Unrelated thoughts

Church Update
We haven’t yet sold our pews like we had hoped by this time. In my last post I gave an example of God’s sense of humor regarding these things.

We have a very important service coming up on Saturday evening, January 6. It will be our vision-casting service for 2007. All church families need to be here. It will be both fun and challenging as we look back over 2006 and ahead to the new year. God has big plans for OTCC!

Personal Update
Saralynn’s Annual Open House for her Mary Kay business went very well this last weekend. She teamed up with two other MK consultants, a Creative Memories consultant (our sister-in-law), and another lady who makes scarves, and had a pretty good turn out of customers to see the new holiday options. If you are still looking for gifts, you can order online at www.marykay.com/saralynn.

Scriptural Thought of the Week
We’re looking at the phrase kathos kai (“just as also”) in Ephesians to see what kinds of patterns that God left for us to follow. This will be the last example of this phrase.

“Husbands, you are to love your wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave Himself up on her behalf.” Ephesians 5:25 (my trans.)

I have to believe that most husbands love their wives; at least they did at one point in time. I love Saralynn. However, over our years together, my love has changed. It is deeper, stronger, not always as showy but definitely broader.

But can I say that I love Saralynn just as also Christ loves the church? Probably not; not yet, anyway. Would I die for her? Absolutely! But dying is easy; living – now that’s a different matter. I think that there is more to Christ’s giving Himself up for the church than just His death on the cross. He has sacrificed much in order to establish and maintain her these two millenia.

What would happen in this world if men who called themselves “Christian” sacrificed for their wives (and by trickle-down, their families) the way Christ sacrificed / sacrifices for us? How would your home be different?

Quote of the Week
God has a funny way of bringing things to our attention at just the right time. I finally started reading this book, and it summarizes many of the things that I have come to realize over the last year or so and will be teaching over the next year.

“‘There is a widening gap between the condition of the average American city and the impact and influence of the church,’ observes Jack Dennison in his fine book, City Reaching. ‘When the church measures itself against its past, there may be a degree of satisfaction found in growing numbers. But when looked at in light of an increasing population, accelerating decay and the greater needs of our cities, we find the church’s capacity to affect change continues to plummet. We are losing our cities at an increasing rate.

Quoted from: Robert Lewis, The Church of Irresistible Influence(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), p. 157. ISBN: 0310250153

 

 

Until next time,

Dan’l

The comments in this blog are always the personal opinions of Daniel Goepfrich and are not meant to be taken as official statements of Oak Tree Community Church, its staff, or its members.