Let The Future Begin

Dominick 

Baruffi

One of the things I do to stay organized is make to-do lists. I make them a lot. I have lists on my phone, sticky notes on my bureaus, marker boards, journals, you name it. Inevitably one of the lists I compile gathers all of the things that I need to get done eventually but aren’t really pressing right now, like close an old account or send that important email I have to write up. I might as well name this list “Stuff I Will Never, Ever, Ever Get To,” because those tasks never, ever, ever get done. I’m tempted to say this is due to my laziness, but I think it’s more accurate to say it’s due to a lack of motivation. Life is busyness, and when you don’t prioritize something, it tumbles farther and farther down the to-do list, until eventually it drops off completely. What’s interesting about this is the tasks that we often allow to go undone are really important things! I’m reminded of Ron Livingston’s famous line from Office Space: “You see Bob, it’s not that I’m lazy. It’s that I just don’t care.” Funny, yes, but totally accurate, is it not? What we do reflects what we value. The same is true of what we leave undone. 

I say all this because we, the people of Living Faith, have been bombarded of late with what is essentially a to-do list of really important things. Two weeks ago we heard about disciple-making, and this week it was church-planting. Both are huge on the heart of God and are spoken about at length in Scripture. But often, you and I get caught up in the urgent things of life, so much so that the important things are left undone altogether. Things that God highly values get lost on us because we’re consumed with the daily grind, always shuffling from one thing to the next because there’s just so much to do. And everything that doesn’t get done gets put in the “Someday” or “Future” category of our lives, and just like the to-do lists, in time will usually disappear completely.

Friends, this should not be.

For the people of God, the question must always be “what does God want?” We are His representatives, His servants. He is our King and we orient our lives around what HE says is important. As we seek Him, the Kingdom is revealed before our eyes, as is our role in His Big Plan. We see clearly what it looks like to be part of the Dance of God, with all of us moving in time to the beat of His glory. And those are the moments when we feel truly alive, when everything comes into focus and the “urgent” things of life fade to distant memories in light of the radiant goodness of our God. 

Here’s the rub, though: you’re probably going to have to start saying “no.” A lot. Are you a follower of Jesus? Then go value what Jesus values. “Does this offend you?” (John 6:61) It should. The Gospel stands directly in contrast to your agenda and my agenda. The Gospel is about God’s agenda. This is when we start to find out how committed we really are to following Jesus. It is easy to put things off for “someday.” But for the people of God, “someday” is today. 

For Living Faith Alliance Church, there’s something new afoot. I believe the Spirit of God is at work right now in a totally new way. Do you sense it? The time is now to embrace that newness. No more “someday,” no more future. The future is here. Let the future begin.

Right Here. Right Now.

Jessica Noblett

As I've reflected on Sunday's sermon, those four words have echoed in my mind. The idea that God has set where I will go and live and the call to grow as a disciple and to make disciples is right where I am: right here, right now. 

The call isn't later in life, after my husband and I have bought a home, secured better jobs, freed up our weekends or honed our people skills (okay, well if you've met my husband you know that was never an issue to begin with.)

Honestly, when I step back and look at my life on a broader scale, I already know that living on mission and loving people like Jesus isn't something to wait on. In many ways I believe that my life does reflect that. But as I've thought about it over these past few days, I've realized the problem is that my excuses are more....daily.  

As a server, I don't always love my job but I love the people I work with. It seems like we are all at a turning point in our lives. Some are trying to get through school, some have been laid off from other jobs, some are single moms and some, like me, are servers because it was the job that was available. The bottom line is that waiting tables isn't the place any of us wants to be for the rest of our lives and one way to enjoy the job is by enjoying being with each other. It’s remarkable to see the unlikely friendships that have formed.

So here I am. God has placed me in a job not only with so many people who are ready to be known and loved but people that I truly enjoy being with. Right here. Right now. So what's the problem, right? The problem is the tiny excuses I make on a daily basis. I'm writing this on my day off and so far I have grocery shopped, done laundry, read a book and done just about everything I can to avoid spending time with other people. Because its my day off and I'd rather not. Not right here. Not right now. In the words of the effortless Scarlett O'Hara, I can't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow. 

Even though I believe I am committed to growing as a disciple and making disciples and everything that comes with it, when the small daily things pop up, I'm not as willing as I think I am. It can be so much easier to go on a mission trip than to show people at work who Jesus is on a daily basis is by watching my words or lending a hand when I'm exhausted. It doesn't come naturally but it is where I'm at and how I can love people well. That's the whole idea of letting Jesus into every area of my life.

The truth is, none of my tiny excuses stand a chance. As Nate said, living like Jesus makes me feel weak. It can be discouraging. It can even be, dare I say, irritating. But there is nothing else quite like stepping back and seeing how my life, my choices and my relationships have been changed by Jesus to line up with God's purposes. As painful as it can be, I love seeing God not satisfied in commanding the broad values of my life but stepping into the daily nitty-gritty to change my heart in the smallest decisions. Isn't that what it means to take up our cross daily and follow him?

Let's be encouraged, friends, that the call to grow as disciples begins one day at a time. I’m interested to know, what about this is hard for you? Or the opposite, comment here or on Facebook. What works for you when loving those around you?

"_______is not the absence of_______"

​Sarah Howard

 “Faith is not the absence of doubt.”  That phrase was shared in pastor Nate’s sermon on Sunday.  It started me to thinking so I brainstormed some similar phrases:

• Courage is not the absence of fear.

• Strength is not the absence of feeling weak. 

• Friendship is not the absence of conflict.

• Beauty is not the absence of imperfections.

• Good parenting is not the absence of my child misbehaving.

• Purity is not the absence of temptation.

• Living secure in my identity as God’s child is not the absence of lies.

• A great marriage is not the absence of conflict or difficulty. 

• Following God is not the absence of struggle or ‘fighting for my faith.’

• Joy in my stage of life of staying at home with my kids is not the absence of the realities of things like boredom, struggle, feeling overwhelmed.  

This list is so refreshing to me, because I so want my life to be ideal. I hate to feel weak; I feel like I’m not strong if I’m weak. Or I feel that a beautiful friendship will be ruined if we happen upon a conflict. When my daughter freaks out in the middle of the lobby on Sunday morning, I despair of parenting her well. But it seems that God does not think life is best lived in obtaining ideals. Instead, it seems like He’s wanting to meet us in the middle of the mess, in the midst of the struggle, wanting us to know Him there. 

How about you? Do you struggle to realize God is in the middle of messiness? How would you fill in the blanks “_________ is not the absence of __________”  as God shows you He wants you to know Him in that area? Feel free to comment here.

I'm Not Good Enough!

Blog entry:  

Sherry Engel

A few weeks ago, I looked over the schedule of bloggers, when I realized that I was scheduled to write the blog entry for the Easter Sunday sermon. My mind immediately went to, Oh No! I’m not good enough.  Really!!!!…. how could I write about the most important message of all time?!?

Rewind my life about 20 years and I recall a similar thought pattern.  Jesus doesn’t want me.  I’m not good enough. I try to be a good person, but I’ll never be the “perfect Christian”.  I can’t stand hypocrites, so how could I profess to be a Christian but still make the mistakes I make.  I can’t be baptized, committing to Jesus, because there’s no way I’ll live up to those standards.

Thankfully, I wasn’t left to hang out in this misery.  It was like a brick hit me over the head and helped me to see, “THAT’S THE POINT….. I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH!  If I was good enough, I wouldn’t need a savior.  If I was good enough, I wouldn’t need anyone to help me navigate life.  I can’t live the perfect life, only He did.  I need Jesus and He loves me even with all of my imperfections.

In fact all of my failed attempts at perfection, to be good enough, have only made me more desperate for a savior.  Someone perfect who will win despite all of my fears and failures.  Having that kind of savior in my life is the kind of good news I want to hold onto each day.

So while I continue to struggle with the sinful battle of trying to be “good enough”, trying to control my life, I now know I have a savior that will guide and help me along the way.

Pastor Nate’s sermon articulated it well, I have a savior that…

• died so that I would have the assurance that He is King and is in control and that I have nothing to worry about 
• allows me to set aside my false saviors including myself
• over powers death and gives me eternal life
• gives me a new life filled with the overwhelming power of the spirit of Jesus Christ living within me

So while I’m not good enough, I am loved enough.  Enough that Jesus died and the Father brought Him back to life for me, to guide me to become more and more like Him.  I bank my hope on this, and one day, because of His gift, I will be perfect, just like Him!