pastorshane

Monday, July 30, 2012

Church-Speak

Welcome, friends, to “Church-Speak” Recovery Class.

How often do I hear “Christians” offer shallow (less than heartfelt) religious platitudes when speaking to someone spiritually hurting. 

For a while I suspected that shallow religious “church-speak” were used because Christians lacked a basic understanding of God’s Word. 

However, after examining my own motives after using shallow religious platitudes, of my own, I realized that it is more (in my opinion) “thoughtlessness”. 

Face it, often when people are hurting and they voice their pain to you, it is inconvenient and time consuming.  So a quick hug and a mutter of, “I’ll be praying for you” makes you feel spiritual and removes you out of a uncomfortable situation. 

example: Romans 8:28 promises that all will work out for the best.             we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT

example: 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises that God will never put more on you than you can handle.                                                                                
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

example: 1 Samuel 12:23 “I’ll pray for you”                                             As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.” 1 Samuel 12:23                                                   

Face it, “church speak” is more confusing to those that are not familiar with religion.   

Personally, my concern is that “church-speak” will push people away from God ~ instead of drawing them closer to Him.

Examples: propitiation, apostate, dispensationalist, ecclesiastical, total depravity….  

When I use a Bible verse with someone who is “unchurched”, and I am aware that the words will present a difficult concept, I often show them the verse in my Bible, ask THEM to read it and then ask THEM to explain it to me. 

This opens the door for the Holy Spirit to illuminate their hearts and reveal His Truth to them. 

I am trying to challenge you to think about your word choices in an effort to speak clearly ~ and eliminate any obstacles standing between “unchurched” people and God’s Word.   

“Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.” Colossians 4:4 NLT

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Guitar Instructor Needed

My wife and I have found that we both enjoy taking "classes". Michele tends to be very scholastic in her class preferences.
Since my "calling" is a lifelong quest studying God's Word,
I prefer to take classes that are more "musical" in nature.


A couple years ago, my wife bought me an acoustic guitar.
So I hired a guitar instructor from Calvary Chapel.
He was amazing and introduced me to a new medium for Worship.
However, my guitar sensei moved to Oregon.

A few months ago I found a new guitar instructor.
He had a passion for writing songs and worship music.
He was just beginning to move my skill-set forward,
When he moved to Colorado.

Now I know just enough about the acoustic guitar to be dangerous.
The House of Music gave me a couple business cards for instructors.
The first one collects phone messages and won't call me back.
The other one hasn't taught guitar in a couple years.

So, my point is, how do I find an acoustic guitar instructor?
Google has been less than “helpful”.
Word of mouth has been ineffective.
You would think with the economy bad
and jobs hard to find
that someone would be teaching guitar for a few bucks.

I am desperate enough that I have begun looking in Spokane.
So far, nothing very promising has presented itself.

NO ~ I have no desire to “entertain” or “perform”.
I have found 2 things about the acoustic guitar that I appreciate.
(1)            I can express my heart to God in song
(2)            The acoustic guitar, calms my soul and relaxes me

So I continue my search for someone to guide my guitar skills.

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” Psalm 33:3

Saturday, July 28, 2012

GVCC Sermon handout Ephesians 3:14-21

Garden Valley Community Church Pastor Shane Moffitt            July 29th 2012


Who am I before God?” series
Study of the Book of Ephesians
How To Be Confident In Your Faith
Ephesians 3:14-21


The heart of Paul’s prayer is that we would experience verse 20
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think"

NOTE the Spirit’s POWER (3:14)
·        Think of all WHAT? (2:10)                we are God’s masterpiece…” & (2:20) “a holy temple for the Lord” our new identity as a dwelling place of the all powerful God provides us unlimited power 1 Corinthians 6:19
·        fall to my knees” is NOT a posture for prayer ~ but shows an attitude of submission reverence  (Psalm 95:1-6)
·        pray to the FatherMatthew 6:9 tender compassionate loving Father READ: Hebrews 4:16

STEP #1: Strengthened by the Spirit (3:16) 
                              
·        ONLY God can heal the inner man
·        When your inner man is fed God’s Word & seeks God’s will in all decisions ~ THEN the Spirit  strengthens your inner man
  READ: 2 Corinthians 4:16, Romans 8:9-11


STEP #2: Christ dwelling       (3:17a)

·        NOT talking salvation ~ he is talking about Christ being comfortably at HOME in your heart ~ submission
·        READ: John 14:23
 

STEP #3: God’s Love at work (3:17b-19)  
                            
·        Result of the Spirit’s work is ~ LOVE
·        LOVE is an attitude of selfless giving
·        READ: 1 John 4:9-12 & John 15:13
 

STEP #4: Complete in God (3:19b)
·        What does that mean?   It simply means we will be like Him
·        READ: 2 Corinthians 3:18
 

STEP #5: The Power of God (3:20)
·        When we are obedient to STEPS 1-4 the Power of God enables us to serve
·        READ: John 14:12-14, Acts 1:8
“Why would He want me to be powerful?" The answer is in verse 21…. God’s Glory  

Thursday, July 26, 2012

A Suggestion

Christian’s words are very important and the Bible has much to say about how we use our words.  The question is, are we going to use our words to establish, grow, restore and show the importance of our relationships?
 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

When interacting with people on a daily basis, consider these crucial phrases:


What is God doing through your life today?

As you go through your day, use your words to create an expectation that God is always at work in the lives of His people. Too often we don’t press our friends, coworkers or family to examine their lives in light of God’s plan for their day to day life.
 

Thank you

Gratitude is something that we (I) often fail to express.

Don’t take people for granted. Do as I say ~ not as I do on this one.  I am making an effort to retrain myself and develop a grateful spirit.   

Your thanks also let them know that others notice their efforts and that they are appreciated.
 

May I pray with you?

Never delay praying for someone if you know the need and the moment can be shared right then and there.

“I will be praying for you this week” is never as meaningful to someone as, “Let me pray about that with you right now.”

Taking time to pray with people—even a short prayer in passing—can be a treasured experience.

People often will not really believe you are praying for them unless they actually see and hear you pray for them and with them.
 

I’m sorry

We should never try to convince the world that we live in a bubble of perfection.  Always be sincere with apologizing. Don’t lie and pretend to be contrite if you are not.  Saying “I’m sorry” keeps us (me) humble and honest, and accountable.


“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” Matthew 12:36

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

WAIT by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate….
And the Master so gently said, “WAIT.”

“WAIT? You say WAIT?” My indignant reply,
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? 
Or have You not heard?”
By faith I have asked, and I’m claiming Your Word.

My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance and You tell me to “WAIT?”
I’m needing a ‘yes’, and go-ahead sign.
Or even a ‘no’, to which I’ll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply.

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied again, “WAIT.”
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting…. For what?”

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine…
And tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause the mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You’d have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each Saint.
You’d not know the Power that I give to the faint.

You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me.
When darkness and silence are all you can see.

You’d never experience the fullness of love.
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late in the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You’d never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But oh, the loss if I lost what I’m doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see.
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me.
And through oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, “WAIT.”

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

A Confident Prayer

A little boy took a tour of a fudge factory. As he walked in the door and the wonderful odors surrounded him, he began praying: 
“God, at the end of my visit, please let them give me just one piece of fudge. 
That’s all I ask for. Just one little piece of fudge.”

He’s watching them make the fudge in huge vats.  Finally he’s at one of the cooling vats where it’s just getting ready to be poured out. He slips and falls over the railing and falls into the vat of fudge. He’s sort of swimming around in there and he prays another prayer:

“God, please let my capacity be equal to this opportunity.”

“You want what you don’t have,                               
so you scheme and kill to get it.                          
 You are jealous of what others have,                   
but you can’t get it,                                                      
so you fight and wage war                                              
to take it away from them.                                      
Yet you don’t have what you want                      
because you don’t ask God for it.”                   
James 4:2

There is an old story about a church that was facing difficulty and they had exhausted every possible option.  As they were sitting around discouraged, an old Saint suggested, "Perhaps we should pray about it".  The pastor through up his hands and muttered, "Has it finally come down to that?" 

Here is a SNEAK PEEK at my sermon notes (rough draft) for this upcoming Sunday. 

Who am I before God?” series
Study of the Book of Ephesians
How To Be Confident In Your Faith
Ephesians 3:14-21

The goal of Paul’s prayer is NOT that we would KNOW but that we would DO

The heart of Paul’s prayer is that we would experience verse 20:
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

 STEP #1:  Pray Specifically   (3:14)

·        When I think of all this….” (3:13)  is a prayer for encouragement
·        Paul is praying for stronger faith
·        Prayer MUST be our 1st Response NOT our LAST Resort

STEP #2:  Prayerful Attitude (3:14)

·        I fall on my knees…”
·        the attitude where we recognize the GREATNESS of  God
·        In the Bible ~ Kneeling expresses intensity &  humility
·        Kneeling ~ I recognize that I am below God ~ I am subordinate

STEP #3: Pray with FOCUS (3:14b)

·        FOCUS must be on WHO we pray to
·        Focus is NOT on our requests
·        God does command us to tell Him everything we need
·        The real focus is on the God who can meet every need in my life
Recognize that you are talking to somebody who can do anything and everything and He’s the Father who loves me and cares about you

(there is more to come but after this my notes don't flow very well)

Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Bee Sting

For me, a pastor, every Sunday morning is like a Super Bowl, over and over, 52 times a year.  No pressure huh?
I spend all week, praying and preparing for my responsibilities as pastor of an amazing community church. 

So today, I am all fired up, prepared to follow God’s lead. 

I get to church and the first thing I notice is, a small hole in the upholstery in one of our new chairs.  So I packed it to our storage shed until I can get it fixed. 

As I walk up to the storage shed, a “bald faced hornet” attacked and stung me below my left eye.  I am partially allergic to bee stings and my face started swelling up.  I noticed my eye starting to swell shut so I went home and took a couple Benadryl.   

If anything will destroy your focus and take off the edge, it is Benadryl.  Granted, the swelling stopped and the pain subsided, but I became so sleepy, putting one foot in front of the other was a chore. 

So when it came time for me to stand up and preach, I was so loopy on Benadryl that everything was a blur.

In fact, I couldn’t quote Scripture or complete a thought.  After a few minutes into the sermon, God reminded me of 2 Corinthians 9-10:

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.
My power works best in weakness.”
So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ can work through me.
 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses,
and in the insults, hardships, persecutions,
 and troubles that I suffer for Christ.
For when I am weak, then I am strong”

I am sure is was apparent to God’s Saints today that I was struggling, but they were gracious and God was able to work ~ in spite of my efforts. 

On Sunday mornings, God DRAWS people to our church building.  He DRAWS them so He can address whatever need they have.  Some need encouragement, some need comfort, some need healing, some need correction, the needs cover a wide spectrum but one thing is sure, every person that is humble and honest before God, will come away blessed. 

“Come close to God,
and God will come close to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners;
purify your hearts,
for your loyalty is divided
between God and the world.
James 4:8

And for clarification, God blesses people, in spite of my efforts, not because of my efforts.  And today was a wonderful example of God touching lives and DRAWING people closer to Him.

I am praying for you…. Pastor Shane

GVCC sermon Ephesians 3 GOD'S PURPOSE

Garden Valley Community Church Pastor Shane Moffitt            July 22nd 2012
Who am I before God?” series
Study of the Book of Ephesians
 God’s Ultimate Purpose of the Church              
Ephesians 3:10-13

As I GRASP who I am before God ~ as my perception of who I am ~ I am humbled in a healthy way ~ it gives me a healthy world view”

True humility is the ability to recognize our need of God at every point of our lives
OVERVIEW:

#1. Paul explains God’s ultimate purpose
 (3:10-11)

#2. Paul gives two practical applications
 (3:12-13)

Notice verse 10 begins by clearly stating God’s INTENT ~ God’s PURPOSE ~ perhaps that is something we should pay attention to!!!

How often do we look to heaven and cry out “WHY?” what is God doing?  Well, here, God gives you a glimpse of what He is doing….

3:10-11 “God’s purpose in all this
·        God is going to sum up everything under Jesus Christ’s authority                               
·        READ Ephesians 1:9-12 & 21 & 6:12
·        READ 1 Peter 1:12
·        READ Matthew 28:19-20

3:10b “wisdom in its rich variety
·        the angels see God taking Jew & Gentile, slave & free, male & female ~ who together murdered the Messiah ~ transforming them ~ by the very cross of murder, into  one spiritual Body in Jesus Christ
·        Angels see God breaking down EVERY barrier that divides ~     making ALL believers, from every moment in history, ONE BODY ~  in an eternal union with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
·        There is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents” Luke 15:10; 1 Peter 1:10-12 
·        READ 1 Corinthians 1:24, Revelations 7:9-12

3:11 “eternal plan
·        God’s plan is ultimate purpose of giving Himself glory -Colossians 1:16               
·        The supreme purpose of the church is to glorify God by revealing His wisdom before the angels ~ so they can offer a greater praise to God 
·        Psalm 19:1 Psalm 148:2 Hebrews 1:6
·        READ  Matthew 28:18

3:12  come boldly and confidently
             into God’s presence
·        “suffering” is NOT an indication of failure or God’s wrath
·        “boldly and confidently” is freedom of speech like a child speaking every thought and question
·        Our privilege from God’s mystery
·        READ: Hebrews 4:15-16

3:13 “I pray YOU will not lose heart”
·        Paul’s greatest concern was not his struggles... but how those he was serving would respond to his troubles
·        READ Romans 8:18 Philippians 1:12
·        The intense connection of love & respect between the Believers and Paul could bring the temptation of depression or doubt
·        Paul was expressing his love and God's perspective on our lives

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later” Romans 8:18

Friday, July 20, 2012

Waiting

Tomorrow I have 2 weddings to officiate. The first one is for a long time friend from the 911 Center and the other is a "wedding vow renewal" ceremony. Both are people that I have great respect for and am honored to be a part of their services. Tonight I find myself restless, reviewing the details for both services and putting together my sermon notes for Sunday's church service. I am not stressed or worried, I am content that anything God desires will always work out for the best. But as I assess my restlessness, I finally realized, I feel like a quarterback sitting on the bench, waiting for the coach to put him in the game. I love the moment when everything comes together and it is time for me to go to work. I imagine a quarterback practices 1000's of hours and reviews miles of training tapes and memorizes the playbook, for that moment when the coach slaps him on the head and says, "Get in there, you get the ball". What is interesting is, it doesn't have to be a church service, or a funeral (which I officiated one yesterday and another one today), or a wedding. I get just as excited when God allows me to sit down with 1 person and answer questions about life or God's Word or confusion about church. It honestly doesn't matter to me as long as I know God is using me in His service, in any capacity. Then there is another perspective that I find interesting. It is difficult for me to turn it off. Often I try to convince myself that I need to "slow down" or "take a break". But when you love what you are doing, it is difficult to shift down or kick it into neutral. If you love what you are doing, what do you do for recreation when you stop doing what you love? So this is when I step back and say, "Lord, your will be done, not mine". And I log off and the good Lord gives me the peaceful rest I need to complete His plans for me tomorrow. God bless and keep you. "As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.   Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free." Ephesians 6:5-7