Follow Me Excerpt, Book Giveaway on Facebook, Donation Raised for Philippines (Pastoral Emphasis for 12/15)

Today's reading from the Chronological Reading Plan: Colossians, Philemon

As a church family, we are currently reading David Platt's book "Follow Me".  I hope you are enjoying reading it.  Here's another excerpt from the book...

"WHEN FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST share stories of how they became Christians, they often say something along the lines of, "I decided to make Jesus my personal Lord and Savior." Initially and ultimately, of course, it's wonderful to hear brothers and sisters recount the moment when their hearts were opened to the incomprehensibly passionate love of God—a love that now captivates them in an intimately personal relationship with Jesus. At the same time, when I reflect on that particular statement—"I decided to make Jesus my personal Lord and Savior"—I can't help but wonder how much this idea represents some subtly yet significantly dangerous trends in contemporary Christianity.  On one level, this statement minimizes the inherent authority of Jesus. Surely none of us can decide to make him Lord. Jesus is Lord regardless of what you or I decide. The Bible is clear that one day "every knee [will] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." The question is not whether we will make Jesus Lord. The real question is whether you or I will submit to his lordship, and this is the essence of conversion. Yet on an even deeper level, I'm afraid that we use this phrase all too often to foster a customized Christianity that revolves around a personal Christ that we create for ourselves. Almost unknowingly, we all have a tendency to redefine Christianity according to our own tastes, preferences, church traditions, and cultural norms. Slowly, subtly, we take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into someone with whom we are a little more comfortable. We dilute what he says about the cost of following him, we disregard what he says about those who choose not to follow him, we practically ignore what he says about materialism, and we functionally miss what he says about mission. We pick and choose what we like and don't like from Jesus' teachings. In the end, we create a nice, non-offensive, politically correct, middle-class, American Jesus who looks just like us and thinks just like us."

Since it's the gift-giving season, we're going to have a book giveaway online this week.  In order to win, you have to like our Mt. Zion page on Facebook and be present on next Sunday to pick up the book.  The first person to correctly answer the question that will be posted on our Facebook page sometime this week will get a free copy of "Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know For Sure You Are Saved" by J.D. Greear (local pastor of the Summit Church in Durham).

Thanks to all who came out and all of the participants who worked hard and ministered at our Christmas Program yesterday.

Christ First Christian Fellowship Center is presenting a "Very Jazzy Christmas" this evening at 7pm at Herbert C. Young Community Center in Cary.  It was be an evening of life jazz and performances by the Glory to God Mime Ministry and Movement in Christ Dance Ministry.

Thanks for your generous giving to help those affected by the typhoon in the Philippines. We were able to donate $1,500 to World Vision.