This Week At Bristol - Everyone Is Needed

The church is called the body of Christ for a very good reason. The Apostle Paul says this when he writes to the Church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 12). Have you ever thought about what it would be like if the members of our physical bodies behaved like the members of the spiritual body sometimes do? It will bring a smile to your face and then a sober look. 

•  HEART - "I’m just stuck in a rut. For the last 25 years all I do is beat, beat, beat. Nothing new or different and I’m getting tired. I think it is time for someone else to step up and do this job. Okay, feet, it’s up to you. You pump the blood for a while.”

•  FEET - “Heart, you think you have it so tough, try having someone walk on you all day. It is no ‘walk in the park’ (excuse the pun). Step after step and block after block, even mile after mile. You try doing my job. You think you have it so tough.”

•  LUNGS: “Hey! Don’t forget about us. We are so under-appreciated around here. I don’t think the other members of the body realize the enormity of our task. None of you could do your job without us. Maybe we should just quit for a while and then, after a few minutes, you would understand how important our task is. The brain thinks he’s big stuff. The feet? Let them do without some oxygen for a while and we’ll see how important they are! The brain is the one that thinks he is so important - I would call it uppity.”

•  BRAIN - “What? Lungs, who do you think you are? I am the center of the body. No organ or member could exist without my cognitive ability. Who do you think coordinates all the activity around here? Scientists say that to replace me would cost billions of dollars - BILLIONS!” I am certainly more valuable than any of you or the liver.”

•  LIVER - "Why do I get all the dirty work? You think it’s fun making bile around the clock? I’ve been in this body for a quarter of a century and do you think anyone has ever asked me to make any decisions, pump any blood, take any steps, or perform any functions that are noticeable outside the body? Sometimes I wonder why I bother. I feel so unimportant. The appendix is really the part of this body that is useless. And you can quote me."

• APPENDIX - "Do I hear you dissing me, liver? How dare you. I have to admit that I have a front row seat to watch all these parts of the body function. Day after day, hour after hour, they work themselves do death (literally). I am just along for the ride. Why contribute when I can just sit here and get the same nutrients and oxygen that all the other parts of the body get? Why get involved? Being lazy isn’t so bad!"
  

Do you get the point? The individual parts that make up our bodies were created specifically for certain tasks within the body as a whole. The physical body works as a finely tuned machine when all the organs and members do what they were uniquely gifted to do. So does the church when every person finds their place and works at doing their job by using the spiritual gifts given to them by the Lord. You may not be the heart, or the feet, or the lungs, or the brain or the liver. But you may be the finger, or the ear, or the eye, ot the big toe and when you do what you are supposed to do, everyone wins!

There are no unimportant parts in the body of Christ - well except the appendix. Just make sure you are not an appendix in our church.

This Sunday we continue our short study on “Who Has Your __________?” and this week emphasize, “Who Has Your Spiritual Gifts?” I hope you will make a special effort to join others this Sunday morning at 10:30.

Remember, you are loved and appreciated.

Pastor Terry

This Week At Bristol - Fascinating Facts About How We Live Our Lives

This Sunday we begin a new teaching series titled, “Who has your __________?” During this series we will investigate what the Bible has to say about "Who has your spiritual gifts?"; "Who has your tongue?"; "Who has your friend’s back?"; "Who has you trust?"; "Who has your money?"; and, "Who has your heart?" Our focus this week will be, “Who has your time?”

Here is how a person will spend their time during a 70 year lifetime (many will live longer than 70 years):

• Laughing - 115 days.

• Washing clothes - three years.

• Woman getting ready for a night out - 136 days.

• Sleeping - 26 years.

• Cleaning the house - 5½ years

• Talking on the telephone - 4 years

• Shaving - 3,000 hours

• Complaining - 5½ months

• Waiting for a live voice on the telephone - 20 weeks

• Surfing the internet - 5 years

• Eating - 38,000 hours

• Men getting ready for a new day - 46 days

• Watching television 25 hours a week - 91,000 hours or slightly over 10 years

• Waiting in line - 6 months

That's enough - you get the idea. The most important question is what are the proper ways to use our time? Ephesians 5:15-16 gives us an insight. God has something to teach us about how best to use the time given to us, so let’s be ready to learn and learn well.

Plan to come for a great morning as this new series is inaugurated. The worship will be great and the fellowship will be outstanding. 

Remember, you are loved and appreciated.

Pastor Terry

This Week At Bristol - Questions, Questions and More Questions

Every parent has experienced the barrage of questions from a curious son or daughter or grandchild. Questions like: “Why is the sky blue?” Where does the sun go at night?” How come a dog has a cold nose?” How can birds fly?” “Why do I have two legs and not four?” “How do fish breathe?” "Why do catepillars have so many legs?" The questions go on and on. 

Children are not the only ones who ask questions. This Sunday we are going to discover that God really is the Master Question-Asker. In Job 38-41, God asks Job 187 questions. These come in all shapes and sizes and about different subjects. God wasn’t asking Job questions because He was seeking information (the reason why we usually ask questions). He already had the answer to each question. What was the Lord saying? Perhaps it was, "Job, I am God and you are not."

This week’s lesson will be last in the current series, “When Life Gives Lemons.” We all experience the difficult and confusing events (lemon moments) of life. If we are honest, we also would say that we often do not know why we are going through a hard time. Job may be your best friend. Few people know the pain that Job experienced - just read Job 1 and 2. He lost his wealth, his ten children and his health and he was perplexed at God’s plan. He, too, had unanswered questions, but understood more clearly when God spoke directly to him out of the "whirlwind."

By now in our Christian walk we hardly need the reminder that life is not a cloud-nine utopia. It is a terribly unrealistic view to think that Christ helps you live happily ever after. If that describes you then prepare yourself to be disappointed. I believe that it is unrealistic and goes against what you read about in the Bible!

Most of life is learning and growing, falling and getting back up, forgiving and forgetting, accepting and moving on. Getting through the lemon moments unscathed is certainly a lofty goal, but, as it was in Job’s case, not realistic. God does His most magnificent work when the situation seems totally impossible from a human point of view, and we feel absolutely unprepared and unable to do anything about it. Time after time, He brings us to our absolute end, through our lemon moments, and then proves Himself faithful. 

Maybe the most important thing for us to remember, as Job eventually did, is that the Sovereign Potter is working with our clay as He pleases. Let’s let Him do His work in us. That is not easy, but possible. And when we do, and He does, we become more like His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29). That really does make every lemon moment worthwhile.

I hope you will make it a priority to join with others this Sunday morning at 10:30. God has something really important to say to us, so let’s listen carefully. Who knows, you may discover some new ways to help you navigate the storm when that next lemon moment comes.

I love being your pastor and look forward to seeing you this Sunday!

Remember, you are loved and appreciated.

Pastor Terry

This Week At Bristol - "Come On, Man"

ESPN has a program where the studio guys look at odd and peculiar plays and always end their individual commentary with the same phrase, “Come on, man.”

Certainly one person who had a right to be eaten away by the results of lemon moments was Nehemiah. His homeland of Judah and the beloved city of Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Persians. The Jews were allowed to return and some did, but Nehemiah remained in Susa, the capitol city of Persia. He served King Artaxerxes and was a man of influence in the King’s presence.

Nehemiah became greatly concerned when, as result of his inquiry, he discovered that the city of Jerusalem was still in ruins - the walls and the gates had never been repaired. As we fast forward, he returns to Jerusalem to survey the damage for himself and begins the restoration project to restore the city.

That is when the lemon moment began for Nehemiah and his fellow workers. But, why? I mean, “Come on, man!” After all the Lord put within his heart to rebuild the ruins, so how come the work doesn’t begin and end peaceably? What we find is one stumbling block after another placed in front of Nehemiah and the wall workers. Sanballat, Tobiah and their cohorts enter the story and things begin to go downhill from there.

Doesn’t that sound familiar? You, too, have experienced the same thing. You are living your life and following the Lord and then the sky begins to fall. That just isn’t fair! I am sure Nehemiah and his band of friends felt the same way. I can almost hear them saying, “Come on, man!”

Here is a simple remedy when facing your lemon moment - don’t ever forget what the Lord has called you to do. Remember that every calling is always followed by His enabling.

This Sunday we will focus our study on Nehemiah 4 and discover the causes and cures for lemon moments in our lives. I encourage you to read this chapter several times before Sunday.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we learn and grow together. 

Remember, you are loved and appreciated.

Pastor Terry

This Week At Bristol - Discovering What Is Important

Maybe you have heard the riddle that goes like this: Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left? 

It is almost impulsive to say, “One.” Right? What is the correct answer? Five. Why? Because there’s a difference between deciding and doing!

I think about this riddle regarding evangelism. People often have good intentions, but sometimes don’t follow through. They struggle moving beyond deciding to doing.

Some make the choice (decide) to follow Jesus, but never make the commitment to actually follow Him (doing). Jesus addressed this with the rich young ruler. The young man had great intentions - and I believe he really wanted to follow Jesus - but he could not move from deciding to doing. He is not alone. True evangelism is moving from deciding to doing.

This Sunday we will have the privilege of hearing from a couple who not only have solved the deciding and doing dilemma themselves, but have helped many others do the same. They understand and practice evangelism with the best of them. 

I hope you will make a special effort to attend worship this Sunday as Roderick and Lorraine Hoffman share regarding their calling from the Lord to the people of Benton Harbor, Michigan where they are helping people take their step to become followers of Jesus.

Remember, you are loved and appreciated. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Pastor Terry