“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  – Matthew 20:28

Question for the day:  Am I living like the disciple I claim to be?

Hi Friends,

We are coming to the end of this month in which we highlighted and prayed for all the many outreach opportunities that we have in our church.  I am sure that there were some that I missed, and I apologize to those people if I have failed to honor your efforts.  Every minute given in service to our Lord, will be rewarded in eternity, and I thank each and every one of you for the example you set for me to follow.

Which brings me to today’s point: where am I in my journey with Christ?  I have the great privilege of working for a wonderful church.  I am blessed every day by residing in the presence of God and His servants.

Unfortunately, there is a negative side to that as well.  See, I come to work every day surrounded by “the things of God.”  And I work very hard to accomplish those things for this church that He sets before me.  So, in this environment, it is very easy for me to operate on auto-pilot in terms of my spiritual growth.  Because I am saturated in God here,  I am at risk of falling into a habit of spiritual laziness.  At times I have found my prayer and devotional life slipping.  I can easily make the argument that, because I spend so much time planning for small groups for others, I don’t really need to study anything for myself.  And the biggest self-deception of all:  I serve enough, I don’t need to do anything else.

My friends, I ask that each of you would help me in this arena.  Challenge me, if you will, when you see that I am falling down in my obligations to serve the least of these.  The truth is, we are all called to mission, regardless of our vocation.  It is part of the make-up of a highly committed disciple.  And regardless of how busy we are, we are expected by God to make time for these activities.

This is where I am the weakest.  Christian accountability is what we are called to as a church.  And I am in danger of falling astray more than most of you.

I am thankful for our church’s focus on this very subject.  If you didn’t know, we have a tool to be used to help us stay accountable (to ourselves and to God,) for our own spiritual growth.  We introduced it in the spring, and it has really helped me determine where I need God’s grace and leading.  It is called, “The Journey,” and the self-examination that goes along with it, is pretty eye-opening.

By asking myself these questions about my Worship, Growth, and Servant life, God has really spoken to me about my next steps in drawing closer to Him.  I have found it to be a really good exercise to keep me on track.

I am attaching a link to the self-examination, which can be found on our website, or on the visitor’s table in the foyer.  I encourage you to take a few minutes in prayer and contemplate these questions.  It is always a welcomed gift when God reveals His heart to me.  I just have to give Him the opportunity.

Click to access Self%20Examinations.pdf

Gracious Lord,

Thank You for the plans You have for me.  I know they are good for me and for Your people.  Forgive me when I get so caught up in me, that I neglect my relationship with You.  Please, Lord, search my heart, and continue to lead me in those activities that will bring me closer to You.  Give me the hands and feet of a servant, and the heart of a lover for all people.

Help me, my king, to stay focused on the main things in this life, and not to be led astray by things that will perish with time.

Please cover our ASP team with Your mighty wings this weekend as they finish up their work and head home.  May Your grace and protection flow over each one, and may they return in safety.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen