Great Reminders From a Two-Year Old

This morning while I was attempting to get  my daughter dressed, she was so excited because she thought she was going to church. I told her that we went to church last night and she insisted to tell me that we get to go to church today too. I said why are we going to church today and she told me “to take shoeboxes to chicky-fil-a and see my friends.” She then proceeded to tell me that she likes to go to church and play with her friends and she started to roll of this long list of names. After she went through her “roll-call” she then told me that we need to pray for her friends. It was a true blessing for me to hear her pray for her friends!

But the wonderful thing about that experience this morning got me thinking that shouldn’t church be like that for everybody? As a Christ-follower, shouldn’t we be excited to attend church services so that we can worship, pray, fellowship and celebrate with our brothers and sisters in Christ? If we look at the early church they were eager to come together to pray, serve and fellowship with one another. Too many times it seems Christians attend church out of complacency or because it’s “what I’ve always done.” I pray that we never become Christ-followers who attend church services out of complacency or because it’s something you have always done. My hope and prayer would be that all Christ-followers will have a desire to attend church to bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ first and foremost! Also, so that they will help encourage and build up other Christ-followers and join with them in prayer and celebration.

Afterall, want we all be standing together in unity shouting day and night, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Funny how a two-year can be such a helpful reminder of what the church is really supposed to be about!

Thankful For My Seniors!

 I have noticed over the last few days that people on Facebook are posting things that they are thankful for everyday. I typically try to refrain from following the crowd with things like this, however, I do want to share over the next several days some of the things that I am thankful for in ministry. I am thankful for my wife, daughter and family, in fact I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them in my life! I am also thankful for what Jesus has done for me and all other Christ-followers by submitting Himself to the Father, dying on the cross and raising again on the third day, so that we may have life anew!

So today, I am thankful for the two seniors (Sierra Jackson & Abbey Parlier) in our Student Ministry who will graduate this coming May. I am thankful to God for ALL of the students in our ministry and church, but Seniors get the first recognition since they’ve been around the longest 🙂 When I think about Abbey and Sierra, I am reminded of what Paul says in Philippians 1:3-6, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

When I first came to the church these 2 young ladies were just mere little, goofy, crazy sixth graders and they have grown into two beautiful God-fearing, crazy and goofy young women. It has been an amazing journey watching them grow spiritually and physically. I am extremely proud of the young women they have become and how they strive to place God at the center of their lives everyday. It has been an amazing journey over the last six years and I cannot wait to see how God is going to continue working in and through your lives. I am thankful for the legacy that the two of you will be leaving on your youth group and for the role model that you are and have been to our other girls. May the both of you continue to live your life for God and His glory in all that you do. (Yes, even in dance and clogging you still bring Glory and Honor to God ;_)).

Always know that Jana and I love you more than our words can ever say!

Living A Life Worth Emulating

We Should Live Our Lives In A Way That We Want Our Children To Emulate.

Back when I was in college, I had a friend, mentor and pastor that made me memorize the following quote. He would say this quote every week in our meeting, “Discipling others is the process by which a Christian with a life worth emulating, commits himself for an extended period of time to a few individuals who have been won to Christ, the purpose to aid and guide their growth to spiritual maturity reproducing themselves in third spiritual generation.” The one word that has always stood out to me in that quote is the word “emulate”. The definition of “emulate” is “tostrive to equal or excel in qualities or actions. To imitate.” That definition has a lot of weight to it. Here’s what I mean, when I was in college I didn’t think about what it means for someone to emulate or imitate me, but now that I am a parent and a pastor, I see how important it is to live my life being an example of Jesus Christ. In fact, in the 

book of Ephesians Paul tells writes, “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ
loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

 

That passage has come to mean more to me in the last few months as a pastor and a parent. I am starting to see how my little girl tries to do everything that my wife and I do. She is constantly trying to repeat some of the things we say (which is sometimes precious and sometimes embarrassing). But the most important thing that I hope to teach her is that my life and actions model the example of Jesus Christ! After all, God has placed her in our care, so it is our responsibility and right as parents to raise her in the ways of the Lord. But that passage also means a lot to me as a pastor too. I hope and pray that my life is being an example to the believers in my church and in my life. As a Christ-follower, our churches need to see us live out the Gospel, not just talk about it. The Apostle Paul also says “to set an example” in how we speak, behave, think, live, love, and everything! He even writes in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” People are looking at and following my example (for better or worse), so I should strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ!

 

So, who are you setting the example of Jesus Christ for in your life? You might be surprised who is watching how you live your life. I am nowhere near perfect, my family, friends and church will tell you that. But I do want to strive everyday to live my life in a manner of representing Jesus Christ. So, everyday I need to strive to spend time in prayer, meditating on what God’s Word is saying to me. I need to make sure that I’m studying His Word more than the latest sports column. I need to strive to be faithful in my marriage and family. These are just examples of how I want to strive to live my life on a daily basis, but I can’t think of anything more important than modeling these things to the people who are watching us everyday. This is the example that I want other Christ-folowers and non Christ-followers to see in my life everyday!

 

As a Christ-follower, are you imitating Him today for those in your life and around you  to see?