October 18, 2020 (Made for Good Things – Part 1)
We were created to do good things. This isn’t about a “prosperity gospel,” but we need to learn the idea with a twist. Ephesians 2 reminds us that “we are God’s masterpiece,” and that we are created to do good things that God planned to do. We have a purpose, despite depression and crises in life.
It’s amazing to think that there are things God has planned in advance for us to do. But it can also be scary, since you might feel pressured to do good. But it could also be encouraging, since God entrusts you with something to do.
James reminds us that faith requires more than just belief, it requires action. Faith is not alive if it doesn’t cause “good works.” Faith isn’t just something you believe; faith is something you do.
If we ask somebody “do you pray often?” more people would answer “not as much as I should.” Or “how often do you help people?” more people might say “not as much as I feel like I should.” That idea is important. People want to do good, but they don’t always have the reasons down right. People want to be healthy, but it’s not always easy to refuse a sweet treat or dessert.
Do we really want to eat healthy, or do we just say so? Do we really want to do good? Or do we just want to want that? We like the idea of being generous. We like the idea of doing good, praying more, or giving more.
That’s where we need to change how we think, so we can be mature in our faith. Instead of wanting to do good because it sounds good, we need to want to do good because that’s really what we want to do.
James K.A. Smith puts it like this: “The church–the body of Christ–is the place where God invites us to renew our loves, to reorient our desires, and to retrain our appetites.” The church is where we learn to want the things we really want to want.
You are welcome to join us as we explore ways to equip each believer to find and follow their calling.