The Truth As Far As I Can Tell...

Philippians 3:13-14 – No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

 

It’s a brand new year.  What are your goals?  Goals give you something for which to strive.  I have some personal goals this year.  Our church also has goals.  Here are five goals for which Pleasant Grove UMC will strive in 2017.

 

Goal #1 – Provide Exceptional Ministry to Children.  We have made significant progress in re-invigorating our children's ministries.  New leadership and new volunteers have brought new excitement and as many as 19 children regularly participating.  I believe we can do even better.  One key to success will be to hire a part-time children's minister to lead our wonderful volunteers and develop a vision for children’s ministry at PGUMC.  Please pray for us and help spread the word that we are searching for a children's minister.  Talk to me or Sara Edmond for if you would like to be part of this great ministry.

Goal #2 – Visionary Youth Ministry.  Amy Harris does a wonderful job ministering to our youth.  This year, we will take our youth ministry to the next level by developing a clear vision and mission statement and building a team of volunteers to assist Amy in ministry.   Perhaps you would like to be on the team.  Talk to me or Amy if you would like to help.

Goal #3 – Invigorate Worship.  In 2017, we will work on ways to make Sunday morning worship more energetic, heartfelt, and inspiring.  We will experiment with new ways to make worship a true blessing.  Talk to me or David Crawford if you would like to help.

Goal #4 – Reorganize Our Greeters.  Another of our goals for the year is to reorganize our greeters so that everyone who comes to PGUMC receives a warm welcome.  We need volunteers and a way to organize our efforts.  We will also look for ways to train people as greeters so they know how to make people feel welcome.  Teresa Marlow has been very helpful in the effort.  Talk to me or Teresa Marlow if you have questions or ideas or want to lend a hand.

Goal #5 – More Outreach.  Love lives at PGUMC and we have always cared about our community.  In 2017, we will make a concerted effort to provide more organized opportunities to reach out and serve the people of Whitfield County.  We will work to provide service projects all year long as well as participate in community efforts like Family Promise and Be the Church.

 

These are the goals Pleasant Grove UMC will focus on in 2017.  Will you join me in praying about them, following the Lord’s direction, and helping wherever you can?  Of course, I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

 

Remember, God loves you and so do I!

 

Saying Thank You...

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell…

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Philippians 1:3 – Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

     I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has taken time to read my blog. I've had 24,503 views since my first post back in April of 2015. I'm very humbled so many would take time to read about my thoughts, sermons, articles, and such.  
           This month, we will enjoy the great celebration of Thanksgiving. It’s a time when we celebrate the bounty of God’s blessings to us and remember to be thankful. Many people fail to be truly thankful. There are some who don’t say thank you at all. Other people say thank you all the time, but don’t really mean it. 

            I spoke with a gentleman once who said something unusually honest. He revealed that he struggles with being thankful for his employees. He said, “Why should I tell them thank you for doing a good job? To me that seems dishonest. They get paid for what they do and that is their reward. I do tell them ‘thank you’,” he said, “but the real reason I say thank you is because I want to encourage them to continue doing a good job. I’m not really thankful; I’m really just trying to manipulate them into doing a good job—if I’m really honest about it. And that is not really being thankful, is it?” 

            No, saying “thank you” does not necessarily make you a thankful person. Sometimes we say thank you so much it looses its meaning. Being truly thankful requires the realization that we have received a gift. 

            So as you celebrate Thanksgiving this month, don’t just make it your goal to say thank you more often; and don’t just settle for recognizing how many things you have to be thankful for either. Instead, reflect on how each blessing has been a gift from somebody. Reflect on the ways God has answered your prayers. Be thankful even on the ways He has given you a gift by not answering your prayers. Make it your goal to actually be more thankful. That way when you say “thank you”, it will be more than just words that fall from your mouth. “Thank you” will be a living prayer that flows from a grateful heart. Of course, I’m no expert and I certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

 

God loves you and so do I!

The Green Light

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell…

James 4:7 – So humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

            “It’s the green light.”  He said. 

            “What do you mean?”  I asked my friend, Ken.  Ken Stephens was an experienced Methodist minister who served a church a few miles down the road from mine.  He was patient, faithful, and wise from years of ‘fighting the good fight’ in the Lord’s Kingdom.

            Ken and I and a number of other pastors in Forsyth, Georgia were planning a community-wide mission event.  Unfortunately, we had experienced some minor setbacks in our plans.  It was nothing major, but enough to make some of us less experienced ministers question if we were doing the right thing.  Was God trying to tell us we were off track?  Were we doing the right thing?

            “It’s the green light.”  Ken repeated.  “When Satan sees the Church working together and doing the will of God, Satan feels threatened.  He doesn’t like it.  So, he tries his best to disrupt and discourage God’s people.  But that’s the green light for the Church.  It tells us we are on the right track.  We are making the Devil nervous.  So we’ve got to press on.  The Devil’s telling us to stop, but God’s giving us the green light to go ahead.”

            I never forgot Ken’s advice.  Whenever I know I am doing the right thing, I don’t let Satan discourage me with his minor disruptions.  Now, I just see these as the green light.  They are confirmation that I am on the right track.  If Satan is fighting us, it is only confirmation that we are on the right track.  So I pray for God to chase the Devil away and I ask other prayer warriors to join with me, knowing if we resist the Devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7). 

            Satan cannot stand against us.  Through Jesus, we have already won the victory.  Of course, I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

Remember, God loves you and so do I!

The Best Cup of Coffee I Ever Had...

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell…

Philippians 4:12 - I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

            If you know me very well, you would know I don’t really like the taste of coffee that much.  I usually try to cover it up with way too much sugar and creamer or, even better, I put in about a ¼ cup of flavored coffemate.  True coffee connoisseurs are often appalled by my coffee habits and snark, “Hey, would like some coffee with that sugar?”

Keeping all this in mind, you will be surprised to learn about the best coffee I ever enjoyed.  You might guess it was some expensive gourmet blend from Starbucks or a hand roast blend out of the mountains of El Salvador made with a French press.  You would be wrong.  In fact, the best cup of coffee I ever had was a cheap Kirkland brand “Breakfast Blend” from Costco made on my Keurig at home.  Even more surprising, it was completely black with no sugar or cream added!

What made this cup of coffee so unique, you ask?  It came at the end of a special week-long diet where I hadn’t had anything to drink except water—no milk, no coffee, no coke or tea, nothing but water.  So by the end of the week, my taste buds were thrilled to encounter anything besides H₂O.  All the flavors and nuances of the coffee sprang to life in my mouth and danced on my tongue as I marveled at the simple wonder of coffee like never before.  I experience true joy in something I normally take for granted.

We humans are so prone to take things for granted.  It’s part of our fallen nature.  We lose gratitude and when we do, we are actually less fulfilled.  The trick to being satisfied in life is not having more and more.  In a counterintuitive way, more stuff tends to make us less fulfilled.  No.  The secret to being more fulfilled is learning to be satisfied and grateful with what we have already.

Fasting is a spiritual exercise that can strengthen our gratitude and contentment.  Fasting has traditionally meant going without food.  However, fasting could also be going without coffee or drinking only water or giving up something else like TV or Facebook or watching the news for a set time.  Such self-denial can accomplish some very helpful traits.  It could help you stop taking simple blessings for granted and be more grateful.  On the other hand, you might find you do not miss what you gave up at all; in which case, you might be better off without it. 

True joy and contentment in life is not about having more and more, better and better.  Joy and contentment most often come when you simplify and learn to truly appreciate the blessings you have already.  With intentional spiritual practice, you could learn what the Apostle Paul discovered:  “…the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”  Of course, I’m no expert and I certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

Remember, God loves you and so do I!

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell... Seeing God

Photo taken by my brother, Nelson Mullis

Jeremiah 29:13 – If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Matthew 7:7 – Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

            I had an interesting conversation with a friend about why God doesn’t just show Himself to people.  I mean, if God is real, why doesn’t He just "appear" in an unmistakable way so everyone will know?  (Well, God did come to earth as Jesus Christ—did miracles, was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven—but that was 2,000 year ago.)  

            God does reveal Himself to us all the time through nature, through gentle whispers, and in a thousand other subtle ways if we pay attention.  How can we see the magnificent beauty of a flower or the wonder of a baby’s birth and not see the hand of God at work?  However, the question still remains:  If God wants us to know Him and has the power to do so, why doesn’t He do something dramatic like speak in an audible voice from the sky for all the world to hear?

            Well, I don’t claim to have the whole answer, but I have done some thinking and praying on it—especially since the conversation with my friend.  Here’s what I believe.  If you really want to see God, you need to search for Him wholeheartedly.  God is not some sideshow exhibit that you can casually stop by and see at your leisure.  God is active.  He’s on the move.  He is changing the world.  He is leading a battle “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).  If you want to see God—in His power and majesty, in His most dramatic forms—if you want to see God move in mighty ways that will take your breath away and convince you more fully of His presence, you need to go where the action is.

            I have personally seen miracles.  I have seen God revealed in ways that took my breath away.  I have seen God move in ways that left me convinced that God was personally involved in a situation.  These have happened most often during the course of my ministry as a pastor when I was overwhelmed, out of options, out of my comfort zone, and totally dependent on God.  The most memorable of these “God moments” have been when I participated in foreign mission trips.

            If you want to see God’s hand at work in this world, step outside of your comfort zone.  Leave behind a sheltered life where you are in control of it all, doing your own thing, leisurely making your way through life.  Get busy working for God’s Kingdom where your only hope is God’s intervention.  Take a mission trip to serve people who desperately need God’s help.  Get involved in a homeless ministry like Providence Ministries in Dalton, Georgia or Family Promise.  Find ways to serve God that are beyond what you can do by your own abilities.  It might not happen right away, but you are more likely to witness God doing what God does if you go to where God is doing it.

            God is everywhere—even where you are right now.  However, if you want to see Him more clearly and dramatically, look for Him with your whole heart.  Of course, I’m no expert and I certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

God loves you and so do I!

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell… The Art of Losing

1 Peter 5:6 – So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

            Jiu-jitsu is a martial art that uses grappling to defeat an opponent.  Unlike other martial arts like karate and kung fu that teach kicking and punching, jiu-jitsu teaches students to wrestle an opponent to the ground and choke them or twist their joints until they submit.  When a student establishes a proper choke or joint lock, their opponent submits by tapping them so they will release the hold and not injure the opponent.  The “tap” is the most important move in jiu-jitsu.  It allows students to spar at full power without getting hurt and clearly defines when a person submits and the match is over. 

It doesn’t take long for jiu-jitsu students to let go of their ego.  You can’t hang on to your pride for very long when you are getting “tapped out” on a regular basis by people who are smaller and weaker than you.  Even the best jiu-jitsu artists tap out thousands of times in the course of their training.  Tapping out is a great way to learn.  When you tap, you go back and figure out what you did wrong and try again. 

            What is true for jiu-jitsu is true for life.  No one likes to lose.  No one likes to admit their mistakes.  It damages your pride and humbles you, but that’s a good thing.  Losing and admitting our faults are the best ways to learn.  The Disciples messed up again and again in the New Testament and, by God’s grace, it was OK.  They learned from their mistakes and went on to do better.  Through these flawed, mistake-prone people, Jesus established his Church and changed the world forever.

            Since Christians are the Disciples’ spiritual descendants, we should give ourselves and others the freedom to make mistakes, fail, and try again.  We have to change our attitudes so that losing isn’t seen as the end.  It’s just a chance to learn and improve.  Selfish-pride and ego should have no place among God’s people.  Lighten up on yourself and others too.  Seek to be and do your best, but understand that the road to your best will most likely lead through many failures along the way.  If you don’t make a few mistakes, you are playing it too safe. 

            So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  Of course, I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

God loves you and so do I,

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell... Graduation

            My son Gavin will pass another milestone this month.  He will graduate from high school.  In fact, we have six of our youth from our church graduating from high school—Nikki Hollis, Julia McDonald, Gavin Mullis, Kyle Roberts, Max Wilson, and Tiffany Crawford.  My how time flies!  It seems like just yesterday that Gavin was learning to walk.  I’m so proud of Gavin and all our young people who have grown into fine young men and women.

            The next few years will be tremendously exciting and formative for our graduates.  They will become more independent, making the majority of their decisions for themselves.  I pray that the faith and values we have taught them together at PGUMC will guide their whole life and especially in the next decade as they experience the tremendous transformation of the young adult years.

            If I could offer one final bit of advice for our graduates, it would be the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-6:

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take. 

            This is true wisdom for all of us.  So much of life is beyond our understanding.  Even what we do grasp is only a partial picture.  We do not know what the next day may bring or all that God is doing through our current circumstances.  It is often only after many years that we are able to look back in retrospect and glimpse what God was doing. 

Therefore, as we progress through life, the most important thing is to follow God’s will for us the best we know how.  We must walk by faith—trusting in the Lord.  Since we cannot understand it all, we must have faith that God has a master plan as we step through each door He opens for us.  If we seek His will above all else, God will open up the right doors for us.

We do not yet know what our life will be.  However, if we trust in the Lord with all our heart and don’t depend on our own understanding, if we seek His will in all we do, He will show us the way.  And maybe one day, we will reflect back on our life and see the beautiful journey we walked with God and our hearts will smile.  Of course, I’m no expert and I certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

 

God loves you and so do I!

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell...

Acts 3:7-8 - Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

 

            Peter did more than heal the lame man in Jerusalem.  Peter restored his ability to go places.  Isn’t it wonderful that the first place this newly restored man chose to go was the Temple to worship God? 

            Walking was the primary mode of transportation in biblical times.   Today, most people get around by driving.  Yet not everyone can drive.  In particular, I think about the many children who are too young to drive and seniors who are no longer able to drive.  How are they to get to church to worship the Lord?

            Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church has a wonderful new tool that could be the answer--a brand new church van.  Our 2016 Ford Transit is design to be safe, comfortable, and useful.  Furthermore, we believe in using every resource God gives us to give hope to the hopeless, build new relationships, and help our community.  So, it makes sense that we should offer a ride to those who need a way to go to church.

            Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a van load of new people coming to church each Sunday?  Wouldn’t it be awesome to see a swarm of children and youth coming out of those van doors each Wednesday night?

            I was talking to people on Facebook last week asking for advice about how to start a church van ministry.  I heard a lot of good tips, but the best was from a young lady who shared that she was the product of a church van ministry that brought her to church as a child.  Coming to church helped her grow closer to Christ.  Now, she is all grown up, graduating from seminary, and working as a hospital chaplain and a children’s minister.

            Perhaps Pleasant Grove could begin a van ministry to help people go to church.  It would take volunteers to make it happen.  We would need drivers and coordinators.  We would need a little extra giving to pay for gas.  And we would need everyone to spread the word that our church wants to bring people to worship God at Pleasant Grove.  Imagine the lives that could be changed as people come to PGUMC to encounter the amazing love of God through Jesus Christ!  Of course, I’m no expert and I certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell…

 

Remember, God loves you and so do I!

 

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell... Church Attendance

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell…

Hebrews 10:25 says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” 

Attending church regularly is important.  A wise pastor once preached a sermon on the subject without saying a word.  I’d like to share that message with you today as I once heard it shared with me.

The Lonely Ember 

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. 

After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.  

Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.

After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.

As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday." 

Attending church regularly is important.  I challenge you to miss no more than 5 Sundays this year.  You will be blessed.  The fire of your faith will burn brighter.  Of course, I’m no expert and I certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell… 

Remember, God loves you and so do I!

 

 

 

 

 

Five Ways Skipping Worship is Killing Your Church

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell…
Five Ways Skipping Worship is Killing Your Church

Acts 10:25 – And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

There are tons of things you could do on Sunday besides go to church.  Football games, vacations, competitions, amusements, and many other things beckon us to choose them instead of church.  In addition, there are many Sundays people just want to take a break and stay home.  Perhaps that is why church attendance in our country has declined steadily over the past 30 years.  It might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is hurting you spiritually and it is killing your church.

Here are five ways skipping worship on Sunday is killing your church (and your own spiritual life):

Number one – It makes the worship service less exciting for everyone. 

Your presence in worship is vital because it feeds the whole congregation.  A half-empty sanctuary makes for a dull worship service.  There are fewer voices singing the songs.  The sanctuary feels cold and lifeless.  When you skip church, you are hurting everyone else who needs you to be there as part of the body of Christ (and you are missing out too).

Number two – It discourages your leaders. 

Your pastor probably spent at least 20 hours preparing the message.  The choir director spent a similar amount of time.  The 15-30 choir members spent hours rehearsing.  Then there are other volunteers who prepared for Sunday school, children’s church, who cleaned, who set up the sanctuary, and a number of other responsibilities.  It is disrespectful of their efforts when you choose to skip church and it discourages them.  On the other hand, your full support excites and inspires them to do a great job, which builds momentum and great ministries at your church.

Number three – You lose touch with the life of your church. 

Your church is a vibrant place.  You need to stay active to grow.  You have to know what’s going on to participate.  When you skip, you don’t know what’s going on.  You can try to stay up-to-date through emails, Facebook, and newsletters, but it’s not the same.  If you are absent, you will miss something important.  It only takes one Sunday away and you already begin to drift.  Miss two or more and you are seriously out of the loop.  You better get back to church quick and get plugged in.

Number four – It messes up your priorities. 

Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else…” (Matthew 6:33).  You decide the top priorities of your life by what you spend your time, money, and energy doing.  When you choose the football game (or anything else) over church, you have made a decision about what comes first in your life.  There are thousands of things you could choose besides church, but these won’t bring you closer to the Kingdom of God.  It’s time to be honest about what’s most important to you.  I hope you will seek the Kingdom of God above all else.

Number five – It robs the church of the resources it needs. 

The fact is it takes money to run a church.  Excellent ministry requires excellent staff who need to be paid.  The church building has to be paid for and maintained.  Ministry to the needy requires funding.  Poor attendance leads to poor finances because people who skip usually do not give an offering.  When finances are down, the work of God suffers.

Everyone's situation varies, but--in general--you shouldn't miss more than 5 Sundays per year.  For most people, that should be plenty to account for illness, vacations, and the occasional special situation.  If you are missing more than 5 Sundays per year, you may need to re-evaluate your priorities and decide if your commitment to Christ and His Church are what they need to be.

If you are skipping church, you are helping to kill it.  Perhaps it’s time we look in the mirror and start making some changes.  Of course, I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell… 

Remember, God loves you and so do I!

The Truth As Far As I Can Tell...

Get Ready for Mother's Day!
Copyright April 27, 2015 by Chris Mullis 

            Mother’s Day is coming soon—May 10^th.  Have you thought of a gift to give your mother?  I saw my mom this weekend and I decided to give her Mother’s Day present a little early this year since I won’t get to see her on Mother’s Day.  I gave my mom a cedar trellis I made—the kind you put in your flower garden for climbing plants to scale.  I hope she enjoys it. 

            It can be a challenge to find a good Mother’s Day gift if your mother is anything like mine.  My mom already has everything she needs and her walls and shelves are crowded with pictures and knickknacks.  Maybe your mother is the same way.  Whether or not your mother needs anything, what she really wants is to know that you care.

            The Bible offers a great idea for a Mother’s Day gift.  It’s something that would make a great Father’s Day gift too (June 21!). 

Proverbs 23:24-25

²⁴The father of godly children has cause for joy.
    What a pleasure to have children who are wise.
²⁵ So give your father and mother joy!
    May she who gave you birth be happy.

 

            It is a delight to parents when their children walk with the Lord.  It brings joy, peace of mind, and the satisfaction that parents fulfilled one of their most important responsibilities—to shepherd their children into a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ.  On the other hand, parents agonize when their children wander in spiritual apathy.  I can’t count the times I have counseled with, prayed with, and fretted with mothers and fathers who were worried about their children’s spiritual well-being.  This is especially heartbreaking for parents of grown children who do not share their parent’s devotion to the Lord.  That’s why I think one of the best gifts you could give your Mother is to go to church with her this Mother’s Day.  What a wonderful chance to honor your mother.  It is something she will cherish far more than any knickknack you could buy.

            Even better, if you really want to give your Mother a precious gift, make a commitment to deepen your faith.  If you are not attending church regularly, make a commitment to attend regularly for the next six weeks.  If you are already attending, find a Bible study, a small group, or a Sunday school to attend.  If you are already doing these, find one way you can serve—being the hands and feet of Christ.  Not only will these things bring joy to mother’s heart, they just might bring joy, peace, love, and eternal life to you.

            Mothers, tell your sons and daughters what you really want for Mother’s Day this year.  Sons and daughters, share this gift with your Mothers and Fathers.  I think it’s the best gift you could give.  Of course, I’m no expert and certainly don’t claim to know everything, but that’s the Truth as far as I can tell… 

God loves you and so do I!