Lately I have been studying a lot about what church should look and feel like. I've been reading a lot of books and blog entries from people who have a certain view and I find one reoccurring trait that is having a hard time taking hold. Summed up in a word, it's selflessness. Being part of a nation that makes you believe you can be who and what you want to be, only encourages us to take that same mindset into church. There are three words that don't belong in church if used in a selfish manner.


1. Disdain:

To think of anyone or any particular issue with disdain is to put yourself in a place of control above it and its relevance. Followers of Christ are to lead by example and doing so makes you no better than anyone else. When has contempt, despise or scorn ever fit into what Christ calls you to be or how he wants you to treat others? This sort of feeling arises from the individual arrogance that “I am who the church is serving and they had better realize that, for my sake.”


2. Offended:



3. Apathy:

Church needs to be a place of excitement and movement! If you lack that or despise that, it's is time to check out of church and into a hospice. It says in 1 Corinthians 3:16 - “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” Back in the times of the Old Testament, the temple was where people went to see God, it was a physical manifestation of God on this earth. In this passage, Paul is saying we are to be that temple. Is your church/temple full of apathetic people? If so, is that what you want people to see God as when they come to your church?


It's time to stop being selfish and thinking about ourselves, but to realize true joy comes from serving together, as a community, built to show God's love. It's not about us and I hope you can stand with me in saying, I'm willing to sacrifice my own desires and ideals to see Gods kingdom glorified and the world we live in impacted daily.

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

How deep is your life in Christ? Is it lacking depth or feel superficial sometimes? Having the unique opportunity to be involved in ministry everyday, I get the chance to peer into peoples spiritual lives. It's hard to believe, but there are so many that have such a shallow acquaintance with God and yet have the arrogance to think that they are a blessing to Gods' ministry. I'm amazed at peoples ability to take ownership over the most stupid things and fight for it as if Jesus had died for it and not us. Kansas said it best:

“And if I claim to be a wise man, well, It surely means that I don't know.”

Is it so easy to attack others beliefs so as to avoid examining our own? I mean, we are right and they are wrong so they must be told, right? I just have to say that sometimes I'm so disgusted by the way Christians act, so arrogant and self righteous , that I feel like I should apologize to someone for the way they act. How did we get so shallow? Is your faith in Christ simply skin deep?

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:13-14

Really? Serve one another? Love your neighbor as you would want to be loved? That means it doesn't matter whether a guy is an atheist, gay or been divorced even though you know it's wrong. That means it doesn't matter how a church service should or shouldn't look like. That means, the way you think it should be done, or how important you think it is to have a certain spiritual gift and whether or not you use it enough, doesn't matter. That means through all the religious nonsense and bits and pieces we want to call our own and die for, don't stand for squat in comparison to serving eachother in love. Just because it's not right doesn't mean it's time to form a mob! Let it go people! Stop running around trying to make sure you understand it all or putting out pointless fires. It's time to go back to basics.

1. It's time to start loving people unconditionally again. That means loving people and not expecting anything in return as well as loving them no matter how wrong they are. We have to release the joy we have for the father we follow and stop worrying about whether or not Christianity is serving us like it should.

2. It's time to make sure other people know who God is and the benefits of a journey with him. Have we got so comfortable in the fact that we found God that we have forgotten that someone told us in the first place? We have to stop worrying about raising people from the dead, speaking in tongues, getting the books of the bible memorized or shopping only at the “good Christian store”. It's time to realize someone showed you Christ and now it's your time to return the favor, not just once, but every opportunity you get for the rest of your days on earth.

3. It's time to realize you are not Gods gift to Christianity. The church is not your personal soapbox. We need to stop treating it like a club for those who believe what we believe. I want to go to church for community, encouragement and a family of believers that is ever growing! I don't want to sit in the same stagnant group of people that is not going anywhere or impacting anyone.

4. It's time to change. This one is personal only. We can not change anyone, we can only offer support and wisdom along the way. Ultimately people will make the final decision and this is why we need to stop making it our burden to change those around us. Back to basics means, we realize we will forever be a work in progress, so stop being so judgmental.

Step away from the shallow Christianity I see so many infected with. Search for a depth in Christ that only he can give. Remember, it's not about us. So take this quote and put it to heart. The next time you feel offended or as if you know whats right, make sure you have this down first and it may save you a lot of heartache.

Oh God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirst for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me.
Say to my soul, "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away."
Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long. - A.W. Tozer.

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

If your church closed its doors today, would your community know it? Honestly, think about it. Where is our impact or our presence, more importantly? Do we offer enough value to the town we live in to make it a important part of our community? If our town isn't effected by the loss of our ministry, we aren't doing it well enough. We have to start giving to the people that need Gods love, until it hurts. Simply saying we need to give sounds so vague, but it is in everything, that we should give of ourselves.

We need to give of our talents and skills to the community to serve them. This means if you are good at fixing cars, you find someone that can't afford to have their car fixed and fix it for them! The cool part about this is, it doesn't have to be a friend of yours or someone from the church. You will be growing Gods kingdom through your abilities to serve others outside of the church. Maybe you're skilled in carpentry or managing finances. Maybe you are a good listener and simply give your ear to those who need it. What unique ability do you have that can impact your community and grow your church?

We need to give of our money and possessions to the community to serve them. Keep in mind, I don't simply mean start writing checks to people or giving your car away, but rather to be aware of the needs that people have. What better way to show Gods love to someone than giving of yourself in their time of need. Maybe you have a refrigerator or major kitchen appliance you no longer need and can give to a family who doesn't have one. Maybe someone is having a hard month financially and you offer to pay for some gas or buy basic household necessities like laundry detergent or toilet paper. Maybe a single mom needs diapers and you decide to supply them for a couple months. What does this sort of selfless serving show people? What does this tell them about the Jesus you have in your life? What finances or things do you have that can impact your community and grow your church?

Don't forget the church. We need to give of ourselves and our money to the church so it can grow and impact the community through our ability to serve them. The church will grow and impact many, as you give of your time and money to build it. I just recently started tithing and giving 10% of my wages every week and let me be the first to tell you, it isn't easy. In probably one of the lowest points of my life financially, I lost my job and am collecting unemployment, I decided that it was too big of a risk not to give back to God. It's not my money in the first place, I only have because he gives it to me and to accept this makes it all the easier to give it away to others. Since giving my money back to God, I have have been blessed both emotionally and financially. I feel good about myself knowing that I don't have to be chained to my income and since then, I've got more work to make more money and I have even bought a house, only by Gods doing. What can you do in your church both financially and personally to build it and become valuable to your community?

We need to give of our hearts to the community to serve them. We need to realize that this movie we call our lives, does not star us. The greatest things you can do in your life, are that of which we do for others. We have to stop being selfish and thinking it's all about us, our church, our building, our money and get back to the basics of serving those who need it. When is the last time you heard someone in need and walked away. I'm sure it's more often than you care to think about, I know it is for me. We need to stop trying to get comfortable and suffering more for the betterment of the people that God is trying to reach. It is not us that needs people to be saved! There isn't a tally sheet somewhere that is keeping track of the people we have led to the Lord, because it isn't us doing it! God needs to reach people and we need to open ourselves up to the people Christ wants us to be, so he can do just that; reach people! It's time to start being the follower Jesus intended us to be and give back to our community and the people in it. If your church closed its doors today, would your community know it?

Lets make sure they do.

My mind tends to go to amazing places at night. When I lay in bed and stare into my room that used to look different lit, everything settles and my thoughts become louder than they have been all day. I began to think about where I am at and how different it would be if I had never taken that chance or that risk. How incredible, that my choices have brought me to this moment right now. I feel lonely here, but not alone. Once my thoughts have gotten past talking to myself, they move to those I love and how I miss them. Some of them are many hours away and others are simply downstairs, however none are close enough to remove the loneliness. There is only one person left to go to and far too often the last one I check on. Realizing that he's the only one that truly makes me feel valuable I began to wish I was done here.

I know my role in this world is far from finished and the plans for me he repeats over and over making the possibilities seem endless. As much as I yearn to be “home”, I realize there are people that feel the same way I do. They feel that same loneliness and yearning, but have no idea where to fill that void. In that I understand why I feel selfish in wanting to be done here. I know that there are people out there that take these same feelings and without knowing there is a father that cares for them, act violently and may even decide to end it all themselves.

I have something so great that I can't pack my bags and prepare for home without making sure that everyone knows what I know. How selfish are we that we go to church with the intention of using what we learn only to benefit ourselves? In fact, how selfish are we, to just go to church? I understand now, that God removes that loneliness from me so I have the confidence to reach into someones life and show them how God can remove it from theirs. How egotistical to think God is here to serve me and make me feel good! How did we turn into feel good fanatics? Is that why you became a Christian; to feel good? After what I have done in my life I deserve nothing! The self-centered mindset has run rampant through the Christian world and it has to stop.

Think about it, who does Christian music serve? Who are we serving when we wear our Christian T-Shirts or go to our Christian bookstore? Don't get me wrong, those things are all great and useful, but when they become the epicenter of what our relationship with God is, we've moved past the simple joy of having those things in our life and instead built our lives around them. My point is, a good Christian song or a T-shirt never saved anyone. We need to move past thinking, that as long as people know what I believe we've done our part. No one cares what you believe, but they do care about how you show Christs love through your serving. We need to get out there and sacrifice of ourselves more than just what we wear or what we listen to. We need to truly care for those who need us, because the only way God reaches into people's lives, is if we do.