When church becomes about you – it ceases to be church and becomes a club!  For the past few months, I have been battling with how to minister to some people that are a part of the church, yet continue to have a negative and critical spirit.  Most of these people have been in church for most of their lives and should know better!  It’s hard for me to understand their selfishness and unwillingness to look beyond themselves.   When I stop for just a minute and look at what God has done and is doing in the life and ministry of this church – I am amazed at His grace and goodness.  I have tried to talk with some of these people and help them understand the work that God is up to, but they still refuse to have any part of it.  They seem to have their ideas, their agenda and an attitude that their opinion is the only one that really matters.  I love these folks – I really do and I am so sorry that they will not allow the Spirit to communicate a truth that is so much bigger than personal opinion.

Church is about ministry!  It’s about Believers coming together and giving of themselves.  It is about sacrifice and putting those that do not yet know Jesus ahead of those that do.  It is about growing, changing and everyday becoming a little more like the one that saved our souls.  I blame myself for part of this wrong attitude of a handful, because I have always attempted to try to keep everyone happy and fulfilled – believers and non-believers!  I have tried to lead and grow a church that reaches out to non-believers with a message of hope, while encouraging believers to be fulfilled and satisfied.  My mistake has been trying to keep believers fulfilled and satisfied. That’s not my job!  If you are a believer,  Jesus will keep you fulfilled and satisified, if you will do your part to pursue your relationship with Him.  If you are pursuing a real, meaningful and growing relationship with Him, then He will tell you that the church is not about you, it’s about reaching others with the amazing news of His grace, forgiveness and restoration.

I am not interested in leading a club, but I sure am fired up about leading the church – God’s church!  And I am very thankful for all of you that stand with me and behind me as I charge forward for the cause of Christ.  I love you and thank you for loving me and being patient with me as I continue to pursue the call that God has placed on my life!

I grew up in a very cool little town called Williamston.  I love my town and all of the people that helped to make it special for me growing up!  I remember when I was getting ready to go off to school, one of the older and wiser men in our community said to me:  “Don’t ever forget where you come from!”  He was reminding me to always remember and be influenced by what I was, not what I was becoming!  He knew then, what I am just now beginning to learn, and that is this:  My value is not something out there waiting to be earned!  I am valuable right here and right now, not because of who or what I am going to be, but because of what I already am:  A unique. one of a kind, special creation of God!

Don’t Forget Where You Come From!  We were and are sinners – people lost without any real or meaningful direction, but with Jesus we are sinners saved by Grace – people that now have a special gift that they never dreamed or imagined possible!  The devil wants us, but He can’t have us, because we belong to God and His Kingdom.  I am not of this world, I am only passing through.  I am headed back to where I came from!  I came from God and I am headed back to God and every day I get a little closer, a little more fulfilled and a little more excited about all that I am right now, right here today!

Jesus said in John 8:31-32  “If you continue in my Word, thn you are truly disciples of mine and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free!”  I think one of the great tragedies of the world that we live in today, is that most people don’t have anything to believe in.  We have things that we like, care about and even some things that interest us, but most people don’t have a whole lot that they really believe in anymore.  When I say “believe in”, I am talking about something that you are willing to fight for, something that you are willing to die for, something that has challenged and changed your life so much, that you can’t live life without it!

This is what the Bible – God’s Word should be for those of us that call ourselves Christian.  If we really believe it – we will read it, be corrected by it and grown through it!  Jesus said:  “If you continue in my Word…”  This does not mean that we pick it up once every now and then.  This means that we live with it and by it every moment of every day.  The secret to a powerful, fulfilled and exciting Christian life is found in our BELIEVING that God has spoken and is speaking to us.  And this is exactly what the Word is all about!  We know that we are really believing, when we find ourselves living according to the Word.

It’s not easy!  In fact, it is a constant challenge!  It is not easy to live life in and through the Word, because the word is continually attacking.  This is why the Word is so important – it is our stregth and power to overcome the attacks of the world.  It is not easy to live life in and through the Word, because the world is continually distracting.  The Word helps us to keep our focus, so that even when distractions come, we stay on course and in right direction.  It is not easy to live life in and through the Word because the world is continually convincing us to live according to something other than God’s Word.  The Word helps us to understand that the best way is always God’s way!

Jesus said:  “If you continue in my Word, then you are truly disciples of mine!”  Does the Word really matter?  It matters if you want to be a true disciple of Christ.  We have someone amazing to believe in and He has given us something amazing to believe in.  Let your belief bring you back to His Word and let His Word grow you into something that is beautiful, amazing and powerful!