Strength In Numbers
“Two are better than one…if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! … A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Putting things in place to help establish godly habits is a necessary step to take if you want to be a growing disciple of Jesus Christ. No one will ever make sure you are progressing in that area unless you give someone permission and meet on a regular basis. Accountability relationships can be a great help in your Christian journey. Have you taken the time to establish relationships with key individuals who will help to sharpen you in life?
John Wesley was away from home a lot because he traveled and spoke at different revivals. He was especially vulnerable and tempted in many ways. He lived in the eighteenth century and was a very popular revival preacher. Many would say that there are more things to tempt you today. While this may be true, the enemy and his tactics are still the same. It is the same battle, there are just different weapons being used. Sin is sin. With that in mind, John made sure he set up a relationship with a group of men to keep himself accountable. He lived out Proverbs 27:17 which reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Wesley once noted, “Preaching like an apostle, without joining together those that are awakened, and training them in the way of God, is only begetting children for the murder.” He knew that most of those converted in his meetings would never reach spiritual maturity if left on their own. That’s why he organized classes similar to what we would today call discipleship classes or disciple groups. In the periodical, The Radical Wesley, Howard Snyder writes, “The classes normally met one evening each week for an hour or so. Each person reported on his or her spiritual progress, or on particular needs or problems, and received the support and prayers of the others. Advice or reproof was given as needed, and after an hour spent in this labor of love, they concluded with prayer and thanksgiving.” Without the class meeting, the scattered fires of renewal would have burned out long before the movement was able to make a deep impact on the nation.
Our church has been experiencing a lot of growth in the past few years. One of the main goals of our leadership is to work at getting people connected at some level. We are not meant to be an island. We work hard at providing circles for people to enter into relationships and connections that will help them to grow in their relationship with the Lord and each other. You just never know when you are going to be in a challenging situation when you need someone to bounce things off of or process a major event unfolding in your life. The challenge of establishing godly habits in your life is reason enough to have an ongoing relationship with a group of people in the faith.
Let me encourage you to check out our Discipleship Classes on Sunday morning. If you have children, then they will be able to meet in age level groups as well. No matter what service you attend, there is a class for you to attend that will help you in your faith journey. Don’t settle for mediocrity — do whatever it takes to be growing follower of Jesus Christ.
I am looking forward to a great day on Sunday.
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
www.findlayfirstnaz.org
Every Minute Counts
Last week I wrote a devotional called, “Worth It All.” Little did I know that this WednesdayI would be doing a funeral for John Putnam who was only 57. John was a member of our church board so he probably felt obligated to read my devotional/blog that I send out each week. So last week John would have been reading the poem, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.” John didn’t know that was his last week. That is why we are to make every minute count.
John will be missed here at our church. He did so many things behind the scenes. He was in charge of scheduling people to cut our grass during the spring and summer. He would show up unannounced sometimes and spray the grass for weeds. I can remember working with him side-by-side as we installed the landscaping rock around the front of the church. I learned a lot from him that day since he was a brick layer by trade. We had a lot of good laughs. John will be sorely missed by this pastor.
Make every minute count. You never know when your last day will be. Be faithful with every breath the Lord gives you.
In Ephesians 5 there are some words of wisdom we need to apply to our life and live out. Look at the following verses:
Verse 1-2: 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Verse 8-11a: 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness…
Verse 15-20: 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Making every minute count means living with a holy abandon to honor God with a holy passion. That means we must be intentional about our choices, taking care that we use our moments wisely as we live a life of holiness – different from the world around us because Jesus is living through us.
The funeral service of John Putnam will be happening today. We will be saying goodbye to his earthly vessel. But we know that we will see him again because Jesus is the victor. He has conquered death and the grave. Live a life of faith and put your whole heart in Christ so you can trust Him with all your days. It will make an eternal difference in your destiny and make an eternal impact in the lives of others.
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
www.findlayfirstnaz.org
Worth It All
As I am sitting in my office, I am thinking of all of the things we have a tendency to add to our life. Many have become so busy that we just drop ourselves in bed at night only to get up the next morning to repeat the ever-so-hectic pace. Are you able to say, “Is it worth it all?”
There is a poem from C.T. Studd that I have quoted at funerals before. There is one stanza that I would like to share today, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”
What are you busy doing today? Will it make an eternal difference in the lives of others?
Read the following passage from the Message paraphrase of the Bible and get caught up in the things God has been doing all around you.
“What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have Him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of His victory.
You never saw Him, yet you love Him. You still don’t see Him, yet you trust Him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.” —1 Peter 1:3-9 (The Message)
God has given us more than we deserve. We are a blessed people. Trust Him with all your heart today as you seek Him.
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
The Fruit of Jesus' Sacrifice
I want to celebrate what God is doing in our midst. We have been blessed by so many things this year. Let me try to list a few things that have happened over the past year that are exciting.
- 21 people have gone public with their faith through baptism
- 22 babies have been dedicated to the Lord
- We had a record attendance of 505 on Easter Sunday
- Over 20 from our church built a Medical Clinic in Marose, Haiti
- Children’s Power Plant has been averaging over 40 children on Sundays hearing about God’s love and grace
- Our church has reached out to several different families in the community and our church by providing resources in troubled times
- The Youth Ministry went to inner-city Chicago for a mission trip
- Our Greeter ministry continues to help make a lasting impact on our people
- We were a part of Habitat for Humanity in funding and working on a home for a family who would not otherwise have been able to afford a place to live
- 417 people came to our Christmas Eve Service
- Several of our children are involved in Children’s Quizzing
- We continue to adopt Northview School and support the teachers by giving and helping
- Many have come to Christ and have rededicated their life in serving others
- Our ministry to Chinese students on the campus of the University of Findlay is growing
- We are not only making an impact in Haiti but China as well
- A great revival with Stephen Manley where many sought a deeper walk with Christ
- Many new volunteers are helping in our growing children’s ministry area
- Upward Basketball continues to be a thriving ministry to families in the community with over 600 families involved
- We have given away over $20,000 locally because of the generous giving of faithful people
I have just scratched the surface. There are many who could add to this list of amazing things that have happened this past year. Pastor Nate told me the other day that over 40 new families have started attending our church in this past year. We are so grateful for the many people who call this church their home. We are grateful for the staff and volunteers the Lord has blessed us with. There are many churches that are talking about things like this happening and we are living it. Praise the Lord!
I also want you to remember that when you give, everything goes to fund a ministry that ultimately helps change lives. Thank you for being a part of the Church family many call, “The Naz” here in Findlay, Ohio, and helping us to accomplish the vision God has given us.
I think of Isaiah 54 and 55 where it talks about the fruit of Jesus’ sufferings. In Isaiah 53:6 it says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus took our sin upon Himself and bore our sorrow. As a result, the Lord says in Isaiah 54: 2 to, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your stakes.” Then He goes into an invitation to the thirsty and says in Isaiah 55:6-7, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.”
We are experiencing a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit because we are living on every Word that comes from the Lord. Our people are seeking the Lord with all their heart and are inviting others to come and enjoy the fellowship of God’s people while the Lord sets people free from their past and forgives us from all unrighteousness. The Holy Spirit is filling our people with the attitude of Jesus. We had one first-time attender say that the Spirit of God was drawing them to come back to our church even before they visited any other church. We set the bar high by unleashing an irresistible environment.
I look forward to the outpouring of God’s Spirit in our services and our fellowship together as we grow to be more like Jesus every day.
This Sunday I will begin a new series on the partnership God is calling us to participate in called, “Doing Our Part.” Come and anticipate what the Lord might do with a new season upon us.
Joy in Jesus!
Pastor Mike
www.findlayfirstnaz.org
