You Don't Have What It Takes - Week 3

View Week 3 of You Don't Have What It Takes.

Too Busy and Baby Shower...Sort of...

Yesterday was part 3 of our current series, "You don't have what it takes". It was a good one. The theme was:
YOU ARE SO BUSY—YOU ARE OUT OF IT!

Being too busy is just not good. It's not productive. To me it's more about quality over quantity. That's easier said than done, but it's true. For those of you with a family and kids it's even tougher. My family runs from practice to practice. We have had to give things up...sacrifice, so that our kids and us could have quality time together and focus on eternal things...God things. It's not easy. It takes planning and effort to not be busy. Read Matthew 11:28-30 and let it sink in. Are you trusting this word from God? Really, are you?

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

Baby Shower...Sort Of.
We are having a nursery/baby shower for the new church building this Thursday night from 6:30 to 7:30pm. It will be at the church buulding (398 Depot Street, Franklin, NC) We have registered at Wal-Mart different items we need for the childrens/nursery ministry. Just go tot Wal-Mart and ask for the "Life Church" registery. It will give you all the items we are in need of for this new building. I encourage you to go and see if there is something you can buy and donate. It's a small way to be able to give something to the church beyond your regular tithe. It's a very tangible way to express your support for God's work through Life Church Franklin.
Please drop in thie Thursday evening at the new building. We will also spend some time praying for specific items for our community and church. Hope to see you there.

P

View Week 3 of You Don't Have What It Takes.

Are You A People Pleaser?

Sunday Craig challenged us to not be people pleasers but rather live to please God. Easy enough, right? It should be, but it sure is tough. I think we all want to please others around us, but our goal should be to live in line with what God wants.
I know I struggle with this like many of you. Its hard to not try and be one. But so many times I have done things to please people that I know God would have me not do or do differently.
Its not easy to live for God. Its not easy to walk away from moment that are just to please others.
So, are you living to please people or please the God that sustains and gives you all will ever need.
We serve an awesome God. Let's live to please him today and not others.
Keep making Jesus famous. He is worth everything.
P

You Don't Have What It Takes

Sunday we began our new series called "You Don't Have What It Takes".
It's not the words you envision telling people everyday. "Hey Joe, you have what it takes!". That's very PC, now is it?
Anyhow, yesterday Craig started with the first week saying "you're not good enough". Again, not the words you really want to hear from someone. I think we all want to believe we are good enough. Good enough at being a friend, a co-worker a parent. What Craig went on to say was that we are not good enough to work our way to God. We are not good enough to do enough good works to make it to heaven. Flat out, we are not good enough for God as we are before knowing Christ. Through Christ we are made new and redeemed in God's eyes to be good enough for eternal life with Him. That's awesome.
I know I am thrilled to know I don't have to try and be a good person to make it to heaven. Of course, I life with Christ will bear fruits of good things, but that's becuase Jesus has saved us.
I hope you are set free today from believing you have to be good enough for God. Let go of yesterday...be set free...live in God's grace and know that you are only good enough because of Jesus' gift of salvation.

P

Four Questions Every Church Should Wrestle With

Perry Noble at NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC has been blogging about four questions we should wrestle with. This post below is two of the questions. It comes from Romans 10:14-15:

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Read Perry's blog post here. It is well worth reading, thinking and praying about for us at Life Church.

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Do We Have "it"?

I think we have "It" at Life Church Franklin in many ways. I would like for us to get "It" in other ways.
What is "it"?
First, I am referring to Sunday's message from Pastor Craig Groshel entitled "It". It was a great message. It spoke directly to the local church. Basically, the question is: "How can churches get "it and keep "it"?"
There is no cut and dry answer and "it" is really something we could talk about forever ( I promise not to on this post!). I believe in addition to God's Holy Spirit guiding and directing us, we are building a strong sense of commmunity at Life Church Franklin. We are building relationships centered around Christ, not around a Bible study or choir. (I have nothing against Bible study and choirs. Those were just the first 2 things I thought of.) But, seriously, it's about Jesus. It's about leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Many people are lost and dying with the hope and knowledge of Jesus as their Savior. That should be what's important. Not what new "thing" we can build or program we can start at church.
Folks, my heart it to see a local church so passionate about sharing Christ that we barely spend time in the four walls of our church building. I believe God is asking more of us than to keep feeding ourselves all the time.
We have to keep breaking free of our consumer Christian ideas and mentality and find ways to speak and show God's love and truth to others around us who don't know Him.
As an active partner with Life Church Franklin I hope this is your heart and the thought of leading more people to know Christ in a real, intimate way excites you and keeps you motivated.
So, do you have "It"?
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One Way To God?

Sunday we wrapped up our "So You're Dead...Now What?" series. The title was just "Q&A". It was questions and answers to things pertaining to the afterlife...heaven and hell. It was very interesting and I think some people's views on heaven and hell were shaken up in a good way.

The last question Craig answered was "Is there different ways to heaven?". Basically, are there mulitple ways to God/heaven? The answer was emphatically, "NO!". There is only one way to God. There is only one way to heaven. It's through our savior Jesus that a way to the Father has been made. Here is what Jesus said:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

So if we call ourselves followers of Christ then we have to believe this. We cannot sway from this truth or it waters down who Jesus is. If we believe God's Word as His people, we have to believe that Jesus is the only way. There is no other way.

In mainstream media and in the world this view is not a popualr becuase Satan wants to trick you to believe that people that beleive something else or are "good people" will go to heaven too. It's justy not true.

I challenge you to read God's Word and see where He continually repeats that there is ONE WAY to Him...and that is through Jesus Christ.

So is there just one way to God? Yes. His name is Jesus.

Have a great week.

P