We all face obstacles. Some are not so big and others seem enormous. There are relational obstacles, financial obstacles, career obstacles and probably many others that you can think of. I believe that the point of decision when faced with an obstacle is a critical one. We must decide whether the obstacle is so big we can't get around it and must therefore settle in the shadow of it's existence; or we can trust our God to go before us and remove it. As God tosses our "mountain" aside, we are able to proceed on the path he has laid for us. God makes it His business to move mountains. He always has.
What is the mountain you are facing? Will you settle in it's shadow or trust in God to go before you and remove it from your path?
Is there anything that would make Christianity relevant for people with no interest in religion? What is one characteristic of the church that might be attractive to the unchurched?
I would suggest this one simple phrase: "We can help."
The question on the lips of the unchurched is simply, "How can your church or your beliefs help me?" This is a very good question and it is best addressed at the time a need is shared or discovered.
"WE CAN HELP"
The local church is a community posessing many talents and resources. We are able to help by praying, listening, counseling, working, fund raising, providing meals, helping people find employment, mentoring parents, teaching people how to manage finances,and in numerous other ways.
If we are actively engaged in helping our neighbors, friends, and community as God's agents of love, the church becomes relevant to them. Acts of love and kindness open doors and create opportunities.
The answer that leads people to be open to THE ANSWER(Jesus)is "We can help."
What was the most memorable Christmas gift that you ever received? Mine was a football that I received when I was just ten years old. For several months I had my heart set on a football like all the professional players used on Sundays. It had to be real leather, and it just had to be the official size and weight. I prayed and prayed about that football. I dreamt about that football. I nagged my parents about that football. Then Christmas finally came, and I was completely overjoyed when I unwrapped that beautiful football.
As wonderful as my football was and as great as your most memorable gift was; nothing can compare to the gift that God has given each one of us. God revealed His standard for generosity by sending and sacrificing the most significant gift the world has known, Jesus Christ.
As the community of Christ followers at Living Faith, we have made it our mission to respond to God's extreme generosity by offering the time, talents and treasuresHe has blessed us with for the purpose of reaching those that don't yet know Him.
We have accomplished so much in the eight years that we have been in existence. We have communicated God's love through church services, youth choirs, Vacation Bible Schools, high school and middle school retreats, family camps, mission trips, concerts, visits to retirement homes, Bible studies, small groups, baby showers, wedding showers, women's retreats, sports ministries, counseling, hospital visitation, service ministries and in many other ways.
We have gotten the word out about our church through bulk mail, newspaper, radio and word of mouth.
As a result of all of our efforts God has allowed us to be used in bringing many people to a saving knowledge of Him. We have engaged in and received teaching that has resulted in our spiritual growth and maturity. We have seen God work through us to impact individuals, marriages and families. Together, we have been blessed by God and used by Him to accomplish so much. There is no doubt that God has worked powerfully through the ministry of Living Faith. But the work is not done yet. As God continues to provide vision and open doors for ministry it will be essential that we all participate.
The reality of reaching people with God's love is that it does take money. In December we have a great opportunity to provide additional financial support to the ministry of Living Faith.
At first glance, the holidays may seem like poor timing to ask for extra giving. After all, many people are already stretching their finances to the limit just to finance the family Christmas. But when we take a step back and see the Christmas holiday from God's perspective, we can see that it is the perfect opportunity to rise above all the consumerism and look to where we can make an eternal investment. There is absolutely no better investment than the local church. God will use your gifts to change the lives of individuals and families for eternity.
Our goal is to finish 2007 with a flourish. We would like to have all debts paid and enter 2008 with additional funds to finance ministries that will impact our community for Christ. Please pray and participate. We need everyone to help as they are able. Let's let God set the amount to be raised. Our job is to be faithful with what He has given.
This week is Love Your Neighbor week at Living Faith and we are making a concerted effort to do just that. It is not like this is the only week we will commit to loving our neighbors but, instead, is a week for us to engage in purposeful practice. On Sunday I passed out business cards that have vital church information, key scripture, and a statement of our desire to demonstrate God's love while expecting nothing in return. These cards will be used when participants engage in purposeful, not random, acts of kindness directed toward those that they may not know well. The card is used in order to convey a couple of powerful messages. When a person receives a demonstration of God's love with one of these cards they are able to recognize that this was done by a Christian. The message sent is "There are Christians who are kind and loving." They also see the church logo and information which conveys the message, "This is a church that places a high value on loving people." These are two very important messages for us to send to a world that all too often sees churches and Christian people in a negative light.
I encourage those of you who attend Living Faith
and those who don't but happened across this blog to really practice loving like Jesus this week. Surprise someone with an act of kindness. Bless those around you with deeds that demonstrate God's love.
What a great Sunday we shared on September 3oth! Of course, the five baptisms were the big highlight. Jocelyn Howard was the first to be baptized and touched our hearts with her sincerity. Her father, Kelly, shared some scriptures and comments before baptizing his precious Jocelyn who is in the 9th grade this year. Then we were blessed to witness the baptism of Tony and Michelle Thompson. They each shared testimony of how God brought them to the place of surrendering their lives to Him. This was followed by the baptism and wonderful testimonies of Roger and Mindy Rutledge. This was an extra special baptism for our Pastor Aaron as he was able to baptize his own parents.
God is at work among us! What a great Sunday!
I have got to tell you that God has really been impressing a message upon me the last few weeks that is both exciting and uncomfortable at the same time. God has been reminding me, through my daily scripture reading and through interactions with others, that the church is called to be different from the world. Now, I know that this is an elementary truth that we are all probably aware of. But, of late, it seems that God has been continually putting it right in front of my face. As a result, I have been clearly noticing the lengths that many individual christians and entire congregations go to just to seem "normal" and indistinguishable from unbelieving people and organizations. I believe that there are two basic reasons for this tendency to camoflauge our christianity. One stems from an honorable desire to be viewed as relevant for the purpose of building easily crossed bridges of relationship with those who do not know Christ. The other is based on a simple fear of what others might think of us if we are too different.
Whatever the reason, the truth is that we are clearly called to live lives in contrast with the world around us. How can we be "light" if we are busily trying to look like what is described as dark? That is just one of many Biblical metaphors that communicate this same truth. God has separated us. He has set us apart.
The people of Israel repeatedly made the mistake of blending in rather than standing out. In Ezekiel 16:47 God speaks to Israel about this problem. "You not only walked in their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they."
I believe that God is calling His church to be different. He is calling His people to be different. What does different look like? It looks like individuals and churches who are totally commited to and in love with God. People who, because of their love for God, are determined to demonstrate a pure and Godly love for the people they interact with each day. People who are more concerned with glorifying God than with gaining the acceptance and approval of others. I encourage the reading of Matthew chapters 5-7. Notice the language of contrast and the instruction on just how "different" we are to be.
The first week of a new school year is a very special time. Teachers and students are excited and, truth be told, even a bit nervous. The teacher comes back to school full of fresh ideas and high hopes of being more effective than ever before. The young student wonders if the teacher will like them. The older student wonders if they will like their teacher. All of the students are concerned about teacher expectations and the dreaded amount of homework they will be assigned.
It has been my pleasure to enjoy seventeen first weeks of school as a student and another twenty as a public school teacher. That is a lot of experience with first weeks! Do you know what my favorite thing about that first week has always been? My very favorite thing about that first week as both a student and a teacher is that it really is a fresh start. For the student the first week is great because you have a fresh start to work on your grades, your behavior, and your relationship with your teacher. You are on even ground, even if it is for a very brief time, with last year's teacher's pet and all of the smartest kids in school. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to learn from past mistakes, throw out the lesson plans that didn't work so well and build a positive relationship with your students.
Similar to those first weeks that I experienced in the classroom, in ministry I tend to look at September in the same way. It is a wonderful opportunity to get creative, to try new things, and to learn from past mistakes.
In September, people are back from their summer travels and are ready to dive back in to the life of the church. New Bible studies begin, youth group gears up and children's church gets a boost of new energy. It is an exciting time! We have a fresh start available to us that affords an opportunity to grow deeper in our faith and relationship with God. We have a fresh start available to build upon established relationships and to make new friends. We have a fresh start available to become more involved.
We have a wonderful church family. We are truly blessed. Are you excited about the prospect of a fresh start and, truth be told, even a bit nervous? God is all about fresh starts. He has given you another one today. What will you do with it?
As I was growing up, I had the unique experience of working with my parents and of watching how they worked. My parents were the owners of a small business that sold everything from auto parts to sporting goods and appliances. The business was located in a small town and they never had enough customers to be able to afford to hire additional employees. As a result, my brothers and I were put to work helping customers, running the cash register, stocking merchandise, cleaning and doing whatever else needed to be done.
What I discovered as I worked along side my parents was that the family business was not really the store and its merchandise. The family business was really a set of values and beliefs that my parents lived out as they operated the store. Sure, I learned a lot about retail sales and merchandising. But the most valuable lessons I learned were about how to approach work and how to relate to others.
In my parents, I saw people who treated every customer with kindness and respect. There were many times that my parents went out of their way to help others who were down on their luck. They were never too busy to hear someone's troubles or laugh with them over a humorous story. There were many times they recieved prayer requests from, and prayed for, customers.
Through the experience of working with my parents, I learned that in our family it was important to care about people and give them proper respect. They taught me that relationships are more important than business or money. I also learned the importance of honesty and of looking out for those in need. I am so thankful that I was able to learn from my parents as they worked and went about the family business.
As followers of our Lord Jesus Christ we have also been taught, through scriptures and the example of Jesus, our Christian family business. As found in Isaiah 58, our family business involves loosing the chains of injustice and setting the oppressed free. We are to be sharing shelter, food and clothing with those who are in need. Isaiah 61 goes on to say that we are to teach the good news, bind up the brokenhearted, and to comfort those who mourn. In Matthew 28:19 we are instructed to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (We are to invite others into the family business.)
Jesus taught that the most important thing we could do is to know and Love God and other people.
That is the family business. That is what we are called to. That is the example that we have been given.
It would be inaccurate to say that there is never a valid reason to miss church on a Sunday. However, it is also inaccurate to view our commitment to church attendance so casually that it easily allows recreational opportunities,
personal comfort, or convenience to crowd it out of our week.
Hebrews 10:25 is clear in its message; "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
We come together each week to glorify and praise God and to encourage one another. God always wants what is best for His children. In his infinite wisdom He has instructed us to meet together regularly. When we meet together we are encouraged through corporate worship, fellowship and instruction. Also, in this verse, we are reminded that missing church can turn into a habit. It is a dangerous habit. Without the encouragement and instruction you receive from meeting together in church; you will slowly become discouraged and that often leads to a severely weakened relationship with God. Also, if you have children, you are taking a big risk with their lives. If children sense a lack of commitment on the part of their parents they are more prone to take their relationship with God much less seriously. This can lead to a lot of heartaches that may have easily been avoided.
My encouragement to each of you is to make church attendance a priority in your lives and be careful not to fall into the habit of missing times of meeting together.
Love you,
Pastor Jim