A Christian should use these arts to the glory of God—not just as tracts, but as things of beauty to the praise of God. An art work can be a doxology in itself.^[1]

C U on the 22^nd,

Bill

^[1] Schaeffer, F. A. (1982). The complete works of Francis A. Schaeffer: a Christian worldview (Vol. 2, p. 377). Westchester, IL: Crossway Books.

Bill

Bill

It is an encounter that takes up only eleven verses (14:22-33) in the book of Matthew.  But it is an encounter that would shape lives from there on.  All of us identifies with one of the personalities involved.  We have Jesus who has just finished a time of prayer and seeks to reconnect with the disciples in a boat in the middle of the lake while a storm blows.  Jesus decides to walk to them, on the water no less.

We have a boat load of disciples who are exhausted, fearful, and I imagine praying.  They have been in this boat for several hours.  Between the wind and waves, the hour is early in the morning and they are still trying to make it to shore.  It is like being caught in a Midwest blizzard with ice and snow with a long way to go.  Of course, they are praying.  Then they see Jesus.

When they see his presence, their first impressions are – don’t know.  To explain it they cast about and fearfully decide it is a ghost on the water.  Then, Jesus calls out to them, “Take heart, it is I.  Do not be afraid.”

Then our other personality reveals himself, Peter.  Whether testimony or confirmation, Peter calls out, “Lord, if it is you command me to come to you on the water.” 

Jesus responds, “Come.”

We all know the story.  Many times, throughout history all of us have identified with Peter or the others within the boat.  We want to believe that we would have the faith of Peter to try.  Then we have moments where we find ourselves staying in the boat with the others.  The thing to remember in these moments, that it is all about Jesus. 

Some of us have the bravado of Peter and say, “Call me to come” and I will.  Others of us say all kinds of things like, “He’s stupid.”  Another might say, “I hope he makes it.”  Another is cheering, “Go, Peter, Go.”  Trust me, there is also one who is saying, “I want to try.”  The neat thing about the story is that all of them together make the story.

I don’t know where you are in your walk of faith.  What I do know is that you are part of the story.  I don’t know if you are in the boat questioning Peter’s decision or cheering.  Maybe you are like Peter and you are already stepping over the gunwales of the boat.  Here’s what I do know, you are part of the story and the only other thing that is important is Jesus.  Keep your eyes on Jesus.

FCC has some big things coming.  Some of us will question.  Others of us will hope.  Others of us will ask, “when is it my turn?”  All of us will draw upon the last vestiges of our strength and know for sure that Jesus is in control.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, he calms the storms and encourages us to take it to the next level, “Do you want to get out of the boat?”

C U on the 13^th,

Bill

The FCC Elders are preparing lunch for the FCC family on the 22^nd of September.  Rick is firing up his smoker and preparing several other wonderful delights.  The lunch will be in the Fellowship building following the services.  Invite your family and friends and plan for a wonderful time of fellowship.  It is our elder’s way of showing their appreciation for the church family and all that each of you do. 

During the Old Testament times, the elders would have been like the city council.  At other times, they were counselors to kings and many other political settings.   In another setting in scripture the elders would have been similar to the “Judge.”  The elders led the local synagogues in the New Testament times and as the church begins and develops, we find the elders leading the church.

The titles for the elders throughout scripture may be presbyter, bishops, leaders and overseer.  The Apostle Paul comments (1 Timothy 3:1) “This saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task.” 

My favorite title for an elder is shepherd.  There is nothing that glitters about a shepherd.  In fact, if you get within a few feet of one, he smells like the sheep that he tends.  The job demands have no clock and they tend to stretch the shepherd beyond his comfort zone.  They love the job in order to be at peace with the demands and the job is all about the flock.  Since many shepherds work for an owner, then it really becomes about the flock and the pleasure of the owner.  The shepherd is the owner’s on-site elder.

The owner and creator of the church flock is Jesus.  The church is and always will belong to Jesus.  The men that serve as “elders” are the on-site shepherds of Jesus’ flock.  They have no clock as to the time they put into it.  They will go beyond their comfort zones.  They will pray without ceasing because the flock is threatened.  They will spend countless hours scouring the directions (reading His Bible) of the owner, Jesus.

So let me urge you like Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” 

Enjoy the “Shepherd feed”

Bill

C U Sunday,

Bill

When life hands us the uneasy what will come of it?  For most of my life I have been a runner.  It was my claim to identity.  When struggling with the pecking order of the first-grade school yard, my place was determined by running faster than everybody else.  My first trial in running was a regional track meet and coming in last.  Being able to outrun my peers in the schoolyard didn’t happen when running with other runners from the region.  My mom gave her tidbit of motherly wisdom while I cried on the way home, “Billy if you would walk to school you would be faster.”  I walked to school until my Junior year of high school even though I had a car.

When life hands us the uneasy, it is easy to curl up in a corner and call it quits.  If you are going to overcome, it becomes a matter of our focus on endurance.  Many of us have moments in life when endurance is important.  We endure the gluttonous feeling of “I ate too much.”  We endure taxes, mechanical expenses, aging and more when it comes to our right to drive and own a car.  We endure many uncomfortable, frustrating, and even embarrassing moments for our children.  But when challenged by life’s hardships with other things we surprisingly back away and curl up in our corner and show no evidence of endurance.  Why is that?

For many of us it is our Christian walk.  God calls us to obedience, but it challenges our pleasures.  Endurance disappears.  The Bible calls us to church attendance whereby we grow, but it cuts into our weekend. Endurance disappears.  Jesus speaks to loving the unlovable, but they make us so angry.  Endurance disappears.  Endurance becomes the fruit we don’t want to grow.

James (1:2-4) tells us, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  We live in the culture of the easy which is resistant to endurance.  But the nature of Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) “…who for the joy set before him endured the cross,…”calls to us endure.

Next time you consider curling up and forgetting your trials know that you are growing the spiritual fruit called endurance.  Paul says (2 Timothy 2:12-13), “If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself [God].  Now that’s endurance God continues to be faithful, no matter what.