Are you a Sunday Morning only Christian?

It is happening more and more these days…Sunday evening church service becoming obsolete. I can’t figure it out, but for some reason people have become lacking in their faithfulness to Sunday evening services across America. So much so, that some churches have decided to just keep their doors closed in the evening.

You can blame it on Walt Disney, or ESPN. Or you can blame it on taking too long of a Sunday afternoon nap, no matter the reason; it is leading me to wonder if what I read recently could be true…

 “Sunday morning sofas,” the author observed, “are filled with people…who think they can exist without church. They believe in God, but spending a few hours in a pew doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Mobility, convenience and privacy are their gods. Consequently, they sacrifice enduring friendships and Christ-centered companionship.”

Wow. When I read that statement this week, I thought, that is indeed what the Apostle Paul referred to in the book of Hebrews.. He not only told us to worship together, but Paul also suggested that one of the purposes of worship is to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)

These are the kind of friendships that have made the difference in my life.

The Bible says, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:16)

Hal Donaldson, editor of Pentecostal Evangel, connects that verse and going to church so well…

 “Interdependence, not independence, is a key strength and fulfillment. We can no more disconnect ourselves from other members and remain healthy than we can disconnect the ligaments from the bones to try to live without veins and arteries.”

So, I have to ask a question …Are you a Christian with all of your ligaments and veins intact? Or have you disconnected and cut off a vital body part? The church needs you! All of you …so be faithful to the body of Christ!

LACED WITH GRACE...Be careful of who you trip

Today I have shared a devo with the readers of LACED WITH GRACE, entitled, "Be careful of who you trip." Please click the link to read this post...

"How ludicrous would it be if a child walked by us and we stuck out our foot and tried to trip them? Isn’t that exactly what we do spiritually when we continue to do things that we know causes someone to stumble? Going places we shouldn’t, associating with people we know we shouldn’t, listening to things that we know we shouldn’t…all of it is like sticking our foot out and tripping our brothers and sisters in the Lord."

CLICK HERE

LACED WITH GRACE...Answering the WHY questions

Today, I have shared a devotion with the readers of LACED WITH GRACE, entitled "Answering the WHY questions." Please join me over there today!

 

CLICK HERE to read this devo!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Generosity 101

Have you ever dreamed of what you would do with a million dollars?

If you are like most people, this kind of money leaves us dreaming about all of the possibilities that this kind of cash would open to us. Bigger cars, nicer houses, fantastic vacations. The possibilities are endless. Most likely, giving the money away probably is not at the top of our list of possibilities though.

"Giving to God's work is not a habit that starts when we're experiencing material success. It's a habit best cultivated and nurtured in seasons of depending on God through lean times." - Joe Stowell

In the Bible, Paul very concisely points out that generosity is an attitude of the heart and not the condition of our circumstances. As clearly seen from the Macedonian church...

"Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." 2 Corinthians 8:2

Generosity does not stem from wealth. Indeed it rises up out of our heart, no matter what our circumstances may be. Before we can give out of plenty, we must exercise having a giving heart in the difficult, trying times. If you are willing to give a bag of groceries to someone in need when you yourself are in need, giving selflessly probably will not change according to your financial standing.

Giving generously starts now. Right where you are, with whatever you have.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am not only grateful for the times people have been generous to me, but I am also thankful for the opportunities that God has given me to be generous with what I have. May I never forget that it isn't the amount, its my attitude.


How about you ...what are you thankful for today? Please join us for THANKFUL THURSDAY by linking up your TT post below. I'm so honored to have been your host this month, next week my friend Iris will be hosting, hope to see you then!

 

STOP being a pack rat christian!

I never thought I would find myself saying this but...

 we are pack rats!

How in the world in 20 years have we accumulated what we have?

We are in the process of moving out of our home and into the parsonage house near the church we are pastoring. With every closet and every nook and cranny that I look, I uncover so much clutter. I cannot understand why we must hang onto some of this stuff.

This past weekend while clearing out my husbands office, I uncovered not one pair of reading glasses but 6! Seriously? He can only wear one pair at a time!

As I continue to plow my way thru the piles, I am finding out that there is a huge difference between clutter and treasure. Sometimes, I wonder if I recognize the difference? Not just in my physical closets, but my spiritual closet as well.

Often times, we can become "pack rat Christians", instead of focusing on the treasures of the heart, we focus on the clutter.

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)

I  would dare say say that God isn't too concerned with what is in my closet, which clothes I wear and how many pairs of shoes I have that don't fit any longer. His concern is not with our physical clutter, rather, the clutter that creeps in our heart...

Bad habits, bitterness, unforgiveneness, lack of obedience, anger, fear, and such things that can crowd God out of our heart.

Perhaps, during this house cleaning that I am in the midst of, I might need to stop, reflect and do alittle spiritual house cleaning. There is great satisfaction of cleaning out a closet, but even more so, such great joy in cleaning up our heart.

Is it time for some de-cluttering in your heart? May we not be "pack rat Christians" any longer.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." -Matthew 5:8

 

THANKFUL THURSDAY...for by grace

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast."

                                               EPHESIANS 2:8,9
 

Today's culture is not far different than the time that this passage was written. There appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding of what God's grace is towards mankind, especially in relation to salvation. All across America, I see a prevalent attitude that the more good you do, the more you get. All I have to do is pick up a tabloid and see that the more "good" one does, it brings "good" in your life, and doing "bad" only brings more "bad" into your life.

Often, after hearing of good things going on, I have heard people say to someone that they are being blessed by God for doing good things. Even though I believe that God blesses and rewards His faithful servants, I do not believe that His goodness is based upon our works.

However, this "good/good - bad/bad" thinking goes all the way back to our childhood. It starts when we all fret over whether or not we make the naughty or nice list. That's right. At Christmas, we tell our children that if they want to get presents, they must be good. And if they are found to be on the "naughty" list, they will receive nothing but coal!

This thinking carries over into our religious beliefs as well, especially when it comes to our salvation. When it comes to our salvation, there is no "naughty or nice" list. There is NOTHING that any of us can do to earn salvation. Jesus presents His gift of life to all ...and we all, at one time or another, have been on the naughty list. For the Bible says that "We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Ephesians 3:23)

So when it comes to understanding what His Grace is, and how it applies to the naughty or nice list, remember this:

1. You can NEVER be good enough to earn salvation, it is a gift of God's grace.
2. You can NEVER be bad enough to be ineligible for salvation, His grace is for everyone.


Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am ever so thankful for His grace! I don't know where or what I would be without it. How about you? Have you accepted the gift of the grace of God yet? It doesn't matter what you have done, it only matters what you accept and believe. Won't you accept God's gift of eternal life today?

Share your grateful heart with us by linking up below.

LACED WITH GRACE...Do the right thing

Today I have shared a devo with the readers over at LACED WITH GRACE entitled "Do the right thing." Hope you will go and check it out!

CLICK HERE to read it.