Week 17 Sunday

 

Something Permanent

Today’s scripture selection: Mark 13-14

Key Verses: Mark 13:31

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

 

     We live in a throw-away society.  That’s no great revelation; we all experience it every day.

  • Paper plates and forks so that we can eat
  • A fast food meal so we can watch
  • TV Commercials telling us to buy clothes and cars
  • That will be out of style and fashion next month.

 

And, unfortunately, some people seem to think that relationships are easily expendable too.  Just ask all the people who come into pre-marital counseling and actually say to their counseling pastor – “Well, if it doesn’t work out, we can always get divorced.”

Trust me – people actually say that.  I’ve heard it way too many times.

  So isn’t it refreshing, and hopeful, to hear Jesus speak about something permanent – something you can believe in – always.

  And what is it?  Is it

  • The government?
  • The religious establishment?
  • The latest psychological theory?
  • The balance in your bank account?
  • The movie star or the athlete you admire?
  • Your own intelligence or abilities or wonderful personality?

Nope – what’s permanent – what will be there even after Heaven and earth pass away – is God’s truth.

So, when it seems as if things are changing faster than you can keep up with, sit down and read a few of Jesus’ words.  You will find them in the Bible.  And, even if all the Bibles in the world one day vanish – it won’t matter – the truth of those words will live on forever.

And, if you believe them, you will too.

 

Prayer: Eternal God, thank you for the security of your love, expressed in your everlasting truth.  AMEN.

 

 

     

Paul Simrell's avatar

By Paul Simrell

The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program. Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

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