Trunk 'N Treat -- Showing Kindness

 

"You are a Christian because somebody cared. 

Now it’s your turn.” Warren Wiersbe

  Do you remember trick or treating as a child? What was one of your favorite costumes? One of my favorite traditions as a child was buying a pumpkin and attempting to cut a face in it. Some have such great talent at that (I’m not one of them). To me, it’s a much better tradition than buying a plastic pre-made one at a store. There’s something fulfilling about a healthy “artistic”  opportunity to come up with something creative.

  This all reminds me of one of my favorite Christian Halloween stories. It seems that a woman had recently been baptized. One of her coworkers asked her what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn’t know how to answer. But, then she looked up, she saw a jack-o’-lantern on the desk and answered, “It’s like being a pumpkin.” Her co-worker asked her to explain that one.

  “Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in, and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then He cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out from inside the pumpkin. He removes all those seeds and slime of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then God carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to see. It’s our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or come inside and be something new and bright.

  I like that! One of my greatest memories from childhood was a friendship with a retired couple that lived across the road from our subdivision, the Jamesons. Like most kids at Halloween, we were looking for a few more houses to go Trick or Treating at. Someone had the idea of going across the road to the Jamesons. Now none of us knew the Jamesons but it was Halloween and we loved candy…and candy is a big motivator for a kid.

  They had a long driveway with a fence and gate, and their house set back probably 50 yards from that gate. Back then, I didn’t know anyone with a fenced-in yard with a gate. Their drive was surrounded by trees, so it was a bit spooky – but it was one more house that might have candy, so we decided to take the risk. I’m so glad that we did.

  Not only did they have treats for our gang of kids they welcomed us into their home…and a friendship with the neighborhood kids was born. They’d make special treats for the kids. Because they owned a huge parcel of property, Mr. Jameson would hook up his tractor to a wagon and load us all up for wagon rides, followed by ice cream floats back at their house. There never seemed to be a bad time to drop in at the Jameson’s. They were so kind and loving to children.   

  What a difference kindness makes! Kindness with no strings attached and expecting nothing in return. The Bible refers to kindness some 40 times. If anyone lived out kindness, it was the Lord Jesus. As believers, we are called to be Jesus in our world. That means that we’re commanded to be kind. It’s part of loving your neighbor as yourself.

  My mentor, Dr. Dave Cummins (for me “Dad” Cummins) often said, “Scott, I have never regretted being too kind” and neither have I. In a cold, harsh, often cruel world Christ-followers should first be known for being kind. Isn’t that what we see from the Cross? “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”? Isn’t that what we see in Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan – kindness? He was good because he was kind. 

  Our Trunk ‘N Treat is an opportunity for us to show kindness, often to complete strangers. We’re inviting our community to come to our place so that we can show Jesus’ kindness to them. We’re inviting them to come to our place so that we can demonstrate generosity just as God has shown to us. We’re inviting them to come to our place so that we can welcome them with a warm smile and a friendly face.

  It’s an opportunity to be kind to their children and grandchildren. Most of us don’t pay nearly the amount of attention when someone is kind to us as we do when someone is kind to our children and/or grandchildren. When someone goes the extra mile to be generous to them, to encourage them, to notice and compliment them – it gets our attention.

  We want this event to use it to show kindness to small businesses both within and outside of our church. It’s why we’ve invited Jacobs Smokehouse to bring their food truck. We want people to come get free treats from us and potentially buy food from them. Not only have they endured through Covid, but then the State closed the road to their business for repairs. It could have sunk them and resulted in them going out of business.

  At Grace, we want to be part of lending them a hand. Even if folk don’t buy food from them, it helps Jacobs Smokehouse with free advertising.

  Add to that, we have several small businesses both in and out of our church. We want to be kind to them by letting them decorate a vehicle that advertises their business as they give away candy.

  One of the core teachings of our church is that we can take any seasonal celebration and use it as an opportunity to build bridges of kindness and be an opportunity to share the gospel. It might seem that one of the more challenging holidays to apply that teaching is Halloween, yet in reality, it’s one of the easiest ones.

  First, it’s one of the few times that the neighbors and community are coming to us. Then, this is the one time of year when people are thinking about the afterlife, of life after death. Granted the secular view of this is distorted, yet it’s an opportunity to build a bridge to a discussion about the reality that we are eternally existing souls.

  Most people believe they will live forever, but the question is, if we are going to live forever, what neighborhood will we live in? Halloween acknowledges that there is another life beyond the short one. Though people might make fun of it, they can’t help but wonder what truth there is to life beyond this one. Along with that is the almost universal belief or wish of an afterlife of light reunited with loved ones.

  Halloween gives us the opportunity to share why we believe that Jesus is the only Savior who conquered death and who can give us eternal life and peace, and a home in the neighborhood of joy if we trust Him as Savior.

  At a time when those outside the Church often think Christ-followers are against nearly everything, we want to share what we are for. We are for them! We are for God! We are for sharing the only hope this world has! We are for sharing that God loves them so much that He gave His very best for them, His only Son! And we want to be Jesus to them!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Erasing Fear

 

“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”                                                   Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Back in the wild West, a stranger stands at a saloon bar. Suddenly a cowboy runs in screaming, “Hey, everybody, Big Bad John is coming to town.” Several others exclaim: “Big Bad John is the meanest, toughest, biggest outlaw in the West. Let’s run for it.” Everyone heads for the door except the stranger and the bartender. The bartender says, “Are you deaf, Mister? Big Bad John is coming!” The stranger replies, “I don’t know who he is, but he can’t be all that big and bad. I’m not afraid.” So the stranger and the bartender wait. Soon the saloon doors fly open and off their hinges, and a mountain of a man stomps through the door. Covered with scars and sporting a scowl, he demands a drink. The bartender meekly complies. The stranger nervously thinks to himself, “Now I wish I’d run away; this guy is the biggest, meanest-looking outlaw I’ve ever seen.” The outlaw downs the drink in one gulp, slams it the glass down on the bar, then turns and looks the stranger coldly in the eye to announce, “I don’t know about you, stranger, but I’m gettin’ outta here. I don’t wanna be here when Big Bad John comes in!”

Fear is a strong and complicated emotion. It can cause us to react and overreact. It can cause us to do things, say things, and feel things quickly and powerfully. It doesn’t go away quickly, sometimes for good reason. Fear is complicated because we’re not all afraid of the same things. Sometimes we’re not even sure why we’re afraid. At other times, our bodies and minds respond with fear for a variety of reasons. Fear is universal. As 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man…”

Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith, in their book Untangling Emotions, explain that it’s insightful how many different English words we have for fear. Words like uneasy, worried, nervous, anxious, tense, uptight, spooked, haunted, scared, afraid, panicked, terrified, and petrified occupy slightly different points on the spectrum, yet all express some version of the same core experience… Fear is everywhere and everyone deals with it.  There’s not a single person who doesn’t deal with fear in some way. We must compassionately acknowledge that fear is complex and recognize that strategies for dealing with fear are also complex.

Today we’re beginning a new sermon series: Fear: The Invisible Enemy. During this series, we’ll be looking at the broad spectrum of fear. One message might be the one that you need and be life-changing for you. For others, this series might be one piece of a really big puzzle that you’re putting together. Because of the power of God’s Word and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, I believe that all of us will find this series helpful.

Anxiety and fear show up in surprising ways. Sometimes we don’t even know why we’re anxious. Sometimes we find ourselves going to bed feeling anxious. Other times, when we wake up we feel anxious, but nothing has happened. There are times when anxiety can be debilitating.

All of know what that’s like. For some fear is a much larger problem. Worry and fear aren’t just around the corner; they’re the clothes you wear every day, and maybe for good reason. Perhaps something traumatic happened to you, and now you find yourself being self-protective and hyper-vigilant. Others simply have a disposition—a family background, personality, physical make-up, body chemistry— that inclines them toward anxiety. And, for some, it’s not just a struggle; it’s nearly your identity. You don’t just struggle with worry; you’re a worrier.

My prayer is that this study will be used by our loving Heavenly Father to help each of us. Fear is a true enemy. And while worry, fear, and anxiety were a huge struggle before COVID-19, they’re enormous struggles now.

While fear is the invisible enemy, faith in the invisible Presence is the cure. Our Heavenly Father has promised us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

The prescription for fear is the promises of God. Just this one promise, “I am always with you” means that we’re never alone, never abandoned, never deserted. God is always with us. This promise is listed as the reason that God’s people are commanded not to fear. Our Heavenly Father’s promised presence is the reason we are told not to fear.

Consider each of these words: I. Am. With. You. The sovereign God, who is orchestrating all the events of life, walks with His people through their sorrows. Isolation, abandonment, and being alone are contrary to the very nature of our humanity. How many of you remember a moment in your childhood where you were lost and you thought you were all alone? Or how many of you know the sick feeling of people not standing up for you?

Satan loves to tempt us into believing that God has abandoned us. But the Bible tells us that, while we can’t see God and while we don’t always know what He’s doing, we can rest our souls and bank our lives on the fact that He’s always with us.

Often it’s a struggle to trust His promises. Someone has referred to it as a “promise battle.” Worry and fear are a battle, but the first step in winning that battle is rehearsing over and over again who’s ultimately in control.

In this series, we’ll explore the most common worries and fears that we experience, consider practical steps for overcoming these fears, and reflect upon fear in the light of God’s Word and a faith that promises again and again that we don’t need to live in fear. We want to experience the power of God to overcome our fears and live in peace with courage and hope.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to Celebrate!

“The goodness of God is infinitely more wonderful than we will ever be able to comprehend.” A. W Tozer

  On February 5^th the New England Patriots had their Super Bowl victory parade in Boston. The Patriots won their sixth title with a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. This championship is the Patriots’ second in three years and the parade was the 2^nd title celebration in three months for Boston, as the Red Sox celebrated their World Series triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers last year.

  Do you know much about celebration? Do you think the average Christian knows much about celebration? How about the typical church? I don’t think so. I know that I don’t.

  Most of us celebrate about as often as the Chicago Cubs do after winning a World Series title, not very often. When the Cubs won the 2016 National League Championship Series and then the 2016 World Series, it ended a 71-year National League pennant drought and a 108-year World Series championship drought. Both are record droughts in Major League Baseball.

  The Patriots’ February 5^th celebration wasn’t only about celebrating the Super Bowl, it was a celebration of thousands of hours of sacrifice, practice and effort. It was the celebration of millions of Pee Wee football high school and college moments of blocking, running drills, passing and catching. It was a celebration of Moms making time to drive a son to practice. Or, Dads dragging themselves out to the backyard after a hard day at work to throw and catch passes. All of that was represented in those moments of unbridled celebration.  

  Americans know little about celebration. Some of us celebrate a New Year or 4^th of July. We may remember our anniversary (hopefully), yet other than a major milestone like a graduation or a wedding, we rarely celebrate. And in the Church, we’re not much better. We barely give a nod to a celebration and then our nose is back to the grindstone.

  Yet, Celebration is very important to God! Included in the Mosaic Law were seven annual celebrations. It’s not that God is such a party animal, though He’s certainly not the fuddy-dud some imagine. It’s that God has designed celebration as a memory tool. For example, the 4^th of July isn’t about fireworks and grill-outs, it’s a celebration of our hard won freedom and how important it is. America has a unique history. When we forget the importance of freedom or the high price paid for it, we begin to lose it.

  God didn’t want His chosen people to forget the high price that had been paid for them. God owed them nothing. Everything that they had was because of God’s grace and mercy, and when you read their history in the Old Testament, you have to wonder why God didn’t wash His hands of them. They’re known as the “children of Israel.” The “brats of Israel” would be more accurate.

  God designed for seven annual celebrations for them. Passover was a time to remember an innocent lamb was sacrificed as God delivered them from the bondage in Egypt. The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminded them to rid themselves of sin, as leaven in Scripture typically symbolizes sin. Unleavened bread eaten over a set period of time symbolized a holy walk with the Lord.  During the Feast of First Fruits the Jews acknowledged the fertility of the wonderful land that God gave them. They were to offer a portion of the early crops of their spring planting (1^st fruits) at the Temple. It was a reminder to trust God, not the land or seed. The Lord was worshipped with the first fruits, literally a portion of the seed they’d otherwise use for the remainder of that seasons agriculture cycle. It demonstrated their faith and dependence on God to provide the harvest. The Feast of Pentecost was to take place exactly 50 days after the First Fruits and celebrated the summer harvest.  Two “wave loaves” of equal weight were baked with leaven, representing human sinfulness. It was called “first fruits” because it represented a redeemed people. It was prophetic in that after Jesus’ cross, the Church would be comprised of two parts, Jew and Gentile. Pentecost took place in Acts 2 as some 3000 people repented and committed their lives to the Resurrected Christ. Today we continue the celebration of Pentecost by continuing to sow the gospel and cultivate lives in this world, as we trust God for a great harvest of those who will commit their lives to Christ as marked by the next feast. The Feast of Trumpets was a memorial of blowing of trumpets. The trumpet blowing was a signal for the field workers to stop harvesting and to come immediately to worship at the Temple. During the Feast of Atonement the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to make a sacrifice on behalf of himself and the nation. Once in the Holy of Holies, he sprinkled the blood from the sacrifice on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. It, too, prophetically represented Christ, who as our Great High Priest offered Himself once as the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and satisfied divine justice, making it possible for us to be reconciled to a holy God (Hebrews 4-5). Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles was to remind them that God provided shelter for them in the wilderness. Each year they were to build small shelters outside their houses and worship in them.

  The bottom line is that God wants us to learn to celebrate! It’s important for us to continually remember God’s goodness and blessings on us! The Sovereign of the universe owes us nothing.

  It’s why we’re celebrating this 1^st Anniversary of being in our new building. From a human perspective the numbers and events that got us here, just don’t make sense. It’s miraculous that we’re here and we must never forget that. Grace Church is truly an act of God’s great grace! He gets all the credit! So, let’s celebrate and remember how blessed we are!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.  

We are so blessed!

“God does not help those who help themselves. Rather, He helps those who cannot help themselves, know it, and rely on Him.” 

Dean Ulrich

  Over the years I’ve been at several grand openings and building dedications. I was at the grand opening of our local Walmart and both area Kwik-Trips. Typically, at those events, they recognize the owner, architect, bankers, contractors, various dignitaries and key management personnel. On Sunday, February 18^th, we will have our Grand Opening/Building Dedication and will thank and recognize many of those individuals. Today though we want to praise, thank and honor the One behind this building.

  If God had not been with us, if our Heavenly Father had not blessed us and undertaken for us – we would not be here this morning. There are so many things that we need to thank Him for that I hardly know where to begin. Let me mention a few…

  We are so thankful for God’s protection. Life is so fragile. It’s easy for construction workers, particularly if they have been doing the same task for years to become overconfident or hurried. Years ago, when I was in commercial roofing, I saw my share of accidents. In fact, I have a scar on my forehead that I’ve carried all my life from my first day on the job when the boss was too hurried and caught me in the face with a roofing shovel. I remember holding a friend down and urging him not to move after he fell 15’ through an uncovered skylight backwards. Blood was trickling out of his ear. Fortunately, he was not killed though he ultimately lost the hearing in that ear, but it could have been so much worse. To my knowledge there were no accidents on our project. Sadly, one of the contractors did have some equipment stolen but the God of all justice may still bring that to a fulfilling conclusion.

  We are so thankful for God’s provision. This was a huge step of faith for our church family. Our original budget was $1 million. You could hear an audible gasp when the first estimates came back at $2.2 million. Yet, with lots of hard work and some very difficult decisions, we whittled it down again and again. Yet, we still came out with a beautiful building that is a viable tool that enables us to minister and accomplish our mission of reaching our world with the gospel for the glory of God! I feel both blessed and humbled to pastor such a generous church family. So many of you sacrificed, not just money, but hours upon hours.

  Then, we had friends across the country who helped us and sent funds to assist us. And we made new friends who for some reason that we can only explain as a “God thing,” were burdened to help us. I am awed by it all. There are horror stories of the difficulty of working with governmental authorities, yet repeatedly we found them stepping up to assist us!

  We are so thankful for God’s providence. Are you like me? I find that I’m often in a hurry. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit that God is continually cultivating in me. Unfortunately, I’m a very slow learner. It seemed to take so l-o-n-g from the time the land was purchased, to paying it off, to organizing a building committee, to selecting a contractor and putting that first shovel in the ground. But I wasn’t in the driver’s seat, the Father was.

  What a tragedy it could have been if we had begun building and faced the economic downturn our nation went through a few years ago. We have sought to err on the side of being fiscally conservative. If we had failed financially, it’s not just our testimony that would have been hurt, it would have hurt the cause of Christ and given skeptics cause to mock.

  When we built, interest rates were very low and financial institutions were looking for worthy projects. Construction was beginning to catch on fire (which is one reason our costs increased). Yet, with Foxconn coming to our area and some major Milwaukee projects, further delay would have only increased our costs where they could have become unreachable for us and given us less options of contractors. God’s timing is always perfect!

  We are so thankful for God’s pressure. We human beings love comfort and ease. This project has helped my prayer life grow. So many times, I didn’t have a clue on how we were going to put something together or finance it. And I just prayed…and over and over again, God answered our prayers. It’s truly been a very humbling experience. It’s helped Jane and I, and our whole family learn to be more generous. As opportunities came up, God would lay on our hearts to be the one to take care of it. That’s true for many of you as well. And I need that pressure. My faith and dependence on the Father needs to grow deeper. This pressure has been a blessing for me!

  We are so thankful that this is only Phase #1. This project has created a buzz and excitement in our church family that I’ve never seen. It’s drawn us closer together. We’ve spent hours with each other. It’s given us a greater love and appreciation for each other. And we need the pressure of a project unfinished to keep us dependent on the Father. It reminds us that though this phase of our building is complete, the task is unfinished. Our mission is not about a building, it’s about the Great Commission!

  In fact, I’m even thankful our new chairs didn’t arrive for today (though it sure would have been nice). It reminds us that we do not need all the bells and whistles to worship our Father. It reminds us that a church is people, not a building. We have each other! Your brothers and sisters are the church. This building is only a tool for us to get together in.

  This building, serving, worshiping and honoring the Father is only a foretaste of what we have waiting for us in Heaven, when we join King Jesus and all our brothers and sisters through the ages – and the Church finally meets for the very first time! It won’t be a soft opening. It will be the real deal!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Memories: God's blessings from the past give us strength for the future

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”  Dr. Seuss

The people of God are to have incredible memories. Scripture constantly warns believers of the danger of forgetting, exhorting them to remember God’s faithfulness. Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “You shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you.” Each time we celebrate Communion, we are to remember Jesus’ words, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”

  For sixty-two years this building we are meeting in this morning has been the home of Grace Church (originally Bethel Baptist). It’s hard to believe that today is our last Sunday worshiping here. God has been so good to us and used this tool for His glory! When I think about that small group of believers back in 1955 who had a vision and passion, I’m staggered by their great faith. Just a handful of believers saw a tremendous need and acted in faith to meet that need.

  If you know our history, then you know that they were given these two parcels. In a short time, they built this building. There weren’t very many of them, yet with the resources that they had, what they did was nearly miraculous. They literally poured their blood, sweat and tears into this place. As the Lord has done for them, He’s done for us! I’m continually staggered by God’s hand of grace on us as we’ve moved forward with our new building.

  As I’ve reflected on our moving from this facility, I’ve gotten very nostalgic. Like many of you this building holds truckloads of memories for me. I still vividly remember the fall of 1988 and opening those heavy solid red doors to walk in for the first time, the red carpet, pews and of course, the lime green walls. My current office was the nursery. The basement was essentially two large rooms. For many years our family lived next door in what was the parsonage. The parking lot was our children’s playground. (The church was too but I probably shouldn’t mention that… 😊).

  There have been Christmas programs where we did what we could with our small stage. Then, the place would be packed with kids and their families during Kids’ Cooking Camp or special meetings and services. We worshiped together, sang together, praised and prayed together, wept together and rejoiced together!

  Some of you trusted Christ as your Savior in this building. Many of you took steps of faith forward in your walk with the Lord here. You began to read your Bible or pray, or serve. Many of you raised your family here…if these walls could talk, this brick and mortar place overflows with powerful and wonderful memories. Yet, after the many, many worship services, what I most remember are the events: church dinners, parties, fellowships, children and teen activities.

  During my thirty years here, there have been a few weddings. Because the auditorium is so small, most couples had to choose another venue. Yet, there have been a few and they were always wonderful! We crammed everyone in and then crammed them in again downstairs for the reception. 

  While there have been a few weddings, it seems like there have been lots of funerals…too many. One of the heartbreaks of a long pastorate is that you must bury your friends. I’ve stood before the casket of many, many friends, brothers and sisters, over the years…often in this very building.

  Several funerals were packed, standing room only. Some were for dear gray headed saints who longed for Home. Some were tragic, at least from our side of heaven. The Father reached down and picked a choice flower from His garden. We weren’t ready for their Homegoing. Those losses are always a mixed blessing. They’re a blessing because you know that the believer is now Home with Jesus and there’s no more suffering. Yet, it’s hard for us. We’re close. We’re a family. We take death very personally. Most of us sit in the same spot each Sunday, but suddenly there’s an empty space. A teary-eyed spouse now comes in alone as the God of comfort begins to heal their heart. We’re careful about what we say but we know, and we hurt too. We’ve lost a friend, a brother or a sister.

  Some of my favorite memories though have been the many baptisms. Some were young people. The Holy Spirit had worked in their heart and they wanted to obey Scripture in believer’s immersion. Several times I’ve been the one to introduce the person to Christ. Sometimes it was after weeks or months of opening God’s Word in a Bible study and suddenly the Spirit would open their eyes. They finally understood what the Cross was all about. They realized that they weren’t a good person and needed a Savior, that Jesus died for them – that God loved them so much that He gave His only Son – so they could be forgiven and know where they would spend eternity.

  As they grew in grace, they realized that the next step was commitment – that they needed to make a public testimony of what had taken place in their heart. Some had resisted God working in their life for years…decades. But they found that could not outrun what Francis Thompson powerfully labeled “the Hound of Heaven.”

  Only Heaven fully knows how God has used this place. It’s been a tool in His hand for many decades. Next week we move our church family to a new home and tool, but it has the same purpose. It’s to bring glory to God. It’s a place to worship, to fellowship. It’s a place for Christians to grow in grace. It’s a place of hope for the hopeless. It’s a place where many who have not yet met Jesus Christ as their personal Savior will be born again.

  As this building has been a wonderful tool in the Master’s hand, let’s pray and determine that by God’s grace we will use the new one to be a tool for His glory as well and our feeble efforts there will please Him!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Common Courtesy can make an Uncommon Difference

"Courtesy is the one coin you can never have too much of or be stingy with." John Wanamaker

  There’s probably nothing that I enjoy more than a good coffee shop. Some years back Burlington had a fantastic coffee shop called the Daily Brew. It wasn’t the coffee really or even the ambiance – it wasn’t the what, it was really the who. The owner, Sue Unbehaun, was one of the friendliest, most conscientious individuals that I’ve ever met. Yes, the coffee and homemade baked goods were fantastic. But that’s not why I went there regularly – it was Sue. For me and many others, it was a very sad when she sold it and moved on to other ventures.

  When Jane and I vacation in Tennessee, there’s a little family restaurant, the Tennessee Barbeque in Livingston that we go back to every time we're in the area. The food is fantastic but that’s not the main reason that we go there. It’s the service! The first time that we found this little place, it was in the middle of a thunderstorm, a total deluge. They were so concerned that we were okay, that we weren’t sopping wet. They treated us like family…and we’ve never forgotten it.

  If you step back and observe, you’ll discover that most marriages and most families that are healthy pay attention to what are called “common courtesies.” It’s not the big things that make the big difference. It’s the little things. Too often we’ve been sold a bill of goods in this society that it’s the big stuff – it’s not.

  For example, we think that with our kids that it’s stuff like taking them to Disney World or Six Flags that makes for a wonderful and close family…some big, expensive adventure. That it’s attending every game or purchasing the newest toy or gadget for them. But it’s not. In our marriages, it’s not a periodic romantic getaway or night on the town that make a difference. It’s the day in and day out kindness, the little things.

  For example, it’s very rare for me to leave the house without Jane giving me a kiss first. I rarely head home for the night without calling and seeing if she needs me to pick up something. Recently, I found out that because one of our kids has a different work schedule, that the stairwell lights can wake them up when they have to go to bed early. I work really hard to not turn the lights on. Common courtesies make an uncommon difference.

  Yet, it’s easy in a marriage or family to let the little things slip. We become so familiar that we start taking those closest to us for granted. That happens in a church, too. So can we talk?

  An area of common courtesy that we’ve let slip at Grace is returning phone calls or e-mails. We’re all busy. Let me repeat that, we’re all busy. So how do you feel when you’ve called the doctor’s office and they forget to call you back and you have to call them again? What if you have to call them three or four times? Would you feel that maybe you weren’t important, that they didn’t care, that maybe they didn’t like you? When one of your brothers or sisters in Christ calls, e-mails you, or texts you, please show some common courtesy and respond. If nothing else, let them know that you’re currently swamped but you’ll get back to them when you can focus more on the conversation.

  If you did a survey, I think that you’d find that there’s nothing that our ministry leaders at Grace find more discouraging or that can take the wind out of our sails, than having to hunt someone down because they don’t reply. It communicates a message of disdain, even disrespect.

  Say “thank you!” a lot. I love this quote, “Volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.” Did you know that nearly everything at Grace is done by volunteers? From the coffee to the AV to the worship to the greeting to the ushering to the nursery to the teaching to our midweek ministries. It’s all done by volunteers who faithfully serve the Lord by serving at Grace week after week. So when was the last time that you said, “Thank you! I appreciate your service for the Lord!” Mark Twain said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Sometimes I fear our volunteers are starving for an encouraging word.

  Be thoughtful. Have you ever gone into a store and there’s trash in an aisle? It may have just happened, but you don’t know that. Years ago I was taught to leave a campsite in better shape than you found it. When you leave after a worship service, can you please make sure that papers are picked up and chairs are straight? If you see something out of place, make yourself a committee of one, and take care of it. If you see trash on the lawn or sidewalk outside, please pick it up. In the winter, if there’s a slick spot on the sidewalk, put some salt on it…or at least make sure it’s taken care of.

  Be “Yes” person. Most of us have full plates. Too many of us continually try to cram 10 lbs. of life into a 5 lb. bag. At Grace, we’re committed to not burning people out, to not overuse (or abuse) the same committed people. But sadly, sometimes we do – that’s because there are some things that have to be done yet there are others who won’t step up. Please know too that we believe that if no one is available to staff a ministry, then maybe the Lord is telling us to let that particular ministry die.   

  Volunteer. Perhaps you have a passion for a certain area or ministry. Maybe God has given you a particular gift. Yet, unless you tell someone and make yourself available, how would they ever know? Maybe you’re ministry won’t work right now. Perhaps it won’t work in our current situation. Yet, unless you share it, no one would ever know.

  All of us have different burdens and passions. To be very candid, we’d never have had a motorcycle, quilting or Tweens ministry, if it had been dependent on my vision or passion. Someone else had a burden and an interest, and the rest is history. Grace Church is a family. That’s a biblical model of ministry. We must be committed to treating each other like loving brothers and sisters. By His grace let’s make Colossians 3:12 real at our church, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”

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