Compassion is the Key

Last night, I visited the church I grew up in for their District WAC Meeting. The ladies there have had a huge role in shaping my view of what it means to be a godly woman.

Mrs. Ginger Peoples, the Field Worker for the Vernon District WAC, spoke about compassion. She read from the book of Jude.

The society Jude lived in was much like the one we live in today. People were evil. They didn't even try to hide their sins. They mocked the things of God. They were hard people to live with, but in verse 22, Jude tells us: "And of some, have compassion, making a difference."

Isn't that something you want to do? Don't we all want to make a difference?

If we're going to do that, we have to show compassion to others.

Look at Matthew 25:35-40. In these verses, Jesus tells us to feed the hungry, bring water to the thirsty, take in strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick and minister to those in prison. We should do those things with compassion in our hearts. We have to minister to people right where they are, even when they are in places where we don't want to be.

I've never understood why some churches talk about reaching the lost, but turn away people that try to come in because they're not dressed right, or don't live right, or don't come from the right side of town. We can't make people "clean up" before they come to church. Even if they do clean up their acts, it will only be an outward cleansing until they know Jesus. It's important for us to portray cleanliness. We should treat our bodies as temples; we should respect the places that God has given us to live and to worship in. But until we're cleaned on the inside, by the blood of Jesus, all the other things are just a show. We have to show people that they can come just as they are. That's how Jesus wants them. Just as they are, but willing to change from the inside out. That's how we should want them, too. And we should love them, right where they are.

We also have to have faith and believe in people. It can be hard to believe in someone after they've disappointed or hurt you, but we cannot expect them to fail. We are called to have compassion on them, and to encourage and motivate them to succeed. When we expect failure, we may think that we're shielding ourselves from the pain of disappointment, but in reality we're setting ourselves and the people we love up to fall. Remember that Jesus believed in you enough to die for you. He doesn't ask us to die for the people in our lives - He just wants us to love and encourage them.

So never give up. There's no such thing as a lost cause. Jesus didn't give up on us, and He is unwilling for people to give up on sharing His love with others. He wants us to "sing until the whole world hears" (Casting Crowns). He wants us to proclaim His goodness and mercy and power to everyone we meet. He wants us to go into a sinful and dying world and show them the same compassion that He showed to us.

If you want to make a difference, compassion is your key.

Young Women Active for Christ Bible Study

Visit http://www.wnac.org/ to download your copy of the Teen Bible Study for March.

Using examples from the life of David, this month's study looks at fear and doubt and how to defeat them so we can live lives full of God's power!

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

Family February

For the month of February, Bro. Rick preached about families.

Our families are the cornerstone of all our other relationships - at church, school, and work. Our families have the power to make us confident and strong in our faith, or they have the power to make us feel fear, doubt and failure.

Satan knows that the family is important to God. God has set up an order for the family, and Satan does all he can to disrupt this order. Satan wants to see our families fall apart. He wants to see us struggle, fight and disagree.

While God celebrates at marriage, Satan celebrates at divorce. God celebrates at the birth of a baby; Satan celebrates at an abortion. God celebrates when families pray together; Satan celebrates when families curse at one another.

Satan is the enemy of strong, happy families. Look at how he works in the world. You've probably heard, "Happy families don't sell" when reality TV families fall apart. It's sad and true. We, as a nation, don't embrace the true meaning of family. We want to see the drama and tension and fights. How sad that some families are willing to sacrifice their relationships with each other for fame, greed or pride.

Pride is a big problem in the family, especially for women in today's society. We're told by people in magazines and on TV that we need to be "Super Woman." Career, fame, recognition, money, family...we can have it all!

That may be true by society's standards, but when you look at God's standards, where is a woman's place in the family?

We can have careers, but our families should come first. Money is nice, but it's not a substitute for spending time with your children. Recognition and fame are slippery slopes, and it's hard to keep a godly perspective on your life when you're living in that.

Does that mean that we're limited to the kitchen? Absolutely not. God has given us gifts and talents and He expects us to use them for His glory. Women can be doctors, lawyers, writers, teachers, dancers, actresses, singers...

But no matter what we are in the corporate world, when we come home, we are expected to submit ourselves to our husbands. We should be chaste, modest, and trustworthy. We should help provide for the needs of our families and other's families. We are not to be lazy or idle. We should work with our hands and be good stewards of our family's resources. We should speak with kindness and speak of the things of the Lord. (Proverbs 31:10-31)

While the man is the head of the household, we serve as the backbone of the family. It's a huge responsibility. We shouldn't feel burdened by this, because it's a gift from God. He gave us, the weaker sex, the ability to bring forth life. He gave us the gifts and talents we would need to fill the role that He designed for us.

Satan loves to see us struggle to break out of God's design for our families. He likes to see us fight amongst ourselves about who is in charge. He likes to see husbands and wives that can't agree, children that are disrespectful, and families that never slow down enough to really know each other.

Here are few things to remember about God's design for the family...

1. The Parents' Obligation to the Family

• Christ must be the cornerston of the family (Ephesians 5:22, 25)
• Our devotion to God should leave no question to our devotion to our spouse and family.
• Loving God means loving people.
• Communication is crutial (1 Peter 3:5-7 and 1 Corinthians 7:1-5)
• Our committments must be kept (Genesis 2:24)
• Other than your committment to God, your committment to your spouse is the most important (Mark 10:9)
• We need to be committed to our family's spiritual well-being (Joshua 24:15)

2. The Children's Role in the Family

• Children should honor and obey their parents (Exodus 20:12)
• Children should fear the Lord (Proverbs 1:7-9 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...")
• We must educate our children in the things of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:5-8)
• We should teach by example, showing our children how to be dedicated to God, His Word, His Church, and His People (Proverbs 6:6-8)

3. The Church's Obligation to the Family

• Our obligation, as a church, is not to the building we worship in, but to the people we worship with.
• We as a church, are a family, held together by the love of Christ.
• We should provide families with positive communication (Philippians 4:8)
• We should provide families with help in physical, financial, and SPIRITUAL matters
• We should pray for families in our church and community (James 5:14-16)
• We should desire to see families be saved and become part of our church family

"...Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

My second teen Bible study for WNAC is now available online. Go to http://www.wnac.org/ and click on the Young Women Active for Christ Bible Study link to download this month's study about dealing with disappointments.

Thanks for your prayers and support as I continue to write these studies each month.

The Words I Would Say

Sorry that I haven't updated the blog in the last few days. I just haven't felt very inspired to write anything lately.

I just wanted to share the lyrics to the song "The Words I Would Say" by Sidewalk Prophets. This song is really great, and it has an awesome message.

Three in the morning

And I'm still awake

So I picked up a pen and a page

And I started writing

Just what I'd say

If we were face to face

I'd tell you just what you mean to me

I'd tell you these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord

Never give up hope

You're gonna do great things

I already know

God's got His hand on you, so

Don't live life in fear

Forgive and forget

But don't forget why you're here

Take your time and pray

These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke

You said you were hurting

And I felt your pain in my heart

I want to tell you

That I keep praying

Love will find you where you are

I know, 'cause I've already been there

So please hear these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord

Never give up hope

You're gonna do great things

I already know

God's got His hand on you, so

Don't live life in fear

Forgive and forget

But don't forget why you're here

Take your time and pray

These are the words I would say

From one simple life to another

I will say

Come find peace in the Father

Be strong in the Lord

Never give up hope

You're gonna do great things

I already know

God's got His hand on you, so

Don't live life in fear

Forgive and forget

But don't forget why you're here

Take your time and pray

Thank God for each day

His love will find a way

These are the words I would say

What an awesome song of encouragement! I want to encourage all of you to write notes of encouragement to your friends and family that are going through difficult times. You never know how much it can mean just to get a little note saying that someone cares!

Also, please be in prayer for the family of Mrs. Geraldine Strickland. She passed away Wednesday morning. Visitation will be held at Magnolia Funeral Home on Thursday from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. and the funeral will be at the church on Friday at 2:00 p.m.

No Questions Asked

I'm sure most of you saw the National Championship football game between Alabama and Texas (Roll Tide!). If you did, then I'm sure you saw Colt McCoy's statement at the end of the game.

What he said has really stuck out in my mind for the last few weeks.

"I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control of my life. And I know that if nothing else, I'm
standing on the Rock."


Colt McCoy, University of Texas Quarterback

That is an awesome statement of faith.

How many times do we question God? We pray for something to happen and when it doesn't come about as fast as we wanted or it doesn't happen like we planned, we start asking God why.

What if we had a "no questions asked" kind of faith? What if we spent less time asking questions and more time listening for direction? How much more could we accomplish for God that way?

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6

Which Group Are You In?

Sermon by Bro. Roger Lucas

Read Matthew 26:36-75. In these verses, Jesus goes to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He is later betrayed, arrested, tried and crucified. In this story, we see three groups of people:

1. The Group of Eight - These eight disciples were left at the garden gate. They represent the people in the church today that don't get involved. They attend, maybe even every Sunday, but they just want to sit in a pew for an hour or so and go home. They don't take on responsibility for the work of the church.

2. The Group of Three - These three disciples (Peter, James and John) went into the garden with Jesus. Jesus asked them to watch and pray with Him while He was in the garden, but they fell asleep. They represent the people of the church that take on the bulk of the load. They get involved - they teach Sunday school, they knock on doors, they sing in the choir, they organize pot lucks, they visit the sick... they work for Christ! And they get tired and weary, just like Peter, James and John did.

3. The Group of One - Judas, the one that betrayed Jesus, was missing from these activities. He gave up. He quit on Jesus. He represents the people that have just quit the church. They don't want anything to do with Jesus or His people. Maybe they got tired (like the people in the Group of Three), maybe they were discouraged... whatever happened, it caused them to give up.

Which group do you find yourself in?

Now look at Peter. He was in the Group of Three. He was member of the inner circle. If Jesus was the pastor, Peter was the head deacon.

But when Jesus was captured and tried, Peter followed from "afar off" (verse 58).

Because of fear, Peter denied Jesus three times. At that moment, what group was Peter in?

The greatest thing about God is that He gives us second (and third, and fourth, and fifth...) chances. Peter denied Christ, and it looked like he had given up, but he repented!

When Jesus rose from the dead, He told the women at His grave to "go tell Peter." He gave Peter a second chance - because Peter repented! He even chose Peter to be the one that preached on the Day of the Pentecost.

So....

If you're in the Group of Eight... get involved! God has blessed you with a talent (weather it's singing, cooking, or just being friendly) that you can use for Him!

If you're in the Group of Three... take heart! God provides rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28). Remember, "you can't out give God!"

If you're in the Group on One... don't give up. Jesus will never give up on you. He loves you and wants you to come back to Him!