200 Countries--200 Years

This is very interesting.  From a theological standpoint what do you think God is doing?  From a mission's perspective, what do you see happening?  How does this impact the church and what we do?  I would love to hear some of your thoughts.

The Sabbath: Creating Space for God

For the last five weeks, as a church we have been studying the Old Testament book of Exodus.  Between our daily readings and weekly messages we have covered a lot of information in a short time period.  My goal in doing this has been twofold: 1. we need to spend more time in God’s Word.  Any time in the Bible is good and I know that it is a struggle for many of you to keep at it on a regular basis.  So my plan with Exodus was to demonstrate how we can take “small bites” of Scripture each day and not only cover a lot of material in a month, but also better understand God’s plan for our lives.  2. I wanted you to see how the Bible fits together.  For a lot of people the Bible seems disjointed.  It sometimes appears that God has two different personalities, an angry, demanding God in the Old Testament and a loving and grace giving God in the New Testament.  As we have discovered those theories are simply not true.  The God of the Old Testament is incredibly loving, gracious and forgiving.  So reading the Bible helps us better understand the Bible.

So as we move forward as a church I am going to continue to assign Scripture to you.  Each week I will provide you with tidbits of Scripture to read to help keep you in God’s Word, but also connect you with what we will be studying each Sunday morning.  If it is our goal to grow as disciples, we must continue our pursuit of reading the Bible.  So one of the things that you need to do is create a regular space in your life to read and absorb God’s Word.  Just so you know, creating space in one’s life for God’s Word is not a new thing.

                In the book of Exodus, God brings Israel all the way out into the middle of the desert so that he can spend some quality alone time with these people…in a way he creates space so that these Israelites will not be distracted.  Then God does something astounding, he marries Israel.  Many rabbis down through the centuries have viewed the Sinai event as a marriage.  You have God as the groom taking his bride, Israel and making her his wife.  There are the vows, the Ten Commandment which set the terms of this covenant relationship.  Then you have the ring.  Most of you are immediately thinking, “What ring?  There’s no ring?”  Ah, but look closer.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.  This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.” ~ Exodus 31:12, 13

Just as a ring is a sign of a covenant relationship between a husband and a wife, God declares that the Sabbath is a sign for all Israelites to remember their “marriage” relationship to him.  So what God is asking his “wife” to do is to simply set aside one day a week where she doesn’t have to cook, clean or go to work.  All she has to do is spend time with her husband.  (Sidebar here, married couples we should probably consider making this a part of our weekly marriage relationship as well. Yes?)  So what is God doing here?  Is he being a mean, angry, demanding God who wants his wife to follow all his orders?  No, this is a loving husband who wants his wife to not work so hard, and be busy doing things that really don’t matter.  This is a husband who simply wants to spend time with his wife. 

                So what is God asking of you in your covenant relationship with him?  He’s simply asking that you make space for him.  For a lot of us that is very difficult isn’t it?  We have filled our lives so we are overbooked, too busy and exhausted by the time our head hits the pillow.  But it’s not just busy work it’s fun and play too.  We live in a culture that worships the weekend.  We work hard all week so we can play hard on Saturday and Sunday.  What’s so interesting is that the God who invented the weekend gets pushed completely out of our minds when Friday afternoon rolls around.  We’ve got projects to do, trips to take and games to watch.  Then we wonder why God seems so distant or why we haven’t grown as disciples like we thought we would.  For a lot of us, our relationship with God isn’t about doing more…reading a new book, getting into another Bible study, or signing up for a new ministry.  For most of us it’s about creating space in our lives so we can connect with the one who truly loves us and wants what’s best for our lives.

                To connect with God you need to make space in at least three areas of your life: 1) Community worship.  You need to gather with your church family as often as possible to worship.  The church is the body of Christ; it is the most real way that we can be reminded of God’s work in this world and in our lives.  2) You need to set aside a few minutes each day to read the Bible and pray to God.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate and lengthy.  It can simply be 15 minutes, but you will be shocked at how God can connect with you in that simple space.  3) Lastly, you need to set aside time each week to meet with a small group of Christians.  Whether it’s in a discipleship group or an accountability partner you need someone with whom you can share space with in prayer and encouragement.   

                Believe me, God wants to transform your life and move you from where you are into a deeper relationship with him.  For that to take place you need to make space.  So the question I have for you is simple: What needs to go to make space for God?

The Circumcision of Moses' Son - Exodus 4:24-26

This question has popped up a few times during our reading of Exodus.  Here is a good explanation by Peter Enns as found in the NIV Application Commentary.

"Without wading through the interpretive muck and mire, let me suggest that these verses presage the importance of circumcision in 12:43-49.  We are able to make several fairly safe assumptions: (1) The object of God's wrath is Moses; no one really disputes this, and it makes the most sense in the context.  (2) God is probably angry with Moses because his son (or perhaps both he and his son) is not circumcised.  In any event, circumcision has something to do with it.  (3) Zipporah's circumcision of her son appeases God's wrath and causes him to relent.
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What we see in 4:24-26 is the zeal with which the Lord guards this most important rite (circumcision).  We must remember that circumcision as a sign of God's covenant was commanded of the patriarch Abraham (Gen. 17:1-27).  Throughout the opening chapters of Exodus we have noted the importance God attaches to the patriarchs, particularly in connection with God's name (Ex 3:15-16; 4:5).  It is in his connection to the patriarchs that God is to be known, and it is for the sake of the patriarchs that God will deliver Israel.  Yet this connection to the patriarchs also imposes a covenant obligation on Moses and the Israelites.  They have been delivered by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  They are, therefore, to observe the command given to them: Circumcise your male children." ~ Peter Enns

Speak With Conviction

Steve Deace: Big Talker

I love talk radio and listen to it whenever I get a chance.  One of the personalities I listen to is Steve Deace.  Deace in the afternoon airs on WHO from 4:00 to 7:00 pm  on weekdays.  Here's a recent story that was written about him.

Big Talker

Who Is God?

In our culture, everyone assumes they know God; whether atheist, agnostic or Christian. But isn't that a very dangerous assumption? To think we actually know and understand God? 

So, one of the most important questions we can ask is simply: "Who is God?" As we read the Bible we need to ask, "Who is God?" As we pray we need to ask, "Who is God?" As we listen to a sermon we need to ask, "Who is God?" Our lifelong journey here on earth is to continually answer the question, "Who is God?"

Let me tell you why this is such an important question to answer. Theologian and New Testament scholar NT Wright tells this story of the time he was the campus chaplain at Worcester College in Oxford, England. As chaplain he would make it a point to meet all the students each year. In introducing himself, a number of the students would say that they probably wouldn't be seeing much of each other because they, the student, didn't believe in God.

Wright had a stock reply. He would ask, "Oh, and what god don't you believe in?"

The student would give a puzzled look. So Wright would say, "Describe this god that you don't believe in."
So the student would describe a god who was distant and uninvolved in the goings on of earth, and who was ultimately angry and upset with people. 

Wright would listen, nodding his head. And when the student was done, Wright would reply, "I'm not surprised you don't believe in god…I don't believe in that god either."

We live in a culture and we live lives that assume we really know God. That kind of ignorance and arrogance keeps us from really truly knowing God. One of the priorities of our day should be to humbly approach the Bible and prayer to simply better understand who God is. Why is this so important? As we better know God we are able to move into a closer relationship with him—and isn't that what we are truly are looking for?

What People Wish Their Pastors Knew About Church - Part 3: The No.1 Most Important Thing

I came across this blog post...good stuff!  This is why I spend so much time getting ready for Sunday.

What People Wish Their Pastors Knew About Church 

IC Church of Christ: Next Steps for September

It is so humbling to think that God would invite me to have a front row seat in the work he is doing in Iowa City and in our church. To be able to hear the stories and see the work going on in and around our church is so exciting. Let me share one of the awesome ways that God is working in our church. So far, through the month of July, we are on record pace in regards to our giving towards missions. By the time 2010 is done, we will have given more for missions than any other time in the history of this church! Do you know what makes something like that happen? What makes people generous with their money is their close relationship with a generous God. To truly know God means we understand his love and generosity and it changes us. With all that God is doing in our church, here are some "next steps" that we will be taking in the month of September.
First, we are going to launch a second worship service at 8:30 am, starting Sunday, September 5th. This service will be identical to our regular 10:30 am service, it just will be earlier. The reasoning behind the move to add another service was twofold. 1) Our main 10:30 service was 2/3rds full and we were having some parking issues, especially during the winter. A second service will provide more space for both of our worship services. 2) We wanted to provide another opportunity for people to worship with us. We understand that schedules and conflicts can arise and 10:30 doesn't always work for everybody. Now, there is a second option available. Please be praying for this second service launch and consider possibly making this service your regular worship time.
Second, in addition to this new service we are also launching a spiritual growth campaign called Prodigal God. This campaign is based on Jesus' parable from Luke 15, in what is commonly known as the prodigal son. The structure for the campaign is based off of the book, Prodigal God, written by pastor and author Timothy Keller. This spiritual growth event will begin on Sunday, September 5^th with a video sermon preached by Pastor Timothy Keller. This sermon will unlock the message of the prodigal son in a way you have never experienced. How you understand and relate to God has the potential to be radically changed.
To get the most out of this campaign there are three things that I would like you to do. First, commit to attending every worship service during this campaign (September 5^th – October 17^th). The worship and preaching experiences are designed to help you grow throughout this event. Second, sign up to be in a small group Bible study. The best way to apply the teaching you will be receiving is to have a group to talk, pray and study with. Small group sign up will begin August 22^nd. Third, purchase a Prodigal God book ($15)…and read it! This book will be your guide throughout the study. It will help you unpack what Jesus teaches in this powerful parable. Books will be available in the foyer starting Sunday, August 22.
God is doing some incredible things, the question is: Are you ready to follow? As the saying goes, "You can't go with God and stay where you are." I think it's time to take some next steps!

Prodigal God

Coming Sunday, September 5th, IC Church of Christ is going to launch into a spiritual growth campaign entitled Prodigal God.  Here's a video trailer describing what Prodigal God is all about.

How To Fool A Baboon

I used this YouTube clip for my sermon on Sunday.



 What's the point you say? Well, how about this:  What do you need to let go of so you can find freedom?

What's the Best Way To Change a Church?

Here's a video from my friend Jim Powell, the Lead Pastor at Richwoods Christian Church in Peoria, Illinois.  The church he leads has under gone some dramatic growth over the last few years.  In this video he shares what the key component was in turning things around.


Untitled from The Nines on Vimeo.

Who Do You Depend On?

  The last few months have been very challenging for me on a spiritual level and I thought it would be good for me to share with you some of the things that have been convicting me. As most of you know, we have been studying The Sermon on the Mount for the last 12 weeks at church. Couple that with my A.B.F. Class on The Chronological Study of the Life of Christ and it's clear to see I have been fairly focused on Jesus' teachings for the last few months—and that is the issue. One cannot spend time with Jesus and his teachings and not be challenged or downright convicted. That is what has been happening to me.

  As I read through the Gospels I am continually trying to figure out which of the people in the narrative I would be: am I Peter, the tax collector, Judas, the rich man, Lazarus, or am I the Pharisee? More often than not I find myself as a Pharisee, and here's why. The main reason why the Pharisees didn't understand Jesus and his Kingdom message was because they were too confident in their ability to obey the Law and the Prophets; their righteousness came through their own strength and ability. In contrast, the Kingdom of God was all about complete dependence upon our Heavenly Father.

  So I making this realization I began to ask myself, "Am I living my life in complete dependence upon my Heavenly Father?" Or am I dependent upon my own abilities to be good, moral and Christian? This is a challenging question that we as Jesus followers need to continually ask ourselves. To help answer this question I looked around the Gospels looking for some type of indicator…some way of knowing if I am living in complete dependence upon God. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus gives a very clear description of what Judgment Day will look like. He says:

³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." ~ Mt 25:31-33

  Jesus uses a typical shepherding reference. In Jesus' day shepherds would allow the flocks to graze together, but when it was time for shearing there would be a time to separate the sheep from the goats. So his audience connects with this image of separating one type from another. What we learn is that when Jesus returns a second time there will be a time of separating as well; sheep to the right and goats to the left. Next Jesus says:

³⁴ "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷ "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰ "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'~ Mt 25:34-40

  What determines whether someone is a sheep or a goat? Like every other judgment scene of the New Testament it is made on the basis of deeds (Mt 16:27; Jn 5:28-30; Rom 2:5-11; 2 Cor 5:10; 1 Peter 1:17; Rev 20:11-15). So what I have learned from this teaching is that what I do reflects my dependence upon God. Here the sheep engaged in loving and serving people, they were dependent upon God to do his work. What is interesting is that they didn't even realize they had served Jesus. These sheep were just doing the work of their Heavenly Father. So the question I need to ask of myself is this: Am I putting myself in situations where I am dependent upon God to do his work in this world?

  This teaching does raise another question: Does this contradict salvation by grace? How can one be saved by grace but judged by works? It is simply this, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the only thing that will really matter is our relationship to Jesus—have we trusted in him? The answer to that question is not in our talk but in our walk. How we live our lives is the surest way to tell what we believe. Our good deeds don't save us. But they clearly demonstrate our primary commitments. They determine how dependent we are upon God.

  It would probably be a great benefit to you to stop for a moment and take inventory of your life. It is so easy to just roll through life and not pay attention to where you are going…we assume way too much! Take inventory of how you are trusting God and relying upon his power to carry out the great work of his Kingdom! You may just discover that you are farther away from your Heavenly Father then you thought. Maybe it's time to come home.

The Acid Test of Being a Christian

I came across this blog post by Tim Keller and it grabbed my heart.  If you are a Christian you need to read this.


The Acid Test of Being a Christian

What Kind of Summer Are You Going To Have?

With the start of summer comes a myriad of different opportunities to do stuff: vacations, holidays, fun in the sun, and ball games just to name a few. Summer is to be enjoyed and celebrated! However, there is some risk involved in the activities of summer as well, and I'm not talking about sunburns and mosquito bites. I'm talking more about a Christian's spiritual health. Often times during the summer (and others seasons as well) we put ourselves in situations that are risky; compromising situations which have the potential to move us away from God, not closer to Him.

The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 teaches this truth to the Christians in Corinth. He reminds them that while God was with Israel in rescuing them from Egypt and providing for them in the wilderness, many Israelites died and never reached the Promised Land because they put themselves in compromising situations. Read Paul's teaching:

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. ¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! ¹³ No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." ~ 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

The core teaching here is simple: Don't assume anything. Don't assume that you can put yourself in a compromising relationship and come out unscathed. Don't assume that you can miss out on regular fellowship with other Christians and not be affect. Don't assume that you can ignore a regular diet of God's Word and still grow in your faith. Be careful that you don't fall!

God will always provide a way out, but our God is a gentleman—He's not going to make you do what you don't want to do. If you're in a situation that you shouldn't be, He's not going to pick you up and move you to safety. If you have missed out on fellowship with your church family, He's not going to forcibly pick you up and plant you in church. Your discipleship is dependent upon you intentionally putting yourself in situations where you avoid temptation and are surrounded as much as possible with God's people and His Word.

Please understand that I remind you of these things because I care about you. For too many Christians, summer is a time to "take a break" from their faith. But what if summer was a time of genuine spiritual growth? What if summer provided you with more time of fellowship with Christians? What if summer provided you more time to read the Bible? What if summer provided you more time to walk and pray? What if summer allowed you more time to serve?

Summer is officially here. What kind of summer are you going to have? You choose.

The Gift

"About to graduate from high school, a young man from a wealthy family was anticipating his gift. It was the custom in that affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate a new car. Jason and his father had spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation they found the perfect car. Jason was certain that this car would be his on graduation night. Imagine his disappointment when immediately following the graduation ceremony, Jason's father handed him a small, elegantly wrapped package. It must be the keys to my new car, Jason thought.

Upon opening the gift, though, all he found was a Bible with his name imprinted on the front. A Bible? He took it out, looking to find car keys in the box. Empty! Jason was so angry that he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. His father tried to stop him, but Jason kept on running. He and his father never saw each other again.

News of his father's death finally brought Jason home again. As he went through the possessions he was about to inherit from his father, he came across the graduation Bible. Brushing away the dust, he opened it and began idly flipping through the pages. A paper tucked inside caught his eye and he pulled out of the Bible a cashier's check, dated the day of his graduation, in the exact amount of the car he and his father had chosen."

This short story very accurately describes how many of us approach our relationship with God. We expect certain things from God because he is our Heavenly Father and he is supposed to be good. If God is good and loves us, we naturally expect things to go well in our lives; good health, great job, obedient talented kids, a full bank account, a fantastic marriage and most of all happiness. Don't tell me that you haven't had those types of expectations of God—we all have.

So how do you respond when things don't work out? What is your response when the job falls through? How do you react when you find out its cancer? Do you run from God? Do you become angry with what He has allowed to come into your life? Or do you stop to rummage through and look into the situation? If we would just stop, and instead of running from God simply ask the question: "God what good thing do you want me to learn?" Or maybe, "God thank you for this gift to teach me ________."

 

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." ~ James 1:2-5

What Are You Looking For?

I stumbled across this video I made back in 2007 for Easter Sunday.  I thought I would repost it because the message is timeless.  Enjoy...oh and what are you looking for?

The Story of Compassion International

George Costanza - The Opposite

If you missed the message on Sunday, I used this Seinfeld episode to introduce my message. Check it out and enjoy...oh and consider doing the opposite!

Pianst Plays iPad for Concert Encore

Two Very Good Reads Written by Bob Lowery

One of the blogs I follow is written by Dr. Robert Lowery, professor of New Testament at Lincoln Christian Seminary.  Here are two posts that would be well worth your time to read.

The Suddenness and Nearness of Christ's Return

Do I or Don't I?

Scot McKnight - Stone-Campbell Lectures

I love my Restoration Movement heritage.  Here are a few words that Scot McKnight had to say about Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.

Stone-Campbell Lectures

Haiti Medical Mission Trip - Jen Erbes

This is a video of Jen Erbes and her medical mission trip to Haiti.  Amazing stuff!  Jen is married to our associate minister Ben.  We appreciate what they both bring to our church family. 

The really cool thing is that on Sunday we raised $1000 to buy tents for Haitians living in the Port-au-Prince area.   Haitians are fearful of living or even being inside of buildings.  With the rainy season approaching tents are a very viable option for the people living in this devastated country.  Mission team members from the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids area will continue to travel to Haiti taking tents with them, living in them for the week, then leaving them behind for a Haitian to call home.  Basic, simple, and real.  That is what sharing the love of Jesus is all about.

Stumbling Through A Small Group

Check out this post by Ben Erbes.  Ben is new to our staff (actually having Ben officially makes us a staff) and he is leading our Build & Send ministries at IC Church of Christ.  The post is written by one of the members of his small group named Andy.  Enjoy...and be inspired!  Stumbling Through A Small Group

Drink Coffee. Do Good.

At IC Church of Christ we are looking to change how we do coffee.  When Suzi and I went to Catalyst-One Day we met up with a group called, Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company.  Here is the basis for their company from their website:

"What if you could impact a village by drinking a cup of coffee? When we learned that the 1994 genocide in Rwanda devastated the coffee growing community and left the surviving growers in unjust conditions, we invested in a roaster and a few bags of green coffee beans from Rwanda and launched a new experience grounded in coffee, community, justice."

 Anyway, this story really connected with us.  So we are in the process of changing over all of our coffee to Thousand Hills coffee.  It's such a simple way to have a huge impact on people.  Oh...and it's great coffee too!

What Does Hitting a Fastball Have To Do With Easter?

"Yale physicist Robert Adair has been studying the art of hitting Major League fastballs. Scientifically, it's impossible. A batter facing a 90 mph fastball has less than a quarter of a second to see the pitch, judge its speed and location, decide what to do and start to swing. To get a hit, the bat must meet the ball within one-eighth of an inch of dead center and at precisely the right millisecond as the 3-inch spinning sphere whizzes by. This is a superhuman feat that is "clearly impossible," Adair said.

Whipping out his calculators and computers, Adair noted when a pitcher throws a 90 mph fastball, it takes only 400 milliseconds-that's less than a half-second for those of us non-scientifically minded-for the ball to reach the plate. Considering the time it takes for the batter's brain to send signals to swing, the chances that he can actually hit the ball are extremely small, Adair said. Physics proves it, he said."

So, there you have it! It's scientifically impossible to hit a fastball. The only problem with this great scientific research is that I have actually witnessed someone hitting a fastball—and not just one person, but many people. I've seen fastballs hit in batting practice and I've seen fastballs hit in the most pressure packed situations imaginable. So while the physics research is there to prove that a fastball cannot be hit I have personal, eyewitness information that proves otherwise.

What does this all mean? On Sunday we are going to celebrate the single greatest event in the history of the world—the resurrection of Jesus Christ! All the empirical research points to this simple fact: a dead person does not become alive again…especially after being dead for three days. Even our own understanding of life and death, (killing bugs, having pets die and going to funerals) points to the simple fact that something dead doesn't revive and live again. Yet as Christians that is what we believe with all of our hearts—why? We believe in the resurrection of Jesus because it connects with us at a very deep and personal level. You see, the resurrection isn't just about science and facts (Even though the facts and evidence for the resurrection are incredibly powerful!). The resurrection is very, very personal.

Just ask Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples. Thomas didn't want to know the science behind the resurrection, he just wanted to see Jesus after his death.  When he did, it changed everything for him. So much so that he gave his own life for the cause of Christ. Why? He gave his life because the resurrection was personal. What about Mary and James, Jesus' mother and brother. Before Jesus was crucified and resurrected, neither Mary nor James understood what Jesus was up to. In fact, James made fun of Jesus. After the resurrection, both Mary and James worship Jesus as Lord. Why? They worship Jesus because the resurrection was personal.

The list goes on and on and on. When it comes to the resurrection we find that our most personal questions and longings are answered. On Easter Sunday that will be the focus of the message I want to share with you and any of the guests you bring. I want everyone to walk out the doors after the service knowing that the resurrection is very deep, meaningful and personal.

'57 Chevy & Discipleship

Last Sunday during the message I used the metaphor of building a model of a '57 Chevy.  I had my son Alex come up on stage and work on the model while I preached about the tools needed to build a disciple.  He didn't quite get the model done, so here is a picture to prove that father and son completed the project...together.  If you want to listen to Build: The making of a disciple click on the link.

Charity Water

Check this out.  Very practical way for each of us to make a huge difference in the lives of people around the world.

Charity Water

For There To Be Growth, There Must Be Sacrifice

Recently, in my Adult Bible Fellowship class we studied an event that happened to Jesus on the Tuesday before he was betrayed and murdered.  In a conversation with his disciples Jesus makes these statements:

 "Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.” ~ John 12:23-26

The big idea from this teaching is this—for there to be growth there has to be sacrifice.  For our sins to be forgiven and for reconciliation back to the Father, Jesus had to die.  But he also includes his followers in this equation as well.  If we are truly disciples of his, then our path is his path—we must be willing to sacrifice our lives for there to be growth…or multiplication. 

    Now, Jesus’ disciples all experienced that first hand (minus Judas Iscariot).  Every one of them we beaten, imprisoned and except for John, died a martyr’s death.  Through their sacrifice the kingdom of God grew and grew.  For there to be growth, there must be sacrifice.  Deep down we all know this.  If you like to garden you know a seed has to be buried for it to multiply.  To build endurance one has to exercise.  To earn the degree, one has to give up activities to study and study.  To raise great kids, parents have to sacrifice friendships and hobbies.  Are you tracking with me?

    Okay, let’s shift this over to our little piece of the kingdom of God—Iowa City Church of Christ.  It is our mission to make disciples here in Iowa City and for this to happen we have to sacrifice because for there to be growth there must be...you guessed it, sacrifice.  What that means is you need to take an inventory of what you need to sacrifice for the kingdom to continue to advance.  What about time?  Can you sacrifice one TV show a week to help in a ministry?  Can you sacrifice one eating out meal a week to put an extra $5 or $10 in the offering plate?  What about your fear of failure?  What about sacrificing your fears and trying a ministry or inviting a friend of yours to church?  Or maybe, it’s repenting of a sin and moving into a closer relationship with Jesus.

Whatever the case may be, our church and you personally stand at a very important intersection.  We can keep doing the same things—or we can sacrifice and reap the results of growth that can only come from our loving heavenly Father.  For there to be growth, there must be sacrifice.

How Are We Saved?

All right. This is a question or topic that is often talked about in Christian and non Christian circles.  I should clarify: How are we saved from our sins/Hell?  Another way of putting it would be, "How does one enter into a relationship with God?"  One of the problems I have discovered over the years is that a lot of people are very dependent upon what a preacher, priest, pastor or friend communicates to them.  But here's the deal, why would you allow your eternal destiny rest in the hands of another person?  If you were going to solo sky dive what would you do to prepare?  Personally I would take every class  I could...I would take a lot of notes and ask a lot of questions.  I would also personally learn and pack my own chute, and if someone had packed it for me I would recheck for myself.  Are you with me?

I strongly believe that the same should hold true for our relationship with God.  Why would you allow another person to tell you how to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus when you can find out the truth for yourself.  So what I suggest every Christian should do is find out for themselves.  Now, I wish I could take credit for this little exercise but alas I have to give credit where credit is due.  One of my college professors, Chuck McCoy suggested this and I have personally done it twice.  So if you want to know how to be saved, here is a good exercise to engage in.

Find a good concordance and look up the following words: "saved", "save", "saves" and "salvation." If you're looking for a tool online check out Biblegateway.com and do a "Key Word" search for those same words.  Once you have done that, collect and group all the verses that are related specifically to being saved from sin and or Hell.  Then make note of what each grouping of verses teaches...then do what they say.  

Now, I highly recommend that you do this exercise for yourself.  But if you want a quick glance, here are all the verses in the New Testament that use the words, "save", "saved", "saves" and "salvation."  Do a read through and see what they say.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

New Testament Scriptures using the word, “Save”/ “Saved” / “Salvation” / “Saves”

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,  because he will save his people from their sins.”  ~ Mt 1:21

²² All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ~ Mt 10:22

²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ~ Mt 16:25

¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ~ Mk 16:16

¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ~ Jn 3:17

⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture. ~ Jn 10:9

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ~ Acts 2:21

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” ~ Acts 4:12

¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” ~ Acts 15:11

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. ~ Acts 16:31

¹⁶ I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ~ Romans 1:16

⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ~ Romans 5:9

 

⁹ That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹ As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  ~ Romans 10:9

² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. ~ 1 Cor. 15:2

¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ~ 2 Cor 7:10

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ~ Eph 2:8

¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ~ Titus 2:11

⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ~ Titus 3:3

²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. ~ Heb 7:25

²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. ~ James 1:21

²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. ~ 1 Peter 3:21

Catalyst 09 - Compassion Moment

I've had some inquiries about the video I showed on Sunday during my message. If you missed it or want to watch it again, here it is. Oh and you had better have some tissues handy...I'm just saying.

One Dollar More

I wanted to share with you something that we are going to try during the month of February. As most of you know we have been studying through the New Testament letters of 1,2 and 3 John. We will be wrapping up the series actually on Valentine’s Day, which is interesting since the driving force of John’s letters could be summarized in this statement: When you know the truth about Jesus you love. So as you can see, there is a love theme going on here. What we are going to do is enact the power of love on people in our community through a project called, One Dollar More.

Here is how One Dollar More is going to work. What we are going to ask is that everyone who attends our worship service put in one dollar more in the offering plate. So if you usually put in $50, put in $51—simple, right? Then what we are going to do is take the total attendance for the worship service and take out one dollar for each person attending. So, if there are 150 people attending on Sunday, we will take out $150—again, simple. We will then use that money to help someone in the community. It may be a single mom who can’t pay her heating bill. It may be an elderly woman who can’t pay rent in February. We want to show God’s love in a simple and practical way. In fact we already have a family that we are going to assist with our dollars from the offering this Sunday (February 7^th). You will learn more about them this weekend.

Okay, let’s go over this one more time. Each Sunday, during the month of February put one more dollar in the offering plate. If you don’t give anything, why not try giving four dollars during the month of February and see how God uses your money. Also, if you have kids, this is a great way to connect them with how God uses our gifts. If your kids have an allowance, encourage them give one dollar each week. If your child has never given, challenge them to do chores around the house to earn a dollar so they can put it in the offering plate each Sunday. Then each Sunday, they will see for themselves the power of giving in love.

One last thing, I need your eyes and ears in the community. If you come across a need where our, One Dollar More money can go, please contact me. You are the church and wherever you go you represent Christ and his church. If you come across a neighbor that is struggling or a co-worker that can’t make ends meet, let me know. We want to share God’s amazing love in a simple and practical way!

Recent E-Mail and My Response

The E-Mail:

Good morning, I was looking at your web site and I was wondering what your take is on instrumental music. And Why do you down grade the worship of our Lord with encouraging people to come dressed "comfortably"? What if comfortable to some are short shorts and tank tops??? Seems odd to me that people are getting away from the reason we are to be attending church.. The true christians of this world are going to be the ones that stand out because of what we do NOT do, not because we tag onto the shirt tails of the majority.. After all, when you read the scriptures, where is the majority of the population going to spend eternity? Now you know why!
Thanks...

My Response:

Thanks for checking out our website. Regarding your first question about instrumental music, we use instruments in our worship service. We have many skilled musicians and it is such a joy to hear and see them as they help lead our worship services.

Your second question, "Why do you downgrade the worship of our Lord with encouraging people to come "comfortably"? I guess I don't understand what you are asking. What does manner of dress have to do with worship? Jesus told the woman at the well (John 4) that true worshipers worship in spirit and in truth. That was in response to a question about whether true worship required a specific location. Need I also remind you that King David danced in his underwear...his wife was critical and God cursed her. Be careful about making judgments when you don't know a person's heart--only God knows that. The whole idea of "dressing up" for church is man made...Jesus never made that a mandate for his followers or those seeking him. Did the prostitutes/tax collectors have to clean up before they came to Jesus?

One last thing. You pointed out that only a few are going to spend eternity with the Lord. You speak truth. But that is not God's desire. He desires that everyone would come to Him. He is patient doing whatever it takes to get them to Jesus. The whole thought of people spending eternity in Hell breaks my heart, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make that "few" as big as possible.

Remember, we are on the same team. We may do things a little bit differently but we love Jesus with all of our hearts and we strive to be obedient to the Scriptures.

Grace & Peace,
Tom Steele

Enjoy - Patrick Henry Hughes

Youth in lawless Haiti at risk for sex trade, slavery, murder

Good read on the post Haiti earthquake aftermath. There are a lot of evil things taking place, we have to pray and do whatever it takes to protect the innocent.

Youth in lawless Haiti at risk for sex trade, slavery, murder

IC Church of Christ: What's Next In 2010?

It was a great year for Iowa City Church of Christ. Financially, we finished the year over budget, something that has never happened before. Our church gave over $21,000 in missions. We averaged 147 in our Sunday morning worship attendance for 2009. Seven people were baptized into Christ, the most since I’ve been here. And God has been working on the hearts of people all year as many decisions were made regarding leadership, ministry, giving, and spiritual growth. God continues to do amazing work in our church.

Now, these results shouldn’t necessarily surprise us. These are the kind of things that Jesus said would happen as we trust him and do what he says. When Jesus came to earth to unleash his kingdom, listen to what he said it would look like.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ~ Luke 4:18,19 (Jesus reading Isaiah 61:1,2)

So, because we are Christ’s church we are a part of that kingdom, involved in that kind of work. It’s truly an adventure, exciting and fun. But it’s also messy, difficult, and extremely hard. One can’t share good news with the poor without sharing in their pain. One cannot proclaim freedom to prisoners without going into prisons. One cannot release the oppressed without experiencing their brokenness. To share in the Lord’s great work requires much of his people.

There’s one other truth I need to mention as well. Jesus said this about our enemy Satan.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” ~ John 10:10

So not only can kingdom work present a certain set of challenges, it also puts us in direct opposition to the Enemy who wants to thwart the work of Christ and his kingdom by killing, stealing and destroying.

So what does this all mean? Well, it means that if you are a part of IC Church of Christ and you believe in our mission then there are three things that I need you to do every week this year.

1) Pray. God is powering and leading everything that is happening in our church. We need to continue to consult Him for guidance, provision and protection. So here is what I want you to do. Every week pray for the mission of IC Church of Christ to be accomplished (Make disciples). Pray for wisdom for the leadership of the church. Pray for spiritual protection over our church. Lastly, pray for people that you know who don’t know Jesus.

2) Take The Next Step. The disciple journey is not a sprint…it’s a marathon. To become a faithful growing follower of Jesus requires that we do the next thing that he is leading us to do. I don’t know what the next step is for you, but Jesus does and I’m guessing that he has been encouraging you to take that step. It may be joining an Adult Bible Fellowship class or small group. It may be finally uniting with Christ through baptism. It may be joining a ministry and using your ability to advance the kingdom of Christ. Please take a moment and consider what the next step is for you, then make a decision to do it.

3) Give. This isn’t just referring to money, but it may. Let me back up and remind you that if you want to grow to be a better disciple you need to grow as a giver. God is a giver (His Son). Jesus is a giver (His life). If you want to grow you need to give. Maybe this is the year that you take it up a notch in your giving. Maybe you have never tried the tithe (giving 10%) and this is the year you step up and take the challenge. It may be that it’s not money you need to give but instead time. In many ways time is more valuable than money. It may be that you need to give more time in ministry at church. Or it could be that you need to invest more time in relationships…maybe with a neighbor or friend. My personal challenge to you is to commit to giving one hour a week in some type of ministry.

If you would commit to doing these three things this year I know that God will bless you and continue to bless our church as we make disciples for Jesus here in Iowa City.