September 10, 2009
I’ve been wrestling with this thought since I heard a guy say something similar recently:
Remember, the place you are today that once stretched your faith and offered you blessing will one day become a place of disobedience if you fail to take the next step of faith God is calling you to.
Wow.
It seems whenever God is really blessing a particular work, one of the biggest “arguments” I hear is that there is little depth. That’s probably fair considering our misunderstanding of what it means to be “deep”.
This is not a post about what people really mean when they say that…even though it usually has more to do with a teaching style than anything else. It’s actually a very shallow comment made by shallow people who are more loyal to a three point alliterated expository preaching style that Jesus, or the apostles for that matter, never modeled.
Real depth is measured in baby steps and giant leaps. It is more about ongoing sanctification than accruing more knowledge that we don’t apply anyway.
Real depth is about obedience. Yesterday’s obedience can become today’s disobedience. Depth is progressive…we grow deeper as we walk in obedience. The only step of faith that really matters is your next one! Spiritual depth is not a destination we arrive at, but a journey we commit to.
Real depth involves sacrifice. Jesus loves us sacrificially. Why should our response be any less? Many of us live lives completely devoid of sacrifice. Our walk with Jesus should cost us something, shouldn’t it?
This is not popular speech. We want the gospel to be attractive and draw people in. We want a Jesus who hangs quietly on the cross but is raised in rapturous glory in the resurrection. We embrace the Christ who liberally provides for and blesses his followers but we dismiss the humble, foot-washing, servant Jesus.
The thing is, He is both of those and much more. Think about that the next time you or someone else says “I just want to go deeper…“
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Posted by Chris Lewis
June 17, 2009
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”- Galatians 6:2
It’s easy to be critical.
It’s even easier to listen to someone else be critical.
What we’re called to do by Christ is “carry each other’s burdens“.
So stop pointing fingers, quit attacking with your words, refuse to listen to negative talk…and PICK UP A LOAD!
This is how we fulfill the law of Christ.
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Posted by Chris Lewis
April 21, 2009
Everything has its time and season and there is definitely a time when everything in this life comes to an end.
Change rarely comes without some measure of heartache, mainly because we are all creatures of habit and grow attached and cling to the familiar. Change is often complex and very difficult (I did a series on “Change” last year).
With that in mind, I need to inform you that I have resigned from my role as Executive & Worship Pastor at Washington Avenue Church. My prayer is that Washington Avenue Church would continue pursuing the plan God has purposed and designed them to be. We leave behind many wonderful friends and some of the best ministry experiences of my life.
I would like to thank the people of Washington Avenue and specifically Chuck Bridges for the time we shared together. Though we will be laboring in different works, we share a common goal. That goal is that Heaven would be more crowded because of our faithfulness. I encourage you to pray for WAC and its leadership. Great things are ahead!
I would also like to share what’s going on with us right now and how you can pray for us. Tabitha and I are in the middle of an intense season of prayer and refining the next steps God has for us. As most of you know, we have accepted a call to plant a new church and went on a scouting trip to Boston, MA last October. Upon our return, God confirmed that Boston was not our destination.
We do have a very clear sense of what God intends our specific next steps to be and are seeking confirmation of this. Over the next several weeks, I will be posting more updates about what is coming up in our exciting journey. Thank you so much for your prayers and I can’t wait to share these exciting things with you!
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Posted by Chris Lewis
March 10, 2009
…but if it were, we would all be on equal footing! Nobody deserves the love God has shown us.
“Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.” – Psalm 53:3
Why is it some people act as if they somehow earn the respect and affection of a holy God? Perhaps it is simply human nature that drives us to compare ourselves with those around us and say things like: ”I’m not as bad as…” or ”I am more committed than…“.
Thank God that’s where Grace comes in. Grace so amazing that it will blow your mind and turn logic on its head. Grace that confounds the senses and delivers the impossible! Best of all…IT’S FREE!
Grace that is earned ceases to be grace. I’m going to type that again to be sure you read it right: Grace that is earned ceases to be grace. But therein lies the beauty – it can’t be earned but it is offered freely to anyone who will receive it! That’s some pretty Amazing Grace!
I hope that encourages you today. I hope you know the security and peace brought only through experiencing the grace of God!
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Posted by Chris Lewis
March 4, 2009
Remembrance should always lead to pursuit.
Psalm 44:1
We have heard with our ears, O God;
our fathers have told us
what you did in their days,
in days long ago.
When we look behind us to see great things God did yesterday, it should drive us forward in pursuit of His calling today. Looking back is good…as long as it pushes us ahead.
Pausing to remember great things God did on our behalf yesterday is helpful and should cause us to trust His working on our behalf today.
It should not cause us to get stuck.
When a church, organization, family, or individual believes their best times to be behind rather than ahead – well…that’s when death begins.
I’m looking forward!
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Posted by Chris Lewis
