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Milstones And Beach Trips

I read this morning that school students will begin making patrols with police in Hungary during a month long campaign to change driving habits. According to authorities, the schoolchildren will hand out pieces of lemon when police issue a fine for bad drivers. In like manner, they will give good drivers an apple. County Police spokesman Gergely Fulop said, "A penalty coming from a kid for breaking rules generates a stronger feeling of guilt among adults than a simple fine."

Would you child give you and apple or a lemon based on what they saw of you life? Your kids see you good, bad, and really ugly. I pray never have to hear my son say “daddy, I thought you preached and told me that we never yell at mommy” or some other rebuke from my child. But, the responsibility to set a godly example for our children is paramount in all that we do. Jesus went so far to express his feeling in a chilling way when he said Matthew 18:6

“"But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me--it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!”

Wow, Jesus tell us how you really feel. Jesus knows the influence parents have and it deeply angers Him when this influence and responsibility is not used to bring kids closer to Jesus. So, should you have a millstone around you neck or not?

Back to work on Sunday’s Sermon, Pastor Phillip

Life Is Hard

The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one. (Psalms 34:17-19)

Life is hard for all people. We all stump our toes, we all face adversity. I love the Bible because it is real. It touches human life and correlates to experience, but offers hope far greater than anything we could ever imagine. Notice in the passage above and the emphasis on “his people.” When we allow ourselves to be claimed by God and surrender our self-sufficiency and then turn to allow His God-sufficiency to replace it we open a new door to a new life blessing and protection.

Now, of course we wish we could escape troubles—the pain of grief, loss, sorrow, and failure, or even the small daily frustrations that wear us down. But, we don’t get an escape we get God. God promises to be "close to the brokenhearted" and to be our source of power, courage, and wisdom, helping us through our problems. It seems the more problems we have the closer God is. So when trouble strikes, don't get frustrated with God. Instead, know that if have trusted in Christ as your Savior he is there and closer than you know or even imagine.

Pastor Phillip

Steroids and the Grace of God

Steroids, with a new rash of baseball players busted I had to think about the * or the asterisk. The asterisk, of course, means that the record is a sort-of record, a footnoted record. The asterisk means the record is tainted. Take home run king Barry Bonds back on August 7, 2007, Bonds hit number 756, the home run that broke Hank Aaron's record. Most of the talk about the new record, though, is whether it really should count, because Bonds was juiced up. Sports buffs say if his name goes in the record book it should be accompanied by an asterisk.

But what if God placed marks beside our name when we messed up or cheated at life? I mean what if all of our infractions and sins were held over head, talked about, thrown in our face for the rest of life? How awful would that be? Thankfully Psalm 103 10-12 says

10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our offenses.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His faithful love
toward those who fear Him.

12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.

Then the great words of Romans 8:1

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those who are in Christ Jesus

Thankful may name is free of the * because of the grace of God, Pastor Phillip

Quit Trying To Be Good!!!

The Westminster Confession of Faith our Presbyterian brother’s use begins with a very good question. It asks “what is the chief end of man?” What do we as humans live and exist for? Now this powerful document answers “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.” This means that goal should be to bring God glory by enjoying Him. This is great! This does not say that our chief end is to glorify God by trying harder, doing better, cussing less, or even sinning less but by enjoying God. Now enjoying God means that these other areas will fall into line.

The Christian life for many is a struggle to be good, but this misses the point. Only Jesus is good, and our responsibility is to be in Christ and accept His goodness and grace on our behalf. We get the great transaction 2Cor 5:21 “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

So we should live our lives and seek to love and enjoy all the blessings that God has for us. The problem with trying to be good by sinning less is that you continually focus on not sinning. The problem here is the focus is on sin. When we do this we miss all the good things of God to enjoy. This is a liberating concept that I have only began to live out in my life over the past year. So today strive to live out “Taste and see that the LORD is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psa 34:8) This means that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory.” (1Co 10:31)

Going to glorify God right now by pouring another cup of coffee! Pastor Phillip

BTW, I got some Italian Coffee Cream (powdered) here at the office and it too sweet for me, so if you want it come and get it!

Sunday's Sermon Notes 2/8/09

Parent Traps: Avoiding Satan Traps For Our Families

For the LORD... will keep your foot from the trap”. Pro 3:26

The Trap of Provision: We should strive to foster worship of God over worship of material

1) Providing For the Needs of Our Children Is a Basic Responsibility: But if someone does not provide for his own, especially his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

2) Are We Guilty of Providing Too Much of the Wrong Things and Not Enough of the Right Thing: After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. (1 Timothy 6:7-8)

3) The Right Thing to Provide Your Child is Instruction in How to Rightly Worship God : "There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:10-11)

God has made your child’s heart to worship, what it will worship is going to be largely influenced by you as parents …

So be aware your parenting shapes generations to come: "These are all the commands, laws, and regulations that the LORD your God told me to teach you so you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and so you and your children and grandchildren might fear the LORD your God as long as you live. If you obey all his laws and commands, you will enjoy a long life. (Deuteronomy 6:1-2)

So make sure God is worshipped daily: Listen closely, Israel, to everything I say. Be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one (or The Lord Alone). (Deuteronomy 6:3-4)

So be warned about the failure to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength: And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. (Deuteronomy 6:5-6)

Giving your kids only a little of God may have the affect of inoculating them from ever experiencing the fullness and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…

Your children will probably never raise any higher spiritually than where you are right now in your life…

So Don’t Let Striving for Material Provision Keep You From Providing For Them Spiritually : And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Mark 8:36

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17

Questions for Reflection

1. What do I provide more of for my child: spiritual instruction or stuff?

2. What am I as a parent intentionally doing to shape the spiritual direction of my child?

3. What am I as a parent showing my kids through my life is more important: stuff or God?

4. If my kids never grew any closer to God than I am, would this be OK?

Is worship of God in our house a daily reality or once a week event?