From the Pulpit this Sunday, May 1, 2016

There is no story in the Bible more widely known than the Prodigal Son.  Yet, the Bible never calls it that.  Through the years we have focused on the son who requested his inheritance and then left for a wild life only to end up returning home repenting and being embraced by a loving Father.

But this story is not about a son, instead the Father.  And for the next two Sundays (May  and May 8, I want to look at what these story shows us about our Heavenly Father in a two-part message "Coming Home to Grace."

I have never preached this story like what God has showed me in these past few days.  I look forward to sharing with you the next two Sundays about our gracious Father.

Our Spring Puppet shows begins this Sunday which means there will be no worship service this Sunday night, Wednesday night or Sunday night of May 8.  Remember, you must have tickets to see these shows.  Go to our web site at www. rainsvillefirst.com to register.  Thanks to Bro. Keith for his enormous amount of work he has put into assuring persons who come have a seat.

If fact, as a member of Rainsville First, you might wonder why we are doing tickets.  You might be afraid we are going to turn people away.  Well, that may happen, but the ticket process assures people who "plan ahead" to know if they arrive at least 15 minutes before the show begins they will have a seat.  The whole purpose of tickets is a positive one, not a negative one.

This Sunday morning, we are joining with eight other churches to have a joint prayer for the healing of Savannah Willingham.  What a joy to join with Rainsville Community Church, Rainsville Church of God, Trinity Methodist, Robertson's Chapel, Plainview Church of God, Fort Payne Church of God, Broadway Baptist and Nazareth Baptist to pray for Savannah and her family.

I am looking forward to sharing God's Word with you this Sunday.

5 Necessary Elements for Creating an Evangelism Ethos by J.D. Greear

Healthy things tend to grow, so it’s hard to regard a church that is not growing evangelistically as healthy, regardless of whatever else that church boasts. However—and this is the tricky part—evangelistic growth does not always translate into a dramatic surge in numbers. Number surges often owe more to transfer growth than evangelistic growth. Making genuine disciples can be a longer, more gradual process that builds only over time.

Furthermore, a church’s evangelistic temperature is not measured by the fruitfulness of the one in the pulpit (though it often starts there). Meaningful, actual-life-change evangelism can only be carried out by “ordinary” members as they engage people in normal walks of life—the sorts of people that won’t casually saunter into church on the weekend.

There is a big difference, you see, between being close by as a movement of God is going on around you and actually being involved in one.

I want to see us continue to grow in our evangelism ethos, so that stories like Garrett’s (above) are multiplied a hundredfold. And every time I reflect on changing “evangelistic DNA,” I go back to Bill Hybels’ book, Just Walk Across the Room. It’s not the only book I’d recommend on evangelism (I’d probably pair it with Mark Dever’s The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Will Metzger’s Tell the Truth, or Alvin Reid’s Evangelism Handbook), but Hybels has a knack for cutting through our excuses and making evangelism seem not just possible, but exciting.

As I recently read through Hybels’ book, I identified 5 helpful features that I think are necessary to create a truly evangelistic ethos, either in an individual Christian or in an entire church.

1. Intentionality & Sensitivity to the Spirit

Hybels writes, “I’m more convinced than ever the absolute highest value in personal evangelism is staying in tune and cooperating with the Holy Spirit” (35). We don’t hear this nearly as much as we should. We don’t build the kingdom for God; we let God build it through us. That’s why the first command given to the apostles in Acts is to wait. Until the Spirit arrived, they could do nothing.

This is the only way to keep from being overwhelmed by the massive task of evangelism. God does not expect us to convert people; he invites us to walk with him and be his instrument as he builds the church. That is something we should do every day.

Sometimes there is a wide open door, other times not. But that should not stop us from instigating the conversation. Honestly, only about 1 in every 5 of my attempts to have a spiritual conversation turns out well. But just because it turns out poorly does not mean that God is not in it. Stephen witnessed to Paul and was stoned, but that was definitely Spirit-filled evangelism!

I have heard that the average person has to hear the gospel 12 times before they believe. We may get the joy of being that 12^th person, or we may be one link in the chain. But the Spirit has a role for us.

You perceive when a door is being opened through prayer. Therefore, pray continually and listen as you pray.

2. Practical Ways to Get into the Conversation

Throughout the book Hybels gives you numerous “conversation openers,” and I found particularly helpful his question suggestions on pp. 158-160. These were conversation starters you could actually use, as opposed to cheesy, awkward, forced questions I’ve often been taught. You know, like, “If you died tonight, do you know where you would spend eternity?” (Side note: Why is everyone always dying at night?), or ”What opinions about God do you have that I could correct?” Not that those are wrong (or at least the first one is not), but Hybels gives a few more questions for your arsenal.

3. Models

The best way to learn to share Christ is by watching someone else. That’s how I learned! I watched my dad and other believers share the gospel. A book cannot in itself be a “model,” but Hybels both offers stories to encourage us and pushes us to learn from other Christians.

4. An Ability to Share Your Story Concisely

Entrepreneurs have what they call an “elevator speech” for their product: even though they could talk for hours and hours about it, they force themselves to condense things down to a 45-second summary (roughly the length of a long elevator ride). We should have an “elevator speech” for our story too: 100 words or less that explain how Christ met our “felt” needs, which sets us up for a sharing of the gospel. It’s important, of course, that we remember that our story isn’t the same as the gospel. It’s just a response to the gospel and, in evangelism, provides an introduction for us to share the gospel.

5. An Ability to Share the “Actual” Gospel Concisely

Just as we need to have a polished “elevator speech” of our story, we should be able to express the gospel in 100 words or less, too. Far from making our presentation insincere, this helps us to appreciate the gospel in fresh ways. Hybels mentions some classic presentations that I’ve seen and used: the bridge illustration (Jesus bridges the gap between us and God) and the do/done dichotomy (Religions are all about doing; the gospel is all about what Christ has done).

Hybels doesn’t always do the best job of explaining gospel doctrine throughout the book. Dever is more helpful there, as he draws out the more “prophetic” side of evangelism—warning about judgment and preaching salvation. But Hybels is superb at equipping you for evangelism that engages hearers on the plain of their felt-needs. And for many of us, that’s the bigger hurdle. We need a gentle nudge—or, possibly a firm kick in the hinder parts—to get us to just walk across the room.

End of feed

David Mathis on Your Single Most Important Habit by Randy Alcorn

Scripture tells us we shouldn’t be “neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,” but should gather together, “encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:25). When we back away from the local church, we often engage in spiritual isolation that’s likely to not only distance us from God’s work but also sour us and our children to the good (though less-than-perfect) work churches are doing.

In this article from Desiring God, David Mathis draws a compelling connection between being part of the local church and developing healthy spiritual habits in life. I truly believe the key to spirituality is the development of little habits, such as Bible reading and memorization and prayer, and certainly that includes the habit of being part of a church.

I’m well aware that many who love Jesus have become weary of churches and have lost faith that local churches and their pastors can be faithful to Christ.  After several bad experiences they have given up on the church. But Jesus doesn’t give up on us, and I suggest that it’s not for us to give up on the church that is just like us—imperfect. 

So if you’ve walked away from churches, maybe it’s time to walk back, perhaps to a new church or an old one, and enter with the question, “Lord, what can I do to serve this church and help its people love you more and experience the wonders of your grace? And in the process, I will trust you to work in my heart.”

In putting one foot in front of the other, week after week, day after day, we become the kind of person who grows and endures in our faith in Jesus rather than someone whose devotion withers and dies. May we all develop the holy habit of corporate worship:

The final frontier of biological research is still the enigmatic human brain. And at the cutting edge of recent study has been this phenomenon we call “habits.” One important finding has been what researchers and popularizers call “keystone habits” — simple, but catalytic new routines that inspire other fresh patterns of behavior.

Take, for example, the habit of drinking more water daily. A little intentionality here might lead to making better food choices, and may even help inspire exercise. For some, quitting smoking is a keystone habit that starts a domino effect of good lifestyle changes. For others, simply forming the habit of putting on running shoes in the morning leads to walking for exercise, then light jogging, and eventually to becoming a full-fledged regular runner.

Find the right keystone, and you could unleash a string of good habits in your life.

Keystone for Christians?

While I cannot commend one keystone habit that will make the difference for every believer, I do want to speak up on behalf of one weekly habit that is utterly essential to any healthy, life-giving, joy-producing Christian walk: corporate worship. And it is all too often neglected, or taken very lightly, in our day of disembodiment and in our proclivity for being noncommittal. In fact, I do not think it is too strong to call corporate worship the single most important habit of the Christian life.

Read the rest.

From the Pulpit this Sunday, April 17, 2016

Sunday is always my favorite day of the week.  It is the day we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus every week.  It is the day the body of Christ comes alive together in the Father's house.

As I prepare to deliver the Word of God to you this Sunday, let me give you a peak of where God is leading.

Sunday morning we continue our series through Luke 15 with the message on the Lost Sheep from Luke 15: 3-7 that I am calling "Coming Home to Your Protection."  It is interesting he is never called a shepherd in this passage, but a "man." But he clearly is a shepherd showing us the greatest of our Good Shepherd, Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, and "my Shepherd." (Psalm 23:1).

Then Sunday night I am so excited to continue the series on Worship with "The Body Language of Praise."  We have looked at the Biblical issue of worship and started building a bridge between worship and praise. This Sunday night we will cross that bridge as we begin looking at eleven different elements of praise that God orders.  We will not look at all eleven this Sunday night, hopefully we'll get to four-or-five of them.  Get ready...this is praise alternating. If you obey, you will never be the same.

Due to other events coming up, after this Sunday night it will be in June before we will resume the series on Sunday night.

Wednesday night Bro. Tom Evans will be sharing with you as he introduces himself to our church body and then will share the Word of God.  We are delighted God has added this fine couple to our church family.

Nine Essentials of a Healthy Church Member by Josh Buice

If every church member was like you, would your church be healthy?  When it comes to the life of a church, every church member matters.  A few times each year, I teach a membership class for new members, and I try to emphasize the points of healthy church membership.  How many people do you know who don’t take church membership seriously?  Church membership matters and in order to have a healthy church, there are specific characteristics that every church member must strive to possess.

Be Teachable

The word disciple comes from the Greek word, “μαθητής” meaning a “one who engages in learning through the instruction from another.”  In short, a disciple is a learner.  As a follower of Christ, all church members should desire to learn.  Many people are unwilling to be taught anything, and they remain on a very shallow spiritual level and never progress on to a greater knowledge of God.  This is not only detrimental to their own spiritual progress, but it hinders their family and the rest of the church as a whole.  Disciples are to be constantly learning and growing in grace (Heb. 5:12).

Be Vulnerable

It’s simply human nature to protect yourself and to prevent yourself from being attacked in a weak spot.  We protect ourselves from physical attacks, emotional attacks, and spiritual attacks.  It may seem illogical to make yourself vulnerable, but as a church member, it’s important to be open with your fellow members.  We are really good in the church at putting on a smile and patting one another on the back and pretending that everything is alright.  We’re really good at pretending that we don’t need any assistance.  We’re good at putting on a front before people and acting like we don’t have any weaknesses spiritually.  How will the older and more mature members train the younger if we’re not opening up and making ourselves vulnerable (Titus 2:1-8)?  How will we receive critique and correction if we are not vulnerable?

Be Useable

When Paul used the illustration of human anatomy to describe the importance of the local church membership, he was driving home a very important point (1 Cor. 12:12-26).  “And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. [17] If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell” (1 Cor. 12:16-17)?  Don’t just show up to worship services and sit.  Be involved in the life of the church and strive to become a useful member.  Look for opportunities to serve in ministries and look for ways to serve your fellow members.

Be Lovable

According to the Scriptures, we are called to love one another (John 15:12, 17).  Have you ever known a person who was hard to love?  We are called to love one another and this means showing and receiving the love of the church (Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 3:12; 1 Thess. 4:19).  In 1 John 4:7-8, the apostle makes it very clear that God expects us to “love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Be Visible

How many members of your church do you know who only show up for about 25% of the services offered each week?  Do you know them as well as you know others in the church who are more visibly present and engaged in the body life of the church?  Some people are constantly in the shadows.  They operate on the peripheral.  They arrive late, sit in the back, leave early, and are typically present 25-50% of the time.  It’s the goal of some people to avoid small groups in attempt to avoid personal interaction with others.  However, this is not God’s plan for His church.  The closest people and the deepest and warmest relationships should be within the local church.  Why do you look elsewhere to find such relationships?

According to Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer to the Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  How do you stir up one another when you’re not present?  How do you love one another when you’re not present?  How do you serve one another when you’re not present?  How do you encourage one another when you’re not present?  The point is clear, as a church member you need to be visible.  God is calling people to come out of the shadows and engage in real relationships that are at times messy, vulnerable, and inconvenient.

Be Critical

At times, it’s important for a church member to be critical.  This doesn’t mean that God wants us to have a critical and cantankerous attitude.  God has not called us to be critical of the color of the new carpet in the foyer of the church or to be overly critical of the leadership of the church.  As a member of the church, we’re called to criticize one another when it comes to sin.  Rather than just allowing people to engage in open and rebellious sinful behavior, we are to critique one another and prevent sinful living.  This means that we are to be pursuing holiness and when someone in the church deviates from the path of righteousness, we are to hold one another accountable.  We see this mandated by Jesus in Matthew 18:15-20 and exemplified in 1 Corinthians 5.  Leaders are to correct and rebuke the members, but there should be an atmosphere of mutual love and accountability among the church.

Be Forgivable

We are quick to expect God to forgive us while at the same time withholding forgiveness from a fellow church member.  Jesus taught us in the model prayer to “forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12).  Paul instructed the church at Colosse to be consistently “forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Col. 3:13).  Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and said, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32).  

Be Sacrificial

The Great Commission involves going, praying, sending, and discipling in all of these areas – locally and internationally.  In order for the wheels of ministry to turn, all of the church must be faithful in sacrificing to accomplish the goals.  John Piper has rightly said, “God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving.”  What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33)?  Why did Jesus teach so much about money?  Why did Jesus warn about the dangers of money?  What can we learn from the church at Macedonia (2 Cor. 8:1-9)?

Be Missional

We must all remember that we’re not the center of God’s story.  Jesus is the center of God’s story, and we’re involved in the drama of God’s redemptive plan through our relationship with Jesus.  It’s true that many churches are near sighted.  Many churches are unable to see beyond a few miles from their steeple.  It’s important to be engaged in local missions in the neighborhoods surrounding the church and at the same time have an eye on the nations of the world (Acts 1:8).  Each church must have going and sending goals, and these goals should always be gospel centered.  Humanitarian aid should not take priority over gospel ministry.  Before we dig wells and do shoe ministry, we must deal with the heart and share the life changing good news of Jesus Christ.

Church membership matters to God and it should matter to us as well.  As we consider what it means to be a church member, we should strive to be a faithful member for the glory of God.  While this is not an exhaustive list regarding church membership, it’s one that we should consider as we examine ourselves, our motives, and our service within the local church.  What if every church member was just like you?

The post Nine Essentials of a Healthy Church Member appeared first on Christian Blogs - Delivered By Grace.

This Sunday, April 10, 2016 "Coming Home" Series Begins

As those who were present this past Sunday knows I did not begin the "Coming Home" series but I plan to begin that series this Sunday.

There is no chapter in the New Testament so well known and so dearly loved as the fifteenth chapter of Luke.  It has been called "the gospel in the gospel" as it preaches one of the reasons Jesus came...to save sinners.

Luke 15 starts as seemingly a way to introduce a new subject, “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

The Message says, “By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.”

Instead, this is not a new subject at all but a continuation of the entire purpose of the writing of the gospel of Luke.  Jesus loves sinners. He loves the outcasts, the down-and-outs.  He loves the rejects.

Take a quick tour of this gospel and let us see this powerful impact of Jesus receiving them.  Most of what is listed here is found ONLY in Luke.  I mentioned some of this in November when we introduced the book of Luke. But just a brief reminder here:

1. The author himself was a Gentile.
2. The book was dedicated to Theophilus, a Gentile.

3.    Women play an important role in Luke and most of them are not portrayed in a favorable light:  Elizabeth is the wife of a priest, but barren meaning to most she is rejected by God and under His judgment.  Mary is pregnant before marriage.  A woman who is described as a "sinner (7:37) washes the feet of Jesus while letting down her hair like a prostitute.  Women are described in 8:2-3 as providing for the needs of Jesus.

4.  Samaritan - half Jews and half Gentiles - are uniquely placed in Luke.  The most repeated story Jesus ever told was about a man who helped another man and Luke 10 tells he was a Samaritan.  Only in Luke 17:16 do we see ten lepers who were healed with only one returning and it says, "He was a Samaritan."

5.  Luke is the only one to tell us the first time Jesus preached he took a text revealing that he was coming for the poor, brokenhearted, captives, the blind, the oppressed and its time NOW for it to happen.  (Luke 4:18-19)

Over the next eight weeks we are going to go deep into this wonderful passage in order to mine the truths of God and the salvation He provides.  Come and join us as we "Come Home."

When Time Doesn't Heal the Wounds by Peacemaker Ministries

When Time Doesn’t Heal the Wounds

Route 5:9 by Peacemaker Ministries  

It’s been said that “time heals all wounds.” While it’s true that the passage of time creates the opportunity for us to process pain in the aftermath of conflict, it’s equally true that time alone is inadequate to heal our broken hearts.

If you’ve ever let a stubborn splinter fester beneath your skin too long, you may have experienced the irritation, swelling, and infection that occurs when a foreign substance overstays its welcome. It’s only after the invasive object is removed that time can be instrumental in healing the injury. If the splinter is not extracted expeditiously, the passage of time will actually cause the irritation to worsen and will hinder the healing process.

In the same way, when conflict pierces our hearts, the wounds must first be properly identified and addressed before healing can begin. The more time that is allowed to pass between the offense and the administration of triage, the longer it may take for healing to occur and the greater the complications that are likely to emerge.

Final thoughts…                                                                                                      

If you’ve been thinking that time will heal your wounds, yet are struggling with the pain of past conflict, I urge you to go to our Father, the Great Physician. Let Him inside your heartbreak. Allow Him to heal the broken places. Ask Him to restore your soul. He will not only help you work through what is going on in your own heart, but He can help you take steps to restore a relationship deeply impacted by conflict. This process may take time, but the first step in the journey to wholeness and peace begins with turning to the Father in our hour of distress.

Don’t delay. Walk the path.

Coming Home....A New Sermon Series beginning this Sunday from Luke 15

Luke 15 is one of the most recognized chapters in the Bible, maybe only second behind I Corinthians 13.  It has the second most recognizable story about the prodigal son (second only to the Good Samaritan parable).

This Sunday we begin a journey through this wonderful chapter in a series of messages entitled "Coming Home."

Here is a peak at the series:

This Sunday - "Coming Home to the Attitude of Jesus" Luke 15: 1-2
April 10 - "Coming Home to Your Protection"  Luke 15: 3-7
April 17 - "Coming Home to Your Purpose" Luke 15: 8-10
April 24 - "Coming Home to Your Father" Luke 15: 11-24
May 1 - "Coming Home to Your Party" Luke 15: 25-32
May 8 - "Coming Home to Your Identity as a Son-Daughter of God"
May 22 - "Coming Home to Your Father's Joy Over You"

This schedule is subject to change as I explore more depths and wish to expand the series.

This is going to be such a delight to share these messages with you.

Sunday night, I continue the series "Worship:  The Passion of God for God" with a message "True Praise Proceeds from True Worship" based on John 4: 19-24.

Love you and thank God for the privilege of being "your preacher."