Is your seat empty?

If you are a member of a local church, I hope that this post will help you realize how important it is for you to be there whenever you possibly can.

Now I know that most folks think that most pastors (notice the generalization?) just want people to be present because they like preaching to a full house instead of an empty house. And while that may be true, there are also many other reasons that it's important.

Hebrews 10:25 says, "Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer" (CEV). God is the Creator of the Church and He knows that His people need to be together in His presence on a regular basis.

The tragic reality is that church attendance in America is steadily declining. David Olson, Director of Church Planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church, has conducted nationwide surveys. Olson reports that in 1990, only 20.4% of Americans attended church on any given weekend, in 2000, only 18.8% and in 2004, only 17.7% of Americans regularly attended church.

Perhaps we would all do well to remember the words of Father Henri Nouwen: "I have yet to meet anyone who has come closer to Jesus by forsaking the Church. I know that isn’t a popular bit of advice at a time and in a country where the church is frequently seen more as an ‘obstacle’ in the way rather than as the ‘way’ to Jesus."

Hope to see ya' in church on Sunday!

A Living Sacrifice

Have you ever stopped to think about what it means to really make a sacrifice in order to live for Christ? I can honestly say that I'm not sure if I have ever made too many TRUE sacrifices for my faith. Now don't get me wrong. I've "given up" a lot of stuff in order to follow Jesus because I knew that those things would not help me in my walk with Christ.

I was considering Romans 12:1,2 and the fact that God is calling us to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice" in order to discover His good, acceptable and perfect will. That sure sounds like He expects me (and you!) to make some sacrifices somewhere along the journey.

I am thankful to point out that His call is for us to be a "living sacrifice" - not a "dying sacrifice." That is to say, He is calling us to live for Him while, at the same time, dying to our own will. Whew! I am so glad that He isn't calling me to die for Him in order to prove my love for Him! Are you willing to be a living sacrifice? If so, it will cost you something but it will surely be worth it all!

Have you ever considered just how much your family matters to God? The truth is that He is focused on helping you to develop the best family that you can possibly have.

During the month of June, I've been preaching a Sunday morning sermon series entitled "Family Matters" and God has been doing some amazing things! Together, we're learning how to apply the Truth of God's Word in order to become better individuals and, ultimately, to have healthier families.

I hope that you'll take a minute to download the sermon notes and visual presentations and to listen to the Podcasts. Both can be accessed via http://www.smyrnaassembly.com/.

Remember, family matters to God so make yours the best!

Life is to be continued

I recently began a series of messages entitled, "To Be Continued: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future." While I knew that God was leading me in this direction, I must admit that I did not anticipate the congregation's response....which has been incredible! What I am discovering is that a common thread runs through the tapestry of humanity which is that we all want to learn from our past in order to be better prepared for the future. You can listen to the Podcasts or download a copy of the sermon resources at http://smyrnaassembly.com/restobecontinued.html And remember, God has always intended for life to be continued....so live it!