How to Make the Right Decisions: Guidance From 1 Kings 12

Posted By Kevin Rutledge 5 months ago

Who do you turn to for advice and counsel when faced with a difficult decision? How do you decide what to do? The Bible provides us with valuable insights on this topic. In 1 Kings 12, we read about the story of King Rehoboam, who had to make a critical decision at the beginning of his reign. His people approached him with a request to reduce their taxes. Rehoboam sought advice from two groups: the elders who had served his father, King Solomon, and his young friends who had grown up with him. The elders gave Rehoboam wise counsel, advising him to listen to the people's requests and reduce their taxes. However, Rehoboam's young friends gave him very different advice. They told him to assert his authority and show the people who were boss. Rehoboam ultimately chose to listen to his young friends and refused to reduce the people's taxes. This decision led to a revolt, and the kingdom of Israel was divided into two. This story gives us several important lessons about seeking advice and making decisions. First, it is vital to seek advice from wise and experienced people. The elders in the story of King Rehoboam were wise and experienced leaders who had served his father for many years. They knew what was best for the kingdom and gave Rehoboam sound advice. Second, we should be careful about listening to the advice of people who flatter us or tell us what we want to hear. Rehoboam's young friends told him what he wanted to hear, even though they knew it was wrong. They were not looking out for the kingdom's best interests, but rather their own interests. Third, we should always seek God's guidance before making important decisions. God is the source of all wisdom and knows what is best for us. When we seek His guidance, He will lead us in the right direction. Practical tips for seeking advice and making decisions Pray and ask God for wisdom. Seek advice from wise and experienced people, especially those who have your best interests at heart. Consider the consequences of your decision, both for yourself and others. Make decisions based on your values and principles, not on what is popular or easy. Be willing to change your mind if you realize you have made a mistake. Remember, your decisions shape your life. Make them count.

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Understanding Life’s Crossroads: Discovering the Significance of Closed Doors

Posted By Pastor Kevin Rutledge 8 months ago

Have you ever been faced with a closed door in life and wondered, 'Does God really open a window when He closes a door?' This age-old adage is frequently used to provide comfort during difficult times. But it's essential to understand the deeper implications of this saying and how it can shape our understanding of faith.Life is akin to an overwhelming menu at a diner, with a plethora of options to choose from. Decision-making can be a challenging task, and waiting for divine guidance might seem like the easiest route. However, sometimes, it's about trusting in God and taking that leap of faith. When a door closes, it might feel like a setback, causing seeds of doubt, confusion, and worry. But it's crucial to realize that an end is often a disguised beginning. The closed door might just be an indication that we were heading down the wrong path, and it might be a sign to reorient ourselves. As Christians, we need to trust God's grand design, even when it involves closing some doors behind us. Instead of waiting for God to show us the way, we need to move forward with faith. God guides us to the right door, but it's up to us to have the courage to knock and enter. So, what does this mean in our daily lives? Let’s look at an amusing incident involving a toddler, a locked door, and an open window. The child was encouraged to retrieve the keys from a locked house by climbing through an open window. This incident is a light-hearted analogy to explain the deeper spiritual truth. Sometimes, we are faced with a locked door, and instead of understanding that God has closed that door for a reason, we attempt to open it ourselves. Instead, we should focus on the open windows around us, trust in God's plan, and leap through them with faith.So next time you encounter a closed door in your life, don’t fret. Look around for the open windows. Move forward with faith, and trust in God's grand design. After all, when one door closes, another one opens. And who knows? That new door may lead to a path more beautiful and rewarding than the one we initially had in mind.

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Lent: A Time For Reflection, Prayer & Fasting

Posted By Pastor Kevin Rutledge one year ago

As we enter the time of Lent, we enter a time of reflection and spiritual discipline practiced by Christians worldwide. It is the 40-day season leading up to Easter and is often marked with fasting, prayer, and self-reflection. It allows us to deepen our spiritual lives and grow our relationship with God.The season of lent originated in the early church as a time of preparation for Easter. Members were received and baptized on Easter, and those who were kicked out of the church because they refused to live by the church’s teaching were readmitted. During Lent, they fasted and prayed. They also studied and prepared for the commitment they were about to make.Now all Christians are invited to participate in the spiritual disciplines that mark the life seeking to grow more in love with Christ. These disciplines include fasting, prayer, and self-examination. John Wesley taught that these Means of Grace were available to all people and were a way through which God works to shape us to be more like Christ.The spiritual discipline most associated with Lent is fasting. Fasting, or giving up something we enjoy or value, is a way to remind ourselves that God should be our primary focus. Our ability or inability to give up that thing shows where in importance that thing is. It can also help us focus on God’s ability and desire to provide for our needs. If we cling to something so tightly that we can’t give it up, maybe we need to do just that to help us understand our dependence on God.Prayer is another Means of Grace focused on during Lent. In prayer, we deepen our communication with God and seek his Guidance and wisdom in our lives. Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. We are encouraged to pray regularly and to make it a priority in our daily routines. When tied with fasting, when we feel the need or desire for what we have given up, we can instead enter a time of prayer, again emphasizing instead our need for God rather than our other desires.In all this, we have entered a time of self-reflection, looking at the things we value and how we spend our time. Are they in line with God’s desire for us and our desire to grow into the person God has created us to be? Are we using all the ways God has made available to us to experience His love and grow more like his Son, Jesus Christ?This year, we will be starting our Lenten practices with a joint service with Paoli United Methodist Church on Ash Wednesday, Wednesday, February 22nd, at 7:00 pm at Berwyn UMC. This service will feature an invitation to the Lenten disciplines, an imposition of ashes to remember our mortality, and communion to remind ourselves that we enter this season to focus first on Christ and we enter this season as a part of a community gathered around His banquet table. Pastor Alice and I hope to see you at this service.Lent is a critical time for those who follow Christ to deepen their spiritual lives, grow in their relationship with God, and be more like Christ in their living through practicing spiritual disciplines such as fasting, prayer, and self-reflection.How will you make this time Holy this year? 

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The Power to Resist Temptation

Posted By Pastor Kevin Rutledge one year ago

Dealing with temptation can be difficult, but it is essential for achieving our goals and living a fulfilling life. The power of temptation comes from its ability to get us to act in ways we would prefer not to act, and each person's temptations are unique.  Temptation can come in many forms, from unhealthy food to procrastination, and it can be easy to give in and fall back into bad habits. What might be benign for someone, say eating that extra piece of chocolate cake, can be life-altering for someone else. The goal is never to judge our own temptations and those of others but to identify them and seek to overcome them. However, we can learn to manage and overcome temptation by developing a few strategies and techniques. Watchfulness In Matthew 26:41, Jesus tells his disciples to "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This passage reminds us that we have the power to resist temptation through prayer and being vigilant. Being present and paying attention to your thoughts and feelings can help you be more aware of when you are tempted and take steps to resist it. Identify the source of temptation. As you increase in watchfulness, you will grow in your ability to identify the people, places, and things that trigger your temptations. Understanding what triggers your temptations can help you to be more aware of them and take steps to avoid them. It could be something simple, like the location of a vending machine at work, or something more complex, like feeling stressed or anxious. Only as we become aware of what triggers our temptations can we build self-control to avoid them. Build Self Control Self-control is the ability to control one's actions, emotions, and desires rather than being controlled by them. This fruit of the spirit is a crucial aspect of Christian living as it allows us to resist temptations and make choices that align with God's will. We develop self-control through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, allowing us to resist temptations and make choices that align with God's will. Seek support Whom we surround ourselves with can have a tremendous impact on our behaviors. Our parents knew this when they tried to get us to hang out with well-behaved people and avoid people who were bad influences. Small groups, such as Bible study or accountability groups, can play an essential role in helping individuals avoid temptation. In addition, being part of a small group can provide a supportive environment for individuals to share their struggles with temptation and receive encouragement and guidance from others. Ultimately, dealing with temptation is a continuous process and will require a lot of patience and determination. The good news is that we have the example of Jesus Christ, tempted just as we are, and the power of the Holy Spirit available to us. We are not held captive by our desires and actions but are freed from them to live lives that are honor to God and reflect who we want to be in the world. The choice is yours as to whether you are ready to move forward or not. View a sermon from Pastor Kevin on Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness. {[ mediaplayer media:'48EBE8A4-A8D8-496B-8194-8F76A5BEA761' autoresumeindays:'14' combineplaystatisticsindays:'14' width:'75%' ]}{[ endmediaplayer ]}

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Making Discpleship a Priority in the New Year

Posted By Pastor Kevin Rutledge one year ago

As we begin a new year, it’s a natural time for reflection and resolution-making. However, our faith is one area of life often overlooked when it comes to goal-setting. On January 1st, we had a Wesleyan Covenant Renewal Service, an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to God and renew our promises to live following His will, as well as encouraging us to take steps in growing in faith and holiness. So, this year, let’s resolve to grow in our faith to deepen our understanding and relationship with God. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, challenges us to continue growing in faith throughout our lives, to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). One way to do this is by committing to regular Bible study and prayer. Setting aside time each day to read scripture and communicate with God can profoundly impact our spiritual growth. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Consider finding a study group or accountability partner to keep you on track and share your journey. To help you kick start this resolution, we invite you to join our lunchtime small group on Wednesdays, starting February 1st. We will be reading and discussing the weekly narrative lectionary passages to study scripture in a deeper and more comprehensive way. Another way to grow in faith is by finding ways to put it into action. Look for opportunities to serve in your church, serve on a team, visit the elderly or homebound, or get involved in other church activities that align with your gifting and talents. One team that we are forming right now is a property maintenance team. This team will help us prioritize and budget for the year’s maintenance tasks, help coordinate service and repairs of both the church facility and parsonage and report to the leadership team any areas of concern you may have. As we serve others, we are fulfilling God’s commandment to love our neighbors; Matthew 25:40 says, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” We also experience the joy and fulfillment of living out our faith. Additionally, we can grow in faith by being intentional about our relationships with other believers and by being intentional about fellowship in the community of faith. Hebrews 10:25 says, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” As we support and encourage one another, we will strengthen our faith. Keep an eye out for various worship opportunities on Sunday mornings and outside of the Sunday worship hour meant to help us experience the presence of God in new ways. We hope to see you at our small group on Wednesdays starting February 1st! Please reach out to Pastor Kevin for more information. And also for information about property maintenance volunteer needs. Let’s journey together in this new year, growing deeper in our understanding of God’s word and closer in our relationship with Him, constantly becoming more perfect in holiness and love of God. Your Servant in Christ, Pastor Kevin Rutledge

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You are God's Masterpiece

Posted By Pastor Kevin Rutledge one year ago

“10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.” ~ Ephesians 2:10 Have you ever considered yourself a masterpiece? When you look in the mirror, have you ever told yourself that God made you for a purpose? Have you ever considered that when God made you, you would go through life circumstances that would develop skills and a mindset that God could use?These are bold statements, especially if you have experienced anything negative in your life. The last thing I want to do is suggest that God causes bad things to happen to us. As we pray for Florida and Cuba right now, the last thing that any Christian should do is say that the hurricane is God's retribution for _____________ (fill in the blank here with whatever sinful behavior that makes you angriest). However, Romans 8:28 says that "all things work together for good for those who love God." It is not that God only causes good things or that God is causing bad things to happen to build you up. Still, it does mean that through Christ, those things we would have rather not happened can be redeemed and transformed, and good can come from it. We see this clearly demonstrated through Jesus' death on the cross. One of the most excruciating means of putting someone to death, which I wish Jesus did not endure, was transformed into good, so the world could be brought to life. In this, I find hope, not because it means that my actions against another are not important since God will transform them for something good. But, when I look back at all the things that have happened to me over my life, things that I did and others have done, I can take heart and hope that they can be redeemed and used by God for his purposes. In some ways, I see those times as already redeemed because I have been able to speak words of kindness and hope to people going through their difficult times from a place not only of distant empathy but of personal experiences of survival. If you look at your own experiences, you too may find those places. Despite all the world tried to throw at you, God worked within them and you to bring about good. None of those experiences diminish the fact that you are God's masterpiece, knit together for your good and for the good of others. We act not because we earn God's love through our actions, but because of God's love, we can act. As we move forward in ministry together, we must find a way to recapture what it means to be God's masterpiece for the purpose of good works, just like Abram and his descendants being a blessing to bless others. The hope for the future of Berwyn United Methodist Church rests on God's calling upon us to love and serve our community and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. That calling then lands on every one of us to answer the call with all that we are and with all that God has gifted us to live into the future that God has planned for us. My prayer is that we will all answer that call. Pastor Kevin 

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A Note From Your Lay Leader

Posted By Amy Dodds one year ago

Fall has long been my favorite season. Fall is a time of great change in nature the less structured days of summer have passed, and we look forward to a new season. I love the varied color of the fall leaves, blue skies, and the cooler autumn air. There is a sense of excitement for the change and perhaps the opportunity for new growth. Fall is also a time for new obligations: the beginning of school for the kids, a renewed commitment to church attendance and Sunday school, sports schedules, the coming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and so much more. As much as we love doing all of it, these new commitments can leave us feeling stressed out and tired and maybe even overwhelmed. Perhaps we can find inspiration from Paul in his message to Galatians as he reminds us we are challenged to do good and not feel weary: "And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." ~ Galatians 6:9 At times it may feel as if no one sees or appreciates the good work we are doing, but GOD sees the effort, and he does not want us to give up! We are reminded that the seeds we sow to- day will determine what we reap in the future. GOD is on our side … just as GOD creates the beauty of the fall leaves; He also wants to create beauty in our lives. GOD knows we are only human, and when we become discouraged, He wants to encourage us to continue in our work, and not grow weary in doing good. When we do, He promises we will reap the reward of a life well-lived. During this time of great change in nature, I offer to you a reminder to take the time to rest but forge forward in our work together, to not grow weary, and to revel in the beauty GOD has put in your life today. 

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