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Thanks for joining us online. As you read through today’s message, please know we are praying for your safety. Even though we can’t worship together in person, I pray the Lord meets you where you are at and fills your heart with peace. We look forward to being together again soon!

Please enjoy this devotional thought from Pastor Hayes: 

Logic vs. Faith

I want to ask you a question.  Have you ever seen someone do something really stupid.  I mean something that it seems everyone else in the world knows won't work, but they think it will.  I’ll be honest: I’ve seen stupid and I’ve done stupid.  

Remember, I was the guy who thought tying himself to an upper tree limb so he wouldn’t fall to the ground was a good idea, imagining I'd just be left hanging a few feet off the ground. By myself... where no one could see me or find me.

But I didn’t do the above photo …

Did you know that we never learn the first name of Forrest Gump’s mother? In both the book and the movie, she is simply referred to as “Mama” or “Mrs. Gump.” But though we don’t know her first name, her statement on stupidity is known by everyone: “Stupid is as stupid does.” In her mind, it meant that if you don’t do stupid things, you aren’t stupid. But since , it also means that if you do stupid stuff, you’re stupid.

In Mark 8, Jesus feeds 4,000 people in what was likely a mostly Gentile crowd. The location was close enough for the Pharisees to be there, too. Some of them approached Jesus and began to question Him, asking Him for a sign. He had just fed 4,000 people with seven loaves and a few small fish, yet that wasn’t enough for them. What kind of stupid is that?

Jesus could have responded with an even greater miracle, but He didn’t.  He said:

Mark 8:12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.”

Since Jesus did many miracles after this, He couldn’t mean the miracles would stop.  What He must mean is that there are people for whom miracles can overcome their sense of logic.  To those, if “I” do  not believe it is logical, then it is not true.  God can do miracles all around them and they still don’t believe.  

Now, why is that?

Some people don’t believe because they have to "see it to believe it." That’s why bringing them to church and building relationships with them is so important. They actually have to believe in us before they can believe in miracles.

That’s why being a completely sold out messenger is so important.  They won’t believe in you if all they see is a duplicate of themselves.  Even I’m not listening to someone telling me to eat healthy who has a chocolate eclair in their hand —I’m going to ask them for one of their eclairs.  

What God calls us to do is bring attention to who He is. That’s why half-measures aren’t enough. Did God use half-measures on you? Was the miracle you talk about done with a half-measure?  No.  You may be the only Jesus they see. Show them all of Him.

Questions

  1. Humor yourself by thinking about some of the embarrassing things you might have done in the past.  Not life mistakes, but just things where you ended up laughing at yourself.

  2. Search your behaviors and tell yourself which ones might keep someone from accepting what you share.

  3. Think about the relationships you built with real Christians you met in church.  Are you more likely to trust them because you know their faith?

  4. If God has called us all to bring attention to who He is, think or share with those around you where you can do that.  

  5. Tell or share who.  Who can you tell about what God is doing this week?

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