Peace Seymour Weekly Messages

What We Leave Behind : A Generous Spirit - 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Money is often times the most important thing to us. We may claim that other things are more important, and even know that deep down, but money often takes control over our lives. We live always thinking on, being reliant upon, and worrying about money and earthly riches, whether we are rich ourselves, or we want to desperately hold on to the little that we have. Jesus gives us true riches. In Jesus, we have a sure and certain treasure of everlasting life. When we live with a generous spirit, focusing on being rich in action, word, and deed, as well as with our wealth, we know that we live truly focusing on what's most important; Jesus' promises. While Jesus does not love us because of our generosity, he treasures our good deeds, and we live out of a spirit of generosity given to us by God, rather than a spirit of fear, greed, or anxiety that we have as imperfect people.

What We Leave Behind : A Legacy of Faith - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

We often focus on leaving behind a legacy about what we've done, what we've gained, and all our successes. We leave a legacy that points to ourselves and the good things we want people to remember. We work towards things in life that are about gaining for ourselves, rather than giving something to others. We are called to a better legacy. We are to leave behind and give to others, legacy of faith. In our lives, we ought to seek to point others towards God, and his promise of provision and salvation for us in Jesus, that he will never break. We leave behind a legacy of faith, when we teach and point others in our lives, not to the community of the church, or to a specific virtuous teaching of Jesus, but to the promises of Jesus himself that we hope and trust in, and pray others after us will as well.

Role Models : All Saints - Matthew 5:13-16

It's easy for us to think of the saints as holy, pious, better-than-me kind of people. We think of them as people who have done what we never could. People who have attained a certain status that overshadows and will always be better than us. When we think this, it's easy to become discouraged, and to even give up trying to follow God's desires for us. God has made us all saints in Jesus. All people are called to be his own. Even as we all are made holy by God and his Holy Spirit, we are to love and serve those around us. We are to point others in our words, but also in our conduct and life, towards Jesus and his promises that he has offered us, trusting that he loves and has saved us, more than we ever could.

Role Models : Frederick the Wise - Isaiah 55:1-5

We can often fall into a trap of thinking that faith in Jesus is all about going to church. It's all about doing the right thing. It's all about being a good person. It's all about loving your neighbor. It's all about being holy or pious. We replace faith, with works. With being enough. Doing enough. Living holy enough. The issue is, we can never be enough. Jesus is enough for you. All faith is, is trust in Jesus. It's not about your works, your life, your conduct, or anything. It's about Jesus loving you, dying for you, and rising again for you, that you may have forgiveness, life, and the promise of the resurrection, where all the dead will come back to life and live in a new heaven and a new earth, forever with Jesus. The best part, it's all free.

Role Models : Cyril and Methodius - Matthew 28:18-20

Today, all too many people don't know about Jesus. We simply are ok with that. We allow that to be the status quo. We don't speak about Jesus as often as we should. We even are tempted to think that Jesus is only for certain people. We are even frightened, that it is just us going out into this world, and we don't think we can do it successfully or 'right'. Jesus is for all people. He uses all people, any people, even you, to deliver his Gospel message. We are to simply go forward in faith, praying, trusting, and relying on the Holy Spirit, to use our words and actions to point others to faith in Jesus. He even goes with us, to help us deliver this message.

Role Models : John Chyrsostom - Jeremiah 9:23-24

Power, awards, admiration, popularity, applause, all of it and more can and will go to our heads. We get our worth and find our identity in all kinds of achievements and accolades that are determined by the world's standards. Even if we do earn these things, we may not find happiness, and we also may end up losing these things, if another wants them. God loves you, not for what you can do, or what you can contribute, or what you earn, but just because you're you. God cares for and loves his children, because they are just that, his beloved, baptized, children. No matter what, your God loves you, bled for you, died for you, and rose again to claim the victory, so that he can give you the spoils, of life forever with him.

Role Models : Athanasius - James 1:2-4

There are many temptations in this world, to fall away from faith. It's easy to fall in with the direction and morals of the culture. To live your truth, and do what you want with your life and body. To follow cultural saviors, who speak a false Gospel. To get caught up in issues that feel like they are 'Christian' but are truly not. We all fall victim to the temptations to fall away from faithfulness, and we all do in little ways. God is always faithful, even when we are not. He always keeps his promises. In Jesus, he has done just that. Time and time again, he calls us away from ourselves or other gospels and saviors, and back to himself in Jesus. No matter what trials and temptations we might go through, we pray that God in the Holy Spirit, would bring us back to himself.

Role Models : Perpetua and Felicitas - Luke 14:25-33

Unfortunately in this world, there is much pressure when it comes to our faith. We don't often like to be uncomfortable, or under pressure. We want to keep comforts close at hand. We want to live with our luxuries and things that we "need". We don't want to give up that which we like to have. Jesus gave up all that he had, that he might have you. He descended from heaven, became a human, was humiliated as a true man, suffered, died, was buried, all that you may have life, through his sacrifice and resurrection. Jesus gave it all, that we might have all that we truly need. In turn, we also can give up some small comforts, that others may hear about and know these promises of true life in Jesus.

Role Models : Justin Martyr - Hebrews 12:1-3

In this world, we often have bad examples to watch and look to. Leaders acting badly. Trusted individuals, breaking that trust. People you know or who you grew up with, giving you less than excellent examples for your future life. When we look to ourselves, we also see that we are fallible, failing, sinful human beings too, who also lead less than stellar examples for others. In Jesus, we have more than a perfect example, we have a perfect God, who was willing to die for us, and who also rose for us, that we may have everlasting life with him. We are pointed to Jesus, by the good examples of those who came before us. We are to follow them and look to Jesus, whom they all point us to. May we also point others to Jesus, as we run with endurance the race of life that is before us.

Shine : An Enduring Light - 2 Cor. 4:5-18

This world is dark. It is broken. We must often suffer. Especially those who are followers of Jesus endure suffering in this world. For the sake of Jesus and his Gospel, we are called to live differently. We are called to live lives not for ourselves, but for Jesus, which often means, discomfort, awkwardness, pain, suffering, and even death. Yet, we live as witnesses of Christ's love. We endure what many would not bother enduring. We put up with pain, suffering, and yes, even death, all for the sake of the Gospel! We shown the strength of God's word in our weakness, that we are willing to give up all things and become weak ourselves that we may have the promise of the resurrection and the life that comes from Jesus.