As many of you already know, I will be teaching a Bible Study this Fall called See Through the Scriptures by Crossways. I felt led to teach this class for many reasons. The major reason I was compelled to teach this class is my firm belief we need to be a church that is in the Word of God. When you go to our church website and look at what we believe, the very first statement in that section is “we believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

That is nice we have this statement written on our website, but do we truly believe this? And do we live it?

Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt has an enrollment of 21,000 students. Maybe what is so fascinating about this school is every applicant seeking admission must be able to recite the Muslim Koran from memory. It is about 2/3 the length of the Old Testament and takes three days to recite it.

What a contrast this is to so many Christians who have enough trouble reading the Bible let alone memorize it. If we are to take serious the call to follow Jesus, it is important we be students of the Word. It is a task that is never complete. Jesus will always be the teacher. We will always be the students.

The goal for the See Through the Scriptures Bible Study is to get us back to the basics of the Word. There are many “book” studies available to teach you what the Bible says. But they are no substitute for the Word itself. Some might say the Bible is too difficult to understand. That is why this study is so necessary. Rather than relying on someone else to open and interpret the pages of Scriptures for us. Crossways enables us to open the pages ourselves and gives us understanding. The goal is to root us deeper in the Word that our faith is not based on a few shallow cliches and slogans.

Crossways is designed with the belief we need to read our Bibles. It is designed with the belief we can understand the message of the Scripture with training. And that we will then in turn be able to explain that message to others. To do so we need to know the story line, the themes that are woven through the story line, and how all this points to Jesus and is brought to culmination through him.

In the words of Dr. Harry Wendt, the author of the course, “We pray that See Through the Scriptures will whet many people’s appetites to become biblical bloodhounds – people who will saturate themselves in the Scriptures and ask constantly “What does this mean? What is it saying to me and God’s people?”

I hope you will consider joining me on this journey. The classes will start on September 15 and 16 and will be offered at three different times in three different locations. 6:30pm in the youth room in the lower level of the church. 6:45am at Papa G’s restaurant in Elburn. And 9:30am in the large conference room in the church offices upstairs. We already have a large number of people signed up, but there is plenty of room for more. Cost for the materials will be $20. That will cover you student guide and work book along with other teaching aides that will be used for the course.

If you are interested in participating. Let me know. You can simply reply to this email or call me at the church office 630-513-5325 ext 39. Thanks for you time and your prayerful consideration of participating.

Have a great week.

It is a feeling of frustration that comes over you. As I drove home close to 11pm last night, I found myself angry and upset knowing that I would not get a good nights sleep. There would be babies to feed and I would need to be up early for my 6:45am Bible Study. I was finding the joy zapped right out of me. Arriving in the office this morning, I spent much of the time answering the phone. Frustrated again, I threw my game plan for the day out the window. I was drowning.

Do you want to know what the problem was in all this? It was nothing I described in the above. The problem is what was missing. Where was God in all this? Had I taken the time to ask what he had to say about all that was going on? The answer is no!

When life gets hard, it means the harder you need to listen to God. At lunch today, I made sure to spend some time with HIM. Did it make everything better? The answer is no. But the time with him sure changed my attitude about the things that were happening. I rediscovered the joy that only Jesus could give. If you are feeling overwhelmed, as yourself if you have allowed God to give you his input.

Just a reminder we are just over a week away from the ONE service at Lord of Life. On Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 5 we will not be divided between 8:30 and 10am people. One worship at 9:15am. I am sure the house will rock.

Also, Awana and Morph are just around the corner. They will start on September 8. To find out more information or to register your kids for Awana, visit the LOL homepage at lolchurch.net.

Finally, I will be teaching a new Bible Class called See Through the Scriptures starting on September 15 and 16. There are three opportunities to participate in this class. Classes will be at 6:30pm on Wednesday in the Youth Room downstairs, 6:45am on Thursdays at Papa G’s Restuarant in Elburn, and at 9:30am on Thursday in the large conference room in the church offices. Over the course of several weeks we will look at the story of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. The goal will be that at the end of the class you will have a good understanding of what the Bible is all about. Whether you are opening the Bible for the first time or you have read it many times through, there will be something for you in this class. The cost of the class is $20. If you would like more info or would like to sign up, just email me at pressler@lolchurch.net.

Have a great week.

We welcomed Thomas Jeremiah Ressler at 6 lbs, 13 oz into the world at 8:13am on Tuesday, August 10. We then welcome Jacob Aaron Ressler at 6 lbs, 3 oz one minute later at 8:14am. Both mom and the boys are doing well and we hope to go home in the next few days.

God is good! Praise Him!

We appreciate all your prayers. There has been an incredible outpouring of love and support. We have had more offers for help than we could ever possibly take advantage of. We are so blessed by all of you.

One thing is for certain – there are some big changes ahead for the Ressler household. We have some new challenges ahead of us. But we trust in God’s promises and know he holds the future in his hands. There is no reason to worry. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that worrying does us no good. We can’t add a single hour to our lIfe by doing so. God tells us to let him take care of the worrying. Although we know God doesn’t worry.

I recently learned a new word. This word is catharsis. Actually it is not a new word for me but maybe the first time I have pondered this word. Catharsis is defined as the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

We have all had such moments. These moments are a spark. Something changes. We see the world and the people around us in a new way. We have a renewed sense of urgency for the mission of God in this world.

When life pushes in from all corners God uses it as a way of refining us to use us in an even greater way. I have often talked with people who have gone through a difficult time of struggle, but during that time of stubble they pressed in on the Lord in prayer like never before. As a result they connected with God in a way like never before and grew a deeper intimacy with him that could never be taken away.

The challenge for us is to see the obstacles before us as God sees them. We may see them as obstacles, but God sees them as opportunities. What challenges are you facing that are actually opportunities for God to mold you into an incredible testimony of his grace?

The biggest hurdle we have to overcome is to recognize our need to forgive another. We live in denial. On the surface we convince others and even ourselves that everything is ok. But deep down the bitterness is there. Eventually, that bitterness comes out and it affects not only our relationship with that one person, but with others as well.

Here is what I would encourage you to do. Right now! Don’t wait. I know if you put it off now, you will not get around to it later. Take out a pen and paper. On that paper write down the name of every person who owes you anything. Then write down what they owe you.

You have a person who gossiped about you and ruined your reputation. They owe your reputation. Write there name down. Then write it down they owe you your reputation.

A drunk driver killed someone you loved. They owe you back the life of your loved one. Write it down.

A parent who was always over-demanding, whose expectations you could never live up to, owes you a word of approval. Write it down.

When you do this, there are probably a couple of things you will recognize. The people who owe you these debts may not even recognize what they owe you. And even if they recognize what it is they owe you, they may very likely not be able to pay you back. Does that sound familiar? The debt of our sin was a debt we could not repay. So God took it upon himself to pay it.

Consider what good it will do to hold a debt against someone that they cannot pay. It will only cost you angst. Forgive the debt! Take a red pen or marker and now cross out the debts you wrote on the paper. Then write paid in full. If that is not enough, take the paper and burn it or bury it in the back yard. Whatever you do, do what you need to do to erase the debt and let the tremendous load you have been carrying come off.

As I said last week, forgiveness is not an option. It is necessary for a right relationship with God and with others. It is not an easy thing to do, but the alternative is even less desirable. Live a life of forgiveness and find the joy God is waiting for you to discover.

Recognize it will cost you to forgive someone else. You will never have that debt repaid back to you. When you forgive you are letting go of your right for retribution. But that is ok, because we have received from Jesus so much more than any other person could ever give us. I have all things in Christ Jesus and I don’t need to hold on anymore to having made right what was wrong, because Jesus has made all things right.

I am talking about the disease of bitterness and the cure of forgiveness. Too many Christians are walking around with bitter hearts unable to forgive those whom they have been hurt by. As a people we too often undervalue the power of forgiveness and its ability to make a difference in our lives.

Although we may deny it, too many of us are holding on to hurts and offenses that have come our way. We deny the bitterness that we hold deep within, but we know it is there. A great way to expose the bitterness is to ask yourself if you had the opportunity to get even or get back at someone for the offense they caused you, would you take advantage of it?

Make no doubt about it, forgiveness is not cheap. It cost God the life of his beloved Son. It led the famous theologian, Detrich Bonhoeffer to say, “grace is free, but it is not cheap.” To forgive someone else may cost you your pride, your reputation, and your right to get even. But to not forgive that other person will cost you even more. You will go through life bitter and robbed of the joy God wants you to have. It will tear you apart from those you love and cause you to live in isolation. Worse of all it will work to create separation between you and God. When you fail to fully love others there is an negative impact no only on your relationship with others, but also upon your relationship with God.

Forgiveness is not an option. It is not a suggestion. It is a command. God knows there is no other option. When we forgive it is a choice of obedience. When we fail to forgive it is a choice of disobedience. And we should know he is not asking us to do anything he hasn’t already asked us to do.

That doesn’t mean it is not hard to do. There are many times I have not felt like extending forgiveness. It was not something I wanted to do. But how often has the thing God wanted for me and the thing that was best for me been the opposite of what I wanted to do? When I choose forgiveness I am making a sacrifice. I am sacrificing my will for the Father’s will. I am sacrificing my right for revenge and retribution.

Next week I would like to continue this discussion and talk about some practical ways to extend forgiveness to others and ways to experience full healing from bitterness.

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It’s hard to avoid talk about the economy today. It is on the forefront of our minds in many ways. There are so many unknowns. So many of the things that we trusted in as Americans can no longer be trusted. What once gave us a feeling of safety and security no longer does. Jobs that were once thought secure are now on the chopping block. Corporations once the prize of Wall Street are on the verge of bankruptcy. What was once considered a dream home for many has turned into their worst nightmare as they face foreclosure. It is in times like these, we see the treasures of this world for what they are. They don’t last. They are easily lost. And most importantly, we can’t take them with us.

This is why Jesus says, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . .” (Matt. 6:20). Jesus knew knew the uselessness of chasing after worldly wealth. He knew where it leads to and it is not a good place.

Yet, the kingdom of heaven is something we have a hard time putting a value on it. We try to wrap our mind around it and we come up short. It’s a concept that is hard to grasp as it is not something we can put our hands on like cold hard cash. One of the reasons we fail to pursue is because we fail to grasp it’s full value. How do we discover the value of the kingdom? In contrast the wealth of this world is something we can put our hands on. It is something we can touch and we can taste.

So how do we discover the value? The answer is the value of the kingdom is shown by the church in action. The value of the kingdom is when lives are saved and transformed. The value of the kingdom is shown when the hungry are fed, when the lonely are befriended, when the sick person is healed.

True wealth is not measured by the abundance of our possessions, but by the abundance of lives that have been touched through our efforts. It’s not about the house you live in, the car you drive, the gadgets in your drawer, or the size of your retirement fund. None of that stuff will matter in the end.

You can make a difference in someone else’s life today. It is not that hard to do. It could be making a telephone call or writing a note to let them know that someone cares. It might be taking a meal to a family in need. It might be volunteering to serve at a local shelter, food bank, or group home. To many of us are living for ourselves which ultimately means we are living for nothing at all. To live for something means living for something bigger than ourselves. It is living for Jesus and living for others.

We give thanks to Jesus for giving us purpose beyond ourselves!

Last Sunday, we sang this song at Lord of Life. It sort of points to what I am talking about here. Loving others may not get us the job, pay the bills, get the house in Beverly Hills, or fix our lives in 5 easy steps. But it is truly all we need.

As we approach the second half of the summer, my weekly emails may not be as weekly as they once were. As many of you know, Barbara and I have some twins on the way. We are busily preparing waiting for the big day to arrive. I am planning on the getting these emails out to you on a regular basis, but there may be a week or two that I miss coming up.

There is much to get ready for when these babies come. We need to make sure we have diapers, clothes, cribs, car seats, and all those other fun things that go along with having babies. We know these babies are coming. There is no doubt about that. I know my wife really hopes they come sooner rather than later.

The thing is that we would be foolish if we didn’t get ready for these babies. We make sure to get everything done in advance, because when the time comes there will not be enough time to get all the things done that will need to get done. So we are doing it now.

The Bible emphasizes preparation. In 1 Peter 3:15 “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Jesus tells us to always be prepared because no one know the day or hour of his return (Matthew 25:13, Mark 13:32).

A wise man once told me that failing to plan is planning to fail. If you don’t plan for success God is not going to give you success. He is not going to burden us with more than we can handle. If you don’t have the capacity to receive a miracle, God is not going to give you the miracle.

If you had a test in school that was coming up, the wise thing to do would be to study for that test. It would seem silly to ask God to give you an “A” on that test if you had not prepared for that test.

What are you asking God for these days? If God granted your request, would you be prepared to receive it? Pastors will often pray for the church to be filled on Sunday morning. But is the church adequately prepared to receive that many guests with the love and hospitality of Jesus? You might ask God to multiply your minutes in the day. But if he multiplied those minutes would you be prepared to use those extra minutes for his glory or would they be wasted away with other things.

Jesus says that to those who are faithful with little, God will provide them more. The question is one of stewardship. Are we being good stewards of what we have been given already? If not, there is no reason for God to give us anymore.

The thing is that God knows us better than we even know ourselves. He knows the breathe of our preparation. Lets pray today, God would help us make ready his coming!

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!! Due to budget cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off!

This is probably the way many people feel these days. They don’t hold out much hope for the future. Maybe that is the way that you are feeling?

It is good to know that God has an unlimited budget. With him there is an abundance of hope. His promise is that he will be with us always and that the gates of hell will never prevail against his church. We walk by faith and not by sight. The world may seem like it is crumbling around us, but we know there is more than what we see with our eyes. God has a greater destiny for us than we could ever imagine. Yet, we become anxious when we see our short-sighted vision for the future begin to crumble. Your short-sided dreams begin to be replaced by God’s desires for you.

Our mission on earth is to help usher in the kingdom of God. The interesting thing about this is the more the world is hurting the more the door is opened to make this happen. The less hope people find in the world, the more and more they will turn to God. We are living in times when people are loosing hope in all the things that they have put their hope in for so many years. America is known as the land of opportunity. But so many are seeing less and less opportunities around us. Although we may see the possibility for human opportunity begin to fade, divine opportunities begin to come to light.

It is good to know God’s is not dependent on the world’s economy. He works with a whole different economy that only knows abundance. With God there is no such thing as scarcity. In fact the more we are pinched by the world’s economy, the more we will be touched by his abundance. As Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

Distractions are dangerous, not just while driving, but in life. In Luke 9:51, it says, “As the time approached for him (Jesus) to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” I love this verse! What this verse basically says was that there was nothing that was going to distract Jesus from his mission. He knew what he came for and let nothing get in his way.

God has given us all a mission as well, but there are many distractions in this world that get in the way if we allow them to. We have many “shiny things” and “stuff” that compete for our attention and lead us away from God’s calling in our lives.

Just to give you an idea how distracted we are, consider that the United States is 5% of the world population, but we consume 30% of the world’s resources and produce 30% of it’s trash. If the rest of the world consumed at the same rate we would need 5 planets to accommodate the need.

Does our demand for stuff distract us from God’s work? Consider this quote by economist Victor LeBow in 1955:

“Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption . . . we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate.”

These words are probably more true today than they have ever been. When we are so focused on what we can get, we are distracted on what we are able to give. We forget the words of Jesus when he says it is more blessed to give than to receive.

When I do weddings I will speak a blessing upon the couple being married. In that blessing I include these words: “May the peace of Christ dwell always in your hearts and in your home; may you have true friends, both in joy and in sorrow; may you always be ready with help and comfort for all those who come to you in need. May you be blessed in your work and enjoy its fruits; may cares never cause you distress, nor the desire for earthly possessions lead you away from the highest values in life, values that are eternal.” May these words be true of all of us!

So what can you do to remove the distraction of “shinny things” and “stuff” so that you can live the blessed and undistracted servant life Jesus has called you to?