If you want to see how a grass roots movement is suppose to really work, go look at some grass! I know, that seems too simple. The reality is, though, that no matter if it is centipede grass or crab grass, there is one thing in common, they take over the lawn. The better nourished the the roots, the better the grass grows.
This week at the Anchor has truly been a Grass Roots movement. We have been able to discover true life through death! On Monday I got dozens of phone calls, but 2 of those calls were asking me to 1) lead a memorial service for a 17yr old boy and the other 2) was to conduct a funeral service for a 67 yr old man. Here is where the grass roots movement really began. On Sunday, God spoke loudly to the Anchor Community Church! On Monday, I don't even remember asking anyone to help with the memorial and funeral. Then I began to hear chatter from every angle about this group doing this and this group doing another and these people fixing meals. We had a ton of volunteers here on Tuesday evening ready to serve and pray for the people of our community. Today, I find out that people are still frantic at making sure everyone is being served!
There is something far different happening in and through the Anchor Community Church. It has nothing to do with getting people to sacrificially serve or to get involved with a good cause. God is stirring and moving in the hearts and lives of people. I can only imagine what Joshua could have felt like when God spoke to him and told him to cross the Jordan, I am taking you to a place you have never been before!
Are you ready? Lets go........
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Is Tithing for Today?
Is Tithing for Today?
The answer is no--as a forced obligation. The answer is also yes--if it is a response from the heart. We are not obligated to give any amount. But, when we have the right mindset, based on the Word of God and a heart that flows with gratitude for what He has done, yes, we will want to give all that we are able to. I believe that in the debates, occurring over the centuries since the early church, and now to the classrooms in seminary, and to the message boards I pursued, money and religion have always gone together. Money and religion have always fought each other in people's pride and inclinations. Just as Jesus' anger with the money changers in the temple and Luther's outrage with the selling indulgences in the pre-Reformation period, to the TV preachers we have today saying, "if you give to me, God will give to you ten times as much," it all comes down to motivation, greed, and the idol of money. We will bow to money or we will bow to God. The question is what do you truly worship? Where is your motivation? Where is your heart?
Ps. I hope you enjoyed this series on Stewardship. My next project will be a series of video's. Stay tuned for the series title.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
The answer is no--as a forced obligation. The answer is also yes--if it is a response from the heart. We are not obligated to give any amount. But, when we have the right mindset, based on the Word of God and a heart that flows with gratitude for what He has done, yes, we will want to give all that we are able to. I believe that in the debates, occurring over the centuries since the early church, and now to the classrooms in seminary, and to the message boards I pursued, money and religion have always gone together. Money and religion have always fought each other in people's pride and inclinations. Just as Jesus' anger with the money changers in the temple and Luther's outrage with the selling indulgences in the pre-Reformation period, to the TV preachers we have today saying, "if you give to me, God will give to you ten times as much," it all comes down to motivation, greed, and the idol of money. We will bow to money or we will bow to God. The question is what do you truly worship? Where is your motivation? Where is your heart?
Ps. I hope you enjoyed this series on Stewardship. My next project will be a series of video's. Stay tuned for the series title.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Template of How the Early Church Gave
A Template of How the Early Church Gave
How did the early church give? Well, it was not just a mere ten percent, because they gave abundantly out of deep poverty (NKJV)! In fact, they may have even given more than they should have! But, they did it because of their love for Christ and knowledge of what He did for them! Their motives were astonishing to other people around them. They need to be our "norm" too. Not that we should give beyond our means, but we should give with a sense of the awe of what Christ did for us. The early church had whole-hearted surrender to Christ, which is the abandonment of our Will to His (Gal. 2:20). They gave everything. What do you give, and where does it come from?
2 Corinthians 8:1-15 - (NIV)
· ...Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy...
· ...and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity...
· ...even beyond their ability...
· ...Entirely on their own...
· ...privilege of sharing in this service to the saints...
· ...they gave themselves first to the Lord...
· ...keeping with God's Will...
· ...in faith ...excel in this grace of giving...
· ...I am not commanding you...
· ...you through his poverty might become rich...
· ...you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so...
· ...the gift is acceptable according to what one has...
A warning: beware of your motives. Do not give because you expect to get! God is not a divine bellhop, and He is not required to give you anything. Yet, He does, out of His love and grace! Some very bad teaching has been sneaking in like a snake its way in our churches and airwaves, called the "Health and Wealth" gospel. It says that if you give your money to the preacher or church, God will bless you or give you ten times more, or whatever amount they come up with. They tell you that "Jesus wants you wealthy," "Jesus wants you rich," "Jesus wants you prosperous," and "God wants you rich!" (Direct quotes from Christian Research Institute equip.org by several different preachers!)
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
How did the early church give? Well, it was not just a mere ten percent, because they gave abundantly out of deep poverty (NKJV)! In fact, they may have even given more than they should have! But, they did it because of their love for Christ and knowledge of what He did for them! Their motives were astonishing to other people around them. They need to be our "norm" too. Not that we should give beyond our means, but we should give with a sense of the awe of what Christ did for us. The early church had whole-hearted surrender to Christ, which is the abandonment of our Will to His (Gal. 2:20). They gave everything. What do you give, and where does it come from?
2 Corinthians 8:1-15 - (NIV)
· ...Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy...
· ...and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity...
· ...even beyond their ability...
· ...Entirely on their own...
· ...privilege of sharing in this service to the saints...
· ...they gave themselves first to the Lord...
· ...keeping with God's Will...
· ...in faith ...excel in this grace of giving...
· ...I am not commanding you...
· ...you through his poverty might become rich...
· ...you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so...
· ...the gift is acceptable according to what one has...
A warning: beware of your motives. Do not give because you expect to get! God is not a divine bellhop, and He is not required to give you anything. Yet, He does, out of His love and grace! Some very bad teaching has been sneaking in like a snake its way in our churches and airwaves, called the "Health and Wealth" gospel. It says that if you give your money to the preacher or church, God will bless you or give you ten times more, or whatever amount they come up with. They tell you that "Jesus wants you wealthy," "Jesus wants you rich," "Jesus wants you prosperous," and "God wants you rich!" (Direct quotes from Christian Research Institute equip.org by several different preachers!)
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Learning What It Means to Give “Cheerfully.”
Learning What It Means to Give “Cheerfully.”
The mature Christian may realize his or her responsibility in stewardship and then struggle in prayer and with family about what to give. He/she will seek God’s Word for how he/she can serve Him and the church. A mature Christian should never rationalize that it is good not to follow his/her call, use his/her gifts, refrain from sharing his/her faith, or not to give. As persons saved by grace, we should be overwhelmed with gratitude for what Christ has done for us so we naturally desire to serve Him with all of our heart and means. Yes, you are not forced to do anything, because as His elect, you are saved by your faith alone in what Christ has done alone-period!
Once we form a more mature faith, and develop a strong sense of gratitude for the grace flowing in us, what should we do about our stewardship? How can we best respond with the goods given to our care? How much do we keep for ourselves, how much do we give away; how much is for us to play with, and how much goes to the work of the church? There are no concrete answers here; it is a call and a response of our heart and faith. We are given the general parameters from Scripture; it is up to us to figure out how to apply them. Yet, this is hard for most, even me, and the source for most debates. The message board debates are nothing new. This subject is now, and has been very controversial. It has been a bitter debate since the formation of the early church, perhaps because most people like to do things their own way and do not like relinquishing control, especially with their pocketbook. So, we can see all kinds of crazy teachings from every conceivable perspective. But what we do at Into Thy Word is see what God’s Word says, and go from there.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
The mature Christian may realize his or her responsibility in stewardship and then struggle in prayer and with family about what to give. He/she will seek God’s Word for how he/she can serve Him and the church. A mature Christian should never rationalize that it is good not to follow his/her call, use his/her gifts, refrain from sharing his/her faith, or not to give. As persons saved by grace, we should be overwhelmed with gratitude for what Christ has done for us so we naturally desire to serve Him with all of our heart and means. Yes, you are not forced to do anything, because as His elect, you are saved by your faith alone in what Christ has done alone-period!
Once we form a more mature faith, and develop a strong sense of gratitude for the grace flowing in us, what should we do about our stewardship? How can we best respond with the goods given to our care? How much do we keep for ourselves, how much do we give away; how much is for us to play with, and how much goes to the work of the church? There are no concrete answers here; it is a call and a response of our heart and faith. We are given the general parameters from Scripture; it is up to us to figure out how to apply them. Yet, this is hard for most, even me, and the source for most debates. The message board debates are nothing new. This subject is now, and has been very controversial. It has been a bitter debate since the formation of the early church, perhaps because most people like to do things their own way and do not like relinquishing control, especially with their pocketbook. So, we can see all kinds of crazy teachings from every conceivable perspective. But what we do at Into Thy Word is see what God’s Word says, and go from there.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Teething of Tithing
The Teething of Tithing
How do you feel when churches, ministries, or even missionaries seek you, asking for funds? Does it give you a toothache? Do you cringe and make the quickest possible exit, or do you see those requests as opportunities to serve? A lot of people run away from stewardship because they do not see it as God does. This is a reflection of our spiritual condition! We should never separate money and finances from our spiritual life. Yet, so many Christians do, seeking to be cheerful with what they can keep, not with how they can be used. Have you ever thought that the way we give is a prime picture of what is in our hearts and our level of commitment to our Lord? And, when we refuse to give or are very stingy, we are missing key opportunities to serve and be used of God?
If we really want to be mature and growing Christians, we must take the Bible seriously! That means discovering God's character, holiness, fear, and awe, and learning how we can grow further in the depths of the faith. Then, perhaps in realizing what Christ did for us, we can start to take to heart the seriousness of being a wise steward. Stewardship is an act of worship and gratitude by the Believer, in response to His grace. In so doing, we acknowledge God's power and authority over our lives. Then, we respond to others around us with these godly precepts.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
How do you feel when churches, ministries, or even missionaries seek you, asking for funds? Does it give you a toothache? Do you cringe and make the quickest possible exit, or do you see those requests as opportunities to serve? A lot of people run away from stewardship because they do not see it as God does. This is a reflection of our spiritual condition! We should never separate money and finances from our spiritual life. Yet, so many Christians do, seeking to be cheerful with what they can keep, not with how they can be used. Have you ever thought that the way we give is a prime picture of what is in our hearts and our level of commitment to our Lord? And, when we refuse to give or are very stingy, we are missing key opportunities to serve and be used of God?
If we really want to be mature and growing Christians, we must take the Bible seriously! That means discovering God's character, holiness, fear, and awe, and learning how we can grow further in the depths of the faith. Then, perhaps in realizing what Christ did for us, we can start to take to heart the seriousness of being a wise steward. Stewardship is an act of worship and gratitude by the Believer, in response to His grace. In so doing, we acknowledge God's power and authority over our lives. Then, we respond to others around us with these godly precepts.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
The Teething of Tithing
The Teething of Tithing
How do you feel when churches, ministries, or even missionaries seek you, asking for funds? Does it give you a toothache? Do you cringe and make the quickest possible exit, or do you see those requests as opportunities to serve? A lot of people run away from stewardship because they do not see it as God does. This is a reflection of our spiritual condition! We should never separate money and finances from our spiritual life. Yet, so many Christians do, seeking to be cheerful with what they can keep, not with how they can be used. Have you ever thought that the way we give is a prime picture of what is in our hearts and our level of commitment to our Lord? And, when we refuse to give or are very stingy, we are missing key opportunities to serve and be used of God?
If we really want to be mature and growing Christians, we must take the Bible seriously! That means discovering God's character, holiness, fear, and awe, and learning how we can grow further in the depths of the faith. Then, perhaps in realizing what Christ did for us, we can start to take to heart the seriousness of being a wise steward. Stewardship is an act of worship and gratitude by the Believer, in response to His grace. In so doing, we acknowledge God's power and authority over our lives. Then, we respond to others around us with these godly precepts.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
How do you feel when churches, ministries, or even missionaries seek you, asking for funds? Does it give you a toothache? Do you cringe and make the quickest possible exit, or do you see those requests as opportunities to serve? A lot of people run away from stewardship because they do not see it as God does. This is a reflection of our spiritual condition! We should never separate money and finances from our spiritual life. Yet, so many Christians do, seeking to be cheerful with what they can keep, not with how they can be used. Have you ever thought that the way we give is a prime picture of what is in our hearts and our level of commitment to our Lord? And, when we refuse to give or are very stingy, we are missing key opportunities to serve and be used of God?
If we really want to be mature and growing Christians, we must take the Bible seriously! That means discovering God's character, holiness, fear, and awe, and learning how we can grow further in the depths of the faith. Then, perhaps in realizing what Christ did for us, we can start to take to heart the seriousness of being a wise steward. Stewardship is an act of worship and gratitude by the Believer, in response to His grace. In so doing, we acknowledge God's power and authority over our lives. Then, we respond to others around us with these godly precepts.
Love you guys,
Chuck Lewis
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