Part I Growth Requires Listening, Action & Stopping...

Founder/Lead Pastor Cory

Let me start by saying, this 3 Part blog is really to all of you who have committed your life to Jesus Christ in the past few hours or the past 50 years.  One the most basic, so necessary & indispensable truths is, you must continue to grow in your Relationship with God every day of every year.  In Ephesians 4:14 (The Message) tells us this most basic, necessary and indispensable truth.

¹⁴ No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors.

I know this may be hard to believe for those of you who have been a Christian for many years, that it could be possible that you would ever become a babe lost in the woods or yet a child who can become an easy mark for impostors of truth.  However, it happens every day of every year.  Well, Cory how can that happen?  I am so glad you have asked.

People have stopped the process of Spiritually Growing.  Lets camp out here for a few moments and take a good look at these two very important words, "Spiritual" & "Growth."  Spiritual no longer holds the same level of definition it once did. Most Americans interviewed say they are Spiritual.  With that said, let me clear up what spiritual should mean to you the Christian. Spiritual should mean, "I am Very Concerned about Biblical Truths."  Growth on the other hand should resonate as "I am progressively developing in those concerned biblical truths."

The First point of growth is to Listen.  That starts right here with all of us listening to the sounds of the words that I have put down in this blog and the ones to come on this subject.  Second, we must put action to our Christianity. Let me speak a moment on the Law of Disuse.  Here is a good example of what I am talking about.  Take a good pocket knife for instance that you may have used in the garage for projects.  If you do not use the blade regularly it will begin to capture the moisture and begin to rust. Then one day you go to use it and it's hard to open or you can not open it at all.  Also, it does not cut as it once did.

Romans 15:2 (The Message) explains it to us in a manner that makes it very clear that we need to act on what we hear so we do not become rusted and hard to open or become dull and can not help on a level that will make a real difference.  What you are about to read is huge in not becoming rusted and hard to open.  Lets look at verse 2...  ² Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”   Well, if you are going to help you must be a person who is consistently growing in this area.

We need to understand that putting people above ourselves is vital to our spiritual growth.  I have taught for over two decades now this very important truth. "You are never to big to do small stuff."  We need to make service a priority!  Service is truly defined as this: Service referred to as a task performed by lesser persons for those who control their existence.  Yep, that's why we become babes in the woods, we do not want to serve, instead we want to be served.  Service at best is Worship to God, not a person on this earth.

Here is a way to take action!  Stand up and say, "Here I am, Use Me! Make it personal and take the responsibility to serve someone else and grow - spiritual growth will begin again.

Psalm 119:125 (The Message)  ¹²⁵ I’m your servant—help me understand what that means, the inner meaning of your instructions.

Next week Part II, Growth Requires Listening, Action & Stopping... "The Law of Crowd Control"

Good Intentions



Pastors Cory & Richelle Smithee

Alexander, a U.S. aviator and engineer, was once visiting a fellow flyer in the hospital with the good intentions of cheering him up. The young man had just lost his leg; Alexander, who had an artificial leg too for some time said to the young man, "The loss of leg is not so great a calamity," "If you get hit on a wooden leg, it doesn't hurt a bit!" With that Alexander said "Go ahead hit my Leg!" The young man raised his walking stick and brought it down hard on Alexander's leg. "You see," he said cheerfully, "if you hit an ordinary man like that, he'd be in bed for a week!" With that he left and walked outside into the corridor and collapsed in excruciating pain.  It seems the young man struck the wrong leg.

Do you relate to this story? How many times have you had good intentions, only to have them crash and burn.  But the positive side is you tried.  However, in this blog I want to talk about the other side, Good Intentions that never happen.  This is one of the most frustrating issues in life... Good Intentions that never happen!

When I was in the corporate world there was a story that went something like this; Have you ever met Mr. Meant-To? Mr. Meant-To has a buddy, and his name is Didn't-Do. Have you ever had the chance to meet them? Did they ever call on you? These two fellows live together in the same house of Never-Win. I am told that it is haunted by the ghost of Might-Have-Been.

A person, company, church just cannot build a reputation of success on what it's going to do.  It takes action to see a dream or vision to end up somewhere on purpose. It takes action to turn good intentions into reality. Successful endeavors require action!  Here's some questions you need to ask yourself the next time you have a thought of a good intention; 1) What specific, measurable action will it take for me to complete this good intention. 2) How much time, effort, and money will it take?

Stop talking and start forming a vision of really doing it and completing it. One phrase has not changed, "Talk Is Cheap," "Action Cost Something."  No good intention has ever been achieved except by someone who dared to make the dream a reality.

 Habakkuk 2:2 says, "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it."  If you are having issues with talk, talk, talk and no action, then let me give you a simple way to stop talking and start doing:

1. You will have to write it down, that is to declare it on paper
2. You have to make it plain and simple
3. You have to have the courage to make a copy for someone to hold you accountable

Unless we do it this way, it will only remain a "Good Intention," a "Fantasy," a "Talk To make Us look Good."  Regardless the cost, stop talking and start doing.... just saying!

Pastor Cory