Simple Faith

Tweet

It has always been my belief that Christians have made the Christian walk much too complicated. As much as I love them, go into any Christian bookstore and take a look at all the Christian self-help books. You would think that there is so much to know that no one could possibly master what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I am writing about what it means to be that kind of follower in the simplest of terms. It is what I like to call, "Simple Faith." So, if you are a little overwhelmed where to start, then this is for you.

Before listing the basic steps, I want to share a caviat, The Christian life is a glorious, wondrous ride that can never be defined by anyone. Your life can and should be more than this, but this is where you must start. That is to say, this is not a restrictive, legalistic type of list, but an open and free start to the most wonderful life you could ever dream of having. Don't skip over and do the complex until you start worth the basic. Otherwise, you crash and burn, and that's never a pretty sight. 

1. Go to Church. 

Yep, that's right... get out of bed, and get yourself to church. I don't mean watch a youtube video or a Christian TV show (even if there is preaching). Go to a church building this Sunday morning. This is the simplest, but usually the most argued point of all that I will say. Somehow, we tend to think that in and of ourselves, we are spiritual enough to make it on our own, but no one is able to go it alone. It has been my belief that if you can't do this easiest of steps in simple faith, you are going to have a tough time making forward motion in your faith walk.
So, get to church. Find a church. Ask your friends for suggestions. Make sure they believe the Bible and love people. Then, get in the car. Go sit in the church. Sing the songs. Listen to the preacher and take notes. It won't happen immediately, but soon you will experience growth and strength in your spiritual journey as never before. What we call "church" is actually a gathering of believers who come together to worship Jesus, hear the Bible preached, and encourage one another in our Christian lives.

As the Bible tells us, "Not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more" Hebrews 10:25 HCSB

Okay, that's your home work for the week. Find a church and get there. You'll be glad you took the first step in your life of simple faith. This can begin your wonderful life in Christ.

TV Families Are Our Examples?

Tweet

You don't have to turn on the TV for long to find a family. From CSI to Modern Family to Mad Men to The Walking Dead, nearly every one of them have families. It actually surprises that there are representations of the family and not just hot, swingin' singles.

You don't have to go that far back in TV history to have familes that support and care for each other. I'm talking about the Huxtable's (The Cosby Show) the Barclay's (The Big Valley) or the Walton's or the Ingalls' (Little House on the Prairie). Now the families are from Wysteria Lane (Desparate Housewives) or some so-called reality show that proports to show us "real" life in a home, and is nothing like a real home. My concern is that families we used to admire are no more (unless you watch the Inspirational Network). The only families we see on TV and the movies make us glad that at least our families aren't that bad. But, is that what we really want? Familes that aren't that bad? I believe there is a better way. It has worked for nearly 3500 years. When our families choose tradition over pyschology, they work every time.

Here's my point, family is as much as part of our life as anything else we are a part of. Yet, our only examples in the media are families that are structured in a variety of non-traditional forms or at the very least, dysfunctional. I can assure you, there are lots of families, while not perfect, are fully functioning. They are the ones that have chosen to raise their families in a traditional sense. Dad and mom run the household. Kids obey their parents. Character building is king. God is honored. Church is a priority. They are taught manners. Dad and mom love each other and want to be with one another (think of the Huxtable's here). Back talking is not tolerated. These kinds of families enjoy having fun together. These are the kinds of families that civilizations are built on.

Read these 8 ways to TRANSFORM your family starting TODAY.

It can be your family. Wherever you are and whatever your family is like, you can start to build or re-building your family in such a way that family will bring joy to your life and not misery. Start today by turning off the horrible examples on TV and get around people that have a clue as to how to raise kids and love and honor one another.

Trey Rhodes

www.MyOceansideChurch.com

www.OCAnnounce.info

Building a Family

Tweet

To win the battle for your family, it will take some boot camp training. It doesn't just happen. So let's get some basic training.

1. Attend church together. This seems like a given, but many have chosen to make church an option. It is something that we do when there's nothing else going on or when no one has come in for the weekend. It is true that church attendance doesn't make you a Christian, nor cause you to lose you your reservation if you don't attend faithfully, but, how can you expect to grow when you don't deal with this most basic of requirements of the faith. Don't be like the heathen who want to avoid church, come together often to encourage one another.

2. God Talk. When you're at home, make the Lord the center of all you say. Bring Him up in everyday conversation. Fill your home with godly music. Make the conversation about Jesus. Even discuss how He worked on your behalf that day. He always does. Whatever you say or do, do it for the glory of God.

3. Everyone needs a Bible. A well used Bible makes for a good family. Make sure that everyone in your household has an easily understood one. I recommend the HCSB or Holman Christian Standard Bible. Don't wait until they're in third grade or get a little older, now is the time. The Bible gives us the heart of God, so if we are to know his will for us as a family, we must all have Bibles and have access to being able to read them.

4. Memorize important verses together. Reading the Bible is a great place to start, but we can go deeper through memorization. As a family, we should take the word of God and engraft it into our hearts. We call that memorization. There's nothing better that you can do for your family than have them all memorize Scripture together. For you, I put together 26 verses that are important and easy to remember for all your family. You can do it in a week or two. These verses can make a huge difference in the God talk in your family whether you're around the table, in the living room. or any time you're with one another. So, make a commitment this week to memorize scripture together. My next blog will have the 26 verses that go with the ABCs to help you memorize easily some important verses that will impact you for the rest of your life.

5. Pray before every meal, everywhere. I don't think we realize the impact we can make when we are around our table or out in public and pray with our family. They realize the importance our God is to us when we pray around the table.

6. Say, "God willing." No matter what we do or what we say we're going to do, we need to end our words with God willing. Too often we make promises that we're not able to keep. When we say God willing, it means that if God wants us to do it, we will do it. The book of James even talks about the importance of saying we're going to take a trip if God is willing. Make sure that you end your statements with what you're planning to do in the will of God. It could stop a lot of heartache.

7. Have family devotions. Nothing too complicated or complex. Just make sure that you read a scripture and did you talk about it briefly. Make sure especially if it's a young child or young children that you have a Scripture that they can understand easily. Use the Beatitudes or read some Proverbs. Maybe use the Proverb that corresponds with day of the month. It'll give you practical information and they should be able to use in their everyday life.

8. Pray. You need to pray when you go to bed. You need to pray when you're in your car on the road. You can even use what we call prayer "hooks." When you see something, that would remind you to pray for something or someone, use it as an opportunity to pray for them.

Take the step across the line and build your family. Let's make a difference beginning today!

Still working on building my family,
Pastor Trey Rhodes

Impossible Miss Universe?

Tweet

Miss Universe, Leila Lopes, receives her will deserved crown

The new Miss Universe, Leila Lopes,  is from Angola. Where in the world is Angola? Yeah, admit it. You had to look it up on Google. I didn't (I had the advantage of living in Africa for 2 years, so I knew, but that is the only reason). According to People magazine online edition, "She is the first woman from Angola and only the fourth black woman to be crowned Miss Universe." 

At first I thought it was another ploy to capitulate to the undeveloped countries for political gain. Then I read these words, "'I consider myself a woman endowed with inner beauty,' she said. 'I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life.'" so as People magazine observed, "it's not only the exterior that Lopes wants the world to see," it is what inside. According to the judges, that capped it for them. Even they were looking for inner beauty. This is truly a wonderful story of someone going from rags to riches in the vein of an Horatio Alger story.

At first, when I read the headlines, I thought, "That's impossible. I must be reading it wrong. Of all the girls in the world, a girl from Angola got the crown?" As it turns out, it may be improbable, but not impossible. According to my "big honking" Webster's dictionary, it means that it is something that is "incapable of being done." When something is impossible, that is exactly what it is, not possible. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, it is when we have no power in and of ourselves to accomplish the act. That's what impossible is. No matter how hard we try, we do not have the power to accomplish the action. It would be similar to asking a weedwacker engine to power a C-130 Hercules. No matter how hard the weedwacker tries and regardless of the sincerity or intention, it does not have the power to lift a C-130 off the tarmac. It would be, you guessed it, impossible.

Here's the bottom line, God not only wants to do the impossible in your life, He promises He can do it as well. He has the power. He is the Lord God omnipotent (all-powerful).

 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27

What is the impossible thing that is lurking in the back of your mind? Maybe it is a relationship that is beyond mending, or a friend that has refused to follow Jesus, or a financial situation that it will take a miracle to settle. Remember this...God can!

What do you and I need to do?
Get ready for God to do it. Here's how from Joshua 1:

1. Take God at His Word (vv. 6-9)
Joshua was promised supernatural success if He would mediate on God's supernatural book. Meditation empowers us to see life from God's point of view. God's will and hence His words will never be stopped. Then we can easily trust God because His Word has become a part of us: "I trust in Your Word" Psalm 119:42

2. Watch for God's Activity (vv. 10-11)
God told Joshua to tell the people to get ready. How? They were about to cross the Jordan, so it would make sense that they should building a bridge or constructing a boat or raft. But, that's not where God was at work. He was about to do the impossible by piling up the water of the Jordan during the spring tide. They had to take their eyes off of where they thought God should work and open their eyes to where God was going to work.

Remember what Jesus said, "My Father is still working and I am working also." (John 5:17) If that is true, then we better know what God is about to do around us. Be sure to look at people, not circumstances.

• Are they being drawn to God? 
• Are they seeking Him? 
• Do they feel conviction of their sin? 

3. Look What God Has Already Given You (vv. 12-15)
God has already given you things materially and spiritually. These people had been given property (including house and farms that had already been built for them). They had also been given rest.

First, think of all that God has already given you materially. You have a roof over your head, food to eat, clothes to wear. If you wonder if God cares...look and see that He has already cared for you.

Second, rest is also given to us. Those of us that have trusted Christ as Savior and Lord can now rest in His finished work. We no longer strive to live up to God's standards, Jesus made the impossible possible by dtying on the cross for us. That is why Jesus cried, "It is finished" from the cross. The price had been paid and the work was accomplished.

4. Do God's will (vv. 16-18)
The children of Israel had had enough of low living and rebellious attitudes. They were about to see God do impossible things. They were were up to their necks in sinful attitudes and actions because of the lifestyles of their parents. So, they chose a new and different way. They chose now to follow God and they guaranteed it with the very lives:

Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death. Joshua 1:18

Would you be willing to so commit to Christ, that if you didn't do His will, you would willingly die? We so often speak of dying for what we believe, but will you live for the One you believe in? His will is worth our lives.

Once we are prepared for God, He stands on the edge of heaven waiting to do the impossible. Be ready.

Thinkin' 'Bout Oceanside

• Sun Stand Still - Get in a small group. You don't want to miss what God has for you through this inspiring and life changing study. Begins next week. Watch God do the impossible!

• Oceanside Saturday Night - Begins this Saturday night at 8p.m. Let your friends know. Come ready to have a good time and hear form God as well. We'll be finished by 9:00 p.m. Impossible you say? Come and see.

• Scare Mare - The day are clicking by and you need to be praying about God touching people's hearts and lives. 3 guarantees: 1) We will scare them 2) They will hear the Gospel 3) People will be saved. Get involved now and watch God do the impossible through you

• Parenting by the Book - Do you know how to raise your children in this crazy mixed-up world we live in? John Rosemond helps us avoid the pitfalls and build a home where children can be all they were intended to be. You can be the parent you were meant to be. Sign up today. Email us at contact@myoceansidechurch.com.

Preparing for the impossible,

Pastor Trey Rhodes