Change

I'm sure we've all heard the saying, "The only constant thing in life is change." The first time I heard this phrase I was a little confused. "Really? The only thing we can count on is that once we think we have it figured out, it'll change," I thought. And so far, that's been about the best advice I've ever received.

Fall Kickoff 2006, St. Luke's brought in a special speaker that gave a talk on the Blueprints of Life. His advice was simple. If you've drawn the blueprints for your life...tear them up. God has something bigger and better for your life than you can even imagine. How many times do we try and put our plans in cement and the eathquake comes along and shakes things up? I know these are the times I become disappointed, and possibly frustrated that things didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. The good news is, the big guy's in our corner and he knows what we need in life. This seems so simple when put in writing, the hardest thing is, there's alot of meat here. If this was easy in application then I wouldn't be writing about it right now. Faith, trust, understanding, patience are all abstract concepts. I can't objectify faith. I can't objectify trust or understanding. And I definitely can't objectify patience. This is why it's so hard. We all have to practice patience, understanding, trust and have faith in the things we cannot see, in order for this to work. WOW! That's alot! Right? But it's not impossible.

Take a leap of faith this week, and see what's in store for you.

Commitment

What does it mean to be committed? I have plenty of friends that are dealing with this issue as they look at the relationships in their lives. From friendships, to dating relationships, to marriage...what does it mean to be committed? CP's philosophy on commitment is simple, maybe over-simplified, but pretty black and white (with shades of grey).

The commitments in our lives should be ones that bring out the best in us. A commitment to your family is one of pride, of lineage, of support and unfailing love. A commitment in a relationship should be one that continually lifts you up and moves you forward in your life's journey. And that's how I view a commitment to your family of faith. Unfailing love, support in good times and the bad and growing ever closer to God by being surrounded by His followers, these are only a few of the privileges offered by being committed to your house of worship.

This Sunday is membership Sunday. It's the culmination of our Summer Sermon Series on "The Tie that Binds." We've looked at what it means to be a part of the Methodist church through prayers, presence, gifts, service and this week we'll talk about witness. I would encourage you to prayerfully consider coming forward this week and joining St. Luke's in it's mission to Share God's love, Grow in our faith and Serve the community.

Email me with questions or comments! CPerrier@StLukesOKC.org