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Pgo

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By Dan Amos

I had an idea to write about Pgo and Pwin. I even spent pretty much a whole sermon thinking it all through, writing it out in my head. It’s not that my mind was wandering, but it was engaged in a different direction … but when it came time to put the words into Notepad, it just didn’t flow.

Pgo and Pwin are terms I’ve learned to use in my job in business development to quantify the probability of an opportunity happening, and of winning it. For the purpose of this note, the opportunity is what we’re all about as children of God.

We exist to be in relationship with God. That is the opportunity. In this existence, we must choose whether we live in relationship with Him or in opposition to Him. We are already eternal beings, and we’ll take the results of this relationship with us into eternity. Either we will be in eternal relationship with Him or we will be eternally separated from Him.

With Him, we will be surrounded by His perfect love, enveloped by His glory. Our hearts will burst out in songs of praise, and I will finally be able to clap AND sing simultaneously. (For now, it’s one or the other, not both.) We will have purpose and fulfillment, but sorrow will be gone forever.

Without Him, our eternal existence will be unending misery. We will have a void that can never be filled. The torment and pain will be like nothing ever known, and it will not end. Eternity is real, and it is for everyone. How we spend it is the most important choice we make in this life.

These two options for eternity are the 10th point of our Statement of Faith. For those keeping track, this would be the Opportunity. Within the first eight points of the statement are the basics of who God is and what He has done for us. Understanding who He is is all part of Pgo. Because He did all the work (Point 5), our response to “God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone” (Point 7) is our Pwin. And, just to complete the analogy, Point 9, on Christ’s return, is part of the award process.

The point is, we must know who it is we serve and know what it is He wants of us. If we have that wrong, we are chasing a false opportunity, and we risk losing everything. We already have eternal life; it’s where we spend it that’s the opportunity. A win is spending it with Him. A loss is complete isolated desolation without Him. Make sure you understand the Pgo and go all in for Pwin and make your Paward 100%.

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Risk with Immeasurable Reward

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By Bill Naron

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, we come upon a scene where Jesus is approached by a rich ruler. This man is interested in inheriting eternal life, and he wants Jesus to tell him how to do so. Jesus lists out the commands, and the ruler quickly responds that he has kept them since his youth. But then the unexpected response from Jesus comes, and we pick it up there in verse 22:

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he had heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. (Luke 18:22-23, KJV)

Sorrowful — this is how the ruler responded. Jesus presented him with the answer to his question, and it saddened him. At the surface, we see that it saddened him because he was very rich. But I would add that it challenged his status quo. It presented a challenge to him, to sell everything he had and follow Jesus.

Is this not the same challenge that we are presented with still, to give of all we have to follow after Jesus? On Sunday, Martin was presenting to us about the culmination of being a guide. Being a guide takes risk; it takes moving beyond what is comfortable to what is uncomfortable. To accomplish the task that is set before of reaching the unbelieving community around us, it takes us setting ourselves and our comforts off to the side. One may even say that it takes us losing our lives, just like Jesus talks about in Luke 9:23-24.

The ruler was not sorrowful simply over the loss of riches that he had gained. It was a challenge that was loaded with risk; he was also sorrowful because it was calling him to engage outside of his comfort zone, where he may encounter people whom he would not normally engage, where he would be stretched to do things he would not normally do.

I wrote a Last Word back in November of last year, entitled “Called to Be Sheep!” As I have reflected on the state of the community around me, I have been reminded of this article. When I wrote this blog post last year, I was talking about reaching out to help the community around you to be like the sheep in Matthew 25:31-46. In the last couple weeks, my wife and I have been presented with situations that have really brought this back to the forefront for us.

Jesus says that if we lose our life, we will find it. He has called us out of the world to follow Him and to reach into the darkness that surrounds us and offer hope. When we decide to be the Church and we begin to go and shine a light in the darkness, it is going to get uncomfortable. Engaging with people in our community will be messy.

There is great risk in taking up our cross to follow Jesus. There is risk when we begin to be sheep, engage the community around us, and work to meet needs. There was risk in the challenge that Jesus presented to the rich ruler. We must not be like the rich ruler, though, clinging to our possessions and comfort so much that Jesus’s presentation saddens us and causes us to walk away.

We should hold loosely to everything we have, because we only have what God has given. Our possessions, our finances, our homes, were all given to us by the Lord. These things should be used to do His work. It may be risky in the sense that it challenges our status quo, and maybe it could even cause us a lot of hardship.

Jesus said that we should not be surprised when the world hates us, because they first hated Him. Jesus came to reach those who were broken and calls us to be His sheep and to do the same. This challenge is risky and uncomfortable, but the reward is great and immeasurable.

 

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Feeling “Disconnected”?

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By Larry Short, Community Ministry Director

Feeling disconnected? If so, you’re not alone.

It’s a frequent subject of discussion among leaders at Elim: hearing from people, or about people, who simply feel disconnected in the context of our church body.

People generally react to a feeling of disconnectedness in one of three ways:

  • They suffer in silence.
  • They reach out for help.
  • They leave, hopeful to find a place where they will feel more connected.

I think we all feel disconnected at times. If you are feeling disconnected, like people don’t care or you don’t matter or don’t belong, or you can’t figure out how to make a meaningful contribution, or you have trouble establishing meaningful relationships, then our first hope and prayer is that you will reject both options #1 and #3 above and focus on option #2 — reaching out for help!

Is there a simple solution for disconnectedness?

It’s tempting for me to try to offer a simple solution for this feeling of disconnectedness. For instance, as I was thinking about writing this Last Word, two verses were running through my mind:

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)

Also:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Writing in the Gospel Coalition, Pastor Erik Raymond says there are two sources of a feeling of disconnectedness at churches. One is unhealth in the ministry itself, but the other is unhealth in the individual.

What if I’m the problem?

Raymond asks, bluntly, “What if the disconnection we feel is actually the consequence of selfishness?”

Scripture doesn’t talk much about the importance of how we feel in the context of the church body we are a part of. But it does talk a great deal about whether or not we are willing to deny ourselves and commit ourselves to God’s glory and the best interests of His Church and the people around us.

And it also recognizes the primary significance of us willingly committing ourselves to remain “plugged in,” or connected, to the Vine — that is, to Jesus. Whether we feel it or not, that, in reality, is our most vital connection!

When depression settles in

We would hope that if we were always willing to deny ourselves in service of our Master, to follow Him and stay closely connected to Him, we would never feel disconnected from other branches who had a similar focus.

But we all experience loneliness, and we sometimes feel anxiety, depression, or despair.

How we feel is obviously a challenging and complex subject. I am very much an emotion-driven person, so I recognize the power of our emotions. Like many others, I have experienced depression. And I know that when you’re in that pit, it’s very difficult to see any hope for a way out. And for people who are very emotionally driven, there’s a lot that can happen circumstantially to drive us into that pit.

My own bout with depression came at the end of my freshman year of college. I recognized that I was physically worn down, working too hard without sufficient rest. A physical illness then led to a deep well of depression. While I was in that well, I couldn’t imagine a way out, and while those around me sympathized, I was convinced none really knew what I was feeling. I felt very alone.

I’m thankful that over a period of a couple of months, with a change of venue and lots of rest, God Himself brought me up out of that well and met me in my loneliness. But the experience has given me empathy for others who go through similar bouts, some way longer than mine.

So I know from experience there is no simple or easy answer when the disconnectedness you feel is a result of an unhealthy mental state.

When the church causes disconnectedness

It’s also not a simple matter to address disconnectedness if part of the underlying issues are to be found within the church itself. At Elim, we seek to enhance Christian community and a sense of connectedness through focusing on healthy small groups and on outreach and service to others. There are some things we can do programmatically — working to support and encourage small group leaders, for example — but much of what needs to happen simply needs to happen organically because the people in our church are willing to take risks, to step outside of their own fears and insecurities and build bridges to others.

I recently heard a story that I think demonstrates this point powerfully. A group of women were playing a game around a table at a women’s event. One of the observers made a comment to another observer, along the lines of, “That group of women is quite a clique.”

“What do you mean?” the other woman asked her.

“They just enjoy their own company,” the first woman explained. “They are not really open to others like me joining in.”

“How do you know this?” the second woman challenged gently. “Have you ever asked to be a part?”

The first woman admitted that she hadn’t.

“Why don’t you try it and see what happens?” suggested the second.

So the first woman did that, courageously. Swallowing her pride, she walked up and asked if she could join in on the game in progress.

“Of course!” the ladies all said in unison, then scrambled to pull up another chair. The “outsider” took her place, joined in the game, and very soon felt like she was a vital part of that circle of fellowship.

A two-way street

We all need to be looking for those on the fringes and inviting them in. And I know of many people at Elim who do this so well. But disconnection is a two-way street! When you’re the outsider, sometimes you just have to take a risk and ask to join. Or step out and serve another person. Or find that person who looks like you yourself feel, and try to make a connection with them. As simple as it sounds, I do agree that a key solution to loneliness and disconnection is to seek to get connected.

Ultimately, we are each of us in the same boat. I know that even pastors sometimes feel disconnected, as the writer of that Gospel Coalition article shared. We are all solitary branches! But God calls us to connect first to the Vine and then in service to the other branches around us, to become a healthy, functioning part of His Body.

After all, that is how we will spend eternity. We’d best get used to it now!

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What Is Greatness?

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By Martin Schlomer

It’s difficult to identify true greatness in our world today. Some would see it in 21-year-old Jordan Spieth winning the Masters Tournament in 2015. Others would look to Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, who became a billionaire at the young age of 23. These are great accomplishments, but are either a definition of true greatness?

Jesus was approached by two of His disciples who had a “small” request: “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory” (Mark 10:37, NET). They wanted to be great. They wanted influence. They wanted power. They wanted recognition. They wanted to matter!

Before we criticize them, let’s be honest: we all want these same things. We may not think we want power or recognition, but we all want our lives to matter. When we look at it in that way, we all want greatness, don’t we?

But what does it take to obtain true greatness? Can anyone be great — even those of us who are just average, or unintelligent, or disabled, or plagued by anxiety? In Mark 10:43, Jesus says, “whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.” There we have it! The pathway that leads us into true greatness, real influence, and recognition has nothing to do with talents or accomplishments. True greatness is having the heart and practice of a servant.

So that’s it — we just need to serve others openheartedly. Sounds easy, right? Yet it’s not long before we discover how deeply Jesus cuts into our way of being.

Serving others isn’t something we can do just until we reach our goal of having a meaningful life. In fact, true greatness isn’t even something we can attain. Rather, true greatness is revealed by a life bound up in serving others. It never ends — it is a way of being that will extend into eternity.

Serving others is not something we do when we get around to it or can make time for it. It permeates our life. If we are to reflect our Father, it must be as natural as breathing.

Serving others challenges our sense of justice. We can’t do it only when someone serves us first or expresses appreciation for what we do. It’s something we do even when no one serves us in return and our efforts go unrecognized.

We serve because we are children of God. As children of the Kingdom, true greatness is not earned, but revealed, just as Christ’s greatness was revealed through His servanthood.

“But what about my ______________?” We all have a lot of “what abouts.” “What abouts” are detours that move us away from true greatness. True greatness is costly. Jesus made it clear: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). We cannot have a truly meaningful life, one marked by true greatness, without expecting to lay down our wants and needs to serve others wholeheartedly, just like Christ did.

Where do you begin? At Elim, we have many opportunities for you to join others in serving wholeheartedly. Many leaders are praying for servants who are eager to invest in the lives of others in the way Jesus describes. We need wholehearted servants for Sunday morning children’s ministries and the Awana ministry. Larry Short is praying for wholehearted leaders who will lead small groups. Kim Schlomer is praying for wholehearted leaders who will serve and disciple women at Elim. You can start — or continue — your life of service here in your own church body.

Every day we must face a choice. Will we spend our lives in pursuit of worldly greatness that will last but a moment? Or will we seek true greatness, a meaningful life of service to others?

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Marvel

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by Brian Waple

Last week I had the opportunity to drive across the country with an old friend. We were transporting some family heirlooms from my stepmother’s house in Virginia to Puyallup. It was 2,755 miles … 14 states … 5 days. I kept a log every day, and some of my entries are as follows:

Stopped in Danville, Illinois for the night … sat in the parking lot that evening and watched a lightning storm as it completely filled the sky.

Driving through the state of Iowa, I saw hundreds of cornfields covering wide rolling hills.

In South Dakota, we took some group selfies with Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln at Mt. Rushmore.

Passed several herds of pronghorn antelope and even saw Devil’s Tower in the distance before entering Wyoming.

Passing through Butte, Montana, we saw Our Lady of the Rockies, a 90-foot concrete statue of the Virgin Mary, nestled high up in the mountains atop the Continental Divide and dedicated by the people of Butte to women everywhere, especially mothers.

Crossed into Idaho and marveled at the expanse of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

It was as though a whole new world opened up for me and I was captivated by the sights, many of which I’ve never seen before.

It’s interesting that we are filled with wonder and awe at all the new things we see, but what about the things we see every day and take for granted, or don’t even take time to think about? Sure, we can sculpt heads out of a mountainside, but who created the internal forces that gave birth to those mountains? We can plant and harvest hundreds of acres of corn, but who created and orchestrates nature so that those corn seeds can take root and grow? We can stand in amazement at lightning filling an evening sky, but who created the vast sky in the first place for that light show to perform?

In the Bible we read: “In the beginning, God ….” Everything that follows those four words is truly a marvel. This trip made me think about how I view God and how I view the majesty of His creation. It made me question whether I take time to actually notice and be thankful, especially in this beautiful area of the country in which we live. I know that I don’t always appreciate God’s hand in what I see, and I should.

What about you? What have you seen recently in His creation that caused you to notice and give thanks? Perhaps we could take a few moments daily to give Him thanks for the beauty that surrounds us.

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Choosing God Over Money

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By Jeff Foerster

“Do you trust Me?”

Yes. Of course, Lord.

“How much do you trust Me?

This second question is trickier to answer than the first. It requires some level of self-examination and knowledge of what it means to trust. It also leads toward demonstration of that trust. I demonstrate trust in a pilot by becoming a passenger on the airplane. I demonstrate trust in a chef by eating the food prepared. To deny the ride or the food would betray a heart of distrust.

God reveals Himself to be our Father. This means He is our loving parent. He parents perfectly and has unlimited wisdom, patience untainted by sin, and the ability to renovate life’s difficulties and discouragement into triumphs and transformation as seen through eyes of faith.

You tell me, who is the better father: the one who gives toys to show he loves his children and just can’t bear to say no or the father who holds a child who cries with heartache, who provides boundaries and routines, who disciplines when it’s easier to give in, who carefully teaches the ways of the Lord by word and in action, and who plans and prioritizes for his child’s growth and good?

Our God is the latter kind of parent. Do you believe that? Do you trust that He is who He says He is? You may find glimpses or reflections of God in people here, but ultimately you’ll need to choose to exercise faith beyond what you can see with earthly eyes.

Don’t settle for a “Disneyland Dad” who requires little of you and lavishes sensual pleasures. Forget the prayer cloths being hocked on TV by Pastor Whosee Toosits. Give up the desire to be “loved” by being spoiled with everything working your way (not for your good, but for your way). It’s not about airline seat upgrades or being “blessed” by finding the shortest line in the supermarket. Yes, toddlers are impressed by these things for a moment—but try parenting on this platform and you’re going to see a lot of “What have you done for me lately?” attitude in place of appreciation and affection. Instead, desire and pursue intimacy with the God and Father who is your perfect provider. Lean on Him to provide all that you need to accomplish all His perfect plans in you.

Building a relationship with God is not about Him “proving” Himself by “parenting” Himself out of the picture. Don’t expect God to build large retirement accounts for you and trust funds (pun intended) for your children. Expect God to draw you near to Him through the changing of life’s circumstances. He commands us to take up our cross daily, not to take the path of least resistance (like spilled water, flowing toward the sea).

Ultimately trust, or faith, results in action, steps taken demonstrating the trust is genuine. Is faith in God just a nice idea, a transaction that you think you completed when you were “saved?” What step of faith with regard to money are you going to take next? What genuine faith resides in you?

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