Weekend Music links on iTunes: Lift Us Up to Fall by Tenth Avenue North; Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; Your Love Never Fails by Chris Quilala; Til I See You by Hillsong United.

Read:  Ephesians 4:1-5

Think:  All week, following on the sermon theme from the weekend, we’ve been thinking about how God uses times of waiting in our lives.  Having accepted that waiting is part of God’s plan for us, and can be a time of great benefit to us, we are faced with questions: what does good waiting look like?  How should we wait?

Pastor Ben identified two characteristics of the best kind of waiting.  First, when we find ourselves waiting, we need to trust God.  Somehow, when we see God’s hand working actively in our lives, shaping events, we can’t help but trust Him.  But in the stillness of a waiting time, doubt whispers persuasively, and we can so easily lose faith.  We have to choose to trust God, even when the waiting suggests He is gone from us.

We also need to wait expectantly.  You see, a season of waiting does not mean that time is standing still.  Even while we wait, God is at work, and His plan for each of us – and all of us – is moving forward.  With God shaping outcomes, how can we anticipate anything but good?

When we place our trust in God and look expectantly to the future, waiting is transformed into one of the greatest joys of the Christian life – hope.  Even better, while we often wait alone, hope is a shared joy, bringing believers together in support of each other.  “Be patient, bearing one another in love…you were called to one hope when you were called.”  (Ephesians 4:2 and 4:4)  Turn waiting into hope, and share it with others.

Do:   Who in your circle is waiting on something?  Reach out to that person today and help turn their waiting time into a time of hope. 

Pray:   Lord, it’s not always easy for me to see the connection between waiting and hope.  But I want to experience the times of waiting in my life as times of joining with other Christians in hope for the future, trusting in You and expecting You to do great things.  Change me into the person You want me to be.  Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Lift Us Up to Fall by Tenth Avenue North; Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; Your Love Never Fails by Chris Quilala; Til I See You by Hillsong United.

Read:  James 5:7-11 

Think:  For the first time ever, my wife and I are trying this year to grow a few things to eat.  We’ve got strawberries, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, corn, several kinds of lettuce and a couple of varieties of squash.  Growing fruits and vegetables is an interesting process.  Real work was required to get started.  We built several raised bed planters, scraped some sod, tilled existing soil, removed an unbelievable number of rocks, hauled in additional soil, and planted the seeds and starts.  We even set up hoses on a timer to help with the watering.  But that was a couple of months ago.  Now, we mostly just wait.  

Due to this newfound interest in agriculture, my ears perked up when Pastor Ben read James 5:7: “See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop”.  I’m not exactly a farmer (yet), but I am drawn to the image.  A farmer looking at his crops won’t see anything happening at any given moment.  But there is a tremendous amount of activity going on while he waits.  In a period of just a few months, tiny seeds produce actual food.  

The periods of waiting we experience in our life are like that.  Although it may seem like nothing is happening, God uses this waiting time to change us.  Pastor Ben suggested that we ask God five questions while we wait: 

-       What are You doing?

-       What do You want me to do?

-       What do You want to do in me?

-       Who do You want me to meet?

-       How can You be honored? 

All growth, including spiritual growth, involves waiting, but don’t focus on either the growth or the waiting.  Focus on God’s heart and his will, and let the waiting time bring about the growth. 

Do:  Take a moment to look at a plant today, and reflect on how the passage of time is required for it to grow.  Is there an area of your life in which a time of waiting is producing growth?

Pray:   Heavenly Father, thank you for the foods farmers grow, not only because I like to eat them, but because they reveal how You’ve incorporated waiting into the rhythm of life.  If growth takes waiting, I’ll wait.  Show me more of Your heart while I do.  Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Lift Us Up to Fall by Tenth Avenue North; Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; Your Love Never Fails by Chris Quilala; Til I See You by Hillsong United.

Read:  Revelation 8:1-6 

Think:  As Pastor Ben spoke on waiting this weekend, a quote crossed my mind: ‘They also serve who only stand and wait’.  I knew it was an old poem, but I had to look it up to learn the meaning.  The poem is ‘On His Blindness’, a sonnet written by John Milton in 1655.  In it, Milton reflects on the seeming conflict between his shrinking ability to see and his growing desire to serve.  How can he be of any use to God if he’s blind? 

Milton’s answer is that obedience is the greatest service to God.  Some are obedient through overt action – traveling ‘o’er land and ocean without rest’, in the poet’s words.  But not everyone is called to action.  Those who ‘only stand and wait’ also render service to the king, and their service is as significant as anyone’s to a king who has everything. 

The Milton quote brings to my mind a thought from the last book of the Bible.  For me, one of the most exciting images from The Revelation is that of Christ enthroned as a triumphant king surrounding by throngs of men and angels in his service.  In the middle of the fantastic events unfolding, all of heaven falls silent ‘for about half an hour’ (Revelation 8:1).  Now that’s an interesting time of waiting!  Perhaps Milton found his inspiration in verse 2, with its reference to angels who ‘stand before God’.  As the passage progresses, these angels begin to take action by blowing on trumpets.  Yet their service to God is reported first as standing and waiting. 

Too often, we are eager to get past our time of waiting and on to a time of action.  We view our waiting time as mere preparation for service.  Sometimes it is a time of preparation.  But waiting in obedience is also a form of service.  Whether we are called to action, or called to waiting, obedience is the key.

Do:   In scripture, we are encouraged to serve God by serving others.  Undoubtedly, you’ll have to wait for someone today.  When you do, reflect on waiting as a way of serving that person. 

Pray:   God, I usually think of waiting as doing nothing.  Help me change that perception.  I want to serve you in whatever way you ask.  If that means waiting, I’ll wait.  Use my waiting, Lord, however you will.  Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Lift Us Up to Fall by Tenth Avenue North; Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; Your Love Never Fails by Chris Quilala; Til I See You by Hillsong United.

Read:  Isaiah 46:8-11 

Think:   Have you had enough of this ‘Great Recession’ thing?  I know I have.  There has been plenty of pain to go around over the last couple of years – job losses, falling real estate values, diminishing retirement accounts.  In trying to deal with these setbacks, one of most difficult issues is the feeling that it’s all beyond our control.  Even good employees have lost their jobs; the most beautiful houses haven’t lured buyers; stock prices rise and fall for no apparent reason.  This beyond-my-control feeling was impressed on me a couple of years ago when my mega-bank employer announced the sale our business unit to a competitor.  I had six months to wait, with no way of knowing what would happen when the sale closed. 

In his weekend sermon, Pastor Ben pointed out that these times of waiting in uncontrollable circumstances can be opportunities that God gives us to trust Him.  Perhaps that’s not surprising.  As long as we feel some sense of influence over events, it’s easier to convince ourselves that we can run our lives without God’s help.  But when we lose any feeling that we have some control over circumstances, we turn toward God, sensing that He alone can guide events.  

God greets us with a timeless message from Isaiah: “I am God…..My purpose will stand.”  Our worry over our own purposes is revealed for the distraction that it is when we focus on God and His purpose.  We can choose to trust God more fully, knowing that He is in control.

Do:   Remember a time when you felt yourself losing control of a major facet of you life.  How did you react?  If you had to face similar circumstances today, what would you want to do differently?

Pray:   Lord, I like the illusion that I have control over all the important stuff in my life.  But I know that some things – many things – are beyond my ability to influence.  Help me not only to accept my powerlessness as I encounter these circumstances, but to embrace a deeper trust in you.  Amen.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: God is with Us by Michael Olson; All Because of Jesus by Fee; Strong Tower by Kutless; Come Thou Fount arranged by Canvas.

Read: Romans 5:6-8; John 3:16; John 8:36

Think: The title of this message series “How to Die Trying” took me back to a time when I was doing just that, trying so hard to please everyone, including God.  I felt I was dying inside. I take care of young children, which requires continual giving of oneself. One day, I was sitting on the backyard swing watching them play as I contemplated how overwhelmed, inadequate and tired I felt. I loved God. I felt I was doing all I could to please him, my family, my little charges and their families, my church, my friends…doing, doing, doing and yet it still didn’t feel like enough.

I started to pray, telling God all about it. As I prayed, he reminded me what He says in the Bible about just how much He loves me, so much so, that he sent his son to die for me before I ever knew him (Romans 5:8). He impressed on my heart that it’s not about what I do, but what Jesus has already done. I contemplated that and let it sink deep into my heart. This thought came to my mind: if I sat here and didn’t ever DO another thing, God would love me just the same. A sense of freedom came as the truth dawned on me. It truly is not about what I can do for God but what he has done for me.

The point was driven home when one of the children ran to me, crawled up on my lap and said “I love you”. As I gazed at that little up-turned face, my heart soared and I GOT IT! That child could DO nothing for me but his love was a priceless treasure. That is what God wants from me. I can DO that for him.

Do: God desires my love! This amazing truth set me free from the self-imposed slavery of trying to earn his love and approval. Do you find yourself trying to earn God’s love or the approval of others? Consider the freedom that God offers.  He loves you. Our desire to serve him out of that love is for another discussion, but today, just revel in his love for you and your love for him.

Pray: Dear God, I love you. How amazing that I can please your heart just by expressing that to you. Let everything that I do flow out of that love not out of any distorted idea that I can somehow earn your love or the approval of others. Love, your Child.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: God is with Us by Michael Olson; All Because of Jesus by Fee; Strong Tower by Kutless; Come Thou Fount arranged by Canvas.

Read: Gen. 3:10; James 1:5-8

Think: While “fake it ‘til you make it” may be sound advice in some circumstances where you need to portray confidence until you master a skill, it is deadly to one’s spiritual life. If you are struggling with belief in God or another aspect of faith you may find that you are wearing a mask of what you think a “real” believer would look like or act like.  The longer you wear that mask, the more you are alienated from God, who by the way, isn’t fooled, and from others who may be able to help you.

If you are asking questions, you can be assured that you are not the first person who wondered about whatever the issue may be. There are answers. Pastor reminded us on Sunday that our small groups are a great place to work out whatever we may be dealing with. God says in Proverbs 13:20, “he who walks with the wise grows wise”. Talk openly with those whose faith you admire, ask the questions that you have. If they don’t have the answers, they may be able to direct you to an author, or other resources. Or, talk with a pastor. Just don’t continue in the world’s advice to “fake it ‘til you make it”.

Do: Deal with your doubts. Seek answers.  In James 1:6&8, the Bible says that “one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind”. “He is double-minded, and unstable in all he does.” Feeling unstable and tossed about is no way to live. Remember, God desires authenticity in our relationship with Him. A real relationship with God is exciting and rewarding. Well worth pursuing.

Pray: God, thank you that your shoulders are big enough to handle my doubts and fears. Help me to be courageous enough to take off the mask I’ve been hiding behind. As I seek answers, please reveal yourself to me. I desire an authentic relationship with you and I know that’s what you want from me. Amen

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: God is with Us by Michael Olson; All Because of Jesus by Fee; Strong Tower by Kutless; Come Thou Fount arranged by Canvas.

Read:  Psalm 51:16-17; Gen. 3:10

Think:  No matter how confident we are, I think we’ve all experienced the feeling of wanting to hide our true self from other people. But what about this idea we have that we can somehow hide from God?  Ever since Adam and Eve tried that in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:10) people have been trying to hide from God.

Out of our own pride or shame and our mistaken ideas of who God is, we may try to fake who we are, even with this God who created us. On Sunday, Pastor Ben said “God would rather hear something authentic from a sinner than something fake from a saint”. It made me think of the song I’ve heard on the radio by Amy Grant called “Better than a Hallelujah”. The lyrics say, “the honest cries of a breaking heart are better than a hallelujah sometimes” and “silence when the words won’t come is better than a church bell ringing, better than a choir singing out”…in other words, God loves authenticity. He says this over and over in the Bible. In Psalm 51 the psalmist says, “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”.

Do: Let the fact that God loves you sink deep into your spirit. Seek to be honest with him. If you are hiding any part of yourself, come to him with it and trust his love for you. Just as honesty between people can deepen a relationship, honesty with God will result in a deeper and more satisfying relationship with him. 

Pray: Dear God, I really desire an honest relationship with you. I am coming to you today trusting your love for me. As I am honest before you, I know that you will not despise me or turn me away. (Spend some time revealing some hidden places in your heart if necessary). Thank you for your incredible love. Amen

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: God is with Us by Michael Olson; All Because of Jesus by Fee; Strong Tower by Kutless; Come Thou Fount arranged by Canvas.

Read:  Isaiah 58

Think: So many of us work so hard to keep up …..the house, the car, the yard, entertainment, travel, etc.    A friend saw this statement on twitter “People are funny.  They spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like.” 

Pastor spoke recently about the related issue, people-pleasing, being a form of idolatry.  Indeed, anything that takes our eyes away from the Lord and His precepts is placing another god before Him.  Becoming over-committed and doing too many things, trying to please too many people leads to stress and sometimes health problems.  When we add something into our already busy lives,  the house can get messy, the laundry can stack up and we may have to eat out.   But, what is God’s priority for us?  I think His way is balanced and does not require us to be stressed out.    “He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women.  It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.”    Micah 6:8 MSG

He knows our heart.  He makes allowances for our weakness and our inability to do it all.  I suspect He is not too concerned about the condition of my laundry room.   Imagine what Jesus’ place would look like if He were living here today.  Would He use a fresh towel every time he showered?   What kind of car would He drive?  Or would He take the bus?  I think He wouldn’t have a lot of stuff in His little flat.   I doubt He’d be dining out much, making investments and dreaming about the Caribbean.  His priorities were for us to love one another, feed the poor, heal the sick and preach the Gospel, just as He did.

Do: Study the life of Jesus.  Obey His word.  Ask God how to help you do what He’s calling you to today.  Drop the unnecessary baggage from your life and schedule.  Forget about what your friend or neighbor is doing and ask Jesus what He would do. 

Pray: Forgive me, God for the idolatry in my life and for caring more about things and impressions than I should.  Jesus, I want to be more like You.  Make Your priorities for me my priorities for me.  Reveal Yourself to me so that I know You more.  Help me to want to serve you and please You more than others. 

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: God is with Us by Michael Olson; All Because of Jesus by Fee; Strong Tower by Kutless; Come Thou Fount arranged by Canvas.

Read:  Luke 15:11-22, Romans 12:1-3 

Think:  In listening to Pastor Ben speak about the prodigal, I was reminded of my own rebellion.  I had grown up attending church with my mom and accepted Christ and walked with Him during my teen years.  After graduation, my move away from home also became a move away from God. 

There was definitely some “wild living” in my time away from my Heavenly Father.   When I look back, I can clearly see times when He protected me from harm.  I remember being so disappointed that I didn’t get what I was hoping for, or when the guy I was attracted to didn’t respond to me.  Now, I praise Him for watching over me during my time away from Him.   As my partying life slowed down, I began to feel more secure in who I was, having settled down with the man I’d soon marry.  I didn’t realize I was “in need” (vs.14) when a friend insisted I read a new age book called “Prescription for Happiness.”   One might not expect this would be how the Lord would run to me, throw His arms around me and kiss me.(vs.20)  In that book, I read that the way to happiness was to be found within myself.  As I thought about this more, I remembered that the God of my youth was far more powerful than anything that was inside of me.  His love poured out over me in a dramatic way as I found my way back to His arms. 

The transformation in my thinking was radical.  I repented from wild living and my mind was renewed.  My friends wondered what was up with me.  Not long after, my husband came back to the Father, as well.

Do: Thank God for loving you unconditionally and meeting you just as you are or were.  Pray for the prodigals you know to return to the Father….and REJOICE and CELEBRATE when they do! 

Pray: Thank you, Father, for protecting and rescuing me from the grip of the enemy.  Help me to never take your grace for granted.  Give me compassion for those who have strayed from your hand.  Help me to love them back to you and to give mercy freely, as it was given to me. 

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Your Grace is Enough by Chris Tomlin; Sing to the King by Passion Band; Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture; How He Loves by David Crowder.

Read: Luke 15:25-32, Luke 15:1-10 

Think:  Pastor Ben taught us from Luke 15:25-32 this last weekend. We refer to this story as the parable of the Prodigal Son. However, the rest of the chapter Luke 15:1-10 is really about the older brother. Like the Pharisees, the older brother looks good. In verse 29 “Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time” This is a pretty easy place to get in our walk with the Lord. We know it’s not true that “I never transgressed your commandment” but we can feel that way. 

It says the older brother was angry, who was he angry with? Not his brother, he was angry with the Father. He accuses his Father: "[I did all this] and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends" (15:29b). His father has given him less than he “deserves”. Not only has the fatted calf never been killed for him, he has never even been given a young goat for a party! I know I’ve felt this. God has saved and blessed someone (who doesn’t go to church nearly as much as I do) with great wealth and favor, and when I’m in the middle of some hardship I feel that I deserve "better than this" from the God whom I’ve served so well! 

We need to understand what our Father celebrates and celebrate with Him. God celebrates “sinners who repent”. The Prodigal Son parable is preceded with the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-10). Verse 10 describes what the older brother is missing. “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” 

Do: Next time we bow our heads at the end of church services and Pastor acknowledges those who have been saved on his left, in the center and on his right. Imagine the party in heaven and celebrate. 

Pray: Father, you seek the lost, and when they respond to You there is a celebration. Give me your heart for the lost so we can celebrate together.

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org