One Friday morning during my solitary time in fellowship with God, I read a passage of Scripture that spoke to me from Acts 4: 32-37. Verse 34 summarizes the result of corporate and united action taken by the disciples: “There was not a needy person among them.” The context sheds light on the meaning of the verse. The disciples shared their time, skills and talents as in response to God’s call. They sold their houses and land and shared everything.

In analyzing this verse we see first a direct giving spirit. Their graciousness and personal sacrifice is a principle incorporated into our faith. All major faith groups expose this idea of sharing and giving to others. How can we practice this concept and integrate it into our own lives? As a spiritual people, we recognize the benefits of giving.

There are ways for us to emulate the example of these men and women of early church. First, a sensitive look at our own community will challenge us. Our very own Salvation Army, Roxy Regional Theatre, Animal Control, Precious Friends, and Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen, to name a few, provide opportunities to do good for others by sharing even though we have personal needs.

Loaves and Fishes is always in need of donated food to feed the poor and in serving the disenfranchised of our city. Daily, over 150 meals are served and sent out to the needy. Gifts of canned food are appreciated and will be used to meet the needs of unfortunate citizens. Also, Loaves and Fishes is always in need of workers to pick up food, and properly prepare and serve a warm healthy meal. We who serve offer our smiles and greetings as though Jesus was standing before us.

Secondly, this is a constant need for supplies, food and volunteers for our organization dedicated to serving pets who, for one reason or another, need a home. Cats ‘r Us and Precious Friends offer protective care for abandoned pets. Their resources are provided only by residents of the community; they receive no tax dollars for their work of mercy.

We will deepen our spiritual life through Holy Communion, fellowship, prayer, reading the Bible and other spiritual books, and last but not least, by sharing and giving. Recently, the spirit focused me on making a contribution to help a financially struggling  APSU student. “What would the disciples do?”

She asked me if I felt like it was my responsibility to try to change people when they come to my church. It was then that I realized why so many people have been turned off by the Church in general. If I were to think of “church,” I have to ask myself what kind of a mental image I get.

What does someone who’s been turned away from the church think of it? I don’t think I want to get into any of the possible specifics right now, but some of the general elements surround a perception of religious arrogance.

Let me backtrack for just a minute. When I talk about “the Church,” I’m talking about the whole collective of churches across the country. I take care to not address any specific denominations or ministries unless absolutely necessary. If it seems like I’m “bashing” or “lambasting” the Church, then it’s for one reason: I’m lambasting myself.

In all reality, I am critical of Christianity because I am Christian. I see the faults because I see my own faults. I can not judge or scrutinize anything unless I first look at my own closet. It’s with all of this in mind that I write lovingly on the frustrations that some of us have faced when dealing with either traditional or institutional Christianity.

In short, I’m keenly aware of the reality that I, too, am arrogant, have stabbed backs, and have been self-righteous. I’ve failed to show the love of Christ on countless occasions, and I’ve been a poor witness for the faith and my Lord on more occasions than I even want to try to count.

So please, as you read further, understand that my desire to be real is as paramount to me as the desire to be broken before my brethren and my Lord.

Now, I’ll get specific. If someone befriends us who happens to be in leadership of a church, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind? “I bet they want me to join their church.” This person will be friendly–overly friendly, even–almost to the point of being irritating. They’ll show all kinds of love. They’ll be kind, generous, even compassionate.

“But,” you think. “Is there a hook?”

That’s the real question, isn’t it? Is there a hook? Is it possible that there really is an ulterior motive to all of the doting, friendly calls, kind little gifts and extra birthday cards? This is when I have to check my own motives for my actions. If I show love, do I have a hook attached to it?

And if I do have a hook attached, then all of my loving actions have a new label: bait. It’s a harsh reality for me to consider, but isn’t that all we’re doing when we show love in order to get something back?

Let me take it out of the church context for a moment and back to our romantic lives. Love with a hook is all over the place. One of the most extreme examples of “love with a hook” in my mind is the “I love you so much, and if you love me you’ll sleep with me.” That’s quite a hook, isn’t it?

That boyfriend or girlfriend might bestow on us a number of gifts, free dinners, and heaven knows what else, but there might be a hook… marriage… sex… a new car… you name it. In times like this, “love” is actually bait…a lure… in a word, it’s a trap.

Isn’t that what we do when we befriend someone in order to get them to join a church? There’s a hook. Maybe it’s like when we give money to someone in order so they’ll tell their friends what we did. It’s a hook.

When love becomes bait, it actually becomes something far more sinister: manipulation. It’s very subtle, but that’s the nature of the beast, isn’t it?

In all fairness, though, this kind of subtle manipulation is often so subtle that we don’t even realize when we’re doing it. After all, it’s what we’ve been taught all our lives. If we perform well, we get a paycheck. If we do good works, we get a pat on the back. We’ve been taught to take the hook at every turn.

This is why Christianity in its truest form is so unique. With Christ, there is no hook. God has given everything to us… and He knows we can’t… and won’t pay him back! The hook was pulled. “I love you,” Jesus said. And his actions always backed up his words. He showed love by showing mercy, compassion, and kindness.

Yes, it’s true that a hook is great for fishing. We even want to use the biggest, flashiest lure that we can in order to entice the fish to bite. After all, didn’t Jesus call us to be “fishers of men?”

Not so fast. In Christ’s day, there were no hooks. It was simply a net. The fishers would cast the net and reel the fish into the boat. There was no deception, no lure, and of course, no hooks. Would Jesus actually say, “I will make you a fisher like the ones who use shiny, flashy lure to bring in the biggest, greatest bass of all?”

No. He cast the net. And pulled in every fish that would fit within it.

Maybe it’s time for all of us… especially me.. to check our motives for our actions. Do we have a hook? Or not? If we do, maybe it’s finally time for us to remove that hook and show love in the way Jesus intended.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“No, I love you like a brother.”

“Well, I love you like a mom.”

“I love you like a slice of pizza.”

“I love you like a puppy.”

“I love you like I love a good movie.”

“I LOVE you love you.”

“Huh?”

“I’m in love with you.”

“But I love tennis.”

“Oh, never mind.”

“Love” and its many meanings always seem to make sense to us except where our faith applies. When the word “love” becomes sanctified into the Christian faith, it takes on a rather nebulous nature that sometimes defies definition. It’s especially evident when we try to apply our common definitions to the word when used in Scripture.

When Jesus gave His simplified list of commandments as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself,” we really can’t apply any of our traditional definitions. We certainly can’t love God like a slice of pizza, and loving our neighbor like a puppy seems even less practical. Surely, this isn’t what Christ taught.

When we try to bring the Greek words for love into the picture, it becomes even more complex. Koine (koin-AY) Greek is the language that is used in the New Testament, and there are three words for love in that language. Two of them are used in Scripture. The first, agape (uh-GAH-pay), is a kind of selfless devotion that illustrates the kind of love that God has for us. The second, phileo (PHI-li-oh) is more “affectionate” or “brotherly” love. The third, eros (ER-ohs), which is a romantic and sometimes sexual kind of love, is not used at all in the New Testament.

Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m even more confused than I was when I started. With all of these definitions to “love,” just what was Jesus talking about when he said to love God and love our neighbor? Sure, it’s simple. The ethereal and pious kind of “love” that we sometimes picture in our minds just doesn’t seem to hit home for us. Well, it doesn’t hit home for me, anyway. In a word, it’s impractical.

What would happen if we did the unthinkable, and substituted a few—more practical—words for our lexicon of Christian-ese? Instead of “love God, love people,” let’s put in a couple of words that completely turn our understanding in its heels:

Passion for God, Compassion for People

I first heard this when attending a conference in Kansas City about prayer. It really stuck. The simplicity of these words and the clarity of their definition have given a new life to a dry and dusty religious expression.

When I think of “passion,” It’s as much romantic as it is a kind of devotion that is centered on a fiery love affair with the Creator of the universe. It is a mutual affair that in another context might even be scandalous! And that’s the kind of love that I believe Jesus was talking about. When we think of phrases like “the lover of my soul” and “the keeper of my heart,” it’s clear that many of the writers in the Bible had this kind of passion in mind.

Just consider the implication. It’s a relationship with the living God, our Creator, the One who loved us enough to send His one and only Son to die for us—a passionate love—a love that can only be described as like a honeymoon. It’s the kind of love where you want to explore, to learn about each other (or rather, learn about Him). There’s a fire burning in your spirit, butterflies in your stomach. What a wonderful picture of His love for us! And imagine if we could have that same love for the Lord.

Then there’s “compassion for people.” It’s a real, living, relational kind of love that embraces all people no matter where they are. It’s compassion for those who are downtrodden, hurting, wounded, sick, imprisoned, and just plain rejected. Jesus showed this kind of compassion all throughout his ministry, and his teachings reflected that.

But there’s another side to compassion that we don’t always think about. It’s a kind of compassion that allows us to even have a sense of love for those who have rejected US. We’re often most critical of those who have actually picked up the stones, ready to stone the poor sinners. But what if we had enough compassion—or love—to show the love of Christ to even those who have cast us aside?

That’s compassion. It’s not pity. It’s love in its truest sense. Remember, dear friends, Christians, even those who have been the most hateful toward the ‘misfits’ of society, are our brothers and sisters in Christ. They are part of the great family of God. They are, in short, our neighbors—the very people Christ commanded us to love. We, the ‘misfits’ really want to have people love US, but isn’t it a two-way street? I think it is.

Don’t you just love it?

Make your plans to join us for what is sure to be a great time for everyone! His music is all over the charts, and his love for God is matched only by his heart for people. Come and hear him this Sunday!

About Sam Sampson:
www.samsampson.net

Since the mid-70’s, Sampson has served the Lord as:

• Pastor of Greenhill Baptist Church, Clarksville, Tn.
• Minister of Music, Casa de Cristo Church, Phoenix Az.
• Youth Music Minister at Desert Palm United Church of Christ, Tempe, Az.
• Senior Pastor of Anchor Ministries, San Diego, Ca.

During his tenure at Anchor Ministries, Pastor Sam produced ministries across a broad spectrum of fields and traditions: A versatile and innovative music department was able to cover several musical styles in a variety of settings.

Most recently, Sam has appeared on Old Time Singing Television program, hosted by Ron Campbell as well as Gospel Country TV program, hosted by Jimmy Snow.

Sam has also been a featured artist on Hallelujah Amen! Hosted by the Phillips Family. Sam has also served as a pianist for the Phillips family on local engagements.

Sam will speak and perform at Christian Community Church of Clarksville at 4:00 PM Sunday, March 25. CCC-Clarksville is affiliated with the International Christian Community Churches. Pastor David W. Shelton says, “At CCC, we believe that the grace of God is for everyone, and we mean EVERYONE!”

The church meets weekly at The Riverview Inn at 80 College Street. For more information, please contact:

David W. Shelton
Pastor, Christian Community Church of Clarksville
www.ccc-clarksville.com

I believe God is stirring our collective nests, and that He is bringing us out of our complacency to reach a world that is sick of religious tripe. They’ve seen the big churches, the polished pews, and the fancy preachers, and they are not impressed. Christian TV is as hokey as it is self-centered in its presentation of the Gospel: “Give money to us and God will bless you!”

Most of us are far more comfortable in crowds than in small groups. After all, we can hide in a crowd. We can be lost in the masses. We have become, as one pastor I know said, “a bunch of porcupines trying to live close to each other.” We barely know our neighbors. In truth, we really don’t WANT to know our neighbors. They’ll probably move away soon, anyway.

And it is out of that nest that God is calling us. He’s calling us out of our comfort zone, out of our recliners, and, in many cases, out of our religious traditions. He’s calling us out of the mindset that we must follow a certain set of rules to be “Christian.” After all, what’s the point of fulfilling one law if we’re going to just replace it with another?

In a word, He’s calling us into GRACE. It’s a word that instantly invokes the classic John Newton hymn, “Amazing Grace.” We were indeed all once blind, and we now see… that Jesus Christ is Lord. Grace will lead us home, and grace will bring us to eternity with the Father where time is without meaning.

Strangely, grace goes out the window when we deal with our fellow man. Far too often, we replace grace with judgment, mercy with wrath, and love with hate. After all, some say, grace isn’t a license to sin. This is a line that is often used against those who are eventually kicked out of churches for whatever reason. Maybe a pregnant girl is kicked out because she chose to have her baby instead of an abortion. Or a divorcee is shunned because they wouldn’t stay with an abusive spouse. Perhaps a gay teenager is ostracized because of who they are.

But what is grace? For this teaching, I’ll stick to the common evangelical definition: unmerited favor. It is literally a divine overlook of all of our faults, weaknesses, and sins. He looks past all of that to give us the free gift of eternal life. It is the kind of grace that we’re all quick to embrace for ourselves. Sadly, we’re also quick to deny it to others. After all, it’s not a “license to sin.”

Dietrich Bonheoffer once coined the phrase “cheap grace.” In his mind, grace could easily be abused and reduced to being nothing more than an excuse for sinful behavior. He thought that the liberty that we have in Christ should never be spat on by someone who just flat-out refuses to repent of habitual sin, which would do nothing more than “cheapen grace.”

Bonheoffer understood what it was like to suffer. He understood the high price of discipleship, and was eventually killed in a Nazi death camp for his “crimes” of preaching against the evils of Hitler’s regime.

There’s another word that must come into this discussion of grace. There is also “love.” Love is tightly woven into the cord that binds all of us into the covenant which God made for us. Neither can exist without the other. Grace without love becomes a wall of separation between people, and between men and God. Love without grace becomes a recipe for disaster, where we can cut too close to a person’s soft spot, only to set off wrath.

But when grace and love are truly operating in a person’s life, they create an entirely new way of life. If a person who has been given much grace, and has been given much love, then their response is both grace and love to the One who gave it in the first place. Okay, I’ve lost you. Let me clarify a little bit.

God has given each of us an eternal amount of grace. Through the cross of Christ, all of our sin is forgiven. It is forgotten. Since Scripture teaches that sin is as much a state of being as it is an act, His great sacrifice has revealed this eternal grace for all of us. But wait, there’s more. There’s His love.

Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, for a man to lay down his life for his friends.” He also said that we are His friends if we follow his commandment: “love one another.” The message that Christ gave to all of us was a simple dual commandment: Love God, love people.”

Now, what would happen if we were to realize this level of love and grace that God has given to us? The cross wasn’t so that we could get into heaven by the skin of our teeth. Just because our lives were steeped in sin doesn’t mean that we are wretched. In fact, God was so crazy about us, loved us SO much that he gave His very best.

Jesus didn’t die on that cross so that we could be saved from hell, my friends. He went to the cross because of God’s passionate and complete love for all of us. And that means you, too. He valued us so greatly, loved us so completely, and desires us so passionately, that He planned to have Christ crucified from the very beginning of time!

When we start to realize this, even just a little bit, then I believe that we’ll begin to take on an entirely new paradigm in our faith. We don’t serve Christ because we want to get into heaven. In fact, Ephesians 2:4-6 seems to indicate that we’re already there:

…because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus… (Ephesians 2:4-6, NIV)

As Christians, we don’t serve Christ because we want to gain His favor. We already have it. We have His completely and totally undeserved favor. We have His love. He can never love us more or less than He already does.

He’s never shocked by our actions, never disappointed, and he’s never surprised. Scripture says that nothing will separate us from the love of God. His love is complete, whole, and without limit. It has never changed, and it never will. Grace isn’t a license to sin. It’s simply a message that our sin will not stand in the way of His love.

But, you might be thinking, “You don’t know what I’ve done! There’s no way that God could love me, or forgive me.”

Do you think that your sin is greater than God’s love? Is that it? Or do you think His love isn’t good enough for you? My dear friend, it is good enough. It’s good enough for you and over six billion others just like you. We can’t let a false sense of humility stand in the way of the ultimate grace: God’s eternal, complete love.

I believe that God is calling us to stop looking out our own faults and look to His perfection. When we go from naval-gazing to gazing at the beauty of God Himself, suddenly, we’re exposed to the clear reality that His love, His glory, and His grace surpass everything. It surpasses our sin, it surpasses our confusion, and it surpasses our own utter lack of grace and love.

Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus as it says in Hebrews 12:2. When we do, we’ll begin to be consumed by His love rather than by our own sin, or the sins of others. Instead of pointing fingers in judgment, we’re lifting hands in worship. And better yet, we’re encouraging each other in their walk, rather than pointing out each others’ faults.

When we walk in grace, and walk in love, we begin to adopt a new way of living. I don’t choose to remain faithful to my partner because of legalism. I made that choice because I love him. I made that choice because I know how much he loves me. There’s great grace in that simply because we know it’s not a matter of not cheating. I just couldn’t imagine breaking his heart like that.

With grace, it’s not the law that keeps us from sin, it’s love. If we truly love God, then our desire is to show our love for Him in all ways. If we truly love Him, then we love those whom he loves. Grace then takes its full effect. Liberty then takes root. Yes, we have complete freedom in Christ. But when our hearts are so captured by grace and love, then our desire is God Himself.

When we begin to walk in this level of grace, my friends, I believe that we’ll finally start to see just exactly how much He is really crazy about us. We can explore grace in every way; and we can explore the passion of God for His people.

As we enter into this Easter season, let’s meditate on this powerful message of grace and love for all of His people. It is truly amazing grace, in every way imaginable.

We invite you to join us every Sunday afternoon at 4PM at Christian Community Church of Clarksville as we continue to explore this critical message of Grace and all of its applications to our lives. Won’t you join us?

See you there!

What an exciting time it is for us at Christian Community Church of Clarksville. We’ve never been more focused on our mission for Clarksville and the surrounding areas than we are right now. Sure, we’re small. That’s okay!

After all, how many people did it take to change the world? Twelve.

Yes, we’re focused. But before I start talking about our mission, I want to take a minute to apologize. I’m sorry, dear friends. I’m sorry that the church (in general, not just us) has failed to minister to so many of you who are hungry for real, genuine fellowship. I’m sorry that we’ve been hypocritical. We’re sorry for being a bunch of self-righteous, judgmental bastards. We’ve pointed fingers. We’ve gossiped. God knows that this goes on about anywhere you can imagine.

And yes, I’m lumping CCC-Clarksville in that mass group of churches. You see, we’re all part of the body of Christ. It’s not a mass collection of individual churches that we have here in Clarksville. We’re all part of the same body, the same baptism, the same faith. We have ONE Lord. Some of our brethren are quick to condemn, quick to judge, and quick to point fingers. And that affects all of us. And for that, I sincerely apologize.

This is a new day. It’s a new morning where the snow is still on the ground, and our eyes are fixed squarely on one thing: Jesus. So what is our focus? It’s simple. We are focused on loving people, giving you a Christian church home where you can grow, be loved, sit on the sidelines, or get involved. We’re all in this thing together. All we need is YOU.

No matter if you’re black or white, Hispanic or Asian, married or divorced, male or female, young or old, straight or gay, or even transgender, you’re welcome here. And if you feel like you’d not fit in to the church setting, then I have exciting news: We’re ALL misfits! I’ve said it before, friends. I have a clear vision for CCC-Clarksville. That vision is to have a church filled with misfits… misfits for JESUS. In fact, the more different you think you are, the more we want to welcome you.

For those of us who are more traditional in our worship preferences, come on down! There’s a place for you, too! We’re all different. We’re all unique. If you’d like to be a part of a truly multi-faceted fellowship, we’d love to spend time with you. Remember, our focus is on JESUS, not on what we look like or what kind of songs we sing.

With all that said, here are a few quick answers to your frequently asked questions:

• When and where do you meet?
  We meet at 4:00 PM (1600 hrs) every Sunday afternoon at the Riverview Inn at 80 College Street, right here in Clarksville Tennessee.
• Do I have to dress up?
  NO. Come as you are.
• What are services like?
  On the first Sunday of every month, we have a traditional church service with contemporary worship music, an uplifting sermon, ministry time, and an open communion table. ALL are welcome at God’s table. Then, the rest of the month, we have a Bible study where we teach and discuss the Scriptures and their application to our lives.
• Do you have a website?
  YES. Visit our website at www.ccc-clarksville.com.
• Are children welcome?
  Absolutely. Our hope is to build a strong children’s ministry at CCC. Will you help?
• What if I just want to sit on the sidelines…I’ve been burned by churches in the past?
  Then sit! We’d love to have you fellowship with us. Let us minister to you and show the love of God. When you’re ready, and only YOU know when that is, then we encourage you to get more involved. Church is a place for healing. Come, and let the Lord bring that healing into your life.

So there you have it. If you have further questions, I encourage you to call me at (931) 801-3477 for more details. And if you’re able join us, we’d love to have you!

See you soon!

Pastor David

Of course, the usual suspects come out of the woodwork to denounce liberal ideology in typical fashion. In contrast, liberals focus on the reality that we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. After all, that’s the definition of “insanity.”

I’ve said it before… it’s time for us to show genuine leadership instead of reacting based on fear. I’m thankful that liberals have been around to make history throughout time.

A liberal saw the excesses and errors within the Church in 1517 and posted his 95 theses on the door of his church in Wittenberg, which began the Reformation. Right around that same time, a liberal translated the Bible into English, which gave the Scriptures to the people in the common vernacular. Liberals led the way to start a country based on equality and the “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Liberals fought to put an end to slavery. Liberals spoke out for the Native Americans, but were squelched in an environment of abject hatred toward our nation’s first residents.

Liberals fought for the civil rights act of 1964. Liberals fought for women’s rights. Liberals have always stood up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. They stood for the slaves, child labor laws, worker’s compensation, anti-trust laws, occupational safety laws, equal housing, and fair lending practices. If that’s “giving away the farm,” then I’m glad we did.

In fact, Jesus himself preached love, tolerance, justice, and equality for all people. That’s pretty liberal, isn’t it? So long as He preached it, so will I. He is the great equalizer, and that’s a message that can never tarnish or wither. It is, in fact, the core of the Gospel: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you look carefully, there’s no asterisk there. “Whosoever” means “whosoever.”

What’s unfortunate is that Liberals have allowed the word “liberal” to be tarnished by right-wing attacks. They’ve allowed themselves to be labeled as crybabies and whiners. Thankfully, that’s beginning to change.

As a democratic republic, our responsibility is not to “majority rules” but rather to protect those who are NOT in the majority. This is why this system of government works. It protects those who are not in power or in the majority. This is the heart of the bill of rights (the first ten amendments to the US constitution). It protects those who aren’t Christian white males.

So who’s less fortunate? Look around. There are hundreds of families who can’t afford a Thanksgiving dinner this week. There are countless teenagers who live in abject poverty (most of them minorities) who are convinced that they’ll never get out of that situation. Instead of blaming liberals, why not join hands with them and help to fund programs that are designed to provide alternatives to the streets?

There are more than 150 confirmed cases of HIV in Montgomery County. For every confirmed case, statistics indicate that there are at least 2 people who don’t know they’re infected. Liberals have fought to fund HIV awareness and education, as well as research for effective treatment. Instead of blaming liberals and gays, why not show the kind of compassion that Christ called for? Why not help with these programs?

Yes, there are those who are less fortunate. I’ve been in that situation. I thank God that I’m no longer there. It took work, patience, and God’s favor in my life to get where I am today. Sadly, there are those that just can’t seem to rise above their situation, no matter what. Jesus said we’d have the poor with us always. He also said that we should minister to them any way we can. “What you have done to the least of these, you have done it to me,” He said.

Christianity, however, isn’t the only faith which embraces charity. The ideal of charity is encouraged in nearly every major world religion. Maybe one day we’ll begin to rise above name-calling and work together to help everyone… no matter who they are, what they look like, or who they love.