Have you ever wondered how or why we do Connect Groups like we do?  Groups are a common element to every church, but our groups have a few features that might be a little unique to us.  So here are a few answers to some common questions:

Groups are a big deal because they are the primary way that we care for one another at CPC.  Although our pastors would love to be the primary way to care for our people, it would not be wise or possible.  Connect Groups allow our church to develop deep relationships while growing together as love, care, and grow together.  Being in a group is mandatory for members of our church because it is the only way we can ensure that we are following the guidelines laid out in scripture to love one another and bear each other's burdens sufficiently. 

At CPC, we have 3 sessions or "seshes" of Connect Groups.  There are many reasons we start and stop our groups 3 times a year, but here are a few of them:

• It gives our group leaders scheduled and clear breaks.  It can be a big commitment to lead a group, but imagine if you were signing up to lead a group that never ended.  Our leaders are able to lead for the long term because we build into our rhythm intentional breaks.
• It gives our members clear "on ramps" and "off ramps".  
  • On ramps allow new people clear times to sign up for a group so that they won't feel like an outsider joining a group that has been together for a while.  Everyone is new at the beginning of a sesh, even if the group has been together a while.
  • On ramps allow us a clear time to start new groups.  This ensures that we always have opportunities for people to connect in a group.
  • Off ramps allow our groups to stay healthy. Let's face it, not every group is perfect for every person.  There are many reasons you may need to change groups: a change in schedule, a personality conflict, or simply because there is a better fit for you and your family.  Whatever the reason, we want to make it easy for you to find the right group, so off ramps give you an opportunity to change groups without risking relationships.  No one wants to "break up" with a group or group leader, so clear off ramps can make it easier to change groups with out the drama.

Our Connect Groups are overseen by the elders of CPC.  Each group has a specific elder who will check in with the group leader each month and visit the group each sesh. Each member of a connect group will have their elder as another point of care within our church. Our hope is that this added layer of care will give each member the confidence to seek the guidance or care of the elders when needed.

Often we read the stories in the Bible as history. While they may make us in awe of our God, we may fail to connect the fact that the same God is alive and moving today in our lives. He continues to write stories that weave in and around our own lives.

The same God that wrestled with Jacob, delivered Moses, called on Mary, and gave courage to David lives today in you. The truth is that we need His power, peace, mercy, hope, courage to face the struggles of this world.

We will sing a new song this Sunday that contains the most important prayer we could pray - "God, I need you." Within that one sentence, there is a declaration of humble submission and surrender that puts our heart in an ideal posture for worship. Can't wait to sing it with yall!

Same God
by Patrick Barrett / Christopher Joel Brown / Steven Furtick / Brandon Lake

I'm calling on the God of Jacob
Whose love endures through generations
I know that You will keep Your covenant
I'm calling on the God of Moses
The one who opened up the ocean
I need You now to do the same thing for me
For me, for me

O God, my God, I need You
O God, my God, I need You now
How I need You now
O Rock, O Rock of ages
I'm standing on Your faithfulness
On Your faithfulness

I'm calling on the God of Mary
Whose favor rests upon the lowly
I know with You all things are possible
I'm calling on the God of David
Who made a shepherd boy courageous
I may not face Goliath
But I've got my own giants

O God, my God, I need You
O God, my God, I need You now
How I need You now, yes
O Rock, O Rock of ages
I'm standing on Your faithfulness

You heard Your children then
You hear Your children now
You are the same God
You are the same God

You answered prayers back then
And You will answer now
You are the same God
You are the same God

You were providing then
You are providing now
You are the same God (You are the same)
You are the same God

You moved in power then
God, move in power now
You are the same God
You are the same God

You were a healer then
You are a healer now
You are the same God
You are the same God

You were a savior then
You are a savior now
You are the same God
You are the same God

One of the challenges of leading a church of diverse people with diverse personalities is that it can be hard to stay unified.  Over the past year, our leadership at CPC has been praying about a spiritual journey that would unite our church like never before.  There are many ways to unite a group of people, but one of the best ways that I have found is to focus our church on a few goals.
Over the last few years, I have experimented with  several different ways to live a focused, growing spiritual life.  I have tried setting strenuous goals, I have tried setting no goals, I have tried following general guidelines, and I have tried following strict routines.  Without a doubt, setting clear, attainable goals was the most effective method of growth for me personally.  I recognize that goals are not the only way to grow (and maybe not the best way), but they seem to be an effective way of moving forward in order to achieve a desired outcome.  
As our leadership prayed about unifying our church, two goals rose to the top of our idea pile.  1. Raise $350k above and beyond our regular giving.  This number is not pulled out of thin air. Through the guidance of a consultant and through prayer of our leadership, we decided that this goal would stretch our church, yet be attainable.  It would also put us in a position to build our own facility on the land that we are in the process of purchasing.  My favorite thing about this goal is that it takes all of us.  Our hope is that we our entire church will take a step of faith as we consider what we can give towards this goal.
2. Our second goal is to see 200 first time guest come through our doors in the next 3 years. This comes out to about new faces each week. This means that our entire church is going to need to unite and invite!  Our hope is that we will turn our eyes towards our community and invite them to be a part of what God is doing at CPC.  
I understand that not everyone is driven by achieving goals, but I know that all of us want to see our church reach our community and represent Jesus well. I hope that everyone of us will begin to pray about how we can contribute financially and through inviting others to Connection Point Church.
Both of these goals are going to take a great deal of prayer and focus to achieve, but they will also put our church in a great position to minister well to our community when we achieve them!  I hope that you will join us this Sunday as we begin a new spiritual journey that we believe will grow your faith in Christ and prepare us for a great season at CPC.

What is Ash Wednesday all about?

Ash Wednesday is the start of lent - the six week season leading up to Easter. The purpose behind this day is to remember that we are all dust and will one day return to dust. Morbid? Maybe, but I love the practice of resetting our perspective. The ash that you see on people's foreheads on this day symbolizes both death and repentance. We are called to repent from our sins because Jesus died for them.

So quickly, we loose perspective of our life here on earth. Little things like ball games, gossip, car purchases, etc. can become really big things when we lose perspective. Eternity is SO MUCH bigger!

So reflect today on the cross. In 1707, Isaac Waats wrote a hymn called "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross." Here are some of the lyrics:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

Where every realm of nature mine
My gift was still be far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

To "survey" the cross means to really investigate the death of Jesus. Our free gift of salvation cost Jesus his life! Think on that and thank him for that today.

I am preaching self-control and discipline to myself this year.

The unsyncopated rhythms of the last couple of years has left me in a state of feeling undisciplined. I want to live a life that models worship and that reflects my passion for God.

1 Cor. 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Sometimes these disciplines and goals that we want to accomplish can seem like a HUGE task. Sometimes it feels like there is a canyon between the person we are and the person God wants us to be, and the process of getting there is just going to be too hard/difficult/long.

Newton's law states that "An object in motion will stay in motion unless some other force acts on it." So here's my goal for this year. Just get myself in motion each day. This means that I am taking the bigger goals and disciplines that I have and making them small and achievable - just to start somewhere. I want to get healthier. For me, that starts with going to the gym. I am not even staying at the gym that long because I don't enjoy my workouts. However, I know that doing that small thing gets me in motion. It makes we want to drink more water, eat healthier, come back to the gym again, and repeat the cycle.

The same is so true of our spiritual disciplines. Sometimes we have these big goals in mind, but we need to just start small. Just do something to get us moving in the right direction. If you feel stuck today, I recommend starting small. Don't keep looking at the canyon in front of you. Just take a step. And then tomorrow, take another. 

The Doxology is known to be the most widely sung verse in the world.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

In 1637, a man named Thomas Ken was born in England. His parents died when he was young. He was then raised by his half-sister and her husband, and then he enrolled at Winchester College, a historic boys' school. After graduating, he returned to the school as a chaplain to minister to the boys there.

In 1674, to help encourage the practice of worship among the boys at the school, Thomas wrote three hymns. Prior to this, there had never been an English hymn written. They had only sung the Psalms in public worship. But Thomas wrote these hymns for the boys to sing in private 3 times a day. One hymn was to be sung after waking up, one at bedtime, and the last at midnight if he had trouble sleeping.

Each of these hymns concluded with the popular lines from the Doxology. I love that the heart behind this hymn was written for young men to create a discipline of consistent worship in their lives. May that be true at Connection Point Church too!

The first thing many of us think about in the new year is "what do I want to do or achieve this year?"  We set goals and we dream of losing weight, making money, or starting a new endeavor.  My goal for our church this year is that we consider "if it is the Lord's will" as our primary filter for all we will set out to do this year.
I have many goals and dreams this (and every other) year. There is a main difference this year.  I am spending considerable time filtering my goals through the will of God.  In fact, I have not set any hard goals yet. I am still filtering my good ideas down to one or two "GOD IDEAS".  (I know that sounds cheesy and cliche.)
I have disconnected from my social and news feeds and spent time journaling and praying for this year.  I am excited about our FOCUS RETREAT because I believe God is going to use it to radically impact our church.  
My hope for anyone who reads this is simple.  Instead of setting our normal goals- like making money or losing weight, consider a lengthy time of consideration.  Weight can be gained back in a weekend after your commitment ends.  Money can be gained or lost in a day.  I believe that a goal that is refined through the lens of God's calling can be much more rooted and substantial.  So remember that this year is a mist and will be over soon, so don't waste it!

This passage brings so much hope for us! Imagine, for a second, that you were living before Jesus lived. This prophecy about a coming Savior was written 700 years before Jesus. Imagine the anticipation! The kingdom of Judah was being threatened with destruction from Assyria and Egypt, but the Prince of Peace and Mighty God was coming and his reign would be Everlasting!

Now come back to our present lives. What we need most is to be saved from ourselves. Sin is rooted from within us, and it disguises lies for truth and truth for lies. Thus comes the superlative necessity for a Wonderful Counselor. The Spirit of living God is our helper! He counsels us to discern between truth and lies. We have hope! And even better...there will be no end!

Reflect today on the significance, power, and beauty of the hope we have in God - our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Over the past few weeks, I've been using this blog to wrestle with some of the problems I see in our culture- specifically in the American church.  I've seen Christians identifying with their political ideas at the expense of living out Christlike values.  One of the main problems in my opinion is our willingness to take sides in the current culture wars.  When we fight a war- living like Christ becomes secondary to winning the war.  

Christian values don't win culture wars, but they can win the culture.  If we are trying to win a war. virtues, such as humility, patience, and empathy are removed. But to win a culture, self sacrifice and living a life that extends beyond ourselves becomes infinitely more attractive.  

The alternative is to not fight.  The alternative is to serve.  Instead of looking for opponents to conquer, we must look for opportunities to show the love of Christ.  Instead of complaining of problems, we must sacrifice to solve the problems.  The alternative is to pray.   We are the hands and feet of Jesus.

We don't need to fight any battles that don't focus on the cross.    Our victory has already been won!

It was Christmas Eve in the Austrian Alps in 1818. Father Joseph was nervously excited about the crowds that would be coming to their big Christmas Eve service. They had meticulously planned and rehearsed music for their midnight service, and then disaster struck! At least the kind of disaster that any worship leader dreads. . . the organ broke! The centerpiece of their orchestrations. All of their hard work and planning had just fallen apart.

Father Joseph learned that day the power of Romans 8:28 - "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." In the wake of realizing he had no music for his church's midnight Christmas service, he penned what become one of the most widely sung Christmas songs ever written. In his stress, he wrote the lyrics to Silent Night and gave them to his organist, who created a melody. That night, the song was sung for the first time, accompanied by a guitar. AND guess what the name of the church was. . . The Church of St. Nicholas! Ha!

Sometimes things don't seem to go our way. That's what comes with the territory when we are not God. He is always working. He is always moving. He is redeeming. He is restoring. He is purifying. He is creating. He is faithful to complete the good work that He began in us! Next time things don't go our way, let's keep this mind. Maybe He's got something MUCH bigger and better planned. 

For the past few weeks, I've been diving into some thoughts on the dangers of Christians to engage in the culture wars.  Of course, everyone's first response is to assume that we are too smart for this and we are good Christians who are not entangled in these wars.  My challenge to you is check your heart. Do you consider yourself progressive or conservative? Do you like a particular news site that is considered left or right leaning? Do you view people that vote different than you as good or bad. Do you think in terms of us vs. them when it comes to your political beliefs.  All of these things can be dangerous for Christians. We can become too entrenched in winning culture wars and living out cultural values instead of Christ's values.  The truth is this: Following Jesus does not fit comfortably in either political party.  The Christian life is much different from the norm.

Today I want to highlight another problem for Christians engaging in culture wars.  When we fight a war- the ends justify the means. In other words, if it is us vs. them, we need to win at all costs, even if we must be unChristlike in the process. Calling people fools or lying is fair game. A lie is a strong word, but most people I know who argue their political perspectives engage straw man arguments and other deceitful tactics. Of course, these tactics are allowed-its a war after all. If we are in a culture war we give ourselves permission to dominate and use power for victory. If we are in a war we can win at all costs; we can use any means necessary.
The problem is that Jesus taught us to love our enemies.  Jesus taught us to be servants.  Jesus taught us to never use the word "fools" and to pray for those who persecute us.  Simply engaging in a culture war is a problem for a Christian.  It assumes that we are good and they are bad.  In fact, it assumes many things that go against the fabric of the Gospel.  
My hope is that Christians will be more concerned with being Righteous before God than right before our opponents.  My hope is that people will be drawn to Jesus through our sincere devotion to him rather than our prideful political arguments.  

Post 2 of 4 in the series: Opting out of the culture wars.  

I have a problem with Christians who take a political side at the expense of their identity in Christ.  Politics in the US are engaged in a decisive culture war.  When a Christian identifies more with a political ideology that Jesus, we have a problem.  We become soldiers in a culture war. When we fight a war- it is us vs. them.  Wars are meant to be won.  One of the problems that Christians currently face is that we have become so entrenched in the cultural battles that we have given up our primary call of Christ.  To follow Jesus and love others.  When we view people that have different values and do not follow God as enemies, we are led to dangerous conclusions. We  must eliminate them not invite them to Jesus. Enemies are supposed to be defeated, not brought back into the fold of Christ.
Viewing people that disagree with us as enemies encourages us to take up non-Christian values.  It makes us less like Jesus.  Viewing those we disagree with on important issues as enemies leads us away from humility and personal repentance for our own sins and causes us to arrogantly judge and chastise others.  We violate Jesus' command for us to recognize our own sinfulness and forgive others when we are unloving towards them. We are called to turn the other cheek. We are called to serve them. We are called to love our enemies.  All of these qualities can only be viewed as virtues when you no longer see yourself as a warrior in a battle and you see yourself as a child of God who was graciously saved and adopted by a savior.  Jesus saved you and He can and will save others.  
The only way for a church to reach those far from God is to lay down our lives and desires so that the name of Christ can be made great. Instead of fighting, complaining, and winning arguments- we must sacrifice ourselves, pray, love, and love our enemies and invite them to follow Jesus. 

This past session, our Connect Group read Until Unity by Francis Chan. It was a challenging book to read, and I was so thankful to read it alongside friends, so we could discuss how it applies to our lives.

It's worth the fight. That was my main takeaway. Unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ is going to be a fight, but it is worth fighting for.

In our last discussion about the book, as I sat next to Chase, I realized that I have known the value for awhile in fighting for unity in our marriage. We have been married for almost ten years, and we both learned early on that we are much stronger when we are unified. Whether we are unified in our parenting, how we spend money, or the direction we are going as a family- we are better when we are on the same page.

And when we are at odds with one another, it is painfully obvious. We are walking on eggshells, carrying unexpressed resentment, or stewing in frustration. We are for sure not believing the best in one another.

In fact, we have prioritized unity in our marriage enough to participate in Re:Engage (then led a Re:Engage group), read other parenting and marriage books to discuss, and regularly sit down to discuss expectations. (But don't be fooled, we don't have it all figured out.)

If we value unity in our marriage enough to do the work, have harder conversations and pursue one another, why can't we do that within the Body of Christ? If we believe that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church, His Bride (Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her"), how much more should I be pursuing unity within the ACTUAL bride of Christ, The Church?

Romans 12:18 - "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."

And peace and unity within the Church IS possible. And it requires work. It requires hard conversations. It requires love and grace and peace. It requires a fight. But it is worth it. 

Ok, so that title is a little bit of clickbait (the narrow road isn't democrat either).  This is the 1st of 4 post in a series called "opting out of the culture wars".  Over the next few weeks, I want to drill down into some thoughts I have been forming on the state of Christianity in the USA resulting from our current amalgamation of Christianity and politics.  My main thought is this: Christians must opt out of the culture wars.

Today, I want to look at one question: What is a culture war and should we try to win it?  My initial thought is this: When we join the culture wars we abandon following Jesus.

But let's not jump ahead too far.  Let's start with definitions.  What is a culture war? According to wikipedia, a culture war is a cultural conflict between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, and practices... The term is commonly used to describe aspects of contemporary politics in the United States.This includes wedge issues such as abortion, homosexuality, transgender rights, pornography, multiculturalism, racism and other cultural conflicts based on values, morality, and lifestyle..

- The current culture war in the US seems to be between conservatives and progressives (often Republicans vs Democrats).  Both groups think they are morally right and often attempt to connect political ideologies and methods with Christian rationale. I firmly believe that Christians should work hard to separate our political leanings from our call to follow Jesus.

In the 1st Century, Christians were known for COUNTER-CULTURAL stances. Some were conservative and some were progressive.  Here are a few stances in the early church:
1. They were diverse. They embraced multi-racial and multi-ethnic churches. The early church was one of the only places in society where every race was equal and every member was allowed entrance and encouraged to serve one another. Many consider this a progressive idea today.
2. They were economically diverse. The early church meeting was one of the only places a slave and slave master would be in the same house and view themselves as equals.  Treating each others as equals was very important to Jesus' brother, James, who wrote about it to the church.  In the church, everyone was equal. Many people see this as the aim of a liberal agendas in today's politics.
3. They were sexually defined. They were the only group that said sex should be limited to a married man and woman. The early church was seen as VERY restrictive on sexual freedom. This was a radical, not traditional idea. (The traditional sexual practices in Greek and Roman civilizations allowed men to do many things we would cringe to consider.) We now consider this a conservative value.
4. They were pro-life- Although pre-birth abortions were not prevalent until the last 100 years, many births were seen as inconvenient and there was an acceptable practice of leaving kids to be exposed and left to die or be picked up by slavers.  Christians were the first adoption agencies. They would walk along and take in the kids that had been discarded to die. This is a very conservative perspective nowadays.
5. They were pacifist.  Most Christians would not engage in any warfare or fighting but preferred to pray for their enemies.  This is not a popular view in either political party anymore.  

So what is the point of this?  The point is to show that our current political options will likely lead you down a different path than most Christians would recognize for most of the last two millennium.  Anytime that we get to a place where our current beliefs would be unrecognizable to the 1st century church and at worst, be antithetical to some of the key tenants that Jesus and his followers believed.  

Although following Jesus has always been counter-cultural, it has never succeeded in winning wars through power and might.  In fact, any time the church finds itself fighting a war with might and power, it is usually on the wrong side of Christ!

I am going to spend the following 3 Monday posts to give 3 reasons that Christians MUST opt out of the culture wars and walk a third option. A third option that invites those we disagree with to consider our perspective and invites them to follow Jesus above all.  I am not opposed to someone voting with a political party, but I am very opposed to a Christian identifying with a political party at the expense of living a Christ honoring life.  The Christ honoring life will almost always collide with someone who engages in the current culture wars. Christ honoring life will make Christ beautiful to a broken world.  Engaging in the culture wars will only bring a continued fracturing of our country and soiling the good name of our Savior.

Want to know how to make sure I will read a book? Give me an assignment. Tell me I have to read certain chapters so we can discuss it the following week. The (recovering) people-pleaser in me will do whatever I can do make it happen, so I can show up prepared for our time together, ready to add my input from our reading.

I have recently been reading Mama Bear Apologetics with some lifelong friends. The author, Hillary Morgan Ferrer, encourages parents to institute a chew-and-spit method with our families.

And no, she isn't advocating for poor table manners.

Instead, we have to recognize, and teach our children to recognize that most cultural lies are actually "wrapped in partial truths." And if you think about it, that is very true.

So while it may be easy to teach our children that everything belongs in one of two categories, good/bad or Christian/non Christian, we should teach our kids how to discern truth. When something is clothed with "good" words, like "truth, love, joy, authentic," it can hard for even us, as adults, to spot the lie.

What if, instead, we teach our children what the Lord says about who they are, who He is, and what He has for our lives? Then, teach and model for them how to hold those truths up to what we see in the world, whether it is a movie, a song on the radio, or a conversation they had with a friend.

Truth is truth, no doubt. But the world can be "tricky" for all of us, when it comes to truth. So let's equip the children in our lives to know what truth is and how to spot the lies around us. 

There is drama all around us! Pretty much anytime, anywhere we can find it. Culture grooms us for it. Movies and shows are made for it. Social media revolves around it. Real life, sinful people, brokenness all create it. Drama abounds!

But how do we react to it?

This is where we should differentiate ourselves, as Christians, from the rest of the world around us. Of course the world should get pulled in to the drama! Of course the world should feel the burdens, stresses, emotions, and weight of the drama! The drama around us is real. Some of it is genuinely painful, hurtful, heavy, and emotional.

However, as Christians, here's what I'm realizing we MUST do if we don't want our lives filled with drama all the time...we avert our attention away from the drama and on God. And I'm not even talking about bringing our drama to God (sure, there may be times for that). I am saying we need to make a habit of pulling our eyes/hearts/minds off of things of this world and on to our Holy God.

We need to spend time meditating on His character. We need to spend time thinking about what it will be like to stand before Him one day. What will He say to you? What will you say to Him?

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." As I've been in the midst of some silly drama this past week that I found myself so easily sucked into, I was reminded of this verse. For me, it means "Stop! and look at me. Spend time with me. I am in charge here." When this is my mindset, suddenly all of the drama takes a back seat and becomes much more meaningless and has less impact on my life. My mind goes to God and His character. I become more joyful and grateful.

When drama comes your way - and it surely will sometime soon - remember that your response could be to get sucked in and pulled down or you could remove yourself, quote Psalm 46:10, and spend time with God.

In week one of our series, "BRUTIFUL" I used this text:
Luke 9:51- When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Most commentaries will note this shift in purpose.  He goes from preaching and teaching in areas that are less precarious to following God’s path for his life.  He sets his sights on Jerusalem and goes.  His disciple, Thomas will see his direction and say, “Let’s go die with him”.  Jerusalem was known as the place prophets go to die.  But Jesus didn’t hesitate to walk that path.  

This led me to notice that most of us don't live this type of intentionality towards God. We live intentionally in many aspects of life, but not with God.
How long did you pray before choosing a college?  I chose based on the dorm.  How did you know God said yes for you to go to that college?  Did you wait for a miraculous sign?
How long did you need to pray before buying a car? What was the sign that car was the right one? Did a beam from heaven rest on that car?
How did you decide that last vacation?  How did you know that was the right location? Did you hear an audible voice?  

Now think of the things that Jesus actually did model and tell us to do
Jesus said go to all the nations.  How long do you need to pray before you say yes to the mission field? How many of us need an audible voice, a miraculous check to arrive from a mysterious donor?
Jesus said feed the hungry, clothe the naked. Jesus said visit the prisoners.  How long do you need to pray before you decide, one day a month I’m going to go serve.
Jesus said take care of the fatherless and the widows.  How long do you need to pray before you decide to foster, adopt, become a CASA, serve with Embrace?
- “You don’t just decide that Joel!" would be a normal response. But consider this: there was a time when Christians just obeyed, even when it was brutal- even if it wasn't practical in their lives.  But we need a miracle from heaven, every door closed and every excuse knocked out before we obey.  If we won’t consider the brutal, we will never see the beautiful.

AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST
⬇️
HUSBAND
⬇️
FATHER
⬇️
WORSHIP PASTOR
⬇️
MUSIC DIRECTOR

This list could certainly be much wider and longer if I wanted to include some of the other identities that I possess in life. However, for the sake of this illustration, I wanted to keep things simple.
 
In life, we take on many roles. For some of you that may be teacher, student, coach, banker, budget manager, laundry washer, food prepper, etc. . . you get the point. But I think it is crucially important for us to have the proper hierarchy of identities in place.

For example, this week a member of our band came to me to tell me that they felt like God was burdening them to help foster another ministry in our church and they were needing to take a season off of the music team. To be honest with y'all, the "music director" identity in me was saying "NOOOOOOooooo!" BUT even more than a music director, I am a worship pastor. This person was coming to me to tell me that they felt like God was calling them to something else for a season. Their very act of obedience in that is worship. What kind of "worship pastor" would I be if I did not support this person? One that thinks that music is the only way to worship God?

I've been doing some soul searching lately - trying to discern whether or not I really am living out the life God designed for me to live and being the man God created me to be. This has led me to remember this simple hierarchy of identities that God has given me. And when I keep these identities in place, it truly helps me to live out my faith, make wiser decisions, and respond much better in difficult situations.

2 Cor. 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." As Christ followers, we are first and foremost "ambassadors for Christ." This means that above our identity of teacher or coach or financial analyst or whatever, we represent Jesus.

The identities that we have at the top of our hierarchy should shape the decisions we make in the roles underneath and NOT in the opposite direction. To reference my previous example, any decision I make as a music director should not conflict with my identity of worship pastor. Any decision I make as worship pastor shouldn't conflict with my identity of dad or husband or ambassador of Christ.

Y'all catching my drift? I'd encourage you to think through your roles that you have taken on in life. Here's the primary purpose. . . above all of them, you are a son/daughter/ambassador of Christ!!

I heard a story the other day about Teddy Roosevelt on a hunting trip. He was getting rained on, it was freezing, and there were no animals in sight.  It was miserable.  Someone in the hunting party said, "I'd rather we went over there to hunt where it might be dryer." Another said," I'd rather we would have waited for a better forecast without rain." The guide simply said, "This is not a trip for the rathers".  In other words, the guide was telling them that they needed to deal with reality and nothing else.

More and more we are seeing people not deal with reality.  We are bombarded with so many false ideas and bad ideas that it is easy to get caught in "the rathers".  I'd rather people be nice. I'd rather people believe the best about one another. I'd rather my kids were pleasant today.  But this isn't a trip for the rathers.  So instead, I will start where I am.  
I will forgive those that are judging me falsely. I will give grace to my kids. I will be nice to others even when they aren't nice to me.  I will pray for those on social media who seem crazy!

It seems as if many of us who follow Jesus have started living in "the rathers" instead of the real world.  We expect everyone to believe and act like we want them to instead of doing what Jesus told us to do- love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. You can't follow Jesus and live in "the rathers".

I've heard it said before that Sunday worship services are like the fuel for our faith. While the heart for that illustration my be in the right place, I would like to offer what I think is a better variation...

Think about a nice camp fire for a minute. There's nothing like a nice camp fire in the fall! The smell, the warmth, the sounds. I love it! Now anyone who's ever been around a fire for an extended period of time knows that a fire won't last much longer than a few hours without good fuel to burn. A good, solid log may last a few hours but once that's gone, the fire is dead. That is exactly why a once a week worship service absolutely cannot be the fuel for our "fire" (faith/passion/relationship with Jesus).

If we choose to rely on one hour a week to be our fuel, the truth is that it just won't last long enough to sustain our fire. We must fuel our fire throughout our day on our own! See what Scripture says to you. Spend time in Prayer. Ask God to reveal Himself to you. Ask yourself what God is teaching you. Worship through music in the car. Give a financial gift. Encourage a friend with a verse. There are several ways we can fuel our fire on our own.

When we do that on our own throughout each day, Sunday worship services are no longer the fuel for our fire. They are a fan! When you come into a worship service pre-lit, the music and word and other believers have a tendency to cause that flame to grow stronger. And even more, your flame acts as a fan to others around you.

Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Notice the last part of that verse. My encouragement for you today is to pray for a heart of thankfulness throughout this week. Ask God to reveal His provision for you. Reflect on His grace for you, and give Him thanks!

Then Sunday worship service becomes less about what we need and more about giving God what He deserves!

As we conclude our series on the life of Abraham, I am amazed at how many of us miss the main message of the Bible.  Life is not about "being a good person", it is about our relationship with God.  If you journeyed with us through this series, I hope you had many relevant "takeaways" or applications.  My main hope however is that you learned one thing:  God gives us our righteousness.  None of us is good on our own.  This is made clear from Genesis to Revelation.  As Christians, you never have to wonder, "Am I good enough for God" or "Is God mad at me because of my sin?".  The answer is clear:
"And [ABRAHAM] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness."  Genesis 15:6.
Abraham was never blessed by God because of his good deeds or his strategic thinking.  He was just like you and me.  He made mistakes.  He doubted God.  He sinned!  Yet he continually returned to God and sought to obey God's will.  His relationship with God came first and God took care of everything else!  Abraham went through famines and wars. He experienced fear and loss.  Yet he always trusted God.  And God always made a way for Abraham!  God forgave Abraham. God loved Abraham. God blessed Abraham.  
Instead of living for ourselves and wondering if we are good enough or why these things happen to us, I hope we learn Abraham's lesson: If we put our relationship with God first and seek to obey Him, God will fulfill all of His promises with us!

It. Is. Detrimental.

Well, that's a loaded word. But that was what I recently read about about a "Sunday school" environment. While we at CPC do not have a "Sunday school," our kid's ministry is set up, structurally, much like a traditional Sunday school.  A study showed that the traditional Sunday school" approach to kids ministry is actually detrimental to a child's spiritual health. "They are actually more likely to have a secular worldview than those who didn't attend Sunday school."

Wait... WHAT??? But why?

Because the way children's classes are set up is to tell a Bible story, do a craft, and play a couple of games. And when a child is only introduced to the Word of God and the hope and truth we find in the Bible in these "Sunday school" settings, they grow up thinking these are just stories. There is not much connection from these stories to our present day lives. 

Am I advocating for getting rid of children's ministries? OF COURSE NOT! But it HAS caused me to rethink them, to reevaluate and make sure we are being intentional in CPC Kids for that hour we have your sweet children. While it is great to tell the story of Noah's ark and color a picture of the rainbow, if we are not discussing how this truth applies to our lives, it becomes just that- a story. So we talked about how God keeps His promises. Always. And we discussed promises found in Scripture that we can cling to when life is tough.

But more than that, we have to be doing more at home. As parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and family friends, we have to continue the conversations at home about how these truths apply to our lives. When we reserve Jesus for Sunday mornings, I am afraid we are feeding into this "detrimental" outcome. We are inadvertently teaching our kids that your faith is something you compartmentalize, something that only applies to certain settings and situations.

Does that mean we do an in-depth Bible exegesis with our five year old every night? Of course not. Maybe we try reading a story from the Children's Bible at bedtime and discussing how it applies to us today. Maybe we listen to a worship song on the way to soccer practice and simply ask, "What do you think these words mean?" Maybe we model for them what it looks like to need grace by asking for their forgiveness the next time we lose our patience with them.

We can't forget that part- the grace. It is easy to rely on the Church and the CPC Kids teachers to be the primary source of your child's (or even your own) spiritual development. We all do that from time to time. So if you find yourself in that situation right now, don't beat yourself up. Just start with something small today. Speak truth to the kids in your life today. Do your next right thing today.
 

Have you ever noticed what goes unsaid in our everyday life?  Probably not.  Most of us never think about the social and cultural mores that make up our everyday life.  The interesting thing about a culture is that the most important aspects are never spoken- they are already known by everyone!   For example, when was the last time you told a loose acquaintance not walk in your house without knocking or letting you know?  Probably never.  The reason you haven't said it out loud is not because you don't mind it, but because it is so obvious you don't need to say it.  This makes sense to us.  But have you ever considered what goes unsaid in other cultures?  

Have you ever seen a lost child in a store?  Perhaps they looked confused or were crying.  Most likely, you would stop and help them.  You would take them to the store manager or call the police if their parents couldn't be located. But no one told you to do this.  It is unspoken.  Did you know that not every culture acts this way.  There are some countries where you don't intervene with poor or homeless or lost people, even if they are children.  There is no American manual to tell you to do this, you simply have to live here and figure it out. It becomes "the way it is".

I say all of this to make a simple point.  Almost everything that is crucial to our culture is UNSAID.  If it needed to be said or reminded, it wouldn't be ingrained.  So if you are writing a book based in our culture, you would never explain the things that go unsaid.  You would never explain the cultural mores.  And someone reading would either know them (if they are familiar with your culture) or miss them completely (if unfamiliar with your culture).  Now consider that every culture and every time period has mores. This means that, unless you are familiar with the cultural mores of Ancient Rome or Israel, you are likely missing the things that go unsaid.  In fact, you are probably assuming your culture on top of theirs.  
Here is one example.  In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul tells women to dress modestly.  Now in our culture, this means that a woman shouldn't show too much skin. But that isn't what Paul is talking about.  No woman in his time was walking around in flashing their midriffs or even their ankles!  It goes unsaid in their culture to be sexually modest when you dress. Paul is talking about wearing fancy or expensive clothing.  He is telling them to be economically modest, not sexually.  Paul didn't even consider that this sentence would be used to tell girls not to wear short shorts.  It was so obvious to him, it went unsaid.  
What is the point of this blog post?  I simply want us to approach the Bible with an open mind.  We need to take the time to study or ask questions about verses that may seem obvious to us. The truth is that often the Bible reads us as much as we read it.  We project our own beliefs and ideas into instead of taking the time to discover what it is actually telling us.  
This may seem daunting, but it really isn't, it simply take consistency and the desire to continually dig into God's word.  It also takes a lot of grace- none of us will ever get it perfect!
 

Fun fact- Did you know that in parts of Indonesia, you can be excused from school in order to accompany a friend on a long errand!  It would be unthinkable to let them go alone! In the US, we would never consider asking for permission to skip school in order to help a friend out.  It wouldn't even come up. In Indonesia it goes unsaid- of course you take time out of your day to go with someone on a journey!

What you think about yourself is reflective of what you think about God.

Do you think about yourself in a way that honors your Creator? Let me illustrate this. My boys like to create "works of art" sometimes, whether it be a drawing or a sculpture or legos or whatever it is; if they spend a decent amount of time on it, they are always proud to show me their creation.

There is Someone who created you. Someone who thought of you, designed you, knitted you, formed you just the way you are and thinks you are an incredible work of art. And yet, at times, we believe lies from the enemy and talk bad about God's creation.

He says "You are my beloved."
We say "I'm trash. I'm worthless at this or that."

He says, "You are fearfully and wonderfully made."
We say, "I think I'm awkward and dumb. I wish I was more like ______."

The truth is that, whether we acknowledge it or not, our self-talk is not just self-talk. When we talk about ourselves, we're talking about our Creator! You are designed by GOD to be uniquely wired just the way you are! This means that you should not strive to be more like Suzie Q or Johnny Z who have the personality or body or job or house that you wish you had. You are the best you there is! No one else can be you and you are not good at trying to be someone else!

My encouragement for you this Wednesday is to worship God by reflecting on the ways that He gifted you and wired you to bless, encourage, build up and grow His Kingdom. Stop listening to the lies of the enemy! Scripture says in 2 Cor. 10 that we have the power to DESTROY strongholds. We do that by knowing the truths of what God says about us in Scripture, by confessing to God and friends our struggles, and by praying for divine power to crush and mute and destroy the lies.

Look in the mirror this week and say, "I'm awesome...just the way God made me." Worship Him for His design.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Cor. 10:3-5

A recent study showed that we would rather think about working out 4 times a week than actually going for a walk once a week.  When pressed, most people don't think a walk would make much of a difference, but the idea of starting to workout next week or telling ourselves we workout several times a week seems to make more sense.  
The problem is that it isn't true.
Thinking about a great workout plan doesn't do anything for you.  A 1 or 2 mile walk each week actually does make a difference. In fact, walking is a great way to exercise for a variety of reasons. So why would we rather do nothing but think about doing something rather than actually do something?  That is an easy answer: so we can tell ourselves we are the type of people who workout several times a week.  
Most of us are not who we think we are. We overestimate our generosity, good intentions, physical abilities, and spiritual disciplines. For example,  I consider myself generous, but I have a good reason that I can't give to support a cause or serve the less fortunate this week- and next week. I consider myself a good friend though I haven't reached out to you in several weeks and missed several opportunities to be a good friend.  The truth is that it doesn't matter what I consider myself, a good friend is a friend that reaches out and connects with those I care about. 
So here is a hard fact to swallow.  The only way you'll ever really know who you are is for someone else to tell you.
Most of us don't want to believe this.  We think we know our intentions and we think our intentions match our actions.  The problem is they likely do not.  
One of the most important habits you can have in your life is accountability.  Actually sitting across from someone and asking them, "What's it like to be on the other side of me?".  Ask them to tell you how you are impacting their life or how you are being a good friend.  How could you be a better friend.  Or consider sitting across from your spouse and asking, "what could I do this week that would 1000% show you that I love you?"  (then do it!!).  Ask your kids, "what could I do this week that would show you that I love you?"  (Then show up and do it!).
And then there is our spiritual walk.  Who can you sit with and ask, "What area of my life do you see inconsistent with my faith?" , " Is there an area of my life that you are aware of that doesn't represent Christ to others?"  Unless we have people who love us and want to help us move from where we are to where God wants us to be, we will never be able to take steps.  We might not even know we need to take a step.  
I believe every relationship you have - your friends, spouse, kids, even your relationship to God would be better if you would ask them one simple question- "What's it like to be on the other side of me?