OnFire #109 Doing Things My Way

Hi Folks:

Welcome to new OnFire readers this week. I signed up some colleagues at a pastors and spouses retreat Jan and I attended on Monday and Tuesday. It was interesting that our speaker, Dr. Chris Kallacky, talked about the need to sacrifice to grow closer to God. This fits in so perfectly with the area we'll be covering in the upcoming weeks.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. We're taking 12 men on a canoe and fishing trip. The planning is pretty much finished, and so when we put in the water on Friday, there is nothing left but to enjoy. The weather forecast sounds good. If you remember last year's trip, it rained hard. Check out last year's pictures on our church's website, http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/shelburnebapt/canoetrip.htm I have a great cook coming along with us, so we're looking to great food, great fun, great fishing, great fellowship.

I had some neat feedback from a pastor friend about the website. He told me he has used the Bible reading guide with his Bible study group and they found it very helpful. This was neat to hear. My friend Stephanie helped out with it so she deserves some credit also. If you haven't been to the website lately, check it out. www.onfireletter.com

Blessings for your week,

Troy

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We're starting a new series this week beginning at Romans 12. Having spent the better part of the first 11 chapters outlining what Jesus did for us, Paul turns at chapter 12 to our response. And so we have "therefore." "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." (Romans 12:1*)

Its interesting that Jesus doesn't ask us to do anything he didn't do first. He gave his own life for us, and so it is quite reasonable toa sk that we give our lives in response.

The problem is, we hang on to remnants of the old sinful nature. The biggest thing we hang onto is selfishness, looking out for ourselves, wanting to be first, being the boss of me.

No one, including me, wants to admit to being selfish, even just a little. We know it is a sign of immaturity. We know it is a character trait we need to abandon. And yet, selfishness is there in little, and maybe even big, ways.

It sounds silly, but I still watch to see who gets how much at the dinner table.

Who controls the tv remote? I like Discovery Channel, Jan likes Home and Garden. The boys like silly cartoons. We all want our own way.

I like rocky music, Jan likes pop, and the boys something else. What do we listen to in the car?

I came home from a full day and evening one day last week hoping for a chance to put my feet up. Instead Jan met me at the door with a phone message that a woman from BC found me on the internet, and could I go talk to her grandson in Shelburne going through some trouble? I knew from experience that these kinds of situations are complicated and messy. I went, but I didn't want to at first.

I could go on and on with other examples, but they all illustrate how selfishness in my character shows up.

Selfishness and sacrifice are complete opposites. We will only sacrifice what we are willing to give up. We will not give up what we hold for ourselves.

There was a time I thought that Christian maturity was all about right behaviour. Keep the ten commandments. I look back on it and know I lived a good life, but I did some pretty selfish things. Christian maturity is about putting ourselves aside to take on the character and nature of Jesus Christ. It is about becoming less selfish, and more Christlike. It is the process of becoming a living sacrifice.

I hope this helps. Be OnFire,

Troy

June 6, 2007.

*All Bible references to from New International Version. To subscribe, email onfireletter-subscribe@topica.com. Missed some OnFire letters? View the archives at http://lists.topica.com/lists/onfireletter/read and www.onfireletter.com.