Go, Make Disciples

Developing Spiritual Wisdom & Understanding—Colossians 1:9-12

2008-05-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

On Being a Disciple—The Cycle of Spiritual Maturity
Developing Spiritual Wisdom & Understanding—Colossians 1:9-12

Do you know the difference in knowledge and wisdom, or knowledge and understanding? You see, Paul prays for the Colossians to not only be filled with the “knowledge of His will” in Colossians 1:9, but also for it to be “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”. In other words, having a head full of knowledge is not enough! God desires for us to grasp how to apply the knowledge we have to the things we face in this life in light of the spiritual realm! Spiritual maturity comes from learning about the things of God and then recognizing how those things provide guidance for the situations we face in this earthly realm.

How often do we go through experiences that are wasted because we are not prepared or disciplined enough to learn the lessons they could teach us? How many times do we have to learn lessons two, three, four times because we did not take the knowledge the situation was supplying and apply it to who our God is and what this means in the spiritual realm?
For instance, how many lessons do you think Judas heard about not being able to serve God and mammon; or about storing up treasure in this life and not being rich toward God? Yet, John tells us clearly at the end of Jesus’ ministry that Judas was a thief who used to pilfer money from the moneybox the apostles had with them (John 12:6). Surely, he could have repeated many of the lessons Jesus had taught in his presence! So, why didn’t they change his behavior? It appears Judas had a really hard time discerning the spiritual implications behind Jesus’ teachings and missed out on a grand scale!

LOOK! The Scriptures are loaded with stories where people had the teachings of God before them and somehow missed out on the real meaning behind them! What part of, “Thou shall not make any graven images” did Aaron misunderstand? Yet 40 days without Moses, and a mob that is getting impatient and possibly unruly can sure affect one’s spiritual perception—Right, Jesus? Solomon was given a gift of wisdom by God that led to him becoming the most powerful, wealthy and influential king, perhaps of all time. So, what happened? Remember, it is a Spiritual Maturity CYCLE!!! We are called to continue through the process of learning the knowledge of the will of God in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so it becomes part of our walk and then bears fruit over and over again. Somehow the process was short-circuited in the life of Solomon as he chased after women, riches and other things that took his heart away from God.

Do you see what Paul was praying for? He was praying for our eyes to be opened to the spiritual realm so we evaluate everything according to this perspective. Spiritual maturity is an impossibility without this! So, as you face the trials, frustrations, and even the joys of this upcoming week, may you take the time to consider how they apply to this world AND how they prepare you for life in the next. That is true wisdom and understanding!

-Scott

Filled With the Knowledge of His Will—Colossians 1:9-12

2008-05-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

On Being a Disciple—The Cycle of Spiritual Maturity
Filled With the Knowledge of His Will—Colossians 1:9-12

Having recently moved to the Dallas area, there have been many times I have not known how to find a place I was supposed to be at. OK—maybe I should just say it—I have been lost! Mapquest has been a help at times, but it is certainly not flawless. So, can you just picture me lost in the midst of the Metroplex and stopping to ask a young man who is by the side of the road for directions? I roll down the window and ask, “Excuse me, but could you tell me the way to Parkland Hospital from here?” “Well,” the boy answers, “You go down this road about a mile and turn left by the gas station. Then you turn right at the 3rd street. That will bring you to a place where three streets meet at the George Bush Tollway. Once you get there, you had better find someone else to ask how to get the rest of the way.”

How many of you would be frustrated with directions like this? If so, perhaps that is why we find it so hard to walk with God during various trials or uncertain situations. This is a parable of life! When the ultimate end is uncertain, isn’t it good to get directions, however sketchy they might be, that move us, if only a few steps, in the right direction rather than in an incorrect direction? “Can’t you just give it all to me now?” “God, you know where I am supposed to wind up, so why not just give me the whole picture now and I will do my best to follow directions?”
Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-12 for the believers at Colossae to become more mature in their spiritual walk began, and came back to, their developing an increased knowledge of God and His will. As stated in last week’s article, the point of this cycle is that we are never to stop growing in our relationship with God. The steps of the cycle lead us back to an “increase in the knowledge of God” so every other part of the cycle also increases each time we work through it.

Do you understand what this means, Church? There should never be a point in which we have arrived and are done growing! Life itself should teach us this lesson! How many things that you learned the first 20 years of your life have changed since that time? How many things have been discovered or invented over the past 20 years? How could you possibly keep up if you stopped learning? It is a true statement that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever,” however, at what point will you have Him and His ways all figured out? We can count on His consistency (thus the teaching from Hebrews 13:8), but the very nature of things calls for us to keep on growing in our knowledge of Him (thus Paul’s prayer on behalf of the Colossians).

So, what does God want you to learn today? Are you ready? Is your spirit teachable and moldable? What have the experiences of your past week taught you about who God is and what he wills for your life? I am sure Paul prays the same prayer for us as he did for the Colossians! But, even if you are not confident in that, then I will offer this prayer on your behalf throughout this week! Let’s keep growing in our knowledge of God and see where that takes us in the other parts of the cycle of spiritual maturity. Next week we talk about developing spiritual wisdom and understanding.

-Scott

The Cycle of Spiritual Maturity

2008-04-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

On Being a Disciple—The Cycle of Spiritual Maturity
Colossians 1:9-12

John emphasized three attributes a disciple of Jesus is required to demonstrate: (1) abide in His word; (2) have love for one another; and (3) bear much fruit. Hopefully, each one of us can look into our lives (or have people we trust who will provide a spiritual mirror) and honestly evaluate how we are doing in these three foundational areas. However, how do we grow to become true disciples if we find ourselves deficient? Is there a process we can follow that will move individuals and a whole church family towards spiritual maturity and better service in the Kingdom of God? This is a question the elders and ministers have been wrestling with for several months as we have sought the direction of God to help this church family become all He has called us to be as ambassadors for His Kingdom.

Interestingly, Paul provides a prayer in the letter to the Colossians that shows his insight into the process of developing spiritual maturity. (Please read Colossians 1:9-12 before moving on with this article.) What we find in this prayer is what I will refer to as the Cycle of Spiritual Maturity. It is a prayer Paul has for the Colossian believers to grow in their understanding of Jesus and His ways, and the fruit that should come about as a result. Understand that Paul is writing to a body of believers he has not met (like us!) and he is trying to spur them on in their faith walk so they do not settle for a watered down version of discipleship and trust in Jesus. He will challenge them through the rest of the letter to avoid mixing faith in Jesus with empty philosophies and legalistic practices. Where he begins is a process that we at Garden Ridge need to consider carefully and weigh all our ministries and activities against to see if they are helping us or hindering us from becoming spiritually mature disciples. Activity, even spiritual activity, does not necessarily lead to spiritual maturity.

Paul begins with praying for the believers at Colossae to “be filled with the knowledge of His will.” Knowing God and His will provides the spiritual map everything else must follow in order to be pleasing to Him and true to His nature. However, knowledge of God’s will is not enough! It should produce spiritual wisdom and understanding (as Paul next prays for) so we can evaluate the things we face in this life according to His nature and will. Wisdom is the application of knowledge to everyday life situations. Understanding shows we grasp how the things we face in this world are really under the influence of God and His will. Having knowledge is a foundational start, but Paul’s prayer is for much more than knowledge! Can we apply that knowledge and demonstrate wisdom and understanding?

This leads Paul to pray for what the next step would be—(knowledge, wisdom and understanding become a part of who we are at our core)—Our Walk! As we learn to evaluate all of life through the eyes of God’s will, we develop disciplines and habits in our lives that constitute our WALK. However, even when His will becomes part of our core being, we have not arrived! He continues on with his prayer to call them to go another step forward by Bearing Fruit. In other words, this is a process meant to be shared. It is meant to influence others to draw them to a right relationship with Him.

The cycle then comes full circle (hence the term, cycle) by resulting in an “increase in the knowledge of God”. As one experiences the will of God in their daily life, through their walk, and in producing a harvest of good fruit, they learn about God at a deeper level and are pulled into the cycle at a deeper level. The beauty of this is that we never stop growing!

Over the next several weeks I will take each stage in this cycle and develop thoughts about them more completely so we can see how beautiful and powerful Paul’s prayer truly is. In the mean time, let us be praying that God will lead us to growth through the Cycle of Spiritual Maturity.

-Scott

Bear Much Fruit

2008-04-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Characteristics of a Disciple:
Attribute #3: Bear Much Fruit

Does your life have purpose? It is supposed to! For instance, both the Old and New Testaments have imagery of God planting a vineyard and expecting a harvest of fruit. One example is found in Isaiah 5:1-7. This passage begins as a love song in which a vineyard is planted and cared for in numerous ways. Fertile soil on a hillside was chosen; the ground was dug up and stones were removed; choice vines were chosen to provide a good crop; a wall and tower were built to protect the crop; and then a wine press was built for once the crop was harvested. However, the song quickly changes tone. Instead of yielding a crop of good grapes, it only produces bad fruit! God’s response was to remove His protection and care. He was looking for a harvest of righteousness and justice, but that is not what He found. The rest of the chapter goes on to explain why there was no fruit—6 “Woe Oracles” were pronounced showing areas that needed to be pruned (or cleaned up) before the vine would be able to produce.

Interestingly, John uses the same imagery as he teaches about the third attribute of a disciple in John 15:8: Bear Much Fruit. He begins in V. 1 by referring to Himself as the true vine and then teaches about the pruning (or cleansing) the branches (us) need to go through in order to produce fruit. What is different about this picture is that Jesus is the VINE and His followers are branches that come from the vine. In other words, the fruit is guaranteed to be a good crop as long as we abide in the vine!!! God created us to produce fruit for His kingdom but we are not responsible for making the fruit happen—only for staying true to the VINE and allowing the VINEDRESSER (GOD) to prune away the tangles and other areas where we will hinder our growth.

Perhaps, that is the struggle with this third attribute—letting God prune us! However, no vine will produce great fruit without pruning. Otherwise, the nutrients and energy are used producing branches and leaves, instead of fruit. The vine might get big, but its produce will be small. (Unfortunately, this sounds like a description of some people’s lives and even of some church work.) Abiding in the Word (who also happens to be the Vine) and loving one another is not our purpose—bearing fruit is! However, it is through abiding in the Word and loving one another that we are pruned by God and become productive. The bottom line is: God wants you to produce fruit!

Consider one last story to see how serious this is to Him: Why do you suppose Jesus reacted to the barren fig tree He encountered on His way into Jerusalem at the end of His ministry the way He did? Do you know the story I am referring to in Mark 11:12-14? He was hungry as He traveled from Bethany to Jerusalem and came upon a fig tree that was green with leaves but had no fruit on it. He cursed it saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and it withered and died. What is astounding is that Mark also happens to mention that it was not the season for figs! That’s right!—Jesus killed a fig tree for not having figs on it when it was not the season for figs! Why would He do such a thing? He was making a point! We are supposed to produce fruit in season and out of season. We cannot look like we are healthy and green but have no fruit. That tree is worthless and Jesus will wind up cursing it!

So, how are we doing, Church? Would Jesus be pleased and would He call us His disciples?

-Scott

Love for One Another

2008-04-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Characteristics of a Disciple:
Attribute #2: Love for One Another

It is incredible what people are capable of doing “in the name of God” in order to police His church and stand in His name! For instance, over the past two months there have been two full-page ads taken out in The Oklahoman newspaper denouncing a particular Church of Christ in Oklahoma for their decision to add a contemporary worship service in which musical instruments are employed. Now, people may not agree on the right or authority to use instrumental music during a worship service, but could we at least agree that running a full-page ad in a public forum is not the most loving way to deal with one another? (Besides the fact that each ad cost $11,000 and was sponsored by individuals who do not even live in the same town as the congregation in question.) Seriously, if your neighbor had something against you, would you want them to put up a billboard in town to advertise your offense, or just come talk to you?
What are we advertising by the way we deal with one another? Are we showing we are part of something those without hope want to be part of because of how we stand with one another and bless one another? Or, do those looking in figure they get beaten up enough by the ways of the world and have no time or energy to have to deal with it in their religion as well?

Some of the danger of living in a culture in which we emphasize our “rights” and “freedom of speech” is that we become insensitive to others because we are focused on ourselves. However, Jesus clearly called us to a different level in our relationships. John 13:34-35 states: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” He said this in the context of just having finished washing the feet of His disciples! Imagine that—a Rabbi washing the feet of His own students. There is no place in any literature from the time of Jesus or before, except John 13, where an account of a Rabbi serving in this manner is recorded.

And how do you suppose Jesus handled the task of washing the feet of Judas, who would soon after betray Him? Apparently it was with tenderness and care, because when Jesus states that one would soon betray Him, the disciples began looking at one another at a loss to know who He was talking about (John 13:21-22).

The same is true of the cross! Do you understand that Jesus died for all the sin of the world? All the sin!!! He died for those who will never accept Him! He died for those who will try to use Him and His Father for their own gain! He paid the price for all sin, setting an example of what this new commandment of love should look like. Does this advertisement by Jesus look a little different than the one mentioned in the 1st paragraph?

Abiding in the word (the 1st attribute we looked at 2 weeks ago) sets the foundation for the disciple. Loving one another helps this first attribute of a disciple be about relationship with a living God and His creation rather than a checklist of rules and regulations. It puts the heart into our “religious” experience with God and His people. It makes following the letter of the Law more about caring for the souls of people than just being “right with God”. Besides, how can you be “right with God” if you don’t care about the souls of people?

-Scott

Abide in the Word

2008-03-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Characteristics of a Disciple:
Attribute #1: Abide in the Word

Do you like where you live? Now, don’t fall into the trap that we so often do and immediately think on a physical level! I am not talking about the house you live in or whether you like the neighborhood or community where you reside. I am talking about your spiritual walk! Do you like where you live?

One of the clear characteristics of a disciple of Jesus is that they abide in His word. Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). The first part of this statement by Jesus is really just common sense, isn’t it? How could you be a disciple (student, learner, follower) of Jesus if you are not willing to follow His teachings or use His word as the foundation for your life? “Abiding” or “living” in His word means we make it a part of our everyday living. It becomes the guide we use to navigate through the challenges of this life!

The context of these verses in John 8 is about the very trap we tend to fall into with religion. As people came to believe in Jesus (V. 30), He wanted them to see the constant seeking, learning and growing that needed to be part of their development. He was calling them away from becoming stagnate, thinking they had arrived because they were of the right bloodlines. They saw themselves as right with God and ultimately free because they were “children of Abraham” (V. 33, 39) however, Jesus challenges them to “do the deeds of Abraham”! You see, Abraham would recognize Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God because Abraham walked with God throughout his life. He was constantly growing in spiritual maturity and even in a land where he was a stranger, he was never enslaved! The Israelites, in contrast, had a long history of being enslaved by almost every nation who came down the road because they would stop listening to the word of God and would allow their lusts and the distractions of the nations around them to lead them astray.

The point is this: Too many Christians are not enjoying the fullness of life God wants us to experience because we are not abiding (living, dwelling) in His word. We become enslaved by addictions, dysfunction and bad habits that are not in line with the nature and will of God and then get angry at God when we are conquered and live in oppressive situations. If He was in control and truly loved us, wouldn’t He fix things and help me clean up my mess? (This is what the Israelites of Jesus’ time were waiting for!) But it is THE TRUTH that makes us free, not the MAGIC GENIE IN THE SKY who wants to follow after us and fix every bad thing we get into! We would be free and able to live lives of contentment, joy, peace and hope if we let His word be where we dwelled!

What does “FREE” look like? How about a marriage where you don’t have to worry about contracting an infectious disease or threaten one another with the D-Word (divorce) because you make your decisions based upon His Word on what marriage should look like and how it should function? Could it be that freedom is not having to worry about what you said or did in your past because you have lived as a true disciple of Jesus? How about the ability to not only overcome the addictions and dysfunction in your life, but also to then use what you have learned from those things to bless the lives of others who are struggling and looking for answers?
So, do you like where you live? If not, try moving into the neighborhood of God’s Word and see if your living conditions don’t improve.

-Scott

The Marks of a Disciple

2008-03-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

A popular skit series from the television show Saturday Night Live was about an individual named Pat whose character was intentionally made to be gender neutral. The point of the skits were to put Pat in various situations in which one could try and figure out if Pat was male or female. However, things were left so vague that one was always left wondering. The cast of Saturday Night Live made people laugh at the absurdity and awkwardness of something that should be quite clear yet was hard to define in this one individual.

How much of life is like this? Imagine if my references from when I was trying out for the preaching opening here at Garden Ridge made glowing statements like, “I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine”; or, “I can assure you that no person would be better for the job”; or, “I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment.” Huh? What would they mean? Are these positive statements, or negative ones? (Go back and read each one again from both perspectives.)

I believe we have done the same thing with some of our different religious terms. One example of this would be the word, “disciple”. Ask a group of people what it means to be a disciple and you will get a lot of different answers. Some would be positive and some would not! Perhaps, the reason for this is because we fall into the trap of letting the world define what this means instead of allowing the Scriptures to provide its own definition. What was Jesus calling people to be and do when He invited them to follow Him and become His disciples? How much of what He desired from those walking with Him in His time applies to us in this present age? How much of what the first disciples were able to do in His name should we be able to accomplish?

One book that powerfully deals with the concept of discipleship throughout its pages is the Gospel of John! He begins his gospel on the very high plain of God creating through His Son, Jesus, and then sending Him to His creation to “explain” (the Greek term means to exegete) God. In so doing, His goal was not to bring God, His Father, down to the level of mankind, but to help mankind attain to the level of His Father! This is why John will make statements like, “there was the true light which, coming into the world enlightens every man”; and “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:9, 12). Do you see by these statements that we are called to His level? He enlightens us, not vice-versa! As a child of God, I am to live according to the ways of my Father, thus proving I am part of His family (See John 8:39-47 for a scathing discussion on being true children of God).

John helps define what a disciple is and what he does in three powerful quotes of Jesus found in John 8:31; 13:35; and 15:8. These are descriptive marks one must portray in order to truly be a disciple of Jesus. He calls His followers to: (1) abide (or live) in His word, which will set us free; (2) to love one another; and (3) to bear much fruit. Over the next three weeks I hope to take each of these statements made by Jesus and discuss what the implications are for our lives today. Following that, we will consider the cycle of maturity Paul prays for in Colossians 1:9-12 and how we can implement this in our daily living and ministries here at Garden Ridge.

Please recognize that the leadership at Garden Ridge is committed to searching out the truth of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and then challenge the members of this body to strive to live according to His high standard. We do not want to present a weak or impotent picture of what it means to be a follower of Jesus to our community, or one another, so that it is abundantly clear what a GREAT thing it is to be a disciple of Jesus and a child of God.

-Scott

What is Our Purpose?

2008-03-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Imagine a shoe manufacturing plant that has been operating for two years without ever producing shoes. Employees have been hired; safety procedures have been approved; machinery has been purchased and tested and maintained; insurance has been bought; a cafeteria has been staffed and operated; even marketing strategies and shipping procedures have been implemented. However, what is the point of all this activity if the plant doesn’t manufacture shoes?

Do you suppose we have ever been guilty of going through the motions of religion without fulfilling the very things our religion is supposed to be about? Jesus commanded His followers to “go and make disciples”! Of all the things we do as a church, if we are not doing this, we are not truly functioning as the “body of Christ”, are we? As His body, shouldn’t our main activity be bringing people to God; training them in His ways so they are equipped to stand in the battle for their soul? Shouldn’t reaching into the darkness to rescue the perishing and equipping others who already understand their need for Jesus as their Savior be our primary goals? All the church activities, charity and service projects don’t mean much if we are not helping people see their need to be in a deep bond of intimacy with God!

Indulge me in a very personal illustration for the Garden Ridge family. Suppose we had a Christian School we facilitated on our premises and a great amount of time, energy and financial backing were given to this effort. Suppose the school grew to provide training for over 200 students each year. Staff and teachers were hired; playgrounds were built and maintained; auctions were held to promote the school and to help with new programs; scholarship funds were started and maintained; etc. However, suppose the church family did not know the families who sent their children to school throughout the year and had very little contact with the students. Would they be missing out on a beautiful opportunity to fulfill Jesus’ command to go and make disciples?

Imagine if the church family became more intentional about making disciples and made efforts to make the most of a resource already easily accessible. What might happen? Suppose Life Groups adopted classes and held birthday parties and other fun activities for the students? How might that speak to their parents? Suppose children who graduated were presented with Bibles in the assembly of worship and their parents were treated as guests of honor. Consider what might happen if students were followed up on each year after they graduated to see how they were doing spiritually and if this church family could help them grow closer to God. Suppose families were contacted each semester to see if they had a church home and if there were any prayer needs they had that our church family could lift up before God for them. Imagine if parenting seminars with free babysitting were done specifically for families in the stage of life these families are at. Could these things open more doors to evangelize and train disciples?

If our purpose is to make disciples (and I firmly believe this is first and foremost what God calls us to do), then we must evaluate each ministry and activity we do as part of the body here at Garden Ridge and consider how we might make the most of the opportunities already before us. We must become more intentional about finding ways to reach out with the Good News we hold dear. God will provide the growth, but we must plant the seed! Are we ready to grow? Not if we lose sight of our purpose! There are a lot of shoeless people that need us to do our job.

What does it mean to be a disciple? Over the next several weeks my articles will provide some biblical insight into what God calls us to as disciples of Jesus. We will look at various characteristics of disciples and the process of maturation Paul prays for when writing Colossians.

-Scott

The Race

2008-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

When everything is said and done, what will you have accomplished that is truly exemplary? When you reach the Finish Line of life, what accolades will be awaiting you? Could it be that there is an enemy running alongside of us trying to trip us up or lead us down the wrong path?
A story is told of two paddleboats that left Memphis at the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they were traveling side by side, words were exchanged, competition flared, and the two boats began racing to see who could reach their destination first. One of the boats began falling behind because it was running short of fuel. There had been plenty brought aboard for the entire journey, but not enough once they began to race! As the boat fell back, the captain took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the furnace. The response was immediate—the little boat picked up speed. The captain proceeded to fuel his boat with the material he had been assigned to transport down to New Orleans. He ended up winning the race, but burned up his cargo!

Could it be that we have fallen into the same trap when it comes to family responsibilities? One husband, out to prove his love for his new wife, swam the deepest river, crossed the widest desert and climbed the highest mountain. Unfortunately, she divorced him because he was never home! Too many of us get caught up in the rat race of life, striving to see, do and conquer more than any who have come before us. As a result, we often lose sight of the precious cargo that is right before us—our families! How many times have they been sacrificed in the quest for something truly amazing that winds up being only superficial and temporary?

Garden Ridge is a church that believes in the priority of developing healthy families according to the will and plan of God. With this in mind, the elders have seen to it that there are several tools in place to assist families in a variety of areas to challenge them and help them maintain proper priorities in all areas of family life. Programs such as Financial Peace, Dynamic Marriage, and Celebrate/Recovery are incredible tools for developing healthier families! “What are these”, and “How can they help me”, you ask? Consider the following:

Financial Peace University is a 91-day program designed to help couples learn how to pay off debt and build financial security through training and accountability. Several couples have already participated in this program and have paid off vast amounts of debt as well as started savings plans that have helped them become more responsible financially, and less stressed out emotionally.

Dynamic Marriage is an 8-week interactive marriage program in which the participants learn the plan of God for marriage and how to fulfill the roles He has designed husbands and wives to play. It is a communication training exercise in which couples learn how to speak love to one another in a way they will hear, and meet one another’s needs so they grow in intimacy.

Celebrate/Recovery is a Bible based recovery program designed to help people find and experience God’s healing power in whatever areas are stripping this away. This would include areas such as: overworking, divorce, food addiction, overspending, physical and/or sexual abuse, lying, perfectionism, fear and/or anxiety, sexual addiction, guilt, eating disorders, grief, hurtful relationships, rejection; control issues, insecurity, anger, gambling, alcohol and/or drugs, and co-dependency. In other words, this is a training, fellowship and accountability program for dealing with destructive behaviors or hurts that can adversely affect one’s family life.

Interestingly, as my mom used to say, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Good programs are not worth much if, like the paddle-boat captain, we forget what our mission is and get caught up in some other task or pursuit that actually destroys the core of what we are. Remember what will truly last and set your sights on achieving that so there will be no heartache at the end of the race!

-Scott

Go And Make Disciples!

2008-02-24T11:39:00.000-08:00

Deeann, Whitney and I have been overwhelmed by the loving care we see the members of this body share with one another here at Garden Ridge! When our family members come to visit, they all remark on the friendliness and spirit of joy they encounter as they worship and fellowship with the body here. It is uplifting and refreshing to the soul! It is a testimony to the Spirit of God working among His people to produce fruit. (Now don’t go letting this give you the big head!)

As a result of this type of love for one another and joy in worshiping the Lord we have seen God doing some powerful things all around us. 2008 has started off with awesome things happening as each week this year we have seen our church family grow. Thus far, in 2008, we have seen 5 new births into the Lord and 15 individuals express interest in being part of the church family here. (Let God receive the glory for this!) However, with this type of growth we need to consider how we will help people connect to the church family in ways that encourage spiritual maturation and empowerment so individuals are confident and equipped to put their talents and passions to work in ways that serve the Lord, one another, and our community.

The eldership and ministry staff have been meeting to try and organize a process for helping each member move forward in their spiritual growth so they become tools in God’s hand and ambassadors who can serve within His will, while also providing a witness that attracts many more to realize their need to live within a bond of covenant love with their Father in heaven. The goal is to make disciples—just as Jesus called His apostles to do as He prepared to ascend back to the Father. The task is to provide training, love, support, encouragement, empowerment, accountability and opportunity to grow in our understanding of God and His ways and to put our faith into practice in real ways that make an eternal difference. The process is multi-layered.

One of the things each member should realize is the importance of the various types of group encounters provided through the various classes, worship times and ministries at Garden Ridge each week. It would be ideal for each member to be involved in a time of worship with the whole church family; a time of more intensive Bible study (at least once a week); and a time of small group interaction to develop intimacy with others in the family and have accountability from some who really know what is going on in our lives each week. That is why there are Bible classes and Life Groups to participate in beyond the worship time we have together on Sunday. Each of these provides a dynamic for spiritual growth that the others cannot offer.

In addition to this, each of us must learn to exercise our faith by putting it to work in practical ways. Our talents and passions need to be employed in the work of the Kingdom so that our God is presented as real and His ways as truly beneficial in everyday living. A faith that does not work is useless (or barren—as the word James uses in James 2:20 also means) and we all know what Jesus did to the fig tree that was barren in Mark 11:13-14, don’t we? Putting our faith to work shows it is part of us and not just something we give lip service to. Our “religion” actually becomes a lifestyle; part of our character and personhood.

This is what Jesus was calling us to as He told His followers to “make disciples”. He wants us to follow Him, learn from Him, and draw others to Him as ambassadors of God, helping people see the reconciliation available to them in their relationship with God. He wants us to be intentional in the way we use our time, talents, resources and opportunities so we consistently grow in the ways of our Father in Heaven.

Most of us have already signed up for this—let the training and service continue!!!

-Scott

Do You Have an Emotional, Intellectual, or Willful Relationship With Jesus?

2008-02-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

What type of relationship do you have with Jesus? What type do you want to have? There are three elements one should involve in developing a covenant bond with Jesus: the emotions, the intellect, and the will. Typically, we begin with emotions, move to the intellect and finish with the will. Take a young man becoming attracted to a young woman for example. His emotions could get him into trouble if they were acted upon alone. Rushing into a relationship solely based upon emotion is a train wreck waiting to happen! The intellect should slow down the emotional response causing him to question things such as whether they are compatible, or if he is financially able to support a dating relationship, or what they will do if this should move on to something deeper. This is where some of the time element that goes into dating comes into play, so the two can get to know each other well enough to make both an emotional and intellectual decision about where their relationship should go.

However, there is a third element that must also be considered—the will! The will goes beyond the feelings of emotion and the rationale of the intellect to the very heart of commitment. The will is what one uses to decide about changes in lifestyle and the cost they are willing to pay in order to follow through on one’s decision. The will is the part that will hang in there when the emotions are not quite feeling it and the intellect is in doubt. The will is the glue that holds these other transitory elements together.

The text for the sermon this morning (Luke 4:14-5:11) includes three challenging stories. In the first one (4:16-30), Jesus is in His hometown and goes to the synagogue to proclaim God’s year of Jubilee. However, because the townspeople can only see Him as Joseph’s son (V. 22) instead of God’s Son (as has been emphasized consistently throughout our study of Luke), they wind up seeking to kill Him by the time He finishes teaching them (V. 28-29). This is a story of emotion! The townspeople who watched Jesus grow up are excited about His message of Jubilee, however, once He begins challenging their intellect and will, they let their emotions drive them to seek to destroy Him.

This is followed by a story of intellect (Luke 4:31-43)—the healing of the demon possessed man in the synagogue! In this account, the people let their emotions cause them to marvel at the authority and power in Jesus’ teaching (V. 32, 36) to the point that they search for Him when He withdraws to a lonely place. They then want Him to stay with them so they can learn more (V. 42). These people are searching and hungry to be with Jesus, but we are not told of any of them changing their lifestyle to follow Him!

That is where the third story comes in (Luke 5:1-11)—where Jesus teaches from Simon’s boat and then takes them out fishing. Simon has already encountered Jesus when He healed his mother-in-law (4:38-39). He has heard Him teach and witnessed a miraculous catch of fish. It moves him to confess he is a sinful man (5:8) and to feel unworthy to be with Him, however, when Jesus offers to make him a fisher of men he leaves everything to follow Him (5:10-11). This is a decision of the will to change his lifestyle and take on new commitment, even at great cost!

So, which story best describes your walk with Jesus? Are you in an emotion-level relationship in which you bounce all over the place, based upon the feelings of the day? Or, are you in an intellectual-level relationship in which you are searching to know more so you can figure Him out? You long to be with Him, but not to the point of making commitment or changing lifestyle. What He wants you to reach is a will-level relationship so you will live sold out to Him and pay the price to walk with Him, whatever it takes! He wants your heart in a bond of covenant! Are you willing to surrender this to Him?

-Scott

Tempted To Be Something You Are Not?

2008-02-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

How far will you go to make a name for yourself? What could the devil offer you to sell out the desire God has for your life in order to make of yourself what you want? Are there things tantalizing you that will draw you away from God rather than closer to Him?
Greek mythology tells of a king named Tantalus who wanted to be more than he was. He befriended the ruler of the gods—Zeus himself—and was soon invited to take part in
the feasts and banquets that were held on Mount Olympus. Here he was able to dine on the nectar and ambrosia that was reserved as food only for the gods.

What does Tantalus do with this new found success and privilege? He decides to use his status to become popular with his friends who are mortals back on earth. Instead of showing gratitude to Zeus for blessing him with such privilege, he steals from the gods and brings their nectar and ambrosia down to humanity. This, of course, will not go unpunished!

The reaction of the gods was to destroy his kingdom and then Zeus struck him dead. However, in the Underworld Tantalus was sentenced to stand in the river of Hades with water up to his chin. Above him was a tree with clusters of delicious fruit hanging just above his head. Every time Tantalus tried to drink the water, it would recede beyond his reach and every time he reached for the fruit, it would be blown out of his reach. He was, thus, doomed to suffer hunger, thirst and unfulfilled desire forever. (This is the story from which we get the word tantalize.)
What kinds of things tantalize you? This morning we will see how the devil came to Jesus in an attempt to get Him to be something He was not. The devil said to Jesus twice, “If you are the Son of God . . .” and proceeded to try to talk Him into doing things that went against the nature or will of God (Luke 4:3, 9).

Wait a minute—isn’t Jesus the Son of God? Of course He is, but what does that mean? By turning stones to bread or jumping off the Temple He would be taking God off of the throne and putting Himself in that position! He would be providing for His own needs instead of trusting God to provide, and He would be making God serve Him by saving Him instead of Him serving God!

What the devil really wanted was for Jesus to use the things of God for His own glory and to serve Himself (much like Tantalus took the ambrosia and nectar of the gods for his own glory)! In other words, the devil tried to get Jesus to live up to the picture he had of the Son of God rather than the expectation God had! How many times do we fall into the same trap? How many times do we expect of Jesus things outside of what God expects? Hopefully, we will learn this morning to avoid the temptation to be something we are not, allowing God to sit on the throne of our heart while we trust Him to provide for us and protect us!

-Scott Jarvis

A Call for a New Kind of Kingdom

2008-02-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

Imagine you had access to a time machine and could travel back in history to see any event as it was happening! What would you want to see first? What event in history is so incredible, inspiring, unique and important that it would be at the top of your priority list? My thoughts went immediately to the crucifixion of Jesus. To see God in human form surrender to the evil of this world in order to overcome it would be overwhelming!

I cannot imagine the wide range of emotion I would feel! Part of me would want to do anything I could to ease His burden. Part of me would want to hug Him and look into His eyes and tell Him how sorry I am for doing the things I did that put Him on that cross! I would want to shout praise and encouragement to God for enduring the mistreatment and death of His Son! I would want to try to persuade the religious leaders and Romans to realize what they were doing so it was not in vain for even one person! And then there would be this part of me that would be angry!

How could I not be angry? As I tried to soak up everything going on all around Jesus, it would get under my skin that there was a group of soldiers huddled at the foot of the cross trying to decide how to split up the belongings of Jesus (See John 19:23-25)! How could they become so calloused that they would wonder what they were going to get out of the crucifixion of the Son of God? Could they really be this self-absorbed? And then that would make me wonder how many times I had approached the cross of Jesus with my own agenda! How many times during the partaking of communion have I acknowledged that there was a man hanging on a cross (that is, after all, why we are gathered together), but I came with my own appetite to satiate and my own agenda to fulfill? How many times have I looked for what I would get out of it rather than stopping to appreciate what Jesus was doing for me?

Perhaps that is why John the Baptist, the one whose job it was to “make ready the path of the Lord”, talked the way he did when people started to come out to him to be baptized (Luke 3:7-9). Calling people a brood of vipers and questioning their motives for coming out to be baptized does not seem politically correct or religiously polite. Shouldn’t someone blow their whistle and call a foul? Shouldn’t we be concerned about offending people and running them off?

John was much more concerned with true repentance! It doesn’t matter that they are Abraham’s children (V. 8)—God can make more from the stones of the ground! It doesn’t even matter whether they were baptized if they don’t produce the good fruit they were created to bear (V. 9). How can they withhold from those in need (V. 11); exploit one another (V. 12-13); or resort to extortion and bearing false witness (V. 14) if they are truly of the Father? No wonder the axe was already “laid at the root of the trees”!

Should we be concerned about falling into the same traps? Are you here this morning wondering what you are going to get out of Bible class or the worship time? Perhaps it would be time better spent simply reflecting on what it is Jesus has done for us and marveling at the extent He would go to in order to make us right with the Father!

-Scott Jarvis

A God Among Men!

2008-01-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

So, God comes to the world to live among His own creation? Surely God demands respect and dignity! Yet Luke makes it a point to emphasize that Jesus was born of humble means. First, He is born to a young woman of Galilee. Galilee was not known for its wealthy citizens. In fact, the reputation of Nazareth (a city of the Galilee region and the town Mary was from) and Galilee is shown to be questionable in the Gospel of John. Nathanael questions whether any good thing can come from Nazareth in 1:46. Then, the multitude questions whether the Christ would come from Galilee in 7:41 and whether a prophet would arise from Galilee in 7:52.

Luke also shows the humble means of Joseph and Mary through the sacrifice they offer as they present Jesus to the Lord in Luke 2:22-24. Their presentation of two turtledoves is what is prescribed for those who have insufficient means to offer the required sacrifice (Leviticus 5:11 & 12:8). In addition, Luke mentions not once, not twice, but three times in chapter two that Jesus was placed in a feeding trough when He was born into this world—not quite the place one would expect to look for the Savior of the world, the Christ and the LORD (2:11).

What should we expect from a God among men? What qualities would He portray for mankind to realize He was among us? It is ironic to see the many ways He emptied Himself for the sake of mankind. Imagine the Bread of Life going hungry for 40 days to begin His ministry in the will of the Father, or the source of Living Water ending His ministry hanging on a cross and proclaiming His thirst! Imagine the One who tells us to take His yoke and He will give us rest being weary at the well in Samaria. Why would He empty Himself this way? Can you picture the One with the power to cast away the demons being accused of having a demon? How about the King of the universe willing to pay tribute to an earthly king? Does it make sense that the One who will one day wipe away all our tears wept over Lazarus? He was sold for a measly thirty pieces of silver yet He purchases for God men from every tribe, tongue and nation. He is the Good Shepherd who was willing to be led as a lamb to the slaughter. He was willing to die in order to strip away the sting of death! Are these the kind of things you would expect from a God among men?

Anyone who pictures God as harsh and vengeful, waiting for us to mess up so He can strike us down, is just not paying attention to the picture given through Jesus! What He was willing to give up for us is amazing! Consider one final picture of Jesus: He enters into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey and being celebrated as the King of Kings. Jesus certainly deserves the respect and dignity due this role, however, what is incredible is that Jesus is also willing to play the role of the donkey, carrying the glory of His Father upon His back as He empties Himself and serves in humility. Do you know this picture of God shown consistently through Jesus? This is what God among men is really about! A God who will empty Himself and come among mankind is exactly what we need! What a coincidence! That is the kind of God we happen to serve!

God's Law Trumps Murphy's

2008-01-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

Most of us understand the premise of Murphy’s Law all too well, which is basically stated: “If something can go wrong, it will, and usually at the most inopportune time.” Why is it that the gasoline light on the dashboard of your car comes on when you are already running late for an appointment? How come your child discovers homework is missing when you are ready to walk out the door for school? Why is the severity of an itch inversely proportional to one’s reach? Why is it that a spilled drink flows in the direction of the most expensive object? Why are paper towels and toilet paper always strongest at the perforations? It seems as though there is a conspiracy of universal proportions mankind must deal with as we live on this planet called earth!

Former heavy-weight boxer James (Quick) Tillis tells about his experience when he moved to Chicago from Oklahoma in a quest to fulfill his dreams of being a top-level boxer in the early 1980s. He claims: "I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under my arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, 'I'm going to conquer Chicago.' "When I looked down, the suitcases were gone." (This story is from Today in the Word—September 10, 1992)

NO WONDER WE NEED A SAVIOR!!! No wonder Luke felt it was necessary to write a book we classify as a “Gospel”, which literally means, “Good News”! We could all use a little of that, couldn’t we, after all we have been through in our lives? And as we study the writings of Luke over the next 6 months, he is going to have plenty to say concerning the frustrations we encounter in this life and the victory God has to offer through the gift of His Son as our Savior!

One of the emotions consistently emphasized by the characters found in chapter one of Luke is the JOY they have over the invasion of God into their lives and their history! A barren couple is given reason to rejoice by bearing a son who will be a “prophet of the Most High” (Luke 1:76)! A woman from Nazareth (“Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”—John 1:46) is selected by God to bring forth and care for His “Son of the Most High”—(Luke 1:32)! A time of oppression and darkness is visited by the “Sunrise from on High”—(Luke 1:78)! In other words, God is actively working in this world to bring us peace and light and hope and victory, even in the face of Murphy’s Law and other negative aspects of this life!

Don’t let the things of this world strip away your JOY!!! God is in control and by walking with Him we can see how Murphy’s Law is trumped by the love and activities of our Father in heaven! Jesus might say it this way, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

The Breath of God

2008-01-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine forgetting to breathe? No way! Your body cannot function without air and will quickly let you know when the supply is cut off! Imagine you are swimming in a swimming pool and you see something shiny reflecting from the bottom of the pool. You dive down to the drain to see what it is and while investigating you get your finger stuck in the drain! This is not good! You try not to panic, but a shot of fear pulses through your brain. You pull against the drain but you are wedged in pretty tight. The lack of air is starting to be a problem, so you exhale what little air you have left in you and push with your feet against the bottom to break free. The swim to the surface is agonizing as your chest is constricting and your head is pounding due to the lack of air! At last you break the surface of the water and are able to breathe in deeply the only thing you really care about at the moment—AIR!!!

We were created with the vital need of air intake! There is no getting around it—without it we will perish! Interestingly, one of the pictures of Scripture is of God breathing out His word for our intake so that we might be “adequately equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17). This image is intended to show us how important it is for us to have a consistent intake of God’s word! How can one live without the breath of God?

With this in consideration, our look at the influence of Josiah this morning and his reaction to the discovery of the Book of the Law is undeniably significant. As we talk about the incredible legacy Josiah is remembered by, one of the keys that brought this about is the respect and value he gives to the word of God—this is LIFE! Josiah was in touch with this and his heart was moved when God’s word was read in his presence.

How is your heart doing? One of the great warnings found in the book of Hebrews (3:12-13) says this: “Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” In Josiah’s time they had gone through several kings who had not heeded this warning and the nation was close to being destroyed. The Book of the Law had been lost and the nation of Israel was definitely NOT adequately equipped for every good work during that time. However, as we will see this morning, one man stood in the gap and left a powerful example for all of us to learn from. He breathed deeply from the word of God and changed the direction of a nation. Some of the most flattering words stated in the Scriptures are reserved for this man because he understood where life truly came from—the breath of God—His word!

Do you want to build something special as a husband, daddy, wife, mother, child, employee, community member, student, etc.? The life force of this type of legacy comes from God! Breathe in deeply from His word and let it guide you to become all He has created you to be!

Prayer & Fasting for 2008

2007-12-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

Who is God and what does He want? What are the tasks He desires Garden Ridge to accomplish during 2008? How can we continue to grow to become more of what the body of Jesus ought to be? How can we use our talents, passions and different personalities to further the work of the Kingdom of God? These are all questions in which we need to seek the answers from God. That is the purpose behind our time of prayer and fasting.

The reports I received from those who participated several months ago when we did this were both positive and exciting. There were none who said they wasted their time by coming up to the building for a special time of prayer on behalf of the church family at Garden Ridge (of course, most people probably wouldn’t say that out loud in front of the new preacher). However, there were several individuals and families who commented on how this was a special time for them to focus their prayer life and get back into a habit of worship and prayer. Several people commented that they needed to slow down once in a while and be more intentional in giving time to focus on God. Other comments dealt with the joy of seeing the church come together in a bond of love and unity to pray for direction and guidance from God so we could fulfill more of the good works He desires us to accomplish as His ambassadors.

We invite you to please come take part in this special 24-hour period of seeking the will of God. As part of the church family here, we need you to join with your brothers and sisters in lifting up before God our petitions for His will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven! Will you please set apart a time of 30 minutes to an hour to come to the building and join in the prayers of this congregation?

Once again, we will have sheets of butcher paper in the foyers to write down general ideas for people to pray about concerning the spiritual growth and service of this body throughout 2008. However, we are also asking you to fill out cards with personal prayer requests that will then be prayed over by those who come to the building to pray. It is great to be part of the Garden Ridge family, and with that comes a responsibility to seek the will of God and to follow it as best as we can. This is what the Day of Prayer and Fasting is for—to help us be united in our quest to serve as the true body of Jesus in this community!

Understanding the Problem

2007-12-16T09:13:00.000-08:00

For more than 20 years, Professor Edwin R. Keedy of the University of Pennsylvania Law School used to start his first class by putting two figures on the board, “4” & “2”. Then he would ask, “What’s the solution?” One student would call out, “Six.” Another would say, “Two.” Then several would shout out, “Eight!” The teacher would just shake his head “no”. Then Professor Keedy would point out their collective error. “All of you failed to ask the key question: ‘What is the problem?’ Ladies and gentlemen, unless you know what the problem is, you cannot possibly find the answer.”

A young couple wanted to buy a home, but felt it to be too expensive for them. They told God, “If you want us to buy it, 1) have the contractor accept only 1/2 of what he's asking for the down payment, and 2) have the bank approve our loan.” Both events happened and they bought the home. They soon began to go into debt. Is this what God directed them to do? How do you know? What is the real problem here?

If we get real honest with ourselves, we all know we live this way. We try to tackle the situations we are called to face through our own human wisdom, and sometimes even do it in the name of seeking God’s will. After all, living in a world with a limited perspective means I must make decisions based upon what I do “know” or else I would never move one direction or another. And who is to say that in the situation of the young couple mentioned above, God didn’t lead them into this in order to teach them some valuable lesson for later in life. Or, He wasn’t concerned with what this young couple would go through because He was trying to use the results of this situation to accomplish something else in His kingdom. (Stop it—my head is starting to hurt!)

Can you see the dilemma here? If so, then you are ready to study the material we are going to look at this morning during our sermon concerning the life of Abram. You see, Abram had some choices presented before him and from what the Scriptures say and don’t say, he set himself and his wife up for some real heartache (not to mention the strife we still have in our world today as a result of his choices!) A simple series of decisions that really lead back to ONE primary decision set a course that has influenced billions of lives since the time he made his decision!
What decision could be so crucial? Well, I will give you a couple hints: It is found in Genesis 12 and it deals with the second part of our development of faith quest—learning to surrender our present to God! Last week we saw the importance of surrendering our past and how debilitating it can be to carry those burdens with us. This morning we will see the necessity of giving God our present. Will we try to solve life’s problems without stopping to ask God what the real issue is? If so, we may find ourselves in the predicament of Abram!

To listen to sermon, click Developing Faith: Surrendering Your Present.

Learning to Walk by Faith

2007-12-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

What do you want from your relationship with God? Are you hoping it will result in eternity in heaven? Perhaps your desire is to experience life to the fullest? It may be that you want your life to have purpose, direction, and guidance from a source beyond our limited earthly view? Could it be that you are looking to mature in a way that your life demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit and reflects the shekinah glory of God Himself? Or, are your sights set upon developing a healthy family with relationship skills that lead to better friendships and other interpersonal bonds that are fruitful and uplifting?

These all sound like good things, however, there is a serious problem with this thinking! Our faith walk with God should never be about what we want. When this is how we determine what is best we are thinking according to the flesh! Does this mean that the things listed above are bad—of course not! However, what makes them truly good is they are things God wants for us!!! By walking with Him, He leads us to these things!!! So often, our own attempts at striving for these things winds up in disaster or heartache or frustration because our perspective is limited and our motives are not pure. The real question is whether we have the trust in Him to get beyond what we want to allow him to bring about what He wants!

The Scriptures call us to live a life of faith in God. However, what does this look like? How do we develop faith? Fortunately, God provides an example to follow in the life of Abraham. This morning we will begin the last three weeks of our series on Who is God and What Does He Want by looking at the development of faith. By considering the struggles of Abraham from his call by God in Genesis 12 to the offering of his son as a sacrifice in Genesis 22, we will see that faith involves our ability to surrender to God our past, our present, and our future. These things are very hard to surrender when we are trying to be in control!

Several times in the story of Abraham we see how following his own ingenuity to achieve the types of things listed in the first paragraph of this article actually led to pain and frustration for him and his family, and even separation from God. Even the part of his calling in which God said all the families of the earth would be blessed in him was hindered or forfeited when he tried to walk by his own sight instead of trusting in the guidance of God. These provide painful lessons, however, recognize that God never gave up on him! This is because God wants all these good things for us, even more than we think we do! So, how is your own faith walk going? Are you still holding the reins? Consider surrendering your past, present and future to Him and see where that leads you. I know Abraham is glad he did! Will you be a true child of his and walk by faith?

To listen to sermon, click Developing Faith: Surrendering Our Past.

Whose Job is it to Share the Good News?

2007-12-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

How many of you feel confident sitting down with someone and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in order to lead them to a covenant relationship leading to salvation for their soul? Where do you start and what do you say? I would imagine there are many who would say, “I am not sure I feel confident with this. It would probably be better for someone else to teach them because I might mess things up, or they might ask questions I wouldn’t know how to answer.” Does this sound like an accurate portrayal of your feelings?

Now, if this is where you are in your spiritual walk, then so be it. However, if in one year’s time from now you are still in the same place in your spiritual walk, should it be time to recognize that there is something wrong? Paul told the church at Corinth that God “gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!” The same Paul who wrote this also told Timothy to be ready in season and out of season to preach the word. Peter adds that we should be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you”.

One of the reasons for studying about who God is and what He wants is to lay a foundation for the work God calls us to as ambassadors in His kingdom. Most of us already know the basic teachings of God, but do we know how to share them with the lost in a way that helps them see how God and His ways are relevant to the things we face in this era? Seeing God as the One who can put order to our chaos; as the One who knows our needs and provides for us; as the Father who will punish us in order to call us back to a right relationship with Him; as One who is hurt by our sin; as One who warned mankind for almost 1000 years prior to the flood; and as the One who will hang His bow in the sky to show us He is at peace with us should help us realize we worship a God who is actively involved in this world and who desires to have a bond of covenant with us! Will studying these stories equip us so we begin to see more outreach to the lost?

This morning, as we consider mission work done throughout the world, let’s not forget our own backyard! Our neighbors, co-workers, fellow classmates and others we come in contact with need someone to share the Good News with them! Can they count on you? If you are not ready for that now, will you be ready in a year? Or, if God grants us another year on this earth, will we be promoting another Mission Sunday asking for the same things because we have not grown? The answer to the question in the title of this article should be obvious! How will you be better equipped by next year to call people to reconciliation with God?

The Harvest is Plentiful

2007-11-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Garden Ridge showed its love for others once again! The collection of food for some families to enjoy over the holiday season was a great success. In the short time of an hour or two there were 45-48 baskets or boxes of food assembled and distributed to over 30 families. In addition, the pantry was completely restocked for us to be able to help out many more families in the next few months. There were reports of several tearful expressions of gratitude and surprise as food was delivered in Lewisville, Flower Mound, and beyond. May God be glorified as we recognize the opportunities within our community to share from the wonderful blessings we have received from Him and show His love!

To listen to this week's sermon, click Thanksgiving Sermon.

What Are You Building?

2007-11-18T08:20:00.001-08:00

Take a quiz—How many of these people do you recognize: Owen D. Young; Pierre Laval, Hugh S. Johnson; James F. Byrnes; Mohammed Mossadegh; Harlow Curtice? These are not obscure names! Each one of these people were designated “Man of the Year” by Time magazine. The major criterion for being selected as “Man of the Year” is that they supposedly had the greatest impact of all persons living on the earth within a given year.

When it is all said and done, what will you have built that will last? The Scriptures contain many teachings warning us about chasing after the things of this world and how temporary they are. The author of Ecclesiastes uses the terms “vanity of vanities” (used 38 times) and “striving after wind” (used 7 times) to share his understanding of the futility of making things “under the sun” (used 29 times) the ultimate quest. His point, as he experiments with many different areas of life in a quest for the meaning of life, from the beginning of the book (1:2) to the end (12:8), is that a focus on the things of this world will always end with the same conclusion—“‘Vanity of vanities’, says the Preacher, ‘all is vanity!’” Any worldview that doesn’t rise above the horizon of man himself is a waste of time!

Mark Twain, shortly before he died, wrote the following:
A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle; . . . they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; . . . those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last—the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence, . . . a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.

How sad to view life this way, but this is “under the sun” thinking! It is the very trap the builders of the Tower of Babel fell prey to. In a quest to make a name for themselves, they forgot the most important thing—the will of their God!

The one thing we have seen show up over and over again as we have studied who God is and what He wants is that God has a plan for everything! Man was removed from the Garden of Eden—God shared a plan for their ultimate return. Cain killed his brother and God started over through the lineage of Seth. When the genealogies of Cain and Seth intermarried and every thought of man became evil continually, He saved the world through the flood and showed His planning through Enoch and Lamech. Now, as the people build the Tower at Babel, He will once again show His planning and intention through a man we know as Abraham. Through all of this He will show the difference in man making a name for themselves and His making a name for us!
So, what do we use as a basis for meaning, value and significance? What have you done that you believe in and are proud of? What will survive the test of time? Perhaps Paul’s words to the Corinthians provide a perspective we should consider:

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. (I Cor. 3:10-13)

Have you thought about whether what you are spending your time and energy upon will even last? Are you striving to make a name for yourself, or will you trust God to make your legacy? WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING?

To listen to sermon, click Making a Name for Yourself.

What is Your Perspective?

2007-11-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

To please his father, a freshman went out for Track. He had no athletic ability, though his father had been a good runner in his day, particularly in the mile. The young man’s first race was a two-man race in which he was pitted against the school’s 3-year champion in the mile. Thus, he was beaten badly. Not wanting to disappoint his father, the boy wrote home the following message. “You will be happy to know that I ran against Bill Williams, the best mile runner in the school. He came in next to last, while I came in second!”
Perspective is an amazing thing! There are always at least two ways to look at things. One sees the glass half-full and the other sees it half-empty. One faces a trial or challenge and thinks it a punishment from God and another considers it an opportunity to be stretched and to grow in their faith. This is certainly true as we look at the story of Noah and the flood this morning.
Most of us know the major details of the account of Noah and the flood. We also typically understand that there are at least two perspectives from which we should view the events of this story. One is the side of judgment and the way God handles sin. The other is the side of salvation and the way God handles the sinner. We will see in the sermon this morning the effort of God to SAVE mankind, but the destruction that comes because sin must be dealt with according to the righteous nature of our God. What is interesting is that the whole story of Noah and the flood is laid out to make a powerful point that the author intends not to be missed.
According to Gordon Wenham in the Word Biblical Commentary series, the story of the flood from 6:9 through 9:19 carries within it the following pattern:

A. Transitional Introduction (6:9-10)
B. Violence in Creation (6:11-12)
C. 1st Divine Speech: Resolve to destroy (6:13-22)
D. 2nd Divine Speech: Enter the ark (7:1-10)
E. Beginning of flood (7:11-16)
F. The Rising flood (7:17-24)
Þ GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
F. The Receding flood (8:1-5)
E. Drying of the earth (8:16-14)
D. 3rd Divine Speech: Leave ark (8:15-19)
C. God’s resolve to preserve order (8:20-22)
B. 4th Divine Speech: Covenant (9:1-17)
A. Transitional conclusion (9:18-19)

This is called a palistrophe, where the story builds up to a point and then builds out from it. The significance of an order like this is that the point in the middle is generally the main emphasis.
Do you see what the author is emphasizing? God always remembers those in a bond of covenant with Him! Isaiah would put it this way: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you!”—Is. 49:15.

Consider some other passages and what God provides for those in covenant with Him because He remembers them (Genesis 19:29; Exodus 2:24; I Samuel 1:19; Psalm 105:42). As horrific as the flood event appears at first glance, it sure demonstrates the heart of love God has for those who belong to Him. It is all a matter of your perspective!

To listen to sermon, click The Flood Was a Salvation Event.

What Legacy Do I Want To Leave Behind?!?!?

2007-11-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Who wants to study a genealogy? Of all the sections of material in the Bible, could anything be as dry and pointless as a genealogy? For some reason Moses puts TWO genealogies side by side right near the beginning of his writings to teach us about our relationship with God (who He is and what He wants).
One of the great things about Scripture is the way God chooses to teach lessons about who He is and what He wills through both the good news and the bad news in people’s lives. One might think it prudent for God to choose one story of victory after another to show the benefits and plausibility of doing things according to His will. And, of course, there are many stories like this throughout the Scriptures: David & Goliath; Daniel in the lion’s den; Joseph in Egypt; Elijah on Mount Carmel; Peter walking on water; and the list could go on. However, God often shows the failings and weaknesses of individuals, as well. He does not try to hide them. In fact, it seems as though He willingly displays them so we might grow from the mistakes others have made. Consider David & Bathsheba; the grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness; Noah getting drunk; Solomon and his many wives; Peter’s denials of Jesus; and Paul’s argument with Barnabas concerning John Mark, just to name a few. God uses these moments of sin or human weakness to teach us His will and ultimately bring Himself glory!
This morning’s sermon over the genealogies of Cain and Seth is a further example of the way God does this. As we see records of generations of two particular families, it becomes clear that we have a choice to make. What type of family legacy will we leave behind as future generations unfold? Will we leave behind a legacy of worldly success at the expense of our souls, such as we find in the genealogy of Cain, or will those who look back over our own genealogy see God working out His plans throughout our family line, like we see in the genealogy of Seth? What will those who look back at us say our priorities were? What Moses is emphasizing through these two genealogies is the most fundamental decision mankind must make—what legacy do you want to leave behind? When you know the answer to this question, pursue it intentionally! After all, what truly is more important than this?

To listen to sermon, click The Tale of Two Genealogies.

A Great Big Thank You!

It was such a nice surprise and a great encouragement to Deeann and me to receive the outpouring of blessings and kind thoughts that this church family bestowed upon us last week. Thank you for the cards and gifts and especially for the prayers and blessings we were given. We are excited about the work we get to do for the Lord with the church family here at Garden Ridge and look forward to growing together as disciples, servants and ambassadors for our Lord. Thank you again for showing us such love and appreciation even though we have been here such a short time. It is greatly appreciated!

When Justice and Mercy Collide

2007-10-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it awesome that God is so merciful? After all, we all mess up, and who doesn’t need a God who understands and provides out of His mercy and grace another chance to work things out? It is really difficult to live in this world and not become influenced or stained by it. Thus, we need a God who is full of mercy and grace! Instead of surrendering as a failure, I can be made new and have a whole new outlook on things!

Isn’t it awesome that God is so just? After all, there are so many things in this world that are shady and deceitful! How many times are we taken advantage of because someone has their own agenda and will take whatever means they deem necessary to accomplish their goal? Sometimes it is hard to know what standard to live by, but having a God who is just helps me determine morality, truth and what is right because I have a measuring stick with which to evaluate things.

We serve a God who is both just AND merciful!!! Consider the way God presents himself to Moses when He reveals His glory to him on Mt. Sinai, as recorded in Exodus 34:6-7:
6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

Do you see both the justice and mercy of God portrayed as He speaks to Moses? God says these things about Himself!!! The context of this proclamation is that God is angry enough to destroy the Israelites due to their sin with the golden calf, but Moses begs Him to continue walking with them. Moses has returned to Mt. Sinai with two tablets of stone to have the 10 Commandments inscribed on them and he will return to the Israelite camp with a glow that frightens the people as a result of his time in the presence of God. Even the physical representations of tablets of stone (Law) and the glow (presence of God) show both characteristics of His nature!

How do these two characteristics work together? Does His justice override His grace, or does His grace override His justice? Is it possible for the two to work in balance? This morning, as we look at the story of Cain and Abel, we are able to see both aspects of this great God we serve. The justice of God will not accept Cain’s sacrifice, while the grace of God will warn him of sin crouching at his door waiting to have him. The justice of God will hold Cain accountable for the murder of his brother, prohibiting him from using the ground to grow crops and making him a wanderer and a vagrant, while the grace of God will protect Cain from someone finding him and killing him.

Perhaps this is what makes our understanding of God and His ways so difficult at times. It is hard to balance these two characteristics! When I swing to the side of justice, I struggle with what God does through His grace (Why would God protect a murderer?). When I swing to the side of grace, I struggle with God’s justice (Why wouldn’t God accept Cain’s sacrifice?) Yet, God exhibits both characteristics with great balance. Isn’t it awesome that God is so merciful and just!!!

To listen to sermon, click Serving God on My Terms.