Friday, July 29, 2016

Love Week 2016



If you’ve attended Freedom for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with the phrase, “Let’s change the world from Sterling Heights and Washington Township.”

It’s a nice phrase, isn’t it? But what does it really mean? To me? To you?

We are in the middle of Love Week 2016, and if you’re currently participating in the opportunities to serve, our hope is that you’re able to answer those questions.

Shortly after Aaron and I accepted the pastorate here at Freedom, we attended a conference where the keynote speaker asked, “If the doors of your church closed today, would your community even notice?”

Those words sank deep into our hearts as we began to expand the vision of Freedom to show the love of Christ and HIS Church beyond our four walls. God was calling Freedom to make a difference in our community.

I love to see this continue to come to fruition as I watch the people I love so much carve hours and days out of their busy schedules, take time off of work and step way out of their areas of comfort to serve others without any expectation of receiving anything in return.

If you’re new to Freedom and don’t fully “get the hype” of Love Week – or even if you’re not new to Freedom – and you haven’t taken the opportunity to find an area to serve, can I encourage you to just show up to at least one and see how your friends are involved in changing the world via our community? You’ll be convinced.

Young and old (I have an 8 year old and a 12 year old who both have been involved in serving in various areas.) Introvert and extrovert. Physically fit and (ahem) not-so-physically fit (talking to myself, here). There’s room for you.
   
Please, don’t miss out on the opportunity to partner with God as we work to change the world from Sterling Heights and Washington Township. I can’t wait to serve alongside you.

The night before Love Week commenced, a friend of mine posted this quote on social media. I felt that it was a fitting sentiment for the upcoming days:

“You can’t be a world changer until you serve. And you can’t serve until you break free of your comfort zone.” – Ann Voskamp

The week’s not over yet. Let’s get out there and change the world together.

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Questioning God


Have you ever had an “Are you serious, God?” moment? More specifically, have you ever felt God calling you to do something, when a million questions popped into your head about the logistics and repercussions that could come about for doing what He asked? As much as I’d like to believe I have always wholly trusted God in the things He has called me to, I know that has not always been the case. Often times, I have found myself thinking, “Really God? You want me to do that?” The good news is, the Bible is full of many great followers of God who also had to learn how to trust in Him.

This past Sunday, we focused on the story of Moses. In Exodus 3:10, God gives Moses the responsibility of leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Considering the sheer gravity of the task God had given, in addition to  the fact that Moses was already in late adulthood and lacked the ability to speak eloquently, it’s not surprising that he had a few questions to ask God first. While Moses certainly had faith, he still had more to learn about trusting God. Likewise, we may also learn from Moses’ example.

In this passage of scripture, Moses asks what seem to be very logical questions: 1. What makes him relevant to fulfilling this call (Exodus 3:11), 2. How does he know it was really the one and true God speaking to him (Exodus 3:13), 3. How will he prove to the Israelites that God gave him this call (Exodus 4:1), and 4. How will he possibly take on this extremely big task (Exodus 4:10)? I love that Moses asks these questions because it gives me hope in times when I have doubts about God’s call on my life.

Moreover, I love God’s response to Moses’ questions. He doesn’t just give Moses a call, then leave him hanging. Rather, God responds to Moses with the reassurance and confirmation he needed to move forward. He tells Moses that He will walk alongside him (Exodus 3:12) and equip him with all of the skills and abilities he needs (Exodus 4:11). Furthermore, God gives clear signs that not only confirm His power to Moses, but may also prove His hand in Moses’ mission to the Israelites (Exodus 4:2-5).

This story only marks the beginning of Moses’ journey of learning to trust God. Throughout Exodus, there are many more instances that he has to trust God for the impossible, as opposed to trying to understand the “logical.”

In the same sense, you and I may learn from this story that sometimes, it’s okay to ask God questions! Verifying that God, and not someone else, is the one speaking is a healthy practice that may allow us to better understand His character.

Beyond the questions, however, we may learn from Moses’ example that sometimes, we must trust God without being given all the details. As God’s word in this passage proves, He promises to walk with us and equip us to fulfill His purpose. Likewise, when we are genuinely given a call from the Lord, whether it be something simple or huge, He will not fail us. He will guide us and prepare us to fulfill His purpose. However, we must be willing to let go and trust in Him.


So, the next time you are having an “Are you serious, God?” moment, I challenge you to set aside your human understanding. While it is certainly no simple task, when we surrender our trust to God, He can use us to do incredible things. 

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: Jenelle Kelly

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Where Do You Live?



Being a Christian is not a right.

One more time.

Being a Christian is not a right.

WHAT?! I know, it's tough to believe. We live in a country with freedom of religion, so we're pretty used to it being a right. And we are fiercely protective of that.

But to sanction faith to the confines of something that is simply "a" right, "a" piece of you, "a" part of your life is perhaps the problem. The term Christianity itself has lulled us into the mindset that it is one of many religions, instead of a term being used to describe one who is seeking the supernatural and perfect relationship with our Creator. It is not simply a belief system, but living life in truth, through the deep-seeded desire to see eternity that the Bible says God has placed in each of us. It exists beyond all other labels and constructions of our mind. 

Therefore, it cannot be relegated simply to being a part of our American identity. It is not a side benefit to citizenship of a nation. Rather than being a part of our identity as an American citizen, it is a separate identity as a citizen of Heaven, as pastor Randy spoke of Sunday. The two coexist, and we decide which one we let affect the other. 

With these two identities we hold, we are given authority by God to be not just citizens, but ambassadors. It is our duty to usher in the atmosphere of Heaven to meet earth when we come together in prayer and in worship. Whether it is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, committing ourselves to the will of God, or standing in unity that precedes all other earthly boundaries, we must decide as Christians to allow our citizenship in Heaven to be our strongest loyalty, as an ambassador's strongest loyalties are to that of their home country. This does not necessarily mean there will always be dissension between the two--our biggest responsibility is simply being a representative of the love of Christ here. However, if situations arise that put our American identity at odds with our identity in Christ, we must again decide which will affect which.

Across the world, ambassadors of Christ have made the decision. Though the countries they are in stand in direct opposition to their home in Heaven, they remain in Christ. But not only do they remain in Christ, they step beyond the embassy; beyond the safe group of other Christians and church communities and into the risk of punishment under the law of the place they are in for the sake of others; for the sake of their identity as a citizen of heaven. As Pastor Randy said on Sunday, they know their rights, and when their Heavenly authority does not match their earthly right, they accept the consequences for doing good that this entails, however unfair. They know which will stand for eternity. Being a child of God outlasts government. It outlasts persecution. It outlasts election seasons. It has outlasted every culture that has approached it since the beginning of time. 

So in this politically charged, uncertain, and unstable point in our history as a nation, I encourage you to remain. Remain in your foremost identity as a child of God and allow the knowledge that no man or woman can ever change who God is be a comfort, as well as a point of unity in the body of Christ.

Written by: Brianna Vanderveen
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant