We are excited to announce some new features to the blogsite. As more and more readers are viewing from foreign countries we have added the translate feature to the site. Our readers can also now choose to have the blog emailed to them, and they can search the blog by keywords on various topics. We hope that this makes the site more manageable for you. God Bless.

Hear current audio messages by Pastor Scott Burr at:
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Wednesday, December 26, 2018

The Cost of Christmas (Pt.1)

(Part 1 of 2)

“I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”-Luke 2:30-35

Simeon’s prophecy was one of wonder and one of worry. It describes how Jesus would be the light and glory of Israel, but it also describes the tumultuous life Jesus would live causing the rise and fall of many. Moreover, it describes the opposition that He would face and how the final events of Jesus’ life would pierce Mary’s soul. 

As I read this passage, I was reminded that there was a cost associated with Jesus’ coming. Of course, we all are well aware of the cost associated with Christmas. I was reading some statistics about what Christmas costs the average family and found out that the average family spends an average of $800 on gifts and 42 hours shopping and attending holiday get togethers. For the most part what Christmas costs us can be categorized into financial expenditures, time and energy. 

However, if Christmas looked more like Jesus, what would the cost be? That begs the question, what did it cost Jesus? 

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”-Philippians 2:5-8

Coming to earth cost Jesus His comfort and privilege. Jesus gave up His divine privileges in heaven to put on flesh, come to live as a servant, and die a criminal’s death. He, literally, gave up everything that we are striving to attain to come down and take the penalty of our sin upon Himself. Jesus thrust Himself out of His comfort zone, knowing full well what it would cost Him. 

Christmas was never designed to be comfortable. Let’s be honest, we attempt to romanticize the events surrounding the nativity to feel as cozy and comfortable as possible. The harsh reality, however, is that His exodus from heaven to earth was not an easy journey. Yet, He chose still to come. I wonder how many of us would continue to celebrate Christmas, if it truly costs us our comfort? 


If that wasn’t enough, the cost of His coming to earth would also tax His reputation: 

“For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”-Matthew 11:18-19

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is mocked and opposed, primarily by religious leaders. He is accused of being a glutton and drunkard. He is called a friend of sinners and in Matthew 2:24 is accused of deriving His power to do miracles from Satan. 

This type of an attack would cripple many of us. We are so approval driven in our culture that this sort of abasement would have caused us to question our faith or, at the least, back away from it so as not to draw attention to ourselves. What if Christmas cost you your reputation? Would you still celebrate it?

Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church 

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Finding Jesus at Christmas (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

“Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.”-Luke 2:41-47

The crazy thing about this story is that Mary and Joseph didn’t realize that Jesus was missing at first, but when He didn’t show up they started searching for HIm. Isn’t that so like us? We don’t realize Jesus is missing from our lives until He doesn’t show up when we expect Him?

Why do we never stop to take inventory until it becomes obvious that something is missing? When is the last time that you stopped to take inventory to see if Jesus is with you? Is He present in your prayer time? Is He present in your bible study? Is He present in your worship? Or are you just assuming that He is?

I am not saying that by losing sight of Jesus that you’ve lost your salvation. Pastor Adrian Rogers once said: “You can be in a relationship with Jesus without being in fellowship with Jesus.” Joseph and Mary remained in relationship with Jesus although they had lost sight of Him, but the fellowship between them had certainly been broken.

God sent Jesus to save us and bring us into a right relationship with Him through Christ, however we can distance ourselves from Christ when we take that relationship for granted and assume that He is with us by discounting His mission to pursue our desires.

When they realize He was missing, they looked among their family and friends, but when they could not locate Him they had to go back. Where you ask? They had been to Jerusalem and at the Temple to present their Passover offering. They found Him right where they left Him. He wasn’t hiding. He was on mission. Busy about His Father’s business.

God isn’t hiding from you! You haven’t lost the spirit of Christ. He is right where you left Him. Where did you leave Him? Some of you would find Him if you simply revisited your prayer closet, opened up your Bible, made the house of God a priority, forgave a loved one that hurt you, demonstrated some generosity, thought of another person before yourself, or by volunteering to serve others.

If you wan to recapture the spirit of Christ, you just need to go back to where you left Him.

Have you lost sight of Jesus this Christmas? Perhaps you have never began a relationship with Christ, but today you’d like to do so. Maybe, you’ve simply lost sight of Him and today you are burdened to recapture the spirit of Christ. Take a moment to pray this with me.

Father, Thank you for you Son, Jesus. I am so grateful that you sent Your one and only Son into this world to save us. I know that I don’t deserve salvation, but I am thankful that you loved me enough to send Jesus to die for my sins. Today, I repent of my sins and ask your forgiveness. I receive the gift of eternal life that comes through Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus died for me and that He was raised from the dead three days later that I may have eternal life. Lord, help to to live a life that honors you and thank you for helping me to discover that Jesus is the true meaning of Christmas. Amen.


Monday, December 10, 2018

Finding Jesus at Christmas (Pt.1)

Finding Jesus at Christmas
(Part 1)

“Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.”-Luke 2:41-47

I don’t know if Luke 2:41-47 would be considered a traditional Christmas passage, but there are some interesting parallels that can be found in it that have a lot a great application to our current holiday season.

In this passage we read how Mary and Jospeh lost sight of Jesus during an important “Holy Day” celebration. The phrase Holy Day is where we derive the word holiday. The Passover was a feast celebrated in Israel that commemorated the historical moment at which God delivered Israel out of Egyptian bondage. However, according to Colossians 2:16-17, the feast foreshadowed much more than that:

“So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.”

The feast foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ, Himself! So, how do you lose Jesus in the midst of a Holy Day centered around His coming? Joseph and Mary got so caught up in all the traditions and family business, Jesus slipped away unnoticed. Which got me thinking that if Mary and Joseph could lose sight of Jesus during the holidays; it isn’t too far fetched to believe that we might lose sight of Him too.

How do we know if we are losing sight of Christ at Christmas? Well, if you can stand two hours in a line to see Santa, but complain if the church service runs over an hour long; you might have lost sight of Christ. If you can spend three hours shopping online for the perfects gifts, but don’t have time to read a chapter of Luke each day to remind yourself of Christ’s work; you might have lost sight of Christ. If your Nativity set is buried in the corner of your home, but you’ve posted 50 pictures online of your Elf on the shelf for the whole world to see; you might have lost sight of Christ. If you spend more money on Christmas this year than you’ve given to missions the past ten years combined, you might have lost sight of Christmas.

If someone walked into you home, would they know Jesus is the center of your celebration?
The problem started for Mary and Joseph when they assumed that Jesus was still with them. How many of us have fallen into that trap? Not just at Christmas, but all year long. We get so caught up in our life pursuits that we fail to recognize that Jesus has a mission that He came to fulfill. Jesus was on a mission here in Luke 2. He had to be in His Father’s house. Joseph and Mary assumed that Jesus’ only mission was to follow them around.

Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church

Monday, December 3, 2018

The grief that stole Christmas (Pt.2)

Part 2

“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”-John 1:10-14

This time of year is a struggle for so many that are walking through grief, depression, anxiety, and overwhelming loss. As they navigate their own personal time of darkness they find it hard to balance the joy of Christmas with the reality of their pain. To make matters worse, the holidays seem to magnify that loss.

Perhaps what you are walking through isn’t even a recent occurrence in your life and you feel as though the world has already forgotten the pain you experienced, but it is just as real to you today as it was then. However, God has not forgotten you:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”-Psalm 46:1

He is a very present God in the midst of our suffering. In fact Psalm 34:18 tells us:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

God has not forgotten you, especially this time of year. It is precisely why He sent Jesus. Christmas, actually, is an important reminder to the grieving, not of who is missing; but who is with us. Emmanuel-God with us!

In fact, Jesus didn’t come to magnify our pain, but He came in response to it. In response to our pain and hurt, Christ came and walked through pain and hurt with us; all the way to the cross. He experienced what we are experiencing so that He could comfort us in our times of tragedy. He came to bring balance to our sense of loss by sharing with us His very real and comforting presence.

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything: a time to mourn and a time to dance. You have permission to do both. It is acceptable to grieve. However, is also acceptable to rejoice in the midst of your grieving. You are not taking anything away from the memory of your loved one, nor should you feel guilty because you are choosing to receive the hope, joy, and comfort that He came to give us.

Yes, Christmas is about peace, comfort, joy and hope. Those are the things that He brought with Him into the weary and broken world into which He was born. When Jesus left heaven, He didn’t bring with Him what He needed; instead He brought what He knew we would need to comfort us in the midst of our hurt and pain.
They are the same things that He is looking to bring into your life today. Not joy in the place of suffering, but joy in the face of it. Not the absence of adversity, but the comfort of His presence in the midst our situations. When faced with our deepest hurt, He sent Jesus to comfort us.  The grief that you are feeling is very real, that is why Jesus came; He came to comfort you in your time of loss.


Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church

Monday, November 26, 2018

The Grief that stole Christmas (Pt.1)

Part 1 


And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, or he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”-Matthew 1:21-23

One of the things that my wife and I enjoy doing together this time of year is watching all those sappy Hallmark movies. You may or may not be a fan, but they are wildly successful and watched by millions this time of year. I have often pondered the secret of their success and it occurred to me that the reason is very simple. There is always a happy ending. In Hallmark world there are no sad, empty, gut-wrenching endings. However, in real life that is not the case. 

We live in a world filled with hurt and disappointment. In the midst of all the Christmas music, family gatherings, and holiday festivities are individuals facing the loss of a loved one, some navigating a difficult divorce, others struggling with an oversea deployment, and still others coping with a debilitating illness. It is what Christmas really looks like for many people. 

However, what Christmas has become compared to how it began is very different. Like a Hallmark movie, we’ve romanticized the birth of Christ. We’ve packaged it to look like a beautifully crafted nativity set, when in reality Jesus was born into a very dark situation.

As I gazed at the tranquil nativity set that sits on the hutch in my office, I was reminded of the chaos that surrounded Jesus’ birth that is not captured in our modern day nativity presentations. Jesus was born during a time of extreme Roman oppression, the religious system of that day had become so legalistic it was choking the spiritual life out of a nation, society was steeped in sin and had all but rejected and forgotten God. Couple that with that fact that Joseph nearly divorced Mary just months earlier and that they had just travelled a long, difficult journey to Bethlehem only to find that there was no real place for them to stay and soon you begin to see that the joy and wonder of Christ’s birth didn’t come without pain.  

We, often, portray Christmas as a season fashioned to highlight God’s peace, joy, and love. Yet, these hallmarks of Christmas were ushered in during a very dark time. A time, in which, God chose to send light:

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”-Luke 1:78-79

God sent light into a difficult time of pressing, persecution and abandonment. This is not a new idea. It has been plainly seen in many of our Christmas hymns, however, we have chosen to overlook them for generations. In the song “O Holy Night” one of the lyrics states: “A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” Many early Christmas hymns reflected the true weight of that first Christmas, but none better than: “O come, O come, Emmanuel”:

O come, O Come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel

O come, Thou Day-Spring
Come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel 

O Come Emmanuel is a song that accurately portrays the reality into which Christ was born and more importantly affirms that it was for that reason He chose to come and dwell with us! 


Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church 



Monday, November 19, 2018

Judging Others (Pt.2)

(Part 2 of 2)

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.”-Matthew 7:1-6

Ever heard a person say, “You can’t judge me!” I’d be very surprised if you have never been on the receiving end of that statement or at least in the presence of someone of who has been. Interestingly enough, Jesus never said, “Do not judge others.” According to this passage he said, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. The standard that you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Meaning that how we approach acknowledging sin in the lives of others is how it will be meted back to us.

It forces us to examine our motivation for addressing the sinful behavior in others. Jesus said that we cannot help others until we are willing to address the issues in our own lives. He did not say that our hands are tied simply because we have all sinned. He said, in fact, to get rid of the log in our own eye so that we can see well enough to deal with the speck in our friend’s eye.

However, the world and even some Christians would have you to believe that to point out wrongdoing in others is a form of judging. To the contrary, Jesus clarified that this is not the case in verse 6: “Don’t waste what is holy on people that are unholy.” Distinguishing between righteousness and unrighteousness is not judging at all, it’s discernment. Jesus even goes as far as to say this:

 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.  You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”-Matthew 7:15-20

Jesus does not criticize or caution us against identifying right and wrongdoing in the actions of others. Why? Because I do not have to assume things about people when their actions are defining their behavior. Nevertheless, how I address their behavior is what determines whether I am judging or showing discernment. Here is an example from scripture:
“Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”-John 8:1-11

Notice that Jesus never one time denied her actions were sinful. He even told her to go and sin no more. The Pharisees, however, came with stones in hand. Jesus recognized that they wanted the power to save and destroy. They had already formed an opinion, rendered a verdict, and were ready to condemn her. That is until Jesus pointed out that not a single one of them was without sin. Jesus addressed their spirit of condemnation, while still being clear to call out sin.

Believer it or not, there are times that we must make judgments:

 “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”-1 Corinthians 5:12-13

When we discern wrongdoing, within the church, we have a responsibility to address it. As believers, striving to be more like Christ, we should not be so quick to take offense when we are corrected; especially when it is biblically supported. We must address sin, but with a desire to reconcile people to God; not condemn them for punishment.

Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church  


Monday, November 12, 2018

Judging Others (Pt.1)

“Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.[a] If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?”-James 4:11-12

Do not judge! Probably one of the most often quoted phrases in Scripture that has been taken out of context and misappropriated more often than any other passage. It has become the anecdotal passage for those that feel as though their actions are being called into question. However, although James is simply quoting what Jesus taught in regards to judging others, man has attempted to redefine to ease their own conscience.

James begins by instructing us not to speak evil against each other, criticize, or judge; when we do we are judging God’s law. What law is that? According to James 2:8:

“Yes indeed, It is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

When we pass judgment on others we are declaring that God’s royal law does not apply us. We are declaring that we are not bound by it and have authorized ourselves to condemn the wrongdoing we see in others.

The key to this passage is found in vs. 12: God alone has the power to save or destroy. This is at the very heart of judging others. We, especially when we are hurt or angry, want to be able to execute judgment (the power to save or destroy) over another person’s life. However, only God has that power. A power that requires a tremendous amount of self-control and that is always motivated properly.

Does this mean that we should simply go through life turning a blind eye to wrongdoing and never address people for what they are doing? The answer is…No!

What is important for us as believers to under is the difference between judging and discerning. The world (those caught up in sin) would like you to believe that there is no difference between the two, but let’s look at the difference:

1. Judging: to form an opinion, pronounce a verdict; condemn
2. Discern: distinguish between righteousness and unrighteousness

The world would like for you be believe that simply recognizing and acknowledging right from wrong is a form of judgment, when in reality it is discernment. What Jesus and James were trying to confront is a spirit of condemnation that many believers had adopted towards fallen people. When we judge others, we often lose sight of who we are in the sight of God. We forget that we, too, have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, but when we discern properly, we recognize wrong behavior based on our own hearts struggle with sin.

Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church

Monday, November 5, 2018

God is not holding out on you! (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”
 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.”-Acts 5:1-11

When we buy into the lie that God is in some way holding out on us, it causes us to hold out on Him. Ananias and Sapphira did just that. As the early church began to grow, so did the needs of the people. In order to meet those needs, some of the devout followers, sold pieces of property and brought in the proceeds to help those in need:

“There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.”-Acts 4:34-35

Ananias and Sapphira also sold a piece of property, but rather than give it all to the church, they decided to keep a portion for themselves; something they were well within their rights to do. The problem, however, was they wanted to be recognized like the others as having given the entire proceed from the sale to the needy and crafted a lie regarding how much they received from the sale of the property.

Peter pointed out that I was within their power to do whatever they wished with the money, but in order to appear as they were “All In” like many of the others that sold land and gave it all to help those in need, they chose to hold back. Peter declared to them, “You were not lying to us, but to the Holy Spirit.” Not simply lying about how much money they gave, but were lying about their true faith and trust in God.

We hold back whenever we fail to trust God! We convince ourselves that God is going to withhold something from us, so we must hold some back ourselves.

When I am tempted to think that God is holding out on me, I look to the cross. The cross is the ultimate evidence that God is not holding out on me. In fact, John 3:16 states: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. The cross was a place of extreme suffering and pain, which He endured for you and I. He didn’t stop short. He didn’t hold back!  He could have called a 1,000 angels to get Him down, but He refused to come off the cross until the very last drop of blood needed to purchase our redemption was given.

Perhaps you are reading this today and you’ve been living your whole life that way. You believe in God, but you’ve never fully trusted in Him. You’ve held back. Or you bought into that age old lie that God has been holding out on you and it’s caused you to doubt His Word and His character. Let the cross stand as evidence that God loves you and even refused to withhold His own Son in order to secure your eternal salvation.


Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church