Tuesday with Tiff: A Time for New Beginnings

Called to Something Fresh

 

 

Have you ever heard the term foodie? Maybe the word describes you! The term refers to anyone who is both particular and passionate about his or her culinary selections.

    Many foodies will go to extremes by driving dozens (and even hundreds!) of miles to visit a specific restaurant for a single item on the menu. Some foodies will order their spices from boutique shops and refuse to purchase their meats or vegetables from anywhere but a specific store. Every foodie is unique, but they all share a love for a great meal.

   But what happens when a foodie decides to feed those in the local community?

   Something amazing!

   Michael Blewett, a pastor in Bowling Green, Kentucky, has decided he doesn't want to leave his passion for food at home and instead brings it right into the church and local community. One Wednesdays, the church opens its doors to those who are hungry. They serve everyone from bankers to bums, from the highfalutin to the homeless. But don't expect mystery casserole or save-the-scraps soup. Instead, Michael and his volunteers serve home-cooked, made from scratch, gourmet-style meals to the community. hey serve a wide range of fresh, colorful dishes including finely chopped vegetables, high-end chili, grilled meats, and tasty stews.

   Those who attend a meal don't stand in a traditional buffet line, but rather order from a menu. Michael says it isn't unusual for those who are homeless in the community to call on Tuesday night to find out what's going to be on the menu the next day. And the regulars know to get there early, because the most popular items always run out fast.

   The experience is enriching for everyone involved. Everyone from the community is welcome, so the meals provides an opportunity for those with resources and those without to build friendships. Each person who attends is fed both physically and spiritually.

   Michael and the church didn't set out to do something new and different simply for the sake of being new or different. They saw a need and used their unique passions, gifts, and tales to create a new twist on serving those in the community.

   Their story reminds us that sometimes God uses us and the community we're in to do something new to share the love of Christ with others. Indeed, God uses people in all kinds of innovative ways to spread His love and bring Him glory. God loves to work through us.

   But sometimes the new thing God is doing is within us. Through the Holy Spirit, God may work in our lives in such a way that we see Him, others, or even ourselves in a fresh way. One of the most exciting things about being a child of God is that God is always up to something new.

  

1. Does the idea of innovation or trying something new tend to invigorate you or make you nervous? Mark your answer on the continuum below. Explain your response.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Innovation makes me nervous                            Innovation invigorates me

2. Describe a time that you've been part of a ministry, outreach, small group, or church that tried something or new to spread the love of Christ to others. What did you discover about yourself and others through the experience?

   Sometimes stepping out in faith to be part of something new that God is doing stretches us beyond our comfort zones. This was particularly true for Moses. While tending the flock of his father-in-law, Moses came upon a fiery bush that refused to burn up. Intrigued by the marvelous sight, Moses turned aside. When he did, God called to him from the midst of the bush.

   While shepherding was a common profession in the ancient Near East, one can't miss the double meaning in Moses' job. He not only shepherded sheep but would become the shepherd for God's people as he led them out of Egypt and into the promised land.

3. Read Exodus 3:1-10. What new things did God want to do for the Israelites through Moses?

   From the fiery bush, God told Moses to remove his sandals. This practice of reverence was an ancient Near Eastern practice still used today.

4. Read Exodus 3:11-15 and Exodus 4:1-17. In the chart below, note each of Moses' concerns and how God responded to each one.

Scripture                                Moses' Concern                                  God's Response

Exodus 3:11, 12

Exodus 3:13-15

Exodus 4:1-9

Exodus 4:10-12

Exodus 4:13-17

How do you think you would have responded to God if you were Moses?

 

   God's response to Moses revealed His ways are often much different than our own. Despite our protests that something won't work or somehow we're not qualified, if God calls us to do something new He will provide a way.

 

 

5. Whom do you know that's doing something new or innovative to spread he love of Jesus to others? What inspires you most about his or her work? How can you be a voice of encouragement and support in this person's life?

 

 

  Moses' reluctant leadership displayed God's greatness. Through an unlikely shepherd, God saved an entire nation. The glory can be given to God alone.

 

 

6. In what area of your life do you sense the Holy Spirit nudging you to step out and try something new, or even new-to-you, in order to spread the love of Christ? What's stopping you from responding?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Not only does God do new things through us but He also does new things within us. God is steadily renewing us- or making us new- as we yield to Him in our lives.

   The apostle Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth. The letter that modern Bibles call 2 Corinthians addressed the purity of God's people. Paul described the restoration of God's people as reflective of the greater restoration of creation brought through Jesus.

 

 

7. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17.  What new work is done within us when we choose to give our lives to Christ?

 

8. How did you experience this passage tor be true in our life when you first gave your life to Christ? How have you experienced this passage to be true on an ongoing basis?

 

 

 

 

God is in the business of making all things new. Sometimes God uses the community that we're in to do something new to share the love of Christ with others. Other times God wants to do something new within us. Both can make us more Christ-like.

 

 

 

 

Digging Deeper

Because of their disobedience to God, the Israelites found themselves in captivity in a foreign nation. During this time, the book of Lamentations was penned. Read Lamentations 3:19-23. When are you most tempted to begin doubting the loving kindness and compassion of God? How have you found this passage to be true in your life? How does this passage give you hope?

 

 

 

 

Next week: a time for necessary endings!

Tuesday with Tiff: To everything there is a season Ecclesiastes 3:1



A little different approach to this week's post. Let's focus on spiritual development and reflection! So get out your bible and a notebook. Here we go!

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall

What's your favorite season of the year?
   Some people come alive in spring. The scent of flowers blossoming, the sight of lime-green leaves, and the sound of baby birds chirping all tend to remind us of the gift of new life.
   Others adore summer. The long days of this season encourage us to get out and about. Summer invites us to become more active and engage in our neighborhoods and communities, embracing the warmth of the sun, the splash of cool waters, the gentleness of shade on a hot day.
   Still others enjoy fall. Cooling temperatures, the crunch of colorful leaves, and the occasional whiff of smoke from a neighbor's chimney are all reminders that change is in the air. The new life that budded in spring has come to a beautiful end. Fall invites us to unpack our snuggly warm clothes and enjoy gathering indoors again.
   And still others love winter. The crisp, cool days are short; the colder starry nights are long. This is where the end-of-the-year holidays await. Winter beckons us indoors, often slowing our pace and inviting us to rest.
   Though we may have a season that's our favorite, every season offers something different to appreciate and celebrate. Reflecting on the changing of seasons reminds us that everything has its appointed time. Every season is hand-selected by God for a particular purpose.
   In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon echoed this idea when he wrote that an appointed time, an actual season, exists for every activity under the heavens (3:1).
   Consider what Solomon observed: (Ecc. 3:2-8)

² a time to be born,
 and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³ a time to kill,
and a time to heal;
a time to break down,
and a time to build up;
⁴ a time to weep,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, a
nd a time to dance;
⁵ a time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace,
and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ a time to seek,
and a time to lose;
a time to keep,
and a time to cast away;
⁷ a time to tear,
and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence,
and a time to speak;
⁸ a time to love,
and a time to hate;
a time for war,
 and a time for peace.

   Though we may have a natural affinity toward one season over another, each and every one is hand-selected by God for a particular purpose. As we learn to accept these times in life as gifts, we find ourselves celebrating the goodness of God no matter what the situation we are in.

1. What is your favorite season: spring, summer, fall, or winter? Why?

2. Reflecting on the four seasons, which one best describes your life situation right now?

   King Solomon, known for his vast wisdom, wrote a poem in Ecclesiastes that describes God's role in the timing of life's seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is best understood as Hebrew poetry and more specifically as a form of parallelism in which the author uses opposites and antonyms to describe and illustrate the author's point. Solomon illustrated that nothing can be done without depending on and acknowledging God.

3. Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 again. In the space below, write down the five times in Solomon's list that you most enjoy. Write down the five least enjoyable times of life that Solomon lists.

Times You Most Enjoy:                                                      Times You Least Enjoy:
1.                                                                                            1.
2.                                                                                            2.
3.                                                                                            3.
4.                                                                                            4.
5.                                                                                            5.

   We all have seasons in life that we prefer more than others, but each one provides an opportunity to learn something more about God. Each of life's seasons or situations provides the opportunity to learn more about God and His presence in our lives.
   In the book of Acts, Paul and his traveling companions found themselves in a sticky situation and a difficult time in life and ministry. Paul was given a vision of a man standing and begging him to travel to Macedonia, help the people, and preach the gospel to them. Paul knew that God wanted him to travel to the region (Acts 16:8-10)
   Wait--did you just read where that was in the Bible or did you actually go there and read it for yourself? Take a second, read Acts 16:8-10.
   Along the way, Paul and his companion, Silas, were thrown in prison for setting a woman free from an evil spirit. They were beaten and locked up. This is one of those times in life no one wants to sign up for. Yet look what happened next.

4. Read Acts 16:16-25. How did Paul and Silas respond to this inconvenient, uncomfortable, and unpleasant time in life? What surprises you most about Paul and Silas's response?



   Paul and Silas were sentenced to flogging and prison for "teaching customs which are not lawful for... Romans" (vs 21). Little did the accusers know that these two men were also Romans. The accusers assumed that Paul and Silas were of a different nationality and adhered to different customs, but both Paul and Silas were under Roman rule. Roman citizens would never have received the beating and treatment that these two received.

5. How do you tend to respond when you're faced with an inconvenient, uncomfortable, and unpleasant time in life? What can you learn from Paul and Silas's response?



   The two men didn't complain or abandon the cause but began praising God in the middle of a difficult circumstance. In response, God did something miraculous.

6. Read Acts 17:26-34. How did God reveal Himself in the midst of the difficult situation Paul and Silas found themselves in?



   The jailer desired the same faith as Paul and Silas and begged to know what he needed to do to be saved. Paul and Silas assured him that nothing needed to be done, but he should simply believe. Everything had already been done on his behalf by Christ.

7. When you're facing a difficult time in life, do you expect God to reveal Himself to you in an unexpected way? Why or Why not?



   On occasion, God allows us to experience undesirable times or situations in life, but He remains with us. Even in those times we can choose to call out to God and worship Him in the midst.

8. Reflecting on the season that you're in, what do you think God is revealing about Himself to you? What opportunities do you have to call out to God and worship Him?




Every season of life provides an opportunity to learn something more about God. Though we don't always get to choose our season of life, we can always choose to call out to God and worship Him in the midst. 

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Want to dig deeper? Here's something extra for you!

Few people in the world can compare their difficult time with Job's-a man stripped of all his possessions, many of his loved ones, and even his health. The first 37 chapters of Job describe Job and his friends wrestling theologically over why Job had to suffer. Starting in Job 38, God's response revealed He cannot be contained in a theological box. Read Job 38:1-8. How would you have responded if you were Job and God was asking you all of these questions? What comfort do you find in knowing that God created all things and holds all things together? Spend some time thanking God for His tender care of the minutest details of your life.


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Bonus Activity!
Spend 15 minutes each day this week worshiping God. Before you log on to the computer or your phone or snuggle in for a good night's sleep, turn on your favorite worship album. Sing praises to God or read the words to your favorite song. Write prayers in a journal or enjoy time in nature. Spend time reflecting on how God is revealing Himself to you during this season and praise Him for what He is doing-seen and unseen-today and every day.


-Love you all,
Pastor Tiffany

Tuesday with Tiff: 10 Things Kids Want While They're At Your Church

 

A leader who knows their name. Kids want to be known personally. If they get lost in the crowd, you'll lose them. It's vital you get them out of the row and into a small circle.

They want to have fun. They want to laugh...play games...be kids. When parents pick up their children there's a reason they ask them, "Did you have fun today?"

A lesson that will hold their attention. They want you to connect with their learning style. They want you to teach truth on a level they can understand. If they are saying the lesson is "boring." Guess what...it is.

They want to talk and share their thoughts. Instead of a one-sided "download" of information, they want to learn by being part of a conversation.

They want to make the most of their time.  They want to know they are going to come in there and have prepared leaders who are ready to pour out into them and help take them further on their journey. "TODAY, I LEARNED"  

An opportunity to serve. They don't want to be known as the church of tomorrow...they want to be the church of today. They are eager to serve and make a difference.

A friend their age. They want to build a friendship with someone in their class.

They want to be prayed for. They want someone who will pray for their prayer requests. Even if it's a sick puppy.

They want to be listened to. They want someone who will listen...really listen as they share about their week...their favorite video game...their fears...their dreams...their family.

They want to be affirmed. They want someone to believe in them. Someone to see potential in them. Someone to show them that God has a great plan for their life.

Provide these things for kids at your church and your classrooms will soon be overflowing with kids.

Tuesday with Tiff: The Power of Purpose

"And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear."

~Philippians 1:12-14

 

Paul might have been forgive had he chosen to take a little sabbatical as he sat in prison, awaiting his trial. Yet he used even this opportunity to advance the gospel. Paul was a leader who never drifted from his mission. He determined to leave his mark wherever he went.

 

How did Paul's sense of purpose keep him in the battle as he sat in prison?

What did he learn behind bars? Consider the following:

 

A purpose will motivate you.

A purpose will keep your priorities straight.

A purpose will develop your potential.

A purpose will give you power to live in the present.

A purpose will held you evaluate your progress.

 

When has your sense of purpose sustained you? How can it help you now?