stanpavkovich

We live in a culture that bombards us with advertisement telling us what is important in life.

You need to drive this type of car…you need to wear this type of clothing …you need this….you need that … need to vacation here…it is endless. It can make you crazy if you let it. Paul summarizes in the Bible what is the most important thing in life….that is learning to love….Col.3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

If that’s true, and of course it is, then what is love? 

In my study this week I came across a great quote about what love is…

Love is when I make your needs my needs.  Love is when I make your problems my problems.  Love is when I take your concerns and I become concerned about them.  Love is giving a person what they need not what they deserve.

When you think about it… that is exactly what God has done with you and I. God doesn’t give you what you deserve.  If God gave you what you deserved, you wouldn’t be alive and able to read this blog. (And I certainly wouldn’t be around to write it!).  God doesn’t give you what you deserve.  He gives you what you need.  You need forgiveness, love, and encouragement.  In fact, everything you have in life is a gift from God.  God says I want you to receive my love and I want you to learn to pass it on.

This weekend is Mother’s Day. It is a time set aside to honor and show appreciation to the person that brought us into the world, nurtured us and cared for us – our mothers.

So often whether you are a mother or not, we forget how our lives can impact not only people currently around us, but also can impact future generations. One such person is Naomi, a mother whose story is found in the Old Testament; a story that is often overlooked.

Her family had to move to a foreign country because of a terrible famine. And while they were there, her sons married. But in time, her husband and sons died and she decided it was time to return to her home in Bethlehem.

Here is the cool thing… she was so dedicated to God, that her daughter-in-law, Ruth decided she wanted that life for herself as well. Ruth was so impressed by the dedication of Naomi’s life to God, she told Naomi, “Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God.” From that day forward Ruth turned her back on the old life she used to live and embraced a new life she found in God.

Because of Naomi’s influence, Ruth influenced her family, and Ruth’s love for God was so powerful that her great grandson became one of the most influential men of the Old Testament – David, King of Israel.

Ultimately, Ruth is one of the few women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
All this took place because one woman, Naomi… built her life around her dedication to God.

Often we’re simply focused on the influence that we have right here and right now on our children, grandchildren, etc. But the life of a man or woman who give themselves totally to God can have a ripple that will impact generations to come.

I ran across a very moving story that John Trent, the President of StrongFamilies.com and the Center for Strong Families shared in an article.

A true story that  illustrates in a very real way, the power of our words. The Bible says that the power of life and death are found in the tongue.

Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. She was born with a cleft palate and had to bear the jokes and stares of cruel children who teased her non-stop about her misshaped lip, crooked nose, and garbled speech. With all the teasing, Mary grew up hating the fact that she was “different”. She was convinced that no one, outside her family, could ever love her … until she entered Mrs. Leonard’s class.

Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile, a round face, and shiny brown hair. While everyone in her class liked her, Mary came to love Mrs. Leonard. In the 1950′s, it was common for teachers to give their children an annual hearing test. However, in Mary’s case, in addition to her cleft palate, she was barely able to hear out of one ear. Determined not to let the other children have another “difference” to point out, she would cheat on the test each year. The “whisper test” was given by having a child walk to the classroom door, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and then repeat something, which the teacher whispered. Mary turned her bad ear towards her teacher and pretended to cover her good ear. She knew that teachers would often say things like, “The sky is blue,” or “What color are your shoes?” But not on that day. Surely, God put seven words in Mrs. Leonard’s mouth that changed Mary’s life forever. When the “Whisper test” came, Mary heard the words: “I wish you were my little girl.”

That was a God moment for Mary… It was the turning point in her life …to know she was loved and valued…  Those 7 words began to change her life.

God wants to change our life as well.

But many times because of sins we committed and poor choices we have made… often times we feel like we can’t have a relationship with God…

That God no longer loves us or He has given up on us. But nothing can be farther from the truth.

To those who are crippled by sin or enslaved to things you know are not pleasing to God…
He says, “I wish you were my son” or “I wish you were my daughter.”

Remember what the book of James tells us draw close to God and He will draw close to you.

Isaiah 43:4 “You are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you… ”

Be Blessed,
Stan

The question that we are going to focus on this week is why is it important to attend church?

Some people say…I’m not interested in being a part of organized religion…I’m just into God ….What’s wrong with that?

Why is church so important?

First off the Bible says we need each other.

I Cor. 12:20-21 says, “Yes, there are many parts but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, I don’t need you. The head can’t say to the feet, I don’t need you.”

I need you as much as you need me.

To say, “I don’t need the church”, well that’s pretty egotistic because what I’m saying is…
“I don’t need you. I can just do it on my own.”

And that is so far from the truth. God has wired us to need each other.
I Cor. 12:26 says, If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

The Bible also tells us that the Church is Jesus’ bride…

When we tell God… Hey… I like you…I like your son Jesus…but I don’t like your church that is like telling a husband that you like them but you are not fond of his wife….that is not going to go over very well…there might be a little tension in the air…a little disconnect.

Another reason to be involved in church, is because Jesus said, “The gates of hell would not prevail against the church.”

There is power in numbers….

We have an enemy of our souls that wants to cause us to crash and burn.

You know with the technology we have today ….
You could sit at home and listen or watch some of the greatest teaching around….

But that is not church that’s not being the body of Christ.

That person on T.V. or on the podcast doesn’t even know your name they aren’t going to visit you when you are in the hospital….
They are not there when you feel like giving up.

The church is about relationships.

When you lose somebody, when there’s an illness in your family, when you lose your job or whatever, Satan uses those opportunities to plant thoughts in your mind about God that are not true – that is when hell can prevail. That is when you need the church to come along side you and help you prevail over the situation.

Hebrews 10:24 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works and let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”

The Church is the hope of the world…. committing yourself to the local church is the only way that you’ll grow into the image of Christ.

The next four weeks I will be on vacation and will not be blogging, but I will be back the week of June 15.

Be Blessed,
Stan

Many times in life we face crisis points – loss of job, a struggling family member, a child caught up in behavior and situations that you have no control over, or a recurring sin in your own life. In these moments we can easily lose confidence in God. The confidence in who we are in Him, in how much we matter to Him and even in His power to change our circumstances. In these times I want to encourage you to remember as Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” You can ask God confidently to step into every situation that you face.
Take a look at the following clip and be confident of God’s power to change us, to love us enough to not leave us where we are.

http://ianhughclary.com/2009/02/11/racial-reconciliation/

This week I wanted to share with you a video that I came across. It’s a perfect illustration of a life radically transformed by having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Please click on this link to view the video http://www.youtube.com/illbehonest

Be Blessed,

Stan

This week we begin a new series, Dare You To Move.

For the next month we will be unpacking our Mission statement which is Love God. Love others. Serve the world. This week we will be focusing on Love God.

I John 4:16 “We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.”

The most popular attribute of God is probably the one that is most misunderstood. It says, “God is love”; it doesn’t say “Love is God”.

This does not mean that God lets me get away with murder. I do anything I want to and because God loves me He just looks the other way. What it means is that God wants what’s best for you. He’s for you. He’s not against you.

If that’s true, then why do so many people avoid God?

Many people avoid Him like the plague. They run from Him.

The reason they do that is because of a fear. They’re afraid of what might happen if they really give their life to God. They’re hesitant. They want to keep a safe distance.

Bottom line is they don’t understand that they are missing out on the very reason they were created and that was to experience and enjoy a relationship with their creator.

And with that relationship come benefits.

This week bring a friend as we paint a picture of what a journey into loving God looks like.

Be Blessed,

Stan

This weekend we are wrapping up our Fireproof Your Relationships series. Now is a great time for us to ask ourselves some thought provoking questions.   Asking these questions will help us take what we’ve been learning and turn it into action steps that can change the way we live our lives.  Some things to ask ourselves are:

What can I/am I doing differently to improve my relationships as a result of this series? Several couples have committed to working though the book “The Love Dare” with their spouse. One husband told me that as a result of reading this book  they are learning to be more thoughtful and sensitive towards each other.

What changes have taken place in your life or what viewpoint may have changed because of this series? I know for me, I was challenged by Tiffany’s message last weekend on how to be a better grandfather. She reminded me that when dealing with my grandkids I need to view life through their eyes not mine.

It is so easy to come to a weekend service and hear the message but not take the next step by applying what we heard to our life. Remember what the Bible says, we are to be doers of the word not just hearers. In other words, we are to take the truths we hear from the messages and what we read in the Bible and apply it to our lives.

Be Blessed,
Stan