The Thursday Update

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

The midterm elections are now behind us, even if the complete results are not.  The results show some changes in the majority of the House of Representatives, while the Senate likely will not be decided for at least a few more days or even weeks.

As always, about half of Americans will be happy with the result and another half will be disappointed.  And in this current environment, we haven't been this divided since before the Civil War.  The things people are saying and doing these days lead me to believe this is true.  The coarseness of dialogue, the anger and vitriol, and the acts of violence and terrorism we see all around us are at really high and dangerous levels.

I hope that regardless of the results of any election (and how you may feel after this particular one), you’ll remember Jesus’ amazingly poignant words on this subject in John 18:36:

“My kingdom is not of this world.”

At the end of the day, this world will pass away one day— and that day may be sooner than any of us realize.  But the Kingdom of God will arrive and be here to stay when Jesus returns.

So I hope you are living for the Kingdom of God more than the kingdoms of this world.  After all, the kingdom of God will not arrive because of a human government, and God is sovereign over all the election results as He works out His master plan for the world.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things that really matter will be given to you by God (Matthew 6:33).

That’s our focus here at Lakeshore, to help you continually seek the things that matter for eternity.

Warmly,
Vince

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

Each year, October is designated as Pastor Appreciation month.  On behalf of all five pastors on staff here at Lakeshore, I just wanted to say thank you for all the kind things so many of you have said to us and have done for us this past month.  I even received a few cards and they meant so much to me (and us).  And yes, I did receive a couple of gifts too, and that is something beyond what I expected from you.  Again, thank you!

But more than anything else, the greatest gift I receive from you is seeing you at church on Sundays (and throughout the week) living, learning, and loving others as you are in pursuit of being more and more like Jesus Christ. 

Nothing makes me happier as your pastor than seeing you here each week, hearing how the services are impacting your everyday life, watching you welcome first-time guests with such care and personal attention, serving in one of the various ministries, and just having the desire to know God more deeply.  I feel like the Apostle John when he said this in 3 John 4:

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

So thank you for being such a great congregation of people to pastor.  It’s an absolute blessing to see you every time I do because you’re an amazing group of people who inspire me to try and lead you and this church with the very best I can.

Thank you for that!

Warmly,
Vince

OCTOBER 27, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

Finding God’s will is not always easy… in fact, sometimes it is really hard to discern.  And yet, it’s so important for us to discover God’s will in our life if we want to live meaningfully and significantly.

My hope is that this new series, The Mystery of God’s Will, will help you get better at finding out what God wants for your life.  This is not a theoretical exercise, but one of the most practically important ones we can engage in.  Yet, maybe because it is not easy, it seems like people choose the common, the convenient, and yes, even sometimes the self-serving road because we believe the lie that we know how to satisfy our lives more than God does.

So I want to just remind you of the big idea of this series:  God wants to guide us to the place where we ultimately find the most satisfaction in Him.  Is that hard to believe?  It can be.  Is that true?  Absolutely and always! 

So if you really believe that and want to find God’s will in your life and be most satisfied in Him, then do these three things as often as possible:

1. Make God the desire of your heart!

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.   –Psalm 37:4, NIV

2. Seek God in every decision you make! 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.  –Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT

3. Follow God by learning to listen to Him!

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him?  In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.  –1 Corinthians 2:11-12, NIV

Let’s keep seeking God’s will and watch how He works in our lives in powerfully fresh and new ways.

Warmly,
Vince