What is our role as believers?

It is one of the most misunderstood aspects of modern Christianity.  Perhaps because we are not aware enough of God's active role in our life and in our world, we can become confused about where we stand, and what is required of us, in relation to God and others.

But the Gospels, the words of Jesus Himself, are very clear.  There is no wiggle room to put on a different hat than what God ordains for us each.

We are commanded to:

• Love others (be patient, kind, long-suffering etc) (John 13:34, 1 Cor 13)
  
• Serve others (Mark 10:43-45)
• Invite and welcome others to Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20)
• Be bothered by & work on our own sin (Matthew 7:3, Luke 18:9-14)

We are commanded not to:

• Pass judgement on other's salvation / righteousness (Matthew 7:1-6)
  
• Be self-righteous in comparing ourselves to others (Luke 18:9-14)
• Pass judgement on others because of differences in how they follow Christ (Romans 14:13-23)
• Place any rules/ law above Jesus' love and salvation (Gal 3:1-14)

We exist to  
1) Share Jesus  2) Welcome others 3) Give God better.
 
This is meaty stuff.  Yes, we simplified it into 7 words.  However, don't ever be misled that something simple is not also the highest bar set in the history of humanity.
 
We will each feel tempted to fall into the trap of placing ourselves and our opinions and even our beliefs and experiences in faith higher than others.  Be careful, believers!  Jesus, and Jesus' followers must walk forward into the world in love, humility, and deep self-awareness of our own frailty and faultiness.  Only Jesus saves.  Only grace triumphs.  Only the Lord is God.  Everything else, every idea, every sin, every word and posture, fades into nothingness in the light of His glory and goodness.

See you Sunday at 10 AM!  We believe this one hour each week can change every other hour of your life!  Invite a friend, you may never know the difference it will make.

"The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays." -Søren Kierkegaard
 
Do you ever wonder why life is so full of anxiety? We worry over money.  We worry for our kids.  We worry for our health.  We worry about our jobs.

As believers we are invited into a loving relationship with an all-powerful God who gives us the good (and challenging) gift of free will.  We are invited to welcome Him as our Lord into our decisions, into our choices, as our Advisor and ever-present Counselor... but we are free to NOT.

This week while driving we heard this quote on the radio: "God will either give us what we ask for, or give us what we WOULD HAVE asked for if we knew everything He knows." (Tim Keller)  Even as believers we still often buy into the notion that God is absent from our prayers or ignoring our needs as times become challenging.  

As Christ followers we can trust that:

• God is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28)
  
• God is presently giving us our hearts desires (Psalm 37:4)
• God will help us in times of temptation (1 Cor 10:13)

SO answer these very important questions right now:

• What is causing you stress / anxiety?
  
• Who are you struggling with loving (being kind, patient) right now?
• What do you need help with?
• What do you WANT / hope for?
• What are you thankful for?

 
Now invite God in.  "God, I give these to You.  I trust You.  I believe in Your power in my life and over all things of earth and heaven.  I love You.  Amen."

Do the work to make this an automated habit.  Try to list these at least once per day until you are accustomed to inviting God in as every need / want / gratitude arises.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

See you Sunday at 10 AM!  We believe this one hour each week can change every other hour of your life!  Invite a friend, you may never know the difference it will make.

Decisions surround us.  Some days seems like a river of choices we are trying to swim through.  Some choices we make on autopilot - like whether we want coffee to start our day.  Other decisions we labor over with worry and calculation.  It all adds up.

"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other." -C.S. Lewis

Lewis puts it into stark terms.  Every choice we make adds up like a piggy bank of decisions.  We have all felt the crush of too many bad choices weighing down our souls.

God offers guidance and hope when we turn to Him for help.  The Bible leads us to time-tested wisdom.  The Holy Spirit whispers help to us, advocating for the best possible outcome for your life.

So next time you find yourself with a choice, lean in to God.

• Listen for the still, small voice within whispering the peaceful solution. Often God echoes into our life a repetitive answer.  Look for the solution that brings peace, joy, and hope.
  
• Pick up the Bible or open your Bible app and start reading - be open to God's word finding you.
• At worship, be open for God to guide you through the Message and music. Our hearts and minds turned towards God for an hour make a huge difference in their ability to yield to His direction.
• Seek counsel from Godly people.  No, we are not advocating a spiritual hierarchy - we are all sinners.  But identify a spiritual running partner, someone also seeking God's wisdom and guidance in spite of themselves.  And ask them to pray with you and talk through the problem.  Again, keep your spirit and heart and mind seeking peace, joy, and love/ charity, and you will find your path to God's guidance.    
  

You will be surprised sometimes at what God leads you to.  That is the delight of the faith journey - it is richer and more full than anything we would come up with on our own!    

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." - Jesus in Matthew 7 & 8