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Family Ministry Moments - March 2024

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See the Example, Be the Example

The best way to learn is to imitate someone.  In many professions, this is called on-the-job training.  You watch someone perform a task then you perform it under their
supervision until you are proficient in the task.  This is also true in our Christian walk.  This type of training is called discipleship.  Discipleship has an aspect of formal training, which is what we often think of when we hear the word.  We see this in many settings like worship, small groups, discipleship groups, Bible studies, devotions, etc.  This type of discipleship is very important; however, it is not the only form.

Discipleship has on-the-job training.  This means we see the example of a more mature Christian and learn from them.  This principle is readily apparent in 1 Thessalonians 1.  In verses 2-3, Paul makes it clear that the Christians in Thessalonica get it.  They are par excellence when it comes to faith.  This is only the case because they took seriously the gospel call in their lives.  In verse 4 Paul remembers the time he shared the gospel with them, and God showed His power in their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Then in verse 5, Paul reminds them of his character.

Paul along with his companions sought to live holy and righteous lives so that they could be an example to the church.  Paul says in verse 5 that they did this for the sake of the
Thessalonians.  This doesn’t mean that Paul did not seek to live a holy life at other times, but that he was hypervigilant to be a godly example for their benefit.  This led the Christians to a deeper and more mature faith and before long the church at Thessalonica became an example to all the believers in the entire region (verse 7).

The example they set was one of faith, they trusted in the Lord above everything else.  In verses 9-10, Paul points out how the Christians in Thessalonica turned away from idols and worshipped the Lord alone.  They also watched expectantly for the Lord's return.  They had a heavenly mindset as they patiently lived out their lives on earth.  This is a sure sign of maturity.  This would have been a powerful example to other believers.

There are two things I think we can learn from this passage.  One, we must find and imitate godly examples.  Paul was a great example of faith for them to look at, but Paul was not perfect. He was the first to tell you that he was a sinner saved only by the grace of God; however, there was something that Paul did very well, he made it clear that his focus was on Jesus.  Even when you looked at the example of Paul you were pointed to Jesus.  Paul did not seek to exalt himself, rather he sought to exalt Jesus in everything he did.  This is important when we look for a godly example.  We cannot just find someone who calls themselves a Christian and hitch our proverbial wagon to them.  Often when we find a teacher who makes themselves the star, they fail either morally or theologically.  If you affix your faith to that person then when they fail, you are left shattered and broken.  We must always remember that people are imperfect.  We should never exalt a person, rather we look for examples that seek to keep Jesus as the center.

Second, as we mature in our faith, we must become an example of godliness.   We should not shy away from being an example rather we should encourage it, provided we are looking to Jesus for our example.  My prayer is that my life and the lives of those in the church will encourage all the believers in our community.  We want to live a life that brings glory to God and helps others to glorify Him as well.  Let’s remember the words of Paul from 1 Corinthians 11:1,
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”  Let us be the example of Christ that we want to see in others!

Posted by Bryan Gotcher with

Student Life - March 2024

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I wanted to write the article for this month as a follow up from my last article in February. I spoke on being prepared to make a defense for the faith that we have for any circumstance and sharing our faith so that others may be encouraged or enlightened. I do believe these conversations are very important and having a defense is very wise, but I also believe we must stand on guard. I say this because I believe every day we as Christians go to war, to some extent. Obviously not the physical warfare we have seen in the past, but more specifically spiritual warfare. And to be more specific than that, I want us to focus on fighting against temptations and deceit from our common adversary.
Deceit from the enemy can look like a number of different examples and applies differently to each person’s life, but the goal always remains the same: taking your focus off of the Lord. We see this in the garden of Eden where the snake tempted Eve by saying “did God really say?” or when Satan tests Jesus in the wilderness, attempting to shift Christ’s focus to earthly and fleshly desires.

So, lets stand on guard! The Scripture to encourage and help us achieve this is 1 Peter 5 verses 8 and 9. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your
brotherhood throughout the world
. ESV. Now, how should we be on guard against the adversary? Be sober-minded and vigilant, understanding why Peter used the vocabulary of the devil “prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He uses these graphic words to describe the destructive threat that Satan is. So, we must take seriously the ability of the adversary in our lives, but also take seriously the foundation that we fight upon. Verse 9 says to resist him and to stand firm in our faith against him. Consider also Ephesians 6:12-18 how we should fight against spiritual forces with the armor of God. Our greatest ability to stand guard against the adversary is to have faith and lean upon the Lord for strength. He will provide the means necessary to battle whatever spiritual warfare or temptation looks like for our lives.

We must always be on guard against the adversary and fight against his temptations in our lives. I’m not going to be able to explain what that looks like in everyone’s specific lives, but something that takes your sight and focus off of God would be a good start. And one fact we do know is that the world will hate us believers just as it did for our Savior. Jesus explains in John 15 that the world will hate us just as it hated Him. I can’t sit here and explain exactly why this is the world we live in, but it is the truth found from the Word. But be encouraged, believer! I will end this article the same way as I did the last article. We have a Savior who has already paved the way for us to win these battles. One that guides us through these hard times. And One that will constantly sustain us throughout our life. He does this because He first loved us. Nothing can separate us from the love and the grip of the Father. He does not leave one of us for the other 99 and He continues to prepare a way for us. So, instead, lean on Him! Let us all sit under the protection and guidance of the Father and be able to stand on guard against the temptations and deceit from the deceiver.

Posted by Alex Kilgore with

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