The Tongue – Part 2

At the end of last week, Pastor Ken said that there were two things that we could do to begin the process of “taming our tongue.” He said that one might need to come into a relationship with Jesus Christ to be radically transformed at their core. As they become a child of God through faith in Christ, their heart is changed and therefore, there speech becomes pure! But then he said, “Many of you have done that already and you still have speech that battles with each other. What are you to do?” And then he said, “Come back next week. You can find the sermon from this past week here.

This week, Pastor Ken will continue through the James series by looking at James 3:13-James 4:3. The memory verse that we have been learning together comes out of this section (James 4:1). If we are living in the desires that battle within us, we will never be able to control our tongue. Rather, as we read the text, we find that we must have God’s wisdom in our lives and not our own. If our wisdom is born out of envy and selfishness, then it is unspiritual (James 3:15). The only wisdom that is spiritual is from God and when we seek the wisdom of God and begin to internalize that wisdom, our hearts are transformed, shaped and molded to be more like Jesus’ heart. That affects what we say and what we do because it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

There are times in our lives when we speak for our own gain. It is out of selfishness (we want something for ourselves) or envy (we want something somebody else has) that causes us to speak. When this type of speech leaves the end of our tongues, it is hurtful. It is painful and divisive. But we continue to speak it because it is reflective of our heart condition. What do you need to do to make a heart renovation with God? Is it time to seek the wisdom of God instead of seeking the wisdom of your own heart?

Come this Sunday, February 21^st, to take steps towards a healthy heart and therefore a transformed tongue!

-Pastor Chris.

The Tongue

The Tongue.

The tongue is an interesting part of the body.

From the source of information, Wikipedia…

“The tongue is a muscle on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition). It is the primary organ of taste, as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. A secondary function of the tongue is speech. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels to help it move.”

A secondary function of the tongue is speech, and yet we treat our tongue as though that is the primary function. There is great power in that secondary function. There is power to build up someone, to encourage them and move them forward into doing something. And there is power to tear someone down, to strip them of their dignity, and to humiliate them. That secondary function of the tongue is pretty powerful.

I remember hearing my dad talk about how we can destroy each other with words when I would fight with my sisters. There were times when we would go after each other pretty good with our words and come pretty close to destruction.

Scripture is pretty clear about the use of our tongues. James 3:1-12 talks about how the tongue has the power to direct the course of our lives, has the power to destroy, needs taming, and can praise and curse people. It’s powerful! Scripture also points out that speech is only a secondary function of the tongue. What the tongue says is really only a spring of the heart (verse 12), and when we have bad stuff in our hearts, it will be evidenced by what is said by our tongue.

If our tongue is really only a mirror for our heart, it might be time for some of us to do some soul searching. It might be time to take a deep look at what is influencing us and how our hearts are being molded and shaped by the God of the universe. Is God in control of our hearts, or are we?

This Sunday, Ken will talk about these issues found in James Chapter 3.

-Pastor Chris Rollman

Faith and Work – Sunday, February 7th

“Faith alone saves and saves forever, but faith that saves is never alone.”

When I worked for Child Evangelism Fellowship leading Five Day Clubs and teaching the message of salvation, I discovered that the above statement was true. Hundreds of children came to know Christ, through faith, each summer that I worked with CEF. Only a few stick out to me today. They are the kids who came to know Jesus Christ by faith and then had some sort of life transformation happen, even within the week that we were working with them.

There was one particular 6-year-old that came to know Jesus Christ through faith at the beginning of the club week, and then two days later, his mom showed up. She had a skeptical look on her face and I asked if I could help her. She said, “No, I just wanted to see why my son has changed in two days from being someone that was angry all the time to a son who loves people!” That mom stayed through the Club and came to know Christ. That whole family is currently serving God in central Iowa, working fulltime for Child Evangelism Fellowship.

You see, the heart of God is to transform lives. It is when we come to Him by faith that He saves us from the punishment of sin (which is separation from God forever) and gives us new life in Him. With that in mind, He transforms us to be more and more like Himself. He gives us the opportunity to respond to Him wholeheartedly. It is through this wholehearted response we begin to see what James is talking about in James 2:14-25 when he talks about faith without works being dead. If I am not allowing God to transform my life and work supernaturally in me, then the faith I initially had is not there. That doesn’t mean that I am not saved by faith, it simply means that I need to understand repentance at that point and turn back to the God who initially saved me!

This week, Pastor Ken will talk more about this on Sunday morning. James 2:14-25 is a powerful, challenging section of Scripture.

Some questions that you might ponder:

In my own life, do I see that God is transforming me? Am I allowing Him to do so?

Is there anything I need to repent of and turn back to the saving God of grace?

-Pastor Chris.

Compassion for those in Need in Haiti

Recently, Haiti has been devastated by the Earthquake in that country. As Christians, we are called to have compassion for those in need and act on that compassion. You can click on the link below to find where to begin as you live out your faith in this area of compassion for those in need.

http://westefc.org/compassion/

Anger Issues : January 24 – James 1:19 – 27

I remember attending a church service as a young boy where the worship leader was talking about the story of the penned words of the 1876 hymn named “It is Well with my Soul.” I was struck with this powerful story. How could a man live through the things that this man lived through and still come out the other side with a Servant’s heart? I was angry even hearing the story. It wasn’t fair! How could God do this to one of his children? As a young boy, I had to spend several days and several weeks really working through this anger.

I think all of us wrestle with this anger issues when it comes to things that happen in our life that we see as problematic, not comfortable, or just downright painful. We ask God questions instead of running to his word for his answers. The wisdom that is found in James 1:19-27 when we respond sinfully to a trial is something that we must begin to learn together. Check out the passage, and check out the words that Horatio Spafford penned hundreds of years ago in a moment when he could have responded sinfully to trials that he was experiencing.  I look forward to hearing Pastor Ken Cooper talk about this section of scripture!

-Pastor Chris

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(refrain)

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(refrain)

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Our Human Blame Game – 1-17-10 Message

As humans, we have a tendency to blame other people when something in our lives go haywire or different than how we expected them to go. When you don’t get a grade on a paper that you expected to get, or you didn’t get the promotion at work, or maybe financial difficulties are present in your life and it is in these situations that we find ourselves playing the blame game. It can’t be MY fault!

Too often, when it comes to trials in our life we play the blame game with the God of the universe. We might say, “God, why did you give me this trial to deal with? Why am I the one that has this test?” And then when we respond sinfully to the trial, we want to blame God again. “God, I am so angry at you for letting me have this trial which I responded to in sin!” Too often, we live our lives not realizing that it is our sin, our own issues that push us towards evil, not the God of the universe.

God never pushes us towards sin. In fact, every action is always for our good. That can be tough to understand or swallow, but as we continue in James this next week, we will be talking about this truth. Trials strengthen our faith and give us the opportunity to give glory to God!

Text: James 1:9-18

Fear Traps – (message 12-27-09)

There are a lot of things that drive us. The future things of life, having a nice car, continuing and building relationships with family and friends, our job, our feelings, our personalities, and our lifestyles. These things all work together to drive us forward. They culminate to create this tapestry and fluidity that is part of the excitement of life.

But I think there is something deeper & darker that drives many of us. It’s something we don’t talk a lot about because it is uncomfortable. It’s murky and it’s hard to understand. Some people have it and show it, others have it and play their hand close to them. Some people are consumed with it and need rescuing. “It” is fear.

The truth is we hate not knowing what is coming next. If you are “type A,” like myself (you want to be in control of things and make sure things work out the best way), you know what I mean when I talk about hating not knowing or not being able to control the future. I fear the things that are possibly coming our way.

Scripture is quite clear about the concept and the murkiness of fear. 2 Timothy 1 says clearly that God “did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity.” Instead, He gave us a spirit of “power, love, and self discipline.” If we understand that teaching would it allow us to live in freedom from the fear that consumes us and has us captured in a vice? I really think that our imprisonment is a result of our view of God. You see, if we view God as a distant God unless we need something or are in trouble, we will most certainly be fearful of the future. Paul writes to Timothy with the understanding that Timothy is indwelled by the Holy Spirit, that God’s Spirit is literally within him and that he now has that “power” to do unbelievable things in Christ’s name, not to mention handle the daily activity that might come his way in the future. And God is not distant. He is so close, so personal, and yet so “different and amazing.” It’s the amazing mystery of God we are called to seek to understand, to “come and see” as Jesus said, who He is and what He is about.

There is a depth of fear that some people realize and some people have yet to discover, but that fear is that folks might find out who you and I are, really. As a Christian, it can be so easy to put on a mask and decide that it is best to play the smiley face game instead of being honest and real with those that are supposed to offer encouragement and support because we fear the consequence of rejection from the body of Christ. The reality is that Christ didn’t reject those people that were exposed in front of him. Jesus Christ actually pulled them into the group that followed him and he captured their hearts after they were completely open and authentic in front of him, the God of the universe.

This Sunday, we are going to be talking about what fear is and what it is not and how to deal with it in our personal lives as well as in the corporate body of Christ. Looking forward to seeing you there!

-Pastor Chris

Stepping into humanity is the ultimate example of humility

Have you met somebody who is considered “down to earth?” This generally communicates that they sacrifice their positional authority to become one among many. When I lived north of Chicago, I had the opportunity to meet several celebrity type figures. Some really desired the recognition and fame; others simply wanted to be ordinary. They realized that while fame and glory could be theirs, they would rather be considered ordinary.

The tales of two types of people: Mr. T and Bill Wennington. Mr. T gained notoriety through such fine media as the A team and Rocky. Bill Wennington was a 7 foot tall center for the Chicago Bulls in their glory years.

Please recognize that I am sharing my perceptions of both of these guys, based on a few casual meetings. My wife and I were at Dunkin Donuts late one night and Mr. T walked in for a donut. He was dressed in zubaz pants, tank top, gold jewelry and the trademark Mohawk. The moment changed quickly, people quit eating donuts to recognize the greatness that had just entered the room. People over 20 knew Mr. T, but those under just looked. A kid about 8 just stared at him, wondering who or what he was. Mr. T, Said something like, “Don’t you know who I am?” He appeared to be looking for notoriety. Mr. T went to the car and grabbed a glossy of himself and gave it to the kid.

While working at a hardware store, I had the opportunity to meet Bill Wennington several times. He would come in and was very unassuming and seemingly small. He was 7 feet and stuck out like a sore thumb, but was easy going. He did not appear to want the recognition. He would rather just be considered one among many. He was very “down to earth.” This is quite amazing to me that Bill would humble himself and be one of the guys with a Five foot, eight inch seminary student.

Jesus is the ultimate example of “down to earth.” He temporally set aside the glory due him to become flesh, to be viewed as ordinary and then to be despised. The one involved in creation, became a created being. The one that is the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE was viewed as an ordinary man. The one who was holy, that is set apart from creation and evil became despised and rejected.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

What is your response to God of the universe sacrificing so much for you?

“Down”

Yesterday, we began our new sermon series called “Down.” We are focusing on who Jesus Christ is both before he became human and after he became one of us. He came “down” to be with us so that we might serve him and love him and others. This series will continue this Sunday (the 20th) and then on Christmas Eve (the 24th) with services being at 5 pm and 7 pm. Invite a neighbor, a friend, a coworker, and remember how God became man and came “down” to seek and to save that which was lost.

Yesterday, to start the series, we watched a video describing the “Christmas Mystery” that we experience each and every year. Check it out!

The “Son of God” became man-

As a high school student in the late 80’s I was fascinated with the band U2. I literally wore out the Joshua Tree cassette. Bono is one of those people that I would love to meet. I can’t imagine how I would respond if I got the news that he was coming to live in Wichita, Kansas. It would seem inconceivable to me that this Rock legend would live in Wichita. After all, isn’t Wichita just a large wheat field with a few settlements? Wichita seems like the last place that Bono would choose to dwell. Why do I say this? Bono is powerful, famous and wealthy. He could reside anywhere in the world.

This week we start a 2 ½ week study on “Down to Earth.” We will attempt to chronicle the journey of the Son of God. This journey starts at the beginning of time, The son has existed forever and will continue to exist. He is God and is worthy of our honor and fear. His not like us, he is radically different, He is God!! This journey involves the SON OF GOD becoming man and living with us. While it would be outside of my expectations for Bono to live in Wichita, it is inconceivable that the Son would make his dwelling with us.

Throughout the Old Testament God is revealing Himself to humanity. Within the OT God is feared and people are awestruck with Him. When people saw the glory of God, they were forever changed. Imagine living 2000 years ago and receiving word that the “SON OF GOD” is here as a baby.

Luke 2:11 (NIV)
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

This Sunday we will focus on the Deity of Jesus. When the shepherds got the news that the Savior was here, they were blown away. I wonder if we sometimes forget how shocking it would have been to people to have God living among them. I wonder do we realize how big of a sacrifice this was? Do we forget that God stepped into humanity, taking on the very nature of man to ultimately die a Criminals death on the cross.