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Worship January 2018

Church Family,

I hope that this new year finds you well. As I reflect on this past year, I am thankful to God in so many ways. I’ve seen him move in my own life as I have grown closer to Him. I’ve seen him move in my family, as he has blessed Annaclaire and I with a beautiful  daughter. And I’ve seen him move in our Church Family in so many ways. As we have  worshiped together Sunday after Sunday, I’ve seen God move through the voices of our congregation. We have worshiped God because we have so much to worship Him for. Are we perfect? No. Are our lives perfect? No. Is our Church perfect? No. But with every “no” we see in our lives, we are intersected by a powerful “yes” in Jesus. We may not     always get what we want. But God, our Father, gives us what we need. He knows what we need, and it’s better than anything we could want.

So my prayer for this new year, is that we will find our “yes” in Jesus. We will all be tempted to look to so many things to say “yes” to us. But the reality is that there are many things in life that we want, and we’re told “no.” And these desires aren't always bad things. Maybe you want to start a family, and the answer right now is, “no.” Maybe you want a new job and the answer right now is, “no.” Maybe you want to be married and the answer right now is, “no.” There are many things we want, and even the good things, sometimes, have to wait.

But when we come to Jesus, and we ask Him for the things He’s already promised, we get a resounding “yes.” If we ask for His faithfulness, his answer is always, “yes.” If we ask for His presence, His goodness, His mercy, His provision, His forgiveness, the answer to all of these desires is a resounding, “yes!” So this year, let’s find our “yes” in Jesus. We may hear the word “no” a lot, but if we come to Jesus and receive everything He’s already promised to give us, then we will find joy. We’ll find hope.
I am so excited about this year, and I believe God has big things planned for us as a Church Family. I hope you’ll come and be a part of what God is doing. There is always a place for you!

In Christ,
Jared

Spiritual Development October 2017

Knowing the Will of God

How would you define the phrase, “the will of God”? In the broadest sense, God’s will is  expressed in all the commands and principles of Scripture.  Specifically, the Bible says that God’s will includes that followers of Christ would be saved (1 Tim. 2:4,   2 Peter 3:9), Spirit-filled (Eph. 5:17-18), sanctified (1 Thess. 4:3-8), submissive (1 Peter 2:13-15), and content in suffering (1 Peter 3:17). Pastor Kevin DeYoung offers this definition of God’s will from his book Just Do Something: “God’s will for our lives is much simpler than the conventional approach. The will of God for our lives is that we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. The most important decision we face is the daily decision to live for Christ and die to self.”

Acknowledging God’s will affirms His sovereignty over all aspects of life. We live and    function only because God wills it. Living according to the will of God could be identified as a test of genuine saving faith. True Christians are characterized as “doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6). On the other hand, a constant disregard for or lack of interest in God’s will is a mark of self-centeredness and pride in your life.  Disregarding the will of God is the same as  saying, "I am in charge of my life. I know what is best.” or “Things are working out pretty well for me right now.  I don’t really want to mess it up by changing it.” A follower of Jesus will diligently seek to live according to God’s desires.  “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
Many of the questions that people have about whether specific events or choices are part of God’s will can be answered by knowing and applying biblical wisdom. Therefore, it is very important that Christians rely on the words that God has given us.  Consider your own spiritual habits.  How much time per week do you spend hearing God’s Word preached/taught? Reading God’s Word? Studying God’s Word? Memorizing God’s Word? Meditating on God’s Word? All of these disciplines are ways that God reveals his will specifically to us.  The good news about this is that God’s will is not hidden from us. It is revealed to us in the Bible. He has already revealed what should be the primary direction of our lives, namely that we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.