Salt and Light

I gave some more thought to my post from Tuesday. I agree that the church should be trying to attract more younger people. However, we cannot forget that we are to be "salt and light" to the world. We shouldn't change just to attract more people or please others. We are to stand apart and be different. If changing allows us to reach more people for Christ and doesn't contradict Scripture, then we should consider that change. However, we should never compromise our testimony just to attract more people. We also need to consider the idea of doing something just because that's the way we've always done it, isn't a good reason.

Salt - is used as a preservative. It adds flavor and enjoyment to food. We are to be salt to the world. We are to preserve biblical truth but at the same time we are to enjoy life.

Light is used to expose darkness. It is also a symbol of truth. It is a symbol of guidance - you can't make your way through the darkness without light. We are to be light to the world.

We need to remember the message and do what we need to do to deliver the message. We should speak the truth in love but we should speak the truth. That doesn't mean screaming at people that they are going to hell but it also doesn't mean avoiding the subject.

Our testimony needs to be personal and attractive. It needs to draw people to Jesus. We draw people with blameless lives, gracious speech, scriptural insights, and practical usefulness. The gospel will do its own work if we just tell it the way it is.


Matthew 5: 13 - 15
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."

They Like Jesus But Not the Church

I didn’t intend this blog to become a book review site but I have read some good books lately. Right now I am reading They Like Jesus But Not the Church: insights from emerging generations by Dan Kimball. I find it an interesting book. I don’t necessarily agree with all of his points but he does make me think. He decided that it was too easy for him (as a pastor) to get caught up in his own little Christian subculture and ignore the unchurched. He decided to start going to the local coffee shop (he lives in California) to work on his research and sermons. There he was able to build some relationships with the “regulars” and he was able to ask them some questions. He defines emerging generations as people in their late teens to early thirties. He chose this age group because he sees them as the largest missing segment from the church.

“Three-fourths of today’s high school graduates leave the church as soon as their parents stop making them go.”

Some basic ideas about this emerging generation:

• They don’t have a basic understanding of the Bible.
  
• They don’t have one God as the predominant God to worship.
  
• They are open to all kinds of faiths and mixtures of faiths.
  
• They no longer believe that Christian ministers are the “good guys”.
  
• They are interested in Jesus. They like and respect him.
  
• They are suspicious of organized religion.
  
• They would not go to church to seek God or spiritual growth but they would see these things on their own.
  
• They don’t want to be told how to pray, dress, think, or act.
  
• They see church as “religious Simon Says”.
  
• They see the church as driven by its own social and political agenda.
  
• They want to express their ideas but feel left out of all areas of leadership.

I’m only about 1/3 of the way through the book so perhaps I’ll have more to share in a few days.

Sara Palin video

I don't usually share my political thoughts. One of the criticisms of the church from outsiders is that we have a political agenda.

However, I want to share a video clip of Sara Palin speaking in her home church in Wasilla, Alaska. This clip is about 15 minutes but well worth your time. She makes it very clear that she is a Christian.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1766638341

You'll need to click the play button and be sure your sound is turned on. It may take a few seconds to load.

Feel free to let me know what you think.

Exhausted

It has been a long week and I am exhausted. I need strength and rest.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

Law of Exposure

This also comes from John Ortberg's book, If You Want to Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out of the Boat.

"The law of exposure - Your mind will think most about what it is most exposed to. What repeatedly enters your mind, eventually shapes your mind, and will ultimately express itself in what you do and who you become."

It amazes me to see how many people think they can live as they want and that they can avoid this law. They think they can read anything they want and it won't affect them. They think they can watch bad images or listen to nasty music and it won't affect them. Scientists are just now proving what the Bible has said all along. If we input junk into our mind, we will output junk in our actions.

Isaiah says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind has stayed on thee."

Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 4 to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we are told "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

If I really want to become more like Christ and grow in my Christian faith, then I need to focus my mind on thoughts that will help produce those qualities in my life.

Go Water Walking

I've been reading John Ortberg's book If You Want to Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out of the Boat. It is a study on Matthew 14:25- 32. The disciples were on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus came walking out on the water to meet them. They were scared and thought it was a ghost. Jesus told them not to be afraid. Peter answered and said," Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus told him to come and so Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. Then Peter noticed the wind and the waves and started to sink. He cried out to Jesus to save him and Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. Jesus asked Peter, why did you doubt?

There are lots of things that come to mind when you read this story. Peter was the only one who asked to walk out to Jesus. He was the only one with the faith and courage to step out of the boat. It was a big step of faith to leave the security of the boat and walk on water. It is a picture of what you can do with God's help that you can't do alone. Jesus told him to come and he did. He didn't stop to weigh his options or ask questions. He simply stepped out in faith and obedience.

God asks an ordinary person to engage in an act of extraordinary trust - getting out of the boat.
There is always fear in a situation like this.
There is always reassurance - God promises his presence.
There is always a decision - you must decide for yourself - no one is making you go.
There is always a changed life.

Obedience is no guarantee of being spared adversity. The waves and wind didn't stop when Peter stepped out.

What is your boat? It is anything that represents safety and security to you apart from God.

When you walk on water, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus. What are the wind and waves in your life that take your focus off of Jesus?

Accept fear as the price of growth. The decision to grow always involves a choice between comfort and risk. To be a follower of Jesus, you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life.

It was Peter's willingness to risk failure that helped him to grow.

There are good reasons to get out of the boat. The water is where Jesus is. Peter didn't ask for a guarantee - just an opportunity. The disciples who stayed on the boat treasured safety over growth.

I found myself feeling sorry for Peter. He was the only one who had the faith to ask and then to obey. Yet, Jesus rebuked him for doubting. When they got into the boat, everyone worshipped Jesus and they knew He was the Son of God. I wanted to know why Jesus didn't ask the others where their faith was, why they didn't ask to come to him ....... Perhaps that's just my question.

Are you sitting in the boat, or getting out to go water walking ........

It comes from the heart ...

I am not usually the crying type. I can cry at sad movies but I don't typically cry at real life scenarios. This one will get you though. I work at a school. My 15 year old daughter had to go to school with me during our preplanning days. She had softball practice in the afternoons and there was no way to get her to practice unless she went with me in the mornings. So, since she had time to waste, she volunteered to do some work for some of the middle school teachers, the middle school principal, and the administrative assistant in the middle school office. She enjoyed herself as she loves to be around people and she loves to help others. On Friday, the principal had sent her a gift card for $20 for Target for all the things she had helped them do that week. If was a very nice surprise and my daughter was thrilled. Then, the first thing she says to me is, "Mom, I know what I want to buy. I want to buy ingredients to make cookies for the teachers." I just about lost it. Her first thoughts were to take that gift and turn it around to bless others. Well, I told her that she didn't need to do that, that I would buy the ingredients. So she spent most of Saturday baking cookies and delivered 57 bags of cookies to teachers' mailboxes Monday night. She wanted the teachers to arrive to school this morning, after the long weekend, and have a treat waiting for them. She made little labels that said, "I hope your year is off to a great start." I was so amazed. I take no credit. You can't teach that kind of thing to a kid. If comes from the heart.....