October 6, 2013

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11 (TNIV)

“Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame." Romans 12:11 (The Message)

What are you passionate about?

How do you fuel that passion?

What robs you of your passion?

Those are some of the issues addressed in this middle section of Romans 12.

How do you define passion? Is it an emotional state? Is it an attitude? Is it a spiritual condition?

Here, Paul defines it as a level of commitment. He equates it with "zeal".

Commitment implies a narrowed focus. When you are committed to numerous things you are, in fact, not committed. You may have multiple interests but minimal commitment. Most people nowadays can relate to the concept of being "over committed".

What happens to over committed people? Don't they usually become over stressed? Once you are over stressed what happens to your passion? What happens to your energy level? What happens to your level of performance?

I established at the beginning of this series that God calls you to the purpose of overcoming evil with His goodness. But what are the chances of overcoming evil if you are overwhelmed by too many commitments?

"But, Brad" you argue, "The things I am committed to are all good things! Isn't that how you overcome evil?"

While I will give you that if you are going to be overwhelmed it is better to be overwhelmed with good things than by bad things, but the net result is pretty much the same. In my experience, the

most common hindrance to believers overcoming evil WITH good is being overcome BY good. Doing the good things is usually what prevents you from doing the best things.

"So," you ask, "How do I narrow my focus? How do I prioritize my commitments?"

Discover that and you will take a giant step toward living with passion. I will give you a hint, Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

October 5, 2013

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ"  Ephesians 4:15

We have asserted that love is the motivation, the mission and the means behind evangelism and discipleship.

The love that can sustain effective evangelism over a lifetime is a committed love, a courageous love, and in this lesson we will see that it is confronting love. 

Godly love is willing to confront an attitude or an action that is ungodly.

How can you say you love your brother if you notice inappropriate behavior and fail to confront it?

Love believes the best of brothers and sisters in faith. Love calls out the best in those others. That means encouraging the right and holy things in fellow believers but it also means confronting them kindly when they are careless toward sin.

Notice I said confront not criticize.

There is a big difference between the two.

When you confront your goal is to help your brother. You confront by beginning with a positive compliment, then confront the problem and end with a prayer and a promise to help be part of the solution.

Criticism is usually not meant to be helpful. Often a critical comment is made in a bad spirit to defame or discourage another. Most criticisms are given to point out a weakness or failure without a promise to help.
Who do you love enough to confront?

Who do you trust enough to allow them permission to confront you?

October 4, 2013

"And thou shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30-31

Love is the focus and the force of evangelism and discipleship.

Unless you are entirely committed to loving God you will be unable to sustain a lifestyle of winning others to Christ. And without an enduring love you will find discipleship more of a burden than a blessing.

Trying to serve God minus a vital personal relationship with Jesus is religion not Christianity.

Loving people into life is a result of welcoming and nurturing the love of God in your life. Loving people into life is not conjuring up "warm fuzzies" toward those you want to reach but it is living in His love so He can love others through you.

In addition to commitment, loving requires courage.

Courage?

How so?

Loving is risky!

What if I witness to someone and that person get offended and rejects me?

What if I invest time and resources and emotional vulnerability in a person and that person betrays my trust?

And after I have been hurt trying to live out the love of God through the Great Commission, God expects and requires me to go back on try again. That requires more courage than the first time!

Loving people to life takes commitment and courage!

If you want to be a Christ-follower you must follow Christ's example of commitment and courage!

Where do you need to be courageous today?

October 3, 2013

"And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." Mark 12:30

Love is the mission, the motive and the means for evangelizing the world.

Doesn't that make sense for a God Who is a God of love? 

And doesn't it make sense for a world in desperate need of love?

What else would work?

What do you think of when you hear this?

Are you thinking of a love that is sentimental, soft and squishy?

If so, do you believe a love like that would have power to change the world?

What does a life-transforming and world-changing love look like?

Sure it prays, and it cares and it shares, but how does that work? How is it expressed?

Love commits.

Notice that Jesus used the word "all" four times in this brief verse - "love the LORD your God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind, and ALL your strength."

World-changing and life transforming love commits to loving everyone, every time, and always. It loves pro-actively not re-actively. Love is deciding to show love to everyone without exception. This love is not an emotion it is a determination to extend the grace of God to others as it has been expressed to you.

God is committed to loving you unconditionally! 

When you fully commit to fully receiving His love it changes your life!

When you fully commit to expressing that love to others God can change their lives!

October 2, 2013

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself."  Matthew 22:36-39

Two major footings in the foundation of the Faith and the Church are the Great Commission and the Scripture above, the Great Commandment.

While they are two separate significant statements of Jesus, they are really inseparable.

The Great Commission is the "what" - "go into all the world and make disciples" while the Great Commandment is the "why" - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart" and "Love your neighbor as yourself".

Put those two truths together and you realize evangelism is the mission for the Church and every member of it and love is the motivation for evangelism. 

FredWes then, exists to accomplish the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.

That is a catchy slogan but how do we accomplish it?

The answer is found in taking this same concept a step further. Love is not just the mission and the motivation but I believe it is the "MEANS" as well!

I witness because I love God and because I want people I love to love God. I also witness BY demonstrating the love of God toward them!

That is the rationale behind our three step "Each One Reach One" strategy of: (1) Prayer; (2) Care; and (3) Share.

What is more loving than praying for someone? It is especially loving when you are interceding for their salvation.

What is more loving than caring for someone? When I spend time with someone that shows I care. When I meet needs for someone that shows I care. When I care about what they care about that demonstrates my love.

What is more loving than sharing the Good News of the Gospel with someone who has never know the joy of salvation?

Love expressed in those three ways faithfully over time becomes a powerful, almost irresistible force!

What I have described in this post is exactly what I meant when I modified our motto to "Loving you to life!"

At FredWes we want to love people to life - eternal life and abundant life in Christ! We want to do it by praying for their salvation on a regular basis. And we want to do it by caring for the person we are praying for. As a result of faithfully praying and caring God will give you an opportunity to share how they can know Jesus, too!

I was loved into life with Christ.

I have loved others into life with Christ.

Who are you loving to life?

October 1, 2013

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

The year was 1995, the date was October 15, and the scene was the United Center arena on Chicago's west-side. What normally serves as home for the Chicago Bulls and Black Hawks, housed an overflow crowd of 20,000 plus as the Willow Creek Community Church gathered to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a church.

It was an inspiring evening of music and worship and testimonies. But the highlight of the event happened when all the lights were shut off across the arena and it was pitch dark. Shortly after the darkness settled across the vast room, these instructions came over the PA system, "If you have come to know Jesus as your Savior during this past twenty years in Willow Creek, please switch on the pen light you were handed when you came into the arena this evening."

One by one across that darkened arena points of light began to appear until glow of 20,000 pen lights pierce the darkness and illuminated the room! For a moment a holy hush fell over the arena as the significance of the light dawned on them! But then a thunderous roar arose and resounded across the room in celebration of lives transformed forever by the grace of God!

I get a chill down my spine as I ponder on what that moment must have been like!

That's evidence of a great church! A church that is great in its passion to reach lost people! A church that teaches its people how to shine their lights in a dark world.

It has been nearly 20 years since that momentous event and 20,000+ more have been reached by this ministry! 

Are you a follower of Christ?

Then you have a light! That light must shine brightly in a dark world! Let's each one reach one this year!

Through the month of October I will be sharing from a book entitled "Just Walk Across the Room" authored by the pastor of this Chicagoland church. In this book he shares the simple steps they teach and use to win people out of spiritual darkness into the light of salvation!

Let's light up this town!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

September 30, 2013

"The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matthew 8:27

Fundamental life changes can happen in a moment, can't they?

It only takes a second to utter, "I do!", but it alters your life forever!

The second they hand you that newborn baby, there is an immediate transformation that happens within you!

In the moment it takes a doctor.to announce, "I'm sorry, he's gone" your life radically changes.

Such was the dramatic change that happened in the hearts and minds of the disciples when they witnessed Jesus stop the storm and still the sea with a simple sentence. They suddenly  saw Him  in a whole new light. In  a moment they went from being fearful to fearing God.

"Wait a minute, Brad! That sounds like a contradiction!"

My answer to you is, "There is fear (being afraid for your life) and there is fearing God (having a deep reverent awareness of His holiness and power)." The disciples changed from one to the other in a matter of moments!

Mark and Luke give a better insight to that in their account of the incident- Mark says, "they feared exceedingly"; and Luke, "they being afraid, wondered": they were filled with astonishment and fear, or reverence: there was such a shine of majesty, such a lustre of divine power appeared in this affair.

Want to live fearlessly? Fear God!

Consider these verse verses:

Job 28:28 "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

Isaiah 11:2-3 "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD."

Jeremiah 5:22 "Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence?"

Hebrews 7:11 -"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

As you walk with God today, will you ask Him for a fresh glimpse of His power and majesty so He can fill you with a holy fear of Him so you will fear nothing else!