The Thursday Update

Despite this, we live in a day where so many people want the glory for what they do.  It’s another clear sign that so few people really know who God really is.  We see it prominently in sports, in entertainment, and in politics, but it isn’t confined there.  People seek all kinds of glory for themselves through social media and in personal achievement.  Whenever we seek our own glory, we start to center everything around ourselves.  We become the center of our own universe and we will gradually become narcissistic.  When that happens, we get upset at people who don’t recognize how great we are.  It’s not the best way to live because when life is all about ourselves, we will end up being stressed out.  That’s what happens when we’re always thinking about getting people to see us the way we want to be seen… gloriously.  It’s a formula for certain failure.

Maybe that’s why God reminds us in Isaiah 42:8 that He will not share His glory with anyone else.  He says this because He is the only One who is truly glorious, but I’m sure that He also did so because when we try to claim any of His glory for ourselves, it hurts our life.

On Sunday, I’ll talk more about the glory of God, but in the meantime let’s all try to make sure that we are much more concerned with enjoying and appreciating God’s glory than we are our own.  If we do, God will be honored, we won’t be stressed, and others will still like us— even more so than they would if we tried to hijack some of God’s glory for ourselves.

Warmly,
Vince

Something always seems to change after Labor Day weekend.  We hear that it’s the “unofficial end of summer” (sorry, I’m waiting for the official end, aren’t you?).  We also hear it’s the “back to” season.  How would you finish this sentence: “It’s now back to _______”?

• "It’s now back to school for our kids.”  I hear some people shouting, “Yippee!”
• "It’s now back to work after the long weekend.”  I hear absolutely no one shouting, “Yippee!”
• “It’s now back to cooler weather and shorter days.”  See comment above :)

Whatever you may be thinking, I will tell you what I and most other pastors are thinking this week: “It’s now back to church for people.” 

I wish that was true.  While it is true that after Labor Day some people who were not at church very much during the summer start to come back to church, others won’t come back until later in the year…. sometimes it’s not until Christmas Eve.  It’s also true that some people never get back into the rhythm of church attendance after the summer and stay away for a long time.  That’s a tragedy I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

So how about you?  Is this the time you need to reevaluate your church attendance habits?  Could this be an inflection point that you use to say that your life will now revolve around Sunday mornings with God first, and the rest of the demands and opportunities in life second? (Matthew 6:33)  Maybe you’re already a consistent attender and nothing changes for you because you have never left.

My hope (and the hope of every church leader this week) is that it’s the start of “back to church” for all of you who are reading this. 

When you’re ready, we’re here to help you grow.

Warmly,
Vince

The world seems like it’s spinning out of control doesn’t it?  It’s hard to see many encouraging trends that help you think the future will be better any time soon.  That’s not the view of a select group, but from people all over the political, social, economic, and religious spectrum.  A recent Gallup poll reported that optimism for the future of our country is at an all-time low, lower than at any time since the polling began.  Only 49% of Americans were more optimistic than pessimistic about the future.  That’s a minority of people.  So many are wondering, “where are things headed?”  

They’re even wondering where God is in all of this. 

The answer is pretty simple.  He’s in the same place He has been— in full control.

God is in control of all things, at all times.  While the “god of this world system” (and all the chaos) is Satan, God always has been (and always will be) over him.  God has him on a leash, limiting where he can go and what he can do.  God either sends or allows all things that happen.  We’ll talk about God’s control of all things on Sunday as we continue our “God Is…” series.

But for now, if you want the most sure way to have an optimistic view of your personal future, then trust that God is in full control of everything!  All that we see is fitting into His perfect plan.  It may not make sense now, it may require a deeper understanding of God’s character, and it will always take faith to accept.  Yet God is using everything going on right now to accomplish His ultimate plan— which is to usher in His Kingdom led by the King of Kings Jesus Christ, and then to usher in the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 20-22).

This is my source of optimism.  I know God’s plan is perfect and will succeed.  I hope that as you see all that’s happening, that you won’t despair as much as you’ll find comfort in knowing that God is still in control.

Warmly,

Vince