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Pastor's Points July 2017

Dear Church Family,

Are you a teachable person?  This question is very important to answer especially as we consider our Wisdom/Folly sermon series we are in currently.  We learned in Proverbs chapter nine that a fool is “unteachable”.  He will not listen.  This person is determined to live in human foolishness instead of God’s truth.  This is so sad.  A quote that I shared in this first sermon is so telling to how we often look at ourselves.  ‘Too often we change jobs, friends, or spouses instead of changing ourselves.”- Akbarali  Jetha.  We must be teachable if we are going to apply God’s wisdom to our lives.  Pastor James Macdonald shares with us a five-point quiz to find out how teachable we are.  He shares…

Proverbs 17:10 says, “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.” In other words, you can get more ROI (Return on Investment) from a wise person in one gentle conversation than you can gain from a fool by whacking him with a board a hundred times. Which are you?

If you’re not sure how you rate on the teachability meter, take this five-point quiz:

1. I know I’m teachable when people give me input. When people feel free to give you a word of improvement, it’s a good sign that you’re teachable. Nobody wants to risk cleaning up a meltdown if the person can’t receive a difficult word. Don’t try to tell him he’s not headed in the right direction because he’ll bite your head off.The fool is always deeply persuaded that what he is doing is right. A teachable person will receive input.
2. I know I’m teachable when I see measurable growth and character development in myself. If you’re changing for the good, then you’re teachable. If you’re not the same person you were last year at this time, godly instruction has produced results in your life and there’s growth because of it.
3. I know I’m teachable when I don’t have to answer a critic with a defense.More often than I ever want to be, I’m in the uneasy position of giving people input. As hard as that is, I love to sit down with a person who can hear a difficult word with an open heart and without defensiveness. It’s been my repeated observation that those who are receptive to criticism flourish!
4. I know I’m teachable when I don’t have to criticize back. The classic symptom of an unteachable person is that they will listen to what you say, all the while framing their comeback, “Now let me tell yousomething . . .” Can you keep your defenses down and pride in check?
5. I know I’m teachablewhen I’m learning new ways to grow. If people have been telling you the same stuff for years, you’re not teachable. If you’ve grown out of those old issues and are now on to new lessons, you’re on the right track.

Are you teachable? Ask someone who knows you well for their honest evaluation. And take their response to heart. 

I love you and I love being your pastor!

 Pastor Alan

Pastor's Points June 2017

Last month I wrote an article declaring my love for our church.  I meant every word of that article.  I love our church deeply and pray you do as well.  This month I want to share an article with you that Daniel Darling wrote a few years back entitled, “Five Ways you can love your church”.  I pray it will encourage you to love your church in some very practical ways.

1) Extend your church the same grace you give yourself. I find it amazing that we are so good at finding all the flaws in our churches while simultaneously getting peeved because that same church is “judgmental” towards me. The truth is that the church, your church that you go to on Sundays, has flaws. Some are rather obvious. Some might be embarrassing. But if they are preaching the gospel, sharing the Word, and have a genuine sense of community, then why not give your church the same grace you want to receive?

2) Be intentional and dependable. Churches depend on volunteer effort. Without active members regularly giving their time and energy, the church simply can’t function. In fact, I would argue that every Christian should have active ministry in a local, Bible-believing church. In fact, the Bible says that it’s the pastor’s job to equip the lay people who do the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Here is what can make your church function at optimum levels–your faithfulness and dependability. Be on time every week for services. If you sign up for a job, take it as seriously as you would your other obligations. And do it well. You have no idea how precious your gift of faithfulness is to a church.

3) Speak well of your church in the community. How do you speak of your church in the community? Do you regularly rag on its faults? I’m not saying to “spin” things that are wrong. Don’t do that. It’s inauthentic. But leave those things “in the family.” When you’re out, speak well of your church and the people there. Invite folks to the functions. Post positive things on social networks like Facebook or Twitter. You might even blog about it. If Jesus is the groom and the Church is the bride, then Jesus must love when we say nice things about the Church.

4) Build intentional relationships in your church. How many deep, satisfying relationships do you have with folks in your church? Maybe there is nobody like you, your age, your station of life so you shy away from deep relationships. Why not try to move out of your comfort zone and engage someone, that widow or that teenager. Have that family over for dinner. Do coffee with the retired school teacher. Your pastor is busy trying to make this happen, but he can’t do it all. Your intentional efforts at fostering community will help your church move forward in a big way.

5) Give regularly to your church. Yes, you should give out of the love in your heart toward God. And no, you shouldn’t give simply because the church needs money. But, let’s be honest, the church needs money. It takes money to keep the lights on, have that cool new Sunday School curriculum, and to host that missionary from Ecuador. So, be biblical, and commit to
sustained, regular giving that the church can count on. This demonstrates the commitment to the local expression of Christ’s body in your community.

Let each of us experience the love of Christ in our church family.  And let’s make sure that love for one another is the testimony of our lives to a watching world.  They will know us by our love!! (John 13:35)

I love you and I love being your pastor!