Dave’s Monday Blast — July 20, 2015

It is good to be back with you this morning. I was away last week with my family and “thought” I had sent this missive to Starla (Office Manager) to forward to you last Monday…but I neglected, evidently, to press send. My apologies. I guess the Lord knew that you needed a break from my intellectual wanderings. 😁

You may recall I had been sharing with you over the last two weeks the essence of our teaching from our all-church family camp. We were discussing Spiritual Growth Essentials that effective Christians embrace as they seek to turn their initial decision to follow Christ into a robust and committed lifestyle. Essential 1 is a commitment to being “duct-taped” to spending TIME with the Lord (Joshua 1:8 – 9). Essential 2 says we need to be “duct-taped” to GENEROSITY. Our time, talents and treasures must belong to Him (I Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:7). Essential 3 is simply this…we must be “duct-taped” to RELATIONSHIP (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 5:42). The power of Christian community cannot be understated.

What does solid commitment to relationship look like? In community we must:

1. Pray (Matthew 18:20)
2. Embrace Accountability (Proverbs 27:17)
3. Provide Support (Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 10)
4. Find Encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

“The Christian who is not committed to a group of believers for praying, sharing and serving so that he is known, as he knows others, is not an obedient Christian. He is not in the will of God. However vocal he may be in his theology … he is not obeying the Lord.” Dr. Ray Ortland

“Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:15- 16).

I love the words of Nehemiah in chapter 9 verse 38, “We are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our spiritual leaders are affixing their seals to it.” Now that is the kind of lifestyle commitment our God requires of us. This must be an INTENTIONAL choice each and every day.