A Sure Bet

I am not a betting man. I have never played a betting game or put any money in a slot machine. The closest I have come to betting is scratching off or peeling off some sticker at the local McDonalds to see if I won a free Big Mac or Coke with my next meal.

However, if I were a gambling man, one thing in life that is a sure bet is if you haven’t been in a really difficult situation and you’re not currently in one, then there is probably one waiting for you right around the corner.

When a crisis hits, your first response is usually to scream something like, ‘why me?’ Even Jesus asked that question when He was on the cross. Remember what He shouted? “My God, my God WHY hast thou forsaken me?”

It’s true that some storms of life are caused by our own sin. However, many storms occur even when we’re not doing anything wrong. We can be in the middle of God’s will and doing exactly what He asked us to do!

That was the case for Daniel. He was obeying God and trying to be a devout, obedient Jew in Jerusalem. Then King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army marched from Babylon to Jerusalem, tore down the walls protecting the city, destroyed the temple, and took the cream-of-the-crop young Jews (including Daniel) back to Babylon where they were exiled for 70 years. Even though Daniel was following God, he found himself in a captivity so violent there were times he wondered if he might not survive.

Another example comes when Jesus told His disciples to get in a boat and cross the Sea of Galilee. Even though they were obeying Jesus, they still found themselves in a storm that was so violent they didn’t know if they would even survive.

But here is the important message from these events: with the help of Jesus, they survived. We must accept the fact that life is not a perfectly smooth ride. The road will sometimes have bumps, potholes, and sharp turns.

Look upon these difficulties and tragedies as part of life. Turn to Jesus for guidance and the Holy Spirit for comfort. Trust in God’s Word and His promises. He will be beside you as you get through the triumphs and tragedies of life.

Take a moment to read Matthew 14:22-27. Let your mind focus on the words of Jesus, ‘Take courage, it is I. Do not be afraid.’

Pastor Mark "The Bru" Brunott

Our Ultimate Destination

Some of you may recognize the name Adrian Rogers. For those of you who don’t, he was a great preacher, cut from the fabric of what I like to call ‘the great Southern Baptist tradition.’ I was listening to one of his sermons where he was telling a story about one predecessor who was known as the ‘Prince of Preachers.’

He was a man of such oratorical skills and anointing of God that people were awestruck when they heard him preach. As the preacher grew older he was hospitalized and was in and out of a coma constantly. On his last day, while lying there in bed, he suddenly looked up and his eyes grew wide. He said to his daughter, “It is greater than I imagined; I never did it justice!” Then he closed his eyes and died in peace.

Now think about it: He was a great man of God, an incredibly gifted communicator of the Bible, but as he was finally at the point of stepping over to the other side of life and catching that glimpse of Heaven, all he could say was, “It’s greater than I imagined. I never did it justice!”

In our journey of faith with Jesus, we go through some tough times; difficult days, dry moments, hard circumstances, and "I do not understand" seasons. When those days happen, and they will, I want you to remember your ultimate destination- Heaven. Words can’t explain it; it’s greater than you can imagine. You will see Jesus face to face. He is greater than you imagined.

Surely there are no words that can adequately describe how incredible it will be to come face-to-face with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Until that day, take a moment today to quiet yourself and read out loud Revelation 21:1-4. Then, try to imagine what Heaven will be like.

Blessings,
Pastor Mark "The Bru" Brunott

P.S. How is your attitude at work? Are you the same when nobody at work is watching you? Are you a complainer at your job? Are you satisfied with your employment? Why or why not? This Sunday, at 9:00 and 10:30 AM, we will allow God to give us a work makeover.

Can Good come from Bad?

George Barna, the well-known public-opinion pollster, conducted a national survey: ‘If you could ask God one question what would it be?’ the number one answer was, ‘Why is there so much pain and suffering?’

1 billion people suffer from hunger and every second someone dies of hunger. The earthquake in Taiwan left thousands without water, 170 missing, and several dead. There is terrorism unrest. The list goes on and on. Some follow-up thoughts on pain and suffering are raised: If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, yet doesn’t stop evil, why should I believe in Him? If He can’t do anything about all of this, He isn’t much of a God, is He?

Questions like these can shake our faith and grip us with fear, anger, and bewilderment. If God is all-powerful and all-good, then how can He allow so much pain and suffering? As Christians, we know that God is powerful and loving, but sometimes it feels like He doesn’t care, or that we’re all alone. I try to keep a few things in mind when I feel that God doesn’t care.

There are at least four Biblical reasons why a bad thing may be a good thing. First, we live in a fallen world. God gets blamed for a lot of man’s evil. Ironically the more victimized people are by man’s evil, the more they tend to blame God. Second, we do not heed God’s warnings (read Deuteronomy 28:1, 15). Third, we make foolish decisions. We are not computers programmed to do good or evil; like God, we can make choices. Fourth, we experience the backwash of life itself. Sometimes we are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Daniel was minding his own business when King Nebuchadnezzar’s troops marched into Jerusalem, destroyed it, and took him to Babylon as a captive. Things like that happen.

So, the question remains: Why does an all-loving and all-powerful God allow suffering and evil? No answer is adequate, but God’s main concern is that we trust Him to bring good out of the bad (see Romans 8:28). If He did it when humankind murdered His innocent son, then He can do it with all of the pain and unrest in 2018. Let’s live by God’s promises, not man’s expectations.

Pastor Mark "The Bru" Brunott

P.S. Have you ever read articles titled '5 steps to being a better parent' or '7 tricks to getting a new kid by Monday?' They always sound so good and simple but are never as easy to implement. What does God have to say about being a godly parent or child? Join us this Sunday at 9:00 or 10:30 AM to find out.

Outreach Discoveries

Pastor Nat, our Pastor of Local Outreach, has the ministry team reading a book entitled Organic Outreach for Ordinary People.  Written by Pastor Kevin G. Harney, the emphasis is on sharing the Good News naturally.

I’d like to pass on a couple of the principles I’ve been learning lately about personal outreach and evangelism. First, the roadblocks we all face in sharing our faith with non-believing friends is nothing in comparison with the joy of seeing Jesus change a friend’s heart from the inside out. Whatever risk you took to share your faith was well worth it.

The second thing I’m learning is that there really is no set program for evangelism and outreach. Perhaps the best approach is simply to invite people to join you in the regular activities of your life. If your faith is real, it will shine through in the way you live. What might this look like practically? If you’re going to an event, ask them to join you. Think of all the things you do that you could invite someone to join you! Going to lunch, going shopping, going to work out at the gym, or going to a concert.

When you get there, be yourself. You don’t have to force a conversation. Let people see the real you. If the subject of faith comes up, don’t be embarrassed. Let people see how Jesus is a normal part of who you are.

The key to outreach is casting the seed wherever we go, knowing it’s God who brings the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). I love the way Kevin Harney describes outreach, “It’s like trying on clothes. Before making a clothing purchase, most people will try on a shirt, a pair of pants, or some piece of clothing to see how it fits. If the clothing is too tight or too loose, they’ll try another size. If the color or style really does not work for them, they may put it back on the rack. When buying clothes, we often try several options to see what works” (Organic Outreach for Ordinary People, p. 148).

He goes on to say outreach is often like that. We try something to see how it goes. If it feels natural or organic, we wear it. If it just doesn’t fit well, we try something else.

Would you be willing to try inviting your unbelieving friends to join you in the regular activities of your life? Go ahead, give it a try! To borrow the well-known phrase of Dirty Harry, “Go ahead, make my day.”

How to say "YES"

Are you feeling overwhelmed; like there is so much to do, but you don’t have enough time to get it all done? Are you always late for appointments? Are you so busy with activities that you find yourself double-booked too often?

If you answered ‘yes’ to these, you probably are suffering from a time management problem. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to the problem: Manage your time better. Duh!

Let me give a tip that may help you manage your time better. It’s really a simple principle: Every time you say ‘yes’ to something, say ‘no’ to something else. The principle reminds us that we can’t do everything. We can’t afford everything. We can’t attend, sign up our children, or be involved in everything (even though many of us try.)

You can’t say ‘yes’ to everything. The choice is yours as to what you will say ‘yes’ to and what you will say ‘no’ to. Let me give you some examples. If you say ‘yes’ to exercise, you have to say ‘no’ to sleeping in later in the morning. If you say ‘yes’ to eating healthy, you have to say ‘no’ to chips, candy bars, andsnacking. If you say ‘yes’ to eating together as a family, you have to say ‘no’ to running your kids everywhere. If you say ‘yes’ to being in a Life Group, you will have to say ‘no’ to something else when your Life Group meets. If you say ‘yes’ to the golf course every Saturday, you will have to say ‘no’ to some other activity.

By the way, this principle is true of church ministries too. No church can say ‘yes’ to every kind of music, dress, style, and service time. Churches say ‘yes’ to the one they believe fits them the best with what God wants to accomplish through them.

The point of the principle is we need to understand the implications. When you say ‘yes’ to something, you say ‘no’ to something else, maybe multiple things, but it happens every time. Most of us want to do everything, be liked by everybody, and never want to miss out, so we say ‘yes’ too much. Remember this: It’s okay to say ‘no.’ In fact, take a deep breath right now and say ‘no’ out loud.

It is also necessary that when you say ‘yes,’ you do so strategically. When we say ‘yes’ strategically, we live more strategically. Is it more strategic to exercise or sleep in? Is it more strategic to eathealthy or snack? Is it more strategic to have family meals together or run the kids everywhere? Only you can answer these questions for you.

However, if you find yourself hectically busy, overwhelmed, and feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day, try this time management principle of “every time you say ‘yes’ to something, say ‘no’ to something else” and see if it makes a positive difference in your life.

Pastor Mark "The Bru" Brunott

P.S. Do you know that what you wear matters? We may not like it, but people judge the inside by the outside. Who I identify with is revealed by what I wear. What does this mean for us as Christ followers? Join me this week at 9:00 AM or 10:30 AM to discover the meaning.

Expectations. Should the Church have some?

Last week someone asked me, “What do you expect from those who attend First Free?” I first responded with, “What a great question.” Most of the time I get asked about programs, ministries, views about certain doctrines, but rarely an expectation question.

My answer comes from our partnership covenant that we ask every partnering attender to sign. It really challenges if you have made two commitments based on 2 Corinthians 8:5. First, a commitment to Christ personally. In other words, you have trusted in Him as your Savior. Second, you have made a commitment to one another in the context of a local church.

We expect people (yes, expect) to protect the unity of the church by acting in love (Romans 14:19) towards other partners, refusing to gossip (Ephesians 4:29), and following the leaders (Hebrews 13:17).

Second, we expect them to share the responsibility of the church by praying for its growth (1 Thessalonians 1:2), inviting their unchurched friends to attend (Luke 14:23-24), and warmly welcoming anyone who visits.

Third, we expect people to serve the ministry of the church by discovering their gifts and talents (1 Peter 4:10), being equipped to serve- with the help of our pastors (Ephesians 4:11-12), and developing a servant's heart (Philippians 2:3-4, 7).

A fourth expectation we have is to support the church by attending faithfully (Hebrews 10:25), living a godly life (Philippians 11:27), and giving regularly to the church (1 Corinthians 16:2).

All of these expectations are based on the Bible and are the desires of Jesus for the church He is building. If you would like to learn more about this expectation and commitment and become a partnering member, contact Brian Abbott or Julie Florom, or call the church office at 402.483.7635.

Together as partners, I know we can accomplish our mission: to introduce people to Jesus Christ, develop them into full, devoted followers, and equip them to reach their neighborhoods.
 

Blessings,
Pastor Mark "The Bru" Brunott

P.S. Do you ever feel a weight is on your back because you keep holding on to something you know God wants you to let go of? You tried to master it, but it seems to keep mastering you. What do you do? Join us this week at 9:00 AM or 10:30 AM as we discover some answers to your questions.

Throw a Party in 2018

One of the things I love most about Jesus is His love for all people, even those people many of us as Christ followers don’t want to be around. One of those people was Jesus’ disciple Matthew. He later became one of Jesus’ biographers.

Matthew was one of the last guys you’d want on your team if you were trying to impress good religious folks. He was a crook. He ran with a bad crowd. He was a party animal and participated in those things that party animal implies.

But in spite of all that, or maybe I should say especially in light of those things, Jesus reached out to him and asked him to join His team. As a result, Matthew followed Him (Matthew 9:9).

Matthew was so excited, he threw a party for all his wild and notorious friends, just so they could meet Jesus. And they all had a great time.

But of course, the Pharisees (the religious crowd) were appalled. They asked the disciples ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?’ (Matthew 9:11 NLT) They thought, ‘If Jesus is supposed to be so holy, why would he run with such a rough crowd?

Jesus’ answer is masterfully stated, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor- sick people do. For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners’ (Matthew 9:12-13).

I love this story for two reasons. First, if you are a Matthew or like Matthew, never forget that Jesus loves you. He demonstrated that love for you by dying on a cross, the substitute for your sin and was raised from the dead. Anyone who believes in Him has eternal life.

Second, Matthew threw a party for his friends, not caring what the religious crowd thought. I wish we, as Christ followers, would be more like Matthew. Hang out with people who are far from God, yes people whose lifestyles we would not approve of or participate in. Love them and invite them into our homes to have fun- wholesome, clean fun.

Who are you hanging out with that is far from God; a neighbor, classmate, or coworker? Why not throw a party for them and some of their other friends who are far from God?

Pray that God would use that party to begin a relationship, a connection with them that would lead to other times of connection. Throw a party! This year, let’s intentionally invest in people who are far from God and ask God to open doors for us to influence them and point them to the cross of Jesus. Remember our mission: inviting people to trust in Jesus, developing them into fully devoted followers, and equipping them (and us) to reach our city.
 

Blessings,
Pastor Mark "The Bru" Brunott