Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Transcendence

In my observance of human nature, rare is the occurrence that individuals will transcend what is safe and comfortable.  Of course, I do realize that there are those who love adventure, risk taking and change. But in my 40ish trips around the sun, I’ve noticed the majority of us love what we know.

We embrace that which is safe and like us. We surround ourselves with people who love us and make us feel loved. We take jobs where our skill sets are valued and appreciated.  We send our kids to schools where their needs are met. We build lives of safety and security in neighborhoods where we feel like we fit in.

But Jesus both taught and modeled a life of transcendence. He instructed us to live a life beyond the limits of our experience while showing us how by loving those who were different. When he encountered the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, Jesus crossed cultural and social barriers in ways that cost him his reputation.

On Sunday, Pastor Tyler reminded and encouraged us to continue to transcend the cultural concepts and barriers that keep us in our “boxes” in order to love those around us and fulfill the Great Commission. It was a good message – a challenge to take up.

Late Sunday afternoon, I had the opportunity to meet that challenge head on. Isn’t that just like God? But I was tired and wanted to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon. So, I reluctantly engaged and then recoiled because the situation became prickly, uncomfortable and “not like me.” When I went back into my world after the opportunity ended, I thought, “Phew! Glad that’s over. Now for some damage control.” I recounted the situation to a couple of close friends and Aaron – mostly in an effort to convince myself that I was right. The nerve of that person! The audacity!  

But here I am several days out, hearing the Holy Spirit whisper to me, “You could’ve handled that differently. You could’ve transcended your own experience, preference and culture to show my love.” Isn’t that just like God, too? He gives us an opportunity to use what we learned. We blow it up into a billion pieces. And then He’s gentle and kind in His reminder to get out there and do it again – this time the right way.

Today I’m praying for me – that I’ll have the opportunity to transcend and show His love in ways that aren’t like me. And be prepared: I’m praying that for you, too.  

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant 

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Enjoy


I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

In this passage of scripture, Paul is writing to the church of Philippi. Notably, Philippi was Roman colony that was responsible for imprisoning and beating Paul and Silas on their second missionary journey. It was also, however, the place where Lydia became the first Christian convert in Europe, and where the very jailer watching over Paul became a follower of Jesus (Acts 16).

While Paul was treated very unjustly in Philippi, his message in Philippians seems to suggest that he wasn’t weighed down by the bad things that happened. Rather, he remembered the Philippians with fondness and THANKED God every time he thought of them.

I find Paul’s example in this passage of scripture to be quite remarkable. In my own life, I have a hard time thinking positively about people who have simply said something bad about me. It’s hard for me to imagine joyfully remembering people who have done something as extreme as Paul’s imprisonment.

Paul had an ability to look past the negative. He saw people in a way that was deeper than the surface, human perception. He likely reflected on moments like Lydia and the jailer’s conversion, and thought about the great potential that Philippi possessed.

Personally, Paul’s example really challenges me to try to love people better. I want to see people in the way that God does (like Paul did), not focusing on what they have done wrong, but feeling grateful for their good qualities. I want to notice the beginning of a “good work” that God is doing in people, and be able to pray for continued blessing upon them.

In the same way, I hope you are challenged to enjoy people more. While it is certainly easier sometimes to just point out what is wrong in others, we must remember that God’s creation is always beautiful. Likewise, let us always seek to see people in a way that gives credit and honor to the Creator.   

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: Brigit Edwards

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

God > Your Wildest Dreams


On Monday, I had the opportunity to spend a large chunk of time alone in the car with my oldest daughter after a dentist appointment. During this time, she told me all about a friend of hers from school that is currently obsessing about the classes she’ll take in college (mind you, these girls are winding down their seventh grade school year). This friend wants to be a lawyer/neuroscientist so that she can have a lot of money and power in order to address and dismantle a particular hot-button issue.

Hey, it’s good to have dreams. But my daughter and I were both a little overwhelmed by her friend’s particular dream. Nonetheless, it served as a great launching point to revisit the message we’d heard the day before: God > Your Wildest Dreams.

A pang of wistfulness jabs at my heart every time I hear a message on “dreams.” I wouldn’t categorize myself as a dreamer – and that bums me out. Whenever, I sit with a dreamer (which is pretty much every night because I’m married to one) and hear the passion in their voice as they talk about “all the things,” I’m amazed. And exhausted. And frustrated.

Exhausted because “all the things” will take so much time and effort to do! Frustrated because I just can’t make myself think and dream like that! It’s been a point of defeat for the bulk of my adult journey.

Here’s the thing: while I’m not much of a dreamer, I am an excellent planner. Tell me your dream and I will generate lists, spreadsheets, timelines, and files – and then compile it all nicely into a binder. However, I will express to you how many rules have been broken, which timeframes are ridiculous, how costs are exorbitant, and that manpower is non-existent. And I’m pretty sure that’s where my exhaustion comes in.

And yet, Sunday’s message about dreams didn’t bum me out. I came away extremely encouraged and excited because for the first time the idea of “dreams” didn’t feel exhausting and overwhelming. My desperate striving and planning can sit in the passenger seat while “trust” drives the car.

Being a dreamer is possible if I trust God. Because NEWSFLASH: I don’t have to make it all happen! The key is trust. Trusting Him is greater than any dream I could imagine – or dash, for that matter.

Amy presented four key points of trust (for more on this, I would highly recommend listening to the podcast if you missed it):
  • Trust God with your dream
  • Trust Him with your treasure
  • Trust His promptings
  • Trust Him with your balance

Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Romans 12:1-2 from The Message encapsulates this so much better than anything I could write. So I’ll leave you with this, and I hope that it’s as liberating for you as it was for me:

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)

Written by: Jaime Hlavin


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

This Is Us


While I was going through a rough patch at work a few years ago, I tried a different approach to prayer on my regular runs at the city park.  My life group at the time was facing various personal challenges, so I decided to devote the run time to interceding for those people (and a few others in the church). My regular prayer time could be about me, my family, worship, or ministries where I felt called to serve, but the time on the track had to be just for those other people. 

I figured this would yield two results: first I would be too preoccupied to consider my fatigue or how much farther I had to go, and then I would be forced to take my mind off of my own anxiety. As it happens, my relationship with God felt closer and more alive than it had in years, and my own problems of the time became so inconsequential that they soon fell far behind me. It was transformative to focus on others, and I’ve recently taken up the practice again.

It hadn’t occurred to me that those prayer runs were an act of humility until hearing the message on Sunday. Then, of course, thinking that I was living out a godly virtue without even realizing it made me feel proud of myself, which probably defeats the whole purpose. But that’s OK – if I’m danger of pride I’ll just take another run.

Jeremiah 31:21 tells us to “Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came,” (NLT). We heard about four metrics to consider on the pathway we’re traveling and what makes us ourselves, as children of God.  These were humility, hunger, heart and health. For the purposes of this post, I’m just going to focus on the first one. We have all thought about what humility is not, but how often do we really think about what it is? Moreover, what markers tell us we’re within its boundaries?

C.S. Lewis once wrote that, “Humans have been brought to think that humility means pretty women trying to believe they are ugly and clever men trying to believe they are fools. And since what they are trying to believe may, in some cases, be manifest nonsense, they cannot succeed in believing it and (demons) have the chance of keeping their minds endlessly revolving on themselves.” Even when we are trying to adopt a humble outlook, our thoughts and efforts are focused inward. Instead, humility is the intentional and directed effort to focus on God and others. And while it doesn’t come easy, we are much healthier when we seek humility.


You may not be a runner, and honestly I’m not much of one either, which is why I needed to adopt a distraction technique. But somewhere in your daily routine, you likely do things like cooking, sorting through mail, hitting the weight machines at the gym, or other tasks that don’t require all your concentration. During this time, I would challenge you to ask God how the man you met during the greeting at Sunday service is faring this week, or if he would bless that life group member who is awaiting word of a loved one’s surgery. Some tasks may be better suited to this than others, but you succeed so long as you stop thinking about you. And if you stop trying to be so humble all the time, you just might arrive there now and again by mistake.

Written by: Chad Halcom
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Home- Part 2


Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9

When I first encountered this passage of scripture, I sort of glazed over it because it seemed to be geared towards parents. However, the more I reflect on this excerpt and this week’s sermon, the more I am realizing the relevance it has to my own life as a follower of God. In its original context, Moses was challenging the Israelites to take the command “Love the Lord with all your heart” directly into the home. He insisted that followers of God express their love for Him by honoring Him in all things and passing this love onto their families.

While I may not have children to “impress” my love for God onto, this passage still has significant meaning to me. It challenges me to love God and honor Him with everything that I have. To me, the example of generational transference suggests that loving God should be something that trickles down to every other aspect of life. Loving God should expand my capacity to love others and should change the way I act. It should be evident to those around me, and should be reflected in all of my relationships.

Through finding new meaning to this portion of scripture, I am challenged to determine whether or not my life actually reflects this concept. Does my love for God trickle down to the way I treat others? Does it push me to act in a way that is more like Christ?

Ultimately, letting God take the first place in our hearts and loving him with everything we have is something that can be life-changing. Not only can it bring us closer to God, but it can also direct others to Him.

I challenge you to examine your heart this week. Does God have the first place? Does loving him change the way you see and treat others? If not, I encourage you to open yourself up and make the necessary changes you need to put God first. It is my prayer that as you “love God with all your heart,” you are able to make a life-changing impact on those around you.   

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The Cross- Part 3



You didn't want Heaven without us
So, Jesus You brought Heaven down
My sin was great Your love was greater
What could separate us now?


“What a Beautiful Name,” Hillsong Worship
_________________________________________________

Reconciliation is one of my favorite words because it’s fun to say and it has so many syllables.

Also, I love what it means: to be brought back into relationship after being estranged.
When I was very young, my parents separated. My father moved out. Shortly afterward, my mom moved a friend and her three young children into our home. The friend was going through a separation as well and the two of them relied on one another for support.

Mom took a job outside of the home for the first time that I could remember. The roommate was understandably deeply depressed, and therefore slept most of the time. At the age of 7, I became the caretaker of the three young children plus my 4-year old brother.

That stretch of time is indelibly marked in my memory in spite of my very young age at the time.  It lasted about a year. Then one morning, before school, my mom sat down at the breakfast table with me and my brother. She informed us that our roommates would soon be moving out and Dad would be coming back home to live with us.

I had cried a lot that year – in confusion, sadness and frustration. The tears came again in that very moment. But I was overjoyed. That was my first experience with reconciliation. Even at a young age, what stood out to me was that it didn’t “just happen.” There had to be an active party who reached out to bridge that gap. My dad decided that enough was enough and that he didn’t want to live apart from my mom.

Over a decade later, I would experience reconciliation in a very different way.

Shortly after my parents reconciled, my family began attending church. The years went by and I was the Sunday School Superstar. I obeyed the rules. I memorized the verses. I attended all the church services. However, my faith never truly became my own.

By my senior year in high school, I was very far from the Lord. Estranged, I spent my college years in a very dark place.

As my junior year of college began to wind down and the autumn leaves began to fall, I was involved in a car accident. That wreck got my attention. I began to evaluate where my life was headed, the poor decisions I had spent the past several years making, and what I wanted my future to look like.

That following Wednesday – November 12th, 1997 – I decided to set foot into church again for the first time in who-knows-how-long.

My brother had left early to attend worship practice. My parents weren’t home. It was just me and my “trusty” 1994 Dodge Neon. Of course, the car wouldn’t start. So much for my plans of going to church that night!

Then the phone rang. 

It was my brother’s best friend, Ronnie.

“Jason already left for church,” I told him.

“I know,” he replied. “I’m calling for you. Do you need a ride to church? I feel like God wants me to drive you tonight.”

Whoa.

He picked me up. We drove to church.

Jesus changed my life that night. I was estranged and He actively sought me out in order that I might be reconciled. He was the active party that reached out to bridge the gap. (And I thank God daily for Ronnie’s obedience and part in my story).

Is Jesus reaching out to bridge the gap in your life today? Is there someone in your life that God is prompting you to help bridge the gap?


It is my prayer today that we would never forget our own moments of reconciliation, and that we would listen to the voice of the Lord as He prompts us to be part of His plan of reconciliation to those around us. 

Written by: Jaime Hlavin

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

The Cross- Part 1

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More than ten years ago, I was channel surfing late at night and came across a reality TV show where, for reasons I don’t recall, a young Christian man from some rural Bible Belt community was sent to live and work for a while among a group of young gay men in a trendy coastal neighborhood. It was supposed to unfold like an Odd Couple style pairing, I think, though the Christian and his new compatriots were mostly agreeable and found their lives had more commonalities than differences.


Of course, people who get along don’t make very riveting television. So at some point the group staged a dinner table talk over the Christian’s homespun values and his views on sin. He had tried, in a ham-handed way, to explain that his church viewed all sin the same way and that certain kinds of sex were no different than murder. He could as easily have said “no different than lying” or “no different than pounding your thumb with a hammer and shouting the Lord’s name in vain.” Once the group heard their sexual expression equated with murder, tempers flared and civil discourse mostly shut down. The next several minutes of the program were a mix of venting and cringe-worthy apologies. Around then I remembered I was a grown-up with better things to do, and shut off the TV for the night.

What remained with me, though, was a sense that our group values often align by which issues we face personally and which issues we don’t. It’s probably easy to get a large group of evangelicals all on the same page about robbery, violence, or a kind of sexuality no one in the parish deals with personally (or discusses publicly if they do). The sins of others, as it were. It might be tougher to get everyone in a congregation to unite against gluttony, online pornography, or prescription drug abuse – the struggles that tend to get more representation in our own church pews. And yet, as the reality TV star tried to explain, all sins hold a common value. Ultimately, they all separate us from God.

Even in New Testament times, we heard this week, it was easy for believers to lose sight of the enormous redemptive power of the cross. We can try to devalue or justify our own sin, but grace does something entirely different. Grace doesn’t diminish or erase our debt. Rather, it pays our debt in full

 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us,” (Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV).  

In Ephesus, a city characterized by slave trade, redemption could carry the commercial connotation of being bought out of servitude. But understanding the value of redemption also requires having sober attention to what sins and struggles hold sway over us. We can’t practice forgiveness, be gracious ourselves, or learn to cope with the flaws of others if we don’t believe ourselves to be flawed.

The good news, though, is the reverse is also true. You will be amazed at how much transformative love and healing you can bring into the lives of others when you realize what Jesus’ own grace has done for you.

The magnitude of that realization will almost start poring out through your skin. Despite the times I have failed to witness to those around me, I have often found that people have known where I stood for years in my faith just by observing my general demeanor. I like to think that’s the power of walking through life feeling forgiven.


If you find yourself becoming cynical or lackadaisical in your approach to Christianity, I challenge you to be reminded of the grace that saved you. Although we did not deserve it and were all guilty of sin, Christ redeemed us and set us free.

Written by: Chad Halcom
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Product of a Mission

Why I am a product of mission—not missions.


Something has happened along the way in the culture of the church. Perhaps not Freedom Christian specifically, or perhaps it has happened to us too—at least in our hearts. We all know that as a group, Christians are pretty prone to “Christian-ese”, a language that is technically English (or whatever the native language of your area is), but is beyond understandable to those outside of our group. While most “Christian-ese” is relatively harmless, there is one word in our vocabulary that has morphed just enough that we need to talk about it.

That word is “missions”. MissionSSSsss.

The difference is so subtle I’m sure it’s completely evaded many of us. We have taken the heartbeat of the gospel, the very thing that brought us all together and continues to move us out to the world, beyond ourselves, and categorized it in a way that allows us to separate it from ourselves without much concern. While having a “missions” category is effective for things such as church budgets, referencing intentional living, and ministering to those around us as “missions” and not simply as the way we live—it has also caused us to detach from the work God is doing around us. Categorizing missions puts a distance between the way we perceive ourselves and the way we perceive those we send out officially into other countries to spread the gospel.

It’s true, those two lives are very different ones, however, neither are called to anything besides THE mission. Though it might look different or sound different, it is the same God whose will we are called to be a part of.

Though my ‘missions’ giving supports different, specific people and purposes around the world, their objectives are no different from what mine should be. While a missionary meets with a friend for noodles on the other side of the world to talk about the gospel, I might drive down the street to a coworker’s house to do the same. In this way, we cannot categorize the call of God to mobilize the message of hope, of peace, love, joy, or any of the things that drew us to Him for the first time.


This week, I challenge you the same way this past Missions Sunday challenged myself—to think about “missions” differently this year. Not as something that can be categorized, or put into a box. But a fluid, necessary, integral part of all of our lives that cannot be confined to a word or a financial pledge. Ask God this year how to be a part of mission, and to reveal the way He is moving all around you.

Written by: Brianna Vanderveen
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Forward- Part 4


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Have you ever found yourself saying, “I wish there were more hours in a day so I could just get everything done?” I know I have said this phrase many times. So often, I find myself drowning in homework, work, church activities, and trying to maintain a social life. While working hard, aspiring for excellence, and building relationships are all things God encourages, there is another activity God commands His people to do that is markedly overlooked. Just as God commands His followers to do everything with excellence (Colossians 3:23), He also instructs that rest be a habit incorporated into daily life (Exodus 20:8).

Personally, I know I have been guilty of diminishing the importance of stopping amidst the busyness to reflect and rest. I have often viewed rest as a sort of “time waster.” If I’m not doing anything, it feels like I’m not being productive. However, I am learning that rest is not a time waster, nor is it unproductive. Rather, it is an essential ingredient to health that cultivates productivity. In fact, when the human body goes without rest for an extended period of time, it begins to shut down. God designed humanity with a necessity to rest. Therefore, it is vital that we honor His creation and command by setting aside time to rejuvenate.

As we learned from Sunday’s sermon, rest is something that we must intentionally incorporate into our lives. If it seems that our schedule does not allow for a single moment of free-time, perhaps the first thing to do is cut out some activities. Once a time frame for rest is established, it is important to make sure that the time set aside is truly restful. If your time of rest is spent worrying about the next thing that needs to get done, perhaps you are going about rest in the wrong way. While identifying a restful activity may look different for each person, it is necessary to find something that works for you.

If you find yourself struggling to make time for rest, or simply feel like nothing you do is restful, I challenge you to start by opening a time slot for rest this week. It could be something as simple as taking 20 minutes in the morning to drink coffee and read the Bible, or could be taking a day this weekend to hang out with family and have fun together. Instead of viewing rest in a negative light, let us remember that rest is a healthy, Biblical principal that is essential for life.

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant 

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Forward- Part 3

Image may contain: one or more people and textIt’s possible that the roster of a professional sports team makes a good microcosm to study life in the career world. There is a player in almost every batting rotation or starting lineup who is one or two more bad plays away from getting traded or farmed out to the minors, and he knows it. He shows up early and puts in extra time at practice or the gym, always listens to the advice of his coach, and reads the latest research on performance improvement. He does all of this because he wants another season for himself and his family, and he isn’t sure his player averages will pass muster.

On the same team, there is often a superstar recruited directly out of high school who skips practices and spends more of his time among supermodels and at wild parties than at team events. He might show up hungover when he does show up, and squabbles publicly with the manager and team owner. But for all his histrionics, he can still take the field and put the ball into the bleacher seats or the end zone every time.

I would like to tell you that when it comes time to set the team roster, the first player’s loyalty, commitment, and diligence will matter more. And on some level, the team manager probably wants that first player to find the secret to raising his game. But sadly, character is not a substitute for ability – and team management is about getting results.  We have all seen this script play out before, and we know the second player will win more games and fill more stadium seats.

Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you, let’s take a look at Paul’s letter to the Colossians. As we heard on Sunday, Colosse was a struggling town filled with slave labor, and the apostle advises those Christians to “obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:22-23 NIV).

Why in the world should we push ourselves so hard when it won’t amount to anything? Well, because we aren’t doing it for the glory of one more season in the majors, or even for team spirit. It’s dangerous to fall into the trap of thinking hard work will be rewarded all the time, or that the result is justification for the effort. We are to leave it all on the field even if we know we are going to lose, to please the Lord, knowing that “you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.” (Colossians 3: 24-25).


The earthly result of our work is not our goal, and is not even important. It doesn’t really matter if the master frees or rewards the slave or elevates his status, or simply tasks him all the harder to compensate for his less productive laborers. We aren’t working for that master, or even ourselves for that matter. We work with our whole heart to be a testimony to our Savior, who uses our zeal for his righteousness to transform us.

Written by: Chad Halcom
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Forward

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“I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A l little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”
Proverbs 24:30-34

This set of verses strongly encourages us to be diligent.  This past week at Freedom, we applied Proverbs 24:30-34 to so much more than keeping up our yards. The neglect of any area of our life results in ruin.

Let’s talk about how “poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man” when we neglect the important things in our lives in exchange for the easy way. I’ll go first…

Historically, I have been extremely non-confrontational and tended to choose the path of least resistance. So when things were okay, I was good with okay. I didn’t feel much pressure to make them great. After all, moving toward greatness was hard and it could rock the boat and make things really complicated.

There are many examples in my life of this: relationships, projects, career-related things, etc. I have to fight really hard against this tendency in my life in order to move things that are simply good to great.

The matriarch of my family was the glue that held us all together. She was our “relationship facilitator.” If there was something I needed to talk to my other family members about, she would say, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.” I very rarely needed to have any conversation – let alone important ones that define relationships – with any of them because she’d do it for me.  

Then one day, when I was 32, she was gone. Within a matter of weeks, I realized that scarcity and poverty abounded because I had spent years sleeping and slumbering when it came to various family relationships. Weeds had overtaken the vineyard and I didn’t know how to be a daughter/sister/niece/granddaughter without my mother to facilitate. The walls were in disrepair specifically regarding one particular relationship. I felt helpless. And eventually I felt angry. I didn’t even know where to begin.

So I chose not to begin at all. There was a stretch of time that I was so unhappy that the awkward tension in the room was palpable when I was with the person. I was miserable and unpleasant and it made for very awkward family birthday parties and holidays.

I couldn’t stand it anymore.  At age 36, I had to make a decision: Either fester in resentment for the rest of my life or begin pulling weeds and create the relationship that I wanted. The pain of staying the same had finally become more difficult than the pain of changing.

So, little by little, I made steps toward fixing the disrepair. Some of the weeds were harder to pull than others. The difficult weeds included altering my unrealistic expectations, choosing not to be stubborn, and adjusting the perpetual “thirteen year old girl attitude” I seemed to be stuck in. But the actual rebuilding of the wall was remarkably easier than I anticipated! I began making regular phone calls when I didn’t want to, sending texts regarding times of baseball games and band concerts in spite of what I thought the answer would be, having difficult conversations even though I knew I’d cry, and scheduling time together to just hang out.

The relationship is far from perfect. I still have some things that I need to decide what I’m going to do about. But I’m tending to the vineyard of our relationship more diligently now. And the difficulty of the hard work of rebuilding serves as a vivid reminder to be careful not to not let this happen again in the other areas of my life.   

Now it’s your turn: What little weeds can you pull today in an effort to begin changing the areas of your life that have gotten to a place of scarcity and poverty? I’ll be praying that the Lord will give you the strength to make the necessary steps toward weeding and rebuilding this week!

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Awe of God: The Feast of Pentecost


Can you name these three waterfalls?

Don’t worry, there’s no test later. If you’ve been a Michigan resident a while you almost certainly know one, while you might have to be a dedicated backpack hiker to have seen all three (hint: one is in Ontario and another in Washington state). They can become a breathtaking spectacle or a reward after an arduous hike – sort of like the awesome presence of God after a strenuous session pressing into Him in prayer.

I’ve sat under each of these falls at least once, and several rate worthy of return visits. What strikes me about them is their constancy. They each continue to pour 6,000 to 10,000 gallons of water from their crests every second. And while they will strike you with wonder as you take them in, I find it even more notable that they remain there in their glory and in testament to the Creator the rest of your time. Every second that you are in your office, stuck somewhere in traffic, sleeping, or hanging out with your friends, they continue to cascade in majesty – a little less when the snow flies in November, and a little more when spring brings the snow melt streaming down the river. The awesomeness of God is that constant as well, even when you and I are being less than our best. And the Lord is there around us too, just waiting to pour over us and be rediscovered.

But don’t go chasing waterfalls (yes, I did, and with apologies to hip-hop trio TLC). Chase instead the wonder and awe of God as our constant Creator and Savior.

That was what resonated with me after this week’s message – all the feasts and ceremonies that we studied the past several weeks, each a call to remind us of our deliverer and his awesome might, are in the end merely a foretell of the sacrifice Jesus himself made for us.

We don’t think that much of the cross as a display of power. That almost seems to be the point, doesn’t it? The creator of the universe became a baby in a stable, then a man of no particular means or standing in his community, and was humbly led away by Romans to execution for sedition. But a 60-foot high, 4-inch thick veil was torn open by more than human hands to represent the freedom to press in for the Holy of Holies, where our Maker is seated. The very act of being led by a Gentile soldier follows on a tradition centuries earlier with the Israelites and the sin goat of Azazel, and fulfills prophecies from millennia ago. All the feasts foretold of our chance to dine with our Lord.

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10:11-14

May we never lose our sense of wonder at who God is. May the majestic and even heroic way Jesus came to fulfill prophecy be ever new for you. And when you press into Him, may the torrent of His love pour over you like a refreshing waterfall at the end of your long trail.

Written by: Chad Halcom
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant




Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Awe of God: The Festival of Trumpets


How long has it been since you’ve been bothered by the sin in your life? –Pastor Aaron Hlavin

This question, which was asked at the opening of this week’s service, is still ringing in my ears. Granted, there are blatant sins I have committed that have prompted me to repent and turn from my previous ways. However, this question forces me to examine my sin on a deeper level. Are there areas of my life where I have simply become so comfortable that I don’t even recognize my sin anymore? Have I blurred the lines of what is right to justify my wrongs?

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were faced with a similar awakening. Through the Festival of Trumpets (Leviticus 23), God commanded the Israelites to set aside time to rest, reflect, and repent. The start of this festival was indicated by the blasting sounds of trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). Notably, this was a powerful sound. It symbolized more than just a beginning. Beyond that, it was a warning sign, a call to action, and a sign of what was to come. As the Bible indicates, the Israelites were told to “Hold a sacred assembly and deny [themselves] and present a food offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:28). If anyone failed to do this, the punishment was made clear that God would “destroy” them (Leviticus 23:30). Finally, the text goes on to say that this command would “be a lasting ordinance for many generations to come” (Leviticus 23:31).

While the structural aspect of this festival may not be relatable to you and I, there is a clear principle in this portion of scripture that can be applied today. God was calling His chosen people to repent. He was directing them towards self-denial and atonement. He was setting up a reminder for the Israelites to recalibrate their focus on God.

As I think about what this meant for the Israelites at that time, I am challenged to identify the areas of my life in which a trumpet may be “sounding.” In the day-to-day happenings of life, it can be so easy to drown out God’s voice and the Holy Spirit’s conviction. It is often easier to magnify the sound of my own thoughts. Nonetheless, it is so important that I hold onto the principle that was taught to the Israelites. I must be intentional about responding to the convicting call to repentance.


This week, I challenge you to think about what God may be uncovering in you. In what areas of your life is the trumpet sounding? How long has it been since you’ve been bothered by your sin? If your answer is that it has been a while, what are you going to do to change that? 

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: Brigit Edwards

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Awe of God: The Feast of Weeks


This month at Freedom, we’ve been talking about the various feasts and festivals mandated by God to the Israelites. What has been most fascinating and “goose bump-inducing” for me is the way each of these celebrations ties into the work Jesus completed in the New Testament. Jesus’ work is so obviously the fulfillment of the things God had begun to do through the nation of Israel.

The Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, was to take place 50 days after Passover:

“Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord our God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you.”
Deuteronomy 16:9-10

It was a time of focus. The Israelites were to look “upward,” to God, in gratitude.  Their gratitude was to be in proportion to the blessings they received.  Gratefulness is crucial in maintaining true awe of the Lord. When we are constantly thinking about “where our stuff comes from,” it’s hard to forget the amazing provision of God.

Also, the Israelites were to focus “outward” during this time by extending the blessings to those outside their circles:

“ …your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you.”
Deuteronomy 16:11b

The Lord instructed the Israelites to invite the “outsiders” to celebrate the goodness of God alongside them.

Generations later, Jesus would tell His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit – the Advocate. (John 14:26; Acts 1:4). This happened on the day of Pentecost, which the Jews had already been celebrating for hundreds of years. The disciples were gathered together looking “upward,” expecting something from the Lord. The Holy Spirit filled them and gave them boldness to preach the Gospel – which resulted in many coming to know Jesus that day. That’s the “forward” focus – generations of people who would come to know Him!

I love how God brought it full circle.

And I love how He’s continuing to work through His people today. We live in tumultuous days and yet God’s using His Church to draw the “outsider” to Him. Let us not forget that He wants everyone to come to the celebration – the foreigner, the orphan, the widow, those who are outside our “circles.” Let’s set aside our differences and expand the upward, outward and forward focus. Let’s expand the awe of our God to a world that so desperately needs Him. 

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Awe of God: Feast of Passover


Lately I have been preoccupied with minutes. Each one passes by us as inconsequentially as a raindrop, and together they collect into unstoppable rivers. You spend, on average, around 1,000 minutes out of bed every day. Every son or daughter you bring into the world comes with about 10 million minutes of childhood -- to spend with you or someone else. It's been just over 1 billion minutes since the last books and letters of the New Testament were written. And the total US labor force earned about $31 million combined per minute last year (that's another average -- daytime minutes were more than seven times as costly as graveyard shift minutes, by man-hours worked).

What's my point? Well, we never know which few of those minutes that drift by us will change the whole course of our lives. The Israelites lived through four hundred years of enslavement in Egypt with no change in sight -- never knowing when their deliverer would come. And then, one night, freedom was coming so quickly they didn't even have time to leaven their bread. "Eat the meat roasted over a fire, with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast...," the Lord commands, "with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover." (Exodus 12:9,11). For centuries, the months passed by in futility on the calendar. Then, the Lord gave his people a whole new calendar ("This month is to be the first month of your year," (Exodus 12:2).

It is sobering to think how quick and how awe-inspiring those minutes of transformation are when they come along. They remind me of other Bible passages like the parable of the wise and foolish virgins who never knew when exactly the bridegroom would be visiting. On a personal level, I am reminded of the random times a loved one has asked me to pray the sinner's prayer with them, or has asked me to lift up their needs in prayer during a trying time to the God they have seen sharing my life with me. I can't tell you I rise to the occasion each time, but I know I need to strive to "be prepared in season or out of season" (II Timothy 4:2), and try to inhabit a sense of constant expectation. Because I'm starting to think that the kingdom of God doesn't operate much on lead time.

As we heard this week, you are a new person with an old history. That's because when you come to know Christ, your redemptive process is both instantaneous and lifelong. And lifelong changes don't come at a uniform rate. We can spend months or years preparing for one moment with no signs of progress until, suddenly, we turn a sharp corner.  But those moments come along so powerfully for ourselves and those around us that only God can take credit for them.

We often hear that adage, in this church, that you have the relationship with God that you want. Too true. But the good news is, if you're willing, that relationship could change for the better at any minute.

Written by: Chad Halcom
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant


Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Awe of God: The Feast of Firstfruits


And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

This verse has weighted heavily on my heart this past week. The principle behind this text has starkly awakened me to my responsibility as a Christian. The reality is, an absence of faith makes it impossible to have a relationship with God.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were presented with the challenge of living a faith-filled life by giving their first fruits (Leviticus 23:11-14). Specifically, they were asked to give their first harvest to God regardless of impending drought or famine. Quite literally, they were asked to trust God with their lives.

In the New Testament, this charge is echoed. As 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 states, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.” In other words, Jesus is the resurrected king who is the foretaste of our resurrection. He was the “firstfruits” of God’s promise to His followers. As we [followers of God] trust Him faithfully with our lives, He will remain faithful to us.

In seeking to grasp this concept deeper, I have been challenged by its application to my own life. If I am being honest, there are several areas in which I am not fully trusting God. I often struggle to set aside my own power in order to surrender my thoughts, plans, and worries to God’s strength. I have come to the realization that when I am not trusting God with my future, my finances, my relationships, my health, and my joy, I am NOT giving God the honor He deserves. Furthermore, I am not living out the call He has given me.


This week, I challenge you to examine your own life. If you find yourself in a similar position as me, I encourage you to hold tight to the promises of God’s faithfulness. While it can be easy to fall into the trap of relying on human strength, let us remember that God has greater plans in store for us than we could ever imagine. His faithfulness goes beyond our lives on earth. While the challenges of today may be tough and the future may be uncertain, God’s plan supersedes and overwhelms all that is lacking.   

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant