Nothing to Go By

 

A man who volunteered to participate in an experiment spending three days in complete darkness thought he was going to catch up on lost sleep and cash in on some easy money from the research grant. Little did he know what he was in for. After the initial longed-for snooze, the man soon learned not being able to see anything had little to offer. Within hours he became frantic. Why? He had no reference points. Nothing to tell him where he was, what time it was, how much longer he had to stay in the darkness. There was nothing he could be sure of, and it pushed him to the brink of terror. 

There are those who say that life should have no reference points. Everyone should be able to live as they chose, believe what they want, be what they feel. It sounds attractive, but such a view of life puts one in a state of utter emotional, psychological, and spiritual darkness. If there is nothing of which we can say, “I know this for sure,” then how do we confidently answer questions such as, “What’s right and what’s wrong? For what should I be living? Am I accountable for the way I live? Are there limits to anything?” 

The first three chapters of the book of Genesis, which is the first of the 66 books of the Bible, serves as a foundation for life. It tells us about God, us, and our relationship with each other. It explains the point of life and how to live it out. It tells us what went wrong with human beings, why and even gives the solution. 

Everybody needs something to go by as they journey through their life. If you are wondering whether you either need to re-evaluate your reference points or add some more, join us for one of our weekend worship services. You might find that a story you thought was just for kids can change your life. 

Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday: 10:00 am

What’s at Stake?

Years ago, when older people wanted to encourage kids to take a risk and try something new, they would say, “Give it a try! It can’t kill you!” The idea behind the phrase was that even if the youngster failed, there wouldn’t be any great consequence to deal with. In many areas of our lives, that advice is good. So often we miss out on great opportunities because we are afraid to take the risk of trying something and failing. 

On the other hand, there are some things we might like to try but know are seriously dangerous, so we stay away from them. The stakes are too high if we fail. In the final paragraphs of his first letter to early Christians in Turkey, the Apostle Peter warns his readers about what is at stake if they let down their guard in resisting Satan. With graphic language Peter describes the devil as a vicious, hungry lion just waiting to devour the spiritual life of a person. 

For some, the concept of a super powerful malignant force interacting in human history seems ludicrous. But what else satisfactorily explains the ongoing, ever-present struggle between good and evil which is the history of the human race? How can we even define “good” and “evil” if there are no such things as God and Satan? There needs to be some standard greater than human beings by which we can make such judgments. 

When it comes to your life, what’s at stake is eternity. It’s not “one and done” for people. It’s “one and forever”. If you feel a bit unnerved by the idea that there is an extremely potent wickedness trying to lure you away from God for eternity, join us for one of our weekend worship services. The best news of the Bible is, you don’t have to be afraid. 

Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday: 10:00 am 

What Is Your Goal?

 

In a motivational speech body builder/actor Arnold Schwarzenegger enthralled listeners with a story of his childhood which came to be the defining moment in his life. As an 11-year-old going to school one morning in his home town of Thal, Austria, young Arnold saw a poster of body builder Reg Park who also went to Hollywood to make movies. At that moment Arnold said to himself, “I want to be a body builder like Reg Park. I want to go to America and make movies. I want to make millions of dollars. I want to be famous.” From that point on, everything he did in his life was guided by that dream. At the conclusion of his speech Arnold said, “It all begins with your vision. What is your ultimate goal? If you don’t have a vision, all you will do is wander through life, probably very unhappy.” 

While you may not be a huge fan of body building or appreciate the drama of “The Terminator” films, one has to give Arnold credit, he kept his eye on his goal and he achieved it. The question is, was Arnold’s goal the most important? Many, many people would say, “Yes, absolutely.” Others, would wonder, “Isn’t there something more valuable to shoot for than money and fame?” 

The apostle Peter was probably a strong guy from all his years of fishing, but that wasn’t the point to his life. He had an encounter with Jesus Christ and that was the defining moment for him. Everything that he had known up until that point in his life now took a secondary place to knowing and living for Jesus. In a letter he wrote about 30 years after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter encouraged Christians to make the goal of their lives to be prepared to meet Jesus on Judgment Day. In an understated way he says, “The end of all things is near.” And then he goes on to describe a life dedicated to giving glory and honor to God rather than oneself. It’s definitely a counter-cultural message. But it does make one ask, “Is what I am living for going to mean anything when I die?” 

Whether you are an incredible success or feel you are kind of wandering through life, join us for one of our weekend worship services. After hearing what Peter has to say, you might consider changing goals. 

Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday: 10:00 am 

The Suffering Christian

 

Even after two thousand years of studying the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ, his followers still have difficulty with what he said about suffering. His message is very straightforward: “Get used to suffering. It’s the way things are in a broken world.” An early Christian by the name of Augustine understood well what Jesus meant. He said, “God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.” 

Just talking about suffering today seems sadistic. We have so many ways of avoiding pain and discomfort, we wonder why anyone would choose to willingly suffer. But that is exactly why Jesus Christ came to this earth. It is the greatest of ironies: suffering enters human life because of man’s rejection of God. God enters human life to offer us a chance to return to him and accomplishes it through the sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

The suffering of Jesus Christ means that any serious follower of Christ can expect to experience the same as they journey through life. The Apostle Peter, in a letter he wrote two thousand years ago describes this reality in detail and gives us instruction on how to overcome. 

Regardless of what you believe, you will suffer at some point in your life. It is not a matter of “if”; it is only a matter of time. Jesus Christ can take that suffering and turn it into something that is eternally beneficial. Join us for one of our weekend services as we continue to study Peter’s first letter to Christians in modern day Turkey. It is far better to be prepared to suffer than to be held hostage in fear of it. 

Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday: 10:00 am 

The Doormat Dilemma

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.                                                                    Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
      Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
      Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
      Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
      Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
      Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
      Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
      Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
      Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
      Give the world the best you have anyway.”

^{The Paradoxical Commandments ― Kent M. Keith} 

The Paradoxical Commandments seem to be a crazy invitation to become a living doormat! And yet, they reflect the preaching of Jesus Christ and the writings of his disciples. Jesus said that his followers are meant to be just that, followers and imitators of him. 

When Jesus lived on this earth he set aside his personal rights and submitted his entire earthly life to one objective – rescuing the human race from the consequences of sin and evil. To those who have put their faith in him as their Savior and Lord, he calls us to willingly set aside our self-centered goals and submit them to the lifestyle for which he saved us. 

Will some people take advantage of this submission to God’s will? Absolutely. 

Does that mean we become doormats for other people to walk all over? Actually, it means being called “great” in the kingdom of heaven! 

Join us for one of our weekend worship services and begin to radically renew your relationships with other people. 

Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm – Sunday: 10:00 am