The Well Church of the Nazarene

The Principle of First

From our series, "The Blessed Life."

"Everything comes into order when God is first. When God is not first, life falls out of order." -- Pastor Robert Morris, The Principle of First

Temptation

The Book of James is a letter written to the Church, and we see in Chapter 4 an unflattering portrait of some things taking place... some of which are still happening today. No matter where you are in your faith journey, everyone faces temptation, every day. These temptations come from our own desires--the pleasures of this world that we're often drawn toward--and feeding them leads us away from God.

When was the last time your mourned the separation between you and God? Perhaps it's time to take that first humble step in allowing Him to draw you close so you might walk in the light as He is in the light. 

I Hear Voices!

Today's culture is heavily influenced by voices that are earthly, unspiritual, disordered, and evil. But "wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere." 

Watch Your Mouth

The tongue is mentioned in all five chapters of James. Words matter! What we say has the power to build up or to tear down, to bring death or to bring life. Once something leaves your mouth, it's both uncontainable and uncontrollable, so choose your words carefully.  

Just Do It

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress AND to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." 

Ours is a hands-on faith--it is not enough to simply give, no matter how much, or to send someone else, no matter how well intentioned. WE are to go to others in the midst of their desperation and JUST DO SOMETHING about it. Grace moves us toward compassion...and then compels us toward purity. For faith, absent of action, is dead.

Poured Out

The conclusion of our "Hand Crafted" series on spiritual formation. 

We are molded, fired, and filled for a reason--to be poured out! And the deepest love poured out comes from the most complete sacrifice. Love that heals. Forgives. Welcomes. And prepares a seat at God's table. So the question is not WILL your life be poured out, because it inevitably will. Instead, the question is on WHAT will you have it poured out?

Filled

From the "Hand Crafted" series on spiritual formation.

The Potter takes a prepared, shaped, and fired vessel and fills it... to fulfill its intended purpose. For us, as living vessels, this filling occurs from the inside out, as we empty out ourselves and are permeated and saturated--filled--by the Holy Spirit. What would happen if we looked at our lives with this in mind? How should this change our approach to life, ministry, and worship?

Fired

From our "Hand Crafted" series on spiritual formation. Even though clay has been prepared, molded, and shaped on the wheel, it's not yet ready to be used. There are still important steps it must go through before it (we) can bring ever-increasing glory to God. Fire is necessary for others to see our transformation from mud to something useful, but we often miss out on glorifying God because we can't take the heat.

When we choose to be clay in the Potter’s hand, we accept that there will be times we're exposed to the fire in order for God to finish in us what He's started. If we are not fired, we won't be capable of being filled, of being poured out, of being useful. And these fiery-furnace moments require us to lean upon GRACE, upon our faith, and to trust as we have never trusted before.

Scripture Reference: Daniel 1-3

Molded

From the series, "Hand Crafted."

God is intimately involved in our formation, having created us in His image from the inside out. We are a marred clay that God is shaping into something beautiful, but when we allow ourselves to be transformed from within, the process is often uncomfortable. The Father has his hands on us! In us. Are we willing to be molded to reflect Him? To be emptied, open and surrendered to the Potter?

 

An Average Joe

Scripture is filled with examples of God doing extraordinary things through ordinary people, but we don't always see every detail of their lives. Such is the case of Joseph in the New Testament. An average guy whose life changed after encountering Jesus!