Covenant Community Services
Take Something from Every Day
November 17, 2009
Greetings!
Recently in a church service, a friend's little girl was sitting next to my daughter, Shelby. During the "offering", the offering plate was passed from an usher to the little girl. She sat the plate in her lap and began taking handfuls of money. Shelby quickly stopped her, had her put the money back, and passed the plate down the aisle. I can only think of what was going through this precious little one's mind, "How cool - they pass money out in church!" We all had a good laugh.
 
To tell you the truth, I admire the young girl's boldness and perspective. Maybe she heard my teaching on "getting something out of every church service"! Nonetheless, it made me think about how many folks simply pass the plate and never engage. Not just in the act of giving but the act of learning.
 
To develop fully as humans and followers of Christ, we need to work on seeing things from God's perspective. This perspective change involves learning from the little moments in life and taking something from each day.  We have the opportunity to look at each day as fate that simply happens to us or a play that is interwoven with drama, opportunity and challenge. I enjoy life and choose the latter. To make the most of each day God provides we need to take something from the day as a gift that it is.
 
 
Be Diligent ... Watch Life!
 
35 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 

~ Luke 12:35-37 ~
Learning by Watching Life
 
In Jesus' teaching as recorded by Luke, Jesus instructs His disciples that followers will be blessed if He finds them "watching" when He comes. The Greek word for watching means to "give strict attention to, be cautious, active". Thus, Jesus is telling His disciples, including you and I, to be active, cautious and give attention to the moments that compose our day. If we look carefully and with attention, we can see God's hand at work and grow in faith, in perspective and as disciples.
 
In the teachings of Jesus, there are multiple examples of how He used ordinary moments to teach extraordinary concepts. Think of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. Jesus uses lack as a lesson of faith and use (John 6). He took an every day issue, lack of resources, and turned it into a life lesson. That little boy would never see his groceries the same way again.
 
Another example of learning from every day moments is the storm that Jesus calmed at command (Luke 8:22). The disciples were frightened for their life during the storm and woke the sleeping Savior from inside the boat. He calmed the storm and taught again on faith and peace. When you are in the boat with Jesus, any storm can be faced with faith and peace is the result.
 
The last example I want to point out is the disciples viewpoint of victory and success. In Luke 10:17-18, the disciples return from ministry excited that demons flee at their command. Jesus keeps it "real" and states, "do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
 
Friend, we need to love the life God has provided. Daily, we have the opportunity to grow and develop to be more like our Master, Jesus Christ. This life is not a dress rehearsal but the real thing. Live it! Learn from it! Take something from every precious day no matter if you are in lack, in the storm or find success. Be bold and courageous and enjoy the life God has provided. Remember, if you stop learning you stop living!
For King and Kingdom,
 

Randy Martin
661-326-8304