What Happens Next?
Did you ever read one of those books that was so good you just couldn’t wait to see what is next? Page after page as the story unfolds you want to know more and more. The characters develop and texture and depth is added. The plot thickens and the protagonist faces the conflict, you never want it to end. But the thing is, it always does. The same is true for us.
Our lives develop and add layer after layer of depth and texture. Relationships are built, grow, and sometimes even end. We can’t wait to see what comes next whether it is because we anticipate great things or we are waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ultimately we never want it to end, but it always does. Or does it?
There are all kinds of speculations about what happens when you die. People make up all kinds of metaphors and euphemisms to try and explain the unknown. Things like “Well he is in a better place.” “He is with mom now.” “He is in the happy hunting grounds, killin ducks.” (I confess I never really heard that last one but it does sound pretty comforting). But in all of those sayings is there any truth? When it comes to what comes next, I don’t want to hold onto platitudes and wishful thinking. I am not interested in your mind fantasy or even what someone thinks, I want the truth. Scripture does not leave us to the imaginations of humanity, but God clearly lays out what happens next. Because we know, we have the opportunity to live into it even now, and that makes all the difference.
This week we explore the Biblical doctrine of resurrection. Come discover what happens next.
See you at church,
Pastor Chris
Face to Face
Hula-hoops disappear with those we are most intimate with. When children run to their mommies they do not stop two feet away and extend a hand for a hand shake. In fact, it always makes me smile when a little one buries their face in your neck seeking comfort and security. And the most intimate of our expressions of closeness occur face to face. When you are communicating face to face there is no need for any intermediary such as a written note, a phone, a text, tweet, snapchat, or really old school email. Rather, with the most subtle movements of our face we can say volumes.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians and in the midst of “The Love Chapter” speaks of such communication. A time when our relationship with God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is no longer mediated by prayers that need interpretation or the gifts that come from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Right now the Holy Spirit’s gifts are an incredible deposit, but when we are finally in the presence of God, we will know and be known. We will commune with Him face to face. (1 Cor. 13:8-12) I can’t wait.
See you at church,
Pastor Chris
It Can’t Be Fixed
I have a love hate relationship with cars. I love them when they work and do what they are supposed to. But I hate them when they break down. It is the nature of cars that you might in one moment happily cruising down the road feeling no pain, and then suddenly that moment your car decides to have issues. Well I know it doesn’t decide but sometimes it feels like it. And now you have to try and fix your car.
The thing with car repairs is that at any given moment it can become a fatal brokenness. Fatal not in the life of the driver or passengers , but fatal to the car. You can take it in to the mechanic and he can tell you; “Well your doosenhimer regulator has fibulated and it can’t be repaired.” That is what you never want to hear. It just can’t be repaired, there is only one solution. It has to be rebuilt or junk the car.
Man had a sin problem. It was a fatal problem and the issue couldn’t be fixed. We can not rebuild ourselves, by deciding to be good, or avoiding making mistakes. Our problem was bigger than good intentions could solve. In fact, no stick on Band-Aid or external solution would be adequate. We could not just be repaired. There was only one thing that could be done, we had to be rebuilt and the one to rebuild us is the Holy Spirit.
Have you been rebuilt?
This week will be talking about the work of the Holy Spirit as he applies the salivation provided by Christ to our lives in regeneration.
See you at church.
Pastor Chris
Fake News
It is in this kind of cultural environment that we as followers of Christ must proclaim the real news. That is why it is so essential to know what scripture proclaims about Jesus and be sure we are proclaiming the truth. What is your proclamation about Jesus?
Pastor Chris
Coexist?
See you at church,
Pastor Chris
We Believe
Pastor Chris
Grace Is Enough
The next day I had comment remorse. Kind of like buyers remorse but worse because you can’t ever take it back. For some reason I replayed the situation in my head and realized that it didn’t make sense that this little girl was throwing a fit like that. Now granted, I don’t know the family and maybe our assessment was completely accurate. But what if it wasn’t? What if she had some special needs and this fit was the result of that and the parents were actually functioning on a very high level to deescalate as well as they did? What if I had joined in judging them as clueless and the reality is quite different? That is the problem with judging, we just don’t have enough information. Could it be that is why God is in charge of the judging and we have a much different role? Could it be that even in situations like this we should be full of grace instead of quick to join in?
I look back now and wish I could do it again but as is the way of this life, we often only get one chance. I hope to do better next time. I guess I stand in the need of grace.
This week we will talk about grace and our role in delivering it.
See you at church
Pastor Chris
Disciplined
Have you had a good summer? Did you vacation? Did you do the things that you can only do in summer that seem to refresh us? There is something about the changes in the seasons that often give us a little pause; at least they give us the opportunity to pause. We are coming close to the time when we enter into a new ministry season. Family night will be starting back up on September 13th. Kids are back in school and the activities of summer are giving way to fall. This week at church I want to give you an opportunity to stop and look around, spend a little time analyzing where you are and where you are headed, specifically in the area of your spiritual disciplines.
We hate the word discipline, mostly because it is so often used in the negative sense. It gives the feeling of strict and restricted. When I experience discipline it is limiting and often painful. If I discipline myself I am often forcing myself to do things that I don’t want to (but those cookies taste so good!) but know I should. I have noticed that while I often hate discipline I really like the results of discipline. I hate exercise but love being in shape. I hate music practice but want to play well. Isn’t that true in our spiritual life as well. We want to feel close to God but we don’t want to have to work at it. Time to enter the real world, because we need discipline.
Tomorrow I will talk about three specific disciplines, our interaction with scripture, our prayer time and our worship. Spend tonight and tomorrow considering these three areas of your life. How are they doing? Do they need to be refreshed and recharged? Do you need a new pattern or a new commitment? Is it time to tick up a notch and become more disciplined?
See you at church.
Pastor Chris
Stepping Up
We are in an exciting place as a church. We have one of the greatest opportunities since I have been here of establishing a location for our ministry. A location in the middle of a neighborhood and build some manner of a facility to call our own. Will we do it?
Last week I let everyone know about the strategy that we are pursuing. I will have that handout available at church. This strategy involves two hurdles.
First we need to try and increase the amount of money that we have available as a down payment. Currently (as of this writing) no one has donated specifically with that in mind. However, I would ask that you continue to pray that God would act on our behalf by inspiring His givers to give! We are pursuing the strategy even with the amount that has already been committed ($42k)! Every dollar donated toward the down payment helps the probability we will be able to build.
Second we need to temporarily significantly increase our monthly giving. This giving will help support the ability to qualify for the loan and pay for the payments while we are building the church and still having to pay rent. We need an increase of three thousand dollars. $1000 dollars per month has already been committed! So only $2000 per month left to go!
This is the week for stepping up.
If we are able to meet our goal we will announce it in church this week!
Excited for the possibilities.
Pastor Chris.