West Pines Community Church

Struggling With God by West Pines Community Church

What if you decided to get into the business of flipping houses. So, you buy a fixer-upper, that needs a ton of work. You gut the whole thing. You put in a lot of hours and a lot of money. And at the end of all the renovation, the house looks beautiful. You are ready to sell. But there’s one major problem: the location is abysmal. The realtor informs you that it is pretty much hopeless to get someone to buy this house. He reminds you of the old saying: location, location, location. It doesn’t matter how much renovation you attempt, if you are in a bad location, it’s pretty much a waste. Psalm 1 says something similar about our spiritual lives. If you want to thrive, you need to be situated in a place where God’s word is constantly present.

Analyzing a big decision and not knowing what to do can be exasperating. If you’ve been in that situation, maybe you’ve gotten to a place where you just wish someone could come alongside of you and tell you what the right decision is. What if we could have a life coach that always knew the right answer. What if they always could perfectly direct us. The Bible claims to be that for us. It says that we will thrive if we anchor our lives to it. Maybe you’ve heard that before but it’s not worked for you. Where in the Bible does it tell me if I should date this person or take this job? It’s hard to find that page in the Bible. But maybe the problem is we don’t know how to use the Bible. Don’t worry. Think of Psalm 1 as the user's manual. You may be one step away from full access to inexhaustible wisdom and insight.

“Read your Bible.” We’ve heard it before. It’s not new. It doesn’t seem profound. It’s not some radically innovative statement. So then what get’s in the way? We’re busy. It’s hard to find the time. That’s not just an excuse, it’s true. But deep down we only move Bible study down the priority list because we see it as something to check off our already over-extended to do lists. But what if we saw it as something that will guide, direct, mentor, teach, strengthen, bolster, explain, reveal, inspire, and impact every part of our lives? Maybe now we see it as something that takes away from all of the other busy activities that we have. But we should see it as something that will influence, inform and shape every single one of those things we are busy with. But maybe we simply just don’t know how to use the Bible to impact our lives. Don’t let that be an obstacle any more. Here’s how to study the Bible...

When you were a kid did you ever do that science experiment where you put a stalk of celery in water with food coloring in it? What happened? After a while you could see the colored water working its way up the stalk. After a while the celery started taking on more and more the color of the water. This is not unlike our lives. There are many things all around us that we let influence us. After a while our lives start to take on the tint of those influences. The Bible tells us that a wise person understands this principle and so makes sure their lives are saturated with the word of God. In Psalm 1, we are encouraged to be like a tree planted right next to a stream of water. That tree has a constant water source. This is how we are to use the Bible. We should let it constantly saturate us and our families. How would you characterize your relationship to God’s Word? Here are some ideas on how to be firmly planted right next to it...

Of all the things that you have, what would you consider priceless? What are the things you would grab if your house was on fire? What if you knew that there were people who have died to make the Bible available to the world? We learn what makes the Bible so valuable in the story of King Josiah. The Bible was forgotten and collecting dust in the temple. And Israel had gotten completely entangled in idol worship. In this passage we see that without a clear standard of truth, breaking God’s commands becomes normalized. That means sin seems, looks and feels natural. If we don’t have something revealing truth to us, we can find ourselves falling deeper into destructive ways, without even realizing it. The Bible is the light in the darkness. It shines into our lives revealing truth we desperately need to have. We could not put a price on having access to God’s truth.

Essentially all renovation projects begin in the same way. Whether it’s your favorite HGTV show or the house project that’s taking much longer to finish than you had originally anticipated, every renovation begins with demolition day. Before the new and updated can be brought in, the old and outdated must be taken out. Throughout this series, we’re talking about how all of our lives are under renovation. We’re works in progress, aiming to become the people that we were created to be. But in order to get there, there are some things that we need to remove.

It’s a brand new year. It feels like a blank slate, a fresh start. What do you think you will say 12 months from now? What will define 2017? It would be ideal if you could look back on this year and say it was defined by one word - BLESSED. Imagine, you look back on each category and with a huge exhale of relief you can say that while it wasn’t necessarily easy, your life across the board is in a better place. You couldn’t ask for much more than that. Here’s the good news. One chapter in the Bible prescribes how to make that a reality. It lays out a few concrete, practical ideas that are foundational to thriving the way God intended. In this series, RENOVATE, we are going to explore these keystone habits that if can positively impact every single area of our lives. We will refresh our souls and reclaim our lives!

New Year’s Day always feels like a fresh start. You have a whole new year in front of you. You might even have some big goals for this year. Maybe this is the year you hit a big number in your business. Or it’s the year you pursue that promotion. Or you are determined to get out of debt or save for a big purchase. Maybe this is the year you decide to settle down or have a child. With all of the goals you can have for 2017, wouldn’t it be nice to know what the right first step would be? Following the Disciple’s example, we can see the first step we need to take to have an amazing 2017.

There is so much that we are troubled about and frightened over. In the Christmas season life doesn't stop, and many of us arrive at Christmas overspent, under prepared and over anxious. We celebrate with all the bright lights, busy people, gifts and parties but nothing has really changed. We’re still anxious, we’re still afraid of so much. The true story has not impacted us and we hide in all our worries and fears. Yet, the Christmas story teaches us that God has done something, something unthinkable and undeniable which changes everything! God has come! The simple and beautiful birth of this baby is the hope of mankind because He brings salvation and freedom from sin and fear. This great birth is the great rescue. The great lesson of Christmas is that God comes face to face with humanity. This baby can identify with your pain or fear. This is why Jesus can take away your fear, because He is no stranger to it and He walks with you in it!

One of the most memorable icons from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, is Charlie Brown’s tree. In the midst of all the glimmering, multicolored, modern aluminum trees, there is a humble tree that can barely keep its needles on the branches. Linus is surprised they still make wooden trees. But that is the tree that Charlie Brown chooses. The unlikely one. And in the end of the movie, it is the tree that is made to be beautiful, almost miraculously beautiful. It is hard to find a better representation of the message of Christmas. In a humble and overlooked village of Bethlehem, a little child is born. But this child will be the king of all kings. He will be the one who takes the humble and broken and miraculously transforms them into something beautiful. He brings deep, thorough peace.

The security blanket is something that many children have. It is comfortable. It is familiar. It is soothing. Linus van Pelt is one of those children. You will be hardpressed to find Linus without his blanket. He is committed to his trusty blanket, despite ridicule from his older sister Lucy. Unlike Linus, most of us adults have outgrown carrying a blanket around. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have other “security blankets.” One of the most motivating factors in our lives is the pursuit of security. However, the prophet Micah has good news. There will come a ruler, who will bring security. We can find genuine, life-changing security brought by the One born in Bethlehem.

Charlie Brown is still having a tough time finding joy at Christmas time. It seems like everywhere he turns, people have ‘gone commercial’. His friends, family, and even his dog, snoopy, are wrapped up in the materialism that often overtakes the Christmas season. Though “A Charlie Brown Christmas” originally aired in 1965, his famous search for the true meaning of Christmas still resonates with us today. Writing about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, Micah gives us a different way to find joy at Christmas time.

Charlie Brown is experiencing a crisis. It’s Christmas time, but he’s not feeling it. Isn’t it supposed to be the happiest season of all? Then why is he so depressed? Maybe it’s because he doesn’t understand Christmas. And that begins his quest to understand what Christmas is all about. That is the challenge of Christmas season. There are great expectations on how we are supposed to feel. But our emotions so easily lead us astray. Our emotions betray us, confuse us and misguide us. If only there was something or someone who was a better leader than our own emotions...

Black Friday. For some those words get the blood pumping. Armed with a canteen of coffee and comfortable shoes, it is a chance to prove that no mob will stop you from grabbing up the deals of the year. For others, nothing could tempt you out into the crazed chaos that is the shopping frenzy the day after Thanksgiving. Especially, not after a tryptophan induced coma the day before. No matter which camp you fall into, no one can deny that Black Friday is a once a year opportunity. But what if there were another opportunity that begins this weekend? The potential reward is not merely a few dollars saved. It is at this time of year, that our culture is more open to coming to church and hearing the gospel than any other time of year. Does that get our blood pumping?

People from all over the world view South Florida as a sunny oasis and a vacation destination. For those of us who call South Florida home, we can agree that it certainly is those things, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The reality is that we live in one of the wealthiest parts of the country and also one of the poorest. Census statistics show that among the 4.4 million people living in Broward or Miami-Dade county, over 800,000 of them live below the poverty line. Throughout history, the Church has loved and served the poor, following in the footsteps of Jesus who championed their cause. As a church living in this community, it’s our duty and privilege to proclaim and display God’s love in selfless service to the poor.

Have you ever had the opportunity to be a “good samaritan” but it falls at the worst time? It’s not that you don’t want to help, it’s just that right now is not a fit. But still, you believe in your heart you are a good samaritan… right? Interestingly, that is at the heart of Jesus’ story we call “The Good Samaritan.” Two other people passed by the hurting man because it was an inconvenient moment for them. The one who really understood what it was to love, readjusted his life to accommodate the hurting person. According to Jesus, love is not simply good intentions. Love is sacrificing for another. It is responding to whoever is in our path. So, who are the hurting ones in our way right now? Will we stop and respond and show love? What if it requires us to rearrange our lives? What if it takes great sacrifice? What if it is a child that needs a home?

#LoveSFL, Part 2: Using Need To Help Get Them Freed The Command to Minister To Single Parents

Have you ever known a family that all have a similar look about them? Maybe you can’t even put your finger on it, but it is unmistakable. You are convinced that if you lined up 50 people and mixed in members of that family, you could pick them out. Jesus uses a similar metaphor to describe his followers. In a parable Jesus tells how one day He will sit on a throne to judge humanity. He says he will separate those who are His followers from those who are not. He explains how there is one quality that His followers all have. This attribute is so commonplace that he can use it as the basis for identifying those who are His. Those who are saved by the grace of God will have an undeniable compulsion. The gospel plants a seed in us. Since Jesus sacrificed everything to save us who were spiritually poor, we cannot help but to sacrifice ourselves for the “least of these” among us.

If you had the option of avoiding discomfort, would you? I think if you stopped to think about it, you’d need more information. If the discomfort is senselessly breaking your arm, then the answer would be yes. If the discomfort is sitting in traffic on your way to pick up your loved one returning from a combat tour overseas, then the answer is no. Pain is endured when the allure of the joy on the other end of the pain is stronger. But interestingly, often we simply avoid pain and discomfort at all costs. That leads us to miss out on some of the best parts of life. Furthermore, we often think that following Jesus will automatically result in less discomfort. We believe that the closer we draw to God, the more he will make our path comfortable, more stable, and easier. In reality, Jesus promised the exact opposite. The path of following Jesus is difficult. But the joy on the other end, far outweighs the cost...