From Rick Warren's Daily Devotional for June 28: "We Serve God by Serving Others." Our congregation needs to individually consider their status as a servant because it will allow us to find our calling, our niche, and will allow us to be very efficient with our time and resources.
Thousands of books have been written on leadership, but few on servanthood. Everyone wants to lead; no one wants to be a servant. We would rather be generals than privates. Even Christians want to be “servant-leaders,” not just plain servants. But to be like Jesus is to be a servant. That’s what he called himself.
While knowing your shape is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important. Remember, God shaped you for service, not for self-centeredness. Without a servant’s heart, you will be tempted to misuse your shape for personal gain. You will also be tempted to use it as an excuse to exempt yourself from meeting some needs.
God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in ways we’re not shaped. If you see a man fall into a ditch, God expects you to help him out, not say, “I don’t have the gift of mercy or service.”
While you may not be gifted for a particular task, you may be called to do it if no one who is gifted at it is around. Your primary ministry should be in the area of your shape, but your secondary service is wherever you’re needed at the moment.
Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant’s heart will reveal your maturity. No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character.
It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant’s heart.
How can you know if you have the heart of a servant?
Jesus said, “You can tell what they are by what they do” (Matthew 7:16 CEV).
Take time when you are brushing your teeth, or washing dishes, or some other activity that doesn't take too much brain power and pray for God to help you pursue your line of service. Also pray for the members of our church family and community to be worthy servants.
Here's your challenge for the week: Look at what others do to be servants. Explain what you can do or did do when your servant's heart is tested. I'll try to blog daily on this topic for the rest of the week in addition to any other topics.
Peace,
Jonas
St. Jacob's Stone Church, 5152 Stone Church Rd. Glenville, PA
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
"Serve us" or Service?
From Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.
The last thing many believers need is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need are serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles.
Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we're more interested in "serve us" than service. We say, "I'm looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me," not "I'm looking for a place to serve and be a blessing." We expect others to serve us, not vice versa.
But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, "Who's going to meet my needs?" and starts asking, "Whose needs can I meet?"
Right on, Rick! We need to continually strive toward service in our church family.
Peace,
Jonas
The last thing many believers need is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need are serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles.
Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we're more interested in "serve us" than service. We say, "I'm looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me," not "I'm looking for a place to serve and be a blessing." We expect others to serve us, not vice versa.
But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, "Who's going to meet my needs?" and starts asking, "Whose needs can I meet?"
Right on, Rick! We need to continually strive toward service in our church family.
Peace,
Jonas
Thursday, June 17, 2010
What Excuses Have You Been Using?
I was reading Rick Warren's Daily Devotion and realized the magnitude of our potential as a church. Not just a group of folks under a roof, but the whole church of Christ. We certainly have no excuse for any uninvolvement in ministry.
As we serve together in God's family, our lives take on eternal importance. Paul said, "I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less . . . because of what you are a part of." (1 Corinthians 12:14a, 19 MSG)
God wants to use you to make a difference in his world. He wants to work through you. What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it. Not how long you lived, but how you lived.
If you're not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using?
Abraham was old,
Jacob was insecure,
Leah was unattractive,
Joseph was abused,
Moses stuttered,
Gideon was poor,
Samson was codependent,
Rahab was immoral,
David had an affair and all kinds of family problems,
Elijah was suicidal,
Jeremiah was depressed,
Jonah was reluctant,
Naomi was a widow,
John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least,
Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered,
Martha worried a lot,
The Samaritan woman had several failed marriages,
Zacchaeus was unpopular,
Thomas had doubts,
Paul had poor health, and
Timothy was timid.
That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in his service. He will use you, too, if you stop making excuses.
Find a church family that you can relate to and dig deep into a ministry that interests you. Your talents and passion are to be used by God, whether you feel that you have found them or not. God will sift them to the surface.
Peace,
Jonas
As we serve together in God's family, our lives take on eternal importance. Paul said, "I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less . . . because of what you are a part of." (1 Corinthians 12:14a, 19 MSG)
God wants to use you to make a difference in his world. He wants to work through you. What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it. Not how long you lived, but how you lived.
If you're not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using?
Abraham was old,
Jacob was insecure,
Leah was unattractive,
Joseph was abused,
Moses stuttered,
Gideon was poor,
Samson was codependent,
Rahab was immoral,
David had an affair and all kinds of family problems,
Elijah was suicidal,
Jeremiah was depressed,
Jonah was reluctant,
Naomi was a widow,
John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least,
Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered,
Martha worried a lot,
The Samaritan woman had several failed marriages,
Zacchaeus was unpopular,
Thomas had doubts,
Paul had poor health, and
Timothy was timid.
That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in his service. He will use you, too, if you stop making excuses.
Find a church family that you can relate to and dig deep into a ministry that interests you. Your talents and passion are to be used by God, whether you feel that you have found them or not. God will sift them to the surface.
Peace,
Jonas
Monday, June 14, 2010
Discipline--repetition or "love of self?"
At a recent book study, we read about discipline as a "love of self" from Reaching People under 40 while Keeping People over 60 by Ed Hammett and James Pierce. We then discussed whether discipline was truly a love for self or whether it was just repetition. PJ thought discipline is not always a "loving" feeling; sometimes discipline is the last thing we want to do. Rick Warren's daily devotion personally reinforced that discipline is a repetitious exercise, done because I "love" (or like) trying to be more Christlike.
Friday, June 11, 2010
You cannot grow without a teachable attitude
by Rick Warren
Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. 1 Timothy 4:15 (GW)
While you were given a brand new nature at the moment of conversion, you still have old habits, patterns, and practices that need to be removed and replaced.
We are afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves. I have already pointed out that the truth will set us free but it often makes us miserable first.
Yeah...you're not kidding, Rick...
The fear of what we might discover if we honestly faced our character defects keeps us living in the prison of denial. Yet, we often build our identities around our defects. We say, "It's just like me to be ..." and "It's just the way I am." The unconscious worry is that if I let go of my habit, my hurt, or my hang-up, who will I be? This fear can definitely slow down your growth.
Only as God is allowed to shine the light of his truth on our faults, failures, and hang-ups can we begin to work on them. This is why you cannot grow without a humble, teachable attitude.
• Godly habits take time to develop. Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can't claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind—you show kindness without even thinking about it. You can't claim to have integrity unless it is your habit to always be honest. A husband who is faithful to his wife most of the time is not faithful at all!
• Your habits define your character. There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: You must practice them—and that takes time! There are no instant habits. Paul urged Timothy, "Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress." (1 Timothy 4:15, GW)
If you practice something over time, you get good at it. Repetition is the mother of character and skill. These character-building habits are often called "spiritual disciplines," and they include such things as meditation, prayer, fasting, Bible study, simplicity, stewardship, solitude, submission, service and evangelism.
Practice a Christlike discipline: a repetitious love of self-betterment.
Peace,
Jonas
Friday, June 11, 2010
You cannot grow without a teachable attitude
by Rick Warren
Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. 1 Timothy 4:15 (GW)
While you were given a brand new nature at the moment of conversion, you still have old habits, patterns, and practices that need to be removed and replaced.
We are afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves. I have already pointed out that the truth will set us free but it often makes us miserable first.
Yeah...you're not kidding, Rick...
The fear of what we might discover if we honestly faced our character defects keeps us living in the prison of denial. Yet, we often build our identities around our defects. We say, "It's just like me to be ..." and "It's just the way I am." The unconscious worry is that if I let go of my habit, my hurt, or my hang-up, who will I be? This fear can definitely slow down your growth.
Only as God is allowed to shine the light of his truth on our faults, failures, and hang-ups can we begin to work on them. This is why you cannot grow without a humble, teachable attitude.
• Godly habits take time to develop. Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can't claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind—you show kindness without even thinking about it. You can't claim to have integrity unless it is your habit to always be honest. A husband who is faithful to his wife most of the time is not faithful at all!
• Your habits define your character. There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: You must practice them—and that takes time! There are no instant habits. Paul urged Timothy, "Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress." (1 Timothy 4:15, GW)
If you practice something over time, you get good at it. Repetition is the mother of character and skill. These character-building habits are often called "spiritual disciplines," and they include such things as meditation, prayer, fasting, Bible study, simplicity, stewardship, solitude, submission, service and evangelism.
Practice a Christlike discipline: a repetitious love of self-betterment.
Peace,
Jonas
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Daily Devotionals with Rick Warren
Jonas here. I get a daily devotional from The Purpose Driven Connection via email from Rick Warren. He's at Saddleback Church. It's usually a quick read about something that I can immediately apply to my life.
I thought I'd share today's with you and maybe you want to subscribe.
http://profile.purposedriven.com/dailyhope/post.html?contentid=4561\
Real maturity takes time
Wednesday June 09 2010 12:00 AM
Posted by Rick Warren
Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Corinthians 3:18b (Msg)
"Every day God wants you to become a little more like him. "
Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ. The Bible says, "We arrive at real maturity—that measure of development which is meant by 'the fullness of Christ.'" (Ephesians 4:13, Phillips
Christlikeness is your eventual destination, but your journey will last a lifetime. This journey involves believing (through worship), belonging (through fellowship), and becoming (through discipleship). Every day God wants you to become a little more like him: "You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you." (Colossians 3:10a, NCV)
Today we're obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability than swiftness. We want the quick fix, the shortcut, the on-the-spot solution. We want a sermon, a seminar, or an experience that will instantly resolve all problems, remove all temptation, and release us from all growing pains.
But real maturity is never the result of a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving. Growth is gradual. The Bible says, "Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him." (2 Corinthians 3:18b, Msg)
I thought I'd share today's with you and maybe you want to subscribe.
http://profile.purposedriven.com/dailyhope/post.html?contentid=4561\
Real maturity takes time
Wednesday June 09 2010 12:00 AM
Posted by Rick Warren
Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 2 Corinthians 3:18b (Msg)
"Every day God wants you to become a little more like him. "
Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ. The Bible says, "We arrive at real maturity—that measure of development which is meant by 'the fullness of Christ.'" (Ephesians 4:13, Phillips
Christlikeness is your eventual destination, but your journey will last a lifetime. This journey involves believing (through worship), belonging (through fellowship), and becoming (through discipleship). Every day God wants you to become a little more like him: "You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you." (Colossians 3:10a, NCV)
Today we're obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability than swiftness. We want the quick fix, the shortcut, the on-the-spot solution. We want a sermon, a seminar, or an experience that will instantly resolve all problems, remove all temptation, and release us from all growing pains.
But real maturity is never the result of a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving. Growth is gradual. The Bible says, "Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him." (2 Corinthians 3:18b, Msg)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Hello everyone! Welcome to our first run at a blog for our church family. I'm sure we'll adapt and change things very often and that's the idea!
We decided we needed to start a blog for our congregation as we read Reaching People under 40 while Keeping People over 60 by Edward H. Hammett with James R. Pierce. We're trying to be church for all generations--reaching out to a younger generation, while, simultaneously, honoring and preserving our rich heritage. It's a journey. It's a process. We're prepared to step into it because we've already changed for the better in many tangible and intangible ways. Of course--it doesn't make sense to change for the sake of change. We've got our focus on Jesus Christ and we will change as the Holy Spirit guides us.
We'll use the blog for updates on church activities and information. Maybe part of our future worship services will be answering or speaking to issues raised on the blog. This is not supposed to be a clean-cut, neat and tidy kind of blog. We want to ask questions that raise eyebrows because they are the questions on our hearts. We want you to raise issues that make us happy and proud, but also the issues that make us step back and think. This is for furthering Christ's ministry and understanding how our lives mirror that of the most Holy God.
If we don't ask the questions and spread the word, we won't be doing the work we were created to accomplish. This blog is founded on biblical principal: "I tell You," Jesus said, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40.(NIV) We will not be silent.
Check out our home website by clicking on the picture of our church above. Also, visit our interactive wikispace for detailed information on the ministries of our church and for many pictures.
Peace,
Jonas
We decided we needed to start a blog for our congregation as we read Reaching People under 40 while Keeping People over 60 by Edward H. Hammett with James R. Pierce. We're trying to be church for all generations--reaching out to a younger generation, while, simultaneously, honoring and preserving our rich heritage. It's a journey. It's a process. We're prepared to step into it because we've already changed for the better in many tangible and intangible ways. Of course--it doesn't make sense to change for the sake of change. We've got our focus on Jesus Christ and we will change as the Holy Spirit guides us.
We'll use the blog for updates on church activities and information. Maybe part of our future worship services will be answering or speaking to issues raised on the blog. This is not supposed to be a clean-cut, neat and tidy kind of blog. We want to ask questions that raise eyebrows because they are the questions on our hearts. We want you to raise issues that make us happy and proud, but also the issues that make us step back and think. This is for furthering Christ's ministry and understanding how our lives mirror that of the most Holy God.
If we don't ask the questions and spread the word, we won't be doing the work we were created to accomplish. This blog is founded on biblical principal: "I tell You," Jesus said, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40.(NIV) We will not be silent.
Check out our home website by clicking on the picture of our church above. Also, visit our interactive wikispace for detailed information on the ministries of our church and for many pictures.
Peace,
Jonas
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