Proverbs- Part 2

As a whole, my generation hates correction. Now, I'm sure this has been the case at one point for nearly every generation, since it has likely been the case for every person at one point or another. However, my generation has practically rebuilt our lives on this idea. We hate correction so much so that we've abolished truth altogether and figured out how to claim that it simply does not exist. Instead, we prefer to free fall in this deconstructed idealism of ambiguous morality and therefore strip any right of one person to question another, much less suggest something different than what we are doing.

Anyone who is not a millennial and currently reading this is likely having a small party right now. A millennial admitted one of the many stereotypes that exist against them to be true! They really are terrible!  

Yes, it is true that my generation has rejected the idea of truth, and refuses anyone to be "right" or "wrong"-but we are not the only victims of this philosophy. Across cultures, gender, and yes, even age, everyone around us has bought into it. 

The generations before us are now echoing back the post a modernistic concept of no truth and no reality that we adopted and embraced into mainstream culture for the sake of sparing the world of discipline and correction. It is in our classrooms, in our media, everywhere.

Sure, this might sound like a perfect world, where nothing can be wrong. However, when we rebuke correction and discipline, we devalue the power of the gospel itself. 
If we, as Christians, choose to endorse the notion that we cannot be corrected because what is "true for me" may not be "true for you" we discredit Scripture for being an alive, breathing Word of God that truly has the power to change lives.

Not only does the refusal of correction devalue Gods Word, but it ultimately prevents our growth as Christians, and as people. To try and build our character on a constantly shifting, ambiguous moral ground that is forever effected by the tide of culture is the equivalent of building one’s house on shifting sand. Where there is little to stand on, there is little to uphold us and our conviction. But when we receive and embrace correction in a loving, constructive context, we build our houses upon the Rock. The rock that is truth, the rock that is love, the rock that is Christ.

This week, I challenge you (myself certainly included) to examine your attitudes on correction. Are you willing to sacrifice a moment's pride to enrich your life and build your identity in Christ, or are you tempted by the illusive, indefinable ideals that the world sells you?

Written by: Bri Vanderveen

Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Proverbs-Part 1

On Sunday, we kicked off a series on the book of Proverbs. We talked about how it can be easy to brush this book off as a bunch of antiquated quips from an ancient agrarian society. But the truth of the matter is that the book of Proverbs is full of wisdom for us today. Sometimes we just need to take a few extra moments to meditate on the words, ideas and the hard-hitting, life-changing truth found therein.

Our challenge is to read one chapter of Proverbs each day corresponding with the day of the month. For example, we began on Monday, October 12 so the assignment was to read Proverbs 12. After you’ve read the chapter, pull out one verse that speaks to you and really analyze it and apply it to your life.

Aaron and I are doing this individually in our personal devotional time.  Proverbs 12 really convicted and challenged me in a few areas.  (Ahem…Proverbs 12:16. As one who is easily annoyed and impatient, that one hurt.)

We’ve also decided to, together as a family, read the corresponding chapter in the evenings. It’s been a time of reflection, honesty and encouragement for all of us. Aaron and I have been impressed with the insight and teachability of our children. We’ve been humble and contrite with them in the areas that we are being challenged as well. (Don’t get me wrong – I am not claiming that my kids are theological prodigies. You may have seen my social media post regarding the Proverb that my 7 year old “wrote”: If you don’t do what’s right, you’ll be eaten by the Kraken. But weird sea creature folklore aside, this is a great opportunity for my girls to begin to read and interpret scripture alongside of us.)

As you take this Proverbs Challenge over the next weeks, I would encourage you to customize it for yourself so that you can allow the scripture to impact you deeply. That may look different for each person. Many are posting their verse on social media. Maybe journaling about your verse will be most beneficial for you. Or perhaps writing it on a notecard or sticky note and placing it somewhere you’ll see it throughout the day works for you.

For those with artistic hearts, maybe putting the words to music will deepen the meaning of the words. I’ve seen people superimposing the words over a nature photo. Paint or draw the words in a way that speaks to you (I’ve seen my daughter do this with scripture).

Or talk about it around the dinner table or with a group of friends.

But whatever you do, please, take this challenge to heart. I pray that each of us would allow the wisdom of the Proverbs to drive deep into our hearts and change us.   

Written by: Jaime Hlavin

Edited by: Jenelle Kelly

Spiritual Warfare- Part 5

A few months ago at work, I was unexpectedly overcome after spotting a newswire story that the actor Dick Van Patten had died. I don’t just mean a sentimental twinge – I lost my composure in the newsroom, which is one of those open and collaborative spaces that management consultants rave about and workers often don’t. So I had to duck into a bathroom stall for several minutes until I could dry my eyes and get it together. It was disconcerting, to feel so stung by the loss of a man I’d never met and hadn’t even seen on TV for close to 30 years. But Van Patten and the whole fictional Bradford clan of “Eight Is Enough” were part of my childhood after my own father was gone, and are part of a larger dysfunction I hadn’t addressed as an adult.

I had no friends as a small child. My mother, adrift after a divorce that wasn’t amicable, changed jobs and towns frequently. So I was one of the first kids dropped off at day care in the morning, bused to school and back, and usually the last picked up to go home after dark. For the evening hours, while my mother divided her attention between my toddler brother and scraping dinner from a can, I was relegated to prime time TV. And I had crowdsourced my parenting, without realizing it, to several fictional TV dads. The first was probably Bradford, since the divorce came early in that series run. Others followed, as I discovered Howard Cunningham, Mike Brady, John Walton, and later Tony Micelli or Heathcliff Huxtable (by then my mother had remarried, but the pattern was ingrained). I absorbed every helpful talk those men gave their fictional kids in Brooklyn, Sacramento, or wherever, because I was convinced they were the same lessons other boys and girls on my block were getting from real human fathers, and I didn’t want to fall behind on growing up.

In the “Wild at Heart” series at men’s ministry we discussed “The Wound” men carry that affects their personalities and relationships with God; in most instances for me, this was the absence of an earthly father. It still manifests unexpectedly, like the Van Patten obituary incident, and we need a strategy to deal with our wound. In the message we studied the Good Samaritan, of Luke 10:25-37, as a model in coping with wounds. I’m used to thinking of that parable in terms of godly compassion, but it never occurred to me the robbery victim might be modeling something as well.  Sometimes you have to take yourself out of the game, or battle, and go on a disabled player list a while. Own that you are wounded, and allow yourself a chance to heal. It’s also important to make that only temporary, and to resolve to return to the fight.

In my prayer life I’ve become a warrior against loneliness. God often births ministry out of our own pain, and I try to spot isolation of others in the church and the world. I say “warrior” because I’m convinced chronic loneliness is an enemy, even a handicap, that causes people to be underdeveloped and dissociative and ineffective at coping with others’ needs. So I do what I can, just to try and get back in that battle. The end note of the message resonated for me, where after our wounds are tended we must get up and go and, maybe more importantly, to tell others we’re on our way back. Good rallying cry.

I doubt I’ve been derailed for the last time. There are other land mines that we stumble upon here and there, or leftover shrapnel from our wound that aches when we bend a certain way. After all, there are still a few more TV dads out there (really, I don’t know what children of divorce do today without so many nuclear families on TV – they must go deep into basic cable networks for their therapy). But I resolve to heal, and make that determination to cope and to minister with God’s help. We’ll see how it goes – after all, this isn’t over.

I’m on my way back, people.

Written by: Chad Halcom

Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant

Spiritual Warfare-Part 3

¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-18

The “Spiritual Armor” of God is something I have been familiar with for many years. I learned about the “Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of Peace, Helmet of Salvation, Shield of Faith, and Sword of the Spirit” in Sunday school years ago watching the infamous Bible Man. If you’re not familiar…please enjoy this picture of Bible Man dressed in the “full armor of God.”

While this Christian video series was incredibly cheesy, it actually had a pretty important point. “Bible Man” never went to battle without his suit of armor, and we should not do so either. In Ephesians, Paul encourages the Church to be protected and prepared for any challenge that could potentially tear them down. He wanted the people of Ephesus to realize that being ready to fight temptation and turmoil, and avoiding situations that are potentially harmful, could make the difference between sinking and staying afloat.

In the same sense, we should go through life with these principles. So often, we like to claim ourselves as victims of fear, lies, temptation, stress, or immorality. However, we need to remember that we are in complete control of how we respond to situations. Often times, we even control the situations we encounter based on the decisions we make and the people in which we surround ourselves.

Instead of being reactive, we need to be prepared for spiritual battle. To recap, there are seven main elements to our “spiritual armor” that can protect us in these testing times:

The Belt of Truth:

To be spiritually equipped, we need to constantly study The Word. Doing so, we will be more capable to define truth and hold on to it when lies and deception try to slither their way into our lives.

Breastplate of Righteousness:

Living a life that is upright and in line with God’s Word will help us to avoid situations that could be detrimental. Furthermore, having pre-determined standards will improve our ability to resist temptation.

Shoes of Peace:

Shoes are the protective covering that provide us with stability and balance. In the same sense, declaring God’s peace over our lives’ protect us from falling “victim” to insecurity, self-pity, and fear. While the struggles we face may still be difficult, God’s peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) can prevent us from falling apart in these troublesome times.

Shield of Faith:

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of the things we do not see. In other words, to have faith in God is to trust that He will take care of us even when we don’t know what may come our way. When our faith is strongly rooted in the Lord, the Bible tells us that the “flaming arrows,” or attacks of the enemy, are extinguished.

Helmet of Salvation:

What if we were to go through life constantly remembering all that God did to save us from eternal turmoil? When we keep our minds set on God and who He is, we are less problem-focused and more in tune with God’s power and presence in every situation.

Sword of Spirit:

This is the Word of God. When we study the Bible, we are able to use it as a strong and powerful weapon. It can shut down lies of the enemy, and it can encourage and direct us through the battles we face.

Prayer:

Prayer is the powerful force that should be interwoven throughout our spiritual armor. When we are constantly in prayer, we are continuously aware and on guard for all that is going on in the spiritual realm.

Freedom Christian, I encourage you to put on your spiritual armor. Let’s stop claiming ourselves as victims of the enemy, and believe that our God is greater than our struggles. Let’s fight against temptation, fear, stress, self-pity, lies, and other attacks of the enemy. Let us remember that OUR GOD has already won the battle! 

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant 

Edited by: Brigit Edwards

Spiritual Warfare-Part 2

Sometimes the concept of Spiritual Warfare is big, scary and weird – especially if you were immersed in Christian culture in the 80’s.

When I was a very young teenager I discovered Frank Peretti and his books This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness.

These creatively woven tales involved the battle that waged behind the veil. Angels and demons warred for the souls of the unseeing humans in the story.

And those angels and demons were totally gnarly. Yeah. I said "totally gnarly." Because they were. Totally. Gnarly.

If guardian angels existed, I wanted mine to be like Krioni. Or Scion. Or Signa. Or Triskal. Any one of those angels from the books would have been good as far as protecting me from unseen oncoming cars and unbearable temptation.

As Christians, we know that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV). And that can sometimes feel weird and a little bit like a crazy Sci-Fi movie.

What I love about this sermon series is that it demystifies Spiritual Warfare and we walk away with very practical ways to engage in the battle.

This past Sunday, we talked about two more enemies: Our Flesh and The World. We talked about how we can overcome these things. If you were unable to be at church on Sunday, be sure to catch the podcast because I won’t be able to recap the entire message here.

My favorite point regarding dealing with Our Flesh was, “Refuse to Give In.” It was so simple yet so profound. Often we find ourselves at the point of temptation and the draw is so strong that we feel that we must give in.

The reason for this is that we haven’t predetermined how we will respond in those moments. We haven’t safeguarded our lives to know what our response is going to be before the temptation comes. For example, we may think to ourselves regarding the “big things”, “Well, of course I’ve predetermined that I won’t be unfaithful to my spouse.”

But we forget about the “little” temptations along the way that erode that path. Predetermine that you won’t watch or read things that allow your imagination to be stirred in unhealthy ways. Predetermine that you won’t be involved in conversations with the opposite sex that allow a level of intimacy that should only be shared with your spouse (i.e. don’t talk about your spouse negatively or share marriage struggles.) Even be careful about saying things like, “My husband thinks we should handle our kids in this particular way. I think he’s being too harsh. I just wanted to get a man’s outside perspective on this. What do you think?” As innocent as that may sound, that’s subtle erosion.

While I realize that adultery is a pretty “big” example, this common sense approach can be applied to all of the areas of Our Flesh that we battle against.

Lies. Gossip. Profane talk. Lashing out in anger.

Will this conversation or action that I’m participating in cause me to be tempted to lie about it later? (yikes!)

Is the story I’m about to tell one that I could comfortably tell in the presence of the person it’s about? (ouch!)

The list and examples could go on and on, but I think you see the point:

Refuse to give in by setting up safeguards against the “little” areas before the “big” temptations come. Because, make no mistake, they will. It’s our job to do everything we can to stand against temptation.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Spiritual Warfare-Part 1

The truth is not a democracy. It has never been a numbers game, and it makes little difference if most people in your community stand for it or against it, whether they proclaim it openly or passionately resist it, or whether it carries in the next election cycle. For that matter, the fact you made the choice to believe in the truth is a wonderful thing, but that never made it any more or less true.

It’s easy for us as Americans to lose sight of this principle. Most of the wars we fight, the products we make, and the divisive political issues of our day are decided at a level of scale, and we tend to tackle evil the same way.  But the fact is, lost souls have outnumbered found ones every single day since Jesus was here (“narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few ever find it,” Matthew 7:14). That didn’t stop Jesus from finding you, and it won’t stop him from finding the next lost soul either.

Pastor Aaron pointed out that we aren’t fighting people, and we shouldn’t spend time attacking people – our spiritual warfare is against Satan. Deceived people are, at best, cannon fodder in his war campaign, and he has made himself the adversary of God and deceiver of his people. But God gives us the tools as Christians to turn back his attacks, if we use them properly.

Pastor Aaron also reminded us of the warning in Ephesians 6-13 that we are not to wrestle with flesh and blood, but dark rulers of the present age. We must be prepared to fight, and we must fight to win, not only to survive. And the stakes have never been higher. We aren’t to be strong in our own might, but in his.

 Finally, Pastor Aaron notes that the devil’s primary plan is to blind us to the gospel truth. Paul touches on this theme and reveals that the easiest remedy is found in turning our attention to God’s word. “By setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel… .” (2 Corinthians 4:2-3 NIV).

I find that a comforting idea, to think you can unwind so much deception and blindness in yourself, and in the world, by studying and sharing Biblical truth. It’s an easy task, and more importantly, it is often a solitary one. This truth is never a function of the size of the body of its believers, or its resources, or its opposition. Those things can be obstacles, because they divert your attention. You only need to give truth a little alone time, with an open heart.

Written by: Chad Halcom

Edited by: Jenelle Kelly 

Lessons from the Storm

Have you ever felt as though you are sinking in a whirlwind of troubles that surround you? Or perhaps you have had times when you were being obedient to God, yet your world somehow seemed to be falling apart. The story of Matthew 14:22-33 offers great insight into facing these storms, even when it seems impossible.

Although many of us are familiar with this story, Peter’s action provides a visualization that we cannot dismiss.  As it is told, the disciples headed out to sea as Jesus told them to do, and they were faced with a terrifying storm. After much struggle, Jesus came to them by walking on water. While the others thought Jesus may have been a ghost, Peter found himself challenging Jesus to call him out on the water! The story goes on to say that Peter too, walked on water. When he diverted his eyes back to the waves of the storm, however, he began to sink.

This story creates a direct parallel to a relationship with Christ. The truth is, we all have storms in life. The thing that makes the difference in the storm is that when our eyes, our thoughts, and our trust are fixated on the Lord, He will carry us through it.

Pastor John Opalewski provided us with 3 helpful takeaways from this story:     

      

1.       Life can change quickly.

The disciples didn’t know that the storm was coming, but they needed to be prepared to fight through it. Likewise, we need to be ready to face difficult times. Hardships are inevitable. However, building a solid foundation of trust in Christ can keep us firmly rooted on solid ground.

2.       Fear is understandable.

The disciples’ lives were likely at stake as they battled through the waves. Dealing with hard times can be scary. When we remember just who God is, however, our struggles can begin to seem less scary. Consider the passage shared on Sunday:

The Lord is my light and my salvation—

    whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    of whom shall I be afraid?
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

² When the wicked advance against me

Psalm 27:1-3

3.       Decisions in the storm can be life-saving (or not).

For Peter, choosing to keep his eyes on Christ was the answer to surviving the storm. However, there may be times where we don’t have a clue about what to do with our struggles. In such times, we must pray for clarity. If necessary, seek counsel. Sometimes, we may just have to ride the storm until the answer or breakthrough comes.

Above all else, we must trust in God, as He will direct us through the storms of life. 

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant

Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant