Fall Creek Christian Church

"For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55   As the little capsule shaped elevator methodically made its way higher and higher, my lack of appreciation for confined spaces began to kick in. I closed my eyes and started to take long deep breaths as we gained altitude with every click of the elevator. Finally, we made it. The top of the St. Louis arch. It really was an amazing view from the little windows at the top. It felt so much higher than it looked from the ground especially when I felt it sway in the wind. Yikes! I mentally noted there was something about a higher vantage point that allowed for a clearer perspective.    God through his prophet Isaiah revealed so much about himself and his heart for you and me. He invites us to come to him with our ears wide open. The reason for this instruction is the infinite "higher than" of God. We are simply incapable of pro...

  "God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ -- everything in heaven and on earth. As the crew began to wander around aimlessly missing the obvious next steps in the project, it was clear that some direction was desperately needed. Okay, a LOT of direction was desperately needed. Over the lunch break, we assigned leaders to different parts of the project. They each were given a mini crew to help them complete their section. It was so fun to watch this group that was down and purposeless turn into an effective working force. All that was needed was a good plan.   We read today in Paul's letter to a church in the city of Ephesus that God is working out plans, too. Specifically, his plans. His plans, like him, are perfect and good. His plan begins with Jesus and is fulfilled by Jesus. The world God made was designe...

" How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort." Galatians 3   As my daughter's team laced up their soccer cleats for the championship game, it wasn't looking good. More than couple of the players, including my daughter, were trying to battle through their injuries. They played an aggressive attacking style that allowed them to make it this far. When the game went to halftime, they were shockingly leading by a goal. Inexplicably, the coach made a decision to stop their attack and fall back into a defensive formation. The result was completely predictable - a heart breaking loss.   The Galatian believers that Paul was writing this letter to were at a crossroads. Paul had shared the wonderful news that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, was buried and was raised to life on the third day. All who believe in him will be made right with God. They received it with great joy....

  "When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts ..." Isaiah 1:1-20   I remember trying out for the junior high basketball team as a kid. There were a whole bunch of us. It is Indiana after all. We were lined up doing individual dribbling drills in place. I quickly bored of the drills and basically made no effort unless I knew the coach was watching. In the middle of my less than half-hearted attempts at the drills, I saw the coach in the doorway of one of the side doors standing in the shadows. As it turned out, there never was a moment when the coach wasn't watching. When the roster was posted, my name was nowhere to be found.   Isaiah's tenure as a prophet was a real mixed bag. He spoke for the Lord in the good times and in the bad. He served during the reign of godly leaders and ungodly leaders. He spoke of judgement and restoration. He rebuked and he encouraged. His book ...

" This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" II Corinthians 5:11-21  There has been quite a bit of home construction in one of my kids' neighborhoods. The houses are starting to get some age to them and the care over the years has been inconsistent from home to home. As a result, sounds of construction are not unusual. Most of them are reasonable fixer-uppers. Some, not so much. One of the homes was in such disrepair that rehabbing it would have been cost prohibitive. The cure? Complete demo. Everything was taken down to the dirt. Nothing was left of the old dilapidated house. In relatively short order, a brand-new house stood in its place. It's more than a little significant to note that Paul had the options to choose from when it came to the word new in his letter to this church. One Greek word for new means restored, fixed-up and rehabilitated. Another Greek word for new means brand spanking ne...