Often I find myself, in hindsight, seeing myself grow through God's love and the teaching of the Christian faith. After reading today's Gospel from Luke, I see an opportunity for more growth. The reason I say this is because I often reflect on times in life when I have helped someone or not helped someone.
A good example is Thursday when I was on my way to a very rich neighborhood in Hartford and I saw a women going car to car asking for change. When she came to my truck I had already rolled down the window and was barley listening to her ask for the money when I said "May God bless you as he has me", I handed over all the cash in my wallet $15 dollars or so. Feeling good, I drove off and thanked the Lord for allowing me to be presented an opportunity to help another human. I can clearly remember being with work colleagues in DC, Chicago, or another large city and seeing another person in need. Instead of going and offering to help with my colleagues I just walk by. Almost as if the person would give us some kind of disease just by acknowledging them. Regardless if it is fear (sometimes looks outside my comfort zone), social pressure, or something else I am not always living the way Jesus and the bible has taught me to. I am not always thinking of others. I understand that God has blessed me and I am trying to grow as a Christian and live in His will. What makes this point of avoiding helping some people so awkward for me is that I have been blessed with help by so many. Clearly Jesus is teaching us not to be the rich man in this parable. He says there is a Hades and from the sounds of it I don't ever want to visit it.
I see in my own life what God has done for me. I have had so many mentors, advocates, strangers who have helped me when I was low. In my low period I was a drug and alcohol abuser, drug dealer, thief, and a list of other bad guy traits and evils so long that it could take up severalsermons. That entire time God put people in my life to help me. I did go to prison; turn my life over to God and as in today's Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16. God is my "refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust." He has delivered me "He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence".
Recently I have been assigned Power of Attorney for my Grandmother I found a letter I wrote to my grandmother while sitting in a cell in Cheshire Maximum Security prison. I was cleaning out her personal documents and found an envelope and what caught my eye was "Bobs beautiful letter". On the outside of it was my name, inmate number, and her hand writing. When I read this letter it brought me to tears. In the letter I wrote when I was 30 days into a 9 month sentence, I had just been moved from the hole to another cell block. In this letter I talk about turning my life over to GOD. Living in God's will and not mine. After prison I planned on going to school and graduating college, having a family and serving the community. It also speaks about helping non Christians come to Christ. It talks about what can be done if I truly trust in God, serve God in a loving manner, and how I plan to do all this. What amazes me is that this letter written in 1998 and it shows my life in 2013. It shows me what can be accomplished through GOD.
As some of you know I recently received a Pardon from the State of Connecticut for all the crimes I committed in my late teens. Today's Psalm speaks to me as I know that God has my back as long as I trust in him, he is my strength and I am up here to proclaim it for you. Today's gospel lesson shows what happens when we do not help others. Helping others is a key point in the teaching of Jesus. I have noticed a behavior in myself and I will change it. I will not be afraid to help regardless of the situation or my comforts. In addition to helping those I see on the streets I am serving god through the ministry of the Christian Motorcycling Association (reaching out to many 1%s often with tired and weary souls to announce to them there is hope and salvation), my time, talent, and treasure is shared here at St Paul's, coming up next weekend I will be helping those at the Domestic Violence Shelter.
I leave you today with a simple question. Knowing what you have heard from my sermon. Knowing that you have GOD as your Stronghold and that his son Jesus has taught us to help others, what can you be empowered to do? Come and join your Christian brothers and sisters in helping others. Amen
A good example is Thursday when I was on my way to a very rich neighborhood in Hartford and I saw a women going car to car asking for change. When she came to my truck I had already rolled down the window and was barley listening to her ask for the money when I said "May God bless you as he has me", I handed over all the cash in my wallet $15 dollars or so. Feeling good, I drove off and thanked the Lord for allowing me to be presented an opportunity to help another human. I can clearly remember being with work colleagues in DC, Chicago, or another large city and seeing another person in need. Instead of going and offering to help with my colleagues I just walk by. Almost as if the person would give us some kind of disease just by acknowledging them. Regardless if it is fear (sometimes looks outside my comfort zone), social pressure, or something else I am not always living the way Jesus and the bible has taught me to. I am not always thinking of others. I understand that God has blessed me and I am trying to grow as a Christian and live in His will. What makes this point of avoiding helping some people so awkward for me is that I have been blessed with help by so many. Clearly Jesus is teaching us not to be the rich man in this parable. He says there is a Hades and from the sounds of it I don't ever want to visit it.
I see in my own life what God has done for me. I have had so many mentors, advocates, strangers who have helped me when I was low. In my low period I was a drug and alcohol abuser, drug dealer, thief, and a list of other bad guy traits and evils so long that it could take up severalsermons. That entire time God put people in my life to help me. I did go to prison; turn my life over to God and as in today's Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16. God is my "refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust." He has delivered me "He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence".
Recently I have been assigned Power of Attorney for my Grandmother I found a letter I wrote to my grandmother while sitting in a cell in Cheshire Maximum Security prison. I was cleaning out her personal documents and found an envelope and what caught my eye was "Bobs beautiful letter". On the outside of it was my name, inmate number, and her hand writing. When I read this letter it brought me to tears. In the letter I wrote when I was 30 days into a 9 month sentence, I had just been moved from the hole to another cell block. In this letter I talk about turning my life over to GOD. Living in God's will and not mine. After prison I planned on going to school and graduating college, having a family and serving the community. It also speaks about helping non Christians come to Christ. It talks about what can be done if I truly trust in God, serve God in a loving manner, and how I plan to do all this. What amazes me is that this letter written in 1998 and it shows my life in 2013. It shows me what can be accomplished through GOD.
As some of you know I recently received a Pardon from the State of Connecticut for all the crimes I committed in my late teens. Today's Psalm speaks to me as I know that God has my back as long as I trust in him, he is my strength and I am up here to proclaim it for you. Today's gospel lesson shows what happens when we do not help others. Helping others is a key point in the teaching of Jesus. I have noticed a behavior in myself and I will change it. I will not be afraid to help regardless of the situation or my comforts. In addition to helping those I see on the streets I am serving god through the ministry of the Christian Motorcycling Association (reaching out to many 1%s often with tired and weary souls to announce to them there is hope and salvation), my time, talent, and treasure is shared here at St Paul's, coming up next weekend I will be helping those at the Domestic Violence Shelter.
I leave you today with a simple question. Knowing what you have heard from my sermon. Knowing that you have GOD as your Stronghold and that his son Jesus has taught us to help others, what can you be empowered to do? Come and join your Christian brothers and sisters in helping others. Amen