Blaze Church

Have you ever thought that life could be good with or without God ? Let’s face it, we see people who are very successfully and appear to be happy and they don’t have a relationship with God. It’s easy to fall trap in comparing the life of a Christian to those who don’t believe in Jesus. But as we look through scripture, we see that our God is leading us through His path and to eternity through Jesus’ sacrifice. We are the temple of God and when we find time to enter into His presence daily and fix our focus on Jesus, it's a reminder that while our earthly situations may look like they are failing, God will never fail us. He is our strength. 

God has called every single person to a larger mission and purpose in this life. How can you fulfill the destiny God called every believer toward? It is more than 'showing up' on a Sunday. The mission of Jesus is about Him showing up in our everyday lives and inspiring us to pick up the towel of service. This world needs to know about God's love. How can you help others experience the love of Jesus Christ in a practical way?

Can we live life and find rest simultaneously? Psalm 91:1 reminds us to “Live in His Shelter, Rest in His Shadow”.  When we sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary and allow Him to be our covering, we are also inside His shadow. Being in Jesus’ shadow gently guides our hearts to surrender our busy lives and rest in His love.  Just like Martha, Jesus provides us a path to peace. As we continuously surrender the control, comparison and worry that surrounds our to-do lists, Jesus promises us we will find rest in His shadow. We have the choice to “choose what is better, and it will not be taken away.” (Luke 10:42) 

How can we “rejoice always” when we experience such brokenness in life? There are joy-thieves outside and inside of us. Is God setting us up to fail? Or does He have a plan? David wrote a song about the moment the ark of the covenant entered the city. He sings about the gospel: God’s control and holiness, humanity's sin and failure, and God’s rescuing presence. Rejoicing comes with the presence of God. Jesus invites us to surrender our lives and begin a relationship with him. Enjoy the presence of God is the way to choose joy.
 

Complacency is a dangerous thing. The enemy of excellence if complacency.  When we become excessively proud of ourselves, we set the stage for destruction. God calls us to live humble lives, and pursue excellence. David’s complacency as king was the starting point for his sin. The enemy wants to bring guilt, God brings grace. Nathan came and called out David’s sin. He repented, but there was still a consequence for his actions. We look to Jesus, the true King David, who overcame every temptation so that we can approach God’s throne with confidence and find the grace that we need.

Why is it so hard to love other people? We may be able to love our friends or people who treat us well, but what about people who hate us? David had an opportunity to kill Saul, who was trying to kill him! His view of others, God, and himself caused him to cut corners. Jesus demonstrated his love for others by serving; he laid down his life. When we struggle with loving others we remember that Jesus has called us his friends. The gospel and godly friendships empower us to love others.

In one of the most famous stories in the Bible, we see a teenager defeat a giant! Why was David the only one who stepped out to fight? David loved God! He recognized Goliath as an enemy of God! He had a different outlook, outfit, and outcry than anyone else because of his love for God. David points us to Jesus, who stepped out from heaven and defeated our greatest enemy: sin & death! In the garden, it was Jesus’ love for God that caused him to surrender to the Father’s will. We grow in our love for God as we get to know God more.

As we begin year five, we are committed to blaze beyond! An eternal perspective pushes against a me-centered culture. God is calling us to blaze a path for others to Know Him. Joseph saw every challenge in his life as part of the journey to go ahead and save lives. Jesus declared His mission was to serve; not to be served. We can be consumers or contributors. How do we blaze beyond? 1) Embrace the gospel 2) Elevate others 3) Evaluate ourselves. We are all-in, committed to radical generosity, and ready to blaze beyond!

We’ve probably all said at some point, “I want to help, but I don’t think I can.” There is a desire to serve, but often the cost of using our time, talent, and treasure stops us from making a difference. In Jesus, we have been created to do good! What can shift us from being consumers to contributors? The gospel! The story of the good Samaritan teaches us that we are helpless, but Jesus came to make a difference in our lives. You cannot be the Samaritan until you identify as the Jew. Consumers ask, “What will it cost if I serve?” Contributors ask, “What will it cost if I don’t serve?” You were made for this!

We are on a constant “purpose-quest.” No one wants to live a meaningless life. The enemy will try to devalue your existence, and cause you to doubt your worth. But we believe, “you were created on purpose, for a purpose.” Jesus came to restore the human job description that God gave us when he made us. The Holy Spirit empowers us, produces fruit in our lives, and gives us gifts so we can fulfill our unique purpose. Discovering our purpose begins with discovering Jesus. He alone gives our lives true, eternal meaning!