Growing Pains

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to stay in physical shape? Contrast that with how easy it is go get out of shape and it just is not fair. This morning I went out for my morning run at 6:30 and the humidity was 100%. Shouldn’t it be raining if the humidity is that high?

I once read in a running magazine that running in the humidity is the same as running at mountain altitudes. They claim that this is true because the water in the air displaces the oxygen. I’m not scientist but I’m going to trust them on this one.

Why all this talk about running? Well, there are a number of spiritual parallels that we can learn. However, the main thing I would like you to think about is the fact that growth is never easy. With growth comes growing pains. A commitment to growth is a commitment to a series of aches and hurts that you will have no idea from where they came. However, the choice is simple, physically and spiritually, you can avoid the aches and pains of growth, but then you will have to deal with the debilitating effects of ill health.

The Apostle Paul understood this well. It is why he said, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). In spite of all Paul faced, he was willing to press ahead and see what God might do. I pray that this is true of your personal life, but I also pray it will be true of Northside Baptist Church. Let us press on into growth knowing full well there will be growing pains.

Honored to be your pastor,
Darrell

Pulling Together

Over the last few days our preteens have been at camp. It has been fun to keep tabs on them via Facebook. They have clearly been having a good time and enjoying themselves. They have worshipped, played, and pretty much done everything else that one would think of doing at camp. In following our students there was a particular picture that stood out to me. It was this one:

 

It made me think of how often churches fail to pull together. I’m not talking about two churches in the same town, I’m talking about the people that make up the same church. The obvious question then becomes; Are we pulling together here at Northside or are we pulling against each other. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (NLT).

Too often churches are pulling against each other just as the kids pictured above. We get sidetracked by our own ambitions and tend to forget that God has a plan for our church and we simply need to hear from Him. Forgetting this does not make us bad Christians; we are all guilty from time to time. However, my hope and prayer is that we will hear from God and all pull together. We simply need to discover His vision for our church and begin to pursue it with all that we are.

Honored to be your pastor,

Darrell

P.S. I wonder if anyone was mean enough to just let go of the tire and watch the other team fall?