I have always laughed at the phrase, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." I have found it funny because I never thought I would get there. A young heart is always ready to adapt to change and conquer the world. Well, this last year, while turning 40, I have come to a full understanding of this idiom. I realize there have been a lot of things that I do in life because it's the way I have always done them. When I consider changing my ways, stubbornness reveals it's ugly head and causes my mind to slam on the breaks.
The Lord spoke to me, recently, about several areas of my life where I have been stuck. Traditionalism has moved in and decided to camp out in each of these areas. I would not consider these areas of sin, but it has caused me to accept the status quo because of routine and comfort. The problem with this is that it will stunt any growth or put out any fire.
As I was reading Matthew 9, in the account of Jesus' answer about fasting, the Lord spoke to me about wine skins as it relates to capacity. I realized my ability to grow is directly connected to my capacity and willingness. We cannot put new ideas into old mind-sets. We cannot get new results with old behaviors. It is so easy to get caught up doing something over and over because it's the way it has always been done. Traditionalism leads to routine which leads to stagnant lethargy. If you allow a plant to go too long without fresh water, you'll begin to see the life taken from that plant. If you try putting new wine into an old wine skin, the skin cracks and breaks because of it's limited capacity. In our lives, if we slide into traditionalism, we will quickly have stale relationships, leadership, witness, prayer lives, intimacy with Christ and we will fee stuck in every area of life.
As I sat before the Lord and considered this and prayed, I also pray for you reading this, that if you find yourself in a place of stagnancy, simply ask the Lord for fresh wine skins. Jesus is the wine. He wants to take you to new places. He wants to give you fresh revelation. He wants to expand your prayer life. He wants to deepen your walk with Him. He wants to take you and your spouse new places together. He wants to empower you to be a stronger mom or dad or grandparent. He wants to embolden your leadership in the work place.
In closing, in this New Year, if you find yourself hanging onto the old as I have, let's ask God to do a new thing. Isaiah 43:18 says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." At the beginning of this year, the Lord gave me this verse. Now I can see why!
Lord, give us fresh wine skins to accommodate the new wine that You pour into us. Point out and reveal any hindrances that are keeping us from reaching new heights with You. We ask for increased capacity, In Jesus Name.
From the Heart of Hartley
Showing posts with label spiritual growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual growth. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Children
I am not claiming to have it all together when it comes to raising children. I have been a Dad for 11 years and have four children. I do, however, believe my parents had it all together when they raised me. After all, my Dad wrote a book on parenting. Smile.
I can imagine, based on the title of this blog, you are probably expecting answers such as: Love your children unconditionally. Love your spouse. Spend quality time with your children. Buy nice things for your children. Take your children to church. Maybe you would even come up with a deeply profound and significant idea like lead your children in Bible study. These are all good ideas, but it is not what I feel is the most significant practice you will incorporate as a parent.
The best thing you can do for your children (insert drum roll) is for you to build your relationship with God. Taking your children to church is great, praying for your children is great, even leading your children in Bible study devotions is great, but nothing is more important in parenting than for Moms and Dads to have a personal devotion and quiet time that is fresh and alive. Because once you walk closely with Jesus, then all the other things you want to do for your children will fall into place. If you have yet to follow Jesus, that is where you want to start. Give your heart to Him and receive the grace, forgiveness and freedom that He brings.
We learn this practice from Jesus Himself. One of my favorite verses in all of the New Testament is Mark 1:35. This is what we read there: "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." The reason I like it so much is because Jesus set the standard for us. If Jesus spent time with His Father in prayer, then surely we need to make this a daily practice.
My parents were a great example of this for me. They had a thriving walk with the Lord which flowed from their personal quiet time with Him. I found them morning after morning spending time at the feet of Jesus in private prayer and Scripture reading.
Here's the reason why this is so important: God has established a chain of command for the family. Paul explains this in Ephesians 5 & 6. First he points out that Christ is the head of marriage. Secondly, the husband is the head of the home. Wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands love their wives as Christ loves the church. In addition, Paul goes on at the beginning of chapter 6 to address children and remind them of the 5th commandment to honor and obey their parents. The chain of command we receive from God through Paul in Ephesians starts with God as the ultimate authority. Parents are subject to the authority of God in their lives. Then, as parents grow in knowledge and understanding of God, children are subject to their parent's authority. This is why it is highly important for parents to have a thriving relationship with God.
If we, as parents, are not growing closer to God, we are growing away from Him. We will not be able to lead our children, the way God calls us to, if we do not have a relationship with God that is fully alive. If God is reviving our hearts as parents, then our children will be led closer to Jesus as well. We will never lead our children to places with Jesus where we haven't been ourselves. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ."
Here is the good news: growing in Christ and being the kinds of parents God calls us to be is not something we just need to develop on our own. Paul gives us the secret ingredient to a thriving quiet time and empowered parenting in Ephesians 6:18. He says, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit is given to every follower of Jesus Christ at salvation. The Holy Spirit wants to fill us every day to take us to new places with Jesus so that we can parent our children well.
The best thing you can do for your children (insert drum roll) is for you to build your relationship with God. Taking your children to church is great, praying for your children is great, even leading your children in Bible study devotions is great, but nothing is more important in parenting than for Moms and Dads to have a personal devotion and quiet time that is fresh and alive. Because once you walk closely with Jesus, then all the other things you want to do for your children will fall into place. If you have yet to follow Jesus, that is where you want to start. Give your heart to Him and receive the grace, forgiveness and freedom that He brings.
We learn this practice from Jesus Himself. One of my favorite verses in all of the New Testament is Mark 1:35. This is what we read there: "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." The reason I like it so much is because Jesus set the standard for us. If Jesus spent time with His Father in prayer, then surely we need to make this a daily practice.
My parents were a great example of this for me. They had a thriving walk with the Lord which flowed from their personal quiet time with Him. I found them morning after morning spending time at the feet of Jesus in private prayer and Scripture reading.
Here's the reason why this is so important: God has established a chain of command for the family. Paul explains this in Ephesians 5 & 6. First he points out that Christ is the head of marriage. Secondly, the husband is the head of the home. Wives are to submit to their husbands and husbands love their wives as Christ loves the church. In addition, Paul goes on at the beginning of chapter 6 to address children and remind them of the 5th commandment to honor and obey their parents. The chain of command we receive from God through Paul in Ephesians starts with God as the ultimate authority. Parents are subject to the authority of God in their lives. Then, as parents grow in knowledge and understanding of God, children are subject to their parent's authority. This is why it is highly important for parents to have a thriving relationship with God.
If we, as parents, are not growing closer to God, we are growing away from Him. We will not be able to lead our children, the way God calls us to, if we do not have a relationship with God that is fully alive. If God is reviving our hearts as parents, then our children will be led closer to Jesus as well. We will never lead our children to places with Jesus where we haven't been ourselves. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ."
Here is the good news: growing in Christ and being the kinds of parents God calls us to be is not something we just need to develop on our own. Paul gives us the secret ingredient to a thriving quiet time and empowered parenting in Ephesians 6:18. He says, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit is given to every follower of Jesus Christ at salvation. The Holy Spirit wants to fill us every day to take us to new places with Jesus so that we can parent our children well.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
More is Caught
I have many significant roles in my life. None more important than being a Dad to my three children. They are my pride and joy. As a father, my main passion is to point my children to Jesus Christ. I desire for my children to embrace Jesus: to know Him and to serve Him.
Our culture makes my role as a Dad difficult. The world is full of evil. My kids are bombarded daily with temptations that push them to the edge of compromise. The world has become more and more accepting of what was considered out of bounds 15 years ago. Television, movies and the internet promote an accepting of immorality, violence and evil that has taken what is sacred and made it common. As a Dad, I want to protect my children and their innocence. In protecting them, I want to empower them to navigate temptations, on their own, by knowing right from wrong.
From the day they are born, our children begin to take small steps of freedom in moving out of our care as parents. Every day that we have with our children, we are preparing them for the ultimate freedom of living on their own, which in most cases happens when children go off to college. We must take advantage of our time with our children.
When I was studying youth ministry, back in college, I learned a phrase that applies well to my mindset as a Dad. One of my professors shared: "More is caught than taught." My children are more likely to grab a principle or truth of God's word if they see me live it out, than they would if I presented some clever devotional lesson. I am not discouraging family devotions, because they are important. As a matter of fact, we have them as a family. However, if I lead a devotion on tithing and my children see my wife and I put our check into the offering plate, that speaks volumes to them on the importance of giving to God what belongs to Him.
Our children watch us closely. They see how we respond when we're faced with difficult situations. They see how we spend our free time. They observe more than we realize. This puts a lot of pressure on us as parents. The reality is that we will reproduce who we are. In student ministry, I have been around a lot of troubled students through the years. In most cases, the ones who have the biggest problems in their lives are ones who do not have quality examples to follow in their parents.
If more is caught than taught, then I want to be there for my children and I want to model Christ for them. I can't expect my children to learn enough at Sunday School, Children's church or Awana to suffice their spiritual growth. They need encouragement and inspiration from me. This requires me to spend quality time with each of my children. By quality time, I'm talking about having eye ball to eye ball conversations with them about what is significant in their life. This also means to allow them opportunity to be with me as I make important day to day decisions in striving to live for Jesus. Yes, sometimes this requires admitting my shortcomings.
God calls us to submit to His authority and to obey His truth. When we do this as parents, then we are able to call our children to obey our authority. By God's grace, we will point our children to Jesus as we live for Him.
Our culture makes my role as a Dad difficult. The world is full of evil. My kids are bombarded daily with temptations that push them to the edge of compromise. The world has become more and more accepting of what was considered out of bounds 15 years ago. Television, movies and the internet promote an accepting of immorality, violence and evil that has taken what is sacred and made it common. As a Dad, I want to protect my children and their innocence. In protecting them, I want to empower them to navigate temptations, on their own, by knowing right from wrong.
From the day they are born, our children begin to take small steps of freedom in moving out of our care as parents. Every day that we have with our children, we are preparing them for the ultimate freedom of living on their own, which in most cases happens when children go off to college. We must take advantage of our time with our children.
When I was studying youth ministry, back in college, I learned a phrase that applies well to my mindset as a Dad. One of my professors shared: "More is caught than taught." My children are more likely to grab a principle or truth of God's word if they see me live it out, than they would if I presented some clever devotional lesson. I am not discouraging family devotions, because they are important. As a matter of fact, we have them as a family. However, if I lead a devotion on tithing and my children see my wife and I put our check into the offering plate, that speaks volumes to them on the importance of giving to God what belongs to Him.
Our children watch us closely. They see how we respond when we're faced with difficult situations. They see how we spend our free time. They observe more than we realize. This puts a lot of pressure on us as parents. The reality is that we will reproduce who we are. In student ministry, I have been around a lot of troubled students through the years. In most cases, the ones who have the biggest problems in their lives are ones who do not have quality examples to follow in their parents.
If more is caught than taught, then I want to be there for my children and I want to model Christ for them. I can't expect my children to learn enough at Sunday School, Children's church or Awana to suffice their spiritual growth. They need encouragement and inspiration from me. This requires me to spend quality time with each of my children. By quality time, I'm talking about having eye ball to eye ball conversations with them about what is significant in their life. This also means to allow them opportunity to be with me as I make important day to day decisions in striving to live for Jesus. Yes, sometimes this requires admitting my shortcomings.
God calls us to submit to His authority and to obey His truth. When we do this as parents, then we are able to call our children to obey our authority. By God's grace, we will point our children to Jesus as we live for Him.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
The Lord continues to speak to me about His longing for faithfulness in the lives of His children. In a previous blog article entitled Lifesong, I addressed the idea of our life being a message to the world. I want to continue those thoughts here.
Actions speak louder than words. Do you agree with that statement? Everyone can talk a good game, but not everyone can always back it up. I recall a heated argument that developed on a practice putting green, before a multi-school golf tournament, my senior year in high school. Yes, surprisingly enough, there is trash talk that can happen even in the sport of golf. Golf tends to be a gentlemen’s sport and has always been a sport played with an emphasis on etiquette. However, that day on the practice green, all it took was one student telling his opponent that he would out-drive and out-putt him the entire round. This led to a heated exchange. Golf is a game that requires intense concentration and if your mind is elsewhere during your round, you will end up having to take penalty strokes because of poor shots. To make a long story short, this golfer from the other school wasn’t able to back up his talk. He tried to get his opponent thinking negatively, and as a result it backfired and he found himself being negatively affected by his words.
In my experience as a pastor, I have come across so many people who settle for spiritual mediocrity. These people have a lot of head knowledge but it doesn’t bring life transformation. These people have trusted Jesus as their Savior and it seems they have done so only to avoid an eternity in hell. They attend church on Sunday or youth group on Wednesday night; they may even interact and answer questions about faith and Scriptures. But, when it comes to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and the weekends, they run their life on their own. Their lives are no different than those who have yet to trust Jesus. Their mouths pour out lies or profanity. Their computers are filled with garbage. Their social media accounts are used as a place to air their dirty laundry. Their lifestyle is camouflaged because they want to fit in with the world.
This last year, the Lord has spoken to me about the importance of godly character. Jesus, in Matthew 5:13-16, calls His followers to be salt and light. Our character is what enables us to be salt and light. Our culture is full of darkness and only we have the ability to bring the light of Jesus. Salt prevents decay. Our culture is decaying with immorality, greed, and pride. It’s only as we become salt, that we can prevent the decay that is happening all around us.
This fall, I am teaching our youth about the Fruit of the Spirit. I have sensed a need to define what a follower of Jesus looks like. We have studied the last part of Galatians 5. There is a battle going on for each of our hearts/souls. It is a battle between our sinful natures and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The enemy wants nothing more than for us to believe his lies and fall into sin. However, as we trust Jesus, the Holy Spirit wants to work through the Word of God to sensitize us to the character qualities of Jesus. Each Wednesday night, we are looking at a different fruit of the Spirit. These fruit are not optional. Fruit are not like spiritual gifts. A follower of Christ may only have one spiritual gift. However, each of us should strive to display each and every fruit.
The first of the nine fruit mentioned in Paul’s list in Galatians 5 is love. Love should be at the center of all we do and all we say. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This is simply because love should be the igniter for all the other fruit. We can experience joy because of love. We can live at peace because of love. We can be patient because of love. We are kind because of love. We enjoy goodness because of love. We are full of faith because of love. We are gentle because of love. We can be self-controlled because of love. Love is what defines God and if we are followers of Christ, love will be at the center of all we do. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “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.” May the Spirit of God empower each of us to live for Jesus each and every day. May we be known as those who don’t just talk the talk, but we walk the walk!
In my experience as a pastor, I have come across so many people who settle for spiritual mediocrity. These people have a lot of head knowledge but it doesn’t bring life transformation. These people have trusted Jesus as their Savior and it seems they have done so only to avoid an eternity in hell. They attend church on Sunday or youth group on Wednesday night; they may even interact and answer questions about faith and Scriptures. But, when it comes to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and the weekends, they run their life on their own. Their lives are no different than those who have yet to trust Jesus. Their mouths pour out lies or profanity. Their computers are filled with garbage. Their social media accounts are used as a place to air their dirty laundry. Their lifestyle is camouflaged because they want to fit in with the world.
This last year, the Lord has spoken to me about the importance of godly character. Jesus, in Matthew 5:13-16, calls His followers to be salt and light. Our character is what enables us to be salt and light. Our culture is full of darkness and only we have the ability to bring the light of Jesus. Salt prevents decay. Our culture is decaying with immorality, greed, and pride. It’s only as we become salt, that we can prevent the decay that is happening all around us.
This fall, I am teaching our youth about the Fruit of the Spirit. I have sensed a need to define what a follower of Jesus looks like. We have studied the last part of Galatians 5. There is a battle going on for each of our hearts/souls. It is a battle between our sinful natures and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The enemy wants nothing more than for us to believe his lies and fall into sin. However, as we trust Jesus, the Holy Spirit wants to work through the Word of God to sensitize us to the character qualities of Jesus. Each Wednesday night, we are looking at a different fruit of the Spirit. These fruit are not optional. Fruit are not like spiritual gifts. A follower of Christ may only have one spiritual gift. However, each of us should strive to display each and every fruit.
The first of the nine fruit mentioned in Paul’s list in Galatians 5 is love. Love should be at the center of all we do and all we say. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This is simply because love should be the igniter for all the other fruit. We can experience joy because of love. We can live at peace because of love. We can be patient because of love. We are kind because of love. We enjoy goodness because of love. We are full of faith because of love. We are gentle because of love. We can be self-controlled because of love. Love is what defines God and if we are followers of Christ, love will be at the center of all we do. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “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.” May the Spirit of God empower each of us to live for Jesus each and every day. May we be known as those who don’t just talk the talk, but we walk the walk!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Lifesong
It has been said that actions speak louder than words. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. I can think of several instances over the years where I have heard someone talk a good walk, but when the rubber met the road their lifestyle didn’t match what came out of their mouth. God desires and deserves so much more.
We live in a fallen world. The world we live in today is more sinful than it was ten years ago. There are so many temptations that cloud our vision every day. God has called us to holiness. Holiness means set apart, different. Just as God Himself is holy, so He desires us to be holy, striving to live a sinless life. So often believers can get caught in a rut of taking advantage of God’s grace. We can catch ourselves thinking, “God will forgive me and therefore I can continue sinning.” That’s the wrong mindset to have. The Bible says in Romans 6:1, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase, by no means, we died to sin!” Our lives should not conform to the world around us. We should not desire to be camouflaged Christians. God calls us to stand out, to be salt and light!
As believers, God has given us absolute freedom. Scripture says in John 8:36, “If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.” What a joy it is to be called children of God. We are loved with an everlasting love. We are able to love because He first loved us. This freedom we experience in Christ should cause our countenance to be different from the world. The inner freedom that we experience should cause our personality to overflow with the joy of the Lord. Our lives should be different.
Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” This is a great verse, and I have, over the years, debated in my mind about what that exactly means. I have concluded that as believers God has called us to worship Him with our lives. This happens 24-7-365. This is not just something we do on a given Sunday morning or simply during a Bile study experience. This is daily dying to ourselves and taking up our cross and putting Jesus first. It is complete surrender, saying, “Lord, not my will, but yours be done.” It is doing everything in life to the audience of One, for His praise and for His glory.
Several years ago, I took a group of middle school students to Night of Joy at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando FL. One of the featured bands at this event was Casting Crowns. They had previously released an album entitled Lifesong (lyrics below). The title song is featured first on the CD and has become one of my all-time favorite songs. This song speaks of this challenge we face as believers to allow what happens at church to be carried over into our daily lives. Our lives should reflect Christ’s work in us. A statement that lead singer Mark Hall made that Friday night, years ago and has stuck with me today is: “All of life is worship.” He hit the nail on the head. That statement has continued to resonate in my mind as I strive to worship Jesus no matter what I'm doing.
In conclusion, I want to ask you, what song is your life singing? When people observe your life and character, what do they see? Are you above reproach in every area? When you do mess up, are you quick to admit you were wrong? My challenge to you is to take a spiritual inventory and allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to live a life that is without compromise. A life that says, “I am in madly in love with Jesus.”
Lifesong by Casting Crowns
© Copyright 2005 Club Zoo Music (BMI)
Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight
May the words that I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to you
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sing Your name to the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Lord, I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet
So may the words that I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to you
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to you
We live in a fallen world. The world we live in today is more sinful than it was ten years ago. There are so many temptations that cloud our vision every day. God has called us to holiness. Holiness means set apart, different. Just as God Himself is holy, so He desires us to be holy, striving to live a sinless life. So often believers can get caught in a rut of taking advantage of God’s grace. We can catch ourselves thinking, “God will forgive me and therefore I can continue sinning.” That’s the wrong mindset to have. The Bible says in Romans 6:1, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase, by no means, we died to sin!” Our lives should not conform to the world around us. We should not desire to be camouflaged Christians. God calls us to stand out, to be salt and light!
As believers, God has given us absolute freedom. Scripture says in John 8:36, “If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.” What a joy it is to be called children of God. We are loved with an everlasting love. We are able to love because He first loved us. This freedom we experience in Christ should cause our countenance to be different from the world. The inner freedom that we experience should cause our personality to overflow with the joy of the Lord. Our lives should be different.
Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” This is a great verse, and I have, over the years, debated in my mind about what that exactly means. I have concluded that as believers God has called us to worship Him with our lives. This happens 24-7-365. This is not just something we do on a given Sunday morning or simply during a Bile study experience. This is daily dying to ourselves and taking up our cross and putting Jesus first. It is complete surrender, saying, “Lord, not my will, but yours be done.” It is doing everything in life to the audience of One, for His praise and for His glory.
Several years ago, I took a group of middle school students to Night of Joy at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando FL. One of the featured bands at this event was Casting Crowns. They had previously released an album entitled Lifesong (lyrics below). The title song is featured first on the CD and has become one of my all-time favorite songs. This song speaks of this challenge we face as believers to allow what happens at church to be carried over into our daily lives. Our lives should reflect Christ’s work in us. A statement that lead singer Mark Hall made that Friday night, years ago and has stuck with me today is: “All of life is worship.” He hit the nail on the head. That statement has continued to resonate in my mind as I strive to worship Jesus no matter what I'm doing.
In conclusion, I want to ask you, what song is your life singing? When people observe your life and character, what do they see? Are you above reproach in every area? When you do mess up, are you quick to admit you were wrong? My challenge to you is to take a spiritual inventory and allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to live a life that is without compromise. A life that says, “I am in madly in love with Jesus.”
Lifesong by Casting Crowns
© Copyright 2005 Club Zoo Music (BMI)
Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight
May the words that I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to you
Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sing Your name to the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You
Lord, I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet
So may the words that I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to you
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to you
Friday, March 30, 2012
Infancy
Joanna and I have had the privilege of caring for 3 infants thus far. Infants are so precious. They are so small. They are also completely dependent. Infants would not be able to survive for very long if they were left in their crib for a number of days. They aren't able to walk to the kitchen to get food and water to help them grow. They are dependent on their Mom to feed them. Imagine how bad a diaper rash would be if they were left for a few days without a diaper change. Infants are totally dependent on the care of their Mom and Dad. Infants grow fast through the love, commitment and nurture of their parents.
In the same way, a new follower of Christ is totally dependent in their early stages of infancy. As a person steps out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to work in them, making them new and free. However, infant believers or new disciples are dependent on the body of Christ to assist them in growth.
The parenting of infant followers of Christ is often neglected in the church. So often churches do well at seeing that people have the opportunity to trust Jesus and receive salvation, or certain churches will have a focus on the deeper life of a disciple, and therefore in both situations infants are left in their crib. When this happens, the infant is not able help themselves and in most cases fall back into the same sin traps they dealt with before trusting Jesus. We must do something about this.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:2-3, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." An infant needs someone to come alongside them and train them in the Word. They need someone who is willing to hold the bottle of milk so they can get nourishment. They need someone who will show them Scripture that will empower them as they begin their journey. Someone who will teach them the core principles of walking with Jesus.
Here is a list of core principles/practices:
1) Daily nutrition in the word
2) Communicating with God in prayer
3) Understanding faith
4) Sharing our faith in evangelism
5) Putting on the armor for battle
6) Worship and giving thanks
7) Plugging into a local church
8) Embracing God's plan for the nations
9) Understanding baptism and communion
10) Tithing
Last week, I started a beginner's Bible study for a group of youth who have just recently trusted Jesus as their Savior. I have to tell you, sitting at the table and looking into the eyes of these students reminded me of each birth of my children. I had a sense of astonishment and wonder. I was thinking of all the exciting days that are ahead for these students as they begin their new life.
Trusting Jesus is the most important decision a person will every make. However, it doesn't end there. Trusting Jesus isn't just about avoiding eternal damnation, it is about living a life that is surrendered to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus. Baby Christians need nourishment and care to begin their new life in Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit and godly men and women, they will enter into a new life of joy and freedom that will last a lifetime!
In the same way, a new follower of Christ is totally dependent in their early stages of infancy. As a person steps out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to work in them, making them new and free. However, infant believers or new disciples are dependent on the body of Christ to assist them in growth.
The parenting of infant followers of Christ is often neglected in the church. So often churches do well at seeing that people have the opportunity to trust Jesus and receive salvation, or certain churches will have a focus on the deeper life of a disciple, and therefore in both situations infants are left in their crib. When this happens, the infant is not able help themselves and in most cases fall back into the same sin traps they dealt with before trusting Jesus. We must do something about this.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:2-3, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." An infant needs someone to come alongside them and train them in the Word. They need someone who is willing to hold the bottle of milk so they can get nourishment. They need someone who will show them Scripture that will empower them as they begin their journey. Someone who will teach them the core principles of walking with Jesus.
Here is a list of core principles/practices:
1) Daily nutrition in the word
2) Communicating with God in prayer
3) Understanding faith
4) Sharing our faith in evangelism
5) Putting on the armor for battle
6) Worship and giving thanks
7) Plugging into a local church
8) Embracing God's plan for the nations
9) Understanding baptism and communion
10) Tithing
Last week, I started a beginner's Bible study for a group of youth who have just recently trusted Jesus as their Savior. I have to tell you, sitting at the table and looking into the eyes of these students reminded me of each birth of my children. I had a sense of astonishment and wonder. I was thinking of all the exciting days that are ahead for these students as they begin their new life.
Trusting Jesus is the most important decision a person will every make. However, it doesn't end there. Trusting Jesus isn't just about avoiding eternal damnation, it is about living a life that is surrendered to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus. Baby Christians need nourishment and care to begin their new life in Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit and godly men and women, they will enter into a new life of joy and freedom that will last a lifetime!
Friday, March 23, 2012
It's Spring-time
Spring is here! Spring is a time of new beginnings. In the winter months the ground is dormant, the vegetation is dormant, but Spring-time brings new life and growth! The last six months have been a time of new beginnings for my family. It has been fun for us to adjust to our new life here in Verndale. We have enjoyed building new friendships, getting established in our church and getting settled in at school and in our home. We praise the Lord for calling us here for such a time is this!
The student ministry, that I pastor, is also enjoying Spring-time and growth. We have seen an influx of students over the last two months on Wednesday nights. We have seen around 20 first-time guest come for the first time in the last two months. Our attendance has doubled in the last six months. To God be the glory, great things He has done! We are currently seeking the Lord for wisdom in how to accommodate this growth. Please be in prayer for our youth coaches as we make decisions about splitting the high school and middle school. If we decide to split and meet on separate nights, we will be in need of more youth coaches as well.
On a recent Wednesday night, we saw several students launch into new beginnings as they gave their hearts to Jesus. Our youth coaches planned a gross and messy games outreach, and we had six students give their hearts to Jesus that night. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” When a person admits the fact that they are a sinner and confesses their sin to Him for cleansing, that person is made new! These students are experiencing a new beginning! I will be starting a new beginnings Bible study with these who have trusted Jesus, on Wednesday nights before youth group. Please pray for these students as they begin to establish a new relationship with Jesus.
This Spring, as we anticipate the warmer months, as we enjoy the longer days and beautiful gardens, let’s also be reminded of God’s faithfulness. No matter how difficult the winter’s of life can be, there is always springtime ahead. As long as God is on His throne, we can trust His sovereign plan for our lives. The Winter may have been long, but Springtime has arrived!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)