Have you heard about the group of frogs who were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other Frogs gathered around the pit.  When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.  The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it OUT!  You see, this frog was deaf, unable to hear the others’ pleas. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time. The right motivation matters.

When it comes to serving it is not uncommon for people to lose interest and stop after a while. In 2 Corinthians 4 the Apostle Paul warns about the potential to “lose heart” or become discouraged while serving. The devil is active in his efforts to discourage people from serving and one of the ways he does this is by giving wrong motives for serving. He’s ok for a person to serve for a short time with poor motives, because he knows it will not last long. In our text this week Paul offers correct motivation for serving in the church. With the right motivation it is amazing what a person can do as they serve. Join me this Sunday as we find healthy motivations for serving in the church.

In our text this week, 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul uses the human body as an analogy of what the church should be like. We often call the church “the body of Christ.” This analogy was common in the ancient world, and why not. Everyone has a human body and can relate to the scenarios presented about the body. 

Here are a couple of real obvious things about a body, both human and the church body. 1) it is comprised of many different parts, and yet, 2) those many different parts create a unity of the whole that forms the body. I told you they were obvious. The point is unity comes not from being all the same, but in our diversity. Sometimes in the church we encounter conflict or tension with people who are different from us, and we may secretly (or not so secretly) wish we didn’t have to be around them. In our text this Sunday we will see that God has sovereignly placed each of us, including those people we really don’t get along with, in the church for a purpose. Could it be that while God is using you in a ministry, he has placed another person alongside you to help you grow and mature, even through a struggle in the relationship. 

It is interesting that 1 Corinthians 12, this amazing chapter about serving in the church alongside other people who are different from us, is followed by 1 Corinthians 13. Right, I know 13 comes after 12 BUT, if you have been at a wedding in the 40 years you know what 1 Corinthians 13 is known as: The Love Chapter!  How are we to serve with other members of the church body? With love. Join me this Sunday as we unpack the Healthy Body Dynamics of ministry in the local church.

At KBFBC we are attempting to operate under a “Simple Church” philosophy. What that means is we want to keep the mission of our church, to make disciples of Christ, as well as the execution of the mission simple. Our goal is to help lead people in a continuous discipleship process without occupying every free moment of their lives. To keep it simple we have established three expectations of people in our church: 1. Attend one of our Sunday services regularly, 2. Commit to a discipleship group (Small Group or Sunday Class)  and, 3. Serve in at least one ministry of the church. SIMPLE! These three expectations should not be seen as a burden, rather an opportunity to grow personally and be a part of what God is doing in our community through our church. While we respect each person’s decision of how they respond to those expectations, I will be right upfront with you that we will continuously encourage you to embrace those expectations for your own personal growth. 

In the month of January we are placing an emphasis on the third expectation: Serving. Serving through the church is different from any other place people serve because serving through the church contributes to the single goal of making disciples of Christ. Regardless of the ministry people serve in, from those that are hardly seen to those that are always in the public view, they all work together to accomplish our mission. In January we are inviting each person that is part of this ministry to consider how they can serve. Included with this week’s newsletter / bulletin is a Volunteer Survey that will allow you to share areas you have experience or an interest in serving. The Open House next Sunday is an emphasis on our Island Kids Ministry and at the Open House you will find practical ways to volunteer. My messages this month will focus on a biblical foundation for serving in the church.

This Sunday I am preaching from 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2 a message titled “We Have this Ministry.” Ministry is not something for the pastor or just a handful of especially called people to do, it is for all Christians to be engaged in. Next week we will see the ministry is compared to a human body: there is a unity of the body that comes through the diversity of the church body. The last two Sundays of January we will look at a biblical motivation for serving and an introduction to discovering as well as using our spiritual gifts. Join us this Sunday as we hear from God’s Word about the ministry we share together.