Goodbye 2015. Hello 2016!
As we begin this new year/semester, many of you may have some expectations for a new start. Maybe 2015 was a terrible year for you and you're ready for things to improve. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but you still need a change. Maybe it was a great year, yet something still seems to be missing. Often, we develop harmful behaviors and attitudes that become so normal, we don’t notice the potential for danger until we are faced with consequences. We can be told something so much that our minds begin to count it as true. Therefore, it is sometimes hard to identify the things that need to change. We need to switch back to the default setting to challenge and compare our thoughts about life, people, and ourselves. The best way to combat complacency is to shake things up. We all need to reboot our systems occasionally. A fresh beginning can help build discipline and motivate you to be productive in other areas of life. As I prepare for this new series at Dwell, I'd like to give you a few questions to help you prepare your heart and mind for this new year:
I'm excited to see where God leads us in ministry this year and how He moves us to build His kingdom on our campus! See you in a few weeks!!
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During hard times, we have some bad habits that end up hurting us more in the long run:
We neglect the opportunity to rest in Jesus.
We become apathetic towards pain
We don’t rely on community for support.
We ask for relief rather than renewal.
Application
3 Key truths to remember during trials:
We are all at that point in the semester where we are probably feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and maybe even spiritually depressed.
Many of you have probably been so busy that you may have not been spending as much time in the presence of God. When we get in those modes where we just don’t feel it, a number of things happen:
These things can all come from different things:
During these times, it is so easy to become depressed about life and our relationship with God. We can start to feel far from God. We have to remind ourselves that even when it seems like everything is falling apart, Jesus is still good. He is still for our happiness and joy. So, take these things with a deep breath and remember that He’s got you. His goodness doesn’t depend on us. A Valley of Dry Bones Ezekiel 37 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” 4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” 10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. 11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
He doesn’t expect us to have it all together Luke 10:38-42 Jesus Visits Martha and Mary 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
He is good no matter how many reasons we give Him not to be. Luke 15:11-32 New Living Translation (NLT) Parable of the Lost Son 11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. 17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[a]’ 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on.27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him,29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
Don't worry. Worrying is a sign that you are trying to handle everything on your own. When we give control to Jesus, He gives us a peace that is stronger than our understanding. He gives us an assurance that He will come through even if we don't see a possibility for success. Take a breath. You don't have to have it all together. Jesus is good. He's got you. Summary of the past two weeks of United: Love comes from God Love finds its origin in God, the embodiment of love. We can’t love without Him Love unites us Love binds us all together into a perfect harmony. We can’t love others unless we are united. The way we love one another is what marks us as true followers of Christ People will see Christ in us by the way we love. Love even when it’s hard Loving someone even in the midst of pain and anger opens the door for them to experience God’s unconditional love and grace. Now that we have established these things in love for God and love for each other, we can begin to strategize for loving the rest of the world. We take this love to the rest of the world in the form of serving and meeting needs where others can’t. There has to be more to our love than simply being polite. We should always be striving to find new ways to love rather than settling for where we are. Strive for excellence and seek to improve. Our love is supposed to be different from the world’s Think about this question: How does the world teach us to love? In order for us to be different, we have to take it farther than the boundaries the world sets on loving others. Luke 6:32-36New Living Translation (NLT) 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. If we love like the world, we are no different than the world. Be courageous in your love; take risks Many times, we hold off on loving someone because we are too afraid of the risks. Maybe we are worried that they won’t accept it. Maybe we think the costs outweigh the benefits. Maybe we are afraid that we will lose what we worked hard for by giving to someone else. Maybe we are concerned for our safety. Think about this questions What are some reasons/excuses we make to justify not loving others? If we truly believe that God is for us, we shouldn’t be consumed with ourselves above all else. We need to care more about God’s kingdom coming to earth than our own lives being protected from heartache, stress, or inconvenience. Love knows no social boundaries Love should stretch across race, age, religion, wealth, gender, AND sexual orientation. No matter how different someone is from you, you are still called to look for ways to love them. Christ didn’t let differences stand in the way of God’s desire to reach people. We often say we do love like that, but when it actually comes down to doing it, we begin to draw lines and put limits on how far we will go to show love to people who are different than us. That isn't true love. Love can sometimes seem crazy People will often criticize extreme acts of love. But we should ask, “Is it really extreme, or is it what Christ would consider normal?” Sometimes making a decision to love sacrificially means going against the standards of success and wealth in this world. We should be more concerned with obeying God’s commandments than meeting the status quo. Love is bold. Think about this question: What ways of loving do we tend to think are too extreme which God may be calling us to pursue? Our love should blow people’s minds Our love should be so close to incomprehensible that the people are completely baffled by it. It should seek no other result than to point them to Christ. In other words, people should be left feeling a desire to know the one who gave us the ability to love them like that. Christ was constantly breaking down social barriers in order to reach that one person who everyone else shut out. Love should not seek self-glory We should not love others so that we may be glorified or praised, but that God may be enthroned as we respond to His grace by extending it to others. Seek to make Christ more known than yourself. Make sure people know that you love because Christ loved you. Love serves We should take joy in loving God by loving people and never consider service a burden. If we aren’t willing to go great distances for God, the question arises, “Do we really love God?” Love gives Give your time, money, and even your talents. Showing love to others always includes giving something. We are sacrificing something in our lives to show love to someone else. Final Thoughts:: Devote yourself to love In every decision, consider how you are loving God, the believers in your community, and everyone else. Look for ways to show God you love Him, to show His people He loves them, and to show others He loves them. As believers, we don’t want to just talk about loving and not actually apply what we have learned to our lives. 1 John 3:18-19 “Dear children, let’s not merely say we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. BCM wants to give you a platform to apply what we have learned in this series. Therefore, we are starting something called the United We Serve Project. Basically, once a month, we will be doing a service project together. We will start out slow and build as we discover other opportunities. If you have something on your heart or an idea you would like to try, please feel free to come to our leadership team with suggestions. We would love to partner with you in what God has called you to do.
Our first project will be this Wednesday, Sept 23, at 5:30. We will be partnering with a college group from a local church to serve a meal to some low income families in our community. If you are interested in helping with this project, email us at [email protected]! Or fill out the volunteer service form on our Getting Involved page! In John 17, Jesus prays 3 times for unity in the church. In this passage He is about to be arrested. We notice that He isn't praying for protection or deliverance like most people would in His situation, however, He prays for the church to be one.
So often, we let disputes and arguments divide us. We talk and preach about loving others, but when times get difficult or someone within the Body of Christ hurts us, we cease to demonstrate love. Therefore, people who do not see Jesus as we do lose the desire, if there even was one, to get to know Him more. The biggest stumbling block for the Body of Christ to move is often the Body of Christ itself. When we have a sickness or a pain in your body, it isn’t because someone somewhere is stopping that part of your body from working properly, it is because there is a legitimate problem somewhere inside you. It’s not someone else’s fault. Similarly, when there is a problem in the Body of Christ, there is something within it that is preventing it from functioning the way it needs to. So, we need to stop placing the blame on other people and start looking inward to see if there are any problems within ourselves. Our love for one another marks us as His children In John 13:34, Jesus says to His disciples, 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” All of us have things that mark us; shirts for what college football team we support, bumper stickers for what church we attend, parking decals that show where you go to school or work. We have some of the same things to identify us as Christ-followers; wwjd bracelets, cross necklaces, etc. But here, Christ is giving us a greater mark. He is saying that people will know we are true Christians by the way we love each other. Love isn’t based on words, but action. We can say we love someone, but if there is no evidence of that in our decisions, we probably don’t really love them. Romans 12 New Living Translation (NLT) 12 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 Because of the privilege and authority[c] God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.[d] 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,[e] and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[f]12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,”[g] says the Lord. 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”[h] 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Loving each other is an act of worship (v. 1) Because of what He has done for us, we should gladly serve Him with love. He finds it acceptable. It is truly the way to worship Him. By giving ourselves as a channel for God to pour His love through, we are worshipping Him. The world can't show us how to love (v. 2) As we discussed last week, God is our source of love. He changes the way we think. Sin deceives us into thinking that evil should be repaid with evil, that people who have done wrong to us don’t deserve forgiveness. The world depicts love to be selfish, as in we love someone for our own gain. By allowing God to reframe how we see love, He will reveal His purpose for our lives. Honesty is necessary in self-examination (v. 3) We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we are loving people because we aren’t directly ugly or rude to our enemies. But, as we said last week, love is active, not dormant. It’s easy to say we are loving people when we aren’t showing disrespect or hate to others. Each of us has a different purpose (v. 4) We all have different passions and gifts. God has different ways of using each of us for His glory. Therefore, we as a body are capable of doing so much more because of the different skills and abilities we each possess. “We all belong to each other.” This is such an interesting phrase because th world says “look out for yourself.” God gives us the abilities and gifts we have to help each other out; to meet needs where others can’t. In an organization, not everyone does the same job. There are some that get more recognition than others, some that require more physical labor, and some that don’t seem to have a purpose. However, when all of those jobs get accomplished, the goal is met. We all make up different parts of the body and when we work together, the body functions the way God intends it to. When we are divided, we have a bunch of random, useless parts laying around doing nothing. Take your ability to love seriously (v. 6-8) As God is the giver of love, He is the giver of these gifts. We can’t do these things unless God gives us the ability to. When God gives us something, He expects us to do well with it. You’re not doing yourself, or anyone else good by hiding the gifts God has given you. Don't fake it (v. 9-10) Be genuine in your acts of love. Love isn’t selfish. If you are “loving” for your own gain or glory, you aren’t really loving that person, you’re loving yourself. People can tell when you aren’t being genuine. Love even when you don't feel like it (v. 11-12) We tend to let our circumstances determine how we love others. If we are tired, sick, or angry, we will often neglect opportunities to love. We miss out on so many God-moments when we ignore those opportunities. You will miss so much of God that He wants you to see by ignoring His invitation to move with Him Look out for each other (v. 13) We all have needs and struggles. We are a family and should consider each other’s needs and struggles as our own by looking for ways we can bless each other and meet needs in others’ lives. Love people even when they spit in your face This is one of the hardest things to do. We often have trouble biting our tongue. But, we are urged to do the opposite of what the world would tell us to do, which is pray for God to bless them. WHAT??? Yes, there will be arguments and disputes because we aren’t perfect, but it is crucial that we handle these situations with care and wisdom. When people hear us talk about loving others, but don’t see any evidence in our lives for it, people have a more difficult time believing that Jesus’ love is unconditional. We are Christ on this earth. People see Him through us. Not saying that you should put on a mask and harbor bitterness, but that you should seek guidance when it is unclear how to love the other person and let go of the anger that you have toward them so you can forgive. It is so hard, but He won’t ask us to do something He hasn’t demonstrated in one way or another. Colossians 3:12-15
"Above all, clothe yourselves in love, which binds us all together into perfect harmony. Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." This verse is fueling this series that we started wednesday night at Dwell. It says that love unites us into a perfect harmony. That means that if we each put love over everything else in our lives, we become something similar to a beautiful song. People see us in a different light. They see Jesus in us. The true representation of Jesus. Not some made up version of Jesus that makes some people run away for fear of being judged or hated. But, love has a different effect. Love is a powerful force that is capable of transformation. If BCM is going to be a city on a hill to the Dalton State Campus, we have to clothe ourselves in love. We have to be united. But we can't do that, love others, unless we go to God as our source. Our ability to love others horizontally is rooted in how we love God vertically. We have to understand the importance of the role that our relationship with God plays in our ability to truly love others. As you read this passage, allow the words to penetrate your heart. There is so much truth here and I don't want you to miss it. 1 John 4:7-19 "7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first." 1. Love is personified by God (v. 7-8) Personified means that a certain quality or idea is embodied by a specific person. God is the embodiment of love. We cannot know love without knowing God. We cannot love without loving God. Love finds its origin in God. If God is love, only the spirit of God can enable us to experience love and extend it to others. By discovering God, we discover love. 2. Love is exemplified through Christ's sacrifice (v. 9) God sets the example. He sets the bar for what is considered love. He doesn't ask us to do something He hasn't demonstrated in one way or another. Love was demonstrated by God making a sacrifice. We love when we make sacrifices for both God and people. John 15:13 says, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." God showed us the ultimate expression of love by giving His life. He did it even though we were not at all worthy. Therefore, we extend this same love to others even if we don't believe they deserve it. 3. Love is given by God (v. 10) God keeps emphasizing that He is the giver of love. We cannot attain love without going to Him as our source. It is not something we can muster up ourselves. 4. Love is active, not dormant (v. 12-15) Love is put to use when we use it. Showing love to someone is a decision that we make. It takes action. It isn't something we hide or keep silent. It moves and has power. 5. Love and life in God are interwoven (v. 16-17) You don't have without the other. They are a package deal. They don't work separately. I'm not saying that they aren't capable of work separately, but that they are like a team; one that is united. Not only do they work together, they lift each other up. They compliment each other. When we live in God, we love. When we love, we live in God. As a body, our life in God opens the door for love to unite us. So if we aren't individually and collectively living in God, we are not able to be united into perfect harmony by love. 6. Love and fear do not synchronize, ever (v. 18) We don't experience love and fear at the same time. Love repels fear. It pushes fear away. Love eliminates the possibility of fear. If we are afraid of extending God's love to others, we haven't truly encountered God's love ourselves. So, what do we even have to be afraid of when God, who is love, is for us? One last thought: We display what we behold. Examine your heart, how you treat others, and the way yo make decisions and determine if your motives are fueled by this love we've been talking about; the love that only God can give. If you possess God's love, you will see evidence of it in your life. Join us next week at 7:30 for Part 2: Loving Each Other Who am I? Why am I here? |
Authors:The BCM Lead Team is devoted to your spiritual growth. This blog is designed to provide you with Biblical truth and guidance as you walk with Christ. Have a question?
Send us suggestions on what you want us to write about! You can contact us at [email protected]. |