Bravely Onward!

In light of this being Labor Day weekend, think about this story: Grandpa Smith hosts his grandsons, Willy and Frankie, for a Labor Day cookout. He makes an incredible meal including burgers, hot dogs, and eight different sides. Everyone enjoys the meal and eats until they can eat no more. At the end of the meal, everyone is excused. Willy asks if he can help Grandpa clear the table, put the leftovers away, and do the dishes. Frankie decides he is just going to play cornhole instead of helping. Which grandson acted like a better family member?   If you said Willy, then you deserve an extra piece of apple pie. Willy saw what needed to be done and helped out. Frankie received a lot, but he didn't give anything back. Most of us have learned that being a good family member means helping with what needs to be done, even if it's something we do not like doing.  Jesus taught us that this is the meaning of service. In John 13, Jesus got on His knees and washed His disciples' filthy

 Dear Church Family, I've noticed that there are some believers in Christ who experience surges of spiritual growth and seem to enjoy a rich relationship with the Lord. These believers have an abundance of God-stories and regularly witness God at work around them in dramatic ways. On the other hand, I've also seen Christians who have made a profession of faith, yet years, or even decades, later they've experienced little, if any, growth. They have left many spiritual blessings on the table. What accounts for this difference?  I think the difference can be summed up with three words. The ones who grow much in the Lord are...  1.  Faithful - This means they do what Jesus commands them to do and they stay by His side through thick and thin. I am reminded of the disciples who stayed by Jesus' side even after he gave a difficult teaching which caused the crowds to leave Him (John 6:60-71). We are faithful to Christ when we hold fast to our faith in Him and obey His teachings

  This week, I watched Keith Getty interview George Lowden of Lowden Guitars. Getty asked Lowden to tell the story of how he became a full-time guitar maker. He explained that in his early 20s, he sold clothing in several small shops in Ireland. One day, when Lowden was praying in church, he felt convicted that he was not doing what God had made him to do for the kingdom. Soon, he sensed a clear calling to make quality hand-made guitars. Immediately, he sold his clothing businesses and went into guitar making.  However, there was one small problem, Lowden didn't know how to make quality hand-made guitars! But this didn't stop him from following the Lord. Having no available mentor (and being decades before the advent of YouTube), Lowden learned how to make guitars through trial-and-error. When he got stuck with some technical problem, he learned to pause and pray through it. He said there were so many times that the God granted him the wisdom to work past the problem. When I th