Why "Applying It To Your Life" Is Boring

Last night Pastor Brad shared with us about why applying a sermon thought or idea to your life is boring. Many times we are so interested in what we need to do with the message that we miss the most important part, the gospel. This is the good news. This is what Christ has done. Ultimately it is what Christ has done that is the most important thing, not what we do about what Christ has done. Unfortunately this a very common trend in churches today. You will often hear people comment about how much they like a church because it "helps them" or they "learned how to do x,y,z..." Is that what preaching is about? Helping people become better people? Or is it about sharing the gospel with people who really can't help themselves at all? Does the gospel message have added benefits that make our lives better? Yes, of course. But our "better lives" are not the purpose of preaching or the church. Our better lives are the by-product of what Jesus has already done! They are the begin of our faith, not the end or goal. Let us together, focus on the fact that our transformation in Christ, is at the beginning of our faith and ultimately accomplished when Christ returns. In the meantime, we have to share the gospel with everyone so they can experience God's grace and receive eternal life, not just become better people.

Jeff

Setlist

Here For You - Chris Tomlin

Hosanna - Paul Baloche

Glorified - Jared Anderson

How Great Is The Love - Paul Baloche

Stronger - Hillsong

Why You Don't Have To Keep Getting Transformed All The Time

Last night Pastor Bruce shared with us about why we don't have to keep getting transformed. This was a hot topic because many people stayed and spoke to each other about the topic. As Christians, sometimes we get caught up in the latest fad, or trend is Christianity. This is not uncommon. A book becomes a New York Times best seller and suddenly everyone's life is purpose driven and the prayer of Jabez is prayed like never before. While I believe the intentions of these authors in good, I believe that the Christian community takes these book and ideas to the next level. An example would be tithing. Tithing is a wonderful practice and a biblical principle that we should follow. But when we hear terms like "seed money" and "God blesses a joyful giver", what was once a good practice and biblical principle has become a distortion and a lie. God desires for us to become holy, just as our God is holy. But we do not need to become "better" Christians. It's actually an oxymoron. We can't become better, it is Christ who works through us while we are in our fallen state. God has done an amazing work in your life if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. Embrace this. Learn more about it in His word and don't be anxious about the work you have to do to become "transformed". I will be on vacation next week and will miss you all terribly.

Jeff

Setlist

Freedom Is Here - Hillsong

Alive And Running - Kristian Stanfill

The Stand - Hillsong

To The Cross - Paul Baloche

How Great Is The Love - Paul Baloche

Why You Don't Have To Worry About Splitting Head From Heart

There seems to be a constant battle in our own heads about how we should make decisions and live our lives. This battle is between the our brains or our logic/reason and our hearts or our emotions. Should we react to situation with logic and reason or should we rely on our emotions to guide us? Many times in our spiritual lives we want to separate the head from the heart so we can "do great things for God" because we don't want our brains talk us out of it. We need to "Let go (of thinking) and let God". Right? Last Tuesday Pastor Brad shared with us about why we don't have to worry about splitting our head from our heart and that God made us the way we are for a reason. God gave us minds to think and hearts to feel and these are not enemies. God wants all of us, not just our hearts. He wants us to feel the emotion of love for Him, but not at the sake of "knowing" him for who he really is. Sometimes when we first meet a person, we can think, "Wow, that person is really good looking." Maybe we admire them from a far and begin to develop a crush or feelings for this person. When you actually meet them, talk to them, and begin to know them, sometimes the beauty goes away because you "know" that person for who they really are. Sometimes the person becomes even more attractive because they are a great person on the inside as well. We need to know God in this way. We need to know who he really is(psst, the details are in the Bible) and also love God for who he is and what he has done.

Jeff

Setlist

The First And The Last

One Way

Your Grace Is Enough

Jesus Paid It All

To The Cross

Why You Don't Have To Be Sure You Have The Right Motivations

Last night Pastor Bruce shared with us about why you don't have to be sure you have the right motivations. Often times when we are making decisions, we wonder what the driving force is behind the decision. This is often a question for worship leaders like myself. If we are introducing a new song, why? Because I like and I want to do it? Yes. Because it will fit with the set as a whole and make a good illustration for the sermon? Yes. Because God placed this song on my heart for such a time as this? All yes! It's impossible to know for sure why I'm introducing this new song because the Bible speaks of the heart being deceitful above all things. I'm sure I could go around and around with the reasons for why I'm doing this, but ultimately I can't tell because I may be lying to myself. The Bible speaks of not looking so much at my motivations, but if my actions are actually helping my neighbor. To use the example of introducing a new song, if that song helps people understand God truth, if that song helps people worship God, if that song helps people understand the gospel better, then it's a good thing and my motives for why don't really matter. Regardless God worked through that song. Sometimes we will have bad motives. Sometime we will have good. Sometimes both. We have to look at things on the basis of whether it helps another, cares for another, and loves another, not as to why we are doing it. The heart cannot examine itself and is deceitful above all things. Let's make sure we are loving and serving our neighbors and be less concerned with why we are doing it. We are doing it because God first loved us.

Jeff

Setlist

Happy Day - Tim Hughes

The Lord Reigns -Gateway Worship

Overcome - New Life Worship

Just to Be With You - Paul Baloche

Unfailing God - New Life Worship

Why You Don't Have To "Find God's Will For Your Life"

Last night we had our first ever, Lumen Tailgate! It was awesome. If you missed it, that's unfortunate. Don't worry, we will be having more over the summer. Pastor Brad shared with us about the most important topic (it seems) of God's Will for Your Life. We have so many decision to make in life, who to marry, where to go to college, what line of work we should pursue. All of these things are important, and they matter to God. Many of us think that God has a hidden will for our lives. If we could only discover it, then we will be perfectly happy and doing exactly what God has for us. Cary, in his book Good News for Anxious Christians explains that God does not have a "hidden will" for your life, but that He has expressed His will for your life in His word. God desires all men to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Therefore, part of God's will for your life is that you live in a way that brings glory to your Father in heaven (general) and that you tell others about your relationship with God and tell them that God wants to have a relationship with them also (specific). It's not that God doesn't care about who you marry or what you do with your life, but he leaves that up to us. We can make those decision by becoming wise through the scriptures. Wisdom is the key, not a view of God where we need to consult him about what t-shirt we wear or what we should have for breakfast. Let us, as a church, pursue the revealed will of God, that He Himself has revealed in His word. Let us love mercy and justice and walk humble with God. Let us love our neighbors as ourselves. We can do it through the power of the Holy Spirit, but we still need to it! Maybe you are experiencing anxiety about something in your life or maybe even "God's Will for your life". We are always here to talk to you and care for you. We will see you all next week!

Jeff

Setlist

Your Name High - Hillsong

Alive And Running - Kristian Stanfill

Hosanna - Hillsong

The Stand - Hillsong

Why You Don't Have To "Let God Take Control"

Last night Pastor Bruce shared with us from the gospel of Luke, the parable of the minas, or talents. I am sure you have heard this saying before. "You just need to let God take control of your life." We even have hit country songs like "Jesus take the wheel." What does it mean to Let God Take Control? And again, as I mentioned in the last blog post, how do we know

(there is that question again) if we are letting God take control of our lives. In the parable of the talents, Jesus explains that the Master (God) gives each of His servants (us) a talent or minas to invest. A minas is about 20 years salary, so it's quite a bit of money! The Master receives the first two servants because they have used their talents to create more talents, one making 10 times and one making 5 times. The last servant keep his talent and does nothing with it. The Master is very angry and has the servant killed in the end of the parable. Wow, that's harsh! So what does this all mean? This means that God gives each of us work to do once we have received the gift of salvation. Some of this work is specific, our careers, our individual ministries, and some are more general, sharing your faith, giving to the work of the church, etc. But all of this work is done by us, through the grace that God gives us. Even though it is through His grace, it is still our work. We are doing it. Often times we think of God working through us as an Either/Or statement. Either God is doing the work, Or I am. But this is not true. In fact, this is a Both/And statement. When you are working, both God and you are at work. Pastor Bruce makes the point that because God is all powerful, all knowing, King and Lord over everything, you don't LET God do anything. God works and moves, not because we LET Him, but because he is God. Be encouraged that we don't have to let God take control, he already is. We again need to seek wisdom and accomplish the task that God has already revealed to us in his Word. Thank God that he has given us the Holy Spirit and that we able to do the work he has for us through His grace.

Jeff

Setlist

Counting on God - New Life Worship

Break Free - Hillsong

Salvation Is Here - Hillsong

Here For You - Chris Tomlin

Freedom Is Here - Hillong

Why You Don't Have To Believe Your Intuitions Are The Holy Spirit

Last Tuesday Pastor Brad shared with us about how God has given us all the ability to think and act. Sometimes we are confused as to whether this is our own minds, or if these thoughts are the Holy Spirit? This is very similar to the week before when Pastor Bruce shared about God speaking from our hearts. So the question is, what are these thought, and how do we really know if they are the Holy Spirit or not? Cary, in his book, explains that any time we have the question, "How do you know?" LOOK OUT! This is probably what is causing anxiety in our lives and is a part of what he calls the "New Evangelical Theology". The Holy Spirit ministers to us by comforting us and convicting us of sin. Again the Holy Spirit, and God the Father have revealed themselves to us in the Word, and do not speak from within us. They minister to us from the outside, to our hearts, even though when we become Christians, Christ dwells within us. We must strive for wisdom because that helps us to make better decisions in our lives. The Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, shapes our hearts also and helps us to use that wisdom to accomplish the will of the Father, i.e. preaching the gospel, love your neighbor. More to come this week and I'm looking forward to it.

Jeff

Setlist

Your Grace Is Enough - Matt Maher

Great and Glorious - ALM:UK

You Alone Can Rescue - Matt Redman

Maker of Heaven - Desperation Band

How Great Thou Art - Paul Baloche