This Weekend's Message: Always Activated

Imagine the following scene. Two friends are eating breakfast at a restaurant before they head off to work. Suddenly, from another table, someone yells, “My husband is choking! Is anyone here a doctor?!” After a brief silence one of the friends says to the other, “You’re a doctor. Why aren’t you doing anything?” The friend responds, “My shift doesn’t begin for 20 minutes.”

Were this to happen, people would be indignant. If someone is a doctor, or a police officer, or a parent, they are never truly off-duty. They are always playing that role. Their shift may be over, or they may be trying to take a break, but they are always called to be available when they are needed.

When Jesus saves people, he activates them for lives of purpose, lives of using their gifts and abilities to serve him and his mission. And he doesn’t simply activate people on Sundays. Or during church activities. Or when they are not on vacation. God’s people are always activated, always participating in the great mission of passionately pursuing life in Jesus and leading their neighbors to do the same.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: God vs. Family

It’s not easy to be a single man or woman in our culture. If you are single today, you probably feel torn between too very loud and conflicting messages. On the one hand, you are told that your life doesn’t begin until you find “the one” and get married. After all, you’re nobody till somebody loves you. So, until you find that special someone, you are not able to live a full and meaningful life.

On the other hand, you are told that the commitments of marriage and family will squelch your freedom, so you should avoid all entanglements. As George Clooney told us in the movie Up in the Air, “Relationships are the heaviest components in your life...We weigh ourselves down until we can’t even move, and—make no mistake—moving is living.” This message can even cause those of us who are married to wonder if we have made a mistake by weighing ourselves down with the natural limitations that are brought about by family life.

As we read Scripture, both of these messages are rejected. Marriage is not the end-all, and marriage is not slavery. This Sunday, whether you are single or married, you will be opened up to what Scripture says about how our current status plays into God’s big mission for His people.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Being Disciples, Making Disciples

I went to seminary in my mid-forties. It had been a long time since I had been in college and as you might guess, I didn't know if I could handle all that would be required of me. But one thing I knew: I wanted to learn. I wanted to learn about what I didn't know. So even in the midst of my concerns I signed up and started classes. It wasn't long before I heard about one particular teacher. Everyone had two things to say about this teacher: 1) He will be the hardest teacher you ever have and 2) You will learn more from him than you thought possible.

I still remember the first day of class with this dreaded teacher. He was everything I had been told and my experience was just like what everyone had told me. It was the hardest twelve weeks of my grad-school experience, but it was also the most memorable. I learned so much! This week we are going to learn what it means to allow Jesus to be our teacher. We may not often think of Jesus in this way, but if we are going to be His disciple, we must learn from Him so that we can be like Him.

This week we will look at the last words Jesus had to say after His resurrection and before He ascended to the Father. These words will activate us into a way of living that will guide us in our passionate pursuit of LIFE in Jesus and leading our neighbors to do the same.

See you Sunday...

Gary

This Weekend's Message: The Role of a Lifetime

The actor John Cazale had a short but memorable career in the 1970s. He appeared in only five films before his premature death from cancer, but all five of his movies were nominated for Best Picture and three of them won. He played supporting parts in The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, The Conversation, and The Deer Hunter. Most actors would consider any of his five roles as the role of a lifetime. While his film list pales in comparison to that of most actors, the impact of his brief career far exceeds most others.

Most of us live our lives as if we aspire to be the star of a story. Frankly, we don’t even tend to care how great the story is, just as long as we get to star in it. Through His gospel, however, Jesus calls us to play a role in His story. We are not the star, but instead we are role players. At the same time, taking part in His story is the role of a lifetime. This Sunday we will talk about what it takes for each of us to embrace the role that we have been given.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Private and Public Purposes

When a football team is assembled, it has one purpose: to win. To win games, to win a division, and to win a championship. Now, each player on the team has his own purpose. Some players’ purpose is to block. Other players have the purpose of tackling. Other players have the purpose of running or throwing or catching or kicking. But in the end, each player has the same purpose: to win. It is meaningless to them if they technically fulfill their purpose, but the team is unable to fulfill its purpose. Their individual purposes are all wrapped up in the team purpose.

Many people want to discover their purpose in life. Bookstores are filled with books (both Christian and secular) concerning how people can find purpose in life. Most of the time, we are told to discover what we want to do, and then to make that of utmost importance to us. By contrast, the gospel of Jesus tells us that there is something that is of utmost importance, and then invites us to make our lives all about that. We do each have an individual purpose and calling, but those purposes are all swallowed up in God’s purpose. It matters very little if we succeed in some chosen purpose if we do not revolve our lives around God’s purpose.

On Sunday we will look at the fact that God has a purpose for each of us, but we only find our purpose when we allow ourselves to be caught up in His big purpose.

Dan

This Weekend's Message: Confronting a Customer Mentality

A short while ago I went to a restaurant with my family. While it was not a terrible experience, it certainly was nothing to write home about. It took a while for us to be seated, even though there were several open tables. The service was slow. My glass of water was never refilled. The food was decent...at best. Now, I didn’t complain or throw a fit. But as we walked out, I said in my head, “That is the last time this restaurant gets my business.” After all, I was the customer and my expectations were not met.

It may be reasonable to have a customer mentality in restaurants and department stores, but what happens when we bring a customer mentality to Jesus and to His church? Many of us do. We expect Jesus to give us safe and meaningful lives. When He doesn’t live up to our expectations, we get frustrated with Him. And when the church doesn’t fulfill our expectations (great sermons, catchy music, meaningful programs), we feel free to take our business elsewhere. While some of this is inevitable, we must ask ourselves if we have become customers (consumers) of Jesus and His church. And if so, have we begun to believe that the customer is always right?

On Sunday we will be invited to stop being customers and we will be challenged to embrace the fact that when God saved us, He activated us to live for something (and Someone) much greater than ourselves.

Dan

Activated in God’s Purposes

By Dan Franklin, Pastor of Teaching 

When I walk into a department store, I have clear expectations. I want to be left alone. I don’t want salespeople following me around, pressuring me to buy something. But I also want them to be available if I have any questions. It irks me when I have a need and no employee is around to help. I want them to be knowledgeable, polite, and efficient. I don’t want them to answer the phone while they are ringing up my purchase. I want them to attend to me.

The reason I want all of those things is because I am a customer in that store. If they want my business, then I need something from them. If they don’t give it to me, then I will take my business to one of their competitors.

Depending on your perspective, it may be perfectly fine for me to have this attitude when I walk into a department store. But what if I had this attitude toward my church?

The fact is that we live in a capitalistic, market-driven culture, and that setting paints the way that we, as Americans, think about church. I expect to be greeted warmly when I arrive. I expect people to be helpful, but not pushy. I expect good messages that help me in practical ways, but that don’t infringe too much on my freedom. I want good music that fits my tastes and preferences. I want good and safe programs to teach my children. I want good adult programs that I can opt into if I wish. And if I receive all of these things, then I will consider shelling out some money to show my appreciation. But if I don’t receive these things, then I will look for a church that can provide them.

Some of us might think that there is nothing wrong with this attitude. After all, doesn’t church exist to help me grow in my faith, learn things about God, have a meaningful time of worship, and train my children in Christian teaching? Isn’t the church supposed to be a dispenser of these religious goods and services?

The answer is yes and no. It is the role of church leaders to bring God’s Word to bear on people’s lives, to lead meaningful times of worship, and to facilitate programs that teach children, youth, and adults Christian doctrine. But to what purpose? Ephesians 4:11-13 says, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

God gave leaders to the church not so that God’s people would be led into a tranquil and private spiritual life, but so that God’s people would be equipped for God’s work. Christians are not called to work for God in order to obtain His grace. The gospel tells us that, through Jesus, God saved us. But He didn’t save us to a privatized faith. He saved us so that we would be included in something much bigger than ourselves. We are absorbed into the family of God. And the family of God exists to reflect God to the world.

When God saves us, He not only rescues us from the penalty for our sins, but He also activates us to participate in His big mission to seek and save the lost. This fall we will embark on a six-week message series that will call each one of us away from a privatized faith – away from a customer mentality toward God and toward church – and toward lives that are caught up in the grand and gracious purposes of God.