Ask a Question - Get a Flower!

This week is the week of the West Lampeter Community Fair. The fair officially opened at noon on Wednesday and concludes tonight at 10:00 PM.  Since 1991, our church has hosted a Baby Comfort Station ... a clean and comfortable place for parents to bring their babies to change them and feed them. In addition, we also put up some displays that highlight some of the ministries of our church.

This year we added three new features. The first was a small display which listed all the other church sponsored booths and encouraged people passing us by to check them out too. After all, we do not see ourselves in competition with other local churches. So if we can promote what they are doing, so much the better for God's kingdom! The second addition involved the use of QR codes. This matrix barcode includes our church web address. By scanning it with a smartphone, the person is taken immediately to our church's web site! QR codes, initially developed for the automotive industry, are now hitting Main Street America. Once you are familiar with what one looks like (see picture) you will begin to see them ALL over the place!


The final addition this year was a flower giveaway. The flower was a small plastic sunflower which "dances" when placed in the sun (it is solar powered). On the base we placed a sticker with the church's web address, just in case someone was looking for more info on the church. Now to get a flower, you had to ask a question. Last evening was my evening to staff this giveaway. I realized early on that I had to specify the type of question I was looking for (spiritual, God or Bible related question). Before I clarified this, I was getting questions like, "May I have a flower please?" or "Could I have a purple one?" Once I clarified, I got some very interesting questions which included, "Who does God talk to today?" "Why is there suffering in the world?"  "Why did God allow Jesus to die?"  "What was Adam and Eve's last name?" and "Will my pets be in heaven?"  (and many, many more!). But not everyone could either think of a question ... or felt comfortable asking a spiritual type question. When this became apparent I offered to ask them a question (and I promised not to make it difficult! I never had anyone turn me down on my offer!). The question I usually asked first was their name ... followed by this question, "Katie, does God love you?" Almost always I got a "Yes!" in response. To which I then asked "How do you know that He loves you?" This often led to me being able to point them to gospel rich verses like John 3:16 or Romans 5:8. It was great!  (now I know that if you were counting, I often asked three questions and not one ... but the kids and adults did not seem to mind!).



As I was driving home, I thanked God for the opportunity to plant gospel seeds in a lot of minds and hearts. Would you please pray with me, asking our merciful God to water these seeds (and the seeds planted on Wednesday and the additional seeds, God willing, to be planted tonight)? Our desire is to see many come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Thursday A La Carte

Here are this Thursday's offerings ... enjoy!

1. Who are you? Tullian Tchividjian, senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida (and a grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham) offers up some excellent insights in his article, Our New and Exalted Identity. 

2. Here's a brief reminder (:40) of what should be happening when biblical community is truly functioning as biblical community!

3. Amazing Grace sung by a little girl with an amazing voice! Enjoy!

4. If you are looking for a wonderful family film ... from the makers of The Blind Side comes Dolphin Tale ... click here for the trailer.    Also coming out tomorrow is the movie Courageous (from makers of Fireproof). Click here for trailer. 


5. Here are seven steps to family worship. Good stuff!


6. And on the lighter side . . . here's a Budget Rent A Car commercial that made me laugh.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Commitment?

"People by the millions are bailing out of jobs, careers, businesses, relationships and life in general. Many of these people lack commitment to a cause, lifestyle, purpose, or outcome. When it gets a little tough, uncomfortable, or they don't get the results they thought they would as quickly as they thought they should, their response is: 'I'm outta here.'"

The writer of this quote (from and article on EzineArticles.com) identifies one of the biggest problems in our society - that of a lack of commitment. Sadly this aversion to commitment has infiltrated the church of Christ. Many Christians have no clue as to the existence of such biblical mandates as "discipline yourself for godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7-10). And if believers are aware of Paul's example of disciplining his body and keeping it under control as he runs his race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27), they shrug it off as irrelevant. This is tragic. For commitment is really at the core of our faith. When confronted with the gospel, we must make a choice ... a commitment.  The commitment we choose at this point is indeed the most important choice we will ever make! 


Now most of us who call ourselves Christian get this (but regrettably, not all do - see Matthew 7:21-23). But what so many of us don't get is that the commitment Jesus Christ calls us to make is not a "once-and-done" commitment. Rather, it is a commitment we must make every single day. In Luke 9:23, Jesus states clearly that if anyone wants to be numbered among his followers, then that person must "deny himself and take up his cross DAILY" and follow him! The commitment we must make and keep is an every-day commitment. 


But exactly what does this commitment look like on a day-to-day basis?  Beginning this coming Sunday during our Sunday morning teaching time,  I will be unpacking what it means to follow Jesus. We will be looking at five basic commitments that define what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  I hope you can join us ... and if you can't, please check out our church web site for the PowerPoint slides and audio of the messages. 




Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Now That's Perseverance!

Amos Wayne Richards, 64, of Concord, N.C. set out to hike Utah's Little Blue John Canyon back on September 8th. He said he was inspired to take the hike after seeing the Oscar-nominated movie "127 Hours." The film was inspired by the moving story of a hiker who in the same canyon found himself pinned under a boulder. The man freed himself by cutting off his arm. Little did Richards know that he himself would have a story that would be told to the nation.  At one point during his hike, Richards suffered a ten foot fall that left him with a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg. The shoulder he was able to manipulate back into place (ouch!), but he could do nothing for his shattered leg. So he did the only thing he could - crawl. He eventually crawled for four days and over five miles before being spotted by a search helicopter. Richards did some things wrong (like not informing any one of his plans for starters, something National Park Rangers stress hikers - especially those hiking solo - should always do!). But one thing you've got to admire about this guy is that he never gave up. Despite the hot desert sun, meager provisions (two protein bars and a little bit of water he was able to collect from some passing showers), the rocky terrain, and what must have been gut-wrenching pain - he pressed on!

In a day and age of always wanting to do things the easy way (ala Staples - "That was easy!") - we need reminded that often life does not always work that way. Life is not always easy. In fact, it is often downright tough. Painfully tough! We need to acknowledge this reality. But then we need to press on. But as we do - we must always remember that we are never alone (Isaiah 41:10) and that the one who went to the cross to save us has overcome, assuring us of our final victory (John 16:33). 


So .... no matter how tempted you are to quit when the path you are on grows difficult - don't! Jesus Christ is your constant companion and he will one day lead you to your eternal home! 


Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

So ... What Should a Sunday Worship Service Be All About?

As I write these words, Grace Church will gather for its first of two corporate worship celebrations. Something that has already happened 38 times this year (and over 1100 times since I began pastoring here in 1989!).  So ... since this is something that we as a church do with weekly regularity, are we doing it "right?"  Is there even a "right" way to worship together as a church?

Kevin DeYoung, on the Gospel Coalition blog, offers up Five Thoughts on Worship. It will take you only a few minutes to read, but it will prove to be a wise investment of those few minutes - no matter how busy you might be!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Money and Stuff in the Midst of a Tough Economy!

The Bible has a lot to say about money and possessions (see Proverbs 23:4-5; 1 Timothy 6:6-10). Given these difficult economic times, it would be wise for all of us who follow Jesus to think about ... and pray about how we view "stuff."  To help you ... here is a prayer from Scotty Smith as posted on the gospel coalition web site.

A Prayer about Stuff and Contentment

Loving Father, we continue to live in a difficult economic season. Some of us who thought we’d be retired in a couple of years are now thinking it’s ten, if ever. Some of us have lost jobs, even homes. Some of us are selling stuff and downsizing out of necessity, not choice. Some of our marriages are being stressed to the point of breaking. Some of us are actually being tempted to steal for the first time. Lord, we need wisdom, we need a work of your Spirit, and some of us really do need jobs.


Father, we look to you. Give us the perspective and power of the gospel as we make hard decisions, and reflect on our relationship to money and “stuff.” Free us from an attitude of entitlement and place within us a Spirit of contentment. When did we first assume the right to excess? When did abundance get relabeled as need? Why did we think only first-century disciples of Jesus would ever actually have to pray for daily bread?


In our “iWorld” of new gadgets and cool widgets, help us ponder the fact that over half of the population on the earth exists on three of our American dollars, or less, a day. Free us to share with others from the much or little that we have. Help us to raise our children not to love money as much as we have. Don’t let us grow bitter, shame-filled or fearful.


Father, if we would wear ourselves out for anything, let it be to become rich toward you (Luke 12:20–21)—to have the gospel so penetrate our hearts that we cry out with spontaneous joy, “Who do I have in heaven but you, O Lord, and being with you I desire nothing on the earth . . . You are my portion, sovereign Lord.”


Lord Jesus, you who were immeasurably rich in all things became incomprehensibly poor for us, so that we, who were desperately poor in sin, might be made inconceivably rich in grace. We worship and adore, with humility and gratitude. We thank you for the daily bread of both wheat and the gospel. So very Amen we pray, in your holy and gracious name.


Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Thursday A La Carte

Thursday means some different links to some articles/videos that I think you will find helpful in your journey of grace.

1. There is no escaping the Digital World in which we live. Here are some good tips for parenting kids in our Digital Age. 


2. From the Counseling One Another Blog .... Six Reasons to Be a Faithful Member of a Local Church. 

3. From Life, Famous Quotes that Were Never Said - The lesson here is that we need to be careful whenever we quote someone else (or even think twice before quoting another - could that be gossip?!).

4. Ed Welch on the vows we make, "I'll NEVER . . . do (that) again!" 

5. And on a lighter note ....the video Love Tap (4:50). Make time to watch this ... it's good!