by Ryan Smith | Sep 8, 2016
Why bother staying with the local church? It seems daily we see blogs, articles, and statistics stating why people are choosing lone-ranger Christianity. The local church is messy. It’s slow. It’s hard.
While I will gladly leave that discourse and its conclusions to much better writers, I want to share why, by God’s grace, I have stayed with the church. This is not a manifesto for or against a particular church or style of programming. Rather it is a personal invitation to see what I have found in over 36 years of struggling, stumbling, rejoicing, and living alongside the local church.
In my first blog on this topic, I discussed one major reason I have stayed with the church: the presence and influence of older believers.
In this post, I aim to highlight another reason I have stayed with the church. The reason is simple. It was really not something I did, rather it was done for me. The local church was prioritized.
While I have grown to embrace the local church, and am striving daily to pass on this love in my own household, it was in my parent’s household that I first saw the local church prioritized.
Though I don’t ever remember sitting down and having a direct conversation about it, it was a clear tenant in our household that we were part of the church. Not just that we were going to attend on Sundays, but we were part of a larger body. I learned it on Sundays and Wednesdays, yes, but also on Saturdays visiting widows with my dad, on Tuesdays with my mom as we went to help set up or serve a group of people. We were part of the local church. It was non-negotiable. It was not adjustable. The church was ingrained. The church was special.
I say the church was non-negotiable because it was non-negotiable. Whether I felt like it or not, whether I learned anything or not, regardless of how many gray hairs I gave my Sunday School teachers, we were going to be a part of the church.
However, this wasn’t due to a lack of trying on my part. As a youth, I can remember several times kicking and screaming at my parents. I disliked and feared the church. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t like the people there. I didn’t like button-up shirts. I had NFL pre-pre-pregame to watch and I was not going. Ten minutes later, I was in the car on the way to church.
Most of my anxieties growing up had nothing to do with the church itself, but with social or other reasons. There were a few times at my insistence that my parents decided to let me stay home (or even in the car) during my formative years. I regret every one of them.
As a parent now, I recognize what a struggle it must have been for my parents to prioritize the local church. I think back on every strategy they employed to keep us engaged (or just pacified). I think of every back-room conversation they must have had as I fought against them in my youth as I struggled with the social aspects of the church. It would have been so much easier for my parents to drop it.
Less arguing. Less struggle. Less.
I thank God every day they opted for more.
I write this blog not to brag on my upbringing or even laud the efforts of my parents. For them, I have no doubt, prioritizing the church in our household must have seemed like a weekly struggle simply to fall forward and not walk through the church doors with hands around each other’s throats.
I write this not for myself, but to highlight two modern day church issues.
One, I lived in a different time and place. Small town Oklahoma in the 80’s and 90’s didn’t fight my parents in prioritizing church. We had relatively few (if any) school or social activities on Wednesday nights, and scheduling anything on a Sunday morning was unthinkable. Our time was carved not only because my parents prioritized the church, but our community did as well.
Those days are gone.
That being said, my assumption is even if it came down to my budding MLB career or future as an Olympic goal keeper versus regular time spent with the gathered church, for my parents, there would have been no debate. We would be with the church. Even if we had to miss a gathering, the prioritization of the church would not have wavered.
Granted, hindsight is 20/20 and I cannot fully place myself in the shoes of other parents in an increasingly anti-church society. The choices are difficult, the time limited and the struggle real. While I will leave those discussions to more qualified writers, I would give only one piece of advice: however and whatever it looks like in your context, prioritize the church fiercely. Fight for her.
A second thing to be said: there are many parents who grew up prioritizing the church whose children did not stay. There are also many children who grew up in homes that did not prioritize the local church at all.
To this, I want to offer a supportive ear and a word of encouragement. This is one reason I wrote my previous article first. The spiritual growth of your child or lack of support from your parents is not fully dependent on you. However, you have been given a powerful tool in prioritizing the local church and that, ironically, is the local church. For the spiritual orphans and widows whose families dismiss the church, there are many spiritual fathers and mothers to come alongside. We have one family blood and it is that of Jesus Christ.
For the parents who continually urge their children toward the local church to seemingly no avail, take heart. Like me, your children are catching more than they are necessarily sitting down to learn. One of the greatest lessons your child may have learned is that you prioritized the local church. Place your kids in situations where they can be a part of godly community with peers as well as be invested in by other older spiritual family. Let the Spirit be the Spirit. You remain faithful.
Church, we need to recognize for many who do not have an environment of prioritizing the church, we must help them prioritize it. This does not mean keeping a Christian calendar busy or making sure they don’t get ahold of any “secular” music. Sometimes a busy church calendar is the greatest enemy of true growth in Christ. It means prioritizing Bible reading, listening to questions, walking alongside, investing and inviting. It is likely much simpler than we think.
The local church is messy. It’s slow. It’s hard.
But so am I. So are we. And we are loved.
Let us love one another with highest priority – as Jesus loved us.
by Wade Crews | Sep 1, 2016
The other day, some sweet church members gave me and some other staff members little wire baskets of peaches. My basket had five really big peaches in it. They were so big only three or four fit well in the little basket.
As I was leaving for the night, I stopped by to say goodnight to our cleaning ladies who are always very sweet and encouraging. One of them said “Ooooh – look at those peaches! Where did you get those?” As I was telling her, two of them fell out. After she helped me pick up the fallen fruit, she said “Those are some mighty fine peaches – I wish someone would give me some peaches like that.”
Well, it took me a few times – but I finally got the hint. I said “Do you guys like peaches?” One lady said no but the one who noticed them said “Oh honey child…do I like peaches?” I asked if she wanted one as a huge grin beamed on her face and I handed her a peach.
As I got to my truck, God smacked me in the head and taught me I had just experienced the picture of salvation and leading others to Christ.
We have something that is a gift from Someone Who loves us.
It should be evident and attractive to others.
They should want what we have and ask where we got it.
We should have it in overflowing abundance.
We should offer it up freely because we have more than we need.
by Ryan Smith | Aug 24, 2016
I love the local church. However, this hasn’t always been the case.
Like all Christians, my faith in God has run through seasons. There have been extremely dry seasons in which I questioned not just the existence or goodness of God, but whether or not I truly trusted Him. There have also been seasons where the Spirit has plowed with me through rough terrain and made my faith-muscles stronger in the process.
There have been life-altering mountaintop experiences with God that have drawn me closer into the arms of my Father. More often than not, however, there have been the steady rhythms of grace in the day-to-day battle for righteousness and the help to filter all things through the gospel.
Throughout each of these seasons, the church has remained constant. Constantly filled with broken people, yes, but also broken people who have helped usher me toward God in the knowledge of what it means to be a part of His chosen bride.
Life with the church has been a journey. My assumption is you are on the same journey at whatever pace. Like you, I have been hurt by the church. I have also been helped by the church. Most importantly, I have seen the church is not about me at all, but about Jesus. The church is God’s plan, and He has washed her in His blood to purify and cleanse her. What greater entity could we ever hope to be a part of?
As I said earlier, this has not always been my heart. As a teenager, I went through many crises of faith. As a young man, I was tempted to walk away from the church. There were many days when I was younger that I did not want to be with the church at all.
As a pastor, I hear many of these same sentiments echoed in the voices of the church. I hear moms and dads concerned that their kids don’t want to go to church. I hear kids concerned that their parents shy away from the church for a variety of reasons. I see some people who gather with the church physically, but spiritually and emotionally are somewhere else entirely.
What I tell many of these people is the same thing I want to tell you: I’ve been there.
Over the course of my next few blogs, I want to share with you three reasons why, by God’s grace, I have stayed with the church. I don’t want to do this to simply share my story, but to call out to you in yours as well, in order that these reasons may be of help to you in some way.
So what is the first reason I stayed with the church?
Older believers.
There is a time in my past that is spiritually etched into my soul. It is perhaps the largest crisis of faith I have ever encountered. The pendulum of my faith was swinging wildly between what I had been taught, what I knew, and what I was afraid I believed.
I was afraid the Christian life was a sham. I was afraid the church was a ruse to keep young people in line and off drugs, older people active, and type-A people in power with a place to be important. After all, I didn’t see or experience the “abundant life” we kept singing and hearing about.
I would quietly walk away, I decided.
I didn’t want to make a scene.
It was fine for them. It just wasn’t for me.
But for some reason, I could not walk away.
I remember one morning sitting in a church service as these thoughts swam around the dark waters of my mind. It was at that time, for some reason, my eyes focused on our pastor. He was quietly listening to the church sing the truths of the Gospel. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen someone look more content. But he was the pastor, I thought. He was supposed to look like that.
So I looked at people my grandparents’ age. Ones who I knew had walked for decades with the Lord – many out of very dark places. I looked at godly men and women who had poured into me as a child – people whose stories and testimonies of God’s faithfulness I had personally heard or seen.
But I also saw the hypocrites. I saw the bored, the manipulative, and the unengaged. I saw those who also believed the church was not for them. But in comparison to those who were joyfully proclaiming Christ, I knew it was not them who held the greater truth.
I closed my eyes and focused on the sometimes off-pitch and warbly voices of those who were clinging to the faith of the Gospel. They were singing truths that I was not sure I believed. But I did believe they believed them.
I wasn’t sure about the Gospel, but I knew they were. Despite my doubts, the thing I could not do was walk up to one of them and confidently say their anchor was a sham – that they were, in reality, floating aimlessly just like me. This is not just because I didn’t want to hurt their feelings. It is because they were not floating aimlessly. Their anchor was secure.
I wasn’t sure about the God I believed in, but I was sure about the God they believed in. He was real and could be trusted.
Instead of walking away from that God, I chose to seek that God. That moment made all the difference. When the winds of doubt shook me, I held firm to their anchor only to find, in time, that it was the same one I was tethered to as well.
Thanks be to God for old saints in the church.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” – Hebrews 12:1.
by Michael McAfee | Aug 22, 2016
Does God need us to build His Kingdom? If we would cooperate with His agenda, would the Kingdom of God be bigger right now?
Does the selfishness of His people prevent God from doing all He could if everyone was more generous? Would God be more well-known if the liberal media didn’t take references to God out of news reports and television?
The Bible’s answer: No.
God does not need you to build His Kingdom. Our God sits in the heavens and does all that He pleases. There is no task which God wishes to accomplish that He is unable to complete for lack of human cooperation. Upon Peter’s confession, Jesus responds, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Nothing will stop God’s Kingdom from being built.
God does not need your money. Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. If He were hungry, He would not tell you, for the world is His. In Acts 17, Paul criticizes the Greeks for their belief that God would need man for anything. It is God himself who gives to man life and breath and everything! God does not need your sacrifice or your money.
God does not need you to make Him famous. The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims Him. Everyone can see God must have created all things and understand His attributes of justice, goodness, power, and truth. God has made Himself known to men through His power and nature since the creation of the world, so people are without excuse. God does not need you to make Him known.
God does not need you… But God wants you.
God wants you to join Him in His work in the world. God is not limited by any of man’s lack of cooperation. Yet, God chooses to invite men into his work. Consider: Not only did God forgive you, redeem you, adopt you as His own, but God also invites you to join Him in reconciling all things to himself. He has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. This is not a duty, but a delight of God’s family.
God wants you to give your money to support Kingdom causes. This is not primarily because your church or Christian ministries need your money. God does not need you to give so He can grow His kingdom. God wants you to give so He can grow your faith.
The purpose of your generosity is not to give God something He does not have, but to give you what you need: release from the bonds of materialism. God does not need you to give your money, but you need to be released from money worship.
God wants you to make Him famous. While His power is clearly seen by all people, the message of the Gospel is only known by those who have heard it from those who have been Romans 10 sent – “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”
But the good news is only good if it gets delivered in time. There is an urgency for us to share. Not because God needs us, but because others need God.
In Matthew 6, God gives us a sweet assurance for the fears that surface if we live the life God wants for us. “Do not be anxious about what we will eat, drink, or wear… your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
God does not need you. God wants you. But do you want God?
by Angela Sanders | Aug 9, 2016
Puppies. Kittens. Laughing babies. These are the videos people are posting, and these are the posts I’m clicking on.
Why? Because I’m tired–we’re all tired—and we need a little encouragement.
The only trouble is, the brand of happy you get from clicking on quick pick-me-ups like these doesn’t last. Scroll a few more seconds—or live your own life just a little longer—and stark reminders that you live in a broken world will bombard your senses, unsettle your stomach, and send you in search of something else to lift your spirits.
Well, I’m here to give it to you, not a temporary fix, mind you, but a list of ten real and lasting reasons to smile.
Ready? Here you go.
1. Even though this world is messed up and little is as it should be, those who put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation have peace with God (Rom 5:1)…
2. …And He works all things together for their good (Rom 8:28).
3. All this yuck will be over soon (Jas 4:14)…
4. …And when it’s over, a rich inheritance waits for those who belong to God (1 Pet 1:3-4).
5. In the meantime, the struggles we face give those who love God a chance to glorify Him (Matt 5:16)…
6. …And every day we live is an opportunity to tell those who don’t know God how they can be saved (2 Pet 3:9).
7. Thankfully, God is bigger than our mistakes, and even when we mess up, God’s purposes prevail (Eph 1:11).
8. Sooner or later, every person that ever lived will agree and acknowledge that the One we love most, Jesus Christ, is indeed Lord (Phil 2:9-11).
9. Everything that’s broken in this world will be fixed (2 Pet 3:13)…
10. …And those who belong to God will get the chance to enjoy it (2 Tim 2:11-12)!
Discouraged? Find real and lasting joy by fixing your eyes “not on what is seen, but what is unseen” (2 Cor 4:18). Find happiness in obeying Him (Ps 119:1-2).
This is all well and good for Christians, but what about everyone else?
If you’re feeling left out of this little pep talk, understand that Jesus died for your sin, too (John 3:16). If you put your faith in Him for salvation from the consequences of sin and make Him your boss, you will not only be saved (Rom 10:9-10), but permanently adopted as a full-fledged child of God (Gal 4:4-7), possessing all of the privileges, responsibilities, and spiritual siblings that come with that title. You will become a new creature (2 Cor 5:17), and God will begin the process of transforming you into the image of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit as you follow and obey Him (2 Cor 3:18), guiding you, encouraging you, and loving you in ways you can’t possibly imagine until you’ve experienced it for yourself.
If that’s not a reason to smile, I don’t know what is!
Chin up, friends! “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps 118:24).
by Ryan Smith | Aug 8, 2016
The Bible is full of music. From the angelic chorus of heaven, to the victorious Psalms of Ascent, to the quiet song of Mary upon receiving news of the embryonic Messiah, God has chosen music as an instrument not only of doxology, but also theology.
There is no greater service of music than in conveying truth. When paired with biblical truths and phrases that grasp both the heart and the mind, a believer has a symphonic avenue to commune with God and the church in a way only God could orchestrate.
As one who loves this marriage of music and truth, I listen to a lot of worship music – songs intended to be used with and by the church for the glory of God and the edification of His people. Songs in the church are utilized to not only inspire, but to inform, to teach, to not only capture the heart, but also help in the renewing of the mind.
However, I am continually brought to the repeating rhythm of a trend in worship music that gives me caution.
My aim in this article is not to call out certain artists or shame any who may regularly sing these songs on Sunday morning. They can be beautiful and helpful in certain contexts. My aim is to get us to consider the songs we sing and ask whether or not they are undergirded by the power and words of Scripture.
That being said, I think it would be good to talk about the Holy Spirit and his inclusion in recent worship music.
Theologically, we know the Holy Spirit is God. He is part of the triune Godhead – equal with the Father and Son, yet with distinct roles. We often sing about the Father’s attributes of mercy, sovereignty and justice, and ascribe glory to Jesus the Son for the cross and the revelation of the fullness of God.
We are pretty orthodox in the way we sing about the Father and the Son.
But if an unbeliever were to develop a theology of the Holy Spirit based on what we sing in our churches, what would they conclude?
The following phrases tend to be repeated in songs about the Holy Spirit:
Holy Spirit come
Fall afresh on me
Fill the atmosphere
I want to feel your presence
Flood this place
Rush in like a flood
Pour your spirit out
What are these songs teaching the church as well as onlookers about the Spirit of God? If I were to write down a thesis statements about the Holy Spirit based on what is mostly highlighted in songs about him, it would be this:
The Holy Spirit, once invited to come to a particular place or people, is a sudden and overwhelming presence whose coming correlates mostly with a feeling of joy, power, or atmospheric alteration.
One of the issues with continually inviting the Holy Spirit to come or be poured out is that we miss the miracle of Pentecost and the joy of knowing the Spirit has come and is omnipresent with the believer. We need not invite him any more than we need to invite Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. It is finished. Glory to God!
A biblical understanding of the Holy Spirit leads us to see Him and His activity in a different and even more awe-inspiring light.
Jesus spoke of the Spirit as a holy guide, helper, and empowerer in the Gospel. He is sent by the Son to continually bear witness to Jesus as the Christ (John 15:26). He intercedes for us in prayer because of our weakness (Rom. 8:26). He is our seal of adoption in Christ (2 Cor. 1:22). He guides believers to walk in truth on the path of righteousness (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit is the instrument of sanctification – the process of daily dying to self and being conformed to Christlikeness. But I get it – sanctification isn’t sexy. It doesn’t easily translate into a sweeping chorus. Sanctification isn’t emotional or spontaneous. It certainly can be, praise God, but usually it looks like the daily battle to read and apply the Scriptures.
The work of the Spirit is usually the blue-collar work of shepherding a wandering people on the way that is right – the way of truth. It is standing on our side as we battle between sin and righteousness. It is urging us towards the way of the cross and reminding us of Jesus. The Spirit is a guide to the stumbling blind on the path of righteousness – not merely a force to fill a place.
As I revisit the themes of many of our didactic songs about the Spirit, I fear few of them paint the picture of this type of God. Many seem to call for a re-visitation of Pentecost rather than asking for strength to do the dirty work of self-denial and God-glorification.
Church, let us sing songs about the Spirit. Let us write songs about the Spirit and His work. We need more. But we also need to remember God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to do God’s work. If we want the power of the Spirit in our songs, we need the content of the Word in our worship. We need songs filled with Biblical truth to truly know and celebrate the Spirit in a way that honors him.
In that way, may the Holy Spirit truly and greatly work in power among His church for His glory and our good.