SCY Youth Minister’s Weblog

Thoughts on “Praction- prayer action.” If you’ve not heard the message check out the sermon video for 1-14-07.
1. When we pray heaven is engaged.
2. When we pray our family will be changed/ used/ Christlike

I thought this sermon was important- it was practical, encouraging, and forward thinking as our family recommits to being and doing what God calls us to do, individually and as a team.

Often, I’ve felt that my time is wasted in ministry when prayer is my most consistent daily duty. I think that if I can’t see someone face to face then I can at least improve myself for when I can see them, and then if I can’t do either of these things then I can help someone outside of our family, and then if I can’t do any of those three things then I can at least pray. But I am wrong. To pray for someone is to do the best part of ministry. How can you or I do anything in the presence of someone comparatively to what God can do with our requests, praise, thanks, contemplative and meditative prayers without us? Very little. It is the Spirit of God through us that does anything holy or worthy in life and it is the Spirit of God that does anything holy or worthy through our family and it is the Spirit of God that does anything holy or worthy in others apart from us. In all things the Spirit is active, and in all things our requests for it’s action are heard. I recently read an article in “Leadership” magazine about prayer. The article teaches that prayer is our chief work. It is the most important thing that we as Christians do and should be thought of as something of a service. Time and energy should go into our prayer.
Another article says that God likes to be asked. Like any good loving parent would, God listens closely to a child with needs and understands what they want. He desires our expressions of pain or sadness and consoles us. He wants us to have joy and will honor our requests for it. I will continue to put prayer before everything else in my ministry- you deserve it. Please pray, Thank you! What are your thoughts on prayer? What is your practice in praying?

The flip side is action.  I will write less about this than prayer because I believe you understand this well.  Christian action has and will change this world.  It will change the actor, the audience, the rescepiant, and the church.  Today we live in a post-modern world where religious words are interchangeable and even service is misunderstood as self-improvement, but being continually active for Christ cannot be mistaken for selfishness.  When we are a community that gives, cares for, heals, rebuilds, loves, honors, and blesses others with all we’ve got- no one can mistake our Christlikeness.  And we do it for His glory He will intervene and fill in the gaps. 

God filling in the gaps is what praction is all about.  We will never know the impact our ministry has on the world around us.  God does great things with great effort.  If we give little effort God will still need to teach us a lesson, but when we give great effort, whatever the result, God shows His blessing.

Be about prayer.  Be about action.  Trust in God.

This last Sunday we heard lots of things that inspire us to act out in our faith. “Let us use teamwork to carry out the Goodnews” is something the Spirit used Todd to proclaim Sunday morning. The team concept will help us be healthy. As we get healthy this year let’s;

1. Start with prayer. Consider fasting. Admit giftedness and weaknesses. Commit to let God use you in any way He wants. Get accountable for somene and give accountability to someone.

2. The “Becoming a Contagious Christian” will help our evangelism. Classes like this will explore our giftedness and develop a plan of action in our expressing our Good News to others.

3. Teamwork makes healthy families. Every person performing their function. Every person believing in their role. Challenge yourself to define your role at S.C., write it down, find others to help you perform.

4. Develop compassion for the rest of the family. If you have a gift and note someone like you, encourage them to work beside you. Some are not healthy enough to perform. We need to help those as we move along.

5. We aren’t together enough. Use the new website to connect. Be part of a small group and challenge the group to be a workout more and a hangout less. Both are important but small groups are usually the most important part of a small group congregation.

These are just thoughts. What are your thoughts?

Freedom is something you have when you have it. What I mean is- you control you. You set your pace, your expectations, your schedule. You accept limitations or put in place limitations. You have made decisions and acted on them to become the kind of, the act like, the seem like, the abled, the capable, the likely person that you are. Certainly, your childhood situation and upbringing have set patterns in you that you either continue in or break from but I teach even children that they can mostly be who they want to be. But who does God want you to be?

Yesterday is gone; Praise God for the good and bad in your previous journey. Now, Give God Control! From this moment till the end of your time on earth and into eternity is… Spirit led. Are you (moment by moment) what God wants? Things change in the Spirit. Let God remake you.

As a Christian you may want to reflect on the words of the Apostle Paul. “My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?” Galations 5:16-18

Self-interest verses God’s Spirit. You will always have both. We get to choose the control level. High control or freedom to let God’s Spirit Motivate Your Life.

When others think of you what do they think? What personality traits? What is your schedule? My thought is- If you’ve got to sell a house, give away your stuff, quit your job, make new friends, clear your schedule, become joyful, or whatever! DO IT. Praise God with your life! Do not make barriers for yourself that keep you from living freely in Spirit at any moment.

John

Feel free to share your thoughts. I write these as if I were praying from start to finish. Please feel free to add your thoughts, struggles, disagreements, whatever.

Sacrifice is another word that defines Christ. Following Christ requires us to sacrifice. Not only did Jesus sacrifice by coming to earth, as well as sacrifice his life here for our failures, he also made daily sacrifices for people around him.

A King isn’t normally expected to make sacrifices for his subjects, but our King made it a daily habit. When you walk around observing life Jesus is with you seeing what you see. Make it your habit to look for moments where you can sacrifice yourself for the benefit of others- the Spirit will guide you. You will become more in tune with Christ and the Spirit’s guidance of you with each sacrifice. Others may not appreciate it, so don’t expect them too. Remember! other people can speak for God and Satan, so care much less what they say than what the Spirit is telling you to do.

As you read the Gospels, think about how it must have seemed to Jesus as he sacrificed for other people. Imagine how he viewed other people. Also, think about how Jesus’ actions would have seemed to those around him. His friends and other observers didn’t always understand his sacrifices. People may not understand your sacrifices but the sacrifices will be a blessing to some- those that God is wanting to bless through you.

God is calling you to live a more sacrificial life. In time you will notice the sacrifices God’s people make for Him. Praise those around you who make sacrifices, honor those who live a consistent sacrificial life, and give all Glory to Jesus who constantly sacrifices for all of us. Living more like Christ is the best way for you to honor Him, and sacrificing for others is living more like Christ.

John