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Pastor's Blog
Welcome to my weblog (which most people call a blog). The opinions expressed herein are my own personal thoughts and opinions. Check back often for my musings and updates on our church, our ministry, and my life. Make sure you check out our ministries and worship service times. Feel free to e-mail me your comments on my entries or use our contact form. |
| Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
 Why Go To Church? | |
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23Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near (Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT). Consider yourself on notice. Going to church is something that God wants you to do. Lots of people believe in God but stay home from church because they feel they have justifiable reasons. Let me list a few: • Some because the church in the past has failed them miserably. They have been left with serious pain and trust issues with the church. • Some stay away because they like to stay up late at night (or have to work late at night) and so getting up on Sunday morning is hard to do. • Others say things like, “Satan has got the best of me. I don’t know how to get back into the habit.” • This is one that always gets me, “Pastor, I just don’t like the music.” Let me see if I can take these on one at a time. THE CHURCH HURT ME: My heart goes out to those who have been hurt by people in the church. Nothing can be more devastating than to have people you expect to live under a moral code fail you and in the process hurt everyone around them. Pastors having affairs, church leaders molesting children, church staff stealing money from the church funds, etc. All have been done in the church and all have hurt innocent bystanders deeply. Jesus talked about the enemy sowing tares in the field as a metaphor for how Satan can come into the church and cause such havoc. If you’ve been hurt in such a way you’re in good company. Jesus was crucified by the religious leaders of His day. All of us who have existed in the church for any number of years have felt great disappointment in one leader or another. Just as there are numbers of church members who have been hurt by pastors, I know an equal number of pastors who have been deeply scared by church members. It’s just the cost of relationship with imperfect and sinful people. When Satan gets a foothold in one of us the results can be devastating. In the text above it really doesn’t address this area. It just says we need to be helping each other to perform deeds of love. The truth is you can’t be loving the body of Christ if you stay away from it. Also, Jesus taught us to forgive those who persecute us or hurt us. Right after Jesus taught on how to correct a brother he then answers Peter’s question of how many times do we have to forgive and Jesus stated seven times seventy (see Matthew 18:21-22). The Apostle Paul reminds us to: 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Colossians 3:13 NLT). You need to keep in mind how much Jesus loves the church. First of all, He was crucified for its existence. He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us and to lead and guide. Thirdly, we are commanded by Scripture to keep the habit of encouraging one another to good deeds. If you suffer from this malady I’m deeply sorry but God wants you to work through your issues and forgive those who have hurt you and get back to church. I HAVE TO WORK LATE: We all make decisions for our lives. Some decisions seem obvious and straight forward. “Work takes a priority over church.” Does God want you to earn a living and take care of the financial needs of your family? Yes. Does God want you to neglect worshiping Him over this need? No. The Ten Commandments clearly state the priority God has for us in worship. No other Gods…No graven images…keep the Sabbath day holy! (See Exodus 20:3-4). Most people work on Sundays now because so many people think it’s OK to miss church and go to work. How did our priorities become so messed up? Going to church does not save you or make you holier in God’s eyes. What it does do is show the priority that God has in your life. If you are willing to sacrifice income so that you can worship the Lord, it honors God. If you choose to be in church even though you had to work late it shows just how important worship is to you. If you let these things get in the way of your attending worship then you are demonstrating how little you think of God. Oh, it may not be a conscious act, but your actions speak louder than words. Worship is a time for you to express your love and honor of God. It also is a time to be encouraged by other Christians to keep your faith strong and active. It’s a place for you to be motivated to do that things God is calling you to do and feel supported in the process. Church has a great impact on our lives because God chooses to work through the church, i.e. God’s people! Do you really think it’s a spiritually healthy thing to miss church? I’M OUT OF THE HABIT: Bad habits are easy to start. Good habits are easy to break. Good habits take work to become a habit, bad habits start naturally and lead us to destruction. If you are out of the habit of going to church then make it a priority to go. Don’t put it off until you feel like it, just do it! Like disciplines such as fitness, eating right, taking care of your physical health, etc., it all starts with taking the first step. Your spiritual life will be with you for all eternity. Make a determination in your heart to do it. Ask God to help you knock down all the excuses and barriers and just go. God will bless you for it! I DON’T LIKE THE MUSIC: If this is true for you in our church, I’m deeply sorry. I know how difficult it is to listen to music you don’t like or think it’s too loud. However, since when is worship about you? Pardon me for being blunt but we are here to worship God not our own likes and dislikes. We are here to honor and love the redeemer of our salvation. It is not about whether you’re having a good time or not. Having great music really does help and make our time together more interesting. You need to know our worship team is doing its best to provide meaningful and inspiring music each week of a contemporary nature. We want the non-churched person to come in and hear things they can relate to but with a message of truth from God’s Word. Our goal as worship leaders is to provide an atmosphere where you the worshipper can worship the Lord. But if you really don’t like the music then you need to focus on the words, testimonies, scriptures, and prayers of the morning. The psalmist writes: “Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods” (Psalms 96:4 NLT). Come and worship the Lord in the spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and see what the Lord has for you. On September 12, 2010 we are joining in a nation wide campaign to help people go “Back to Church.” Your job will be to invite people for that Sunday to join us in worship. Over the next few weeks I’ll be preaching on why it’s important to go to church and give you some booklets to hand out to your friends that will help them rethink about going to church. This is an important day that could bring many to Christ if we put our hearts and minds into it. Start thinking and praying for those you’d like to invite. God is on the move. Let’s join Him! Blessings! Yours in Christ Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:43PM | comments |
| Thursday, July 22, 2010 |
| Rush To Pray | |
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“We are not in a rush for a decision, but we should be in a rush to pray!” I said this towards the end of our “Dream Service” last Sunday night. You see, I truly believe that God is moving us to pray about our situation. I shared with the church four financial models to illustrate possible futures. They involved staying here in our current facility, moving to a school, renting from our sister church or another church building, or renting this building while someone else holds the lease. The bottom-line in this category is that we are currently upside down in our building costs in relationship to the other areas of staffing and ministry costs. We pay 53% of our budget to lease this facility. We’ve been that way since we moved in but when we first arrived we had a lot more people. So now the time has come to start praying about what we will do in August of 2011 when our lease is up. When we first arrived we were averaging 110 people (kids included) and even at that time felt it was a huge step of faith to come. I even had concerns of having to sell my house just to pay off the lease if we couldn’t make it. But God was faithful and we have been able to stay here far longer than I even dreamed under our current situation. The future looks tough though since our rent will begin to climb back up starting in September of this year. We have done remarkably well at cutting back in every area we can but the truth is that the rent is causing us to not have additional staff and it strains our budget to pay for ministry needs. Right now we cannot afford to hire any additional staff. Even with our campaign, this fell short of its goal, and leaves us in a precarious position. One might ask, “Ok, pastor, where’s your faith?” My faith is still in the God who provides. My faith is in you, God’s people, to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. My faith in is being a good steward of what God gives us and in seeking the Lord’s provision through prayer. I’m not panicked or worried because we have time and the faithfulness of the God of all creation who loves to provide for His children. However, now is the time to pray and to pray with great intensity. Rosemary Morace said something profound last night when she said, “Pastor, what we need to do is win more people to Christ!” I couldn’t have said it better myself. The truth of the matter is that if we grew as a church because of winning people to Christ many of our financial issues would go away. If everyone tithed one tenth of their income we would be far better off than we are right now. But, if we added 10 new families to the church in the next year and they tithed on their income our finances would be a lot better off (assuming the average family income is $50k or more per year, then 10 families would add another $50K to our income per year.) The truth is that would be a miracle of the Lord. Our best growth rate in the past was 15% and much of that growth was made up of teenagers who don’t have a career yet. Still, I believe in miracles and it is not too far out of God’s ability to make such a thing happen. One concept that seemed to be very popular with those in attendance was the idea of renting from our sister church in downtown Oceanside. They have a lovely building that is paid for and their worship time is much later than ours. It would really change our target area for ministry and would change who we are trying to reach, but it does make more sense financially, and if our people continued to give as they have in the past would enable us to hire a full time staff person or even multiple part time staff people. This would have a strategic advantage over our current situation. Again, this is not the time for a decision; this is a time to pray. Our current lease is not up until August of 2011. Unless we find another church to take over our lease we are committed until that day. So, let’s take the time to pray and seek the Lord’s will in our church’s life. Let’s pray for those who need to find Jesus and look for opportunities to lead them to Christ. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to teach us, fill us, and empower us to do the work Christ has laid out for us to do. Sunday night I began the meeting with the following passage of Scripture. Now I end with it simply because it reminds us that we have all that we need in Christ and that He will keep us until the day of His return. 4I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Corinthians 1:4-9 NLT). And I say, “Amen!” Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:13PM | comments |
| Thursday, July 8, 2010 |
| Dreaming Dreams | |
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‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams (Acts 2:17 NLT). “In the last days” is quite an ominous statement. This phrase reminds us that there will come an end to time and that God will bring a day of judgment, a day of accountability, for all of us. However, just before that day comes God promises to “pour out His (My) Spirit upon all people.” On the day of Pentecost just 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection God poured out his Spirit upon his disciples and they were filled with the Holy Spirit of God (a.k.a. as the Spirit of Christ). Since that time God’s people have prophesied, seen visions, and dreamed dreams. In just a few days we are going to be having a “Dream Service.” Besides eating great food brought by our great chefs in the church, the plan is to talk about the future of Del Oro Hills and some outside of the box thinking. We’re going to dream a little and take stock in who we are and where we’re going. I can’t imagine a more important time for all of us to be together. Dreams have been used throughout the Bible as a way of God communicating His will to His people. Remember how Joseph interpreted the dream of Pharaoh and accurately predicted the future which provided both food for the Egyptians and for the Hebrews? How about when God warned another Joseph (Mary’s husband) that he should take the child and his mother out of danger. Even the Apostle Paul had a dream to go and minister to the Macedonians and so they crossed the sea and began their ministry in Philippi. God has truly led His people through dreams. Dreams are a funny thing. Sometimes they are our own dreams, i.e. what we want. Sometimes they are just a solution our minds come up with, and then there are times when it is the Lord speaking. Discernment takes time and prayer, focusing our prayers on the dream to be sure this is what the Lord would have us do. So it’s time for us to do some dreaming again, to reflect on what has happened, and what God is still calling us to accomplish. We’ve had some set backs recently. Set backs that can cause discouragement and a reluctance to venture forth into the unknown. Yet, I believe God isn’t done with Del Oro Hills. I know that He still has need for this church and a desire to see her fruitful. We are still ministering and seeing lives changed. Marriages are being healed, children and youth are finding the Lord, worship is still honoring Christ, and His Word is preached every Sunday. So even with set backs, we are still functioning and working. The real question is “What’s next?” On Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 6:00 pm I’d like for us to gather together to eat, share, and dream a little. We’ll have some time to work through things, but it’s important that we start now. Our leadership team has determined it’s time to share how we are doing financially, what’s happening with staffing, and what’s going on with our connections ministry. Also, I’d like to reflect on the plan I came back with from my sabbatical. Now, that may not sound like the things dreams are made of but it’s a starting point for us to really take hold of what we have and to start dreaming for the future. So let’s be praying that God will lead us through prophesy, visions, and dreams. Let’s pray that God’s Holy Spirit will fall on us and fill us in a fresh and exciting way that night. This is an important meeting of the church and you will not want to miss out. Start planning now and be sure to come ready to hear from the Lord. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:07PM | comments |
| Thursday, May 27, 2010 |
| I Want To Do This - But How? | |
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Our own Kim Levings has graciously consented to blessing us with a series of articles on what it means to be a servant for Christ and to be a part of God’s Team. Here is the second of those articles... The ability to connect to a church and become an active, serving member is possible and necessary for everyone who shows up on a Sunday. But sometimes, it can be as tough as trying to get a membership to an exclusive country club in Beverly Hills! I think we are blessed at Del Oro Hills that we have such a loving, friendly family so it’s a whole lot easier to connect than at many other churches I’ve experienced. That said – it’s our job, as the church members, to continue making connection easy for newcomers. That means making an effort to get to know everybody and truly build relationships among each other. Take time to get to know people you don’t often speak to. Ask questions of each other and even make times to grab a coffee or meal together outside of church. What if you know everyone, feel connected – but are not serving? That can also seem difficult. Maybe you don’t know what you should be doing. You probably know what you like and don’t like to do. As I always say – if you’re really good at something AND enjoy doing it – it’s a good indicator of your giftedness and calling in the church. God doesn’t “accidentally” wire you that way. Your life story, your gifts, your passions, your skills – these are all part of the package of YOU – and designed for you to fulfill your unique place in the Kingdom. The first step to getting connected is sharing this information with us and the second step is for you to follow through on new opportunities you become aware of, or when invited to serve. You see, a good Connections Ministry is matching the right people with the right opportunities, for the right reasons, at the right time. If you’re invited to serve – we will always tell you what it is, how long it will take, why we feel you match, and what we expect. That way you can say “yes” or “no”. Even if you say “yes” and later discover that the ministry or service opportunity is not working for you – you can step down. Learning to serve is a learning experience! When you do connect in the right place though, it often results in a newfound leap of spiritual growth. Like Jesus, we are called to serve, not be served. So take the next step, wherever you are right now… *If you haven’t already – complete the Ministry Survey. Meet with Pastor Martin or me if you’re still not sure about some of your gifts and experience. *Soon, there will be a Ministry Opportunity booklet distributed – review it. Look for things that you would like to do, and volunteer to do them. *Be open to new invitations to participate. Discuss them with the applicable leader – and make a commitment to do it. *Review what service you are doing – is it the right thing? Is it fulfilling? Do you need to change things up? Discuss these concerns with Pastor Martin or me – maybe it’s time we used you in a different place on the team! Life as a Christian is fuller, more rewarding, and brings greater opportunities to discover our Jesus identity when we are serving (aka loving) others. As Paul said to the Galatians – “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Gal. 5:13) In His Service, Kim | |
| posted at 11:08AM | comments |
| Thursday, May 13, 2010 |
| Who Me - Fish? | |
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Our own Kim Levings has graciously consented to blessing us with a series of articles on what it means to be a servant for Christ and to be a part of God’s Team. Here is the first of those articles... Who me – fish? I don’t even know how to cut bait! Jesus said, “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) The most important thing about this command, is understanding its context. Jesus was addressing fisherman – what was the ONE thing they lived for? Fishing. So this command is about leaving behind what takes your attention away from Christ, and focusing on using your God given talents (e.g. fishing) to reach others with the good news of the Gospel. So think of your fishing tackle as the tools that God has provided you in order to “fish for men.” Using your fishing tackle means being a part of the church body – doing AND being the Christian you are called to be. This can mean something as simple as praying for that person who’s name you drew this week, or bringing cookies for Sunday’s refreshments. But it can also mean stepping outside of your “normal routine” and doing something bigger and better. Maybe signing up to help with VBS this year. Or how about volunteering at the San Diego City Fest in September? Maybe God has placed an idea on your heart that means starting something new – with you leading the charge. Every single aspect of our life as a church requires everyone’s talent. You may not be able to cut bait – but every single one of us has valuable fishing tackle that God has blessed us with – and we need to put aside our own fears and insecurities and let God use us in amazing ways! I wanted to explore the fishing analogy a little deeper – to give a refresher on some elements of the God’s Team training. This is about using your tackle to share the truth of the Gospel with the “fish” – those people who cross your path in every day life… The Hook I once had lunch with a ministry colleague with whom I’d only ever emailed or spoken via the phone over business issues. As we sat down, Allen said, “Tell me your story.” I’ve never forgotten that moment – it impacted me so much, because I realized it’s the first step to really connecting with anyone. It’s safe – it’s not “preachy” and the only gift it requires is the ability to listen. But your fishing tackle also consists of knowing your OWN story and believing in THE story of our living Christ. The “hook” is that one thing that you have experienced that puts you in a position to reach out to an unchurched person dealing with that same issue. Our life journeys have prepared us to reach out to others walking the same journey. What have you lived through and survived? How can you use your healed pain and learning to reach out to others? Casting the Line - Where do you cast your line? Well, you can’t and shouldn’t try to cast it inside the “holy huddle” of the church family! It is vitally important for us to keep engaged with the unchurched in our circles. Who do you work with? Do you go to sports clubs, children’s events, and other social activities? If you find out that you don’t KNOW any non-Christians, its time to change your life style! Think about the “fishing pools” of your life. - How do you cast your line? – Easy –”Tell me your story.” Every person you meet is at a different stage of spiritual development. Think about a 1 – 100 point scale from a distance to the cross…and think of people you know who are “-25” vs. “-75” from the cross. Meaning how far away are they, or how close are they. The only way you can find this out, is by listening to their story. It’s my experience that the further someone is from the cross, the “gentler” and less direct your approach needs to be. Sinking the Line If you identify from their story that there is a connection to a hook in your story, you can “sink” the line with some direct ministry into their life. What are the statements of faith that are evident to your story that create a secure line in the water of life – and how did you link them to His story? What do you do if their story is remotely different to yours and you don’t see ANY easy hook? You would need to show empathy; be loving and accepting; be supportive. Depending on where they are, say, “I’m here for you”; “Is it OK if I pray for you?”; “I know of a great group that would be helpful”; “Come to church with me this weekend”; “Have you thought about giving Christ the steering wheel of your life?” To prepare your “sinkers”, it’s essential to do some reflecting on God’s word and how it has manifested itself in your life’s journey since becoming a Christian. The example below is from a few well known quotes from Jesus, but use this as a template to develop your own statements of faith – use those words in the Bible that have been especially applicable for you. (Example: For me it would be Phil 4:6&7) JESUS SAID: I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35) WE CAN SAY: Since I gave my life to Christ, He is my provider in all ways. I never feel that empty hopeless feeling anymore, especially when I miss my married days. JESUS SAID: I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) WE CAN SAY: Jesus made it possible for us to communicate directly with God. This has been such a blessing to me – when I feel stressed and out of control, I just give it all to Him in prayer and experience a much better sense of peace as a result – especially when I went through that recent layoff at work. JESUS SAID: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) WE CAN SAY: I have found God to be trustworthy in my life. As long as I am in a relationship with Christ, I have found my prayers to be answered according to God’s will…that gives me a great sense of hope – especially when I faced that awful decision about selling our home. What is the reality of HIS story? In reaching out to others in the context of what we’ve been talking about, it is still important to know the basic tenets of the Christian faith. It’s difficult to use an effective “statement of faith” in your conversation, if you don’t have some clear cut, simple concepts clear in your mind that you can share. Let’s just look at our main statement of faith—the truth of the Gospel. You can come up with fancy or complicated ways to communicate this, but quite simply: God knows us enough, and loves us enough, to understand that we will NEVER be able to meet His standards on our own. We are trapped in a life of sin. So He provided us with a Savior, a person who paid the price for our sins in full – Jesus Christ. We still have a choice. We can choose to believe in Jesus and let Him be the foundation and driving force of our life, or we can reject Him and risk living eternity separated from God. How is your life demonstrating the love of Jesus? Kim | |
| posted at 11:39AM | comments |
| Thursday, April 29, 2010 |
| Who Made the Box? | |
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Don’t you love it when someone comes along and says, “Well, it’s time to think outside the box!” What they mean is that it’s time to think of things we are not doing in our normal routine. Well, my question is, “Who made the box and put us in it?” I think the answer to that question when it comes to the church is “us.” We are the ones who put the limitations of the box around us. Do I believe in an all-powerful God who knows everything? Yes. Do I believe that God has given us free will? Yes. So here’s my take. The all-powerful God’s power is limited only by our free will. It’s our choice as to how much we trust and believe in God. It’s our responsibility to connect with the power that the all-powerful God has waiting for us. I see that disconnect being our own lack of desire or faith to follow the Lord’s plan. We may want to do something but until we are willing to put all of who we are in God’s hands we have restricted God’s power in that sense. When you read passages of Scripture like these: Matthew 28:18 ( NKJV ) 18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ”All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Luke 18:26-27 ( NKJV ) 26And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” 27But He said, ”The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Ephesians 3:20-21 ( NKJV ) 20Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Doesn’t it make you think that there is a lot more power to doing the work of the church available? Doesn’t that make you wonder why we are not more powerful and successful at doing the work of the Lord here? I certainly do! So, if anything were possible and God would do more than we can imagine then what would your ideal church look like? Wouldn’t it be awesome to be in a church who: - Fed the hungry - Blessed those in need: (fix a plumbing problem, paint a house, clean up a yard, or visit the shut-in or those in the hospital) - Enjoyed playing sports: Baseball, Football, Volleyball, Cycling, Boating, Hiking, etc. - Helped families: counsel marriages, teach parenting tips and skills, train and disciple youth, nurture and love children, etc. - Enjoyed studying the Bible, theology, and really knew what they believed and lived it out! - Used all of their talents and abilities to serve the Lord. - Cared for one another so much that no one would have a need. - Preached the gospel so every week we would see people coming to Christ and joining our community of faith. - Enjoyed worship that was powerful, meaningful, and moving. - A church filled with people willing and wanting to serve. Now to some degree we are doing these things and to some degree we aren’t. We say we’d like to do more but then there are individual needs and wants that get in the way. Did you know that the average amount of time American men spend (5.7 hours) in an average day engaged in leisure activities like watching TV, socializing or exercising—is about 36 minutes more than women (US Department of Labor, American Time Use Survey1)? That tells me that on an average day we all spend about 5 hours on leisure activities. Is that OK in God’s eyes when so many people are missing out on salvation in Christ? What if we took the leisure activities and turned them into evangelism opportunities? Would Christ be honored by that? I think so. I think the greatest problem the church faces today is the idea that we are all individuals and not a group. Look at the marketing around us and see how it focuses our attention on the “me” mentality. It seems that if the word “I” is in it or “My” it becomes popular. Consider the IPod, IPhone, IMac and the new IPad, or on our computers we have “My Documents” or there’s MySpace on the internet. Even in the church we have a product called “IWorship” (which always seemed a bit selfish of a title to me). We are inundated with requests to find out how each individual personally feels about things. People who have never met me want my opinion about things online. Somehow the more people engage in giving their opinion to news services feel they have more people involved in their product. The problem with individualism is that one person can’t even begin to make a dent in the issues of our world. That’s why we need the church to be more proactive in working together to accomplish the ministry that God has called us to do. Over the next few weeks and months Kim Levings will be calling and asking you to fill out a survey that tells us your spiritual gifts, your talents, and your abilities, so that WE can work together to accomplish more ministry. Do you realize that our greeters, ushers, and those who clean the church are doing the welcoming ministry of our church? When the bathrooms smell fresh, there are parking spaces near the front door, and everyone is welcomed by smiling and friendly people, that’s what makes a great impression on our visitors. When the music is awesome, the testimonies genuine and meaningful, and all of us are welcoming to others, visitors want to hang around with us. Long before they ever hear the sermon they have made up their minds if they want to come back or not. I know that the sermon is very important but so are these other ministries. So help Kim help us by saying yes to filling out a survey and by getting involved with the different ministries going on in our church. I want to say thank you to those who have filled out your surveys and a big thank you to all of you who serve each Sunday. Church is a group effort where God uses His people to bless us and those who need to find a new relationship with Him. Keep praying, growing, serving, and loving. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout 1 As quoted in Outreach Magazine May/June 2010 p. 81 | |
| posted at 03:06PM | comments |
| Thursday, March 25, 2010 |
| The Passion Week According to Luke | |
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It’s not very often I give you homework, although in the past I may have urged you to read books like, “The Purpose Driven Church,” or “The Relationship Principles of Jesus.” Today as we enter into the Easter season I thought it appropriate for all of us to read through the passion narrative from the Gospel of Luke. Below is a listing of headings and their references from the NIV to help us organize our readings. Here’s my challenge to you. Let’s all of us read each day during Easter week the passages as they unfold in the passion story. Each day read the sections of Scripture listed below and then write down a few comments in a journal or on a separate piece of paper. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you see what Jesus did, taught, and experienced that week by reading each day’s section of the scripture. For some of you this will be an easy task while for others of you this may be the most Bible reading you’ve done in years. At the beginning of each day’s reading ask the Lord to show you what He wants you to learn. When you’ve finished reading, close your eyes and just try to imagine the story in your mind. Pretend you are going to make a movie and picture in your mind’s eye how you would stage it. Allow your senses to become engaged and think about the smells, sounds, and feelings you would have if you had been standing there watching everything Jesus was doing. Now that would be a great movie to see! Take your time and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you and discover all that God has for you that day. Feel free to email questions or comments to me as you read this coming week. I trust and believe the Lord will bless you richly for your efforts. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout Sunday, March 28th The Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:28-44) Jesus Clears the Temple Again (Luke 19:45-46) Preaching at the Temple (Luke 19:47-48) Monday, March 29th Religious Leaders Challenge Jesus’ Authority (Luke 20:1-8) Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants (Luke 20:9-19) Tuesday, March 30th Religious Leaders Question Jesus about Paying Taxes (Luke 20:20-26) Religious Leaders Question Jesus about the Resurrection (Luke 20:27-40) Religious Leaders Cannot Answer Jesus’ Question (Luke 20:41-44) Jesus Warns against the Religious Leaders (Luke 20:45-47) Wednesday, March 31st A Poor Widow Gives All She Has (Luke 21:1-4) Jesus tells about the Future (Luke 21:5-24) Jesus Tells about His Return (Luke 21:25-33) Jesus Tells about Remaining Watchful (Luke 21:34-38) Thursday, April 1st The Lord’s Supper [Warning of Peter’s Denial] (Luke 22:1-38) Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46) Jesus arrested (Luke 22:47-53) Peter’s Denial of Knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54-65) Jesus’ Trial and Condemnation (Luke 22:66-71) Friday, April 2nd Jesus Stands Trail before Pilate (Luke 23:1-5) Jesus Stands Trial before Herod (Luke 23:6-12) Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified (Luke 23:13-25) Jesus is Led Away to Be Crucified (Luke 23:26-31) Jesus Is Placed on the Cross (Luke 23:32-43) Jesus Dies on the Cross (Luke 23:44-49) Jesus is Laid in the Tomb (Luke 23:50-55) Saturday, April 3rd Sabbath They Rested on the Sabbath Day (Luke 23:56) Sunday, April 4th Resurrection Jesus Rises from the Dead (Luke 24:1-12) Jesus Appears to Two Believers Traveling on the Road (Luke 24:13-35) Jesus Appears to the Disciples Behind Locked Doors (Luke 24:36-43) Jesus Appears to the Disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:44-49) Jesus Ascends into Heaven (Luke 24:50-53) | |
| posted at 12:07PM | comments |
| Thursday, March 11, 2010 |
| 2010 Vision Statement | |
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The DOHCC Leadership Team has been busy re-working and refining our church Vision Statement for 2010. Each year brings new goals, challenges, and victories for our congregation. 2009 was a year of accomplishments as we “Renewed, Retooled, and Reconnected” with each other, our Pastor, and a Real Christ. 2010 brings even more excitement and opportunities for each member of the body of Christ as we understand where God wants us to be on His team. So please read through our 2010 Statement of Purpose below, and be praying about how God wants to use you on His team in the fulfillment of our goals. Thanks! Pastor Martin, Glenda Kimbrel, and the Leadership Team ******************************************************************************** DEL ORO HILLS COMMUNITY CHURCH 2010 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE MISSION STATEMENT: Del Oro Hills Community Church makes Christ’s love real by meeting the needs of families and equipping people to serve so that lives are transformed - Real people, meeting real needs, with a real Christ. CORE VALUES: • Prayer • Worship • Outreach • Giving • Serving • Discipleship • Family • Realism (authenticity) • Healing VISION STATEMENT: Del Oro Hills Community Church is a healthy, active and growing church that meets the needs of families by drawing them in and discipling them in the truth of Christ so that the Holy Spirit can transform their lives. We encourage authenticity, accountability and connection in ongoing relationships so that everyone can mature in their faith and feel cared for by each other. We are committed to developing and supporting faithful followers of Christ who serve according to their gifts, so that the truth of the Gospel can be shared with those in our community and our world. GOALS FOR 2010: • Increase focus on outreach opportunities in everything we do - making a direct effort to connect to the ‘real’ hard-working families and hurting people in our local community with the love of Christ, with an emphasis on young adult families, including “non-traditional.” • Provide training and discipling to our church family to prepare for outreach and service. (Getting Connected to God - Heart, Soul, Mind, Strength, Playing on God’s Team) • Help our congregation members understand the true meaning of ministry within the church and the importance and necessity of each person taking on ministry responsibilities. • Church-wide emphasis on the 360 Plan: Pray for 3 people, 6 times each week, missing 0 opportunities to share one’s faith. And don’t forget to pick up a Yellow Member Survey on the back table, fill it out, and return to Kim Levings ASAP! | |
| posted at 12:52PM | comments |
| Thursday, February 25, 2010 |
| When His People Pray | |
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This last week in our Primetimer’s group we were studying the story of Moses being given the Ten Commandments and how the Children of Israel got tired of waiting and took up worshiping a golden calf as their new god. In that moment God’s wrath burned against the children of Israel and God declared that He was going to destroy them. Take a look at what Moses does next: 11But Moses tried to pacify the LORD his God. “O LORD!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? 12Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! 13Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” 14So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people (Exodus 32:11-14, NLT). I think that last verse is remarkable! God changed his mind due to Moses’ efforts to save his people. Now God could still have accomplished His covenant by wiping out all of the children of Israel and starting over with Moses. However, God was moved by Moses’ compassion for the people. Do you suppose that only Moses could do that or do you think that we could come before the Lord and “change His mind?” Have there been others who have changed the mind of God? Well, there was Abraham who bartered with God to save Sodom. Abraham argued that if God could find 50 righteous people that He would save Sodom from destruction. In fact Abraham got God to come all the way down to 10 righteous people. Now that’s knowing how to make a deal! We know that God knows everything. He also knows how these “deals” are going to come out. The awesome thing about our God is that He is compassionate and merciful. God longs for His people to respond to Him with love and mercy for others. So consider this idea. If God’s people prayed and interceded for this lost world, don’t you think that would move the heart of God and maybe even change His mind? I was listening to a song the other day entitled, “When His People Pray” by Casting Crowns. The song caught my attention and I wanted to share part of the lyrics with you today. Take a look at the first verse and chorus: What if the armies of the Lord Picked up and dusted off their swords Vowed to set the captive free And not let Satan have one more What if the Church, for heaven’s sake Finally stepped up to the plate Took a stand upon God’s promise And stormed hell’s rusty gates Chorus: What if His people prayed And those who bear His name Would humbly seek His faith, yeah And turn from their old ways And what would happen if we prayed For those raised up to lead the way Then maybe kids in school could pray And unborn children see light of day The composer proposes that if God’s people were all to pray then there would be a tremendous result. In essence he’s saying that we aren’t praying enough and that God could do so much more if did. The song is based upon 2 Chronicles 7:14, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, NLT). The question is worth meditating on and doing something about. What would happen if every day everyone would pray for God’s will to be accomplished in our lives, community, and world? For me it boggles the imagination. Now I know that many of you pray. You pray well and you pray hard for God’s will to be accomplished. For you who pray regularly please continue and know that God’s work is moving forward because of your faithfulness. For those who have a hard time praying daily or even every other day let me encourage you. There are many times when God would move us to do something important but because we are so focused on our own lives that we forget to check in with the Boss. We don’t pray as we should and therefore we live powerless lives instead of serving in the Holy Spirit’s power. E.M. Bounds writes in his book, “Purpose in Prayer”: “When we calmly reflect upon the fact that the progress of our Lord’s kingdom is dependent upon prayer, it is sad to think that we give so little time to the holy exercise. Everything depends on prayer, and yet we neglect it – not only to our own spiritual hurt, but also to the delay and injury of our Lord’s cause upon the earth. The forces of good and evil are contending for the world. If we would pray, we could add to the conquering power of the army of righteousness; and yet our lips are sealed, our hands hang listlessly by our side, and by holding back from the prayer chamber we jeopardize the very cause in which we profess to be deeply interested…” (pg 22) In the song “When His People Pray” within the second verse he says: What if the life that we pursue Came from a hunger for the truth What if the family turned to Jesus Stopped asking Oprah what to do I wish I had written that line. The truth is that prayer changes the mind of God and it changes our world. When we forget to pray we forget thgoodness and mercy that God wants to demonstrate in this world. Consider this, every time you pray you unleash a little bit more of God’s power. Satan trembles at the name of Jesus, demons flee at the name of Jesus. Lives are saved, healed, freed, redeemed, and cleansed at the name of Jesus. Don’t you think its time we made prayer a higher priority in our lives? If this ministry is going to do anything significance for the Lord it will begin by our being on our knees in prayer. Our families will only be turned to Jesus if we consistently pray. It may not happen instantly, and it may take years, but our faithfulness in prayer will reap a harvest that is beyond imagination. That’s not my promise, that’s God’s promise. So, keep praying if you pray, and if you don’t, its time to start. God is waiting upon us to change His mind. Are you ready to see the power of God unleashed in your life? Let’s pray! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:04PM | comments |
| Thursday, February 11, 2010 |
| Love Words | |
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Have you ever read the Song of Songs? Whew! It’s quite the love sonnet. It’s some of the most erotic poetry and verse ever written…and it’s in the Bible. For example, ladies when was the last time you looked deep into your husband's eyes and said: “Kiss me—full on the mouth! Yes! For your love is better than wine, headier than your aromatic oils. The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook. No wonder everyone loves to say your name!” (Song of Songs 1:2-3 TM). Let me tell you. You start talking like that and you will get his attention! Now wouldn’t that be fun! Too often we don’t say what we feel. We let the everyday business of life get in the way of telling one another just how important they are to us. We get flustered or embarrassed when saying how much we love someone. Perhaps there’s a good reason. Love words are powerful. They make us vulnerable to being hurt and rejected. Love words open up past hurts like ripping off a Band-Aid before the wound has had time to heal. But if we never take the time to say, “I love you” then we miss the point of God’s word. Some read the Song of Songs as a book describing God’s passionate love for us. The physical act of love between a man and woman in marriage is beautiful in God’s eyes. One can see the metaphor between this passionate love between the King and the chosen love of his life. We could also imagine God’s deep and abiding love for us, the chosen love of His life. God’s love for us is not sexual but it is deeply personal just as sex is deeply personal between a married couple. Let me say something about sex for a moment. Sexuality is a God given gift. Erotic sexuality between a husband and wife is part of the becoming one flesh in marriage. It's a gift from the Lord for us to enjoy. Part of the hangup in our culture is that we have two opposing sides on sexuality. One side is the Church saying that sex is evil and should be only used in emergencies. But the world says sex is good and we should have it with anyone and everyone. The problem is that both perceptions are wrong. God made us to enjoy sex and for it to be an expression of selfless love, NOT selfish love. The world’s point of view is “please yourself.” God’s point of view is for us to love each other and to please each other with a selfless kind of love. I like the analogy of fire. If fire is used in the right places and in the right way, it can be a very useful and wonderful tool. Fire in our stoves to cook our food, fire in our heaters and in our fireplaces to warm our homes, and even fire in the engines of our cars gets us to where we need to go. All of these are wonderful uses for fire. However, if you build a fire in your bed, or backseat of your car, or even in the living room you’ll quickly find destruction and mayhem in your life. The same is true with sexuality. Sex in the right place, with the right person, in the right kind of relationship, is a very useful and wonderful tool. Sex outside of marriage causes nothing but havoc and destruction. Oh maybe not at first, but its ultimate end will be personal and emotional scars, unwanted pregnancies or diseases, and broken relationships. Love words are needed in everyday life. We need to tell our children regularly that we love them. Their self-image and self-confidence are based on it. We need to tell our spouses we love them daily to remind them and you why you are on this journey together. You need to tell it to your friends to remind them how important they are to you. Then at the end of life you don’t regret missing the opportunity to tell those you love how much you really loved them. Now there are many who think that words are cheap and you should just show it by your actions. I would say words are cheap if your actions aren’t demonstrating what your words are trying to say. But your actions are not understood until they are explained by your words. If you think people are seeing what you are doing as loving and you don’t speak about your deep love for them they will misunderstand your intentions. Love words are powerful when they are backed up by action, and vice versa. One other side note for those of you who are single; I know Valentines Day can be a painful reminder of past hurts or a sense of loneliness, but it doesn’t have to be. Getting together with friends who are not in relationships at this time can be extremely helpful. Go out and do something fun or stay in and enjoy a movie together, etc. Just take a proactive approach to a potentially depressing day with expressing love and friendship to those around you. The bottom line is don’t be a victim. Seize the day and make opportunities to be with others. Here are some ways to convey love to others through both words and actions: The Believers are devoted to one another and give preference to one another (Romans 12:10). They love one another (Romans 13:8). They refrain from judging one another (Romans 14:13). They edify one another (Romans 15:14). They serve one another (Galatians 5:13). They don’t hurt one another (Galatians 5:15). They don’t provoke one another through conceit (Galatians 5:26) They help carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). They are patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2). They are kind and forgiving toward one another (Ephesians 4:32). They submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). They esteem one another (Philippians 2:3). They stimulate one another to do good works (Hebrews 10:24). They don’t slander one another (James 4:11). They don’t complain against one another (James 5:9). They confess their sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16). They extend hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9). Tell someone you love them today. Enjoy telling and showing someone how much you love them. Don’t wait for some cheesy holiday to do it, do it everyday. And remember, God passionately loves you with an everlasting love. Blessings! With Love, Pastor Martin | |
| posted at 11:44AM | comments |
| Thursday, January 14, 2010 |
| Little Things Becoming Big Things | |
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Last Sunday I spoke on the text where Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed and yeast in bread. Both of these images depict something very small becoming quite large. Planting a tiny mustard seed can cause a tree to grow up to 21 feet tall, with a root descending up to 63 feet in the ground! Using just a little bit of yeast causes a whole loaf of bread to rise to more than twice its size. Little things becoming big things….it was a big difference from the way the Pharisees of Jesus’ day saw the kingdom, and truthfully it’s the same for us as well. When I envision ministry I often think of lots of people being impacted, hundreds coming to Christ, and building a church of thousands. However, God often has very different plans than what I’m thinking about. God can see how the little things can add up to very big things. Jesus pointed out the widow’s mite in giving and saying that she gave more than anyone else did that day because she gave sacrificially. Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish from one little boy’s lunch and turned it into a feast for thousands. We have to realize that what we see as big and important God often sees as small and insignificant, and what we often see as insignificant God sees as greatly important. Last Sunday I challenged the congregation to think of one little thing that if done consistently, could result in a big change. I used the illustration of my giving up Diet Coke last year as an example. By my giving up drinking Diet Coke (or Diet Pepsi) I ended up saving $390 (estimated) for the year. In fact, I’m sure that number is low but I was being conservative. Just think, I saved almost $400 dollars by choosing to drink water which is healthier. Saved money, healthier kidneys, all good things accomplished by my choosing to make one little change. I was interested in some of the changes you suggested, such as having a more positive attitude toward others, choosing not to become so angry at work, and reading your Bible each day. These are all good things to do which could reap marvelously big results. However, here’s the catch. When you choose to do something of this nature there is one thing you must do to make it work and that is be consistent. If I choose not to drink soda one day out of the year, that wouldn’t accomplish very much. When I choose not to drink soda for an entire year, then I end up saving money and having a healthier body. So it is with your choice - stay consistent. If you fail today, start again. Remember you are doing something that is not natural to you or else you’d be doing it already. This is choosing to go up hill, swimming against the current, running with the wind in your face. Your consistency is the only way you will beat the immediate feelings and see the long term results. The Apostle Paul speaks about disciplining himself when he says, “24Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT). The reason Paul sticks with it is to win an eternal prize. What we do here on earth is rewarded in heaven which will last for all eternity. Now that’s a prize worth working for! Whatever you have chosen to change in your life, my hope and prayer is that God will use it for His glory. When our efforts are based just on ourselves then its effects will be, at best, temporary. However, when we set out to glorify God with our actions they will reap a harvest that is eternal. So, stay consistent, run to win the prize, and see how God will help you along the way. I looked forward to many testimonies from you demonstrating how much God made himself known to you in helping you to make the change. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:35PM | comments |
| Thursday, December 31, 2009 |
| The Call To Be A Shepherd | |
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Is God calling you to be a Shepherd? Perhaps to some level you already are but wouldn't think of being called that! All I know is that we need more shepherds to help grow the flock. The Gospel of Matthew says: “36When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields’” (Matthew 9:36-37 NLT). What Jesus is asking us to do is to pray for more workers…more shepherds. The word "Shepherd" implies a person who tends a flock. That means feeding, watering, nurturing, and caring for the master’s sheep. Who are the flock? God’s people. Who are the workers? Anyone who obeys the master and serves God’s people. Who are the shepherds? Those who are called of God to oversee the workers and care for God’s people. The Apostle Paul explained it to the Ephesians this way: 11Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT). So the role of a pastor or teacher in this verse is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. So through preaching, teaching, discipling, and by example I’ve been trying to teach this body of Christ how to mature and become like Jesus. This is not an easy task. It takes long hours of preparation, dedication, and determination, and a few other “-ations” I’m sure I’m missing. God gives to the church as a gift those who are chosen to lead God’s people so that the church may be built up. How well are we doing? As I look back over the years we have had some successes and some failures. Right now I see we have a long hard road ahead of us if we are going to become all that Christ wants us to be. I think we are at a critical juncture in the life of our church, in great need of workers who will help shepherd God’s people. You might ask, “Don’t we need more people first?” No, you always get the workers before you buy the sheep. We need to be prepared so as people come into our church we can minister effectively to them. We also need well trained gatherers, people who are gifted at bringing people to Christ. We need people to bring them in, people to tend them once they are in, and people to train them and send them out to bring more in. OK, did that make any sense? We have great foot soldiers but not enough lieutenants to help lead us to growth and maturity in Christ. Read the quote below and see if your heart doesn’t want to shout out in agreement: God give us men. A time like this demands Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands! Men whom the lust of office does not kill, Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy, Men who possess opinions and a will, Men who love honor; men who will not lie. - (Josiah Gilbert Holland; 1819–1881) This cry was written for the political scene of the country at the time, but it can also be made for the church as well. We need men and women of talent, intelligence, integrity, and courage to step forward to take on the battle. We need people who are well versed in scripture, theology, and ministry; people who understand the call of God upon their lives and are willing to study, work, and humbly serve. Do you wish to take the next step in growing in Christ? Are you interested in making a difference in someone else’s life for the Lord? Well, here’s your opportunity. On January 7, 2010 @ 6:30 PM in Room #6, I’m starting a training class which will enable anyone to learn how to pray, have a deeper understanding of theology, and discover new ways of serving others. We will start with prayer each night, move into a discussion of theology, and finally talk about needs and actions we can take to help us serve others in the love of Christ. This class will not be for the faint of heart or for the lazy sloth who only wants to be a sponge and soak up more information. There will be books and articles to read, disciplines to follow, and goals and objectives to attain. If you are looking for a therapy group, don’t join this. If you are looking to discover how God can use you in new and exciting ways then come on in. You need to sign up and let me know you’re coming, so here’s what I want you to do. Fill out one of our yellow cards and place it in the offering bag or the black box at the back of the worship center with a note that says, “I’m coming for Shepherd training.” You can also email or call me. Just let me know that you’re coming. We'll start promptly at 6:30 PM and be done by 8:00 PM. If you’re late, you'll miss out! God will bless those who choose to serve and follow after Christ. Consider what the Apostle Paul said about spreading the good news: 14But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15 NLT). We need people with beautiful feet. Come and join me in a quest to raise up more shepherds for the body of Christ! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 12:58PM | comments |
| Thursday, December 10, 2009 |
| What's In A Name | |
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When it comes to picking out a name for a child parents go to great lengths to pick just the right one. They write it down to see how it looks. They say it out loud to hear how it sounds. They wonder what the name means or if someone can rhyme something bad out of it. And why is it that kids never come up with positive rhymes when it comes to your name? A name can mean success or ridicule. A name says something about the person even before you meet them. We associate all kinds of connotations with names. For example, maybe you know a person who is really hard to get along with. The likelihood of you using their name for your next child would be highly unlikely. When God said His son would be born, the angel told Joseph his name will be “Yeshua” (which is the Hebrew word for Jesus. Jesus is the Greek pronunciation of Yeshua). Yeshua means, “Savior” or “the Lord saves.” That’s why Matthew records in his gospel account: “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 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” (Matthew 1:20-21 NIV). Another name given to Jesus in this same chapter is “Immanuel”. “’The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’—which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23 NIV). Now Immanuel is more than a name. It was a phrase that meant, “God is with us!” The Israelites would shout this when God would lead them into battle (see Isaiah 8:8). The prophet Isaiah prophesied five hundred years before Jesus was born that God would send Himself to save us (see Isaiah 7:14). Take a moment and look at that phrase “God is with us.” Now in the English language the word “with” implies relationship. A young man might say, “I’m going with her” meaning they have a serious dating relationship. A woman could say, “I’m with child” and we would know that a significant event is coming…the birth of her child. When God says, “I’m with you” that has a much deeper meaning than just that God exists. It means that God is in relationship with us! Consider the fact that the God of the universe has chosen to be “with” you. He gave up heaven and all the glory and power that He was used to and became a little child in the arms of a teenager. From the height of heaven to a lowly manger stall. Now that’s downsizing! When you face your battles in life remember that “God is with us!” As you face a new year of uncertainty… “God is with us!” When you hear words that disaster is coming your way remember, “God is with us!” God loved you so much that He chose to be “with” you. God gave up His Son so you could be with Him. Jesus means Savior. Immanuel means God is with us. Praise the Lord for His love for us. Merry Christmas! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 02:48PM | comments |
| Wednesday, November 25, 2009 |
| Why Christmas is Hope | |
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“Why Christmas Is Hope” Ok, it’s Thanksgiving eve and all through the house people are scurrying even the mouse. We’ve turkeys to thaw and pies to make “and straighten up that mess, for heaven’s sake!” We’ve no time to lose, and no time to waste, because the holidays are coming and hurry is our pace. I’ve got things to bake and stuff to buy with no money to spend and I start to wonder why. Is this what God meant when the Angel said, “Rejoice?” Maybe it’s time to rethink our choice! Alright, enough with the bad poetry. However, I’m sure in the process of your fast paced life there are times you sit back and wonder, “Why am I doing all this?” Have you noticed the hurried and frantic pace people are moving with when you drive through a parking lot? To me it’s as if people are looking glazed, worried, and way over stressed. Don’t you see the irony when they label the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday”? Apparently we are not patriotic Americans if we don’t run our credit cards up to their limits and buy all those crazy gifts that people don’t need or want. To me it’s simply amazing how we’ve taken a beautiful time of worship, thanksgiving, and remembrance and turned it into a nightmare. The strangest part of all this is that I like the madness. You say, “What? You like the madness?” Yep, I know it’s crazy but I just love Christmas time. I think it’s because of the hope that comes with Christmas. Not that I’m sitting around hoping for Christmas to come like I used to when I was a little kid, but hope because of what Christmas means. If you think the world is bad now think about how different life would be if Christ hadn’t come. Consider the impact of Christianity on our world. We wouldn’t have many of our hospitals, universities, educational systems, and so much more. Our laws are based on the Judeo Christian ethic, our society’s sense of morality, although badly skewed away from its roots, has its basis in Christian sensibility. Christ’s impact on the world has been more significant than any other religion known to man. To put it on an even grander scale, Jesus died to give us life. Jesus was born, lived, taught, preached, served, and died so that you and I could figure out what life was really all about. He paid the debt of sin between us and God so that we could have eternal life with God in our hearts, and so we could have heaven as our hope for the afterlife. The truth is without Jesus this world would have imploded years ago. Without Jesus to stop the madness our world we would be in far worse shape then it is in today. Also, keep in mind that there is a point at which God will end this world and create a new heaven and a new earth (See Revelation 21:1-7). So, even in the middle of all the economic struggles, wars, marital tension, decadent behavior, and poverty we still have a hope for the future. 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children (Revelation 21:1-7 NLT). Because of Christ we have hope. A hope that echoes down through the centuries of the insanity of mankind, a hope that resonates in the hearts of believers and keeps us going. We celebrate the hope because it’s a free gift of salvation, something we could never earn on our own. We praise Christ since it is due to His sacrifice on the cross that our debt of sin is paid. Our slate has been wiped clean so we can live right before God. We’ve been given a second chance. Christ is in the business of renewing, redeeming, and regenerating lives. He is “making everything new!” So bake your goodies, buy and wrap your presents, express love and joy with your loved ones. Look around you and see who you can share the love of Christ with and let the whole world know that Jesus is our hope. For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV). Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 02:07PM | comments |
| Thursday, October 22, 2009 |
| The More You Tell, the More You Sell | |
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When I was but a young lad of twelve I had a paper route. The newspaper I delivered was called “The Fresno Bee.” I’ve never really appreciated the name, but I did work for them for 4 ½ years. While I was a paper boy I had the glorious opportunity to go door to door to try to get new subscribers. My district manager would give us pencils that had as an inscription, “The More You Tell, the More You Sell.” Clever, huh? As much as I hated going door to door to ask people if they wanted to start a subscription I had to agree with the logic. The more I went from door to door the greater the odds were I’d find someone who wanted to start the paper. I’m sure my sales technique was truly substandard but there were times I’d find someone who was willing to sign up…once in a while. I had the greatest luck, though, with the people on my route. That way they would know who was delivering their paper and they had my information if they had a complaint. Having a relationship with my customers was the best part of my job since my route was also my neighborhood. To see where I’m going with this let me remind you of why we are in business as a church. We are here to tell the world about Jesus Christ and the good news that their sins can be forgiven and the Holy Spirit can live inside their hearts. Do you believe that is good news? In fact that’s the best news in the whole world! The Apostles and the Early Church gave their lives for that news. Countless Christians throughout history have dedicated and given their lives to spread this good news. The more we tell about Jesus the greater the odds that we will find someone who is interested in knowing more. Here are 10 ways that we can fire up the heat in our lives for sharing the good news with others: 10 Ways to Fire Up Your Motivation (Based on and adapted from “Ten Signs of a Contagious Small Group” from the book “Seeker Small Groups” (Gary Poole, p. 232). 1. Develop a Vision: A vision is an idea that shows what you hope to achieve. Example of a vision would be to win three people to Christ in one year. Perhaps you feel the burden to win fifty, but let’s start simple. Remember the 360 idea. Influence 3 people, pray 6 days a week, and miss 0 opportunities. That’s a great way to live out your vision. 2. List and Pray: Create a list of people you feel a burdened to share Christ with. Perhaps they are members in your family, co-workers at work, or someone you know from the gym, softball, or wherever. Write their names on a card and begin praying for them each day. Put the card in a place you will see regularly so you won’t forget to pray. 3. Get Equipped: A practical way to build confidence in the area of evangelism is to get adequately trained. Books like “Becoming a Contagious Christian” are wonderful to read and inspiring with great tips on how to share your faith. 4. Swap Stories: When you have the opportunity to share your faith, then share that story with us on Sunday mornings at Testimony Time. You’d be surprised at how empowering that is and how motivating to the rest of the congregation it can be. Also, people can join you in prayer for that individual. 5. Hang Out Together: One of the best ways to win people to Christ is to be their friend. Spend time together doing fun things. Invite them to your home for dinner or bowling or whatever. Find a common interest and spend time doing that together. The better the friendship the more trust they will have in your experience with Christ. Remember, they won’t care what you know until they know how much you care. 6. Look for Open Windows: This is about initiating spiritual conversations with lost people. Often, we go about our day unaware of opportunities to share our faith. Get with a Christian friend or talk with your small group about how members can keep their awareness level up in order to engage in spiritual conversations. Sometimes dropping clues or hints about one’s faith is enough to launch significant dialogues. Discuss examples of appropriate spiritual clues to use with seekers. Pray for one another to have wisdom in boldly starting these spiritual interactions. 7. Make Invitations: Look for events that you can invite your unsaved friends to that would be a safe place for them to experience the message of Christ and meet other loving Christians. Sunday morning is an obvious choice but also our special fellowship events are great for introducing your seeker friends to people here at the church. Also, the fun we have together helps them to feel more relaxed and open to what they hear. I know that inviting people can be a tough challenge because they can always decline your invitation. Don’t turn your friend into a project but be sure to keep inviting. Since you are their friend you are just inviting them to be a part of something that’s important to you. Encourage each other at church not lose heart. 8. Party with a Purpose: Try inviting a group of people to your home for a party. Be sure to make it fun and enjoyable but also be sure to invite some other Christian friends to join with you. Perhaps your small group can join with you and as a group make this an opportunity to build relationships with others outside your normal realm of influence. Working together as a group can be a real encouragement to each other. 9. Fill the Open Chairs: In your small group leave an empty chair in your circle and pray for God to bring someone to mind to invite to be a part of your group. Look at the empty chairs on Sunday morning and ask God to place someone on your heart who would be open to joining us on Sundays. Always be open to new people joining with us on Sundays and in your small group. God can make a huge impact in their life just because you summoned up the courage to invite them. 10. Get Involved in the Community: Do you know of some activity in the community you’d be interested in doing that would get you around new people who may not know Christ? I’ve joined two very social situations to help me build bridges with new people. I’ve joined a local Community College Choir and I’ve joined the YMCA Gym. Both of these places are already opening up opportunities for sharing about Christ. I don’t hit them over the head with my Bible on the first encounter (not even the second one). In fact I want to get to know them before I bring up the whole spiritual conversation idea. As I’ve been aware and looking for opportunities and as I’ve made myself available to people the door just opens up. So there are ten ways you can fire up your motivation to share about Christ with others. Always keep pressing yourself to look for new doors of opportunity, and remember the more you tell, the more you save (I mean sell). OK, let’s not make this too commercial, but the logic is still the same. We are called to share Christ with the world and we dare not wait any longer. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:44PM | comments |
| Wednesday, October 7, 2009 |
| What Is God Doing?!? | |
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Newsletter Article October 5, 2009 Noah and his family saves all the animals on the ark, Gideon and the original 300 defeat Israel’s enemies, Jesus takes the lunch of a young man with five loaves and two fish and feeds five thousand men and their families, and God used the Twelve Apostles to spread the Word about Jesus to a lost world. What do these people and events have in common? They are stories from the Bible where God chose to go with the small and insignificant to accomplish big and significant things. I don’t know about you but to me it seems like we are being pruned. Still I have a sense that God has chosen us to do something significant but with fewer numbers. The possible reasons for God to do such a thing are numerous. God may want to show His power by accomplishing something through us that can only be explained by God’s power. He may be getting rid of the dead weight in our church, those who would only stand in the way of God’s progress. It might be because of sin in our hearts or a failing to follow after His will. All of these could be true. If that is so then our first steps should be to spiritually examine ourselves, renew our faith, confess our sins to be clean and pure before Him, and praise God for the change. From our normal everyday perspective we can see things are not going very well. All of us wish we could have larger attendance, to be stronger financially, and with more ministries. However, due to conflicts, staff changes, and fatigue we are where we are. Is there something in this that God wants us to learn? In allowing all of this to happen could God be up to something new? I think so and yet I also know that God does things very differently from the way common wisdom operates. Consider Paul’s statement to the church at Corinth regarding the wisdom of this world: 26Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT). So, let’s see how we line up. Are we wealthy and powerful? No. Are we considered wise? Not necessarily. Are we despised? Not so much. From a common everyday perspective are we resourced, tooled, and ready to do great things? Not without God’s help. Whatever we accomplish together we will only be able to accomplish with the Lord’s help. Then we can boast in the Lord for HIS power and that HE has done great things through us. Perhaps you see us weak and wounded. I have a feeling that is just where God wants us. Attend to Paul again as he describes how God gave him a thorn in the flesh. And even though he pleaded with God to take it away, God gave it to him to help him grow and learn to be humble: 6If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NLT). Did you read that? “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Then praise the Lord! We are in great shape for God to do something miraculous! Remember that I mentioned Gideon in my first paragraph? The story goes that God told Gideon to send most of the army home because God was going to win the battle for them. Remember the time when Jesus told the disciples to feed 5,000? Jesus simply asked for what they had on hand. Then Jesus prayed, the miracle happened, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers. Also, think of being one of the Apostles. Jesus has just ascended, you are given the task to tell the world about Him, and you have nothing but the clothes on your back and the sandals on your feet to get it done. Then the Lord sends the Holy Spirit upon them and they praised, prophesied, and preached. Over three thousand were saved that day. Not too shabby a start. In the coming days the Word spread all over Jerusalem and thousands more were saved. Why do we fret about numbers, money, and other kinds of resources when we serve the God of the universe? Don’t let Satan fool you. God is always working and He is up to something right now! Our job as a church is to worship the Lord with our whole hearts, to nurture one another in the faith, and to reach out to the World with the good news that Jesus loves them, died for them, and longs to have a relationship with them. Now I would like to invite you to a special time of prayer. I know that many of you are busy and have lots of things scheduled throughout the week. However, I just want to put it out there that on Thursday nights starting October 15, 2009 at 7:00 PM we will be having a prayer time here at the church. I will arrive about 6:30 PM and open up the doors, turn on the lights, play some quiet reflective music, and begin to pray at 7:00 PM. If I’m by myself I’ll be there for one hour. If you want to come and join me for only a few minutes that’s fine. If you need me or others to pray for you feel free to come by. All I want to do is create time for those who are serious about prayer to come and wait upon the Lord. If you can’t make it then just pray wherever you are for as long as you can. If you don’t like to drive at night ask a friend to bring you. I believe God is at work in shaping us into something He can use and I believe that it always starts with prayer. Gideon prayed about a fleece, Jesus prayed for the fish and the bread, and the Apostles waited in the upper room to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I’m going to do the same. Won’t you join me? Let’s see how many of you are up to the challenge! Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 02:26PM | comments |
| Thursday, October 1, 2009 |
| Why Did the Disciples Risk Their Lives For Christ? | |
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Why did the disciples risk the rest of their lives for the cause of Christ? What was it that convinced them to do what they did and to preach where they preached? To go from hiding after Jesus’ crucifixion to standing in the temple preaching the name of Jesus in just fifty or so days seems incredible. Yes, they had walked and talked with Jesus for three years but they also had watched him die a horrible death. Yes, they had seen him heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead, but they had also witnessed the crowds trying to stone him, push him off a cliff, and ultimately arrest him and crucify him. It would make more sense for these guys to just say, “Well, it was fun while it lasted.” Why did they do it? Why did they go throughout the known world preaching the good news about Jesus? It was because of their relationship with Him. They loved Jesus so much they were willing to lay down their lives for Him. From the Day of Pentecost to their dying breath they were filled with the Holy Spirit which fulfilled their lives and satisfied their souls in ways that the world could never understand. Now most people don’t push themselves to accomplish something unless they see something in it for themselves. Olympic athletes don’t push themselves in their training because they think it’s just so much fun. Bands touring on the road live in some pretty uncomfortable situations, but keep performing because it’s something they feel compelled to do. And when you and I look at the opportunity for ministry we ask, “What’s in it for me?” Was it gratitude that pushed the Apostles to go into the entire world to preach the gospel? Did they think they would gain power and money if they won the world to Christ? What was in it for them? What did they focus on as they faced all of the difficulties and torments of taking this message on the road? The Apostle Paul gives us some insight as to what motivated him. Take a look: 2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory (Romans 5:2 NLT). 17And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are (Romans 8:17-19 NLT). 23And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us (Romans 8:23 NLT). Christ will give us glory and honor as we lovingly obey and serve him. We don’t seek glory for ourselves but we seek to give God glory through our lives. However, there are times when Christ, through the Holy Spirit, shares His glory with us. We also know there is a day coming when we shall enter into His glory as we are released from this mortal body and receive that new body he has promised. I don’t know about you but that sounds pretty good to me! Glory by definition is to be given honor. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. There is a promise of a future glory (or honoring) of us if we are faithful in our service to God. So it is not the honoring of ourselves that’s important but it is receiving honor from the Lord that’s all important. Think of the Oscars. Actors receive a big shiny statue to place on a shelf at home to remind them that their peers in the movie business thought they did an outstanding job. When an Olympic athlete wins the gold metal, the NFL player who receives a Super Bowl ring, or someone receives the Nobel Peace Prize, that is when a person receives glory and honor in this world. There is a great need in us to be honored. We all long to be admired and valued. So we give awards to people who do well in their field. Now imagine you are standing before God, who loves you and died for you, and He has you stand before all the Body of Christ that has ever lived and says, “Great job. You have served me well. Enter into my heaven and know how proud I am of you.” Then the multitudes erupt in applause and cheers and you stand there so totally overwhelmed with love, gratitude, and honor that it is incomprehensible. People come up to you and treat you like you’re the greatest person that ever lived. You stand shoulder to shoulder with those who have also served so faithfully and you share stories and laugh at the tough times because now you are in heaven. Why should we want to serve God with our whole being? Maybe for the glory we will receive from our heavenly Father or perhaps to share in the glory of Christ Jesus. I don’t know about you but that image in my mind pushes me onward. Let me finish by reminding you of what the Apostle Paul said to the Church at Corinth: 58So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless (1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT). Serve Christ well today and may He receive all the glory. I hope you feel a sense of God’s glory in you today through the Holy Spirit. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:15PM | comments |
| Thursday, September 10, 2009 |
| Rethink Church | |
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Luke 24:46-49 ( TMSG ) 46He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, 47and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! 48You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses. 49What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.” I’d like to share with you a few stats about Oceanside which may surprise you. Let me just state them as bullet points and then I’ll comment. · We have a little fewer than 170,000 people in Oceanside (as of July 2008). · I’ve counted 112 places of worship here in Oceanside (this includes Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and New Age groups). · The average church size in attendance in the USA is 81. · If each church attendance in Oceanside averaged 200 (which some are much larger and some much smaller) then 14% of the population goes to church. · The means 146,700 people didn’t go to church last Sunday (on average). o Since it was a beautiful Labor Day weekend they were probably at the beach! I love the way The Message paraphrased this passage of scripture. Jesus claimed that Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalmist foretold of His arrival here on earth and what would happen to Him. Jesus states to His disciples (this is after His resurrection) that they will share “a total life-change through forgiveness of sins” story to the world. In truth, that is what they did. When you think of how Jesus also promised the “Power from on high” to equip us it all seems very exciting. Jesus wants us to rely upon the Holy Spirit to help us share this life changing message with the world, especially here in Oceanside, Vista, and South Carlsbad. Let me share a few more stats with you: · Over 70% of people in the tri-city area are under age 40. · Over 30,000 people are between the ages of 20-29 in the 92054 zip code. · 60% or more are married. · 17% to 18% are divorced, separated, or widowed. · The Hispanic population makes up about 25% to 37% depending upon your neighborhood. · The White population makes up about 50% to 85% depending upon your neighborhood. So looking at these statistics can make you wonder “So what? What does this mean for us as a church?” Well, let me tell you how it affects my heart. When I look at who we are as a church and how young much of the population of Oceanside is it makes me think we need to start thinking in new ways. Consider the text from Luke and ask yourself, “How effective are we as a church in sharing the life-changing message of Christ with our community?” Think of what our church would look like if we had 70% of our congregation younger than 40 years of age. Our youth and children’s programs would be bursting at the seams. Our young adults (married and single) would be a major influence in our church. Now keep in mind that this younger generation is much more apprehensive of the organized church than their parents. They are centrally focused on “what’s in it for me?” and have a hard time being a part of groups even though they long for a sense of community. They long to be married but are suspicious of getting married so the average young couple lives together before marriage. The want to change the world but they are too busy working on themselves to be motivated to get out there and do something. They are socially conscious and are attracted to socially relevant events. They don’t believe they can have the great American dream because entrance wages are so low compared to the high cost of housing. This is the first generation that doesn’t believe that they can live at a higher standard of living than their parents. So, the big question in my mind and the one I want you to consider praying about is, “How do we reach these young people for Christ?” Please don’t misunderstand me. Just because you’re over 40 doesn’t mean you don’t matter. You do. Everyone matters to God. I like the way Bill Hybels says it, “There isn’t a person you lock eyes with that doesn’t matter to God!” So, young or old we want to minister to everyone. It’s just that God is laying on my heart a burden for this younger generation. Now you might be thinking, “Well we already sing all that contemporary stuff, and we do have a really hip pastor!!!” The truth is if we are going to make an impact in our community we cannot rely on doing things that same old way. As we navigate toward reaching those who don’t know Christ we must rethink church. Many of you are all for change as long as it doesn’t affect you. However, if we are taking these statistics seriously we have to realize that we are losing the game doing what we’ve been doing. We have to become more pro-active, more prayerful, and more sensitive to those around us who need Christ. Please hear my heart. You are the greatest resource in God’s hands as you let the Holy Spirit use you from day to day. Jesus took a handful of disciples, filled them with the Holy Spirit, and set them loose on the world and just look what happened! Let’s pray and seek what God would have each of us do to make a difference for Christ. Let’s be willing to go through the difficult process of change and learn to appreciate new things as they come our way. God is calling us to something big. I don’t have all the pieces put together but I know that it will be a great adventure. Just remember to P.U.S.H.: Pray Until Something Happens. Blessings! Pastor Martin | |
| posted at 01:14PM | comments |
| Wednesday, September 9, 2009 |
| Jethro Principle Revisited | |
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17Moses’ father-in-law said, “This is no way to go about it. 18You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone. 19Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. 20Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. 21And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. 22They’ll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They’ll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they’ll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. 23If you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also” (Exodus 18:17-23 NLT). The story of Moses is a fascinating one. It’s a story where a boy born in poverty becomes a prince who then becomes a pauper only to become leader of a nation. Along the way God used mentors in Moses’ life to help guide him to discover God’s will. In this text we have the story of Moses getting some wise counsel from his father-in-law. Moses had been trying to meet the needs of his people by hearing their disputes each day and helping them to determine what is God’s will in the matter. Sounds like an honorable and meaningful job, but the way Moses was going about it was going to kill him. Hearing the disputes of over a million people was a task no one individual could do. So Jethro gives Moses some fatherly advice that still works even today. The concept of sharing the load of responsibility has been a time honored approach and is reasonably used in a wide variety of organizations. The military has its chain of command. Our court system here in the U.S. is based upon this plan, and even in business we see a division of labor and authority. Now when it comes to the church we don’t want to fall into the trap of bureaucracy. We don’t want systems to be put in place that are inflexible and cold hearted towards people. We also want to temper any model of organization with the grace and love of Christ. God’s Word is clear in that we are to operate as a body, united in cause but sensitive to each other’s needs. 12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful (Colossians 3:12-15 NLT). Now please know that I love this church and her people. I have loved and prayed for each of you many times and believe that God has a future and destiny for us as a church. So, if I’m going to put a new way of doing things in place it’s based upon my love for you and my desire to see your needs met in a more meaningful way. So here’s the plan: Step 1: Up to now, I’ve been too focused on individuals and have neglected the whole. Now I believe it is my job to focus on the whole (the church) and raise leaders up and train them to focus on the individuals. You can see by my diagram that by training leaders we can effectively help a lot more people than if I just did it all myself. Remember what Jethro said to Moses, “This is no way to go about it. 18You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone” (Exodus 18:18 NLT). So as not to wear you or myself out, we need to find people who I can train to serve and minister to help more people at a time. The Jethro principle applied here would lead us to find two Lay pastors (each of which would oversee 50 people) and seven assistant pastors (each of them would oversee 10 people). Step 2: Prayerfully and together we need to discover two lay pastors to help with the oversight of our church. These would be especially mature Christians whom you trust and you are willing to allow the authority to be pastors in your life. The New Testament model called them Elders. The qualifications of these Pastor/Elders would be based upon the qualities we find Paul speaking about in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. During a time of preparation I would be spending time with each candidate to walk with them through leadership training to help me determine their qualifications. The way we find these leaders would be through soliciting your insights and perceptions of which members in our congregation you see fitting into this role. They should already be in our church today serving and living according to the Elder qualifications listed above. The Leadership Team and I will work on the vetting process together as we begin to implement this model. Step 3: Redefining the Lead Pastor’s Role: There is no question that most of what I do for the Church today is based upon my life and love of Christ. I love people and I tend to want to help everyone with all their struggles and problems. However, that’s not what the Bible says I should be doing. The Apostle Paul states in Ephesians 4 how the church should work together and that there are spiritual gifts and God-called positions of service that the church needs filled. My calling is now going to be governed by this passage: And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV). As I said on Sunday here is my job description as pastor: *To love God, my neighbor, and Christ’s Church *To teach and preach God’s Word. *To pray and seek God’s direction for the Church *To oversee (administrate) the works done by the church *To equip the saints for service (Leadership Training) Your role as congregational members is: *To love God, your neighbor, and Christ’s Church *To be disciples and learning all that Christ commands *To make disciples (teaching & preaching God’s Word) *To serve one another in love *To be the hands and feet of Christ In our Class 101 we say that each member of the church is a “Minister” and I as your pastor am the “Administer.” In truth I need to be more than a coordinator but one who leads, trains, and equips you for the works that God has laid on our hearts to accomplish. That’s why I’m adopting a new focus to train and equip leaders. Instead of me doing the work of 10 people, I will train and equip ten people to do the work. Our goal as a church is to Glorify God (2 Thessalonians 1:12), to love (worship) God with our whole being (Luke 10:27) and to love and honor each other (John 13:34-25). It is our mission to go and make disciples (win, nurture, & send) (Matthew 28:19) and to teach them everything Christ has commanded (nurture) (Matthew 28:19). As we look outside these four walls we are to take the Gospel to the world (evangelism) under the power of the Holy Spirit “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) and to let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16). The best way I know how for us to accomplish any of these objectives is through working together. The best way for you to grow spiritually is to put yourself in a place to serve others under the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ has given you gifts through which you can accomplish our calling and we need everyone on board to make this happen. I see a new day dawning for Del Oro Hills Community Church. Do you want to be a part of it? It’s my prayer that you do. Continue to pray about the kind of ministry you think our church should be doing and that you would want to be involved with and let me know. Jesus is working all around us and we need to hear His call to serve. Please know that I’m praying for you. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 11:03AM | comments |
| Thursday, June 11, 2009 |
| Jericho | |
 During Pastor Martin's time of sabbatical, we will be privileged to hear some new perspectives from a variety of writers!This week's thoughts come from our own Amy Samson: During a recent time in the Word I came across the familiar story of the fall of Jericho. In brief, the unlikely desert-weary people of Israel bring down the walls of Jericho, a city of power that would have threatened God’s people as they settled in the Promised Land. But the conquest happens in a most unusual way, and would have been utterly impossible without the LORD on Israel’s side. In life we can become overwhelmed by our circumstances; sometimes worry over our finances consumes us, or we feel defeated by poor health, or perhaps we are weary of relational issues that never seem to heal. If we try to conquer any trouble without the power of the LORD we will inevitably fail. At best, we will only merely survive. But when the LORD goes before us, as we see in the defeat of Jericho, the victory in Him leads to breakthrough in us. Before the people of Israel entered the Promised Land, God promised that he would give them the land (Joshua 1:2), and that he would be with them as they went (v 9). But the land was full of pagan peoples who would put up a fight. The first city to be conquered was Jericho, a city with high walls that had been shut up because the people in it feared the God of Israel. Why did these pagan people fear a God they did not worship? They feared him because they had heard of his mighty works (2:10-11). Before Israel even entered the Promised Land, God’s reputation had gone before them. Before entering Jericho, God instructed Joshua, Israel’s leader, to march around the city once a day for six days. Each march consisted of a fanfare of trumpets that blew in proclamation of the ark of the covenant of the LORD. Priests surrounded the ark, and went forward blowing trumpets, while before and behind them marched the fighting men of Israel. On those six days of marching, no other sounds were heard from Israel except the sounds of the trumpets. In our American culture, where doing is valued higher than being, we can tend to get ahead of the Lord. We can learn a valuable lesson from the conquest of Jericho. For six days God had Israel doing something that seemed unproductive. But when we step back, we can see the spiritual significance: God was going before the people. In my imagination, I see a vast army of angels chipping away at the walls of Jericho, weakening the defenses of the city. When the power of God goes before us, the “walls” of our lives (health, relationships, finances, spiritual warfare, you fill in the blank…) are weakened in his power, not ours. On the seventh day God delivered Jericho into the hands of Israel. The people marched around the city the same as the six days before. But this time they marched seven times, and on the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, the people were ordered, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city” (6:16). At the blast of the trumpets and the shout of the people, the walls fell flat. In my own life, I have tried and failed repeatedly to solve my own problems and defeat my own enemies. But the lesson of Jericho’s fall teaches me to step back and let God fight my battles. This is counterintuitive, especially in our culture, when we think we know what will “solve” the issue(s) at hand. But prayer is truly the only way to see God’s glory go before us and bring the victory. Just recently, as Edwin and I have been fundraising to go to the mission field, we were challenged to ask for a specific pledge (I seriously do not write this for pledges but to glorify God in the way he went before for us and provided). We asked boldly for a donor to give $1000 a month! We laughed even as we prayed it (perhaps like Sarah when she found out she would have a child in her old age). We knew no one in our lives could afford such a commitment. Nevertheless, we prayed it. The following Sunday a stranger (to us then) came to our church, heard of our mission, and pledged $1000 a month! We were blown away! Immediately we began praising God for the way he went before us! I am not saying that when we “claim” something we perceive as good (like material things or even health), that we will automatically get that. What I am saying is that when we trust God to go ahead of us, even when that means we don’t do things that may seem productive (like it would have seemed productive for the Israelites to begin attacking Jericho as soon as they approached the city; or it may have seemed productive for Edwin and I to start calling potential $1000 donors after our prayer), then our waiting becomes an opportunity to watch God be who he is, our Savior, Provider, Healer, Friend. Is there somewhere in your life where you need God to go before you? He gives you a command and a promise: “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (1:9). ~Amy Samson amy.samson@worldteam.org | |
| posted at 12:40PM | comments |
| Thursday, June 11, 2009 |
| RENEWING, RETOOLING, AND RECONNECTING WITH A REAL CHRIST | |
 During Pastor Martin's time of sabbatical, we will be privileged to hear some new perspectives from a variety of writers!This week's thoughts come from our own Glenda Kimbrel: Before he left for the sabbatical, Pastor Martin outlined the focus and activities he will be doing during that time. As a church, we have patterned our attention on similar activities and themes. We believe that Pastors Martin’s sabbatical is a valuable opportunity for all of us –as individuals and as a congregation—to undertake a period of spiritual refreshment and growth. As a way to parallel what the congregation does with Pastor Martin’s journey, we have taken on the theme of “Renewing, Retooling, and Reconnecting with a Real Christ” as the direction for our sabbatical. Working with Pastor Martin and Pastor David Winn, we have developed three, 3 to 5 week blocks of time to guide us along a journey of spiritual refreshment and growth. 1. Renewing: Acknowledging depletion and the need to draw closer to God (May 24 – June 7, 2009) 2. Retooling: Seeking the source of replenishment, understanding our spiritual gifts, and seeking our role in the ministry of the church (June 14 – July 19, 2009) 3. Reconnecting: Reaching out into the world, using our spiritual gifts to build God’s kingdom and discovering where God wants us to serve in His church. Reconnecting with God is an act that must happen daily. (July 27 – August 16, 2009) It is our intention that most of the Sunday services offered during the sabbatical month will tie in to the themes in some way, and we will be able to call our attention to the theme every week, regardless of what other exciting things are happening in the church! We will work hard to focus on the spiritual renewal of ourselves as individuals and as a congregation as a whole. Finally, when Pastor Martin returns from doing his own work, “he and we” will share our experiences with each other, using the parallel themes as a common language to synthesize our work. As always, feel free to contact any member of the Leadership Team with your suggestions, hopes, concerns and ideas. Glenda Kimbrel, Chairperson Nancy Cady, Vice-Chairperson June Chapman, Treasurer John Parsons, Secretary Mary Helper David Miller | |
| posted at 12:39PM | comments |
| Thursday, June 11, 2009 |
| Renewing By Waiting | |
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Today is Tuesday, exactly six days before I begin my Sabbatical. The closer it gets the more I feel a little bit mixed in my emotions. On the one hand, I am truly looking forward to having time to be alone with God without the daily pressures and concerns I have for all of you. When you are responsible for so many things of great importance it wears on you after awhile. Don’t get me wrong. I love what I’m doing. It’s just that I know I need a fresh perspective and a renewed heart and inspired vision for the future. But when I think about not seeing you for twelve weeks, that’s a bit unnerving. You are my church family and are very special to me. I will miss you and please know that just because I’m away I will still be praying for you daily. Now don’t think that I won’t be coming back. My intent in taking this Sabbatical is so that I will have the strength, heart, and ability to last a long time. What I long for in this time is for my heart to be renewed. One might ask, “How do you accomplish that?” Good question. Let me share with you a well known scripture passage, but one that has taken on new meaning for me today: 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT). This verse reminds us that God is the almighty creator of all things. When we say almighty we are saying that there is nothing more powerful. The power of a star going super nova is overwhelming and mind boggling. However, God is infinitely more powerful than that. If you ever stood in gale force winds, or have been swept along in the current of a river, or had the frightening excitement of seeing a volcano erupt, then you can realize the power of this creation we live on. God is more awesome in strength than that. So that’s why the Prophet Isaiah reminds us that God never gets tired, never gets weak, and will never fail us, due to exhaustion. Isaiah again points out how even young people, full of boundless energy, grow tired and can fall in exhaustion while God is still going strong. So if I’m to learn to renew my strength, renew my mind, and to renew my heart I going to need to trust in the Lord to tap into his power and strength. I like the way the old King James Version states verse 31: 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31 KJV). I emphasized the word, “wait” because this is exactly what I need to do during my Sabbatical. This is not about vacationing or lounging around, it’s about waiting on the Lord to speak, to move, to stir up in me a flame and a passion for Him. I’m trusting in the Lord to take care of you and to do a new work in all of us. Then we will be able to mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint. Think of the examples in the Bible of Jesus drawing away to be with the Father: 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone (Matthew 14:23 NIV). Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39 NIV). Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35 NIV). After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray (Mark 6:46 NIV). 12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night (Luke 6:12 NIV). 28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray (Luke 9:28 NIV). ???????????????????????????[ The Parable of the Persistent Widow ] Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1 NIV). 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:23-25 NIV). These are just a few examples, but there is an overwhelming body of evidence that we need to spend time waiting in the presence of the Lord for a renewed heart. I’m waiting for the Lord, I’ll be waiting for the Lord, and I pray that you will seek Him with all your heart as well. Thank you for this time of renewing, retooling, and reconnecting with the Lord. God is up to something and I don’t want to miss it. Pray for me to be bold in hearing the Lord. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 12:37PM | comments |
| Thursday, April 23, 2009 |
| Discovering My Ministry | |
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The term “calling” is an interesting one. Some time go to Biblegateway.com and perform a keyword search for “called.” You will find the word used in several different ways. In one case it is used to signify a person’s name: “called Peter”. Or another way would be to say “he called out to Peter.” When it comes to salvation in the story of the Laborers the reference is to those who are “called” to salvation (Matthew 20:1-16). And in Ephesians 4 we find the Apostle Paul challenging us to “a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1 NIV). Here Paul admonishes us to live lives up to the standard and value of the gift of salvation we have received: “2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV). Therefore, the quality of our lives should reflect the love and humility of Jesus. The idea of being “called” has some deep implications. When You Are Called To Serve, It’s Very Personal There is an intimate time between you and the Lord where you know God impresses you to serve in His name. Being called into service is not a guessing game. You just know in your heart that God has called you and you need to obey. Now I’ve always believed that whatever my gifts and talents are those are the vehicles for service, but not necessarily the “call” in itself. If I have a gift at music then my calling to serve is to use my gift. If I have a gift to teach then I should teach. But being called to serve is where God communicates to you very clearly that he has something for you to do. Generally God calls us while we are in prayer, worship, reading, or hearing God’s Word preached. This last Sunday you may have heard the voice of the Lord calling you to serve. That, my friend, is truly an honor and a joy. If you have said “yes” to His call you are blessed. When You Are Called To Serve You Are Also Gifted To Serve The consistent truth about the Holy Spirit is that He does not call you to do a ministry that you are able to do without Him. You are called to accomplish a task for the Kingdom of God that will require God’s power and strength to accomplish it. When we try to serve the Lord in our own power we call that “working in the flesh.” That means we are not relying upon God to empower us, but relying on our own strength. Now as dumb as it may seem to try to serve the Lord on your own power you would be surprised as to how many times we serve and forget to seek God’s power and strength. God doesn’t want us to do something nice for Him, He wants us to do something eternal with Him. You Need to Learn What Your Spiritual Gifts Are! The Holy Spirit gives gifts to each member of the Body of Christ. Take a look at these passages of scripture to see what I mean: 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ… 27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:7,12,27 NIV). 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until 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” (Eph.4 :11-13 NIV). I want you to feel free to go back to each of those chapters and reread it in its entirety. What you will see is that there are many gifts for the body of Christ to use in service (response to the call) for the Lord. We are all called to serve in humility, gentleness, and love, but we are also called to use these wonderful spiritual gifts God has given each member of the body to use. Below are two web sites that you can use to help you discover what your Spiritual Giftedness is. Keep in mind that these are self-assessment tools and that you will still need to seek the Holy Spirit’s counsel and other spiritually mature friends to confirm your assessment. Gifted 2 Serve Finding Your Place in Ministry http://www.buildingchurch.net/g2s.htm (This one takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete) Evangelizing Church Finding Your Gifts Self-Assessment http://archive.elca.org/evangelizingChurch/assessments/spiritgifts.html (This one takes about 5 to 10 minutes to complete) OK, let’s say you have taken an inventory and to your surprise you have the gift of “Administration”. Now what should you do? Here’s a simple check list to help you determine where you’re needed: 1. Pray and ask the Lord to guide you. 2. Ask a spiritually mature friend if they agree with this assessment. 3. Talk to someone on the Leadership Team regarding how you can serve. 4. Pray about the advice given you and see how the Lord impresses your heart. 5. Learn as much as you can about that area of ministry. 6. Work with someone in that ministry to help train you. 7. Use the gifts God has given you to serve faithfully with love and humility. In my reading, I’ve run across an analogy from the game of tennis. Apparently when you swing your racket and hit the ball with power there is a place on the racket that they refer to as the sweet spot. It’s the place where the most power comes from in hitting the ball. In using your spiritual gifts you want to take into account what you have a passion for and what your life experiences have prepared you for. Once your gift, passion, and experiences line up, you will have found your sweet spot in ministry. Always keep in mind that nothing is accomplished without the power of the Holy Spirit behind you. No matter how gifted or talented you are, working in the flesh always leads to disaster. Trust the Lord’s leadership in your life and you will find your place in ministry where God is glorified through you. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 01:17PM | comments |
| Thursday, April 9, 2009 |
| Our Sabbatical | |
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Easter Worship Program, Youth Ministry planning, Sermon Prep, Small Groups coordination, 40 Days of Love, 98 days without Diet Coke or dessert and its only 40 days until we begin our Sabbatical. “Our Sabbatical”… “Pastor, do you mean I don’t have to do anything for those months too?” If you think a Sabbatical is an extended vacation you’re wrong. Yes, there will be time for rest and travel, but the intent is to set aside time with no ministry pressure to hear from the Lord. In fact, my hope and prayer for you is that you will take up the burden of ministry, that you will discover your ministry while I’m away. Let me give you an idea of what I’ve got planned for my Sabbatical. . During the month of May I will visit with a man who is experienced in ministry and leadership. A coach to pastors would be an apt title. I will be working with him on surveying my leadership skills and learning to see how I function best in leadership. . In the first two weeks of June I will be attending a graduate ministry course through Azusa Pacific University called “Growing Healthy Churches.” To prepare for this class ahead of time, I’m reading six non-fiction books about church ministry. . Also in June I will be attending the North American Convention of the Church of God in Anderson, IN for ministerial networking, spiritual inspiration, and encouragement. . In July I will take my family up to Oregon for connections with my family and to see how churches are functioning there. . During the whole Sabbatical it is my intent to study all of the parables of Jesus to look for a cohesive theological premise. It will be great background work for my sermons in the months that follow. . Also each Sunday I will be visiting a variety of churches of 150 in attendance or larger to take notes on how they minister and to see what we can learn from them. . Along with all of this I have chosen six more books to read for my own spiritual enrichment and sharpening of my ministry skills. So if you’re envisioning me lounging around you’d also better envision a book in my hand where I’m taking notes and learning. If you think I’ll just be goofing off? Well, I’ll do a little of that just for my health sake, but my main goal is to work on retooling and renewing my heart for ministry. Isn’t that something that will end up blessing you? So what things can you as a congregation be doing while I’m away? What areas of retooling and renewing does the church body need…do you need? Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? What ministries really make your heart sing? How about your abilities, talents, and experiences? How do they SHAPE* you for ministry? Someone asked me the other day what I would like to see the church take on while I’m gone. I stated three things: that the church would show up, that the church would take on and own the ministry of this church, and that God would stir up a fresh passion and fire for the Lord. You see we will need everyone on board to help make this time a successful time for the Church. That means we need you here at the church facility, serving, worshiping, and growing. You will need to be involved, not leaving it up to someone else to do things. You will need to take ownership and you will need to do the work of the church. The Bible says: 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:7 NIV). This verse tells us that each of you have been given a spiritual gift to use for the common good. Yes, that’s YOU! You have a spiritual gift. Are you using it for the Lord? 14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many (1 Corinthians 14 NIV). This verse reminds us that we all have different gifts and we need to be using them or else the body will not function in a healthy and proper way. If you have ever experienced your foot falling asleep you realize how difficult walking can be. The same is true when you don’t use your gifts. We all end up stumbling and falling over when you are asleep and not using your Spiritual Gifts. So, wake up!! It’s time to be used by the Lord! 27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it (1 Corinthians 14 NIV). If the body of Christ is to be healthy we need to remember that all of us are working together to be obedient to the call Jesus has placed on our hearts. All of us working together makes the difference. Each of you who have committed your heart to Christ is a part of this body. (It would be good for you to go back and read the whole chapter to really see how these verses apply.) The Sabbatical is coming 40 days from today and we, the church Leadership, are calling you to begin praying. Praying that God would take my heart by storm while I’m away and praying for God to unleash his power in you…the church. June Chapman will be coordinating our prayer team and I’d like for each of you to sign up. That could be your first way to begin using your gifts. Also, keep in mind that there will be special guests and special events while I’m away that you won’t want to miss. It will be exciting to see what God has in store for us as we band together as the body of Christ. In closing let me encourage those who have participated in the 40 Days of Love. Wow, all of us have grown so much in our walk with the Lord and in our understanding of how to love others! I congratulate you for your faithfulness and I applaud you for reading the book, sharing in a small group, and listening to the sermons each Sunday. I know God has blessed you and I know all those who know you will be blessed by your desire to serve the Lord each day by loving others the way Christ loves us. So, as the Apostle Paul said, “Let love be your highest goal” (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT). Show love to others everyday. Make loving be your way, your style in life. God will be blessed and so will you. I hope that you have an inspiring Easter Sunday. Keep your heart open to the moving of God’s Holy Spirit. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout *S.H.A.P.E. – • S.piritual Gifts - A set of special abilities that God has give to you to share his love and serve others. • H.eart - The special passions God has given you so that you can glorify him on earth. • A.bilities - The set of talents that God gave you when you were born, which he also wants you to use to make an impact for him. • P.ersonality - The special way God wired you to navigate life and fulfill your unique Kingdom Purpose. • E.xperiences - Those parts of your past, both positive and painful, which God intends to use in great ways | |
| posted at 03:12PM | comments |
| Thursday, April 9, 2009 |
| 5 SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE MISSED CHURCH TOO MUCH! | |
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Sign #5: When you arrive at church the Greeter asks, “Is this your first time here with us?” Sign #4: You ask if the pastor who is preaching is a guest speaker. Sign #3: The toddlers who were in the Sunday School the last time you attended are now old enough to be on the Leadership Team. Sign #2: You think one of the Ten Commandments is “Freedom of Speech.” And the #1 Sign you have missed church too much is: You missed the announcement that Pastor Shrout is going on Sabbatical! OK, I know that was pretty corny (Gong!) but there are those in our church who need to pop back in and find out the great things that are going on. First, the 40 Days of Love are in full swing. God is teaching us how to truly confront in love, forgive, and give of ourselves in loving ways. If you have not taken advantage of being in a small group you are truly missing out. Even though there are only a few weeks left I would still encourage you to join one. I also think the preaching is HOT, if I do say so myself! Now that the cat’s out of the bag about the Sabbatical let’s talk a little bit about how things will be done. Some are having some concerns (which is natural) and some are just plain excited for me. We have lined up a wonderful pastor and friend of our church, Rev. David Winn to speak for the twelve weeks I’m gone. Some of you may remember him from when we started our resource campaign back in 2007. David has a warm and friendly style and a deep passion for the Lord. He will be bringing the messages on eight of the twelve weeks while I’m away. Being the Executive Director for the Churches of God in Southern California he also has a lot of experience in working with congregations. He has a wisdom about him that I know you will find refreshing and encouraging in your walk with the Lord. Some of you may be wondering about the music and the worship team. Yes, I am a component of that team but I have great confidence in their ability to lead you in worship in my absence. Along with that we are also working to have a number of guest artists come and lead us in many of our times of worship. You will note in the brochure that we have diligently worked at seeking people to help in areas that are normally my responsibility. However, here is one big point I need to make. None of this will work without your help and prayerful support. Now I want to give you three reasons why this is a necessary step for our church: 1. It’s Biblical: Genesis and Leviticus speak of “Sabbath time” in terms of days, years, and land usage. Since the Sabbath is recognized as a distinctive time in creation—as a gift of rest for both renewal and hope—Scripture infers that regular, periodic rejuvenation is vital in all areas of life. The Old Testament writers directed a time period for the soil to remain untilled so that it could replenish itself. Just like the soil, humans need a season to lie fallow for revitalization of the body, mind, and soul. 2. It’s Healthy: It is my hope and prayer that you would like for me to be your pastor for a long time to come. Sabbaticals offer us the opportunity to regain some energy lost in the daily battle. I’ve served you as your pastor for fourteen years with limited breaks for refreshment. In fact, I have felt the need for a sabbatical for the last four years. As a matter of spiritual, emotional, and physical health this is an important step for me to make. It will be one that I believe will restore strength and vitality to my ministry. 3. It’s Practical: Now you might think this is a little crazy but there is a very practical element to this idea of a Sabbatical. If I step down for a period of three months, this will allow many of you who are gifted by the Holy Spirit to use your gifts instead of depending on me. I cannot count how many times I’ve heard someone say, “Well, if there’s no one else to do it, I’ll do it.” Now take me out of the picture and you become the greatest candidate to take on a new ministry. The only way many of you will ever discover your gifts is by giving something new a try. We are going to need lots of help in all areas of ministry and this is your big opportunity to step up to the plate and show us what you’re made of! Now let me make something very clear. We are not shutting the church down while I’m on Sabbatical. In fact that idea is very unscriptural. If we consider that the church is not a building but the gathering of God’s people then as long as you keep gathering together in worship the church is still viable and strong. We need all of you to work together, and (as we have been learning in our 40 Days of Love campaign) to love each other. Glenda Kimbrel made the statement that we as a church are in a sense going on Sabbatical along with Pastor Martin. Well, in a way I hope that’s true. I hope you take time to reflect on God’s word, learn some new things about ministry, and discover who you are in Christ in the process. Our theme is “Renewing, Retooling, and Reconnecting, with a Real Christ.” I’m praying that God will speak to my heart and renew me through rest and learning. I’m preparing to attend classes and other churches to learn new ways for us to build this ministry. I’m going to be reconnecting with family and colleagues as a way of networking and refreshing my outlook on life and ministry. As you work together to worship, disciple, and minister to one another you are living out what God’s Word has called each of us to do. Now that’s an awesome future! So, have you been missing church? If you are then you are missing out. God has so many wonderful things in store for you, but it is very important that you show up! We are called the Body of Christ and if you aren’t here then we are missing a vital piece of the Body. In closing let me give you a word of encouragement from God’s word: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8 NIV). Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens (Psalm 150:1 NIV). Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5 NIV). 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV). Let’s honor the Lord of the Sabbath by keeping it holy, by praising His name, and by encouraging one another in love and good deeds. Let’s bless the Lord with our worship and our service. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 03:11PM | comments |
| Thursday, February 26, 2009 |
| I Saw Jesus | |
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Can you imagine how Abram’s wife Sarai must have felt when he came home and said, “I heard a voice from the one and only God and he told me to move the family to Canaan”? To which Sarai said, “What did He look like?” Abram, looking down at his sandals says, “He’s invisible.” That must have come off well! Or imagine being one of the prophets of the Old Testament trying to tell the people of Israel that he had heard from God and that they should make some drastic change in their life. We face similar challenges today when we try to share about Jesus with people who don’t believe, don’t want to believe, and really just don’t get it. The truth is that people will only see Jesus when they see Him in us. Children see Jesus in their Sunday school teachers who lovingly teach them about God’s love. Teenagers see it when we as adults are willing to spend time with them, love them, listen to them, and encourage them in their walk with Christ. Seniors see Christ in those who take the time to talk and take them seriously, who listen to their stories and love them without conditions. Anyone can see Jesus in the lives of those who go through difficult times, and their faith remains strong. People see Jesus in us when we show them the love Jesus demonstrated to us; when we show consistency in following the teachings of Christ and put them into practice in every situation of our lives; when we go out of our way to help someone or care for someone or even spend our valuable time with someone who is hurting or in need. The truth is that it is in our simple acts of love that people see Jesus. It is in our selfless acts that they gain a glimpse of who Jesus really is. Early last month I had this notion in mind and wrote a song. I think the words convey well what I’m trying to say. Give it a read through and let me know what you think. I SAW JESUS By Martin A. Shrout February 14, 2009 VERSE #1 Some say he’s invisible, This Lord Jesus Christ But I can see him everyday, In the actions of your life The love that’s shown in simple acts, The kindness in your ways When you shine the love of Jesus, As you live and work and pray CHORUS #1 I saw Jesus in the faith of a child, I saw Jesus in the loving teacher’s smile I saw Jesus when you gave a helping hand, I saw Jesus when you listened to understand I saw Jesus VERSE #2 I have seen the grace of Jesus, In giving more than you should spend I have felt the loving arms of Christ, On your shoulders I can depend When my pain is too hard to carry, And my burden too hard to bear You bring my name before the Lord, And my load you lift and share CHORUS #2 I saw Jesus when you wiped the tear from my face, I saw Jesus when you showed me lots of grace I saw Jesus when you walked with me awhile, I saw Jesus in your love and in your smile I saw Jesus, I saw Jesus VERSE #3 I have heard the words of Jesus, From the song you sang to me I have heard the truth of Christ, And how His love set you free I can only know His truth, And believe in eternity When your actions live inside your words, And In your face it’s Christ I see CHORUS #3 I saw Jesus in the sermon of your life, I saw Jesus as you stood the test of strife I saw Jesus when your faith held you strong, I saw Jesus and now I want to belong I saw Jesus, I saw Jesus, I saw Jesus Our lives are living testimonies of Jesus. Our words echo in the hearts of those who listen. Our hands and feet are the hands and feet of Christ for those who watch us. Jesus clearly stated to his disciples that “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35 NIV). As we launch into the 40 Days of Love my hope and prayer is that you will make loving others your greatest aim. I hope that you will put flesh to your knowledge of Christ and be Jesus to those you encounter each day. As you love them they will know you truly are “Real People, Meeting Real Needs, with a Real Christ.” Blessings! Yours in Christ Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 03:29PM | comments |
| Wednesday, February 4, 2009 |
| A New Year and A New Plan | |
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NEWSLETTER ARTICLE February 2, 2009 “A New Year and a New Plan” Now that the din of the Super Bowl is behind us, we can now focus on what lies ahead. As I said Sunday, I hope that all of us would develop the passion and excitement about the Lord as many people do about the Super Bowl! I just wanted to say that God is so good and I have been able to live without Diet Coke (or Diet Pepsi), Peanut M & M’s, or sweets for that matter, for over 33 days! My beverage of choice is water and the occasional cup of tea. And my snack of choice is apples and almonds. I don’t mean to brag, it’s just that fighting off the temptation is a good challenge for me in this new year and I believe a healthy one at that. Something coming up on the horizon for you to consider is that on February 13th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, we as a church family are going bowling. Yes, that’s right, BOWLING!! You see, one of the things I am convinced of is that people need entry points into the church. Most people enjoy bowling sooooo let’s invite a few friends with us and go. It’s a great way for people who are afraid of church to feel comfortable getting to know us. So, be praying and thinking about someone you can invite. We will meet at the Vista Entertainment Center in Vista, CA and the cost is $10 plus shoe rental. If you need financial assistance please contact me or Pastor Tony. Next, we are about to begin a wonderful adventure together. Beginning March 1, 2009 we will be launching our 40 Days of Love Campaign. What is the 40 Days of Love you ask? Good question. In a nutshell here is a definition: “Unearth the core of Jesus’ ministry in how we show love to the people God has placed in our lives here on earth. How can we communicate more like Jesus? How do we love our creator, our neighbors, and ourselves? We’d love for you to embark on this truly new journey with us – a journey to become more Christ-like in our relationships!” Remember Jesus’ words: Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ’Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second command is this: ’Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There are no commands more important than these.“ Mark 12:29-31 Here’s how it works. First you pick up a copy of Tom Holladay’s book, “The Relationship Principles of Jesus” along with a small group participant’s guide. Next you sign up for a small group on the back table, then you make the effort to be with us each Sunday morning for six weeks (seven Sundays) in a row starting March 1, 2009 through April 12, 2009 (Easter Sunday). Here are the titles of each week’s theme: • Place the Highest Value on Relationships • Love as Jesus Loves You • Communicate from the Heart • As You Judge You Will Be Judged • The Greatest Are the Servants • Treat Others as You Want them to Treat You Here’s the process. You read the book one chapter each day for 40 days. They’re short chapters so don’t worry. Then you listen to a sermon topic each week by Yours Truly, and finally you watch a video with your small group and discuss the deeper insights that the Lord makes available through the group. We will also be working on a couple of projects to help us express what we are learning in a tangible and powerful way. On Easter Sunday we will celebrate the life of Jesus with a fantastic musical called, “Encountering Christ.” This production will be an extravaganza of music and drama like you’ve never seen before! (Too much hype?) Well, be praying as we work diligently in preparing for an incredible Easter worship experience. God has many more things planned for us as well. Don’t miss out on the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God can do the miraculous as we wait upon Him. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 06:33PM | comments |
| Thursday, January 15, 2009 |
| Do You Really Love God? | |
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Now be careful before you answer that question. The word "love" has many uses in our language. For example “I love pizza!” “I love my dog.” “I love football.” “I love my wife!” Lots of people say they love someone or something but the kind of love they are expressing is more of a “like” than a “love.” You may say, “I love Papa John’s BBQ Chicken Pizza” but you most likely would never lay your life down for one. The love that I mean implies an all consuming love, a love that is above anyone or anything else. Let’s clarify that statement: God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love!” (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV) “For God so loved the world (that’s you and me) that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever would believe in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life (John 3:16 NIV). But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8 NIV). God is love (1 John 4:8b NIV). This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10 NIV). When you read passages like that it’s hard to escape the concept that God really loves you. Now let’s look at how the Bible describes how we should love God in return. “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:3-6 NIV). OK, right off the bat in the Ten Commandments we see God doesn’t want us putting anything above Him in our hearts. Here’s another famous statement that is taught both in the Old and New Testament: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37 NIV). That really doesn’t leave room for anything else. Now we all know God loves our families but check this passage out: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37-38 NIV). Now that’s radical! Jesus wanted to make it clear that even the most precious people in our lives need to be less important than our love for God. This is not an easy pill to swallow. I remember a young girl in one of my youth groups who read this and said, “Well if I’m suppose to love Jesus more than my family you can just forget it.” That was the first time I actually heard someone say something like that regarding this verse. Kind of took me back. But the truth is I’m sure there are many who have thought the same thing but didn’t have the courage or the honesty to say it out loud. In his book ‘God Is the Gospel,’ John Piper essentially asks the question whether we are in love with God: The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflicts or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there” (Chan, Crazy Love, p. 98)? The point here is that if you love Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength now, you could never imagine heaven without Him no matter how great it was. Do you really love God or do you love your life, your family, your things, and what this world has to offer more than God? Let me close here by saying that I know you can’t be forced into loving God. No one can come along (especially me) and say that you need to love God more. What I can tell you is that when you look at what God has done, what God offers, and how much He loves you, I think you will find it irresistible and want to love Him in return. So the next time you sing the phrase, “Lord, I love you” or something to that effect, consider what you are saying. Do you really love God or are you just mouthing the words? I want to encourage you that loving God more than anything or anyone will teach you how to be a better husband, father, and son (also the female forms of these terms). Loving God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength, will transform your life because God is the source of life and love. May God bless you with the rich joy of His presence in your life. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 03:09PM | comments |
| Monday, January 12, 2009 |
| Starting the New Year Right | |
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Max Lucado has a wonderful way of expressing himself through his gift of writing. This short excerpt has a lot to say to us about being the church. The following scriptures were chosen to support and augment what Max is saying. Remember that it’s a metaphor and to look beyond the imagery to its deeper meaning. 1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV). 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-4 NIV). Now, read this excerpt from Max Lucado’s book — “In the Grip of Grace” God has enlisted us in his navy and placed us on his ship. The boat has one purpose-to carry us safely to the other shore. This is no cruise ship; it is a battleship. We aren’t called to a life of leisure, we are called to a life of service. Each of us has a different task. Some, concerned with those who are drowning, are snatching people from the water. Others are occupied with the enemy, so they man the cannons of prayer and worship. Still others devote themselves to the crew, feeding and training the crew members. Though different, we are the same. Each can tell of a personal encounter with the captain, for each has received a personal call. He found us among the shanties of the seaport and invited us to follow him. Our faith was born at the sight of his fondness, and so we went. We each followed him across the gangplank of his grace onto the same boat. There is one captain and one destination. Though the battle is fierce, the boat is safe, for our captain is God. The ship will not sink. For that, there is no concern. There is concern, however, regarding the disharmony of the crew. When we first boarded we assumed the crew was made up of others like us. But as we’ve wandered these decks, we’ve encountered curious converts with curious appearances. Some wear uniforms we’ve never seen, sporting styles we’ve never witnessed. “Why do you look the way you do?” we ask them. “Funny,” they reply. “We were about to ask the same of you.” The variety of dress is not nearly as disturbing as the plethora of opinions. There is a group, for example, who clusters every morning for serious study. They promote rigid discipline and somber expressions. “Serving the captain is serious business,” they explain. It’s no coincidence that they tend to congregate around the stern. There is another regiment deeply devoted to prayer. Not only do they believe in prayer, they believe in prayer by kneeling. For that reason you always know where to locate them, they are at the bow of the ship. And then there are a few who staunchly believe real wine should be used in the Lord’s Supper. You’ll find them on the port side. Still another group has positioned themselves near the engine. They spend hours examining the nuts and bolts of the boat. They’ve been known to go below deck and not come up for days. They occasionally are criticized by those who linger on the top deck, feeling the wind in their hair and the sun on their face. “It’s not what you learn,” those topside argue. “It’s what you feel that matters.” And, oh, how we tend to cluster. Some think once you’re on the boat, you can’t get off. Others say you’d be foolish to go overboard, but the choice is yours. Some believe you volunteer for service, others believe you were destined for the service before the ship was even built. Some predict a storm of great tribulation will strike before we dock, others say it won’t happen until we are safely ashore. There are those who speak to the captain in a personal language. There are those who think such languages are extinct. There are those who think the officers should wear robes, there are those who think there should be no officers at all, and there are those who think we are all officers and should all wear robes. And oh, how we tend to cluster. And then there is the issue of the weekly meeting at which the captain is thanked and his words are read. All agree on its importance, but few agree on its nature. Some want it loud, others quiet. Some want ritual, others spontaneity. Some want to celebrate so they can meditate, others meditate so they can celebrate. Some want a meeting for those who’ve gone overboard. Others want to reach those overboard but without going over board and neglecting those on board. And, oh, how we tend to cluster. The consequence is a rocky boat. There is trouble on deck. Fights have broken out. Sailors have refused to speak to each other. There have even been times when one group refused to acknowledge the presence of others on the ship. Most tragically, some adrift at sea have chosen not to board the boat because of the quarreling of the sailors. Max Lucado has brilliantly illustrated an important truth. When the church doesn’t get along, when people are hurt by others demanding their own way outsiders will not want to journey with us. Let’s start the New Year right with a heart of love and compassion for each other. “Lord, may we start fresh in our relationships in this New Year. To put the past behind us, forgive as you have forgiven us, and live according to your Word. Amen.” Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 02:41PM | comments |
| Thursday, December 4, 2008 |
| Born in the Shadow of the Cross | |
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For years now I have been moved by the thought that Jesus was born in the shadow of a cross. I’ve wondered just how early on in Jesus’ life did he know where he was headed. We know he understood his mission clearly as early as age 30 due to the number of times he told his disciples that he would suffer and die as a sacrifice for all of us. Even by age 12 Jesus was teaching in the temple and answering questions from the teachers of the law that caused them to be profoundly impressed. Did he know even in his early childhood? We know Mary understood something was going to happen when we hear the prophet Simeon in the Temple on Jesus’ eighth day when he was circumcised: Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34-35 NIV). How would you feel about knowing the day of your death and knowing that it wasn’t going to be pretty? Consider that in Jesus’ ministry he left valuable clues as to the nature of His death such as in John 3:14-15. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15 NIV). Also in John we find John the Baptist speaking to his disciples as he pointed at Jesus and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29 NIV)! I believe Jesus knew early on that what lay at the end of his ministry was going to be a sacrificial death to save us all. Now why do I bring this up during the Christmas season? Simply put, without the manger there never would have been a cross. And without the cross we would never celebrate the manger and his birth. We celebrate the birth of Jesus because of his death and resurrection. Jesus never asked us to remember his birth, but he did command us to remember his death: He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you (Luke 22:19-20 NIV). Another reason why I bring this up at Christmas time is that as the Magi brought gifts, as Jesus gave his life as the ultimate gift, we give gifts to each other to remind each other of the love we have for them. Since this really is Jesus’ birthday why don’t you give Jesus a present? Give Him your life! Offer yourself to Him completely without reservation. Jesus longs for us to give ourselves to him, to trust in him, to believe in him. Is there room in your heart for Jesus? A lesser known Christmas carol sums up in just a few verses what I mean: THOU DIDST LEAVE THY THRONE Emily Elliott Timothy Richard Matthews, 1876 1. Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown, When Thou camest to earth for me; But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room For Thy holy nativity. Refrain O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee. 4. Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word, that should set Thy people free; But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn, They bore Thee to Calvary. Refrain 5. When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing, at Thy coming to victory, Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room, There is room at My side for thee.” Refrain My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus, when Thou comest and callest for me. You see we cannot see the manger without seeing the cross and we cannot see the cross without seeing the manger. As an addendum point to this we cannot see Jesus’ advent (His coming) without remembering his second advent (the second coming). None of us know when our lives will end. None of can guess when Jesus will return. What we can do in the meantime is to live faithfully with all the passion we can for Christ. For most of us we can’t pick the time of our end but we can choose how we will live. Live passionately for Christ. Give him all that you have for his coming…until his second coming. After all this time it has to be very, very soon. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 12:42PM | comments |
| Thursday, November 13, 2008 |
| Life At A Blur | |
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I can’t help but feel that life is now at warp speed, fast forward, or just plain spinning out of control. Looking at old pictures of the family I realize that my boys have become men, my hair has deserted me, and there’s an old guy standing next to my wife in family pictures. Our family has a lot to be thankful for and more than that we have a lot to praise God for. Even in the last year we have seen God provide for our family in miraculous ways. Does this mean that life has gone the way I had planned it? Not really. I think there was two days this last year that went according to plan. The rest of the year has been…shall we say…a blur. Strangely though I’m glad this rollercoaster hasn’t come to a complete stop. I know that God is faithful, His mercies are new every morning, and that His love is everlasting. So as I consider this Thanksgiving I know I have a lot to be grateful for. My wife’s cancer is being treated, I’ll be a new grandfather around Christmas, and Zack’s grades are up. Life couldn’t be more exciting…or could it? Plans For The Coming Holiday Season Some of you have heard rumors that we are not having a “Living Nativity” this year. Well, unfortunately you’re right. Due to a skate board park being built right we where we hold our nativity and the fact that all the other parks would not be able to help us accomplish our goals like this one, we have chosen to cancel it after nine years. Our goal is to regroup and do something new and exciting for next year. Stay turned. It will be something I hope that will enable us to attract more people to our church. By the time you receive this letter I hope you have your calendars set to attend our Harvest Feast this year. Great food, wonderful participation by our youth and children, plus it’s a great way as a church family to say thanks to God for all he has done for us in this last year. Let me say that if you miss this you need to have your head…I mean…your heart… examined. God has enabled us to finish out our first lease in this facility (which is nothing short of a miracle) and He has brought salvation, healing, and restoration in our lives. We need to spend time as a church family in fellowship, worship, and prayer giving thanks to our God. Make sure you are ready to attend November 23rd’s “Harvest Feast.” It won’t be any fun without you! Now after Thanksgiving comes our Christmas season. During this time I will be sharing a series of sermons on how God sent His Light into the world so we could be His Light to this World. On December 21st we’ll have a special presentation of Christmas carols, skits, children singing, and a special Christmas sermon. Start praying about who you would like to invite for that day. We’ll also be having our annual Christmas Eve service. This is a great time of sharing the Christmas holiday time with family and friends. You no doubt will have friends who will be looking for a church to attend for a Christmas Eve service. I think you should bring them with you and join us as we celebrate God’s reaching down to earth to give us new life through this newborn child. The best thing in the world is to let your loved ones know just how much Jesus loves them. Here is a great tool for you and your family to accomplish just that. Thoughts On Next Year What we believe determines how we will respond to a given circumstance. We can only make the best decision based upon the best information. If our information is faulty then we will have a greater chance in doing the wrong thing. If we perceive a situation and make an assumption without finding out all the facts we then will probably act in an inappropriate way. Are you with me so far? Let me give you an analogy. A man is driving down a curvy mountainous road on a beautiful day. He has the windows down and the wind is blowing through his hair. As he comes upon a curve a women driving the opposite direction yells out her widow “PIG!” Quickly responding he yells back, “COW!” Feeling somewhat smug about getting back at her as he rounds the corner he runs into a rather large pig. The man didn’t have all the facts and read her warning as an insult. He then acted in an inappropriate fashion. Your actions can be misunderstood or your decisions about life could be way off the mark simply because you didn’t know enough or understand enough to do the right thing. Further more, how do we even know if something is a right thing to do if we don’t have something to measure it with? So here is my vantage point for our time together next year. I want to challenge what you know about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It is my prayer to uncover your misconceptions and to shed light on doubts and questions you may have. After we have explored what the Bible has to say I hope that we can find ways to live them out in our daily lives. We’ll discover the importance of applying what we know about living in Christ and how to share that with others. To be real people, meeting real needs, with a real Christ. One of the ways we are going to explore this issue is with the “40 Days of Love.” Starting this spring (February through April) we are going to explore 1 Corinthians 13 in a way we never have before…to discover really how to love God, each other, and those in our community. The bottom line is I want you to Know, Live, and Act on What You Believe. The Bible tells us: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). It’s one of my goals to help you be able to do just that…to give the reason for the hope that you have. Let’s grow in our knowledge about the Lord. The thanksgiving season can be a wonderful time to remember God’s blessings, realign our attitudes about life, and to gather with family and friends to celebrate God’s goodness. Lift your hearts to the Lord by “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20 NIV). Happy Thanksgiving. Blessings! Pastor Martin | |
| posted at 03:15PM | comments |
| Thursday, September 25, 2008 |
| Let Us Pray | |
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Prayer can be the cosmic question of the day or it can be as natural as breathing. There are many forms of prayer such as kneeling, standing with arms outstretched, spoken out loud or quietly in your heart. I like the story of the three preachers talking about prayer. One said, “I usually like to kneel in prayer early in the morning.” Another said, “I like to stand toward the sunset with my arms outstretched to embrace our Lord.” The other said, “I always pray in a quiet closed room so I cannot be disturbed.” A farmer had over heard the conversation and said, “I found the most passionate and ardent time of prayer for me was when I had tangled my foot in a rope and was dangling upside down in a well!” In Matthew 6:9-15 we find the disciples asking Jesus how to pray. Here is Jesus’ response: 9"This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.1' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Prayer is communication with God. It is a conversation, a dialogue, and an experience in intimacy with our Lord. Let’s look at this prayer the Lord gave us as an example of how he wants us to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” Because of Christ’s death on the cross we are given the joyful privilege of entering into the very presence of God the Father. Jesus called Him Father, and He is teaching us to do the same. Paul writes in Romans 8:15 that we can call him “Abba, Father” or in our language “Daddy.” This is a unique relationship with God that allows us access to the one Who created all things and is Supreme ruler over all. When Jesus calls us to say “Hallowed be Your name” it reminds us to worship Who God is; His nature and His attributes. The New Living Translation says, “may your name be kept holy,” which refers to how we keep God’s name. This implies both our words and our actions in worship and in everyday life. Now in “The Message” paraphrase of the Bible, Peterson writes, “Reveal who you are.” This is a different take in that it asks God to reveal His holiness to the one praying. John 14:21 tells how God will reveal himself to us: “The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him.” [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.] (John 14:21 Amplified Bible). What a joy it is to know that Christ reveals himself to us and that we can experience his presence through our love and obedience. “…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God is sovereign, which means he is the supreme ruler of all things. However God has allowed us to have free will on this earth. Therefore, we can choose to obey or rebel. Asking God for His kingdom to come is a two fold prayer. 1) It is prayer for God’s kingdom to come to be in our lives and in our world. 2) It is a prayer for God’s will to be accomplished in our lives and in our world. In essence it is our prayer to God that He be in charge of us and our actions. Ultimately this prayer is to surrender our lives to Christ’s will. It is a prayer for Christ’s will to be done…in my family…my church…my ministry…my job…my future…my city…the nation… the world. “Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is your true worship that you should offer” (Romans 12:2 GN). “Give us today our daily bread.” Jesus teaches us here that it is not only OK, but a part of our relationship with God to ask for our daily needs. Bread was a broad category word like our word food. To ask for God to provide for your needs is His joy to respond and bless us with all good gifts (James 1:17). It is God who gives us food to eat, clothes to wear, and our employment to pay the bills. “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NLT). It only makes sense to ask for His provision in our lives. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” For most people this is the tough one. We are happy to be forgiven of our “debts” (here sin is seen as a debt to God). To be forgiven is a wonderful gift, a joy and a relief to be set free from the penalty of what we deserve. However, God also wants us to be like Him in that we are to forgive others who have wronged us. Verses 14-15 makes it really clear as to what Jesus was saying: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Jesus is teaching us not only to seek God’s forgiveness for our sins, but also to help us see the necessity of forgiving others. In fact I think God wants us to seek his help in forgiving others. Paul writes: Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others (Colossians 3:13 NLT). There are many other passages but I think you get the point. Be careful not to harbor an unforgiving spirit toward anyone. Remember that Jesus died to clear the debt of your sin, so don’t hold onto the debt of others. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” This part makes sense to us since all of us face temptations and often feel attacked by the evil one. It’s interesting to note what Paul says to the church in Corinth: 12If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT). God never leads us into temptation but He does provide a way out. It is through God’s power in Christ that we can be delivered from the evil one. At the mere mention of Jesus’ name demons tremble. It’s a good habit to seek the Lord’s protection from temptation through prayer. Read through Paul’s writings about the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20 for encouragement. Through Christ we are well equipped to face the evil one…with Christ’s help. “The Spirit who is in you is more powerful than the spirit who is in those who belong to the world” (1 John 4:4 GN). A simple form to follow when you pray that covers all of these ideas is the acronym A.C.T.S. which means Adore, Confess, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Adore means to proclaim your love and praise to the Lord. Confess is to admit what you know is sin and seek God’s forgiveness. Thanksgiving is giving thanks for all that God has done and will do. And finally, Supplication is to bring your list of needs before God. Keep in mind His love and compassion for you and know that as you pray your prayers are heard, responded to, and answered. Let us pray! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout 2 Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. | |
| posted at 03:09PM | comments |
| Thursday, September 18, 2008 |
| Jesus Prayed For you | |
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Did you know that Jesus prayed for you? In John 17 we find Jesus praying for himself, his disciples, and every believer that would come in the future. That means you and me! In verses 1-5, Jesus is asking the Father to glorify Himself in the Son. Jesus knew that the hour had come and that he would be facing the cross in just a few short hours. In these few verses Jesus gives us an insight into His relationship with His Father. Even in this prayer Jesus reminds us that eternal life is from God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. In verses 6-19 he prays for His disciples (those whom he had been training and teaching). It was clear in Jesus’ mind that God the Father had given these disciples to Him and that they had truly accepted His teachings. Jesus is so gracious. Here in chapter 17 He is saying that they truly believed and trusted His teachings when just a few chapters earlier they were still trying to figure out Jesus’ relationship with the Father. Since the Father had given Jesus all authority and that they now shared the ownership of these disciples, Jesus prays for their safety. Jesus knew exactly the kind of world they would be sent into to minister and preach His Word. Jesus knew that they would not be of this world and that the world would reject them and hate them. So, He asked His father to protect them. Now he comes to us. Jesus ties his prayer for his disciples to us. He prayed for your protection. He claimed you as his own and he asked the Father to look out for you. I know that some people like it when the pastor comes to pray for them. I guess they feel that we pastors have a special hot line to God and that our prayers are more powerful than others. That’s not true (believe me!), but if you have any feelings of insecurity just remember that the one who was the best of all of us prayed for your protection. As you read Jesus’ prayer you can certainly see what was on his heart that day. He longed for us to be unified with the Father just as he was. He also longed for us to be unified as believers just as He and the Father were unified. Now just think about that. What does he mean by “one with the Father and Jesus”? I believe he means for us to be unified in purpose and heart. In purpose so that we are to share with the godless world the Word he came to bring. In heart that we love God and each other with our whole hearts. I think we can see this also when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment. His answer was profoundly simple. Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second was like it, love your neighbor as you love yourself. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus longed for us to love the Father and to love each other. He really wants us to “get along” with each other. Jesus’ prayer then takes an interesting twist. He asks the Father to give us the glory that the Father has given to him. What exactly does he mean by that? The glory he begins to ask for in the prayer is that the he and the Father would be glorified by his death on the cross. Humility and Service are Christ’s hallmarks as the Messiah and we are called to be like him. To have Christ’s glory is to live in such a way that others see in us Christ’s loving example of humility and servanthood. The world will stand up and take notice if we share in His glory. Christ’s prayer for us is that we would be glorified in the same way he is. Now let’s put this into practical terms. Christ’s prayer was for our protection from the world and Satan. He prayed that we would live in oneness with the Father and Him (only accomplished by the indwelling Holy Spirit), and that we would share in his glory, meaning to live out Christ’s love for others by humbly serving each other. The life Christ has called us to is to surrender to the Father, be obedient to His word, and to love and serve each other. God will glorify those who believe and serve in this way. I want to encourage you to draw near to the Lord in prayer this week. Find time to pray with others. For example our men meet regularly for prayer every Wednesday morning at 6 AM for Bible reading and prayer. We have great times of learning, growing, and praying together. Our women’s group, “eXpress” meets bi-weekly on Thursday nights at 6:30 PM for Bible study and prayer. Are you in a small group? There’s a great place to pray. You could consider: · the Revelations Group on Sundays at 6 PM, · Prime Timers on Tuesday mornings at 10 AM, · Youth ministry on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM · Oasis on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. If you are not meeting with others throughout the week for Bible study and prayer you are missing out. Christ prayed for us to be one. A great way to live that out is to pray together. Remember Jesus loves you, he intercedes for you before the Father, and he longs for you to be one with his body. Blessings! Pastor Shrout PS Don’t forget to pray this week for those families who lost so much on 9/11 and for our soldiers and their families. | |
| posted at 02:53PM | comments |
| Thursday, August 14, 2008 |
| Looking at Our Prayer Life, Part 1 | |
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“Looking At Our Prayer Life!” Do you pray enough? If I were to survey our church I would guess that most of us would say, “No, but I wish I could pray more!” Maybe you do think you pray enough. Perhaps you believe that praying at meal times is enough or perhaps you have a 15 to 20 minute quiet time in the morning and you feel that’s enough. All I know is that those who pray a lot always wish they had more time to pray. The Bible talks about prayer as being something Jesus spent a great deal of time doing. So why would the Son of God, being in very nature God himself, need time to pray? Didn’t Jesus have a special edge on all of us when it came time for prayer? He must have because look at what He did! Think of some of His miracles: water into wine, calm the storm at sea, healed lepers, and raised the dead. Jesus must have had a better connection with God then we do since He was able to do all those things. Right? Nope! Listen to Jesus’ own words: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12 NIV). Prayer is the vital link between us and the Father. It is through Jesus and the Holy Spirit that we are connected with God the Father. Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede on our behalf… “He will do even greater things than these, because I AM GOING TO THE FATHER.” So, since Jesus is asking the Father on our behalf then we will and can do even greater things than He did while on earth. That’s an incredible thought. Some might ask, “How can I, a lowly, little, insignificant being, ever do anything that could remotely come close to what Jesus did?” Well, to begin with, it wouldn’t be you doing it. Jesus is saying that because He will intercede for us before the Father then when we do things according to Jesus’ will, it will be done. When we pray we are accessing the greatest power in the universe…God. It is not by my power that anything good is accomplished but by Jesus’ power and authority. That’s a huge difference. Now getting back to the time Jesus spent in prayer, notice these verses. · After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, (Matthew 14:23 NIV). · One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God (Luke 6:12 NIV). · About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray (Luke 9:28 NIV). These verses show us that Jesus took time to pray, to pray alone, and to pray for long periods of time. We pray for 20 minutes and think we have wasted our day. Jesus obviously wanted for us to see His example and to show us how to pray…Anybody up for an all-nighter? My Creed leads me to think that prayer is efficacious,1 and surely a day’s asking God to overrule all events for good is not lost. Still there is a great feeling that when a man is praying he’s doing nothing, and this feeling makes us give undue importance to work, sometimes even to the hurrying over or even to the neglect of prayer. Do not we rest in our day too much on the arm of flesh? Cannot the same wonders be done now as of old? Do not the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth still to show Himself strong on behalf of those who put their trust in Him? Oh that God would give me more practical faith in Him! Where is now the Lord God of Elijah? He is waiting for Elijah to call on Him.—James Gilmour of Mongolia (E.M. Bounds, Purpose In Prayer, p. 2). The Holy Spirit brings a sense of conviction in our hearts regarding prayer. Bounds’ quote of James Gilmour reminds us of how much we try to operate in the flesh when we need to be operating in the Spirit. “Martin Luther, when once asked what his plans for the following day were, answered: ‘Work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer’” (E.M. Bounds, Purpose In Prayer, p. 7). Can you imagine starting your busy day with three hours of prayer? And yet, Martin Luther believed that without prayer he wouldn’t be able to accomplish a thing. So, let me ask you again, “Do you pray enough?” Jesus felt it necessary to pray. The great reformers of the Church felt the necessity to pray. Don’t you think we need to amp up our prayer life as well? I would like to challenge you to do the following over the next two weeks: 1. Spend at least one hour in prayer a day (can be broken up). 2. Find two to three other people you can pray with on a weekly basis. 3. Read daily in God’s Word looking for examples of prayer and write them down. 4. Join our prayer team to pray for prayer requests that are made on our Prayer Wall. 5. Keep a prayer journal. Write down the request, the date, and the date the prayer was answered. Think about prayer in these terms: The prayer of faith is the only power in the universe to which the great Jehovah yields. Prayer is the sovereign remedy—Robert Hall. God only gives his children access like that. We can change the world through prayer. Won’t you join me? Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout 1 efficacious adj. formal effective. | |
| posted at 02:03PM | comments |
| Thursday, July 17, 2008 |
| Be Reasonable | |
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I remember once reading a cartoon that had a picture of a church building with a marquee in front that said “Everyone Welcome.” Then surrounding the marquee were signs that read, “No smoking” “No walking on grass” “No parking” “No skateboarding” “No trespassing”, no, no, no, no, no! That doesn’t seem very welcoming now does it? I know that the last thing I ever want to do is make someone feel uncomfortable about coming to church, unless it is by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. So, I feel it necessary to go over a few items of behavior for your consideration. Most of us understand that it is impolite to get up during a movie and walk in front of people to go to the restroom. We may have no other choice, but at least most people apologize. I know when I’m watching a movie I always love and regret at the same time that 44 oz diet Coke I just drank. Sometimes I think my eyes will turn yellow before I make it to the restroom. Have you noticed that they tell you to turn off your cell phones, don’t talk during the movie, and please tell the manager if you are having a problem? You see there is “etiquette”, a list of do’s and dont's, even at the theater. So what’s wrong with applying them at church? It seems that some people think since we want everyone to come that there should be no expectations. Well, I don’t want to start each Sunday off with a list of rules for how to behave in church, but there ought to be some understanding between us, the church family. I could put up a bunch of signs like: “no potty or cigarette breaks” “no sleeping during the sermon” “no crying babies” or “no midriffs or low cut tops” allowed! Then we would be like that church in the cartoon, telling everyone to come, just don’t do anything once you get here! That’s a message I just don’t feel is right before the Lord. OK, so now what? What do we do with those who may irritate us by the way they behave in church? Look at what the Bible says about behavior: Philippians 2:1 - 4 (TMSG) 1If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— 2then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. 3Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. 4Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Wow! The Apostle Paul nails it on the head. All those behaviors that drive you crazy and distract you from worship need to be responded to with kindness, patience, and love. Some of our less mature Christians haven’t figured out yet that what they do during the service bothers others. They are still too focused on what pleases them instead of concerning themselves with how others are distracted by their behavior. I remember going to a musical comedy show once where the MC of the program stared at people who came in late. They were going clear across to the middle of the row to find their seat. He just calmly stood there and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll wait.” Everyone in the room was watching them as they got into their seat. I thought it was funny, since I was already seated. Can you imagine how that would embarrass someone if they were attending our church for the first time? Or even how a first time visitor would feel if I did that to a regular attender, they would think I did that to everyone! The truth is that as we grow in Christ we need to learn to be more courteous and thoughtful toward others. That is also what Paul is saying. Don’t push for your way above others. Defer to others out of love and respect for Christ. Show Christ’s love by being mindful of your actions. So, let me challenge you with “BE" instead of "NO". Be reasonable, be thoughtful, be kind, be courteous, and above all be respectful of others while in our worship service. So, in an attempt to show reason let me address a few specifics about church etiquette. Ladies please be careful of what you wear. Our men are trying to be godly men and if you wear something provocative then you may be causing them to sin. Please dress modestly, that goes for your teenage daughters as well. And for those who smoke, please look at our worship service as an opportunity for you to gain a foothold over your smoking instead of jumping up in the middle of the sermon to go get a smoke out in the parking lot. Also, if necessary, we have a wonderful group of ladies who are willing to hold your baby while you worship. Our nursery is clean, safe, and fun. These women will come and get you if there’s a problem. Now to every circumstance there are exceptions. If you aren’t feeling well please feel free to go to the restroom. If you have back problems and need to get up and stretch that’s fine. However, if you just drank that venti Frappacino before you came to church you need to consider a better style of bladder management. If you are hosting the fellowship table in the lobby please plan on sitting towards the back to make it easier to sneak out early. Even though I never make a comment or flinch when someone gets up it is distracting. I truly believe that God is working during our whole worship service and unnecessary moving around, whispering to those next to you, or getting up to use the restroom can be a distraction to someone God is trying to reach. You know I only say these things because I love you and want only what is best for you and the whole church family. Just let me say in closing, “Everyone Is Welcome!” Those of you who are mature in Christ be patient with those who are still learning. For those of you who need a little reminder please take these words as words of love not chastisement. Like the song says, “Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart. Come!” Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout | |
| posted at 02:11PM | comments |
| Thursday, July 17, 2008 |
| Beware of Husband! | |
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Statistics show that 1/3 to 1/2 of women in the United States will or have experienced some form of physical abuse from their male partner. In June 27, 2000 an article on spousal abuse statistics said, “Within the last year, 7% of American women (3.9 million) who are married or living with someone were physically abused, and 37% (20.7 million) were verbally or emotionally abused by their spouse or partner.”1 In my time of counseling with couples I have heard of men losing control with their temper and causing physical harm to their loved ones. Sometimes it’s by accident and other times it’s the way they were raised and feel completely justified in their physical abuse of others. Let me be completely clear here. It is never OK to hit your spouse. It is never OK to punch, kick, backhand, or shove your loved ones. In fact I believe it is a sin to hurt someone in that fashion who puts their trust in you and loves you. The truth is that anger in itself is not a sin. It’s what we do when we are angry that can become sinful. Look at how the Bible speaks about anger: A man of quick temper acts foolishly, but a man of discretion is patient. (Proverbs 14:17 NIV) Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:8 NIV). In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,…Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice (Ephesians 4:26, 31 NIV). We are taught from God’s Word to put this kind of behavior away, to bring it under control. In fact Jesus spoke of it bringing dire consequences to our lives if we continue in this manner. Read what Jesus said about anger: 21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell (Matthew 5:21-22 NIV). The great truth to be understood from this passage is that God will judge us on how badly or how well we treat one another. That includes our spouses too. The Apostle Peter spoke about how our prayers would be hindered or unanswered if we treat our wives badly. “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7 NIV). So, men, we need to take special care of how we let loose our tempers. We need to protect against our misuse of our anger, both in our words and our actions. I read this analogy a few years back out of a book by Gary Smalley and John Trent. In the book they pose this question, “What if Clark Kent forgot he was Superman?” Think about what would happen. Clark’s alarm clock goes off in the morning and he decimates the clock and the table beside his bed. He walks over to the bathroom door and tears it off its hinges. As he goes to make his coffee in the kitchen he spills the coffee all over the kitchen because he forgets his strength when he opens the bag of coffee. As he leaves the house he notices the paper boy has thrown the paper in the middle of the yard again. In anger he picks it up, gives it a hard throw to the porch. Unfortunately it penetrates the front door, blows a hole in the living room wall, and knocks a huge hole in the brick wall of on the other side of the house, and knocks half the fence down as it enters the neighbor’s backyard. As he pulls out of the driveway he has left his home in complete shambles. We men do not understand the power we have in our own homes. When we forget our strength and size at home we cause tremendous fear in the hearts of those who live with us. Our homes should be a safe place for our families. We should be the protector of homes, not the scoundrel who terrorizes those we live with. What causes men to act in such a way? Well, the answer is complicated due to the myriad of experiences men have growing up. They could come from an abusive home, or they may have learned how to survive in a battle zone, and now misuse those skills at home. It’s possible they don’t know how to communicate their feeling except by losing their temper and smashing things. The reality is that how they got there is not nearly as important as how they get out. As we turn our hearts over to Christ more and more His Holy Spirit will bring about the character qualities we long for. It is not weak to be in control of your temper. In fact it takes greater strength of character to keep your temper under control. Being a strong and good fighter has its place. But it’s never right to use it on your family. No child or wife ever deserves to be hit by their father or husband. Let me make this clear. Ladies, if your husband ever hits you then you are to take the kids and get to a safe place. Call the police and do not let him back into your lives until he gets help. Men, our world is way out of control. Too many men are taking their fear, insecurities, and pain out on their loved ones. You cannot have an intimate and loving relationship with your wife as long as you can’t keep your anger in check. Seek help. Pray hard. Get with a buddy and keep each other accountable. Don’t let another day go by without you taking the first step to get this under control. Your family will love and respect you all the more if you do. Blessings! Yours In Christ, Pastor Shrout 1 Take Back the Night, web site: http://www.dso.uncc.edu/women/TBN_Web/stats.html | |
| posted at 02:10PM | comments |
| Thursday, June 12, 2008 |
| Gay Marriages in California | |
 Gay Marriages in CaliforniaApparently, according to news sources, gay marriage will be legal in California as of June 16th after 5 pm. One of the great criticisms of the Christian Church is that we hate gays, and that we are “out to get them” so to speak. In fact a large number of unchurched people see this as one reason why they cannot accept Christianity. What they misunderstand is that we love the person but do not condone the behavior. On the first Sunday of June I taught on Luke 6:37 where Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. It seems that the church is being judged for judging others. How have we given this message to the world that we are judging all homosexuals? Well, the truth is that we recognize homosexuality as being sinful. The Bible speaks very clearly about sexual sin and being gay is one of them. In the Old Testament the Bible makes it clear how God feels about this form of sexual sin: Leviticus 20:13: 13‘If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. There are multiple references in the Old Testament to Kings who were getting rid of male shrine prostitutes (1 Kings 14:24, 15:12, 22:46, and 2 Kings 23:7). In this elimination of the male shrine prostitutes the King demonstrates an understanding of “intolerance” by God for homosexuality and idolatry. But let’s also mention that God states that there are other sexual sins to be met with judgment and capitol punishment as well. Adultery Lev. 20:10 Sex with Father’s wife Lev. 20:11 Sex with Daughter-in-law Lev. 20:12 A man having sex with another man Lev. 20:13 Man marrying both a mother and her daughter Lev. 20: 14 Bestiality (sex with animals) Lev. 20:15-16 Man has sex with his Aunt (Parent’s sibling) Lev. 20:20 Each of these carries the penalty of death. Notice that the Old Testament shows us that we humans are incredibly creative when it comes to our carnality, as well as unchanging in our attraction to sin. Our human sexuality is very potent and both a gift and a curse from God. It is a gift when kept under control, and a curse when IT is in control. Now again, I’m not just pointing toward Gays and Lesbians, I think all sexual sin is just that…sin! Sin separates us from God. Our disobedience dishonors God and the church. Some would argue that since Christ’s resurrection we are no longer under the Law of the Old Testament, and they would be right. If we cling to following the Law of the Old Testament for salvation then we have to live by that law in absolute perfection (Romans 3:19-20). We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law (see Romans 3:21-26). However, we are also kept righteous by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide our lives (see Galatians 5:11-26). If we live our lives keeping in step with the Holy Spirit, then He will lead us to live in a way that doesn’t contradict the law of God. In Romans 6 Paul states that the Law is good and shows us where we fall short of God’s holy nature. The problem comes when we try to excuse our sinful behavior by saying that we no longer have to obey the law. We were not saved so that we can continue to be sinful but set free to live holy. Even Paul in the New Testament clarifies for us that sexual impurity will keep a person from the Kingdom of God: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. I like that Paul doesn’t just pick on one kind of sin but lays it out that all of these behaviors are sinful and that we can change our way of living through Christ. Paul also advises Timothy to preach against similar issues in his first letter: 1 Timothy 1:8-11 ( NASB ) 8But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. So why has the Gay and Lesbian lifestyle become such an issue? Because there are those who, even with the best of intentions, are trying to say that the Bible is no longer valid in those areas. Sex in marriage is a wonderful way of consummating your love for each other and a pleasurable way of bonding to each other physically. The problems come when we in our desire for self-guidance decide to side step God’s plan for sexuality and create perverted forms of it. In truth God only sanctions one kind of sexual relationship and that is between a man and a woman who have committed themselves to each other for life (see Genesis 1:27, 2:24, and Mark10:5-9). Remember that we do not hate homosexuals, adulterers, or fornicators. We love the person but do not condone the behavior. Our goal is to love them into God’s forgiveness, grace, and redemption. People participating in these acts see nothing wrong. They feel we are being judgmental when we say they are sinning. We want to help them, but they feel they don’t need help. The truth is that we cannot change a person. Only God can and only if they are willing. What we can do is pray for them, show them God’s love and mercy, and demonstrate what God’s love is all about. We are coming up to an election in November where many issues will be decided. I cannot tell you how to vote. You must vote your conscience as you prayerfully consider God’s Word. However, I am urging you to vote in a way that supports God’s value system. God is not a cosmic killjoy. He has given us His Word to put limitations on our behavior to protect and to guide us. There are always consequences for a society that turns a deaf ear to God’s Word, whether those consequences are in the here and now or on Judgment Day. God’s nature is holy, merciful, and just. He will sort out what's right and fair. But in the meantime we have His written Word to use as our guide. Please pray! Please read God’s Word! Please vote! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout PS Here is a web address where you can sign a petition to encourage a bill before congress to insure a marriage between a man and a woman is the only lawfully recognized relationship. Please sign only if you feel the Lord leading you to do so. http://capwiz.com/afanet/utr/2/?a=11464506&i=83254462&c= | |
| posted at 02:24PM | comments |
| Thursday, May 22, 2008 |
| Unconditional Love | |
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Unconditional love is a phrase we use a lot in the church. What does it mean? How do I know it is truly “unconditional” and what does God expect of me? What Does It Mean? Let’s break down the phrase to help us understand its meaning. The word “unconditional” implies that this love is given without conditions. What kind of conditions do people have on “conditional love?” Let’s look at two: I love you because… you are beautiful, smart, talented, rich, etc. If any of the reasons for that love change then you are no longer loved. I love you if… you love me, buy me things, laugh at my jokes, give me sex, or make me feel good, etc. This leaves little doubt that if the conditions change then the love stops. Too often relationships are destroyed because one in the relationship is only in as long as the current condition continues. The truth is that I would say that a person who treats another in one of these ways isn’t really “in love” with the other. Conditional love is unstable and lacks commitment. In fact it is a very selfish form of relationship. They’re all smiles until things change. If they love you because you’re beautiful then what happens if you’re disfigured in a car wreck, or just experience the effects of time. If they love you as long as you can buy them things then when the money is gone so are they. Now what is a good definition of love? Well, many philosophers down through the ages have attempted to provide a good definition of love, and have said all manner of things from the ridiculous to the profound. The Oxford Dictionary states: Love -n. 1 an intense feeling of deep affection. a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone. a great interest and pleasure in something. affectionate greetings. The problem with this definition is that you need another definition to explain this definition. “An intense feeling of deep affection” could mean almost anything. Yes, love is about how I (or you) feel about someone else, but it is also a choice we make even when we don’t feel like it. The Holman Bible dictionary defines it this way: LOVE: Unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the well-being of another. From this definition we can see that the one in love has the best in mind for the one being loved. When the one saying “I love you” is more concerned about themselves one could question the sincerity of their love. How Do I Know That It’s Real? When love is given selflessly no one questions whether it is real or not. When love is given sacrificially no one thinks twice about it. The times when love is in question is when there are strings attached. In the Greek language they don’t use one word for love. They used words like, phileo (brotherly love), eros (romantic or erotic love), and agape (affection or benevolence) to help specify the kind of love they mean. We use the word love for pizza, M&M’s, and our family in the same way. Now I know you know I love M&M’s but I don’t love them as much as I love my wife or sons. So, I think in this case the Greek language does a better job than in English. So, if you love someone without strings attached, without a because or if, then you can know the love is real. Now What Does God Expect From Me? Let me share some thoughts as to how God wants us to love. If you want a great definition of love, one where you have a list of things to test it against, try this verse on for size. The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever,… (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NLT) Look at the list of what love is… • Patient • Kind • Rejoicing in the truth • Never gives up • Never loses faith • Always hopes • Endures every circumstance • Love never fails. Now compare it to what love is not… • Jealous • Boastful • Proud • Rude • Demanding its own way • Irritable • A record keeper of wrongs • Glad about injustice If love becomes conditional you can see how the “not” list becomes apparent. When people work through their issues they have to give up their selfishness and look to the well being of the other. Loving relationships are difficult but worth the work. Grace is God’s love toward us when we didn’t deserve it. These last two verses I think will cut us all to the quick. Matthew 5:39-42 (NLT) But I say, don’t resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. John 13:34-35 (NLT) So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” The only way I know how to love as God calls us to love (unconditionally) is by the power of His Holy Spirit. Only by God’s love in us and for us can we reflect that kind of love to others. I don’t know about you but I still have some work to do in my own life when it comes to loving others the way Christ commands us to love. My prayer for all of us is that we will experience the fullness of God’s love so that we may share that love with the world. Blessings! Yours in Christ, Pastor Shrout 1. Holman Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, Copyright © 1991 Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1998, Parsons Technology, Inc. | |
| posted at 01:21PM | comments |
