The more we know the love of Christ for us, the more we can express our faith in love to others. We need more understanding of Jesus's love to overcome our disbeliefs, so we live with less fear and less self-focus. In addition, to grow as a worshipper of our Lord, we need to increase our understanding of the magnitude of his love; even though His love surpasses all knowledge. Together this Sunday let's gather to declare his love through song, prayer, confession, fellowship, and hearing of the Word of God.
I watched a video years ago about the Johnson family of the Johnson and Johnson company. The founding members, Robert, James, and Edward, (circa 1886), had passed off the scene; but their children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren were still receiving income from the family trust. His great grandchildren, who have moved into the media world, received a $1 million annual salary from the family trust when they turned eighteen. The didn’t need to go to college, and they would never need to hold a job. The family is worth over sixteen billion dollars. One of the great grandchildren, Jamie Johnson, was challenged by his father to find something he is passionate about and fill his life with meaningful pursuits. Today he is a filmmaker and socialite.
Can you imagine being told as a teenager that you are financially set for life and have to find something to live for? What would you do? How would you live?
Christian, the resurrection of Jesus, provides our justification. We are acquitted by God, robed in the righteousness of Christ. There is no fear of what comes after death for us, nor is there the motive of “being a good person,” hoping our good deeds will outweigh our bad deeds. We’re filthy rich in the righteousness of Christ. So, what do we live our lives for? What is the “dash” of our life about? Join us Sunday as we consider the Christian’s philosophy of life.
In one of my favorite movies, Gladiator, Russell Crowe plays Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman soldier who becomes a gladiator. The opening scene is the final conquest of the tribes of Germania. While the infantry attacks from the front, Maximus leads the cavalry in attacking their rear flank. As he leads his men into battle he says to them, “Men, what we do in life echoes in eternity!” In other words, your deeds today will be remembered forever and will affect you in your next life.
In her poem The Dash, Linda Ellis speaks about the importance of the dash on our tombstone, what separates the date of our birth and death. She says, “So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?” Is she right? Is Maximus right? Join us Sunday as we consider how death changes the meaning of life for the Christian and why Christ’s resurrection changes everything!
In the comedy movie What about Bob? Bill Murray plays a paranoid schizophrenic driving his therapist crazy. He follows him to his vacation home, invading his life and his family. His therapist, played by Richard Dreyfuss, loses his mind and tries to blow Bob up, restraining him to several pounds of dynamite. Bob gets free but is forced to face his death and untie his knots. His therapist calls it “death therapy,” which becomes the title for Bob’s best-selling book. It’s truly one of my favorite movies!
We’re going to do some “death therapy” this Easter by considering the origin of death, how the culture thinks about death, and how the resurrection of Christ addresses death. Considering death might change your life. Join us Sunday as we worship our risen, alive Savior!
When I was in college, visiting my home church, George Jensen was sharing the biography of David Livingstone. Livingstone famously said, “Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me.” As I sat through the sermon, the Spirit of Christ was pressing hard on me. I was overwhelmed with that presence and began to weep. I walked forward during the invitation to talk with a pastor. He asked me, “Why did you come forward, Tim? Do you have sin to confess?” I did, but that wasn’t the reason. I said, “No. I just feel the overwhelming presence of Christ, and I want to serve him.” You see, I was called to ministry when I was twelve, but during college I had left that call and joined the business school. In those precious moments, Christ was pressing upon me to return to His calling on my life. At the new semester, I switched majors back to theology and continued my training for vocational ministry.
When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, seated on an elevated throne, his presence filled the temple. Upon seeing the Lord, not only did Isaiah receive the cleansing grace of the Lord, but he was moved to spontaneously serve the Lord. The Lord asks, “Whom will I send?” and Isaiah responds, “Here I am, send me” (Isaiah 6:1-8). What moves us to service? What moves us to invest in the mission of Christ’s church? It is Christ!
Join us Sunday as we consider the fullness of Christ and worship our sovereign master.
This week, I heard an eighty-three-year-old pastor tell the story of his trip to McDonald’s. He was taking a longer time to order his food, and the person behind him was getting frustrated. The person behind him began to honk and give some unique gestures combined with vulgar language. When the pastor got to the window to pay, he paid for the other person’s food. As the pastor then pulled up to the next window to get his food, the person behind him was trying to pay and learned what he had done. Immediately, the sour driver’s attitude changed, mouthing “thank you.” The pastor overcame evil with kindness (Romans 12:21). This is grace in action. But how can we be changed to live this way?
Sunday, we considered the essentials that define the church: worship, community, generosity, visibility, and grace. This week, we’ll consider how grace changes everything in our lives.
M. Night Shyamalan produced a great movie in 2004, The Village. If you haven’t watched it, spoiler alert: A group of wealthy people purchased a large tract of land surrounded by woods and went off grid because of the evil of the modern world. They raised their families, raised animals, grew crops, made clothes, and lived in a secluded commune. To keep their children from leaving, they invented stories of monsters in the woods. No one ever left, and the children grew up never knowing that they were surrounded by an advanced society. Until a crisis occurred, and the truth came out.
Believers steward God’s gifts for the glory of Christ and the benefit of others! One of those gifts is our neighbors. Join me as we consider our community responsibilities in relation to our calling.
I have a friend who got married out of high school. He and his wife were both working to make ends meet and were living paycheck to paycheck. One day, a man knocked on their door, asking them to invest in a new company that he was starting. He wanted them to invest $1,000 in his new venture. They didn’t have that money and kindly declined investing with Sam Walton of Walmart! They laugh about it and wish they had invested. If they had, they wouldn’t have to work ever again.
Sunday, we’ll ask the question, “What limits our stewardship of God’s gifts?” What keeps us from moving Beyond our Walls?
Sunday night we presented our Beyond our Walls plan to refresh our outdoor facilities. Our question is simple: “Do our facilities facilitate our ministry purpose?” After looking over the grounds, it’s difficult to argue with the need to refresh our playgrounds, stop the erosion, and cover our picnic area. Over the next few weeks, we are going to cast a vision for the Beyond our Walls campaign. We want a shared vision moving forward, no matter what part you can play in the effort.
This week, we’ll consider God’s invitation of stewarding Christ’s kingdom! Join us as we worship and consider our role as God’s children in His world.
Ponder these questions for Sunday: How does the gospel change our view of self? How does that change affect our relationships? Join us Sunday as we consider the next paragraph in Romans 12:3-8 and worship our Liberator!