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Spiritual Development October 2016

While attending the Southern Baptist Convention this past June, David Platt, the president of the International Mission Board, emphasized the need for Southern Baptists to be gospel-centered people.  Platt preached a sermon that was based off of an acrostic of the word “GOSPEL”.  This acrostic is based out of Ephesians 2:1-10 and is a helpful tool to use as we meditate on and present the gospel with those around us.  We will be using this acrostic in our next Growth Initiative class to illustrate how knowing the story of the Bible helps us and others know Christ and live for Him in an increasingly secular culture.

God’s Character - “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…” (Ephesians 2:4)  The full character of God should be emphasized in the sharing of the gospel.  God is a loving, merciful God.  At the same time, He is a just judge Who will not let the guilty go unpunished. (Habakkuk 1:13; Jeremiah 31:3; Ephesians 2:4)

Offense of Sin - “...even when we were dead in our transgressions…” (Ephesians 2:5)  Man’s sinfulness is a critical part of the gospel.  Man’s rebellion, beginning in the Garden of Eden and passed down to every human in history, separates us from this holy, merciful God.  Without the understanding of sin, there is no realization for the need for a Savior.
(Romans 3:23, 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3)

Sufficiency of Christ - “...made us alive together with Christ...and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:5-6)  Christ is either sufficient to forgive us of sin through His death and resurrection, or He is not.  The gospel must clearly state that Christ is not simply “an answer” but “the only answer” to the sin of mankind and the resulting separation.  Because Christ is sufficient, nothing needs to be added to the gospel to complete the promise of redemption. (Isaiah 53:6, 11; John 14:6; Acts 4:12)

Personal Response - “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:5, 8-9)  Though God clearly acted in eternity past with a divine plan to redeem His people, He has also placed on us a responsibility to hear and believe the gospel.  This belief in Christ and the gospel will result in a person turning to God from sin to worship and serve Him. (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Romans 1:16, 2:4, 10:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 1:9)

Eternal Urgency - “...so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:7)  The Bible teaches that eternity presses on us.  Those who do not place their trust in Jesus Christ will perish into eternal hell, separated from God.  Those who trust the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross will spend eternity with God in heaven.  This urgency drives us to share the gospel. (Exodus 34:7; John 3:16; Romans 2:4-11, 6:23)

Life Transformation - “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)  When one hears the gospel and accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, the result is a changed life.  Life is transformed by the power of the gospel, not the efforts of man - and the change is dramatic.
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:2-10)

Kid's Happenings October 2016

Hello Church Family,

The month of September went by much quicker than I could have imagined. Maybe the busyness of weekly ministry - Awana, Growth Initiative, Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings and special events?  Or maybe it is the busyness of my family life - birthday parties, sports activities, picking kids up from school, day to day chores… What ever the reason, I sit back and wonder if the time I have spent has been IMPACTFUL to my family and even my church family, especially my children and the children in our church.

I got the pleasure of teaching “kids worship” time this month during 11am service.  My team (my family and a few other youth) was able to teach the kids about God’s creation and how we are his most precious creation, as well as how He sacrificed His son for us.  It was awesome to see the kids faces light up when THEY spoke of all the amazing things that God created for THEM and all the things He does for THEM.  He is so awesome that He IS or should be impossible to deny as The God of Everything and Lord over us.   You see, the kids were excited to talk about Him and all of his amazing work.  They were learning to praise him with song and applause just as their parents praise them when they do something amazing.  

The bible tells us in Psalm 127:3-4 “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.”  Your children are like prized, life-preserving arrows in the hand of a warrior, uniquely formed to be launched out, making a powerful IMPACT on the world.  Parents, your children are your arrows…  Are you pouring into them, preparing them to be launched into the world?  Are you the warrior in the car, on the playground or sports
activities?  In the home, are you teaching them of how to share the truths of our Lord and how to not be ashamed to praise him in everything, good and bad?  I pray every person in contact with our children are making an IMPACT in their lives so they can be launched out making a powerful IMPACT on the world.  Consider how God wants to use you in the lives of our children.   Is it by teaching them on Sunday morning, in Upward, AWANA or your daily busyness?  Wherever it is that He is calling you to be a warrior with our children, I pray you step in faith and follow His command.  Thank you for the opportunity to love on your children.