Longsuffering

Contrary to popular belief, the life that you live will not always peaceful.  As long as you dwell on this earth, there will be trials and tribulations that you must contend with.  Unfortunately, many people are not prepared to handle the daily struggles that continue to tempt them.  The Bible speaks of having longsuffering, which is patient endurance and steadfastness during times of provocation, ill will, and retaliation (Hindson).  To be victorious in life, it will be necessary to learn the art of handling life’s problems without losing control.  We must grow to understand that some problems in life will not be resolved quickly; instead, some may linger for long periods of time.  As a believer in Christ, troubles and stumbling blocks should not cause a departure from the faith or its principles.  Instead, growth in Christ, will yield the ability to handle stressful situations and unruly people.  Regardless of how long you have had to endure a problem or suffer through a situation, God has given you the ability to count it all joy.  Hold on, call on your longsuffering, and watch God bring you through.

Keep pressing forward in Christ!

Pastor Sean

One Minute to Newness!

It's All About Love!

The best example of love can be seen in the relationship that God has with humanity.  John 3:16 explains that God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son.  This example removes any doubt about what true love is and how it should be displayed by the church.  While the gift of the Son is the foundation of Christianity, the key words in the passage is that he gave.  The love that God had for humanity was seen in his giving of something that was extremely important.  Love has been described as the perfection of divine nature by which God communicates himself (Towns).  Based on this description, we should communicate our love through actions and not just words.  It is not enough to declare salvation in the lord and your heart is still empty towards your brother.  God requires that we show our belief in him through our treatment of others.  This type of expression will stand out among believers and non-believer alike.

 Because many people struggle with love because of past hurts, showing love can be difficult to do.   Some have even suppressed their feeling of love in an effort to deal with tragedy.   Even after salvation, some may still struggle with allowing their emotions to be seen by others.  However, once the believer begins to grow in Christ, the love that Christ gave begins to come forth in the heart of those that believe. Once this occurs in the heart, it becomes easy to love family, friends, and people as a whole.  One way to communicate love is by sharing the Gospel with those who are lost.  This shows that the heart and mind has been transformed to care about the things that God cares about.  When love is seen in a person’s life, it stands as a clear indicator that they have matured pass the sin and selfishness that held them captive.

In the love of Christ!

Pastor Sean

The Need for Church Planters

It is my opinion that the call to church planting is very important to the growth and welfare of the body of Christ.  Throughout the history of the church, church planters can be seen placing churches in areas that God desired.  As the gospel of Jesus spread throughout the land, the need for places of worship increased.  Paul, who is known as a wise master builder of the faith, instructed Titus to ordain elders in every city as he appointed him (Titus 1:5).  This is a clear indication of men being sent into different cities to start churches.  Over the centuries, churches have been started all over the world.  Some of them were started to escape religious persecution and others for reasons that may not line up completely with the great commission.  Regardless of the climate of society, the world is in desperate need of church planters who desire to see God glorified through the expansion of his church.

Keep pressing forward in Christ!

Pastor Sean