Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria…

Last Sunday I had another opportunity to be stretched. While I have delivered several sermons before, never was it in a formal church setting. For those of you who don’t know me well enough yet, I am a perfectionist and that perfectionism is focused primarily on me, not others. I’m willing to extend tons of grace to others, but I beat myself up pretty good. And if it involves teaching and preaching the Word of God, well the stakes are thru the roof!

I want to thank the dozens of people who encouraged me following my message. Frankly, I’m trying to make myself believe the compliments I received since I’m dwelling on the places I didn’t communicate exactly what I meant. Again, my perfectionism rearing its ugly head. The comments which meant the most to me were the ones about the significance of the message I brought from Acts 1. One woman told me that she had been a missionary’s wife for 39 years and had never heard such a compelling call to live a life on mission for the Lord. Wow!

But isn’t that truly the message of Acts 1:1-8? The language that Luke uses to instruct Theophilus about the responsibility of those who follow Christ is full of authoritative descriptions of Christ as commander or king. And Luke’s preference for calling the Christ followers “apostles” conveys his understanding that we are to be His envoys or ambassadors, to be His “sent ones.” And just so that we don’t make too much of our role in God’s redemptive plan, Jesus tells us that we need divine power in order to accomplish our enormous task.

So, you and I are sent to our Jerusalem. Have you thought about that this week? The people in your Connect group are part of your Jerusalem. So are your family members and your neighbors, and your co-workers. Have you been sent to them this week? Have you been a faithful witness for Christ and His Kingdom?

And how are you doing with your Judea and Samaria? There hasn’t been much time to go, but have you at least thought about them? Have you begun praying about them? Maybe your group could start praying about people having hearts ready to hear the message of the grace of God. Maybe you all could be praying together that you would have opportunities on the coming weeks and months to have an impact somewhere outside your Jerusalem, even if just in Judea. Is that something you even desire? If you don’t, does that trouble you in light of Acts 1:1-8?

Because, if we’re truly honest about it, most of the time we are really looking to build our kingdom, not His. We are looking for things or status or comfort. Do you think I’m wrong? What did Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount when He was addressing the masses?

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

Were people that way in ancient Israel, but we have evolved beyond that? Really? Maybe I’m the only one who has a tendency to slide back into my self-centeredness. But I doubt it, since I have eyes to see the world and there’s still much need for faithful witnesses for Christ but many who would call Him “Lord.”

Serving From Your SHAPE....

Our CONNECT Ministry has been looking into how our serving the Lord and people is a crucial part of your personal discipleship. Also, we are learning about how the Lord uniquely crafted each of us to serve in a specific way.

Well, I came across this video which demonstrates the need to plug people in at the place God has set for them, not just wherever you have an available opening. Hope you enjoy a little humor....

I Believe in Evolution

OK, I know. That’s a controversial blog title. You say “evolution” and it just sets people off. Before you check out or ask for my head, let me clarify. The evolution which I believe in is not the Darwinian attempt to explain the origins of life apart from God’s involvement. It is, however, the primary definition for the word “evolution,” namely “any process of formation or growth; development.”

When I first placed all my hope and trust in Christ, I called myself “Christian.” It was where I was at the time. That’s what I was becoming, changing from what I was into one of “those” people. And I started doing the Christian things like going to church and a few of the disciplines.

Then came the day (or series of days) where I began to realize that there was an entire group of people who called themselves “Christian” but who didn’t represent the beliefs which I held. They were attending church nearly every week, but they didn’t appear to have faith. Church was something they did, not something they were. And I wanted to identify myself in a way which set me apart from them. So, I evolved. I became a “believer.” I wanted to communicate that I believed upon the Lord and that I believed His Word. And belief creates a change in me, how I handle stress and pain, how I treat people and where I ascribe value.

And I was a “believer” for quite a long time. In tough seasons, I reminded myself that I was a believer and it helped me to lean hard into the Lord for strength and comfort. But, as I spent more time listening to solid preaching and in personal and corporate Bible study, I grew in my understanding that my salvation and adoption by the Lord weren’t so much about me as they were about Him. My redemption from enslavement to the enemy was so that I would become part of God’s army, not just His family. I realized that I was being sent into the world even as the Father had sent the Son, with a mission! And I realized that “believer” wasn’t adequate to reflect my understanding of my place in God’s Kingdom. So, I evolved again. I became a “Christ-follower.” This suited my deeper appreciation of the implications of our gospel. God had called me out of darkness into light in order to follow in His ways, to be like Him. And being like Him certainly meant becoming more holy in my words, thoughts, and deeds. However it primarily meant that I would be like Him in setting my selfish desires aside and serving others for the sake of the Kingdom. Again, I was pleased with my new moniker (that word is for you, Jeff) because it explained better where I was in my relationship with the Lord.

I recently evolved again. This time, I was completely happy with my identification as a “Christ-follower” but I found that there was a subtle distinction that I needed to make, for myself more than for anyone else. You see, I have a tendency to do things in order to feel good. Don’t read into that statement. I would find myself doing good things so that I could feel the satisfaction of having done the right thing. That’s not bad, right? But I wanted to look beyond the classifications “good thing” and “bad thing” and get to a motivation that transcended the actual circumstances. I wanted to be at a place where I could rise above the extenuating circumstances and see the bigger picture. Frankly, I wanted to get to a place that an apparently neutral discussion became clearly “good” or “bad,” to use primal classifications. So, I recently evolved again. I now try to see myself as a “God-worshipper.” Please don’t think that is a step backwards. I know that changing “Christ” to “God” seems like a watering down to some. Trust me; it isn’t. And the change to being a worshipper of God is a move toward reverence for me. I want to see every situation presented each day as an opportunity to worship the Lord or to worship myself. This is just where my journey of faith has me today.

So, are you evolving? I guess that the way to ask that which would be more widely approved in Christian circles is, “Are you maturing?” If you have been a Christian for a while, are you in a different place today than you were a year ago? 5 years? 10? Have to settled down in your journey, maybe even stopped growing altogether? As CONNECT and Grace Church move forward, we are going to talk a lot about discipleship. After all, our commission from the Lord is not to make “converts” but to make “disciples.” So, are you evolving?

Don't Reinvent the Wheel - Use This One!

Sometimes, you can't say it any better than someone has already said it. So, you refer to them so as not to take credit for the work of another. Besides, it's good to bring a second witness. It avoids the typical response, "Well, that's just your opinion."

So, here is a blog post by a buddy with whom I attended seminary. It seemed incredibly relevant to our current circumstances. It's also one of the most important reasons we would like to see everyone at Grace Church in a small group. But keep in mind that simply being in a group isn't going to get you where you need to be. You have to be committed to following hard after the Lord.

Hope you appreciate by brother, Aaron's post as much as I did. http://bit.ly/amuxTq

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Into the Fire

What are the things that you look forward to in life? Summer? Graduation? Vacation? Kids moving out? Retirement?

What do you do during the seasons of pain? You know what I mean, those times when we suffer. Maybe it’s the loss of a job followed by a long stretch of unemployment, a time when you question your ability to provide for your family, your value in the marketplace, your significance to God. Maybe it’s the loss of a loved one, a time of grief and regrets, a time of loneliness and emptiness. Maybe it’s a season of illness, maybe immensely painful for a time or maybe progressive, degenerative, and terminal. What do you do during times like these?

How do seasons of suffering affect your faith? Are you the same person spiritually when you come out as when you went in? I’ve found that few people emerge the same as they entered. So, is your faith stronger or shaken? Has it become more sure or is it feeble or absent when you emerge from the darkness into the light?

That is what our Grace Church family finds itself in right now, a season of suffering. The emotions are all across the spectrum. Some are in extreme dispair; there is no doubt in their mind that they are in the crucible of pain. The ones who are pleased perhaps don’t realize it, but they are in a very similar place. Because God’s Word tells us that times of suffering come for the testing of our faith.

You see, some of us profess faith and think we’re good-to-go. But when the testing by fire comes, we find out the value of that faith. Scripture tells us that we will all eventually be tested in this way:

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

By Peter tells us that we don’t have to wait for Judgment Day to find out if we have genuine faith. He says that there are trials in life which serve as pre-tests, seasons God allows so we can know how we’re doing in our journey of faith:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9

So, Grace family, we are all in a time of testing. The future of Grace Church is a product of the responses of each of us to that testing. It could be lots worse; the church Peter was writing to was being beaten, tortured, and fed to wild animals. But the test is the same. What response will our faith produce?

Tough Times? Reflect and Refresh...

Well, the hits on this blog have been thru the roof over the last week. No doubt, people who were less-than-patient with waiting for the church letter about Scott were searching for clues. No doubt, they thought they found lots. They may have. This something that Grace Leadership has been living for months.

Of course, you've probably been wondering why things have gone silent. Maybe you have received and read your church letter by now and can begin to appreciate why. It's not for lack of effort. I have written a half dozen posts since the last one, but the time was not right to post them.

When I'm in a tough time, I go to something familiar, especially if there are fond memories associated with it. This week, I stumbled upon a video of a couple that I did ministry with at my previous church. I was overcome with a flood of warm emotions, something the Lord knew I needed at the time.

While I'm not ready to start really blogging again, I wanted to share the clip with you. Who knows? Maybe I can convince Jeff and Vangie that they need to take a trip to Lancaster County. Maybe they would like to try Shoo-fly Pie or Whoopie Pies. And maybe they would help us learn that when we cry out to our Lord, it is right and beautiful. He is our only hope. All else will disappoint...

Gather in the Park

CONNECT Ministry gathered on Sunday afternoon to celebrate as God’s people at Grace Church all which He is doing and all which He wants to do thru us in our Groups Ministry. It was great to see hundreds of our Grace family, from newborn babies to our seniors, eating, laughing, and playing together.

I even had an elderly woman who was not with our group come to me to ask what all the celebration was about. She was here from New Jersey with her granddaughter, visiting her son who recently relocated to Lititz. I just told her that we were a group of church folks who had worshiped together in the morning and were now partying together in the park. She was amazed and asked which church we were from, because she felt her son needed a “family” here in his new home. By the end of our short conversation, she was wondering aloud if she should move to Lititz with her ailing mother-in-law from Florida because Lititz looked like a great place to experience real community.

I really appreciate all of the hard work of our volunteers who planned and executed the event. Also, I want to express a special “Thank you!” to all of the folks who attended and those who made donations above their meal ticket. The final event cost the CONNECT budget less than $600. You all ROCK!

I’ve had a little time following the event to reflect on the message I delivered with the help of the Becker’s. I appreciated the feedback I received from some of you. I heard that the message was both inspirational and tough to hear. Good! That means that it aligned well with God’s Word! Here are some bullet points the day after:

• The lies of the culture are fueled by our enemy and are designed to distract and divert you from God’s will for your life. Your life is NOT about seeking comfort and order.


• God-inspired vision for your future creates opportunities for both fear and a great story.


• You have to travel thru the intense conflict of your story in order to create the character transformation and joy which you desire. There is no easy, safe road.


• The very issues or events of your life that you think disqualify you from service to the Lord are the very reason that He wants to use you. At the end of your story, all glory will be His since He was clearly working thru weak vessels.


• If you’re ready to write a great story with your life, make sure you do like any good storyteller and bring others along with you. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that the Lord is your guide!

(NUTS! I had intended to embed a video from Dr. John Piper, a pastor whom I admire a lot, but I think the enemy is thwarting my efforts. I have been trying unsuccessfully for 3 days using 4 different video formats, all to no avail. So, please try this link: http://bit.ly/cveINa. I hope it works for you. S)