The Best Gift of All

Question:


What is the best gift YOU received this Christmas?

I think that the best gift I received this Christmas was the presence of people in my life. Having so many people come to our home for the open house. Having JaiLeigh here experiencing these two weeks. On Christmas Eve I was touched by the number of people in worship with us and how they responded to the arrival of hope that night. On Christmas my family touched the lives of the boys at our Allendale Shelter by fixing breakfast for the 10 boys and 5 staff members there. Then there were presents and the feeding of family and friends – and relaxing together because of Jesus coming. My Christmas continued with worship on Sunday and finding a gift here at the church and then more time with family Sunday afternoon. Christmas just kind of seemed to drag out – peacefully and wonderfully – the presence of people being so wonderful.

What I found to be true is that the best gift we can give is the same gift that God gave to us on the first Christmas – the gift of “presence.”  To be with – to spend time with, to include our loved ones in our day schedules – to touch lives with relationships that truly matter day to day.

Each gift that truly mattered to me this Christmas was the gift of presence – and I believe that this was true for each of you too. Your presence matters in the lives of the people who love you and whom you love.

As you get ready for the new year – I believe that the best resolution you can make is to be the best gift of all – to everyone you know and everyone you meet. Make your life a gift of presence – and really make a difference in your world.

Blessings with you on the journey!

YourPastorDude,

Pastor David

Excellence with A Common Purpose

Excellence with a Common Purpose


Question: What would happen if each one of us reading this article lived our lives with excellence for a common purpose? How would your life change?

How would your marriage relationship change if you and your spouse lived for a common purpose – only doing each and every task with excellence? How would your relationship with your children change if you lived by excellence with a common purpose? And what about the church? How would it change if every member lived by excellence with a common purpose? If the Pastor lived this way, worked this way, taught this way, preached this way? What if the choir sang this way? The greeters greeted this way? The ministry teams did ministry this way? Would there be a difference?

To live by excellence means to do everything we do to the very best standard – not just to our ability. To live by excellence means to strive to perform at a higher level in everything we do. To live by excellence means to aim higher, to live with greater distinction, quality, merit. To live by excellence means to no longer live with mediocrity. And what if we lived with a common purpose? Would that make a difference in our relationships? Paul says we are to live by watching out of the needs of others. (Phil. 2:4) In Acts 6:1-7 we read about how the church was mobilized for the first time to meet the needs of those who were suffering. The early church always moved with a common purpose.

We have a purpose at FCC in Gurnee – to be a community of intentional grace where people are loved, accepted and forgiven. What if every one of us in the church lived by excellence with this common purpose? What if we used our gifts to love God and love others? Accepted people as they really are with judgment or condemnation? And forgave as Jesus forgave?

I love this phrase. Why is this important? Because I believe that what you and I do here on this world today makes a difference for eternity and I am committing today as your Pastor to live this way beginning now.

See you Sunday!

Pastor David

http://www.disciplesgurnee.org/

Pursuing Love: 15 Minutes to a Better Life

15 minutes a day to change your life.


That is all it takes to start developing the mind of Christ in you. So many of you have told me that you want to be better followers of Jesus, that you want to know God’s will for your life, that you want to know the one who can change your life for the better. I have heard all the excuses, I know all the reasons you can’t, now I am telling you that you can. And all it will take is 15 minutes a day.

In 15 minutes a day you can set the stage for a better day. In 15 minutes a day you can prepare your heart to be open to helping others. In 15 minutes aday you can change your attitude, your financial status, your hopes and dreams. In 15 minutes a day you can change the world by changing your world. And it all starts as soon as you say I have 15 minutes!

This is because God’s word is living. It has a life of its own through you. It lives and moves inside you. This is because God’s word is powerful – able tochange the worst ones life for the good. This is because God’s word is penetrating - touching the deepest part of your life. This is because God’s word is discerning – able to tell you between good and evil, right and wrong, best and better.

The challenge to you is the 15 minutes. Do you think a better life is worth 15 minutes? Do you think a stronger faith is worth 15 minutes a day? Will you accept the challenge to spend 15 minutes a day in reading your bible. For the next 5 weeks you won’t even have to decide what to read – I will give you that. This first week I want you to read Matthew 5 - 7. 

That’s all. 3 chapters. Spend 15 minutes every day reading it. Let it soak into your soul, let it fill your mind. and let it change your life.

See you here next week -

Your Pastor Dude

Gurnee First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

What are we living for?

Make sure the thing you’re living for

is worth dying for.

– Charles Mayes

Found this quote and wondered what you were living for. What I am living for. What we are living for together.


Its a great question isn’t it? Can you think about that for a minute. Can you think about this question for a minute every day this week? Answers for this question I believe will change how we live our lives together. Are we living for ourselves? Our jobs? Our bank accounts? Our children? Our God? I want to know the answer to this question because how you answer this question determines how you will live! It is as simple as that.


If you are living for the love of others – you will love others. If you live for your bank account – you will live to make it grow. And if you are living for Jesus – you will live doing it what it takes to make Jesus your primary reason.

This week – check out Luke 18:18-30 and try answering the question. Send me an e-mail or a note to let me know what it is your are living for. 

See you on the journey!

Easter Came, Easter Went - So What?

Easter has come and gone and I am left to ask my annual question. "So what?"



Every year I am left with the question - shouldn't there have been more? More to the story? More to the end results? More joy? More hope? More forgiveness? More love?

Jesus lived for us, suffered for us, died for us and was raised for us. Shouldn't it have mattered more?   Then I am reminded that the "more" part has to do with our response.


Jesus lived- does it make a difference in how we live?


Jesus suffered-does it make a difference in how we treat the suffering in our world?


Jesus died-as a sacrifice for our redemption - do we even know we need redeemed?


Jesus rose from the dead- so we can live. Did we celebrate? Do we celebrate? Do we live accordingly? What are you going to do because he rose from the dead?  Do you live life more fully alive because he lives?  Do you have more, more joy, more hope, more grace,  more love, in your life as a result? 


Praise be to God - for you get to choose more!

Pursuing love - with you!

Your Pastordude!

Pursuing Love - Pursuing Jesus

Who is Jesus?


One of my favorite books and movies is the Tolkien triology Lord of the Rings . I love it it because it is a great epic - a story for all of the ages, a story highlighted by the battle of good and evil, a story of great sacrifice and of greater victory.

Another of my favorite movies are the Star Wars collection. Again I love it because it is a great epic - a story for all of the ages, a story highlighted by the battle of good and evil, a story of great sacrifce and of greater victory.

Think with me of all the great books and movies - John Eldridge was right - they are great because they are stories for all of the ages, stories highlighted by the battle of good and evil, stories of great sacrifice and of greater victory. In a short survey look at these films and books: Mary Poppins, Braveheart, The Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia and Robin Hood. The list could go on and on and what you would find is the same. Each is highlighted by a great battle. Each has a striking, alluring, tempting villain. Each requires a great sacrifice. Every story has a villain because our story does.

There is a great battle going on. A battle between good and evil. A battle for our souls, a battle for our freedom, a battle that on this earth begins the day we are born and doesn't end till the day we die. And it is not a battle that we can win on our own. David and Goliath, the Hebrews against Pharoah. And the good news is that the answer to the question "Who Is Jesus" include this answer: Jesus is our Mighty Warrior. He is the one who comes to fight our battle, to save our souls, to set us free.

Jesus is either Lord of ALL - or he is not Lord AT all.

Let's experience Jesus as our Mighty Warrior this week!

Pursuing Love: Jesus - Lord of ALL - or not at ALL

Who is Jesus?

It really is a great question isn’t it. Jesus is Lord! we said on Sunday. The one who is in charge – the one who changes the world with a single word – the one we pledge allegience to – the one who we joyfully and voluntarily enter into the service of – wholehearted, absolute, non-wavering.


That’s what it means to say “Jesus is Lord.” To put ourselves totally at his beck and call, to line up our way of thinking to be HIS way of thinking, to obey his teachings instead of our own thinking, to make our resources His resources, to totally commit to following him.

Is that how you are living your life today? All of that is easy to say on Sunday morning. Easy to hear too. But what about on Monday morning when you wake up and have to go to work for a boss who thinks that he or she is the Lord of your life? Or when the car breaks down and you have to decide whether to tithe or to fix the car? When is Jesus Lord of your life – all the time or just when it is convenient?

My favorite phrase from Sunday is still this one:

Jesus is either Lord of ALL – or he is not Lord AT all.

YourPastorDude-

Pastor David

Pursuing Love: Who do you say Jesus is?

I have it on pretty good authority that Jesus has been written about, spoken about and sung about more than any other man in history. (W Publishing Co) He has been identified in a myriad of ways, some that are positive, some that are negative. Almost everyone you meet has an answer for the question he originally posed: Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:13)


I am wondering how you answer that question yourself. Who do you say that Jesus is. Nice guy? Teacher? Counselor? Mighty God? Savior of the world? Redeemer? Miracle worker? Jesus own claims have come to be seen as controversial and I find them to be explosive in mixed company. You can end a party or start a fight with the question just as quickly as you can have a well meaning conversation about it. We take it personally and we give our opinions personally about it. We add emphasis because it is important or because we want people to think that it is.

What is amazing to me is the answers that come to me from church people all around the world. From person to person - the answers are different - because he is experienced differently by each one.  What I have found to be true is that how we experience Jesus is how we share Jesus - and this is extremely important. If we share Jesus as our friend, our friends learn of him that way. If we share of Jesus the miracle worker - the feeder of millions, the healer, the teacher, the warrior, the Lord - then that is how we share him. It is in fact impossible for us to truly do otherwise and to try to do so is to betray who Jesus is.

As we enter into the season of Lent I want to encourage you to ask this question:  Who do I say Jesus is?  And I want to ask you to try vocalizing the answer.  Start with in front of mirror.  Then to a loved one.  Then to someone you know who may need to know Jesus the same way.   If you want to know what will happen - think about what happened when you experienced Jesus that way.  It's called transformation.  It will change your life.

Who do you say Jesus is?
 
On the journey - answering the question!
 
YourPastorDude

What a fellowship...what a joy divine....

Pursuing Love through fellowship. 

My mother told me more than once that to have a friend you have to be a friend.  I have come to understand this even more when I have read Acts 2:42-47:

 "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." 

Churches talk a lot about fellowship.  We usually mean coffee and cookies after worship, a pot-luck dinner or a night out with the ladies or men.  But in this description of what the church is to be and do it is easy to see that this is not what Luke understood fellowship to be.    "They" - the church members are listed 4 different times and "all who believed" is a fifth notification of what it meant to be in the church.

To be in the church means to:
  learn together
  worship together
  pray together
  eat together
  share together

It is about "being together" as a body - with Christ as the head.  Meeting the needs of the people - physical, emotional, spiritual needs all.  Real fellowship ends with miracles being done, lives being changed, hope being found, hunger being satisfied.  Real fellowship results in new people coming into the church  every day.  Real fellowship results in a sense of "awe" being experienced by all the people.  Real fellowship results in generous hearts.  Real fellowship results in "good will" being expressed by ALL the people.  

This is the kind of fellowship I want to be a part of.  How about you?  Know where it starts?  Right here with each of us.  Right here with you and I coming together.

Blessings on your journey - on our journey!

Pursuing Love - Prayers that Transform YOU

Romans 12 - talks about being transformed by the renewing of your mind - and the transformation that is talked about here is about your "whole" being - being made new, becoming a new creation in Christ.

This week I want to give you a specific tools to help you bring that transformation in your life - the tool is prayer, faithful, believing prayer,  believing God can do great things prayer. Prayers that come from your heart for the hearts and souls of others, prayers that will move mountains, bring healing in the fa...ce of disease, hope in the face of despair, love into a world of hate. Pray these kinds of prayers.I want you to encourage you to pray these kinds of prayers:

Pray - joyfilled praises when you are blessed - when you see the blessing
Pray - believing God will intervene when you are in trouble prayers
Pray - knowing that when you are sick you will be healed prayers - for you, for others.
Pray - understanding that you may be the answer when you see a need. - that the need would be met prayers
Pray - believing that God's graces is enough for forgiveness prayers- when you sin and when you are sinned
           against
Pray - authentic prayers of blessing when your enemies are working against you - for them to be loved and
           respected and then love and respect them.
Pray - for power and effectiveness believing God will work miracles through you- sharing good news and
          becoming all that God has created you to be

I believe that if you pray like this your life will be transformed in the moment - and when your life is transformed, your world will be transformed. 

Pursue Love this week - by praying!

Pursuing Love - Fully Surrendered - Fully Living

"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice -

                   Holy and acceptable to God - your spiritual worship."   Romans 12:1

 

"and the truth is this:  We all live surrendered to something or to someone."

Powerful isn't it?  Because it is true.  We don't like it necessarily - but we know that it is true.  Think about the people in your life and ask yourself:  "What are they surrendered to?

It's easy to see in some isn't it?  Hard to hide being surrendered to a job, a lifestyle, a salary.  Harder to see in other situations but still not too easy to hide. 

But now ask that question about your life?  What are you surrendered to?  Don't know how to tell? Then let me give you three ways to check.

1.  Look at your calendar - where do you spend your time?
2.  Look at your checkbook register or your online bank account statement -  
          where do you spend your money?
3.  Look at what you have in our life - what do you collect - things or friends?


These three things will help ou know - and if you still can't tell ask a friend - an honest friend.  They will tell you.  If we are a Christian we have each said we are surrending to Chirst.  Ask:  Is Jesus really in charge of our clandar or is it filled with what you want?  Is Christ in charge of ur checkbook and finances or are you still holding the purse strings?  Is your life filled with things you have collected or people you have loved and are loved by?

Surrender!

Your Pastor Dude!
 

 

Pursuing Love: Living Like a child of God!

Pursuing Love:

Do you live life like you are the precious child of God, lived, died and resurrected for - or do you live like Jesus is a figment of your imagination? If you really want to pusure love in your life - live like you are the recipient of a great and wonderuf gift - because you are!

One of the best ways to live this way is to live in relationship to the one who gave the gift. And there is no better way to do this than to really develop your prayer life. I know, I know - a prayer life sounds boring, it sounds dull, it sounds like something "you gotta do."

And maybe it is - but I think our relationship with God is just like any other relationship - if we don't work at it - if we don't think about creatively, spend time with it, encourage it, then we are going to lose it.

Spend time this week developing your relationship with God. Let God love you, fill you, encourage and inspire you.

Have a great week!