What's in it For Me?

Clay Smith JFBC: What's in it for me?

Is this all you ask? How does this relate to the mission of the church?

In the classic movie Field of Dreams, after turning his cornfield into a baseball diamond farmer Ray Kinsella eventually asked "What's in it for me?" Author Terrance Mann replied "Is that why you're doing this?"

https://kidadl.com/quotes/best-field-of-dreams-quotes-from-the-movie

JFBC Mission Statement: We exist to help people find truth, belonging, and purpose in Jesus Christ.

NPCC mission statement: Leading people to a growing relationship with Jesus.

Finding Truth

The high cost of fake news, false content. Tozer: a notable heresy: "Humans can choose Christ as Savior but postpone following Him as Lord". God wants to be in every part of our lives. We spend so little time in the scriptures. We are skeptical about its relevance. We don't know how to make Christ our Lord. We are vampire Christians.

Discipleship is doing easily and routinely what God wants us to do, as opposed to once or twice a year. Muscle memory.

Finding truth. John 17: 6-8.  Jesus prays just before he is arrested. The holy of holies.

Aspects of walking in the truth:

A. Accept Jesus' word as God's word.  You are a gift from the Father to the Son. Jesus is charitable to us, to his disciples. John 5: you search the scriptures because you think they give eternal life…

Jesus performed miracles but followed up with hard truths. Many turned and walked away. Peter: where are we going to go? You have the words of eternal life.

What word best describes my time in the Bible this past month?

B. Believe in Jesus as God's word in the flesh. John 17:1-5. Jesus prays Father the hour has come…this is eternal life, that they may know You. Glorify your Son.

Phil 2: when Jesus came to earth in a body, emptying Himself, later reclaiming His full glory. We need to know this about Jesus. More than just knowing Jesus and having faith in Him, but continually returning to Him.

John 3:16: God so loved, not judged those who believe. Have a healthy sense of urgency for unbelievers. Putting faith in Jesus is the beginning of the journey.

C. Conform to Jesus' vision of the good life, and walk in His truth. Follow, guard, keep safe, becoming more like God. Put it into perspective. Make muscle memory.

Think of someone you struggle with. Jesus says to love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. What reward is there to love only your friends? Even pagans do that. Keep praying and walking in His truth.

Develop the habit of reading the Bible. Daily. Unhurried. Even ten minutes. Read one chapter of the gospel of John every day.

Ask yourself the question: What do you want me to do? Who do you want me to become, as a result of this text?

"Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth". Must be able to think God's truth, easily and routinely. 

You can listen to the sermon here 

Sunday night movie, with Mandy Moore, Matthew Goode (Leap Year), and Mark Harmon as the President.

Players with the most MLB postseason games played:

Player             Games Teams                     WAR

Derek Jeter............158...NYY...............................71.3

Chipper Jones........ 93...ATL...............................85.3

David Justice.........112...ATL, CLE, NYY, OAK...40.6

Kenny Lofton.......... 95.CLE SF CHC NYY LAD.68.4

Tito Martinez........... 99...SEA, NYY, STL............29.0

Yadier Molina........104...STL...............................42.2

Jorge Posada........125...NYY..............................42.7

Manny Ramírez.... 111...CLE, BOS, LAD............69.3

Mariano Rivera....    96...NYY..............................56.3

Bernie Williams...  121...NYY..............................49.6

Will's sister-in-law Holly's youngest brother Graham Smith plays for Sewanee, in the same conference older brother Connor played in, for Oglethorpe.