PASTOR'S PENS:

SERMON SERIES:
Kingdom PrinciplesFollowing 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

PASTOR'S PENS 2008

September 7th “In truth thou canst not read the Scriptures too much; And what thou readest, thou canst not read too well; And what thou readest well, thou canst not too well understand; And what thou understandest well, thou canst not too well teach; And what thou teachest well, thou canst not too well live.” Martin Luther             Attending a neighborhood dinner gathering, Albert Einstein found himself in a conversation with a high school girl who lived down the street from him. Trying to be polite, she asked the genius what his profession was. He answered, “I devote myself to the study of physics.” She looked at him with astonishment and exclaimed, “You are studying physics at your age? I finished mine a year ago!”             For this girl, physics was a subject that you study for a while and once you learn enough to pass, you are done with it. But she was not to ever impact the world through any theories of relativity or the development of nuclear fusion. She may have gotten an A in the class but that was it. Einstein’s contributions, however, are still being felt today and will be for many generations.             Many Christians approach their faith the way this high school girl approached physics. Some will learn for a while but once they get the basics down, they figure there’s no sense in taking their Christianity too far. How much of the Bible do you really need to know, anyway? This is particularly true of those who grew up in the Church.             A person may have a lot of education, but they also may be foolish because they have stopped learning. The “educated fool” is a fool, because they don’t consider anyone intelligent enough to teach them anything anymore. Basically, there are two kinds of fools – 1) Those who haven’t learned and won’t and 2) Those who started to learn and stopped.             A Christian whose life counts, a Christian who impacts eternity is someone who devotes him or herself to growing in his or her faith the way Einstein devoted his life to physics. God’s plan for all of us in this life is to continually grow in our knowledge of His Son and to perpetually develop our faith. This means a lifelong dedication to learning and practicing, studying God’s Word and serving in ministry. For this growth to continue, both need to be taking place simultaneously and incessantly.             At Grace Church we are committed to helping you grow in your walk with the Lord. This morning we’re launching our Adult Bible Fellowships. We have a broad range of classes available to help believers at various stages of their spiritual walk. Then, we offer various ladies’ and men’s Bible studies that will also help you grow in your walk with the Lord. If you have a sincere desire to grow in your knowledge of the Word, avail yourself to these learning opportunities.             Growth, though, also requires active service. One of the reasons Jesus established the church was to give His followers a tangible means to serve Him. We have many opportunities for you to grow by serving as well. If you’re not currently involved in a ministry, get involved. Ephesians 2:10 is clear, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” we are saved to serve!             No matter how young or how old you are, married or single, God wants you to keep digging into His Word and He wants you to use your gifts to serve Him in a local church. He wants each of us to be growing...to be learning and serving. And no matter what season of life you are in, unless providentially limited by health, etc., you have the time for both. We always have time for that which is important to us!