So where was I? oh yeah first night of Men's bible study. We start with the book of Acts, never read it had no clue about it, I think by this point I had read a little bit of Genesis and some of Mathew. Well the book of Acts is about the early church and the first preaching of the Gospel and other things that I am still learning as we are still in the book of Acts in bible study to this day, chapter 16-17 at this point.
Well after the first night of Bible study I realized I certainly was not a Christian. I had not accepted Jesus as my savior, I was not really sure what that even meant. I did feel lacking of something. I suddenly felt inadequate. I had a void that I felt needed to be filled, it had always been there I just really felt the weight of it after that night. I was still not sure what to do or what to make of it but I knew I wanted to keep investigating.
As a letter carrier I am very fortunate that I have plenty of time to listen to music or whatever on my headphones as I walk along delivering my route. My pastor had recommended an "app" that I could listen to on my phone, "Mars Hill Church" with Pastor Mark Driscoll. I had never heard a sermon like this. The hour long sermons Pastor Driscoll gave were, well, intense, powerful and fully connecting to me. I remember walking down the street delivering my mail on the verge of sobbing, and on the next block I was laughing out loud. It was coming together for me. Religion as Driscoll put it is a "steaming pile" but Jesus, Jesus was the perfected Adam. Jesus, God become man, was sent by the Father for me. To do what I could not ever hope to do.
It was on Judith St. when it kind of hit me, or tapped me on the shoulder, Adam was the original sinner and man has sinned ever since, and God sent his Son to take my sin for me that I may gain eternal life. When I got back to my car I sat and tried to think of the words I was supposed to say, I didn't have a bible with me, but I said something like, "ok Jesus I am yours, I want you to take me and do with me and my life as you will. Guide me and help me grow and learn Your word."
I wasn't sure if I had said it right, but I knew He would know.
The next Bible study I told Pastor how I realized I had not been a Christian, he asked if he thought I was now, I could barely say it but I did say yes. I think he was almost as happy as I was. I truly have not looked back since. It really has been that whole paradigm shift that I have heard of but never believed. I have become those things I had mocked, and I don't really care if people want to mock me. I have more than I could have hoped, and my life has changed in so many ways, some I have already discussed and others I will post in future blogs. The most important of which I find, other than my relationship with Jesus, is the relationship with my wife.
I will close this by saying if you have read this and have questions ask your Pastor, or find one to ask, for if you have read this with an open heart and mind I believe the Holy Spirit is calling on you to explore and come to Him. I pray that you will.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Testimony
A big part of being a Christian in community is testimony. The who, what, when, where and how of being saved...some might say "you missed the "why?"" well I don't think anyone who has been saved knows just why Jesus saved them, we only know we asked to be saved and by His grace He said yes. It is also part of membership, which as I mentioned the last blog my wife and I will be doing soon, the deacons will be asking us about it. And in general I think it's good to be able to relate your "story" when you speak to someone who is not a Christian who maybe interested.
I hope my testimony is a pretty good one, but most importantly it is the truth, without embellisment or hyperbole. The coolest part is that God chose to save my wife and I at the same time through our son, we didn't know it at the time but looking back we now recognize that is exactly what happened.
We moved to our town about three years ago buying our first home, a small suburb in a fairly affulent town, very family oriented, and it instantly felt like home. We were keen on getting involved in our community, I coached a season of Tee Ball for our son, our daughter seemed to fit right in and make friends fast, and my wife was volunteering at the schools. We really wanted to find a church, for community, for the kids, and in my case (to be honest) someplace to send my family so I could sleep in and watch football in peace.
Sure I would go from time to time to make it look good, but mostly I was looking forward to the alone time on Sunday. I was pretty much an agnostic, I was a good person, better than I ever had been in fact. I quit smoking, quit drugs, was pretty honest about most things, I was polite and a pretty hard worker. I almost felt like a defacto Christian, I just didnt read the Bible or go to church or have a savior. If I was going to Hell well that was Gods fault not mine, and I could deal with it.
So after asking around alittle my wife decided to give the Baptist church a try, it was Mother's Day. I was working delivering flowers as a side job, easy cash. She wanted to go but was not sure, finally our 9 year old son said he would go with her, our teenage daughter was in bed sleeping still.
Apparently the service was pretty powerful, the pastor's wife had recently had a miscarriage which he shared with the congregation on that day, yeah no doubt powerful. The congregation is a mix of wonderful people from all walks of life, all suprisily welcoming and not in a creepy way. Later that day my wife shared it with me and I'm sure I was like "yeah whatever"
The only concern she had was how few people were in church, maybe 20 people. Otherwise she really enjoyed it, "yes! football here I come!" I thought. Well the following weekend my wife was working and I was off. I took my son to his baseball game and on the way home he asked if we were going to church. I was, unfortunately, discouraging. After all he was still in his baseball uniform, I was tired, I had other things to do, like take a nap. Then he dropped the bomb on me.
"But Gods more awesome than you." he said.
Just like that, out of the blue, "really?" I said.
"Yeah" he said.
So we went. It was ok, alot of songs I did not know. A sermon I would shortly forget. But at the end I felt good, we went down to the fellowship after and I had people who knew my son from the previous week coming up to me and talking like they knew me, it was pretty cool. So we kept going as a family including my teenage daughter, it was ok and I was learning. The sermons got more interesting, seemed to make sense, almost like watching an historical show about "biblical" times. So when men's bible study was announced starting on Wednesday night, with womens bible study as well, seperately, we decided to go.
So now I have to start reading the Bible, and I did. It was ok but a little hard to understand, so I figure its good to be with someone to explain it. The first night at Bible study.....well thats to be continued....
I hope my testimony is a pretty good one, but most importantly it is the truth, without embellisment or hyperbole. The coolest part is that God chose to save my wife and I at the same time through our son, we didn't know it at the time but looking back we now recognize that is exactly what happened.
We moved to our town about three years ago buying our first home, a small suburb in a fairly affulent town, very family oriented, and it instantly felt like home. We were keen on getting involved in our community, I coached a season of Tee Ball for our son, our daughter seemed to fit right in and make friends fast, and my wife was volunteering at the schools. We really wanted to find a church, for community, for the kids, and in my case (to be honest) someplace to send my family so I could sleep in and watch football in peace.
Sure I would go from time to time to make it look good, but mostly I was looking forward to the alone time on Sunday. I was pretty much an agnostic, I was a good person, better than I ever had been in fact. I quit smoking, quit drugs, was pretty honest about most things, I was polite and a pretty hard worker. I almost felt like a defacto Christian, I just didnt read the Bible or go to church or have a savior. If I was going to Hell well that was Gods fault not mine, and I could deal with it.
So after asking around alittle my wife decided to give the Baptist church a try, it was Mother's Day. I was working delivering flowers as a side job, easy cash. She wanted to go but was not sure, finally our 9 year old son said he would go with her, our teenage daughter was in bed sleeping still.
Apparently the service was pretty powerful, the pastor's wife had recently had a miscarriage which he shared with the congregation on that day, yeah no doubt powerful. The congregation is a mix of wonderful people from all walks of life, all suprisily welcoming and not in a creepy way. Later that day my wife shared it with me and I'm sure I was like "yeah whatever"
The only concern she had was how few people were in church, maybe 20 people. Otherwise she really enjoyed it, "yes! football here I come!" I thought. Well the following weekend my wife was working and I was off. I took my son to his baseball game and on the way home he asked if we were going to church. I was, unfortunately, discouraging. After all he was still in his baseball uniform, I was tired, I had other things to do, like take a nap. Then he dropped the bomb on me.
"But Gods more awesome than you." he said.
Just like that, out of the blue, "really?" I said.
"Yeah" he said.
So we went. It was ok, alot of songs I did not know. A sermon I would shortly forget. But at the end I felt good, we went down to the fellowship after and I had people who knew my son from the previous week coming up to me and talking like they knew me, it was pretty cool. So we kept going as a family including my teenage daughter, it was ok and I was learning. The sermons got more interesting, seemed to make sense, almost like watching an historical show about "biblical" times. So when men's bible study was announced starting on Wednesday night, with womens bible study as well, seperately, we decided to go.
So now I have to start reading the Bible, and I did. It was ok but a little hard to understand, so I figure its good to be with someone to explain it. The first night at Bible study.....well thats to be continued....
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Membership
"Membership has its privileges." We've all heard this advertising slogan enticing us to join what would appear to be a select group. So recently when I told my mother that my wife and I were taking membership classes for our church, and would soon go before the deacons to be questioned and hopefully approved for membership, she asked a logical question. "What do you get from being member?"
I wasn't sure what to say. I wasn't told I would get anything. No one made any promises, no one really talks much about membership. Sitting in the church pews you certainly cannot tell a member from a non-member. In fact I assume we could attend church for the rest of our lives without ever becoming members.
When I thought about it for a while I began to assume that by becoming a member more would be expected of me. I assume that I would now be scrutinized perhaps a little more and now be subject to church discipline. I assume I would be expected or perhaps required to donate of my time and talents to church related activities.
And looking back to the last few sentences perhaps I should change the word "assume" to the words "I hope". Since becoming saved I have actually yearned to do more, to learn more, to serve more at my church. This from someone who had no desire to ever attend church, and at times eve mocked believers. But now I search out membership of just such a church and pray that I will be accepted. So I guess instead of "membership has it's privileges" it should be "the privileges causes one to desire membership." For the privileges I have received in Jesus I could never earn, I could barely ever hope for what He has given me. Because of this I desire membership and hope all the things "I assume" are part of membership are true, so that I may serve and glorify Him.
I wasn't sure what to say. I wasn't told I would get anything. No one made any promises, no one really talks much about membership. Sitting in the church pews you certainly cannot tell a member from a non-member. In fact I assume we could attend church for the rest of our lives without ever becoming members.
When I thought about it for a while I began to assume that by becoming a member more would be expected of me. I assume that I would now be scrutinized perhaps a little more and now be subject to church discipline. I assume I would be expected or perhaps required to donate of my time and talents to church related activities.
And looking back to the last few sentences perhaps I should change the word "assume" to the words "I hope". Since becoming saved I have actually yearned to do more, to learn more, to serve more at my church. This from someone who had no desire to ever attend church, and at times eve mocked believers. But now I search out membership of just such a church and pray that I will be accepted. So I guess instead of "membership has it's privileges" it should be "the privileges causes one to desire membership." For the privileges I have received in Jesus I could never earn, I could barely ever hope for what He has given me. Because of this I desire membership and hope all the things "I assume" are part of membership are true, so that I may serve and glorify Him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)