An Experiment

I received one of those funny forwards today. It was titled "Kids in Church...Funny." (This , by the way, does not mean I want you to start sending me all of your favorite forwards.) It had all of these really cute things that kids have said. This one reminded me of what Bro. Larry will be preaching about this Sunday - "When Your Family Isn't Perfect."

After the baby dedication of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, 'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,

and I wanted to stay with you guys.'

I've met people over the years who were totally different at home than they were at church. People at church didn't necessarily know that, but the children did! It really messes them up too.

I've thought of an easy way to help fix this problem for any of you who may have that. Don't try to act like a Christian on Sundays when you are at church. Instead, make sure you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ and then live that way every day.

The fruit of the Spirit will be evident in your life EVERY day when you walk by the Spirit,

Ga 5:16 - Show Context
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Ga 5:25 - Show Context
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

So why would I blog about how you are on Monday through Saturday when I'm supposed to lead you in worship on Sunday? Well, because worship isn't just a Sunday thing. It is an every day thing. And just think... if all of us - or at least a bunch of us - are walking and living by the Spirit day by day, when we get together on Sundays for worship our worship will be - wow, I don't know, I think it would be bigger and grander and more powerful and we wouldn't be putting on a Sunday frame of mind, we'd just be celebrating together what God was doing in our lives all week long. (I suppose my writing professors would not be happy with that last sentence, but I'm just typing as it's popping in my head.)

I've thought of an experiment for us to try.

OK, I guess it's too late for this week, but let's all give it a try starting next Monday. We'll all walk in the Spirit and put Jesus' words to action in our lives for a week and see what happens. (It may scare your children at first if you are a lot different, but that's OK.)

Mt 16:24 - Show Context
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

At the end of that week, Jan. 19-25, we'll see how worship is on the 25th. I think it's going to be great!

I'd love to know what you think about such things. Send me a note or post a comment here.

Listening to the Spirit

and following...

A friend of mine has just found out that he probably has a rather serious medical condition. He told me tonight that that he got a call this morning. It was from a college friend who he hadn't heard from in a very long time - probably years. The guy that called him said, "I woke up this morning about 2:00 AM and felt like I should pray for you. I prayed for you several times in the night."

Yeah! There you go. Someone hearing the Spirit of God speak to them and then following through on what he heard. I'm afraid that too many times we hear that "still, small voice" and we decide that we just thought of that ourselves, or it would be too embarassing to call or too uncomfortable to do whatever it is God is prompting us to do.

Galatians 5:25 - Show Context
If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.

Be brave! Listen to what the Holy Spirit says to you. FOLLOW the Spirit.

And when you are living by the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, we'll see these things in your life that Paul said earlier in that same chapter - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

So let's see some fruit out there! You can do it!