Another round of snow! Man, does it ever feel long waiting for spring this time of year. The little tastes of warmth, the change in the sunlight, it all indicates something is coming... but here we are scraping cars and shoveling side walks... and waiting.
Waiting is part of life. Patient waiting is hard. Something within us is wired for expectancy. That we look forward to things coming is uniquely human. Hope is a beautiful thing! But looking forward can also make life more difficult. Worry is looking forward with fear. How often do you find yourself imagining what is next and dreading it? Worry can eat away at our peace, our joy, and increase the stress that drains our health. So how do we fuel the positive side of looking ahead? Like so many aspects of life, God's answer is built on gratitude. Last Sunday we opened with a song built around Romans 8:28, "We know that God works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purposes." To stay centered on hope rather than worry, we must start with what we already know about God. How has God already worked things together for good for you in your past? When has God gotten you through your difficult seasons? Who has God drawn near to you to be an encourager when you needed it? Did situations you worried over in the past turn out okay? Give gratitude and be full of thanks for these God-actions in your past. As you train yourself to look behind and reflect on God's good work in your life, you will start to look forward with hope. As you identify the way God's hand guided and is repairing your past, you will trust God to work in your future. And as you look at the imaginations of circumstances that now cause you worry, you will start to trust and have faith that God will also work in those circumstances for good. It is one of the many promises of God that we can really grab a hold of to live a richer, more abundant, big life! Join us Sunday we devote our hour of worship together to growing in our understanding and trust of God's work in our lives. We believe committing our hearts to God during this one hour of worship each week can change every other hour we live. What's the nicest thing someone has said to you? Have you ever felt fully recognized and praised? There is nothing like being known, seen, and appreciated!
Each of us desires to be known and loved. God created us that way. It's sometimes challenging for us to believe, but God created you on purpose - exactly as you were born, you were specially designed - from your nose to your toes, and all the mind and emotion in between. It is easy for us to focus on our flaws, to let our insecurities and shortcomings dominate our understanding of ourselves - but much of that is just nonsense from the enemy. God's design is good. God's intention for us is enduringly GOOD. It doesn't matter how off course we put ourselves, God can redeem it, forgive us, and work it all together for GOOD. God sees all of you and loves you and appreciates you deeper than anything earth can offer. When you give your heart to God and trust His leading, He will draw you closer and closer to the best life you can have, truly fulfilled, as He created you to live. We call it the "big life." Join us Sunday we devote our hour of worship together to draw closer to God. We believe committing our hearts to God during this one hour of worship each week can change every other hour we live. What's your favorite treat to eat?
We love to get a nice steak on a special night out. Or a sushi dinner is hard to beat. Maybe you love a perfectly layered chocolate dessert, or a good taco feast. There is something special that goes on in our bodies, minds, and hearts when we eat delicious food. Our senses are filled, our hunger is abated, and even our spirits feel comforted. It's one of the most delightful and satisfying aspects of human life. As a parent of a toddler, though, I know it can be challenging to get even the most delicious bite into the mouth of a skeptic. But once our guard is dropped, IF we can be lured into trying a taste... we might even enjoy the flavors offered to us, regardless of our preconceptions. Psalm 34 invites us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." Maybe you grew up thinking of God as a condemning judge and are afraid of what you'll find about Him in the Bible. Maybe you feel you've drifted too far away from faith to pray honestly for God's help in what you want in life. Maybe you just can't believe God would take care of your finances enough to give your tithe. Or maybe you've just gotten tired and slipped away from good habits of faith you have practiced in the past. Our invitation over the next few weeks is to stop resisting, be open, and take a taste of who God really is... because He is SO good. As Psalm 34 says, "taste and see that the Lord is good. BLESSED is the one who takes refuge in Him." If we taste, if we unclench our hearts and pursue Him, He WILL bless us. He is our remedy, and He is our hope. He cares passionately about each one of us and the quality of our life. Together, we can come to know God's forgiveness, leading, kindness, and provision more personally. In taking steps to seek Him, we allow Him to nourish us with His goodness and blessing. Join us Sunday we devote an hour to draw closer to God. We believe committing our hearts to God during this one hour of worship each week can change every other hour we live. It's Ash Wednesday!
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. Just like the calendar year is marked by seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter, our faith is divided into seasons that help us focus our lives on Jesus. Lent is the 40 day period leading up to Easter, during which we focus on Jesus' journey to the Cross and Resurrection. People often give up something during Lent in order to take a step towards God. So what do we fast on in order to move closer to God? The best answer is to fast on that which holds us back from following God more deeply and closely in our daily lives. Lent is a good time to take a spiritual inventory of things we have let slip into bad habits. Maybe you know your relationship to social media is causing you to feel negatively towards people. Maybe you recognize you watch too much TV. Maybe you are so engaged in the daily news that you are struggling to stay centered on Love. Maybe you know your habit of grabbing food at the restaurant or shopping when you are bored is taking too much of your resources and impacting your ability to be generous. Last Sunday we talked about the theology of our time, that our busyness often stands starkly between us and God. It seemed to really hit a nerve of discomfort in our very stress-centered community. However, rather than feeling condemned by your own calendar, consider what you can set down this Lent that can open up an opportunity that you can give to God with your time and attention. Each of us has something in our lives that we engage that tugs us a little further away from loving God, serving God, and loving and serving people. What is yours? What can you give up that will open a door for you to take a step closer to God this Lent? Join us Sunday as part of this commitment to draw closer to God. Each week, I look forward to seeing you Sunday for worship as we give ourselves one focused hour to loving God and loving one another. We believe committing our hearts to God during this one hour of worship each week can change every other hour we live. Many years ago I had a PE teacher tell me what I'm sure you had a teacher tell you, "practice makes perfect." That simple statement applies to a variety of skills in our life: academics, athletics, musical performance, as well as the simple tasks of making our bed, or cleaning the house. There is only one problem, that statement is dead wrong.
Practice does not make something perfect, practice makes something permanent. Whatever you were doing, right or wrong, you are going to get better at it, and it will become part of the ingrained habits of your life. It will be a near automated response, healthy or unhealthy - whatever it is that you do daily. So what is it that you are now practicing that is becoming - or already feels - permanent in your life? What financial habits feel permanent in your life? What daily rhythms of prayer or lack thereof feel set in your life? What conversational habits that either encourage or denigrate other people are becoming constants in your daily conversation? How has being stubborn with your grudges - or giving people grace - become a permanent habit of your soul? Make no mistake, spiritually, practice makes permanent. What you are doing right now is what you will likely continue to do - without a God-guided intervention in your life. And the less you are asking God to help you change... and then following through on His leadings... you will simply become better and more ingrained at the unhealthy and sinful habits that we all so readily adopt as adults in the world. It isn't impossible to change course. Far from it. One simple habit that I would encourage you to make a priority this weekly worship. Many of us will say how busy we are, and how overextended our calendars have become. But that itself is a bad habit that has become a way of life. Busy-ness is not a badge of honor, but consistently seeking God in worship, and placing your soul before God with others IS. My mother-in-law is an avid gardener. She was talking this week about the "January thaw". She contends that each January there is a break in the weather, the snow melts, and we are given a reprieve from the brutality of winter life in the upper Midwest. And it's here! We are looking forward to the experience this weekend! Temperatures are forecast to be in the high 40's all weekend. Enjoy the "January thaw!"
Here is the question: what will you do with this window of opportunity? Saturday and Sunday will feel like a heat wave compared to the last few weeks. Will you simply load up on sports and Netflix, or will you make the most of the opportunity? I've come to believe that what we do with windows of opportunity are what forms our character. An unexpected opportunity will enter each of our lives at some point. It could be an open door to an important conversation. A person could pop into our lives for an unknown reason that simply needs a listening ear. We could be asked to pray for something, knowing we've never really prayed with passion for God to move. It could mean a sudden influx of unexpected income (have you seen gas prices? We all got a raise.) What is undeniable is that windows will open for each of us, not at the same time or the same way, but unplanned opportunities to follow Christ WILL present themselves. It will require your openness and follow through. These two things are faith traits that we do not just 'oops' our way into. Preparing for God's opportunities IS the expectancy of our Christian character. Are you getting the most you can out of coming to Church?
The Church is unlike any other entity on earth. Organizations like McDonalds and Walmart were founded to make money, to employ people to meet the needs of their customers. Their end goal is profit. But the Church is wholly different. The Church was founded by Jesus to serve and worship God on earth - whose goal is saving His children. It is already eternal, and those who work for the church are not employees but children - children who love and serve their Father in heaven. Everyone who believes in Jesus is a child of God - a child whose life purpose is to serve God. I am a child of God who serves. You are a child of God who serves. Regardless of education or experience, we are children of God who serve. As brothers and sisters, we serve one another during our time together by encouraging one another to love God better, give God better, and serve God better in all that we have and all that we do. And we serve the world that God hopes for - by inviting others to join us and be born again as children of God - regardless of someone's history or their background - because God has not authorized us to judge one another, in fact He forbids it. So every week we show up Sundays, and as brothers and sisters, we work side by side. We unload, we plug in cords, we set up signs, we brew coffee and set out chairs - hoping they will be filled by people seeking Jesus. We offer encouragement and try to align our thoughts and hearts with God's Word and God's works. We sit together and pray and worship with song. We color with children and teach the Bible. We encourage one another, and we ask for help from our brothers and sisters to share more of Jesus. Our hope is that you won't leave the building on Sunday without having been a part of this wonderful work. It may be hard to believe, but without being a part of serving one another, you are missing out on the very essence of being children of God alongside one another as the Church. And good news! There are lots of helping needs every week - you can sign up and get reminders through the link below! :) Sign Up on VolunteerSpot to Serve at Big Life C.C. Here's how it works in 3 easy steps: 1) Click this link to see our Sign-Up on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/PEk9jZ 2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you can serve. 3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on VolunteerSpot. Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. This weekend I start my side career as a lacrosse official. Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Once viewed a merely an activity of elite Northeastern colleges, this year lacrosse will be a sanctioned sport in the state of Illinois, played by dozen of high schools in our area.
So what qualifies me to be an official for a game I've never played? That was my question and my fear as I sat through the mandated 8 hour clinic last month. I never played, and shoot - I've never watched a game! I honestly don't even understand the most elementary concepts. I voiced this concern to our instructor as we each introduced ourselves to the clinic. His response was insightful: The best officials are people who never played and didn't grow up around the game. In fact the less you think you know the better. Those who know they know nothing will approach the game with the seriousness it deserves, immerse themselves in the rule book, and seek out help in the face of even the smallest confusion. In three years they will be our top officials. The hardest officials to train are those who think they know the game, grew up around the game, and simply lean on childhood knowledge. They think they know everything, when in fact they know the least. Truthfully, I've seen this in officiating, and I've seen this in the church. Those new to faith are often the fastest moving towards progress. They can't consume the truth of God fast enough. They have a hunger to learn and willingness to seek wisdom from others who they quickly acknowledge are further along. When habits like inviting, tithing and mission are taught, they sink in deeply. Yet, the inverse is often also true. Trust me, I'm a life-long church person, and I know this is true. Those of us who think we know the truth of God, the story of the Gospel, and the mission of the church will often allow our inherited knowledge from being dragged to Sunday School by grandma substitute for a vital, Spirit-led, submissive relationship with our God of power and grace. My hope for you in 2016, whether you've been in church for three weeks or for your entire life, is that you would seek God with a renewed passion. I pray that God will light a holy fire within you to seek Him in all things. My desire for you is that habits of consistent worship, giving sacrificially, and inviting others to come and see would define your faith. I know how easy it is for us who've been in church for a while to think we "already know" the faith. Let us break the mold in this together. Together we will become a church that shares Jesus in an irresistible way with a lost and hurting community in need of the Gospel and the meaning-rich, abundant life only Jesus offers. Location. Location. Location.
In the Jewish faith no location was as important as the Temple. The Temple was where people gathered for worship, offered sacrifices, and heard the reading of the Law. It was also the hub of their religion centered society. There are entire books of the Old Testament dedicated to the long process of building and caring for the Temple as well as all the proper religious customs to be observed at the Temple in Jerusalem. However... look at the location of Christmas. Mary and Joseph welcomed Jesus into the world in a borrowed barn. They laid their new born into a manager, which is a fancy word for feeding trough. The angels shared the good news of the both of Jesus to homeless men - sheep herders - working the night shift. Wise men - alone in their interpretation - followed a star and found Jesus with Mary and Joseph. God made the greatest announcement in human history outside the walls of worship at the Temple and in a most humble alternative. Christmas shows up in the least likely of places. What does it mean for us that Christmas takes place on the outskirts? Christmas will be here before you know it - we are in to the final countdown. And then it will be over. But for a few more days, Christmas is happening all around us. Each time you choose faith, generosity and invitation, Christmas becomes real in a way that is more than on the calendar. God-is-with-us faith can break out at work, at home, and in the neighborhood. Wherever unlikely people gather, God is ready to share Himself - Christmas -THROUGH YOU! It may not look like what you expect, but being ready to say "yes" to God's nudge to pray for someone, to encourage someone, to give your stuff away, or to be a peace maker in a difficult situation. YOU can share Jesus with a world desperate for something more. Ever do some good ol' fashioned road raging?
One of the weird things about having a new 16 year old driver in Chicago land is that I have to see my own driving habits through the eyes of someone who is learning how things "should" be done. I have never been so frequently corrected on my use of turn signals, full stopping, and following distance... let alone lane usage, speed, and all the other harrowing habits that I have taken up - that blend right in to the other cars around me on the road. Suffice to say, I don't want my son driving the way I do, and that has made me think about more than just road habits. Do you find yourself sucked into the negativity around you? Do you set out with good intentions, only to end up engaging in the behaviors of cutting down, arguing and hostility, and negativity that saturate your interactions throughout your day? It's probably not what we hope for ourselves as an example of someone pursuing Jesus. The call to live as a Christ follower is a high and counter-cultural bar. This week we are going to talk about the Advent value of peace - and the Christ mandate to be a "peace maker." We don't have to escape, leave, or reroute our lives to find and spread peace, but we do have make some changes in the habit and practice of inviting God's peace into ourselves. And God's peace will change everything around us. See you Sunday at 10 to worship and seek God together! Invite a friend - you may never know the difference God can make in their life! |
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