Relational Connectedness

 

Having been created in the likeness of a three-personal God, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who is a perfect tri-unity of relationship, you and I are designed for relational connectedness. Without it, we’re not fully human. But relational connectedness requires vulnerability and compassion. We have to be willing to admit to one another when we’re not okay. We also need compassion and empathy, for ourselves and for one another, as we share our hurts and hang-ups. If you missed yesterday’s message and want to learn more, you can catch it here.

  

Grace + Truth + Time

 

In Luke 13:6-9 Jesus tells a parable about a languishing fig tree. Frustrated with its lack of production, the vineyard owner tells his gardener to “cut it down!” However, the master gardener suggests a different plan. He says, ‘Let me dig around the tree and fertilize it. Then, let’s give it some time.’ Christian author and psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud suggests the gardener’s action plan reflects the way God works to restore languishing places in our life. First, we need God’s truth to dig beneath the surface into the root systems of our soul. Second, we need the unmerited favor of God’s grace to fertilize our hearts. Third, we need to allow God time to work. Grace+Truth+Time. If you missed yesterday’s message, you can catch it here.

 

I look forward to continuing our sermon series, entitled “A Church that Heals” next week with a look at the importance of relational connection in the process of God’s healing. 

Friendship Favor

 

The tiny, 21 verse, 335 word book of Philemon speaks volumes about what transformed relationships in the Body of Christ can look like. The book of Philemon reminds us how the Gospel fundamentally re-orders all human relationships and dissolves status differentials under the headship of Christ. By asking the wealthy slave-owning Christian, Philemon, to receive Onesimus back “no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother,” (vs. 16) the Apostle Paul invites the church to embody the Kingdom of God in the hard reality of everyday relationships.

 

If you missed yesterday’s message, you can catch it here. 

How to spot irreverent babble

 

We live in a world with a lot of talk. Which can be great – sometimes. But it can also be unhelpful and distracting. The church at Ephesus, where Paul’s protégé Timothy pastored, was being derailed with troublemakers. Throughout his first letter to Timothy, Paul warns about “irreverent babble and contradictions” that cause us to swerve from the faith (1 Timothy 6:20-21). According to 1 Timothy, here are four ways to tell if the cause or conversation you’re falling prey to amounts to “irreverent babble and contradictions.”

 

1.  If the cause or conversation glorifies man rather than exalting Jesus and glorifying God, it may be “irreverent babble.”

2.  If the cause or conversation isn’t borne out of prayer and rooted in Scripture, it may be “irreverent babble.”

3.  If the cause or conversation is about greedy gain versus eagerness to give, it may be “irreverent babble.”

4.  If the cause or conversation doesn’t promote godliness, it may be “irreverent babble.”

 

For more explanation and specific scripture references, you can review yesterday’s sermon here. 

Honor and the Friendship Community

 

Paul advises Timothy to honor the widows in his church with equity vs. equality, partnership vs. paternalism, and discipleship vs. discipline. Paul doesn’t suggest a one-size-fits-all solution for the widows in 1 Timothy 5:3-16. They are treated equitably, not equally. Secondly, the widows are not service projects. Rather, they are valued partners in the ministry of the church. Lastly, Paul’s overarching concern is not discipline of some and reward for others. The equitable, partnering relationships are ultimately aimed at discipleship and spiritual growth. These biblical principles are the building blocks for honorable relationships toward those in need in God’s friendship community.

 

If you missed yesterday’s message, you can catch it here!

Power of Example

While the CLPC pastors and ministry team staff were on retreat this weekend, elder Jimmy McGregor* preached on 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 14-15. At first blush, Paul’s words about leadership in this chapter seem incomplete or out of date. A closer look, however, reveals Paul’s concern for the character of a leader within God’s friendship community, the Church. Character flows from the heart. Godly leaders are ones whose hearts are shaped in relationship with Jesus. 

I Timothy 3 isn’t just about formalized leadership positions within the church. It’s about all of us. You are a leader. Right now. Today. In the home, at school, or in the marketplace, someone is watching your example and following your lead. Therefore, our character (molded in the life-giving rhythms of Jesus’ Kingdom) matters. If you missed this Sunday’s message, you can catch it here.

*Jimmy McGregor, a former staff member with Clear Lake Presbyterian (CLPC), currently serves as the Chairman of Lighthouse Christian Ministries. He also leads a CLPC Connect Group that partners with Lighthouse in serving alongside our neighbors in Bayview, Bacliff, and San Leon. You can learn more about this Connect Group here. 

Friendship Community

You and I were created in the image of a three-personal God who exists eternally as a tri-unity of relationship; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Being created in the image of a relational God, we are hard-wired for relationships. Genuine and loving connections with one another literally makes us human. To live in isolation and loneliness is de-humanizing. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego formed a friendship community while living in Babylon (Daniel 1:17-21). They prayed for one another, encouraged one another, and together they blessed the world around them. As followers of Jesus, we’re invited to do the same. CLPC is committed to fostering healthy, outwardly Christ-focused friendship communities. Send me an email (steve@clpc.org) if you’d like to learn more about finding such a connection.

If you missed this weekend’s message, you can listen to it here.

Our Friends-Shape sermon series continues this weekend with a look at Naomi and Ruth: An Intergenerational Friendship. I look forward to worshipping and learning with you.