Opinion
A wise man once said that when God measures a person, he puts the tape around the heart, not the head.
In Scripture we read about Jesus talking to His Father with a troubled heart at Gethsemane.
It was a heart that yearned for compassion for Jesus knew what was to come and His heart was brought to a state of heaviness, a state of being troubled, a state of being afraid, very afraid.
For just as He is God, so too, he is human. And He was in need of a compassionate heart that very lonely night.
What is a compassionate heart anyway?
It is a heart that exhibits patience, kindness, forgiveness, hope, and all the Fruits of the Spirit.
The troubled heart of Jesus on His trip to the cross is the same heart that takes all our troubles and cures them for eternity.
His troubled heart becomes our clean heart, just as we see in the answered prayer from Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
In need of a compassionate heart. Can you picture someone in your mind?
Just look around our community. I know you can see people here in need of a compassionate heart. The face of a homeless man, the anger of a troubled person with PTSD, a grieving military wife who has just lost her husband to a bullet from an enemy gun, a husband and wife who must face the reality that their child is going to die of cancer.
Do you see them? I see them, everywhere, and it breaks my heart.
And I know that through the efforts of this church and the people of this community, we can start addressing the challenge of reaching out to those who need someone to embrace them with a compassionate heart.
There is a lesson to be learned here and that lesson is no matter how challenged we are in our life, Jesus is there for us with His healing heart.
In need of a compassionate heart? Look to the cross. In need of a compassionate heart, look to the empty tomb. In need of a compassionate heart, look to the resurrection. In need of a compassionate heart? Look to Jesus.
It all points to the hope we receive from the love of the one who gave His all so we would be called the children of God.
Can you picture the face … see the need?
Join us at First Lutheran Church this Sunday as we continue in learning more about, “In need of a compassionate heart.”
Bible study is every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m., worship at 11 a.m. and a hot lunch after worship.
This Sunday is Food Cupboard Sunday at 1 p.m. If you are in need of food, clothing, diapers or personal hygiene products, please join us.
Everyone is welcome, so please come as you are and spend a few hours with us.
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572.
In Scripture we read about Jesus talking to His Father with a troubled heart at Gethsemane.
It was a heart that yearned for compassion for Jesus knew what was to come and His heart was brought to a state of heaviness, a state of being troubled, a state of being afraid, very afraid.
For just as He is God, so too, he is human. And He was in need of a compassionate heart that very lonely night.
What is a compassionate heart anyway?
It is a heart that exhibits patience, kindness, forgiveness, hope, and all the Fruits of the Spirit.
The troubled heart of Jesus on His trip to the cross is the same heart that takes all our troubles and cures them for eternity.
His troubled heart becomes our clean heart, just as we see in the answered prayer from Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
In need of a compassionate heart. Can you picture someone in your mind?
Just look around our community. I know you can see people here in need of a compassionate heart. The face of a homeless man, the anger of a troubled person with PTSD, a grieving military wife who has just lost her husband to a bullet from an enemy gun, a husband and wife who must face the reality that their child is going to die of cancer.
Do you see them? I see them, everywhere, and it breaks my heart.
And I know that through the efforts of this church and the people of this community, we can start addressing the challenge of reaching out to those who need someone to embrace them with a compassionate heart.
There is a lesson to be learned here and that lesson is no matter how challenged we are in our life, Jesus is there for us with His healing heart.
In need of a compassionate heart? Look to the cross. In need of a compassionate heart, look to the empty tomb. In need of a compassionate heart, look to the resurrection. In need of a compassionate heart? Look to Jesus.
It all points to the hope we receive from the love of the one who gave His all so we would be called the children of God.
Can you picture the face … see the need?
Join us at First Lutheran Church this Sunday as we continue in learning more about, “In need of a compassionate heart.”
Bible study is every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m., worship at 11 a.m. and a hot lunch after worship.
This Sunday is Food Cupboard Sunday at 1 p.m. If you are in need of food, clothing, diapers or personal hygiene products, please join us.
Everyone is welcome, so please come as you are and spend a few hours with us.
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572.
- Details
- Written by: Pastor Chris DelCol
It’s been a long six months, but baseball season is finally back!
Whether you’re a fan of the Oakland A’s, the San Francisco Giants, or another team, excitement is in the air.
It’s fun to show support either from the stadium or your couch, but be careful! Fans sometimes run into trouble when buying tickets and gear.
In 2017, consumers nationwide filed nearly 3,900 complaints with BBB against ticket brokers and event ticket sales companies (up from 3,000 in 2016).
The leading cause for complaints was problems with refunds and exchanges. Common complaints involve being unable to obtain refunds, poor customer service, and hidden fees.
Buying jerseys, hats, and other gear can also lead to issues. According to the BBB Risk Index (www.bbb.org/riskindex ), online purchase scams were the riskiest scam to consumers in 2017.
Furthermore, clothing purchases were one of the most common online purchase scams. More than 4,600 online purchase scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2017, up from around 2,800 reports in 2016. The majority of online purchase scams occur when a payment is made online in exchange for a good or service, but nothing is delivered.
– Don’t strike out when buying tickets. Stick to trustworthy sources when buying tickets. The best way to buy is through the Major League Baseball (MLB) official website, mlb.com. If they’re sold out and you have to purchase from an online ticket exchange or broker, be cautious. Look up every business at bbb.org and check out their BBB Business Profile before making a purchase. For more tips on avoiding fraudulent tickets, visit bbb.org/tickets.
– Only buy authentic gear. Nearly 900 counterfeit product scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2017 - an increase of around 80% from 2016 - and the median loss was $150. Counterfeit goods mimic original merchandise, right down to the trademarked logo, but are typically of inferior quality. The safest way to be sure the hats and jerseys you’re buying are authentic is by shopping at the MLB’s official store, mlbshop.com. You can also buy MLB licensed gear from authorized resellers. Visit bbb.org to find trustworthy BBB Accredited Businesses and look up unfamiliar retailers.
– Be safe shopping online. Whenever you’re making a purchase online, use good judgement. Verify that the website is secure by looking for the “https:”, where the “s” stands for “secure”, and other trust marks. Make sure your computer is running up-to-date anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware software. It’s best to use a credit card since they offer more protection than debit and prepaid cards. Never pay by wire transfer or gift cards – if a seller insists on an unusual form of payment, consider it a red flag! Make sure to read the terms and conditions of your purchase carefully. Understand the refund and guarantee policies before clicking the “checkout” button, and be on the lookout for hidden fees. You can check out more online shopping tips at bbb.org/shoppingonline.
You can always file a complaint with BBB at www.bbb.org/complain, and report scams to www.bbb.org/scamtracker.
Rebecca Harpster is communications supervisor for the Better Business Bureau, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California and based in Oakland.
Whether you’re a fan of the Oakland A’s, the San Francisco Giants, or another team, excitement is in the air.
It’s fun to show support either from the stadium or your couch, but be careful! Fans sometimes run into trouble when buying tickets and gear.
In 2017, consumers nationwide filed nearly 3,900 complaints with BBB against ticket brokers and event ticket sales companies (up from 3,000 in 2016).
The leading cause for complaints was problems with refunds and exchanges. Common complaints involve being unable to obtain refunds, poor customer service, and hidden fees.
Buying jerseys, hats, and other gear can also lead to issues. According to the BBB Risk Index (www.bbb.org/riskindex ), online purchase scams were the riskiest scam to consumers in 2017.
Furthermore, clothing purchases were one of the most common online purchase scams. More than 4,600 online purchase scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2017, up from around 2,800 reports in 2016. The majority of online purchase scams occur when a payment is made online in exchange for a good or service, but nothing is delivered.
– Don’t strike out when buying tickets. Stick to trustworthy sources when buying tickets. The best way to buy is through the Major League Baseball (MLB) official website, mlb.com. If they’re sold out and you have to purchase from an online ticket exchange or broker, be cautious. Look up every business at bbb.org and check out their BBB Business Profile before making a purchase. For more tips on avoiding fraudulent tickets, visit bbb.org/tickets.
– Only buy authentic gear. Nearly 900 counterfeit product scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2017 - an increase of around 80% from 2016 - and the median loss was $150. Counterfeit goods mimic original merchandise, right down to the trademarked logo, but are typically of inferior quality. The safest way to be sure the hats and jerseys you’re buying are authentic is by shopping at the MLB’s official store, mlbshop.com. You can also buy MLB licensed gear from authorized resellers. Visit bbb.org to find trustworthy BBB Accredited Businesses and look up unfamiliar retailers.
– Be safe shopping online. Whenever you’re making a purchase online, use good judgement. Verify that the website is secure by looking for the “https:”, where the “s” stands for “secure”, and other trust marks. Make sure your computer is running up-to-date anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware software. It’s best to use a credit card since they offer more protection than debit and prepaid cards. Never pay by wire transfer or gift cards – if a seller insists on an unusual form of payment, consider it a red flag! Make sure to read the terms and conditions of your purchase carefully. Understand the refund and guarantee policies before clicking the “checkout” button, and be on the lookout for hidden fees. You can check out more online shopping tips at bbb.org/shoppingonline.
You can always file a complaint with BBB at www.bbb.org/complain, and report scams to www.bbb.org/scamtracker.
Rebecca Harpster is communications supervisor for the Better Business Bureau, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California and based in Oakland.
- Details
- Written by: Rebecca Harpster
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