ConneXus Blog

It’s your journey

2009-07-08T13:33:00.000-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

TEXT: Colossians 2:6-8

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

I've spent quite a bit of time this week reading various items. One has been the latest edition of Worship Leader magazine. It's not always remarkably inspiring, but sometimes has a good thought of truth here or there. I've re-read a section of a book titled Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller and just barely started the book Pastor Laura has recommended to the church The Present Future by Reggie McNeal. The other book I try to always include in my reading schedule is God's Word. I find I need to balance the "truths" I read elsewhere with the truths that I know are present in scripture and for me I choose to measure those much in the same way of John Wesley with reason, considering what has been traditionally taught or accepted, my own experience and with scripture.

Lately I have returned to the book of Colossians. Even though it is short, it is meaty – in other words, it's a main course book!

When I read verses such as the ones I've highlighted today I remember that this life is a one ride ticket, followed by this confronting question: "What am I doing with it?"

These v erses in Colossians say that we are to live in Christ, to be strengthened by what we are taught and to be overflowing with thankfulness for it all. Then it tells us to see to it that we're not taken off guard and filled up by other stuff that's not good for anything. For me today when I put these together hear the Spirit saying that we are going to get filled up by something in this life; every moment adds something to the cup be it Christ or something else. But Paul's reminding us to guard the cups of our lives and to see to it (in other words, be intentional guardians over your cup) to make sure it gets filled up by the right things… because either way it's going to overflow. You can overflow doubt or faith. You can overflow truth or lies. You can overflow encouragement or discouragement. You can overflow the joys of Jesus or the sorrow of sin. Whether intentional or not, your life, this one and only journey, is overflowing something onto the lives of those around you.

It's your journey… so perhaps today you need to consider, "what ARE you doing with it?"

The Scent of God’s Love

2009-07-02T14:27:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

As I walked down the hallway towards my office this morning I was aware that there was a new and distinct odor in the hallway. Scanning what little of it there is and the nearer I got to my office door I realized the scent was coming from a single stemmed beautifully, and fully-opened pale pink lily leaned against my door … along with it was a note.

It read simply… "Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness. You are their glorious strength. It pleases you to make as strong. Yes, Our protection comes from the Lord…" Psalms 89:15-18

What a blessing that scripture was to me this morning and it immediately spoke to my heart with this reminder. Anyone who has lily's in their garden, or who has ever been around a large group of these flowers knows the enormous amount of fragrance they can emanate together. It can actually be quite overwhelming. But even one single stem has incredible influence over the area in which it resides. I believe this is a remarkable example of how God intends the fragrance of our lives to effect the space in which we exist. Much like the scent of this one lily filled the hallway this morning, and fills my office even know, so our lives should be filled with such a beautiful perfume as God's love. This type of spirit dispensed in such a beautiful and dense fashion is undeniable and overwhelming to all who come in contact with it.

Be mindful today that the fragrance of your life is effecting the circles you influence – is the scent you are emanating sweet or bitter?

The Big Bad

2009-06-19T08:22:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Most of you have probably never even heard of it before, but for a period of time I was really captivated by a show on television called Charmed. The premise was, like many shows, a battle between those who fight for the cause of good and those who fight to see evil prevail. In the show they often referred to an entity called “The Big Bad”. It was a mysterious and altogether illusive force of evil not to be reckoned with by anyone other than those who were charmed.

Many of you know I have struggled with fear (on many levels) for most of my life. For me, it is The Big Bad I am constantly petitioning God to confront. I also recognize that I am not the only one who suffers from this fear factor. So, in another attempt to bring truth to battle this force of darkness it seems divinely appointed that I share something I received just yesterday on this very subject.

I believe it’s brief but deep truth could be helpful for all of us today.

"Fear" — by Lou Tice
Nothing blocks change quite the way fear does, and when its power is greater than your power to push through it, fear is devastating. In his book, "Getting Unstuck," Dr. Sidney Simon discusses ten ways fear blocks change, and today I'd like to pass this information along to you.

Fear persuades you to do less than you are capable of doing. It triggers internal defense systems and fools you into thinking that you have perfectly good reasons not to change. Fear, particularly fear of making mistakes, causes indecisiveness and stops you from knowing what you really want. It warps your perception of your life and what you can do to make it better.

Fear keeps you from asking for help when you need it or benefiting from the emotional support offered to you. To calm your fears, you develop unhealthy habits and behavior patterns. Fear makes you give up one step short of your goal. And finally, fear keeps you from taking the risks necessary for growth.

Fear can control your life if you let it. But you can push through it if you can relax physically and mentally, and develop the habit of taking well-chosen risks - small ones at first, then bigger ones. Affirmations and visualizations are a great help too. If you get into the habit of vividly seeing yourself achieve success, you can overcome the paralyzing effects of fear and move confidently into the good life you deserve.

What types of fears do you have that are preventing you from positive change?

Breakthrough in prayer

2009-06-11T08:52:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Last week I shared briefly about the importance of our fellowship with God through the means of Prayer (talking to God). My perspectives are still being developed on just how our communication with God affects circumstances and/or how this unique fellowship with the Creator of the Universe effectively changes us. What I do believe with all my heart is that there is power in prayer and that as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, we are to be clothed by his character; his mindset. How can we be clothed in Him if we do not know Him?

We can only truly know the Lord if and when we commit to regular and consistent times of intimacy with Him.

I was reading this week through some sermon's of John Piper's. In one on the issue of prayer he expresses the following to his congregation:

"I hate the devil, and the way he is killing some of you by persuading you it is legalistic to be as regular in your prayers as you are in your eating and sleeping and Internet use. Do you not see what a sucker he his making out of you? He is laughing up his sleeve at how easy it is to deceive Christians about the importance of prayer.

God has given us means of grace. If we do not use them to their fullest advantage, our complaints against him will not stick. If we don't eat, we starve. If we don't drink, we get dehydrated. If we don't exercise a muscle, it atrophies. If we don't breathe, we suffocate. And just as there are physical means of life, there are spiritual means of grace. Resist the lies of the devil … and get a bigger breakthrough in prayer than you've ever had."

I think this is great and important advice—resist the lies of the devil and get the bigger breakthrough in prayer! Resist Him when he tries to convince you that your prayer is useless. Resist him when he implies or screams in your ear that somehow you have failed because your requests have seemingly gone unheard. Resist Him when He encourages you to withdraw your boldness. Resist Him when he knowingly and purposefully distracts you and steals your fellowship with your Savior.

Instead thank God all the more for His Lordship and perfect provisions. Thank God that He intervenes to work the threads of this life together miraculously. Give Him praise when the battle rages against you and those you love, because you trust and you know He will work it out the right, the best and good way. I think we have let the devil's lethargy captivate us too long and it is time to get back to being a people of prayer.

Come on friend, don't you think it's time for a little breakthrough!

Devoted to Prayer?

2009-06-03T21:26:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

The practice of praying is as old as the scriptures themselves, actually one could say it has always existed. I see evidence of this found throughout the scriptures and starting with verse 3 of the first chapter in Genesis. It reads, “And God said, “Let there be light”. Who was God talking too? The word prayer is actually defined as the act of addressing God. We believe that God is three persons in one – made up of the Spirit Holy, God the Father, and the Son. These three personhood dwell perfectly together, complimenting, mirroring, making up the only perfectly symbiotic relationship that has ever existed – the personhoods of God are benefited by one another! It’s really quite amazing to even consider. So again who was God speaking too, I believe He was speaking to the other persons of the trinity – or in laymen’s terms, He was talking to Himself! J

Briefly I just want to draw your attention to just a few verses of scripture found in the New Testament and ask you to consider whether or not you think you are devoted to prayer?

Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Romans 12:12 – “rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer…”

Acts 1:14 - (after the ascension of Jesus while the e disciples were waiting in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Spirit), "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."

Acts 2:42 - (Of the early converts in Jerusalem), "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Acts 6:4 - (The apostles say), "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

Colossians 4:2 - (Paul says to all of us), "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert20in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."

If God’s perfect relationship cornerstones on communication and relationship than is it any wonder he should desire to have that same type of fellowship with us?

Church Service is the Service of the Church

2009-05-27T23:31:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Early one afternoon a minister was giving a tour of their sanctuary to a group of new people. As he walked through the room, showing them various memorable plaques and objects in memory of those who gave funds for their purchase, he stopped at one in-particular: "And here," he commented, "is the plaque listing the names of those who died in the service." "Really?" one of the new members responded. "Which one? The 9:00 or 11:00?"

If by service all we mean is what time on Sunday we show up to Church we're in serious trouble.

The Church's service is not confined to a particular day or time of the week. It is not obstructed by consensus, or determined by proxy. To qualify as service one does not need an organizer, an administrator, an announcement or an article of promotion. Church service does not require scheduling a meeting, nor does it demand an order or format of any kind. Church service is actually the body of Christ living and breathing, at all times, in all places throughout the world. Church service is the bride of Christ in the action of serving. It is the extension of a greeting, a helpful hand at work, a word of encouragement spoken, a dollar donated, or an hour spent in prayer. It is tacos with Grandma, chatting with a friend on the phone, walking a parade route or planting flowers with your kids. Church service is the service of the church.

I encourage you to review your day and look closely for ways you either experienced true church service, or where you might have missed an opportunity. Tomorrow is another day and another chance to do church even better.

With Hope

2009-05-22T14:24:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

How does a person maintain hope? Where does hope come from? Is there a middle ground between hope and hopeless or does a person only reside on one side or the other. Is it something I do or do not do that causes my hope to wan between vibrantly secure and dully insufficient?

In the middle of both miracles and disappointments I find myself turning to the Word of God--It is the only place I know to find consistent truth. Perhaps it will serve as an encouragement to you, wherever you are today too.

About Hope in Christ

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ..." 1 Peter 1:3-7

About Hope in His Victory

"...according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:19-21

"... we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." 2 Chronicles 20:12

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5

About Hope in His Sufficiency

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Romans 8:26

"... we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons...." 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

About Hope in His Righteousness

"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel...." Colossians 1:21-23

"...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." Ephesians 1:17-21

God's Active Presences

2009-05-13T21:47:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

More than a dozen times (without exaggeration) the 23^rd Psalm has made its presence obvious in my life the past two weeks. It actually started a week ago last Sunday morning. I woke, went through my normal routine of preparing for the day, got dressed, picked up a few things around the house and sat down to spend a few minutes with the Lord. I’ve been reading through Colossians again but it just wasn’t speaking to me that morning. I did one of those flip through things and landed in the book of Psalms. After scrolling through a few pages I stopped at this familiar passage and as I began to scan its text, I realized I could sense God’s Spirit very presently with me. I remember struggling as I read to try and keep my mind focused on both the text as well as the clear revelation that I wasn’t alone. It was a good morning and a better reminder that God’s active presences in our lives takes on many characteristics.

Wondrously enough, just this morning I received a really good outline via email that contained the 23^rd Psalm along with some relevant descriptive characteristics by each of its lines. Reading through it furthered enriched the truths I believe about God. Perhaps you will feel the same sense of security and peace as you read it today.

Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship!
I shall not want = That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!
For His name sake = That's Purpose!
Y ea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing!
I will fear no evil = That's Protection!
For Thou art with me = That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That's Hope!
Thou annointes t my head with oil = That's Consecration!
My cup runn eth over = That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security!
Forever = That's Eternity!

A God Who Provides

2009-05-07T13:01:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

“I will bring praise, I will bring Praise no weapon formed against me shall remain. I will rejoice, I will declare God is my victory and He is here.” This phrase comes from one of our newest worship songs titled Desert Song. It’s alluring phrasing, minor musical setting and content have repeated through my thoughts off and on as I have gone about my week. Near the beginning of the song there are some declarations made about owning the words that are being sung, and that no matter what journey comes our way that certain things are true about God.

One of those is this idea of God as a God who provides for us. This one in particular stands out in the face of so many experiencing loss by death this week.

Matthew 8:18-22

The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." ²⁰Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." ²¹Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." ²²But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

At first read it seems terribly insensitive that Jesus would appear to disregard one man’s attempt at closure – to bury his family member. And yet when I consider Jesus’s perspective, I agree this life is temporary —it is merely a dash between the date on which a person is born and the date which they pass from this life into the next. Jesus also fully understood the benefit of the heavenly reward being enjoyed by the one who has passed on [perhaps he thought there wasn’t any reason to mourn the dead when in fact they should be rejoicing].

Even still, God provides for those of us who are left many times feeling abandoned or fore lore. He promised and He delivered for us the presence of His Holy Spirit.

Read what John 14:15-21 writes about this:

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[c] in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

We are not alone to suffer in our grief and loss. Christ Jesus has sent a Counselor to be with you not only now, but forever more. Rest assured that both your loved one and that you are provided for.

Misunderstanding Love

2009-04-30T14:03:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

The purpose of our life here in this lifetime, here on earth is to give away and to receive Love. God's love is perfect, so He loves perfectly. Scripture tells us in John that not only does God distribute love, and understand love perfectly but that he is, in His nature the actual definition and substance of Love. God is not tainted by world view, perception, learned behavior, experience, or sin. He is the only pure example of love unadulterated, undisturbed, or undefiled.

It occurred to me this week that I still struggle with understanding this type of love. It goes beyond unconditional. It reached beyond infatuation. The depth of its fullness, its purity, its consistency, long-suffering, cannot quit, won't judge, is selfless and merciful. This characteristic, love, seems familiar because I have heard it described throughout my life, and I have experience differing degrees of its nature and yet my understanding seems somehow illusive and incomplete. Still, somehow I have hold of a small piece of it, an ever growing piece that lives in my heart and works through my life because Christ dwells in me. And it grows, and blossoms and transforms more and more everyday that I live and move and breath as I try to love God and love others.

This is the most incredible thing I find true about God and His love the more you give, the more you receive! God desires for us to work on understanding His love by giving it away. How's that for an interesting concept. The more love you actually give away, the more love you truly receive.

Luke 9:46-48 - Jesus' followers began to have an argument about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a little child and stood the child beside him. Then Jesus said, "Whoever accepts this little child in my name accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me, because whoever is least among you all is really the greatest."

Acts 20:35 - I showed you in all things that you should work as I did and help the weak. I taught you to remember the words Jesus said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

We cannot deny this concept is difficult--not only to understand but actually put into practice.

Our examples often paint us a picture that suggests self-preservation as our priority -- that protecting ourselves and our families should be our highest objective. And yet this is not what God instructs for us. God's ways are not our ways, and so we MUST resist the urge to preserve self and withhold love. Instead our response to this human desire should be to do the opposite of what is instinctual; risk loving and risk being loved. Yes, it is next to impossible -- until, we remember that all things ARE possible WITH God. The question you must answer now, is very personal: do YOU want to be WITH God? Do YOU want to be WITH God on EVERYTHING? If your heart searched desire is yes, than self-preservation must take a back seat to risking love and risking being loved.

There is so much more to be said about this subject, but for now allow the loving presence of God to be a part of your reflection. Ask Him how you are doing in the area of giving love and receiving love. If you approach Him honestly, I believe He will be faithful to respond to you.

Easter Devotional: What is My Purpose?

2009-04-09T10:32:00.001-06:00

The Gift of Joy

From Warren Mueller, for About.com

Discover a bit about the joy-filled purpose of your life through this Easter devotional. Jesus knew the purpose for his life on earth. He endured the cross with that purpose in mind. In "The Gift of Joy," Warren Mueller encourages us to follow Christ's example and discover the joy-filled purpose for our lives.

The Gift of Joy

As Easter approaches, I find myself thinking about the death and resurrection of Jesus. The purpose of his life was to offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. The Bible says that Jesus became sin for us so that we could be forgiven and found righteous in God’s sight (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus was so certain of his purpose that he predicted when and how he would die (Matthew 26:2).

As believers and followers of Jesus, what is our purpose?

Some would answer that it is to love God while others might say that it is to serve him. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that man’s chief purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. While considering these ideas, Hebrews 12:2 came to mind: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NIV)

Jesus looked beyond the suffering, shame and death he knew was to come and focused on the joy that would be.

What is this joy that so motivated him?

The Bible says that there is great joy in heaven whenever a sinner repents (Luke 15:10). Likewise, the Lord rewards good works and there is joy in hearing him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Therefore, Jesus anticipated the joy that would happen when each person would repent and be saved. He also looked forward to the joy that would result from each good work done by believers in obedience and motivated by love.

The Bible says that we love God because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Ephesians 2:1-10 tells us that by nature we are rebellious towards God and are born spiritually dead. It is by his love and grace that he brings us to faith and reconciliation. God has even planned our good works (Ephesians 2:10)!

What then is our purpose?

We can give him joy! What a wonderful God we have who honors sinners like us by giving us the ability to give him pleasure! He rejoices and experiences joy as we respond to him in repentance, love and good works that brings him glory!

Give Jesus the gift of joy for he is looking forward to it!

Source: http://christianity.about.com/od/topicaldevotions/qt/whatismypurpose.htm

The Truth About Fear

2009-04-02T12:20:00.001-06:00

By Micca Monda Campbell

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:8 (NIV)

Have you ever noticed how some TV commercials mix just enough truth with their product to make it believable? While that’s called false advertisement, the product still comes off convincing. It’s not until we purchase the product, and it fails, that the trickery becomes exposed.

In the same way, Satan specializes in false advertisement. He’s good at making our fears look real when they are not. Does that mean all fears are wrong? No. The fear of standing near a high cliff protects us from getting to close to the edge and toppling over. One the other hand, Satan’s spooks are full of trickery. They are usually disabling and keep us from progress. This kind of false advertisement can choke our faith and fuel our fears.

Have you ever wondered where our struggle between faith and fear began? I have. According to author and teacher Malcolm Smith, fear was introduced to the human race by a satanic lie.

The Garden is the first place where the serpent deceived Eve by twisting God’s word. The Lord told Adam not to eat of any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). If he or Eve ate from that tree, they would surely die spiritually. Not only did Eve eat the forbidden fruit, but she offered it to Adam and he ate too.

As soon as Adam disobeyed God, their relationship changed. Adam was not only afraid, but he doubted God’s authority, friendship, and provision. Satan’s lie told Adam that he didn’t need God. In fact, Adam was persuaded that he could be his own god, self-sufficient in every way.

The same can be true for you and me. At times, you and I live independent of God’s presence. We act as if everything depends on us. We wouldn’t dare admit that we are in over our heads. We want to appear in control. But God never meant for you and me to be strong in and of ourselves. We were meant to show His strength in our weakness as He provides for our needs. We were created to live like little children, dependent on the care our heavenly Father.

The times we insist on living life our way, in our own strength, we experience the same result as Adam and Eve. We will live in fear. This is right where Satan wants us.

If we’re afraid to try, we never will. If the enemy can keep us contained by fear, we won’t be able to fulfill our potential or make a difference in the life of another. Satan knows what we are capable of with Christ. To prevent us from that realization, he poisons us with fear.

The truth is what we fear rarely comes to pass. This kind of fear that is fueled by Satan’s lies can be described by this acrostic:

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

It’s not that we shouldn’t be concerned about certain issues of life such as safety and health. But when worrying takes over by keeping us up at night and shutting us down during the day, we’ve moved into a place we were never meant to live. We must return to living in God’s presence and relying on His promises and provision. Only then will we be able to distinguish between truth and lies. Only then will our lives be marked by faith, not fear.

Dear Lord, help me to discern between false fears and real concerns. As I commit Your Word to memory, make Your truth alive in my heart so that I can battle fear and live by faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/encouragement/

Obedience or Performance

2009-03-26T00:30:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

I believe and know there is power for living, working and witnessing available to each one of us IF we surrender our full selves to God and determine to respond obediently to what HE commands. I also believe that revival can be a life-style instead of an occurrence. There are no mistakes in God's timing, and for such a time as this I can only believe God has led us corporately to 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (NIV).

Humbling, praying, turning and seeking are all attitudes that only come from obedient and surrendered lives. You simply cannot be humble and still pursue a personal agenda. A humbled spirit is self-LESS and Christ-FULL. Our instructions from the Lord are clear: to love God and love others and all the other instructions are based on these two (Matt 22:34-40). Praying requires deliberate and purposeful communication.

A healthy prayer life consists of daily conversation with God at the least –Thess. 5:17 instructs us to "pray continually." Seeking the face of the Lord demands action. The word seek literally means to "go in search of'" or to "try and discover". The final command is to turn from the our wicked ways, or more simply put, just stop doing those things you know you shouldn't do and INSTEAD do what Christ would do; act the way He would, respond, think and behave like He would. You may be thinking these things are easy to say, but harder to do. I struggle with that feeling, too.

Sometimes, in the church especially, we can get caught up in a lifestyle of playing Christianity; we look the right way, do the right things, sit on the right boards, make the right decisions, speak a language that suggests we really care and that our prayer life is up to speed–a verbiage that implies we are connected–and yet the real connection/power source is missing. Plugging ourselves back into the power of Christ takes effort, many times literal sweat, and certainly many tears, but living a life of obedience versus performance is what the Lord requires.

During the coming weeks consider whether the motivating factor in your Christian walk is Obedience or Performance. These next few ideas may give you a place to begin your evaluation.

Obedience is seeking God with your whole heart.

Performance is having a quiet time because you'll feel guilty if you don't.

Obedience is finding ways to let the word of God dwell in you richly.

Performance is quickly scanning a passage so you can check it off your Bible reading plan.

Obedience is inviting guests to your home for dinner.

Performance is feeling anxious about whether every detail of the meal will be perfect.

Obedience is following God's prompting to start a small group, Bible study or relationship.

Performance is reluctance to let anyone else lead the group because they might not do it as well as you would.

Obedience is doing your best.

Performance is wanting to be the best.

Obedience is saying yes to whatever God asks of you.

Performance is saying yes to whatever people ask of you.

Obedience is following the promptings of God's spirit.

Performance is following a list of man-made requirements.

Obedience springs from a fear of God.
Performance springs from a fear of failure.

Faithful to Follow

2009-03-18T22:36:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Text: Joshua Chapters 14 thru 17

"When asked the secret of his success, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said, “God has had all there was of me to have. From the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ would do for them, I made up my mind that God would have all there was of William Booth. God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.” --Sermon Illustrations.com

Like General Booth, Caleb was faithful to follow after God with all of his heart. Isn't wasn't until many years later that Caleb was actually able to receive the inheritance that was rightfully his, but he stayed the course to remain faithful to follow God no matter what.

Many times I have sung or spoken the words of a faithful follower but in my heart not really been devoted to that everyday, moment by moment task. Living a Christian life involves much more than your faithful attendance to church services, worship teams, Sunday school classes or even your personal devotions. Without real intention our Christianity boils down to nothing more than a fast-food drive thru service. A quick stop to grab a bite of this and that, but the satisfaction is short lived.

What would you say if you were asked to answer this one question: Does God have all of you there is to have?

The Love of God

2009-03-05T02:23:00.001-06:00

By Dennis Fisher, Wednesday-March 4, 2009

The words of the hymn "The Love of God" capture in word pictures the breathtaking magnitude of divine love:

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies
of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll
contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.

These marvelous lyrics echo Paul's response to the love of God. The apostle prayed that believers might "be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Eph. 3:18-19). In reflecting on these verses about God's love, some Bible scholars believe "width" refers to its worldwide embrace (John 3:16); "length," its existence through all ages (Eph. 3:21); "depth," its profound wisdom (Rom. 11:33); and "height," its victory over sin opening the way to heaven (Eph. 4:8).

We are admonished to appreciate this amazing love. Yet as we expand our awareness of God's love, we soon realize that its full measure is beyond our understanding. Even if the ocean were filled with ink, using it to write about the love of God would drain it dry. — Dennis Fisher

God's love cannot be explained—it can only be experienced.

Source: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

Making Melody

2009-02-19T23:24:00.000-06:00

By David H. Roper, Our Daily Bread, February 18, 2009

Text: Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. —Ephesians 5:19

Do you know why bees hum? It's because they can't remember the words!

Ironically, that old joke reminds me of a serious story I read about a man awaiting heart bypass surgery. He was aware that people die during surgery. As he thought about all that could go wrong, he felt very much alone.

Then an orderly walked into his room to take him to surgery. As the young man began to push his gurney along the corridor, the patient heard him humming an ancient Irish hymn, "Be Thou My Vision." It prompted his memories of lush green fields and the ancient stone ruins of Ireland, the land of his birth. The hymn flooded his soul like a fresh breath of home. When the orderly finished with that song, he hummed Horatio Spafford's hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul."

When they stopped outside the surgical suite, the man thanked him for the hymns. "God has used you this day," he said, "to remove my fears and restore my soul." "How so?" the orderly asked in surprise. "Your 'hums' brought God to me," the man replied.

"The Lord has done great things for us" (Ps. 126:3). He has filled our heart with song. He may even use our "hums" to restore someone's soul. — David H. Roper

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart—
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night—
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. —Irish hymn
© Chatto and Windus, Ltd., London.

Praise flows freely from the choirs (and worship teams) of the redeemed.

Source: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

How God Uses Pain

2009-02-05T02:35:00.001-06:00

By Os Hillman

Text: "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things" (Isa 45:7).

God will use pain in order to create a love relationship with His creation. This statement may challenge your theology. However, consider that God allowed Jesus to experience incredible pain in order to create an opportunity to have a relationship with His creation. Consider how Jesus created a relationship with Paul. He blinded him and used a crisis in his life in order to bring him into a relationship with him and use him for God's purposes. Consider how God recruited Jonah for the mission He had for him.

This is not God's first choice for His creation. Romans 2:4 reveals that God's preference is to show mercy and kindness: "Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" The problem is there are few people who respond to the goodness of God. God loves people more than He loves their comfort. He invests a great deal into mankind. He desires relationship with us and will go to great lengths to create such a relationship in order for us to receive the rewards and inheritance He has for us.

I have observed this process in the scriptures in working with people through years of ministry. I have noticed three distinct stages. First, we li ve based on convenience. Our obedience is largely based on circumstances in our lives. We choose to obey based on the circumstances. The second stage is the crisis stage. God allows a crisis to come into our lives. We are motivated to obey God in order to get out of the pain of our situation. Many times God allows us to stay in this condition in order to demonstrate His love and faithfulness during our pain. Gradually, we discover something knew about God and often have a personal encounter with Him that changes us. Our very nature is affected by this God-encounter.

This begins to move us into a third phase that is a relationship that is motivated now by love and devotion instead of pain. This is where God desires us to be. Another way of saying this is we are no longer seeking His hand. We are seeking Him. We want to know God personally. Obedience will not last when the motivation is only the removal of our pain. Obedience only lasts when the motivation is loving devotion. Where are you in your obedience and what is the primary motivation? If it isn't love, why not tell the Lord you love Him today and want to know Him for who He is and not for what He can do for you.

http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/marketplace/

Today's Truth

2009-01-28T14:17:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Text: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" --1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)

The past few weeks my personal time management skills have been put to the test. I'm usually very good at juggling a lot of different tasks at one time and yet when you throw schooling into the mix and not just school but the actual study of theology and being a theologian into the mix, somehow the time I'm finding myself involved in thinking is not mixing well with my other responsibilities – sounds ironic right. And yet, I ask you to stop and think! Yes, just stop, and think. You don't even know how to do that either right. It's a discipline and well needed in our warp-speed world.

My concern is not only that we don't think enough, but that when we do it's not on the right things. Call it whatever you will, but it's no surprise to me that I should receive the following in my in-box this morning and wish to share it with those of you out there who need to hear it as well.

Sharon Jaynes writes, "I'm not _____________ enough. You can fill that blank in with smart, talented, gifted, spiritual, or any number of positive attributes, but the root source of each one of those lies is "I'm not good enough." It is one of the enemy's favorite weapons and he uses it to keep God's children in bondage to feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy. The bottom line is that the enemy wants you to believe that you are "not enough." Period. But you are enough. You are enough and have been equipped and empowered to do everything that God has called you to do."

(Source: www.girlfriendsingod.com")

God went to, and I believe, continues to go to great lengths to help us understand his great love for us exactly like we are. He's placed us in the places we are and gifted us the way he sees fit to use us best – maybe that's not the way we wish they were – but we should be confident that God knows exactly what he is doing and that he is working for our benefit and His glory! We need to get over the self-destructive negative self-talk and start putting our faith and trust in the one who's called us by name and gives us our very value!

To Your Advantage and God's Glory

2009-01-22T14:05:00.001-06:00

Text: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15

"We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!"

Do you ever stop to consider the idea that God is working things together in your life that are to your advantage? If you do, it really does present a twist to our every day circumstances. Think about it. What if, for one second, we could apply this thinking to our finances, to our relationships, to our jobs? What if each time we go through what seems like a major set back we could step back and consider the idea that God is working in that too? You know that saying, put your money where your mouth is - or Jerry Maguire was "show me the money", so what if as Christians we put our faith where our mouths are? What if we really believed for the best hoped for what was good and counted on things to work out perfectly because the God of the Universe was in control? It's almost too much to grasp and yet such a simple concept.

We should be bold about our faith because we know the one in whom our faith is placed. He is the creator of the universe and the sustainer of our very breath. He is actively engaged around the world and yet personally present in the very place where you are reading this. How can we get to the place where we feel like Paul did when he wrote, "We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life." He somehow finally understood it really wasn't about himself anymore - his future, his life, his breath, his destiny, they were all in the hands of One far more capable and qualified than His own. That being the case, he didn't have anything to loose, he knew that to live or die was going to be gain because it was the perfect will of God and he knew God was looking out for His best.

God wants to do the very same for us but we'll never become bold witnesses until we become bold believers.

It's a great day to work on this area of your life with the Lord. Ask him to show you the places where you are faithless and doubting. Ask Him to help encourage you and to enable you to become a bold and confident witness, secure in knowing God is working to your advantage and to His own glory.

The Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit

2009-01-15T14:42:00.000-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Text: Excerpt from Head, Heart & Hands, by Dennis P. Hollinger

In the past couple of weeks we've been talking more and more about the ability to share our Faith with others. This coming Sunday our topic will continue down the road of considering how it is that we are able to do this, among other seemingly impossibilities: the help of the Holy Spirit.

It's amazing how God works, and unfortunately I don't have enough space/time to write how the pieces have come together, but our God has a great sense of timing, and if we will keep ourselves open to his leading, and stir up the desire within ourselves to know Him more, He'll be more than accommodating to teach us and help us to do just that.

In my world the pieces of the last book I read (The Shack) coupled with the last ROOTED class I took (Becoming A Contagious Christian) coupled with the class I'm taking right now are all seamlessly, miraculously working together to bring my attention back to the importance of knowing what I believe (my theology) and putting what I believe to practice (vital spirituality). One of the books from my current class is what I want to ask you to consider through today. The book is titled Head, Heart & Hands by Dennis P. Hollinger.

In it he writes: "All human beings seem to have a quest for presence and power. Men and women long to have a personal touch whereby they feel the nearness and care not just of others, but of an Other. We hunger for the personal presence of transcendence in our lives in order to know that in this great cosmos we matter and are cared for. Humans also long for personal power. In our moments of fragility, ineptitude and failure, we hunger for a power beyond ourselves to enable us to transcend our foibles (an idiosyncrasy or small weakness) and sins. Presence and power seem to be universal needs of the human race. In biblical faith the Holy Spirit in particular grants presence and power to those who have said yes to God's grace. The Father and Son are, of course, part of these wonderful gifts, for we can never separate too far the persons of the one God. But in the Bible it is particularly the Holy Spirit who is present in our moments of perceived abandon and who grants power in our times of helplessness. In Romans 8 Paul reminds us that anyone who belongs to Christ has the Holy Spirit living within them. Therefore, he wrote, "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that swells in you" (v.11)

How are you engaging the work of the Holy Spirit in your life today?

Have you invited him to be a part of your process?

Do you have questions about the work of the Holy Spirit or the work of Entire Sanctification?

Have you been entirely sanctified?

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

2009-01-07T16:03:00.000-06:00

Text: James 2:14-17

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well"—but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

I'm reading a book right now authored by Dennis P. Hollinger, appropriately titled Head, Heart & Hands. In it, he describes three different individuals who each have one of the triune characteristics of a whole person; he refers to these as Heart (the emotions or passions), Hand (the servant or action) and Head (the intellectual or thought). He writes,"Taken alone, these types are deeply flawed and inadequate, for thought, passion and action separated from each other are in conflict with the way God created us. Such a separation is inconsistent with what Jesus demonstrated in his own life." (15)

Each one of us tends to lean more towards one of these three areas more naturally than the others. Since we are all created equal and yet uniquely different--each with individual characteristics, behavioral bents, and passions--we need to identify both our strengths and weaknesses. We need to identify them so that we can work on them in order to become more Christlike. Thankfully He is perfectly well-rounded in all these area's and His greatest delight would be to see them well-rounded in us as well.

So, if you are more of a thinking type of person, then perhaps you need to put some of that good knowledge into action loving and serving your neighbors. If you are passionate and driven strongly by emotions than it would do you well to but some thoughts behind your feelings and studying a little more. If you serve others easily but don't truly understand what God's Word says about working out your faith, then you should seek to understand that better.

Let God work with you this week to recognize what type of person you are (heart, hand or head) and then let him guide you into how to develop the others area's where you are lacking.

True Joy Follows Forgiveness

2008-12-19T11:08:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Text: Psalm 32:5 "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD'--and you forgave the guilt of my sin." (NLT)

We often talk throughout the holidays of the greatest gift being that of Christ Jesus Himself. Though I know this to be true I sometimes catch myself 'just saying it' without much thought or heart investment at all. I imagine if you searched back through some of your recent conversations you might find the same to be true of your own conversations. How is it that we've come to know such amazing grace and so quickly allow such affections towards it to be stolen?

Truly the greatest gift is not only Christ coming at Christmas but in fact the forgiveness of our sins that He came to redeem. For this to happen however, we must acknowledge our sinfulness and accept the fullness of Joy he offers. Personally I think this is where the real crux of our heart matter begins; true joy follows forgiveness. Could it be that we battle more sin in our lives than we think or admit we do. Could it be that this lack of acknowledging sin is exactly what's keeping us from realizing the joy we are intended to experience? I'm really being convicted that this is exactly true.

What is keeping us from dealing with the deeper sin related issues of our lives? Is it too difficult? Does it take too much of our time? Is it inconvenience? Is it even impossible to be a true disciple or Christ-follower today? What do you think about this?

I want to be thankful, truly thankful this Christmas, today, and beyond Christmas thankful that Christ forgave the guilt of the sin that was mine to own. I think you want that too, but we've got a lot of area's we need to work on - and I for one think we need to get back to working on them.

Really - what do you think about all this? Are you ready to get your joy back?

All you need is love ..

2008-12-10T16:11:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Text: I John 4:15-17 "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him."

"All you need is love" rum bu dumb ba dumb … anytime I hear someone say that phrase my shoulders automatically start buncing and my body swaying. There's something about the little melodious horn line that follows the chorus words that makes me respond in this silly way. Even the great John Lennon said "it's easy" … "love is all you need". I'm not sure if he realized how true those words really were and still are.

All that we need is found in Jesus Christ and His word tells us that He not only encompasses the very nature of what love is but that in fact he IS love itself. So the only way we can understand love or give love is if in fact love (Christ) lives and loves through us. I think a lot of people get hung up here because we agree with this thought and then disclaimer our failure to love perfectly as failure to be Christlike. I don't think this is the case. It's true Christ lived a sinless life and we unfortunately have sinned and are probably going to again. But being like Christ in this life, for us, is simply staying actively engaged in the process of becoming more and more like Him. Look, you know when you are 'checked out' mentally or emotionally from something - and this is not talking about momentary forgetfulness - this is a willful act on your part to basically withdraw from the process of interacting personally with Christ. For me this active engagement has taken on many forms. There are times when I am white hot in love with my Lord and it shows in everything I do. There are other times when things happen and I get distracted or I question Him about this or that. In those times I may not "feel" so loving towards Him and yet I can't stop actively engaging in my relationship with Him.

The author of I John tells us that we can be confident on the day of judgment because in this world we ARE like him. Wow! That's amazing. He's telling us right there that because Christ lives in us and when the father looks at us he sees a reflection of Himself. This should give us the confidence we need to stay actively engaged in our relationship with Christ.

Peace at the Center

2008-12-03T15:40:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Text: John 14:26-28 "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

A reporter once asked President Herbert Hoover how it was that he could handle such diversified moments of fame and approval followed by such severe dissatisfaction and criticism. Hoover responded saying that his strength to sustain came from a deeper, inner place--a "peace at the center" of his being.

There are several of you I look to with admiration and respect because you too have seemed to exude this same peacefulness in the midst of your trials. For others this area is one we will do well to examine - asking ourselves if in fact we are living and responding to the temporal things of this life knowing there is a peace available to sustains us even beyond what we can hope for or understand.

When Jesus left his physical form on this earth one of his final promises was that he would send a counselor, a comforter, a peace that would remain - a peace beyond anything this world could imagine or explain. God doesn't give like the world gives. There are no attachments, requirements, pre-requisites, or pre-qualifications needed to receive his peace except that you simply believe and receive it!

You too can know and experience the joy of having God's peace at the center of your life!

A Thankful Perspective

2008-11-26T13:39:00.001-06:00

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

STORY: "In Budapest, one day a man goes to his rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?" The rabbi answers, "Take one of your goat into the room with you and come back and see me in one week." The man incredulously agreed. A week later the man went back looking more distraught than before and exclaimed, "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy." The rabbi then told him, "Go home and now let the goat out and come back to see me in another week." The following week a radiant man returned to the rabbi exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there's no goat-- only the nine of us." -- George Mikes, How to be Decadent, Andre' Deutsch, London

How quickly our perspective can be altered when we are thrown into circumstances other than whatever our presents one appears to be. The circumstance of the man living in proximity with 8 others didn't change after all - what changed was his perspective. He was presented with an alternative that was less accomodating that the one he was in prior. That was enough to help him see that things weren't so bad exactly where he was.

This thanksgiving that's what I am trying to do; look at things from a different angle-perspective and re-evalulate the postives and negatives. We really do have a lot to be so grateful for!

Happy Thanksgiving Friends,

Julia