Lake Tapps Christian Church

Today we talk about uncomfortable commitment. One of the reasons commitment is so important is that we grow when we're uncomfortable. Pushing through discomfort helps us grow. It's why I like Peter, he found himself in some pretty uncomfortable situations (walking on water, betraying Jesus) he shares meaningful wisdom to his church about uncomfortable commitment.

Lake Tapps Christian Church

Today we look at Maslow's Pyramid describing the hierarchy of needs. Instead of five levels, we melt it down to three--first is basic provisions, second is safety, third is self-actualization--living out our dreams. It's interesting that Jesus tells a parable about a little seed becomes a stalk becomes a plant with leaves, yet remains fruitless. Jesus teaches three ways that money, wealth and possessions choke out life. They coincide beautifully with Maslow's pyramid. We discover how to have life no matter what needs we are facing.

Tithing is a contentious topic. Church leaders, pastors, Christian Universities and mission organizations are almost evenly split on the issue. 42% say that the Christians need to tithe 10%, 58% say it is a choice. Today we're going to look at the verses, talk about the confusion and end up with a question that I hope will take you even deeper with your giving. Instead of asking 'How much do I give?', what if we asked, 'How much do I keep?'

Today we learn a lesson about generosity from Job. While most of us equate Job with suffering, he was also the richest person in his neck of the woods; blameless, upright and wealthy to be exact. We're kicking off our discussion on generosity with a man who had everything, lost everything and still honored God with all of his life. Check this out.

Lake Tapps Christian Church

There's a word in Hebrew that is translated worship in English but the original meaning is specific to bowing our knees. It's used 170 in the Bible to describe this important way of worshiping God. You might remember that when the wise men find Jesus they bowed in worship. Today we look at why bowing our knees is such an important act of worship.

Today we talk about something that you might not think is a form of worship. I like it because I believe it will connect our soul in intimacy with God. You can do it when you're full of gratitude, you can do it when you feel like you're on auto-pilot just going through the motions. It even works better when we're going through a difficult season. We worship with the depths of our soul when we Pour Out Our Hearts to God.

When the wise men arrived to see King Jesus they were overjoyed. When Matthew tells the story he wants to make sure we don't miss the joy. He writes this, "they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." Two things immediately follow their 'overjoy', they bowed their knees and gave their gifts. Today we'll discuss 'Bringing our Gifts'. There's something about being overjoyed that makes giving so much fun. Check this out.

I can remember the moment when each of my kids let go of the coffee table to take steps for the very first time. In letting go of the table they looked at me and then raised their hands towards me. It's one of those feelings that never gets old, my heart was full of love. God instructs us to reach out our arms toward Him in worship. I can't be for sure, but I feel like one reason is because God loves it, it's one way we can show our dependence on Him.

Lake Tapps Christian Church

We have a lot of hurt, heavy & hard in our lives. It may be one reason why we so easily mutter. People who are lost mutter about their condition, people who see lost people mutter at them for being lost. I think it's why God dedicates an entire chapter of three repetitive stories about being lost. What's missing is muttering. What's unmistakably present? Joy. In this world we have forgotten the joy that goes with being found.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are when my big brother got what he deserved. If I'm honest, I really liked it when he got more than he deserved. It was icing on the cake. The problem with revenge is that it flies in the face of what Jesus taught about mercy. This is important because when it comes to eating with those who are far from God mercy is on the menu. Helping someone when no one expects you to. Today Jesus tells us a story about mercy.

Love is costly. It's costly because it can be lost. One way we lose love is by thinking that we don't need it. Why would anyone think that? It's a good question and today we discover the answer by looking at the life of a devout man named Simon. The problem is that those who are forgiven much love much, those who are forgiven little love little. The catch, we're never in danger of losing God's love for us, it's our love for God that is in danger.

Have you ever seen something difficult and thought, "That's a lost cause." It doesn't happen very often but sometimes it creeps into how I think. Today, Jesus teaches the disciples that no one is a lost cause. He does it with a lesson on fishing. In the end we see Peter set out into deep waters, lowering his nets for a catch. We'll summarize sharing Jesus with people far from God in three words; 'faith in action'.

Fresh off his baptism, with his hair still wet, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The first thing that happens to Jesus when he launches his mission to save those who are lost is temptation. Why? One reason is because temptation proves our meddle, our integrity. If there's one thing that people who have lost their way need it's a fixed point of reference. They need someone in their life with integrity. Is your life a fixed point of reference for others to find God?

You are good enough to do something good.

I love the "It's Personal" book by Virginia Ward, Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy. You might find it as helpful as I have. When it comes to getting personal, this next question requires so much trust. In fact, chances are you're only going to have one kid out of a group that trusts you with this one. Here it is: do you know what I've done? "No one needs to be known by everyone, but everyone needs to be known by someone."

When it comes to understanding someone else's context most of us feel like we're informed. With all of the information at our fingertips, we've seen movies, read books, watched TV series, even listened to podcasts to gain perspective on how others live. It's true that stories can help us know and understand but until we enter into another context we won't be personal. It's why today's message is so important, "Do you know where I live?"

Lake Tapps Christian Church