Tuesday

Tuesday, October 5

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  – 2 Peter 1:3-8

Our family dog turned 2 years old recently.  I say recently because we don’t actually have a birth certificate and we really don’t know for sure how old she is.  They say that there are 7 dog years for every one human year.  That would make Ivy about 14 years old, but I don’t know too many 14 year olds that eat entire socks or pee on the floor when somebody rings the doorbell! 

Ivy, like most dogs (and people) is a work in progress.  She has her good moments and her bad moments, and we are working with her to help her become a “good dog”.  We have just about everything she could possibly need.  We take her to the vet to get special medicines for her and we have purchased a wide array of toys and other doggy paraphernalia.  We do all of this because we want her to grow into a healthy and happy family pet.  We have a vision, if you will, of the kind of dog she could become, and we are trying to help her get there. 

God has a vision too; He has a vision for each one of us.  God has a vision of the kind of man or woman He wants you to become and He wants to help you get there.  Peter tells us that He has already given us everything we need to help us grow and mature into the kind of men and women He wants us to be.  But Peter also makes it clear that we have a part to play in the process of our own spiritual growth.  We cannot just sit back and wait for God to magically transform us.  Notice in the passage above that on the one hand we have already been given everything we need, but on the other hand we are told to make every effort to add to our faith.  This is not a contradiction, but rather it is a description of the dynamic of spiritual growth.  We are to be partners with the Holy Spirit in His efforts to transform us into the image of Christ. 

This is why Peter gives us this list of things we should be working to add to our faith and to possess in increasing measure.  When Peter tells us to “make every effort to add to your faith…”, he is talking about spiritual disciplines.  Spiritual disciplines are specific practices (scripture reading, study, journaling, prayer, worship, fasting, etc.) put into place to help us grow.

When it comes to the area of spiritual disciplines, most people automatically feel bad or guilty.  We feel as if we aren’t doing all that we should or could. We may even feel like God must be displeased with us since we aren’t very spiritually disciplined.  The truth is that spiritual disciplines are meant to help us grow in our love for God and in our understanding of His love for us.  In short, to help us grow into the kind of people that God has envisioned.

Take a moment or two to prayerfully go through the list of things Peter tells us that we should be adding to our faith.  Make note of the area that you feel you need to grow in the most.

Goodness

Knowledge

Self-Control

Perseverance

Godliness

Brotherly Kindness

Love

Whatever area feels weak or lacking in your life, Christ wants to meet you there and help you to grow.  Will you join Him?  Remember that He has already given you everything you need for life and godliness!

Jeff Frazier

Monday, October 4

Monday

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  – 2 Peter 1:3-4

This is really an astounding verse!  God has given you everything you need for your life.  In other words, you lack nothing!  Do you believe that?  Do you live as if that is true?  Does your life reflect that kind of security and trust?

It is nearly impossible to see what we have been given when we are looking at what we think we lack.  Too many of us are far too focused on what we don’t have and we do not see the incredible riches we have been given in Christ!

The word peter uses to describe the fact that we have been given everything we need is the Greek word ‘epichoregein’, it means “to be completely equipped”.  The root word is the noun “choregos”, which was the word for the conductor of a musical chorus or orchestra.  Have you ever seen and heard a large orchestra perform?  It is really incredible, the amazing complexity and variety of instruments and sounds all coming together to create something wonderful. 

This is the picture Peter gives of our lives in Christ.  The divine power of God has completely equipped us to live the life he has called us to, and when we live this way, our lives become beautiful music, a symphony, with Christ as our conductor!  We get “out of tune” when we turn our attention away from our conductor and begin worrying over what we think is missing in our lives.

The truth is that most of us live as if we don’t have everything we need.  We worry and stress about all of the things we think we lack in life.  In which of the following categories do you feel most lacking and/or insecure?

            Money/Finances

            Self-Image

            Career/Job Security

            Marriage

            Children’s health & success

            Close Friends

            Material Possessions (house, car, etc.)

            Education/Learning

Take a few moments to turn your insecurity in this area over to Christ in prayer.

Oh Lord, You are the conductor of my heart and I know that everything I could ever need or want I already have in you.  Forgive me Lord for the fear, worry and selfish desires in my heart that keep me from trusting you completely – Amen.

Jeff Frazier

Friday, October 1

Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.                                Colossians 3:12-14

Without a doubt, my wife and I would agree that the births of our four sons were the most exciting and joyful moments in our 25 years of marriage. Of course my wife’s joy was slightly different than mine because she also had to go through labor and delivery – whereas I was more of a “spectator” in the whole thing! But one of the things that made those moments even more special was sharing them with several of my guy friends from FBCG. Within hours of each of my boys being born – these guys met me at the hospital just to spend a few minutes looking through the window at this little scrunched up red face – to slap me on the back, make goofy jokes, and simply share my joy. In those moments I knew two things – I was blessed beyond measure with the birth of a son – and I was loved by those guys who shared my joy.

Fellowship is the spiritual “Velcro” of the church. Fellowship is forged by shared worship, shared truth and, ultimately, shared life. To share life means to be willing to share the kind of relationship with each other that allows us to share each other’s joy, to share each other’s pain and, simply put, to love each other.

In order to experience this kind of connection – we must do more than worship together in a big group on Sunday morning. Don’t get me wrong – worship is the life-blood of the church – but our connection with each other only goes so deep in a big group. Our connection grows as we share the truth of God’s word and equip ourselves to serve together. But the strongest and deepest sense of connection happens when we share the joys and pains of life together. And this happens best in smaller groups.

At FBCG this kind of sharing life happens in all kinds of ways. Most of our major ministries eventually break down in to smaller groups where relationships can be forged. In the next few weeks we will be launching our “C-Group” ministry (Core Groups, Couples Groups, Content Groups, etc.) – which invite people to join some kind of in-home small group experience. I hope you will consider taking a step out of your comfort zone in order to find a comfort zone! I hope this will be the year when you can share what it means to be “devoted to the fellowship!”

Prayer: Thank God for the connections you have already made with other followers of Jesus. Ask him to deepen your experience of shared joy, shared pain and shared love as you grow together through sharing life.


Brian Coffey

Thursday, September 30

It was he who have some to be apostles, some to be evangelists, some to be prophets, some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.               Ephesians 4: 11-13

Back to football for just a moment! Someone once described professional football as “50,000 people desperately in need of exercise watching 22 men desperately in need of rest.”  We can see this same phenomenon in other areas of life. Have you ever driven through a “work zone” and noticed that one guy seemed to be working on the road while five or six guys leaned on their shovels? Have you ever worked in an office where two or three people carried the work load for 15-20 people? Sometimes that can be what the church looks like. There’s an old saying in church leadership circles that goes, “In the church 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.” In other words, even in the church there are more spectators than participants!

That’s not the vision of the church we see in the Bible!

If you read Ephesians 4:11-12 again (now would be a good time!) you’ll see that it is NOT the job of the pastors and ministry staff to DO all the ministry of the church. Rather, it is the job of the pastors and ministry staff to equip “God’s people” (that’s you!) to do the ministry of the church! At FBCG we believe that the church exists to reach, connect, equip and serve. Sometimes we have a tendency, as individuals, to stop after we have been reached, connected and equipped! We find a church home where we like the worship, enjoy the teaching, and make some good friends – and then we become, well… comfortable. And that’s a good thing! It’s great to be part of a church where you are comfortable! But, as we have been seeing in this series, God does not want us ONLY to be comfortable. He calls us out of our comfort zones and into growth and into his service!

The Bible teaches that each one of us was created not only for an eternal relationship with God, but for the purpose of serving him in some way (Ephesians 2:10). That service may be within the church – like serving in Children’s or Student Ministries; or it may be outside the church – in short term missions, or “Feed My Starving Children,” or simply in your community or neighborhood. The point is, we were each created and called to serve – and our shared service is part of the spiritual Velcro that makes us the church!

Prayer: Thank God for creating you with the potential to serve him by serving others. Ask him to plant a willingness to serve in your heart and to lead you to an opportunity to give of yourself in service.

Brian Coffey

Wednesday, September 29

here is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4: 4-6

A number of years ago I had the opportunity to preach at what was then our sister church in Samara, Russia. It was truly one of the highlights of my life as a pastor! After sharing two and a half hours of worship, prayer and preaching God’s Word, I was leaving the church when an elderly Russian man approached me with his face beaming with joy and tears streaming from his eyes. He came straight to me, grabbed my face in his gnarly hands and pulled me toward him. I naturally resisted because it was, well, weird! But he was too insistent and before I knew it he had planted a giant kiss right on my lips! Talk about comfort zone! I was several zones removed from comfort zone in that moment!

I learned later that this was his cultural way of expressing his respect and love for me. Despite the fact that we were very different – in age, language, culture, life experience – we did have in common shared truth and shared faith!

If you go back and read Ephesians 4:4-6 (go ahead – read it again) – you can count seven “ones.” These “ones” are what bind us together as the church – whether in suburban America or Samara, Russia. These “ones” are what make it possible for our short term mission teams to enjoy fellowship with other followers of Jesus anyplace in the world – Ecuador, Turkey, Austria, Mexico, The Czech Republic – and they are what led that Russian man to kiss me on the lips!

Now, I’m not saying we have to go around kissing each other on the lips (trust me on that one!) – but I am saying that just as the early believers were “devoted to the Apostle’s teaching” – so also we are to be devoted to God’s word. At FBCG we call this being “equipped.” To be equipped by God’s word is to allow God’s truth to shape our minds, hearts and lives into the likeness of Jesus. The truth of God’s word also unifies us as the Body of Christ in the world – as the church.

If you are not currently involved in an intentional process of being equipped through God’s word (other than “10 Minutes with God”) – consider stepping out of your comfort zone and into one of FBCG’s many equipping opportunities. Adult Learning Communities (ALC’s) meet on Sunday morning at both East and West Campuses; our Women’s Ministry offers several levels of Bible studies during the week; our men’s TEAM ministry meets early each Friday morning, etc. Make this the year you become devoted to connecting through God’s word!

Prayer: Ask God to increase your hunger for his word – and to lead you to the right class or group in which you can grow in your knowledge and understanding of his truth.

Brian Coffey

Tuesday, September 28

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16


My favorite definition of worship is “the offering of extravagant devotion to someone or something.” And when you consider this definition, perhaps the best illustration of “worship” in our culture is football! Every weekend, from Friday night in the small towns of America, to Saturday afternoons on college campuses, to the giant stadiums of the NFL on Sundays – millions of people gather to offer extravagant devotion to their favorite teams. Even though most of these fans (short for “fanatic” – which, when you think about it, is someone who offers extravagant devotion!) are virtual strangers to each other they will experience a powerful sense of connection because they share devotion to their favorite team. They will wear the team colors, share “tailgate” meals in the parking lot, and celebrate wildly when their team achieves a dramatic victory. In short, they will experience a kind of fellowship that comes from shared worship.

How much more this can and should be true of us as the church!

The Bible teaches that we are to worship God “acceptably with reverence and awe, because our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). The Book of Acts describes these early believers as being “filled with awe.” They were filled with awe and wonder because they had just witnessed the “Day of Pentecost” when the Holy Spirit came upon the church like the sound of a mighty wind, people heard the gospel in their own languages, and several thousand people came to faith in Jesus in one day. In the same way our own worship is to be filled with reverence and awe in response to who God is and what he has done – in our own lives and in the lives of others!

But reverent awe is only one aspect of worship. We are also connected through a sense of shared celebration. Just as football fans will celebrate together in unbridled joy when their team wins a game – so also we are to express our extravagant devotion to God through praise and celebration!

At FBCG we worship in multiple “languages,” that is, in multiple worship styles. At the East Campus our worship is led by a pipe organ, orchestral instruments and a sanctuary choir. At the West Campus our worship is led by electric guitars and drums. On Saturday night our worship feels more like a “coffee house” – with a smaller, more intimate setting. But even though we worship in different ways – we are one worship family because our worship is filled with both awe and celebration. And worship is the first step of building the spiritual Velcro of fellowship – of connecting.

Interestingly, on any given weekend, over half of the people who call FBCG their church home are doing something OTHER than worshiping with the FBCG family. This ratio is consistent throughout the churches of North America – and is probably a sign of the busyness of our modern culture. But the point is, when even one person, one voice in worship, one part of the Velcro is missing, we all miss out just a little bit. Each one of us is important to the Body of Christ (the church), because each one of us is important to God – and because each and every one of us has something to contribute to the reverent celebration of worship!

Whatever your personal style of worship, whatever your favorite FBCG service, make sure worship is part of your life and make sure you are part of worship!

Prayer: Ask God to help you make worship a greater priority in your personal life as well as in your experience of the church. Ask him to teach you to worship with both awe and celebration!
 
Brian Coffey

Monday, September 27

They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
History tells us that Velcro was invented by a Swiss engineer, George de Mestral, who was curious about what made cockleburs stick to his dog’s fur. He discovered a tiny “hook and loop” system that he then used to create a revolutionary fastening system that is now part of everyday life. The truth is, of course, that God invented Velcro because he invented cockleburs – it just took many centuries for human beings to discover it!

The Bible tells us that 2000 years ago God invented the church and that in order to hold the church together, he invented a kind of spiritual Velcro called fellowship. Now fellowship is one of those churchy words like sanctuary, or narthex, that we only use around church and can sometimes take for granted. Fellowship comes from the ancient Greek word KOINONIA, which has a root meaning of “sharing in common” or “communion.” When used in the context of the church, it communicates a unique kind of relationship between people -- a unique kind of connectedness that holds us together as the Body of Christ despite all our differences.

Notice that scripture says these early followers of Jesus were “devoted to … the fellowship.” I think that means two things. First, it means that this sense of connection was important to them – that somehow they understood that if the church of Jesus Christ was to survive they had to be committed to each other! Second, I think it means that, like Velcro, KOINONIA has two sides. That is, just as one side of Velcro sticks to nothing – so also fellowship does not happen unless there is both a place to stick and a willingness to stick! The place is the church but the willingness belongs to each one of us.

We are talking about our “Comfort Zone” in this sermon series. We have learned that we all have a comfort zone – but that, quite often, in order to grow we must be called out of our comfort zones and into a new kind of living that God has for us. I believe that the “fellowship” described in the Book of Acts both creates and challenges our comfort zone! It creates a comfort zone because it gives us a place to belong. It challenges our comfort zone because in order to experience it we must take the risk of devoting ourselves to the process of knowing and being known by others.

So how’s your KOINONIA? Are you connected to the church as your church? Are you willing to devote yourself to the fellowship? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone in order to be the church?

Prayer: Ask God to use his word this week to both challenge your understanding of the church as well as to encourage you to connect more deeply with your church.
 
Brian Coffey