My Weblog

Desires

Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist. A baby feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food. Men feel sexual desire; well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was meant for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not mean that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.

-- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

What Makes A Church Come Alive?

I found this somewhere else, but it is truly my heart for CLC:

What makes a church come alive?

• CHANGED LIVES…when dead people are being brought to life a church cannot remain on life support.  Changed lives change a community!

• THE GOSPEL…when the Gospel is THE agenda instead of some ridiculous issue that happens to be the “fad of the year.”

• HIS PRESENCE…when He becomes UNDENIABLE!

• WORSHIP…when the goal isn’t to see how little of the song we can sing but rather to sing with everything we’ve got.

• GIVING…when God is honored because Christians don’t just trust Him with what they can’t see…but are willing to trust Him with what they can see.

• SERVICE…when believers are unleashed to serve Christ by using their spiritual gifts rather than depending on the “paid professionals” to do it all.

• DEDICATION…when people in the church are way more passionate about pursuing Christ daily rather than showing up on Sunday and getting their attendance star on their chart.

• PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY…when people in the church begin to accept responsibility for where they are in their spiritual journey…and then are willing to do something about it.

• LEADERS WHO FEAR GOD, NOT MAN…leaders who know that God called them and will take care of them…and refuse to let the threat of not getting a paycheck stop them from doing what God has called them to do.

• UNITY…when a church can truly celebrate when a church…ANY CHURCH…sees something great happen for the Kingdom.

• BAPTISM…it’s NEVER a bad thing to see hundreds of people go public with their faith.

• SINCERITY…when people show up with hearts ready to hear, repent and be brough near rather that people checking out the fashions of others.

• DESPERATION…for Jesus to show up and make Himself known.

• EXCELLENCE…for people to be willing to give their very best effort to honor the God who saved them.

• TECHNOLOGY…embracing it and using it rather than fighting it.  (Find it funny and sad that there are churches who say that using lights and video is “not in the Bible,” yet those same churches use air conditioner and heaters…which are not in the Bible either!)