FEARLESS (preview)

Here's a sneak peak at the new series we're about to dive into THIS SUNDAY. Don't be AFRAID to drop by!

Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear. They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison and slams the doors. Wouldn't it be great to walk out?

Imagine your life wholly untouched by anxiety. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your head and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, and doubt, what would remain? Envision the day when you can trust more and fear less. Can you imagine your life without fear?

Miss Church

I read a great blog post this morning by Mark Batterson (he's the guy in the photo and the pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC). I want to re-post part of it here:

"I've always wanted to pastor a church that people love so much that when they miss church they actually miss church. I don't want people to feel bad about missing church because they didn't do their "religious duty." I want them to feel bad because they actually missed out on what God is doing and saying. I want them to feel bad because there is no place they'd rather be and nothing they'd rather do more than go to church. I know I'm stretching the meaning of the word "church." The church is not a building. In fact, you can't go to church because you are the church. But I mean "church" in the sense of corporate gatherings of Christ followers. I think it ought to be the most exciting, most enjoyable, most challenging, most convicting, and most affirming hour of the week."

I (Mike) couldn't agree more!

Spiritual Maturity Test

I believe the Scriptures show that God measures our spiritual maturity in part by how much we love other people.

Check out these verses and let it remind you how important it is that our faith in God results in love for people.

• John 13:34, love each other
• John 15:12, love each other in the same way I have loved you
• John 15:17, this is my command - love each other
• Romans 12:10, love each other, take delight in honoring each other
• 1 Thessalonians 3:12, may your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9, love each other
• Hebrews 13:1, keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters
• 1 Peter 1:22, show sincere love to each other...love each other deeply with all your heart
• 1 Peter 4:8, most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other
• 1 John 3:18, lets not merely say we love each other, let us show it by our actions
• 1 John 4:11, since God loved us so much, we surely ought to love each other
• 1 John 4:12, no one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us (people get a glimpse of God and what he is like through our loving actions)
• 2 John 5, we should love one another

Why not make it your goal today to let your love for God be demonstrated through your loving actions towards others?

Biblical Giving

At New Day we believe biblical giving is systematic, proportional and sacrificial. We talk about money at New Day because stewardship is part of discipleship. And our mission involves making disciples. Check out the explanations given by Aubrey Malphurs and Steve Stroope in their book "Money Matters for Church".

Systematic

It's systematic in that we want our people to decide how often they're going to give and then to give, without the church always having to plead for it. In the same way that they pay their mortgage, rent and car loan on a regular basis, they should give faithfully and regularly to the church. In other words, biblical giving is consistent giving. If people are paid once a month, we suggest that they give once a month; if they are paid weekly, they could give weekly, as the Lord blesses them. The important point isn't so much when to give but that giving should be a regular habit. That way, we don't have to waste precious time in a worship service pleading for funds that our people should be giving on a regular basis without being asked.

Proportional

Proportional giving teaches that if God has blessed you with much financially, then you should give much financially. If he's just blessed you a little financially, then you should just give a little. And if God has not blessed you financially at all, then you're of the hook!

Sacrificial

Biblical giving is sacrificial. It should change your lifestyle. If we give a convenient gift that can be given without much thought - without any prayer - if we can reach into our wallet or purse or write a check and it doesn't really change anything in terms of our values or our lifestyle, then it doesn't meet the criteria of being sacrificial.