GUEST BLOGGER: SHIRLEY ANDERSEN

Genesis 22:2-11
Sometimes I think it would be great to have lived back in days when God spoke to people like Abraham to give him instructions on what He wanted him to do. Clear instruction from God so many times would be beneficial to cut off some of the needless spinning our wheels on a day-to-day basis. To know what God was going to tell you and what you were going to do that day would be wonderful.

Well, thankfully, He does.

Some people have a one-way conversation with God because they don't think God could talk to them. I don't think that's true. I think God has spoken to me several times, maybe not in a verbal voice but He has impressed upon me during Bible study and prayer. We should talk to God every day and allow Him to work in us so we try to live a better life instead of going through the motions and making wrong decisions. If we had a GPS in our body, God could tell us what path to take.

Don't be so busy about God things, church things, family things, friend things, that you can't hear God speak to you. BE STILL AND LISTEN TO GOD. He doesn't give too many facts because we wouldn't be able to live by faith. God uses our destination and our journey to teach us lessons along the way.

God tells Abraham to "take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering, upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Abraham didn't know the answers to the questions, but God did, even before creation. God will tell you 'while' you walk. JUST WALK WITH GOD. Keep walking until God tells you to turn. God speaks when it's important, not always when it's needed.

Listen to God's voice, not your family, friends, church, or the world. God directed Abraham where they were supposed to go to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham knew where God was leading when he saw the place. God wants to speak to us in our spirit. Crisis is just a test to learn how to trust Him. Abraham left some of his people down at the bottom of the mountain and didn't take them up with him. Some people you can't take with you, meaning you have to break fellowship with them so you stay straight and not get into more trouble. Dedication sometimes requires separation. The closer to your destiny, the more you are alone. Some people would be a hindrance for you.

"And the angel of the Lord called under him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham and he said, HERE AM I."
Be in a place spiritually where you can hear God now because Abraham would have slain Isaac if he couldn't hear God say wait. God didn't want Abraham's son, but he did want Abraham to listen to his voice. God provided a ram as Abraham was going up one side of the mountain. The ram or what God was providing for the sacrifice was going up the other side of the mountain. God provides a ram or in Jesus’ case, a lamb. A sacrificial lamb that would take the sins of the world on himself. Everything God calls you to do, He will provide what you need to accomplish HIS WILL for you.

HAVE THE RIGHT COMMUNICATION WITH GOD DAILY
IN ORDER TO HEAR HIM

Make sure it's God's direction and not just what you want. If we let God order our steps, it would be like Google. Google knows what we need before we can type the whole word. God knows what He has ordered our steps for, and if we walk in SUBMISSION as both Abraham and Isaac did, then we are in His will. If we believe in the sovereignty of God that He knows what is best for us, but we don't want to be in submission, then we are fake Christians. He will not take the step for us but He will lead us to take each step. I have confidence in knowing that I shall not be cast down even if I fall. All our steps are ordered by God and we should follow them and not just the ones we want to. God gives you grace to take our next step my faith knowing God has ordered them. It's a wonderful circle; THE MORE WE ASK GOD TO LEAD US, THEN WE FOLLOW, HE GIVES US MORE AND MORE GOOD THINGS BECAUSE WE OBEY.

WHY DO WE EVER WANT OUR WAY WHEN GOD'S WAY IS ALWAYS SO MUCH BETTER ?

GUEST BLOGGER: Shirley Andersen

From birth to death, life is a learning process.  

No one is born with clear and precise knowledge of every little detail of their life. I think most of my life has been way more trial and error than, without a doubt, knowing what is the right decision for my life at this very moment, much less right decisions long term.

My mother used to say I’d argue with a fence post so I’m pretty sure I made wrong decisions. I’m hoping I’m not the only person down through history that hasn’t always been right. Wouldn’t it be nice that the majority of the time we were right, that we made wise decisions? Wouldn’t I be brilliant if I knew the answer to that? If there were only a formula to always know the right way to do things.

Yep,  as a child I was pretty stubborn,  but there are just so many times you make the same wrong choice that you start to get a little smarter and what happens when I’m an adult with kids of my own and I’m responsible for their life by teaching and training them what is right and wrong. I realize I have to make smart and right decisions for my kids. I did learn several things as a child. Things like “don’t cross your eyes as they may stay that way”, “Don’t try to stop or hold a sneeze in because you can blow the back of your head off.”

Yep, these are silly, but I really started listening to what I was being told as a teenager when I started going to church. I was 14 and in a great church. I had only attended church as a kid very haphazardly. You know, if the weather was nice we went to the lake, but if it was raining we went to church.

At this little church here in town were some of the best Christians this young impressionable kid had ever met. Really good Sunday school teacher, the Pastor’s wife. 

When she started teaching, I learned so much. Who would ever have dreamed that in the book of Ruth, Boaz, commanded that “Handsfull of purpose” was left for Ruth, which was just a little extra grain that she could take home and feed herself and mother-in-law? I thought that was so good!  “Handsfull of Purpose” what else was in this book?  She taught me so many different treasures. 

Then one day she said, you can read the Bible yourself. Most of my life I thought we couldn’t, I wasn’t Catholic so I thought, if God strikes me down, think what the Pastor’s wife would have to explain.

Here I am, 14 years old freshman at Rider and I start reading the Bible.  

She tells me to start reading in John!!!  Amazing, John Wayne wrote in the Bible, I’d been told it was God. John Wayne was sorta God to anyone who saw his movies.  

Yep, I found out quick it wasn’t John Wayne.

I really liked it and started reading it a lot. I started asking so many questions that the Pastor’s wife told me to write my questions down and give them to her. She took them home and answered every question. Then they started having me to dinner one night so I could ask questions and they could help guide me.  The Pastor started helping a young Airman on a different night until they decided to have us meet on the same night. Yep, I was thrilled because I had already claimed him as mine; he just didn’t know it yet.  Yep, it was Andy, my future husband. We started memorizing scripture together. 

Our first was II Chronicles 7:14.

 At this point I was not saved but was a little apprehensive. Then Missionary Jack Baskins came and on Sunday morning on Father’s Day I was 16 and I got saved that morning. That was definitely the right decision. I had started reading the Bible and praying.

I learned when I read the Bible daily that I could make decisions that were right because I knew that God was leading me. I haven’t always made the right decision but I’m much better at it when I read and pray listening to God through the Holy Spirit. Instead of making the wrong decision, I get in the Bible and Read and Study then pray.

When we started discipleship it just reinforced what I was taught years ago and had tried to live by over the years. 

Yep, there were many times I did make the wrong decision but reading and praying really is the right decision. 

Pray for guidance, Read, Study, and pray

Yep, that’s the right decision!!!

There are moments in our lives that seem so surreal that its difficult to get a footing, sometimes it seems that the situation has us. Or does it? The past few weeks have been difficult for so many, especially when you factor in the trials that many of us have already been dealing with.

Last month I took a trip to New York, where I stood at my mom’s grave looking for a connection. I have lost people before, but not like this. Ever since she passed, I feel like I lost my connection to this world. But I power through, put that smile on and take a step forward until another wave hits and it’s more difficult to smile.

And the next one hit, my daughter Bella who has cerebral palsy was finally walking independently and then a big  growth spurt hit. Now standing has now become difficult for her. But once again I put that smile on and march forward. Then, this pandemic hits. We are seeing so many people become ill as well as an economic melt down. Everything is in flux. My employer, a governmental agency of 900 was moved to telework. This has never been done before. I should be thankful I have a job, but I am overwhelmed trying to make sure that the employees that report to me have the ability to work from home. 

All of these layers add up and my heart aches….. my faith is tested…….

Where are you God? 

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Funny, the path seems far from straight when I look ahead. But when I look over my shoulder, what appeared to be a mess was really a straight path. So I kind of get it, but for some reason my heart still aches. So I continue to search for answers….

Ephesians 3:17-19 So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of  God.

So for now the entire routine of life is halted, and there are no answers of where life is headed.  But I am slowly finding my way by reminding myself of who God is and what we mean to Him. I guess God is also reminding me of where my priorities should be: spending more time with my family, going for walks & bike riding  with my kids and family dinners.

If there is anything to gain here, it is the appreciation for the time I have to pray, to worship and to read; and most of all gaining a new appreciation for our church family, Fellowship. I sure miss the people who I don't get to see right now.

In all if this I am encouraged by one of my all time favorite verses in the bible - 

Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

God bless, may the Lord be with each and every one of you.

GUEST BLOGGER: Patrick Ringrose

The Climb, Up and to the Right, is how Fellowship Church illustrates the spiritual journey of following Christ Jesus. It’s a representation of a graph ascending from lower left to upper right; the spiritual ascent of following Jesus - leaving the human consciousness in the lower places and journeying ever higher towards our God and Creator, through a relationship with His Son, the Lord Christ. However, in life, in faith and in business, it’s never a smooth, straight line; there are peaks and valleys. Yet the goal is to keep the line pushing ever higher. 

 There is a storm in Matthew, Chapter 8.  Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat when a furious storm suddenly arises. The apostles, although highly experienced sailors/commercial fishermen, are terrified and wake up Jesus to save them. When life’s storms appear, I have always tried to face them by manning the helm and trying to adjust the sails. I always felt the need to take action. But in trying to do works to ‘earn’ my relationship with Jesus, I have missed an incredibly important, subtle point. 

 There are sisters; Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, when Jesus is a guest in their home. Martha feels that she has to do a flurry of things to be a good servant to the Lord; Mary simply chooses to sit at Jesus’ feet and absorb His Word. Jesus tells Martha that Mary has made the better choice. 

 So, in the middle of the storm, I can take my hands off of the sails and the helm and go be with Jesus. When this first dawned on me I wasn’t in a great place emotionally, and have to admit there was a moment of ‘to hell with it; if He’s not going to worry, why should I?’ After a few moments of reflection, I realized that this was the wrong attitude (brilliant, huh?). What is needed is to adopt the attitude of Mary and go be in the Lord’s presence. To go, like a child, to where He is sleeping, lay my head upon his breast and listen to the beating of his heart in the midst of the tempest.

 The storm surprised me, but it wasn’t a surprise to Him. He is there in the boat with us - after all, getting into the boat and crossing the lake was His idea in the first place. Instead of trying to do and control everything (Martha), I need to let go, move closer to Him, and let God (Mary).

This brings me back to Up & to the Right. On the trek up this mountain, this walk of faith, it’s important to stop and rest from time to time. To rest, recuperate and recharge the batteries. We’ll need the strength as the angle becomes steeper and the air becomes thinner. 

Mary knew the answer. Unplug from the busyness and plunge into His Holiness today!

There are too many mornings my mood changes upon a Social Media peek. It’s really why so many of us have gotten off these outlets. They saw their moods changing based upon daily posts. Sometimes we don’t even know why our mood changed. Other times, it’s clear.

• One friend wants to make sure you know his or her opinions on the political climate today.

• You wake up to a Facebook friend tagging you on a pic where you’re eyes are closed or on an opinion you don’t necessarily agree with.

• All your friends went somewhere last night. You never knew they were getting together. Now you do. Thank you Instagram.

• You’re having a terrible morning and want everyone to know it but won’t give details. People are concerned and then you go off Social Media without answering their concerned questions

I now see why my mood changed.

I really feel we all need to be tested before going on these Social Media outlets, like an IQ test of sorts. Questions on the test like:

1. Will your opinion really sway others?

2. Is doing your laundry important for all your followers to know.

3. How long is too long to be on Social Media in a day?

I’m not even sure I know the answers and if I should be on Social Media!

Here’s the great news. Something changed yesterday. School started! I know that’s bad news for many of the children and mixed feelings for parents. But it’s GREAT news for Social Media because we got to see all the pics of children’s first day of school and personally, I love it. It’s positive, it’s real life and it’s great to see kids growing up. It cheered me up right away and made me want to ‘LIKE’ everyone’s pics (although time wise I missed many). SO thank you for sharing those pics. I mean it. I love it and I feel many of you do as well.

Now back to our regularly scheduled rants.

Our new chairs arrive this week! In fact, we will be celebrating with a ‘chair party’ on Thursday. For those of you reading this who are not in ministry, a ‘chair party’ is a weekly event in church world (sometimes 2-3 times a week) that deals with moving chairs around in preparation for events or even Sunday service. A lot of fun….ok not really.

As we near the end of our NEXT Campaign (our building project) where so many of you have prayed for, given financially and helped physically with electrical, carpentry, painting, among many other things, we pause to think of all God has in store for these new seats.

As i shared on Sunday, huge decisions were made in these previous seats for so many who have attended here.

For me, I think of some of the bigger ones:

• My wife Vicki accepts Christ in one of those chairs and because of that decision, she invites her mom Cindy who brought her husband Bob. Bob went on to influence so many here including countless teens before he passed away. Cindy has served here in so many capacities, group leader, greeter, administrative, and care team.

• My wife decides to sing for God. It’s one Sunday where Vicki fills out a Connection Card and checks off an interest in serving on our Worship Team. It’s her, along with the other talented vocalists and musicians, who lead the service off by drawing our attention on God through music. This ‘sets the table’ for us to clear our head and hear what God wants to tell us through the message.

• I decide to enter ministry. It was in one of those seats where I decide to leave 20 years of managing 4 health clubs to enter a new career. Entering the complete unknown with a lesser income and young children was crazy! God had to make things pretty obvious to me. I felt (and still feel) unqualified. I look back and see just who God is by putting me (of all people!) into ministry and I’m so thankful!

My son and daughter say YES to Jesus It was in one of these seats where both Bennett and Sadie accepted Jesus into their hearts. It was also where they decided to go public with their faith and be baptized. It was in these seats where they ‘owned their faith’ and I am so thankful!

My children invite others It was because of my children’s decisions they made in these seats with their faith that they decide to invite their friends from a summer camp, Samantha and Marissa. They, in turn, invite their mom and boyfriend, Becky and Fabio. Samantha and Marissa, along with being here every Sunday, attend our teen environment (Living Proof) each week and continue to grow in their faith. Becky and Samantha were baptized last year (see photo below). Becky serves every week here as a greeter. Fabio is on our worship team as a drummer. God is so good!

Because of the previous generation’s generosity, my family and friends have been blessed with a church full of seats that are full of potential, full of future vital decisions and full of incredible stories. I can’t wait to hear the stories one day of all these seats we will be adding here on Thursday. Won’t you join us in being a part of this story by purchasing seats today? Your purchased seat may in fact contain one of the greatest stories yet to be told.

GUEST BLOGGER: KRISTIN SARNO

“Look at the person next to you and give them an awkward smile,” says Pastor Stephen Furtick as he first comes onto the Elevation stage.  I spend a lot of time watching and listening to YouTube sermons where the pastors say funny things like this.  I believe there’s more to it than just trying to get a laugh from the audience, though.  How many times have you walked to your seat, sat down, and started scrolling through your phone without making eye contact to the people around you?  

There are about 1600 seats at Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Here, at Fellowship Church we have 300 seats.  It’s not nearly as many eyes we can chose to avoid, but still it seems intimidating to someone who may be experiencing their first time at our church. 

 I think back to when I first became Christian.  I was introduced to the Bible by a friend at work, and dove right into it.  I started looking into local churches with excitement to find other people like me, filled with love for Christ.  

The first Christian church I entered, not one person said hi to me, but I promise you that they knew I had arrived.  The other church goers glanced in my direction with what I took as judgmental stares.  I instantly questioned everything that brought me there.  What was I thinking?  I wasn’t ready for church.  I didn’t know enough about the Bible.  Was I even dressed appropriately?  When service was over, I put my head down, and hastily walked to the door to leave.

In reality, I’m almost positive that those glances were simply people noticing me as a newcomer.  We’ve all been there when we see someone new at church.  They more than likely had a feeling inside of them that was pushing them to speak with me and welcome me to their church.  Unfortunately, their own insecurities overcame them just as mine had overcome me.  Maybe if I had given them an awkward smile it would have been different.  Maybe if they had given me an awkward smile it would have been different.

 After a year of attending several churches, misreading far too many glances, and struggling to find a church family, I gave up.  Soon, I was led astray by unbelievers.  I found myself slowly wandering in a path of darkness and self-destruction.  The devil is creative like this.  He makes his move a little at a time.  Before I had even realized it, I began to rapidly fail in life.  To turn my back on Christ after knowing a life filled with His never-failing love is something I never want to experience again.  

Several years later, I turned my life back over to Christ.  This time was different, though.  This time I made a family.  I was blessed to find my future husband, and be introduced to Fellowship Church.  Still, I remembered we aren’t all lucky enough to walk into church for the first time, and walk out having felt like we found a new home.  I wonder often about where I could be now in my walk if God hadn’t led me to a welcoming church like Fellowship.

I’ve made a priority of serving mostly at the coffee bar. That’s not just because I love anything that has to do with a kitchen.  I also love the thought that at any moment the person who I am handing a cup of coffee to could be the same person who needs a friendly smile.  It could be that person’s first time at our church, and I want to let them know they aren’t alone.  When the coffee bar closes, I walk to my seat.  I look around me at the sea of faces, and I find that one I don’t know.  I still briefly hesitate by my own insecurities, but I no longer avoid that feeling inside of me that pushes me towards this new face.  “Hello,” I say, “it’s a great Sunday for church, isn’t it?”  This alone, can change someone’s life.  This alone can fill another one of our seats. 

GUEST BLOGGER: Randy Sarno

As the inaugural season of The Forge Series 6 comes to a close many things were impressed upon the men who attended. While we may struggle with different vices, the ability to become transparent and use our situations to help others is inspiring. The men that attended have had an overwhelming love and desire to know Jesus more. It is clear that none of us have it all together. We have admitted that and have laid down our pride to learn from others. The saying goes, “You can’t fix fake.”

We are all being refined by fire. The trials we go through not only can teach us, but can also allow us to tell others how we got past them. One thing I am convinced of is we do not, rather should not, do it alone. Rough edges of our personalities can be shaved smooth by a pure friendship. "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong by many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."(1 Peter 1:7). How hot are you letting your fire get?

Even if you have never attended Sunday school when you were younger, you have probably heard the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). We all want to be the hero of our story. We all want to be recognized or compared with David conquering our Goliath's. But did you ever sit back and think you've become your own Goliath to temptations, going out in front of them constantly parading around thinking you can overcome them no matter what they bring at you? All it takes is a small crack or a small stone thrown to make you fall completely. 

I have often become my own Goliath walking back and forth in front of temptations. I flex in front of these temptations to show off until, before I know it, I am in sin again. Thankfully, I get encouragement from the family I have grown in, being a part of Fellowship Church. I have made stronger bonds with many in these men here the past few weeks based on our spending Monday’s with them. The setting is so comforting and filled with men becoming more like the Biblical version of a real man. Whether you are going through taking a slight detour to pass that bar flexing "I don't need that drink" or passing that bakery flexing "I don't need that doughnut", before you know it, you have a bottle in your hand or sprinkles stuck to your shirt. Whatever your temptation lies, wherever you like to flex, you need to know there are so many men at Fellowship readily available and more importantly willing to pray over you to help you through.

We as a church are so lucky to have men that pour into us. I have many friends constantly interested in having a more complete faith but will turn me down or think the topic is not relevant to them when invited out. I continue to pray for them. I also pray for those that do not yet know Christ or feel too busy to get into a group of men or women in your church. The uncomfortableness will last only a moment before you will be showered with love.

Series 6 was just a start. Can’t wait to see where these men of FC go!