Sunday Aug. 14, 2011..."Are You A Boat Potato?"

Wednesday evening in our Sermon Replay study we discussed the sermon series based on Matthew 14: 22-33 (Jesus walks on water).  Pastor Rawls highlighted three principles in his sermon, that are relevant when we get out of the boat and use the gifts that Jesus gives us as we serve Him. 

Principle #1:  Jesus is Lord of the gifts. 1 Corinthians 12: 11...All these (gifts) are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.  God distributes the spiritual gifts and equips us and directs us in sharing these gifts.  They are not to be put on a shelf or claimed as our own, they are God's gifts to be used for His glory.  We asked ourselves what gifts God has given us and it was difficult for many to identify them.  We too often fail to recognize that talents and personality traits are gifts that God uses to reveal His goodness.  Compassion for others is a gift from God.  Praying for others is a gift granted by His Spirit.  Hospitality, healing, administration, teaching, preaching, reading and sharing Bible teachings are all gifts that we need to recognize and use in service to Him.

Principle #2:  Jesus is Lord of the settled accounts.  As we share God's gifts, it is His will that will be done, not our will.  Failing to accept this or trust in this is one reason we fail to exercise His gifts. We want to see results in our timing and according to our expectations, but God's plans are perfect and always at the right time.  As we use the gifts for Him we must be aware that it is for His glory and for His purposes.

Principle #3:  Jesus is Lord of the reward.  As we serve Him and use His gifts in our daily walk we will grow more aware of His love for us, our faith will grow, and our trust in Him will become stronger.  If we are to be the light of the world, we need to enjoy Him and be at peace in the turmoils of this world.  We will enjoy the fruits of the Spirit...Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

July 31, 2011...Sermon: "Staying In Love With God"

One of my favorite verses in the Bible was referred to in the message this week, Romans 12: 2..."Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God...what is good and acceptable and perfect." 

To love and to stay in love with God is to experience Him and we do that by staying in His will, which takes effort.  Loving and staying in love with anyone takes effort and desire and that is what Paul is asking us to do with God.  If we conform to the world, we will always be giving up on love., giving up on God and people.  We lose patience.  We lose trust.  We lose desire.  The bottom line is, if we conform to the world...WE LOSE!

By renewing our minds and being transformed, we will always be discovering and seeing things and people in new ways and if God is doing the transforming, we will see in good and perfect ways.  God wants to be the transforming power in our lives and by the Holy Spirit he renews our minds and transforms us by His Word (The Bible), Prayer, Service To Others, Worship, Giving, and Christian Fellowship.  It takes effort but the reward is the transformation that opens up a life of experiencing God himself and experiencing what is good and acceptable and perfect.

July 17, 2011 Sermon Text...Galatians 5: 13-15

Only three verses, but packed with church building and relationship building guidance!  Verse 13, "For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another."  I find it interesting that Paul uses freedom as a condition we are in and yet calls us to be slaves.  What are we free from, if we are to be slaves?

Christ freed us from the legalism that society and churches bind us with.  Because he loves us so much, he does not bind us...restrict us...from choosing and pursuing a life that we want.  Yet, by His Spirit, He nurtures us and transforms us so that we will want His life for ourselves.  He enslaved Himself to us through His Spirit out of love, and as we grow in spirit, we will become enslaved by His Spirit to one another, wanting His life for others as well as ourselves.  This can only happen when we love one another as Christ loves us (Verse 14).

I find that I spend a lot of time and effort trying to convince and recruit people to be in agreement with me.  I insist that others conform to my way of thinking so that I can be at peace with them.  I am enslaving them, asking them to surrender their ideas and ideals, to be in relationship with me.  Because Christ loves us, He allows us to surrender our unrighteous ideas and ideals victoriously and joyfully as we journey with Him; not in order to journey with Him. 

Verse 15,  "If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another."  Paul warns us in this verse that if we become legalistic ourselves, we not only cause others not to be free, but we also surrender our freedom to pursue the life that Jesus offers.  By enslaving others to our ideals, we are also binding ourselves to a level that is far below the ideals that Christ will reveal in the freedom He grants us.  I find that many of my most joyful moments are when I discover (the Spirit reveals) a new way of thinking, a new perspective, patience, or concern for another, that did not exist the moment before.