Thanks

Thanks, thanks, thanks to Debbi for putting together another great VBS. Even though I'm writing this before it's all over, what I've seen so far is wonderful.

Thanks to everyone who helped out, too, but I really want to highlight her contribution. Debbi carries a huge load every year for VBS, not only doing what the director should do, but also doing all the things that she can't find volunteers for. It's a stressful responsibility, and she always handles it with excellence.

This is one of DBC's great opportunities to minister to our kids, to reach out to the community, and to make sure the Gospel is clearly presented. It's more than fun and games - it's being missional.

Please remember to pray for Debbi, for the kids who heard the Gospel, and for DBC to increase it's impact on our community.

For us to be more and more the church God wants us to be, it will take more of us to give of ourselves, just as Debbi and her crew gave of themselves for our VBS kids.

The Power of the Very Small

Part of the package of pastoring is that things like kidney stones become a lot more public than for other folks. And I have appreciated your expressions of care and concern that have come with it.

Being a novice in the whole stone thing, I am learning what many of you have already shared - especially the phenomenal amount of pain that can be caused by something so small. I was reduced to a curled ball of writhing whining in pursuit of only one thing - relief. A 2mm mineral pellet took down a 175-lb man. The power of the very small.

This reminds me of James 3:1-12, which speaks of the power of the tongue - like a small rudder, it can cause an entire ship to change directions. Entire lives can be changed by a spoken word. Indeed, wars have been started by the power of the tongue. The power of the very small.

Sin is the same way - even the "small" ones can take you down! We have the mistaken notion that small sins are less dangerous to our souls. They may be less dangerous in the impact they have on others - stealing candy poses less danger to the victim than taking a bat to his kneecaps. But that doesn't mean that selling out your character for candy poses less danger to your soul than selling out your character to get violent revenge. Both eat away at your inner being with the same voracious appetite. "Small" sins can destroy us as readily as the "big" ones. The power of the very small.

But Jesus also talks positively of the power of the very small. He says in Luke 17:5-6 that even the faith of a mustard seed has the power to move mountains. Frequently, Jesus refers to little children as the models of the kind of faith that we can have. Even the Kingdom of God is likened to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds, but grows into one of the largest plants in a typical garden in Jerusalem. Not one single Christian should feel too small (or too young, too weak, too inexperienced, too uneducated, too whatever) to be used mightily in God's kingdom. All it takes is the faith of a mustard seed. The power of the very small.

Just like a little kidney stone can take out a grown man, your faith can move mountains. Abdominable pain will forever remind me of what even a little faith can do.

Opportunities Before Us

This Summer, we have many opportunities for each of us to become more missional (which is what our recent Philippians series was all about). I look at these opportunities in two ways: 1) Of course, there is the goal to accomplish some tasks, but my primary motive is: 2) As we give of ourselves to God's mission, He changes us - He develops us more into the image of Christ. I would like for you to consider the following opportunities because I know what God can do both in you and through you when you serve Him in ways like these:

1. Pray for the Youth Mission Trip: In last week's bulletin, and in this week's bulletin, there is an insert of prayer requests for each day that the youth will be on this trip. Please take this insert, stick it in your Bible or on your fridge, and pray daily for them. I believe firmly that the report we get back will be far greater if we commit to pray.
2. Give to the Youth Mission Trip: Fundraising is not yet complete - as of this writing, they still need about $1800 for the entire group. Please considering donating or "hiring" one of the youth after they return to do odd jobs to raise funds.
3. Prepare for VBS: There is a lot of work that needs to be done to get the building and the teaching materials ready for VBS (coming up in less than two weeks!). This Saturday, starting at 9am, we're coming together as a team to get everything ready, from painting to constructing to preparing simple crafts. There's something for everyone. I appreciate those who turned out last Saturday, but to be honest - it was too few people. The return on investment of the prep work we do is enormous - children will discover truths about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please consider the importance of this outreach and help us with quite simple tasks to help make it happen.
4. Volunteer for VBS: Debbi still needs helpers - if you can play games, walk from one part of the building to another, move some chairs, throw away trash, haul away trash, we need your skills. Of course, we need those who are gifted in working with children, but we also need a lot people who don't necessarily have that gift.
5. Moving ABC Women's Clinic: ABC Women's Clinic is moving locations, and they need volunteers Monday and Tuesday. They must be out of their current building by Tuesday, so they need people who can load and unload supplies, people with trucks to provide more capacity, and so on. ABC Women's Clinic is the only clinic for several counties that offers a Christ-centered approach to unwanted pregnancies. To help, just show up at ABC on Monday or Tuesday (ask me if you have any questions).
6. Make Breakfast: We're having a breakfast before church on June 21. We need men who are willing to help make a simple breakfast. We usually get enough men to help with that - but please sign up so that we know what's covered. We often, however, don't have enough help setting up and cleaning up. Please plan to arrive early to help set up and stay a few minutes later to clean up.
7. Organize a Picnic: We'd like to have a few all-church summer activities, and I'm not the world's best at putting even a simple event together. I would love for one or two people to offer to plan a few simple events, like a Sunday evening picnic and volleyball game.

A lot of Christians want to experience more of Christ in their lives, and there are many ways to do that: regular Quiet Times, spiritual retreats, gathering with other believers, and so on. But the Bible is very clear that one of the ways we experience more of Christ is to serve Him and the needs of His Church. He's created a great Win-Win situation - when we serve Him, not only do we accomplish the goals that He has, but we also get to experience more of Him. Yes, it's a sacrifice - but it's a sacrifice that has tremendous rewards.

Please take 60 seconds right now to pray about helping with one or more of these needs.

Why Did God Create Me? (Part 5)

For the last four weeks, we've been exploring the question of why God created us, the human race. (Please refer to the previous posts for those discussions and conclusions.) This leads us to the obvious question about why God created me. Understanding why God created us is theologically interesting, but a little too philosophical to be practical. Why did He create me in particular? (Not that any of us is all that phenomenal, but we are the only me's that we have!)

Although the purpose of creating all of mankind may be a bit philosophical, we've got to understand that purpose before we understand our individual purposes. In other words, I cannot discover why God created me until I understand why God created us.

Whatever purpose I have, it must be related to the purpose of mankind in particular. As a member of the human race, my purpose as a member must be derived from the purpose of the race as a whole. Last week, we concluded that:

We exist to bear His image in order to bring Him glory and to enjoy Him forever.

Therefore, my personal purpose must somehow be to bear God's image and bring Him glory and enjoy Him forever. Whatever my specific purpose is, it must be an example of this larger purpose. God's individual purposes for us can be quite a bit different: Some exist to bring the Gospel to different people groups, others exist to build houses, others exist to raise children, others exist to teach, others exist and so on. (Most of us have purposes that include several different things.) All of these are equal in their ability to serve God's goals - the plumber is no less a part of God's plan than a pastor is.

God's purpose for each is different in its features, but ultimately, God's purpose for each of is a unique example of the purpose of mankind. The homemaker's purpose is an instance of being an image bearer of God, to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. Same for the manufacturer, the athlete, or the scholar.

So, as you endeavor to discover God's purpose for you, if it does clearly fit into the purpose of mankind, it cannot be the purpose for your life.

Here are some helpful thoughts in exploring what your purpose might be:

• Discovering your purpose is a journey, not a destination. Your purpose will change over time, so don't expect to suddenly "figure it out" and then never face the question again.
  
  
• We can't just make up any purpose - it must be an example of the overall purpose of mankind.
  
  
• God often gives us great freedom - we know the main purpose, and we have choices before us of how we live to fulfill that purpose. So, "my purpose" may not be something that God has defined narrowly for me - He may well have a broad definition, and as long as I stay within those parameters, I have a lot of freedom. Some have broader parameters than others.
  
  
• Sometimes, God has something very, very specific. Moses had a very specific purpose. David, Paul, Elijah, Isaiah, and many others had very specific purposes (they didn't have the same freedom as most people do).
  
  
• If God had something very specific for you, He won't make it a guessing game where you have to try to decipher the clues. When He has something very specific, He makes it plain and clear. In all the Biblical examples of people with specific purposes, God made it obvious.
  
  
• Use all the God-given resources to discover your purpose: Scripture, wise counselors, prayer, patience, good Christian books, and the immanently useful tool of trial-and-error. (It's OK to fail if you're exploring to find God's purpose.)
  
  
• When you think you have an idea of what God might want of you, and you've made good use of all the God-given resources listed above, then the best thing is to take one step in the direction you think God wants you to go. Then stop and tell the Lord, "To the best of my ability, this is the direction I think would please You. If I'm wrong, please stop me. Otherwise, I'll keep going in this direction as long as I think it's right." Then see what happens. What Lynne and I have discovered is that once you take that first step and then give it back to God, He very often immediately confirms that you're on the right path or that you need to turn back. Rarely do we feel like He's not given us more revelation after taking a step of faith.
  
  
• You are very unlikely to discover your purpose if you do not pursue it.
  

There's a very good reason why God doesn't just write out our specific purposes on a piece of paper. He develops our character and our faith in the journey. It's a growth process that He wants us to go through, and one that we can't skip and still grow to maturity.

Most likely, you won't just discover your purpose like solving a math problem. The common experience that I've observed is that your purpose is gradually clarified over time. Over the years of seeking God, you get a clearer and clearer picture of your purpose as it slowly comes into focus. But I find a greater and greater peace the more I discover God's purpose for me.