Tag: Values

Our Kfirst Values: We do stuff on purpose

I started a series a few weeks back about the values of our church community. Here at Kfirst, our mission is our passion:  We make it simple for people to find and follow Jesus. And our values guide us towards that goal.

Check out last weeks by clicking on the value statement:

Week 1 – Everyone is Significant.

Week 2 – We are Contributors. 

Week 3 – God Works in Community.

Week 4 – We keep it fun.

Week 5 – Growth requires change.

This week…We do stuff on purpose.

We do stuff on purpose

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it comes to making a difference in this world for Christ, I’ve found most people feel a range of emotions that steers them away. They either feel severely unqualified, completely intimidated, or at a total loss over where to start. The views of their church leaders and/or comparisons of the giftings of others have robbed so many of the witness that doesn’t necessarily come from standing on a street corner with a bullhorn or passing out tracts on the street…

…it’s robbed them of missional living in the simple things of life

Of all the things that feel overwhelming, one of the major issues to living missional is time. Schedules and calendars get packed; life gets busy. We have a terrible time juggling what we have without adding one more thing. But I propose a thought to you: We don’t need to add an extra activity to our day, we need to add intentionality to our activities.

It’s time to do “stuff on purpose.”

As you and I enjoy Jesus and remember who we are in Jesus, He will increasingly shape our lives to live on His mission so that more people can, though us, encounter His love. Your life is a pulpit and the messages you preach will flow through your daily activities. From how you respond to people to the character of Christ, the love of Jesus can intentionally shine through your life. I like how the apostle Paul puts it, “God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:1 MSG). Simply said: Let Jesus be on display in everything you do.

I love these words from the book, “Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community,”

“Major events have a role to play in church life, but the bedrock of gospel ministry is low-key, ordinary, day-to-day work that often goes unseen. Most gospel ministry involves ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality.”

At Kfirst, we believe that, as far as we can help it, we should do everything on purpose. We intentionally focus our time, money and energy to make it simple to find and follow Jesus. It’s what drives us every day. But it can’t be fit into an hour and a half on a Sunday from a platform. Most of the time, that type of intentionality is done in daily lives.

Wrapping up, I want to invite you to “do stuff on purpose.” Here’s five simple, yet effective, ways to do ordinary life with intentionality.

  1. Pray. Before you do anything (work, leisure, family time, shopping, etc) add a simple prayer. “God, as I do this, help me to love like Jesus, live like Jesus, and serve like Jesus.”
  2. Eat. We Americans love to eat. We we have around 21 meals a week. Commit to sharing at least ONE of those a week with someone who does not have a relationship with Jesus. I’m not asking to engage them in debate; just engage them in authentic love and friendship.
  3. Connect. Connect your Kfirst community into relationships and events with your other friends/coworkers and vice versa. Be a builder of bridges.
  4. Pay Attention. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you open your eyes to see “God-moments” everyday. These are the things that feel like annoyances when we don’t have a gospel-attitude. Love what “Total Church” says, “Most God-moments are unexpected and occur along the way to someplace else. They will seem like interruptions, but if you begin to look for God’s fingerprints in your day and in every relationship, in every coffee shop, in every conversation you have with your neighbor, there’s a good chance you will begin to see God’s incarnational presence.”
  5. Play. Do your typical hobbies or fun activities prayerfully (see # 1 ) and by inviting a mix of people into the thing you’re doing (# 3).

Love what Paul tells the church in Corinth,

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

What might life look like for you to live “on purpose?” Before you click off this blog, write out everything you do typically Sunday through Saturday. Include everything. Meals, work, that one TV show you never miss, gym, etc. Take all of your responses and share them with a friend and discuss how you can be intentional together.

Do stuff on purpose. Be intentional in everything you do for the glory of God.

 

 

Our Kfirst Values: Growth requires change

I started a series a few weeks back about the values of our church community. Here at Kfirst, our mission is our passion:  We make it simple for people to find and follow Jesus. And our values guide us towards that goal.

Check out last weeks by clicking on the value statement:

Week 1 – Everyone is Significant.

Week 2 – We are Contributors. 

Week 3 – God Works in Community.

Week 4 – We keep it fun.

This week…Growth requires change.

Growth Requires Change

“Growth requires Change and Change creates Growth.” – Dee Ann Turner VP of Corporate Talent at Chick-fil-A

Everything we do requires change.  And the more we facilitate change, we see growth.

From committing our lives to Jesus Christ, to the normal things in life. Marriage, family, school, jobs, if we desire to grow, it’s going to require change. If we embrace change, it will cause us to grow. Therefore, it can be said, change is a constant in our lives. And if we can remain flexible and teachable before God, not only will we experience change, but we’ll foster consistent growth.

Of all of the things that have happened during appointments in my office, there are very few things that will make me interrupt them and end the appointment right then and there. One situation, in particular, is when words like this are used:

“I’m not going to change.”

Why end the appointment? Because there’s no point going on. Without a healthy mindset that is open to change, we are really both wasting our breath. A healthy mindset is a teachable mindset.  A lack of teachability is a lack of humility. A lack of humility creates a culture of no change. No change is a place of stagnation. And stagnation leads to death.

It could be death of…

…your passion.
…your motivation.
…your hope.
…a relationship.
…a position.
…a ministry.

And we can either live with the inevitable result of stagnation or we can counteract the direction with the remedy for stagnation:

Change.

For those of you, like me, that don’t naturally embrace change, please note that change does NOT mean:

Something is broke.
Something is wrong.
Something is sinful.
Something is useless.
A massive shift in another direction.

Change doesn’t have a certain look or weight. In fact, the only consistent thing about change is that it is terribly inconsistent. Sometimes it’s a slight adjustment. Sometimes it is a massive shift. Think about how Jesus dealt with his disciples. There were moments of simple, slight change adjustments. Then there were moments where Jesus challenged their thinking and methodology with massive change to go into other directions.  Following Jesus requires changes both big and small. And the more flexible and teachable we are with Him, we’ll see greater growth in our lives.

In the Upper Room, Jesus washed the feet of his 12 followers. The bible says, 

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” John 13:6-9

I, personally, love the response of Peter. He didn’t fully grasp what was taking place. But his response was, “I’m not sure what you’re doing or what you’re changing, but don’t limit it to my feet. Wash/change every part of me.”

As yourself today, “Am I open to change and/or do I limit change?” Here at Kfirst, we believe that Jesus is what is sacred; everything else is in His hands to change and grow the way he desires. Like Peter in the Upper Room, we say “Lord, don’t stop with one area. Change what you want, when you want, and how you want. For your honor and for your glory.” 

We embrace change. It’s the only constant because Jesus is constant. And to follow Him is to embrace the changes he brings for personal and church community growth.

Our Kfirst Values: We keep it fun

I started a series a few weeks back about the values of our church community. Here at Kfirst, our mission is our passion:  We make it simple for people to find and follow Jesus. And our values guide us towards that goal.

Check out last weeks by clicking on the value statement:

Week 1 – Everyone is Significant.

Week 2 – We are Contributors. 

Week 3 – God Works in Community.

This week…We keep it fun.

We keep it fun

Many people struggle with the idea of “church” and “fun” being in the same sentence. If that’s you, it’s most likely because the word “fun” is defined as: a carefree activity with no purpose or meaning. It’s an activity strictly meant to amuse. (the scene from Gladiator comes to mind, “Are you no not entertained?”) 

Honestly, if that is your definition, then I would agree with you; Church shouldn’t be fun. The idea of being something just to amuse is so spectator and consumer driven instead of something participatory and engaging.

But…when I look up the word “fun,” the first word to come up is the word “enjoyable.” With that definition in mind, that I would wholeheartedly say, Church should abso-stinkin-lutely be fun. It doesn’t mean we discount and/or disregard God and his greatness. We don’t treat the presence of God flippantly.  But when encountering Jesus for the first time, I experienced joy like I’ve never known. As I worship, there is a passion that I find in Him. When I engage with the Holy Spirit, there is a joy that floods my soul. It gives me a glimpse of what Jesus was talking about in John 15 when he said, “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

I can legitimately say, church should be fun.  Fun isn’t about something set up to be “attraction” like a circus (Enter “Field of Dreams” line, “if you build it, they will come”). But we should do our best to cultivate an atmosphere in the facility AND an attitude in our hearts that says, “I’m ready to enjoy the presence of God.” We should have full joy being in the presence of God together with our church community. We should walk in full joy when we interact and engage in our communities.  Even when we go through the hardest of times, Jesus told us we can be of “good cheer” because he is able to overcome. Think about this, in the Old Testament, when David was broken internally because of the disaster in his life, what did he pray for in Psalms 51? He wanted the JOY of his salvation back.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have Jesus. And because of that fact…

The Church should be the most joyful people on the planet.

Too many people think church is anything but fun. We’re into changing that. We want Kfirst to be a place where you can encounter Jesus and receive life change that only He can bring. We desire to see you enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit, that the passion you carry will show the world around you the greatness and goodness of our Savior.

Those who give everything to follow Christ, find everything. And laughter and joy (fun/enjoyment) are part of the ways that God blesses His people.

I love what Reggie Joyner says,

“You can measure the temperature of a church by how much its people laugh.”

We keep it fun.  But, to us, fun isn’t about entertainment for spectators. It’s about enjoying the presence of God as we participate together in worshiping Jesus and serving the world around us.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations,  “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” (Psalms 126:2-3)

 

Our Kfirst Values: God works in community

I started a series a few weeks about the values of our church community. Here at Kfirst, our mission is our passion:  We make it simple for people to find and follow Jesus. And our values guide us towards that goal.

Check out last weeks by clicking on the value statement:

Week 1 – Everyone is Significant.

Week 2 – We are Contributors. 

This week…God Works in Community.

God works in communuty

In the book of Genesis, we see the beginning; the creation story. Each day brings newness, and each day we are told that what was created was very good.

Of all of the things that are referred to as “good,” there was one specific element that was, according to God, “not good” (Genesis 2:18).  Man was alone. Man was searching for connection. And he found no community.

Relationships are of high value to God. In other words, community is necessary. From Old Testament to New Testament, God shows his desire to move in and through community. Even in cases of dealing with individuals, it was to impact one to go and connect and affect all of the people.

The Christian life was not designed to be lived out in isolation, but rather to be lived out in the context of a community (such as Kfirst). Like any other Christ-centered church, we are designed to be a complete body of believers. Each individual contributes his or her own giftedness, passions, and strengths to complement others.  Peoples’ weaknesses are complemented by other’s strengths. Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you need other people to contribute to you. We need one another, because, together, we create community…

…AND it’s how God desires to move in us and through us.

It’s why I say so often,

“The Enemy works in isolation; God works in community.”

The word “community” is both comforting and challenging. Why? With this one word, we are comforted that we don’t have to traverse through life on our own. Regardless of the season of life we are dealing with, the Church is meant to provide the avenue for which God can move. If there is a need, our “community” can reach out and be the hands and feet of Jesus. If someone is hurting, our “community” can be the arms to embrace and the shoulder to cry upon. Church community helps become the tangible reminder of the words of Jesus who said, “I will be with you always.” There are times I needed the tangible touch of God in my life. And that touch-point came through The Church.

But with the same word, “community,” there is a challenge: to work together as members of a greater body. 44% of the New Testament letters teach us how we to get along with one another. “One another” statements occur 59 times as commands in the Bible, love one another, accept one another, be devoted to one another, live in harmony with one another, build up one another, care for one another, be patient with one another, list goes on. Community becomes the place where we exercise forgiveness and grace. It’s the place where we learn humility and patience. Is it challenging? Absolutely. Because community is where our lives our shaped. And as we are shaped, so is the community.

We can’t do life alone. Healthy relationships are at the heart of all we do. Because it’s through relationships, God builds a community to help reach the world around us. Is it a comfort? You better believe it. Is it challenging? I’ll say, I’m better because of it. I love the Church and think that the best is yet to come. Not because of any one person but because life is better with friends.  Life is better with community.

 

Our Kfirst Values: We are contributors

I started a series a few weeks about the values of our church community. Here at Kfirst, our mission is our passion:  We make it simple for people to find and follow Jesus. And our values guide us towards that goal.

Check out last weeks by clicking on the value statement:

Week 1 – Everyone is Significant.

This week…We are Contributors. 

We are contributers

As a pastor, I’m in a place where I hear some amazing stories from people. From how God touched someone’s life during a Sunday gathering to how the Holy Spirit has been working through their marriage and family. But there’s one thread of comments that always catches my ear.  Usually they sound something like:

“When I simply helped my neighbor, they began to open up about some things they were going through. It’s hard to put into words what I’m feeling.”
“Our family was able to help out another family who had a huge need. Serving Jesus like this is a blast.”
“I didn’t expect to get so much joy from volunteering with _________.”
“I went on a mission’s trip to bring aid and something happened inside of me that I cannot explain.”
“I our family connected with a missionary/local outreach. This is all our kids talk about.  We can’t wait to do more.”

What is it about contributing your resources (time, talent, finances) that explodes a sense of purpose and fulfillment? Why does something sync within us when we help somebody? I believe it connects us to the beginning of how we (humanity) were created. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made mankind in His image. And that likeness comes with a disposition: to give, to serve, and/or to contribute.  So, in essence, when we act as contributors, we are both displaying His image and expressing His disposition.

You and I are blessed to be a blessing. And through our resources (time, talent, finances), we see our church and our community as a place to serve, not to be served. 

If you’re interested in being a contributor with your time and talent, please click HERE or the serve graphic below.
serve 2

 

 

 

At Kfirst, we are Contributors.  We are here to serve, not to be served. We view our church as a community of opportunity, not a club.

Our Kfirst Values: Everyone is Significant

Here at Kfirst, our mission is our passion:  We make it simple for people to find and follow Jesus.

Simple doesn’t mean easy. With so much competing for our attention, it’s difficult to develop a life-giving relationship with Jesus and follow Him. Our mission is to make it simple, so that people who feel far from God will find life in following Jesus.

That’s our vision, but it’s our values that guides our perspective and actions of a church.  Our core values are deeply ingrained thought-patterns that motivate the way we behave. Think of an apple core: the seeds in that core are the apple tree’s core values; these seeds create the future. So over the next few weeks, I want to share the core values Kfirst has as they guide us towards our goal of making it simple for people to find and follow Jesus.

So first…
Everyone is significant2

It seems to be the core of who we are as a human being: Significance. We all strive to be something and do something that will give us that sense of significance; that idea of feeling unique, important, special. or needed. I mean, look at the most popular movies from the past decade. Superhero movies have dominated the landscape of cinema. They are stories of men and woman discovering how special they are and how much of a significant impact they can have upon their world. This may make a great movie storyline, but it highlights the deep longing that we all carry.  We all want to be significant and we want to do something of great significance.

Two thoughts:

First, we believe our significance doesn’t come from within us; it comes from Christ. So much money and resources is spent chasing avenues to feed our need to be special.  But know this: God’s love for us is so extravagantly he gave us his best; Jesus. And because he didn’t give his life for a few notable people, it shows that there is something significant about ALL of us. He came for all. He died for all. He rose for all. And that “all” includes you. You don’t have to try to “be” significant. You already are because Christ loves you.

Second, because we are so greatly loved, we endeavor to love people like God loves people.  We give generously. We serve endlessly. We love abundantly. And none of that is based upon what we receive back. For freely we have received; freely we give.

What does that look like for you?

If you have never realized that you are significant, look no further than the cross and resurrection.

If you never realized that you can do something significant, look no further than finding a place to serve in your neighborhood or church community. We believe everyone, regardless of age or background, has purpose and a place to serve and make a significant impact.

If you’re ready to do something significant, let me invite you to be a part of one of the most crucial areas to serve: “First Impressions.” It is the place to impact lives even before a song is sung or a sermon is presented. A simple smile, a kind greeting, and a joyful attitude can melt a heart and impact someone’s life in a powerful way.

If you’re interested in making a significant impact through “First Impressions” or any other area, please click HERE or the graphic below.

serve 2

 

 

 

 

I believe everyone is significant and I endeavor to love people like God loves people. At Kfirst, everyone has purpose and a place. And we want to help you find yours.