I wrote this post on the way to Tennessee last weekend. This Sunday our lesson was pretty much along the same lines. I don't think that was an accident, I think it was God speaking.
Time to Restore
I'm a computer tech. One of the chief complaints I hear from people is that their computer is "running slow". You see, after a while your computer can get so bogged down with unimportant things like old files you've downloaded, documents you created and no longer need, old programs you installed, and junk files, that it just can't work efficiently or properly. Sometimes you even have a virus you accidentally downloaded, or a corrupt file causing problems. Sometimes you even download what you think is a helpful program that ends up being a Trojan horse, delivering malware to your computer which can cause serious security issues. The way to fix these issues varies from running anti-virus software, to physically searching for and deleting the bad files, reinstalling the files that have become corrupted, cleaning up the registry, updating the drivers and sometimes the only thing you can do is to just restore the whole system back to the factory settings. In other words, start over from the beginning, wipe it clean. With a clean start their computers usually work just like new, happily humming along, speedy & efficient, getting the job done.
People are a lot like computers. We can get all bogged down with daily struggles. We get sick. We get slow. We stop doing the job God put us here to do in an efficient manner because we can't see past the clutter of junk we fill our lives with. Things we thought we needed, that we thought were important, that we thought were good, but turned out to be a Trojan horse filled with disappointment and misery. It's time to get rid of all those junk files, viruses & malware. In other words, it's time to lay down your differences, forget what's not really important to the Kingdom of God, lay aside selfishness, throw off the warm blanket of ambivalence, forgive, & WAKE UP, it's time for a FULL SYSTEM RESTORE!! What we've been doing is no longer working. Beating a dead horse does you no good. It's still gonna lay there and be dead. It is time to come together as God's children and make a new plan. It doesn't matter if you've never done it that way before! Imagine what the world would be like if no one ever tried anything new. We've been sleeping. Lulled to sleep by satan's sweet song of complacency....comfortable. Our church should be full! But it's not. You want to know why? Brace yourself...it's because we....don't....care. We don't care!!! If we DID care, if we DID forgive, if we DID serve, if we DID make a new plan, if we DID love, if we DID wake up.....our church couldn't hold all the people! So, let's put in that restore cd. Let's get back to the beginning. Let's start off in a new direction, with purpose, with love, AWAKE & ready to serve and ready to do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus in 2014. WHATEVER IT TAKES, whether we've ever done it that way or not. Are ya with me?
If you are, then right now decide a place you want to plug in and get started. What's your gift? What's your talent? What's something you enjoy? What's something God has been speaking to you about? WAKE UP, GET UP, AND DO IT!!
Need ideas??
A/V ministry needs camera operators - training provided
Adult Choir needs singers - 18 and up - we REALLY need men!
Nursery - we need reliable, loving care givers - grandmas & grandpas welcome!
Children - we need energetic people, 18 & up willing to work with our children.
Helping Hands - anyone willing to help with odd jobs at church members homes. These are those who cannot help themselves & whom we are commanded to take care of.
Welcome Center - we need people who love to smile & welcome people in the Welcome Center, and other key locations.
Coffee Ministry - we need people to help prepare the coffee & greet people at the coffee center.
Prayer Warriors - we need everyone to be prayer warriors, but also need a special group who are willing to pray for the requests brought forward on Sunday mornings, and at other specified times.
Ushers - we need men to be ushers on Sundays. Training provided!
Homebound Ministry - we need people willing to go visit those who are homebound during the day on a regular basis.
Hospital Visits - we need people to visit members when they are in the hospital.
Couple Care - we need older, experienced couples to mentor younger or recently married couples, especially those who reach out for help.
VBS - we are always in need of VBS Workers, every kind of job. Volunteer ahead of time!
Youth - we always need volunteers for the Youth Ministry. Come hang out with them, chaperone events, bring snacks, just be there for them. Be a mentor! You're never too old!
Sanctuary - we need volunteers to pick up old bulletins, straighten the hymn books, make sure the pencils are sharp & there's plenty of envelopes.
Write cards- birthdays, anniversaries, illnesses, loss of loved ones, encouragement....there's a million reasons to send someone a card or note to show them someone cares.
It's time to reboot, restore, and get busy for God!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.
Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.
Col 3:23:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Time to Restore
I'm a computer tech. One of the chief complaints I hear from people is that their computer is "running slow". You see, after a while your computer can get so bogged down with unimportant things like old files you've downloaded, documents you created and no longer need, old programs you installed, and junk files, that it just can't work efficiently or properly. Sometimes you even have a virus you accidentally downloaded, or a corrupt file causing problems. Sometimes you even download what you think is a helpful program that ends up being a Trojan horse, delivering malware to your computer which can cause serious security issues. The way to fix these issues varies from running anti-virus software, to physically searching for and deleting the bad files, reinstalling the files that have become corrupted, cleaning up the registry, updating the drivers and sometimes the only thing you can do is to just restore the whole system back to the factory settings. In other words, start over from the beginning, wipe it clean. With a clean start their computers usually work just like new, happily humming along, speedy & efficient, getting the job done.
People are a lot like computers. We can get all bogged down with daily struggles. We get sick. We get slow. We stop doing the job God put us here to do in an efficient manner because we can't see past the clutter of junk we fill our lives with. Things we thought we needed, that we thought were important, that we thought were good, but turned out to be a Trojan horse filled with disappointment and misery. It's time to get rid of all those junk files, viruses & malware. In other words, it's time to lay down your differences, forget what's not really important to the Kingdom of God, lay aside selfishness, throw off the warm blanket of ambivalence, forgive, & WAKE UP, it's time for a FULL SYSTEM RESTORE!! What we've been doing is no longer working. Beating a dead horse does you no good. It's still gonna lay there and be dead. It is time to come together as God's children and make a new plan. It doesn't matter if you've never done it that way before! Imagine what the world would be like if no one ever tried anything new. We've been sleeping. Lulled to sleep by satan's sweet song of complacency....comfortable. Our church should be full! But it's not. You want to know why? Brace yourself...it's because we....don't....care. We don't care!!! If we DID care, if we DID forgive, if we DID serve, if we DID make a new plan, if we DID love, if we DID wake up.....our church couldn't hold all the people! So, let's put in that restore cd. Let's get back to the beginning. Let's start off in a new direction, with purpose, with love, AWAKE & ready to serve and ready to do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus in 2014. WHATEVER IT TAKES, whether we've ever done it that way or not. Are ya with me?
If you are, then right now decide a place you want to plug in and get started. What's your gift? What's your talent? What's something you enjoy? What's something God has been speaking to you about? WAKE UP, GET UP, AND DO IT!!
Need ideas??
A/V ministry needs camera operators - training provided
Adult Choir needs singers - 18 and up - we REALLY need men!
Nursery - we need reliable, loving care givers - grandmas & grandpas welcome!
Children - we need energetic people, 18 & up willing to work with our children.
Helping Hands - anyone willing to help with odd jobs at church members homes. These are those who cannot help themselves & whom we are commanded to take care of.
Welcome Center - we need people who love to smile & welcome people in the Welcome Center, and other key locations.
Coffee Ministry - we need people to help prepare the coffee & greet people at the coffee center.
Prayer Warriors - we need everyone to be prayer warriors, but also need a special group who are willing to pray for the requests brought forward on Sunday mornings, and at other specified times.
Ushers - we need men to be ushers on Sundays. Training provided!
Homebound Ministry - we need people willing to go visit those who are homebound during the day on a regular basis.
Hospital Visits - we need people to visit members when they are in the hospital.
Couple Care - we need older, experienced couples to mentor younger or recently married couples, especially those who reach out for help.
VBS - we are always in need of VBS Workers, every kind of job. Volunteer ahead of time!
Youth - we always need volunteers for the Youth Ministry. Come hang out with them, chaperone events, bring snacks, just be there for them. Be a mentor! You're never too old!
Sanctuary - we need volunteers to pick up old bulletins, straighten the hymn books, make sure the pencils are sharp & there's plenty of envelopes.
Write cards- birthdays, anniversaries, illnesses, loss of loved ones, encouragement....there's a million reasons to send someone a card or note to show them someone cares.
It's time to reboot, restore, and get busy for God!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.
Philippians 2:1-11
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.
Col 3:23:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
