Do you ever suddenly stop and think to yourself, “What exactly am I doing with my life?” Sometimes it’s a surprising comment from a child that makes us think, or maybe it’s a set of plans gone sour, but from time to time, we all have experiences that make us wonder what it is that God wants us to be doing in this life. It really isn’t good enough to just wander around, not knowing our origin or destination. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” Have you ever tried envisioning your life in terms of what God is wanting to accomplish? If you were going to commit this afternoon to God, what would that look like? If your family dinner was an act of service to God, what would be different about it? If you were to commit your time on Facebook to serving God today, what would that look like? If your morning drive to work was primarily about serving the Lord, what would you do differently?

Let us commit our plans to the Lord; and not just our big dreams, but also our day to day activities. Let’s not just wander aimlessly, but let us be intentional about who we are and what we do. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).”

Recently, I’ve been reading C.S. Lewis’ Surprised By Joy, which is a sort of spiritual autobiography of his life. He has caused me to rethink my travel strategies. His assessment of modern transportation is that it annihilates space, “One of the most glorious gifts we have been given.” He went on to say, “…a modern boy travels a hundred miles with less sense of liberation and pilgrimage and adventure than his grandfather got from traveling ten. …If a man hates space…why not creep into his coffin at once? There is little enough space there.”

It has always been God’s intent for us to enjoy his creation. Overwhelmed with the beauty of God’s handiwork, David exclaims in Psalm 8:9, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” So this week, why not go for a walk? If your routine is to walk, why not slow down and pay attention a little more? Wherever you are going, remember that this life is a journey that God intends you to experience with Him. You will reach your heavenly destination in God’s time, so for now, enjoy the space between.

A person who doesn’t want to get their priorities straight will always have an excuse for why they can’t.  I don’t know if we fare better or worse than any other generation in the area of time management, but regardless of how the scales might tip, we have got to learn how to make some room for God in our life.  There is always another show on the TV, another song on the radio, and another Facebook status update to read.  But this business of always “keeping busy” has a way of crowding out the margins in our life where we can connect with God.  When Elijah was hiding in Horeb (I Kings 19), he was instructed to go out on a mountain and to wait for the Lord.  First, an earth-shattering wind came by, but God was not in the wind.  Next came a massive earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake.  Next came a blazing fire, but God was not in the fire.  Finally came a quiet whispering voice, and it was in the quiet and calm that Elijah found the Lord.  If you want for God’s truth to be a part of your life, you can’t expect him to overpower all the noise of daily life.  His voice is gentle, yet firm and reliable.  Make some time this week to turn down life’s volume and to listen to God instead.

If you were not able to go with us, but are still interested in learning about some of the people we discussed, you can download the handout here:

http://www.box.net/shared/g01xrjjr0p

Coming soon, we are going to make a trip to Cane Ridge, Kentucky to a very important location in the history of our fellowship.  Talk to me if you would like to come with us!

Mark

“How can I lose weight fast?”

“How can I make more money?”

“How can I manage to afford that bigger house?”

“How can I take on more debt, even if I haven’t paid for what I’ve already got?”

“How can I get my kids into Harvard?”

The question “How” tends to assume that I know what’s best for me, and I know what it is that I want.  It is a question of means, so that I can eliminate the gap between what I want and what I have.

Miller’s observation–with which I agree–is that the Bible can be a frustrating book for Americans to read, because the type of questions we bring to it is not the type of questions that the Bible is trying to answer.  Instead of answering “How”, the Bible is much more interested in a deeper question: “Why?”

“Why do I exist?”

“Why does life have so many problems?”

“Why do I feel such a need to be loved?”

“Why doesn’t God do something about this?”

If you’re approaching the Bible because you’re looking for a way to get rich quick, then you’re going to be frustrated.  But if you are wondering about some of the deeper questions in life, and are looking for real meaning and purpose, you’ll find that the Bible is a well so deep that you can never reach the bottom or exhaust its value.  So if you’ve been frustrated with the Bible in the past, you might stop to consider, “Am I asking the right questions?”

If you need an application, you can download it here.

Applications and payment are due July 11, 2010.

Hope to see you there!

Mark

VBS would not be possible without all the wonderful volunteers who give up so much time and effort to make it great.  Saturday was lots of fun especially, with a petting zoo and pony rides.  And who could forget Crazy Uncle Jon’s songs every night?  I’m sure he’ll find his way back again.

As VBS director, I just wanted to express my deep appreciation for everyone who helped us out.  We’ll look forward to next year!  In the mean time, be sure to check out our pictures in the members/photos section of the website.

Let’s not forget Daniel.  He was a good man.  If he were here, we would love for him to go to our church. Daniel prayed three times a day while looking out his window.  Then suddenly, prayer to anyone but King Darius was illegal.  But when government makes rules against righteousness, then Godly people have to break the law.  Do you realize that it was for praying that Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den?  Thankfully, God provided safety for him, but Daniel had no reason to expect anything other than being chomped to death.  Prayer, for Daniel, was dangerous.

And what about Job?  It was because he spent so much of himself trying to honor God with prayers and sacrifices that he made it into the middle of Satan’s crosshairs.  He lost his children, his home, his health, and all his possessions because he was a man of prayer.  Prayer was dangerous for Job, too.  Even Jesus prayed those perilous words, “Father, not my will, but yours be done.”  He was praying when they arrested him to put him to death.  Prayer is not an empty action, and the words we pray are not lost or forgotten by God.

Fortunately, we pray to a loving God who is bigger than our problems.  Jesus said that if two or three Christians on earth agree about anything, “It will be done for you by my Father in heaven (Matthew 18:19).”  James tells us that our prayers for each other bring forgiveness and healing, because when righteous people pray, it is “powerful and effective (James 5:16).”  Pray often, but pray with caution.  It isn’t a small thing to ask the Almighty Ruler of the universe to take action, because those who ask will also receive.

Once in chapel at the Harding Graduate School, a man got up to lead our prayer.  He was from Africa, and he could pray unlike anyone I’ve ever heard.  He spoke with a booming voice and a thick accent.  The first half of his prayer he spent simply acknowledging the majesty of God.  As a man who has lived in a place where mission work is active, he said something that really struck me.  “Oh Almighty God.  There is no place we can go where we do not find you waiting for us.  As we go out to the wilderness, to reach new tribes with your Word as missionaries, we discover that even before we arrive and speak the name of Jesus, you have already gone there ahead of us, preparing the minds and hearts of people to receive the Gospel.”

Do you realize that God is here right now?  You cannot travel far enough, high enough, or deep enough to find a place where God is not already waiting.  Hopefully, this is not a new revelation for you.  We know and believe that God is everywhere.  But do we live as if we are in the presence of God?  Do you remember God as you wake up, and as you go to sleep?  Do you remember him as you work, and as you play?  He’s always been there.  But in order to grow nearer to Him each day, awareness of Him is everything.

Our theme for this year is going to be “That We May Be One.”  We will focus on our unity with God, and our unity as Christians.  Jesus said that it was through our unity and love for each other that the world will really know we are Christians.

Our theme for this year is “Out of Style.”  I want to see who can come up with the tackiest, most outdated clothing they can find.  (Let’s be sure to keep it modest)  I plan to be amazed at some of the clothing that will show up.  Of course, for some of us, to be out of style all we’ll need to do is wear what we would be wearing anyway! Ha!

Be sure to look at our Ministries section and to download your Bible Camp application under the Youth Ministry heading.

Thanks for a terrific 2009, and let’s have another terrific 2010!

See you soon,

Mark