Daily Reading for Thursday, Jan. 31: Change

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1—8

The inevitability of change is evidenced all around us. Winter changes into spring. Night changes into day. Summer’s crop changes into autumn’s harvest. And yet, there is often a reluctance to walk in change. Change brings uncertainty; staying the same is safe, comfortable, and known. If we continue to do things the way we’ve always done them, we know exactly what to do and when to do it. The uncertainty is gone, and we are in complete control of the situation at hand. And that is precisely where God does not want us to be. If we can control our fate, our future, and our ministry, what do we need God for? God is interested and heavily invested in our growth process. Hebrews 5:12 states the expectation that believers should be growing and maturing. God is not interested in a perpetual nursery ministry, where all He is doing is taking care of the babies. Babies are wonderful, but they are considered to have a deficit if they fail to grow. It is inevitable that as we grow in wisdom, knowledge and experience, we will be changed. And this is as true for a culture and society as it is for an individual—for individuals ultimately make up a society. How we approach this inevitability speaks volumes for our trustworthiness for reaching the souls around us. If we bury our heads in the sand, not wanting anything to change, our effectiveness for reaching those around us vanishes. And we cannot be the people we were created to be, nor can we touch the people we were given to touch.

Daily Reading for Wednesday, Jan. 30: Change

“They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” Mark 1:27

Jesus wasn’t the same kind of teacher the Jews had become accustomed to. He actually talked as if He knew what and who He was preaching about—and He did things a traditional rabbi would never have done. When we examine the change processes of God, we understand that although His character, eternal persona, and eternal purpose never change, His methods of expressing Himself and achieving His purpose do. Throughout the Bible we see instances of God revealing Himself. Indeed, the names attributed to Him...Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Nissi, Adonai, Elohim...all reflect the distinct and changing manners in which God has revealed Himself to man. God’s purpose was cemented before the foundations of the world were even spoken and put into place. (1 Peter 1:20) His purpose has always been and will always be the redemption of those enslaved to sin, trapped by their fallen nature. And yet, we see through the ages that God has changed how He has achieved this purpose. Hebrews 7:11-12 states “Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.” There are many things that could be taught about these passages, as they are explanations of the fact that the law was limited in what it could accomplish on our behalf, and that we needed an intercessor who could accomplish what the law could not. But notice in verse 12 the words “of necessity”. God changed the way He did things which necessitated other changes. And so, as we walk in the ways of the Lord, our purpose is the same as His, and we will change what we must, while remaining true to Christ, in order to achieve the eternal purpose of God in our lives.

Daily Reading for Tuesday, Jan. 29: Change

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Change can be described in many ways. It is defined thusly: to cause to become; to alter; to transform; to convert, to become different, to pass from one phase to another, something of the same kind but new or fresh. Change denotes a making or becoming distinctly different and implies either a radical transformation of character or replacement with something else. Alter implies only a partial change so that the identity is preserved. Vary suggests irregular or intermittent change. Modify implies minor change, often so as to limit or moderate. Transform implies a change in form, usually in nature, or function; and convert suggests more strongly a change to suit a new function.

Clearly, the word change has many meanings. But for the Christian, it primarily means that we have passed from the old world of sin into the new life of sainthood. We have been transformed by the power of Christ into eternally living beings who truly bear the image of our Father and the light of His countenance. We take on attributes that we once may have only looked upon in disdain—traits such as goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness. We become loving of those who hate us, and we give not seeking our own comforts but seeking a greater kingdom and the benefit of those who are its inhabitants. We comfort the afflicted, we care for the poor and needy, we weep over the lost and seek those who may be found. Clearly, we are not what we once were when we were steeped in the sinfulness of our self-centeredness—when we were our own gods and determined our own destiny. We have traded rags for riches, and what change that trade has wrought. We are new creations in Christ. We have changed. And so, we embrace change. We allow the growing, maturing work of the Holy Spirit to infiltrate our lives to greater degrees each and every day. And we change more and more, into the likeness of the true person God designed from the outset.

Daily Reading for Monday, Jan. 28: Change

Core Value: Change

We embrace innovation and creativity!

Life is always changing. God’s word and nature never changes, but like the seasons of the year, human culture and society is ever changing. Sometimes that change is slow in occurring; other times it is as fast as lightning. Methods will constantly change, but the message of Christ stays the same! How we do church must change with the culture in order to reveal the relevance of God’s Word. We must always be growing in ministry excellence to be effective in the real world. A culture of excellence creates an attitude of never being satisfied with being satisfied. We will strive to be the best at what God leads us to do.

~Lighthouse Fellowship Core Value #3

Introduction

We live in an era of rapid change. Cultural and societal trends and traditions change as frequently as the weather changes. What was once considered dependable and reliable can no longer have that consideration. The challenge for the church has been and will always be thus: how do we take the timeless truths of the gospel and communicate them in the culture and society that God placed us in? That is the challenge of the day, and the impetus of this core value. We have determined, as a church, that we will not become a relic of yesteryear, something that has nostalgic value and nothing more. We are convinced that the message of Christ has as much relevance in our world as it ever has, and we are determined to do whatever it takes to proclaim that message to those who are needing it. This does not mean, however, that we embrace every “new thing” that the wind blows in. The only direction we seek is the Lord’s; the only true compass is His word. Therefore, we will not shrink from changing methods; we will seek to be creative, relevant, and current in our communication of the gospel while holding fast to the firm, eternal foundation of the Word of God.

Daily Reading for Monday, Jan. 28
“For I am the LORD, I change not…” Malachi 3:6 KJV

One of the seemingly greatest paradoxes of our faith is that we are a people in a constant mode of change who serve an unchanging God. Consider the fact that our bodies age, our opinions shift, and our characters mature. These all point to the effect of change in our lives, and the growing process that God has put into effect. When we seek to know God and His plans for us, we first find a God whose character is cemented in timeless and eternal dominions that are not touched by the changeableness of this fallen world. God must be unchangeable in character because his character is perfect, his persona complete. We, on the other hand, will never achieve such perfection in and of ourselves; hence the sweet sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, so that we may enter into that eternal realm of living. We enter in but we have not yet attained the full perfection of Christ (Philippians 3:12). The door is opened to us for the transformational process of God to take place in us through the blood of Christ, and we walk through that door through the power of the Holy Spirit walking beside us as comforter, counselor, and guide. And this is not only for us to be transformed, but for others to see our transformation and be drawn to Christ by it. And so we embrace change—for its perfecting work in us, and for its drawing work through us. And we allow our lives and methods to change, so that as many as will can come to the unchangeable, unshakable, immovable Christ—the rock of our salvation.

Daily Reading for Sunday, Jan. 27: Passion

“Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John 3:24

We started this study with the greatest commandment given, and we end this study with the observation that when we obey his commands, we live in him and he in them. Passion is Christ! We have heard about his passion, and we often equate it only to the terrible suffering and anguish he went through on the cross. But his passion was much more than that. His passion was to do the will of the Father and nothing else. His passion was to express those things the Father had placed inside him, so that a fallen world would see the love of God personified, his mercy exemplified, and his creation glorified. As Christ followers, we too have a passion to reach the lost, to heal the sick, to see the lame walk and the deaf hear. We long to express the riches of Christ to those who are hungering and thirsting. If we define our passion solely as something we want to do or to be, we will miss the purpose of the passion, and we will be, as Paul states, like a clanging cymbal., incapable of producing the sweet music the world needs and the Lord desires. Our passions must produce the fruit of lives being touched for Christ. Nothing we do to further our passion will be counted as worthy on that great day, if it does not further our fruit bearing work. So follow your passion! Obey his commands and live in him! And know, by the Spirit, that he is living in you as you walk out your faith and as you live out your passion.

Daily Reading for Saturday, Jan. 26: Passion

“...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12b-13 NIV

When we enter into the salvation covenant with God, we enter into a new life in Christ. The old things pass away and new things emerge in us. Such is the case with our passion. We may have had varied experiences with passion in our lives, but once we are Christ’s, our passions are renewed and our purposes reborn. As we “work out” our salvation, that is to say, as we live out the day-to-day expression of our faith with the full knowledge and comprehension of the God whom we serve, we press in to express and develop those things that he has formed in each of us. Those are our passions—those things that God works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose. He places such passions inside of us because he has prepared good works for us to do (Ephesians 4:12), and he wants us to complete our course in him. We have all been given various gifts, and we’ve each been chosen to fulfill a special place in the kingdom that no one else can fill. Our passions define that place and keep us striving to attain the high calling to which we’ve been summoned. Jesus has prepared a place of ministry for each us of to fulfill, and that place of ministry can only be discovered by discovering your passion. Seek the Lord today, if you are having trouble defining your passion. Ask him to guide you, to enlighten you, to open up to you those things that he has held in reserve only for you, so that you can unlock the treasure that is your passion.

Daily Reading for Friday, Jan. 25: Passion

“The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.” Proverbs 10: 3

Just as our bodies hunger for food, so too our souls hunger for passion. God created us with a need to be filled—not only naturally by food, but supernaturally by his word and by his presence. That hunger is really the personification of passion. We crave something, we have an appetite for something, and we cannot be satisfied until we have eaten our fill. God promises us that he will not let the righteous, those who have placed their faith in Christ, go hungry. He will not place a passion in us for him that cannot be satisfied. He will provide of himself to us in answer to our appetite for him. In fact, he rewards our craving with an abundance of his presence. Matthew 7:7-11 tell us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask him!” What a blessing to know that our Heavenly Father does not ignore when we need him. He does not turn a deaf ear to us when we call out to him—and it is our passion that propels us to call to him, to acknowledge our need to be filled by him.

Daily Reading for Thursday, Jan. 24: Passion

“And you shall love the Lord your God...out of and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30c The Amplified Bible

Passion = Action. We cannot have passion and be passive. Just as we feel passion, just as passion fuels our thoughts, so too it drives our actions. Think of the image of a campfire. Passion starts out as a spark—an inkling of an idea or a feeling. Then, just as a fire blazes once that spark ignites dry wood, so too, when thought and feeling combine, a mighty result of action occurs. And just like a fire, that passion can be extremely helpful when properly channeled and contained, or it can be extremely damaging when left unattended and uncontained. Passion will drive us to action when our feelings and will cannot. Passion presses us farther, and pushes us higher than we can do simply because we believe or we feel. When we love God with all our strength, we allow our passion for God to be displayed in all our actions, and we take action when love demands it. It is that passion that led Christ is drive out demons, heal the sick, turn out the money changers, and place his hands of blessing on the children. It is that passion that keeps us on our knees, in the race, and on the roads. We go where he leads us, we speak when he tells us, and we serve where he shows us. We love God with every possible fiber of our being because we are passionate about him and his kingdom! We run in such a way as to obtain the prize, and we don’t stop until our last breath.

Daily Reading for Wednesday, Jan. 23: Passion

“And you shall love the Lord your God...out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding)” Mark 12:30b The Amplified Bible

Passion is so often defined in the emotional context that its other applications can be overlooked. While the expression of passion may be greatest in the emotional realm, the nurturing of passion takes place in the mental realm. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 Our passion for anything, especially for God, is not limited in any one arena. When we truly have passion for something, it is the primary thought we dwell on. I know many people who like scrap-booking, and I know a few who are passionate about it. At first, these passionate ones attended a class or two, and they put some pages together. Before you knew it, they were putting books together, investing in supplies, going to classes, joining groups, and devoting all their spare time to scrap-booking. It was all they could think about! That is how passionate we need to be with the Lord. We can’t get through the day without thinking about him, without talking to him, without trying to get to know him better. We try to find out more about him—we’ll even invent creative ways to spend time with him. All because his love has consumed our thoughts—or more accurately, our love for him has consumed us. We have united our thoughts and our will to fix our minds on he who is seated in heavenly realms. Make no mistake—love for Christ will elevate your thinking. As you think on him, you will not have room to think on “things below,” and your mind will be transformed by your passion for Christ.

Daily Reading for Tuesday, Jan. 22: Passion

“And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart out of and with all your soul (your life)…” Mark 12:30a The Amplified Bible

Exuberant praise and worship of God is certainly in order in any worship service—whether you are worshiping at home alone or with thousands of other believers. The emotional expression of our passion for God is not only appropriate for believers—it is essential. God created us to experience emotions, for they add depth and color to our lives. When we experience great joy or great sorrow, it is our emotions that help us fully express ourselves. Yet, often, we don’t engage our emotions in our worship of God; we may read the Word, we may pray, but we do those things in the hollowness of ritual and not in the fervency of our passion for God. Passion is not all about emotion, but it does have a powerful emotional component. And too often, we don’t allow that power to flow into our worship for God, and thereby we don’t fully engage ourselves in worship. This does not mean, however, that you must always shout, or dance, or weep, or bow in order to worship; it does mean that if we never exhibit such expressions, we have not engaged our hearts and we have not obeyed the command of the Lord. Love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and soul—out of that emotional realm, let the floodwaters of praise and worship burst forth. With the emotions that tumble out, let his praises be lifted on high. And as these praises are lifted on high, let our intimacy grow with Christ as He receives the sacrifice of our lips and the cries of our heart.

Daily Reading for Monday, Jan. 21: Passion

Core Value: Passion

We want passion for God to drive us to live life His way, everywhere, everyday!

We believe in living a life of wholehearted devotion to God in everything we do. Our worship is full of delight because of God’s saving intervention. Our passion for worship comes from the recognition of deliverance from a meaningless and mundane life. God is never boring, and church shouldn’t be either. We want church to be full of the life, love, and passion of His presence! Our worship experiences reflect our passion for God, and His passion for us!

~Lighthouse Fellowship Core Value #2

Introduction

Last week, we discussed the importance of prayer in the lifestyle of the believer and of a church. It is prayer that fuels our passion for God, keeping the fire of our love for Him aflame in our hearts. Our passion for God must be without limits—for out of that passion will flow the motivation for us to reach the lost, minister to the needy, and encourage each other in Christ.

Daily Reading for January 21
“And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.” Mark 12:30 The Amplified Bible

This passage reveals to us the depth of passion we are capable of possessing for God—because He commanded us to love Him in this way. We must love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind because we can love Him that way. Jesus Christ has removed any barrier between God and man and between man and God. What a beautiful thought! So many times, we view commandments as mere rules of behavior that were instituted to restrict us and restrain us from those things that promise pleasure and great delights. But in this command, it is more as if God is saying to us, “Love me without restraint! I give you permission! In fact, I want to enjoy the fullest expression of passion that you are capable of, for I created you to do so.” And in expressing our love for God, we experience great pleasure and delight!

As we examine passion this week, we’ll discuss not only the emotional expression of passion but its motivational power. God created us as people of passion, and He placed desires and passions within us to motivate us to action. For a Christian, all action that comes from “following” our passion must be because loving the Lord our God, with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds is our highest and deepest passion of all.

Daily Reading for Sunday, Jan. 20: Prayer

“Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God]. Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord's name. And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops.”

James 5:13-18 The Amplified Bible

What beautiful promises are spoken in these passages! When we are afflicted, or when we are in great joy, we have an entry way to the eternal one so that He may comfort us in our troubles and rejoice with us in our elations. And this is accomplished through the medium of prayer, through the timeless artwork of conversation with the Almighty, infinite God who cares intimately about his creation and longs to hear from us and speak to us. We know that when we pray, we will see great things happen in our lives and in the lives of others, for this is what the Word and the presence of the Lord promises us. Therefore Saints, let us pray. And let us place great value on the time spent in prayer. For if we do, we shall see many great things occur in and through us—as individuals and as a church.

Daily Reading for Saturday, Jan. 19: Prayer

“Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-- and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen." Revelation 1:4-7 The New American Standard Bible

“...a preacher needs must to be a man of prayer. For every hour spent in his study-chair, he will have to spend two upon his knees. For every hour he devotes to wrestling with an obscure passage of Scripture, he must have two in which to be found wrestling with God. Prayer and preaching; preaching and prayer! They cannot be separated The ancient cry was: ‘To your tents, O Israel!’ The modern cry should be: ‘To your knees, O preacher, to your knees!’” E.M. Bounds

We are a kingdom of priests to our God and Father. We are preachers of the word in a very real sense to the world that is perishing. As E.M. Bounds exhorts, we must have preaching and prayer, prayer and preaching! We must lead a life that we cannot undertake any task, any conversation, any witnessing moment, without prayer. We need to be “prayed up” and praying in all seasons. And as we do, we fulfill the call of God on our lives. We walk in the destiny of God for our lives. We become what he has already proclaimed—priests of God almighty, standing before God on behalf of men so that we may proclaim the risen Christ and the hope he gives.

Daily Reading for Friday, Jan. 18: Prayer

“And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, `MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." Mark 11:17 The New American Standard Bible

“Without prayer, a church is like a body without spirit; it is a dead, inanimate thing. A church with prayer in it, has God in it. When prayer is set aside, God is outlawed. When prayer becomes an unfamiliar exercise, then God himself is a stranger there.
As God’s house is a house of prayer, the divine intention is that people should leave their homes and go to meet him in his own house. The building is set apart for prayer especially, and as God has made special promises to meet his people there, it is their duty to go there, and for the specific end. Prayer should be the chief attraction for all spiritually minded churchgoers. While it is conceded that the preaching of the Word has an important place in the house of God, yet prayer is its predominate, distinguishing feature. ...As prayer distinguishes Christians from non-Christian people, so prayer distinguishes God’s house from all other houses. It is a place where faithful believers meet with their Lord.” E.M. Bounds

In our striving for relevance in this world, we must remember that we are still distinct from this world. When Jesus turned out the money-changers from the Temple, it was because the Temple had become too much like the world—not too distinct from it. The world has plenty of itself—it can finds its own pleasures anywhere it seeks to. Only we can offer the world a conduit to that which it truly seeks, that is a conduit to God Almighty. And we can only be that conduit when we pray.

Daily Reading for Thursday, Jan. 17: Prayer

“For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." Isaiah 56:7b
The New American Standard Bible

“Prayer is perfectly at home in the house of God. It is no stranger, no mere guest; it belongs there. It has a peculiar affinity for the place, and has, moreover, a divine right there, being set therein by divine appointment and approval.
The inner chamber is a sacred place for personal worship. The house of God is a holy place for united worship.”
E.M. Bounds

When we examine the core value of Prayer as it relates to the church, we must ask ourselves, “How much precedence do we as a church place on prayer?” We as individuals pray in our homes, our closets, our cars, our offices. But how much time do we spend praying together as a body for the body? How many times have we neglected the opportunities to pray with other members of our body? If we feel that the “church” does not place enough emphasis on prayer, it is up to each and every one of us to restore that emphasis to its rightful place. It is not up to the pastor or the elders. If we are to be a praying church, we must be a praying people. We must not neglect either our prayer times in solitude or our corporate prayer times. Both are necessarily to have a vital, vibrant healthy house of prayer.

Daily Reading for Wednesday, Jan. 16: Prayer

“Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."
Isaiah 56:7 The New American Standard Bible

“Prayer stands related to places, times, occasions and circumstances. It has to do with God and with everything which is related to God, and it has an intimate and special relationship to his House. A church is a sacred place, set apart from all unhallowed and secular uses, for the worship of God. As worship is prayer, the house of God is a place set apart for worship. It is no common place; it is where God dwells, where he meets with his people, and he delights in the worship of his saints.

Prayer is always in place in the house of God. When prayer is a stranger there, then it ceases to be God’s house at all.” E.M. Bounds

If we are to be a praying church, we must be praying individuals. If prayer is to be of highest priority as a church, it must be of highest priority as individuals. Throughout the ages, God established fixed places of worship where individuals would leave the ordinary activities of life to join together in the extraordinary activity of worship. Of course we can pray separately, but we can pray together too. And, even more, we should pray together. As we gather together, representatives of all peoples that the Lord has made full of joy by Christ’s sacrifice, we must pray so that the Lord’s house may fulfill the purpose for which is was established.

Daily Reading for Tuesday, Jan. 15: Prayer

“Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 The Amplified Bible

Prayer, to believers, should be as automatic as breathing. It is interesting when one examines the breathing mechanism that God has given us. On one hand, we can control and contain our breathing, on the other hand, we continue breathing without having to give it a second thought. Prayer is like that. There are many times of concentrated prayer when we are praying singularly with a definite purpose and agenda. Those times are necessary times for us in our communications with God. We need to bring our petitions before Him, we need to communicate our needs to Him, and we cannot move forward until we hear from heaven. There are other times of unconscious, unplanned, uncontrolled prayer. Those are the spontaneous outbursts of joy, sorrow, fear, happiness, exaltation, and gratitude. We may enter into a conversation with the Almighty not knowing where it will end—but enjoying every moment of it. We come away from these times refreshed, energized, motivated. There will be times when we call to God but for a moment, and then life rushes in to demand our attention. A rich prayer life will include all these elements and more. To pray without ceasing is as easy as breathing, yet it takes the discipline of a master musician to live in such a manner. As Paul says in his letter to the Colossians, fix your heart and mind on things above. When we fix ourselves in thought and action on Christ, we will have that discipline and we will pray without ceasing.

Daily Reading for Monday, Jan. 14: Prayer

Core Value:
Prayer

Prayer is the key to an intimate relationship with God.

God desires to have an intimate relationship with each of us. Therefore, we value prayer as a means through which we communicate with God and through which He brings about life change. Prayer strengthens our relationship with God and one another. We believe in praying together, in order that we might hear and know God’s voice and leading in our individual lives, as well as our church family. We know fervent, effective prayer produces much in life!

~Lighthouse Fellowship Core Value #1

Introduction

Last week, we discussed the impact a value driven lifestyle has on the individual. We, as a church, have identified and prioritized our core values so that we may view all ministry through value driven lenses. This week we will be discussing the core value of prayer and its importance in the life of an individual and the life of a church, for prayer is the cornerstone upon which we must build our values and ministries.

Daily Reading for January 14th

“And it happened as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’" Luke 11:1 Greene’s Literal Translation

“Lord, teach us to pray.” What follows these words is perhaps the best known prayer in all the world—the Lord’s prayer. This beautiful model of interaction between the divine and the mortal was the immediate response to a simple request— “Lord, teach us.” They themselves were praying and knew it not. They were asking of God for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. And God answered. He taught them more than mere words to recite. He introduced them to the One to whom they were praying and gave them the cornerstones of relationship upon which to build the conversation. One of our church’s core values is Prayer. We pray not because it is the right thing to do, but because we love our heavenly Father and we need His guidance, wisdom, and provision. Prayer is essential to pressing into the will of the Father, to obeying the commands of the Son. When we pray, we ask, we seek, and we knock. Read Luke 11:1-13, and you will see how the Lord will answer us when we pray. But it all begins with these three words… “Lord, teach us.”

Daily Reading for Sunday, Jan. 13

Philippians 4:8-9 “For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.” The Amplified Bible

In this life that we lead, in these days that are evil, we have many temptations, trials, and opportunities that come before us each day. By knowing our values and acting solely from them, we can triumph over the temptations and in the trials, and optimize the opportunities (even if that means turning some away). How are we going to model our lives? On the Word-values we have, or some fleeting idea? Once we solidify our values and allow all decisions to emanate from that core, we will have less doubt in our hearts and more well-being in ourselves. Paul tells us that the God of peace will be with us as we live in such a manner. Steven Covey takes that biblical principle and states it thusly: “By living Your Core Values, not only are you more successful, you enjoy your success more. You also achieve your outcomes with less effort and conflict.” Notice the highlighted words that point to the results of the peace of God reigning in our lives. We can have that peace when we remain true to our values and committed to the path that they illuminate.

Such is the purpose of our church values. We have prayed, evaluated, discussed and discerned what is of primary importance to us as a church. We have listed those things which we believe are most important to us as a church. Not just in function, but as the guideposts on our ministry journey. We will have many opportunities to minister as a church, We will have many personalities, callings, and giftings come here to make up this body. But to truly function as a whole, we must have our values fixed so that we can help the members of the body use those amazing giftings, abilities, and callings to their best and highest potential. This is why we have emphasized our values so much—and this is why we, as individuals, must have our values in place and be operating from them. As we pursue Christ with all our hearts, with all our minds, and with all our strength, let us do so without the entanglements this world would seek to place on us. We will always have limits in time, money, and energy. But we dare not have limits to our dedication to our values which keep us focused on the way of kingdom living.

From Your Core Values you can expect to . . .
...gain real clarity about who you are and what you stand for
...make better choices about where you spend your time and who you spend it with
...see why and how your values affect your bottom line
...have more passion in your purpose & purpose in your passion
...discover how your core values drive and direct your purpose
...stay inspired and motivated; overcome discouragement
...notice if, when and why you’re off-course
...learn how to prioritize your goals
...help your family and your [church] to develop their values
...get more of the right things done
...stay focused on what matters most to you
~Stephen Covey

Daily Reading for Saturday, Jan. 12

James 1:5-8 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

“Values exist and have meaning only within a web of other values, not in isolation. For example, if I say that honesty is important to me, then you might expect that I will always tell the truth. But, in fact, knowing that honesty is important to me will give you little
idea as to whether I will always tell the truth unless you know the priority I place on honesty relative to my other values. If I place a higher priority on being liked than on honesty, then I may not give you honest feedback if I fear doing so would alienate you. This is an example with just two values. The situation gets much more complex when our top 10 or 20 values are in play. It also means that people with shared values, but with different value priorities, may behave in radically different ways. Thus, in working with an individual or an organization, it is not enough to know what their values are – you must also explore their value priorities. And, if you want to help that individual or organization change, then the best strategy is to help them re-prioritize their most important values, not for them to prioritize their less important values more highly.” Mike Munro Turner

Yesterday, we discovered what was most important to us, and we wrote it down. Today, we place priorities on those values. As the above passage explains, the priority of our values impacts our actions much more than simply having values. What do we consider to be the highest, most fundamental value we have? If all else were stripped away, what would we consider to be the greatest value upon which to build our value system? When we answer that question, we can then see real transformation take place in our lives. We are no longer “double-minded” as described by James, but we are focused solely on those things that God has given us to be and to do.

Daily Reading for Friday, Jan. 11

Matthew 13:45-46 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

“Values describe, and provide a means of talking about, what is
important to us. They are ideals we hold that give significance and
meaning to our lives and hence they underpin our beliefs,
influencing the decisions we make, the actions we take, and the life we lead. Understanding values helps us to understand how we create our own reality and gives us insight into the personal realities of others.” Mike Munro Turner

Take a moment today, if you have not already, and write down those things you value the most. Be very specific. Then compare the amount of time you spend on those things you say you value the most. What wins? In most cases, you’ll find that there are many things that demand a great deal of attention in your life, but they are not what you value. They may be good things, they may even be Godly things, but they are not in line with the God-given values and directives you have for your life. If you have found that there is a wide chasm between what you say you value and the time spent on those things you do value, it is time for an adjustment. Prayerfully ask the Lord to help you identify those things that you truly value. And, check your love level. See if you are abounding in love.

Daily Reading for Thursday, Jan. 10

Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply
important to us, and, keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to know what really matters most.”
—Stephen Covey, author and speaker

Jesus told us that the kingdom of heaven consisted of individuals who, when they realized where their treasure was, did all they could to legally obtain it so that they could have full claim to it. When we look at what we truly value, and we write down our core values—those values that are vital to our living our life as God desires and intends—we become like that man who found the treasure in the field—full of joy, ready to abandon anything that would hinder us from obtaining the treasure, and doing all we can solely for the purpose of getting the prize. Our values are not the prize; they help us obtain it. The prize is living out the destiny God has spoken over our lives; our values keep us in the race. They help us not be deterred or distracted. We cannot reach our destiny if we do not know our values. Look at the Stephen Covey quote. How different would your life be if you lived according to what was of the deepest importance to you? How different would this church be if we lived according to what was of the deepest importance to us?

Daily Reading for Wednesday, Jan. 9

Philippians 1:10a “So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences]…” The Amplified Bible

Yesterday, we discussed the foundational role that love plays in determining our values. We must not make the mistake of having any other starting point. There is a statement that says “If you begin what a wrong assumption, you will end up with the wrong conclusion.” How true that is. When we really take a long, hard look at what we value, we must start with love. The bible passage tells us that Paul wanted our love to abound so that we could learn to sense what was vital—what mattered above all else—and approve and prize that which has real value. When we approve something, we not only believe that it is valuable, we act as though it does. When we prize something, we do all that we can to attain that which we prize. Two runners may have equal ability—but the difference comes between which runner prizes the victory the most. When we make the leap from belief to action, we must have our values cemented in the love of Christ, so that we can truly live and strive for those excellent things that a Christ-filled person prizes above all else.

Daily Reading for Tuesday, Jan. 8

Philippians 1: 9-10a “And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment]. So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences]…” The Amplified Bible


Sometimes it seems to be a difficult task to list your values. You know what you value, but you may not be able to clearly define it. Paul’s prayer for the Philippian believers was that the growth of their love that comes from their rebirth in Christ would result in greater ability. Ability to do what? Ability to posses the knowledge and insight needed to cut through all those things that seek to have you—your attention, your gifts, your abilities—so that you may discern what is truly valuable and worthwhile in your life. Only from the starting point of love can you achieve that result. Any other starting point, and you’ll find yourself valuing things that really have no imperishable, eternal value. And it is only those things that we must seek and put our greatest effort and ability towards.

Daily Reading for Monday, Jan. 7

Philippians 1:10 “So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble].” The Amplified Bible

This is a new day. A new year. A new beginning. What new things do you want to see spring up inside of you as you gaze into the unknown vastness of the journey you are upon? You are on a quest, a quest toward destiny—the destiny that God foreknew and fore-destined you to walk in. The key to finding your path of destiny is to know your values. As this verse says, real value is recognizing that which is the highest and the best. It distinguishes the moral differences between that which is good and that which is God. Your values determine what you should place priority upon, and what you shouldn’t waste time on. Without values, you cannot sense what is vital, you cannot prize what is excellent.

Core Values Daily Devotional: Week 1 Values

Thank you for visiting the Lighthouse Fellowship Church of God blog. Both Pastor and I will be adding posts from time to time that we hope will be inspirational and informational.

This first series of blogs is going to center around the preaching series that Pastor is bringing forth on the core values of the church. Each day, we will post the daily readings from the devotional guides that have been prepared to supplement the weekly preaching and hopefully, enhance your understanding of the heart of the values being discussed.

For those of you visiting our blog who are not a part of our local church, let me offer a little background. For the past couple years, it has become ever more apparent to us as a church that we have drifted into a sea of complacency and ineffectiveness. We have been as busy as ever, but not seeming to accomplish much of anything that really mattered. So the elders took a good, long look at us as a church, and they realized that we needed a fresh start. A clean slate. A new launching pad. And so, they gathered together in August of '07 to seek the Lord and what He wanted for this body of believers. What came out of that meeting was the intense conviction that we must be transformed to once again be the church Christ intended.

To that end, our elders clarified the values upon which this "new church" would be built and encapsulated a vision for the church from these values. From these core values, we desire to be a body not just adjusted but transformed. We believe that by identifying what we believe to be most important and of highest priority in our church's value system, we surrender our agendas to the Lord and submit to His--for we believe that He has led us to focus on these values and to hold them dear. They are our guideposts on this road to transformation so that His glory may be manifest through us as we seek to exalt the Lord, help the saints of God grow in their walk, and help others who are seeking the Lord find Him.

In that spirit, we begin a discussion of our church's core values. Our march towards transformation begins as we explore more deeply the principles of value-based living and the values we as a church have deemed to be of highest priority and importance. If you are attending our church, you will receive a devotional guide for each of the next 8 weeks. We prepared these devotionals to supplement the preaching about the core values and to help motivate you to action as you grapple with these concepts.

I hope you enjoy these posts and will glean many good things from the Holy Spirit as we explore these core values together. ~Jennifer