Make Room for Jesus

We all know the story....Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem but when they arrive, they find that all of the spare rooms are taken and there are no rooms available.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.  Luke 2:4-7 NIV

The thing that stands out to me here is this idea of having no room for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Bethlehem that night. Obviously, no one could have known that Jesus would be born there that night...how could they? Everyone was too busy with the hustle and bustle of their own lives to even notice the poor young couple expecting a child any day traveling through their streets.

Hmmm...that sounds a lot like us doesn't it? We are so busy with our own lives, careers, families, activities, and more that sometimes we miss the miracles of God all around us. Our lives are so full that we have NO ROOM for anything else.

Can you relate to this? Have you ever felt so overwhelmed, so stressed out, stretched so thin that you couldn't even imagine having to consider one more thing? This is all part of the human condition...being focused on the here and now and being unaware of the eternal things that are going on all around us.

While we may not have room for Jesus this Christmas, without question He has room for us. This is why He invaded our existence as a baby so many years ago...to break into our chaos and bring His peace. While we may not be waiting for Jesus, He is waiting for us...waiting for us to give our hearts and lives to Him and to trust His leadership in our lives.

Dear Jesus, thank You for invading our world so many years ago as a baby boy. Help me to make room for You this Christmas in the midst of my busy life. Come and bring Your abundant life into my heart today. In Your powerful name, amen.

Victory-Our opponent is real!

Victory...it's far better than defeat. Last night I watched my hometown Memphis Tigers lose to Florida 77-75 in the Jimmy V Classic at Midison Square Garden. They had a shot to win but missed at the buzzer. They should have a great season this year, but it was disappointing to lose such a big game.

In college basketball we know who our opponent is...but what about in our spiritual lives? When we experience this victory we are talking about, how do we know what things we are experiencing victory over each day? This will be the topic for our next sermon specifically, but I want to make the point that victory is specific in each of our lives because our temptations are specific in each of our lives. 

The scripture says that we have a real enemy...his name is Satan. He is the most powerful fallen angel and he desires to defeat God's children in any way possible. Consider what Peter wrote...

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV

Satan can't keep us from inheriting eternal life with Jesus, but he will do everything he can to make sure we never experience the life that Jesus promised here on earth...to make sure that we never experience victory in our walk with Christ. As we said Sunday, the key is focusing on Jesus and not our failures.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

Do you need to forget the past and press on towards the goal of experiencing real life in Jesus? What is holding you back today?

Dear God, give me the courage today to let go of my past and to focus my eyes on You! In Jesus' name, amen.

Victory is a Gift

This past Sunday we continued with our series entitled Walking in Grace. In our third installment in this series, we talked about finding Victory in our walk with Christ. For many believers, victory is more of an abstract concept than an actual life reality.

 Why?

Why don't more of us experience the victory God promised in His word? I believe it's be auss we don't fully understand what that victory is about in the first place.

In our key thought for this past week...we don't experience

victory by fighting; we enjoy it by faith in Jesus.

Again, this whole idea of walking in grace is centered on what Jesus has done for us, not what we can do for Jesus. We get wrapped up in doing things FOR Jesus and fail to understand that He wants to do amazing things THROUGH us.

Here is where victory is found...in Christ and not within ourselves. He is the one who has given is everything we need to experience the life He promised.

2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

You see...victory is a gift from God designed that we can escape the power of this world and experience the life He promised. No matter how hard we fight. In our own power we will always be defeated. But when we surrender by faith, we can experience victory through Jesus!

Dear God, help me today to remember that You have already won the victory...I need only surrender by faith to You! In Jesus Name, amen.

Snow Schedule for December 15, 2013

Due to the snowy conditions, we will only have our 10:30am service for Downtown Fellowship this morning If you are part of a class, as far as I know you will meet...but I would contact the teacher directly.

All leadership for Downtown Fellowship will meet between 9:00am and 9:15am.

See you soon..and be careful coming this morning!

Pastor Mark

Walking in Grace-Promises Kept

As I sit here this morning watching the snow fall to the ground, I am a bit like a child on Christmas Day playing with the toy that I asked for and actually received.

You see, where we grew up in Tennessee, the forecast of snow is mostly based on broken promises. I cannot tell you the number of times that 1-3 inches turned into a dusting or, more likely, nothing at all. One of the most frustrating explanations was often used..."it is snowing in the upper atmosphere, but it 's just not reaching the ground." What?

But here in Pennsylvania, if the meteorologist promises snow, snow actually falls from the sky and piles up on the ground! In fact, it does it twice in 48 hours...which I have never seen.

This snow delivery plan in Pennsylvania makes me think about the grace of God. So many years ago, Jesus invaded our existence to keep His promises. The Old Testament is filled with dozens of prophecies about His coming and He fulfilled every one. In our misery, God promised to bring light to the darkness, and He kept that promise. He could have left us just the way we are, but His.grace wouldn't let Him

Grace...unmerited favor, pardon undeserved, promises kept. Why am I surprised? This is simply part of God's character...

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.  Joel 2:13 NIV

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV

God is the original promises keeper and we should take His promises at face value. If He says He will bring us rest and peace, forgiveness and restoration, healing and wholeness, then we should expect He will. This is why we can confidently walk in His grace today, knowing that Godwill keep His promises.

Now...back to the snow...have a fun and safe day in the white stuff that was both promised and delivered!

Dear God, today help me commit to walk in Your grace as I continue to learn to trust in Your promises. In Jesus name, amen!

Day 2-Walking in Grace-Why?

As we continue our discussion about the grace of God, why have to address the question of why we find it difficult to embrace the idea that God loves and accepts us unconditionally.

I want to suggest three possible reasons...

1. Cultural influences

Our culture tells us that we are what we do, that we are defined by our jobs and our daily roles within our family dynamics. Men especially are tied into their careers and tend to be defined by their job. I have heard men describe feeling lost after having lost their jobs. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the passions God gave you and finding fulfillment in the work we do. The issue comes when we translate this same way of thinking into our spiritual lives. In Christ, we are not defined by what we do, but rather by what He has done for us. If we couldn't do anything to earn our salvation what makes us think we can earn His favor after we are saved? That's what graceis all about...it is UNDESERVED.

2. Negative past experiences

Childhood experiences can also affect our thinking about our identity in Christ. Disapproving or harsh parents, teachers, coaches, or relatives can change the way we interact with God. If we felt like we could never please our parents, we most likely will feel like we will never please God. If we were never good enough for our football coach, we most likely will never feel that we are good enough for God. (If you find this to be an issue for you, let me recommend a beautiful book entitled The Shack by William Young. ) If this way of thinking has been programmed into your brain, it will be a real challenge for you to view things differently in your relationship with God. However your past need not determine your future-there is freedom in Christ.

3. We have been deceived.

As we established this past Sunday, we have a real enemy who desires to destroy our relationship with God. If he can't keep us from surrendering our lives to Christ, then he will work to keep us from experiencing victory in our walk with Jesus. Consider this verse in 1 Peter 5...

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  (Verse 8)

One of the main ways he does this is to constantly heap condemnation on our heads for all of our faults and failures. He will constantly work to get us to believe that our acceptance or rejection with God hinges on our behavior. It is a boldfaced lie...and he knows it, but also he knows that we fall into these patterns of thinking so easily.

Yet, Romans 8:1 states very clearly...

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 

So clearly, it is all a lie. Our acceptance with God is based entirely on the righteousness of Christ and nothing else. If we feel condemned it is because we are condemning ourselves.

So does this mean we can live any way we want? That is the question we will try to tackle tomorrow!

Dear God, through Your Holy Spirit, help me to understand that as Your disciple I am not condemned by my faults and failures. Your sacrifice on the cross paid the penalty for my sins already and I stand blameless in Your sight clothed in the righteousness of Christ! In Jesus name, amen.

Downtown Devotions-Down for the Count

When you have 7 children and a total of 9 people in your house, the invasion of sickness can be overwhelming.  Over this past Thanksgiving weekend, some nasty little sick bug invaded our home and got 6 of our 7 children-only our oldest Ben seems to have escaped.

If I can paint a picture for you, our normally rambunctious children were laying all over our family room under blankets with red faces watching TV on Sunday afternoon. Ben and I were the only ones who made it to church on Sunday.

Well, one of the joys of parenting in sharing in your kid's struggles...including sickness. Monday and Tuesday were tough (when you have 7 children you don't get to be sick) but I seem to be feeling better today. 

That said, Downtown Devotions will return tomorrow. I have greatly missed writing these past two days. Thanks for all your love and support for my family!

Day 1-Walking in Grace-Our Identity in Christ

I hope you woke on this state hunting holiday, looked in the mirror and said "Today I will walk in the grace of my Savior. I am dearly loved and fully accepted by Him!"

Yesterday, we explored this Idea of identity in Christ. Our key point is that our identity is not determined by our BEHAVIOR bur rather by our NEW BIRTH is Jesus. Yet, we act like our acceptance with God rests on how good of a Christian we are able to be. It makes logical sense, but not scriptural sense. The Bible simply doesn't teach that our acceptance with God is tied into our behavior. Instead, it is completely based on our new birth. Consider this passage from John 1:12-13...

Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

For many years I worked as a youth and college pastor at different churches. While I loved pouring my life into the teenagers, everything changed when my oldest son Ben grew old enough to go on trips and be involved in the programs. He often tried to invoke a "youth pastor's son" privilege to get out of any activity he didn't want to do. But the truth was and is that he is my son and I love him far more and in a totally different way that I could ever love a teenager in my church. It was a totally different dynamic.  While the teenagers in our church could call me all of their nicknames (Jemarksus, JT Braswell, PM), Ben and the rest of my children can call me DAD.

This same principle works in our spiritual life. Before we surrender our lives to Christ, God is a cosmic creator who directs our lives from on high. When we surrender our lives to Jesus and are born again in Him, we move from being His creation to being His child. It is a special right we are given when we are adopted into God's family. We can call God "daddy".

Think of your own children...do you cast them out of your house because they make mistakes? Are they your children because they were born into your family or because they behave exactly as you wish? Obviously, because they were born into your family because children don't always behave in the way we desire.

It works in a similar way with God. When we are adopted into His family through Jesus, we get all the rights and privileges of being His son or daughter. While we may disappoint Him with our choices and behavior, He bases our relationship with Him on our birth into His family not our behavior.

So rest assured today that God loves you and fully accepts you for who you are!

Dear God, help me to understand Your love for me and the rights and privileges I have as your son or daughter. Let Your spirit convince my heart that I am fully accepted by You. In Jesus name, amen.

IGo-day 4-even more on the command of Jesus

It would seem ridiculous if you took a random person off the street, put him in a major baseball uniform and tell him he is starting for the New York Yankees later that night. When he asks if he gets any instruction or practice, you just tell him to show up 15 minutes before the first pitch. When he gets there, you have him watch a 5 minute tutorial on how to "look good" when batting and fielding. By the time the game is over, he struck out three times and caused 2 fielding errors, but he did look good doing it.

This could never happen in baseball, but it does seem to happen in the church occasionally. We help unbelievers hear the call of Christ for salvation, bring them into the body life of the church through membership and baptism, and leave them on their to own to figure out the rest. This is why The command of Jesus is not just to make converts who belong to the church, but rather to make disciples who get involved in church AND who know what they believe and why they believe it.

Jesus said, " teaching them to obey everything I have commanded..." Part of making disciples is mentoring or "discipling" this person. When Jesus spoke this to His disciples  the Bible didn't yet exist, so He was telling His disciples to invest deeply in the lives of others. The disciples would have to tell the stories, recall all the teachings, and share of their faith personally.

In our context, this brings us back to the idea of making a LONG-TERM investment in the lives of others. Jesus doesn't call us just to get people to accept His gospel message, He calls us to invest in the lives of unbelievers so that they become true followers of Jesus. 

Looking back in my own life, I am thankful for those who invested deeply in my life when I was in high school and college. My worship pastor, Allen Cade had the most profound influence in my life. Allen invested countless hours into my life and is the main reason I lead worship today. Some of the parents in our small church, Darlene Espy, Danny Loe, Lamar Nelson and others made a hug impact as well. And then there were the teenagers...Laura Wright Anderson, Jeff Word, Bart Magowan, Rob Storey, Mark Carder, Alicia Espy Swift, Bill Espy...all of these teenagers and others made me feel like I belonged at their church and, in one way or another, encouraged me in my faith. I would not be in ministry today if it weren't for these and others "teaching me to obey everything..."

Today the process continues...I am blessed to serve with Pastor Ron who is a quiet but very encouraging mentor in my life..and, of course, my amazing wife Kelley has walked with me every step of my ministry life. She is my greatest encourager and a perfect partner in ministry.

Who makes your list of those who invested in your life? Where would you be without them? Take some time this weekend and thank them for their investment.

An even better question...who would list us as one of their biggest investors? Who do we need to spend more time with?

Dear God, today I am thankful for those who invested in my life. Give me the courage and strength to invest that same love into others that they may grow into maturity in You! In Jesus name, amen.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

In 1621, the pilgrims and native Americans shared the first Thanksgiving meal together to celebrate the first successful harvest of corn. The feast lasted for three days but didn't include any cakes or pies because they had no ovens and the supply of sugar brought over on the Mayflower was running low. Instead, the pilgrims had to rely on Native American spices and cooking methods to complete the meal.

As President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nation-wide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God". 

Thanksgiving in the United States was observed on various dates throughout history. From the time of the Founding Fathers until the time of Lincoln, the date Thanksgiving was observed varied from state to state. The final Thursday in November had become the customary date in most U.S. states by the beginning of the 19th century. 

Thanksgiving was first celebrated on the same date by all states in 1863 by a presidential proclamation of Abraham Lincoln . Influenced by the campaigning of author Sarah Hale who wrote letters to politicians for around 40 years trying to make it an official holiday, Lincoln proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November in an attempt to foster a sense of American unity between the Northern and Southern states.  

On December 26, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the national Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday. Two years earlier, Roosevelt had used a presidential proclamation to try to achieve this change, reasoning that earlier celebration of the holiday would give the country an economic boost.

So today, on this fourth Thursday in November, we will gather with friends and family to give thanks to God for all of our many blessings. The Bible commands us to give thanks to God... 

Priase the Lord.Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 106:1 NIV

For me, I am thankful for a wonderful wife, seven healthy amazing children, food to eat, a warm home, good friends and so much more. I am also thankful for God leading our family to Pennsylvania for me to pastor at Downtown Fellowship. Each week, I can sense God moving and I am thankful to serve a congregation that listens to the Spirit of God. Let us continue to pray for God to work miracles that we could never take credit for!

I truly count it a privilege to be your pastor and friend. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pastor Mark

iGo -Day 3-more on the Command of Jesus

The command of Jesus in the Great Commission is three-fold.  First, as we discovered yesterday, is the command to make disciples. We looked at what that means in terms of the relationships we build with unbelievers.

The second part of making disciples is this command to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. By the way, this is the one place in the scriptures where all three parts of the trinity are mentioned together. Our modern picture of baptism does not match up completely with the ancient practice. In ancient times, one would be mentored for the better part of a year by followers who were strong in their faith. Then, usually at Easter, the person would be presented to the church upon the testimony of these mentors as a candidate for baptism. 

But what does baptism really signify? In the early days of the church, it was a sign of identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Consider Romans 6:3-4...

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 

In this context, baptism is a public profession of a private decision person has made to follow Jesus. It is a way to identify oneself with Jesus and with the church. In other words, it is a way to declare that not only do you believe, you also BELONG to Christ and His church.

This was part of the command of Jesus...not just to make converts, but to call the lost to belief in Jesus AND to find life by belonging to the local church. It is highly doubtful that a person will ever become everything God created them to be without the encouragement that comes from being a part of the body of Christ. This is why it is so important that our church be a place of love and acceptance and grace...a place where God works miracles we could never take credit for.

Dear God, as I obey your call to go out and make disciples, help me remember that it Your desire to see others commit to You AND Your church. Help me be a part of a life-giving church that that helps grow others to be everything You created them to be. In Jesus name, Amen.

iGo-Day 2-the Command of Jesus

When we look closely at the Great Commission, we understand that the assumption of Jesus was that His disciples would be going out to continue His message. The command contained in this passage is, having gone out into the world, to MAKE DISCIPLES.

A Disciple is a person who chooses to place their trust in Jesus, repent of their sinful lifestylle, and follow HIm no matter the cost. This is in contrast to simply making converts...which is the obsession of some forms of American Christianity. To often have I offered and even participated In programs that offered the cheap grace of "all you need to do is pray this prayer and your place in heaven is assured." 

The problem with this approach is that it seems to be the opposite of what Jesus required. It seems to me that Jesus would have said, "All you need to do is repent of your sins, surrender your heart and life to Me, and follow Me at any cost." In scripture, He put to this way in Luke 9:23...

Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me." 

This seems to be a much more serious commitment than just praying a prayer or walking an aisle during the invitation, especially if emotional manipulation or coercion is used. 

This is the commitment that we are called honor in the Great Commission. The command of Jesus is build long-term relationships with unbelievers living out a life of faith that causes them to wonder what this "Jesus stuff" is all about. Believing that only God can save someone, we give them all the time they need to consider the call of Jesus for salvation. Instead of them being our project, they are actually our friends. When they do finally surrender their lives to Christ, it is a decision that is made with much thought and prayer.

This is the call of Jesus in the Great Commission, to share our faith and help others embrace the miracle of salvation that Jesus offers. But this is only the beginning of the process which is life-long in the life of a every believer. In churchy words, this is called justification. The next part of the process, growing to be like Jesus, is called sanctification.

Dear God, I truly want to follow Your command to share my faith with those who don't yet know You. This week, open my eyes to opportunities all around me to share my faith, even with my own family. Give me a heart that rejoices as You rejoice with those who surrender their hearts to You! In Jesus name, amen.

iGo-Day 1-the Assumption of Jesus

Yesterday we completed our iLife series with the final message iGo. There is a natural progression in our walk with Jesus toward maturity and faithfulness. Once we believe, we can worship; from worship comes the desire to follow; once we claim to follow Jesus, we commit to grow in Him; once we start to grow, we wil desire to surrender and give all to HIm; once we give all to Him, we can discover our SHAPE for ministry; once we discover our place of service, it naturally follows that we will go out and share the hope we have in Jesus

This pattern seems to be the same pattern that the disciples followed in the journey with Jesus...belief, worship following, growing giving, serving, and the finally being sent out. Obviously, it wasn't always quite in this order, but we see this progression in the life of the disciples.

Take a moment and reread the Great Commission...

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

In this passage, we find a hidden assumption of Jesus when He says, "Therefore go..." The actual literal translation here is "...having gone..." Jesus wasn't commanding the disciples to go out as much as He was assuming that it would be a natural part of their DNA to be out bringing healing and hope in a dark world.

The command is to make disciples WHILE they were going out into the lost world.

In our modern day with all of our programs and church buildings, is is easy to lose sight of this assumption of Jesus that we would naturally go out and share our faith. It is a good reminder to us that it is supposed to be part of who we are to be out in the world sharing the hope that we have in Jesus. The lost world is out there outside of our church buildings and it is our call to be out in that world bringing hope.

Ask yourself this question: when is the last time I spent time with someone who does not follow Jesus?  

It is so easy to fall into the trap of believing that going means going to Africa or South America. The truth is we enter our mission field every time we walk out of the door of our church.

Dear God, give me the courage today to take your hope into a lost and dying a world. Help me to be faithful today to your call to go and make disciples. In Jesus name, amen.

iServe-Day 6-My experiences complete my shape

Experiences complete the final piece of our SHAPE. Every aspect of our SHAPE-spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences-work together to empower us for ministry. 

Together they tell us the what, where, how, and why of our ministry service in the church. The last one, our experiences, gives us the flavoring for our ministry with God's people.

As we grow older and more mature in our faith, God will open more doors of ministry for us based on our life experiences.

If we have experienced tragedy and loss, we will be able to minister to those in the midst of loss. Divorce, addictions, suicide, adoption, death, financial crisis, and more-these are the realities that we face every day. Those going through tough times don't want to hear glib cliches from people who seemingly have perfect lives. Being able to say "I've been there", opens the door for trust and healing.

Take a few moments today to write down your experiences both good and bad. It may be that God may give you an opportunity to invest in lives based on a common shared experience. That's part of the human experience.

Dear God, today I am thankful for my life experiences. I surrender these experiences to you. Lead me to people who are need of your love and encouragement in difficult times. In Jesus name, amen.

iServe-Day 5-P is for personality

Read Psalm 139

As we continue our discovery of our God-given SHAPE, we must always celebrate the fact that God created us uniquely. Scripture clearly teaches us that God shaped us in the womb and that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". We are God's workmanship not just in some ways, but in every way!

When it comes to our personality, some of us are very outgoing, others of us are very reserved. Some of us feed on being around people while some of us prefer to be alone. Still other of us are very task-focused working from a list each day while others are spontaneous and just want to invest in people.

None of these personality styles are better than another, they are just different. Yet, our personality style will dictate how and where you will serve in the body of Christ. Paul wrote that we are all part of one body and when we serve together, the body is at it's highest function.

Think about your personality...do you like to be up front or behind the scenes? Do you like to make lists or go with the flow? Do you love to be around people or more by yourself?

Spend some time praying today about God's unique design of your life. Commit to serving according to that design!

Dear God, I thank you that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank you for my personality...I know it is a gift from you. Give me the courage today to move toward serving in your church. In Jesus name, amen.

iServe-Day 4-I have abilities to serve

I hope you are enjoying the journey of discovering your SHAPE for ministry!

Once you have discovered your Spiritual Gifts and your heart for ministry, you can turn your attention toward the next letter in SHAPE. 

A stands for ability-your natural born talents and abilities. It should be fairly easy for you to know what your abilities are. Think back to your childhood...what have you always been good at? Are you musically gifted? Are you good at sports?   Cooking? 

These abilities can partner with your Spiritual gifts and Heart to empower you for ministry.

What are you main abilities? How do they relate to your gifts and passion? Do you get to use your abilities on a regular basis?

Start thinking now how you can use your abilities to serve in the church. 

Remember that God knows your abilities...He desires your availability.

Dear God, thank you for creating me with different abilities. Help me to find my place in your church to serve and use my abilities to glorify you! In Jesus Name, amen.

iServe-Day 3-Heart-the "where" of serving

As we continue on our journey towards discovering our God-given SHAPE, we next consider our HEART or passion for ministry.

Remember, we define SHAPE as

S-Spiritual Gifts
H-Heart
A-Ability
P-Personality
E-Experiences

Your Heart or passion for ministry is that which gets you the most excited, keeps you up talking late at night, fuels your fire to give your best to God in service. Keep in mind that God created you with this passion hardwired into your DNA.

Job said it this way,,, "Your hands formed and shaped me..." Job 10:8

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to DO GOOD WORKS which God prepared in advance for us to do."

So we are uniquely shaped by God (a masterpiece no less) for the purpose of serving Him!!! And...He already knows what He desires for us to do. It's our privilege to search that out and embrace our ministry God has for us.

Some people are very passionate about children's ministry, others hospitality, still others financial responsibility. There is no right or wrong answer to what your passion might be. Whereas discovering your spiritual gifts answers the "what should I do?" question, determining your heart or passion for ministry answers the "where should I serve" question. It's actually actually quite simple...if you are passionate about children, find a place of service within the children's ministry.

If you are passionate about new people feeling welcome and comfortable at the church, join the greeting ministry. If you have a gift and heart for finances, offer your expertise and passion to the finance team. These are just three examples, the possibilities are endless.

So ask yourself the question: "What am I most passionate about?" "What could I talk about late into the night?" Ask your spouse or family what they think your passion might be. Find consensus and more forward to find your place of serve!!

Dear God, I praise you that I am your masterpiece, your workmanship. You are unique and beautifully created me for service in your church. You have given me a heart and passion for your name. Help me to discover my passion and to find my place to faithfully serve You. In Jesus Name, amen.

iServe-Day 2-Spiritual Gifts-the "what" of serving

Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and Romans 12:1-8

Once we have a clear understanding of the "why" of serving-to build up the body of Christ into maturity-it is time to start discovering our God-Given SHAPE.

In review, SHAPE stands for...

S-Spiritual Gifts
H-Heart
A-Ability
P-Personality
E-Experiences

The scriptures tell us in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit comes to live in us the moment we are saved, The role of the Holy Spirit is to lead us and teach us how to be more like Jesus each day. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us Spiritual Gifts-these gifts are part of our unique God-given SHAPE.

Maybe you haven't been serving simply because you are not sure WHAT you could do. Discovering your Spiritual Gifts tells you what you could do to serve in the church.

In the New Testament, there are two main lists of Spiritual Gifts, the first is found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and the other in Romans 12:4-8. Take a few minutes now and read through these passages and think about what gift seems to resonate with your heart. Ask those who know you best which one or two seems to fit best.

Once you discover your gifts, you will know what you could do in serving. Don't forget that we provided a SHAPE survey on Sunday to help you progress through this process. Work through the first part of this today.

Dear Holy Spirit, thank you for teaching and leading me to be more like Jesus. Thank you for giving me Spiritual Gifts that you want me to use to serve your church. Help me discover these gifts and find my place of service. In Jesus Name, Amen

iServe-Day 1-Discover your God-Given SHAPE

Yesterday, we talked about God gave us a unique SHAPE in order to serve His church. This word SHAPE is a simple acronym.

S-SPIRITUAL GIFTS
H-HEART
A-ABILITIES
P-PERSONALITY
E-EXPERIENCES

When we fully discover our SHAPE, then we will know the what, where, and how we are supposed to serve. But what about the why? Why does God want us to serve His church, His kingdom?

The answer can be found in Ephesians 4:9-14. Take a moment now and read it for yourself...

Christ gave us our SHAPE so that the body of Christ "may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

When we discover our SHAPE and commit to serve instead of sit, it helps the whole church body become strong, mature and unified. When our church consists of followers of Jesus who are committed to growing to maturity in Him, then we can no longer be "tossed back and forth by the waves" but rather, we will become the "mature body of Christ" as each one "does its work."

Sounds like a very powerful reason to discover our SHAPE and stat serving the body of Christ!! Commit today to discover your SHAPE and to find your place of service in our fellowship. You will be more fulfilled than you can imagine.

Heavenly Father, help me today to have desire to serve your church. Help me discover the SHAPE you have given me and to find the ministry that fits my SHAPE. In Jesus name, Amen.

iGive-Day 5-Surprise!

Read 2 Peter 3:1-18

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)

In the earliest days of the church, everyone believed that Jesus would be coming back in their generation. Because of this, many followers of Jesus lived each day like it could be their last on earth. As the years passed and Jesus did not return, they had to return to the normal activities of life.

Had they misunderstood Jesus? Did He not promise to return soon? In this passage, Peter is offering encouragement to these believers who were losing heart waiting on Jesus’ second coming.

Today, nearly 2000 years later, we are still waiting expectantly for the return of Jesus. But, unlike the first century believers, we no longer live each day like it could be our last. Honestly, if Jesus returned today, we would most likely be taken completely by surprise. We need to be reminded that we should live passionate lives that honor Christ each and every day.

Dear Jesus, help me seek to live each day with an anticipation of the your Second coming!

iGive-Day 4-The Real Thing

Read Isaiah 43:1-7, 10-12 NIV

The other night I fell asleep on the couch and woke up to the world of infomercials. I was amazed that virtually every channel was showing some type of paid programming. One show promised I could become a millionaire working just 10 hours a week, while another promised I could lose inches from my midsection instantly, while yet another promised that I could get a college degree from home in just weeks. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people were out there falling for these quick-fix scams.

I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from Me there is no savior.  (Isaiah 43:11)

It occurred to me that we also often try to find shortcuts in our spiritual life as well. We hope that while we make other things like making money, furthering our career, or raising our children the central focus of our life, our relationship with God will naturally grow strong and healthy. But there are no shortcuts in developing a deep relationship with the one true God.  In time, we learn that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy our soul like Jesus.

God, today forgive me for not making You the central focus of my life. You are the only real God and you are the only One who brings peace to my heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.

iGive-Day 3-The Power of Words

Read Ephesians 5:15-20

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord… (Ephesians 5:19)

WHEN I WAS a teenager, I was a member of our church’s youth choir. We practiced on Sunday afternoons and would often perform in our church’s Sunday night service. One Sunday night when I was about 15 tears old, I was scheduled to sing my first ever solo. During the service, my nerves got the best of me and I was imagining all of the worst case scenarios in my head: my young voice cracking, forgetting the words, or losing my place in the song.

            Moments before we were scheduled to sing, an older student in our youth ministry leaned over to me and said, “Don’t be nervous. You know this song and I believe in you!” I was so encouraged that I stood and sang at the top of my lungs (probably off key) feeling like I could conquer the world…all because of a few words of encouragement.

            In our world, positive encouraging words are in short supply. From the classroom to the work place and even (at times) at church, hateful negative destructive words wound hearts and break spirits. But, here in this passage, Paul commands the believers at the church at Ephesus to speak spiritually encouraging words to each other and to have a song of love in their hearts. We need to remind each other of this admonishment today and encourage one another in the Lord.

                                                                                                               

 Lord Jesus, today help me to be a source of encouragement to each person I encounter.

iGive-Day 2-Follow the Leader

Read 1 John 1-2

Have you ever seen a mother duck with her ducklings in the spring time? The mother duck waddles along with all of her ducklings following close behind in a single file line. For weeks, they will follow their mother everywhere, learning how to swim, to find food, and to survive. They will undergo extensive training on how to be a real duck.

"Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:6)

In America, millions confess to be a follower of Jesus, but you would never know it by the way they chose to live their lives.  If put on trial for being a Christian, they could never be convicted because there would be no evidence to present on their behalf.

If we claim to be a follower of the Jesus, then our lifestyles should reflect the life that He lived while here on the earth. He is our example of a life fully lived for God. We must study His life in the scriptures, spend time in prayer and devotion, and learn to listen to His voice that we may become more and more like Him each day!

Prayer for today: Ask God to conform you into the image of His son Jesus Christ.

iGive-Day 1-Learning to Trust

Read Proverbs 3:1-6

It is always exciting when one of my sons come to me and tell me they are ready to take the training wheels off of their bicycle. After the training wheels are removed, I explain that he can trust that Dad will be right beside him ready to catch him if he starts to fall. It may take an hour or maybe a few days, but eventually I get the joy of watching my child ride up and down the street with the wind blowing in his hair and a huge smile his face.

In much the same way, God asks us to trust Him with the leadership of our lives. As we become more and more mature in our faith, God desires for us to live passionate lives for Him that bring glory to His name. 

Proverbs 3:5 states…

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Part of the growth in our faith is believing that God can be trusted to lead us on the path that will bring us life, life found in Him. Isn't this the great challenge of our faith...learning to trust God and letting go of our own tight grip on our lives? Yet, it is the only true path to the abundant life God promises.

Dear Jesus, I submit my life to you today trusting that You will lead me to experience life beyond my wildest dreams!

iGrow-Day 5-Have you Asked God?

Read Proverbs 16:1-9

Recently a young man called me for advice. He had been offered a new job which would mean some significant changes for his wife and family. After giving a lengthy description of the entire situation, he was hoping for me to give my blessings on this new chapter in his life. After hearing everything about this new opportunity, I asked him one simple question: “What does God say about this?” The ensuing silence told me that he hadn’t even thought to pray to understand God’s will in the matter.

Proverbs 16:9 states…

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

I explained to the young man that the whole situation sounded good, but I encouraged him to spend several days in fasting and prayer asking God if this was His best plan for his career and his family. I challenged him that it was just like Satan to distract us from what is best for us by offering us something good instead. About a week later, he called back to say that he could not find a peace in prayer about taking the new job and that he had decided to stay where he was until God said otherwise.

As we continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus, let us learn to take every decision to the Lord because He can be trusted to lead us into His will.

What big decision are you facing today? Have you prayed about it? fasted?

Commit today to ask God to guide your every step each day.

iGrow-Day 4-Where Do We Fix Our Eyes?

Read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:18)

In 2003, when I lived in Florida, three major hurricanes passed over our small town in just under 6 weeks. Houses were damaged, trees were down, and the power was out for almost two weeks. The worst part of those weeks was the waiting and watching. As each storm approached, our community would rush to the gas pumps and grocery stores to stock up for the days after the storm. Then we would watch the weather forecast and wait(sometimes for days) for the storm to finally come ashore. As we focused on the coming storms, it was easy to lose perspective and begin to imagine the worst and lose heart.

The same is true in our daily lives. If we chose to focus or “fix our eyes” on our present troubles and problems, we will surely feel a sense of despair and “lose heart”. It is during these times that we need to fix our eyes on Jesus and trust Him to carry us through the storms of our life. This is all part of the growing process...learning to place our trust in Jesus. This is easier said than done, but it is what God wants so badly for us to be willing to do each day.  As we cast our cares on Him, we can be assured that our spirit will be renewed by the love of our eternal Savior. 

Where will you fix your eyes today in the midst of the storms of your life?

Jesus, help me today to fix my eyes on You instead of the momentary troubles of my life. When the storms of this life seem to overwhelm me, renew my heart with Your love and grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

iGrow Day 3-More Than Enough

Read John 6:1-11                                                                                      

Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish. But how far will they go among so many?  John 6:8-9 (NIV)

In this world, it is easy to believe that we have little to offer. Our culture shines the spotlight brightly on those who are beautiful or talented or both. The average person is often relegated to sitting on the sideline dreaming about what might be if only given the chance. Trying out for the baseball team, applying for the big promotion, accepting that position of leadership-all of these and more can seem very daunting if we look at them with worldly eyes. Our world would have us believe we will only be able to succeed when we are more qualified, more physically attractive, more intellectually astute, or more confident. The message is clear-you are not good enough; in order to succeed, you must be “more”.

However, when you think more deeply about Jesus feeding the five thousand, it becomes obvious that God does not think or work in the economy of “more”. He works with what we have and, with God, what we have is enough. The boy had only five loaves and two fish, but Jesus fed the entire crowd and the disciples gathered the leftovers. The disciples could only see the lack; Jesus could see the potential. Today, as we commit to grow in our relationship with Christ, may we find peace in embracing the person God fully created us to be!

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to love the person you created me to be. Help me to accept both my strengths and my weaknesses as gifts from you. Help me to see that with you, my little is more than enough. 

iGrow-Day 2-Can You See?

Read Mark 8:22-25         

                                                                                    

Just one touch. That is all the people wanted. They were either certain or hopeful that is all it would take. They believed that if Jesus simply touched this blind man, he would be healed. So, they…begged. No sense of pride or appropriate behavior, just a burning desire to see a life changed. 

The blind man simply trusted his friends. I wonder if he got his hopes up, or if he had been through this type of thing before only to be disappointed. False hopes, false healers, blind eyes. Yet, this healer was different. He led him gently by the hand out of the crowds, out of the limelight. Then…Jesus touched him and his blindness slowly dissolved before his eyes. He could see.

When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"   Mark 8:23 (NIV)

How amazing would it be for Jesus to take our hand and lead us out to a private place where he could touch our brokenness and heal our pain! To have years of shame and foolishness washed away from our hearts would bring new life to us. We could embrace a new vision for our lives!  The invitation is there each day to experience the healing touch of Jesus, but we are often too busy to take that walk with Him. May we find time each day to bring our burdens to Jesus.  As He heals us, may we hear His voice asking, “Can you see?”

What area of your life do you need Jesus to touch and bring healing?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, come and touch my brokenness and pain. Heal my blindness and help me see all that you have for me today. Amen.

iGrow-Day 1-God's Favor

Read Romans 8:28-31

Romans 8 is considered to be the most important chapter of all of Paul's writing. In one chapter, Paul lays out a theological perspective that has shaped Christian thought for over 2000 years.

This past Sunday, we looked at a verses 28-31, focusing on verse 29. But, don't miss the power of verse 28. Verse 28 states "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose..."

I have often heard this verse quoted but misunderstood. This belief that God will "work it out" no matter how bad of a mess we have made of our lives is unfounded. This verse clearly states that God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose...not everyone no matter how they live.

It is a comforting thought to know that when we choose to count the cost and follow Jesus, God is working on our behalf in all things. It is all part of the growing process...the more we grow in our relationship with Him, the more we live our lives according to His will and purpose for our lives. God favor rests upon our lives when we truly pursue a life that glorifies Him.

Do you love God? Have you surrendered to His purpose for your life? Do you want to grow in your relationship with Him? Where do you need to start today?

Prayer Emphasis: Pray today that God will give you a desire to know Him and the courage to follow Him...no matter  the cost.

Pastor Mark

Welcome to Downtown Devotions!

Today at Downtown Fellowship, we talked about how God desires for us to be made more and more like Jesus everyday. 

Romans 8:29 states it this way, "For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son..." (NLT)

God wants us to grow to become like His son Jesus...it is our eternal destiny!

We learned today we need to develop Spiritual Disciplines or HABITS in order to truly grow in our relationship with Christ. The first of these HABITS that we talked about is HANG TIME with God, our having a daily time of scripture meditation and prayer.

That is where this blog comes into play. Each morning, I will post a short devotion for us to read together with a prayer emphasis for the day. It is my prayer that we will be able to grow together as a body of believers shaped into the image of Jesus.

See you tomorrow!

Pastor Mark