The term Madison Avenue is used metonymically to describe the advertising industry in America.  If there is one thing Madison Avenue understands, it is how to get the proverbial chocolate cake in front of consumers.

1 John 2:15-16 says, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”  The ESV translates “boastful pride of life” to “pride in possessions.”  The phrase has the idea of arrogance over one’s circumstances, which produces haughtiness or exaggeration, parading what one possesses to impress other people.

“The world,” as John calls it, is the spiritual system of evil dominated by Satan.  All that it has to offer is in opposition to God.  Worldliness covets the esteem and praise of people.  It wants popularity and weighs success by numbers.

When I was a boy growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, there were far fewer conduits to worldliness than there are in the 21st century.  C.J. Mahaney says that Christians in America don’t risk martyrdom, but we do risk seduction.

God reminds us in Jeremiah 17:9 that our hearts are idol factories.  If we call ourselves Christians and view the world as High Definition and the church as 1950s black-and-white TV, we either need a heart transplant or some major surgery to relieve the blockage.

Though it dazzles, the world has the seeds of deterioration and destruction.  Next blog, we’ll take a look at the failure of so many of the world’s systems.  We’ll discuss how those failures may have changed our personal economies, because our expectations were so dependent on their success.

The request was too sincere and heartfelt to turn down. It came after the Bible story while I was teaching FBC’s preschoolers, and before I closed us in prayer, I let one of the four-year-old boys pray. “Dear Jesus, thank you for Christmas,” he started, then his voice trailed off into mumbles. Our story wasn’t about Christmas; it was about God feeding the Israelites in the desert. One of the three-year-old boys begged to go next, and he began, “Dear God, I hope you have a great day today…” More unintelligible mumbling.

While many would smile (me included) at the prayers of preschoolers, the sermon from Mike Fabarez on Sunday on Romans 8:26-27 made me question how different my own prayer life is from that of the two boys in Sunday school. When life hurts, what do my prayers reveal about my theology? Of course, I have more depth and perspective than three- and four-year-olds…right?

Maybe not. In fact, while my preschoolers often pray for others in their lives (mom, dad, grandma, the dog, etc.), my prayers can be quite self-centered and were even more so a few years ago. I suffered from what Mike called “toddler theology,” wanting out of all difficult situations and praying only that they would end and nothing else.

I learned the error of my ways through a common means, a situation that was not solved quickly or the way I wanted. Through studying God’s Word and learning more about His character, I began to see just how large my “prayer blind spots” were.

And then there was the deeper, heart question: did I really want God’s will, or just my way? Months and months of praying for the same situation helped me move from simply saying, “yet not my will but YOURS be done,” to actually meaning those words with my whole heart.

Thankfully, the Spirit of God intercedes according to God’s will, even when we are blind to it. This truth has changed the way I pray both for myself and for others. Of course, I will pray for pain to cease, but when it doesn’t, I pray for God’s strength to walk faithfully, bring Him glory through it and view it as a sanctifying blessing to make me or fellow believers more like His Son. And for unbelievers, I pray that the pain brings them to a saving knowledge of Him.

Perhaps when life hurts, we can take a cue from one of FBC’s preschoolers and say, “Thank you for Christmas. Thank you that You sent Your Son to earth to pay the penalty for my sins, and that Christ’s life, death and resurrection lets me see that my ‘momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…’ (2 Corinthians 4:17). Amen.”

Plug covers on all outlets? Check.

Cleaning supplies in a locked cabinet out of reach? Check.

Fire extinguisher readily accessible but out of reach of children? Check. (Interestingly enough, “out of reach of children” often means “out of reach of Julie” as well.)

Knives and other sharp objects locked away? Check.

The more I looked at the list of what the home visit required, the more items I added to the to-do list. In a way, that is kind of the way sin is for a believer. On Sunday, Scott Ardavanis spoke on 1 John 1:8-9. Anyone who has been a believer for even a short period of time knows that spiritual maturity doesn’t bring an increasing sense of getting it “right” with God. Instead, maturing spiritually has the opposite effect, making the believer more and more aware of areas that do not conform to God’s character and commands.

Scott had an interesting comment on this phenomenon and said that seeing more and more of our sin is a means of assurance of our salvation. I would have to agree wholeheartedly. Just like focusing on the home visit checklist made me aware of what in our home needed to change, the more I know of God, His character and His Word, the more I see areas of sin in my life that God graciously wants to conform to the image of His Son.

In the final preparations for our home visit, I earnestly prayed that God would give me an eye for detail to see any areas that needed my attention that had escaped my notice before. My desire is to have this same heart toward my sin. I desperately want God to reveal any and all areas of hidden sin, so that He can then work on my heart.

Our house was as perfect as it will ever be for our home visit, which is where the comparison to my heart ends. I will never be perfect this side of heaven, but I am thankful that God does not tire in continuing to “sin-proof” my heart.  Will you allow God to examine every corner of your heart?

But, that is not it. In a word, the reason we have RMGs is “discipleship.”

That is where the bulk of the time is actually spent and everything else before and after is to enhance that time. We are interested in purposeful discipleship that holds one another accountable to growth in Christ in word and deed.

Talking about our faith is easy, but living it out is another thing altogether. That is where the discipleship comes into play. The accountability it offers allows those who are serious about God in their lives the opportunity to rely on other brothers and sisters for help.

The RMG’s are a practical example of us as the Body living out 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up …”; and Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works …”

This past week, in our RMG, as we sat in our discipleship group, I looked around the room I saw a group of men sharing in the endeavor to meet the commands in Thessalonians and Hebrews. We were having real conversations about our faith, our lives, and our sin. We could trust one another, and we could ask one another hard questions and, through that, challenge one another to live more Christ-like lives.

I left not only encouraged, but feeling that my faith had been anchored a little more deeply. It was a good feeling. Not an emotional “high, but a truer sense of joy.

If you are serious about real growth, you need discipleship, and you need the Body. That is the way God designed it. If you have not found an RMG, find one! That is the way FBC is working to meet God’s design.

After Jesus’s ascension, in the early days of the Church, we see His people giving generously.  There is that amazing passage in chapter 2 of Acts: “And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”   Chapter 4 again talks about the giving and generosity, and says that there wasn’t a person in need; everyone gave, and those who had need received.

The Apostle Paul in his letters presents both general and specific guidelines for giving.  For example in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, we find a believer’s right response to an expectation for giving:  “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul directs a systematic plan for giving.  “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also.  On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.”

Finally, Paul gives the three specific elements of giving in 2 Corinthians 8:3:  “For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord.”

1)      “According to their ability.”  Giving is proportionate.  God sets no fixed amount or percentage, and expects His people to give based on what they have (Luke 6:38; 1 Cor. 16:2); [Note:  If I generate $100,000 per year in income, but only give $1,000 per year for the furthering of God’s work, is that proportional?]

2)      “Beyond their ability.”  Giving is sacrificial.  God’s people are to give according to what they have, yet it must be in proportions that are sacrificial (Matt. 6:25-34; Mark 12:41-44; Phil. 4:19). [Note:  See above example; is this sacrificial?]

3)      “Their own accord”—literally, “one who chooses his own course of action.”  Giving is voluntary—God’s people are not to give of compulsion, manipulation, or intimidation.  Freewill giving has always been God’s plan (2 Cor. 9:6; Gen. 4:2-4, 8:20; Ex. 25:1-2; Deut. 16:10, 17: 1; Chron. 29:9; Prov. 3:9-10; Luke 19:1-8).  [Note:  What if someone in church leadership tells me I am not spiritual, saved or able to be a member of the church if I don’t give a specific amount per a specific period?]

There are many other places we could go beyond these few passages, but the Old and New Testaments clearly teach and model giving.  Giving is also one of the themes of the New Testament epistles—giving because the Lord has given to us and giving as the Lord has given to us.  So our giving is to be free.  Even though we are told to give, we are to give freely, and not under compulsion.  We are to give cheerfully.  That verse wraps up with saying, “God loves a cheerful giver.”

Are you ever in awe of Jesus’s patience? I am. All the time. Perhaps it is because of its contrast with my own impatience.  Seriously, all it takes is one dysfunctional piece of technology, and my patience can go out the window.

Christ’s patience is seen frequently during Jesus’s interactions with His disciples. He graciously explains the meanings of parables when they miss the point over and over. He lovingly responds to Peter despite Peter’s tendency to talk without considering his words. He even responds patiently when two of the disciples enlist the help of their mother to petition Jesus for preferential treatment, using the opportunity to explain servant leadership rather than scold (Matthew 20:20-28).

In his sermon on Sunday, Chris revealed another example in scripture of Jesus’s amazing patience, and what is most amazing to me is at WHOM His patience is directed in the account of Mark 2:6-12. He was patient with the very men who were looking for faults in Him, the scribes!

Sometimes, I like to look at the scribes and Pharisees as the “bad guys” of the Jesus story. It isn’t hard to do. They were the ones who scoffed at His words, acted in fear to suppress His ministry and plotted His death. And yet, Jesus responds to them with patience while they reason against Him in their hearts when He forgives the paralytic’s sin before healing him.

As much as part of me wants Jesus to really put the “bad guys” in their place in this account, I am thankful He didn’t. My thankfulness comes from the realization that I have a lot of the attributes of a scribe or Pharisee in my sin nature. Do I scoff at things I don’t fully understand? Sometimes. Am I prideful at my own accomplishments? Often. Do I like to look good on the outside but neglect to fix the heart issues within? Guilty as charged.

The only reason I can ever be loving instead of pessimistic, humble instead of prideful and truly changed instead of pretending to be good is because of Jesus. He was patient despite my glaring flaws and gave His life for mine in the most unequal of exchanges to ever take place.

Since this is the question on my mind, I will ask all of you: in what ways are you still acting like the scribes even though you know the truth of the Gospel?

Another question on my mind is where do I need to reflect the patience of Christ? We ended up getting the pages printed after all, but I certainly can use more of Christ’s patience in situations like this throughout daily life. We love because He first loved us, and our patience should overflow out of the knowledge of His incredible patience toward us.

“Hello!” I tried to sound cheery and awake.

“Hey, are you up? I kept texting you, but you didn’t respond so I thought I’d call,” she was definitely too happy to be awake that early!

“Oh. The kids must have played with my ringer. I didn’t hear the text,” I responded. When I got off the phone and saw what time it was I realized I had actually fallen asleep again!

“Well Jesus is waiting for you,” she said in a matter of fact tone before she hung up the phone.

Wow! Jesus is waiting for me? The creator of the entire universe is waiting to talk to me? How can that be? My heart was delighted, and I jumped out of bed to get a start on my day. How quickly I had forgotten that I wasn’t just waking up early for the sake of it, but I was getting up early to hear from GOD! I was getting up early to build a relationship with HIM! It wasn’t to check off my daily reading list, but to get to know Him more intimately.

You see in 2011, I focused on reading the Bible in a Year and—although I’m about four weeks behind—it has been an incredible blessing. I always felt jealous of the people who seemed to naturally be in love with God. They don’t just love Him because he is God, but they are IN LOVE with Him like they know who HE IS! I wanted that! I wanted to be passionately in love with the Creator of the world. Not just because of what He did for me, but because of who He is… the problem was that I really didn’t know God. Don’t get me wrong, I knew a lot of stories about Him, but I didn’t really know Him.

Spending time in His Word everyday has completely changed my relationship with Jesus. Instead of just reading to learn, I focused on seeing what God revealed about Himself through every story. As I read through the Old Testament, I realized that God really does choose us despite ourselves. I see the way He is patient and loving, and even there I can see his plan for redemption unfolding. In the New Testament, I can see that He is trustworthy as He fulfills all of His promises in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. He reveals Himself as a God who doesn’t just care about our salvation, but also the details of our sanctification. He doesn’t just save us from the hell we deserve, but He gives to us abundantly and beyond measure. It’s hard not to fall in love with Him- He’s really irresistible! I can love Him more and more, because I see how much He loves me (1 John 4:19).

If you want to love God in a deeper way, then get to know Him! If you are like me, then you’ve pledged to read the Bible in a year about a million times before, but don’t give up this time. Even if you get behind, stick with it, but don’t read to check off your task for the day., read because the Creator of the universe wants to speak to you! Clearly I lost sight of this many times (about 28 times since that’s how far behind I am), but God is so gracious. It’s not about my faithfulness, but His faithfulness. Even if I miss a day, He is there waiting to speak with me. And regardless of your failed attempts to spend time in His Word every day, He is waiting for you too.

Tips for being Successful in your Reading Plan:

Set aside a specific time to read!

• It’s not mandatory that you read in the morning, but choose a time each day that you will spend time both reading and praying!
• Have a BACK UP Plan
• If you have kids, then you know how quickly your plans can be derailed, so have a backup plan for days you don’t get to read during your usual time. For example, I get up at 6 am to read, but if I miss that time, then I read during my children’s nap time

Have a Reading plan

• You don’t have to read the entire Bible Every year, but plan ahead. Choose a logical reading plan. You can read a book or read through the New Testament.
• Pray First
• Everyone can read God’s Word, but not everyone’s heart will receive God’s Word. Unfortunately there are many scholars who know the Bible, but don’t know Jesus!  Begin your time by praising God and asking Him to reveal His Word to you (not some weird hidden meanings, but in a way that convicts you of your own sin and moves you to repentance).

Accountability

• Whether it’s your husband or a friend, an accountability partner is a great tool for spending time in God’s word. Lately, I’ve been struggling to wake up, so I have a friend who text messages me (calls if I don’t respond) to make sure I’m awake.

HE IS FAITHFUL

• Most important: Remember that God is faithful even when we are faithless! Only He can give you a love and passion for His Word! You aren’t earning favor by reading every day, so don’t do it to impress Him or others. If you miss a day, just start the next day where you left off!

Pretty powerful words, huh? I had learned the story of the paralytic from Mark 2 many times since my childhood, and somehow missed the great lesson on God’s forgiveness embedded in the text. Chris’s sermon on Sunday revealed the richness of this interaction with Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t miss that the paralytic’s sins were forgiven. I was able to glean AT LEAST that from the text on my own (as you can see, my powers of observation are astute). What I missed was exactly what the interaction revealed about Christ’s forgiveness for all believers—not just the paralytic.

Chris pointed out that this text reveals that Christ’s forgiveness is intimate, an undeniable fact, accomplished, enduring, repairing, comprehensive, deliverance and Christ’s emphasis. What struck me was not that I missed these truths the many times I have read this story before, but how much I miss them in my daily life.

Do you walk in forgiveness? No, really… do you? That was the question on my mind after mulling over what I had learned in Mark 2: 1-5. In that list, which is the hardest truth to embrace daily?

For me, seeing Christ’s forgiveness as “freeing deliverance” can be a struggle. Whenever I sin in a familiar area, the guilt of the sin is often compounded with remembering all of my similar past failures. In my heart, it feels as though God is displeased with me for EVERY time I have failed, and this latest sin is just adding to His disappointment in me.

Thankfully, I know the truth. When those moments hit, I have learned to counsel myself with verses like Psalm 103:12. I also know the truth of Colossians 1:22:

“…yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach…”

God sees me as Christ, and because of Christ’s sacrifice, He does not count my sins—past, present and future—against me.  I can walk in “freeing deliverance” because God has said to me “daughter, your sins are forgiven.”

If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.

I long for this heart towards God and life.

As I sat at a stoplight – patiently of course – I thought about what she had said and I agreed, “I miss it too.”

Our group, like the others, took a holiday hiatus. We all agreed it was a good idea with everything else that demands attention and recovery from mid-December to early January. I still believe it was healthy for us, and now, even more so, because of what we realized that day in the car.

The nineteenth century English author, Thomas Haynes Bayly, penned the famous words, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”  It is a truism. Not being together with our group caused us to realize that we were indeed fond of the people in it, and that, in turn, gave us an even greater appreciation for our RMG.

More importantly, it reminded me of Paul’s words to the Philippians, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you . . .” and the joy he felt towards the church in Philippi for their work with Him in fulfilling the gospel. Our RMG has brought us joy because through it, we recognize the work of God.

If you are still feeling a little disconnected or not quite sure where you fit in at FBC, I encourage you to try an RMG. You do belong and you can experience a great sense of satisfaction and joy as part of ministry to others in the Body!