I have a bad habit of venting about people to others. I really do. Yes, I'm a Christian and yes, I'm very aware that this is not what I'm suppose to be doing. The verses are clear in the Bible about gossip and what to do when you have an issue with someone. So far, I have failed. But I'm gonna change that today with the power of God. It's the only way I've changed any behavior in my life. Pursue Him, read from His Word, allow others to advise, and pray. 

I would often start this "venting" by stating I needed to get this off my chest and felt as though it wasn't gossip if I said I was just "venting'. It was almost as if I needed to get this person that I was venting to to be on my side. How unfair is this?!? They only hear my version of the story.

Matthew 18:15-17 says, "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church."

So I first need to go to the person who offends me not to those around me as to get support. No, to the person first. Otherwise this is gossip. Proverbs 11:13 A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can help keep a confidence. A gossip is not trustworthy. Proverbs 16:28 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. 

Gossip is sin. Like all sin, we are prone to it and it draws us in. If we can step away from the habit of gossip, we can allow small talk to be deeper conversation with substance and help all of our relationships.

Do you gossip? Do you listen to gossip. Lean into God today as I will. He can replace my gossip with His words of encouragement. understanding and most importantly, love. 

Many years ago, I cheated on an exam. I copied off others and ended up "acing" the test. I was even called up and honored afterwards. It was completely uncomfortable. I thought I didn't hurt anyone but deep down I did. I didn't feel right about it at all. 

I do believe it can come to a point where it does feel right....and that is dangerous! When sin doesn't bother you, there's something deeper going on. When we are not digging deeper into our faith, things that are WRONG seem RIGHT. Our measuring stick is bent. We no longer are aware of the difference of appropriate and inappropriate behavior. We are IN the world and are going along with it in our decision making. We don't stick out, we fit in. Too easy. 

The challenge for all of us, who call ourselves Christians, is to "stick out".....in a good way. Going the extra mile for someone. Loving people differently. 

In order to really convince a friend or a family member that Jesus Christ has changed your life, they need to see evidence. Going along with everyone else tells them nothing. When someone is told that you're a Christian, there should not be a shock in their expression. If there is, there may be some work to do. EVERYTHING we do should point to HIM. When we fail in any realm, we unfairly discredit Jesus. It's not fair but if you, as a follower, continue to swear, get drunk, surf porn, engage in premarital sex, steal from your employer, or even lie, it clearly states to others that you do not really follow this Jesus or this Jesus doesn't have the power to really change you. 

Does your behavior match your savior? Is your lifestyle in agreement with Christ's expectations. If you say YES, would your co-workers, friends and family agree? 

Make HIM famous today. Do something today that clearly points to an amazing God who has saved you! 

Tough topic on Sunday! To judge or not to judge. We've all had those moments where we felt judged or when we did the judging. We learned on Sunday that it takes a relationship. It takes permission to be given. We all need people around us that have that permission to let us know, IN A LOVING WAY, our shortcomings and when we need to address things in our life. This is not easy but very necessary. How else would we grow? We talked about being a coach versus being a critic. (credit NewSpring CC)

A coach has a relationship. A critic hardly knows you

A coach corrects out of love. A critic corrects out of pride.

A coach has earned respect. A critic hasn't

A coach assumes the best. A critic assumes the worst

A coach loves you through a disagreement.A critic shows contempt.

Here's the thing: You don't judge people into life change. You love them into life change.

Our 2 points on Sunday:

Judge YOURSELF first

We should make wise judgements about FELLOW BELIEVERS

Check out these verses:

Matthew 7:1-6

John 13:34-35

1 Corinthians 5:12

Give permission to someone in your life today! 

I signed up for a small group at Fellowship Church for the first time back in 2000. I knew NOTHING about the Bible. I barely knew anyone from the church. 

I certainly had my assumptions. I felt as though everyone knew the Bible and knew each other. I thought I would be called upon to answer a question. I didn't think there would be any laughing. I was wrong on all counts.

I ended up meeting some great people (most of which I still do life with today!) and I ended up learning more about God's Word on my level. I've been a part ever since. I love meeting new people and I love seeing them take initiative in their pursuit of Jesus Christ. At times, this can be an uncomfortable step in their journey but I believe it can really change their life. 

Sunday's are great here at FC but what if we took it to another level and signed up to one of our many 6 week Growth Groups that start up on the week of May 15th. You can check out our Growth Group menu here. You can sign up here.  

Attention Men!

Do you like bacon? Coffee? Assuming the answer is probably yes, come join us this Saturday morning at 8:00 AM in our lower campus Living Proof building (30 Brooks Road). This is our second Men's Power Breakfast. We will have a guest speaker, Jason Romano, join us. Jason is a Sports Media guy who works for the main sports network that most of us have watched. He spoke to us a while back about sharing our faith at the work place and the obstacles that may come along with that. (Let's face it, many of us have "toxic" work environments and it's not an easy task to share your faith or even let it be known that you are a Christian!.)

This Saturday, Jason will share his thoughts regarding leadership (at work, home, etc.) and self-discipline. These are tough topics. Leadership takes courage, motivation and self-awareness. Self-discipline entails humility, intentionality and accountability. Neither come easy but both will change your life! 

When we, as men, can 'man up" and be leaders with self-discipline in our lives, we can change our work environment, our family life and our community. Let's leave the passivity behind and be who God sees us as. 

Grab your buddies and sign up today. You will not regret it. 

Click here: I'm in

A very happy mothers day to all of you moms out there! You are amazing! You are appreciated (probably not as much as you should be!). You do it all! No one will ever know just how much you do. 

On Sunday, we will be celebrating Mother's Day here at Fellowship Church by having Child Dedications. This is where parents declare their desire to raise their children with an awareness that Jesus loves them and wants to be a part of their lives-right from the beginning! We will also be having a Photo Booth to take some family portraits. All the women that attend here on Sunday will receive a gift. Lastly, we will be giving away a gift certificate for a local spa to some lucky lady! It's going to be a great day!

Our current series "God Never Said That!" will dive into the notion that God will never give you more than you can handle. Ask moms if that's true! 

Mom's enjoy YOUR day and children enjoy your mom! 

I hope to see you all on Sunday! 

     Dan Barton has always had a passion for the next generation’s heart for God.  27

years ago – before he even had children of his own - Dan began serving in the

children’s environment at FC.  Dan served for many years and then became the

coordinator for our Elementary Environment.  When FC hired me as Children’s

Ministry Director, Dan returned to teaching.  After a few years, as his kids got older,

Dan left the children’s environment to serve in other areas at FC.   When FC went to

2 services, and needed to increase our Children’s area volunteers, Dan was back to

serve and brought one of his teenage sons to serve along side him.  They served

together for several years, making a difference in the lives of our elementary

students.  They worked together to form relationships and make Kidz Club an

amazing place for kids to come every Sunday.  A few months ago, Dan let me know

that after 27 years in children’s ministry he was ready to “retire”.  He and his son

will soon be serving in other areas at FC.  They will be greatly missed in FC Kidz, but

we know that they have so much to offer any other area they serve in.

---

     We love to welcome new volunteers to FC Kidz, and there is always an

opportunity to make a lasting impression on the life of a child.  If you are interested

in joining our team please email me at Lara@FellowshipChurchCT.com.

I do a lot of people watching, especially on vacations. Vacations can be miserable...apparently. We just got back from a week long cruise with family and friends. For me, it was a great time. So many people on a boat filled with plenty to do, great food, sunshine, and no work! But it didn’t seem as though they were relaxed and stress free.

I remember when we took our children to Disney years ago. Disney is said to be the “happiest place on earth”. Well, it wasn’t the week we went. Everywhere we went, we saw parents yelling and screaming at their kids, kids running out of control with no supervision and fathers with a look on their face saying they’ve had enough. No one looked as though they were happy.

I believe there’s a huge difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is temporary and can be found in food, drink, a hobby, money, and even a job promotion. Joy is eternal and can only be found in a savior, Jesus Christ. There’s a big difference. When your joy is coming from an eternal being, it’s just that, eternal. Nothing around you whether circumstances or people can take it away. It’s deep inside you. You can still be sad, down or even depressed but the external cause of this joy, Jesus Christ, is ever present, always there for you and always loving you. It changes everything. Without Him, everything can easily affect us, even when we’re relaxing on a beach in the beautiful sunshine.

Happiness depends on things that happen, joyfulness is never touched by external conditions. Joy means the perfect fulfillment of that for which I was created, not the successful doing of a thing.

One of the most fascinating books of the Bible for me has always been Ecclesiastes which was written by one of the smartest and richest people ever, Solomon. He speaks of having everything he could ever want(riches, wisdom, fame, etc) and all of it was “like chasing the wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:14 “I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless-like chasing the wind.”

I love this quote from William B. Girao. “Live in such a way that even if given another opportunity to live your life all over again, you would still choose to live it exactly the same way that you are living your life now.”

Where are we finding our happiness and how long is it lasting? There is something out there that is eternal and will bring joy to you that’s unexplainable and will last forever. The good news is this “something” is someONE who is pursuing you and wants nothing more than for you to feel this joy. All you have to do is say yes to Him. It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship.