At first glance, those don't sound like very loving words, do they? I agree. And would you believe, they came out of the mouth of a pastor? The reason I know that, for sure, is because I was there when it was said. I can see why, after the pastor said that, that people might wonder: What was He thinking? Why did He just ask people to leave the church? Well, I happen to have some inside information on the answers to those questions, because I am the one who said those words. Now, before you delete this entry and block this blog from ever defiling you computer again, let me explain.
I said those words at the conclusion of a 7 week series of messages entitled: The Perfect Church. Although the title was meant to get attention, I rehearsed over and over again the truth that: "there are no perfect churches." However, we do believe that there is a "perfect fit", a perfect church for every person. That is, there is a local church, to which called has called each person to go be a positive part of their desire to obey Jesus' command: Make disciples. Usually, the way people find where God wants them is to pray, visit churches, and make a decision on a good fit based on several criteria. People tend to go where they agree with what the church is doing.
We understand that. So, at the very beginning of the message series on December 28, 2008, I explained the purpose of this message series. At the beginning of each new year, I take several weeks to preach, from the Bible, about our church: its mission, purpose, core values, goals, or things that related to these. In this case, after preaching through our discipleship plan in 2008, as we entered 2009, I decided to preach about the specific ministries we had chosen to pursue Jesus' command for us to make disciples, here in 2009, in Northeast Ohio. I wanted people to feel like they could take their time to figure out if this was the right fit for them. We did not want to put on any pressure. This is what I had written down, to say in that very first message:
"The focus of this message series centers around finding the perfect church for you: that is, a local church that fits your heart in accomplishing God’s purposes. Our desire for you, is that you would find a church, with which you may not always agree; but a church, nonetheless, where you are unified with the vision that God has given the leadership.
This series is an opportunity for us to present to you what Grace Baptist Church is all about: who we are, why we do what we do. And it is a great opportunity, also, for you: to consider whether or not we are the “perfect church” for you. If we are not, there are hundreds of churches close to here that are different than us. But, we hope that most of you will catch our vision, feel the heart of what we are pursuing for God’s glory, and that you will choose to be a positive part of our future here at Grace."
Now, fast forward to February 8, 2009, when I preached the 7th and final message of this series. My final message is, in general, what I do every year at this time. I talk about the vision God has given us for that ministry year. This one was entitled: VISION FOR GRACE 2009. I reviewed what we had shared in the series about what is most important to us: the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. I went back over important passages such as Colossians 1 and Ephesians 4, as it relates to the spiritual growth process.
At the very end of this message, which was also the very end of this message series, I wanted to come back to where we started: encouraging people to get their questions answered, and make a decision on whether or not they think this church is the best fit for them. I didn't want to be pushy, but I did want people to really consider it; and if they thought this was the church for them, to start taking the steps needed to be involved in ministry. I also was aware that some people, for a variety of reasons, might not think this was the church for them; and I wanted to make sure they knew it was o.k.; and I would be happy to help them find a better fit. People leave churches all the time to go to other ones, but they normally do not ask the pastor for help.
Now, let me give you what was written down for me to say at the end of that message; which is when I said the words that make the title for this blog entry:
"I would like to close this morning, by saying something, from my heart, to all of you, depending on your current relationship to our church, and your heart attitude. To those of you who:
· Are new to Grace – Let me encourage you to give us 3 months. Whether you have had a positive or negative first impression of our ministry, if you will come consistently for 3 months, I really believe you will know whether or not we are a church you would like to be a part of. You should be able to figure out whether or not we can be helpful to you in your spiritual growth process. The other thing I would like to say to you is: please give us feedback. Use the back of our welcome card, e-mail or call us and let us know what your first impressions have been; and how we can improve in serving those who are new. So, to those of you who are new…please, give us a chance to serve you.
· Those who are anxious to move forward in ministry – you have grown tired of tradition squeezing out life and you are excited about reaching people with the good news of Christ, even if that means changing and progressing. You feel we are moving too slow; and you are ready to move ahead. Please, be patient. Not all of us are ready to move as fast as you; and trust in God that He can do His work, even if the details of what you would like to see in our ministry are not present. Get involved, and help things move ahead. And, don’t forget to be sensitive to those who are in a different place than you are. So, to those of you who are wanting to move ahead…be positive, be involved, and be patient
· Those who are investigating Christianity and you are not even sure you believe in God, the Bible, or what we are doing. I want you to know that we are so glad you are here. We want you to be our guests. We are not putting any pressure on you. Just come and participate as little or as much as you desire. And please know that we are ready and willing to answer any questions you might have, or help you in any way in your spiritual journey.
This includes those of you who are already professing Christians, but you are now coming back to the church or coming back to God; and are now interested in investigating more about what it takes to be a committed Christian. Take your time. Check us out. Ask questions. Visit different ministries we offer. And when you are ready to let us assist you in your growth, just ask. We would be excited to help you grow in your faith!
To all of you, I say: thanks for being here; and let us know how we can help. There are two things I would offer you at this point: First, On February 22nd, we have a Discovering Grace class, which meets right after our morning worship service on that day. We provide you lunch and then take a few hours to give you all the information you would want to know about our ministry here at Grace. If you are interested in that class, you can call the church office, or drop a note at the welcome center table.
The second thing I would like to invite all of you who feel you are in this group I have just described: To STARTING POINT, a class that will begin meeting Sunday mornings, at 9:30 a.m. on March 1st, in room 28. I know it is early, but let me tell you what we are doing: This will be the place where you can be who you are in terms of spiritual growth. We don’t expect you to know all the bible or have all the answers. If you have questions, we would be happy to answer them; but it is really about a journey together. We will be watching a DVD presentation of the gospel of John, the life of Jesus Christ acted out on screen; and then discussing what we see. If you are interested in that class, all you have to do is show up. If you want a visual reminder of the details, there are STARTING POINT invitation cards out on the welcome center table.
· To those of you who have been around quite a while, and you are fairly mature in your faith. I’m glad you are here as well. It is so important to have mature believers in a church, who are walking with God, eager to worship Him and serve Him with a humble heart. I want to say thank you for leading by example, reaching out to others and encouraging people on a regular basis.
I know that some of you who have been around for a while may have questions, about why things are changing; or you have concerns to share. That is no problem. We are more than happy to answer your questions and address your concerns. But, we need you to help us with something. First, it may help if you read some of the resources that are listed on the back of this outlines this morning; which will give you some more background on some of the philosophy of our ministry. Also, we need you to help us by coming to talk to us. I hear that some of you are scared to talk to me. There is nothing to be scared of. I rarely bite.
Really... I am open to talking to any of you who would like to talk, even if you want to share a disagreement. I cannot guarantee that we will do whatever you want us to do in every area; but I can guarantee you this: That we will listen to your heart, ask questions to clarify what you are saying; explain our hearts: why we are doing what we are doing; and be willing to pray with you. We are open to considering what you have to say, and ask God if he would want us to make any changes based on that. We can guarantee you that. Let me know when you would like to talk. And don’t forget to continue having the mindset that you are never arrived spiritually, on this Earth, that you have more room to grow, and that we would love to help you with that! To all of you, I say: keep growing and be open.
· To those of you, regardless of how long you have been coming…one week or decades… To those of you, regardless of how much or little you have served here at grace…to those of you, regardless of how much or how little you know and understand about the Bible…to those of you, who regardless of how spiritual others might view you…to any of you, who have a bad attitude…to those of you who like to sit on the sideline and criticize…to those of you who have no interest in changing…to those of you who have decided to be a problem, rather than a solution…I say to you…Please, please, please, pretty please…LEAVE! Hold on Greg, did you, a pastor of this church actually suggest that we leave? No, not you…those who have the heart attitude that I just described…professing believers that are more concerned about having things their way than anything else…that is who I would say to them: please…please…leave. I’m not talking to any of you in particular; but if you would put yourself in this category, than I am speaking to you…the truth…in love…please leave. Because if you don’t leave, you could very well destroy the good spirit that is present here.
Seriously, I don’t believe we are the only church in town. In fact, I know we are not. There are over 300 Baptist churches in the Cleveland area and hundreds more evangelical churches on top of that. If you believe that in order to grow spiritually, you need something we are not providing, I would be happy to help you find a church that is a better fit for you. I hope you choose to stay; but I realize that we may not be willing to do exactly what you would like, and that may cause you to leave. We have had people leave because we don’t have a strict dress code or oppose certain things and other groups publicly. If you need a church that has a dress code, or choir robes or where a certain instrument is predominate, or where there is a different style of music or a different translation of Scripture, we can help you find a place that fits you better.
But, if you are willing to put up with an imperfect pastoral staff that pastors and imperfect church, full of imperfect people…and if you are willing to trust God with the leadership He has given, even if you don’t agree with everything…and if you are willing to be a positive part of solutions, willing to humbly serve…and if it is your greatest desire to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ…then, we just might be the perfect church…for you."
So, there you have it. If you want to hear my exact words that were spoken, you can go to: www.gbcwestlake.org click on audio sermons or messages and then choose the title: Vision for Grace 2009, which was preached on February 8, 2009. If you want to skip ahead, go to the last 12-15 minutes of the message.
I was surprised when I started to hear that people were very upset with me. People interpreted my words as saying this: "If you don't agree with me (Greg) about any changes we are making, then leave the church." I have met with the people who have made themselves known, who thought these things, and explained to them what my words were intended to do. They certainly were not intended to offend our people. I actually thought those words would encourage and exhort them. I wanted them to know that I appreciated those who were mature and had been around for a long time. I also wanted the whole church to know that others who might come in the future, that only wanted to criticize and divide, would not be allowed to destroy the spirit that God has been forming among us.
But, I make a lot of mistakes, and it looks like I hurt people, once again, unintentionally. If you talk to any of those out there that were hurt, please let them know I love them, and if they would allow, I would love to sit down and talk with them. May God bless all of you, as you seek to be an encouragement to someone else today!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
VALENTINE'S DAY IS OVERRATED
Don't get me wrong. Of course, I love Valentine's Day. Doesn't everybody? Certainly, the credit card companies love it, the candy companies, the flower shops and of course, the greeting card companies, absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day. I'm sure there are many other companies as well, such as jewelry stores, that love this day. Unfortunately, they love it and want us to love it because they make their money; especially on this day or in preparation for it. Sadly, its about the love of money.
What happens in many relationships is that Valentines Day is actually a great day. Husbands and wives respond to one another with time, a date, gifts, kind words, and even sex. Even if the relationship has been horrid all year, somehow "love" is restored on February 14th. This is, of course, "par for the course", as the our world's system emphasizes the kind of love that comes and goes; even the kind of love that can be dormant or neglected for long periods of time, but then "bought" back with extravagant gifts during certain times of the year.
For those who claim the name of Christ, love is all together diferent; or at least should be. The love we are to pursue is not natural, easy, or even understood (let alone appreciated) by others.
There is no better way to describe this kind of love than the way God describes it:
I Corinthians 13:4-8
What happens in many relationships is that Valentines Day is actually a great day. Husbands and wives respond to one another with time, a date, gifts, kind words, and even sex. Even if the relationship has been horrid all year, somehow "love" is restored on February 14th. This is, of course, "par for the course", as the our world's system emphasizes the kind of love that comes and goes; even the kind of love that can be dormant or neglected for long periods of time, but then "bought" back with extravagant gifts during certain times of the year.
For those who claim the name of Christ, love is all together diferent; or at least should be. The love we are to pursue is not natural, easy, or even understood (let alone appreciated) by others.
There is no better way to describe this kind of love than the way God describes it:
I Corinthians 13:4-8
- Love is patient
- Love is kind
- Love does not envy
- Love does not boast
- Love is not arrogant
- Love is not rude
- Love does not insist on its own way
- Love is not irritable
- Love is not resentful
- Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing
- Love rejoices in the truth
- Love bears all things
- Love believes all things
- Love hopes all things
- Love endures all things
- Love never ends
This is my desire. This is the standard God has set for us. Forget the one day efforts. Make this an every day challenge - a journey. You will need God's help; and the support of others. The greatest Valentine's Day we could give to our spouses is to commit to love them biblically. What a difference this would make in our marriages, in our families, in our communities. What if our country decided to love God's way?
Happy Valentine's Day to my beautiful bride, Teresa. Honey, I have failed often; but, I am committed to pursuing this kind of love, as we seek God's blessing for our marriage. I love you!
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Super Bowl is Life
That might sound a little "off"; like saying anything is life, outside of Jesus Christ. But, I don't mean it in that sense. I mean it in a way that the game played last night reminded me a lot about life. I probably should just have enjoyed the game for what it was: a close, great super bowl game. But, I tend to analyze things too much; and this is no exception. This year's super bowl is a picture of the reality of life:
1. The favorite and the underdog: Just like in the super bowl, each of us, depending on our background, opportunities, etc. are either expected to do well and win in life; or to struggle and be considered a loser. People "take bets" on who will be "successful" and who won't. The "favorite" must not listen to their supporters, or they might not succeed as expected. They cannot be too arrogant, or they will lose their focus. The underdog must not listen to the critics; but instead believe that God created each person to glory Him in amazing ways, regardless of the obstacles. This is life.
2. Life is short and long. The game does not actually last that long; and once over, we wonder where the season went; and we (real football fans) begin to look forward to next Fall, when football will begin again. The teams who did not win or even make the playoffs look ahead to the summer, as the process to become a super bowl team will begin again. But, on the other hand, this game seems to take "forever". The championship games were played 2 weeks ago; so everyone is just talking about the game for 2 weeks; and it dominates the sports talk for that time. Then, on game day, ESPN begins their coverage at 6:30 a.m! The pre-game show is 5 hours long, beginning at 1 p.m.; and the actual game has over 20 minutes of things to talk about and do before the actual kickoff. With the commercials and halftime, the game seems much longer than the normal game of the season. So is life. Sometimes it seems to "fly by", and we wish we could have a "do over"; but sometimes, life seems very, very long and tedious, with not much action. Each day seems the same; and we begin to wonder if it is ever going to end. This is life.
3. The distractions. The super bowl has tons of distractions. Some people don't even like football and only paticipate in super bowl Sunday because of the distractions: food, drink, friends, parties, commercials, half time show, etc. For the players, they are told constantly by the coaches about how to keep their focus on the game, with so many distractions for them the entire 2 weeks leading up to the super bowl, let alone the actual game day. Even watching the game, there are distractions for the fans: the pre-game festivities, the commercials throughout the game, including 3-D entertainment, the halftime show, and the post game festivities (although only a true football or super bowl fan, or extreme partier stays tuned to all of the post game stuff). It struck me that this life. We have many, many distractions from what God has called us to do on this Earth. Some of those distractions are innocent and fun and even good distractions; but others waste our time (and potentially our life) and can even be distructive. We start to indulge in what is offered and think that maybe God has not provided enough for me (in any area). It is a daily challenge to remember why we are here and to focus on honoring God today. This is life.
4. There are winners and losers. In this particular superbowl, everyone thought one team would win, before the game even started; and part way into the game, thought that team would win in a landslide. But things changed, and until a minute was left in the game, the underdog team seemed to have it won. But, in the end, one team lost and one team one; and depending on who people cheered for, millions of people today feel like they won or lost. Winning is enjoyable and fun; but losing just plain stinks. Such is life. In all areas of life, we experience winning and losing, and the consequences that come from either.
Conclusion: There are many similarities between the super bowl and life; and it is fun for me to think and write about them. But, there are a couple of distinct differences, which cannot be ignored. The super bowl is a game; and life is not. The super bowl is a fun game, and can be enjoyed by all; but it is a game, nonetheless. Life is real and we cannot play another game when this life is over. There is this life; and then there is the afterlife. We should enjoy our life that God has given us, but not at the expense of this reality and eternity. That is the other major difference: the super bowl is temporal and passes away; whereas we will last forever. When this life is over, we will spend eternity based on the decisions we made in this short life. I conclude with a chorus I learned as a boy; but the truth of it has never left me:
Only one life, how soon it will pass
Only what's done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His good will
So, give to Jesus all your days
It's the only life that pays
When you recall you have but one life
1. The favorite and the underdog: Just like in the super bowl, each of us, depending on our background, opportunities, etc. are either expected to do well and win in life; or to struggle and be considered a loser. People "take bets" on who will be "successful" and who won't. The "favorite" must not listen to their supporters, or they might not succeed as expected. They cannot be too arrogant, or they will lose their focus. The underdog must not listen to the critics; but instead believe that God created each person to glory Him in amazing ways, regardless of the obstacles. This is life.
2. Life is short and long. The game does not actually last that long; and once over, we wonder where the season went; and we (real football fans) begin to look forward to next Fall, when football will begin again. The teams who did not win or even make the playoffs look ahead to the summer, as the process to become a super bowl team will begin again. But, on the other hand, this game seems to take "forever". The championship games were played 2 weeks ago; so everyone is just talking about the game for 2 weeks; and it dominates the sports talk for that time. Then, on game day, ESPN begins their coverage at 6:30 a.m! The pre-game show is 5 hours long, beginning at 1 p.m.; and the actual game has over 20 minutes of things to talk about and do before the actual kickoff. With the commercials and halftime, the game seems much longer than the normal game of the season. So is life. Sometimes it seems to "fly by", and we wish we could have a "do over"; but sometimes, life seems very, very long and tedious, with not much action. Each day seems the same; and we begin to wonder if it is ever going to end. This is life.
3. The distractions. The super bowl has tons of distractions. Some people don't even like football and only paticipate in super bowl Sunday because of the distractions: food, drink, friends, parties, commercials, half time show, etc. For the players, they are told constantly by the coaches about how to keep their focus on the game, with so many distractions for them the entire 2 weeks leading up to the super bowl, let alone the actual game day. Even watching the game, there are distractions for the fans: the pre-game festivities, the commercials throughout the game, including 3-D entertainment, the halftime show, and the post game festivities (although only a true football or super bowl fan, or extreme partier stays tuned to all of the post game stuff). It struck me that this life. We have many, many distractions from what God has called us to do on this Earth. Some of those distractions are innocent and fun and even good distractions; but others waste our time (and potentially our life) and can even be distructive. We start to indulge in what is offered and think that maybe God has not provided enough for me (in any area). It is a daily challenge to remember why we are here and to focus on honoring God today. This is life.
4. There are winners and losers. In this particular superbowl, everyone thought one team would win, before the game even started; and part way into the game, thought that team would win in a landslide. But things changed, and until a minute was left in the game, the underdog team seemed to have it won. But, in the end, one team lost and one team one; and depending on who people cheered for, millions of people today feel like they won or lost. Winning is enjoyable and fun; but losing just plain stinks. Such is life. In all areas of life, we experience winning and losing, and the consequences that come from either.
Conclusion: There are many similarities between the super bowl and life; and it is fun for me to think and write about them. But, there are a couple of distinct differences, which cannot be ignored. The super bowl is a game; and life is not. The super bowl is a fun game, and can be enjoyed by all; but it is a game, nonetheless. Life is real and we cannot play another game when this life is over. There is this life; and then there is the afterlife. We should enjoy our life that God has given us, but not at the expense of this reality and eternity. That is the other major difference: the super bowl is temporal and passes away; whereas we will last forever. When this life is over, we will spend eternity based on the decisions we made in this short life. I conclude with a chorus I learned as a boy; but the truth of it has never left me:
Only one life, how soon it will pass
Only what's done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His good will
So, give to Jesus all your days
It's the only life that pays
When you recall you have but one life
Monday, January 26, 2009
I Took The LOVE DARE And Almost Burned My Finger Off!
OK - maybe "almost" is a little strong word in this case; but...let me explain:
Teresa and I had gone to see the movie "Fireproof", starring Kirk Cameron. We really enjoyed it. It was on the same level, in our opinion as the movie "Facing the Giants". Fireproof dealt very well with the difficult topics of a marriage in trouble, pornography, and the temptation of adultery. In the midst of it, the gospel of Jesus Christ was clearly presented. In the movie, the character played by Cameron takes a "love dare". Receiving a book from his dad, he takes a challenge, every day for 40 days (from a journal), in order to pursue and "win" his wife back. Divorce seemed probable.
From the popularity of the movie, came the book "Love Dare". As the new year approached, I was praying about what God would want me to concentrate on as far as goals and improvement for 2009. He brought this book to mind. So, beginning January 6th, I undertook the challenge of reading one chapter a day and taking the love dare challenge at the end of each chapter. I also found a few other guys who were willing to do it and help keep each other accountable for doing it. Just knowing that other guys are also doing it is a great encouragement to me.
My hope, of course, is that I will improve as a husband during these 40 days; but that some of the principles will stick with me even when the 40 days are done. I feel we have a pretty good marriage; and yet I desire to be a better husband to Teresa and learn to love her more. I am now half way done, just finishing day 20 yesterday. It is scheduled to end February 14th (yes, on purpose!)
So, back to my "almost" burned off finger: one of the challenges, recently, was to prepare a dinner for my wife at home. Since I don't cook, and she wouldn't let me, even with her supervision, I ordered Chinese, set up a table for 2, with all the settings. This included candles. I don't know why, but I have a fear of fire; and I don't like to be close to it, no matter how small. And when it comes to candles, I ONLY use long lighters, where my hands are several inches away from the flame (and I even avoid that if I can).
But, when I could not find any lighters in the house (did someone hide them?), I put my own body at risk, took out a box of matches, took a match and struck it against the box...
KABOOM! (at least that's what I thought it sounded like). Everyone else would have thought a match was lit, no big deal. I lit the candles quickly (before my fingers burned off) and hailed myself as the most sacrificial loving husband ever...maybe not.
But, I'm trying. I'm taking the love dare and loving it (especially because my wife is as well!)
Take the challenge: I DARE YOU!
Teresa and I had gone to see the movie "Fireproof", starring Kirk Cameron. We really enjoyed it. It was on the same level, in our opinion as the movie "Facing the Giants". Fireproof dealt very well with the difficult topics of a marriage in trouble, pornography, and the temptation of adultery. In the midst of it, the gospel of Jesus Christ was clearly presented. In the movie, the character played by Cameron takes a "love dare". Receiving a book from his dad, he takes a challenge, every day for 40 days (from a journal), in order to pursue and "win" his wife back. Divorce seemed probable.
From the popularity of the movie, came the book "Love Dare". As the new year approached, I was praying about what God would want me to concentrate on as far as goals and improvement for 2009. He brought this book to mind. So, beginning January 6th, I undertook the challenge of reading one chapter a day and taking the love dare challenge at the end of each chapter. I also found a few other guys who were willing to do it and help keep each other accountable for doing it. Just knowing that other guys are also doing it is a great encouragement to me.
My hope, of course, is that I will improve as a husband during these 40 days; but that some of the principles will stick with me even when the 40 days are done. I feel we have a pretty good marriage; and yet I desire to be a better husband to Teresa and learn to love her more. I am now half way done, just finishing day 20 yesterday. It is scheduled to end February 14th (yes, on purpose!)
So, back to my "almost" burned off finger: one of the challenges, recently, was to prepare a dinner for my wife at home. Since I don't cook, and she wouldn't let me, even with her supervision, I ordered Chinese, set up a table for 2, with all the settings. This included candles. I don't know why, but I have a fear of fire; and I don't like to be close to it, no matter how small. And when it comes to candles, I ONLY use long lighters, where my hands are several inches away from the flame (and I even avoid that if I can).
But, when I could not find any lighters in the house (did someone hide them?), I put my own body at risk, took out a box of matches, took a match and struck it against the box...
KABOOM! (at least that's what I thought it sounded like). Everyone else would have thought a match was lit, no big deal. I lit the candles quickly (before my fingers burned off) and hailed myself as the most sacrificial loving husband ever...maybe not.
But, I'm trying. I'm taking the love dare and loving it (especially because my wife is as well!)
Take the challenge: I DARE YOU!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Growing in Grace
For the last few years, I have been struggling with this idea of how to grow in grace. The reason it is important is because it is a command for us to are followers of Christ:
II Peter 3:18 - "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
We have a fairly good idea of what it means to grow in knowledge. But, what in the world does it mean to grow in grace? That is much more difficult. One of the ways we have tried to answer this question is with a list we have found and edited to fit our context. It is not as easy a list that is gives us steps 1, 2 and 3 that we just have to carry out. This list takes thought, evaluation, and constant practice:
1. Serve God for who He is and what He has done, not because we want to gain his acceptance through good works.
2. Live for God out of love and thankfulness, rather than guilt and duty.
3. Believe in biblical absolutes, but reject attempts to legislate the Christian life through human rules.
4. Accept people at their current level of spiritual development and encourage them to grow in an atmosphere of grace.
5. Commit to honesty and transparency, which models love and acceptance.
6. Place the emphasis on inner motivations rather than outward behaviors.
7. Refuse to deny or minimize the pain that comes into our lives as a result of our sin or the sins of others. Allow the pain to draw you to God.
8. Learn to forgive others as Jesus did, and point people, who do not know Him, to the God of grace.
9. Understand the biblical commands as describing the life befitting a Christian already accepted by God, not as laws that bring us more merit with God.
10. View our pain, in any form or area of life as a way for God’s power to be shown in our lives and for God to grow us.
I like this list; but it is still difficult to apply. When someone from my life group asked what it means to grow in grace, but couldn't wade through my long list. This motivated me to figure out a way to condense this to something I can remember; and that others could remember. It still won't be as easy as: "don't listen to that kind of music" or "tell your brother that you love him 3 times today"; but it could be something to keep in mind; and continually practice.
So, this is what I was thinking: how about list of 3 things that works toward answering the question:
How Do I Grow In Grace?
1. Receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ
2. See yourself as God sees you
3. Love others as Jesus loves you
If we are constantly thinking of these 3 things, and considering how it translates to real life, is it possible that this is a way to GROW IN GRACE?
What do you think?
II Peter 3:18 - "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
We have a fairly good idea of what it means to grow in knowledge. But, what in the world does it mean to grow in grace? That is much more difficult. One of the ways we have tried to answer this question is with a list we have found and edited to fit our context. It is not as easy a list that is gives us steps 1, 2 and 3 that we just have to carry out. This list takes thought, evaluation, and constant practice:
1. Serve God for who He is and what He has done, not because we want to gain his acceptance through good works.
2. Live for God out of love and thankfulness, rather than guilt and duty.
3. Believe in biblical absolutes, but reject attempts to legislate the Christian life through human rules.
4. Accept people at their current level of spiritual development and encourage them to grow in an atmosphere of grace.
5. Commit to honesty and transparency, which models love and acceptance.
6. Place the emphasis on inner motivations rather than outward behaviors.
7. Refuse to deny or minimize the pain that comes into our lives as a result of our sin or the sins of others. Allow the pain to draw you to God.
8. Learn to forgive others as Jesus did, and point people, who do not know Him, to the God of grace.
9. Understand the biblical commands as describing the life befitting a Christian already accepted by God, not as laws that bring us more merit with God.
10. View our pain, in any form or area of life as a way for God’s power to be shown in our lives and for God to grow us.
I like this list; but it is still difficult to apply. When someone from my life group asked what it means to grow in grace, but couldn't wade through my long list. This motivated me to figure out a way to condense this to something I can remember; and that others could remember. It still won't be as easy as: "don't listen to that kind of music" or "tell your brother that you love him 3 times today"; but it could be something to keep in mind; and continually practice.
So, this is what I was thinking: how about list of 3 things that works toward answering the question:
How Do I Grow In Grace?
1. Receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ
2. See yourself as God sees you
3. Love others as Jesus loves you
If we are constantly thinking of these 3 things, and considering how it translates to real life, is it possible that this is a way to GROW IN GRACE?
What do you think?
Monday, January 12, 2009
I am going to die in the next 10 seconds...
This thought crossed my mind as I was sliding toward the cross street. It was a wintry, icy night, as I left my house to head the 7 miles to the church to play in the basketball league. I was excited that the league was starting back up, but not so excited that our first game was at 9:30 p.m. That's past my bedtime. I'm not good for much of anything at that late hour! But, for basketball, I made an exception, and I was still excited.
Every time there is any snow on the ground, or ice, or it's raining, or if the forecast calls for any inclement weather (over the next week), I make it my excuse to use the suburan, although it is gas guzzling fiend. I feel safer in it (especially in bad weather) and I just like driving it. I love having my first four-wheel drive vehicle, but I sometimes forget that ice is still ice, big 4 wheel drive car or not.
I was driving fairly slowly down my side street, figuring I would take my time getting there, because I could tell it was icy. But as I saw a couple cars pull onto our street, and I tried to apply the brake, a long ways before the stop sign and cross road, I began to slide. Pumping did nothing, and I knew right away that there was no stopping this car. I could have possibly pulled it into the ditch on my right; but instead I keep trying to stop it as I slid, with no dry ground in sight.
In my mind, I imagined what I figured was inevitable: I would go out into the intersection and get broadsided on the drivers side; and that would be it...atleast for my time here on earth. I tensed up (which I realize is not a good thing to do); and I began to pray (that is a good thing to do). As I slid past the stop sign into the crossroad, I looked left, relieved there was no car in sight (I was surprised as well); then to my right, and again, no cars (very rare). In the middle of the crossroad, I hit a dry patch, the tires took hold, and I was able to turn right, even though I needed to go left. That's o.k. The fact that I was still living, and the bonus that the car was still without a scratch, made me not care so much that I was headed the wrong direction!
Once I turned around, and headed back past my street, I then saw a stream of cars, probably 7 in a row racing past me. I continued praising God: "Lord, those cars could have been here a minute ago; and I would have been with you. Thank you for saving my life." I then spent the rest of the trip to church talking to God about the brevity of life, how grateful I was for the time I had; and how committed I was to using whatever days He had left for me, for His glory.
As I am sure we all have had, I have also had past "near death" experiences. I realize that it is also possible that I could have been hit and still survived; but I also know the possibility that I would not have. But, this was the most recent one for me; and it is in moments like this, that everything seems to become crystal clear: what is truly important and what is temporal; time I have wasted, and times in which I have invested in people; what I need to focus on in the future, and what I shouldn't take so seriously.
I think I grew a little bit more in those 10 seconds; and I pray it will result in a more dedicated life with the breath I have left.
Thanks again God.
Every time there is any snow on the ground, or ice, or it's raining, or if the forecast calls for any inclement weather (over the next week), I make it my excuse to use the suburan, although it is gas guzzling fiend. I feel safer in it (especially in bad weather) and I just like driving it. I love having my first four-wheel drive vehicle, but I sometimes forget that ice is still ice, big 4 wheel drive car or not.
I was driving fairly slowly down my side street, figuring I would take my time getting there, because I could tell it was icy. But as I saw a couple cars pull onto our street, and I tried to apply the brake, a long ways before the stop sign and cross road, I began to slide. Pumping did nothing, and I knew right away that there was no stopping this car. I could have possibly pulled it into the ditch on my right; but instead I keep trying to stop it as I slid, with no dry ground in sight.
In my mind, I imagined what I figured was inevitable: I would go out into the intersection and get broadsided on the drivers side; and that would be it...atleast for my time here on earth. I tensed up (which I realize is not a good thing to do); and I began to pray (that is a good thing to do). As I slid past the stop sign into the crossroad, I looked left, relieved there was no car in sight (I was surprised as well); then to my right, and again, no cars (very rare). In the middle of the crossroad, I hit a dry patch, the tires took hold, and I was able to turn right, even though I needed to go left. That's o.k. The fact that I was still living, and the bonus that the car was still without a scratch, made me not care so much that I was headed the wrong direction!
Once I turned around, and headed back past my street, I then saw a stream of cars, probably 7 in a row racing past me. I continued praising God: "Lord, those cars could have been here a minute ago; and I would have been with you. Thank you for saving my life." I then spent the rest of the trip to church talking to God about the brevity of life, how grateful I was for the time I had; and how committed I was to using whatever days He had left for me, for His glory.
As I am sure we all have had, I have also had past "near death" experiences. I realize that it is also possible that I could have been hit and still survived; but I also know the possibility that I would not have. But, this was the most recent one for me; and it is in moments like this, that everything seems to become crystal clear: what is truly important and what is temporal; time I have wasted, and times in which I have invested in people; what I need to focus on in the future, and what I shouldn't take so seriously.
I think I grew a little bit more in those 10 seconds; and I pray it will result in a more dedicated life with the breath I have left.
Thanks again God.
Monday, January 5, 2009
New Year - Same Old Stuff
I thought, perhaps, that in the new year, nothing else would break down or get broken or destroyed. That new year's resolution didn't last long!
I was excited last Saturday, after a morning of counseling at church, to sit and watch the NFL playoff games that night. The only thing Teresa asked me to do was to pick up a couple couches from a friend who was giving them to us. No problem. So, I stop by their house and pick up the smaller couch, since the larger one wouldn't fit in the car. It wasn't too difficult to get that couch downstairs, with a little finagling and taking some paint off walls that had been recently re-done. Oh well, one down. We also had to take up the couch that had been downstairs, since we were selling it and making room for these we were receiving. We got up most of the sectional, but just had the hide-a-way bed part left.
It wasn't too hard to find a different friend to loan me his truck so that I could pick up the larger couch. However, I knew I would need help getting that one down the stairs, so I asked my friend who was giving me the couch if he would come over for a few minutes and help me get it down. Little did he, or I, know that those "few minutes" would turn into a few hours, ending in utter failure and destruction!
He graciously offered to come help, even though he had other places to go, and had, just that morning, run a 32 mile marathon (yes, I said 32 miles). If I had done that, not only would I be unavailable to help anyone move couches that day, I would unavailable for anything, except laying around and sleeping, and probably some moaning in pain. But, this is a nice guy and he came over. The first project was to get the smaller, hide a way bed out of the basement. An hour later, it was up the stairs, but our stair decor was a little altered.
We got stuck getting it up the steps; and at some point, it began to break through the wall. We did get the couch out, but only because the huge hole in the wall now allowed some more wiggle room. We also took off one of the light switches (broke it off, that is) so that the lightswitch that is still there in the stairway doesn't work now either. We have no lights in half of our basement. I guess if I get fired as a pastor, I won't be applying to be a mover. So, that was supposed to be the easy part.
The big couch just simply would not go down the stairs - no matter what we tried. We took off closet doors to give us more room near the doorway to the basement. We took of the door going down to the basement, plus the trim on the doorway. Still, we could not get it down. We took of the legs of the couch and tried it every way possible (at least the ones we could think of). My friend with the truck finally came over, wondering how my need to borrow his truck for a few minutes turned into over 3 hours. He helped us try to get the couch down as well. No luck.
We finally gave up and put it in the living room with all the other couches and chairs we already had. Now, we are going to have to change the decorating scheme or get new couches. Fun, fun, fun! My truck friend helped clear out the hole so that it can be repaired; and my other friend, who gave us the couches in the first place, helped us put things all back together.
We are left with inadequate seating downstairs, too much seating upstairs, painted chipped off walls, scratches on the hardwood floor, broken lightswitches, less lighting, and a huge hole in the wall. What a fun adventure to begin the new year!
I learned at least 3 things from this:
1. I know how to break things but not how to fix things
2. Stuff is stuff and it really doesn't matter (although it is tempting to think it does)
3. We have great friends - awesome friends!
I was excited last Saturday, after a morning of counseling at church, to sit and watch the NFL playoff games that night. The only thing Teresa asked me to do was to pick up a couple couches from a friend who was giving them to us. No problem. So, I stop by their house and pick up the smaller couch, since the larger one wouldn't fit in the car. It wasn't too difficult to get that couch downstairs, with a little finagling and taking some paint off walls that had been recently re-done. Oh well, one down. We also had to take up the couch that had been downstairs, since we were selling it and making room for these we were receiving. We got up most of the sectional, but just had the hide-a-way bed part left.
It wasn't too hard to find a different friend to loan me his truck so that I could pick up the larger couch. However, I knew I would need help getting that one down the stairs, so I asked my friend who was giving me the couch if he would come over for a few minutes and help me get it down. Little did he, or I, know that those "few minutes" would turn into a few hours, ending in utter failure and destruction!
He graciously offered to come help, even though he had other places to go, and had, just that morning, run a 32 mile marathon (yes, I said 32 miles). If I had done that, not only would I be unavailable to help anyone move couches that day, I would unavailable for anything, except laying around and sleeping, and probably some moaning in pain. But, this is a nice guy and he came over. The first project was to get the smaller, hide a way bed out of the basement. An hour later, it was up the stairs, but our stair decor was a little altered.
We got stuck getting it up the steps; and at some point, it began to break through the wall. We did get the couch out, but only because the huge hole in the wall now allowed some more wiggle room. We also took off one of the light switches (broke it off, that is) so that the lightswitch that is still there in the stairway doesn't work now either. We have no lights in half of our basement. I guess if I get fired as a pastor, I won't be applying to be a mover. So, that was supposed to be the easy part.
The big couch just simply would not go down the stairs - no matter what we tried. We took off closet doors to give us more room near the doorway to the basement. We took of the door going down to the basement, plus the trim on the doorway. Still, we could not get it down. We took of the legs of the couch and tried it every way possible (at least the ones we could think of). My friend with the truck finally came over, wondering how my need to borrow his truck for a few minutes turned into over 3 hours. He helped us try to get the couch down as well. No luck.
We finally gave up and put it in the living room with all the other couches and chairs we already had. Now, we are going to have to change the decorating scheme or get new couches. Fun, fun, fun! My truck friend helped clear out the hole so that it can be repaired; and my other friend, who gave us the couches in the first place, helped us put things all back together.
We are left with inadequate seating downstairs, too much seating upstairs, painted chipped off walls, scratches on the hardwood floor, broken lightswitches, less lighting, and a huge hole in the wall. What a fun adventure to begin the new year!
I learned at least 3 things from this:
1. I know how to break things but not how to fix things
2. Stuff is stuff and it really doesn't matter (although it is tempting to think it does)
3. We have great friends - awesome friends!
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