Is it Murder?

During this Christmas of 2008, there is a lingering thought that is in my mind and I can’t shake it. The Answer to Death. Plain and simple, Christ’s birth. What does it say of us as followers of Christ, when we do not put feet to the prayers that we speak to God on behalf of the precious that do not know him yet. If you have not watched the video on Pastor Jeff Hickman’s blog this week, I would encourage you to do so now.

My Son, Matthew shared this quote with me from Spurgeon:

“If you want to murder a man, you need not stab him: rather just starve him. If you want to destroy a man you need not teach him to drink or swear; just keep back the gospel from him. Be in his company and never say a word for Christ. When you should speak be sinfully silent…Don’t you think that to deny a cup of cold water to a man and let him die of thirst is murder. To deny the gospel, to have no word to say for Jesus- is this not soul-murder?

Romans 10:14-17 (The Message)
“But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims, a sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people, telling all the good things of God!”

Game time is over. Its time to answer the questions in Romans Chapter 10

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

8 Reasons for Christmas

"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8; cf. Hebrews 2:14-15)

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

“For God so loved the world that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16)

“God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9; cf. John 10:10)

“The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15)

"Christ became a servant…to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." (Romans 15:7-8; cf. John 12:27).

from "DesiringGod.com"

Gather, Grow, and Go
Pastor Tim

Bonhoeffer

I’m reading a small book this month called Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Who is Dietrich Bonhoeffer?

Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, participant in the German Resistance movement against Nazism.

In 1939, Bonhoeffer joined a secret group of high-ranking military officers in the Abwehr (Military intelligence Office), who planned to end the National Socialist regime by killing Hitler. Bonhoeffer was arrested in April 1943 after money used to help Jews escape to Switzerland was traced to him. He was charged with conspiracy and imprisoned in Berlin for a year and a half.

Following the failure of the July 20 Plot on Hitler's life in 1944, Bonhoeffer's connections with the conspirators were discovered. He was again arrested and was imprisoned in a procession of prisons and concentration camps, ending at Flossenbürg.

Bonhoeffer was executed by hanging in Flossenbürg at dawn on April 9, 1945, just three weeks before the Soviet capture of Berlin and a month before the capitulation of Nazi Germany. Like other executions associated with the July 20 Plot, the execution was brutal. Bonhoeffer was stripped of his clothing, tortured and ridiculed by the guards, and led naked into the execution yard. A lack of sufficient gallows to hang the plotters caused Hitler and Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels to use meathooks from slaughterhouses to slowly hoist the victim by a noose formed of piano wire. Asphyxiation is thought to have taken half an hour.

In the book “Life Together” Bonhoeffer writes:
It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians. Jesus Christ lived in the midst of His enemies. At the end all His disciples deserted Him. On the cross He was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause He had come to, bring peace to the enemies of God.

So the Christian, too, belongs not in seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of the foes. There is His commission, His work. The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies.

2 Corinthians 5:20
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Coffee Time

I know, its been a while since you have heard from me. No excuses, but it truly has been a very busy few weeks for me.

Ever since my Army days, I look forward to having my daily coffee. Not just the coffee, but it also means a time to slow down and reflect. The past 2 weeks I have had reflecting moments. First one. I’m now hosting our second LifeGroup of the week on Thursday nights. One of the things we do is to share about ourselves to get to know each other. That activity always causes me to reflect on the family life that I had as a child, the experiences that God has brought me through, and my wife. I love to hear her reflect as she shares our early years of marriage with others.

Second one. In preparing for a ministry conference, I had to “look back on the timeline of my life” and list the experiences that made me who I am today. That was a big list. It caused me to look a both Positive and Negative experiences with family, church and work. As I pause with my coffee, I can truly say that I am thankful for all of those Life Mile Markers.

I challenge you to take pen and paper and “timeline” your life, and thank a Holy God for making you who you are today. I will not be easy, because you would be including some uncomfortable times. God will for us is not to be comfortable, but to be moldable. The questions today are:

Who do I have the passion for, to share the Love of God with?

How will I use my experiences to reach the precious?

How can I make a difference in the institutional mindset of “church” to be church?

First century Christians did not call themselves Christian, they called themselves Christ followers, because that was what they were doing. They were identified as Christian, by others, that saw their walk as a follower.

John 20:30-31
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

One Year Later

One Year Later

Its hard to believe that one year ago this month a merge between to different congregations happened. Much fear was expressed as to what LifeSong Lyman would look like when it was all done. Of the new changes that were experienced was the idea of LifeGroups. I have to admit, some fear entered into my heart because I just wasn’t sure that I could communicate clearly, what I knew as to what God was doing in my heart in terms of growing relationships and learning God’s word, verses something that we all have been use to… Sunday School.

In October of 2007 we began training LifeGroup leaders in our home. During those amazing 6 weeks, God conquered our fears as we trained, practiced, and prayed. January 2008 God started 5 LifeGroups. Today God has to be given the Glory and Praise, because of His guidance, LifeGroups have grown from 5 groups in January to 12 in October 2008. I expect to see even more in 2009.

It has been difficult thing for me personally, to move people out of their current group in order to start new groups, but with the explosive growth that we are experiencing at LifeSong, it is simply necessary. I am beginning the process for the next Host (leader) training as we continue to move forward. More Hosts and Host Homes are needed.

Please know my heart; my passion is not to simply multiply groups, but help create an environment where three relationships can thrive. The 3 relationships that I speak of, is with God, Christ followers, and the ones that don’t have a relationship with God yet. In order for Iron to Sharpen Iron, there has to be more than just a few rubbings. Personal & Spiritual growth will take place in LifeGroups the longer the group stays active. Current groups will end at the end of the school year.

Thank you LifeSong family for your Love, Support, and Prayers. I am truly blessed to be with you!
Pastor Tim

We have room for you if are not currently in a LifeGroup. See List

Who - Where - Day
Matthew Christopher - LifeSong Church (SINGLES) - Sunday night

Troy & Brandi Cole - Reidville - Sunday night

Jon & Kim Adam Adam - Duncan - Wednesday night

Brian Christopher - Lyman/Inman - Wednesday night

A Note About Communication

Text messaging is one of the simplest and most useful means of mobile communication. No one can doubt the popularity of text messaging, but is it really communication when there is no voice, and no body language?

Is texting addictive? I don’t know, but do you ever have feelings of anger or tension when you are separated from your texting tool? Do you long for a better texting phone? Do you need an extra set of hands when you thumb through you cell phone bill?

Top 10 list of texting guidelines.
1. Common courtesy still rules. Contrary to popular belief, composing a text message while you're in a face-to-face conversation with someone is just about as rude as taking a homeless person’s biscuit. It says to people around you that they are less important to talk to than the person being texted.

2. Remember that texting is informal. Texting shouldn't be used for formal invitations. The casualness of texting diminishes the strength and meaning of the message.

3. Don't get upset if you don't get a reply. If it's immediate, make a voice call. If you can't get through and your text message is ignored, there's probably a good reason. If you live at the Lyda house, you don’t have “texting” anyway.

4. Be aware of your tone. It is extremely difficult to discern tone in text messages, just as in e-mail. What seems to you to be a completely innocent message may be grossly misinterpreted by the recipient, causing certain discomfort if not irreparable harm.

5. Don't text while you're driving. You won't know what hit you - or what you hit.

6. Leave the slang to the kids. Don't expect people you know to be hip to the lingo of the “texting” streets. And don't expect to win points with your kids by trying to be cool, either.

7. I’m tired of looking at the tops of people’s heads. I sometimes misinterpret a bowed head for someone praying, and I tend to get a little “gnashing of the teeth” attitude, when … well you know.

8. Before you hit the send button, ask yourself “am I gossiping?” I have this feeling in my stomach that more gossip and less glorifying is being texted, but hey that’s just me.

9. Remember that your phone does have an off button. There are very, very few things in the world that absolutely cannot wait.

10. In short, when we think of relationships, don’t settle for Twinkies when you can have Pecan Pie. If you don’t know what that means, come see me.

In His Love
Pastor Tim

Adjustments

Nothing can change us more than the Application of scripture. No matter how much we hear the word of God through preaching often times it fails to bear fruit. Why? Scripture was not applied.

James 1:22-24
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Wouldn’t you be just a little concerned with someone that got up in the morning, looked in the mirror, and walked away without making adjustments? That is exactly what happens when we encounter scripture and walk away without making changes in our lives.

A person, who looks in the mirror and makes no changes, does not understand the purpose of the mirror. The person that routinely listens to God’s word but fails to apply it, will experience self deception and no growth toward Christ.

As a Christ follower you should be making adjustments every time you are encountering God’s word. Wouldn’t be great to look back in the past 12 months and identify distinct areas of your life in which you have changed based on what has been reflected back to you from God’ word? This is another reason you hear me say so much about LifeGroups. LifeGroups are designed for Application.

See you at LifeGroup!

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Sanctification / Justification

Sanctification
Theologian Wayne Grudem defines Sanctification this way:
Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and more like Christ in our actual lives.

I believe that LifeGroups are an ideal environment for this process to take place. Not all small groups have sanctification in mind as a goal. In fact sometimes small groups can do more harm than good if the group is more of a social time and not focused on it intended purpose which is to fellowship in God’s love, study His word and apply it to our lives, then hold each other up in prayer. “to strengthen each others hand in God”. LifeGroups meet for a purpose, which is sanctification.

Justification
Is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and declares us to be righteous in His sight.

Justification refers to a Christian’s position before God. The moment you were born again, God justified you.

Sanctification refers to our practice before God. It is the ongoing process of battling sin and becoming more like Jesus.

Question:
If someone in your group pointed out what he/she thought was sin in your life, how would you respond?

1. Become offended and internalize it
2. Become offended and express it
3. Dissolve into tears
4. Point out sins in their lives
5. Thank him/he for care and concern

Read Romans 5:1-2
Meditate and be thankful

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

The past few weeks, I have been visiting our LifeGroups during the fellowship time and to share with the groups the direction that we are going. The one thing that seems to be very common with all of our groups is, everyone that comes through the door seems excited about being there. Fellowship is happening.

I feel very strong about this issue of fellowship within our groups. Genuine Fellowship has a way of squashing the “Me Church” mentality, and focuses more on the other person that God has placed in our lives. You are most likely tired of hearing me say this, but I see small groups as a priority for every Christian, and every church. Why? Scripture constantly underscores the centrality of relationships and fellowship.

J.I. Packer says:
“We should not think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury, an optional addition to the exercises of private devotions. Fellowship is one of the great words of the New Testament: it denotes something that is vital to a Christians spiritual health, and central to the Churches true life… The church will flourish and Christians will be strong only when there is fellowship”.

My prayer and goal is to have a place for everyone in LifeGroups. We are not there yet. We still need more homes to meet in and more people to Host the group for bible study.

Further Study:
How ought Christians to relate to one another in order to experience fellowship?
See 1 John 1:7

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Who’s in your wallet?

If you are in one of our LifeGroups, you have been or will be given a card to carry in your wallet. It is called the 3-1-6 card. It is a tool for you to use to pray for 3 people 1 time a day, for 6 days. Your group has also been given a list of businesses located in Lyman, which needs your prayers. You can select a business and add it to your card. Prayer for those who don’t know Him yet, as well as those who know, but have no relationship with the father, is extremely important. Don’t leave your card in your wallet…show it to the Father.

A few weeks ago Pastor Jeff shared in his sermon about giving God your firsts. Here is the list:

Give God the first day of every week.
Give God the first part of everyday.
Give God the first portion of your income.
Give God FIRST consideration of every decision.

Acts 4:29-31
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

NKJV

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim