What Do You Do When You Don't Feel It?

"I don't feel like it."
"There's no feeling left in me."
"How can I do something without having the right feelings?"

Feelings play a major role in our lives. Very often they determine its course. People consider it sophisticated to live by their feelings. Usually it is said this way, "I live by what my heart says." That's code for, "I do what I feel like doing." The problem with a feeling driven life is our feelings are very often not based on facts or the way things really are. Our feelings change from moment to moment and very often are based on such variables as our physical condition, the way other people are treating us, our circumstances and our perceptions of each one of the items just listed. Even if we are a "feeling" type of person, we have to admit that many times acting on our feelings has gotten us into big trouble.

Our spiritual lives are no less affected by our feelings than any other aspect of our lives. There are those times when we feel like shouting, "I love you Lord!" and there are also moments when we actually do cry out, "Where are you Lord?" If our daily walk with Jesus is going to be determined by how we feel, we're in for a life of highs and lows that very often degenerate into a series of varying lows. When it comes to living as a Christian, the Bible tells us to keep our eyes fixed on the unchanging truths of what Christ has done for us, not on ourselves.

When Christian feelings go south and we're left wondering if we even still have a faith, it's time to look at the power God gives us through baptism. It's probably been a while since you've thought about your baptism. Chances are, you don't even remember it. So what good could an event that took place years ago possibly have today? Surprisingly, the answer is, "A whole lot!"

Join us this Sunday (August 28 at 10:00 am) and rediscover a source of power you may have forgotten. Your baptism was meant to be so much more than a page in your memory book!

Does It Pay To Live God's Way?

In 1939 baseball manager Leo Durocher looked over at an opposing ball team and said, "Take a look at them. They're all nice guys, but they'll finish last. Nice guys finish last." Was he right? In a recent article, The Week magazine reports that "Men who were below average in terms of agreeableness and cooperativeness make 18 percent more--almost $10,000 more per year--than their kinder, gentler office mates."

For the last several weeks we have been studying different aspects of the Christian life as described in the book of Proverbs. Much of what we've learned about being a "nice guy" requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice knowing that in some cases our efforts will not be recognized. So the question a lot of Christians have is, "Does living the Christian life actually pay off in the real world?"

If a person looks at life superficially, from a cynical, self-centered point of view, the honest answer is "no". But there are all sorts of consequences to such a view (which we are going to talk about Sunday) that would make anyone think twice about such a short-sighted way to live. Certainly there are exceptions, but what we see in the history of mankind is God's moral law engraved, to a greater or lesser extent, on the hearts of all people. When those laws are followed, even without a knowledge of the true God, the results are remarkably better than when those same laws are casually tossed aside. The true value of the Christian life is found, however, when it is placed in the light of the cross of Jesus Christ. The moment we receive what Christ has done for us and how that changes all of eternity, the Christian life here takes on a "forever" importance. Join us this Sunday (August 21 at 10:00 am) as we explore the blessings of living God's way.