Ministries:
Adult | Teens | Children

Pastor's Pen's:
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Sermon Series:
Following Jesus
Earthly Cross
His Name Is
Apostles Creed
Dealing with Feelings
Jonah
Get Real
Promised Land Living

Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2006

Grace Church of Burlington July 9, 2006 “It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”                                                                                       Lewis Grizzard                                     Picnics, ice cream stops, outdoor concerts in the park, water skiing, swimming, drowning worms, ball games or entertaining in the backyard. In the summer there's just too much to do in too little time.             Jane and I were talking recently about how people in Wisconsin try to squeeze every second out of summer. Maybe it’s because our warm weather time is so limited that you’ll see more folk walking or working outside than you see outside the other nine months of the year combined. I’ve laughed over the years that in Wisconsin when it gets above freezing, people put on short sleeves and when it breaks fifty, the shorts and sandals go on. Now that summer is officially here, most of us are in full warm weather mode.             Don’t you just love summer time? I'm sure there is some nostalgia for me going back to my childhood. School was out! It meant going to the pool for the day. It meant hanging with my friends and trying not get in to too much trouble. I loved the summer as a kid… and I still love it.             Summer is a great time for families to wind down after the school year. If you haven’t made plans yet, I encourage you to try to get a vacation in. Enjoy the nice weather outdoors, host a barbecue or two and get to as many picnics as you can. Because as you know, summer doesn't last forever.             Though it is a vacation time, sadly some believers act as if it is a time to take a vacation from God. As Bible-believers, we’re so thankful for the faithfulness and omni-presence of God. Our Heavenly Father never takes a vacation or needs time away from us, so let’s be careful that we do not develop a cavalier attitude toward Him. During the summer many believers will decide to “play hooky.” They use the good weather as an excuse for failing to honor Him on His day. Giving is usually down quite a bit in the summer, probably because too many people see giving at church like paying for a movie; they only give if they are in the seat. And many people leave for the weekends or  on  vacation  but do not dream of visiting another church while they are out of town. Let me make a couple of suggestions that will help make this summer a fantastic one for you.             1) Commit to making worship your priority all summer long. The good weather is a gift from God.  How sad to turn His gift against Him and use it to ignore our obligation to spend time with Him both privately and corporately. When you are on vacation, check out some other churches. It's a great way to see the wonderful connection God's Spirit gives us with others in the Body of Christ, even with those we have never before met. I am amazed how often we will visit a church in a community we have never before been, and yet have felt an instant attachment to our brothers and sisters there.             2) Be faithful in your giving. Church should not be a "pay-as-you-go" affair. This is our ministry and the needs continue whether you are in your seat or not. Remember, the Bible teaches that our giving should be proportionate to our income, not our church attendance.             3) Schedule time for Biblical fellowship. If you’re like me, there are a lot of things that I want to do but unless I put them on the calendar, they’re unlikely to happen. Fellowship is a Biblical priority...and it’s more than just getting together. The Greek word for fellowship comes from a root meaning common or shared. Christian fellowship is two-dimensional, and it has to be vertical before it can be horizontal. We must know the reality of fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ before we can know the reality of fellowship with each other in our common relationship to God (1 John 1:3). We have true fellowship when we demonstrate genuine caring for each other and meet each others’ needs. We have true fellowship when we build up each others’ faith and encourage one another in our spiritual walks. Fellowship takes place when Christians talk about the Lord. I think that when the early church met together they talked a lot about the Lord. There’s nothing wrong with talking about the big game or cars or the beauties of nature, but we need to spend more time talking about the Lord when we are out with brothers and sisters in Christ because that’s when our faith is built up. So please do more than just get together, have some real fellowship.             I hope that you have a great summer. But I especially pray that you, along with the rest of us, enjoy spiritual growth through the summer months. That's only going to happen if we keep Him in first place!