What Would a GREAT __________ Do?
After the service last Sunday, a group of us were talking about how to have an eternal mindset on life, and we realized that the everyday things are sometimes what matter most.
Take child-rearing, for example. Right now, for me, deep disipleship is about having such a real walk with God that I can spread it to my own children, but I do that through consistently living what I’m preaching (literally!). You are preaching too, though, by coming to church, teaching your kids, and living your life.
Child-rearing for eternity is about making meals, doing laundry, going to the park, teaching them a skill, working on models, playing games, spending time together… all in the context of a Christ-centered family. It’s like we’re saying, “When we (a Christian family) do life as disciples of Jesus Christ, this is what ‘living like a Christian’ looks like.”
Don’t you just wish you could peer into the life of others for a while? To see what TV they watch? To hear how they talk around a kitchen table? To see how they respond when their kid talks back? To see what they’re like when there’s no one else around?
Well, that’s the way your kids are seeing you, and instead of “wishing you had a better role model growing up,” and “well I don’t get any help” or “it’s just too hard,” realize… those will be weak excuses on judgment day!
Instead, with eternity in view, ask, “What’s the wise thing to do?” Do that.
With eternity in view:
- What would a GREAT dad do? Do that.
- What would a GREAT Christian mom do? Do that.
- What would a GREAT friend be? Be that.
- How would a GREAT Sunday school teacher run their class? Do that.
- What do GREAT grandmothers (i.e. grandmothers who are great at being grandmothers!) do? Do that.
Discipleship is easier when you think of it like that. It makes the decisions easier when you’re deciding what to watch, what to wear, what to drink, where to go, or who to hang out with.
What would a GREAT disciple—a hero of the faith—do?
Do that.
-Pastor Ryan
JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING…
Who and what are deacons?
The word deacon means servant, and our deacons serve by connecting to a small group of people separate from the Sunday school, counting the offerings, interviewing potential members, distributing benevolence funds to those in need, and serving to ease the pastoral duties. Deacon qualifications are found in 1 Timothy 3, and all our deacons love the Lord and love His church. Their names are: Matt Rowley, Henry Ashe, Gerhard Theurich, Rick Beavers, Dick Welsh, and Pedro Sarmiento, and you’ll see them on Sunday mornings praying for our worship time.
PROJECT UPDATES
Children’s Wing! I can’t wait for you to see the new Children’s Wing on Sunday! It’s going to be the most colorful update we’ve ever had, and it’s beautiful. Several people are coming to help paint this week, and several people contributed tons of hours over the past week. See Bro. Christian if you are interested in helping!
Office Renovation. The interns finished two beautiful paint jobs in the offices and laid some laminate flooring in Pastor’s office. It still needs trim, some shelves, and a few touch-up spots, but it is ALMOST done! Feel free to check it out (through the sanctuary doors by the baptism rooms.)
Brickwork done. Only the masterful skills of my dad could accomplish such a feat, so we saved the exterior finish work for him on the back office doors.
This may not look as productive as other weeks… but these were big projects! To me, one of the biggest indicators of the amount of work that happens on any given week is our summer internship program—we’re able to keep two young men active all day, every day, for 12 weeks per summer. That’s a lot of work!
We’re praying for missionaries in Canada and in Durango, Mexico this week. Please email the church for more information.