Actions and Attitudes of a Growing Church

Finding and Doing God's Will—James 4:13-17

Trying to fill God's shoes will always be a bad fit. Wearing our own shoes and walking in His steps is always a better way to live. Many people live with no thought of God's steps in mind. The culture is filled with statements that declare people's rights to do this and that, as if they were the final authority for their lives. "We have a right to decide our own destiny and choose what is best for us…" so the line goes.

and Leaving a Legacy for the Next Generation

Growth and change are not easy transitions in a local church, but obviously there are specific actions and attitudes necessary if the church is to reflect the Lord and build a foundation for present and future generations.

I want you to think about this quote:

"All of theology must eventually become biography."

I want to restate a question I asked in our last session: How do we get truth from the Scripture into our lives? How do we bridge the gap from content to conduct? How do we get our theology, what we believe, translated into our biography? This is a step that must be taken if our faith is to work! It does no good to have a list of things we believe, if that list doesn’t work for us.

Proverbs 30:18; Job 39:27-28; Exodus 19:4; Deut. 32:11; Isaiah 40:30-31

I want to take a break from the way I usually teach and simply reflect on eagles. I am fascinated by eagles, even though there is much about them I don’t understand. I have had encounters with eagles many times in my life and am always amazed by them. One summer I went with friends through the Inside Passage off Vancouver Island, and we watched eagles from the boat as they swooped down to catch fish out of the water. What amazing hunters/"fisherbirds" they are.

Let me read a story that illustrates why some eagles don’t fly. I alluded to it in our last session entitled, With Eagles’ Wings. The story goes like this:

Numbers 10-12

Today in our study I would like to share with you a way which will absolutely guarantee that you can turn your life into a total and complete disaster. To illustrate how we can live disastrously, like a prairie chicken instead of an eagle, we will focus on a series of events from the lives of the people of Israel in Numbers 10-12.

Numbers 10-12

How do we turn our lives into disasters ? It’s a pretty negative story, but if we listen and learn from Numbers 11-12, we can see how Israel took the best of circumstances and, with a spirit of complaining, turned them into a disaster. What then can we learn from Israel’s example?

1 Peter 4:7-11

In our last session, we saw how 700+ small boats and their (mostly) civilian captains bravely entered into the Second World War at the battle of Dunkirk. Why did this extraordinary thing happen? It is obvious that Dunkirk was an extraordinary day for the common, ordinary person. Think of it: These small boat captains were not given a lot of training. They didn’t have advanced time to think about what was ahead or the dangers they might face. They simply and willingly entered the war and lent their lives and their boats to this rescue mission.

1 Peter 4:7-11

Today I want to return to our series entitled, Attitudes and Actions of a Growing Church. and its subseries, "Priorities For Extraordinary Times" from 1 Peter 4:7-11. In our last session on the subject, I focused on 1 Peter 4:7: "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."

1 Peter 4:7-11

From 1 Peter 4:7-11, we are discussing the priorities we should have for the extraordinary times in which we live. Peter makes it clear that whether we live in Biblical times or today, the end of our lives or the return of Jesus is closer than any of us think. When will we see the end of times and see Jesus?

1 Peter 4:7-11

In the extraordinary times in which we live, I have so appreciated the generosity that I see in our nation, as well as here at Hillcrest Chapel.

1 Peter 4:7-11

Of all the things we can do with our lives as followers of Jesus, what should our priorities be as we relate to other believers in the church? What a treat it is to study 1 Peter 4:7-11. In summary fashion and very succinct language, we have before us our priorities in the extraordinary times in which we live. Peter makes it clear to us that whether we live in biblical times or today, the end of our life or the return of Jesus is closer than any one of us might think.

Ephesians 4:11-16

Peter Marshall has described 20th century Christians in the following words:

"They are like deep sea divers, encased in suits for many fathoms deep, marching bravely forth to pull plugs out of bathtubs."