What is Church?

I remember as a child going to church... every service, every week virtually the same; 3 songs, a sermon and a prayer (for Catholics it's 3 songs, a sermon, communion, then a prayer)! But once a year we'd cancel the service for a church potluck picnic... and that was out-of-the-box then.

As an adult the potluck thing is always a little scary... you find yourself asking, "I wonder who made this, and did they wash their hands with anti-bacterial soap?" Okay, maybe it's just me, still it's kinda freaky!

Anyway, what is a church service supposed to look like? That is a great question for which I am seeking the answer to.

On Sunday, September 23rd we did an OUT-OF-THE-BOX service called, The Sunday Morning Show with Timmy & Brandon. We totally got the format from David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Saturday Night Live… but of course cleaned it up a bit (rated G) and ran a positive theme through the entire program.

Basically we wanted to communicate that it’s okay to have LAUGH and have FUN in church AND that a church service doesn’t always HAVE to have 3 songs, a sermon, and a prayer. You can have a service where there is a strong message, a variety of music and the prayer took place the week before… and it still is effective and people were touched.

Here is just ONE of many great emails we’ve received about our Sunday Morning Show (service).

Just wanted to let everyone who was involved in last Sunday’s service what a fantastic job you did. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time, and never in church. You put a lot of thought and hours into that, and it showed. You all did wonderful and I wanted to let you know that.

I still have my safety guards up when it comes to church, and you are definitely making those guards come down little by little. Pretty much everything Pastor Timmy says about god, old church ways etc....are things I myself have thought to myself but never said aloud. Thank you for making me want to come to church. Thanks for all your hard work and honesty.

Thank you,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Narrow-mindedness

Being OPEN-MINDED doesn’t mean you CHANGE your beliefs, nor does it mean you believe everything that you hear! But you are WILLING and OPEN to hear another’s beliefs while withholding judgment.

QUOTE: “An open-mind can still travel a narrow road” – Darren Tyler

The whole, “you’re wrong, I’m right; and you should repent or you’re going straight to hell.” Just isn’t the approach I see Jesus using in the Bible.

I have a memory of being in elementary school back in the late 70’s (wow, I feel old!) at least I wasn’t in High School in the 70’s. (ha)

Anyway, I remember arguing with a teacher over the whole idea of the existence of Dinosaurs. I remember being told by my pastor that Dinosaurs did not exist because there was no mention of them in the Bible. Ignorant narrowmindedness on my part!

I feel this is one of the areas that we Christians can grow in... being open-minded... being able to LISTEN rather then judge and condemn.

Here is our Dig Deeper Devotional from the message on Narrow-mindedness vs. Open-mindedness.

Monday

[Romans 8:38-39]

What does that mean to you?

Tuesday

[Luke 23:33]

Why would Jesus do that?

Wednesday

[Matthew 9:5-7]

Whose sins can Jesus forgive?

Thursday

[John 14:6-7]

What does that mean, “Jesus is the way”?

Friday

[Matthew 7]

What is this chapter say to you?

*Excerpt from Timmy's message on September 16, 2007

Judge Not - pt1

Obviously this picture is of a person who sucks!

Sunday, Sept. 9th we kicked off our series entitled, Why We Christians Suck Sometimes. The series title is simply to get people's attention! The real series title could be, Characteristics of a Great Christian, or What a Great Christian Looks Like...

4 things we will cover in this series:

1) Judgmentalism versus GRACE

2) Hypocrisy versus AUTHENTICITY

3) Narrow-mindedness versus OPEN-MINDEDNESS

4) Legalism versus Law of LOVE

TITLE: JUDGE NOT

MEMORY VERSE: Luke 6:37 “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

TEXT: Matthew 7:3-4 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”

What is wrong with judging people?

1) It’s not our JOB!

Romans 2:16 “…God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ…”

2) It says we’re BETTER then others, when we are not.

Romans 3:23 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

3) It’s a turn OFF.


3 things Christians should be

1) Gracious!

2) Merciful!

3) Loving!

Proverbs 10:12 “…but love covers all sins.”

BOTTOM LINE: Don’t judge other people!

DIG DEEPER DEVOTIONAL

..................................................

[Matthew 7:1-2]


Do you liked to be judged?

…………………….…………………….

[Romans 2:1]


How does being judgmental affect us?

…………………….…………………….

[Matthew 5:44]


Who are we to love?

…………………….…………………….

[Romans 3:23]


Why should we NOT judge?

…………………….…………………….

[Galatians 6:1-3]

How should we treat someone caught in sin?

Under the Overpass

Luke 3:11 “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

Brandon Hollis and I just spent 24 hours in the shoes of a homeless person on September 1st, 2007. What an awesome experience!

To watch the sermon that followed that experience go to: www.olathelifefellowship.org; and click on the link "WATCH MESSAGES" and then click on Sunday, September 2nd.

Most of us are living in excess. I write my sermons with a $150 pen (it was a gift, but still...) we have MORE than enough to live and then some. Even for those of us who are tight financially, we have excess.

This became real evident to me while in the shoes of the homeless. They live on less than $300 a month (most of them)... shoot, that's my phone and electric bill! They carry a back pack with ALL that they own in it. I would take 2 of the largest U-haul trucks to hold all my stuff (not including our vehicles).

Let me just say, there is nothing wrong with being rich and having excess! I believe that is God's blessing! BUT, please make sure that your excess is not all about you HAVING MORE THINGS! And if you have children, please do not raise them that way. Teach them to give and share with others.

We, as Christ-followers, should have a portion of our increase reserved for blessing others. And if you have a home church you are a part of - do your best to give at least a tenth (10%) of all that you earn to the church so they can use the money to help others. Giving to your local church is the most imortant investment you can make!

Challenge: "Live Simply so that others may Simply Live" - Darren Tyler

Jesus was Homeless

Matthew 8:19 - 20 Then a scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

I never really thought of it before, but Jesus was homeless. He was a wanderer of sorts. Going from place to place.

So, for those of us who follow Jesus, I suppose we are following a man who lived a homeless life for at least several years. Interesting!

Peace!

Crisis of faith

Mother Teresa, what a hero! And to think she was having "dark nights of the soul" as she lived in the light of God's favor.

I was checking the news for the day to just make sure I wasn't missing anything going on in our world and I came across this TOP story, Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith. Basically, there are letters she wrote that reveal a "crisis of faith" of sorts. Times she felt alone, all alone, no God, no Faith, and miserable.

Of course it grabbed me by the soul and I read. Wow! I have not even allowed time to process this "news", but I am thinking; How does this happen? How can I avoid it? Is it avoidable? Why?

These are all great questions we must ask ourselves. And I can only hypothesise to the reasons she faced these dark nights of the soul. But, I will tell you what has caused me to have dark nights of the soul.

1.) God led me there - just as the spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, I believe He leads us there for a purpose as well. Ultimately for my good, and my growth.

2.) I led myself there - I have made decisions that were bad, unfruitful, and dark. And the result is I strayed from the path God had for me. My choices! When I chose to speed (which I never do - ha ha!) I put myself in a situation to get a ticket! It's not always things I choose TO DO, but also in the things I chose NOT TO DO. For example, when I chose NOT to talk with God, and NOT read my Bible - I chose darkness. My mind becomes clouded, and when I stay fresh with my relationship with God it clears the fog.

3.) Evil led me there - Tempation. Just as David (in the Bible) was tempted to have an affair with Bathseiba, we are tempted to do bad. This leads to dark times.

4.) (Like #2) I chose to sacrifice when God has not asked me too (1 Samuel 15:22 "...Obedience is better than sacrifice...") I think sometimes we make assumptions about what it is to be holy, or a saint, or a believer, or a person of faith, or a Christian. Like in the movie, The DaVinci Code when Silas would punish himself for his sins by beating himself. I think we do this, honestly I do this sometimes. I don't beat myself, but a mildler type of beating. I make extreme sacrifices that God has not asked me to make, but I do it to punish myself, or make myself feel more holy.

Now, please understand I think we NEED to sacrifice much more than we do many times (especially in our spoiled rich culture), but we must always ask; is this something God is asking me to do, or is this me?

The fruit of sacrifice is death, but the Fruit of obedience is life.


For the complete Mother Teresa story go to: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html

Is Drinking a Sin?

I’ve been asked this question many times. And the Christian world is split in two on this one. Some Christians feel that it is terribly evil and you should never touch it or even look at it, or eat at a restaurant that serves it, and then there are those who feel as long as you drink responsibly (not being drunk, or inebriated) you are fine.

Usually those who feel it is evil look down on those who do drink and would never drink in public where people could see them, but they do it secretly... this is what we call being hypocritical!

Can I just say that clearly those who feel drinking is evil should stay clear of it, BUT do not judge those who feel it’s okay to drink responsibly. Too many times we Christians like to put OUR convictions on others… which is to judge.

So Timmy, do you drink? And what do you think about it? Well, first let me say that I fall in the camp that believes that to drink responsibly is fine, as long as you are not getting drunk, or taking away from your responsibilities in any way. (I could teach here for 3 days!)

Do I drink? I do on occassion. I recently made a decision to limit my consumption of alcohol. Not because I think it’s a sin! Drinking is NOT a sin! It’s a choice that each person must make! Now on special occassions I may still have a beer with pizza, or a glass of fine wine when in the company of my wife.

Though, for me I just got to thinking about my bio-logical father who died at 37 years of age from alcohol, and many of the health challenges associated with alcohol he faced… and I just made a decision that I felt was the best thing for me, my family and my ministry. Now, don’t get me wrong I still smoke a good cigar now and then. And no, I don’t inhale!

On a serious note; there was a scripture that kept ringing in my mind when I was thinking about all this; 1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”

I try and look at all of life through these "filter" questions:

1.) What does this ADD to my life?

2.) What does it take away from my life?

3.) What value am I or my family receiving from this?

4.) What does this ADD to those around me?

5.) What is the long term advantage or disadvantage of this activity?

6.) Will this activity help me achieve my goals?

Now sometimes there are things we all engage in that are purely because WE JUST ENJOY IT! Like a ice cold beer with pizza, and that is wonderful if you like that! We, as Christians SHOULD enjoy all that life has to offer! Just drink responsibly!

Much love!

Like a Child

I love my “spiritual talks” with my kids, and this one is the best one yet.

I was doing my usual - asking probing questions about God, the universe, life, death to Shaeylea the other day and it went something like this; “so Shaeylea, how do you know that God exists?” She said, “Well, I wouldn’t be here if He didn’t exist.”

I was like, “okay… alright… good answer… daddy is going to go pray for a while and think on that some more”.

You know what is amazing about that exchange was that it was simple, yet deep. It was, Childlike.

Which reminds me of:

Mark 10:15 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Where are you and I complicating (adultifying) the whole God thing? I think far too many times we make it difficult, confusing and complicated... when it's really easy, plain and simple!

God is real! How do I know that? Just ask any child, she'll tell ya!

God Sees the Caboose

Isaiah 40:30-31 “Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Have you ever been headed toward a Railroad Crossing, thinking to yourself; “please Lord, don’t let there be a train… I don’t have time to wait” and then you begin to accelerate just incase there may be a train coming? I never have, but I have heard of people doing that! Ha ha!

Then what happens? There’s a train! So, you either turn around or go another way, or you wait, then wait, then wait some more.

Have you ever had the train stop? Oh isn’t that a blessing? Have you ever turned around to go another way, just to keep the car moving, and come to find out that it would have been faster to just wait? And finally, have you ever been at a train crossing out in the flat country where you could see in both directions for miles and miles and no matter how long the train was you could see the caboose?

Have you noticed that it was easier to be patience and wait because you could see what was coming? You could see just how long you were going to have to wait… and that made it much easier. As a matter of fact a short train in the city that is being blocked by buildings seems to take much longer then a long train in the country, huh? Why? Simple because you can see what’s coming!

Our relationship with God is more like the City Train Railroad Crossing – our view is blocked and we do not know when “it” (i.e. our problem, our struggle, our stress, our depression, our hard time, etc.) will be over. But the good thing is, God SEES the caboose! Have faith in Him, and trust He will keep the train moving.

Appreciate every moment in life

Life doesn't always go as planned! And being happy is a choice we must make each morning when we wake up.

I must admit I am pretty optimistic and a fairly happy guy. Though I have those days when I am just not feeling it. I do not "feel" happy, and therefore it’s a struggle to act happy.

Now some people (I’ve heard) will just take a pill to make them happy. I do not support that lifestyle, though I do see why people do it. I personally think it is cheating, and a crutch to facing life head on. When you can face life head on you create opportunities for growth.

I recently watched the movie Peaceful Warrior which was a great movie by the way. In the movie there is a great scene that reinforces this thought of “Appreciating every moment in life”. Watch it and see if you find it!

Something to remember; not “every moment” in life is actually going to be enjoyable. We are going to have flat tires, crying kids, failed tests, low Sunday attendance (that’s for the pastors) and door dings. All these things are just one moment in life… don’t allow them to ruin your whole life.

Many times we’ll let the irritations in life become so big that they overshadow the great everyday things. For example, the very fact that you are able to read this is wonderful! Appreciate that!

Challenge: Look for what things in life that are great and appreciate the rest of what life brings your way!