The online home for Dr. Dave Tilma--pastor, author, dad, and ministry leader.
I’ve added this song to my worship playlist. I’m enjoying it. Some of the lyrics have become a reminder and an anthem in this season: “I’ll spend my life, building the church of Jesus Christ.” I had a supernatural experience in early high school and I committed my life to full-time ministry. I’m not looking back now.
“I’ll spend my life, building the church of Jesus Christ.”
When I was younger, a mature believer encouraged me to read one chapter of Proverbs every day. There are 31 chapters, so one for every day. I added that chapter onto my quiet times for over a decade and God used it significantly in my life. In this past season I’ve been reviving the practice and today read Proverbs 24. Verse 10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” It struck me as almost cold. What other day would I faint in? Who wouldn’t faint/stumble/grow weary in the toughest adversity?
But the next verses talk about rescuing those being taken away to death, those stumbling towards slaughter. And I realized the call is to be strong in adversity for the good of others. Every war torn country needs those who serve in the midst of bombing. Every refuge camp needs leaders and nurses. Every difficult situation that you and I are in is also impacting others. And those others need our help.
As followers of Christ we can’t lose track of our mission. We cannot let any adversity cause us to faint and stop following Jesus in his effort to redeem and renew the world. God comforts us so we can comfort others. Any strength we have is from him and for his purposes.
Just meditating on Psalm 52 this morning. Verse 9 says, “I will thank you forever, because you have done it.” And it reminds me of a phrase I heard which has been in my head this week, “It is not about achieving, it is about receiving.” That phrase has been reminding me to rest in the finished work of Jesus.
But even as I prepare to preach this Sunday on mission that sentiment speaks to me. Sometimes as a pastor I feel that “need to achieve” for God. That somehow success in ministry will make God happy. But anything we “do” for God is something he has given. Sharing the gospel with a friend and seeing them respond—a gift. A new step of surrender in your life—a gift. Leading a small group and playing a role in someone’s spiritual growth—a gift. All gifts are received.
In Acts there is a clear picture of the church receiving from God. So that’s my posture today. What about you? Are you trying to achieve, or ready to receive?
Memorizing bible verses is hard, but so key. As a family, we try to review a Psalm every night at bedtime. I find memorizing scripture very rewarding, but something challenging to make happen. Over the past two years, we have experimented with scripture memory key tags as a church. Recently, we started trying screen wallpaper, too. Here is a sample. Our memory verse was Galatians 2:20
Screen saver from our Galatians series
Well, I stepped away from social media in the summer of 2017. I went on vacation and didn’t come back to it. It has honestly been one of the best decisions I ever made. But during this lockdown, I’ve decided to post a few blog posts. So we’re in this lockdown thing, eh? Crazy times indeed.
Reviewing my posts on here, I am struck that they are so few and span so long. I started blogging in about 2006—way before it was cool. I gave it up when it got cool. Maybe now that it isn’t cool I start more regularly posting? Who knows. . .
““. . . . because your faith is growing abundantly . . . .””
I know it seems like a funny question to ask, but does faith grow? Is faith just something we have or don’t have? You could even make an argument that faith is a gift of God. So is is static or dynamic?
Well, Paul makes clear that our personal faith can grow. He is writing to the Thessalonians and he is praising God for them, specifically the growth of their faith. “We ought always to give thanks to God for you brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” Paul has heard or observed that their faith was growing.
Quick question: Is your faith growing? I your personal relationship with God increasing in intimacy? I your dependence deepening? Is your reliant on self fading steadily while Jesus becomes more and more important in your life? I praying that it is.
I’ve been sidelined with a fairly serious eye infection. it reminds me of Jesus’ teaching on the eye being the lamp of the body. The idea is that what we take in visually has a huge impact on our heart. It is also tapping into this Hebrew idiom about having a generous or an evil eye. That somehow our eye is linked to our heart. Today I find that to be true. My eye infection has slowed me down and forced me to consider the condition of my spiritual eye. How do we get an infection in our spiritual eye? Our perspective gets warped or sinful or out of sync with Christ’s teachings. I’m reflecting on areas I need to repent and confess sin about how I perceive the world. Has bitterness crept in? Am I more jaded as I grow older? Do I see others with God’s full love and compassion? Do I bring my flesh when I should be binging my spirit to certain situations? (No pictures posted to protect your stomach)