The greatest threat to the Christian is the threat of giving up. It is the absence of perseverance. Our greatest challenge, as seen through the history of the Bible and through the history of the church is to give up faith, to give in to the words of the world, and to trade the blessing God intended for us for a life of futility.

But in this challenge, we have a great hope, that God promises to keep us to the end. As Jesus says in John 10:28–29, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”

There is great blessing in following the way of Jesus. When you read Psalm 128, take notice of how much joy and blessing come from a life devoted to God.

But unfortunately, many of us have stopped short of seeking the fullness of God’s peace and blessing in our life. Whether we get bored, tired, apathetic, or hungry for other things, we short circuit the full intention of God’s blessing to us.

On Sunday, we heard the good news about God’s blessing coming to us and His blessing going through us.
 

I work in a middle school. The life of a middle schooler is extremely different than when we were kids. As educators, we are tasked not only with teaching, but also working through the social and emotional ups and downs that our students experience. Often times I find myself wondering if I am the best person to do that. Yet, everyday when I enter the school, I find situations that are new, strange, joyful, sad, overwhelming, and hilarious, and am given what I need to get the job done.

A few months back my dad gave me some extra tomato plants of his own to plant at my new house. Being a bit of a hippie – I was stoked to have my own veggies to grow from sprouts to produce. Brittany and I spent an afternoon planting them and, because I am a wannabe Christian mystic as well, we prayed over them. We prayed that they would grow and that we could enjoy their bounty and share them with my neighbors as a way to connect.

I am certainly not alone in living with regret. We sometimes find ourselves in the middle of destruction and lament over years we can not have back. Our plans crumble before us and we are left with the bitter emptiness of uncertainty and wasted time. We have poured so much of ourselves into what we thought God was doing only to be back once again at square one. Time continues to pass by as we long for so many things, for a future that seems just out of reach.

Suffering brings about something in life that isn’t felt elsewhere. It makes us want to scream in frustration, question our faith, and disconnect from reality. Why would God allow this? What did I do to deserve this? How long will this last? Well, what if you were told that the Bible shows us how to ask these questions appropriately? And not only to ask, but to biblically complain with the ultimate intention of learning to trust God in all His ways?

There is a foster crisis in Charlotte. There are many things we can do at the individual, Community Group and church level to help.

Read the recap of our interest meeting with Congregations for Kids to learn about the present needs and actionable next steps.

For those who missed the Enneagram class this month, or anyone who just wants a recap, I thought it would be helpful to write up some of what we talked about...

What does being spiritually dead/unconscious mean?  For the first 22 years of my life, I lived for myself. I put myself first in all that I did. I couldn’t wait to achieve the next milestone, award, recognition, promotion, you name it. Anything that awarded me praise, I was for it.

If you know me, you know it’s no secret I’m a fan of a guy named Clive Staples Lewis - more affectionately known as C.S. Lewis, the author of the beloved Chronicles of Narnia series and other works. Let me just say, this man can write.

There’s an excerpt from one of his books, The Weight of Glory, that I’ve pondered throughout the years, but lately, it’s been on my mind more than usual.