Connection Archives - The Ultimate Gift

February 20, 2020February 20, 2020

Made for Community

One definition of community is a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Did you know you were made for community? God never intended for us to go it alone. Otherwise, I suppose He could have stopped with Adam.

Pros and Cons

I am an introvert, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need people. I just need them in smaller quantities and fewer doses! I cherish my alone time. And I cherish my family and friends too. That has only been reinforced over the course of the last 6 weeks or so here in Florida. It’s been the best of times and the worst of times…all at once! We have connected with very few people here, and because we haven’t had any company yet, it has been lonely at times in 2020. I miss my people! But on a brighter note, this quiet time has afforded me a chance to do some things that I struggle to find time to do at home. If your inbox has had a steadier stream of email from The Ultimate Gift lately, it’s because writing has been one of those things!

The Family Expands

If, and when, we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, God adopts us into His family. We are His children. And that makes us part of a community of believers, aka the body of Christ. Your family just got WAY bigger!

“so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”

Romans 12:5 NLT

A Branch of the Family

On a smaller scale, we can have greater access to the community of believers through a local church. Living a Christian life is anything but easy. It’s important for each of us to have support and encouragement along the way on our faith journey. Connecting to a local church can be an invaluable resource as we seek to become more like Jesus. Paul had this to say in his letter to the Romans:

“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.”

Romans 1:12 NLT

Loosely Connected

Larger churches generally have more programs to offer, but it is also easier to slip through the cracks in such a church. The church we’ve been attending here in FL reminds us quite a bit of our home church. We are well connected at home, but not so much here. And it’s our own fault! We walk in at the beginning of the Sunday morning service and head straight for the door at the end. In our second winter here, we still haven’t met the pastor! Yet, we love attending this church. We smile and say hello to many, but that’s about the extent of our relational involvement.

Downsizing

The following is an unpaid advertisement for small group ministry! So as not to have anyone in the family slip through the cracks, many churches offer an opportunity to connect to other believers on a deeper level through small groups. These groups are generally made up of 8-12 people. We study, we fellowship, we eat, we do life together…on a regular basis!

I was invited to join a small group at my home church shortly after we became members. (Membership is not a prerequisite) Being the introvert that I am, I didn’t say a word during our study time for the first 18 months. When I finally took that step of faith, God used it in a mighty way. I ended up co-leading the group a few short months later and my spiritual growth took off. I have continued to lead various small groups intermittently ever since and feel certain that I get more from those in my small group than they get from me.

The Bottom Line

The point of this post is that God created us for community with Him and with fellow believers. If you are trying to go it alone, I can’t stress enough how important it is to find a church home. Once you take that step, then you may have to take another by joining a small group. That will lead to an even deeper sense of community.

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT

I will close with a math lesson to summarize the preceding verse:

2 > 1 and 3 > 2

We are GREATER together than we can ever be alone!

October 25, 2016

In a Ditch?

When my niece was out on her own and my sister hadn’t heard from her in a while, she would call and ask her daughter if she was in a ditch. I can just hear her saying it! Thankfully we can laugh about it now because my niece was always found to be safe and well.

I’ve posed that same question to my students in the classroom many times over the years since. It seems each concept builds on the one before it. By missing class or not asking questions when they don’t understand, my students put themselves at risk of falling behind or getting lost. When that happens, they find themselves in a proverbial ditch! The more time that passes before they get the help they need, the deeper the ditch becomes. Without help, they find they can’t claw their way out. And so it is with life.

God has good plans for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11). If we stay close, He’ll show us the way. (I can just hear Pastor Dave saying “it’s simple, but it ain’t easy!” after writing that sentence.) God has no trouble keeping His end of the bargain. The problem is on my end. Perhaps you can relate. Life is full of distractions and temptations that take my focus off Him. When I look down, I veer off the path. Without intervention, it isn’t long before I find myself in a ditch. The longer my focus is on the things of this world, the further I sink.

Are you in a ditch? I have good news to share from the Apostle Paul—I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)

I have this picture etched in my mind—I look up from the ditch and have to shield my eyes from the light radiating from Jesus. He’s standing at the edge of the ditch with an outstretched, loving hand, just longing to pull me out and put me back on the path to the hope and future that He has planned for me (Jeremiah 29:11). I just need to look up, fix my gaze on Him and reach for His hand. Can you see it too? He wants to do the same for you! If you, like me, are struggling to stay on the path, just look up. And then reach for Him. NOTHING can separate us from His love.

May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3:18 NLT)

Amen.

April 25, 2015

The Technology Challenge

“It’s only as smart as the person using it!” As a math teacher, I have uttered those words to my students on more than one occasion. There have been times when I have gotten downright frustrated by my students’ dependence on calculators. Often, any math sense they have is tossed out the window when they have a calculator in their hands. They just assume the calculator is displaying the correct answer without giving it a second thought. But what if they unknowingly hit the wrong key? Addition produces a different answer than subtraction. 94 is not the same as 49. Calculators are wonderful tools and certainly save us time; however, the beholder still has to supply the brainpower! And so it is with smartphones. What a great tool to have at our disposal, but if we’re not careful, we can easily lose our sense and become dependent on that too.

Based on my morning, I think I might be guilty! I have the Bible App downloaded on my phone and tablet and it is generally the first app I open in the morning. I am currently working through two different reading plans. The daily devotion/reading in the one plan was quite thought-provoking this morning. The gist of it was, “What if we consulted with God as often as we “consulted” our cell phones?” How many times do you check your phone/electronic device each day for emails, texts, the score of the game, the weather, social media, etc.? That’s what I thought. I DO have company! I am not saying it’s bad, but we can certainly end up with misplaced priorities if we are not careful.

After reading that devotion this morning, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I challenged myself to go to the Bible App, read His Word, and say a prayer each time I felt compelled to check my phone/tablet for whatever reason. Well, let’s just say I feel very closely connected to the Father at the moment! So far I have been looking at verses that I’ve highlighted, bookmarked or created an image of in recent days. By rising to the challenge I have greatly increased my daily communication with God and the challenge is only 5 hours old!

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)

Sustaining this challenge will lead to transformation, but will also require a conscious effort on my part. By getting into His Word, His Word will get into me. The same is true for you. Care to join me in this challenge? I’d love the company. Pardon me for cutting this short, but I must go check my phone to see what messages my friend Jesus has for me!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)