June 2024 – Your Daily Encouragement

Distracted Lately?

first things first

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. —Matthew 6:33

We live in an age of distraction. And if we’re not watchful, distractions will take up hours of each day, and filling up every spare moment of each week.

Francis Chan wrote:

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

And that is what distractions do: they direct our attention to things that don’t really matter.

Jesus reminded his disciples to seek first the Kingdom of God—which implies that we are easily distracted by trivial things.

Beware of three little words that may distract you from growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ: “I’m too busy.”

“The truth is that we are more distracted than busy.”

The truth is that we are more distracted than busy. And the distractions are intentional—engineers make a living creating algorithms that demand your attention.

And here is why this is so important: There is more to life than this life. You were made for eternity. Planning is good, but don’t plan for just the next 5 to 10 years. Set your sights on the next 10,000 years—anything else is short-sighted.

Now is a good time to set aside whatever is distracting you and refocus on Jesus and his purposes.

You are a child of the King. Your future is secure and your destination is the Kingdom of God. This is what you were born for, and this is worthy of your full focus.

Your future is secure and your destination is the Kingdom of God.

And why not refocus with us at CenterPoint this weekend? We are continuing in our Vintage Faith series in the book of Matthew, this Sunday, at 10AM PDT.

You can join us onsite in beautiful South Tacoma — or if you’re out of town, you can join us online on our CenterPoint Facebook page. Either way it will be a great time of worship.

Love you,
Pastor Bill

Bill Herried is a pastor at CenterPoint Church in Tacoma, Washington and is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren. He has been the lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma since 2006.

Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay

Be Strong—Be Bold!

For the Lord your God is with you.

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. —Joshua 1:9

Israel was at a crossroad. They had left Egypt —the land of slavery—years previous, and were on their way to possess the Promised Land that God had given to their forefather Abraham.

Their leader, Moses, has died and a new leader has been chosen: Joshua. The name means “Yahweh Saves.” He would lead God’s people into the Land of Promise.

However, God knows that this would not be a time for timidity. This would require courage on the part of his people.

So, God gives Joshua the following instructions:

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.“

Whenever God calls us to something bold, it will take extra courage. So He says “Be strong and courageous.” Then, for emphasis, He repeats Himself:

“Be strong and very courageous.”

God knows that it will take an extra measure of courage to complete this mission. Then he gives Joshua a map to victory:

“Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

Study this Book of Instruction continually. God tells Joshua that, to accomplish His purposes, he must understand God’s instructions. He wants Joshua to know, consider, then thoughtfully follow through.

In fact, He says to meditate on it day and night.

Day and night.

Why? So that you may follow through to do all that is written in it.

Notice what He says next: Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Their success hinges on it.

Then God finishes by repeating the need for courage—again:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:6–9

I love this: He tells Joshua that, although it will be a time for extraordinary courage, the reason he can have confidence is this: Because the LORD your God will be with you—wherever you go.

Wherever you go.

And it’s not by mistake that he is named Joshua. The name Jesus in Hebrew is Joshua (the LORD’s Salvation). Jesus is the Chosen One who will ultimately save His people, bringing them into his Kingdom—the Kingdom of God—the Ultimate Land of Promise.

Most of us haven’t been called to lead a nation. But we have been called to be his witnesses—to tell others what good things Jesus has done in your life. And that will take boldness. That will take courage.

Remember: If he has called you to it, he will see you through it.

And take this to heart: The LORD your God will be with you—wherever you go.

Be strong. Be courageous. Allow fear no quarter. Move ahead with confidence.

And this is his promise: He is with you wherever you go.

Blessings,
Pastor Bill

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Time to Take a Risk?

I can’t think of a better time.

As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. —Mark 15:42-43

For years people watched Jesus teach, do the miraculous and change lives like no one else. But following Jesus was risky. Many of the influencers of that time looked down on him. He was unorthodox. He was amazing, yes. But…

Jesus was risky.

So, finally, after Jesus was unjustly executed on the cross, one of those who had been following him—from a distance—finally took a risk and stepped out of the shadows.

Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus—not publicly, because he feared the blow-back from his peers. But now, enough is enough. He went to the Roman governor who sanctioned Jesus’ crucifixion, asking to take his body to give him a proper burial.

With help, Joseph took Jesus’ body off the cross, then put it into his own tomb. Joseph had no idea that Jesus would only need it for a long weekend—for just 3 days.

But it took something catastrophic—the death of Jesus—for Joseph to step out; to take a risk.

Maybe now is your turn.

It’s been some time. You’ve been following Jesus from a distance. On the downlow.

But now is the time to step out of the shadows and take a risk. Instead of just admiring Jesus, this would be a great time to fully follow him. And when you do, there is great reward.

And I believe the best way you could that is to join us this Sunday at CenterPoint. We are continuing in our Vintage Faith Series in the Book of Matthew.

You can join us onsite here, or you can join us digitally here on our CenterPoint FB page. Either way, hope you can join us this Sunday at 10AM, PDT

Looking forward to worshiping with you then!

Blessings,
Pastor Bill

Image by GrumpyBeere from Pixabay

The Cure for Loneliness, Jesus Style

it’s always better together

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. —Hebrews 10:24–25

When I was in the third grade, my favorite superhero was Superman—the “strange visitor from another planet…” If there was a job that no one else could do, Superman got it done—solo. He didn’t need an army; he didn’t need back-up; he got it done by himself—even if the bad guys had Kryptonite!

Throughout my life, the idea of getting stuff done by myself—doing it solo—has often been the easiest way forward. Especially if it meant “troubling” someone for help. But the truth is that we not only do our best work with others, we hunger for—and thrive in—community.

The first time I experienced this personally, I was going to the University of Washington in Seattle and my girlfriend Erin (now my wife) was going to school in LA. During those long months of separation, I tried focusing on my studies in Seattle, but while we were separated, I couldn’t think of anything but her!

Then after we were married, we joined a group of young adults where we worshiped to mentor the youth in our church. It was a group that planned together, prayed together and hung out together. It was an incredible time. I didn’t understand why we were drawn to and enjoyed these people so much, but here is what I’ve discovered since: I was created for community.

When I say “community,” I don’t mean simply having access to a lot of people. I spent my summers in NYC during my high school years, and it was during those summers that I experienced how it is possible to be lonely—even in a city of 8 million people.

I define community as experiencing a significant life-connection with others.

Most of us have experienced loneliness (in one way or another) in our lives. But did you know that there is clinical data that demonstrates the destructive power of loneliness? Professor John Cacioppo, of the University of Chicago, has spent his life studying social neuroscience, and has demonstrated over and over the effects of loneliness on our bodies and brains. The outcome: loneliness is lethal. It literally ravages our brains and our bodies.

Loneliness is lethal. It literally ravages our brains and our bodies.

In fact, LinkedIn has hosted a number of articles on the destructive effects loneliness is having in the workplace. Not surprisingly some of it is a result of substituting social media for real community. Here is one example.

Why do we thrive in community? Scripture gives us some powerful insights.

God himself lives in community.

In the earliest lines of Genesis, the first book in the Bible, God said,

“Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us…” So God created human beings in his own image (Genesis 1:26, 27).

What is only hinted at here in Genesis, Jesus made clear later: God, who is One, exists in Community. Jesus taught that God exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (e.g. Matthew 28:19). God lives in community: a community of unity, interdependence, love and cooperation. Father, Son and Holy Spirit cooperate to accomplish God’s purposes in our world and our universe.

All of which means this: the reason we hunger for community (significant life-connection with others) is because God lives in community and we were created in His image.

Jesus’s idea of community

Jesus, the real life Superman, demonstrated the power of community by calling 12 men to do life together: his twelve disciples. When you read through the gospels, you discover that he could have done it all—by himself! So why did he call the twelve to be with him (Mark 3:14)? I believe it was because Jesus knows that we are created for community—and we can do far more together than we can apart.

At CenterPoint, we express this kind of connectedness in our weekly gatherings each Sunday, and in our Growth Groups: groups of people who live in community, doing life together.

Our Summer Groups have just started. In these groups, we interact around God’s word, pray for (and with) each other, and serve our greater community as a group. And when we do this, we experience what we were created for: living out God’s purposes in our lives.

Together.

Click on the link above for group details. Hope you can jump into one of our groups and flourish this Summer.

Love you,
Pastor Bill

Image by Dim Hou from Pixabay

The Promise That Brings Peace

…wherever you go.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” —Deuteronomy 31:8

Wherever you are, whatever you do, your Heavenly Father is with you.

This is His promise.

When you belong to Him, you will never be alone in this world—regardless of where you go. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you.

Ever.

He sees what is happening in your life today and He sees what is coming tomorrow. He sees it all.

So, there is no reason for fear. No reason for discouragement. Trust him for what you can’t see and live righteously.

You belong to Him.

And why not join us this Sunday to worship Him at CenterPoint! You can join us onsite in Tacoma at CenterPoint 10AM this Sunday, or online on our FB page. Either way, I look forward to seeing you then.

Love you,
Pastor Bill

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

It is Finished

The Most Significant Word in Human HIstory

He said “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. —John 19:30

Crucifixion was brutal.

In fact, it was so humiliating and painful that the Roman empire outlawed the crucifixion of Roman citizens. And if a Roman citizen was crucified, the penalty was crucifixion for the one who authorized it.

Spikes were driven into nerve bundles in the wrist, as well as the feet, sending uncontrollable, electric-like surges into the body. If you’ve ever struck the nerve in your elbow that we call the “funny bone,” you have an inkling of what that is like.

On the cross, the victim was in a constant struggle against convulsing muscles, shooting pain in the wrists and feet, pushing up the body to allow the lungs to take in air. Over time, the body would become so fatigued, that the victim would suffocate under the weight of their own body, unable to pull themselves up to fill their lungs with air. This type of execution could last days.

On top of it all, the victim was crucified naked.

Excruciating pain and naked humiliation. And the purpose was deterrence: it was a public declaration to all who passed by, “This is what happens to the person who opposes Rome.”

This is the how Jesus chose to display his love and redeem his followers.

From the beginning we were told that he came to save us. The angels who showed up to the shepherds at his birth said, “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:11) He is born Savior.

His name Jesus—in Hebrew, Y’shua, or Joshua—means Yahweh’s Salvation. His identity is Savior.

And, he declared his purpose for coming into our world this way: “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10) He is Savior. That is what he does.

And then, after 6 hours on the cross, Jesus uttered a single word that—in my opinion—is the most significant word in human history. He said “It is finished!” (OK, it’s three words in English, but in the original Greek, it was one.)

“Tetelesai!”

“Tetelestai!” he declared. After Jesus said that word John, one of Jesus’ disciples, tells us “Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30)

That word Tetelestai means to complete something in its entirety—to the utmost.

It was used in financial transactions to mean “Fully Paid.” If payment was made, a receipt was marked “Tetelestai.” Nothing more was owed.

In military usage, it meant that a battle had been decisively and overwhelmingly won. The mission was accomplished. “Tetelestai!”

And in jurisprudence, it was used to describe a prison sentence that was fully served. “Tetelestai!”

As Savior, Jesus defeated sin and death—and because he lives, you can live as well.
And your sentence, due to sin, has been served by the Son of God.
And as Savior he also paid your debt of sin.

“It is finished!” As a follower of Jesus, you now have a new life. A new start. A new identity.

Which brings me to a single question: Since this is true, why would you surrender to worry? If you’re a follower of Jesus, you have a new life. A new identity. The past is gone. The new has come. Your past is paid for and your future is secure.

Why would you surrender to worry, anxiety and the stress that accompanies it? Instead, surrender to Jesus. Every time worry comes knocking at your door, recognize it, then let Jesus answer the door. Surrender to him and ask him to take the worry himself.

In Matthew 11, Jesus said “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Go to him, give him your burdens. Then enter his rest.

Jesus is your place of peace.

Love you,
Pastor Bill

Image by Three-shots from Pixabay

Looking For a Good Workout?

This is it.

For sound advice is a beacon,
good teaching is a light,
moral discipline is a life path. —Proverbs 6:23

Every day we make thousands of decisions. Researchers at Cornell University estimate that we make over 200 decisions every day on food alone. It has been claimed that the average person makes 35,000 decisions every day(!), and while many of those may be unconscious (like scratching your head as you read this), we are barraged with options every day.

And no one wants to make decisions in the dark—we want as much light on our decisions as possible. This is why it is so important to have God’s wisdom in our daily decisions.

That is why I have a daily reading through Psalms and the book of Proverbs. I call it Worship and Wisdom.

Here is how it works: each day we have a section to read (or listen to—the link gives you either option), which means that each month we will complete the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs together.

Personally, this works best for me at the beginning of the day. And in a year’s time, you will have read through the book of Psalms and Proverbs 12 times.

The beauty of this plan is that you are beginning your day with worship in Psalms and taking in God’s wisdom for life in Proverbs.

And who doesn’t need more of God’s wisdom?!

That said, today is a great day to start because it is the first day of a new month! But the truth is that you can start any day, because the next month you will be reading the same pattern again.

Here is the downloadable PDF for our Worship and Wisdom guide.

reading-through-psalms-proverbs-in-a-month-niv-new Download

Worship God for his goodness, and wisdom to navigate your daily decisions. Can’t think of a better way to start your day.

How To Make it Work

The key to make a daily time in God’s word work includes 3 items:

A Plan (Worship and Wisdom!)
A Place (somewhere you can focus)
A Time (put it on your schedule)

Then follow through. That’s it!

I hope you’ll join me in this work out in the book of Psalms and Proverbs each day.

Cheering for you,
Pastor Bill

Image by Kohji Asakawa from Pixabay