Strengthening Home and Family
Our emphasis for 2001 is Strengthening
Home and Family. Our elders have shown much wisdom in choosing this
as a priority for the new year. There are many different things we will be
doing through the course of the year that will encourage us to grow stronger at
home an in the congregation. We will be having special speakers and programs as
well as shaping a part of our Sunday sermons, Bible School Program, VBS, and
Youth Rally to spotlight our emphasis.
Unlike past initiatives where intentions
have been announced and a lack of follow-through has seen things kind of fizzle
out, we have a different strategy for this effort. The elders have selected a
variety of activities, happening throughout the year, to keep us focused. Good
activities to help our good intentions become even better realities. Stay
tuned, you will be hearing a lot more about these opportunities. Soon a
calendar of the activities for the remainder of the year will be published.
With this you will get a better idea of the specifics the eldership has put in
place.
There remains, however, a vital ingredient
missing if we are to allow the Father to bring us success. We must, “buy into”
as they say, certain principles that God has revealed. These principles are the
attitudes and understandings that must underlie the specific things we do if we
hope to be victorious. Let’s give them some serious thought.
WE ARE NOT WHERE WE
ARE GOING; WE ARE NOT WHERE WE HAVE BEEN; WE ARE WHERE WE ARE (Phil. 3:7-15)
1. The
Christian never arrives, in this life—growth is, therefore, to be a constant
(Heb. 11:8-16; Gen. 12:1-25:10).
2. We
must not let the past hold us back or sabotage our future (cf. Gen. 12:10-13;
20:1; Gen. 22:9-19).
3. Jesus
must be more important to us than anything, including self (Gen. 22:1-19).
THE BUSINESS OF OUR
GOD IS TO BE DONE WITH EXCELLENCE (Col. 3:17, 23)
1. We
represent the Lord and are, therefore, to live under His authority and express
ourselves in keeping with His nature (Rom. 8:29; Jn. 13:34-35; I Pet. 2:21).
2. Our
service is to be accounted for in the presence of Jesus Himself (Matt.
25:31-46).
SERVICE TO JESUS CAN
BE COSTLY (Matt. 10:34-39)
1. Jesus
deals with a kind of peace that is not of this world (Jn. 14:27; 16:33).
2. Jesus
and the success of His cause is more important than any other person or cause I
might otherwise champion (Gal. 1:10; 2:20).
3. It
is only in the loss of self that I find who I am supposed to be (Matt. 10:39;
16:25; Mk. 8:35; Lk. 9:24; 17:33; Jn. 12:25).
A SUPREME LOVE FOR
GOD AND A LIKE LOVE FOR MAN IS FUNDAMENTAL (Mk. 12:28-34)
1. First,
we must deal with our relationship with God (cf. Jn. 21:15-19).
2. Inseparable
from the love of God is our love for one another (I Jn. 4:19-21).
3. Both
are to be governed by God’s will, and not our own devices (Jer. 10:23; I Cor.
5:1-13; 13:1-8a).
A UNITED EFFORT OF
FAMILY AND CHURCH IS REQUIRED (Eph. 5:21-6:4; 4:16)
1. Mommas,
daddies, daughters, sons, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and
nephews will need to work together in unity so homes can grow stronger.
2. Each
member of the Karns congregation will need to do their part in working together
as a family team and in following the lead of the elders to make Karns an even
stronger congregation—united we stand, divided we fall (I Cor. 12:12-27; Phil.
1:27; 2:1-5).
THEREFORE, TO
STRENGTHEN HOME AND FAMILY:
1. We
must live productively in the present focused on the goals to which we aspire
not letting the past rob us of victory.
2. We must not settle for the commonplace, but
give of our best to the Master.
3. We
must be willing to pay the price of self-denial as the only way of true peace.
4. We
must love God and man with a love that comes from God.
5. We
must work together with each family member and each member of the congregation
contributing to ever-increasing achievements of faith.
Our emphasis for 2001 is a great one!
Surely, if we are faithful to our emphasis, our families will be strengthened
and the Karns congregation will grow spiritually. Focused on Jesus and the
biblical goals before us, we will surely employ a self-denying, God-affirming
excellence that will cause true love to shine brightly in a united work for the
Christ.
Edwin
1/28/01
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