Category: Pastor’s Thoughts

In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.

1 Corinthians 4:2 (AMP)

Stewardship. Is it a good idea, a mandate, a Biblical principle? Yes. But maybe the best way to think about stewardship is in terms of our responsibility. According to 1 Corinthians 4:2, that responsibility is embodied in a life being found faithful and trustworthy.

These two traits cannot be relegated to an old fashioned mentality. As a born again believer, stewardship has to be an attribute of our faith that we live out. 

Stewardship comes in all forms. We most likely hear about stewardship in terms of the environment or the financial aspect. And though these are two areas God has placed us in a stewardship position over, there are other responsibilities we cannot overlook.

Number one on our list should always be our own faith. Did you know you are to be a steward of your own Christian walk? In other words, we need to be found faithful and trustworthy in our relationship with Jesus and our closeness to the Holy Spirit. Too often I hear people say, “I’m just not hearing from God.” Or, “I’m just not being fed.” In other words, they are relying on others to steward their faith. How then can they be found faithful and trustworthy? How will their faith be strengthened so they can stand against sin? Honestly, we have no one else to blame when we fall into temptation except ourselves. 

Stewardship, by definition, is the responsible oversight and management of something entrusted to one’s care. God entrusts us with so many things here on earth, especially our own faith. We should never underestimate the importance of taking care of ourselves in a spiritual aspect. In a spiritual sense, we are literally obligated to be a steward with what has been entrusted to us.

How might that look?

First we must understand that everything we have is a gift from God. Gifts that He has entrusted us with. This includes the environment and our finances as well as all our material things that we can use to glorify the Father. But it goes much deeper. It is also our abilities. Those things that God uses to make us unique. It’s our talents, those things we are naturally good at. How might our faith be strengthened when we are good stewards of our talents?

And then there’s our time. A commodity we all share equally. We are all given the same 24 hours in a day. How we choose to steward our time though can be very different.

We are also stewarded with our love and compassion to others, especially our families. Have we been found faithful and trustworthy here?

Remember, when we are adopted into the Kingdom through Christ, we become a steward of the Kingdom. That responsibility needs to be taken with the utmost seriousness while understanding how much of an honor stewardship actually is.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

-Ephesians 2:10

As born again believers, what grows from our faith should always be a desire to fill our position in the Kingdom. Unfortunately, we often overlook this vital aspect of our walk. Far too many Christian’s today don’t even understand that their faith is to be exercised and active. 

We know from the Great Commission that simple evangelism is not enough. Jesus specifically said to make disciples. In other words, to follow in His footsteps. Jesus was continually making those around Him better. He was helping them come to a point where they could finally be who God created them to be. As a result, they changed the world.

Discipleship is great. 

You get to invest into someone’s life. You get to share in their ups and downs. You get to be a part of their growing faith journey. It’s truly a special and unique relationship filled with those moments you will never forget. 

But one thing comes before any of this can happen. We must first seek the Holy Spirit to allow us to see the potential in others.

Because of man’s sin nature, we have a natural inclination to view others as a commodity. Selfishly, we use others for our benefit or advantage in order to ultimately get what we want. If you look around this world, from personal relationships to work environments to politics to marketing, it’s everywhere. But as Christ followers, we are invited to see others in a very different light, the light of how Jesus sees them. 

This changes everything!

It changed us after all. We were once wretched sinners, stuck in the muck and mire of our flesh. Living as the world lives, doing as the world does. Few saw the God given potential in us including ourselves. 

But Jesus did. 

And through the Father’s masterful plan, He put others in our life to help us see and realize that potential. Having someone come alongside us, to teach us, challenge us, edify us and hold us accountable in a Christ centered way is priceless. None of us would be where we are today if someone didn’t choose to spiritually sow into our lives.  

And we are to now do the same.

Jesus gave us our commission, which unlike a suggestion is an instruction, a command, a duty that was bestowed to us personally by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures. Therefore we have a responsibility to others. We are to assist the Holy Spirit in helping those God places in our life find and grow in their potential.

And yet, how often do we miss the opportunity to be a part of someone else’s life? Too often, most likely. So today, let’s all resolve to be more open to the Holy Spirit and to look for the God given potential in others.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

– 2 Timothy 1:5

I enjoy being on the water. There is no doubt that a peace comes when we simply stand and enjoy the water. There is also a strength that I appreciate. A potential that is powerful as well as life giving. In the calmness of the water there is also a significant amount of expectation and ability. 

It doesn’t even matter what water I’m on. An ocean, the Great Lakes, mountain lakes, rivers, ponds or creeks, there is just something about bodies of water that draw me in. 

Water is fascinating because of its fluid properties in that there is a serene effect while also possessing so much capability. I don’t think it’s any surprise that we find so many life giving verses in the Bible that use water as an example of the greater spiritual truth. From the cleansing ability of water to the life-giving capacity, Jesus describes our faith in Him in terms of having rivers of living water flowing from our hearts.

Water draws us in, a focal point inviting us to enjoy what it has to offer. How many times in your life have you thrown a rock into a pond simply to watch the ripples? Ripples that emanate in multiple consecutive rings of motion upon the surface. What started with a small rock in your hand disrupts the normal. Far from being localized, those multiplying rings continue to grow bigger and bigger and bigger. 

That’s what I see happening when we live out our faith. One word, one action, one decision can be the rock that disturbs the lifeless normality of this world. When we intentionally make Christ the Rock in our life, our actions will always affect those around us just like ripples in water.

Conversely, when we sow seeds of division and destruction through our words and actions, those too will have an affect on those around us. 

When our personal faith and Christ-centered intentionality looks like throwing stones, imagine what the church can look like. Thousands of consecutive impacts, each causing ripples that overlap each other all in the name of Jesus.

It’s like watching a lake during a rainstorm. The entire surface has become alive. Ripples everywhere, unique to themselves, but overlapping in beautiful changing movement. 

In your life, what ripples are you causing? Are they positive or negative? What extended effect might they have? For Timothy, a rippling foundation was started with his grandmother and in conjunction with his mother helped shape him into the minister he became.

Sunny days are fine, but my favorite are those cloudy days. Watching a storm come in with all its power and might never gets old. And when the raindrops begin to make ripples I am always reminded of the potential power the Church has.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

– Jeremiah 29:11

These are very powerful words. Spoken by God Himself to affirm to Jeremiah that He has a plan. A powerful plan. A plan that is available to all of us. Like many areas of our faith, the determining factor comes down to making a choice. Jeremiah had already made his choice and this is the promise that followed. 

I don’t think there is any doubt that we live in a world ruled by chaos. Everywhere we look, instability, destruction and disorder rule the day. Isolation, seclusion, escapism have become all too prevalent and it manifests as depression, social disorders and mental illness issues. Those terms are laid upon a broken world and the ironic part is that it uses its own tragically broken standard. By this reasoning, how can we be surprised? After all, this is all the world can offer. The darkness can judge by no other standard than the darkness it knows until light has entered the equation. 

No wonder so many young people struggle today. It seems to be at a rate greater than any epidemic this world has ever seen. We could debate all the physiological and social reasons and factors contributing to these problems, but honestly doesn’t it come down to just one factor?

Purpose.

When we live without purpose, we live without reason. Simply going through the motions. Seeking to get by day to day. Attempting to meet the minimum standard others or society has established. Filtering our future through the regrets and mistakes of yesterday. Watching our self-respect dwindle to little more than an empty tank. 

In Ecclesiastes 1:2 Solomon says, 

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Solomon in his old age has found everything in this world to be empty and void of meaning. In other words, he has lost sight of his purpose and the world has nothing to offer. 

Some of the best news and affirmation that we can ever receive is that we in fact do have purpose. Purpose that transcends this broken world’s standards. Purpose that goes beyond our situation, our past, our failures. Purpose that is not based upon other people’s plans, desires or agendas. 

True purpose that we can only find in one place. It’s the purpose that only God holds the keys to. It transforms us to our core. Our very mindset is changed to reflect God and His attributes. Attributes like hope, love, compassion, humility, appreciation, community. It is God’s purpose in our life that brings His light that begins to judge and subdue the darkness. It’s the illumination that allows us to see our life for the wondrous gift it is. It moves us from our selfish desires and self-condemnation to a Christ centered view of today as well as eternity. This is the essence and foundation of our purpose. 

Isn’t it time to start living out your purpose?             

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him;
if we endure, we will also reign with Him;
if we deny Him, he also will deny us…

– 2 Timothy 2:11-12

The expression, dead man walking was coined for a condemned prisoner being led to the executioner. Judgment had been pronounced and at this point, death was inevitable. It is a saying that is also used to describe a person in a doomed or desperate situation. This obviously pertains to a physical death or wordly hardship. But could this be expanded to a greater spiritual truth?

The reality, in a spiritual sense is that we are all a dead man walking. But it is the kind of death we choose that makes the distinction of the death we are facing. 

Because of our sin, the just penalty can only result in both our physical as well as our spiritual death. In a physical understanding, because of the fall of creation, the moment we are born we our bodies begin to die. (Genesis 3:19 – By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.) From a spiritual aspect, because of our choice to pursue sin, we are already dead by God’s standards. (Romans 6:23a – For the wages of sin is death.) 

What a dismal thought. What a blatant reality. Condemned. Every step we take on this earth is one of a dead man walking. Even worse, there is nothing we can do in our feeble attempts to rectify this situation.

But there is hope. 

While our sin and this world presses us on in our march to eternity, an eternity separated and devoid of all of God’s attributes, Jesus offers something no one else can offer. 

Jesus offers us death.

But it is a much different death. It is His death. It is death to this world, to sin, to ourselves. It is a death that must occur before we can receive a new life. Resurrection life. Life in and through our Savior. Life that causes us to die and to continually die, every single day. Life that allows us to see the sin and darkness of this world for the tragedy it is. Life that shows us that though we are in this world, we are no longer of this world. Only through Christ, can we make the choice to be a dead man walking. Walking all the way into the arms of our loving Lord and Saviour Jesus.

There’s no escape from being a dead man walking. However the distinction is what’s important. Be careful, because it is where you will eventually and eternally wind up.

For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.

– Romans 6:7-8

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

– 1 Peter 5:10

As far back as I can remember, I have always enjoyed tinkering around with broken things. Things that have been discarded, mistreated or deemed beyond the time and effort to repair. Things that have been neglected or just forgotten about. It’s a challenge to repair, redo and refinish such things. Not only do I enjoy the challenge, the satisfaction of saving something from the trash pile is immense. I take pride in the finished product and what was once mere junk in others eyes is now a treasure to enjoy. 

Really, it can be anything and in almost everything if one looks hard enough, potential abounds. An old clock, a beat up boat, a broken antique table, old lumber, even electronics that for whatever reason no longer perform like they used to. 

Not only do I enjoy the challenge, I also relish the opportunity to learn something new, to do something I’ve never done before.

Along the way, there are ups and downs. Victories and all out frustration seem to alternate during the process. Opportunities thrive to quit or to see it through. 

Isn’t this what God is in the business of doing also? He takes those the world has discarded, what people have thrown away and He literally breathes new life into them. God forever sees the potential and is always up for the challenge. He is willing to put in the time and effort it takes to bring restoration to the broken.

And I’m so grateful He does.

But it gets even better. You see, God never finishes. He continually seeks to make improvements, getting rid of the dirt and grime, polishing up the unique parts and in the end, we are better than we have ever been. 

God doesn’t do all this to simply have something to set on a shelf and display, rather He intends every restoration to be put to use. Put to His use.

So if you are feeling worn out, dirty or thrown away by this world or just need a little fixing up, I would say you are the perfect candidate for God’s next big restoration project. All you have to do is ask.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

– James 1:5 (ESV)

Artificial Intelligence is no longer science fiction. It’s here and here to stay, providing help to those who need it and a crutch that aids in all our shortcomings. I have to admit, I am more than a bit disappointed. What I was hoping for was K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider with the red light zigzagging across the grill and a car smarter than I am. I can still hear that soundtrack. 

Come on now, who wouldn’t want a talking car to go on adventures with. But alas, AI falls short. Since AI was and is developed by computer programs, mathematicians and various conglomerations of scientists, in other words, people, how could it not fall short. Maybe we should think about AI as a more efficient form of computing using advanced software and algorithms with the goal to mimic human reasoning, learning, problem-solving, and understanding natural language. 

Within this understanding, I can see one incredibly glaring shortfall of AI, it relies upon human intellect and understanding. So though it may help us convert a cookie recipe to be able to two and a half times it or write a letter with correct grammar or even attempt to predict future trends, it will always be limited by its creator. And its creator is limited to this world, confined within the knowledge base of humanity. There is nothing wrong with this if we understand the perimeters and limitations that are inherently instilled within AI.

On the other hand there is something that defies human understanding, logic and knowledge. Something that is not limited in any way, shape or form. Something I call GW. God’s Wisdom is infantally above anything we can develop or implement simply because God is superior to all things. The creative genius of the true Creator transcends everything we see in the physical world. It is where love and truth and compassion and the moral code exists. 

And here is the amazing part, it’s available to all born again believers. You don’t even need a new smartphone or supercomputer to be able to tap into GW. Just open up your Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to guide, teach and illuminate the Scriptures and position yourself to receive. 

I know that sounds rather antiquated, but in a culture that has become so technologically dependent, maybe just maybe God is longing for an old fashioned relationship with you.

I have heard about people asking AI to summarize different Scriptures into a more understandable definition or package. I cringe when I say I have heard about pastors using AI to write a sermon. These examples are beyond my comprehension and provoke in me an extreme frustration. Why would anyone want to leave the Holy Spirit out of the equation? Why would anyone want to rely upon man’s religion and understanding when there is so much more.      

As for me, I will always choose GW over AI. God’s wisdom has never let me down up to this point in my life and the last thing I want to do is revert to something that is limited to this physical world. 

Proverbs 2:6-8 says,

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

We hear all sorts of things within our Christianity if you think about it. Sayings that the world would have trouble understanding and to be completely honest, even as a pastor sometimes I shake my head. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great, sound sayings. And then there’s the others. Some so Biblically inaccurate or just plain hard to discern. 

The Bible is actually packed with snippets that have the ability to open the door, turn on the light and provoke deeper thought or conversation.  

1 Corinthians 11:1 is a great one.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

In other words, Paul is saying: Follow me as I follow Christ. Be like me as I strive to be like Christ. We hear it all the time and it is the Father’s desire, we are to be like, to imitate, to live like, to speak like Jesus.

Most of the time we associate this principle with His death. We are to die to ourselves, to the sins of this world, to the within us.

Passages like Matthew 16:24 reinforce our perception as to what it looks like to be imitators of Christ.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

But should we only be dying to ourselves?

Jesus is defined by so much more than just His death. So though we are to associate with the Cross, we are also to identify with all the attributes of Jesus, including His Resurrection. 

Jesus is so much more, more than this world, more than just a teacher, more than just a movement, more than just a moral example and Jesus needs to be so much more in each one of us. 

Jesus embodies all these things and we do Him a disservice when we attempt to only identify with one or two aspects of His complete character. Not only that, but we actually hinder our faith when we do so. 

To be like Christ really goes back to the Father. The Father expects us to adopt the character of His Son. He knows that when we do, we are choosing to place our trust in Him. 

The character of Jesus is captivating. Jesus died, but Jesus lives. Jesus loves, and within that love, Jesus stands in truth. Jesus shows compassion and Jesus challenges us to do hard things and make hard decisions. Jesus encourages while allowing us to learn through our failures. Jesus is patient and Jesus understands urgency. Jesus is aware of all creation while simultaneously Jesus is intimately personal. Jesus is always focused and intent upon the Father’s will because Jesus’ desire to to always glorify the Father.

These are but a few traits to help us with a greater understanding of what it looks like to be like Jesus.

It can also help us in our pursuit to be like Jesus to understand what Jesus is not. Jesus is not a lier. Jesus does not contradict Himself, the Father, the Spirit or the Bible. Jesus isn’t partial. Jesus doesn’t change. Jesus isn’t distrustful. Jesus isn’t lackadaisical, apathetic or lazy. Jesus isn’t unable to hear. Jesus doesn’t lack compassion.

To be like Jesus means to pursue His attributes while avoiding those things He is not.

Jesus, the loving servant who glorified His Father.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,

    but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

Proverbs 10:9

Integrity is one thing we all have control over. Though there are many things in our life that are hard to change or overcomb, we all have the ability to walk in integrity. Unfortunately, far too often we experience people who choose to make their way crooked. 

A lack of integrity has always been around. Those who suspend the truth in order to make financial gains, power grabs or anything that tries to satisfy their hearts desires. The old west was full of crooked horse traders, snake-oil salesmen and those selling mining hoaxes taking advantage of every opportunity to deceive others for their personal gain. However what was common then has seemed to become a more normalized marketing strategy today. You go in for a routine oil change and all of a sudden your vehicle needs new brakes, it’s a safety issue after all. Maybe your furnace or air conditioner or other home appliances aren’t working as well as they used to. So you talk to an “expert” only to be convinced that what you really need is the latest and greatest instead of fixing what you have. Sometimes, even when we go to someone we think we should be able to trust like a doctor, they attempt to overprescribe because afterall, there’s a pill for everything. 

The bait and switch, clever marketing techniques and deceptive or manipulative tactics abound.

Not all of course, there are still some trusted people and businesses out there with, well, integrity. 

Unfortunately, it’s not just in the marketplace. Manipulation runs rampant in families, relationships and the workplace. It pains me to say the church isn’t exempt here either and in my mind this is the biggest tragedy.  

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. In other words, it’s moral uprightness. God is morally upright, in fact, He is morally outstanding, the one who sets the moral standard. As born again Christians, we must strive to be better than this world, better than the ruler of this world. Our enemy at his core is a deceiver and a lier. The world and our flesh fall to the temptations of the crooked way time and time again. 

We must be intentional in our integrity. We must do so to first honor God and second to be a light in the darkness of this world. As James puts it, let you yes be yes and your no be no (James 5:12).

If a professing believer in Jesus Christ does not show integrity in all areas of their life then their representation of God will also be called into question. That may sound blunt, but this is just the way it is. Why? Because if a faith in Christ does not transcend all areas of our life, really what good is it? Believe me when I say, people are watching. They are listening to our words, but watching our actions even closer.   

In Philippians 4:8, Paul encourages us to have integrity.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Show the depth of your faith by living with integrity.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

    who does not lift up his soul to what is false

    and does not swear deceitfully.

He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Psalm 24:4-5

This seems to be a compounding verse when applied to our life especially when we gain a proper perspective of worship. Worship is after all what this passage is about. Too often we can make the mistake of thinking of worship as being relegated to the singing portion of a church service. But true worship is so much more.

If we back up to verse 3 it says this,

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

    And who shall stand in His holy place?

In order to approach the Lord in a worthy manner, we must align ourselves with His will for our life. 

1 Peter 1:15-16 instructs us,

But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; because it is written, “You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.”

When we seek the Lord, we need to humble ourselves and step away from our agendas, our desires, our demands and simply worship God. Set apart. We are to leave the contamination of this world and our sins in the hands of the Holy Spirit as we reaffirm Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The accuracy of Psalm 24:4 seems beneficial when we understand that living in this world dirties our hands simply because of the contact we have with it. Temptations and our flesh war against our hearts, but surrender washes a purity in. Our heart becomes aligned with the Father when we seek His holiness and righteousness.

I don’t think any of us would argue that in our prayer and worship time, we need to approach the Lord in such a manner. But what about the rest of the time?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Colossians 3:17; And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Romans 12:1; I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Prayer and worship are not meant to be segregated from the rest of our lives. Rather, they are to drive all things. Our faith is meant to envelope our entire life and all things are to be affected and driven by our faith. That changes everything. But how often do we segregate our faith? We attempt to put it in a nice little box along with all the other boxes in our life. Things such as work, family, recreation, relationships, etc… But that also means we segregate Jesus. I guess this philosophy would grant us (in our minds) a justification to do what we want, as long as it doesn’t contact our faith box. In other words, dirty hands and an impure heart when we are in our other boxes as long as we get dressed in our Sunday best for our faith box. 

But I just don’t see it. Jesus never said He wants a part of us. He wants us all, mind, body, spirit. When we are at work, when we are at play. Leading our families, guiding our relationships.       

Therefore, clean hands and a pure heart are to be an everyday pursuit as we long to live a life that honors and respects the Holy God we serve. 

Jason Metz, lead Pastor