I am irreplaceable

Even as you read the title to this blog you know where I’m going, and it’s possible that a picture of someone you know is now in your mind.  You know the co-worker who brags to others that they can demand a raise because they are irreplaceable.  The boss, the job, maybe even the whole company would go down the tubes without them.

We spent the weekend on a mini-vacation and didn’t get back until time for our Family Night Sunday night.  When I asked about how the services went, I found out that we had a really good attendance, and someone even jokingly said, “I feel bad for Lance”, because there were more people than normal.  Of course we had a really good attendance day last week as well…… wait a minute that’s right, I didn’t preach last week either.  How much more can my poor bruised ego take?  I’m joking of course.

The truth is that not for one minute do I think that I am irreplaceable, but I want to be.  If you’re honest you also know that you want to feel irreplaceable as well sometimes.  We want to be needed, loved, appreciated, and missed when we’re gone.  While we want others to succeed and especially when we are talking about the Kingdom of God, the most important thing is that God is glorified, it’s still nice to know that you’re needed right?

Here’s the secret – TSCC is an amazing place where I’m praised, applauded, commended, and appreciated on a daily basis but my irreplaceableness (I know that’s not a word) needs to come from God and even then it’s not based on what I’m doing, it’s based on who I am.  Someone else could easily take my place in the work of God, but nobody can take my place in God’s eyes.  There is only one me and He wants me to be with Him so bad that He sacrificed His only Son so that I could be with Him forever.

Yep – I’m irreplaceable in God’s eyes.  My value doesn’t come from my service, my preaching, my talents, or abilities; it comes from being loved by the very one who created me.  He is my life, my fullness, my all in all, and while I’ve never ever served in a place where I’m appreciated as much as TSCC (and keep loving me despite my failures please) J my value is from having Christ make His home in my heart.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%203:14-21&version=NLT

Please follow this link and read an amazing passage of Scripture in the NLT and know that my prayer echoes Paul’s when I think of you, and you coming to terms with the fact that down here you are replaceable but with God your value has no end.

How's the Lemonade?

Sunday we spoke about life and how we are often handed many lemons in life.  It could be that used car you bought, or an employer giving you an unfair pink slip, or an unexpected trip to the emergency room to repair your rambunctious child’s broken leg.  Maybe it’s just the everyday stress and pressure of being an employee/husband/father/Christian/neighbor/friend, etc.  Or maybe it’s all the jobs that come along with being a woman (which are far too numerous to list), especially if you have small children at home.

We discussed the old adage that states, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”, and how many of us would prefer to hang on to the lemons to pull them out at the appropriate time to complain to others about just how sour they are.  The thing is, nobody understands just how difficult your lemons are except you, because no matter how much we try to empathize and sympathize with each other we are not in their position feeling what they feel, experiencing the same emotions, hurts, struggles, and disappointments that they experience.

So what really is the point of all the griping and complaining – does it somehow make you feel better or encourage the person you’re complaining to?  Nope, but here’s something you probably know but need to be reminded of – GOD WANTS YOUR LEMONS – He’ll make the lemonade, He’ll help you to use those lemons to somehow encourage someone else, to make you stronger, to build the type of character you’ve always dreamed of having.

Finally here’s a challenge to you and me, this week choose someone to bless, someone who you know has been handed a few lemons.  Maybe send them an email or better yet a hand written card, maybe a positive phone call or buy them a coffee, or small gift card.  If you’re so talented bake them a dozen cookies, or something you know they’ll enjoy.  And whatever you do, don’t tell them about your lemons, make it about them this time and see how you feel at the end. 

Will you do it?  I pray that you will and enjoy the lemonade God is making through your life example.   Phillipians 2:14 TNIV;NASB;CEV;NCV;CEB - Do everything without grumbling - Bible Gateway

She’s more than a Secretary

Over the last several years the term has become Administrative Assistant. It's a bigger word, and it definitely describes the position better because you and I know that many offices can barely function without the Administrative Assistant. I just learned today that a woman (who is so much more than a secretary, or administrative assistant, or any other description you could give her), that I admire very much has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. It apparently has spread to her liver and lungs. As we all who know her pray big prayers to an even bigger God, my thoughts are spinning in regards to this amazing woman who I've known less than five years.


Her name is Sharon Bridgewater and she quietly and unobtrusively gets things done. She would never dream of usurping any authority over her especially God's. She is one of the most godly, humble, selfless women I have ever known. She will do anything for you and will go out of her way to serve you before herself. She needs us right now, needs our prayers, needs our encouragement, needs our love, needs our selfless service, and trust me when I say, that if the roles were reversed she would be the first to do all of these things and many more for you or I.


Every day when I go in the office I just know she will be there and I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes I take her for granted. It's not that I mean to, it's just that she never seems to show any weakness. Even while she has undergone test after test, she would repeatedly call in and apologize profusely that she couldn't make it in, as if she were inconveniencing us all. That is the kind of spirit that is seen throughout Scripture in Godly women. A more steadfast woman, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, and friend would be difficult to find. Sharon, if you get a chance to read this please know that we all love you and are praying for you.


In Christian Love, Lance

From the Frontline

As Memorial Day approaches, there have been many men and women on the frontlines throughout this great country's history. Some were forever changed, some came back to broken families, some came back heroes, and some never came back at all. For all those who serve on the frontlines there are many more that serve in other ways and never see the battle lines. Are they any less worthy of memory? Are they any less Veterans? We owe all of them more than we could ever imagine, no matter what part they played or will play.

This makes me think about the greatest kingdom ever, the Church. This last weekend at a Memorial Service for a Christian, who had passed away, I saw three ladies from TSCC working in the kitchen and made the comment, "I see you three at every event we do, slaving away in the kitchen and you need to know how much I appreciate you". They're response was, "you are at all those events working too". This is true but my response was, "yeah, but everyone sees me and knows that I'm working, and yet how often do you guys get credit for your service in the Kingdom?"

I also happen to know of 4 men from TSCC who are up at Park Creek today cutting limbs back from the road so the campers and RV's coming up next weekend can get through with minimal scratches. A couple of them are probably taking time off work possibly even unpaid to work in the kingdom. I also know that there was somewhere around 50 volunteers at our VBS Lunch yesterday and yes all of them have jobs they will be doing during our VBS programs.

So coming from a guy who is often on the frontline, here is a big thank you to all the backline (if that's a word) workers out there, not only here in Sacramento but in the Church all over the world whose service often goes unnoticed. And to all those veterans who have served our country, and those who continue to serve our country, a big thank you to you as well. May you all have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend.

P.S. The reason I didn't mention the names of the people is because for those that I noticed or know about there are many more that I don't even realize are doing things behind the scenes and I don't want to leave anyone out. 

Lance

Mother's in a Word

What single word best describes mothers?  They are all so different each with their own strengths and weaknesses, their own unique talents, abilities, personalities, etc.  They aren’t perfect or infallible by any means so what word do I use?

I thought about stable, but that sounds like a barn, or steadfast but that seems so lifeless and boring.  Amazing and incredible are wonderful adjectives but are very general and could be used to describe many things or people.  I need a word that best describe Mothers all over the world.

Dependable sounds like a car or a good mule.  Patient, well even the best mother sometimes struggles with this quality even though they usually have men beat hands down when it comes to patience.  Goodness, consistency, beauty, love, are all great words that describe mothers but still not what I was looking for.

And then it hit me!  The perfect descriptive word.  It’s perfect because it covers all facets of mothers.  After all Moms are also chauffers, coaches, counselors, best friends, driving instructors, beauty consultants, tutors, chefs, nurses, and experts in many more fields.

The Word?  Flexible.  Changing on the fly, adapting to any and every situation.  My favorite quote of all time - "Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape" - Anonymous - Thanks to all the mothers and wives out there who have perfected the art of flexibility.  We love you!

The Happy Life of a Servant

You and I have been told over and over that the more you serve others the happier you are, and you have probably been as skeptical about that statement as I have. Let's face it as a general rule we are pretty much self serving people. So through the years when I've allowed myself to be guided by the Holy Spirit instead of myself I've found myself in positions where it's been proven to me that it is really true, the life of a servant is a happy life.

Yesterday I went and visited an older lady in our Church named Lucille. She has been struggling physically and hasn't been able to attend the services for quite awhile. She has been through quite a bit in her life and as I was driving to her house I was praying (with my eyes open of course) that I would have the right words to say to encourage her and lift her spirits. Turns out God must have been fairly amused with my self-centered prayer. You might be saying, that doesn't sound like a self-centered prayer, well it was, because that very prayer just assumed that I would be the one doing the encouraging as if I'm the great glorious encourager and she is the poor down-trodden soul who needs my wonderful abilities. I'm exaggerating a bit here because of course that is not what I was thinking but instead of asking God to use this situation for His glory, I assumed that she was the one who needed the blessing.

You probably know the rest of the story, I walked in and while she looked pretty frail, the only thing I noticed was how happy she seemed. She talked to me of how blessed she has been with so many great neighbors, and friends, and family members and church members. She talked of all the opportunities she has had in her life to help and bless others. We talked about her beloved El Camino that she gave to her brother, and her family; we talked about the paintings on her wall, and many other things. She never stopped smiling through the entire visit, and I was reminded again of how when you start out with the idea of serving someone, often you are the one who gets the greatest blessing.

Thank you Lucille for your wonderful outlook and your beautiful spirit and thank you God for reminding me that to serve is to be happy and blessed. We don't serve for that reason of course but it is a result of our service to God and to others.

Are you struggling with faith?

Often people make the statement, "I'm struggling with my faith", and I understand because I've made the same statement myself a time or two. Here's what I've found though when doing some self inspection and when talking to others who are going through the same struggle. Faith in God really isn't the issue, many times. Faith in what God is doing or isn't doing around us is the issue. I believe in God and there is no way (in my mind) that I will ever stop believing in Him, but when I see things going on in the name of Christianity that is absolutely contrary to God my faith starts to waver. Maybe the Church you are attending is not a very bright light for the world, or maybe those around you look really good on Sundays but the rest of the week, you know what's going on, maybe you've been reading or hearing or watching all the horrible tragedies that are happening or maybe you look at your own life and can't see God working at all.

It is so easy to get frustrated with the gossipers of this world, and the mean spirited people, and the ones who try to tear you down to build themselves up, and the list goes on and on.  Unfortunately many of these people wear the name Christian which just makes it that much worse.  What we see around us and what we believe become so far apart that we cannot connect the dots. Add in the fact that you are constantly reminded that you are not doing enough for God, saying the right things, abstaining from the wrong things, reading your Bible enough, praying enough, etc. it is no wonder that your faith begins to dim.

So far this article is pretty discouraging huh? But here is an undeniable truth that we know, hear, quote, but so often don't really believe. "For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV. If you want to live for Christ you cannot go by what you see. What you see oftentimes is discouraging and disheartening, but what you believe is that God is in everything, and that He will never let you down. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV

The beautiful thing about all of this is that the more we focus on what we believe and not what we are seeing, the more God will show us visible, tangible, real expressions of Himself. Remember Elijah who wanted to die because of all the horrible things around him? God used His own creation to take care of Elijah, used a violent wind, earthquake, and fire to get his attention, and then spoke to him in a still small voice. Finally God revealed to Elijah all of the others who were still on the right side. Elijah's faith wavered because he was focusing on what he saw which left him unable to see the evidence of God all around him.

So today, right now, wherever you are, you have the opportunity to live out your faith. You believe in God, show it through your life. Others may or may not come on board. Tomorrow there may be another terrible tragedy in the world, but you live out your faith and watch God bless your life, and who knows, maybe you are the one that will bring life to the Church you attend. Not because of anything great you do, but because of your great faith in the Creator of this world. Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. NLT

May you see the grace of God today and may you act on it so that someone else will see it as well.