Discovery Church: Discovering Authentic Faith

Grace Works!

2010-07-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

Taken from a post at www.mattgrube.com.

The paradox that exists between grace and works is one that confuses most people. We try so hard to "please" God, yet often forget that He is pleased with us because of his Son Jesus' work on the Cross. However, if we look at how grace actually works in our lives, it seems to be easier to grasp. So, here are four ways that grace works:

1. Grace humbly recognizes the need for Jesus - At the foundation of grace is the need to recognize faith in another (Jesus) and not yourself. This takes humility! The person that continues to think they can please God will most often be self-righteous (literally), arrogant and prideful. Don't be that person! Grace puts faith in Jesus, Works places faith in self.

2. Grace Inspires Effort - To paraphase Dallas Willard, "Grace is opposed to earning, not effort." When we truly encounter God's grace as His free gift, we cannot help but be changed (See an awesome demonstration of this power of grace HERE). Granted, we will not be perfect in ourselves, but with His power we will continue to be transformed through His grace.

3. Grace Brings Freedom - Many of our relationships in life are contractual. If I sign a new cell phone contract, I agree to pay "$X" amount per month in exchange for cell phone coverage. Although that works great with cell phones, employment and credit cards, it works horribly with deep relationships, most importantly God. We don't obey God so that He will love us, He loves us therefore we obey. Living life earning God's love through obedience is a great example of bondage, but obeying God in response to His love is freedom!

4. Grace Heals the Wounded - Brennan Manning goes into detail about this in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel (It comes highly recommended!). Too often when we throw others or ourselves into a works mentality, we wound those that are meant to be the healers. We wound the church! However, when we live, preach and teach that our works are the result of a grace experience even the most downtrodden person can be completely transformed. It is possible through the grace of Jesus that our lives and churches can be known for healing the wounded and not wounding the healers.

Where would you rather live, under "works" or under "grace?" Grace recognizes faith in Jesus, inspires effort, brings freedom and heals the wounded. Works instills faith in self, requires earning, brings bondage and wounds the healers. You decide?

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Ephesians 2: 8-10, "⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Gratefully Sorrowful

2010-06-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

About four years ago a great friend of mine passed away of cancer in his late 20's. I went to visit his Myspace page to see what people had written about him and found something I wrote for a blog years ago. It was his last re-post before he died. Given the ways I know many people are struggling right now, I thought this we be relevant for many people. Enjoy!

-Matt

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Gratefully Sorrowful

"To be grateful for an unanswered prayer, to give thanks in a state of interior desolation, to trust in the love of God in the face of marvels, cruel circumstances, obscenities, and commonplaces of life is to whisper a doxology in the darkness." -Brennan Manning, Gratefully Sorrowful A couple of weeks ago at church we had just finished praying and then we began going through the order for our worship time. This particular Sunday was New Years Day 2006, and I proclaimed to a whole group of my Discovery Church brothers and sisters, "I am so glad that 2005 has gone, it was the year from hell." Feeling a slight tingle in my spirit, I smiled and ignored the sinking feeling that accompanied the comment I had just made.

This week as I have been reading this book Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning, the Holy Spirit brought that scene to the forefront of my mind and helped me realize how ungrateful I am. Was 2003 a good year? Yes, it was. I got married to a wonderful woman who loves me and supports me. Was 2004 a good year? Yeah, sure. My sister got married to a great guy and I became the uncle to an adorable child named Axel. 2002? Amazing...I did Youth-With-A- Mission for 6 months, which became arguably the most God-filled, anointed, and life changing experience of my whole life.

Then came 2005...My mentor and pastor of three and a half years leaves, which leads to seven months of pastoral search teams, discord, grumbling, and arguing. This is followed by the stillborn birth of our son, Enoch, and as we buried him on August 19th 2005, my wife's grandfather passes away in Ottawa, ON. Shortly thereafter, my grandmother has a massive heart attack 2 1/2 weeks before Christmas and undergoes open-heart surgery within the week. Then Christmas ends with a house full of guests all becoming grossly sick with the stomach flu (including myself, which if you ask anyone close to me you will learn I would rather undergo brain surgery, a Richard Simmons workout, or a Kenny G concert than vomit for eight hours). To top the whole thing off, sales dried up in the month of November, leaving me to pay December's mortgage through the sale of our car, and then January's mortgage by borrowing from every young person's favorite bank (mom and dad-thanks!).

In Job 1: 10 it says, "If we take happiness from God's hand, must we not take sorrow too?" Notice the words "take" in the previous sentence, a verb of action indicating a reaching out and receiving. All of us desire to receive a blessing from God, something delightful or pleasurable. One would not hesitate to take a gift from the Lord's lap no more than one would hesitate to pick up a $100 bill blowing in the breeze across the sidewalk. But what about sorrow??? The littlest inconvenience occurs and we are asking God, why me? In the midst of such asking, we conveniently forget our heart is beating, our lungs are breathing, and the food we are eating. We ignore the taste of coffee, the smell of pie, or the beauty of nature. Americans, I believe, are the only people alive that expect no suffering. When tragedy hits close, we fall to our knees, cry in disbelief, and easily forget that no one in the history of the world has ever been so full and well provided for as we! If we are going to be true disciples of Jesus, we Americans need to learn to take suffering from our Lord's hand as gratefully as we take happiness. As Paul says, "Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope..."

As I made that comment on New Years Day, I was convicted because I was trying to forget the suffering God had given to me in 2005, and was attempting to gaze toward a happier 2006. God's desire was to stretch my perseverance, my character, and my hope; but happiness was all I would remain thankful for. Why? Because being thankful in happy times is easy. Both Saints and Sinners alike can join in that. But being thankful in times of sorrow is reserved for Saints, because being grateful in sorrow is the ultimate trust in God that He is producing a good work in the life of His beloved. To close with a quote by Henri Nouwen, "As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for."

Choice or Chosen???

2010-06-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Walk This Way: Six Life-Transforming Encounters With Jesus

2010-03-29T06:23:00.001-07:00

Starting Easter Sunday (April 4th, 2010) for six weeks we are going to study six life-transforming encounters people had with Jesus. It is possible for all of us to "Walk This Way" and be completely transformed by Jesus. Join us at Discovery Church over the next six weeks and encounter Jesus.

Pastor Mark on Surrendering to Jesus Christ

2010-03-24T14:25:00.001-07:00

From: Sunday March 21st, 2010. Taken from our series at Discovery Church called "Jesus' Commencement Address" going through John 14-17. Pastor Mark takes time to discuss how we must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. (John 17:9-19).

Pastor Matt on living a life solely for God's glory

2010-03-15T06:18:00.001-07:00

From: Sunday March 14th, 2010. Taken from our series at Discovery Church called "Jesus' Commencement Address" going through John 14-17. Pastor Matt closes his sermon talking about how it looks to live a life completely for the glory of God (John 17:1-9).

Pastor Matt and the Futility of the Temporal

2010-01-28T11:12:00.001-08:00

From: Sunday January 24th, 2010. Taken from our series at Discovery Church called "Jesus' Commencement Address" going through John 14-17. Pastor Matt spends time on the futility of earthly successes. However, to a Christian true success is knowing God and the way to that success is Jesus Christ (John 4:14-4-14).

Pastor Matt talks about Jesus' Commencement Address

2010-01-18T08:10:00.001-08:00

On Sunday January 17th, 2010 we started a new message series at Discovery Church called "Jesus' Commencement Address" going through John 14-17. Pastor Matt takes some time to explain that this section of scripture is similar to a commencement address. Just as graduates are often uncertain about their life ahead, so the disciples and all future Christians face uncertainty. In John 14-17, Jesus is giving wisdom, inspiration and encouragement for the Church then and through eternity.

Pastor Matt Plugs DC Mission and the Alpha Course

2010-01-04T13:36:00.001-08:00

We are really excited about 2010 at Discovery Church. Over this year we have several goals and one of them is to create vibrant, small group communities (called ENGAGE groups) that help transform our lives by CONNECTING to Jesus and IMPACTING the world. Many of us have been hearing about the Alpha Course (www.alphausa.org) we are beginning this Winter on January 25th. We see this as being the catalyst for more ENGAGE groups throughout this year and next. Take a few minutes to watch Pastor Matt explain how the Alpha Course fits into the mission of Discovery Church.

Alpha Questioning Woman

2009-12-24T13:58:00.001-08:00

We are really excited to say that DC is beginning the Alpha course (www.alphausa.org) in January of 2010. Check out the video, their website and read the short description below.

The Alpha course is a 10-week course that allows you to explore the meaning of life. What happens when we die? How do we deal with guilt? If God is loving, why is there so much suffering? What’s the relevance of Jesus? These are tough questions that we discuss as we dialogue together in groups of 10-12. No question is wrong to ask and all people, no matter where you are in your faith with Christ, will take something away from this course. Discovery Church partners with Calvary Church in St. Peters for the Alpha course. If you are interested in joining a DC table for Alpha, pick up a registration form at the CONNECTION counter. Our Winter Alpha course begins January 25th. Come and Invite your friends!

D.C. Baptism Service Video (Nov. 22, 2009)!

2009-11-24T10:11:00.001-08:00

Discovery Church had the privilege of baptizing six people this past Sunday. Baptism is such an awesome experience and we try to demonstrate that during our baptism services at Discovery Church. We were thrilled to be a part of each of these unique individuals experience as they publicly proclaim Christ's transformation in their life.

The Wisdom of Sex (Prov. 5:15-19)

2009-11-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

SEX.... There we said it. SEX, SEX, SEX. This taboo subject has been one we, as the church, have often avoided, or if talked about, we have approached it negatively. In other words, we discuss everything we are against, and little regarding what we are for. Yes, when it comes to sex there are some things that God is against...but there are also some things God is for. At the forefront of God's design is a passionate, intoxicating, healthy sex life between husband and wife - and we should, according to Proverbs, take full advantage of it!

But what happens when something stands in the way of a healthy sex life? Maybe the experience of past abuse, rape or adultery makes it hard for you to trust anyone anymore. Or, maybe you are single and struggle intensely with desires that go unfulfilled. Even more, maybe you are married and are frustrated by an under-sexed or over-sexed marriage. How do you navigate these tough issues and live more of what God intended? Listen to our webcast called "The Wisdom of Sex" for answers and insight into this challenging, yet great gift from God.

Proverbs: The Adulterer (Prov. 5:1-14)

2009-11-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" Proverbs 4:23. We learned a few weeks back that the way to protect your heart is to watch your mouth, watch your eyes, use discretion and avoid distractions. This week we saw that the adulteress in most situations does the opposite. She uses her mouth for flattery (Prov. 5:3; 30:20), she has no discretion (Prov. 5:6; 7:11-12) and she is the ultimate distraction (Prov. 5:8) and we must be careful of two things: becoming her or loitering around her.

For most Christians the problem is that we often think that cheating is below us (until, of course, it is too late). King Solomon (who wrote the book of Proverbs) is described as having 1000 sexual partners, who ultimately led him away from God (1 Kings 11:3-4). The point is that the guy who wrote such staunch warnings about the adulteress in the end was captivated by her 999 times over! If the guy who wrote the book can fail, then any of us, man or woman, can become the adulterer. The following are a few next steps to guard our lives from this possibility.

First, if you are married and your relationship is on the rocks, resist the temptation to hide and continue on as if nothing is wrong. Often poor marriages result in less intimacy increasing the chances that one, or both, spouses will stray. Get help! Many marriages have survived disaster trusting in the power of Christ.

Second, if you are a woman it is really important to engage other mature women who are in Christ. Check out "Nite Out" every other Tuesday from 7:15 - 8:45 pm in The Living Room located in the DC office. The next "Nite Out" is Tuesday, November 17th. If you have any questions, feel free to email the office at connect@dconline.org or call us at 636.294.5182.

Third, for men, whether single or married, you must become a Job 31 man if you want your wife (current or future, depending on your situation) to be a Proverbs 31 woman. In Job 31: 1 Job states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." However, you cannot be a Job 31 man on your own strength. You can't do it! Literally. You must call on Christ, admit you can't do it and allow His power to control your eyes and thoughts. "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

Proverbs: The Heart (Prov. 4:20-27)

2009-11-03T07:31:00.001-08:00

The heart is the center of a human being both physically and spiritually and in the midst of our passage that we studied this past week we see this verse, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Now, as Solomon writes this to his son, he is not talking about his physical heart; but rather, his spiritual heart, the heart of flesh that God gives to those who trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ. As God states in Scripture, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26; NIV). If you are a Christian, Solomon is exhorting you to protect this heart of flesh. But how do you protect it?

First, you must recognize this heart of flesh is given freely by God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not something for which you work, strive and break your back. It is easy to sum up this way: Jesus gives me a new heart and in response I obey Him (by guarding it, protecting it, worshiping Him, etc.). I don't obey Him so that He will give me a new heart. Always remember Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

So, once we recognize our new heart is freely given through faith in Jesus Christ, our response should be to protect it. Proverbs tells us to protect it in the following ways: watch your mouth, protect your eyes, discern your steps and stay centered on God (Prov. 4:24-27). Therefore, it is imperative of all Christians to look at their lives and ask, "is there anyway I am leaving my heart unprotected or unkept through what I talk about, what I gaze at, my discernment or my distractions. Do I find it easy to gossip about others? Am I hypercritical of certain people and quite vocal about it? Am I gazing at what I don't have (sexually, financially, achievements) rather than what I do have (the heart of Christ)? Am I making good life decisions that are honoring to God? Am I easily distracted (ie. unbridled web-surfing, excessive working, hobbies, Facebooking, TV watching, etc.)? All of these are sure to damage this new heart that Christ exhorts us to treasure "above all things."

Here are some great verses/ideas to meditate on and help center your new heart in Christ alone.

Read one chapter of Proverbs per day. Proverbs has 31 chapters and the average month has 31 days. So, daily read the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month. So, today is November 3rd and I just finished reading Proverbs 3. Tomorrow is November 4th and I will read Proverbs 4 and so on.
Meditate on Proverbs 3:7-8, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones" (Remain centered on God).
Meditate on Proverbs 16:28, "A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends" (Watch your mouth).
Meditate on Proverbs 27:20, "Death and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man" (Protect your eyes).
Meditate on Proverbs 3:21, "My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck" (Discernment & distractions).

Next Steps for "Fleeing Evil Associations"

2009-09-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Are you "doing business" with evil? Are you letting evil habits, hurts, thought-patterns or relationships ruin your life? Whether you are in the midst of an affair or you are a compulsive gossip, you are doing business with evil. Whether you are abusive in a relationship or addicted to approval, drugs or success, you are doing business with evil. All of us make business deals like these, no matter how large or how small, in one way or another. However, in Proverbs 1:7-19 we learned this week that Solomon teaches his son of three things to look for in order to recognize business deals with evil.

1.) Evil Entices - Business deals with evil begins with us being enticed by what we SEE (Prov. 1:10).

2.) Evil Flatters - Business deals with evil then flatter us by letting us HEAR words of agreement by another person (Prov. 1:11).

3.) Evil Wants a Partnership - Evil says, "...throw in your lot with us, and we will share in a common purse..."(Prov. 1:14).

So, how do we take Solomon's advice and flee evil? What are the "next steps" to avoid these associations? First, rather than being enticed by evil, ask God to open your eyes to SEE His wisdom which orders the universe (Jeremiah 10:12). Second, open your mouth and let another mature Christian HEAR your struggles with evil. Confession of sin humbly acknowledges your need for a Savior and reduces the power of sinful patterns in your life. Third, if you haven't all ready, do business with God by partnering with Jesus. Jesus will not destroy you as evil has been doing; but rather, he destroyed himself so that we can be transformed.

Two Next Steps for "Letting Proverbs Read You."

2009-09-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

This week was an exciting week as we began our series on the book of Proverbs called "Wisdom for Fools." In introducing Proverbs we learned about the importance of allowing wisdom into your life deeply. You must ask yourself, "Am I just reading Proverbs or am I letting Proverbs read me?" However, it is integral that we approach life, God, Proverbs and almost any situation with a teachable spirit if we are to learn God's wisdom. Without a teachable spirit it is impossible to learn anything. We do well to learn from Solomon the author of Proverbs who said to God in 1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)

⁷ "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ⁹ So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Solomon's teachable spirit early in his life allowed God's wisdom to take root in his life and become the wisest leader of his day. Solomon did not just read about wisdom; in fact, he was so teachable he allowed wisdom to read his life (at least early on). If you want to let the Godly wisdom of Proverbs read you and take root in your life here are two "next steps" to help that happen:

1.) "Choose wisely and ask God to open your eyes to his wisdom." Take a lesson from Solomon as he went to God, the author of wisdom, and asked for wisdom. He did not ask for wealth, women, fast chariots or detriment to his enemies...he asked for wisdom. The secret is to ask God who gives wisdom liberally to those who want it. Only wisdom can help you manage life and steward it well. If you want it, ask...you will not be disappointed.

2.) "Practice teachable moments." Children are so teachable. Granted, they don't always listen to their parents, but when the touch the hot stove, what's the first thing they do? They run to their parents in tears to seek comfort in their pain. They know they are deeply dependent on their parents for their welfare and survival. Who do you run to when life hurts? Who do you listen to when life hurts? Do you retreat into yourself? Do you ignore the advice of others? If you continue to harden your heart and not be teachable, both toward God and others, you won't have the humility to recognize God's wisdom. If you want to win in life, practice being teachable. Admit you don't have it all together, because it's obvious to God (and often is to others as well), so there is freedom in making it obvious to yourself.

Apps for "What's so good about God?"

2009-08-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Psalm 52

We live in a world where the word, "good," has lost it's meaning, especially when it pertains to God. Our society commonly trades and changes the meanings of words and has not limits in behaviour, conduct, and in belief systems. People from every generation struggle to find meaning to life amid this supposedly "boundary-less" existence. Some generations have replaced the hope of Christ with tradition. Others have settled for complacency over Christ, and many of our young people are desperately searching for a spiritual grounding in any "god" they find. Regardless, all of them (you and me included) are searching for God and often missing Him and His goodness completely.

This question, "what's so good about God" needs an answer. Can we answer the question without knowing who God is? Can we live life without the fulfillment that comes with the answer? How can we know the answer without looking to scripture, without quiet meditation, without exploring His name? When we search the bible we find God has many names; these names describe His character, His purpose, His desire for relationship. God is called the creator God, the loving God, the forgiving God, the wrathful God, and the all knowing-seeing-present God; just to name a few. There are hundreds of names and descriptions that explain His personality and attributes throughout the bible.

If we were to do a study together we would find that God is not good based on our own feeling, actions, or idea's about Him. We can't even define the word good without first understanding God's name! God is "good" basically in and of Himself. That kind of description flies in the face of our understanding. We find it hard to believe that God being good is not based on our own life situations nor our limited understanding of Him. We try to base our understanding of God based on what the world looks like and what happens to us, and others. We say to ourselves, how can God be good? We say there is much misery, poverty, famine, challenges, and we see evil at every turn. God is then good only if our definition of good happens in our lives or in the lives of others. We fail to take in the account of Sin and it's devastating effect. We fail to realize that God's goodness is not based on how I believe the world should be but purely based on His own words concerning Himself, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit.

This weeks life app is; take the time to look up some of His names. Take the time to be aware of the the beauty found in His creation. Take the time to be thankful for the good things in our own life. Take the time to understand His goodness on His terms. Take the time to be thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made for you. Take the time to ask for the Holy Spirits insight of God. Take the time to speak to the God that is Good. Take the time.

Apps for "A Life Revolution"

2009-08-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7:24-29

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is both radically "exclusive" and radically "inclusive." At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount we studied the Beatitudes and how the Kingdom of God is open to all (ie. Matthew 5:3 - "Blessed are the poor in Spirit..."). However, towards the end we encounter a very exclusive teaching of Jesus through the "Tale of Two Builders." One builder puts into practice what Jesus teaches and he builds on the rock. The other builder does not put into practice Jesus' words and he builds on the sand. This brings up an interesting point. We can read Jesus' words. We can listen to good sermons about Him. We can even say we believe in Him. But do we put what he says "into practice?" Therein shows whether we are truly followers of Jesus or merely fans of Him. Do I agree with what He says about anger, murder, illicit sex, adultery, divorce, verbal manipulation, people pleasing, worrying, wealth worshipping, etc.? Do I agree with God or not? Am I going to build my house on the rock or build my house on the sand? This is exclusive.... either I put his teaching into practice or I don't. Our life apps for this week are meant to help us move from being a fan to a follower of Jesus:

1. Take time in developing your spiritual life: We live in a microwave generation. For example, most of us think everything should be done in 2 minutes, our order should arrive in less than 30 seconds and our website should load in less than one second. Am I wrong? The builder that built on sand is quite similar. He or she does not take the time to dig down and build on the rock. Rather, they just wanted to start building and get it done as quickly as possible only to find that sand doesn't hold their house very well. The road of true development in Christ takes time, patience and persistence. It is not a "get rich quick" scheme or a race measured in nano-seconds; rather, it is a life transformation measured over a long period of time spent with Jesus. It means taking the time to learn from Him and put it into practice. Expecting a quick Jesus-fix is no different than listening to the Beatles and expecting to be a good musician. Being with Jesus, and being transformed by Him, comes through much time with Him.

2. Choose Life! - Do you agree with God? "Yes" or "no," it's a simple question. Yet, most of us constantly try to fix ourselves because we have some level of discontent in our lives. Seriously, if we were content, Oprah and Dr. Phil would not be so rich and powerful. Most "self-help" books, seminars and even the best Oprah shows preach that we can be better, think positively and overcome all our obstacles. However, when will we realize that our best thinking has gotten us right where we are? We have wanted to live our own way with regards to anger, murder, illicit sex, lust, manipulation, and people pleasing. And how has that turned out? Maybe its time we agree with Jesus, trust Jesus and put his teaching into practice. Seriously, anyone who does this is wise and their house will not fall in the rough weather of life because they have chosen life.

Saturday Jubilee

2009-08-03T22:12:00.001-07:00

Apps for "A Love Revolution"

2009-07-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:13-23

July 26, 2009

Have you ever heard the quote, "This church would be great if it wasn't for the people!" It is often so easy to disregard people because relationships are hard, messy and disappointing. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Paul makes it clear that the greatest thing we possess is love, and without love we become annoying, we are nothing and we gain nothing. Real discipleship is obedience to loving as Jesus loved and we often find out that it is a narrow gate and many do not wish to participate. The fruit that a disciple of Jesus should always cultivate is love. Here are this week's apps to help cultivate Christ's love in your life.

App #1: "Exercise the fruit of love more than your personal gifts." Often we may wrongly think someone's fruit is their gifting. In other words, one may be a great preacher and when we read "you will know them by their fruit," we think, "preaching," is their fruit. But my own personal experience shows me that preaching as Jesus did is much easier than loving as Jesus did. Preaching may be my gift, but Christ-like love is my fruit. Exercising our gifts rarely makes our love grow, but exercising our Christian love always allows our gifts to grow.

App #2: "Practice loving people authentically. They will notice!" Anything can be turned into legalism... including love! No one really wants to feel like a charity case. People want to be loved because of who they are, not so you feel better about yourself.

App #3: "Bless three people this week and make sure that one does NOT deserve it!" Now, I understand that biblically none of us "deserve" it, but I think most of you know what I mean. Try tipping a crabby waiter really well or giving a sincere compliment to negative co-worker and see what happens... A blessing can go along what to change someone's day (not to mention their life).

"Apps" for Judgment, Correction & Jesus

2009-07-21T06:33:00.000-07:00

In the spiritual life, "there's an app" for everything to aid us in beginning to observe the transformation of Jesus in our lives. During the sermon last week called "Judgment, Correction & Jesus" covering Matthew 7:1-12 we learned three life application steps in our section called "There's an app for that." We saw that our desire is to move from giving a spirit of condemnation to living in a spirit of grace. For those that missed, you can listen to the sermon back on our website. Here are the apps:

App #1 - Admit you are powerless to change others and yourself. How much time do we waste worrying about changing those closest to us? We think, and often say, "If they would just do -blank-," or "if only they would listen to me!" Little do we recognize the toll and worry we carry ourselves as we try to force our way on others and get them to change. No matter how good and "Godly" your wisdom is you are often "throwing your pearls away" (Matthew 7:6).

App #2 - Always ask "how would I want to be treated?" and do it! The entire passage of scripture in Matthew 7:1-12 is framed by one of the last sentences Jesus says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." You can't change others and if you're really honest with yourself, you can't stand when others try to change you! So realizing I am powerless to change others, and asking how I would want to be treated, is a great start to move from a spirit of condemnation to a spirit of grace.

App #3 - Take off the "condemnation plank," kneel on it and pray. If we realize our inability to change others and approach our relationships through asking "how would I want to be treated?", we can take that plank of condemnation off (Matthew 7:3-4), kneel on it and pray (Matthew 7:7-11). Praying for others and for my attitude towards them is one of the best actions you can do to demonstrate your dependence on God's transformation and the worthlessness of my ability to change others or myself.

God Bless all of you as we allow Jesus to transform us into a people that live in His grace rather than our condemnation.

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer

2009-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, I will say up front that Joyce Meyer has not been on my top reading list. In fact, I have never read one of her books. She is not on the "most listened to" list on my iPod. In fact, I don't think I have ever really listened to her. Get the point??? She is not typically my "go to" person for information. But one night last month I couldn't sleep and I flipped on the television at 4 am. There she was interviewing a guy named Paul Scanlon, a pastor from the U.K., on the church moving from stance of exclusion to one of inclusion. This guy articulated stuff I have had in my heart for years and has not left my mind for the past four weeks since it aired. Rather than writing all my thoughts about it, i'll just post it and let you watch it yourself. God works in mysterious ways...

Paul Scanlon Pt 3

2009-07-16T11:25:00.003-07:00

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer

Paul Scanlon Pt 2

2009-07-16T11:25:00.001-07:00

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer

Paul Scanlon Pt 1

2009-07-16T11:24:00.001-07:00

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer