It Would Be Nice If Everyone Would…
I sometimes sit around and think, “It would be really nice if everyone would…”
But then it hits me… what about YOU? And by YOU, I mean ME. What am I doing about these things?
Well, confession time. I’m not perfect! But here’s some of the things I sit around and think about.
It would be really nice if everyone would…
Say “hi.” I’ve mentioned this one before, but your trip to the restroom is not a personal mission to execute with speed and force, it’s a ministry opportunity! You have the chance to pass by SO many people while walking through the halls. No matter who it is… make eye contact and say “hi” to everyone you pass.
Initiate conversations with various people. Not everyone is built like that. Believe me… I understand! But I do love it when I see people talking to a variety of different people and not the same people each week.
Look for the lonely. I love when I see someone approach someone who’s sitting alone, or praying alone, or standing alone, and striking up a conversation in charity. It’s a selfless act that takes very little effort, but goes a long way.
Model and encourage faithfulness. You don’t have to be in-your-face about your own church attendance to encourage someone else in theirs. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying, “I missed you on Wednesday. Bro. Keenan preached a marvelous sermon on discipleship and it’s an encouraging time to pray together.” It’s not a rebuke, nor a statement of pride. It’s a statement of joy in the Lord and wanting everyone to enjoy the same.
Live in holiness. I posted this from J. I. Packer this morning, “Christians are not sufficiently in touch with themselves. They do not know themselves well enough to realize that, because of the way in which their nature has been changed, their hearts are now set against all known sin. So they hang on to the unspiritual and morally murky behavior patterns and feel to give up those things would be impossibly painful and impoverishing, so though they know they should, they do not.
“Instead, they settle for being substandard Christians, imagining they will be happier that way.
“The truth is that they are behaving in a radically unnatural way, one that offers deep-level violence to their changed nature…The regenerate heart cannot love what it knows God hates.”
LOVE praising God. My wife’s family was so impressed with the congregational singing last Sunday, but I know that we have even more to give. Bro. Christian has been enjoying his own renaissance of congregational singing, and he is finding every week that when he concentrates on the truth of the song, it’s exhilarating! I love seeing the power of congregational praise in an individual’s life. Once we ALL do that, imagine how convincing our worship will be to an unbeliever! (See 1 Cor. 14:24)
LOVE the Word. This goes for the preaching time and your personal life. I envision a day when people approach the Bible with anticipation of learning about, growing in, and/or changing at least one thing every sermon. Also, I anticipate a day when every member of CBC is truly a biblical thinker—they filter every decision through the Scriptures.
These are just some things I like to think about. -Pastor Ryan
INWARD DISCIPLESHIP – 8/18 NOTES (Sultanik)
- Decisive Costs – Lk 14:28-32;
- Self-denial – Mt 16:24; Mt 10:38; Lk 14:27;
- Not living to ones’ self – Ro 14:7; 2 Co 5:15; Ga 2:20; 1 Pe 4:2;
- Surrender to God’s will – Lk 14:33; Php 3:7-8;
- Security – Mt 8:19-20; Ac 17:13;
- Disciples’ Characteristics
- Following – Mt 4:19; Mk 10:21;
- Obeying – Jn 14:15;
- Trusting – Jn 14:1;
- Confessing – Mk 8:38;
- Imitating – 1 Co 11:1; 1 Pe 2:21;
- Reflecting – Mt 5:16; Ep 5:8;
- Abiding – Jn 15:4; Jn 6:66-68;
Developing Christlikeness
2 Co 3:18; Ga 5:22-23; 1 Th 1:6;
The aim of discipleship – Lk 6:40; 1 Jn 2:6.
OUTWARD DISCIPLESHIP – 8/25 NOTES (Sultanik)
- Teaching
- Learning
- Growing
- Multiplying
MISSIONS
We’re praying for missionaries in Australia and Sri Lanka this week. Please email the church for more information.