PSST …..HEY YOU!

“Psst..Psst..Hey you come here.  I’ve got something to tell you.“

If someone whispered this to you and you could not see who it was would you go over to them?  Probably not.  You probably would not go over to them even if you could see them unless you knew them.

Question:  Have you ever been someplace or been walking somewhere and thought you heard someone calling your name?   If you have, you probably stopped and looked around and tried to figure out who was calling you.  Then you start to wonder if anyone else heard it also.  But you are too afraid of looking stupid to ask if anyone else heard the voice. 

You may know the story in the Old Testament when Samuel was a boy and he heard someone whisper to him.  Just in case you don’t, let me refresh your memory.  This comes out of the 3rd chapter of I Samuel.

Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord when he heard “Samuel”.  Samuel answered and said, ”Here I am,” as he ran to Eli, who was in another room.  When he got to Eli he again said, “Here I am; you called me.”  Eli told him that he did not call and that he should go back to bed.  So, Samuel went back to bed and guess what?  That’s right, it happened again.  In fact the same thing happened 2 more times.

Well on the third time Eli figured out that God was calling Samuel and he told Samuel to go lie down and if He calls you again say, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”

Samuel did and when God called he was ready to listen because he knew the Lord's Voice. From then on Samuel was ready to hear God and willing to serve him. As a result God used Samuel to do mighty things and carry mighty messages.

As I am starting this new position at Grace I feel a little like this.  As the elders, my fellow pastors and I have felt God leading in a new direction, I have felt much like Samuel and am willing to say, "Speak Lord for your servant is listening."  

I don't know where this journey is headed but I trust that God has called and is directing it.  I believe that God has something planned for Newton and the people who live here. I believe that He is calling His people out to be the instruments of His grace.

My hope is that we as a church hear God’s beckoning and respond with open and willing hearts.

Has God ever called you and you did not know who to answer?  Has God ever called you and you did not know what to say?  My encouragement to you is spend time with God and learn what The Lord’s voice sounds like and when he calls respond by saying,

“Speak Lord for your servant is listening”.

Grace, we are the church, let's go be the church. Let us be sent!

-Pastor Sean

Friday Was Coming

On Sunday a large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”” John 12:12-13 ESV

This did not cause Jesus to gloat or to be proud as He knew Friday was coming and could see His children being redeemed.

On Monday Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.” Matthew 21:12-14 ESV

This did not take Christ's eyes off what was important and He had honor and respect for His house and attempted to put things in order. He knew that Friday was coming and He could see His children being redeemed.

On Tuesday Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and asked “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.” Matthew 26:15-16 ESV 

Jesus knew this was going to happen and He was not shaken as He knew Friday was coming and He could see His children being redeemed. 

On Thursday evening, he came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to Him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”” Mark 14:17-21 ESV

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”” Matthew 26:26-29 ESV

Jesus said these things to His disciples to help prepare them because He knew Friday was coming and He could see His children being redeemed. 

“And Jesus came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:39-44 ESV

Jesus knew what was coming and He was in His human flesh fearing and not wanting to have to do all that was required, He was stressed to the point that He sweated blood instead of water. but He remained faithful to His task and was willing to proceed with the plan because He knew Friday was coming and He could see His children being redeemed.

Early Friday morning “While Jesus was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”” Luke 22:47-53 ESV

Jesus was betrayed by a friend and arrested, He recognized the darkness and the power it had but He knew Friday was here and He could still see His children being redeemed.

All this happened while it was dark and before light would come Jesus would be tried two times then a third, forth, fifth and a sixth time He would be tried after sun up.  Only to be found guilty and sentenced to die.  

Jesus was falsely accused and grossly mistreated but He knew Friday was here and He could see His children being redeemed.

Jesus was beaten and mocked and humiliated amid these trials but still He spoke no contempt nor did He complain or cry out because He knew it was Friday and He could see His children being redeemed.

They took Jesus “and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called, “The Place of a Skull”, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him, with two criminals, one on either side of Him. Pilate wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”” John 19:17-22 ESV

Jesus endured this because Friday was here and He could see His children being redeemed.

“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.” Luke 23:44-49 ESV

Friday was here and Jesus was gone and the Father God had turned His back on His son who was so wretched from taking all mine, yours and the entire world's sins upon himself that God could not look at Him.  But God the father could see His children being redeemed because He knew Sunday was coming.

Pastor Sean

PHOENIX

I was watching a show sometime back called “Flight of The Phoenix”. It was a pretty good movie and it got me thinking about life. In this movie there is a group of oil rig workers who are being flown out of a job site they were on in the middle of the desert and their plane crashes. They spend part of the movie waiting for their company to send out a search and rescue party but finally they realize that it is not coming and they build a plane out of the remaining parts of their crashed plane. It is a really far-fetched story but there is a definite correlation between that story and our lives.

As a result of our nature that we are born into, we are destined to wreck and then have to figure out what we are going to do.  There are a few options we have as a result of the wreck. The first is to do nothing but just go along with the flow and hope for the best. Second, we can make a plan and then try to create something with which to save ourselves.  

The Third is really the only choice that will work and that is dependent on someone else to rescue us.  We are all living a life that has been wrecked, whether we know it or not and desperately need someone to help us rise out of the ashes. (The meaning of the word Phoenix in case you didn’t know)  This is literally what Jesus does for us.  We are all destined to go to hell after we finish our journey here on earth and there is nothing that “We” can do about it, but Jesus can raise us out of those flames and ashes.  In fact He desires to do that.  Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name (Jesus) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  This tells us that we cannot depend on ourselves or others to bring us out of the ashes but only Jesus Christ.  We are reminded of this in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

I have a few questions for you whether you have or have not made a decision to follow Jesus.  Are you willing to let Jesus pull you out of the ashes?  Do you truly desire to be a Phoenix or are you content with where you are, whether it is trying to rescue yourself or just acting like you are allowing Jesus to raise you?  

It’s time to trust Jesus completely, and let Him make you a Phoenix. 

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

JOY!?!?

This time of year they say starts one of the most depressing times for a lot of people.  I have never understood that, until last year with it being the first holiday season since my dad passed.  This year the season is starting out in about the same way as last year so this word God is giving me is so very relevant to me. Maybe it will be what someone else needs to hear also.

When we look at it, we start with Thanksgiving, a time when we stop to think about all the good things in our lives.  In some cases it may be just a few things that are good, but none-the-less good things.  Then we move on to Christmas when we should focus on others and giving.   Christmas is also the time when we should be thinking about the gift of Life and forgiveness that God gave us in His Son Jesus Christ.  

I know that things in life can get hectic around this time of year and there are alot of things that can get us down, swamped and occupied.  But that doesn’t have to take away the joy.  Yes, I said joy.

Let me expand upon that. First let's look at what joy means as a word.

Joy–noun

 1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally

     good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: 

 2.a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly

    valued or appreciated: 

 3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety

 4. a state of happiness or felicity.

As I think about this a few lyrics from songs come to mind.  Well actually they were floating around in my head and being voiced in the shower the other day.

• You give me joy that's unspeakable and I like it, and I like it, yeah Your love for me is irresistible I can't fight it, I can't fight it

• I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart.

•  Joy to the world the Lord has come.

It was quite a concert, let me tell you. Glad you all couldn’t hear it. 

But, back on track, ever since I got out of the shower I have been thinking about Joy.  Man it is so easy for me to get bogged down with the details of life.But why do I do that when I could be living in the Joy that comes from God.  Now I don’t know what your situation is in life but I can tell you one thing for sure.  That is, our God is not a God of worry, depression, resentment, regret or remorse.  Our God is a God of love, peace and joy.  If you let all the other stuff become the focus in your life you will miss everything good that God has for you.  I want to encourage you with a few scriptures before I sign off.

David knew all about hardships but he also knew about joy and where it came from:

• Psalm 49:19  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

• Psalm 50:1  Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

One last thought and reminder for me as well as my prayer for you as you start this holiday season.

 I pray that you will put your trust the God of peace, harmony, wholeness, and joy so that he can completely pour into you until you cannot help but overflow, with the hope that comes from The Holy Spirit, I pray that He will also protect you heart and mind in the power of Jesus Christ and that He will give you peace that goes so much farther than anything you can know or comprehend. May you experience a holiday season that is saturated in the powerful all encompassing love of our Heavenly father through His Son Jesus Christ 

AMEN

Romans 15:13  (Tree of Life Version)

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and shalom (peace, harmony, wholeness) in trusting, so you may overflow with hope in the power of the Ruach ha-Kodesh.(The Holy Spirit)

Philippians 4:6-7 (Tree of Life Version)

6 Do not be anxious about anything—but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua.[a]

I hope that you can sing for joy in the shower and not care who hears it!

Pastor Sean

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

I have always been one who loves to be in competition and sports fed my hunger for that. I think that my high school wrestling coach was even more competitive than I was. I am pretty sure he  had obsessive compulsive disorder when it came to his team being as close to perfect as a team could get with technique and application of their craft.  He would remind us every practice in not so polite ways that, “Practice makes perfect!”.  I had some bad dreams with him yelling, “AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN!!!!!”,  only to find out that I was awake and at practice. UUUUGH!!!!

His pressing us toward perfection carried over into other sports for me. When I was a yell leader  in college, that drive to do everything as perfectly as I could,  made me spend hours tumbling and stunting every week to be ready for game day.

You might be wondering what brought this “practice makes perfect”  thing to my mind after all these years?” Well, I am going to tell you. (Whether you want to hear it or not.)

I was listening to the radio the other day and one of the DJs was talking about how man has had almost six thousand years to perfect the craft of sin. 

At first I was like, “That is so true, he really has.”, but as I thought about it more I decided that that is not true.  Man didn't need to perfect that craft. It was a perfected craft almost from the get go. Man didn't have to perfect it because satan had already perfected the craft of being in direct opposition to God, before man was ever around.  That doesn't mean that we have’t continued to practice and practice and practice. In Fact maybe that practice to perfection has driven us to live in an ongoing game day of rebellion and disobedience.  I know that we (mankind) are very good at it.  

Just as in a sport you know that the other team is doing the same thing and that is what drives each side to work harder. I am so thankful for the fact that there is an opposing team to our rebellious craft and that team doesn't even have to practice to be perfect, because God is already so perfect in His knowledge, wisdom and grace that he had a game plan before the other team was even on the field.  

Try as we may to fight againstGod and his ways there is never a time when God cannot reach even the person with the most practice at living in opposition to Him.  

This is what we as believers and the church are all about, “The wondrous and powerful love of a gracious and forgiving God. A God that never sees anyone as a lost cause.  A God that pursues His prized creation and is not willing to lose any, but yet He loves us enough to allow us to make our own decisions even if it breaks His heart. 

Sometimes it is easy to forget that God loves His creation so much that He was willing to give His only son as a payment for the debt that their rebellion has created.

The best way to always keep that in the front of our mind is to practice. God reminds us in scripture of what we need to practice.

In our practice we are to make a decision every day as to who or what we are going to follow and serve. In that decision we are encouraged to draw near to the one who loves us and hold strong to the faith that we have chosen to have. Not only should we walk by that faith but we should walk in it. Faith is what draws us closer to God and helps us live a life that exemplifies The one who gives us life, hope, love and purpose.

To steal from God’s word (Oops! There is that practice again, “stealing”.) We live by faith and not by sight. If we practice living by the faith we claim to have, then we will be more likely to have that faith show itself in our actions, attitudes, words and relationships.

This may sound cliche, but it is so true, the more we practice the better we will perform.

I don't know about you but I am going to practice more on living by faith and less on living by sight. 

So let us practice being on guard, Standing firm in faith, being courageous and strong and seeking the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind. (There I go once more, stealing. LOL!)

Now let’s get to it: practice, practice, Practice, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!!!!

See you on the Game Field!

(Places I stole from: Hebrews 10.22-23; Psalm 119.30; 2 Corinthians 5.7; James 2.18; 1 Corinthians 16.13; Mark 12.30-31)

- Pastor Sean                                            

Tomorrow?

Why do today what you can do tomorrow?  This is a phrase we used to quote a lot in college and high school.  Let me tell you, I am the king of procrastination.  I love to work under pressure.  In college I would wait until the night before a paper was due and then I would go to the library and get the books and then write all night and have the paper for class the next day.  I would turn in the paper and usually would get a “B” and sometimes an “A”.  Now on the other hand if I tried to write the paper ahead of time, which I did a couple of times, believe it or not, it seemed like I would always get a “C”.   So, my creed or motto sort of became, why do it today when I can do it tomorrow.   This has gotten me in trouble sometimes and boy that's no fun at all.

There are all kinds of things you can put off until tomorrow like yard work, homework, housework, sending birthday and anniversary gifts.  Talking to your kids, parents or bosses about critical issues are other things people put off, sometimes almost too long.  

There are all kinds of projects and decisions that I have procrastinated on in my life but there is one decision that I am so glad that I didn’t procrastinate with, and that is the decision to ask Jesus to come into my heart and to follow Him.  I made that decision when I was 14 years old. You know, if I had put it off until I was 38, I might have waited too long.  I thought about this when I got sick in December of 2007 and just about didn’t have a tomorrow.  

In Matthew 24:36 we are told,” "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. “  This verse is talking about when the Lord is going to come back to claim all that are His.  Not only do we not know when The Lord will return, we don't know how much time we have on Earth. You might have 10 years or 10 minutes from the time you read this before you leave this world.  When and if you make the decision as to whether you will reject or accept the gift of life that Jesus offers could determine if you spend your eternity in peace and fulfillment in the presence of God or an eternity in pain and suffering being separated from God.  That’s right, I am talking about Heaven vs. Hell. 

What is your decision?  Have you made it?  Will you choose to follow Christ?  He died so you could have the opportunity to make this decision.  He died to save you from sin and eternal condemnation.  

He was given the choice to be the payment for your sins and He chose to die for you.  He did not procrastinate! 

Jesus loves you and desires to be a part of your life and is calling you to come into a relationship with Him. He says, "Trust Me", "Love Me and be loved by Me!' and "Come follow Me!" 

What is your answer?  Are you going to trust in Him, love Him and follow Him?

What are you waiting on? Time is ticking. How much time do you have?

Pastor Sean

TAKING A CHANCE OR A SURE THING?

A while back a friend and I were talking about a dice game called “Farkle”.  It is kind of like “Yatzee” but moves a little faster and you can lose all your points if you are not careful.  I pulled out a Farkle game and was rolling the dice in my office and started thinking.  Every time I roll these dice I take a chance of either getting more points or losing everything that I had accumulated up to that point, yet something makes me want to keep rolling for more. Life is a lot like that, there are things all over that people take chances on. Some are good and some are bad.  Some people take chances by playing the lottery, black jack or the slots, yet others take chances like jumping out of a plane with a parachute (I have done that and it was awesome) others take chances by doing drugs, drinking and  partying.  We all take chances everyday by driving, going on a plane or train, ridding a roller coaster or even walking down the street.  It seems that we are all willing to take a chance on a lot of things, a lot of things that is except maybe Christ and His cause. 

You are saying, ”Wait a minute, I love the Lord and have given my life to Him, So, what are you talking about?”  Well let me put it this way.  Asking Jesus into your heart and life to be your Lord and Savior is not a chance or a gamble, it is a Sure Thing.  So then, what am I talking about?

I’m talking about being Sold Out for Christ in everything you do.  Does Jesus invade every part of your life?  Is He the reason for everything you do?  If He isn’t then you are taking a huge chance. What do I mean by having him as your reason for everything?  I mean do you weigh the cost and make every decision on the standards that Christ laid out and stands for. When you go to work do you just go to work or do you ask yourself, “How can I make a difference for Christ at work today?”  How about when you are hanging out with friends do you ask, “How can we have fun and glorify Christ at the same time?”  

Even at church we need to ask some critical questions.  Like, "How can I serve my church in a way that will bring glory to God and lead others to a relationship with Christ?"  Maybe we should ask ourselves, "Is our church serving in such a way that it brings glory to Christ.?" Depending on the answers to those questions we then may have to ask, "What can I / we do to bring new Christians into a deeper relationship with Christ?”, or maybe even, "How do I bring myself into an even deeper relationship with Christ? "That is what discipleship is.  When a church makes disciples and has faith then all other things fall into place.  But when a church or individuals places emphasis on other things, then, it is taking a chance on itself and not taking hold of the sure thing in Christ.  The Bible tells us to seek first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness of Christ and then all this will be added unto us.  If we are trying to problem solve rather than seeking then we are taking a chance.

We also need to ask, “Am I/are we doing enough or all that I/we can to further the cause of Christ?”  Is there “No I’ve done enough” or “it’s someone else’s turn” when it comes to the kingdom of God. So stop taking chances and just serve God and seek Christ.  I would like to close with a little blurb from the poem “I Am A Disciple”.  (Not the denomination creed but the creed of a true disciple of the Lord of Lords.)

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

If you are going to take a chance why not make it a sure thing!?! Go all in!!!

Pastor Sean

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE

One time my oldest daughter (she was probably 5 or 6 at the time) and I were out pillaging large rocks by the side of the road to build a small wall in the front yard. We came across this one rock that was just the perfect size, or so I thought, until I went to put it in the trailer. It turned out to be thick enough that it was a little heavier than I had anticipated. I told Synclair that it was too big and I couldn’t put it in the trailer. She said, “ God will help you Daddy.”

Well, I couldn’t let my daughter down, not with faith like that in me.  So, here goes about a 250+ pound very flat and awkward rock, UUUUPPPP and OOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRRRR the side of the trailer. “Whew!”  Big smile from my daughter and a proud smirk from me, then back into the truck and off we go. Synclair blurts out, ”I Knew you could do it with God’s help.”  Then there was another smile from Synclair and an even bigger smile from me and a silent “Thank you God, she really understands who you are.”  She didn’t know the verse in Isaiah 40:29-31 yet, but she knew the promise that God gives us strength and endurance to do what needs to be done. I know that that verse probably isn’t  talking about putting rocks into a trailer but for her to have recognized that God is the source of our strength was huge. 

One of our families favorite shows is “Facing the Giants”, if you haven’t seen it then you need to.  The main theme of the movie is “Nothing is Impossible with God” Which comes from Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27.  So, we were  big on saying, “What is impossible with God?”  Then one of us would answer, “NOTHING.” my girls loved to shout that part out. (We still say it but the answer is not as boisterous these days.)

You know there are times in our life when a task or request seems too big for us to handle or to complete and we often quit or don’t even attempt it.  These are the times when we forget how big and strong and never tiring our GOD is.

This doesn't only apply to tasks we are given by others, it also applies to a task that God has given us, the biggest task we could ever be given, "Go and make disciples."(Matthew 28.19-20). Sometimes that seems daunting, especially when we look around at the world today and all the opposition people have to endure when they stand up and share their faith. But, remember that the last part of that passage says "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Not only Can we do all things through Christ but He is with us all the way through what we are called to do.

So, the next time you come across a task or request that seems too big, remember these three promises from God's word.

   Matthew 19:26

                  Jesus looked at them and said, “ With man this is 

impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

            Isaiah 40:28-31

                  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the 

everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will

not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can 

fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the

power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and

even young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in 

The Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like

eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not

faint.

        Matthew 28:20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them 

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have  commanded you and

behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Plant these promises in your heart and mind so that you will never forget that our GOD IS GREATER than this world and he will never fail or leave us alone.

What is impossible with God?

NOTHING!!!

Pastor Sean

Longing For Their Return

Well Christmas has come and gone this year once again but this year it has created a whole new view and meaning in my heart and mind.  This year, waiting for Christmas brought a new expectation for me.  This year I became a grandfather. Our (Susan and I) first granddaughter (Elisabeth Amelia, I call her “Ame”) was born in October and we got to see Ame when she was a week old. Since then it has only been in pictures of short video calls that we have been able to see her.  Those pics and video calls are a sweet taste or reminder of Ame.  They made me long for her to come at Christmas.  The day she got to our house with her parents was a sweet and longed for day.  I have held her quite a bit since she has gotten here.  Every time I hold her I find my thoughts drifting to how much I love this little girl and how sweet a gift she is from God.  My thoughts don’t stop there however.  My mind drifts to thoughts of my daughters. I begin to reflect on how sheet a gifts from God they are as well.  

Not only was this the first year that I waited for Christmas to see Ame but it was also the first Christmas that I waited for two of my three daughters to come home for Christmas.  As I look at and hold Ame, I realize how much I long for that connection and time with her and each of my three daughters.  Whenever I am separated from them there is a longing, a pain, a void and an anticipation that never goes away until they are back in my presence.  This is true whether they are gone for a short time a short distance away or a long distance for a long time.  I long and wait for that sweet reunion. 

This last week that realization of what I have been given and what I miss during the separation has made my mind wander to a deeper, stronger void and longing that I don’t think I have ever been able to comprehend until I have experienced just a taste of it.  That void is the one that is between God and His fallen creation.  I cannot ever fathom how great the longing or desire is for Him as He patiently waits for the day that each and every one of His creations return and be called children of God.  That’s right He longs for each and every one of His creations to return to be with Him. 

(1 Timothy 2.4; 2 Peter 3.9)

The separation from those who are dearest to us creates something that nothing can fill except the reunion with those loved ones.  The reconnection is so precious and the time no matter how short is sweet and life giving.

I don’t think I can even begin to imagine the pain and longing that God experiences while waiting for the return of His creation or the sweetness that is there when they return to Him. Whether it is a return from the separation created by sin or just from those times when those who have been reunited just don’t make time for Him in their lives.  Any separation from His creation creates a longing in His heart because His love is so great for each and every one. That Longing was so Great that he Sent the one dearest to Him to become the sacrifice, the bridge that would bring His creation back to Him.  

Can you imagine loving and missing someone so great that you would give what was most precious to you that you had with you just to make a way for that which you were missing to be able to return to you.  I can’t, but am so thankful that God did.  My heart now breaks as I think about God and the longing He experiences as he awaits our return and our time spent with Him.

As we enter the new year let’s not give God reason to long for His time with us and let’s work to share His longing with those who are still separated from Him. We are God’s children, we are His church, let's go be His children, His church!

Pastor Sean

Faithful or Full of it?

I was thinking a while back. Well okay, I was talking to someone about faith in a certain situation (which I better not disclose) and this thought hit me. Am I faithful or just full of it?

Faith, almost everyone talks about it and says they have it, but I think a larger number of them are more full of it, then they are faithful. Being faithful has to be more than just talking about it. It takes action, stepping out, trusting when all else seems hopeless or impossible, not letting doubt invade, and most importantly God has to be present in our mind and heart.

Let me tell you a story. There was a pastor that at one time had some major bills due and for some reason (I don’t know why) was not going to be able to meet them. He was stressed but that stress led to faith, which led to prayer, which led to God providing in a miraculous way. It wasn’t flashy or movie worthy but it was miraculous. He hadn’t publicized it or made a big deal about it. It was just between him, his family and God. A few days later they received an anonymous envelope with the money that was needed. COOL!! This pastor had faith, his faith in God never wavered nor did he doubt; he just remained faithful.

Wait, I have another story I would like to share. There was a man who was sick and in the hospital and the outlook was that he might not see the end of the month, as the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. Everything they did helped a little then things would turn and seem worse. There was a wife who knew that there was only one person that could help her husband and she went to that person several times every day. She even asked her friends and family to go to that person every day and they did. Guess what, that person came through, He touched and He treated her husband and her husband got well and was even better than he was before he got sick. AWESOME!! By the way, that person she went to was Jesus. Her faith in Jesus never wavered nor did she doubt; she just remained faithful.

Okay one final story, I promise it is the last one. There was this man who seemed to have everything and then through a series of tragic events he lost all of his children and all of his grandchildren. He even lost his job and his wealth. The only thing he had left it seemed was his wife and his faith.  But things got worse. His wife and his best friends all told him that he was stupid and that he should give up his faith that he had and curse God because God didn’t care, or these things wouldn’t have happened. He continued to have faith and believe that God did care and he prayed and cried out to God. God heard him and saw his faith and returned all of what he had lost and  more than what he had before. (This man was Job in case you hadn't picked up on that.)  This man had faith, his faith in God never wavered nor did he doubt; Job just remained faithful.

We all have times in our lives, our jobs, our businesses, our health, our finances, and our families in which we need to be faithful.  At those times we can choose to talk a lot about faith (Being full of it.) or we can truly be faithful by depending on God in an unquestioning and undoubting way.  There are even times in our church where we need to be faithful that God will make up for a lack of funds, the need for more people to help with ministry or programs, work out the different points of view, resolve conflict, or turn the hearts of the lost toward Him. It is in those times that we can choose to talk a lot about faith (Being full of it.) or we can truly be faithful by depending on God in an unquestioning and undoubting way.

• Do you have faith? 

• Will your faith in God ever waiver? 

• Will you doubt, or will you just remain faithful?

At the end of Job’s story he has a conversion with God and this is what Job realizes:

• I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted.

• You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance?”Surely I spoke about things I did not understand,things too wondrous for me to know.

• You said, “Listen now, and I will speak.

• When I question you, you will inform me.”

• I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you.

Job 42:2-5 (CSB)

So I leave you with one question. Are you FAITHFUL or just Full Of It? Let me reiterate:

“Being faithful has to be more than just talking about it. It takes action, stepping out, trusting when all else seems hopeless or impossible, not letting doubt invade, and most importantly God has to be present in our mind and hearts.”

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1(CSB

- Pastor Sean            

Sweet Praise

TRANSFORM, (Yes this is a new name.) The student ministry is getting ready to start up again this year.  At the beginning of our Wednesday meetings we have praise and worship time. When we are having worship some youth sing out loud and others sing quietly while some don't even sing at all. While I am worshiping with the youth a lot of times a thought comes to my mind. I don’t know if you have ever thought of it or not but we, as humans, are the only one of God's creations that has a free will.  Animals were created to live, reproduce and die.  Plants were made to grow, reproduce, purify the air and then die.  Rocks and mountains were created to sculpt the landscape and proclaim God's majesty.  The sky is the sky and water is water and they were made to sustain physical life and proclaim the glory and greatness of our God.  None of these things have a choice.  This is what makes us so unique, we were created to worship, love, and praise the Lord,  but we are not programmed to do this, we have a choice!

A few weeks ago I was reading the account of the crucifixion and the events before, specifically when Jesus was in the garden praying.  In Luke 22:42 Jesus said, ”Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  This is what really makes the sacrifice that Jesus made so special.  Yes, He was God and was divine so He had to die because it was in His plan, but he was also human and therefore had a free will and had to choose to die or not to die.  He very easily could have let His humanity kick in and decide to not be crucified.  He could have chosen to just live out a normal life and not do anything that He did, but, that is what makes it all the sweeter for us.  The fact that He had a choice and He chose to live a sinless life and then to give His life for ours, is awesome.  That makes it all the more special to me and hopefully to you as well..

We can go to church and praise the Lord out of a sense of obligation or out of habit or out of fear.  For whatever reason you are there, God can still speak to you and hear from you.  But when it comes to praising and worshiping the Lord for no other reason than we want and desire to, then that just makes it all the sweeter for God.  You know God will receive praises whether we do it or not.  Luke 19:40 "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." 

So where is your heart and devotion?  Is it in loving the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind?  If it is then why not praise and worship and honor him just because rather than out of duty or obligation or conviction. 

Let's come before the Lord our God with an open heart, an uncluttered mind, and a willing and wanting spirit and make our praise ever so sweet to the Lord.  As the song says “Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy Name.”

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

How Big Is Your Hope?

There is a video by Louie Giglio where he talks about God’s size and our size.  I have always been taught that God was big and I was small but Louie put it in perspective.  He was talking about the universe (the known universe).

We have a God who not only created our earth but he also created the entire heavens (our galaxy and universe).

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. -Hebrews 11:3 

The heavens are so vast that we can barely begin to comprehend it.  Here is a little sampling to give you a scope by which to gauge what I want to convey.  Our planet is in a solar system that sits in the Milky Way Galaxy, which is 100,000 light years across (that means traveling at 186,000 miles per second every second of the year for 100,000 years is how long it would take to make it across).  If we were to scale that down and make the Milky Way Galaxy the size of North America then our solar system would be the size of a Quarter.  Wow!  Now let's expand our comprehension even farther, let's travel out to the edge of the known universe.  If we did that then we would be 31 million light years away from earth.  As you traveled to the edge of the universe you would pass by billions of stars and thousands of other galaxies, all of which seem so vast to us yet they are minuscule to our God.

As I was listening to Louie I started thinking about how big God is and the fact that we are small and how incredible it is that the God of all creation who can hold the entire universe in his hand could become small enough to live inside of my heart.  WOW!!  Why would God even want to live in my heart?  Why would He want to humble himself and come to earth in human form, giving up all the grandeur of heaven and the splendor of the heavens proclaiming His majesty just for me?  The answer is simple really: He loves me and has a perfect plan for my life.  The same is true for you.  He loves you and has a perfect plan for your life.  God desires to fill not only the entire universe with His glory (Ephesians 4:10) but He also desires to fill us with joy, belief and the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can abound in hope.

Did you hear that, he wants us to abide in hope. The hope of a new nature, the hope of a new and better life, the hope of forgiveness, the hope of being reunited with Him in glory.  Hope that comes from us making one little decision.  Really it is a big decision, but it is still one decision that we have to make.  It is probably the most important decision we will ever make in our lives!  It is the decision to give our will and life to Jesus in order that He can live inside our heart and forgive us of all our sins and give us the hope He has promised. 

So my question for you today is this:  Have you made the decision to ask Jesus, the creator of the entire Universe, to come into your heart and fill you with joy, belief, and the power of The Holy Spirit, so that you may have the hope he has promised?

He is waiting for you to make that decision and to really start living like you have a hope.  When he created the universe he had a plan and that plan included you.  He has a special plan for just you.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare [Or peace] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. -Jeremiah 29:11

What are you waiting on? 

It's time to make your HOPE BIG!

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean

Great Expectations

When I have to go on a trip there are a few things that I can always count on and look forward to with great anticipation. First, my wife usually greets me with a hug, a kiss, a loving welcoming smile and sparkling eyes. (One of my favorite things in life). Second, my daughters swarm to the door with smiles and big hugs. (Another one of my favorite things). Third, my dogs want a pat on the head and a game of fetch.  I like to travel for many reasons but these are probably the best parts of traveling.  The anticipation of what awaits me at home always draws me from the time I leave the house no matter what the reason for my trip is. 

Now when I start thinking of that, a scripture comes to mind. 

Romans 8:18-21 That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. 

(The Message Bible)

We seem to get excited about many things and wait with great expectation.  But so often we forget to wait expectantly for God and what he is doing.  We are instructed to wait in eager expectation for Jesus to be revealed.  We are to long for that day when he returns and we are face to face with Him. 

I find myself waiting in expectation for all kinds of things, from the newest movie to come out or the trip that is planned for a month from now.  But, I often forget to live in expectation of God.  This is dangerous as our expectation of Jesus and the fulfillment of that expectation is what helps build our faith.  Waiting expectantly for God is so very important, Psalm 5:3 says “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

To close I would like to quote a few lines from Steven Curtis Chapman’s song “Great expectations”:

            And I’ve been invited as a son

            Oh I, I’ve been invited to come and …..

             Believe the unbelievable

             Receive the inconceivable

             And see beyond my wildest imagination

            Lord, I come with great expectations

Try coming before the Lord with great expectations and see what happens.  God loves to provide for us especially when it exceeds our greatest expectations.

Here are a few verses to look up, that will hopefully help you come before God with great expectation:

Ephesians 3:2-21, Matthew 7:7-11, Ephesians 1:18-19

BXFC

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean