To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
I am so glad to be a part of the family of God. Although God's family includes people like you and me, so is far from perfect, it also gives us an opportunity to display the love of Jesus, and show our passion for pursuing Him together. I love hearing stories about our church ministering effectively to those who are hurting! Last week, I was again overwhelmed with praise to God when I learned from some families who are dealing with very serious issues, how loving our church was being in prayer and pursuit. Love in action! Amazing to hear these stories and see God's love at work. I was filled with joy when I read the testimony of someone who was drawn to Jesus through one of our members, and another shared with me that they are a Christian today because of the love of God they see on display in this place. Still another, that they were willing to come for help at this place because they know it to be a place filled with love to those who are hurting!
I know we have not arrived. In fact, I also hear stories almost every week of people who are struggling with huge issues of sin, and even of those who come in and out of our service on Sunday and feel alone. My prayer is that we would rejoice in what God is doing, and each of us who calls CBC home would join in the battle of seeking to continue to deepen our reputation as a church filled with an overflowing love from God. Please take the time to notice new people (or people you do not know) and greet them, and seek to learn their names and welcome them. Please continue to take the time to notice hurting people and go out of your way to show them Jesus love! We need every person who calls this church home involved in our pursuit of being who God wants us to be in displaying His love.
I am so glad to be a part of a family like this, and know that even as I hear how wonderful we are doing, we have a long ways to go, so until Jesus returns, be encouraged, and engage people with love, as an overflow of your experience of His.
Last Sunday we talked about one of the major attacks on the church, Balaam's attack, that being sexual immorality in and among God's people. Encourage you to continue to pursue purity in your own lives, and God's best in this area. Also a great reminder to me, that another attack we see on the church, is what I call the Kora attack, an attack on the unity of the church through creating camps of negativity (Numbers 16). The best way to fight this one is to make sure that all we say is honouring to God, and building up of others. If each of us will take this seriously, and will stop negativity and dissension, we can remove Kora from our congregation, and stay unified around the mind of Christ. I believe we do this well, but always long for more and more unity around the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11). If we demand from others an Ephesians 4:29 way of talking, and expect it of ourselves, Balaam and Kora will be kicked out of our church, and each time they seek to get back in they will be met with Spirit filled believers!
Don't Forget: PRAYER MEETING every Tuesday night over the summer, 7-8. Tonight we focus on enjoying the forgiveness of God, and forgiving others who sin against us. Most of our time will be spent in prayer.
Sunday Is Coming: Please take the time to prepare your hearts and minds.
Text: Luke 7:36-50
Title: In The World, But Not Of The World: Narcissism
Why do you think we struggle so much with being lovers of self (2 Timothy 3:2-8)?
How can we recognize this in ourselves? In others?
Why is denying oneself one of Jesus keys to discipleship (Luke 9:23)?
How is self death related to a healthy Christ esteem biblically (Ephesians 2:10)?
How can we encourage one another to be Christ-centred, not self-centred?
I am so glad to be a part of His family, and yours! Looking forward to another great week, especially on Sunday, where we again worship together and learn from His Word how we can be in the world, but not of the world, and increase our eternal impact.
Rejoicing in service,
Pastor Rob