Today during the church service, Pastor Bill pulled out the cow tongue again to make his point about how the Bible warns about the power of a tongue to either build up or tear down. Over the past few days I've been on the receiving end of some significant tearing down by the use of the tongue - I call this "sniper fire" because it feels like someone is up in the tree taking shots. But, unfortunately, the story doesn't stop there. I, like most of us, am also susceptable to giving into the temptation to tear down with the use of my tongue. Bill used Psalm 141:3, "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." He also used T.H.I.N.K. as an acrostic as we consider what we say... it needs to be Truthful, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind. This does not mean we don't speak the truth in love, but we make sure it is in love!
I also taught/facilitated the Biblical Growth Class during 2nd service and we talked about the fall of man, the expansion of the fall, God's intercession of the flood, and then our relapse into sin with the Tower of Babel. Interestingly, during the class I thought about our (humanity's) legacy of sin and how this relates to our temptation to gossip and use our tongue to tear others down. I would like to be like Noah in my faith - being righteous and doing what God has called me to do despite what the world might say. And I want to be righteous in my tongue - build others up (Ephesians 4:29) despite what the world is saying and despite what bullets I'm taking from snipers.
God, give us the courage to stand like Noah stood and to use our tongue for spurring each other on to love & good deeds! Amen.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Non-producing faith
Happy Monday y'all. It was quite the weekend for our family - Saturday alone included two different kid-based parties with a total of 10 kids over (4 of them overnight), campfire, ghosts in the graveyard, soccer, painting, game cube, etc. Saturday also included my trying to do an on-line conference call at perhaps the worst possible time... as the girl party was ending at 4, the boy party was starting at 4, and my conference call was at 4.... it was quite interesting (especially for the parents who saw me tucked away in the corner of the kitchen talking into a headset while staring at a computer trying to ignore the sugar-induced screams and balloon popping). Very interesting day.
On Sunday, Pastor Bill really brought home that our faith, if kept personal, is dead. James 2:14-26 talks about this - that faith without works is dead. The word "dead" does not mean that faith doesn't exist, but what it means is that faith is "barren, useless, idle, non-producing."
The last verse of that section says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." If dead means the same thing in each case, then our body without the Holy Spirit is also "barren, useless, idle, non-producing. Is that true? I know people that haven't accepted Christ that are very productive. Perhaps what James is getting at is productivity in the kingdom of God?
James says, "What good is it...if people claim to have faith but no deeds? (v.14)" I think we would argue that the "good" is for our personal salvation.... however, if we are talking about our productivity in the kingdom of God, the rhetorical question hits home: it's no good.
Interesting topic to dig into further. You all have an AWESOME week! Let's be people that walk across the room and show our faith through our actions; let's put the needs of others before the desires of ourselves.
On Sunday, Pastor Bill really brought home that our faith, if kept personal, is dead. James 2:14-26 talks about this - that faith without works is dead. The word "dead" does not mean that faith doesn't exist, but what it means is that faith is "barren, useless, idle, non-producing."
The last verse of that section says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." If dead means the same thing in each case, then our body without the Holy Spirit is also "barren, useless, idle, non-producing. Is that true? I know people that haven't accepted Christ that are very productive. Perhaps what James is getting at is productivity in the kingdom of God?
James says, "What good is it...if people claim to have faith but no deeds? (v.14)" I think we would argue that the "good" is for our personal salvation.... however, if we are talking about our productivity in the kingdom of God, the rhetorical question hits home: it's no good.
Interesting topic to dig into further. You all have an AWESOME week! Let's be people that walk across the room and show our faith through our actions; let's put the needs of others before the desires of ourselves.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Life blood
I just blogged on this in my personal daily blog today (stevefredlund.blogspot.com), but I felt it was appropriate for this weekly blog as well. Normally I wouldn't duplicate, but I thought it was an insight that could be beneficial to the two different audiences.
I spent the weekend in Brainerd for my MBA program - about 19 hours of lecture and work studying managerial finance & decision-making. One of the key elements from the discussion was how important cash flow is to any organization. Even if turning a significant profit, if an organization is not realizing positive operating cash flow, it could be in trouble.
What about our personal lives? Sometimes we do so many good things which creates a net profit for us in terms of our current good deeds and our future (volunteering, working, studying, etc). The question is,: do we have positive cash flow, which is the life blood of any organization. I think positive cash flow for our lives are those things the give us energy (relationships or fishing or retreating or soccer or whatever) and negative cash flow for our lives are those things that drain us of energy (lack of sleep or relationships or fishing or retreating or soccer or whatever). I think we need to make sure we are experiencing not just profit (good things > bad things) but also positive cash flow (energy givers > energy drainers).
I could get into a discussion on the parallels between this and "working capital" versus "shareholder equity" but then I might annoy all of you (negative cash flow for ya).
May we be Colossians 3:23 people that in whatever we do, we do it as if we are working for God and not for man. But may we also be wise in knowing what it is we are to put our hands to based on our current personal "cash flow" and an understanding of the sources of cash flow.
I spent the weekend in Brainerd for my MBA program - about 19 hours of lecture and work studying managerial finance & decision-making. One of the key elements from the discussion was how important cash flow is to any organization. Even if turning a significant profit, if an organization is not realizing positive operating cash flow, it could be in trouble.
What about our personal lives? Sometimes we do so many good things which creates a net profit for us in terms of our current good deeds and our future (volunteering, working, studying, etc). The question is,: do we have positive cash flow, which is the life blood of any organization. I think positive cash flow for our lives are those things the give us energy (relationships or fishing or retreating or soccer or whatever) and negative cash flow for our lives are those things that drain us of energy (lack of sleep or relationships or fishing or retreating or soccer or whatever). I think we need to make sure we are experiencing not just profit (good things > bad things) but also positive cash flow (energy givers > energy drainers).
I could get into a discussion on the parallels between this and "working capital" versus "shareholder equity" but then I might annoy all of you (negative cash flow for ya).
May we be Colossians 3:23 people that in whatever we do, we do it as if we are working for God and not for man. But may we also be wise in knowing what it is we are to put our hands to based on our current personal "cash flow" and an understanding of the sources of cash flow.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
3-launch weekend
What a great weekend!
On Saturday night we held our annual meeting / vision night where we had a chance to share stories of what God is doing, recap the past year, look forward to the future, and share communion. The membership overwhelming affirmed the strategic plan, the budget, and the four recommended new elders.
Then Sunday where we opened the next chapter in the history of New Hope by moving to three services. There was a buzz among the staff and volunteers that was not unlike when New Hope launched officially on September 12, 2004 or when Evergreen Community Church publicly launched on September 26, 2006.
Change is always difficult and the process had its challenging moments, but God was faithful in getting us to this point and making the day a success. I have not yet received final numbers, but we had about 140 people at the first service, which is very exciting. I'm also thrilled about the launch of Guest Central as a "one-stop-shop" for ministry information, questions about New Hope, sign-ups, etc. By all accounts, this is off to a great start and will be an important lynch pin in our ability to provide a connection point for all those who come through the doors.
The staff and volunteers continually go "above and beyond", but this weekend they went
"beyond above and beyond." I wouldn't possibly try to list them all as I would undoubtedly miss people - but you know who you are. What a blast to be on this great adventure with such a skilled and passionate group of people... of fellow church-goers... of extended family... of friends.
On Saturday night we held our annual meeting / vision night where we had a chance to share stories of what God is doing, recap the past year, look forward to the future, and share communion. The membership overwhelming affirmed the strategic plan, the budget, and the four recommended new elders.
Then Sunday where we opened the next chapter in the history of New Hope by moving to three services. There was a buzz among the staff and volunteers that was not unlike when New Hope launched officially on September 12, 2004 or when Evergreen Community Church publicly launched on September 26, 2006.
Change is always difficult and the process had its challenging moments, but God was faithful in getting us to this point and making the day a success. I have not yet received final numbers, but we had about 140 people at the first service, which is very exciting. I'm also thrilled about the launch of Guest Central as a "one-stop-shop" for ministry information, questions about New Hope, sign-ups, etc. By all accounts, this is off to a great start and will be an important lynch pin in our ability to provide a connection point for all those who come through the doors.
The staff and volunteers continually go "above and beyond", but this weekend they went
"beyond above and beyond." I wouldn't possibly try to list them all as I would undoubtedly miss people - but you know who you are. What a blast to be on this great adventure with such a skilled and passionate group of people... of fellow church-goers... of extended family... of friends.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Chippin' Away
Yesterday at church, the service was focused on restoration. Worship, the Lifetalk, and the interviews were all focused on how God is in the business of restoration, not demolition. One of the interviews was with a man named Billy who I have talked with several times before through his involvement with the Fish House - a community of addicts and recovering addicts seeking God's truth for their lives. Billy said something I found incredibly profound and relevant for my life - he talked about how he tries to let God take the crowbar to his life and pry away those pieces that are not what God intended for him. I love thinking of my life in the same way...
God, please chip away at those aspects of my life that are not submitted to or honoring you. Shape me and mold me into the man you've intended me to be. Help me not add new stuff to the sculpture of my life that will later need to be chipped away. Amen.
Something else about what Billy shared really struck me and I've been processing it ever since. It wasn't what he said, but how he said it. As Billy was talking about how God has been chipping away at the junk in his life, he wasn't talking about it with an overly agressive sense of urgency. Obviously God has been working in Billy and he desires God to continue the work in him, but Billy seems very much at peace to allow the process of complete restoration to take place over time. Sometimes I think we (I) are in such a hurry for things to happen that we don't adequately allow the necessary process to occur. I praise God for the restoration work He is doing in Billy, me, and all of us who are desiring to be transformed into Christ-likeness. I also pray that each of us will be open to the restoration process God desires us to go though.
God, please chip away at those aspects of my life that are not submitted to or honoring you. Shape me and mold me into the man you've intended me to be. Help me not add new stuff to the sculpture of my life that will later need to be chipped away. Amen.
Something else about what Billy shared really struck me and I've been processing it ever since. It wasn't what he said, but how he said it. As Billy was talking about how God has been chipping away at the junk in his life, he wasn't talking about it with an overly agressive sense of urgency. Obviously God has been working in Billy and he desires God to continue the work in him, but Billy seems very much at peace to allow the process of complete restoration to take place over time. Sometimes I think we (I) are in such a hurry for things to happen that we don't adequately allow the necessary process to occur. I praise God for the restoration work He is doing in Billy, me, and all of us who are desiring to be transformed into Christ-likeness. I also pray that each of us will be open to the restoration process God desires us to go though.
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