Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Audience of One

Paul Merideth

When discussing the preaching mandate to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), I had a ministry professor who passionately warned of a great temptation. We’re tempted by an impulse to water down the truth of God’s word to make it more palatable to people’s delicate emotional sensitivities. This temptation, he said, was especially dangerous for preachers because of the urge we have to want to please everyone. No one answers the call to Christian ministry unless they have a heart for helping others, and we desperately want people to accept that help and thrive. That optimistic urge, however, runs into conflict when people stubbornly wrapped up in sin must be told to repent.

This “ministry of meaningful engagement” often requires us to change our tone from one of positive encouragement to straightforward confrontation. Sadly, it is a shift, more often than not, that leads to folks becoming unhappy with the preacher.

In the face of such a disorienting dilemma, his advice was to reorient our people-pleasing inclinations away from appeasement approaches and focus on one thing instead. He said, “Preach to an audience of one.” If our preaching honors the Lord, then we will be found to be faithful. After all, it is the Lord’s assessment of our ministry that matters most. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). Yes, we must “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), but let’s not miss the point that we must speak the truth.

We live in the tension between two worlds, according to the Apostle Paul. We long for our heavenly dwelling, yet work is still needed doing here. His answer? “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). Notice it carefully, “we make it our aim to please him.”

So here’s my encouragement for you today… live your life for an audience of One. Don’t opt for the life choices that are engineered to most likely fit the approval of your co-workers, friends, or neighbors, thus bringing you their acceptance. Commit instead to seek, above all, the approval of the Lord. It is his assessment of you that truly matters. And when you do that, people who recognize your love and commitment to truth will treat you with respect.

  • 18th Week of 2024 Reading: 1 PETER 1:3-4. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, help me walk in Your ways and seek Your will all my days. May my life delight You as I honor You in all I do. Guide me in righteousness that I may reflect Your holiness. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Sermon Preview: I’ll be preaching on Sunday, May 5, a sermon I’m calling “Job’s Final Exam.” God shows up and speaks out of a whirlwind and teaches Job a thing or two about just how little he knows. Then, on that Sunday evening, we’ll be finishing up our study of Job by looking at the dramatic epilogue of the narrative. You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Accepting God’s Gifts

Paul Merideth

God is excellent at giving good gifts. I can’t say that’s always been true of me. My track record for gift-giving is demonstrably defective by the sad array of useless appliances and discarded tchotchkes at our house. But God knows us so well; he knows what we need and how best to meet those needs. The gifts that God gives are wholesome, valuable, and lovely. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). His gifts are never a flop. Odd, then, that anyone would refuse God’s good gifts. Wouldn’t it be strange to be approached by a friend who offers us a beautifully wrapped present, a gift chosen with care, and then wave them away with a barely cordial “no thanks.” That actually would be quite rude. Why would anyone refuse a gift, especially one from our Creator? Maybe God’s gifts have gotten lost in the clutter? Perhaps they’re not what we think we asked for? Could it be the wrapping doesn’t suit our style, so we refuse? Maybe we’re confused and have mistaken a blessing for a curse.

I can’t detail all the varied gifts God may offer you; there are just so many. I suppose, however, I could try mentioning a few. He provides forgiveness through Jesus, strength through the Spirit, and encouragement through the church. He has gifted us with his Word, the Bible, so that we may know his will and learn the historical record of his ways. His redeeming grace fills us with hope and guards us against defeat. He brings light and love into our lives with joys, both small and great. He often works through others to bless us with compassion. God’s gift-giving abilities are impressive.

My advice is that you be open to receiving the gifts he offers you. Don’t shake your fist in the face of a gracious God who desires to bless you. Don’t be rude; receive with a glad and humble heart what the Lord offers you. C.S. Lewis said, “God gives his gifts where he finds the vessel empty enough to receive them.” Perhaps, if you’re having a hard time seeing the gifts, then adjust your focus and look again. The problem is likely your poor attitude, not God’s negligence.

Amid Jesus’ public teaching ministry, he once talked about having an open attitude to the gifts God gives. Jesus made the point that we, even fallen humans, find delight in giving good gifts. If we can demonstrate generosity, albeit in an inexpert way, imagine how much more capable God is to gift us with blessings. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). God is offering you his gifts, and it’s your choice to receive or reject them. I encourage you to accept.

  • 16th Week of 2024 Reading: LUKE 9:23-24. And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
  • Prayer to God: “Lord, guide us on the path of discipleship, that we may follow your teachings with humility, serve others with compassion, and spread your love to all. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Helpful Resource: Check out the articles at Christian Courier. I have vivid memories of hearing Wayne Jackson teach and preach whenever he visited F-HU. Although he passed away in 2020, his legacy of excellent bible teaching remains alive on the Web.
  • Sermon Preview: I’ve been thinking a lot about the notion of divine authority vested in the Bible. It is a really tough sell today to convince folks that God’s Word has the final say in all matters of faith and practice. I suspect a sermon along these lines will emerge soon, likely Sunday. You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth · 1 Comment

Missional & Confessional

It’s not an either/or, it’s a both/and. We must be confessional and missional. That is, balancing both doctrinal fidelity and outreach evangelism. Indeed, it is challenging to be both, but the church needs both to thrive.

Paul Merideth

Our MISSION is the great commission. Matthew 28:28-20: And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Thus, our assignment is to invite people to come to faith in Jesus Christ and receive the beautiful saving grace of God. We are to disciple them in their journey and be their sibling in Christ. We don’t force them; it’s their choice. But what a wonderful choice it is to put your trust in Jesus. And in our outreach, we strive to be persuasive, not abrasive; winsome, not offensive. As Bonhoeffer wrote on preaching the gospel, “A truly evangelical sermon must be like offering a child a beautiful red apple or holding out a glass of water to a thirsty man and asking: Wouldn’t you like it?”

Our CONFESSION is the deity of Christ and the truth of God’s Word. We cannot be in the church of Christ unless we believe, like Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Also, it must be true that the church has a clear body of doctrine, “the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:15-17).

Without respecting both our gospel mission and our sound doctrine, we will fail as a church. The good news is the Lord has blessed us with resources for both. We have the gift of his Word, and we have the gift of his Spirit. We have the content for our faith and the empowerment to share it. So let’s go tell the story of Jesus and be faithful in living it out.

  • 10th Week of 2024 Reading: PSALM 19:7-9 “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.”
  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, thank you for the beautiful gift of grace through Jesus Christ our Savior. Help us be committed disciples who submit to the authority of your Word. And help us reach out to our world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Use us as instruments for the advancement of the gospel. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Sermon Preview: I’ll be away on a mission trip, working with Christian friends in the South Pacific for the next few weeks. I hope to teach and preach in a clear, encouraging, and effective way. I request your prayers that my trip will be safe and successful. If you want, you can follow me on my mission trip on Facebook: Fiji Paul.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Peace Within

Paul Merideth

We’re surrounded by violence. We see it reported in the news and experience it firsthand in our communities. Even our youngest and most vulnerable can’t be shielded from its reach. Violence is a dreadful expression of humanity’s dark side. It geysers forth from the cracks of our brokenness. Only the wicked revel in its existence. It makes good people grimace. Whenever violence erupts, it reeks of pain, tears, and broken hearts. It causes profound hurt and leaves lasting scars.

It’s so jarring because we’re made for peace, not violence. Upon being created, humanity lived in a tranquil garden. Our progenitors experienced peace as they basked in the brilliance of God’s grace. And ever since Eden’s expulsion, we’ve been trying to get back a semblance of that peace. We often haplessly grope for it in the most futile and expensive ways. But Jesus came to bring true peace and often spoke of it. He knew we desperately needed it. Thus, the purpose of his incarnational redemption mission was to undo the damage done by Adam and Eve. Near the end of his earthly ministry, he said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). To find true and lasting peace we must access it via Christ. Peace within is peace in Christ.

The solution to the problem of violence isn’t just the subtraction of something; it’s the addition of something. You see, true peace isn’t found in the absence of violence. True peace is found in the presence of God.

  • 6th Week of 2024 Reading: ISAIAH 53:4-6 “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
  • Reflections: In what ways has violence contaminated your mind? Do you fixate on violence too often or dream incessantly of the downfall of others? Let’s try to fill up with good and noble things and leave no room for violent thoughts.
  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, help us to think rightly about your goodness and mercy. Please calm our mind’s restless knots. Guide us to find and cherish peace in your Son. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Bible Study #3
  • Current Reads: In one of our small group Bible classes, I’m leading a study of the book of 2 Corinthians. I’ve learned a lot from the scholarship of David E. Garland in his New American Commentary: 2 Corinthians. Trustworthy commentaries can be a helpful tool for better understanding God’s word. When we read a good commentary, it’s as if we’re getting extra after-school help from a teacher to understand the subject matter better. Not all commentaries are equal, but those by Garland have been a great help to me.
  • Interesting News: World magazine has a well-written article by Andree Seu Peterson titled Hope for the Bleak Midwinter. You might want to check it out for a dose of muscularity to help push through the dark winter months.
  • Sermon Preview: Sunday I plan to preach a sermon I’m calling “Protected By His Presence” based upon Genesis 39:2; “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man.” Like Joseph, we all see our circumstances change over time. Few of us, though, will have experienced such a precipitous collapse as Joseph. And if you have, how encouraging to know that Scripture includes the stories of God’s intervention in the lives of people like you. You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

God Is A Poet

Paul Merideth

For a few, poetry is a secret obsession. A great many others enjoy the genre more than they’d admit. Poetry has a unique way of speaking straight to the soul and stirring the spectrum of our emotions. It leverages the power of imagination with the fulcrum of words. A recent National Public Radio Arts & Life piece explores how people have turned to poetry for comfort and courage post-pandemic. Visits to the website poets.org have gone up 30% in recent years. Poetry has a special way of touching us both in our heads and our hearts.

God adopts the voice of a poet to speak to us. We know this by the way he elegantly addresses humans, terse but evocative. Moses asks, “When I go to the people, and they ask, who do I say has sent me?” God’s reply: “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel, I Am has sent me to you.” That sounds poetic to me. When Jesus manifests divine energy from a boat to silence the wind and the waves on the sea of Galilee, he utters a poetic rebuke to nature, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He then said to the disciples in the boat with him, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Call me sentimental, but that language rings as poetry in my ear.

A third of the Bible is written in the literary style of poetry. We think of books like Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and it could be argued that the prophetic books in apocalyptic style are poetry. Biblical poetry does not always prioritize rhyme like we do in English. It instead uses repetition, patterns, couplets, and images. This allows the poetry to be understood in different languages because it translates well. The human writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit, composed poetry that expressed their emotion, at times joyful praise to God and sorrowful lament over evildoers at other moments. Those with a high conviction about biblical inspiration could say that the Psalms are our words to God that he receives and then gives back to us.

The poetry books of the Bible have a remarkable power to heal and motivate those of us who believe in the majesty of God. They elegantly speak divine truth into God’s creation and stir us to new heights of praise. Poetry is an experience meant to be felt. Who of us has not been moved to tears, when dressed all in black, we hear, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Poetic language makes use of images, metaphors, and symbols. Poetry activates our imagination, creating pictures in our minds that we did not see before. It triggers our emotions as we feel deep inside something stir. Reading the poetry of the Bible, especially Psalms, can draw us nearer to God in a way nothing else can. I recommend you give some time to reading. Maybe you’re looking for some comfort and courage during this season of uncertainty. God is handing you a resource to bring peace and still to your stormy sea. Try sitting quietly and alone. As you sit, do a bit of reading. Allow God, through his poetry, to stimulate your head and heart.

  • 4th Week of 2024 Reading: HEBREWS 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
  • Reflections: What’s your favorite poem? Even if you don’t think of yourself as a “poetry person,” consider going ahead and browsing for a poem or two that inspires you today or activates your imagination. For curiosity’s sake, I asked ChatGPT to “Write me a Christian poem for today.” Here’s what it gave me:

In the quiet hush of morning light,
Where dawn embraces the darkest night,
A whisper echoes through the soul,
A tale of grace that makes us whole.

Beneath the canopy of skies,
Creation’s hymn begins to rise.
The stars above, a choir bright,
Declare the majesty of His might.

In every leaf, a story told,
Of love enduring, ageless, bold.
The breeze that dances through the trees,
Carries whispers of His gentle ease.

Upon the pages of sacred Word,
The voice of truth is clearly heard.
A narrative of hope and grace,
Guiding us to seek His loving face.

Within the sanctuary of prayer,
A sacred dialogue we share.
He hears our joys, our sorrows, too,
And guides us in all that we pursue.

Through valleys low and mountain’s crest,
His presence with us, a constant guest.
In every trial, every test,
We find in Him our perfect rest.

Oh, let our hearts with gratitude swell,
For the Savior who loves us oh so well.
In every moment, come what may,
He leads us on the narrow way.

So, on this day, with faith ablaze,
Let songs of praise our voices raise.
For in His love, we find our song,
A melody that lasts lifelong.

  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, thank you for this new day. Grant us wisdom, strength, and a heart filled with love and imagination. Guide us in your will, and may your peace reign in our hearts. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Sermon Preview: I’m finishing my sermon series about the if/then statements of Jesus in the Gospel According to John. We’ll wrap up with a close look at what it means to abide in Christ. You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Faith Over Fear

I hope you all have a peaceful and joy-filled Christmas. One of the beautiful things about this time of year is the extra attention given to the blessings associated with faith. Christian faith spotlights God’s love and grace, his desire to show us favor and care. Through Christ’s redeeming work, God has taken away our deepest fears and replaced them with profound peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

I’m struck by how many times in the narratives surrounding the birth of Jesus we have to hear the reassurance: “Do not fear.” When angels show up to deliver a message, that’s the first thing they usually have to say. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

We habitually need reassurance. After all, fear so quickly creeps in when uncertain events arise. That’s the case with Joseph and Mary. And so God sent a messenger to give them reassurance. It’s true of all of us as well.

Fear debilitates. It impairs our thinking, acting, and judgment. To quote Frank Herbert in his masterpiece sci-fi novel Dune, “Fear is the mind-killer.” Fear also causes us to lash out and attack others in desperate self-preservation. Fear prompts defensiveness. It makes us rash. It makes us harsh. It makes us sin. Fear inhibits our ability to rightly respond to the good things of God. Fear puts up blinders that hinder our ability to see the beauty of God. We need less fear and more faith.

The coming of Christ separates us from our fears. The incarnation of Jesus was God’s masterstroke of breaking into a broken world with hope and rescue. In the coming of Christ and his subsequent atonement work at the cross and empty tomb, sin and fear are defeated. We boldly believe that fear will ultimately be beaten at his anticipated second coming when all things will be made new. In the Christmas season, we’re invited to both fixate on his first coming and keep watchful for his second. When he comes again in glory to receive his own, we will inhabit a new heaven and a new earth together, and all our fears will vanish.

Today’s world can be scary, and most of us find ourselves grasping for something temporal for security, whatever that may be. We live in a world where it is tough to be fear-free. But amid anxiety and insecurity, Christians have true peace and true security in the one place it has always been and can still be found.

Paul Merideth

I hope you have a Merry Christmas. Remember, we can have faith even in the face of fear because we have a heavenly father who has sent salvation through a Savior, Christ the Lord. Therefore, fear not.

  • 51st Week of 2023 Reading: PHILIPPIANS 2:15-16 “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
  • Prayer to God: “Lord of All, we give you thanks for your abundance and all the great things you have given us, especially the gift of Your Son. We ask your blessing upon our food, work, life’s provisions, and friends and family. We also pray that you will look kindly upon all in need with great mercy. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Confidence in Christ
  • Reflections: Have you counted your blessings lately? Why not do an inventory today of all the good that God has poured into your life and cap off your review with a prayer of thanksgiving.
  • Sermon Preview: I’m finishing my sermon series on Matthew’s Gospel with a look at the crucifixion in 27:35-50. The birth scene of Jesus is humble, tender, and beautifully simple. Except for the angelic host onlooking, it was a private happening in obscurity. The death of Jesus, however, was a humiliating public spectacle. Yet, it is in the cross of Christ that we locate our Christian identity. You’re invited to come and worship with us.
Posted on by Paul N. Merideth

Flight to Egypt

Not a modern jet flight with first-class comfort and convenience; no, not even coach. They weren’t gazing out the window at the beautiful turquoise of the Mediterranean from 30,000 feet up. Instead, it was a harrowing trip by foot, taking them through the Sinai desert along long stretches of barren terrain at night. Not an easy trip for any young family. But Joseph has a precious treasure to protect. Here is infant Jesus, guarded by Joseph and Mary, escaping to an unlikely place of refuge from a maniac king.

In Matthew’s account of the flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:11-21), we read of a journey marked by adversity, fear, and, ultimately, the unwavering faithfulness of God’s providence. What is in one moment a beautiful scene of worship and adoration to the newborn king by the magi quickly turns to a pressured escape from a lunatic Herod. “Flee to Egypt (the angel says to Joseph)… for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” It was a narrow escape. “And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.”

Here we see divine action, the angelic warning, and their instant obedience. Joseph obeys the angel’s instructions precisely and immediately, even waking his family in the night to flee. They followed directions well.

Yet why would Herod want to kill an infant? He made the bizarrely cruel decision to slaughter dozens of young boys to exterminate the one he thought could dethrone him. Did he feel his petty power threatened? What kind of egomaniac, what sort of tyrant, what kind of madman could commit such bloodthirsty crimes? Maybe Satan knew God was up to something big and leveraged all his demonic might to try to stop humanity’s redemption at its most vulnerable moment. We don’t know for sure. But we do know that at the divine direction, a messenger of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you.” This is Joseph’s mission. His purpose moment. Take, flee, remain. What a good father.

If entrusted with something valuable, it must be protected. In this moment of urgency, Joseph, who doesn’t get a lot of airtime in the text, steps up to do his duty. This is his shining moment to serve the Lord at a crucial time in redemptive history. He fulfills his mission.

And so for us, when we are entrusted, sometimes even unexpectedly, with something valuable, we must cherish and protect it. Maybe for you, it means being a responsible parent prioritizing the precious young faith of your children. Perhaps you are in the season of life where God has entrusted you with care for a senior parent. And though their memory is fading and their dependency ever increasing, you obey your mission from the Lord to honor your father and mother. And consider, maybe it’s your own faith that needs to take a flight to Egypt to protect it from being murdered by temptation.

Thankfully, we know that God is faithful in his promises, and we do well to flee to him in our dark moments. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).

The flight to Egypt is a powerful demonstration to God’s providential care in the face of adversity, and the obedient response of God’s faithful servants. As we navigate the challenges of our own journeys, let us remember that God’s plans often unfold in unexpected ways. Whether in moments of adoration, seeking refuge, or facing the sorrow of a broken world, God remains faithful, guiding us through the shadows toward the light of His redemptive purpose.

May we find solace in the assurance that, just as God protected the family on their journey, he is with us in our own pilgrimages of faith. Trust in God’s providence, obey his directions, for in him we find our refuge and our hope.

Paul Merideth

  • 49th Week of 2023 Reading: LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
  • Prayer to God: “Heavenly Father, please give us peace to still today’s anxieties, help us be generous with forgiveness to quench our bitterness against others, and inspire us with passion to pursue kingdom work faithfully. We confess our sins and appeal always to Christ as our savior. As we are watched, help us show the way, through our attitude and actions, for others to better know your righteousness. We commit anew to you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
  • Video Devotional Spotlight: Two Advents
  • Christmas Gift Recommendation: Why not give a small book in the stocking of that 5th grader you love? “Twenty and Ten” by Claire Huchet Bishop tells the story of ordinary kids, inspired by the Bible’s story of the flight to Egypt, deciding to shelter ten Jewish children from Nazi brutalization.
  • Sermon Preview: Throughout December I’m preaching a series based on Matthew’s Gospel. Coming next is a dive into chapter 10, where we see Jesus who is himself on mission, giving a mission to his select apostles. You’re invited to come and worship with us.