Real Success

When you read the New Testament you will eventually notice that biblical success is much different than worldly success. Unfortunately, we often measure our success in the kingdom with faulty standards. Paul summed up the keys to success in one verse, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Ac 20:24 ESV). Three truths we need to know, as God's servants, when it comes to being successful in the eyes of God.

We must die to self. Clearly, success begins when we end. We must value God more than we value our own lives. Paul says, "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself." Jesus said following him can only be done with self-denial. Therefore, it is safe to say that a successful follower of Christ values God more than life.

We must never give up. Paul said, "If only I may finish my course and the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus." As Paul received a ministry from the Lord, so have all followers of Christ. We must be faithful to the ministry that God has given, and never give up. Again, this takes self-denial. It also tells us that the key to success in the kingdom of God is determined by faithfulness. We should be concerned faithlessness more than for our own lives. Daniel was concerned about prayerlessness more than life. The three Hebrew boys thrown into the fiery furnace were concerned about compromise more than life.

We must determine to share the gospel. What is the ministry that we have all received from the Lord? "To testify of the gospel of the grace of God." We are witnesses for Jesus to a lost world. Charles Spurgeon once said, "If you have no wish to bring others to heaven, you are not going there yourself."

Die to self! Don't give up! Determine to share! That's real success.

It's Not Easy

The "Just a Minute" focus at First Southern has been very inspiring for me. I know that many think that pastors find it easy to share Jesus with people one on one, but it isn't, at least not for me. It has reminded me that my purpose here on earth is to be a witness to Jesus Christ. Therefore, my focus has been on opportunities to witness.

My first opportunity to share Jesus this week was with a homeless man who came to the church for food. I happened to walk into the church lobby when the man was leaving. He asked me if we had any shoes, then proceeded to show me the whole in the bottom of his work boot. The Holy Spirit told me this was my opportunity, so I loaded the man in my car, and I took him to get some shoes from Payless. On the way I shared my testimony and the gospel with him. He is a recovering Meth addict and has found deliverance in Jesus Christ.

My next opportunity was with a lady who also needed food. I caught her on the way out of the church and introduced myself to her. I quickly turned the conversation to her spiritual life and why God should let her into heaven. Her reply, "I worked hard." She was basing her entrance into heaven on her works. I shared the gospel, but she kindly said no and got into her car.

My third opportunity was once again with a person who came to the church for assistance. He was a believer who needed encouragement. I invited him to church and then prayed for the many things that he was struggling with in life.

I am so thankful that I have a story to tell about Jesus. Many people think they know Jesus, but they don't. It is wonderful to know that you know him. If you don't know Jesus and would like to know more about how you can have heaven and eternal life, leave a comment on this post and will contact you.

Pastor Patrick

Grateful for First Southern

It is a privilege to be a pastor of any church. It is a unbelievable blessing to be the pastor of First Southern. I love you First Southern!

Patrick Mead
FSBC

Just What I Needed!

God knows what you need and when you need it. Today, I received two encouraging cards from church members. They came at the right time. The one I share below has blessed me tremendously. Don’t know who wrote it, but it blessed me.

Dearest Pastor Patrick,

Never wonder, question, or even imagine that you are not called and anointed of God to preach His word. Please don’t be moved by what you might or might not see. God is using you mightily to preach His word in one of the most anointed, clear, and easily understood way of anyone I have ever listened to.

I am praying that the Holy Spirit will so plow up the ground on which you are sowing and there will be a bountiful harvest.

We are blessed that God sent you and your family to First Southern. I pray God’s blessings overtake you and your family.

A sister in Christ


Thank you Jesus for knowing what I needed on this Monday.

To Save a Life: Sharing Jesus

Over the past three weeks, I have been sharing the process of First Southern's vision to share God's love by leading people to life-change in Jesus Christ. The process has three elements: worship, grow, and share. Every believer needs to be cultivating a life of worship that draws near to Jesus in worship and prayer. Believers also need to live a life of spiritual growth by involving themselves in Bible study individually as well as in small group settings. The third element of our strategy at First Southern is sharing Jesus Christ with our neighbors and nations. It is paramount that God's people share the gospel with a lost world.

This coming Sunday I will be touching upon the need for God's people grow spiritually. This will be followed by four weeks of understanding our call to share Jesus with the people around us. God wants to use his people to save lives and to change lives. My prayer is for God's people at First Southern to be involved with all three elements of our strategy on a consistent basis. This will enable our church to grow spiritually and numerically. Seek God on how you can get more involved with worship, grow, and share!

I Stand Corrected

I have been taught, and therefore, always believed that you can love a person without liking a person. Love is an action, not a feeling, or emotion. Consequently, I should be able to command my love, even when the object of my love is disliked. Today, I have been corrected.

In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Paul says, "I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. _If I give away all I have, and _if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." What struck me about this passage is the fact that actions can be done without love, especially actions of giving to someone in need, or self-sacrifice. Therefore, love is more than an action. It does involve emotions and feelings.

One only has to look to Jesus for our example of love. The Bible tells us that Jesus died for us while we were his enemies. I can't imagine Jesus saying, "I don't like these people, but I am going to love them anyway." I believe, as D.A.Carson so eloquently stated, "Christ love for us is not grounded in our loveliness, but in his own character. His love is not merely sentimental, yet is charged with incalculable affection and warmth. It is resolute in its self-sacrifice, but never merely mechanical self-discipline."

My old way of thinking falls short of the example of Jesus. Dear Lord, help me to love others as you have loved me. Forgive me for the times that I have done actions without any love.

More than Conquerors!

I have been spending a great deal of my devotional time reading the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Israel did not believe the warnings of destruction from these prophets if they did not turn from their sin and turn back to God. They believed that God would never destroy Jerusalem or the temple. They found out that you can't hide unholy living behind holy things. God will bring judgment upon ungodliness. Even so, not all destruction that God's people face is on account of sin.

God's people will face suffering and tribulation even when they are being faithful to the Lord. Examples of this type of suffering are numerous throughout the Bible. One in particular has caught my attention. It is the innocent suffering of Israel from Psalm 44.

In this psalm, the author writes about suffering even though they were faithful to the Lord, "All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant" (Psalm 44:17). They were trying to make sense of their suffering. It is one thing to suffer because of sin, but to suffer when God's people are being faithful!

Like most of us, they respond questioning God, "Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?" These words are illustrated in the New Testament when the disciples and Jesus encounter a storm at sea, and Jesus is asleep. The disciples cry out, "Lord, don't you care that we are perishing?"

The reality of walking with Jesus is that we will suffer because we walk with Jesus. We will suffer for being faithful. It is interesting that the apostle Paul quotes Psalm 44:22 in Romans 8:36, "As it is written, 'For your sake, we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." What is encouraging is what Paul says in verse 37, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors."

God's people will suffer even when faithful to God because we live in a world that hates God.

Be encouraged! The suffering we face this side of heaven won't compare to our future glory.