There's No Place Like Home
By Simon Taylor
In a world filled with uncertainties, insecurities and unknowns it’s easy to just look after number one. Simon Taylor, Congregation Pastor in Newcastle shows us how much better life is when we kick off our shoes and make God’s house a home.
Last year I finally managed to convince my wife to go camping with me for the first time. After 3 years of marriage, she finally gave in to my persistence. But for some strange reason, it never occurred to me to make the weekend nice and cosy to accommodate an inexperienced camper. I just treated it like any other camping trip I go on. That means no electrics, no water, no toilet and I even forgot toilet roll on this particular occasion! Needless to say the night was not the best of nights for my dear wife, so we left very early the next morning, to return home to warmth, correctly cooked food and the incredible invention known as toilet roll. It has to be said - there is no place like home!
When it comes to the church, I passionately believe the same thing again - There is no place like home. Gods intent is that you would be planted in a local church. You are not born to be a pot plant and just roam around as you wish. You’re designed to put roots down and continually grow where you’re planted. We all get tempted to think the grass is greener elsewhere, but the truth is that the grass is best where you weed it! Where you stick around and put work into making it great. The local Church is Gods plan A for the world, and God is returning for his church, not a ministry, but his church.
Gods intent is to make your life amazing. When planted, the journey you’re on is a crash course with destiny. Psalm 1:3 says “Like a tree planted by steams of water, which yields it’s fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” This is your birth right too. Sounds good hey! So here’s 3 keys to help you on your way to your God given destiny.
1. Plant
Psalm 1:3 “Like a tree planted...”. Trees stay put! They don’t tend to move around much, they’re planted. We need to do the same, find where we belong and stay put through all that life brings. Not running away at the first sign of trouble or hardship, but rather picking up our cross, dying to self and being committed to the long haul.
John 12: 24 says “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed, but if it dies it produces many seed.” We need to be steadfast people that choose to plant, stay put through the good and the bad, so that we can bear fruit rather than moving around, lifting roots andbeing easily swayed in the wind.
Don’t be the lid on you’re own life, get some stick-ability factor, stay put, deal with issues that arise, discover the strength God gives you and begin to be fruitful.
2. Grow
Psalm 1:3 “... by streams of living water...”. When planted you get what's good for you. You begin to live your life on a journey of growth with other believers. You get a good diet, a “sound pattern of teaching” (2 Tim 1:3), rather than moving around to get the icing off the top of every cake out there. This just leads to too much hearing and not enough doing. In a local church you get to practically apply what you hear in the life of the church. There’s nothing like serving to make you grow healthy and mature. The local church is where the rubber hits the road.
Prov 27:12 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” This is so true. Hardship, trials, annoying people (admit it, they’re in your life too!) are all things we should use as opportunities to grow us, not to run away from. If you bail out when the going gets tough, you just go around in a cycle until you come around to the same issue again. God is so faithful to us that he brings us back to deal with that baggage, attitude or hurt. He is relentless, but it’s for our own sake. He doesn’t want anything stopping us from growing and becoming all we can be.
3. Bloom
Psalm 1:3 “..... whatever he does prospers.”
God wants you to prosper! He wants you to live out all the potential he’s put inside you. The secret of long term success is growing with the house you’re apart of. Letting gifts, talents, creativity and ability flourish to serve the vision of the house.
Matt 6 :33 says “Seek first his kingdom & righteousness” Place God and church centre stage in your life, he’ll fill in the rest to make you prosper, fulfilled and loving life.
All this is easier said than done. Let’s face it, life is tough sometimes. Everyone of us has thoughts about throwing the towel in at some point. But let me encourage you not to, the journey may have its ups and downs, but keep your eye on the prize, your eternal reward. Your best days can still be ahead as you chose to plant and stay put in the house that's meant for you. As you grow through all life chucks at you, and as you bloom into all Gods created you to be. Expect to see fruit in abundance. Plant yourself so you don’t miss out on a thing! Hope City Church – that’s my church!
Pastor of Hope City Church, Newcastle, UK. Simon is married to Rachael and has a beautiful daughter called Kyla and bump on the way!