COGWC Men's Ministry

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Pastor Joey Burns(Family Responsibility)7-21-13

Power Tools For The Asking

^{Proverbs 24}

³By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
⁴through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.

⁵The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
⁶Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers.

These verses speak of building a house, but after some study, I think this could be a metaphor for building a life. Let's think about it for a while today.
Those of us who have had the experience (I started to say good fortune, but while you are in the midst of it, it doesn't seem so great) of building a home, have seen the steps involved in putting it together. Let's face it --- there are certain steps to follow, and a certain order in which they must be completed. You don't go and buy lovely lamps and framed artwork, before you lay the foundation and get the structure "in the dry" (walls up, and a roof on it).

Solomon is unrolling a blueprint for us here in these verses: our life should be built with wisdom, on a foundation of understanding. We learn about wisdom from Solomon -- to seek it, to value it, to use it. Did you also know that wisdom and understanding can be power tools for us? You see, those that increase in wisdom are "strengthened with all might."

Check out what Paul says in Colossians 1: 9b,11:
⁹. . . We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, . . . ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
Once He helps us to establish a foundation, then we can fill each chamber with treasures . . . patience, kindness, contentment, joy, and more.
And there are more "power tools" in our toolbox. The last two verses today speak of our strength, our waging war, and our achieving victory. We know there are verses that mention being at war with Satan, and we know that we can have true victory over him: Ephesians 6:11 is a trumpet call to battle -- Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

But, you say, I'm tired of the battle. I'm weary. I've tried so hard, and I don't think I'm winning.
It may be health issues that you struggling with; it may be family or friends relationships that cause you heartache; you may be at war with the devil on any number of issues.
Grab your power tools! I don't mean to trivialize this -- I have struggles too, and my heart aches sometimes, and yes, I cry out to God for help. I even whine sometimes, and then have to ask Him to forgive me.
Here's what I should do, instead --- these power tools are right here for my asking:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” II Cor. 12:9

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” II Pet. 1:3

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” II Cor. 9:8

These are precious promises. I hope they help you, as they have helped me.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Friday, July 19, 2013

Listen to the Story of Your Community

All Christians are missionaries, as long as we’re obeying the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Viewing ourselves as missionaries helps us as we look at the world around us. Like missionaries, we must understand our context, our communities, the people among whom we live. We must listen to the story of our community.
All too often, we tend to neglect our communities for the sake of ministry or life. This is unfortunate, because we are placed in our communities for a purpose. The church is part of a specific community in order that the people of that church can participate in God’s work of changing that community. We sing, “this world is not my home, I’m just a passing through,” but truly this world is our home, at least for now. It’s time we take a redemptive look at our community, listen to their story, and engage them with the gospel.
Here are some suggestions on listening to the story of your community.

Pay attention to people. One pastor, put it this way: ”the best leaders become students of their mission field.” You must be a student if you are to learn. You must learn if you are to minister. You must minister if you are to be a missionary. And we must all be missionaries for Jesus Christ. This process begins with paying attention to people, the very substance of your community story. Listen to them and learn from them.
Move beyond acquaintances, and dive into friendships. We give lip service to the idea of forming relationships with people in our community, but how difficult it is to actually do it! Sure, we may make smalltalk with the coffee barista, hail the mail carrier with a friendly “howdy,” and smile at familiar faces during our morning jog. We have acquaintances, but do we have friendships? Acquaintances are easy, uncomplicated, clean, and maintenance-free. Friendships, by contrary, can be sometimes messy, complex, time-consuming, and unpleasant. That’s where we need to go — to the point of friendships, where the real work of relationship begins.
Become an active member of your community. Are you involved in your community? Not everyone is an extrovert, and not everyone needs to be a member of the HOA board or a little league coach. But surely we can become better involved. A neighborhood is not merely a place to stay. It is a place to live — to put down roots, and become part of the fabric of the community.

Once you listen to the story of your community, you are better able to articulate the story of the Bible, the most important story of all time. We’re missionaries, and missionaries must understand their context to make the necessary adaptations. Our message remains the same, but our methods adjust to the nuances of our community. Let’s get involved in the community story, and help to transform it.

Source/Leadership Blog