Acts 9:1-6 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴ Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵ And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ^[a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” ⁶ So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

“Lord, what do You want me to do?” After Paul was radically, dramatically, and eternally changed by the Lord on the road to Damascus, his natural desire was to serve the Lord. Every Christian is saved to served. God has a plan for each of our lives. The joy on the journey with Jesus is to “Find Your Why” and then to live it out!

Here are 5 simple questions to help you to know and to do God’s will for your life:

1- What does the Bible say?

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you^[a] shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

The primary way in which God reveals His will is through His Word. Every Christian must be so full of God’s Word that they are able to think God’s thoughts after Him. The main reason so many Christians have a hard time discerning God’s will is that they do not know Biblical precepts and principles. Begin today, systematically, and intentionally studying the Scriptures.

2- What is your motivation?

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

We must align our desires with God’s desires because when we do our good desires become godly desires. When we are saved God gives us a whole new set of “wants tos”. As we become more informed by the Bible, as we become more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit within us, and as we spend more time around other Christ followers, our desires will be transformed. God will not give you everything you want but as you follow Him what you want will conform to what He wants for you.

 

3- What are other strong Christians saying?

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.

We are not meant to live the Christian life alone, but we were created for community. We are not to be codependent on anybody, but we are dependent upon God and interdependent about other brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible contains many instructions for Christians to bear one another’s burdens and to speak truth with love. Therefore, every Christian should seek to surround themselves with wise and godly family members, friends, pastors, counselors etc. We must find people who love God and love us and are willing to speak the truth we need to hear into our lives.

Action Step: If you don’t have anybody like this in your life may I encourage you to start by getting involved in a Mission Group which are held on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. For more information, please contact me at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

4- Are you seeing God provided opportunities?

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall ^[a]direct your paths.

Primarily, we want to root our decision making in the objective Truth of God’s Word and the wise counsel of mature believers. But then we want to be aware of the opportunities that God provides for us. The main point of the famous Bible study “Experiencing God” is the reality that God is always doing something, and it is our responsibly/privilege to simply get involved. God will open and close opportunities for us. We are to boldly walk through the doors that He opens and not waste time and energy trying to open the doors that He has closed.

 

5- What is the wisest course of action?

Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.

James 1:8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

It is very easy for us to suffer from “paralysis of analysis”. We can usually make decisions between “good” opportunities and “bad” opportunities but it’s much more complex to decide between two apparent opportunities that appear equally good. We need to remember- that if the decision at hand or the opportunity before us is not contrary to Scripture, if we are pursuing God and walking in the Spirit, if we have consulted with wise and godly counsel, and if whatever you choose can be done for the glory of God…. Then you just need to decide and go with it… living life through the windshield and not the rear-view mirror.

 

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 

1-              Contact me at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

2-              Check out our church website Misisonchurchlex.org

3-              Visit us for Community Celebration and Worship every Sunday at 9am and 11am (Facebook livestreaming available at 9am) 

                 and Mission Groups each Wednesday at 6:30pm. We are located at 3288 Beaver Creek Drive Lexington, KY 40515.

4-              Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missionchurch.lex

5-              Continue to read this weekly blog- “Find your Why with Pastor D”

 

Matthew 5:47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? 

 

Almost every church thinks they are a friendly church but are they really? Many church members are friendly to the people they have known for years but they are not so friendly to those who are new. When a person visits a church for the first time it can be very overwhelming and intimidating. I have been a pastor for many years and a Christian for even longer… yet when I visit other churches, I still sense a level of uncertainly and uneasiness. Will I know what do to and where to go? What is permissible here and what is discouraged? Will the people be nice, or will they be distant? Visiting a new church can almost be compared to visiting a foreign country and there can be some “culture shock” involved.

 

At The Mission Church of Lexington, we understand this and want to do everything we can to intentionally minimize this discomfort. We look at every new person who attends as a guest and not just a visitor. A visitor is somebody you might expect to stay briefly then depart but a guest we want to make feel at home! Our goal is to turn every guest into a consistent attender then into a Covenant Member than into a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

 

It has been determined by research that most first-time church attenders determine within their mind if they have a positive or negative evaluation of their church experience within the first 7 minutes after arriving on campus. This means before they are able to experience the celebrative worship experience or the Biblical passionate preaching… they have already made a mental and emotional evaluation of the church. This means that the hospitality and greeting ministry is critically important! We want to make every guest and attendee of TMC feel welcomed, wanted, and warm.

 

The Mission Church of Lexington has a Hospitality Team who intentionally welcomes every attendee and guest. They hand out worship bulletins and seat guests. This team serves as the “first impressions” for TMC!!! We are always looking for volunteers to serve on this super important team. If you are interested and available, please contact the Hospitality Team Leader, Hoang Duong 859-699-9590.

 

However, everyone at TMC should consider themselves a member of the Hospitality Team even if you are not officially on the team volunteer list. This blog post will give you a simple strategy and method you can use each week to help create the friendliest church possible! This is important because the friendlier a church is the more guests they will receive and keep, the more guest a church receives and keeps the more salvations and baptisms they will experience, the more salvations and baptisms they experience the more Covenant Members they will have which results in greater Kingdom impact and Gospel expansion for the great glory of God!!!

 

Here is the simple strategy: For the 5 minutes immediately before and the 5 minutes directly after the worship service starts and ends, every TMC Covenant Member should intentionally seek out guests or irregular attenders to welcome them warmly and to simply chat for a few minutes, while listening for needs, showing interest, and answering questions. Simple, right!? Use the acronym W.I.N. to help you with this plan. I will provide some sample phrases, but you will need to personalize them to fit your unique preference and personality.

 

W- Welcome- “Hello, it is wonderful to see you today! My name is Cletus, what’s yours?” or “It is so great to see you! Welcome to the Mission Church, if you don’t already have plans to sit with someone, please feel free to sit with me and my family.”, or “Good morning, it’s a beautiful day to be in church with friends! I am not sure I have had the pleasure of meeting you; my name is Earnest.” Etc. Remember that a smile and a friendly handshake/fist bump goes a long way! Be cautious, some people are huggers, but others are not… be wise and discerning in this matter. Be extra discerning if you hug anyone from the opposite gender.

 

I- Interests- Most people like to talk about their favorite subject…themselves. Ask about their families, their work, their hobbies, their kids… even better their grandkids! Show genuine interest, make good eye contact, don’t look past or around them, don’t fiddle with your watch or phone, be a good active listener and ask good open-ended questions. As it is often said, people will not care what you know until they know that you care. “Please tell me a little bit about yourself”, or “Oh, that is so interesting, please tell me more!” Etc.

 

N- Needs- “How can we best serve you and your family”, or “How can I pray for you”. If your spiritual antenna has been up and you have been listening well you will have the opportunity to speak words of encouragement or take a few moments to pray with them, or share the Gospel with them, or connect them to one of the pastors for additional pastoral care. Here is when the W.I.N. strategy gets really fun… you will have opportunities to minster in very practical and meaningful ways! Maybe you invite the person to lunch with you and your family… maybe you schedule a coffee and conversation to share the Gospel.

 

Simple and effective! A casual and friendly conversation can transform those awkward minutes for a guest into Gospel opportunities and maybe, just maybe, new lifelong friendships! Will you get started practicing W.I.N. this Sunday?

 

If this blog post has grabbed your curiosity and you would like to know more, please pursue any/all of the below options:

1-              Contact me at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

2-              Check out our church website www.missionchurchlex.org

3-              Visit us for Community Celebration and Worship every Sunday at 9am and 11am (Facebook livestreaming available at 9am)   

                  and Mission Groups each Wednesday at 6:30pm. We are located at 3288 Beaver Creek Drive Lexington, KY 40515.

4-              Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missionchurch.lex

5-              Continue to read this weekly blog- “Find your Why with Pastor D.”

• We conduct Unceasing Prayer every 2nd Friday of the month. This is a 12-hour focused prayer time beginning at 10am and ending at 10pm. We start and end with a virtual Zoom Prayer Meeting and we provide 30-minute time slots for you to commit to throughout the day. You are provided a helpful prayer guide and can pray from wherever you are during your designated time slot.
• We also conduct Vertical Prayer Gatherings. These take place on the last Sunday evening of every month that has 5 weeks in it. You really don’t want to miss these powerful worship and prayer experiences!
• We help teach effective prayer at The Mission Church of Lexington by using a simple prayer method called A.C.T.S which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. If you would like to know more about any of these prayer resources, please contact me at pastor@missionchurchlex.org.

According to the Bible all of humanity is divided into only two spiritual categories, you are either a saint or you are an “aint”. You are either a saved, born again, follower of Jesus Christ or you are not.

Matthew 12:30  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

If you would like to know more about salvation, please follow this link:

Understanding-Salvation.pdf (missionchurchlex.org)

If you have trusted Christ today, please let me know at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

I would love to pray with you and send you some discipleship materials to help you grow spiritually.

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ ^[a]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

If you would like to know more about church membership, please follow this link:

Understanding-Church-Membership-1.docx (live.com)

If you would like to discuss church membership, please let me know at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

I would love to pray with you and send you some materials.

Just as all of humanity is divided into only two spiritual categories, members of a church can basically be divided into two categories, church pillars and church caterpillars. Some church members stand spiritually tall and strong while others… well not so much…  If you were to honestly evaluate yourself and your church membership, do you think you would be a pillar or a caterpillar? If you are not sure or want to know how to be a strong church member, please continue reading!

 

1- Church Pillars are church members who attend faithfully

A man rolled over in bed on a Sunday morning and lamented to his wife. “I don’t want to go to church today”. The wife responded, “Why would you not want to go to church today dear”. He sleepily said, “because the music it too loud, the building is too cold, the people are not too friendly, and the preaching is too boring”. The wife said, “but it’s important for you to attend, you have to go honey”. The man curtly said, “just give me one good reason I should go”. She gently reminded him, “because you are the pastor”.

 

We all need the church… and the church needs us. I call this the “ministry of presence”. Just being there is a blessing to others (not least of all your pastor!). Just showing up doesn’t necessarily mean you are growing up, but it is a very good indicator. There is something special and powerful about knowing that you are going to be able to see, to sit with, to sing with, to serve with, and to respond to the sermon with your church family, week in and week out! We must always keep in mind that our attendance at church is not just about what we get out of it, but our church attendance is also for the glory of God and the good other others!

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

Pause and Ponder: If every church member was just as faithful in attendance as you are what kind of church would we have? Do you find or make excuses to not attend worship, Bible study, small groups, or is church attendance a top priority for you and your family?

 

2- Church Pillars are church members who encourage intentionally

Mark Twain once quipped, “I can live two months on a good compliment”. The truth is we all enjoy an “atta boy or atta girl” from people who love and care about us. Life can be very hard and discouraging. Everybody needs to hear some encouraging words and verbal support. This kind of affirmation is rare in our community or in corporate America, but it should be commonplace within our church. It does not cost us anything to use our words to build people up instead of using our words to tear them down.

 

Colossians 4:8 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that ^[a]he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

 

Encouragement is not mere flattery or simply being nice by telling people what they want to hear. Encouragement is always honest and sincere. Encouragement commends those who are serving well, and it urges those who are struggling in their walk with the Lord. A church member who is intentional about using their words (spoken and written) to encourage their brothers and sisters in Christ are a tremendous blessing.

 

Pause and Ponder: How can you be a “minster of encouragement”? What are some simple, practical and tangible ways you can encourage your church family starting today?

 

3- Church Pillars are church members who forgive willingly

If you ever find a perfect church do not go there because you will ruin it as soon as you enter into it. The reality is, there are no perfect churches because there are no perfect Christians. Churches are full of people who still sin and will still hurt you in the process. They will say harsh things, they will be selfish, they will gossip, they will lie… none of these things are acceptable and all of these must be addressed in a truth and grace giving matter but… they will occur. As a church Pillar you will have to be able to forgive willingly.

 

Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

 

Just one or two church members who harbor unforgiveness can hinder the unity of an entire church. Christians have the same potential for relationship strife and emotional hurt as do unbelievers but… we should be able to address these issues in a Christ honoring and redemptive manner. It has often been said “to err is human but to forgive is divine”.

 

Pause and Ponder: Search your heart to ensure there is no unforgiveness lurching in the dark corners. Do you need to “release” somebody from the wrong they have committed against you? Do you need to seek forgiveness from anybody that you have wronged in word or deed?

 

In conclusion, please join me next week for “Find Your Why with Pastor D” as we look at three additional ways a church member can be a “Church Pillar”.

4- Church Pillars are church members who pray continually

5- Church Pillars are church members who serve diligently

6- Church Pillars are church members who give generously

 

 

Nobody plans to waste their life… but for far too many people this is the unfortunate reality. They wake up one day wondering where life has gone. They may have wasted most of their life on nefarious activities like drug and crime or they may have squandered life on relatively good things like an unhealthy focus on fame and fortune. The truth is even good things become bad things when they keep us from the best things. If we are not intentional, we will spend all of our time just surviving while God wants us to be thriving! Life is so much more than just drawing our next breath and drawing our next paycheck. I hope this blog post encourages you to begin the journey with Jesus to “Find Your Why”!

 

The 3 most important days of your life are:

 

#1- The day you were born. 

Grandpa’s 100th birthday party was not a huge success. The family wheeled him in his chair out onto the lawn for a picnic. When he slowly started to lean to the right, his daughter stuffed a pillow on his right side to prop him up. A bit later, he started leaning to the left. His son straightened him up and stuffed a pillow on his left side. Soon he started tilting forward. This time his other son caught him and tied a pillow around his waist. A few minutes later, his grandson arrived. He said, “Hey, Grandpa! How’s life treating you?”  “Terrible,” he said. “They won’t let me fart.”

 

Did you know that it is scientifically proven that people who have more birthdays live longer!

 

We all share one thing in common, we had a day we were born into this world (unless you are an alien of course). You may have been a surprise to your parents, but you were not a surprise to God. There are no such things as illegitimate children there are only illegitimate parents… God knew you, planned you, and loved you before the foundation of time!

 

Psalm 139:13 For You formed my inward parts; You ^[a]covered me in my mother’s womb.

 

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified^[a] you;

 

Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

 

But we will not all share the same quantity or quality of years of life. The Bible is clear that life is fleeting and fragile. We are all charged by God to make sure we don’t waste our life but invest it into things that really matter. Our life is truly a gift from God and what we do with it is our gift back to Him! Our biggest concern should not be the length but the depth of our life.

 

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

 

James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Ephesians 5:15-16 See then that you walk ^[a]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

 

Pause and Ponder- Are you spending your life or are you investing it? Why do you give your answer?

 

#2- The day you were born again.

If you are born once you will die twice but if you are born twice, you will only die once. The Bible speaks about 2 deaths. The first is physical death and the second is spiritual death. Physical death is when the soul and spirit depart from the physical body while spiritual death is when the soul and spirit depart from the presence of God. We will also face physical death (if the Lord tarries His Second Coming) but we don’t have face spiritual death. We can have spiritual and eternal life through a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[a]hell.

 

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, ^[a]unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

 

Nobody is saved because they were born into a good family, or grew up in church, or have tried to be a good person. You can only be saved if you are born again. If you have repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Nobody else can do this for you, this is a personal faith response you must make for yourself.

 

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born ^[a]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 

1 Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of ^[a]corruptible seed but ^[b]incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides ^[c]forever,

 

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

 

I was born in 1978 in Florida but grew up on the sunny state of West Virginia. But I was born again in the Fall of 1999 just after I finished classes at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia and just before moving to Lexington, Kentucky to begin my Law Enforcement career.  I have been loving, serving, and following Jesus ever since! Not perfectly but progressively…. My heart has been forever turned to Him!

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

 

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 

Pause to Ponder- Has there been a time in which you were born again? Have you been saved? If not, are you ready to trust Jesus today?

 

If you would like to know more about salvation, please follow this link:

Understanding-Salvation.pdf (missionchurchlex.org)

If you have trust Christ today, please let me know at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

I would love to pray with you and send you some discipleship materials to help you grow spiritually.

 

#3- The day you discovered why.

 

Your birth and your rebirth are no accident in God’s sovereign plan and providential purpose. God wants you to “Find Your Why” and to live on mission for him. God truly loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life… but the opposite is also true… the Devil hates you and has a terrible plan for your life. Therefore, you must be intentional and disciplined to live courageously and obediently for God while seeking to know and obey His Word and His Will.

 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

Pause to Ponder- Have you found your life purpose? What do you believe God’s plan is for you right now and in the future?

 

At the Mission Church of Lexington, we teach that every person has a God given purpose. The general purpose for all people is to “know God and to make Him known through worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism”. But God also has a special plan for you that is as unique to you as your fingerprints. He has created you with a very special S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual Gifts, Hearts, Abilities, Personality, and Experience) to live for the glory of God and the good of others. The Mission Church of Lexington exists you help you to discover, develop, and deploy your purpose for the Kingdom of God.

 

If this blog post has grabbed your curiosity and you would like to know more, please pursue any/all of the below options:

1-              Contact me at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

2-              Check out our church website Misisonchurchlex.org

3-              Visit us for Community Celebration and Worship every Sunday at 9am and 11am (Facebook livestreaming available at 9am)                       and Mission Groups each Wednesday at 630pm. We are located at 3288 Beaver Creek Drive Lexington KY 40515.

4-              Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missionchurch.lex

5-              Continue to read this weekly blog- “Find your Why with Pastor D”