Tag Archives: Cedar Chips

Cedar Chips, Fall Kick-Off, Life Is, News

Life Is

The top five Google hits for “life is” are:

  1. Life is good.
  2. Life is strange.
  3. Life is a highway.
  4. Life is beautiful.
  5. Life is strange

How do you complete the expression “life is?” Is life a journey, a song, a game, a dream, a sacrifice, a gift? Is life grand, depressing, inspiring, gloomy, joyful, discouraging, hopeful, dull?

As we kick off another season of ministry, we celebrate life—the life we have in Jesus. Jesus said, “I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

This statement comes after Jesus warns about the thief who wants to harm the sheep. The thief steals, slaughters, and destroys. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves the sheep. Jesus offers an abundance of green pastures and refreshing. The Good Shepherd cares for the sheep giving them life to the full.

We are the sheep and Jesus offers us life to the full—abundance. We discover this abundance when we abide with Jesus. Life is full in Jesus!

Of course many of us sheep still feel tension between life as we live it and life as Jesus describes it. We sometimes live lives less full. Jesus invites us to an upside-down life by worldly standards, but really this life is life turned right-side-up.

We celebrate life lived to the fullest. We celebrate hope for life in this world (and the next) as we follow Jesus the Good Shepherd. We celebrate the impact that the abundant life has on our world. We celebrate life.

In this season I hope that we do not forget our lessons learned about finding rest, but that we live these lessons out in the everyday stuff of life. This fall, abide with Jesus and discover what life is.

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent

Cedar Chips, News, Transform the Corridor

September Sermon Topics

A Vocabulary of Transformation

We pray that God will use us to transform the corridor. As God grows us to be agents of trans-formation we will develop the gospel in the eve-ryday stuff of life. Come explore the vocabulary of our faith so that every man, women, and child in the corridor has a daily encounter with Jesus in word and deed!
Sept 2: Gospel Community
Sept 9: Gospel Fluency
Sept 16: Gospel Transformation
Sept 23: Gospel Glory
Sept 30: Gospel Identity
Sunday Morning Services: 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM
Uncategorized

Transformation Vocabulary

I remember singing a song when I was a kid that had the lyrics, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” Those words hit me as right: if I expect peace on earth, well then I better bring peace.

Apparently this sentiment seems right to a lot of people. A great variety of artists have performed this song—Gospel music singers, Country-western performers, pop musicians, school choirs—they all get it that peace starts with ‘me.’

A newspaper reporter once asked theologian G.K. Chesterton what’s wrong with the world today. He replied in writing:

“Dear Sir,
I am.
Yours,
G. K. Chesterton”

The world is not messed up because of some nameless problem out there, it really has problems because everyone adds to them regularly. As we are thinking about transforming the corridor, it might be tempting to point fingers at people “out there” and overlook our own need for transformation. Transformation begins when disciples of Jesus grow closer to Jesus and continues when disciples of Jesus reach out to others with the love of Jesus.

As mentioned last month, this vision of transformation is actually back to the basics. We are called to make disciples who make disciples in the everyday stuff of life. We “go make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20) and when that happens, transformation happens.

Disciples love God deeply, love self properly, and love their neighbors boldly. I pray that if you have not yet caught the excitement of the possibility of transforming the corridor that you will simply draw near to Jesus. As you love Jesus more, you will love each other more and it is that love that makes all the difference.

Starting in September, we will explore the vocabulary of transformation. This exploration will help us understand a biblical vision of transformation and, I pray, fuel our mission for years to come. We can all grow by engaging in large group celebrations of corporate worship and gathering with a small group that is on mission. Large group celebrations shape us through
gospel-centered worship and small groups create safe places for relational connection and missional living. Life transformation emerges out of both!

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent