Thur Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

Understand there is a difference between compromising a conviction and minimizing a preference. Paul never gave up his convictions, but he did give up his preferences. There is nothing wrong with having preferences and there is nothing wrong with having different preferences. There is something wrong when you elevate a preference to a conviction. Style is a preference; substance is a conviction. The style of music that we do in church is a preference. The style of dress that you choose to come to church in is a preference. The fact that our music should honor Christ and speak biblical truth and the fact that dress should be decent, not necessarily dressy is a conviction.

Paul had finally learned that a relationship with God has nothing to do with what you look like on the outside, but what you believe on the inside.

When you go all in in reaching people for Jesus you will build bridges and burn barriers.

Most churches do just the opposite when it comes to reaching people who are far from God. They build barriers and they burn bridges. If we are going to be a church that reaches the next generation we have to give up our preferences. If we are going to reach people who are far from God, people who are on the outside looking in we are going to have to willingly and even joyfully accept those who don’t live the lifestyle we wish they did, who don’t look exactly the way we wish they would look and who don’t dress the way we wish they would dress. To be all-in you’ve got to give all up.

Evening Thought:

When you realize that 60-65% of your child’s working vocabulary is acquired by the age of 3, 80% of their character is formed by the age of 5 and 90% of their personality is set by the age of 7. When you realize the window of opportunity you have to spiritually direct your child and emotionally develop you child is very small. - Pastor Merritt