A Valentine's Day Message

the world is looking at us as Christians all the time, to see what we do, to see if we are who we say we are. we gotta stand up for what we believe in. we have to represent the Christ. I'm thankful for guys like mark driscoll, he's battle tested and isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Check out what he has to say, stand strong for Christ and show the world what a follower of the Lord really looks like.

Romans 12:1 Do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will

-matt

We Need Each Other

I think I caught a glimpse of
Life without friends
Bitter, empty, hollow, dark and lonely
We never meant to hurt each other
So Can’t we trust again
And take it as a chance
To keep on growing

I don’t know why it doesn’t come easy
But I know that we could be happy
If we’d only learn to love

Oh oh we need each other
So what’s the fighting for
Oh oh we need each other
Please don’t close the door
Oh oh we need each other
Through all the highs and lows
Oh oh we need each other
‘Coz no one’s meant to live alone

Life revolves around the need
Of having someone
Causing every complicated feeling
Oh and I don’t want to loose you
And there is nothing wrong with
Telling me what you need
To keep our love strong

It’s just a part of being a family
Taking the good with the bad and the ugly
If we could only learn to love

Oh oh we need each other
So what’s the fighting for
Oh oh we need each other
Please don’t close the door
Oh oh we need each other
Through all the highs and lows
Oh oh we need each other
‘Coz I don’t want to be alone

Oh Oh we need each other
Fathers and Mothers
Oh oh we need each other
All your sisters and brothers
Oh oh we need each other
We need friends and lovers
Oh Oh we need each other

Well I need you
You need me
‘Coz that’s the way
It’s meant to be
I need you
We need each other
i don’t want to be alone

Well I need you
You need me
‘Coz that’s the way
It’s meant to be
I need you
We need each other
i don’t want to be alone

Genesis 2:18 says "The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" this song hits straight from God's word. We aren't meant to be solitary creatures, we were built to commune with the Father and to have community with one another. Christian fellowhship is critical to our walk with God and our lives in the long run.

Just wanted to say a quick word on this idea about accountability. Get it. Get what? accountability. for those of you kinda unsure about what i mean let me just break it down for you using a personal example, for lack of another one. When i sin, and am convincted; when i promise God to read my bible 4 days a week, and don't do it; when i set a goal to attend church every week, and decide better of it; that's where accountability comes in. We need someone in our life to audibliy tell keep us in check and challenge us to succeed. We as humans are competitive in nature, so when we are challenged to reach a goal, we are more likely to step up to the task at hand. And we don't like to disappoint, so get somebody to impress. but you know i dont mean it like that. Get your best friend and ask eachother daily how you are doing in your walk with God, challenge eachother to step up. because if you don't have that accountability in your life, you will absolutely NOT, make it on your own. first off, cuz we need Jesus, secondly, because we are incapable of following him solo, we aren't strong enough.

just a word

-matt

This is the Life

People always throw around the maxim "Live your life to the fullest,," and to be truthful it does partially stem from a biblical background. In John 10:10 Jesus says "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Culture tells us to "grab the bull by the horns" and to take what is yours. But that is all based on the assumption that we have a life to live.

So matt, thats kinda confusing, cuz I'm pretty sure I'm alive. Well, I mean, biologically speaking you're alive. You have breath in your lungs so you are living. But that doesn't mean you have life. Life comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But that isn't the point i'm trying to make here. Yes, Jesus is the source of life, but even beyond that, he determines how long each of us will live our earthly lives.

I received word an hour ago that one of my best friends had gotten into an accident. I had little details so all I could do was pray. I thought back to the last major wreck I had heard of involving people I knew. It didn't end so well. So as i started mulling this over in my head, God just kinda began to remind me of some things.

1) We aren't promised that we will ever see tomorrow.
- We can't take the air we breath for granted. When God told us that we would have life to the full it did not mean that we would have what we would classify as an "amazing life." He meant that our faith in him would bring us to the fullness in life, eternal life, which does not come on earth.

2) It isn't about us.
- Life isn't about what we do. We can't impress Him with a plethora of good works. We have absolutely no say in what he has planned. We are helpless. He will use us for His purpose and then we will be gone.

3) Only one relationship matters
- Friends come and friends go. People come into your life and leave it. Sometimes it comes in tragic ways life a car crash or what have you. But in the end, we have our ties to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and our tie to the Son of Man. We never lose our connection to him and even if our brothers leave life here on earth, we will be one day reunited. But on that day, will we be thining about them? i certainly hope not. No, we won't be rejoicing for them, we will rejoice at the sheer sight of the King of Glory seated at the right hand of God Almighty.


With that in mind, don't waste your life. We are transient beings, here one day and gone the next. Do God's work for His mission, then you will reach that fullness of life, and will be one day, reunited with Him.
godbless
-matt