Bumper-Sticker Sermon: Janet Sketchley

Jesus loves you.
Everyone else thinks you’re a jerk.

So proclaimed a bumper sticker on the car in front of me. (And I’ve edited the fine print.)

The “Jesus loves you” part was in large print, luring the eye to the punch line.

The implication was that Jesus, perhaps like your mother, has to love you. It’s in the job description. And perhaps He and Mom aren’t very bright or objective.

Still, it got me thinking.

He does love me, I know that. (So does my mom.)

Then, so what if everyone else (some days me included) thinks poorly of me?

Whose opinion matters most?

Jesus loves me, this I know. And in that knowledge will I rest.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

The Power of Persistence

(by Glynis M. Belec)

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Rebecca is sixteen years old and she has Down Syndrome. I have been working with Rebecca for two years trying to teach her to add. Recently she learned how to add zero, one and two to a number.
It was a long road but Rebecca never gave up. She worked hard. Rebecca realized and reached her goal. We both rejoice at her accomplishments.

One heavenly day all believers will rejoice, too. But this rejoicing will not stem from any earthly achievement. When we press on and persevere in our faith and make our motivation, trust in Christ Jesus, we win! The Prize is ours.

But what does it mean to press on in the faith? It means to pray and to read the Bible; it means to discover God’s voice and heed God’s direction; it means to put our trust and hope in Christ alone. Think about what helps you honor the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? Never give up.

By perseverance the snail reached the ark…Charles Spurgeon

Inside Out - Gwen Mathieu

Monday was a holiday, so after doing some extra cleaning, I decided to set up our tent-like canopy gazebo; you know the kind, with numerous poles and netting. It was a hand-me down from my sister; her yard had outgrown it.


I set it up a few times before but it was always in the way of cutting the lawn. While mowing earlier in the day, I spotted a neat corner of the yard, among the pine trees, where the grass grows sparingly. That will be a perfect spot. I had to saw a few dead branches off a pine tree, to make room, but that was no problem.

I spread out the canopy, dumped the metal poles on the ground and set to work. Having put most of the poles through the loops, I was convinced it was upside down so I pulled out some pegs and turned it over. I spread it out, again, pounded the pegs in, again. Lawn chairs had to be put in the middle in order to get under the structure to put the poles in place. This was not an easy task on a hot day, wearing a hoodie to keep mosquitoes away.

Finally, I had the contraption constructed, zippered the flap shut and sat in a mosquito free canopy. What pleasure! Looking up at the top cover, I wondered why the ends of the tent were sagging. Are some of the ties missing for the poles? I studied it for sometime before I realized the canopy was inside out. The top poles were to be inside, holding up the edges and the inner poles were to be outside. After changing it twice, I decided it could stay that way for a few days. And as I sat in the canopy tent, I was staring at a crop of raspberries needing to be picked. So much for enjoying my mosquito free venture.

Some days go like that! I had no instructions for assembling and guessed at every turn; even ended up with an extra pole from somewhere. In my Christian walk, if I don’t use the pattern set out in God’s word, my life will take an upside down, inside out course.
It is two days later and my canopy is still inside out. I haven’t even taken time to sit in it. Oh, well! Maybe tomorrow.

Touring a Cathedral - M.Laycock

You could not stand before the building without looking up. It was one of those massive European cathedrals, built in the age of religious fervor, whose architects seemed to have one message - look up, look way up. Every line of the structure flowed toward heaven.

As I melted into the stream of people entering the church, I could imagine the throngs who, centuries ago, crowded into this cathedral to hear God’s word. It did not take long for that illusion to disappear. A tour guide with a voice like a megaphone began his litany of historical facts: how long it took to build the structure; where the stone was quarried and how many men it took to finish the job; who commissioned and who designed the works of art.

As we entered the sanctuary, the atmosphere changed as the building opened into the massive open area supported by pillars and framed in stained glass. For a moment I had the sense of history again, a sense of understanding the purpose for this edifice. The tour guide’s voice again broke through as he began to lead us toward the altar.

It was at that point that I frowned. From the back of the large group, I watched the guide lead the people up a short flight of stairs onto the platform, where a priest was in the midst of celebrating the mass. The megaphone voice was lowered slightly as the group passed behind the altar. I noticed some of the other tourists at least had the courtesy to look sheepish. Caught in the flow, I continued with the crowd, feeling as though we were all participating in a crime. When I think back on that moment, I realize we were.

When I think of it now, I realize at times we still are. In the presence of our God, we remain aloof. We stand back and gawk, yet remain indifferent and unmoved, failing to rejoice, failing to call others to see and be amazed.

Some time ago a cartoon appeared in the pages of many Canadian newspapers. To Canadian baby boomers, it had immediate significance. One of our childhood television heroes, The Friendly Giant, had died. “Friendly” always began his program with the words “Look up, look way up,” as the camera moved up from the toe of his large boot to his smiling face. The newspaper cartoon echoed those words and showed a large hand reaching down toward him.

But it is not only in death that God tells us to look up. Like the architects of old, He designed our world to make us turn to Him. He put a yearning in our hearts to worship and made us into His church. He put a yearning in the hearts of writers to record and express the experiences of life and to proclaim His glory. All the lines of life say, “look up, look way up.” As writers of faith we must often ask ourselves, are we just touring the cathedral? Or are we striving to look up and reach for the glory of God in every word we write?

“For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

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