Tag: Bible

  • TELL ME

    So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

    – John 8:31-32

    Tell me what to think. Tell me what it says. Tell me what to believe. Tell me how to live.

    We exist in a world where far too often we are told to listen, to blindly obey, but discouraged to question. When this happens, we become a culture that relies on others to tell us what and how to think and believe, relieving us of our own reason, curiosity, common sense and even creativity. What do you think is replaced by how do you feel? Emotion is positioned to rule over reason. At this point, fear and pleasure become the primary motivating factors. 

    We saw this during the COVID “epidemic.” Fear was the primary tactic to divert people from sensible questioning. “Trust the science” introduced a catchy phrase that at its roots meant, “conform don’t question.” Hindsight usually illuminates deception, over-reaction and error. But it takes critical thinking and objective questions in order to learn from experiences and situations.  

    Take the theory of evolution for example. Kids are taught that we are merely a series of mistakes, mutations that randomly occurred over billions of years. Where did these cosmic blunders start? To that degree, where did the matter for the cosmos ever come from? No where, it just is. However to question such a statement is to be unscientific and religiously rebellious. Don’t rock the boat, don’t question, don’t think for yourself, just accept.

    Trust the science.

    On the other hand, these same kids are encouraged to become emotionally driven, to follow their heart, to filter their thoughts and actions through their feelings. As a result, misunderstanding, poor decision making and unhealthy behaviors fill the void where rational thought once lived and would question the origin of life, creation, the possibility of higher power.

    The Christian lifestyle is the antithetical position of this mindset. It runs in opposition to culture, to sociology, to this very world. 

    The Bible, the Living Word of God is an amazing thing. Because it is inspired by God Himself, we can deem it truthful, not simply because of our proclamation, but because God is truthful. What does this mean? It means we can have confidence in the words, principles, historical accounts and teachings it contains. 

    The great thing about truth is that it isn’t afraid to be questioned, debated or even scrutinized. The truth has nothing to hide, therefore truth can stand up to rational, critical, mathematical, even scientific thinking and examination.

    But truth also allows for the personal and emotional experience. Because God is truth, which means He is authentic, we can ask Him any questions we are struggling with, even the “why” questions that stem from tragedy, trials and tribulations.

    God created in us a mind that has the ability of rational thought. That has to always lead to questioning everything. Here is where we discover the truth. And the truth will always lead to the origin of all certainty, God Himself.

    Werner Heisenberg, a German theoretical physicist and one of the main pioneers of the theory of quantum mechanics said this, “The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.” 

    Jason Metz, lead Pastor

  • CHOCOLATE

    One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek:

    That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,

    To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord

    And to meditate in His temple.

    – Psalm 27:4

    I’m not a big sweets person. Given a choice, I’ll always go for the smoked meats and strong cheeses over cookies, cakes or any other desserts. But there are times when chocolate just seems to be calling my name. And nothing else will satisfy that craving. In those times I need a good, quality piece of pure chocolate. I’m not talking about Hershey’s or any of those low budget wannabes. I want the good stuff because only the good stuff does the job. 

    It’s definitely not every day, it’s not even every week. Maybe that’s why it tastes so good. I sometimes wonder if I indulged more frequently if it would lose its appeal. I’m definitely okay with savoring a piece of chocolate now and then, saving it for those special occasions. I think there is a greater appreciation simply because of the once in a while relationship I have with chocolate.

    After all, boredom through frequency happens with a lot of things in our life. Exciting, fun, tasty whatever it is, from vacation to recreation to food, things have a way of becoming dull, even boarding when they become a part of our day to day routine.

    Our relationship with Christ is much different. To put it in the simplest of terms, we can never get enough, let alone too much of God. One of the reasons is the multifaceted aspect that God brings into our life. One moment I can be completely enthralled with His Word, speaking to me, teaching me, guiding me. At other times, the time I spend in prayer, either planned or spontaneous, I feel a closeness to Jesus that is more real than anything else in my life. And then there are those times sharing about what the Lord has been doing in my life. Whenever I talk about God, He is always involved in the conversation. Even in the silence, when I quiet my mind from the busy world around me, there is a natural longing to just sit with the Holy Spirit.

    Unlike chocolate that will inevitably lose its appeal the more I have it, God’s appeal only increases. The more I pursue God the more I want to pursue God.  

    Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

    – James 4:8

    Jason Metz, lead Pastor

  • YOU CAN’T EXPECT FRUIT THE DAY YOU PLANT THE SEED

    I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

    – 1 Corinthians 3:6-8

    When our expectations collide with our impatience the only result that can occur is frustration. I find this to be true in so many different aspects in my life. All those things that just aren’t working out like I had envisioned or they are taking just way too long. Maybe it’s because I didn’t prepare as well as I could have. Maybe I didn’t put in the required effort needed. Maybe the outcome was dependent upon an external factor that wasn’t completely under my control. 

    Despite the reason, the resulting frustration incurred when expectations and impatience are unequally yoked have a devastating effect on ambition. When that happens, if not dealt with, it is too easy, even natural to fall into discouragement. And discouragement loves to take on the form of apathy. The main issue here is not having unrealistic ambitions, but rather a limited vision in terms of the process.

    But what about in God’s economy? Does God have a plan that supersedes our ambitions as well as our faults? How about a timeline? Does God always take into account timing?

    The answer to those questions are obviously YES.

    Of course He does. It’s called His will. And the amazing part about God’s will is that though it has to always be accomplished, He invites us to participate. In each different aspect of His greater plan, we may play a relatively large part or we may simply be a small, even minute essential step. Every situation is different. Each situation is based on His prerogative. For us, all situations are rooted in our faithfulness. 

    Humility, surrender and trust are at the heart of how God chooses to use us. When we are humble, we understand it’s His will that gets accomplished. When we are surrendered, we are able to follow His plan and play our part. When we trust God, we have a confidence that from the biggest role to the smallest, it’s not the job God has given us to do, but rather the love that He allows us to be a part of.

    Despite God accomplishing something within us or in someone else, it is vital we understand that He is the one who gives increase. When we get to this place in our faith, frustration and discouragement gives way to excitement, fulfillment and a fullness that only comes from being in God’s will.

    If you struggle with discouragement, if you have a tendency to fall into apathy, if your expectations are affected by your impatience, if you don’t think you are doing enough for God, stop. That’s right, just stop. Take some time. Connect with God outside of your agenda, your goal, your impatience, the expectations you have placed upon yourself and allow Him to bring you back into His amazing plan for your life.

    Jason Metz, lead Pastor

  • TODAY

    You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

    – Jeremiah 29:13

    As a pastor, I get to have all sorts of conversations with people. Some stem from tragic events, some are for advice, some relate to conflict. Those are all essential conversations that are taken very seriously. 

    But then there are the other ones. The ones I get excited about. It’s those conversations where people can’t wait to tell me what God has done or has shown them. Many times, initially it may  seem like the most inconvenient moment, but as they share I can’t help but be pulled into their rejoicing. 

    Everything from the expression on their face, the tone of their voice, their body language and of course the words they are speaking testifies to a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit. Of course it’s supernatural, because it transcends our natural worldly experiences. It’s something so much more, so much greater.

    It’s life changing. And not only for that person, but for everyone else that is included in the retelling of how God interacted with them.

    There is no doubt each unique testimony is special and impactful and should be celebrated. However, could we be mistaken if we fall into a mindset that tells us these God interactions are a rarity? That if God works in such ways it’s few and far between? That it could never happen to us personally?

    Because of sin and the inevitable separation that it causes with a righteous God, our human nature expects to have no personal interaction with a righteous God beyond our own rational. Faith becomes an abstract concept, irrational and confined to our minute understanding of something greater than what we can comprehend with our limited understanding.

    But Jesus changes all that. 

    When the sin issue is dealt with, the faith effect is nourished. Light floods into the darkness. Our relationship with Jesus begins to take root and grow. Believing becomes seeing and seeing begins to define the personal relationship we now have with Christ. 

    We begin to have new questions. We move from, “Does God really exist” to “How can I hear God more clearly and more often?”

    What a wonderful place to be! 

    It builds our faith and places us in a position of expectation.

    Do you expect to hear and see God working in your life?

    How have you seen God revealing and working in and around you today? 

    How about this week?

    What have you done to see God work in your life this week, today?

    There is no doubt God is speaking. He is always speaking through His Word, the Scriptures. He also speaks to us when we pray. He speaks through the little things. He even speaks through the hard things. How have you positioned yourself to listen and hear today?

    And when God does something in your life, are you sharing it with others?

    Jason Metz, lead Pastor

  • DON’T FOLLOW A MISTAKE WITH A BAD DECISION

    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.

    -Philippians 3:13-14

    Ruts. 

    Those troublesome things that are easy to fall into and hard to get out of. A great definition of a rut is a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive, but is hard to change. Sounds about right.

    Ruts in our life are made by repeated decisions and actions that we know are unhealthy for us, but the more we do them, the deeper we cut the rut. 

    The problem with ruts is that they will always pose a danger. Continually attempting to pull us back in, watching for every opportunity to trap, to put us under its dead end routine.

    Every farmer knows the only way to deal with a rut is to completely get rid of that rut. This could be as simple as filling it in with rocks and dirt and packing it down. But for those really stubborn ruts, those established ruts, those need to be excavated out, taken all the way down and then that area has to be built back up. It takes time and effort, but it’s the only way.

    Our life is no different. 

    There are those mistakes we make and learn from relatively quickly. Minor mishaps that we quickly correct and fill in before they can erode the ground of our faith. 

    But then there are the others. The bigger, deeper ones. Mistakes we follow up with bad decisions. Over and over and over again, it seems we cannot or do not want to move. Maybe it’s that we have no idea how to get out of those ruts. Maybe we just enjoy being in those ruts because we mistakenly think that is who we have become. Regardless of the reason, when we are stuck in a rut it is hard to find a way out. 

    The worst part is that every mistake that is followed by bad decisions digs that rut deeper each time. Sometimes we dig ruts in our ruts and there is a perpetual destruction that follows. There is no doubt that the bigger the rut, the easier it is to fall into.

    The truth is, the ruts of sin are never satisfied. The only solution is that they get dug out from their origin, from the core cause. Fortunately if you are a born-again believer, every tool is at your disposal. But as with any tool, it remains useless until you pick it up and put your effort behind it. 

    The enemy will always attempt to remind us of who we once were, attempting to knock us back into the ruts. There is only one answer, one solution, one way out. 

    Christ propels us to our new self, created through His blood and sustained by His Spirit. When our faith is placed on the Rock, though we may make mistakes, we, by His power and His grace no longer need to follow that mistake up with a bad decision.

    Will you allow the Rock to rid you of those nasty ruts? Seek Him and you will find Him. When you find Him, rely upon Him.

    Jason Metz, lead Pastor

  • THE LONG ROAD

    But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

    -Matthew 24:13

    Road trips come in all sorts of distances and destinations. Some trips are taken for pleasure, while others out of necessity. From a vacation to a work related trip, the road holds so many possibilities as well as challenges. One thing they all have in common is a simple travel principle. If you know you are going on a long trip in your vehicle you prepare much differently than if you are simply running to grab some milk and eggs. Or at the least, you should.

    From a fresh oil change, to making sure your tires are good to go, how you maintain and prepare your vehicle is vital. You also have a good idea on your route and planning stops are an important component. Depending upon what time of year you are traveling also plays a key role in what you pack or leave at home. 

    There is just so much more thought that goes into traveling hundreds or thousands of miles than just running around town. The difference comes down to goals. One is groceries, the other is a destination. One is a few minutes, the other is multiple hours or even days. 

    The goal, or the difficulty of attaining a goal will always determine the effort we put into the process. 

    That’s easy to see in terms of driving to the store versus driving across the country. But how often might we overlook such a simple principle when it comes to our faith? If we treat our Christian lifestyle like simply driving around town, hopping from one short jaunt to work to a quick stop at the store and then back home, we can quickly lose sight of the much greater destination. 

    Every born again believer needs to have a much bigger perspective than just our day to day. In fact, it needs to be bigger than week to week or even year to year. 

    We must be Kingdom minded and that means it’s vital to have an eternal perspective. We are not to live our life limping from one thing to the next, but rather with an understanding that this life is the road to a much more permanent destination. And if preparation is important for our road trips, how much more important is it for our eternity?

    Every trip we take inevitably comes with risks, dangers and unexpected events. We cannot specifically prepare for every little issue that we might face, but we can prepare ourselves to endure whatever that might be.

    In terms of our faith, that’s a deep and genuine relationship with Christ as our Savior. That takes preparation and maintenance on our part. When our dependence is found wholly in Christ, despite what the road of life throws at us, we can have a confidence that He will never leave us or forsake us. This helps us keep our ultimate destination in focus and that changes how we live day to day.

    Jason Metz, lead Pastor

  • STEWARDSHIP

    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

  • POTENTIAL

    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

  • RIPPLES

    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

  • PURPOSE

    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