Category Archives: Church

September 7, 2011

Creative Genius

By alexpenduck

God has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He’s filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things, to design and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to carve stones and set them; to carve wood, working in every kind of skilled craft. And he’s also made him a teacher, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He’s gifted them with the know-how needed for carving, designing, weaving, and embroidering in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, and in fine linen. They can make anything and design anything.” – Exodus 35:30-35

We the church love to lift people who can preach, sing, lead and administrate on a pedestal. We see the teachers, the leaders, the prophets, the evangelists and the pastors as those with the ultimate gifts for the church. However, there was a gift that was given to the world many years before there was ever a teacher, a preacher or an evangelist. It was the creative gift.

God the creator showed His creative genius when he created the world. He showed His creative genius when He designed man. He showed His creative genius when he formed Eve! I believe that creative gifts are directly from the throne room of God.

We see in the book of Exodus that God is giving Moses the law. There comes a point before anyone makes any sacrifice to the Lord. Before any worship occurs and before the law is put into effect that God tells Moses that those with creative gifts are to work their creative genius on the tabernacle of God. God singles out two men who are what we would call creative. In fact the bible tells us that these men were filled with the spirit of God and it was that same spirit that gave these men these gifts.

As a church it is up to the leaders to make sure there is a creative element to that church. God is a creative God and He has given people within that church creative gifts. These gifts aren’t to be just used for the once a year event, or for the week of VBS, but these creative gifts are to be front and center of any church. God gave special instructions to make sure that those with creative genius were allowed to create. I believe God desires the creative people He has sent to your church to be allowed room to create.

Pastor, identify those creative people in your church and empower them to excel in the gifts God has given to them and to your church!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Church, Leadership

August 23, 2011

Full Gospel!

By alexpenduck

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. Jude 1:3

One of the hardest disciplines for the modern preacher is to preach the full gospel. The gospel is so vast and wide that even 50 years of preaching would not be able to cover every detail of the incredible grace and love of Jesus Christ. However, for many preachers they become comfortable with one part or subject of the gospel and that becomes the focus of their ministry. We are not talking about faith preachers nor name it or claim it preachers, but the stable sound in doctrine preacher who has given his life to the calling of God.

The writer of Jude desired to just give the incredible message of Salvation, yet being a full gospel preacher meant while Salvation is front and center of the gospel, it is not the only part of the gospel. There were issues springing up in the churches in the first century that had to be dealt with. The people in the churches had received the life-giving spirit of Jesus Christ. They had become the redeemed, the chosen, the elect! Their souls had been saved from sin and death, yet a theology had arisen that said because of the power of the grace of God, it was okay to keep on living immoral lifestyles.

Yes, every preacher has his niche, but the servant preacher realizes that there are topics that are uncomfortable to preach, yet must be preached.

There are many who fall into the trap of just preaching Salvation, yet holiness is just too uncomfortable for their seeker friendly crowd. On the other side there are many who fall into the trap of just preaching holiness that a seeker will never consider entering the doors of their church. Christ didn’t die for just half the gospel, He died so that men and women could hear the full life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

Just as Jude stepped out of his comfort zone to deal with holiness issues, so to must we preachers step outside of our comfort zone and realize we have been called to declare the FULL gospel. It is only the full gospel that will ultimately change lives and it is only the full gospel that the Lord has anointed us to preach!

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Church, Church Planting, Daily Devotional, Leadership

August 18, 2011

Bad Examples

By alexpenduck

Don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. 3 John:11

One rotten apple can spoil a bag of good apples. It’s an age-old proverb of wisdom. No one ever argues with it, everyone is in agreement that the damage that one piece of rotten fruit can do to many pieces of healthy fruit.

The problem is not believing this piece of wisdom, but identifying when an apple is rotten before it starts to destroy other apples close by. So often we only realize that an apple is rotten aftr it is too late.

John wrote about this problem to his friend Gaius. For the church which Gaius pastored had fell foul to one rotten apple. This apple came in the name of Diotrephes. A man who desired to be the leader and sort to eliminate anyone who he thought was a threat to this leadership. When preachers would come from out-of-town he would encourage people to not be welcoming. He gossiped about and accused men of God all in an effort to help himself. This man was truly a rotten apple. He had influenced others and now people had a bad taste in their mouths about church, leaders and even the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John urges the people to not let this rotten apple influence them, but instead discern what is right by what is good. If someone is trying to influence people to act in a way that is contrary to the life of Jesus Christ, then that person is a rotten apple, and follow John words of advice, stay well clear! In fact run for your lives because if you are not careful the rot will spread and before you know it, you will also be a rotten apple.

Who are you spending your time with? Who are you listening to? Who is influencing you? If you are finding yourself becoming gossips, becoming negative, becoming bitter or always finding fault, chances are there’s a rotten apple not too far away. Run from them and follow what is good!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Church, Daily Devotional, Life in general

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 488 other followers