Chris Gallagher asked me to write a guest post for a series he is publishing called “What I Love about the Church,” and the post went up this morning.
Take a moment to read the post here.
…and thanks, Chris, for the opportunity!
Tag Archives: guest
Summer Series #2: “VBS Memories” by Christina Gillim
[This is the second installment in our summer series. Each post is written by college students who are spending their summers working for the Lord and not on vacation.]
Today’s post is written by Christina Gillim. She has a site on Tumblr that you can read here. Enjoy her post!
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So a couple of weeks ago we had VBS at my home congregation and it was so much fun! I helped with crafts so I actually wasn’t able to watch the kids sing, which is my favorite part, but that’s ok. I was encouraged by them in other ways. 
Seeing the kids get so excited about God truly inspires me. It also makes me wonder, “what happened?”
I used to be like that! I used to be so excited about learning about God and how wonderful He is. And couldn’t wait to share that information with all my friends!
One of the nights my 10-year-old sister found all the phone numbers she could of her friends and started calling them up to invite them. She asked Daddy to take her down the block so she could invite the neighborhood kids. She was so excited about sharing God!
One of my favorite things about VBS when I was little was having my school friends at church with me. That feeling of sharing the Lord was amazing! And it didn’t stop with VBS. Some of my friends would come with me to church on other occasions, but not like at VBS.
It was really neat to see the numbers grow each day simply because the kids are asking, even begging, their friends to come!
What has happened to that spirit as I have gotten older? I still invite SOME of my friends to church OCCASIONALLY. And when I do, it’s nothing more than a, “Hey I’m on my way to church you could go with me if you wanted…” without feeling…just kind of in passing.
Where is the excitement? Where is that fire?
I know it can’t just be me who has lost this somewhere along the way. I know this because the church is not growing! At least not from what I can see, and if it is…it’s certainly not growing as much as it should.
We should be excited about Christ and the salvation He brings!! We should be calling up all our friends that we know to tell them! To invite them to Him!
But we’re not.
At some point, we forgot how to be like little children.
VBS is supposed to be for the kids. To teach them about our magnificent Lord. And every VBS I’ve been to has seemed to do a great job of that.
But honestly it does so much more than just teach the kids! If the adults would stop being so busy trying to make everything perfect and just observe the kids, we would be the ones learning.
There is so much that can be learned simply by looking into the heart of a child. So pure. So innocent. So..amazing!
“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, ‘Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’”- Matthew 18:2-3
So how do we get that back?
At first I was just frustrated with myself and so many others because we have let that happen to us, yet I didn’t know how to fix it.
So I prayed.
Last week I was at Maywood Christian Camp (i.e. greatest place EVER!), and if you haven’t been, the singing there is absolutely amazing! Nothing compares to it! The first time we sat down to sing, one song in particular struck my heart. It’s not a brand new song. And frankly I have sung it so much at devotionals, camps, and youth rallies that I seemed to have forgotten the meaning.
But this night the words rang loud and clear in my heart:
“I stand to praise You, but I fall to my knees. My Spirit is willing, but my flesh is so weak. So light the fire in my soul. Fan the flames. Make me whole. Lord, You know where I’ve been, so light the fire in my heart again.
“I feel Your arms around me as the power of Your healing begins. You breathe new life right through me, like a mighty rushing wind. So light the fire in my soul. Fan the flames. Make me whole. Lord, You know where I’ve been, so light the fire in my heart again.”
In that song I found my answer:
Ask.
It is that simple. We must ask our Lord to heal our hearts and make us like little children again! We have to WANT it, and ASK for it.
The Lord will grant us that! He wants to grant us that! We just have to tell Him how much we want it!
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7,8
Guest Post: "The Church and Joy"
[Today's guest post is from Trey Morgan, who preaches in Childress, Texas. Trey's blog, found here, is one of my daily reads, and includes brief but thought-provoking posts several times each week. Trey is married to Lea and they have four boys. We are grateful that Trey took the time to write this next-to-last post in our series "The Church and...".]
I love hanging out with happy people. People who are full of joy and life are my kind of people and I find myself drawn to them. I’ve also noticed that in the same way that I love being around joyous people, I find myself naturally avoiding people who are constantly unhappy. I think you probably agree that most people feel the same way as I do.
If there is anyone in this world that should be joyous, it’s a Christian. Our joy shouldn’t be dependant upon our circumstances, but upon our future. We’re all going to have bad days. We’re all going to have daily frustrations, but our focus should be on the good, the spiritual and the future we have. It’s all about our focus.
Sadly, too many Christians focus only on the negative things in their lives. If it’s bad, they want to dwell on it and tell about it.
“It’s my back.”
“It’s my children.”
“It’s my marriage.”
“It’s my job.”
“It’s my church.”
I still remember the place where I was standing when I heard Ms. Griper (as I like to secretly call her) say something that shocked me. Everyone knew how much she disliked her preacher, her church and her life, because she told anyone who would listen. As I stood there listening to her spill about what she didn’t like about the past Sunday’s worship service, she stopped and said, “You know, I don’t know why I can’t get my husband to come to church with me.” Well, duh, I wonder. I didn’t want to visit her church with all the bad things she was always saying so why would her husband? There was NO joy in this woman’s life, and if you spent any time with her at all, she’d suck the joy out of your life.
There will always be people who have no joy because they choose to focus on the wrong things. Kind of like the “One-Uppers” of this world, who no matter what, will always one-up whatever you’ve had happen with something much worse. If you had to go to the dentist, they’ll tell you that they just had 4 root canals that same day. If your dog got hit by a car, it just so happened that their dog was mauled on the front lawn by a lion while all the kids were watching in horror of course.
It’s about focus. As a Christian we must focus on what we do have, not on what we don’t have. Let me help you, just in case you’re not sure about what you have as a Christian…
- You have a Father in heaven who is madly in love with you.
- You have forgiveness, mercy and grace through Jesus.
- You have the gift of prayer, anywhere, anytime and any place.
- You’ve got church family that loves you and cares for you.
- You’ve got a future in heaven that no one can steal from you.
If those aren’t some great reasons to be joyous, then there’s no hope for you J. Your focus affects your joy. What are you focused on?
“Be full of joy always. And again I say be full of joy.”
~Philippians 4:4 (NCV)
Guest Post: "The Church and Bible Study"
[Today marks the 9th edition in our "The Church and..." series. Our guest writer today is Drew Kizer. Drew preaches for the Ashville Road church of Christ in Leeds, Alabama. He has served there since 2000. A graduate of both the undergraduate and graduate Bible schools at Freed-Hardeman University, Drew also makes regular trips to Russia, where he helps train preachers and conduct evangelistic work. He is the author of three books. Drew is married to Julie and they have two beautiful children, Ava and Jackson (their newborn!). We are grateful for Drew for so many reasons. We hope you will read his words carefully and see a man who loves God's Word. Also, make sure you check out Drew's blog, Truth and Repose, here.]
What would happen if the Bible were lost? Some people, I imagine, would say this is impossible, but it has happened, and it can happen again.
During the first half of the seventh century B.C., Judah was ruled by two wicked kings: Manasseh and his son Amon. Together they enveloped God’s people in a shroud of wickedness for 57 years. During this time God’s Word was utterly lost to the people, and the temple in Jerusalem was desecrated.
Upon Amon’s assassination in 640 B.C., his eight-year-old son Josiah ascended to the throne. During a temple renovation project he had ordered, a copy of the long-forsaken “book of the law” was found (2 Kgs. 22:8). This was read to the king who, upon hearing these words, tore his clothes in dismay and immediately executed an extensive series of religious and social reforms.
The Bible practically disappeared again during the Dark Ages. During that time the Bible was not available to the common man. And while there were copies in the Greek and Hebrew languages, most of the available editions were in Latin. In a world where much of the human race was illiterate and those who could read and write did not speak Latin, the Bible was again lost in obscurity.
In a lonely library during the early sixteenth century, Martin Luther studied law at the University of Erfurt in Germany. One day, while hard at work, he found to his surprise and great delight a copy of the Bible in Latin. He consumed it, having never seen one before. The first passage he read was the story of Hannah and Samuel. When he returned to his room that evening, he wished to himself, “Oh that God would give me such a book for myself!” From that point forward, new truth began to dawn upon his mind. He would later say of his chance discovery, “In that Bible the Reformation lay hid.”
If the Bible has disappeared before, could it not happen again? Look around. There are signs that it is already happening. Political scandals invade public offices on every level. Over 40 percent of marriages end in divorce. Churches are forsaking biblical authority, exchanging truth for “what works.” Every decade sees American falling deeper into moral depravity. The picture is bleak, but true. The signs are obvious to anyone who cares to notice. The Bible’s influence is fading.
The only way God’s Word will gain a foothold in society is for it to be studied and preached in God’s church. Bible study is an indispensible work of the church. Christians are to be the “light of the world” (Mt. 5:14-16); the “manifold wisdom of God” is to be made known through the church (Eph. 3:10). If the Bible vanishes, the blame lies on the shoulders of Christians, no one else.
Seeing the Profit
Consider the following advantages to being a part of a congregation that is engaged in a study of God’s Word:
1. Bible study is good for a church’s health. Like the church at Laodicea (Rev. 3:15-17), churches that suffer from biblical illiteracy become “lukewarm.” The Bible’s instruction regarding zeal, love and good works, however, turns up the flame, causing churches to boil (cf. Titus 2:14; Heb. 10:24).
2. Bible study is the only way to combat false teaching. Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mt. 7:15). Jesus’ metaphor of “sheep’s clothing” reveals that false teachers’ disguises are both comforting and convincing. So how do we avoid false teaching? Jesus answers, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (v. 16). That is, by comparing their teaching with what is written in the New Testament, we may expose them for who they really are.
3. A study of God’s Word also brings meaning to our lives. The scriptures teach that we were created for holy things, not worldly pursuits (Is. 43:7; Acts 17:26-28). C.S. Lewis once said,
A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other.
An animal is not wired this way. A mule can plow the same field day after day, and that’s okay with him. He doesn’t fear death or wonder where he came from; he doesn’t need promises for the future. But we do. The Bible is where we find these promises. Without it, life doesn’t make any sense.
4. Bible study profits a church’s growth. Throughout the book of Acts we see a correlation between teaching the Word of God and church growth (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20). This is because the power of God’s salvation is in the gospel (Rom. 1:16; Jas. 1:21). The church will not grow (at least, not in terms of actual growth as God sees it) unless its members learn, study, and preach the gospel of Christ.
Setting up a Plan
What should Christians do once they are in the “study”? Here are some suggestions:
- Read. Read the Bible. Read other tools and resources that will aid your understanding of the Bible. Stay up to date on challenges facing the brotherhood using monthly periodicals. Read anything that will be of value.
- Memorize. There is no better way to stamp the Word of God on your heart. The Psalmist “stored up” God’s Word in his heart so that we would not sin (Ps. 119:11). So should we.
- Record. Make a list of your goals for study, reading and memorization. Track your progress.
- Review. Once you have memorized a verse, you will have to go back over it several times before it becomes permanent in your memory. Even then you will have to freshen up on it. Review is also important in just reading the Bible. Those who read through the Bible every year say they pick up new insights every time.
God’s Word is powerful and effective. Isaiah testified of its force, saying,
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (55:10-11)
A church that studies the Bible is a church that is healthy, happy and growing. Elders should consider setting up a plan for study within their respective congregations. They will see results.
Guest Post: The Church and Money
[Today's post is the 8th in our continuing "The Church and..." series. It is written by Craig Ford, who is a missionary in Papua New Guinea. Craig is one of the writers at the blog Money Help for Christians. You can subscribe to the blog's RSS feed here. We are grateful for Craig's insight into this topic, and for taking time to write for us.]
I grew up believing that discussions about money carried a certain amount of ‘unholiness’. Those who are truly spiritual elevate themselves above such petty issues and instead focus on more important discussions of salvation, baptism, heaven, and hell. I assumed that the truly holy are those with shrinking bank account balances. The man who squanders all his money on fast food, cars, and entertainment but has little in the bank is a man of God, while the man who saves, lives frugally, helps others, but has money in the bank is a heretic. I would be fine to accept my impressions if it were not the case that I know many others who carry the same thoughts about Christianity, Bible, the church, and money.
Several months ago I taught a Bible class where I gave the class a set of words (each word on a piece of paper). I asked them to put the words into order of the frequency that those words appear in the Gospels. The words were Kingdom of God/Heaven, Love, Salvation, Baptism, Hell, Money, and Saved. You know the word that produced the most discussion (before I even introduced the class topic)? Money. “No, it goes near the top” one person said. “ No way, there isn’t much about money in the gospels,” another challenged. And then the discussion took off. Is it at the top or bottom? Depending on your counting strategy money is either number two or number three on the list (behind Kingdom of God/Heaven and love).
Why churches need to talk about money more.
Imagine a man who had a deadly cancer spreading through his body. And yet, neither this man nor his family ever brought up the subject. Furthermore, the man never sought any form of medical treatment. Would you claim what this man is doing is healthy or unhealthy? Unfortunately, many churches simply ignore the topic of finances and thus allow this cancer to continue to spread.
We need to know what the Bible does and does not say about money. We need a better understanding of the darker and lighter sides of money. We need to be challenged towards generosity. We need to be educated about earning, spending, giving, and managing money.
In Ephesians 2:1-3 Paul characterizes an unregenerate life by the following characteristics:
(1) Following the ways of this world.
(2) Following the ruler of the kingdom of the air.
(3) Gratifying the cravings of our own sinful self.
How does the church combat these negative influences today? We preach about it, study about it, write about it, pray about it, and talk about it. But when it comes to finances, the church is often silent. When the church is silent, I believe people naturally revert back to the influences outlined in Eph. 2:1-3. They follow the culture at large, the Devil, and satisfy themselves. There is no more clear example than our interaction with money.
Nine reasons why the church needs to talk about money more often:
- Jesus talked a lot about money. I believe Jesus talked about money because he knew money held inherent dangers for Christ followers. A way to combat those dangers was by teaching and reemphasizing a kingdom value regarding money.
- When money is not addressed, it will quietly and subtly consume us. Our natural selves are not good money managers. Biblical money management must be an intentional decision. We must ask ourselves: Am I handling my money in a way that honors God? Are my purchases reflective of my Christian values? Am I free from the love of money? Our budget can be a statement of faith.
- We are always learning about money management. Society is telling us how we should use our money, but is the church? Through osmosis we absorb teaching about money. If the church is silent, how will people learn to adopt a biblical view of money management? Paul exhorts us to be transformed instead of conforming (Rom. 12:2). Unfortunately, Ron Sider has shown that statistically Christians tend to conform in terms of how they handle money. See Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience,
- Almost all of us have daily interactions with money. Christians have not withdrawn themselves from the interaction with money or use of money. Therefore, churches ought to present biblical teachings and resources on how to appropriately earn, give, save, and spend money.
- Money is a limited resource (at least on a personal level). Every dollar used to purchase one item is also a dollar that is not being used for another purpose. Money management requires spiritual discernment as we seek to determine how our funds ought and ought not to be spent. This is typically called stewardship.
- It is not uncommon to hear that the single greatest sin in America is materialism. If that is the case, the church needs to be presenting a Godly view of money management and money ownership so that we can redirect Christians against the trend of materialism.
- Compared to the world, God has different expectations of how Christians handle money. I outlined seven factors in a post entitled What is the difference between biblical finances and personal finances.
- I believe money is a clear and present danger to Christianity. The more we openly discuss it, the more likely we are to avoid its dangers. Christians have the opportunity to use money in a way that is either spiritually destructive or a spiritual blessing for others to the glory of God.
- Church members need biblical advice and guidance when dealing with difficult financial questions. They might be wondering about tithing while in debt or bankruptcy. We want to infuse God’s guidance into those difficult choices.
If you are interested in learning more about the relationship between the Bible and money, I suggest you check out the “Bible and Money Page” on Money Help for Christians.