Tanner-Price AME Church
In the North American black church, where, unfortunately, we operate from a tradition of struggle and lack, it's difficult from us to wrap our minds around the idea of approaching worship with the mentality of seeking to render something unto God, rather than seeking for what God can give us. Yes, we all have things burdening us, financial and/or otherwise, but what we must remember is that as born again believers, we operate from an advantage in that we know Who has the power to heal our situations and alleviate our struggles. Armed with that knowledge, we must begin to seek God and ask what we can do for God and for others, and as we glorify God by using our gifts to meet others' needs, God will, in turn, meet ours.
Learning doesn't take place in a vacuum. You can read, listen, watch, and take in information all you want, but the only way you really learn the information you're taking in is by doing it, by putting what you've learned into practice. The same can be said for our faith, in that our faith is not strengthened by what we hear about God or by what we read about God, but what we experience that brings life to what we've read and heard. To experience an ever-increasing faith, we must learn by doing, and the best way to do so is to follow the leader and adept the posture and attitude of Jesus in all things. (Mark 4:35-41)
Father's Day is often one of dubious distinction because while plenty of good fathers do exist, so many people either came from fathers from whom they were displaced, who didn't show them the love they needed as a child, or who simply weren't present in their lives. With that in mind, whether Father's Day is a positive or negative day for you, let us all work to maximize the opportunities of people over whom we have influence. David, a man after God's own heart, became king because God saw something in him his own father didn't see. Let's similarly look beyond the surface and seek God's best in all people. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
When trying to draw people to Christ, we have not a more effective witness than our personal testimony. It's so easy to get comfortable in our salvation and be content with sitting under the feet of Jesus, but He's calling us to do more than that. Our call is to go home--where we're from, where we are most often, and where we have the most influence--and tell somebody about Jesus and draw others to Him.
The secret to success, the key to getting all God has for you will not be found in a book, a 12-step program, or a motivational DVD, but can be gleaned by getting in the presence of God, for it is there where we find our success lies in being forgiving ourselves and moving forward, being available to God, and walking confidently in the gifts with which God has blessed us.
Above all, God desires to see our consistency. The way we minimize our susceptibility to the highs and lows of life and allowing those extremes to distract and discourage us from serving God and walking in our calling completely is by shifting the manner in which we view our Christian journey. There's an unconventional perspective we can have that is key in maintaining our consistency in every season. (Psalm 116, Philippians 4)
The heart of the April Fools' Day tradition ought to make us remember that things aren't always as they seem and people aren't always who they appear to be. The key to victorious living is keeping our eyes on the prize and not allowing tempting situations and people take our focus off of Christ and our purpose in Him. (Mark 10:32-45; 11:1-11)
The gospel still would have been a wonderful, inspirational story of unbelievable sacrifice, even without the resurrection, but since Jesus got up, He proved, in the flesh, that God's people have the victory over everything. Since Jesus defeated death, He showed us that no matter what we've been through, no matter what anyone has said about you, no matter how bad it looks, God is not through with you yet. As long as your hand is in God's hand, the story of your life is not over yet! (Luke 23:44-56; 24:1-12, 44-53)
The times we're living in today mandate that we, the church, return to the relevance we enjoyed during the civil rights era, when the church was truly the center of the community. We are raising our young people in such a time of demonic attack on their future. We, the church, must stand up to this attack and protect this and future generations. Let the church be the church! (Acts 2:43-47)
The Word of God is the ultimate game changer, not just for how powerful and indisputable the Word is, but also for the importance of words in our lives. The Word of God changes minds, bodies, plans, circumstances; the Word of God changes us...when we let Him. (Psalm 107:1-6, 17-22; Numbers 21:4-9)
The reason we have a Black History Month in the first place is because of our inability (largely because of being displaced from our motherland) to preserve our story over the generations and communicate our greatness to younger generations. When we know not where we've come from, we have no idea where we're going, and the same principle applies with Christian living. We need to know how God has delivered our family members in generations past so we'll remember how good God has been to us and serve God even the more. We must not forget to remember, lest we perish.
We make our walk with Christ more difficult than it needs to be because we really don't want to obey Him in all things. Also, when spreading the love of Christ with others, especially our loved ones, we make the Christian walk more difficult because we put ourselves in the position of God, rather than simply striving to be like God, meaning that we feel we must always have all the answers to people's needs. We put undue pressure on ourselves in this way, forgetting that one's salvation, whether ours or anyone else's, has everything to do with God and nothing to do with us. (2 Kings 5:1-14)
So many times, we come to the house of God, to the altar with our hands out, asking, "What can you do for me, Lord?" rather than what we should really be asking: "What, Lord, can I do for you?" In this selfish, consumer-driven society in which we live, we must never forget that, contrary to popular belief, this Christian walk, first and foremost, is about sacrifice. For all the sacrifices Jesus made for us and still makes today, the least we can do is posture ourselves to be service-minded and people-driven. Although we have freedom through the blood of Jesus, that freedom is subjected to whatever is necessary for us to do to glorify God. In everything, we must always ask, "What can I give?" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
If we truly desire to minister effectively to the people we want to see saved, we must not forget where we came from. In order for people to see the Christ in you, they must first see a change in you, and in order for people to see that change, you must embrace your past and be honest about what the Lord has done in your life. Don't forget where you came from because your testimony may be exactly what's needed to spark transformation in their lives.
Christianity, contrary to popular belief, is not an individualistic faith. We can't walk this journey by ourselves; we can't be concerned with just ourselves; we can't just minister to ourselves. This faith is about how we relate to others and reflect the love of Christ with other people. We must build community.
The single biggest factor determining your success in this new year is your attitude. Though it may take some time for your situation to change, if your attitude and outlook on life changes, then everything and everyone around you has to change, too. God has already given us the victory; it's up to us to have the right mindset in order to receive it.
If you've been living holy for a long time without compromise; if you've been toiling for years with integrity and honesty; if you've been doing your absolute best to be an accurate representation of Christ, only to see the unrighteous seemingly garnering all the blessings, promotions, accolades, and the things you've been working toward, be encouraged because your time is coming! In 2012, God is poised to bless His people because in this dying world where so many have lost hope, God knows His people prospering will only bring Him more glory. If that is you, then be encouraged because your righteousness will pay off!
Today's secular gift-giving culture is one that emphasizes what you have in your bank account far more than what is in your heart. It is for this reason that Christmas, a holiday that is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the ultimate unifier, is actually the most divisive holiday of the year. When everyone is focused so much on giving to be seen, rather than giving to be a blessing, those not receiving anything or not able to give very much are left out, rendered unable to fully participate in the joy of the season. It is thus important that we remember the gift of Christ during this Christmas season and all that gift has meant for us. (Matthew 2:1-12)
In all of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holiday season, it's easy to get caught up in yourself and get your priorities mixed up. It is imperative during every holiday season that we we keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ because hurt, hopelessness, and depression are magnified at this time of year, and people all over the world are asking, "Has anybody seen Jesus?" When that question is asked of you, prayerfully you have an answer.
It's time to adopt a new Christmas paradigm and graduate from the idea of giving to be seen to that of giving to glorify God.
It's been said countless times that the trials and tribulations of life are designed by God to draw us closer to God, and that's all well and good, but God desires more. It's one thing to pray fervently when everything is going wrong, but we must seek God even more fervently when everything seems to be going right, lest we find ourselves unprepared for the next test. In this holiday season of gift giving and receiving and other superfluous things distract us from our relationship with Christ, let us not lose sight of the true gift of this season. 3We must stay focused. (2 Peter 3:1-15)
Rev. Tracey teaches on the spiritual growth process we must endure to be perfected in forgiveness. (Matthew 6:9-15)
Sowing and reaping applies not just to money but to every area of our lives. In everything we do, we expect to get out what we put in, and the same is the case in the kingdom of God. Understanding why we must be faithful in tithing is central to understanding how the kingdom is impacted by our gifts, financial or otherwise. When we realize that the principle of sowing and reaping affects every area of our lives, we will work so much harder and give so much more to the areas of our lives that help build us. (Galatians 6:1-10)
The Spirit of the Lord has given us access to heavenly places, to revelations, and to new levels of anointing we cannot attain by our own human effort and volition. As human beings, we depend so much on our senses and our own wisdom that we miss what God has for us, ever afraid to surrender to God and give God full control over our lives. The more we submit to God, the more freedom we have in God, and with more freedom comes more access to that which we've never experienced before. You have permission to be free!
Desperation is the necessary impetus to move you from the place of complacency (no longer desiring continuous improvement) and insanity (doing the same thing and expecting a different result) to that of total surrender and of doing that which you've never done before to get what you've never gotten. Are you ready to be humbled to an uncomfortable position to receive God's best? How desperate are you?
For the body of Christ to function properly and effectively, each of its parts must also be functioning properly and effectively. If you're a part of the body, your excuses about what you neither have the time, talent, nor resources to do does not absolve you from your responsibility to the body. The most effective ministries are ones wherein everyone is contributing equally to the vision and doing so in such a way that even when leadership transitions, the ministry still functions at a high level. Two people does not a ministry make; it takes everyone doing his/her part. What's your role? (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
We enter many tasks not knowing whether we can do them and sometimes wavering in our confidence because of our lack of knowledge. We can derive much encouragement reading Jeremiah and witnessing how he was able to handle the difficult commission of prophesying a word of judgment from God against the Israelites. Just as God empowered His prophet to speak truth to power in a potentially perilous situation, God will do the same for us.
Part 1 of the series, "The Purpose & Power of the Church," exploring the challenges the Christian church experiences in its founding and formation in various places in the 1st century. By looking at how Paul addressed the individual issues each of these churches had, we can see how we can address our own issues, make improvements, discover our purpose as a local and universal body, and walk in it, all for the glory of God. Part 2 examines chapters 1 and 2, where Paul condemns the Romans' godlessness and warns against their spirit of judgment.
An offering should be neither out of obligation nor compulsion, but out of the abundance of one's heart. When we give, we are to do it cheerfully and sacrificially, like we're giving something that matters to us. When we begin to pray and ask God to take away our sometimes negative spirit with regard to money, our eyes will be opened and we can begin to see that our entire lives are to be an offering unto God, and in realizing that, we'll discover that our monetary giving is but a small portion of our life's offering to this earth. (Matthew 22:15-22)
Holidays aren't the only time to thank God, neither are Sunday mornings, nor any other time of worship, a better time than any other to give God praise. When we think about the goodness of God and all God's done for us, in spite of our unworthiness, we can't help but to thank God. That shouldn't happen on a periodic basis, however; it should happen daily. When we adopt a lifestyle of thanksgiving, we develop a posture of praise that says, "No matter what happens, no matter what I'm going through, I will thank God," we will have a depression-proof outlook on life that will make us more effective in the kingdom. (Psalm 106)
Part 1 of the series, "The Purpose & Power of the Church," exploring the challenges the Christian church experiences in its founding and formation in various places in the 1st century. By looking at how Paul addressed the individual issues each of these churches had, we can see how we can address our own issues, make improvements, discover our purpose as a local and universal body, and walk in it, all for the glory of God. Part 1 examines the social and historical context, purpose, and format of both the recipient churches of Paul's letters in general and the church at Rome in particular.
Contrary to popular belief, those placed in service positions are the greatest, not the least, in the eyes of God. When we consider that ministry and service have the same Greek meaning, as well as that those the first-century apostles chose for service were as qualified as seminary-trained ordinands, we can begin to adjust our attitude about the importance of service to the local ministry. If we're truly going to serve God's people, we must do so not under compulsion or to remain in our comfort zones, but with gladness, fervor, and sincerity. (Acts 6:1-7)
Jesus says, "O Ye of little faith" three times in addressing his disciples' unbelief while on their ministry journey, and each time He says it, it reveals something about the disciples and about ourselves in our need to grow in our faith as time goes on and we move further and further from our comfort zones. In any journey, our surroundings, at some point, change, and thus must our perspective and understanding also change. (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31)
Where is your treasure? Is it hidden, or is it exposed? Is it guarded, or is it susceptible to being taken advantage of? Is it something God values, or is it only something God reveres? Is stewardship a four-letter word in your vocabulary, or are you not afraid to talk about *gasp* money in the church? When we come into full realization of what our treasure is, we will develop a better concept of stewardship that will assure us that ministry and raising money for ministry are not antagonistic, but go hand-in-hand.
Pastor Cylar delivers Tanner-Price's first State of the Church address, laying out six principles for growth that will guide this ministry forward for the 2011-12 conference year and beyond.
A few fundamental beliefs and habits separate the successful and effective church from the one that is not; one of those is the ability to have vision. In order to have the kind of vision that will transform the community wherein it is located, the church must have a forward-thinking mentality that says, "I did not get here by myself, nor will the next generation get where it needs to get by itself." The effective local church ministry not only does the necessary things to preserve its present, but also takes the proper steps to secure its future, lest its godly legacy die before the torch is passed. The vision of the church must be both present-centered and future-focused.
In these last days, we must return to holiness and recommit ourselves to truth. Haughtiness and ministry under false pretenses--the pursuit of titles, promotions, and hidden agendas--are unacceptable attitude for kingdom building. If we are truly serious about drawing people to the kingdom, we must be for real.
One of the most serious problems we have in the kingdom of God is the inability to articulate collective vision and, more importantly, shared history and tradition from one generation to the next. When we fail to share our history with those behind us, we set up our future generations up for failure, not providing them the same opportunities afforded us to accept Christ and embrace a holy lifestyle. We must never let the comfort of our present deter us from our urgency for preparing for the future. The family who never underestimates the importance of continually reciting their spiritual history will never lose its identity and will thrive in every generation, regardless of circumstance. (1 Samuel 8:1-22)
Among the biggest misconceptions about the Christian life is that tests and trials are bad things and are a reflection of God's displeasure toward us. This assertion couldn't be further from the truth, as being tested is actually a sign that God trusts us and believes in us enough to provide us opportunities to build and affirm our faith. Just a student must do tangible things to prove his/her academic progress, and just as a person in a relationship must actively demonstrate the love he/she verbally proclaims, a Christian must pass tests from time to time to prove with actions the faith he/she affirms with words. People of God, sharpen your pencils and embrace your test! (Matthew 14:22-33)
It matters not how smart, wealthy, good looking, or well connected we are, because all that matters is that our spirits are right before God. Above all else, God desires and demands sincerity. We have a wealth of examples of what can happen to individuals or entire faith communities when there is no emphasis on renewing a right spirit with God. Approaching the things of God or the people of God with a bad spirit, we leave ourselves susceptible to being tripped up by seemingly insignificant roadblocks in our lives. When the spirit ain't right, everything will fail.
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