Dec 2009
Hungry
Dec 28, 2009
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
-Acts 1:8
It was a humbling experience on Christmas Day to be part of an effort to feed those within our community who are less fortunate. This act of ministry was not a program of the church but the outpouring of love which began with one person saying, "I want to make a difference." Before we knew it, the food, tents and other needed items to pull it off were committed and all that was left was the hands to help serve. After sharing two weeks ago the vision for the Christmas Day feeding, we had an outpouring of volunteers.
As our family arrived to serve, the weather had turned bad, it was pouring rain and the temperature had began to fall. Those coming to be fed were small in number but a decision midway through prompted us to begin taking the prepared meals to areas that we knew people were hurting. What took place over the next two hours was amazing!
As I helped deliver meals, I thought of the similarity between what we were experiencing that afternoon and church as usual. It is normal for us to plan and prepare the meal each Sunday while depending on those in need to be in attendance and ready to receive what is being served. The reality is, most people needing the gospel are not flocking to the church on Sunday to be fed. If they are not coming to the church, where are they and why aren't they coming to the church? Don't they know what they are missing, or is it that they don't care? Regardless of the reasons as to why they aren't showing up, Jesus's instructions to us on the inside were pretty simple: Don't wait on them to come to us, go to them.
If we plan on impacting the world in which we live, this adjustment in ministry protocol must be made. How will this pattern of ministry affect how we do church? How will this pattern of ministry affect the way we live? Can we even begin to imagine the potential when we catch a glimpse of seeing what Jesus saw and doing what Jesus did?
-Sidney
-Acts 1:8
It was a humbling experience on Christmas Day to be part of an effort to feed those within our community who are less fortunate. This act of ministry was not a program of the church but the outpouring of love which began with one person saying, "I want to make a difference." Before we knew it, the food, tents and other needed items to pull it off were committed and all that was left was the hands to help serve. After sharing two weeks ago the vision for the Christmas Day feeding, we had an outpouring of volunteers.
As our family arrived to serve, the weather had turned bad, it was pouring rain and the temperature had began to fall. Those coming to be fed were small in number but a decision midway through prompted us to begin taking the prepared meals to areas that we knew people were hurting. What took place over the next two hours was amazing!
As I helped deliver meals, I thought of the similarity between what we were experiencing that afternoon and church as usual. It is normal for us to plan and prepare the meal each Sunday while depending on those in need to be in attendance and ready to receive what is being served. The reality is, most people needing the gospel are not flocking to the church on Sunday to be fed. If they are not coming to the church, where are they and why aren't they coming to the church? Don't they know what they are missing, or is it that they don't care? Regardless of the reasons as to why they aren't showing up, Jesus's instructions to us on the inside were pretty simple: Don't wait on them to come to us, go to them.
If we plan on impacting the world in which we live, this adjustment in ministry protocol must be made. How will this pattern of ministry affect how we do church? How will this pattern of ministry affect the way we live? Can we even begin to imagine the potential when we catch a glimpse of seeing what Jesus saw and doing what Jesus did?
-Sidney
The Reason For The Season
Dec 21, 2009
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
-Matthew 1:18-21
Jesus is the reason for the season. Or is He? In Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus, the writer reminds us that Jesus was born for a purpose. In the book of John, John's perspective of Jesus's birth was noted when he wrote in the his first chapter:
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men"
Even though there was the sun, moon and stars, the earth was a dark place because of our sin. Man did the very best he could but his life was still a mess, broken and full of darkness. John went on to say:
"the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it:
God's response to our broken and helpless condition was to provide a Savior to save us from our sin. The Savior's name was Jesus. Jesus would penetrate the darkness and bring light. It was the birth of God's own Son who would bring hope to every person who was willing to trust in Him. May we be reminded that there is Christmas because there is sin and sin because there are sinners. In reality, I'm the reason for the season, and believe it or not, so are you!
Merry Christmas!
-Sidney
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
-Matthew 1:18-21
Jesus is the reason for the season. Or is He? In Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus, the writer reminds us that Jesus was born for a purpose. In the book of John, John's perspective of Jesus's birth was noted when he wrote in the his first chapter:
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men"
Even though there was the sun, moon and stars, the earth was a dark place because of our sin. Man did the very best he could but his life was still a mess, broken and full of darkness. John went on to say:
"the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it:
God's response to our broken and helpless condition was to provide a Savior to save us from our sin. The Savior's name was Jesus. Jesus would penetrate the darkness and bring light. It was the birth of God's own Son who would bring hope to every person who was willing to trust in Him. May we be reminded that there is Christmas because there is sin and sin because there are sinners. In reality, I'm the reason for the season, and believe it or not, so are you!
Merry Christmas!
-Sidney
God Sent A Savior
Dec 14, 2009
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God...
-1 Peter 3:18
When reading the Bible, there is a sense that the religious leaders of Jesus’s time indicated our approach to God was based on what we did or didn’t do--that our relationship with God was a result of our goodness or lack of badness. We still do the same thing these days don’t we? It is easy to convince ourselves that our approach to God is a result of our personal righteousness or consistency. It would also be easy to assume that in giving more, God would love me more. However, the truth is that this theology, this way of thinking, only leaves us empty and on the religious treadmill.
The real story of Christmas, is a story where God reiterates something that has been true from the beginning. We can approach God on a relational level. However, the foundation of that relationship is not what we do or don’t do. The foundation of our relationship with God is only possible because of what He has done on our behalf. Instead of a system, God sent us a Savior. Who will you share this story with?
-Sidney
-1 Peter 3:18
When reading the Bible, there is a sense that the religious leaders of Jesus’s time indicated our approach to God was based on what we did or didn’t do--that our relationship with God was a result of our goodness or lack of badness. We still do the same thing these days don’t we? It is easy to convince ourselves that our approach to God is a result of our personal righteousness or consistency. It would also be easy to assume that in giving more, God would love me more. However, the truth is that this theology, this way of thinking, only leaves us empty and on the religious treadmill.
The real story of Christmas, is a story where God reiterates something that has been true from the beginning. We can approach God on a relational level. However, the foundation of that relationship is not what we do or don’t do. The foundation of our relationship with God is only possible because of what He has done on our behalf. Instead of a system, God sent us a Savior. Who will you share this story with?
-Sidney
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