Are you Busy with the Right Things?

This post was written by Larry Davis, a pastor at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Salisbury, MD. 

To Read This Week's Bible Passage :: CLICK HERE

One thing I am certain of concerning leaders is that they are always busy. I also think that the worship ministry is one of the most demanding areas to serve within our church. 

Your commitment has to be high to be able to learn your part, prepare your heart, and to do all the other things that are on your non-church plate in the course of a week.  

So, how do you know when to say yes and when to say no to ministry opportunities?

This week’s video blog is all about that - CLICK HERE to check it out.

After watching it ask a few questions:  

1. What are the core values in my life and my ministry?  
2. How should those values shape what I do and don’t do?

 Come ready for a discussion this Thursday - see you at 6:45!

What is Your Leader Lid?

This post was written by Larry Davis, a pastor at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Salisbury, MD.

To Read This Week's Bible Passage :: CLICK HERE

I hope you all are having a great start to your week. In this week's post I want to talk to you about what John Maxwell often calls a Leader Lid. He is referring to a leaders capacity to lead. I believe that each leader’s lid can be self imposed or based on their natural ability. 

A great Biblical example of this is Moses in Exodus 18:7-24. Here are some initial thoughts I want to share with you about this principle by video: CLICK HERE.

This week when we meet come prepared to discuss what your lid may be and how you can leverage Moses’ wisdom to effectively lead at a higher altitude.

See you Thursday at 6:45!

Worship & Giving

This post was written by Larry Davis, a pastor at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Salisbury, MD.

On my way in to the church this morning I was pondering what to blog about. I have always believed that the situations at hand make for the best discussion. I think it is because it makes the discussion more real to life, it also helps me as a Christian to work out my faith, and it also assumes that others are working through similar thoughts and issues which I have found is true most of the time.

 













Since we are in a series involving Financial Fitness, I thought this would make for a great discussion this week in how much giving is a part of Worship. I would hope that everyone would agree that giving is a part of worship. Where we will find ourselves at different places will revolve around how much we think giving is a part or how important of a roll it plays? Does how we organize our finances affect other areas of worship? Should we give based on New Testament or Old Testament concept? What impact does giving have on my ability as a Worship Leader?

This week please ponder that these questions. Pray about them, talk about them with family, and even Google the topics and see what others have shared about these issues. As you ponder I have some scriptures that will help you wrap your heart and mind around the issue. 2 Corinthians 9:7; Genesis 28:22; Matthew 23:23; Malachi 3:6-12. There are many other scriptures that involve this topic, but these are a few to get the discussion started.

What Is My Best "Fit"?

This post was written by Steve Morrow, a pastor at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Salisbury, MD.

 













When I look around ORBC, I see so many talented and passionate people and the ministries they pour themselves in to every week.  I have to say it is an exciting time and season for our church and it is a joy to take part in what God is doing. 

One thing that I have been thinking over as we came out of our big ministry push this past fall was, what is the best way to discover one’s own shape for ministry and then be able to find their place to best serve?  After all, we are the body of Christ and each part has a specific part in the whole so it should be obvious to just find that fit and see God work through them within that context and their unique shape.  Well, here’s what is apparent and what I see as the challenge: there are some to whom that fit is so clear, but then there are also those who need to take a more  in investigative look to find out where it is they need to serve. 

So, one of the best ways to find out where best to serve is Class 201 where you can find your SHAPE for ministry. But wait…you may ask, “What if I can see myself doing a number of things but I really want to do ‘this’ but I’m just not good enough yet or it’s all I really want to do?"  Singing or playing an instrument on stage every week is an easy example of this scenario, but there are many others.  I believe that looking to Scripture is a good place to start.  It is the best way to discover what your next step could be, while making sure you are in line with where God is working in your heart and within the context of being a member of the church body.

Look at 1 Corinthians 12:12-22: The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable (crucial), and the parts that we think are less honorable WE treat with special honor.

It is interesting how scripture gives special honor to those parts that seem to be weaker in verse 22. 

Since we are all walking this path to better know our shape within ORBC I believe there is great wisdom in scripture to be found as you seek out what is the next step for you in serving or if you are still searching for that right "fit".  As we prep for this coming week ask yourself these two questions: “What does the body of Christ look like?” and “What is my best fit as it pertains to God’s definition of the body of Christ?” We will begin to unpack some of the great principles within these verses as a part of our discussion in Thursday’s devotion as a worship ministry.  See everyone Thursday evening!

The God Who Requires Trust

This post was written by Kate Cole, a blogger whose original post can be found at Everything And The Kitchen Sink.

Yesterday I was able to go to church for the first time in awhile. Sickness, surgery and other things have gotten in the way.  Once the service started I was reminded how much I need church in my life. It makes me stop and focus on what is important. I can take much needed time out of my schedule and sit in God's presence.

The sermon yesterday really spoke to me. The title was "The God Who Requires Trust". The part that really got to me was the idea that "old faith is never going to be enough for new challenges."

The idea was that as things come up in our life, we need to grow in our relationship with God in order to handle what comes along. The pastor spoke of the Children of Israel in the dessert. In chapters 14-17 of Exodus, things kept coming up that tested them. The lack of water and food tested their faith. They whined, and complained. They allowed outside circumstances affect their relationship with God. They whined because what mattered to God didn't matter to them. While it is easy to sit back and judge them, I know I do the same thing. I allow the circumstances in my life to affect my relationship with God. I question, complain, worry and fight.

The service ended with the song "Blessings" by Laura Story. The lyrics were so beautiful I wanted to share:

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

As we get ready to end 2011 I look back and am amazed by God's mercy and blessings. It has been a really tough year, I have cried, complained, wondered "why me", yet the whole time God has shown His faithfulness. He has more than proven that He can be trusted. I have a renewed fervor to increase my faith. 

Made for a Mission

This post was written by Larry Davis, a pastor at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Salisbury, MD. 

This past week we focused on the principle that God made us for a "mission". While I firmly believe that we were made for a mission, I think that discovering that mission can be elusive. I know in my own journey I have felt, at times, like a ship sailing in a certain direction, but that the tide, the wind, and circumstances have really changed course. Our spiritual journey in leadership and ministry can be very similar.

In the Gospel of John we see John the Baptist navigating his specific journey well and later he was confused about his course when thrown into prison. His example can be a lesson and comfort to us all. 

Read John 3:22-36 and you will see John is certain of his specific mission and purpose. He is confident in his role within God’s kingdom and how that fit into his relationship with Christ (vs. 27-30). He also understand that “[Christ] must become greater; [while John…] must become less”. So, he understood that it was not about him, but about his role in the bigger picture of what Christ was doing. 

As many of our folks completed 301 this week and are looking to take the next step in ministry, I know that they are searching for what their purpose and specific missional fit is in the Kingdom. I would offer that there are two principles from John’s life that we can glean for our own journey.

The first is that there is a very specific fit that God has called me and you to. That fit is based on our background, hurts, gifts, personality, passion and where they specifically intersect where Christ is already at work. John knew who he was and what God called him to do. Knowing his specific missional purpose brought him great joy and focus. As he understood how his life intersected Christ’s mission it gave his life exceptional meaning. However, even John later struggled when he landed in prison (Matt11:2-3). In John’s doubt there is the second principle that really has helped me in my ministry.

Most of the time God will give us a general sense of our ministry’s direction, but does not reveal all the specifics of how He will accomplish it. Along the journey things will not go as planned and we will be required to use faith to navigate the surprises. In my own life and journey there are things that I am certain of: God has called me to teach, preach, and share my faith with the world. The context of how and where are constantly changing based on His will and my receptiveness.

Do you know what God has called you to do? 

What specific ministry direction has He called you to? 

Once you know, begin to learn and move in that direction. The specifics of how He will accomplish His purpose to make you into a greater leader and minister are meant to be discovered on the journey. You will have to remain faithful and certain of what God has called me to, but you will have to remain very flexible to the how.  

What God has called you to do, once you know who you really are in Christ, will change very little over the course of time. He created you with great care and with a specific purpose. However, the how will change many times throughout your journey. Sometimes it will be something you saw coming and sometimes not. Be patient and let Him be the potter and you just be content to be the clay. The artistic masterpiece that will come will bring both you and God great joy!

Love and Trust

This post was written by Em Rohrer, a local blogger whose original post can be found at http://emrohrer.blogspot.com

I've been reading Fresh Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson as a devotional-type resource for the past few months and I'm coming down the home stretch. I'm a little disappointed to be finishing it, but it's been a great read and I'm also looking forward to starting something new.

I read chapter 9 yesterday and it's entire focus was on enriching your relationships. What really jumped out at me was the importance placed on trust in any relationship and how it directly feeds love.

The more we trust in God's love, the more it will change our hearts and lives. Not trusting God's love doesn't make it any less true, it simply makes it untrue for us. It keeps us locked away from the freedom we have in God's embrace.

1 John 4:18a says it well - "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear."

The author closes the chapter by saying, We are never more like God than when we choose to forgive others. Relationships give us our greatest opportunity to model the gospel.

Forgiveness, trust and love - they all go hand-in-hand feeding healthy relationships. You really can't have one of those attributes and not the others while expecting to have a successful and fulfilling relationship with God or anyone else.

The challenge for me, often times, is balancing all three aspects.  Forgiveness doesn't come easy to me, which also feeds into a difficulty to trust.  But I always know Who I can always place my trust in, the One who will never let me down.  That alone helps refocus my relationships with others.

How do you balance the need for trust, forgiveness and love in your relationships?