Reveal

Not sure if you guys heard about this or not, but there was a big study that Willow Creek did a few months ago called Reveal. Basically a few of the main conclusions were this.
-Church growth does not equal spiritual growth
-Member involvement does not equal spiritual growth
-The financial stability or healthiness of a church does not equal spiritual growth
(There was much more to the study but these were the main points)

Not terribly shocking to a lot of us, but terribly realistic. This is what our idea of church has become. How good our programs are, how many people we have in attendance, and how much money is accumulated every Sunday. If this is what we are concerned about (and our actions say that it is), then we simplified God's kingdom to a list of earthly standards. The current system that is church now, 3 hours a week at a building, only imparting knowledge about the bible in those 3 hours, and expecting to grow spiritually and become passionate about the message of the cross in 3 hours, will not sustain. Creating an open and honest community of believers is only part of what must happen. This community of believers must become the church to the people around them where those people are now. The church will not grow if we continue to be focused internally and not externally. Sure we all know we are supposed to be missionally minded, but what are the church's actions saying? "We meet 3 hours a week in a beautiful building, to learn about what we are supposed to be doing outside of these walls, and you need to come be a part of that." The first century church never once had a meeting on how to "market" the church, or be attractive to the community around them.
In your opinion, what direction does the church need be headed in? For the church to thrive as it once did, and as Christ's unadulterated bride, what does that look like?

Pulpit

I get a little nervous anytime I have the opportunity to speak in front of the church. I use to get nervous because I was afraid I was going to mess up or forget something I had written down. Now, I get nervous for what God is going to reveal to me in the text. The past few times I have spoken, I have gone in with some sort of preconception of what that specific scripture meant, and by the time I have finished praying and studying, God has torn down my preconceptions and said, "No, no, here's what I'm really telling you to do." So, broken and humbled, I pick back up the pieces and begin to look at scripture through the new lens He gave me-so refreshing. I'll finish with a question. What are the top 5 things you guys want to hear about from the pulpit? I would give you mine, but I don't want to be leading your answers.

New Year's Resolutions

I'm terrible at this. So, this year...I'm not going to fake myself out-I have none. Not saying they aren't great or that I have no ambition to be a better person, just don't like the letdown. Any for you? What's your take on resolutions?

Galatians

If you ever want to be reminded that we are not saved by legalism or even by the act of baptism (not saying it's not important and necessary), read Galatians. Paul spent an entire letter devoted to the idea that we are justified/saved by faith in Jesus Christ...alone...that's it. I wander sometimes if our ancestors forgot about this book. Paul spends the entire book of Galatians reaming them for thinking that they can observe the law and be saved. The real kicker is in 2:21. "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" If we forget about the grace of God, we negate the Cross. I am still trying to wrap my head around this idea as a recovering law follower.

Pragmatism

Definition-The pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities; a concentration on facts rather than emotions or ideals. No wander Christians struggle with making lists and fulfilling them. No wander Christians struggle with living by a set of moral standards-Because preachers have been telling us "how to" for so long. Here are 3 points that will help you... If you have sin in your life, here are 3 steps... When we preach "practical" over the cross, we are only encouraging people to "do" Christianity instead of being so caught up in the fact that we have already been made righteous, that we are already sanctified, and there is absolutely nothing we can "do" for God to love us any more. I'm obviously not saying we can do whatever we want, but I think I understand Paul better when he says, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!" This is the gospel he was preaching. A gospel not of moral standards, but of the grace of the cross. Not a gospel of pragmatism, but one of redemption and sanctification.

Choice

I guess I had always thought that it was a decision that I made to become a Christian. To a certain extent it was, but to a certain extent, a bit selfish to think that I did something to earn salvation-even the decision to become a Christian. But I think scripture may tell us differently. I decided to start reading through the book of John and didn't even get through the first chapter, without God showing me this awesome truth. Listen to the words of John in 1:12-13. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." We believe in the name of Christ and he gives us the RIGHT to become children of God. John says that it was not our decision or our will, but only by the grace of God that we are now children of God. It is not that we received God's grace after we became children of God, but it was God's will, and his right to give, for us to receive it.

Conviction

I was convicted earlier this morning by a sermon that Matt Chandler preached and I wanted to share some of those thoughts (Jumbled as they are, this is what came out as I sat down). It really made me think about what I hold as important. And by that I mean what I spend my time doing and thinking about. This is a simple question and one that you might think is easily answered. Do you love Jesus? This is not meant to be a guilt trip but an honest assessment. Where is your time spent? How much time to do you read your bible? Do you have an honest love and passion for Christ? Really. It is unacceptable to me, that ministers are to be the only ones who "know" the bible. It is unacceptable to me that "calling the church" means calling the building and talking to a minister (not saying that's bad, only when it is used as a crutch). I am no more of a "minister", or special, or "Godly" than anyone else. I pray and hope to God, that you realize that you are part of a priesthood of brothers. I pray and hope to God that my broken, selfish, materialistic, lustful self, can be used in some way, to show others that I have been saved, justified and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Please don't read this through a negative lens but one that is a plea for honesty within each of us and with each other. God help us as we are continually sanctified through his word.