G.R.O.W. Training

Sunday, Feb. 15th, we completed our second session of training in the outreach program G.R.O.W. The acronym stands for God Rewards Our Work. God likens His Kingdom business to a garden with each church representing a field in which He is the Creator, Landowner, and Head Farmer. As I was praying one day asking God to help Bethel MBC grow, He impressed upon my heart that if we wanted to see a growing crop we needed to be planting seeds in the field instead of pouring them out in the barn!

My dad loves to garden. He grew up farming and has continued it through his adult life. Some of the most vivid memories of my childhood are those relating to my working with my dad, usually quite reluctantly, in the garden. We always seemed to have enough to feed the whole county, but I never saw all those people there when it came time to harvest! Though I wish now I had paid more attention back then, I did pick up on a few things. This idea of pouring the seeds in the barn is not only comical but foolish and a sure way to be in a lot of trouble. It would not be long before my dad would have realized that something was not right when he didn't see plants growing out in the field we had plowed and prepared for planting.

As I considered what God was revealing to me, it finally sunk in that we pour the seeds in the barn when we as church members think that all of our work for Jesus revolves around our church services. We come together to teach the Gospel, sing the Gospel, and preach the Gospel in the barn, a rather nice one for most of us. Then we go out into the field and play in the rows of the garden that our Heavenly Father is plowing and preparing for planting. The few times I did that as a child did not prove to be in my best interest!

As I continued to meditate on this topic my heart broke as I saw how often I had miserably failed my Heavenly Father. I began asking the Lord to help lead the church He has called me to pastor in taking the seed out into the field in a purposeful manner. God is answering my prayers in this regard. I am excited about utilizing the G.R.O.W. program as a tool to aid us in organizing our efforts as we plant and water in the local field God is plowing and preparing for us. I have no doubt that we will see the increase for our Heavenly Father does no work in vain!

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Show THE Way!

It's that time of year when "love" is in the air. Valentine's Day is around the corner and the chocaholics are ready for paradise! Seriously though, this is a wonderful opportunity (maybe reminder) for us to let those we love know what we often fail to say. As we let our loved ones know our feelings for them, let us not forget that romantic love is not the greatest love!

Though extremely powerful, romantic love is only one of three types of love recognized by the Greek language of Jesus' day. To clarify matters, the Greek language actually had three words describing differing charaterstics of what we lump together in one word. Another word was used to describe brotherly or friendly love. Yet greater still was the word used to describe sacrificial love, agape.

Jesus used agape in John 15:13 when he stated, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." He again used this same word in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

As you express your love this Valentine's Day, remember to share Jesus so that your love will be complete and the greatest it can be!