My God is so BIG!
Years ago I had the privilege of leading worship for kids Sunday School and one of the greatest joys was watching the passion these little ones would express as they sang out words of praise they believed with all their hearts. They would raise their hands and flex their arms as they called out, “My God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!” They had the faith of children and the idea of a “big” God sounded both exciting and secure. Sadly many adults would have a hard time saying the same. At what point does faith and the reality of God’s bigness begin to wane?
One of the biggest errors we are tempted to make as followers of Christ is limiting God. Because, as human beings we are finite, we have a hard time grasping the concept that God is infinite. So we put parameters around his promises and set up boundaries that bind us to a particular way of thinking. Before you feel offended, let me just say, this is natural. Human beings experience hurt and confusion which cause them to doubt. We thrive on consistency, boundaries and rules. But God is anything but natural. He is supernatural and longs for us to perceive and embrace his mighty power, his majesty, his grandeur! When we embrace God for who he actually is, the possibilities are limitless!
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul tells us to eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. Verse 3 says, “But the one who prophesies speaks for people for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.” Earlier in chapter 1 he confirms the ongoing presence and power of spiritual gifts throughout a believer's life. Verse 7 says, “Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” Spiritual gifts are not one-and-done. The Spirit continues to gift believers when, in faith, they ask! Why wouldn’t a loving father who desires that his children have everything they could possibly need continue to provide gifts that will allow them to strengthen, encourage, and comfort their brothers and sisters? Luke 11:13 clearly states, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
What are you asking the Lord for today? Could it be a gift you see in others that has impacted your own life? Could it be prophecy; the ability to speak forth strength, encouragement, and comfort into the lives of others? Our God is BIG and he is able to do immeasurably beyond what we ask or imagine! Don’t allow your human finiteness to limit you from experiencing your great God!
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Pursue Love
I’ve been doing some soul searching about my own pursuits lately. Maybe you have too as we have been studying and hearing sermons on spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit’s power and our roles in the church body. And last weekend, Love, Plain and Simple. And I think to myself, if only it was.
One of Paul’s simplest commands I can think of is his command to “pursue love” (1 Corinthians 14:1). It comes as he is writing to a divided church, a church filled with people focused on their own personal gifts, a church puffed up in many ways. And in this setting, Paul says simply but powerfully, “pursue love.”
The word “pursue” means to chase after, to diligently seek. It involves going after something or someone. And here, that something is love. Love, which as he just said, is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not rude, not insistent in its own way, not irritable, not resentful, and more (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). It is this we are to pursue. It is this we are to intentionally seek.
I also just read that we are to love love. In other words, make loving love our pursuit and we know that all true love comes from our God. So, loving Him and loving others as He loves us. Sounds so simple doesn’t it? Why is it so much harder than it sounds? Maybe because the words unconditional and sacrificial complicate things for us very human beings. They require intentional choices and then are achieved only with the help of the Holy Spirit at work in us. They mean loving the unlovable, praying for those who make our lives harder and are “very annoying” and pursuing the lost and lonely.
Those two words also mean treating our own family with the same consideration and kindness we do our “friends and acquaintances”; not taking advantage of their unconditional love for us by letting our words of frustration fly and wound them. Doesn’t sound so simple now, does it?
To live a loving life is to be purposeful with who you spend time with, where you invest your energy and how you use your resources. Our natural tendency is to buddy up with people we already know, prioritize fun activities and use our resources for ourselves. Paul is imploring the Corinthians to love those who are different than they are in the body of Christ, pursue service and give to those in need in their midst.
We need to ask him to make us people who deeply love love, who delight in opportunities to sacrifice. Will you join me today in praying for insight and direction from the Holy Spirit in how I and you might better spend time pursuing loving Him and others He puts on our path?
Father, we do so need your help to sacrificially love others, serve them and pray for them. Amen.
Deb Hill
Executive Assistant to
the Lead Pastor
God IS Love
Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:8a
How can Paul make such a bold statement about love? Doesn’t love fail us all the time? I know my love fails more often than I’d like to admit, and it sure seems like other people’s love fails as well. Hasn’t Paul experienced the pain of a love lost before? Is it a little naive for Paul to be so optimistic about love?
Maybe… but maybe not.
Maybe the loss and failure of love that you and I tend to experience says more about the people who give and receive this love than about love itself. In other words, it isn’t love that fails, but people who fail… ok, it’s me… I fail at love sometimes, even when I am trying to be loving.
So, maybe Paul can say that “love never fails,” because he is not talking about a love that originates in a limited human. He is talking about the love that comes from God Himself. God’s love will never, ever fail, because it is a part of his nature. Love is a part of God’s identity. If God had DNA, love would be baked into it. We know this because the Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). This means that God is not just loving to us or loveable by us, but that God IS in fact love. It is Who God is and He can’t be defined without it! This is how we can be sure that love will never fail!
From eternity past, God has been love and for eternity future, God will be love. God has never known what it is like to not have love or not be loved. Now, he wants to invite more and more people into that relationship of love. Not because He needs love, but because he wants love. Did you hear that? God wants your love! You are wanted by God! And He happens to know that His love is the only thing that will satisfy you… especially if you have ever been hurt by love. So today, just take a moment and soak in his love for you and if you have an opportunity, share that love with someone around you.
Josh Rose
Discipleship Pastor
Without love, you got nothing
Chapter 13 is a brief aside from Paul’s focus on spiritual gifts to emphasize that gifts alone are empty. Gifts alone are worthless. Gifts alone add nothing to the user or the church. The motivation and the companion of spiritual gifts is and must always be: LOVE.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
There it is, the whole chapter. I used to think the later part, about speaking as a child and putting away childish things, was a bit of a disconnect, but now I see that Paul uses three metaphors at the end to illustrate the importance of spiritual maturity as evidenced in one’s practice of love (the partial passing away, the young growing up, and what is not clear becoming clear.) To Love is not a goal that will ever be complete, we will not grow out of our need to love. The need to use one’s spiritual gifts in heaven won’t be a priority. That makes sense as the church will already be built up, but “Love never ends.”
So pray and ask God to help you see if your life looks kind, free from envy and boasting, arrogance or rudeness. Do you insist on getting your way or put others first? Are you irritable or resentful? What makes you rejoice? Do you bear all things, believe, hope, and endure all things? If not, it's time to move the focus off of self and onto the one who does these things with us every moment of every day.
John Riley
EFCC Jr High Pastor
Rooted In Love
I don’t sit still very well. I never have. Even as a baby my mom says I woke up early and fell asleep late and rarely took my nap. I was always on the go and living life full throttle. I fell out of trees, scraped my knees, would plan all kinds of games, and never wanted to miss a moment. But I had friends that were super content to just watch the action, pass on the opportunity to swing on a rope swing, or not even come out to play. It baffled me. I’ve heard the saying, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely and in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, proclaiming, WOW, what a ride!” Yep, that’s how I plan on showing up. I want every last second.
In 1 Corinthians 13, we are reminded that in all the things we are doing and in the days we are living if we aren’t living full out in love and intention we have missed the mark. We may be doing lots of great things, but if they aren’t founded and rooted in love then they are all for not. A waste. God is love. It’s His entire message. It’s His entire being. He can’t do anything outside of it. Every action was motivated by love. In fact, He places such a high value, He says acts of love are what earn us rewards in heaven. Do you mean we can do more than just get to heaven? Can we add to the experience? Does God want to give us rewards there? Well, sign me up! Who wants to just show up and exist in eternity? I want to show up fully alive and ready, knowing I gave this life my absolute all.
This passage is a good reminder for us to stop and take an evaluation from time to time. In doing so we may find that certain things we think we are doing in love may actually be done with a heart of responsibility or guilt, or maybe even obligation.
As an adult, I’ve had to really be intentional about quieting my heart and soul before God. I can get running and going so fast that if I don’t practice the art of listening to God I can get sidetracked and love slowly drains from all the things I’m doing. But God reminds us that nothing matters if it isn’t rooted in love. I’m wasting so much time by doing things that aren’t amounting to anything because I’ve missed the whole point- love.
1 Corinthians 2-3 says, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
What we know and what we do are nothing without love. Can I encourage us to do some evaluation? Are we rooted in love? Are our actions being done with a heart of love and service? I know this has served as a reminder for me that it’s time to pause and evaluate.
When my time comes, I want to be sliding into heaven poured out and worn out with a neon sign blinking wildly the word “love”. May that be true for all of us.
Blessings as you love and serve with great purpose,
Bonnie Nichols
Women's Ministry Specialist
Go and Do Likewise
How do you normally respond when someone does something for you that is off the charts? How do you respond when someone serves you in a way that makes you feel embarrassed? That makes you feel uncomfortable? That makes you feel amazing?
Well, if I could be so bold as to hazard a guess, I would suggest it’s probably in one of two general ways (though it may be in both). First, you may say, “Thank you” over and over and over again to the point that you are asked to stop. And second (or maybe, “Or second”), you may say, “I owe you for this one,” or “How can I ever pay you back?”, or “You know I can’t pay you back for this, right?” In one response we show gratitude. In the other, we show we think we have just incurred a debt we have to pay back.
In yesterday’s message, we learned that Jesus sacrificed for us, so now we get to go sacrifice for Him. Which is right and good. However, what is not right or good is to sacrifice for Him from a place of thinking we somehow have to pay Him back for what He did. Why? Because we can’t pay Him back for what He did. Ever. Which is, of course, exactly why He did what He did.
Friends, Jesus didn’t go to the cross to secure for Himself a people who feel burdened by a debt they feel they need to repay. He went to the cross to secure for Himself a grateful and thankful people who live in His grace and who no longer serve Him out of obligation, but out of joy and in freedom.
Today, as you sacrifice for Him, ask that you would be given the ability to do that without a hint of thinking you somehow have to pay Him back for what He did for you.
Scott Smith
Care Pastor
You’re Weird!
In my house, it is a pretty normal occurrence for someone to come out of their room dressed in some strange outfit or with their hair wrapped up or frizzed out to be as wild as possible (there is a lot of hair in my house). When this happens, a completely normal and common reaction that my kids get from their loving parents is, “You are so weird!” Yes, that’s right, my kids are weird and they know it. However, while some might think that is bad parenting (and to be fair the verdict is still out on that question), being weird is not an insult at the Rose home. In our family, it is a compliment if someone calls you “weird.” In fact, the most common response to that word is, “Thanks!” You see, we have established in our home that being weird is normal, because everyone is different and unique. In fact, we tell our kids that it would be strange if everyone was the same. I remember explaining that to my daughter a long time ago and she looked back at me and said, “If everyone was the same, that would be creepy!” And she’s exactly right!
That brings me to today’s passage in 1 Corinthians 12:29-30, Paul asks seven questions…
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
Of course, these are meant to be rhetorical questions that don’t need an answer, because the answer is supposed to be obvious: “No!” Of course, we aren’t the same! It would be weird, and maybe even a little creepy if we were all the same. What makes us interesting and useful to each other is that we each have different gifts, abilities, personalities, passions, likes, dislikes, and all the other things. We are all weird in our own ways, and that is what makes us valuable. Not only valuable to our parents but to God and to his Church! We need people of all various types of weirdness to jump in and play their part to join in God’s mission of bringing the kingdom here on earth, as it is in heaven. How will God use your weirdness for his glory today?
Josh Rose
Discipleship Pastor
Rejoice and Weep… Together!
A few years ago I broke my toe. I like to claim that I did it surfing, but in reality, I was only holding my surfboard at the time. The wind knocked me over and in the fall I broke my toe. It took over four months to heal and during that time I hobbled around awkwardly, creating an even worse pain in my back. What a mess! How can something as small as a toe impact a whole body for months on end?!
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul elaborates on the comparison of the human body with the body of Christ. He emphasizes the significance of the foot, the ear, the eye, and how each part is necessary for the whole body to flourish and function correctly. Each part of the body is designed with a specific purpose. My little toe was necessary for balance and when working correctly would allow me the joy of running. Yet a broken toe, small though it was, drastically impacted my entire body and its ability to engage in even the most basic function of walking, let alone running.
In verse 26, Paul says, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” Just as my toe impacted my entire body, when a member of the body of Christ is hurting, it impacts the whole. An unhealthy body tries to pretend that brokenness doesn’t exist. It attempts to carry on with life as normal, but in the process, other parts start to languish. So what is the antidote? What are we to do when one part is suffering or not able to work as it was designed?
We look for those around us who are hurting. We search for opportunities to come alongside them, help bear their burdens, encourage, provide hope, and hold their hand as they journey through dark valleys. We empathize and enter their suffering.
How about rejoicing? If your brother or sister is honored, rejoice with them and praise God for his mighty works. Don’t look inward and sulk at the fact you could have been the one to receive the praise. Our attitudes as individuals significantly impact the effectiveness of the whole.
Romans 12:15 clearly reiterates, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” As a part of the body of Christ; as a significant, cherished, precious, and irreplaceable part of the body of Christ, it is our calling to remind each other of the same. So go today, and live out your calling as one amazing part that is called to be an integral portion of the whole.
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Indispensable You
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
1 Corinthians 12:15-16
These two verses address a lie that the early believers were buying into. The lie was, “I just don’t belong.” Oddly enough that same lie persists today. Believing you don’t belong can feel like a simple emotionless bit of perspective you’ve made your peace with long ago. It can also feel like a crushing, unrelenting, invalidating, bitter sorrow.
The foot’s misconception about belonging to the body has no bearing on whether or not it actually belongs, it’s a foot. Rendering the entire statement void and pointless, an inane malediction. If it weren’t such a prolific lie, it’d be funny. Are we content to serve the Lord even if we can’t meet our own expectations? Can we take comfort in God’s appointment and simply do our best? The Lord chose the person to be the foot, he knew the faults and shortcomings of said foot, and maybe it’s not the nicest foot, but He makes the decisions and gets the glory.
God chose Moses to speak to Pharaoh, and the least of Jesse’s sons to be Israel’s greatest king, and Gideon to be a general of the smallest army ever. Only the Lamb of God will be able to open the seals in the end. Even Jesus, the captain of creation, came as a suffering servant. The principle is that our servant roles are given to us to bring Him glory alone.
If you’re serving a need in his name, you are absolutely indispensable! Keep going, you’re serving the Lord himself. If you’re not serving, get in here! If God has a role for me, of all people, he’s got one for you too!
Jonathan Duncan
Belong
“I don’t belong.”
Please recognize this for the lie it is. Our enemy uses this tactic a lot, and just because someone finds themself feeling it doesn’t make it true. The enemy is going to plague each of us with this internal malaise of self-doubt and a spirit of resignation. Don’t be outwitted by his tactics.
We know this strategy of the enemy has been around since the early church because Paul needed to address it with the believers in Corinth.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. – 1 Cor 12:14-16
I like that he asks the obvious, “would that make it any less a part?” Of course not. Nonetheless, people are going to feel like they don’t belong. Each of us, at times, sees how others do it and feel like we could never be like them. The enemy’s fiery darts pierce our minds unless our faith shields (Eph 6:16) are in place and braced for the mental and emotional struggle. I don’t have to be like you and I still belong. You don’t have to be like me, or anyone else you see in the church, and you still belong.
But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. – 1 Cor 12:18-20.
At a minimum, the enemy is going to employ this lie to try to get important parts of the church to stop serving the church, feeling like others have it covered or will do a better job. At the worst, he tries to get important parts of the church to give up on themselves and life altogether. Don’t get suckered in. Don’t fall for this nasty strategy. You belong.
Pastor John Riley