Make me an instrument of peace (Part II)

In July, I wrote about a prayer from Francis of Assisi. When I came across this prayer, it convicted me right away, and I feel like it is a prayer I could pray every day and still continue to learn and grow as I ask God to help me walk it out. Last time I focused on the second half of the prayer. This time I want to take a close look at the first half. The entire prayer is listed below:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

When I talk to my friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and even my students, I see that there is no shortage of hatred, offense (injury), doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness. I love how Francis of Assisi asked God to help him sow love, forgiveness (pardon), faith, hope, light, and joy. These are not as easy to come across in my life. When I watch the news, watch YouTube, or look at social media, I find much more of the former and far less of the latter. 

I have found that I am really good at replicating the negative I see around me. I am also quite talented at bringing that negativity with me and dumping it off on anyone who will listen. In fact, I do not think I need anyone’s help teaching me how to hate, offend, doubt, fear, or despair. Turns out I am a natural. While this may be the easy path, and the one I will turn to if I am not paying attention, it is NOT who I am. More importantly, that is not who God is. He is the opposite of all that negativity. I think the reason this prayer has impacted me so much is because I recognize God’s heart in it. Christ within me is longing for me to embrace the opposite of what I see in the world all around me. 

The opportunity to sow love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light, and joy is plentiful. When we come into any situation or conversation, we have a chance to change things for the better by sowing love. I am challenged to purposefully look for where I can identify the negativity that is happening and then respond with the opposite. To speak in love at work when I see hatred and complaining; to forgive when offended on social media; to speak hope, truth and comfort to those I encounter who are doubting and are in despair; to bring light and joy where there is darkness and sadness. The opportunities for this are endless: at work, at school, at church, family conversations over dinner or in the car, in the grocery store, on the street corner. We live in a world that is defined by hatred, offense, doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness. God, please help me to sow love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light and joy. Open my eyes to those around me who are hurting and help me be a part of your plan of healing in this broken world. Make me an instrument of your peace.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. - Galatians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

3 to 1 - Blastoff!

I committed to launch the Vandalia church 10 years ago. We’d planted several churches before, and I’d done extensive church planting through our network. But this would be a satellite—I would be head pastor over multiple campuses. In 2013 we began meetings, and we launched the congregation on January 5, 2014.

In fall of 2014 we launched New Day Vine. When Sarah & Seth Gerber moved to California, Anthony and Nicole Davis took over the Vine young adult ministry, changing it to a satellite congregation with me as senior pastor. I loved leading three congregations: Nichols established and suburban, Vandalia new and rural, Vine new and urban. I rotated between the three and loved meeting new people. In 2017, we launched 3:20 & Beyond, a three-year campaign to overcome growth limitations. All three campuses needed mortgages paid off and facility improvements, and Nichols needed an addition. It progressed well, paying off the mortgages and some improvements. Nichols, by this time, began to decline numerically. And then the pandemic hit.

The decline was the result of many factors. I’ve watched this cycle for years—we grow to a certain point, then decline. This is partly due to our building—not the main sanctuary, but the capacity of the foyer, bathrooms, and classrooms. Building an addition would have increased our capacity. Thankfully we didn’t borrow money to do so, as the building mostly sat empty during 2020. Another factor was that I was gone too much. I had taken additional responsibilities in our network, travelling extensively in addition to rotating between our local campuses. People would come for weeks and not even meet the senior pastor. We realized things needed to change.

Mid-2020—in the height of the pandemic—due to numerous factors, the Vine congregation was combined with Nichols. Our staff was stretched too thin to continue as we had. Vine is now a ministry center and we use it throughout the week for many purposes, primarily as an outreach center. So we went from three congregations to two.

Miraculously, we found a new pastor for Vandalia after Mark Morris was hired by another church. Pastor Michael Graff has taken on the Vandalia congregation as of this week. It will be an autonomous sister church, no longer a satellite. We will continue relating with them, but more like our relationship with New Day South Carolina. We’ve now gone from three campuses to one. This is a good thing, as the Nichols congregation can focus on growth and step into what God has for us next!

Only 5% of churches in North America ever multiply. This is a massive strength and part of our spiritual DNA. Like having children, launching churches comes with a cost, but the benefit is a lifetime of rewards. I am honored to pastor a church willing to pay the price of multiplication. It’s the fulfillment of Jesus’ commandment to “Go make disciples of all nations.” And as a church we are champions!

It's Rough Out There

There is a lot going on in the world that is difficult and hard to swallow. The injustice isn’t lost on me. The pain and suffering grieves me to my core. I’m keenly aware of the challenges facing this generation and the next. It’s too much to grapple with. It’s difficult to hope for change.

Jesus said that in this life on earth we will face trials and tribulation, and there will be suffering. Why am I surprised, then, when I witness it on the news? As the problems are hitting closer to home, why am I asking God, “Where are you?” Am I trusting that He is present and at work? The only thing I know how to do is to turn to Jesus, the author of hope.

I’m finding comfort in Isaiah 55. Please pull out your Bible and read it in full. Here’s an excerpt:

“For as the rain comes down,
and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
(Isaiah 55:10-11)

The Message version says, “[His words] do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” His words are THAT deliberate and calculated. Isn’t that inspiring?

God’s promises do not go unfulfilled. His words are always true, and He’s always working. There is no expiration on “Let there be light!” The light is still shining because the whole world is held together by his word, and he will fulfill his purposes in the earth. There is also no expiration on this:

““For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
(Isaiah 55:12-13)

God knows the endgame. Jesus will be glorified, and we will enjoy eternity with him. In the meantime, we pray, we believe, and we let God continue to renew our hope day by day. When I seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all other things are indeed added to me. And it’s not just the tangible provisions he provides, but the intangible provisions as well: hope and peace. I hope this passage from Isaiah brings you some of that today!

Your Body?

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

Today the world is casting off the influence of centuries of transformation that came as Scripture elevated the sanctity of sexuality and marriage. The Bible teaches the dignity of our bodies as vessels of God, created in the image of the divine. The church—individual Christians and ministers—have often been wrong, hurtful, and destructive in teaching and practice when dealing with sexual issues. But too often we are uninformed that nearly all of the progress in society that has resulted in respecting the rights of individuals, resisting sexual intimidation and abuse, equality in gender and race, and the fight against the sex trade and abuse has been rooted in applying Biblical truths to our laws and culture.  

“Corinth was gross, unashamed immorality… known far and wide for sexual looseness. The most prominent site was the ... temple of Aphrodite, a symbol of the lust which pervaded the mind of the city … The attitude of the city toward immorality involved no condemnation whatsoever; on the contrary, it was considered to be a normal part of life. The same loose attitude was often reflected in the church. The case of incest and the question about the Christian view of marriage had their roots in the immoral mind of the city. Most of the members of the church were Gentiles, and the strict morality characteristic of the Jews was foreign to them. They found it difficult to understand that what they once considered virtue was now sin.” – G. Munn, Southwestern Journal of Theology (Vol. 3, Fall 1960)

Today we’re encountering a mindset similar to the mindset the early church confronted. But how did the church respond? Did they change the Bible’s definition of morality to reflect the culture of the day? Or did they offer an alternative way of thinking and understanding one's body and sexuality? The church in the New Testament didn’t look to the government to restrain or reform society. Transformation came through the message of the Gospel. In fact, Paul mentions this: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11)

Wherever you are concerning sexuality and the debates that are raging in our world, remember that the Gospel offers an alternative. Our bodies are holy, not our own, and to be used to honor God. It may be hard to translate this truth into practice—but God also empowers us with His indwelling Spirit and grace. Freedom begins when we see our bodies as God does.

Scraping By

Sometimes with our limited sight, we ask for what we think we need or what will allow us to scrape by. The crippled beggar in Acts 3 asked Peter and John for a bit of money just to get by for a day, but God had something radically bigger in store. In God’s divine kindness and wisdom, He knew that what that man needed was not just one more meal, but complete healing that would affect the rest of his life and, consequently, his next meal, and the one after that and the one after that. In fact, it would not only affect his meals, but the lives of his family that he could then provide for. He would even be able to join society and worship in the Temple.

Acts 3:7: “Taking him by the hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.”

Peter’s response is excellent:

Acts 3:12-13,16,19: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.

It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as can all see.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

This beggar had been scraping by his whole life. That was the life he was used to, and so that was all he dared ask for. But God offered him something beyond his wildest imagination—complete healing. That’s the kind of God we serve.

How many times do we cry out for the thing that will allow us to scrape by when maybe God has something bigger, broader, more life-altering than we could imagine available instead? However God responds to our cry, be it with a meal or a total healing, the truth stands: He is good, He knows our struggles, and He is healer.

Following Jesus' Soul Call

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). In this passage, Jesus is trying to get His listeners to realize the value of their souls. The soul refers to our inner selves, the part of us that lives on eternally. It is integrated with our bodies, yet distinct. 

Jesus is contrasting one’s natural life with our spiritual life, or soul. In the preceding verses He states, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” How would we honestly answer this? In what way have we lost something of our life, or denied ourselves, for the sake of Jesus and the gospel? 

This is a costly demand, and Jesus says that our salvation is determined by how we respond to this call. He ends with, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38). The area where Jesus applies this call is living in such a way that we demonstrate faithfulness to Jesus and His words in contrast to “this adulterous and sinful generation.” 

Jesus was known for extending grace to those caught in destructive lifestyles and sin, but He always called them to repentance and to live differently. He is the same today, and He is calling us to follow His example. Jesus denied Himself to the point of being beaten and crucified, dying on the cross in order to save those caught in sin and destined for eternal death. Thankfully most of us never are tested to this degree. As we are told in Hebrews 12:3-4, “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

“How is your soul?” is the core question we are integrating into our community group discussion time based around the acronym S.O.U.L.,which asks if we are growing closer to God in four areas: Scripture, Others, Upward, & Life. Is our soul growing by getting to know God better through His Word? Are we growing in healthy and godly relationships with others? Are we growing in prayer, worship, hearing God’s voice, and other aspects of the upward call? Finally, how are things going in life—in all the details and daily things that occupy us? I encourage you to participate in Community Groups and take advantage of this opportunity to follow Jesus' call.

Defy Gravity

Every summer, Battle Creek hosts a balloon festival. It’s a big deal where I work because the Post Sugar Bear balloon is part of the action. It’s a big deal in my extended family because we have made a mini-tradition of going to the show. We eat slushies, ride carnival rides, hang out, and watch the balloons.

It’s kind of amazing when you stop and think about it. Humans jump in a basket, drape a huge piece of fabric over their heads, and start a fire between the two. Crazy enough when you put it that way, but there’s more. Next they defy gravity and fly away!

You’re crazy too! You Christian, you! “You decide you’re going to be a Jesus follower, He lights a fire in your life, and you expect to take off? Don’t you know that’s not the way the world works?!?” That’s exactly how someone who does not know the Lord thinks about people like us: “You’re crazy and it’s not going to work.”

Just like when someone who skipped science class thinks the balloonist is crazy and it’s not going to work. But that guy in the balloon knows something. He knows that by heating up the air inside that balloon, he’s going to make it rise.

Time for Christian science class (or something like that)! We know that by believing in Jesus, by putting our faith and trust in Him, by receiving His love and forgiveness…we are “heated up,” and our life begins to rise. Eventually we will even rise from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:51-57)!

Here’s the encouragement, Christian friends: keep burning that fire! If you do, you will defy the “gravity” of this world. And you’re going to be a marvel for the people who know you. They will see the power of God at work in you. And you might be the sight they need to see to start believing for themselves.

Don’t let your fire go out! Without feeding it and caring for it, you’ll slowly sink back to the ground. How deflating! (dad jokes 3:16)

Here are a few key ways to keep the fire burning (Acts 2:42-47):

• Go to church in person

• Worship with songs of praise (see #1)

• Pray (see #1 for a kickstart to your personal week in prayer)

• Read and study the bible (see #1 for a kickstart to your personal week in scripture)

• Fellowship with other believers (see #1 and definitely get into a Community Group)

I guess you could say that going to church is 🔥

Show Perfect Courtesy

Unity within a congregation is one of the most important aspects of the Church. Almost anything can cause division, from a disagreement over a teaching to something as minor as the temperature in the room or how long the service goes. “Divide and conquer” is the enemy’s primary weapon against the Church. An incredible amount of work must be done to counter the natural decay into division by constantly being vigilant against any cause that might arise. 

Ephesians 4:1-4 says, “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.” Here, unity is described as a core aspect of a person leading a “life worthy of your calling.” In other words, if we’re not in unity with our church, we are not living as a Christian. How much more important can this be! 

1 Corinthians 1:10: “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” What does “Let there be no divisions in the church” really mean? Certainly it doesn’t mean that we all are to be some sort of clones. Diversity in the church has been equally essential throughout history—but differences must not create schisms. As we live in unity, we create the spiritual environment where real growth and sanctification can occur. Differences worked out through relationships actually strengthen the church. But if a difference causes division and isolation, it paralyzes spiritual growth. 

The most intense form of pastoral discipline is for those in the church that cause division. Titus 3:10-11 reads: “If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.” When I teach at pastor training schools, I often explain this principle. As pastor I will tolerate a person caught up in a sin, or a wrong doctrinal belief, for as long as it takes to see them set free. But if that person begins to draw others into a destructive lifestyle, a theological error, or an unhealthy clique, then they must be confronted. 

Finally it must be said, and it is implicit in the New Testament, that there are groups of people who claim to be followers of Christ but because of serious errors are to be identified and avoided. There is a time and place for “have nothing more to do with them.” But that’s not what this post is about. And that should always be the very last resort. Even then, we would obey God’s Word in Titus 3:2 and “show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

Living in Unity

Psalm 133:

“1 How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
    were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.”

David wrote songs to be sung by the people as they ascended to the city of Jerusalem. These were called “Songs of Ascent.” The people were required to go to the city three times a year. Millions of people headed into one city. I can only imagine the gridlock of traffic with the people and their stuff. I experienced some traffic jams while in Nashville, and I wasn’t singing. But that is what the people of Israel did. 

Just imagine those millions of people, from different regions and parts of the country. Over time, the regions they each lived in would affect their culture. Each group would become different—and yet, they had a shared faith. They believed in God, one god whom they came together to celebrate. 

My husband Ray and I went on vacation last week. While we were traveling, we had the opportunity to visit some family and friends. Each of the people we visited believed in God but attended a different denomination than ours. It was great to catch up and to share where we were at in our faith journeys. It struck me that although we have differences in some aspects of our faith, at the core, we believe in one God, one Lord Jesus whose death and resurrection has made a way for us to be saved. And that shared faith brings us into one family! 

I challenge you to look for the similarities between you and your brothers and sisters in Christ—not just from our own church, but from The Church. And then we can sing together in unity about our shared faith just as Psalm 133 encourages us to do. We all will experience what verse 3 says, “For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore!”

The Lord is With You IF

2 Chronicles 15:2, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”

King Asa and his army had won a great battle but God didn’t want Asa to become arrogant with his victory. Asa was one of the better Kings and remained faithful to the Law and was known for ridding the land of idolatry. As a result, his kingdom enjoyed 35 years of peace, which was uncommon in those days.  

Many times throughout the Bible we are told that God doesn’t change. Malachi 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I do not change.” Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind.” Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” We can be confident that when we put our trust in God He will not let us down. But God’s actions are also influenced by our behavior. This is part of His unchanging character. God is actively involved in our daily lives and when we are “with Him” and “seek Him” we can be confident that He is with us. But if we stray and begin to live independently from Him there will be consequences.  

Ezekiel 18:26-30, “When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair? "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.”

Faith isn’t something magical that makes everything in life go perfectly. A life of faith is meant to reveal areas in our lives that are not in line with God’s Word so that we can become more like Him. Sanctification is the process of discovering and ridding our lives of anything that would compromise our relationship with God. Like King Asa we are promised that the Lord will be with us if we are with Him and if we seek Him we will find Him. If we, like King Asa, rid our lives of idols and destructive behaviors we too can expect many years of peace.

For it is in giving that we receive. (Part I)

Recently I came across a prayer from Francis of Assisi that has really stuck with me. The second half of the prayer is given below:

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen. 

Console > being consoled
Do I use my relationships as a way for me to be comforted? Is my goal to make sure others meet my needs? What would it look like if I purposely approached the relationships in my life with the goal of consoling when I see there is hurt and sadness? If I am looking to help in this area, God will give me the opportunity to be a blessing. If I am always looking for others to console me, I will never see the need they have in their own lives.
God, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console.  

Understand > being understood
If my desire is to understand those I disagree with, instead of making sure they understand me, it completely changes how I interact with them. Can I surrender my need to be understood and instead listen to what they have to say and where they are coming from? This is so counterintuitive to today’s culture where we all must prove why we are right and all other opinions are wrong. Is that how we see Jesus acting? Is he proud of me today when I do not take time to listen and understand my neighbor because I believe I am right and must convince everyone else? Does understanding them mean I have to agree with them? No. Does loving them mean I should be taking the time to listen and understand them?  Absolutely.  
God, grant that I may not so much seek to be understood, as to understand.

Love > being loved
Our culture is fueled by the desire to be noticed, to be recognized, to be appreciated, and ultimately to be loved. It is easy to let this desire to be loved control our entire life. This can impact our friendships, our marriages, our careers, and just about every other aspect of our lives. When our focus is on getting love from others, we often end up trying to manipulate them. If I do this one thing, or say these certain words, or dress this way, or am funny enough, or get the next promotion, or complete this project, or say one more lie, or pretend I am someone I am not, or hundreds of other possibilities...THEN maybe I will be shown love. Chasing love from others sucks the life from us and often turns us into someone we are not. What if our goal was to seek ways to love others instead of devising ways to receive their love?
God, grant that I may not so much seek to be loved, as to love.

We all need to be consoled, to be understood and to be loved. That is how God made us. Still, we cannot make others love us, for that is not what we are designed to do. In fact, it is just the opposite. We are designed to give comfort, to give understanding, and to give love. For it is in giving that we receive.

“Both/And,” not “Either/Or”

I’m convinced in most cases a “both/and” solution trumps an “either/or” solution. But life constantly presents us with seemingly “either/or” cases. Someone recently asked me if they should take on a new responsibility that might interfere with family commitments. Another person had strongly warned them to decline. But I recommended taking on the task, while establishing and communicating boundaries that would preserve the priority of family. 

Along this same line of thought, some people think that the church will only be effective if we “get outside the walls.” This implies that what goes on “at church” is not as important. But the reason we go out is to bring people in. Jesus makes this point in the parable about the feast. Luke 14:23 reads, “Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”  What’s the point of going “out” if there isn’t anything to invite them into? Street ministry and personal evangelism is meant to work hand-in-hand with a healthy church that quickly integrates new people into a community, or family, of faith. 

New Day is committed to reaching out. We regularly participate in events and activities that are designed to enable us to connect with our communities.  But we must also have a vibrant weekly service so that people can “plug in” and get relationally connected throughout the year. Once people become connected and integrated, it establishes long-term relationships that lead to transformation. That’s sanctification, the process through which we are made more Christ-like, and it is dependent upon being integrated into a spiritual community. 

Serving is key. We need EVERYONE who attends New Day to be active in some role in church. This adds value to your experience because you are actively contributing to the mission of the Church, not merely coming as a spectator. It also adds value for guests, as they see the commitment every member demonstrates. And it communicates your appreciation for every other person who is serving. Church services are called services for a reason—it is a time when we all come together to serve one another, our community, and the Lord. When we serve the church, we are serving Jesus, because the Church is the bride of Christ. 

I encourage everyone to find ways to contribute, both on Sundays during the services and throughout the week. When we take responsibility and work together with our fellow believers, it builds deeper and stronger relationships. It also positions each of us for growth and increased responsibility and authority. In the parable of the talents, those who used their talents well were given more. Let’s all commit wholeheartedly and believe that God has much more in store for each of us as well as for New Day as a church!

Specks and Planks

This past Sunday, Pastor Cameron gave a message on loving one another as Christ loves us, and shared wisdom from the Bible for healthy communication. Because God first loved us, we in turn need to model Jesus’ behavior and love others first as well. That is a contrary notion to the “me first” society the world has become, and an impossible standard to operate in if we aren’t cultivating our relationship with God. Can any of us really give something we haven’t first been given? We are limited in our capacity to love. God is unlimited. If we run out of patience and love, we can’t really conjure up more of our own. But he is readily available to fill us up and restore us so that we are FULL. We can then love others well, with his help to sustain us. But this is not possible without spending time with God in prayer.

As I was sitting in my seat listening this past Sunday, my mind started pondering the relationships I have. I started assessing how I’m doing in that department. Am I loving first? It got me thinking that love and forgiveness are absolutely inseparable. I can’t love first if I’m unwilling to forgive. Forgiveness isn’t possible without spending time with God in prayer.

We also learned about levels of communication—with the most basic being introductory small talk, and building up to the height of communication, which is genuine, loving truth talk. Again I started considering. What are the common denominators in my relationships where real truth talk is not only possible, but normal and routine? The common denominators were love, trust, forgiveness, and a history of spending time together in prayer.

When is it the time to have the hard talks? The time is when you’ve spent a good amount of time in prayer and the Lord has given you peace to proceed. However! Be sure you’ve addressed your “planks.”

Luke 6:42 says, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.’”

I think the Lord is giving us the okay to talk about the specks with one another, but the burden of plank removal falls squarely on me, with the help of Holy Spirit. Be open to receive input from your trusted loved ones. If you find yourself being challenged with a speck and you recoil or instantly get angry, you probably have a plank. Time to go to God and deal with it, and then you can revisit the specks with your friends. But again, don’t go speck hunting if you haven’t spent time with God in prayer!

We’re Made to Be in Relationship

“GOD said, ‘It's not good for the Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion.’ So GOD formed from the dirt of the ground all the animals of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the Man to see what he would name them. Whatever the Man called each living creature, that was its name. The Man named the cattle, named the birds of the air, named the wild animals; but he didn't find a suitable companion. GOD put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. GOD then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man. The Man said, ‘Finally! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh! Name her Woman for she was made from Man.’ Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh. The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame” (Genesis 2:18-25, MSG).

Most people are aware of the story of Adam naming all the animals, but often we overlook the context. God declared, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone,” then committed to make him a “helper, a companion.” The Hebrew word means “one who helps,” but also—more importantly—“a counterpart possessing neither inferiority nor superiority, but being in all things like and equal.” After this commitment to make a companion, Adam first searched and determined that no other created being was suitable. It was only after God formed Woman that Adam declared he’d “finally!” found the suitable companion. Woman was uniquely created to be the counterpart and companion for man. 

Jesus affirms this as the basis for marriage when He quotes the passage in Matthew 19 and Mark 10. Paul also quotes it in Ephesians 5, where he explains that marriage is a sacred relationship that is meant to demonstrate the spiritual union of Christ and the Church. Throughout the Bible, the unique relationship of marriage between a man and a woman is consistently and unequivocally displayed as God’s intention for the meeting of each person's need for companionship, the basis of the family and society, the means through which God’s promise of Messiah (Salvation) was preserved throughout the generations, and the relationship through which our sexuality is used in its intended purpose. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

This month, as we teach through Healthy Relationships, remember that relationships are primary to every aspect of the Bible, and that every one of our relationships must be submitted to the life we find in the Gospel. Our experience of broken relationships must not be the basis for our beliefs. Rather, our faith in God’s Word and promises for healthy relationships must become the basis for our behaviors.

Keep Your Roots About You!

It is totally amazing to me how trees can grow in such strange shapes. Stuff falls on them, turns them sideways, but they just find a way to grow up and toward the light anyway. This picture is a great example I ran into a couple months ago on a walk:

Something fell on this guy and totally turned him sideways. I’m not sure how long ago this happened, but it’s long enough that all the branches have grown straight up toward the sunlight. It’s amazing that it’s still alive and growing.

Some of us have junk that’s fallen on us in life and totally blocked our normal growth trajectory. Probably all of us can point to something that has turned us sideways at some point. If not, we probably have one coming in our future. It’s part of living in a fallen world, spoiled by sin and death.

What can we learn from the tree, and from scripture, to help us out?

Keep your roots about you!

In Luke 8, Jesus talks about different kinds of people who hear His good news. One particular type didn’t have strong healthy roots. 

Luke 8:13: “And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.”

The folks described here fall away when hard times come along because they don’t have strong roots. Trees pull the nourishment they need up from the ground through their roots. We too need a steady flow from the One who gives us life: Jesus. We need to be rooted in Him so we’re not cut off from our source of life. We’ll never make it through the “time of testing” without Him. When life turns you sideways, draw from your Jesus roots to stay nourished.

In Colossians 2, Paul writes about receiving Jesus, walking in Him, and being rooted in Him. 

Colossians 2:6–7: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith…”

This verse speaks about not being totally knocked over. An established tree has roots that hold it up. Something may turn it sideways, but it has strong roots to keep it standing. It is... Established. Rooted. Strong.

ith your roots keeping you nourished and standing strong, there’s only one thing left to do. Keep growing up and toward the light. Jesus is the light (John 1:9).

Come and See vs. Go and Tell

In the parable of the great banquet, Jesus explains how a man invited many guests, but they all made excuses for why they couldn’t attend. "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” (Luke 14:23). 

In the gospel of John, we see one of Jesus’ early encounters with His disciples. “As Jesus walked by, John [the Baptist] looked at Him and declared, ‘Look! There is the Lamb of God!’ When John's two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. ‘What do you want?’ He asked them. They replied, 'Rabbi, where are You staying?’ ‘Come and see,’ He said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with Him to the place where He was staying, and they remained with Him the rest of the day” (John 1:36-39).

These are examples of “Come and See” evangelism. It’s Biblical and a valid way that people are introduced to a relationship with Jesus. As important as a personal encounter with Jesus is in the process of salvation, there is also a community aspect that can only be experienced when someone encounters Christ in a community of believers worshiping together and doing life as a spiritual family. Psalm 68:6 declares: “God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.”

Examples of “Go and Tell” evangelism can also be found in many places. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).  And in Mark 16:20: “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” 

Jesus sent out His disciples: “And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 10:7). And in Luke 10:1-3: “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.’”

Rather than debating about which way is right or better, we need to be obedient and do both. It’s hard to get people to come to a church service, but it’s easy to go to them with the love of Christ. Studies have found that the more times a non-Christian interacts with Christians BEFORE they attend a church event, the more likely they are to respond positively and become a Christ-follower. The point: we must Go and Tell so that some will Come and See.

I Demand An Answer!

In the book of Job, Job suffers greatly, losing his livestock, children, and health. He is devoted to God, but terribly confused, and on top of that is being given bad advice from his friends. Finally Job cries out, demanding an answer from God! 

God replies in a profound way: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!” (Job 38:2-5). This amazing line of questioning goes on for two chapters. God goes on: “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place? Can you bring forth constellations in their season? Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!” 

Then Job answered the Lord: “I am unworthy - how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I will say no more.” The Lord’s replies, “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? Do you have an arm like God’s…” (Job 40:1-5). God goes on questioning Job, and as the questions continue, the sense of the vastness of God builds—He’s too big and amazing to understand, and to question him and judge Him in this way is a very proud and ignorant thing to do. 

God continues, “Who then is able to stand against me?  Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me” (Job 41:10-11). God describes the fire-breathing leviathan, and says if no one can come close to controlling or subduing or understanding that creature, how could they do the same to God?

In Job 42:1-6, Job responds: “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

We read later in chapter 42 how God immensely blesses the latter part of Job’s life. This whole exchange is an eye-opening look into an intense conversation between a man with questions and God. The man thinks he can accuse God, and God ultimately reveals to the man how ridiculous that approach is. Job is truly humbled after God shares his perspective. Job submits to God’s ways and repents for speaking of things he did not understand. God restores Job and his bad-advice-giving friends and blesses Job beyond belief in every way. 

This story is very important for us to keep in mind when we go to God with our questions. Yes, certainly go to Him with questions! It’s a wonderful, worthwhile thing to do. Lamentations 3 and Psalm 89 are great examples of how to do it with honesty and humility, because if there’s one thing we can learn from Job, it’s to have a humble approach. After all, who are we to judge God?

Who is God?

God is infinitely more!

Perceptions are deceiving, as the saying goes. I know it to be true for me. When I was little, I was introduced to Jesus as my friend and God as “The Judge.” While both are true, that is not the entire picture. It’s as if you were to look at a diamond and only see one facet. You are seeing the diamond, but not all of the other facets, and not getting the whole picture of the inherent beauty. I spent years reinforcing those initial perceptions. I did not see Jesus as my Savior, nor did I see God as my loving Father. 

This created a real problem for me. It limited my access to the benefits of a savior and a father and all the other characteristics of our God. Likewise, my perception began to distort my view as well. God who is Just became God who is angry and even eager to punish me. He seemed unapproachable because of all my continued failures. That perception ran deep, and even when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I was always afraid of God. However, God is not limited by my perception of Him. He is so much more than I can understand. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

I recently read a book by Irene Hannon and this paragraph struck me: “The thing is, trying to understand the mind of God is like an ant trying to move a mountain. … His ways are so far beyond our understanding that even attempting to figure them out borders on arrogance. That’s where faith comes in. At some point you have to put your life in God’s hands, acknowledging you may never understand why certain things happen but trusting that He does. Accepting that you don’t have to understand everything is a liberating experience.” 

I no longer trust in my perceptions. I am learning to trust Him and what He says is true. That’s why I love this current series we are in—What Is God Like? It explores the truths about who God is and how much greater He is than any perceptions we have of Him. I hope you are learning for yourself how great our God is, and even more, how deep and wide His love is for you!

Where Are We Reminded of Who God Is?

Exodus 20:24b: “Build altars in the places where I remind you who I am, and I will come and bless you there.”

Where are the places that I am reminded of who God is?  

We see that many times there are events in the Bible that represent what goes on in our hearts, minds, and souls.  Where are the places my soul has been reminded of who God is? My soul is reminded of who God is when I am in great need and He comes through. When my heart is broken and He comforts me. When I am in crisis and He is my refuge. When I am drowning in despair and He lifts me up. When my heart can’t bear the circumstance and I know I need God, He is there.  

Are we supposed to seek out pain, despair, and heartbreak so that we can be reminded of who God is?  While we are promised that we will have suffering, and it is true we can encounter God there, I do not believe that’s what God is telling us. I think it comes down to our hearts, minds, and souls.  My soul is reminded of who God is when I realize I can’t do it on my own and I desperately need Him to intervene, and then He does. The reality is that I am always in desperate need of Him, whether I realize it or not. The difference is that on good days—sadly, most days—I haven’t believed in my heart that I desperately need Him.

I believe the reason this verse stood out to me is because God is calling us to recognize daily our need for Him. In doing this, our hearts will be reminded of who He is and how He comes through for us. We need to daily take our hearts, minds, and souls to a place where we realize our complete and utter need for God. I need God today, in this moment. The above verse calls us to build altars (places of sacrifice) where we are reminded who God is. In declaring that I need God desperately every moment of every day, I sacrifice a lie I want to hold on to: “I can do it on my own.” It builds an altar where I can meet with God. 

I am encouraged to purposely and regularly recognize my need for God and to willfully make a sacrifice of my independence. I am also encouraged that good things do come from the times of suffering. Suffering is not something I desire, but I have a long list of memories of God blessing me in those times, and I am so thankful. It has helped teach me who He is.  

God, help me to be reminded who You are: not only in my times of suffering, but every day of my life.  

I wanted to close with this prayer I came across recently in a devotional:

From John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890)
My dear Lord, though I am so very weak that I have not strength to ask you for suffering as a gift, at least I will beg from you grace to meet suffering well when you in your love and wisdom bring it on me.  Let me bear pain, reproach, disappointment, slander, anxiety, suspense, as you want me to, O my Jesus, and as you by your own suffering have taught me, when it comes.  Amen

What is God Like?

If you were to describe in only five words your best friend, spouse, or one of your children, which words would you use? Now let’s make this a bit more difficult. Can you describe God in just five words? How can we reduce the infinite God to just five words? Well, thankfully, He did it Himself. In His interaction with Moses on Mount Sinai, God describes Himself as "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6 NKJV).  

This description, with some variation, is used many times throughout Scripture. You may notice that the specific words vary in different English translations as well. In our May sermon series, we will look at these five attributes of God, explaining what they mean and how God displays these characteristics. We’ll also talk about how we can become more like God by learning how to live in this same way. 

Wouldn’t it be amazing if someone described you using these same characteristics? All Bible study, preaching, and teaching must ultimately result in transformed lives. Otherwise we’re just religious people becoming more religious rather than Christ-followers becoming more like Jesus. The Bible actually says we have been called to be “partakers of the divine nature.” What an amazing promise!  

2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

According to this verse, God’s power has already given us everything we need to live godly lives. As we increase in the knowledge of God, we can access more of his nature, becoming more and more like Him in every area of our lives. Too often we make Christianity overly complex. The life you and I are called to is to simply learn how to be more like God and how to resist “sinful desire.” 

So how do we become more merciful or compassionate? How can we more consistently be gracious? How does it look like to be longsuffering or slow to anger in the 21st century? How can we abound in goodness or unfailing love in our day? And how can we better display truth or faithfulness to those around us? Many things change over time—especially over centuries. But the important things don’t. These five characteristics are what is important. Let’s learn how to become more and more like God in every area of our lives!