Merge Turns Two Today...

Two years ago we opened our doors and had our very first gathering as a church plant in Lake Worth.  (Technically we opened doors we were renting at Russell Hall but you get the point.)  I don't think I will ever forget that first morning.  I had new preacher clothes on, I was wearing my best dress shoes, and had one prayer..."God please let people show up!!!!"  I experienced a different level of nervousness than I had ever had before that morning.  Not only did people show up but God showed up.  

That morning God gave me a very specific word to share.  Our mission as a church will simply be that we love God by loving people!!!!!  I love simplicity.  I think we work to hard too complicate matters of life.  As I explore and engage with scripture I see this thought all over the place.  Even if I didn't, Jesus said the greatest of the commandments come down to our love for God and our love for people.   That morning we decided that we wouldn't judge success on the size of the crowd or the building rather we will decide success based on whether or not we are growing in our capacity to love.  

I am greatly encouraged when I think of the great things God has allowed us to do over these past two years.  Especially because I firmly believe we are doing these things through love.  More importantly our community is taking notice of our desire.  God has been opening up doors that were closed, answering prayers that were thoughts and using Merge to make a big difference in people's lives.  

Whether that be supplying school supplies, school uniforms, serving kids during ESL class or Fiesta Night, reaching out to single mothers, providing Christmas presents in the name of Jesus to over 120 kids or handing out meals to kids who otherwise would have no food...God is allowing us to do something that will have eternal influence.  

What brings even greater joy is when I think about the years to come.  I am confident that God will allow Merge to do even greater things as we Merger's continue to show LOVE, seek ADVENTURE and build COMMUNITY.  In fact, as we have sung many times; "Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to come in this city!!!!"


We are just beginning to see what God will do through a body of believers who are committed to The Gospel and showing His love.  I believe the adventure we are on is one of epic proportions.  


To those who have and are taking the journey with me I have humbly grateful for your presence in your life.  You are literally a Godsend in every sense of the word.  Let us not shrink back now, patting our selves on the back as if we have arrived and should rest on our laurels.  Let's commit to pursue God together and show love in unity even more ferociously in the next two years as we have the previous one. 


"Happy Birthday Merge"


Heart and Soul,
BAG
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Words To Chew On...

"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness  without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."

---Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship)

Some Thoughts From Romans 6...

I have started a new Bible reading plan from one of YouVersion's 20+ reading plans. 
At the moment I am traveling through Genesis and Romans.  This morning I ran across some incredible words that I wanted to share some thoughts on:

Romans 6:11-14: 
"You must consider yourself dead to sin"... I am convinced the reason so many of us deal with reoccuring sins in our lives is that we have yet to get to a point where we wish to choose God over that sin.  We like the idea of unconditional love and the forgiveness available in Christ but those sins are for lack of better words better security than the promises  of God (at least that is the lie we have come to believe). 

"Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness,"... There are many ways we in the church continue to do this, even very subtle ways.  None the less, the result is the same, we engage willingly in acts that are not God-glorifying or healthy for us.  I have heard many say that sin is fun for a season and that sin is offering fleeting fulfillment.  I have found that both are very true...but let's be honest there is still a great struggle here.  This is precisely why God sent Jesus.  If we could whip our sin issue we would have no need for a Savior.  Our response to such great love is that we would be continually transformed by repenting and fleeing from the temptations that are so easy for us to engage in.

"For sin will have not dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."...My prayer is that we would start to not only understand this more clearly but would start living it as the one of the foundations of our spiritual lives.  I walk around far too often acting as if I am an innocent victim to sin.  Justifying or rationalizing a decision or reaction to the fact that I am not perfect.  When truth be told Paul has just told us that because of Jesus sin has no power over us.  So is it possible that though temptation may exist, every act of sin comes from our willingness to actively engage in it?  I think so.  

The whole thought of this chapter is wrapped around a faulty line of reasoning.  That we would sin so that grace may abound.  When we live as this Paul tells us that we have not understood the reason Jesus came.  He came so that we may be set free from sin and death.  Our response to this is critical.  1.  We become "slaves of righteousness" as a response to His great love shown first and without any deserving merit of our own.  2.  We live in such a way that the world sees the difference and that The Gospel becomes a reflection of our every day life.  

"Father, thank You for Jesus and for empowering me through Your Spirit to stop playing games with sin."

Heart and Soul,
BAG
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