Author: Jason Metz

Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
-Matthew 11:28

Sometimes life can feel like you are on a merry-go-round that is spinning faster and faster. Day by day, we struggle to hang as life continues to throw things at us. Our thoughts keep us awake at night rattling around in our head screaming for attention. The next day is full of fretting, frustrated by our tiredness. Our attention and energy seems to be consumed just trying to hang on. It’s disorienting as we just keep going round and round, seemingly facing the same issues over and over. Weeks begin to bleed into one another while we grope for the light at the end of the tunnel. But we just can’t seem to make it stop. It feels like life continues to spin out of control. As exhaustion increases, our apparent options decrease.

Our primary focus is directed at trying not to be flung off and our disorientation distracts us to the point we can forget those fundamental truths we know are there.

Truths that remind us that we are God’s. Truths that point out that the momentary is but a speck in the eternal. Truths that emphasize that Jesus does in fact offer us rest. Truths that call us back to the peace and joy found in the Holy Spirit. Truths that declare that God is in fact our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

We forget these truths because we have moved our eyes from Jesus to the cares of this world. We forget that because of Christ, we can simply get off the merry-go-round.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus extends His rest to us. In that moment, He was offering His way to those who were bound by all the religious rituals that could not provide any peace or rest. They actually did the opposite. Bound by religion, the people were stuck in the loop of going through the motions. The merry-go-round was at full speed and going nowhere. But the Father intervened by sending His Son. Religion was finally illuminated by the Light at the end of the tunnel and it was in the form of redemption and relationship. Redemption through Christ saves us from our sin and relationship saves us from religion.

The world today throws its religion of stress and busyness at us in a similar way that the religious leaders dominated over the people. Whenever our focus is consumed on those things we think we have to do, we quickly lose focus on the important things we need to do. And the most important thing we can do is place our trust in Jesus. When we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find Him. Everything else flows from this point. The merry-go-round doesn’t merely slow down, it stops. Why? Because we have moved our eyes from the distraction of this world onto the one who has conquered this world. Even though there are things in life that we must address and even press through, our attitude and perspective is different because we have opened ourselves up and pursued the only one who can give us rest, peace and joy. Even in the darkest nights and the deepest valleys.

If your life feels like a merry-go-round spinning out of control, Jesus offers you steadfast stability within Himself. If the world and those around you feel like they are crushing down on you, Jesus offers you shelter that cannot be overwhelmed. If the labor of your everyday life is getting too much, Jesus offers the love that conquers all. 

When you’re in the thick of the battle, when trial and tribulations seem to be getting the best of you, Jesus is waiting to give you rest.  

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
– Matthew 5:6

Eating is such a part of who we are. It is an everyday ritual that often determines the schedule of our day. From a physiological standpoint, eating means life. When we don’t take in nutrients and the right nutrients at that, we will eventually succumb to malnutrition and death. The hunger drive that is wired within us is one, if not the most physical drives that we experience. 

However, hunger as well as eating goes way beyond a biological need and response. We have a natural craving and our taste buds draw us to flavorful and different foods. The variety of different foods make meal time exciting and more satisfying. Grocery stores are packed with isles and assortments of different flavors all with the ability to cause us to hunger for something special, something satisfying, something comforting. There is no shortage of restaurants either. From down home American food, to gourmet cuisine, to numerous ethnic cafes, we are drawn to what will satisfy our hunger in that moment. 

Mealtime has another aspect to it as well. It is a time of social gathering. Gathering around the table with family and friends goes all the way back to the creation of mankind. Sharing a meal with someone is so much more than simply meeting a biological need. It produces a common relational experience that many times memories are made from. 

Jesus’ use of the words hunger and thirst in Matthew 5:6 establish in us something that we all can relate to. Everyone eats and drinks. Everyone knows the importance of food. Everyone, from the newest baby on, understands hunger pangs that are only satisfied with mealtime. This is why so many of Jesus’ complex teachings were available at a basic level to all who heard it. Because they are relatable. Yet there was always something that prompted those He taught to move from a basic physical understanding to a spiritual reality. 

Righteousness is the diet the believer must choose. This we are to have a craving to do what is right in God’s eyes, mirroring His perfect character through submission and humility, striving to follow His teachings and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We are to resolve to become a disciple of Jesus and just like how food is necessary to keep our earthy body alive, the Word is necessary to keep us spiritually healthy. Not only will our spirit be nourished, but we will also gain a sound mind and body.

However, similar to our grocery stores and restaurant choices, we too have a choice of what we feed our spirit. There are many things out there that seek to garner our attention. Like refined sugars, there are those things that attempt to entice us into a choice that will always leave us needing more as well as feeling sick. The old adage very much holds true here, you are what you eat.

God has blessed us richly with the food He has provided us. It is the only option that we truly hunger and thirst for. It is only God’s Word that has the nutrient density to draw us to the righteousness of the Lord.

When faced or tempted to grab a quick meal or satisfy an unhealthy craving, unhealthy spiritually that is, God always has a healthy table set for us. 

Matthew 5:6 is part of the Beatitudes. These are more than mere suggestions, they are the blueprint to living a blessed life in Christ. In each of them, we have a required obligation on our part to be able to experience those things that God has already provided. Similar to grace, we must be the ones to apply the teaching of Jesus into our life, just as it is each one of us that must decide what we will hunger and thirst for.

Jason Metz, Lead Pastor

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
– Revelation 3:15-16

There is an epidemic that is infecting Americans. It is not viral or biologic in origin, but rather spiritual. I’m not sure how long ago it started, however we can see how it has intensified with every new generation. Though this plague is not organic, the effect does have a physical and as well as an emotional consequence on everyone affected. 

The affliction that is shaping our culture in an adverse way is apathy. It is a lackadaisical attitude that attempts to lull one into a sense of complacency. It covertly masquerades under the guise of busyness, schedules, routine and simply going through the motions. These seemingly innocent effects that are too often justified as normal have a nefarious intent. The goal here is to distract while simultaneously sucking joy, hope and creativity out of us. 

We can define this scourge like this, lacking genuine enthusiasm and determination. It is a careless attitude driven by laziness. Unlike many infections, this one is sneaky. We can carry it for years, even decades without diagnosing the root issue. It is a gradual decline and before we know it, the impact is affecting not only us but our families, our jobs, our relationships and even our churches. 

Unlike many viral or bacterial infections that can take many rounds of treatment to cure, with lasting side effects, the cure for this epidemic is one that doesn’t simply get us through our sickness. It actually makes us much stronger. The opposite of apathy is interest, passion, concern and warmth. All attributes that are the side effects of the Blood and Spirit that cures us from a life of indifference.

Paul in his letter to the Colossians has some great advice on getting healthy and staying healthy. It is found in chapter 3, verse 2…

This verse has to be read within the context of chapter 2, which talks about our identity in Christ and how we have become alive in Christ, therefore we are to be rooted in Him, walking with Him everyday. If we are truly and authentically rooted and walking with Christ as led by the Holy Spirit, then His attributes and fruit are a blessing to us supplying and equipping us with His focus, compassion and hope. 

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

These are all anti-apithetic supplements that we need to be ingesting every day. And that’s the kicker. We have to actually and willfully be taking in the cure everyday to keep the epidemic at bay in our life and in our churches.

It is here, when we become healthy and strong in our faith through a reliance upon Christ that we are now able to be about our Father’s business. And it’s like no other business. It is the business of faith, hope and life. It is working with the Holy Spirit to introduce and further the Kingdom into those dark places and hopeless people. It will provide you with the most satisfaction of anything here on planet Earth. To live in the potential that the Lord has gifted us with is a place that has no room for apathy.

So if not now, when?

Jason Metz, Lead Pastor

For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God].And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].
-Colossians 2:9-10

There is a tragedy in the world today. Far too many people are living a mere shadow of what they have been created to be. Satisfied with being just a piece of a much greater complexity. It is a weak point in our lives, a point of natural vulnerability. The world conveys this message and convinces us that we are in fact incomplete and only certain things can make us whole. Money, success, looks, acclaim, material things, relationships, the list goes on. It is a marketing firm’s greatest tool and a tactic that the enemy loves to exploit. And he does it well, thrusting a two edged sword. The temptation and the lengths we will go to attain self-affirmation will always leave us feeling empty at which point the devil doubles down and reminds us that we will never be enough. It’s a cycle that is easy to fall into and one that many never break free from.     

With all the pressure to try to become “complete” we have opened the door to an identity crisis, not simply in our personal life, but within our culture. Striving to conform to an unrealistic, not to mention unstable image only leads to an unhealthy sense of self-worth. Society reaps the consequences from the slaughter of the unborn, to the destruction of our children, all the way to the disregard for our elderly. Life itself and the hope that is so vital to live seems to take a back seat to a selfish longing to “find oneself.” The vacuum created by chasing the words standard of happiness is quickly filled with issues of low self esteem, depression, anxiety, hopelessness and isolation. 

Yet, the only answer is one that no money can purchase, no good work can attain and is available to everyone. It’s much more than a fad in that it was established over two thousand years ago. In Jesus Christ alone can we find something much more than our identity. In Christ, we find His identity and only that has the power and capability to make us complete. To put it in the most simplistic way, we become completely complete in Christ.

It’s not about who I was. It’s now about who I am now.
It’s not about what I have done. It’s now about what I will do now.
It’s not about what I used to believe. It’s about what I believe now.
It’s not about how I used to treat people. Only how I treat them now.

Who I am fades into completion in Christ through reconciliation with the Father. The weight of this world has been replaced with the assurance of hope and I am free to live in the confidence, the eternal confidence that I am in Him and have been made complete, achieving spiritual stature through Christ, and He is the head over all rule and authority as Colossians 2 states.

For many reading this, you know it to be true through your authentic relationship with Christ. So much of this is for the multitude of people we all come into contact with on a daily basis, caught up in the false ideals of this world, living a counterfeit or even worse an empty life. How can your testimony of completeness affect them?

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
-James 1:12

As this year winds down, our attention naturally turns to the start of a new twelve months. And with this renewed outlook, opportunities abound to make some life alterations. Many people take this time and “resolve” to make some positive changes in their life. This usually involves quitting something, losing weight, starting an exercise routine or adopting a healthier lifestyle. Hopes are pinned to a New Year’s Resolution and inadvertently those ambitions fail in the coming days and weeks.

A resolution without resolve will always cause regret. 

In many ways New Year’s Resolutions are doomed from the start. Many times little thought is put into the decision and even less planning. On the other hand, if we really want to stick to something we should look more at our habits. And yet, habits can go either way. Habits are like consequences in many forms and are ultimately tied together. The choices we make have the ability to result in positive habits and good consequences or negative habits and bad consequences. 

Habits are not formed by chance, good ones or bad. They are formed through repeated behaviors. Behaviors we choose to take part in and prioritize in our life. Many times, when we talk about habits it is in a negative aspect. Bad habits cause us to make bad decisions and ultimately a cycle of unhealthy behavior is established and the consequences are a heavy burden to carry. Alcoholism, chronic drug use, gambling, pornography, procrastination, poor nutrition choices are the notable ones we hear about, but any repeated behavior that has a negative impact on one in a physical, emotional, financial or spiritual way is at its core a bad habit. 

On the other hand, the opposite is true when we choose to practice and prioritize behaviors that are healthy and uplifting in a physical, emotional, financial and spiritual way. The encouragement of practicing positive habits are too often overshadowed by the warning against bad habits. However, we should never forgo the practice of building good habits in our life.

Paul is a wonderful example who had a habit of worshipping the Lord in all things. Philippians 3:13-14 says, Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul could make this statement because he prioritized keeping his eyes on Christ and what lay ahead. Instead of being hindered by past habits, regrets, hurts or mistakes, Paul made it a good habit to stay true to his faith in Christ.

As the new year approaches, we should forgo the resolutions and simply put in the effort to build good Godly habits in our walk.

Merry Christmas and a Habit New Year!

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:2

It’s the best. I only buy the best. Are you ready to have the best? Don’t you want the best? Is it a measure of stature? Is it a marketing ploy? Is it a must have in every situation?

There is always discussion and debate as to what is the best? It doesn’t matter what we are talking about, inevitably we want, even need to rank something as the best. The best car, the best pair of shoes, the best quarterback, the best Bible. Unfortunately, at its core, this is often just a powerful marketing strategy. Gilet, the best a man can get; Benson & Hedges, when only the best will do; Avis, the best is yet to come. Really? The best? 

If we can be convinced that something is the best, then we will want to be associated with or own the best. Why? Because we make the false assumption that if we have the best it will automatically make us better.

However, the subjective labeling of the best when used to unrealistically ranking things never actually takes into account what the best is for us personally. So does it really matter what the masses deem as the best? And shouldn’t the most important criteria to take into account be my needs and preferences?

When we bring this to a personal standard, the best whatever boils down to the things you have the most confidence in. For me personally, I can relate this to flyrods. My confidence is measured by how well I can cast a particular rod, which is dependent upon my casting style and ability as well as past experiences catching fish. Therefore, brand, ratings or overall cost do not necessarily determine what I deem as best. It is the confidence I place in it, which only comes through experience.

Think about a best friend. What makes that friend the best? Isn’t it because you have confidence in that friendship that has been established through a close relationship? That friend is not the universal best friend, rather they are the best friend to you.

As Christians we can talk about the greatest or best decision we have ever made in our life. But what actually makes turning to Christ the best? Is it because I was raised in a family that ingrained this idea in me from a young age? Is it because I feel that this mindset is expected of me? Might it be because I am simply mimicking the other Christians I see? Or is it because I actually have confidence in Christ and who I am in Him? 

One again, how do I build confidence in anything in my life including my faith? It’s only through the active usage and experience that build trust that results in confidence. In the sense of my faith, active use and experience translates to my relationship with my Savior and Lord as well as the time I spend in the Word with the leading of the Holy Spirit. This does not change who Christ is, but it does change who Christ is to me. 

In everything in our life, especially in our faith we need authenticity. We need to move away from a consumer driven mentality of needing what others deem the best and actually with that authenticity draw near to Christ. It is at that point we realize just how far we as well as this world is from the best. The enemy will always try to convince you to settle for a counterfeit best. To chase what this world has to offer. To compare ourselves with others and seek to be more like them. And yet, it is God who fearfully and wonderfully made us each unique. Only Jesus offers what is genuinely the best for each one of us personally. Only Jesus has the ability to lead us to what truly is the best, our Father. And this is the only thing you can truly find confidence in.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
-Romans 6:17-18

Sometimes I wonder what motivates most people. Is it the notion that obedience is correct or simply because of obligation. An obligation boils down to something we have to do, not necessarily something we want to do. Obedience on the other hand is the willingness to simply obey. 

Take for example stop signs and speed limits. There is an obligation to come to a stop at every red octagon and to drive within the determined safe speed for whatever highway, road or street I am on. I am obligated to do so because of the consequences I will face if I don’t. Therefore, I follow these rules not out of obedience, but rather out of obligation. I know this simply because if there is a police vehicle anywhere around me, my stops are overly complete and my speed is a few mph below the limit. In the absence of any law enforcement, well let’s just say things can look very differently.

In contrast, I do not have to be forced or fear the consequences of those things I want to do. Spending time with my family is the obligation of a husband and a father that is a pleasure to partake in. Why? Because I enjoy and am fulfilled in the things I am obedient to.

How we see God and treat our faith and therefore see sin and righteousness can either be from a perspective of obedience or obligation. I think a lot of this has to do with how we were raised. Just like speed limits and stop signs, I can treat my faith including my actions and attendance upon the negative consequences I may endure. I may feel obligated to my religion based on fear and consequences. This has been a major hindrance to many because it stems from a misguided view of an angry God who seeks to enforce His will through condemnation. Just like we fear a speeding ticket, we fear punishment if we get out of line. This obligation overshadows and limits the realization of the true heart of God which Jesus states in John 3:17, For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

To truly follow Christ in a born-again relationship naturally brings a desire to extend obedience. Our heart has become consumed with God’s truth and love and an unexplainable desire to obey Him and His teachings, including those about sin becomes who we are. As a result, I follow God simply because He is the loving priority of my life and not because I fear what He might do to me if I don’t. The true love God extends to me and the love I extend back to Him and others is not out of obligation, but rather obedience.

How about you? In what ways has obligation kept you from obedience toward Christ?

This brings up the question as to how we are representing Christ to those around us and in this confused, hopeless world? This includes my perception, worldview, words and actions. We are to be ambassadors of Christ in this foreign land in which we live. Am I representing Jesus in an authentic and accurate way? We can only do this if we know Him through the personal relationship He extends to us and through His Word.

So, as we enter a season where the holiday of Christmas is accepted, will we extend the One who is to be exalted?  

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.
Psalm 116:17

We can all remember our mothers teaching us basic manners. If we want something we have to say the magic word. The customary reply… Thank you! Simple manners with easy words to remember. To say thank you is an expected response if someone does anything for you. But how often is this response simply an automatic reply, without much thought or intention? Often I would guess.

On the other hand, to be thankful moves beyond a cultural expectation. Thankfulness is a heart condition. To be thankful builds deep within us and moves far beyond words. In fact, unlike a thank you, true thankfulness cannot be expressed simply in words. That is because thankfulness is based on gratefulness and gratitude. Gratefulness is the realization and appreciation of something good being done to you. Gratitude is what we feel and the motivation to return kindness. Gratefulness and gratitude stem from a core response that causes us to feel cared about and bolsters the feeling of hope in our life. One of the greatest reasons we feel thankful is because compassion has been extended toward us.

When it comes to thankfulness, we have even created a national holiday for it. However, how much of this federal day off for Thanksgiving has stayed true to its original intention? There is an excitement that seems to be built around food, family and a four day weekend for many. With all the busyness of the day, how much time do we actually spend being thankful?

Then there is the God factor. When it comes to God, there is so much to be thankful for. In fact, it is limitless because God encompasses everything good in our lives. But, should our thankfulness toward God be and look differently than our thankfulness towed anything else?

The Scriptures are full of examples and teachings about giving thanks to the Lord. From lepers, to Daniel, to Paul, to Hannah, to the Samaritan woman, to Jesus Himself, we find a genuine thankful heart expressed toward God in so many situations. How they chose to exhibit thankfulness may have differed, but the heart behind it stemmed from the same place. A deep gratefulness and gratitude toward the Creator of all things. Such a small statement on our part, but because it is a true heart expression, God accepts our thankfulness as a sacrifice. Psalm 116:17 mentions the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was central to worship in the Old Testament. In the New Testament church, it’s just as important. Ephesians 5:19 says, …giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is making a specific and broad statement all at the same time. We are to be giving thanks or expressing a thankful heart always for everything in a personal way to God. 

In the grand scheme of eternity, this makes the holiday of Thanksgiving somewhat menial. As born-again followers of Christ however, we live in the eternal hope of the Father. To be and express thankfulness for that should be our heart’s desire. That changes how we live right now. The thankfulness we express toward others should be based on our thankfulness we have for God, every day. This principle is the same one we find in love. If the love shown to others is not the love of  God, is it truly love at all?

Jason Metz, lead Pastor