We’re Not Called to Be Idols

I read a great little book a few months back by Graham Standish that deals with a subject which is quite contrary to our “American Idol” pop culture. It is the subject of humility. Standish writes:

We are distinct and special not because of any qualities or abilities we
ourselves possess. Our unique qualities are gifts from God that come from God’s Spirit breathed into us. What makes us unique is nothing we do by our own power, but only what God has given us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Sin emerges as we cultivate the belief that our uniqueness is due to our own efforts independent of God.

Ouch! Our culture tells you, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” “It’s all about the bling,” and “Vote for me to be your idol.” Sure, it’s Hollywood, but unfortunately those attitudes aren’t only found in celebrities. They cross over into the lives of people who say that they want to become more like Jesus…people like you and me. So often, uniquely gifted believers forget from whom their gifts came, and start to believe that they are actually responsible for what God has given to them. On the flip side, Standish writes, “The humble person sees their abilities as a gift from God, not as evidence of personal greatness.”

He goes on to state, “Humility is also the willingness to become God- and other-focused rather than being narcissistically self focused. It means willingly following the guidance of the Spirit wherever it leads. Finally, it means becoming a servant of God and others.” Our culture tells us to be self focused and to look out for our own best interest, but we must do the opposite. We must live our lives in the way Jesus would have us live. We must live for others.

So, as you go through your day, are you living for yourself, or for those whom God places in front of you? Are you patting yourself on the back for how clever you are, or are you giving God the credit for the good things that happen in your life? I’m not saying that we can’t be proud and pleased when we work hard and achieve something great, but let’s never forget that the abilities we have come from Him and are given to us to use for His glory. So, once again, are you living for yourself, or for others?

This is a tough question to ask, especially now with so much uncertainty in our country, our jobs, and our bank accounts. We all feel the need to make sure that we and our families are taken care of. However, Christ also calls us to the higher road. We are to choose charity over self-interest, serving over being served, and humility over self-promotion. Yes, there is risk and the possibility of personal loss. But as Standish writes, “I discovered that when we humbly do what Christ calls us to do, God finds a way to make things work out in the end.” I believe He will.

posted by:
John Plastow
Executive Pastor of Worship Arts

Being Faithful with What We are Given

We are to be faithful regardless of how much God has entrusted us. The parable of the talents (a talent was a sum of money) illustrates this.

It will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and
entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and another one talent. (Matthew 25:14-15, NIV)

When the owner returned, he held each one responsible for faithfully managing his possessions. The owner praised the faithful servant who received the five talents. “Well done, good and faithful (servant). You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21). Interestingly, the servant who had been given two talents received the identical reward as the one who had been given the five talents (Matthew 25:23). The Lord rewards faithfulness, regardless of the amount over which we are responsible.

We are required to be faithful whether we are given much or little. As someone once said, “It’s not what I would do if $1 million were my lot; it’s what I am doing with the $10 I’ve got that really matters.”

posted by:
Monty Wood
Director of Church Administration

Run with Perseverance

Perseverance is a word we just can’t like. It reminds us of sacrifice and we don’t like sacrifice.
When it comes to perseverance, we most definitely need God’s strength.

The Greek word for perseverance is hupomone, which means to remain under, to stand fast. It is a word often used in military contexts to convey the thought of standing ground, even in the face of danger and attack.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…”

How do we do it?

1) Get in the Race

First, the author of Hebrews tells us: “Let us run.” If we want to be spiritual champions, we have to get in the race.

God promises a crown of victory to everyone who completes the race of faith. But you can’t win if you don’t run. You have to get in the race.

In the ancient Olympics, sometimes a rich chariot owner would have his slave compete in the chariot race in the name of his master, and if the slave won the race, the master would get the crown of victory.

But that won’t work in the spiritual arena. We don’t become spiritual champions by having someone else run the race for us. We won’t make it to heaven because our parents or spouse ran a great race. We have to get in the race and run for ourselves.

It starts by committing your life to Jesus and then becoming a follower of Jesus Christ…not becoming a Christian in name only, however. It’s possible to be an athlete and not compete.

2) Don’t Give Up

The second part of our verse says that we are to run with perseverance. Whether we are in a literal race or up against the wall in a trial, we have to decide that we will not give up.

There will be times in life when we’re tempted to give up. Our pain will seem to be endless and it may feel like we have no hope. We’ll want to drop out before the end of the race. I have been here, and left to my flesh, I wanted to give up.

The Apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Hence, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord will award me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved him.”

We may fall a few times in our attempt not to give up, but God is always there to lift us up. Ask Him!

3) Stay on Course

We don’t always get to choose the course we run in life. It is already set for us. That may seem unfair, but imagine the chaos if in the Olympic marathon each runner got to choose his or her own course to the finish line.

We would naturally choose the easiest route – the one with the fewest hills and obstacles. But the easiest route is not always the right one.

None of us would choose to have cancer, to lose a spouse or a loved one to death, or go through a divorce. But for some of us, that’s the course life has set before us.

We are not called to run any old route we choose. According to this verse, there is a specific race that has been marked out for each of us to run…one that gives our lives the meaning and purpose that God has planned.

posted by:
Glenda Harr
Director of Women's Ministries

Advance: Go Unless You Get a No

Read I Samuel 14:1-15

What’s the most dangerous situation you’ve ever been in? For me I’d have to say it was when I took about 100 people (mainly High school students) into a Mexican prison to share the Gospel through a program we presented in an open area of about 400 prisoners. As it turned out God’s Spirit took over and we didn’t bring enough Bibles. The point is when it got beyond our control and our ability we saw God work mightily.

Jonathan had this experience in I Samuel 14. His father,King Saul had already blown it in Chapter 13 when he panicked and disobeyed God’s command in sacrificing the burnt offering himself instead of waiting for Samuel (the proper channel) to come and offer it. You see the enemy was all around and God was saying “not yet” but Saul was looking at his circumstances rather than trusting God.

Now Jonathan in chapter 14 is separated from the army with only his armor bearer and is approached by 20 enemy soldiers. In contrast to his father he aggressively seeks God and asks for a sign to more forward (in God’s power) and advance the situation. This was taking a significant risk but Jonathan didn’t see it that way because he received his marching orders from God. Jonathan’s words to his armor bearer were 1 “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

Do you sometimes find yourself being stuck at a certain level of faith and obedience? Do you take the safe route or the path that requires very little from you in faith or sacrifice? The problem with this is that there is very little growth, significance or reward found in this way of living. Jonathan was not content to remain there and the payoff was that God worked in an amazing and divine way on his behalf. That’s the way I want to experience life by seizing every divine moment that is happening all around me.

Erwin McManus in his book “Chasing Daylight” says,” If you’re going to live a life that genuinely pursues the heart of God, if you’re going to be a passionate follower of Jesus Christ, you’re going to have to embrace RISK”. Later he says, “After risk comes advance. After ‘no turning back’ comes ‘you must go forward’.”

More often than not the signs pointing us to advance will be ominous. They will cause us to assess who we are and who we believe God to be. They will make clear our priorities. Are we in it for what we can get or for what we can give? The signs will expose our hearts, reveal our fears, and unleash our faith. There is a word for the mind-set of those who seize divine moments – ADVANCE!!

The great commission says “GO” . What would happen in your life if you changed your way of thinking? How would your life be different if you worked with God from a GIANT “YES” rather than a “NO”

“GO, UNLESS YOU GET A NO”
Refuse to run from the challenge, run with full force into it!!

posted by:
Jeff Koons
Pastor of Men’s & Couples Ministries