Grow...part one.

Since many Chick Food readers are new or new-ish Christians, I want to share a series of posts on growing in our faith. If you've made a decision to trust Christ as savior, that's a wonderful decision! You have passed from darkness into His light (1 Peter 2:9). Old things are passed away, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). But receiving Christ is just the first step on a life-long journey of following Him.  If we're going to grow, there's more to do!

You moms out there know that in order for your baby to grow and become strong and healthy, you have to feed her!  The same thing is true of spiritual babies.  In 1 Peter 2:2, we're told "as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby..." (NKJV) Other translations render the word "desire" as "crave".  If we're going to grow in faith and Christlikeness, if we're going to discover the new life God intends for us, we need to crave His word, the Bible.  God's word is the spiritual "milk", the nutrition we need to grow strong in our faith.  Although we hear God's word in sermons at church, in songs of worship, or Christian books, there is no substitute for daily time spent reading the Bible.

If your Bible is written in Elizabethan English, with lots of "thees and thous", you may want to get a more readable translation, one written in modern English, such as the New International Version (NIV) or the New Living Translation (NLT).  If you attend Crossroads, you can pick up a free NLT on our Next Steps table in the Lobby. So get your readable translation of the Bible (one you can highlight and write in!), join me here at Chick Food tomorrow, and we'll talk about developing the habit of daily Bible reading. 

Today's Verse:  Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.  1 Peter 2:2-3 NLT

Prayer for Today:  Dear Father, I long to become a fully devoted follower of Christ.  Help me to grow in my faith as I read Your word.  In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen. 

  

Reader for life

"Lord, to whom would we go?  You have the words that give eternal life."  John 6:68 NLT

Wow. It's been over a month since I posted anything new. When my husband mentioned it, I told him I just haven't really had much to say. "All evidence to the contrary", he quipped. Ok, so maybe I have a tendancy to be a little opinionated and....umm....vocal. "He's right", I thought.  So why is the well that I write from so dry? I think I've found the answer.

I've become an avid-no,a voracious-reader. My husband and I are pastoring a growing new church, and I need wisdom in everything!  My nightstand is home to LOTS of books.  There are volumes on church growth, leadership, and creating community. Books about small groups, spiritual growth, and faith. There are titles by Hybels, Stanley, McManus and Chan. At any given moment, I'm reading at least two books.  But there's another book on my nightstand, one I don't read as much.  It's a large leather-bound volume, pushed to one side, behind my reading lamp.  Maybe you've heard of it.  It's called The Bible.  Oh yeah, that.  The Word of God.  The Word of life.  The Word that transforms, strengthens, instructs and corrects.  The Word that is wisdom.  That Book.  

Since I became a Christ follower, I've read, studied, prayed, meditated, believed, even memorized God's words.  But lately I've neglected them.  I've read about the Bible more than the Bible itself.  And it shows.  The last few months have been filled with amazing church growth, and so much fruitful work.  But there have also been growing pains, and a personal life filled with stress and change.  At times I find myself moody, sullen, quick-tempered, even weak in faith.  Why?  Because that really important Book is pushed to one side, behind my reading lamp instead of hidden in my heart, and on my lips. 

 If we feel dry or malnourished, maybe we need to look at our spiritual "diet" to find out why.  Perhaps we're not drinking from the rivers of living water (John 7:38)  Maybe we're neglecting the milk of the word (1Peter 2:2).  But the good news is we don't have to stay there.  I've commited to begin every day reading God's word.  Not just the devotions I read, or books about the Bible.  But reading the actual Bible every day, before I do anything else.  I don't want to be just a reader, but a reader for life!  Will you join me?

REAL FOOD

34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4:34 NIV

Being a Pastor’s wife and church planter, I talk to lots of people about church. “I love my church!” some tell me. I also hear “I’m just not being fed at my church”. Jesus had a thing or two to say about food and church, we’ll see in a minute. After nineteen years of serving in ministry, I’ve discovered that whether or not we’re “fulfilled” in our church experience, is almost entirely up to us. Yes, it matters what kind of church we choose. But let's also take some big-girl responsibility for our spiritual lives. Let’s allow this verse from John’s gospel to shed some light on the matter.

In this passage of scripture in John 4, after long days of preaching, teaching and healing, Jesus’ disciples were encouraging Him to eat. “C’mon, Rabbi, just a little sandwich?” they might’ve asked. Jesus totally confused them by saying “I have food to eat you don’t know about.” I'm sure they were asking each other "who brought Him lunch?" when He told them “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His Work.” His food, His nourishment, His fuel was doing the will of God. It’s our food, too.

I can say with certainty that the times in my life I’ve been weakest and most unhappy,are the times I’ve been focused on me, not others. I’ve known many people over the years who never DO anything in church but attend. Usually they are the most unhappy people in the church. They skip those opportunities to serve others. They are quick to point out problems, but don't offer to help. They hop from church to church in search of a more “satisfying” experience. What’s the problem here? No food. Spiritual malnutrition.

If we find ourselves complaining about church to our friends, or feeling like an outsider, it might be good to check up on the “food” supply. Ask yourself: Am I serving in my church? Do I support my church with my time and treasure? Am I focused on the needs of others? If you answered ‘no’ to these questions, you might be hungry for the kind of food Jesus is talking about in John 4:34. Doing God’s will. It’s the real breakfast of champions. Way better than Wheaties. Way better than anything!

Prayer for Today: Father, please help me to see where I’ve been selfish with my time, talent and treasure. Help me to see that I will be fed and nourished as I DO your will! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

POWER WASHING

Our house is on the market right now, so I spend a lot of time seeing this place through the eyes of others. Today, I noticed the exterior of the house really needs some TLC. The grass needs mowing, the hedges are kind of scruffy, and a thin layer of southern slime has attached itself to the house. There are even weeds growing in the rain gutters! We've been a little busy planting a new church, ok? The fine points of home maintenance have been pretty low on the priority list. So the place needs a bath, a good power washing.

As I stood there taking it all in, I thought how our lives are like my house. We can get so wrapped up in the business of living, we neglect the upkeep of our spiritual "house". The Bible says God's Spirit dwells in us, we're His house! But we can be "covered" with layers of grunge......worry, doubt, fear, bitterness, anxiety. That can make spiritual things hard to see, like trying to look through a dirty window. What we need is a good power washing! What that handy machine does for the house, God's word will do for us! Let's look at Ephesians 5:25-26:

....just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. NLT (emphasis mine)

God uses His word to wash us clean from sin, from the gunk of the world! Listen to the words of Jesus in John 15:3.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. KJV (again, emphasis mine)

That's why we feel so good after church on Sunday. We've been washed with the water of the word, and we feel clean! So the next time you feel like life is sticking to you, get clean! Get out your Bible for a good old fashioned power washing! I'm thinking a daily bath is a good idea......