It's not supposed to be easy!

This past Sunday we kicked off our NEW SERIES "JONAH" This entire series we are looking at the popular Bible story of Jonah and learning from Jonah's successes and failures. We also are learning how faithful God is, even when we are not." You can listen to the podcast or download it at http://wyandottefamily.libsyn.com/   

You can also download an Amazon App for only $1.99 and have easy access to all of the podcasts right on your Android Smartphone or tablet. http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Wyandotte-Family-Church/dp/B00OZZXW56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418834318&sr=8-1&keywords=Wyandotte+Family+Church 
For Part 1 we talked about how Jonah ran from God's call because it took him out of his comfort zone. The slogan from Sunday was, "God's call takes us out of our comfort zone." 

Staying in our comfort zone is so easy. We have no need to be stretched. We have not need to be challenged. We have no need to endure pain and growth. We can just sit comfortably in the safe comfort zone. We know what to expect and we know what is going to happen. That is why we often struggle with following God's call on our life. His call takes us out of our comfort zone. His call takes us to the unknown. His call takes us to a place we have never been before and it forces us to depend on Him. 

This was nothing new in Scripture. There are many people who who called outside of their comfort zone. Abraham was called out of his hometown and was called to leave his family to go to a place that was unknown. Moses spent 40 years in the dessert of Middian and was doing quite well. Yet, God called him to go to back to Egypt and confront the most powerful person on the planet at that time. God asked the 12 disciples to leave their familiar jobs and expertise to follow Him and become fishers of men. All unknown. All were new experiences that were stretching them out of their comfort zones. Yet, as each one obeyed, they experienced God and His faithfulness at a whole new level. 

What is God calling you to do? Is there someone specific at work, school or neighborhood He is asking you to share your faith with? Is there a ministry at church he is asking you to start or get involved with? Is there someone new to the faith He is asking you to mentor and meet with? Is there a new skill or focus He is asking you to pursue and study? 

Trust God and allow Him to take you out of your comfort zone. You will never regret trusting God and taking that next step. As you step out of your comfort zone you will discover God in more deep and meaningful ways. You don't want to stay in your lazy boy chair. There is so much more waiting for you! 

Someone else will do it!!

This past Sunday we concluded our SERIES "Body Building?" This entire series we are looking at how we can "pump up" and grow as a church body (family)." You can listen to the podcast or download it at http://wyandottefamily.libsyn.com/  

You can also download an Amazon App for only $1.99 and have easy access to all of the podcasts right on your Android Smartphone or tablet. http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Wyandotte-Family-Church/dp/B00OZZXW56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418834318&sr=8-1&keywords=Wyandotte+Family+Church 
For Part 6 we talked about "Pumping up our Vision." The slogan this past Sunday was "What we see, becomes our reality."

The two points from this past Sunday were #1--Vision comes from God. #2--Vision is seeing what could be and what should be. I want to share a 3rd point in this blog...

#3—Vision compels us to action

In the following Verses in Acts 10 Peter went with the men to the house of Cornelius.  He didn’t just see, he was compelled to do something about it.

What is the difference between a dream and a vision? Dreamers dream about things being different; visionaries envision themselves making a difference and changing things.-Andy Stanley

 

Whenever you and I have vision, it isn't for someone else to do! God is stirring our hearts, breaking our hearts and getting our attention for action. We are called to be a part of the solution. I can't tell you how many times people have had great ideas or suggestions at church but when I ask them how they can help make it a reality, they shy away. I usually hear, "I don't have the time for it but I'm sure someone else does." If you have said that, please know I am not condemning you. All I am saying is that you are missing out. God is giving you vision so you can be a part of a blessing and a preferred future. I would rather reorganize and reprioritize by time and schedule so I could do the very thing God is calling me to do than miss out.

 

Check out this powerful verse written by the Apostle Paul...

1 Corinthians 9:16—Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!

When we receive a vision from God. When we see how things should be and could be we are compelled to action. We can’t stay silent. We can’t stay in our comfort zones. We are moved to get involved. We are moved to make a difference.

 

What makes you glad?
What makes you sad?
What makes you mad?
What do you see that others do not?

Take a step of action! Follow the vision God is giving you. Get involved to making a preferred future. Don't delegate the vision that God has given you!

You were created with a PURPOSE and for a PURPOSE

This past Sunday we continued our SERIES "Body Building?" This entire series we are looking at how we can "pump up" and grow as a church body (family)." You can listen to the podcast or download it at http://wyandottefamily.libsyn.com/  

You can also download an Amazon App for only $1.99 and have easy access to all of the podcasts right on your Android Smartphone or tablet. http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Wyandotte-Family-Church/dp/B00OZZXW56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418834318&sr=8-1&keywords=Wyandotte+Family+Church 
For Part 5 we talked about "Pumping up our Purpose." The slogan this past Sunday was "Know God and make Him known."

The very first reason we were created and placed on this planet is to KNOW GOD! This is central to living a life of a purpose. This is why money, toys, entertainment, alcohol, popularity and sex provide temporary pleasure and fun but not purpose. Many people live their lives for that purpose however, the ache in their heart will not be fulfilled. Why?

1. You were created to know the creator (KNOW GOD)

God created us to have a relationship with us. Mark 12—Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

 

A one-word summary of this verse is worship. That is what worship is, loving God with all your heart, mind and strength. When we hear the word worship we usually think of music and singing. I have heard some people say, “I love church because I love the worship.” They are referring to singing and music. The Bible’s definition of worship is much broader. It’s using your home life, private life, school life and friendships life to honor God. Right now if you are reading and taking notes so you can KNOW GOD more, you are worshiping. When you hear the Bible being preached that’s worship. When you open the door for someone else and let them go first, that is worship! Those of you who give your tithes & offerings, did you know that is an act of worship. When you attend pre-gathering pray that is an act of worship God created us to have a relationship with Him and to enjoy His friendship.

God doesn’t want us to be religious. He doesn’t care what church you attend but He does care if you love and have a relationship with Jesus. We all have met religious people that don’t know a thing about God. That isn’t our purpose.

We were created to know the Creator, not for us to be robots for Him. It’s to love Him with all your mind and soul. So if this is God’s plan then what is our response. To honor God with our lives. Not just on Sunday mornings. That is Paul says in Philippians 3

Philippians 3:8-9— ⁸ Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹ and become one with him.

Compared to knowing God personally and having a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ everything else takes a back seat. Everything else is secondary.

 

Ralph Barton, one of the top cartoonists of the nations, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his own life: "I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world, but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day." 

 

You can live for whatever you want. Live for pleasure. Live for money. Live for accolades. Live for yourself. In the end, that ache and whole will still be there. Why? We were created to KNOW GOD. We were created for so much more than the here and now.

Does my life really matter?

This past Sunday we continued our SERIES "Body Building?" This entire series we are looking at how we can "pump up" and grow as a church body (family)." You can listen to the podcast or download it at http://wyandottefamily.libsyn.com/  

You can also download an Amazon App for only $1.99 and have easy access to all of the podcasts right on your Android Smartphone or tablet. http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Wyandotte-Family-Church/dp/B00OZZXW56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418834318&sr=8-1&keywords=Wyandotte+Family+Church 
For Part 5 we talked about "Pumping up our Purpose." The slogan this past Sunday was "Know God and make Him known."

Why were we created? Why were we placed on this planet? Why in this generation? These are great questions to wrestle with? I love what Rick Warren says in his book, "The Purpose Driven Life." Here is an exert from his book and from Doug Fields Sermon, "Welcome to the Planet."...
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In order to move ahead you’ve got to determine in your heart and in your mind if in fact there is a God. Not everyone believes there is a God. You probably don’t have to talk to too many people at to figure that out. There is a famous quote from atheist Bertrand Russell.

QUOTE—Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.”

In reality you have two options. One option is to believe that there is no God. That you are here by accident. That millions and millions and millions of years ago something happened, some cosmic collision in a void darkness and in that collision humanity began to develop and grow. We are here by chance.

Or you may believe something different. Maybe you believe there is a God. That there is a creator, a designer behind this incredible thing we call earth. Within this view there are several options you can go. One is a very popular belief called deism. They believe that there is a God who created the thing. God got the whole earth spinning and then He took off. He’s impersonal and distant and doesn’t want to have anything to do with you.

There is another view that the Bible teaches. And that view is this, that God created earth and in His creation He has a design and purpose and as part of His creation He has a design and purpose for you and me.

Let’s all go down these two tracks together.

>First, if there’s no God, then there’s no reason to discuss the meaning of life. If there’s no God, is there any reason that you would spend an hour out of your week to come to church? What a waste of time if there is no God. If there is no God then there should be no morality. There should be no values. There should be nothing to enhance the way we live our life. If there is no God then when you and I die that’s all there is.

>For the second track, let’s assume and imagine there is a God. If there is a God and God created the earth, that there is a designer, there is a creator, there is somebody “Imaginerring” this whole thing called earth, and then there must be a purpose to His creation. If God created the earth and there must be a purpose to His creation therefore there’s purpose in my life. God has a purpose for or lives.

If there is purpose in my life I must either pursue it…think about it. If there is purpose in my life than I must pursue that purpose and try to get my arms around that purpose and think about it, embrace it and live it out. Or I must ignore it. Really those are my two options. I either pursue God’s purposes for my life or ignore them.

The next few blogs we are going to be looking at this love letter and discovering God’s purposes for our lives. Then you’ve got to decide, do I but into it and live it or do I ignore it? One of the key verses I want to throw out at you this week is

 

Ephesians 2:10—We are God’s workmanship and we were CREATED in Christ Jesus to do good things which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Let’s really think about that verse for a sec. We are God’s workmanship—you and me—which He created in Christ Jesus to do good works—so therefore there’s meaning behind why He created us—to do something good—which He prepared in advance for us to do—meaning He had purpose in your life and my life before we were created.

Being His workmanship means that God as our designer has a strong interest in what He’s created. God is the designer of your life and my life. We look around and other people might not care about you.  You might even look in the mirror and not care that much about yourself. You may have been unfortunate to grow up in a family that hasn’t shown you a lot of love. But let me tell you this about God’s character, He loves you as His creation. The Bible says you are His workmanship.

 

The next few blogs we will talk about the 2 main purposes of our lives to Know God and make Him Known.