A Heart Like His

It was cool to worship this past Sunday with the guys (and gal) from Line Creek. Made me want to shout “Hallelujah and Hee Haw!”. Thanks ya’ll for making a joyful noise that we could tap our toes to. We’ll look forward to hearing you again on January 28th at our Youth BBQ/Bluegrass Fundraiser Dinner at the Sharpsburg Recreation Center. Tickets will be available in the lobby of the theatre this Sunday.

We also launched back into “The Story” after a long break for the holiday’s. Can you believe we’re already 1/3 of the way through the Bible? So, we started with the story of David as the unlikely choice to be anointed as the next king of Israel. He was the unlikely choice because he didn’t measure up to his brothers in terms of physical appearance. But he was God’s choice because God does not look at the outward appearance. He looks at the heart. And He saw that David’s heart was a heart like His (Acts 13:22).

When He looks at your heart (or my heart)…what does He see?

This matters. As John Eldredge says, “the subject of the heart is addressed in the Bible more than any other topic – more than works or service, more than belief or obedience, more than money, and even more than worship.” Your heart matters to God. And it matters to others. One of my favorite verses on this topic is from Proverbs 4:23. It says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Your heart is the well that everyone else in your life
drinks from. Be careful with it. Guard it. Ask God to help you cultivate a heart like His.

God knew something (lots of something’s actually) that David didn’t know. There was an extremely large Philistine with an attitude – named Goliath - that needed to be eliminated. It took a giant-killer with a heart like David’s to get the job done. What giants are you facing today? Be strong and courageous, “the Lord who rescued me (you) from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me (you) from the hand of this Philistine”. Our God is bigger than our giants!

Future Tense

This past Sunday’s message was called “Future Tense”. I started thinking about it awhile back, after watching the movie “2012”. The film did not forecast a Happy New Year for us. In fact, it was one in a long line of Hollywood movies (“Armageddon”, “The Day After Tomorrow”, “The Road”, “Contagion”, and “Legend” just to name a few) that predict the end of the world (as we know it) in the not too distant future. Given that the economic, political, environmental, cultural, spiritual and moral climate of our day seems so dark and threatening…it’s not hard to understand why so many of these movies are being made. People sense that something is going to happen.

Maybe something bad. Maybe something soon.

And maybe they’re right. But in Christ, we don’t have to live life as though there were no hope. Our Living Hope is all we really have. And He (Jesus) truly is all we need. So, no matter what the future holds…I am certain of this: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. To quote a bumper sticker…I don’t know what the future holds – but I do know Who holds the future. That’s good news! It means that in spite of all of the horrible things that sometimes happen in our lives (Lower Story), God has not forgotten us. He has a plan for our rescue (Upper Story). He has a story of redemption to tell and we’re in it!

Makes me want to sing a chorus of “Mighty to Save”…feel free to join me. Because God is too wise to be mistaken. He is too good to be unkind. When I can’t trace His hand, I’ll trust His heart.

Closing Thoughts...

• Don’t forget that small groups start back up next week. Nick and Heather’s group meets on Sunday afternoons in Fayetteville. Mike and Sherry’s group meets on Monday evenings in Peachtree City. Joe and Robin’s group meets on Wednesday nights in Sharpsburg. And my group meets on Wednesday nights at Casa del Heaton (sort of between Inman and Woolsey). If you haven’t made small group a part of your week…you’re missing something of incredible value. You need this…don’t miss out! For more information on Small Groups, please visit the website (WheresTheSteeple.org) or contact Mike (small group coordinator) Stout or myself.
  


• Also, if you missed the message on Sunday and want to know more about the concepts of “Upper Story” and “Lower Story”…I recommend that you pick up a copy of The Story and read about it or just listen into the “Future Tense” message on the website for more detail.

Beauty and the Beast

His friends all say, "he's gotta be the luckiest guy in the world!". Her friends all wonder, "what in the world does she see in him?". And we all know they're both right.

It's mysterious. It's scandalous. It's troubling. In the case of our romance with Jesus, it's all of the above. He's the Beauty. We are the beast. We are the worst of the worst - the least of the least - and yet He loves us recklessly and relentlessly.

It's true. Jesus came to love the last, the least and the lost. Because of this, those who were repelled by the religious establishment, were strangely attracted to Him.

What made Jesus attractive to people who are far from God? Or, As Philip Yancey puts it: "How did he, the only perfect person in history, manage to attract the notoriously imperfect?"

He loved the unlovable...the loathable. He was their friend. Am I? Are you?

Here is my conviction...everybody matters to God. And if everybody matters to Him...if everybody is somebody to Jesus - then, everybody must matter to me...everybody must be somebody to me. God help me to build relational bridges so that people who are far from God can come near. Teach me how to live the Jesus life by loving the last, the least and the lost the way He did and does.

Tweet of the day:Rob Bell summarizing the gospel in 140 characters or less - "The gospel is the counterintuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus has brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us.”

Who do you say that He is?

Saw this in the store the other day. It's called "Pocket Jesus". He is 2 inches tall, available in assorted colors, "environmentally friendly" and comes with an inspirational quote. Oh...and they sell them right next to the "pocket Buddha's".

Let me ask you, do you believe in a "pocket-sized" Jesus? In a Jesus that can (depending on the occasion or your mood) be left on the shelf or carried with you as a good luck charm? How about a Jesus that is hard and plastic and comes in pastel colors? Do you believe in a Jesus who is inflexible? Do you believe in a Jesus whose eyes are blind, ears are deaf and whose mouth is silent? Or a Jesus without a cross, who did not suffer and does not save?

Lots of people believe lots of things about Jesus. What do you believe? It's an important question. Check out this video for some standard answers to the question from a "man on the street" perspective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMzKHFnD29E&feature=related.

In Matthew 16, Jesus put the question to his friends this way..."Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

So, to you, who is Jesus? What do you believe about Him? I'd really like to know.

A Little Cheese Please?

This was a facebook post by one of our very sweet and godly graduates who's headed off to college this Sunday. Had to share it with the rest of you (with her permission of course). Thanks Erin...you're the bomb! And I know for certain that God has great plans for you. He promised (Jeremiah 29:11). Please come home soon and often.

Cheesiness minus the Hallmark card :)
Friday, August 7, 2009 at 12:08am

Sometimes I try to avoid cheesiness, but then I think “why not?!”. While cheesy, cheesiness is usually incredibly sweet and sweetness is awesome, so here is a little for some special people in my life…I have been a member of Rolling Hills Baptist Church (RHBC represent! :]) since the day before I started kindergarten, and it is safe to say that I would not be the lady I am today without the people who I have had the pleasure to worship with in that “backwardly beautiful” church. Some of my most treasured memories were made in that church, but more importantly with the people. RHBC has left me with not only the security of having God as a shoulder, but with a blessing of all of you to lean on too . It is no coincidence that who I consider to be my best friends (BFFL!) are also my brothers and sisters in our Jesus.I truly hope that I have been as real with all of you as I possibly could have been- that I have done my absolute best to shine God’s light- that you have known you can come to me with anything -that I LOVE you. I hope these things, because you all have done those three things for me and you deserve to have the favor returned.So, I leave in about a week for a new chapter in my life (Yes! Cliches!) and I’m scared excited, but what’s super comforting is that when I come home, I know y’all will still be there welcoming me with a hug. I also know that I will be able to face all of this crazy newness because of the strong faith my church has equipped me with. I’m going to go those mountains and continue to raise my voice for my Father and I have no doubt I will still be able to hear all of y’all singing with me. And, I have learned two things that are going to get me so far in my endeavors…1. Love God. Love people. AND 2. How to play ultimate frisbee :) Did I mention you guys are super awesome?! That is all. I love you and thank you. Exodus 14:14

Erin

What's a Missional Church?

From time to time, I am asked “what exactly is a missional church?”. It’s usually followed by another question “are ya’ll still Baptists?”. The answer to the 2nd question is “yes, we are Baptists”. In fact, the missional nature of our church has a very “Baptist” quality, as it is our partnership around the Great Commission that defines us. I believe that in some sense, every Baptist church ought to see herself as missional.

In answer to the first question, I think that a missional church is a fellowship of believers that adopts a missionary lifestyle. What I mean is that our lifestyle, our strategy, our structure, our service…the sum total of all that we are is centered on joining Jesus in His mission.

In other words:

• It’s not about how many people come to our church services – it’s about how many people our church serves.
• It’s not about our seating capacity – it’s about our sending capacity.
• It’s not about being “attractional” – it’s about being “incarnational”.
• It’s not about making decisions – it’s about being disciples.
• It’s not about building a monument – it’s about being a movement.
• It’s not about being an organization – it’s about being an organism.
• It’s not about keeping pace with the Joneses – it’s about keeping pace with Jesus.
• It’s not about competing for members – it’s about creating partnerships for mission and ministry.

Our missional journey has already been full of adventure, mystery and sacred romance as God weaves His redemptive thread through our lives and into our world. I can't imagine a more exciting challenge than joining Jesus in what He's doing to seek and to save! Can you?

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Frank

Acts 2:42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Red Envelope Day

I'm taking very seriously my pledge to pray for our new President, but it does not mean that I agree with him on all the issues. For instance, the recent reversal of the Bush administration's restrictions on federal funding for research that involves the destruction of human embryos. Although he says that it is "above his pay grade" to know when life begins, I've become convinced that Mr. Obama may be the most pro-abortion President ever elected in our country.

I rarely ask you to take this kind of action, but I want to challenge you to participate in a protest called "Red Envelope Day" in an effort to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
What's Red Envelope Day? Glad you asked. Read this from the blog site called "The American Spectator", by Doug Bandow:

"...Barack Obama is living up to his promise to eliminate protections for the unborn. Without doubt the result will be more dead babies. Abortion is one of those tough issues that most politicians would prefer to dodge, but it is too important to sidestep.

Some pro-life activists are promoting "the red envelope project," urging people to mail empty red envelopes to the White House on March 31, with the back inscribed: This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.

It's a thoughtful protest, highlighting the reality of abortion: the death of innocent life."

With that in mind, I wanted to urge you to explore how you could be a part of Red Envelope Day (http://www.redenvelopeday.com/). In fact, please take a minute to paste that site into your search window and listen to the short video by Brian Potter, which explains a little more of how you and I can be involved.

We certainly don't have to wait for an event like Red Envelope Day to be involved. If this issue is close to your heart, I hope that you'll make it a matter of daily prayer. Prayer changes things. And, as we've learned, sometimes God makes us the answer to our own prayers.

In addition, you may want to check out the Pregnancy Resource Center of Fayette (www.fayetteprc.com) for more information on abortion alternatives and how you can made a difference.

Maranatha!
Frank