11/9/2025: Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

CAUSE > EFFECT

“Every why hath a wherefore.” That was Shakespeare’s poetic way of saying that very little happens by chance. Generally there is an agent behind an action. There is cause and effect. And to navigate life well, it is vital we understand both. If you want to effect a healthy heart, you need to know the causes of heart disease. Before a major purchase causes you to go into debt, you need to think about the effect it will have on your budget. If you want the peace of being close to God, you need to know what causes that effect. Again, to navigate life well, it is vital we understand cause and effect.

We are nearing the end of the Church Year. This past year, we have reviewed Jesus’ life and teaching. The Scripture readings in these final weeks recall some of the major themes that are woven throughout the Church Year. In this final series we will be looking at those themes with the understanding that “every why hath a wherefore.” We conclude the year by talking about cause and effect in God’s kingdom.

GRACE> JOY

King David once said that guilt makes you feel like your very bones are rotting. Guilt makes you feel weak . . . sick. Guilt can make it hard to focus on anything else . . . hard to function. And guilt is an inescapable fact of life. Everyone carries guilt about something. Worse, our efforts to deal with guilt—minimizing our mistakes, making excuses for our sin—don’t help, but only make us feel worse. What alleviates the burden of guilt?

Just one thing—God’s gift of grace. Christ’s love is undeserved and unconditional. He pardons every sin. This is the entire reason Jesus came to earth. This was his mission—to give the gift of grace! When we receive that gift, our guilt melts. Left in its place is the joy of our salvation.

God bless your worship.

Pastor Clark preaches on Micah 7:18-20 “Who Is Like Our God“

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