SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

Lakeshore Friends—

This Sunday, we'll be wrapping up our summer series “By Faith” from Hebrews 11.  We’ve looked at many characters who have lived by faith in this great chapter— 19 people or people groups are specifically identified in this chapter.  Many others are also alluded to.  All of them were clearly and definitively people who had true faith!

As I was thinking about my series-concluding message on Sunday, it led to me to raise this important question: how do you know when your faith (or someone else’s faith) is real?  How do you know when it is the kind of faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6), the kind of faith that has put you into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3), and the kind of faith that will save you from eternal torment, ushering you into heaven on the day you die (Ephesians 2:8-9)?

This is not a theoretical question.  We know that there will be people who die thinking that they do have real faith only to tragically find out that the opposite is true (Matthew 7:21-23, 1 John 2:19).  Those are people who thought they had true faith but they really didn’t.  So it’s an important question to answer.

"How do you know when your faith is real? ... it's an important question to answer."

I think the answer is fundamentally found in this truth: true faith will always endure the hard times.  No matter how hard life gets, true faith will carry us through. 

That doesn’t mean we don’t struggle, or doubt, or even at times fail when hard times come.  Anyone who lives outside a cave should know this.  But what it does mean is that they survive and even thrive through their trials in such a way that they still trust God to be great, good, and loving when it has finished.  Their faith gets stronger over time, even if it is not always a linear, “every day is better than yesterday” growing faith.  Nonetheless, their faith does not die when trials come but instead develops and grows (see James 1:2-8, 1 Peter 1:6-9).  They still love God even when circumstances tempt us to think God may not love us.

So if you want to know if your faith is real, ask yourself these questions:

Do I still trust God when life gets hard?

Do I still live for God when things are crazy?

Do I still serve God when it is hard?

Do I love Jesus more now than I did last year?  Three years ago?  Ten years ago?

I hope you have a faith that is real and authentic.  And if that’s not you right now, I hope it will be soon.

Warmly,
Vince

AUGUST 29, 2024

Lakeshore Friends—

As summer quickly comes to an end and our minds turn to the fall, many of us begin to anticipate the kids going back to school.  There is back to school shopping for new clothes, sneakers, backpacks, lunch bags, and school supplies.  We put a lot of time, energy, and money into preparing our kids to be successful in the classroom.  But have you ever thought about the fall as a time to come back to church and prepare yourself to be spiritually healthy?

This fall, Lakeshore has multiple ways for you and your family to grow spiritually healthy.  In September, Small Groups kick off again for adults looking for community, care, and life change.  Lakeshore Students spins up on Sunday mornings with an in-depth Bible study for students and Wednesday evening gatherings.  September is also a great time to check out what serving opportunities exist at Ready To Serve, learn about the direction Lakeshore is moving in at Vision Night, or dive deeper through a Discover Class to become a member or learn about your purpose in life, among others.

If it’s been a while since you attended church, then let’s make September "back to church" month.  I hope you'll join us as we all seek to grow spiritually healthy this fall. 

Make a great day!
Pastor Frank

AUGUST 22, 2024

Lakeshore Friends—

Life is not easy.  In fact, it’s pretty difficult at times to live with faith, hope, and love when all around us are signs of fear, despair, and hatred.  The news is often filled with so much depressing information that it just seems like things will never get all that much better.

For 2,000 years Christians have felt this way.  From persecutions and martyrdom in the first three hundred years since the time of Jesus, to the torturous treatment of so many Christians around the world today, living for Jesus Christ usually costs us something.  We’re seeing it in increasing measure in our country today.  It’s happening with people who are simply praying in front of an abortion clinic, or who believe in the traditional biblical view of the family and publicly say so, or who just want the right to talk about their faith and views in school or at work.  For simply being open about their beliefs in a peaceful way, some are being arrested, having their homes raided, or even being fired from their jobs and the like.  All while it seems like violent activity goes unpunished.

That leaves us with a decision.  Will we press on in our faith?  And if so, how do we press on?

The answer is we should press on and we can do it when we think about one important thing: the promised land, God’s promised land.  We know it as heaven, when we spend eternity with God.  When we think about the rewards awaiting every faithful Christian in heaven, we have the courage to live out our faith on earth.  As the classic country song by Jim Reeves in 1962 puts it, “The world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.”

What problems are you facing?  What unfair treatment are you experiencing?  What mistreatment are you experiencing because you’re a Christian?  Remember that this world is not our final home.  Heaven is.  So stay fixed on your future residence there until God fulfills His promise to us to take us there very soon.

Warmly,
Vince