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All posts for the day June 30th, 2008

Digging Wells and Planting Churches

Posted by Brian Evans on June 30, 2008
Posted in: GCC News.

Digging Wells and Planting Churches

 

            As we live the Christian life, we must remember that it is a life of faith in Christ and a life dependant on Him. Believing in the unseen with as much trust as in the things we can see. It’s a life of living in this world but longing for the next. It’s loving those around us but supremely loving Christ. It’s also a life of discontent with what the world has to offer because we believe the true and everlasting treasure is Jesus. Living a life of faith is vital for the Christian. Paul is a great example of someone living in this world but longing for the next.   

He wrote,

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,  [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight.  [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  [9] So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 2 Cor. 5:6-9 (ESV) 

            One way we manifest walking by faith and not by sight is when we acknowledge our complete dependence on the Lord. We do this best when we pray. Prayer is the keyhole that we look through catching small glimpses of the world to come and longing to be there. As we speak with the God of the universe in prayer, He begins to change our worldly focus to an eternal focus. The more we get God’s vision for our lives, the more the unseen comes into focus and the more the seen begins to loose its grip on our hearts. Continue Reading

Sermon: An All-Round Ministry (James 5:13-20)

Posted by Brian Evans on June 30, 2008
Posted in: Book of James.

An All-Round Ministry

James 5:13-20

James 5:13-20 (ESV) 

    Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.  [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  [15] And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  [16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.  [17] Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  [18] Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

    [19] My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,  [20] let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James has already made the connection between the physical and the spiritual.  The Church is to have a ministry that has both in mind.  Spiritual matters are the priority but physical matters are important as well and many times it’s hard to separate the two.  Both impact the Church.  Continue Reading