I heard recently, Buddy Cremeans say something that many of us overlook.  He said, “Life is short, live different.”

The old adage always said, “Life is short, have fun.”  But if life is short, we should live with the thought of making an eternal difference.  If life is short then we ought to seek ways to make our lives count.  Life is only a vapor.  It is here and will then pass away.  We must live in such a way that we handle life with the proper perspective.

Recently, an old acquaintance of ours passed away.  When she passed away at the age of 39, there were few people to grieve her death.  Sad to say, that she lived her short life in contention with others and did not leave a mark, not even on her kids.  39 years is a short life.  She could have lived different.

You and I have a decision to make in life.  Will we live for the glory of God and His eternal Kingdom or will we live for ourselves and our own selfish pursuits?  Life is short, live different!  Take risks for God.  Choose to follow Christ.  Decide to make a difference in this world we live.  Live different!

After reading the book Built To Last by Jim Collins, I saw the need of having a defined set of core values and also a defined purpose.  Over the last couple of months I have been trying to answer the question of why we exist as a church.  I believe that if we are to go forward as a church we must center our focus around this set of values and work toward making sure that each one has a priority in the life of our church. 

Here is what we exist for:

 We Exist To Imitate Christ In Our Lifestyles
( I Corinthians 11:1; II Corinthians 6:17-18, 7:1; II Peter 1:13-16)

 We Exist To Incorporate Opportunities For Prayer and Worship
(Isaiah 56:7; Acts 2:42, 47; Acts 4:24-31)

 We Exist To Initiate Relationships With Others
(Acts 2:42, 44-46; Acts 4:32; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:24-25)

 We Exist To Inspire People To Find and Fulfill Their God-given Purpose for Life
(Ephesians 4:12; Romans 12:3-8; Colossians 1:9-11)

 We Exist To Impart Biblical Truths That Stimulate Spiritual Growth
(Ephesians 4:13-14; II Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 5:12-14)

 We Exist To Impact Our Community With The Love of Jesus Christ
(Acts 1:8; Acts 17:6; II Corinthians 5:20)

 We Exist To Involve Others In The Mission of the Church Worldwide
(Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 10:14-15)

 We Exist To Introduce People to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
(Mark 16:15; Acts 8:26-40; Philemon 6)

Also here is our purpose:

This weekend we attended the South Texas District Revitalization Retreat and it was two days filled with great insight and encouragement.  Sonya and I came back refreshed and charged with a new vision for our congregation.  We learned some practical things to help us overcome the grueling task of turning a church around.  Every speaker spoke into our life and challenged us to stay the course and see God do great things here in Nederland.  I am excited about our future.  Great things are ahead!

Here are the ten commandments I mentioned Sunday in my message on relationships. I forgot where I found these but they were written by someone who has great insight into getting along with others. I hope they help.

1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.

2. Smile at people. It takes seventy-two muscles to frown, only fourteen to smile.

3. Call people by name. Music to anyone’s ears is the sound of his/her own name.

4. Be friendly and helpful.

5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is genuinely a pleasure, and if it isn’t, learn to make it so.

6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like almost everybody if you try.

7. Be generous with praise, cautious with criticism.

8. Be considerate with the feelings of others. There are usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other fellow’s, and the right one.

9. Be alert to serve. What counts most in life is what we do for others.

10. Add to this a good sense of humor, a big dose of patience, and a dash of humility, and you will be rewarded manifold through life.

Tomorrow Sonya and I leave for Kerrville for a couple days to attend the church revitalization retreat.  It is mostly roundtable discussion concerning the issues of revitalizing a church.  I am excited to gain insight in this subject, but I am most excited to get away with Sonya.  Since having Hannah it has been a while since Sonya has gone to one of these trainings with me.  She has sacrificed many trips to take care of Hannah so I could go.  God knew what He was doing when He put us together.  All in all, this should be a weekend of refreshing as well as good alone time with Sonya. 

Tonight is also our annual business meeting.  Most people dread these but at our church it is not all that bad.  It is cut and dry.  Everyone has the same attitude with the annual business meeting.  “Hurry up and get it over.”

Because we will be out of town, There may not be any posts on the blog for a few days.  If I can get to a computer I may write.  You can check back if you want.

Last night, the leadership banquet was great.  There was a great crowd but the message by Bro. Crabtree was awesome. 

He reminded us that as leaders we must always seek to grow and do better.  He challenged us not to be stuck in a rut nor make excuses, but rather to choose to dream.  He admonished us in 3 main areas:

1.  It’s never too late to dream.
2.  It’s never too late to change.
3.  It’s never too late to start.

We ought to look at these three areas and begin to dream about what God has for us and our church.  Then we should be willing to change.  Then we must start that process of change and pursue the vision and dream God has given us.  I was challenged to write down my vision and dreams and make a plan to see it fulfilled.

There was invaluable insight from this great pastor.  I came away last night with some nuggets that I can hang onto.

Yesterday was a great day!  We concluded our ELEVATE Series.  We talked about how we must go to another level in our witness and outreach.  God has called all of us to share Christ’s love with our community and world.  There was a great atmosphere yesterday morning and our attendance was the largest crowd for a regular Sunday in over five years.  It is encouraging to see what God is doing as we conclude the first month of the year.  Surely good things are in store.

This week is a busy one for us and the church.  Tonight is the Leadership Banquet in Bridge City and our Annual Business meeting is Wednesday night.  Sonya and I will be leaving Thursday for Kerrville.  We have been invited to attend the Church Revitalization Retreat at the Hill Country Camp.  It should be a good weekend.

Just a thought this morning from Thomas Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, “And you, who fear even the countanance of an angry man, what answer will you make the God who knows all your sins?”  That thought hit me!  Why is it that we fear offending man, but do not consider, that by our conduct and actions, we might offend the heart of God?   We should care about not offending others but we should also give the same caution in our lives that we might not hurt our Lord.  Evaluate the things that you do, are they pleasing to God? 

Have a great Monday Morning!