OFC Launch Day Thoughts

King Solomon wrote:

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; 
And there is one who withholds more than is right, 
But it leads to poverty.
(Proverbs 11:24 NKJV)

I believe Solomon was talking both about our sowing and our giving. And it is not just about giving our money, our time, our food or other resources that we have. What God seems to be saying here (through Solomon) is that we are to give what God has given to us: love, life, hope, promise, truth and His Word.

Surely, the launch of Outward Focused Congregations is another of God's opportunities for us to be faithful to Him, to scatter seed, grow and harvest a crop. But it is more than that, it's not just a numbers game but another opportunity to share what we have through Jesus with those in our community whose eyes, hearts and minds are closed to Him.

OFC's give us a momentum to scatter and increase but there is also a warning in what Solomon says for those of us who pass up the opportunity.

It's tough at the moment - hang in there

Does it feel like hard work at the moment?  Are you putting more effort in to serving God than ever before, and yet not seeing a lot of fruit?  Do you seem to be wading through treacle, with only more treacle on the horizon?  Are you praying more passionately than in the past, and yet God seems more quiet?  Are you desperate?

It is a feeling or experience that I am finding common around SBC at the moment.  So much so that I want to talk about it, so that we understand it and are not discouraged.

Let me give you a solid example.  Last night I was at our building for the Youth Small Group and met a couple of our guys, let's call them Bob and Tony.  Bob and Tony were there to run a course called 'Money Matters'.  It is an awesome course that helps people deal with their money.  It is not just for those with debt problems, in fact it is more designed for those who want to be in control of their money that bit more, but who are not in huge debt.  Bob and Tony have seen people's lives turned around by coming on the course and know of many more people who would benefit.  Last night they diligently turned up ready to run the course, expecting only one person to come.  Guess how many people came?  No-one.  Not even the one person they were expecting came.  

Now, before we get all weepy for Bob and Tony, and try to work out their real names so that we can go and console them, we need to remember that this picture is replicated in many different ways across SBC.  They are not alone. It is tough, really tough.

So what is going on?  I have given a lot of thought and prayer to this.  Do we need to pray more?  Do we need to pray harder?  Do we need to pray differently?  Do we need to repent of hidden sin?  Do we need to close everything and start from scratch?  Do we need to shout louder and guilt trip people into getting involved?  Should we give up and do something else?  Perhaps you have been tempted towards one of these options, or maybe even all of them, I know I have have.  Yet I believe that none of them are God's answer.

The conclusion that I have come to is this:  we need to persevere and not do anything different.  We need to serve and not worry about success or fruit, but just serve because God asked us to serve.  We need to press on, not because we are seeing breakthrough, but because we live in hope of breakthrough.  We need to seek his face and his voice, not because we hear Him speak often, but because we love Him even when we don't hear Him.

I believe and have faith for a time to come when we will see fruit and breakthrough, when we will see His Kingdom come in awesome and powerful ways.  However, right now I believe that God wants to know if we will serve Him when there are no results.  Will we do it simply because he asked us to do it, even in the face of discouragement?  If we will, then I believe our hearts will be ready to cope with 'success'.  Through this tough time I think He is causing us to examine our motives for serving and praying.  Right now I think He is asking us simply to be obedient, and leave the outcome of our efforts in His hands.  

So what is our response?  First, we keep on keeping on, serving and praying because we love God.  We live in hope of breakthrough, but leave it in God's hands.  Second, we encourage one another to keep going.  This is no easy journey, but together we can help one another see and understand what God is doing.

It's tough at the moment, but hang in there, it is just for a season.

Have You Got The X-Factor?

X-Factor is back and already gripping the nation. Saturday nights now consist of more than 11 million people in the UK sitting in front of the television and watching all the auditions for a panel of judges, hoping to be the next big star!

As much as it is about the talent and finding the 'next big thing', in the early audition period much of the programme is dedicated to those hopefuls who believe they have the X-Factor, but the judges (and the crowd) very much disagree. It is quite amazing how some people can truly believe they have the voice of an angel, and the shock on their faces when the judges suggest singing is not one of their best qualities.

It is in fact the opposite of this situation that Simon Cowell and the team seem to love. Those people who walk on stage, who carry a presence and have extraordinary talent, and yet struggle to see it in themselves. Simon gets a little sparkle in his eye when he sees someone who he believes has the potential to be a star, but knows that they can be so much better when they understand just how good they are.

In what areas do you need to believe in yourself more? What gifts do you have that you need to exercise and develop?

Also, who around you has a gift or a talent that you can encourage and help develop? What can you do to help others understand how good and gifted they are?

I believe the Church is meant to be a community that encourages people's gifts, pushes people to be the best (and most Christ-like) they can be, and who do everything they can to develop those around them who have potential to do something great. Let's make those things strong characteristics in our lives, and ultimately in our community!

God bless

Tom MacDonald

Student Pastor @ SBC

Journeys Pt 6 – The Legacy

Since arriving at SBC about 22 months ago, Julie and I have been sharing the journey with those around us.  Last September we encountered the concept of Outward Focused Congregations (OFCs) and it seemed at first to many of us to be a change of direction.  After some time to reflect and pray it is clear, however, that it is not a change of direction for SBC, just a different emphasis and set of priorities.  It provides us with a chance to leave a legacy.

A couple of months ago, Rich Webb came to our Journeys course at college and the students were amazed at his story, especially the idea that he was willing to give up the potential of a 6 figure salary in banking to serve God.  Rich explained it that, yes he could have earned a lot of money and left an inheritance but by faithfully serving God he would have the chance to leave a legacy.

We, as a church, have a chance to leave a legacy as we journey together.  What will that legacy be?

It won’t be that we are a church that praises God with passion and a loud voice, important though that is.  It won’t be the use of technology, or the love we have within the fellowship, or the ministries we run; important though all of these are.

Our legacy will not even be OFC’s even though it is the way we will reach people and grow as a church.

Our legacy will be the relevance we become to our community by the lives we help to change in reaching the lost, giving to the poor, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and extending the Kingdom of God to those around us.  This cannot be achieved unless we are fully compliant with the Spirit and the Father’s Will, which is for us to follow Jesus in everything we do.

Stop and stand back

It is very easy in the busyness of life to allow ourselves to get caught up in the activity and detail of everything around us.  Of course that is not a bad thing in itself.  The problems comes, however, when we 'mistake the edge of our rut, for the horizon', when we begin to lose sight of the bigger picture.

The whole of scripture points to life having rhythm.  Whether it is the pattern of work and rest in the creation account, or the expression of 'seasons' of life in Ecclesiastes, God's desire is for there to be variation in our life.  Just as we to push ahead with determination to pursue God's purpose for our lives, so also we need to stop and stand back.  I believe that such times are essential for us to regain sight of the bigger picture.  It doesn't so much matter when we do it, or even how we do it, but I believe we must do it.

In these times of stopping and standing back I believe there are some important things to reflect on:

• What has God been doing in my life?
• What is God doing in my life right now?
• What might God want to do in my life in the future?
• What is God doing elsewhere?

Taking time to consider these questions will broaden our horizons and enable a rich picture of God's activity in our world to form.  We will find the Kingdom, where before it was not apparent  and sense God's hand in places that previously appeared isolated.  It is often said that we can only live our lives looking forward, but only understand them looking back.

When and where will you stop and stand back?  You might think you can't afford the time, but I wonder whether you can afford not to.  Perhaps you will discover something that could change everything!

Rich Webb

Renewing Covenant

Often people spend a lot of time looking at the covenants God has made with us, his children. However, sometimes we fail to remind ourselves of the covenant we have made to God as well.

When you become a Christ follower you enter a covenant of allowing Him to be the Lord of all our days, until the end, and we promised to submit to His ways.
In reality and if we are honest, this is not always easy. We seperate our lives in to sections and give God what we don't want, or we hide an area of our lives from him.

I recently read this prayer by John Wesley in my devotions, and it has really challenged me to daily submit myself to Him, and to renew the covenant I faithfully and wholeheartedly made.

"I am no longer my own, but Thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee, exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal"

Perhaps today you need to commit to God and allow him to be Lord of your life! Wonderful news if that is you! But also just maybe you need to renew your commitment to God today, and perhaps the heavens rejoice in that moment also?

Live everyday for him!

God bless

Tom MacDonald
Student Pastor

Don't pick up the baggage!

It’s fastapproaching that time of year again when many of us will be jetting off todestinations all around the world to enjoy a well earned break. If that’s you,I really hope you have great time and that you come back refreshed and readyfor any challenges that may lie ahead for you.

I often find theactual getting there to be quite stressful! Ensuring you get to the airport ontime, getting the car parked in the right place, getting to the check in deskon time and getting to the right gate for your flight can often seem reallyhard work. I have to say though, the holiday feels it’s really begun when youget checked in and most importantly you get to drop your baggage off. You turnaway from the check in desk and that’s it – just the plane to get on and then aperiod of fun and relaxation. Of course, it does get a little bit stressfulagain when you’re waiting to pick up your baggage at the other end – there’salways the fear that your baggage won’t have made the plane and that you’llspend the first few days of your holiday with nothing to wear! Thankfully, forthe bulk of us, it’s not a problem and our baggage is ready to collect when itcomes round the belt in baggage reclaim.

I believe that whenwe come in to relationship with God, a similar thing can occur. God wants us tocheck in our baggage at the start of the journey that may have weighed down ourlives up until this point. He wants us to handover the things that may haveblighted our lives previously in order that we can live our lives in freedomwith him. Living freely is one of the most amazing things that can beexperienced but sadly for many people, they do not allow it to last. Theproblem is that on too many occasions, we head for baggage reclaim when we haveabsolutely no need to do so! Contrary to when we go on holiday, when we checkin with God, we check in our baggage as we should do but then we should neverfeel we have to pick it up again. With God, we live in complete freedom andnothing that we have handed over to him should ever be picked up again! All ourstrength and courage is found in him alone.

Living in Freedomis available to any one of us who wants it. We just need to hand everythingover to God and allow him to take control. Why not come along to SBC thisSunday at 10am and find out more about Living in Freedom?