FreshBread

Morning Friends

This morning would you just take a moment and pray for three things:

1. There are several people at Freshstart right now that are experiencing pain, very trying circumstances and brokeness is some hard ways. Would you life them up in prayer this morning. God knows their names.

2. Would you lift up the staff at the church this morning. This is a busy time as the children and student ministries both have weekend retreats this weekend, we are getting ready for Holiday Services, and just trying to meet with and lead people through life stuff in the best way that we can. I would personally appreciate your prayers.

3. Would you pray for the Vision Team Meeting tonight and God’s direction in it.

Thanks, let’s talk in the morning!

Good Morning Friends,

Sorry I did not fire off a FreshBread yesterday, but your responses to my question were awesome to read and I wanted to give them a second day to arrive. Thanks to all of you who responded. It reminds me there are people reading and I should write each morning.

On Monday I asked you this question: “What is the evidence in your life, that Jesus is Lord? What is interesting about the answers that I received is that all of us move to the “visible things that I am doing” that allow people to see that Jesus is Lord? There is no question that there are some disciplines that are part of the life of a Christ Follower, and there are items when we have opportunities to shine out light (there were GREAT examples of this sent to me…keep it up), but I think here is a major area of evidence that we do not think about, and almost sounds inconsistent with what most of us have been taught about the faith….let me try to explain.

Most of us would agree that the Life of a Christ Follower is a journey. It is not only a journey of experiences each day, but it is a journey of learning and growing in the truth. This in and of itself says that we have things to learn, we do not know it all, and we may even be wrong about some things that we are holding on to. This truth is hard for many believers for they feel that admitting we may be wrong about something, is suggesting that we cannot know the truth. There is nothing further from the truth. My understanding of mathematics is so much deeper than when I learned that 2 plus 2 equals 4. That is true, but if I stand on that truth alone and do not grow in my understanding of math….I’d really look pretty silly.

With that in mind, let me say that many people who claim to be believers hold on to elementary truths of the gospel (which are true) but instead of growing in their understanding of these truths, which involves questioning, discussing, studying, meditating (all of which the scripture calls us to), they stand on the elementary truths and try to get people to believe or stand where they do. Though there might not be anything wrong with this in and of itself, when questioned about their stand they see this as a huge challenge and thus tell people why they are wrong and we are right. This action in and of itself is not one that reflects the love of Jesus.

I believe people see that Jesus is Lord of our lives when yes, we exhibit Christian disciplines, and yes when we shine out light helping people as God brings them across our paths, but I think one of the most interesting ways that we can exhibit that Jesus is Lord but exhibiting a heart that is willing to grow and be challenged to grow deeper in the truth…..thus being willing to be wrong, and not being there yet…..it is a journey, remember?

Have a great day. What I am saying here is hard to explain, so if I have raised questions (GOOD), let me know what you are thinking. It would be great to dialogue on this topic for the rest of the week. You can reach me at Scott@freshstartchurch.com. Talk to you soon! Have a Great week! Oh by they way…we are going to talk about this more this week also…..hope to see you on Sunday! Stay dry today!

Scott

Good Afternoon Friends,

Yesterday I mentioned that the motivation to follow Jesus is simply the fact that he is LORD. So I have a really risky question for you….I’d love to hear from you with an answer, but I understand the riskiness of it…not that there is one right answer, but this has not been a way that we have thought for long. The question is this…..”What is the evidence in your life, that Jesus is Lord? Or another way of putting it….If people watched your life, what is the evidence that they would see that confirms that you believe Jesus is Lord?”

Send me your thoughts. Write me at Scott@freshstartchurch.com…..

Talk to you in the AM

Scott