Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (9.16.16)

Hey Church!

I hope you've had a 'complaint free' week!  We're challenging ourselves this week to not complain with our "No Complaining" bracelets that are part of our message series.  This week, we'll take it even a step further.  I believe what comes out of our mouths matters.  It reflects our heart, impacts our heart, and influences others.  Be there this Sunday as we continue "No Complaining."

Also, don't forget:

• We're sponsoring the Winder-Barrow vs. Loganville game tonight.  Help us give away candy and meet the community!  E-mail me if you're interested and haven't signed up.
• Family Promise begins on Sunday.  We still have a few overnight slots, some weekend help and a few other openings to serve.  Contact Jim Ramsdail at jramsdail@yahoo.com if you're interested.

Thought for the Week
"I will give them and those around my hill a blessing by sending the rain in its season. They will be rains of blessing.  The trees in the field will bear fruit, and the earth will yield its harvest."  Ezekiel 5:26-27

It seemed to happen so fast.  It's still pretty warm during the day.  Many days it still feels like summer, but summer is drawing to a close.  Even though it only feels like Autumn early in the morning and late at night, it's happening even when we don't notice it.  And what was really taking months seemed to happen so fast.  I've noticed a leaves starting to fall.  I drove into the neighborhood and everyone's grass wasn't as green.  Something is changing behind the scenes and we don't even notice it.  There is a mystical element to the change in seasons.  From the leaf that falls while the days still hit 90 degrees to the flower the sprouts through the snow, there is evidence that there is much happening that we don't see.  In our lives, we often miss the mystical changes taking place behind the scenes as God prepares us for a new season.  Perhaps a season of rain is coming, a season of growth, a season of letting go, pruning or lying dormant or a season of harvest.  The truth is we move so fast through life that we often miss the signs.  And we weren't ready to deal with the growth, the harvest or the leaves in our yard.  Things are never the same in our lives.  Things are always changing because God is always doing something and preparing us for something new, a new season.  The change of seasons in creation is necessary for new growth.  The same is true for us.  I don't know what that new 'thing' is for you, but I know that we can miss it if we don't look out closely for the signs.  But you have to be still to see it.  You have to observe.  You have to take some time with God and notice what is slowly changing and ask Him what He wants to do in the next season.

In Christ,

Carter 

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (7.21.16)

I hope you've had a great week.  Can yo believe summer is almost gone?  It's flying by.  We're also nearing the end of our July series "Family Movie Night," as we've got TWO more Sundays left.  This week, we'll be watching a little Inside/Out and talking about what real joy is all about.  There's going to be some great music and fun at all our experiences, so I hope to see you there!

Also, continue lifting up our One Way Student Ministry this week as they finish up community mission work and head to Panama City Beach on Friday.

Thought for the Week
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. " 1 Thessalonians 5:6

Do you know that feeling after you sleep for a really long time and you get up and it takes a while for everything to start functioning right?  Like you can't hardly make a fist at first.  Or, have you ever been woken up from a deep sleep, only to be completely and totally disoriented?  I think that's us Christians sometimes.  I think we put just put our faith to sleep.  We don't exercise it, practice it, keep it alert and ready.  Then, when we need it, we are disoriented and week.  We are not ready.  I believe this is born out of the false idea that faith in Jesus is ALL ABOUT saying a one time prayer, that it is an one time event.  Jesus never ever said, "Say a prayer and you'll be saved."  He said, "Follow me."  Actually, he said, "Deny yourself.  Pick up your cross.  And follow me."  In other words, put this faith to work.  If you shelve your faith, you won't be alert, ready and sober for what life throws your way.  You'll stagger around and be defeated by sin and temptation (again).  That's just what the enemy wants from you.  It's also really easy for us to 'wake up' our faith on Sundays or when we're around Christian friends and let is sleep other days of the week.  It's a dangerous practice.  You never know when you're going to need your faith to be alert and ready.  What are you doing to practice your faith, make it stronger, and empower it?  What are doing to keep it alert?  If you don't, it might just go to sleep.  The danger?  Sometimes we don't even know we dozed off.  Wake your faith up and practice it.

In Christ,

Carter McInnis
Lead Pastor 

Beyond Understanding

Let's face it, we like order in life.  We like to have everything under control.  We like to calculate and plan and prepare and set our calendars.  And we want to know just what God is doing.  Recently, I was reading the story of Samson's birth.  Samson was a judge over Israel, and his birth is one of many miraculous birth stories in the Bible.

His parents are encountered by an angel who declares to them Samson's pending birth and gives this special instructions about how to nurture and raise him to be the leader God has created him to be.  They invite the angel to stay for dinner and Samson's father asks the angel his name.  This is his reply:

He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding." (Judges 13:18)

It's a profound notion.  You can't even understand my name.  You couldn't dream of understanding everything else going on in the heavenly realms.  When you meet a person with a unique name, it might take you a few minutes to pronounce it right. You might ask them what it means in their family or in their language, and they tell you.  It all makes sense then.  You understand they are from a unique family or culture, but you eventually get it.  This angel was from a culture, a realm, a world, a place, an existence that you and I can't understand.

I want to understand all that God is doing in my life and in the world.  I don't.  I can't.  My knowledge and scope is soooooooooo limited.  That leaves me with lingering questions:  Am I going to trust and follow even if I don't fully understand where I am going?  Am I going to 'lean into' Jesus even if I can't fully see where, exactly, I'm leaning?  Am I'm I going to take my next faithful step even if I'm not sure what the step after that looks like?

I am convinced this is the course for people of faith and a critical step in becoming a disciple.  We so deeply want it all to make sense and have the next 5-10-20 years planned out.

We can't.

Because we don't know where this is going.

And even if He told us, it is beyond our understanding.

For we see dimly what will one day be clear.

But it's not for now.

So will you just go?  Will you stop planning and just take the next faithful step?  That's my task.  I don't understand it all, Lord, but I'm willing to walk with you.  Because though it doesn't always make sense, I trust YOU more than the best-laid plans of mice and men, namely me.  Could that be your prayer today?

Positive Thoughts & Good Vibes

I'm seeing it more and more.  "Granddaddy has surgery, so please send your prayers, positive thoughts and good vibes his way."  "I've got a big job interview today, so prayers and positive thoughts are much appreciated."  "My daughter is taking a huge exam this afternoon, so any good vibes and prayers for her are welcome."

What does that even mean?  Do people really think positive thoughts and good vibes make a difference?  Do people think that I can somehow affect the cosmos across time and space if I just believe they'll do good on their exam and send my positive thoughts their way?  I know we're really trying to include all our diverse friends when we make those comments, but I'm not sure it's helpful.

I recently heard a quote from Perry Noble that I liked.  It went something like this:  "In a crisis, you find out if you're an atheist or a Christian."  When people send out such request, it is because they are facing a crisis moment.  There is a big test, doctor's appointment or family crisis -- and they realize they need all the help they can get.  But Christians believe there is only one thing that can help.  We believe that we serve the God of all creation who was, is, and is to come.  And we believe that He moves and works in history.  And we believe that prayer works because He turns His ear to the prayers of His children.

There was a powerful movie out several years ago called Bless the Child.  It was kind of a modern day savior story.  Satan was actually a popular motivational speaker who's motto was that we had the power within us.  All you had to do was believe in yourself.  You know...positive thoughts.  Good vibes.  You see, this is the opposite of the Gospel message.  The Gospel of Jesus is that we are a broken mess, and our positive thoughts can't fix anything.  They only hide the brokenness within.  We don't need more of us.  We need more of God.

The first commandment God gave to Moses was that we should not have any other gods before (or besides) Him.  It was that 'besides' God that was the problem for Israelites.  Pray to God but sacrifice to the agricultural deity just in case.  Pray to God but make and offering to the fertility goddess just in case.  Pray to God but get some good vibes coming your way, too.  What can it hurt?

If you are a Christ Follower -- stop it.  Call on your friends to pray and pray like they've never prayed before.  But calling on people to send positive thoughts sends a wrong message -- because we don't believe those positive thoughts make a lick of impact.  In fact, we are sending a message that there are other alternatives to the work of God in our lives.  It's as if we're saying, "God might be an answer for you, but you might just need a good self help book and some positive thoughts."  If I am in a crisis, I don't want your good vibes.  I want you to pray to the King of Kings to act on my behalf and do what you nor I can do.  To move in ways we don't understand and can't comprehend.  Isn't that what we all want?

If you are not a Christ Follower -  I'm so appreciative of you reading.  I understand that you have a much more pluralistic understanding of the universe than I do.  I'm grateful we can share ideas across understandings.  I'll bet you've had one of those crisis or perhaps there will be one in the years ahead.  Do you think that positive thoughts will help?  Maybe you do.  That's cool.  I'm not convinced.  Or, are you hoping that maybe there is Something...Someone...out there that will move on your behalf in some kind of supernatural way.  I believe there is.  And I believe that Someone loves you.  And I'd love to pray for you for that Someone to move in your life situation or crisis.  I promise you don't want my good vibes or positive thoughts.  I'm a mess.  I don't know what I'm doing or what's best for you.  That Someone does.  He wouldn't even mind if you prayed to Him.  Why not give it a try the next time you need a little help?