by Emma Steedman | Sep 3, 2018
EDITOR’S NOTE: Guest bloggers have been filling in for regular Millennial Monday blogger Emily Howsden while she has been on maternity leave. Emily’s next blog will be Sept. 10.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed that we are a generation that loves to be offended. People are constantly taking things to heart and allowing comments to get to them.
By doing this, we create a hardened heart toward the “accuser,” and each comment tops the last while eating away at the relationship. This is not the lifestyle and the heart that Christ exemplified, nor is it the life that we as Christians are called to live.
I, too, have had to learn to drop offense. A couple of months ago I was having a conversation with someone about investing in good quality clothes. They told me I was vain because I cared about what I spend my money on and how I present myself.
I am not someone who cares what people think or say about me – at least not anymore. When I was younger, that was all I cared about. My pride was through the roof, and it was a long and difficult process to leave that at the foot of the cross.
It is something I have to be intentional about every day. So someone saying I was vain was a shot to my heart.
But pointless comments are not worth the emotional investment. When we know the truth about ourselves, there is no point in allowing your feelings to be destroyed and your relationship to be ruined by what someone says.
Unfortunately, we too often care only about ourselves. We operate out of “me, me, me” and justify it by just “being aware of our emotions,” feeling “attacked,” or being “called out” while making ourselves the victim.
Our easily-offended mindset and actions are far from Christ-like. In the midst of being accused and preparing to be crucified, Scripture tells us that Jesus did not even allow mocking to get to Him.
“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).
We are to let go of things and have a heart of grace, giving kindness away like candy!
“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Prov. 19:11).
Selfishness and lack of humility are evident in our actions – or lack of actions – toward others. We rarely actually listen to others. We pop off answers and either take a reply offensively or end up making an offensive comment ourselves. But by simply taking time to connect in a relationship with the person in front of us, we show we value them and care about them, reducing the chance of offending them.
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
The act of not being offended isn’t natural, but it’s what we’re called to as Christians. As I mentioned before, there is no point in holding offense against someone and ruining a relationship with them.
We are to look at and treat others as brothers and sisters in Christ while honoring them by not holding what they might say against them. I can guess that none of you reading this have been mocked and accused while being led to crucifixion. But I bet that if we were, none of us would go through that while keeping our mouths shut, even proceeding to die for those people.
Therefore, when the cost of caring is significantly less for us, we are to go against human nature and, instead, show grace and kindness.
People have forgotten that being offended is simply a choice. But so are joy, grace and kindness!
by Caleb Moore | Aug 28, 2018
God doesn’t complete me. I know this sounds weird, but it’s true. He doesn’t complete you either, and I can prove it. In the book of Philippians, Paul says, “make my joy complete by being like-minded” (Phil. 2:2).
Make his joy complete? Shouldn’t Jesus make him complete? Haven’t we all been told that God completes us? Well, He does, and He doesn’t.
Jesus fixed our relationship between God and us, but we are still at war with other people. Large portions of the New Testament are devoted to urging us to make peace with the other people around us. So the idea that God doesn’t complete us in this life should not strike us as odd.
We were created for the Garden of Eden where we were not only at peace with God, but also with other people. That’s the other part of the equation we often forget about. We were made to live in peace with God, but we are also made to live in peace with others in God’s presence.
Revelation describes heaven as a garden city. In many ways, we are going back to how God made us to be. We were meant to live in Eden, but right now, we are stuck in-between.
We might have peace with God, but we are still learning how to be at peace with others. I think this explains why disagreements in the church can be so dangerous. The church is supposed to be the example of unity to the rest of the world. It is supposed to be a place where people from every background and race can worship together.
Unfortunately, the church can often be a place of great drama. We might have Jesus in common, but with many, that’s about it. We have different music taste, different backgrounds and different ways of communicating. Put a large group of flawed people into a building with other flawed people, and vicious arguments are bound to happen. So what on earth can we do to overcome this?
First, we need to remember that we are not made for this earth. If we can remind ourselves that we won’t be perfectly complete in this life then perhaps we can have the expectation that not every issue is going to get solved. Only in television do problems get fixed in 30 minutes. In real life, some things never get resolved. If I understand that, then I can focus more on the relationship then just trying to be right.
Secondly, we must focus on what we have in common. Imagine if your team won the Super Bowl. You and your team head down to the locker room excited about such an incredible victory. Suddenly, you notice that someone is wearing the wrong color socks. Would this be something that bothered you so much that it would keep you from celebrating the victory? Of course not! In the same way, if we focus on the victory we have in Christ, everything else should seem rather petty.
Lastly, remember that unity among others is your secondary source of joy. Your primary source of joy is found in Christ, but we are also called to find joy in our relationship with others. Your joy will be more complete if you humble yourself and learn to stand on the common ground all believers share.
Let’s learn to celebrate each other. God has made us all unique for a reason, and I truly believe we grow better in Christ when we grow together.
by admin | Aug 27, 2018
EDITOR’S NOTE: While regular Millennial Monday blogger Emily Howsden is away on maternity leave, Millennial Monday will continue as guest bloggers fill in over the next couple of weeks.
The air was clean and crisp. The sounds were devoid of cars and people. The sky was littered with stars, and I had no cell service.
The Great Smoky Mountains gave me the opportunity (however forced) to disconnect and look upward. Not “look upward” in the metaphysical sense, but quite literally. It was so dark that I could scarcely see anything around me except the stars above, which were in staggering abundance.
If you’re anything like me, when someone asks “How are you?” your immediate response – before you can think of an actual response – is “tired,” even if you aren’t tired!
Either 1) the actuality of my state of exhaustion is so evident in me that it precedes any other state, or 2) I desire others to recognize that I am working so hard that I can only be “tired.” Either way, I find myself describing my state of being as a result of my lack of rest and focus.
Additionally, if you’re anything like me, moments granted where rest may be achieved are overcome by mobile notifications that need to be checked and stories that need to be watched. Though my rest in the Smokies was “forced” by way of stripping all distractions from me, it was so incredibly welcomed as soon as I stopped thinking about ways to circumvent it.
Without even noticing, how often do we deprive ourselves of rest? You may say, “I rest on the weekends while watching sports” or “I find it restful to nap and not leave my house,” but maybe defining rest is helpful to understanding rest.
Think about rest in two areas: general rest, and Sabbath. I know, sabbath sounds strangely formal, but I appreciate that Adam Mabry in “The Art of Rest” defines it simply as “a time of rest, holy to the Lord.” From that definition, all the things in my do-this-for-rest” category fail to meet the qualification of Sabbath, and I’m not using “sabbath” as a synonym for “Sunday.”
Looking at my drive to the top of Balsam Mountain, I was in the middle of general rest – a vacation. However, I only experienced a time of sabbath when the night came to an end, dinner was finished and it was time to sleep. Honestly, while initially put-off by “no service” on my phone, I was overtaken by the beauty around me. In that moment, I stopped and focused on the Lord outside of a “quiet time” for the first time in a while, and just splendored at the magnificence of His creation around me.
In fact, the words of Psalm 8:3-4 resounded in my head: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” (Emphasis mine)
I was overwhelmed that as my eyes continued to adjust to the darkness, I saw more and more stars…each given a name and remembered by the Lord. I was overwhelmed, understanding that the same God, who created those stars in their multitude, cares deeply for me. My time of general rest turned sabbath, and my state of exhaustion turned to reverence.
Realizing powerful sabbath rest made me convicted, not that I look for ways to avoid such rest, but that I often fail to seek such rest. Mabry hits the nail on the head when he wrote: “We’re quite happy to sing and study about the God who rules. We just don’t believe what we say enough to regularly lay down our rule. We creatures, made to co-create with God, have so idolized our creative works that we refuse to honor God as the Creator. Yet that’s exactly what Sabbath rest is about.”
It’s powerful to know AND internalize the compelling truth that the God of the universe who made those beautiful stars littering the sky, and the nightly symphony of sound heard even in the most remote of location, also made you. He made you (Psalm 139:13) and understands you more that you understand you. He knows when you need a sabbath (probably right now) and he knows how you must sabbath.
What’s more, He isn’t surprised that you’re tired! Genesis 3 gives a hint that man will spend his life working, and even Hebrews 4 reminds us that Jesus is not surprised by any moment in our lives because He was tested as we are, but remained without sin. Our Father desires through our lives as Christians for us to rest, and for that rest to be rooted and built-up in Him (Col. 2:6-7).
I’m rested and eager for rest; I’ve sabbathed and am eager for sabbath. Just as we look forward to a weekend, let us look forward to a time set apart as holy for the Lord, and may He find us faithful.
Three questions:
1. What are two physical things that keep you from sabbath rest?
- Take a moment to ask the Lord 1) for forgiveness, and 2) for release from “things.”
2. When you try to sabbath, what are frequent thoughts that overtake the moment?
- Take a moment to ask the Lord 1) for guidance in those issues, and 2) for focus.
3. When you try to carve sabbath rest into your schedule, what are its main oppositions?
- Take a moment to ask the Lord 1) for wisdom, and 2) for courage to make sabbath a priority.
by Caleb Gordon | Aug 23, 2018
I can admit, from time to time, I struggle with lust. I am a guy. Most guys have this kind of struggle, but here is the thing; it’s not an excuse.
I don’t get a pass on this. Just because I’m a guy does not give me the liberty to do what I want.
I was reading this verse on a recent morning:
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:16-21).
God has provided you and me THE way to outrun and destroy this thing called lust (and you can put whatever else you’d like to put in there – anger, impurity, strife, etc… SIN IN GENERAL).
God’s Word is a sword that can defeat and destroy strongholds.
So, how do you and I do this? The answer is found in Eph. 6:10-18:
The Whole Armor of God
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”
Everything in this text is vital to overcoming sin in your life. You cannot win if you leave anything out of this. You have to be totally prepared for the war that is taking place in your life every moment of every day. The devil does not give up, neither does your sinful nature.
So if you want to walk in the spirit, it’s going to take some preparation, some study, some prayer, and some commitment.
Make these verses your anthem.
Stop making excuses and begin to lay a battle plan for victory.
Ready yourself, by reading, praying and walking.
by Brian Hobbs | Aug 22, 2018
They are usually the subject of countless church-related jokes. They are certainly not as talked about as church elders these days. But these men do serve an important biblical role in the church.
I’m talking about deacons.
If you were to ask the average person what a deacon’s job is, you are likely to get a blank stare. You might hear things like this: “They pass the offering plate,” or “They run church business meetings.” Or, “They prepare and serve the elements during the Lord’s Supper.”
While these are likely true, deacons also can do much more than these things. In a recent podcast interview with Russell Cook, who is a director of missions in Oklahoma, we discussed the role of deacon in church life in Bible times and today.
Dr. Cook, in his trilogy of books about deacon ministry, eloquently discussed the “why”—or the purpose—of deacons.
He said, “Whether you are in a new church or a more established one, if you have a congregation, you have a growing need for more servants. You need others to help you. Yet you may not know where to start or how to proceed with identifying, enlisting, equipping and engaging servant-leaders for your church. In (this book on deacons), you will find the help you need.
“It is not God’s intention that a pastor and one or two other leaders perform all needed ministry. This is akin to what God intended for the Apostles in Acts 6, when they had become overwhelmed with the ministry needs of a multiplying church. This book details how to find the kind of men described in Acts 6—not only find them but identify them by their reputation, character qualities and servant hearts. This is a process that can be undertaken by any church that sees the need and has a desire to follow clear, scripturally-based guidelines.”
I can highly recommend these books, which fill a topical niche that few other books address.
At my home church, our deacons serve the widows and widowers of our church in times of peace and of great distress (James 1:27). We also are expected to be the first to volunteer for any need that arises, as well as help with outreach, the prayer ministry and other activities. From large congregations to small, we see that deacons can and should play a vital and helpful role.
What’s a deacon to do? It all comes down to service. We are here to serve, and by God’s grace, we deacons will serve faithfully during all the days the Lord gives us.
by Amy Spear | Aug 14, 2018
Oh my sweet little Rose! It’s a good thing she is so cute! At three years old, that curly little redhead can be super ornery! After she spills her drink, throws a tantrum, hits her brother, tells me “NO!” or spills red juice all over grandma’s carpet (thank goodness it wasn’t my house!), she will look up with those big blue eyes and say, “I promise I will never ever do that again mommy.”
In her own sweet way, she is saying sorry and never wants to disappoint me again. So, with great sincerity in her heart, and great skepticism in mine, we hug and move on. She truly hates to disappoint me. Her little heart is so sensitive to what makes me happy and what gets her in trouble.
The feelings Rosie expresses on her face seem to be the feelings I hide in my heart. I find myself longing for my heavenly Father’s approval, never wanting to disappoint. Yet, with this desire to never disappoint my God, I can easily begin to think of Him as my Judge. The kind of judge that sits behind the bench waiting to pass judgment, to show His upmost disapproval of me, and tell me how, yet again, I have failed Him.
The most recent occurrence, for example, was trying to prepare for teaching a Sunday school lesson. The week was almost over as I sat down at the kitchen table to pray and study.
I began to pray, “God please forgive me for not being as prepared as I should to teach this lesson. Lord I pray You would move in the hearts of all who attend even though I have failed you. I don’t deserve your bailout but please don’t hold back Your knowledge because of me. Bless your people and bless this lesson.”
In the middle of my prayer God spoke truth to my heart. His truth flooded in so swiftly to correct and cut away the false thinking and give Grace even though I didn’t deserve it.
He spoke three main truths to me:
- I love you! I want the best for you! I don’t want you to fail. I am your biggest cheerleader! Don’t label me as a harsh judge when all I have ever given you is love and grace. Yes, I disciple you when you need it, but only because of LOVE!
- My word can stand-alone! I don’t need you to study for hours and hours for my word to come alive. In fact, I don’t need you at all! All you simple have to do is open my word with a pure heart and my Spirit will do the rest (This was by no means, God letting me off the hook! He was putting me in my place because my pride was getting in the way. I need to study, but it is always God who speaks and moves the heart of His people, not me!).
- I want you to want to spend time with me (sound familiar?). Your lack of preparedness shows the priority you place on spending time with My Word and Me. I’m after your heart, not your brain. Give me your heart and you will long to spend more and more time in My Word. Your love for Me should be your motivation. Not your warped thinking of my judgmental attitude.
That morning I got more than I bargained for in my prayer time! God scolded me and whipped me back into shape, back into remembering His love for me.
Now I could say, “I sorry Lord. I promise I will never do that again!” but God knows that truth and He will have to remind me again and again.
So I want to remind you too. God loves you! He wants the very best for you! He longs to spend time with you and lavish His words of grace into your heart. He is your biggest cheerleader!
He is our Judge, but he doesn’t judge us with human motives or thoughts or even human love. He judges us with a love we can’t even comprehend because His son Jesus stands in the gap for us.
May you remember His love for you today and let that be the motivation that moves you!