This weekend I had the pleasure of taking six of our young people to Cedarville University for a Leadership Conference.  Each of the young people told Tammy and me how much they had learned, not just from the sessions they attended, but from the college students who they were able to meet. 

As I spoke with our youth, I was impressed by their desire to serve God and grow in Him.  They are asking great questions about their faith and are wanting to know more about Christ all the time. 

Moreover these teens are serving in almost every area of the church.  They are helping with the praise team, being AWANA Leaders, serving in the nursery (with adults), helping clean the church and doing whatever else they can.  I often hear people refer to teens as "the church of the future."  It seems to me they are the church of today.  Without their help it would be hard if not impossible to accomplish all that FVBC does in ministry. 

As great as they are, they still need adult leadership and example.  We need adults to step up and take these young "Timothy's" under their wings and help them develop into mature followers of Christ.  Paul instructs us in 1 Timothy to,  "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."  

So friends, are we being that example?  Are we faithful in and to the Word?  Are they seeing us serve, study and seek out opportunities to share our faith?  Remember for our church to be here tomorrow, the church of today must be teaching these young believers more and more.  While we have the opportunity to serve alongside these exceptional young people, encourage them.  Let them know they are appreciated and then be the example of a mature believer for them to see. Because of Him, Pastor.

 

The past few weeks our study in Romans has led us to look at the marvelous grace of God.  Last week in the message I commented that we seem to have taken the amazing out of grace.  I believe that we forget how amazing it is to be a child of God.

This week I was listening to Larnelle Harris sing "Were It Not for Grace."  What an awesome reminder of how truly wonderful our grace is.  The chorus goes like this:

Were it not for grace
I can tell you where Id be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
I know how that would go
The battles I would face
Forever running but losing this race
Were it not for grace

The line that says "forever running but losing the race" struck me hard.  Reminding me that my life would be like a treadmill, running but getting nowhere were it not for God's grace.  Yet we as believers want to choose to live that way.  The difference is once we are in Christ, it is a choice. It is not the way that God intended for us to live.  God' grace makes a way for us to not only have life, but have it abundantly (John 10:10). 

Stop living life on the treadmill,  Running but going nowhere.  Live in the fullness of His grace. How?  First, of all be obedient to God's Word.  Read the Bible regularly so you know what it says.  Secondly, serve Him.  God created us to serve Him (Ephesians 2:10).  If our life is dull and boring it is probably because we make it that way by not prioritizing Him and His service. Finally do everything to please God.  We tend to want to compartmentalize our lives.  Devotions, Bible reading, prayer and church is what we think of when we think of God.  But God says that whatever we do, do it to His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Our jobs, our relationships, our schoolwork and even our free time is to be done so as to glorify God.  Maybe the job has become boring because you are doing it for the wrong reason.  Reasons like pleasing the boss and getting a raise or promotion aren't good enough.  We need to do it for God's glory.

God's grace is far reaching.  We need to live in light of it each day. Because of Him, Pastor.

Call me crazy, but I love snow days.  Something about a reason to have a bit more of a laid back day is so nice every now and again.  Now before I get inundated with the calls about how I just walk across the street to work and all of the other comments from the "sane" people, just hear me out.

I believe there are times all of us need to pause and reflect.  We all need days where we may have a thousand things planned, but God intervenes with a ton of white stuff and says, "slow down today." Even Jesus knew there were times He needed time away and the old KJV says He "came apart" from the crowd.  One old time preacher used to say, "if we don't take time to come apart eventually we will come apart."  I know of some who would say I would rather burn out than rust out.  Howard Hendricks reply to that was that he didn't know those were the only two options. 

We live in a rushed world, with little time for personal meditation and relaxation.  We work all day, have meetings in the evenings or are running the kids to and fro and then we check our e-mails, voice mails and snail mail before we collapse, often times without so much as an "I love you" to either the Lord we love or the spouse we should adore.  So for us that have chosen to live here in the north, we get snow days.  Even though we may have to work, it seems like there is a different environment, a little slower and less stressful, the evenings become free because all of the kids stuff is cancelled and we may even warm up a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with a good book or an old movie.

So after you've cleaned off the car and gotten through the traffic, look at the snow and maybe ask God if it may not be a little reminder to slow down every now and again.  While we may not be able to smell the roses this time of year, warm up a cup of hot chocolate or flavored coffee, inhale the smell of relaxation, meditate on the goodness of our God and maybe even look upward and ask God, "What have I been missing?" His reply might be, "Me."

Because of Him,
Pastor

First I need to apologize for not being more regular with my postings.  I have set a goal this year to post at least once a week, starting with this post.  A new year is a great time to review the past and plan for the future.  It is a natural time to take stock of our lives and ask God what we are doing right and what we need to change to be a better servant.  Part of my process is to set goals.  I want to share them with you all so you can be praying for me. 

By Gods grace and with His help I will attempt to accomplish the following:

 

1.       Read 20 books (beyond normal sermon prep and study books).

2.       Share the Gospel with 75 people in personal settings.

3.       Lose 65 pounds. (Achieve a weight of about 215)

4.       Blog on a regular basis (at least weekly)

5.       To develop a regular discipleship program with one man this year.

6.       Be more regular in writing to my friends at Angola.

7.       Spend at least three weeks camping for personal and spiritual refreshment.

8.       Make a personal contact (phone or visit) with every attender of FVBC.

9.       Write each of our missionaries  this year.

 

One item not listed above is the goal of establishing a group of prayer partners that will join with me this year to lift me up in prayer daily and ask God to help me accomplish what I believe He has set before me and more.

I know that my effectiveness as a pastor can be greatly improved by the people of God holding me up before the throne.  Thanks in advance for praying.

Because of Him,
Pastor Phil