What We Worship Defines Us

What We Worship Defines Us

A pastor friend of mine made this blog article the other day and I thought I would repost and share it with you.

N.T. Wright said, “You become what you worship.” 

If I worship health… then my money, decisions, and time  

toward health dominate my life.  People describe me as a “health nut.”  I see myself as      

"health conscious.”

If I worship my reputation… then I will protect my reputation at all costs.  People describe me as a “prima donna.”  I see myself as “highly moral,” and quite proud of it.

If I worship success… then the bottom line for me in my all I do will be driven to being successful (Which also speaks to reputation).  People describe me as a “typa-A personality“.  I see myself as "driven,” and am proud of it!

If I worship power… then I will only care about people and social constructs in terms of how I can control them.  People describe me as ruthless.  I see myself in being a leader… and am proud of it.

If I worship family… then they are the only thing that matters to me… to a fault.  People describe me as “overly protective.”  I see myself as “caring deeply about my family’s lives,” and tell everyone how good they all are.

If I worship intellect… then the only people I give respect and honor to are those more intelligent than me.  People describe me as pompus.  I see myself (secretly) as an intellectual…. and am proud of it.

If I worship status… then I disdain those who don’t measure up to “the kind of person I am.”  People describe me as arrogant.  I see myself as “a good person,” and am proud of it.

If I worship God… then what matters above all things is: Obedience to Him… Honoring Him… Glorifying Him… Faithfulness to Him.  People describe those kind of individuals as godly or holy.  They see themselves as sinners under the grace of God.

If/when anything becomes more important to me than God, it is an idol.  If/when I worship anything other than God, I am in the flesh and cannot please God.  If/when I worship anything other than God… then I become that thing.  When I worship God… I become more like Him and His Son Jesus Christ.

Thanks to Pastor Ron....

Wondering why God created allergies.

John Acuff 's blog article the other day posted the question,"Why did God create allergies?" Have you ever stopped to think about that? Why do they exist? He gave five possible Reasons God Created Allergies

1. Keep me humble.
One Sunday at church, I was snorting so much that the lady next to me just handed me a tissue. She didn’t ask if I needed one, I didn’t ask her for one, she just thrust it in my hand, which is church aisle language for “Shut up, please shut up already with that nose of yours.” Maybe God created allergies to keep me humble. It’s my thorn in the flesh or thorn in the sinus if you will. Seems a little extreme that he would create a planet impacting form of pollen just to keep me humble, but me even thinking that probably proves why he needed to do it.
2. Support pharmacies and pharmacists
My sister in law Marci is studying to be a pharmacist. I have friends who are drug reps. I’m sure someone I know worked on one of the bajillion allergy commercials you see this time of year. There are tens of thousands of people with families and kids and lives supported by people who have allergies. Maybe that’s why God invented them.
3. Teach me patience.
Have you tried to buy allergy medicine lately? In order to prevent illegal purchases, you now have to fill out a form, show your driver’s license, buy one small box at a time, submit to a retinal scan and write a 300 word essay on why you feel you deserve the Claritin D. Maybe this is all just a lesson in patience.
4. Bees need pollen.
In the current issue of National Geographic there’s a story about pollen and bees. I didn’t read it because just looking at the photos made me sneeze and there was an article on kung fu that I found very distracting/awesome. I like honey. Maybe that’s the tradeoff. God created allergies because honey is so fantastic. I think I can get down with that.
5. In all things God works for the good
Is this a Romans 8:28 situation? “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Should I recite that verse every time I feel my itchy red eyes tearing up?
It has to be one of those reasons. Or maybe allergies are part of the fall? Was the Garden of Eden hypoallergenic and then when Adam and Eve got kicked out they were expelled to a pollen filled land of woe? Am I overthinking this? Probably.
Why do you think God created allergies?

Sometimes you just have to ask the tough questions?

Bible Truths To Always Remember

God Is Always Good (Psalms 73:1)
God Is Love (1 John 4:8, 16)
God Is Always In Control (Romans 8:28; Daniel 4:35; Is 46:9-10)
God Is Always Just {Righteous} (Ezra 9:15)
All God’s Ways Are Always Perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4)
God is Always Trustworthy (2 Sam 7:28; Ps 62:8; Pr 3:5; Jn 14:1)
God Does Not Ever Change (Num 23:19; Ps 33:11; Mal 3:6; Is 59:1; Ja 1:17)

A Huge Difference Between Christianity and Many Other Religions

Found this on another blog...thought it might be of interest.

A Huge Difference Between Christianity and Many Other Religions

 

a Testimony of God's Grace

This is a link to Iris Blue's interview. It is well worth the watch.


Book: From Topless Bar to Practicing Christian

Preach The Gospel

Tullian Tchividjian’s blog post is right on target… referencing a new book entitled Justified: Modern Reformation Essays on the Doctrine of Justification, he was struck by the gripping clarity of the importance of Gospel-centered preaching. Following is a portion of this book….

Scripture is of no use to us if we read it merely as a handbook for daily living without recognizing that its principle purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ and his gospel for the salvation of sinners. All Scripture coalesces in Christ, anticipated in the OT and appearing in the flesh in the NT. In Scripture, God issues commands and threatens judgment for transgressors as well as direction for the lives of his people. Yet the greatest treasure buried in the Scriptures is the good news of the promised Messiah. Everything in the Bible that tells us what to do is “law”, and everything in the Bible that tells us what God has done in Christ to save us is “gospel.” Much like medieval piety, the emphasis in much Christian teaching today is on what we are to do without adequate grounding in the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. “What would Jesus do?” becomes more important than “What has Jesus done?” The gospel, however, is not just something we needed at conversion so we can spend the rest of our Christian life obsessed with performance; it is something we need every day–the only source of our sanctification as well as our justification. The law guides, but only the gospel gives. We are declared righteous–justified–not by anything that happens within us or done by us, but solely by God’s act of crediting us with Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith alone.

Preachers, read that paragraph over and over.

The “what we need to do” portions of the Bible are good, perfect, and true–but apart from the “what Jesus has already done” portions of the Bible, we lack the power to do what we’re called to do.

Let us preach the Gospel. Read his blog....Preach The Gospel

It’s In the Details: 8 Surprising Reasons Why People Aren’t Coming Back

Greg Atkinson recently wrote an article highlighting 8 reasons people aren’t coming back to church. Here are the reasons:
The Front Door
Before a guest ever steps foot on your church’s physical campus, he or she has probably already checked out your church website. What every church should have clearly visible on their homepage is a section or button for first-time guests. Once clicked on, this should take you to a page that addresses FAQ’s, service times, directions, parking instructions (Is there a side of the building that is better to park on if one has kids?), what to expect (upbeat music and relevant, practical, Biblical preaching in a come as you are atmosphere, etc.), what to wear (Are jeans okay? Are shorts okay?), and encouragement for them to be sure to stop by Guest Central or your church’s Information Booth to pick up a first-time guest packet.
What Stinks?
It’s important that no church ever underestimates the sense of smell. While sight is the strongest sense for short term memory, the sense of smell is the strongest and most vivid for long-term memories. If you’ve ever smelled something and had memories you hadn’t thought of in years come flooding back, that’s your sense of smell in action. Every church has the potential for positive or negative smells. Mold is a bad smell. Coffee is a good smell. Bleach is a bad smell. Citrus is a good smell. Many churches have restrooms that are disgusting and smell like urine. This lack of attention to detail can be costly and discourage many from ever returning. As best you can, try to walk into the lobby or entrance of your church with a new nose.
Park Here
One of Tim Stevens’ three “growth lids” that he thinks every growing church should have someone who is constantly watching is parking. Tim says, “This is why Visitor Parking is so crucial. If it’s difficult for newcomers to go to your church, they won’t go.” Some would argue that guests want to remain anonymous and don’t want special parking. Of course some want to go unnoticed and will choose to park in regular parking (a minority), but for the rest of newcomers, they are appreciative for a close parking space; it’s a kind gesture in an already intimidating and nerve-racking experience of attending a church for the first time, especially a large one with a huge campus.
This Way Parents
One way to assure guests will not return is to have a confusing, long or hard to find process for getting their kids registered and in the right classroom. Wise churches have signs for first-time guest kids’ check-in and make the process quick and painless. Regular attendees may know to go up to the check-in kiosk and enter their phone number or swipe their card, but guests will be clueless and need a manned station that is clearly marked for guests and have a volunteer walk them through the registration. Then have that person or another helper walk you to your kid’s class explaining what will be going on and how to go about picking their kids back up. If they must have a sticker with corresponding numbers on it to get their kids, this needs to be explained to them. Signage for the kids check-in should start in the entryway of the guest parking. Do not assume people know where to go once they enter the building.
Give It Away
Something subtle, but powerful is a church that has a generous spirit. Chris Hodges at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL is big on this. They have a coffee shop, but they also have a designated area where people can get free coffee and not pay anything. They also give away their message CDs. Too many churches charge for everything and wonder why no one buys CDs of the message. If you want to bless people and create a generous spirit throughout your church, give away free coffee and message CDs (and other surprises throughout the year). Chris Hodges will have ice cream trucks pull up outside the church doors and give away free ice cream to congregants leaving on a hot, summer day.
Security Counts
One issue that is huge to a secret shopper and visiting families is security. If a parent is worried about their child’s safety, they will not enjoy the service and will likely not return. A children’s classroom must be clean, safe and secure. Security also includes the check-out process. If anyone can walk into a classroom and pick up a kid, you’re asking for trouble and will turn off potential newcomers. It’s important that your kids’ volunteers are trained well and know to ask for the parent’s sticker when picking up their kids. This is vital and goes a long way to ensuring a tragedy doesn’t occur and a parent has peace of mind.
The Visible Pastor
Accessibility of the senior pastor is another subtle and powerful statement of a church. Even pastors of the largest churches in America make an intentional and strategic effort to be seen, greeted and hugged after a service. They may have a body guard present for security reasons, but they are available and willing to pray with people that need to speak to their pastor.
Finish Strong
It’s simply not enough for greeters and parking lot attendants to say “Hello” or “Welcome” when one walks into their church. To go to another level, have your first impressions team stationed at their posts when the service ends to say “Goodbye” or “Have a nice week”. This goes a long way to wrapping a bow around the entire morning experience and will send them off with a lasting positive impression.
Do these 8 things and you’ll see a greater return and higher percentage of second and third-time guests.