A Challenge for 2010

I’m sitting here, like most folks, and I’m starting to think of those pesky New Year’s Resolutions. You know, lose some weight, exercise more and the rest of the usual suspects. Sure, I’ve got some unique ones to my life and some lofty goals (anyone else wanting to read at least 20 new books in 2010?), but one keeps resounding with me: spend more time with God in word and prayer.

Now I see you running for the door already, just bear with me for a moment. I’m not asking you to read all of the Bible next year nor am I asking you to spend hours daily in prayer (although if you want to set those as your goals, go for it!). However, I think that everyone can carve out a few minutes to spend praying and reading.

Just as when we exercise, we should begin slowly. Never read the whole New Testament? Make that your goal. Reading just 2o verses a day would get you through all of the New Testament in a year. Never had a consistent prayer life? Start by praying for each person in your Life Group, one per day and then repeat. As you grow in these disciplines, you can push yourself to do more, but start by setting realistic goals so you don’t grow frustrated should you stumble.

I’d also like to encourage us to keep one another accountable when we see each other. Instead of instantly talking about sports or the weather, maybe we should be asking one another what God is teaching us or how we can be praying for one another. Most of all, I’d encourage us to be transparent with each other; if we’re struggling with our reading, be honest so we can encourage each other to grow. Or as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Over the next few days, I’m going to share some thoughts on both activities and their importance but let me throw down the gauntlet early: let’s be a church that has every single member spending some time every single day reading the Bible and prayer. I have a feeling that if we commit ourselves to that, God will do some amazing stuff in 2010 through WCC!

Happy New Year!

Thomas

An unlikely reminder …

As I was reading the Lifehack blog, I was struck by his advice on how to avoid having a Blue Christmas (apologies to Elvis). Check out number 7:

7. Embrace imperfection.

The holidays put a lot of pressure on us to do everything just right, whether we’re decorating our house, preparing a holiday dinner, or planning a night out. Try to lower your expectations to a realistic level – something more akin to every other day of the year. Take minor setbacks in stride, and leave the stress for another day.

It’s funny that a blog dedicated to productivity would have such a profound message for us this Christmas. What a better time that when we celebrate the birth of our Messiah to remember that nothing will be perfect, least of all our little plans for a perfect Christmas. As I’ve heard it said recently, we messed everything up so badly, Jesus had to come to fix what we broke, restore what we destroyed and reconcile us back to the Creator. We’re not perfect the other 364 days of the year and we need Jesus to pay our sin debt those days, why would we think that Christmas Day would be any different?

Praying that you would find the peace of Christ and the joy of salvation through His redeeming work this Christmas.

Thomas

Quote

“Most men are wooed and seduced into lives that don’t matter.” – Matt Chandler

Quote

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

It’s All About …

As most of you know, I’m a blog junkie. The cool thing is that I get read about all the awesome things Jesus is doing not just in our own backyard but across the world. I was reading about an accident that happened as a truck took gifts from a church to an elementary school. But the really cool part was an encounter that the pastor had with one of the police officers that showed up on the scene:

A really interesting thing happened to me when I got there. One of the policemen came up to me and said, “Remember that series of messages y’all did this summer, ‘Still Standing?’ Now you could do one called ‘Not Still Standing.’”

I said, “Well, obviously you go to our church.” He said, “Earlier this year my wife downloaded a bunch of y’all’s messages and gave them to me so I could listen to them as I’m driving around. I used to listen to them through the night as I would drive around the city.” He got sort of teary and said, “One night, about 3 a.m., sitting in a parking lot listening to one of your services, it all finally clicked for me… All of it is about Jesus. All the Bible. All of history. All my life. He is the point. The freaking point.”

Praying that you see the point of everything is Christ,

Thomas

“Worship Him This Christmas!”

By Dr. Bob Stouffer, Elder at WCC

Friday, December 18, 2009

Friday was to be a busy day.  School was releasing early.  I had a multitude of tasks to complete before I could feel comfortable about taking a two-week break from my work responsibilities.  My mind and heart were racing.  I left home early to enjoy some solitude in my office when I could complete quite a few tasks.  Then, God worked in my heart.

I was driving on Douglas Avenue around 6:15 a.m.  For the past couple days, I had been listening to a Michael Card Christmas cantata.  I had actually sung in a member of the choir in back-up to Michael Card and this same musicale at Valley Church in West Des Moines years ago.  On this Friday, God moved in my heart through the memory of that experience, Michael Card’s humility and sincerity, the joy of my salvation, and an overwhelming and invasive sense of Spirit and truth.

I worshipped Him.  The spirit of worship was strong within me.  Have you ever had that experience?  One minute, you are pretty much experiencing the “normalcy” of life, and then you are struck by the Spirit of God with an abundance of truth and grace.  For five minutes in that short commute from my home to school, I worshipped God!

And that sense of worship truly prepared me for the day.  Sure, the pace of a compacted schedule would no doubt be frustrating at times.  The students would be wound tight and energized by the prospect of Christmas parties and early dismissal for a long break from the difficulties of their studies.  But God overwhelmed my soul with joy and awe and wonder!  In a car.  Listening to a Christmas CD.  Anticipating the activities of my day.

In this Christmas season, you, too, can worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.  In John 4, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (vs. 4, English Standard Version)

Why do we worship in Spirit and in truth?  We anticipate the birth of our LORD!  Please allow the following Scriptures and truth to wash over you at this Christmastime!

⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.  (Luke 2:4-7, ESV)

⁶For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  ⁷Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.  (Isaiah 9:6-7, ESV)

¹There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.  ²And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.  ³And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear. . . . (Isaiah 11:1-3, ESV)

²For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.  ³He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.   ⁴Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  ⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.  ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  ⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.  ⁸By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?  ⁹And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.  ¹⁰Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.   (Isaiah 53:2-10, ESV)

Merry Christmas, everyone!  Praise God for Jesus’ birth!  Praise God for Jesus’ life!  Praise God for Jesus’ death!  Praise God for Jesus’ resurrection!  Praise God for Jesus’ ascension!  Praise God for the salvation which comes to those of us who claim Him as Lord and Savior!

Leadership Community – 12/14/2009

Pitfalls in the Pursuit of Gospel Community

Steve Timmis ~ Re:Lit Author and Director of Acts 29 Western Europe

Dual Fidelity

Evangelicals are called to a dual fidelity: faithfulness to the gospel word and faithfulness to the gospel community. The gospel word creates the gospel community; the gospel community displays and declares the gospel word.

In the contemporary scene, people and movements tend towards polarization on this issue. It’s often those who are solid on the gospel word who are flabby on gospel community. Likewise, those who elevate community tend to downplay the word.

But there are dangers facing those of us who want to be true to that dual fidelity. As we move towards the nurture and development of vibrant and attractive gospel communities, we must avoid certain pitfalls to prevent us from damaging a truly good thing.

In a series of short blogs, I’ll highlight some of these pitfalls. The aim is not to scare us away from gospel community, but to make it even sweeter when we get into it.

Pitfall #1

The Gospel Saves… Not Community

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul gives a summary of the gospel (Rom. 1:3-4), which he then later (Rom. 1:16) describes as the power of God for the salvation of those who believe. The gospel that saves is the proclamation that Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is the risen Lord of the world. It is a summons to the whole world to submit to him.

Every time Paul preached Christ crucified and risen, he did so confidently and expectantly because he knew that was the means by which God saved his people.

If the gospel saves because it is God’s ordained method of rescuing the lost, then:

• You and I don’t
• Methods and personalities don’t
• Structures and systems don’t

Inquiring Minds…

Our danger comes not through actively rejecting the gospel, but in terms of our assumptions being demonstrated by our practice. What we can’t do is let our focus on community (as important as that is) lull us into thinking that all we need to do is expose people to it, and hey presto, they’re with us.

That might happen of course, but it won’t mean they’re Christians. According to Peter, it is our corporate life that invites people to ask for the reason for the hope that we have (1 Pe.3:15). There has to be something inexplicable about our gospel community that causes people to inquire. We then have the opportunity to speak the gospel word, for it is through that, and that alone, that God saves.

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Discuss why the gospel is the focus, not community and not relationships. What dangers does WCC face with our emphasis on community and relationships?

Holiday Hospitality

I stumbled across this blog this morning and thought it was worth sharing:

There are many benefits to being hospitable: meeting neat people, making friends, deepening existing friendships.  The list could go on.  But even these benefits should not be our primary reason for being hospitable.  We are hospitable because of duty (God commands it) and delight (his commands produce godliness and joy in us).  We are hospitable because we genuinely care about others.

Take a moment and read multiple ways that you can be hospitable and share the love of Christ this Christmas season!

Leadership Community 12/07/2009

This week, as a change of pace, let’s look at a “real life” situation. Read the scenario below and discuss the questions. You can read more at this blog.

Scenario 1: “Brad,” the Unmarried Father of Three Imagine a single man in his mid-thirties, let’s call him “Brad”. He’s been attending your church for several weeks now, listening attentively and showing interest in spiritual things. You have opportunity to get to know Brad a little bit. He works at a construction site nearby. He received his GED after dropping out of high school in the 10th grade. His father left the family when Brad was about 13 and he hasn’t seen him since.

Today, Brad tells you he thinks he has been born again. He trusts the Lord Jesus and wants to follow him. You ask a few questions, and it seems Brad understands the gospel clearly. He gives you a pretty good God-man-Christ-response outline. You ask him about repentance and faith. He speaks to some particular ways he is repentant and joyfully speaks of giving himself over to Christ in trust.

Next week, Brad comes to church and takes up an entire pew with a young woman and three children. After the service, he excitedly introduces the woman to you as his girlfriend, “Jill,” and the three children as his sons and daughter, “Brad, Jr.”, “Thomas,” and “Zoe.” They’ve been living together for 13 years. The oldest child is 14, about Brad’s age when his father left. The youngest child is 3. The mother works as a waitress. The family primarily depends on Brad’s income, which sometimes has seasonal ups and downs. Brad is the only believer in the family. Neither Brad nor Jill really value marriage, since they’ve seen a lot of heartache in abuse, abandonment, infidelity, and divorce. They’ve lived together 13 years and they’ve worked it out okay; they’re happy. Because they love one another and are committed to one another, they don’t think their relationship is sinful nor do they think “a piece of paper” matters that much. Brad wants to be baptized and join the church.

The Questions: How do you counsel Brad?  What specifically are the costs you think he may have to pay to follow Jesus? And how do you and the church help him to pay those costs?

Leadership Community 11/30/2009

The Foolish Sins of Leadership 

I’m reminded this morning that the foolish sins of leaders have devastating effects on the lives of God’s people. In 1 Chronicles 21, King David instructs Joab and the commanders of the army to take a census of Israel. For that decision, incited by Satan (v. 1) under the sovereign control and anger of God (2 Sam. 24:1), God displays his wrath against the people of Israel.

David confesses his sin simply and powerfully: “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly” (v. 8). What was his great sin and the very foolish act?

It’s not simply taking a census. In numerous passages of the Old Testament a census is taken. A census was taken for military purposes (Num 1:3, 45; 26:2), for the sanctuary tax (Ex. 30:11-16; 38:25-28; Num. 3:40-41), for populating the land (Num. 26:52-55; Neh. 3:40-41), for organizing the Levites (Num. 3:14-39; 1 Chr. 23), and for building the temple (2 Chr. 2:17-18). The census isn’t itself the problem.

The great sin, the foolish act, was to act:

1. Independent of God’s purpose. In all the other instances of census taking, there is a specific God ordained purpose for the census. The census isn’t an end itself; it serves some other goal in God’s expressed will. David’s action was taken without consideration of the purposes of God.

2. Ignorant of God’s power. Joab speaks to warn David against this act, saying, “May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are!” (3a). David blows past his friend’s warning. He wants a count, and seems to think his own military prowess depends upon the size of his army and not the “size” of his God.

3. Unappreciative of God’s gifts. Joab goes on to point out, “Are they [the people] not, my lord the king, all of them my lord’s servants? Why then should my lord require this?” (3b). The Lord had taken David from the sheep pastures and made him king over all Israel. He had been given a stewardship, to shepherd all of the people of Israel. Even if he had an exact head count, it would not change his stewardship responsibility and privilege for every one of them. He failed to appreciate them singly and ultimately collectively.

4. Undeterred by advanced warning. Joab concludes his speech by saying, “Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?” (3d). The counting of the people by the head of the people would bring guilt on all of the people. Indeed, the three possible punishments all affected the entire nation (vv. 11-12). David’s sin is not a victimless crime. He vaults over Joab’s warning, and with him the entire nation lands in the pit of God’s wrath. He awakens to his folly in v. 17, praying to God he says, “Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let you hand, O Lord my God, be against me and against my father’s house. But do not let the plague be on your people.” The life of the leader affects the people.

I’m certain I’ve committed every one of David’s errors and thus very great and foolish sins of my own. Before the day is over, I’ll have done it several times again. I’ll lose sight of God’s purposes. I’ll act without dependence upon His power but my own. My sinful heart will grumble in some pastoral responsibility, failing to see the precious gift and privilege it is to serve as a shepherd of God’s people, entrusted to my care. And, boy, will there be warnings everywhere. But I’ll not see or heed some of them. And with pride far surpassing David’s, I’ll act foolishly and sin greatly against the God I love. And in some way, sometimes small and sometimes significant, one or more of the sheep will be affected. I’m a great sinner, the worst I know.

But what shines through most gloriously in this chapter isn’t David’s sin; it’s God’s mercy. God’s wrath is terrible, but His mercy triumphs over judgment. God sends the judgment but He also stays the sword of the angel of the Lord. He doesn’t have to, but He accepts David’s sacrifice. The altar David builds will one day become the Temple of Israel. The sacrifice David also will one day be surpassed by the perfect sacrifice God will make of His own Son. And by His sacrifice the Lord Jesus becomes a living stone Who makes of us living stones in a new temple to the Lord (1 Pet. 2:4-5). And one day yet future, soon to come, He’ll bring us into His glorious presence where the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will be the Temple of that place (Rev. 21:22). Shining all through 1 Chronicles 21 and the remainder of the Bible is the staggering mercy of God toward sinners!

The Lesson: Avoid foolish, sinful leadership by depending upon the purposes, power, gifts and warnings of God, as you look to the mercy of God in Christ and the hope of glory.

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Discuss how well WCC is doing in the four areas that the author mentions.

Piper-You were made for Global Missions

I found this video both encouraging and convicting. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Prayer

A Prayer of Gratitude ~ From The Valley of Vision. 

O My God,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, for sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

Leadership Community

As we’ve done in the past, we don’t ask our leadership community groups to meet over Thanksgiving week, so no new blog post. Look for an update next Monday!

Sermon Scripture 11/23/2009

Better late than never, here is the Scripture I mentioned as part of the sermon from Sunday!

Enough

God was not enough … 

They made kings, but not through me.
 They set up princes, but I knew it not.
With their silver and gold they made idols
 for their own destruction.  ~ Hosea 8.4

God was not enough … 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
 and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
 and he will make straight your paths. ~ Proverbs 3.5-6

God was not enough … 

Though they hire allies among the nations,
 I will soon gather them up.
And the king and princes shall soon writhe
 because of the tribute. ~ Hosea 8.10

God was not enough … 

The fear of man lays a snare,
 but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. ~ Proverbs 29:25

God was not enough … 

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ~ Luke 12.22-26

God was not enough … 

Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning,
 they have become to him altars for sinning.
Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
 they would be regarded as a strange thing. ~ Luke 12.22-26

God was not enough … 

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good you are beyond the need of grace. ~ J. Bridges

Reaping the Whirlwind … 

For the sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. ~ Hosea 8.7

Reaping the Whirlwind … 

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal life. ~ Galatians 6.7-8 

Jesus is Treasure … 

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. ~ Romans 11:36 

Jesus is Treasure … 

For from Jesus and through Jesus and to Jesus are all things. To Jesus be glory forever. Amen. ~ Romans 11:36 (paraphrase) 

Is Christ enough?

 Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them.
Because of the wickedness of their deeds
 I will drive them out of my house.
I will love them no more;
 all their princes are rebels.

My God will reject them
 because they have not listened to him;
 they shall be wanderers among the nations.  ~ Hosea 9.15 & 17

Is Christ enough?

Since you reap what you sow, those who sow Jesus will reap Jesus. 

What are you sowing?

Leadership Community – How Jesus Made Disciples – Discomfort (11/16)

by Mike Anderson Director of the Resurgence

Jesus brought the disciples out of their comfort zone

When Jesus walks on water his disciples are horrified. They’ve seen Jesus break the laws of nature several times over, but this miracle pushes them outside of their level of comfort. Jesus reassures them, and they take comfort in God’s sovereignty by seeing that his power has no bounds—he can do literally anything, even walk on water.

Jesus also puts the disciples in situations where danger is imminent. The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because he kept saying that he was God, and the disciples thought it prudent to hunker down and let the mob’s anger pass. When Jesus hears of Lazarus’ death, the disciples protest going back to Judea in hopes to save their own tails. Jesus responds by telling them that if they are doing good before God, why hide before men? They are putting their safety before the saving of Lazarus’ life, and Jesus pushes them through their fear gently—not in a rebuking manner, but in a clear, focused, and resolved manner.