name. “Learn this from me. Holding anger is a poison...........it eats you from the inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harms us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves. Forgive, Edward, Forgive”.

The fourth verse of John Calvin’s powerful hymn (I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art) has been running through my mind as a constant refrain this week. Let this be our closing prayer:

"Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness, no darkness hath thou, and no bitterness. O grant us the grace, the grace we find in thee, that we may dwell in perfect unity.” May this be our greater vision. Amen.

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Today’s message was written by my friend Rev. Charlie Landreth

You are probably familiar with the famous Delaney sisters, who, at the ages of 103 and 105 published their first book, entitled, Having Our Say. In the book, they reported on their daily routine. 

Here is what Sadie said:

“The first thing I do when I open my eyes is smile and then I say, Thank you Lord for another day …and then I go to Bessie’s room and try to wake her up. Sometimes I have to knock on her headboard. Finally, she will open her eyes, sometimes she will say, Oh, Lord another day?”

Near the end of Having Our Say, the interviewer asks: “Do you ever think about death?” Sadie answers:

“You know, when you are this old, you don’t know if you are going to wake up in the morning or not. But I don’t worry about dying, and neither does Bessie. We are at peace. You do kind of wonder when it’s going to happen. That’s why you learn to love each day, child.”

Paul says to the Corinthian Christians, “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure…….” (2 Corinthians 4: 16-17)

There are ways to get it right, this business of living a human life fully and coming to its end in a state of grace. I believe that this God-given grace is the capacity to love and be happy; to think and to create; to serve and to care; to hope and to handle whatever needs to be handled. 

May God bless you in this endeavor.

Let us pray: You alone are my hope, loving God. Now that I am old and gray, God, do not desert me. Be present with me and share your love and strength with me this day. Amen.

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Bethany Hamilton is a professional surfer who had her arm bitten off by a large tiger shark when she was thirteen years old. Now in her thirties, Bethany not only continues to surf — she still competes at the very top level of the sport. A Hollywood film about her life called Soul Surfer was made in her honor, and there is a documentary about her titled Unstoppable that I highly recommend.

Several years ago, Bethany came to an annual charity fundraiser race in our area called the "Never Quit Challenge" and spoke at an evening event. When she was asked whether — if she could do that day over — she would stay out of the water, her answer was simply: "No. I'd do it all the same." Her reasoning was that the accident gave her an amazing platform to share a word of hope and inspiration with others — especially the young girls who look up to her.

Knowing the challenges young people face, Bethany said this in her message: "All of us face things in our life that make us want to quit — to give up. But you need to know that just as God had a plan for my life, God has a plan for you as well. God loves us. God loves you."

What strikes me most about Bethany's story is not her athleticism or even her courage — it is her willingness to let the worst day of her life become something redemptive. That is not something she manufactured on her own. That is what grace looks like when it gets into a willing heart.

Prayer: Loving God, we thank you for people like Bethany Hamilton who inspire us. We thank you for the way her faith helped her overcome tremendous adversity, and for the way you have worked that adversity into a beautiful message of love and hope. I pray today for those who are facing tremendous challenges in their own lives. Grant them faith, courage, and strength enough for this day. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Today’s message was written by the founder of Dial Hope, the Rev. Roger Kunkel

One of my favorite movies is "Forest Gump" which came to the theaters over 10 years ago. It literally took America by storm! Do you remember these Forest Gump sayings: "Stupid is as stupid does," and "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." If you'll pardon the pun, I want to suggest that we need more Christian Gumption. The word Christian means Christlike, and the word gumption means boldness, courage, wisdom, resourcefulness, strength. Forest Gump has a simple faith in which he lives boldly. He lives life unselfishly. He loves people unconditionally. He trusts God unreservedly. That basic outline is not only a summation of Forrest Gump's life, it also is a pretty good synopsis of the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. 

When Jesus says things, such as "Be humble-minded," "Be obedient," "Be merciful," "Be pure in heart," Be peacemakers," "Be the salt of the earth and light of the world," "Turn the other cheek," "Go the second mile," "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," he means "Have Christian Gumption." Be bold and confident and courageous and strong. Live boldly in the spirit of Christ and trust God to bring it outright. In other words, live life unselfishly! Love people unconditionally! Trust God unreservedly! Trust God.  

Let us pray: Loving God of song and saga, of earth and history, we thank you for the rich heritage of our nation; for pilgrim's feet and patriot's dream; for fruited plain and purple mountains majesty, for universities and churches; for Indian and Scottish and Irish and Italian and Chinese and Puerto Rican and Slavic and Greek; for Protestant and Catholic and Jew, and Mormon, Amish, Mennonite, and Muslim. We pray for the dedication to keep the dream alive, the dream to deepen the sense of communication among races and individuals. Let the spirit of Christ unite our hearts and minds that we may praise you forever. Transform our attitudes, so that we live in excitement and expectation. Teach us to stand on tiptoe, listening for your voice and looking for the evidence of your presence, yes, even in our pain, our hurt, our illness. Anoint every listener with unexpected grace, especially those struggling to be whole. Bless us now so we may be a blessing to others, in Jesus' name. Amen. 

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