Humility
December 28, 2009
First off I want to say thank you to Pastor Jeff for allowing me to preach this weekend. Second, I pray that those who were able to be in attendance with us this weekend got something out of the message God had laid upon my heart. Who knows it may have just been God dealing with me and how I needed to change, but I would be willing to bet there were others in need a clearer picture of humility. At the end I challenged everyone to examine their lives in response to a picture of Jesus the humble servant in 6 areas, and in case you missed it here they are:
- Jesus is a humble teacher; we should learn humbly
- Jesus humbly forgives; we should humbly apologize
- Jesus is a humble leader; we should humbly follow Him
- Jesus is a humble servant; we should humbly depend on Him
- Jesus is a humble listener; we should humbly talk to Him
- Jesus is humbly willing to be with us; we should humbly come worship Him
But there is one more thing that a clear picture of Jesus being a humble servant should do… it should challenge us to serve. I pray that ultimately as you examine your lives, you’ll find a desire to be SO much like Jesus that you can’t help but serve those around you. That is why each week Pastor closes out the service with our vision statement “Serving Christ by serving the Call, Church, and the Community. Serving Christ by serving you.” It’s a weekly reminder of our duty and privilege to be like Jesus and serve those around us. Please also prayerfully consider this week where you can best serve others…
~Pastor Robert
Family Communion 2009
December 22, 2009
Though quite possibly the shortest service for TCOC in 2009, our Family Communion is by far my favorite. It touches me specifically when I see the men of the home step up to lead and serve their families; and what a teachable moment. I won’t forget watching sons look at their fathers and begin to understand that a mans role in his family is to shepherd. Or daughters watching their fathers and understanding their future mates need to be led by Jesus, like their own daddy. And wives seeing their husbands seeing their husbands in a new light, and letting their guard down and feeling safe…
At the altars as family after family came, I didn’t see fighting, or bickering, or anger… In fact quite the opposite, I saw peace in broken families, I saw hope in the midst of dire circumstance, and I saw tears as families grew closer to each other as they remembered Christ, what he did, and what he provided through his death/burial/and resurrection.
The best part of is that it doesn’t have to be a one time event, and I’m not just talking about communion. There is so many teachable moments that we can take advantage of within our own homes and show our families what it truly means to “Serve Christ by serving others.” I would encourage you to find these teachable moments and use them often. (Reading the Christmas story out of Luke as opposed to “The night before Christmas”; or during Easter one evening reading the Crucifixion and Resurrection; etc.) It will make a difference in your family and a big difference in you.
~Pastor Robert
Heroes
December 15, 2009
Here are a few excerpts, thoughts, quotes, etc. from our Men’s Bible study this morning:
“I say this so that no one can fool you by arguments that seem good, but are false.” Colossians 2:4 NCV
Almost every Bible translations says it a little different, but all very enlightening.
• Some Christians are more affectionate, and less knowing; others are more knowing, and less affectionate; it is well when love and knowledge go and keep pace together.
• While it is true that we must manifest love and approach the Word of God with a non-critical spirit and an open mind, we also must recognize that God’s truth provides absolute boundaries.
• If the target is the truth, there is something alongside it that looks very much like the truth, and these men focus upon that, rather than the truth.
• Professing Christians who hear the Word without obeying it make a serious “spiritual miscalculation”, which causes them to delude themselves.
• Plastic looks like metal. Flowers are made of silk. We are daily touching things that are imitations of the real thing. But imitations have limitations and if you start regarding them as real you are in trouble.
• God’s truth is the best protection against Satan’s lies.
Jeff
A TCOC Christmas Reflection
December 14, 2009
The weekend of A TCOC Christmas always excites me. Every year we feel like it was so much better than the year before, and we always leave with an anticipation for the next years events. While I don’t have a defined part in the show (seeing as I have the musical ability of a tone deaf mime) being part of the staff get to see somethings behind the scenes that those from stage or soundbooth might not be able to see. Here are a list of just a few of the highlights for me:
- Massive Involvement- All I can say is we are a supremely blessed Church. To see the sheer volume of people involved in these 3 performance is amazing. Those sitting in the seats may not realize that it takes somewhere in the ballpark of 100 people to pull off one of these services. To me its awesome to see that many of our men, women, youth, and children come together to pull of one huge event Celebrating Jesus.
- Varied Gifts/Talents/Ages- I caught one of our youth so ready to perform her part in the show she was jumping up and down with excitement in the back. I asked her what she was doing and she said “I’m just so excited that I have a part!” Another youth pulled me aside after the show and was amazed at the musical ability of one of the younger children in the performance, so much so I was able to tell this teenager to adopt this kid and begin mentoring him for the future. What a great culture we have within TCOC that each person feels that they have a specific part to play, and that each part can also see the benefits of mentoring the younger leaders in our body.
- Jesus was praised- And last but certainly not least, Jesus was praised. Through song and dance, through funny songs and serious, through “Trans-Siberian Orchestra” and “Silent Night” ultimately everyone was presented with the clear testimony of a God who added humanity to His divinity, who came to Earth as a baby, to seek and to save the broken, hurting, lost, and lonely.
I can’t wait until next year…
~Pastor Robert
A TCOC Christmas
December 12, 2009
Three performances this year: Saturday at 7:00 and Sunday at 9:00 & 11:00. It is also available live online. You can go to the website and tune in: www.thechurchofcorinth.org. Tell your friends and family. If attending, prime seating will go quickly so come early. Parking attendants will be on hand for your convenience.
With so many out of jobs and many facing health concerns, I pray that we will be reminded of “What Christmas Is All About” this year. We may not have much to give monetarily, but what we do have in Christ, we can share with those around us. May love, laughter, and the values of life be brought to the forefront. Renewing relationships and enjoying family and friends should be of utmost important. I pray the reality of hope in Jesus Christ be the message for all of us this Advent season.
Heroes
December 11, 2009
We looked at Colossians 3:2 (“…in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”) in Heroes this past Tuesday morning. I enjoyed the variety of definitions on wisdom cited from several different commentaries and sermons. Hopefully these will be of benefit to you as they were for me:
*The difference between knowledge and wisdom – Knowledge is the understanding of truth, whereas wisdom is the ability to apply what truth has been learned.
*Wisdom is the insight into the true nature of things. Knowledge is the mental possession of powers of perceiving objects, wisdom is the power of right reasoning concerning them and forming right decisions accordingly.
*Wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding.
*Wisdom is the art of being successful, of forming the correct plan to gain the desired results. Its seat is the heart, the centre of moral and intellectual decision
*Wisdom emphasizes understanding of ultimate things—such as life and death, God and man, righteousness and sin, heaven and hell, eternity and time.
*Wisdom is mental excellence in its highest and fullest sense.
*Wisdom is used frequently in the New Testament to describe the ability to discern and conform to God’s will.
