THIS IS US

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Part of our anticipation is dreaming.

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²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

 

My dad was in the US Navy. He flew airplanes with other men and even used aircraft carriers as floating airports. There were times when he’d been gone a while, and my mom would gather us up to drive on base to pick him up. I can remember watching the big aircraft carrier come towards the dock. I could see the men putting the big hawsers on the dock cleats, which were about as big as me, and then dad would come down to meet us on the dock. Anticipation. Waiting to see him again. Waiting for those times where we’d be together again, doing the everyday chores of life. But, as a kid, all the waiting wasn’t very fun. It seemed as if an eternity had passed before the big man in his khaki uniform would come down the gang plank with his sea bag over his shoulder.

This is what we’re experiencing right now. We’re waiting. We’re waiting for the day of the Lord. Hopefully, just as I would scamper around the dock trying to make the time pass faster, we’re doing the things we’re called to do as we wait in anticipation of the Day. One of the things we’re to do is encourage one another. Another would be to work hard to grow the kingdom. Imagine the joy we’ll feel as the Day arrives and we’ve been going about our Father’s work, using our time to plant the seeds of the Gospel in the hearts of those around us. The welling up of joy and wonder at that Day will be all the more exuberant as we see those whose seeds have sprung up into full blown gospel flora.

Part of our anticipation is dreaming. Just like when I would spend time thinking of all the fun things I’d be doing with my dad when he returned, we dream of a Day that is coming, a day that is ‘drawing near.’ We also dream of the journey together with those in our community of believers. These dreams are perfectly natural. Dreaming together is a wonderful gift from God. Along with putting action to our dreams. Sharing the beautiful Gospel story with those around us is much like sharing our dreams. In your anticipation of the Day of Christ approaching, think about someone you can share your dream with, captured within the Gospel, and then put action to it.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Rich Obrecht

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Encouragement is something that everybody wants but few know how to give.

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For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. (Romans 1:11-13)

 

Sometimes encouragement makes all the difference. Writing encouraging notes and sending Bible verses won my husband. The encouraging notes my college roommates left for me have found places in my scrapbooks. Now, I even keep an encouragement file to look at when am feeling down. Encouragement is something that everybody wants but few know how to give. The New Testament mentions the idea of encouragement over one hundred times, so it’s imperative for us to learn. Its theme is essential to a functioning Body of Christ.

Corporate encouragement is essential in the process of starting churches, as well as building and growing communities of faith. New Testament letters were sent to encourage, instruct and exhort the recent converts and beginning fellowships (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Because the church is a relational experience – a family – we cannot grow spiritually in isolation. Encouragement is mutual. It’s what believers provide for one another by sharing the love of Jesus and scripture. Without the gospel message, we would have nothing with which to encourage each other, limited knowledge of God to ground our faith, no doctrine on which to build hope, and no way to understand so extensively the meaning of genuine love (Hebrews 10:19-22). Encouragement is meant to be given, shared, and extended to one another (Colossians 3:16).

Encouragement is also personal. We give it by coming along side, doing faith and life together one on one, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. It’s giving support, lending aid, praying for and providing resources for an individual. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit would come and live in us, lead us in truth, and strengthen belief (Acts 9:31). Let’s do this encouragement. If you desire to get better at encouragement, try studying the scriptures diligently and asking the Holy Spirit to teach you something new about Jesus Christ. Then share your new insight from God’s word with a family member, another believer, someone in your life group or at church, or write a note to give. Encourage at least one person with Jesus today.

 

For whatever was written in former days
was written for our instruction,
that through endurance and through the encouragement
of the Scriptures we might have hope.
May the God of endurance and encouragement
grant you to live in such harmony with one another,
in accord with Christ Jesus, 
that together you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 – Romans 15:4-6

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By Donna Burns

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Consideration isn’t a reaction to what’s been done, it’s preemptive.

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²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Everyone thinks differently, and the way we consider other people varies from one person to the next. Some of us are more practical, which drives our thoughts differently than those who are less practical. Rather than how a person feels, we might consider what would be causing the person to feel the way they do. Others are more compassionate and consideration for them involves noticing how people feel at an emotional level. Whichever personality trait we have, the author of Hebrews is asking us to consider our fellow believers.

To consider someone is to give them space within us, if only for a moment. It isn’t a reaction to what’s been done, it’s preemptive. There are many ways we can do this. One way we can consider our brothers and sisters is noticing how they express what’s going on in their hearts. Then, we can go to them and talk in a loving way to let them know we love and care for them. We all need to know we’re loved and cared for, no matter how tough we think we are.

We’re the embodiment of the Kingdom of God, and we’re to love one another. This is part of the message behind considering others. Love. To love and know we’re loved. God loves us all, and has been gracious and kind enough to give us a sense of dependence on others, and for their dependence on us. This dependence isn’t a bad thing, nor is it weakness! We’re created to be in community, and the body of believers are part of our family of God. As you read the scripture passage below, consider those whom God brings to mind. Those you call friend, brother or sister in Christ or family. Write their names and giving them space in a time of thought and prayer.

 

Do nothing from selfish ambition 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, who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross.
– Philippians 2:3-8

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By Rich Obrecht

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Church was designed for us.

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 ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -Hebrews 10:24-25

 

For a young girl who grew up attending church regularly, I thought this passage was a good idea, but I didn’t realize it’s significance until much later in life. Perhaps the command to “not stop meeting together” was just a ploy to get me to church twice on Sundays. Now, as I’ve moved around and gone off on my own adventures, far away from close family and friends, I’ve experienced the deep longing to find connection and community. And, God has graciously provided kindred spirits from around the world, specifically through the Church and our times of meeting together.

I’ve met and worshiped with brothers and sisters from other nations, some of whom spoke different languages, yet I have felt the deep abiding presence of the one who calls us family. It’s no accident that God’s Word includes a passage like this. God’s words are for our benefit and when we meet together – physically showing up in the same place to corporately call our hearts to worship – we experience something we could never experience on our own. We realize we’re not alone. We feel our burdens lifted. We remember we can trust God again. Our faith rubs off on others. Our hearts fill with an unexplainable joy. We meet together because we need each other. Church was designed for us.

Unfortunately, the author of Hebrews explains why this command is really there. Believers give up on meeting together. He says, “as some are in the habit of doing” (Hebrews 10:25). We give up because it doesn’t always feel like thriving community where our burdens are lifted. It doesn’t always fill like a joyous experience. People are people – just like brothers will be brothers and sisters will be sisters. Meeting together with the family of God is not always an easy thing, but it is designed for our benefit. Church is a gift. Being able to meet together weekly is an opportunity – not to just meet our needs, but to belong to something bigger than ourselves. Even when seasons of meeting together are hard, the commitment to the family will strengthen our bond, grow our character, and be an incredible witness for the world to see. Let’s continue meeting together for our sake and for God’s glory! Join us next Sunday for worship![/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Yvonne Biel 

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Recognizing church as family moves church into a new category – with fresh possibilities and renewed significance.

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So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. (Ephesians 2:19)

 

There are several things a biological family holds in common: shared genetics, a shared name, a shared residence, and shared time together. Typically, family also shares hopes and dreams. Family is intended to be one of the most significant and formative communities we have as human beings. Therefore, when the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and made the statement, “you are members of the household of God,” it carries significant weight. Recognizing church as family moves church into a new category – with fresh possibilities and renewed significance.

As you read through the Scriptures, you won’t find the church referred to as an organization, a corporation, an institution, or a business. No. You’ll see the church identified as a body and a family. These are very personal terms. The Christian life begins when we’re “born again” (John 3:3) and born into a new family. It’s why biblical authors use adoption terminology and why followers of Jesus refer to each other as “brother” and “sister.” The New Testament is laden familial imagery, and it continues to echo down since the inception of the church.

If church is family, there are important implications. First, certain things we share with our church family transcend things we share with our biological family. We share the same Father, Lord, Spirit, redemption, foundation, and destiny. These bind us together and far outweigh the differences we maintain. Secondly, recognizing church as family changes our approach to ‘attending’ church. Going to church is more like dinner at a family member’s house than going to a restaurant. When you go to dinner with family, you offer to help prepare and serve the meal. Your focus is on enjoying time together, not being served perfect food. If church is family, maybe we need to celebrate our commonalities as well as reexamine our approach by moving from observation to participation and from consumption to contribution.

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By Ryan Paulson

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God wants our love for him to grow.

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 ⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

 

When it comes to remembering, maybe you’re the person who ties a ring around your finger. Maybe not. More likely, you set a reminder on their phone, you ask a friend for a phone call, you make copious to-do lists or load up your surroundings with sticky notes. Why? Because you’re forgetful. We all need reminders and often times physical and external triggers help bring important details to mind.

This is how many Orthodox Jews apply the instructions surrounding the Shema. They take the command to “bind on your foreheads” and “tie as symbols on your hands” literally in order to have a physical reminder of God’s spoken commands (Deuteronomy 6:8 NIV). Not such a bad idea, huh? Well, when you see the phylacteries, Pastor Ryan referred to on Sunday, you might second-guess this idea. Yet, I find their dedication to obeying this command quite astounding. Despite discomfort and possible humiliation, they take God’s Word seriously.

Now, it’s one thing to bind a box around your wrist with a leather strap or wear a symbolic bracelet. It’s another thing to bind something on your heart. The latter seems to be the intent of the passage. God wants our love for him to grow and by setting up physical and external triggers, we designate even just one more moment to remembering God and his love. So, whether you agree or disagree with how this verse should be applied, I think we can learn from the Jews. Set up a physical reminder of the Shema – God’s desire for you to love him with everything in you. You might put a note on your mirror in your bathroom or car that you will see frequently. Get creative, but be strategic. This could be visual, spatial, kinesthetic, or interpersonal, but allow it to be a personal and consistent reminder of God and his love for you this week.

 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
-Ephesians 3:17-19

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By Yvonne Biel 

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To teach is to touch a life forever. 

[/ultimate_heading][us_separator height=”20px” size=”custom”][us_sharing providers=”email,facebook,twitter,gplus”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Teaching is my life.  Whether I’m teaching at the music academy, the private Christian school, or homeschooling my grandkids, I love it. But the highlight of my week is getting as much of God’s word into kid’s hearts, especially in Sunday School. Being around each child’s sweet face, effervescent personality, and exuberant activity speaks to me of God’s incredible creation and love. Unfortunately, according to Wheaton College professor, Timothy Larsen, “it has been demonstrated that biblical literacy has continued to decline.” He says, “Gallup polls have tracked this descent to a current ‘record low.’”

The good news is everyone is a teacher because we follow Jesus. This is a theme found throughout the scripture. The Shema, Israel’s statement of faith in One Lord God, commands parents teach children diligently by reciting it each morning and night (Deuteronomy 6:4-8). Over and over, the Psalms command us to tell the next generation of the wonderful things the Lord has done (Psalm 78, 79:13, 145). The Seven Feasts, which includes the Passover, use visual reminders of what God has done and points us to what he will do in the future (Exodus 12:21-27). God is all about passing on faith. In the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates the importance of children and teaching them by allowing them to come to him to be blessed. The Apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of daily spiritual food (Hebrews 5:11-14). Luke’s gospel urges us to know the truth, and have certainty of what we’ve been taught (Luke 1:4).

To pass on our faith, there’s no more important task than teaching, because both parenting and discipling require it. As a young believer, I began sharing Christ with my high school classmates, attending Bible studies, and putting myself under the instruction of godly teachers. As a young parent, I took these commands seriously. Becoming a Sunday School teacher equipped me to be the best parent I could be. Trainings, curriculum lessons, and Bible studies gave me what I needed to teach my kids confidently as we came and went, walked and talked, sat and dined. My job as a parent is to follow the commands in Scripture to teach my children, and let God do the rest. It’s my job as a believer to share Christ with others and leave the results to the Holy Spirit.

To teach is to touch a life forever. The process of teaching begins in the heart. Every heart can be God’s teacher by living and doing His word continually, every day, all day long. Because we profess the Lord is God, our priority is to do all we can, at all the times we can, to win hearts and minds for the Lord. We set an example in our words and in our life. Who we are and how we live echo into future generations just as loud as words. Identify where you might invest in future generations. Email any of the NexGen staff at South Fellowship Church if you need ideas. Amy Palma, Children’s Director at [email protected]. Josh Suddath, Youth Pastor, at [email protected]. Yvonne Biel, Young Adult’s Director at [email protected].

 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:19-20

 

The good person out of the good treasure
of his heart produces good, and the evil person
out of his evil treasure produces evil.
For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
– Luke 6:45

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By Donna Burns

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our loves will determine the course of our life

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“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6:4-9

We’ve all played the game ‘telephone.’ You start by giving someone a message and pass the message down to subsequent people. Inevitably, the message is distorted by the time it gets to the end of the line. At times, the game can be quite humorous. However, if you’ve tried to communicate an important message and had a similar thing happen, you know it can be very frustrating. If you want to communicate something important and don’t want it distorted, you must communicate it directly and fervently.

That’s the call of Shema. God is summoning Israel – he is communicating clearly and directly. The first word of Shema is so important, “Hear!” It’s as though God is shouting, “You can’t miss this. Your life depends on understanding and embracing this central reality.” So, God communicates this truth emphatically and directly through the Scriptures. The first verses of Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 read, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” To love God is the central calling of those who follow God. People have wrestled with the meaning of life and the chief end of man for centuries, but Shema makes it clear – love God. Everything in life flows from our loves. In fact, our loves will determine the course of our life.

Much has been made about dissecting the different faculties that the Scriptures call us to use to love God – heart, soul, and might. While it is of some use to look at these in depth, the point of the passage is clear. We’re to love God with our entire being. We’re to surrender to his love with our thoughts, our will, our feelings, our emotions, our decisions, and our desires. The deepest roots of our life are to be grounded in the calling to love God. The fact that this is what God wants us to hear and the message he wants pure and undistorted, communicates something about God. It declares that God is not interested simply in our performance of duties, but rather in our devotion. It reminds us that God is not captivated by our legalism, but wants us to be captivated by his affection. Finally, it communicates our love is God’s ardent desire.

Take a moment today and listen to the song Abide with Me. Let the invitation wash over. Hear… and remind yourself that God wants your presence, your devotion, and your love.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Ryan Paulson

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God wants us to obey precisely because it is what is best for us.

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¹“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, ² that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. ³ Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

“Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus…” My commute consisted of chanting this with my daughter on the way to school today. She has to learn the books of the Old Testament for Awana, and I’ve loved watching her learn verses by heart through this program. I find myself wishing for more than that for her though. My longing is that she doesn’t just learn to rattle off a verse, but that she learns to live each verse.

Just like Awana memory devices, the Shema is designed to help people hear, teach, and remember the commands of God. The people of Israel would recite this daily. The question is, why? Why was it so important for the people to remember Gods commands? The first three verses of chapter 6 tell us why. God wanted them to obey the commands. That sounds elementary, but is it really? How many good things do we know about and never put into action? I know all the benefits of eating healthy and budgeting but I struggle to do them. Acknowledging things that are good to do doesn’t mean we actually do them. God wanted more for his people like I want more for my daughter. He wants more than knowing the right things, he wants us to do the right thing. So the next question is why should we obey? Why should we DO?

I have often thought of the promises of God as a transaction. If I put in a bit of obedience, God shells out a bit of goodness toward me. It’s easy to think this way because we live in such a transactional world. That is not the nature of scriptures promises though. Obedience isn’t the payment for promise. It’s the vehicle of promise. If we get the impression God needs us to obey so his plan can unfold then we miss the point of his commands and we misunderstand the power of God. God wants us to obey precisely because it is what is best for us. We’re designed to do the things he commands and when we don’t, life feels misaligned. God’s commands are the best way to live. Don’t hear me say they’re the easiest way to live. Exercising is much harder than sitting on the couch but it’s a better way to live.

God made us in such a way as to thrive on the kind of actions he commands for us to do. A failure to apply God’s word to our lives is a failure to live the way we’re made to live. If you’ve ever felt like Christianity wasn’t working the way you expected or like God was silent or like there was something more to faith then what you have, this could be part of the issue. Learning the words “love the Lord your God” are useless unless we love the Lord our God. Take some time to evaluate the posture of your soul toward God’s word. Do you approach scripture or a sermon or a Bible study with a disposition to obey what you learn? Try praying this prayer and asking God to help you live out the knowledge you have already.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Aaron Bjorklund

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Learning within family is to be done at every opportunity in their daily life – sleeping, waking, walking, resting.

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¹ “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, ² that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. ³ Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁴“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

After wandering around in the wilderness for years, experiencing the miracles of God, things like water out of a rock, fire and clouds guiding them, the earth swallowing people, and fire consuming sin-filled people, they’re here. Ready and poised to cross the Jordan and begin occupying their promised land. Moses, compelled to reiterate the law, prepares the people to cross. This is where we find the Shema, which means “hear” in Hebrew.

Moses tells the people they’re to follow the ‘rules’ laid down by God.  If they’re committed to abiding by them, and every effort to educate their family, the things promised would be theirs. God knows his creation, and we see this in the way he tries to get this people to not be forgetful. Not willing to let the people try to figure it out on their own, God tells them how to do it!  It’s really not hard.  They’re told to love God with everything they are – with every aspect of their existence.

Loving God is to be their first concern and learning by hearing ensures the blessings promised will be realized.  Learning within family is to be done at every opportunity in their daily life – sleeping, waking, walking, resting. The ultimate goal of this education is echoed in verse six. “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6).   God wanted the process of learning to love to be so absorbed and embedded in their hearts so that it would be lived out fully.  What a wonderful example for us!  We can be just as diligent in our love for God as well as teaching this love to our families! Listen to the Shema in this video as a call to teach others to love the Lord today.[/vc_column_text][us_separator height=”25px” size=”custom”][vc_column_text]

By Rich Obrecht

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