Back in 2009, I wrote a blog post about how to prepare for our Commitment Sunday. If you want to read it, you can click on the link and go there now. However, that was two years ago, and things have changed for us since then. The most significant changes are that we have adopted the ELEMENTS metaphors as the way we communicate our core values, we have established Elders and By-Laws, and we have created guidelines for Covenant Members in the church.

Here’s the bottom line: I know God is using LCC to make a difference in people’s lives, and I want you to go on record saying that you want to be a key player, a covenant member for this next year. As a result, I’m writing this post to encourage you to consider our membership covenant.

You see, this Sunday is our Commitment Sunday, and I want to remind you of what that means for you, me, and for the family we call Lafayette Community Church.

On Sunday, we will be celebrating a number of different commitments.

• Some will be making commitments to Jesus by praying prayers of repentance.
• Some will be making commitments to Jesus by going through the waters of baptism.
• Some will be making an “associate” commitment to LCC by signing the Associate Covenant (see below for that)
• Some will be making a Covenant Member commitment by signing the Membership Covenant.
• Some will be making a financial commitment by giving God the first portion of their income.
• And some will be renewing their commitment to Christ by joining together in the celebration of communion.

I believe that at least one of those commitments is your commitment for this weekend. I believe that Jesus himself is preparing you to make one of those commitments. Which one or which ones are for you this week?

A Prayer of Repentance

Heavenly Father, I confess to you that I have lived by my own rules and followed my own standards rather than yours. I realize that the only right thing to do is to return to you the way you ask me to, by placing my trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins, and by giving you full control of my life. Please have mercy on me and cleanse me and lead me in the way you have for me.

Baptism

If you want to be baptized on Sunday, call me before the weekend is up! 765-404-0807.

LCC Associate Covenant

With a clear conviction that God’s will for me involves fellowship with the people of Lafayette Community Church, I commit to use this year to explore God’s simple commands to put him first, join his family, grow like Jesus, and serve others.

LCC Membership Covenant

GOD IS MY AIR:

In every aspect of my life, God comes first. His Word is my only authority. His Son is my only Salvation. His glory is my greatest desire. I give him the first of my every opportunity. Matt 22:37-38 (Gen 2:7 :: Acts 17:28-31)

Specifically, I have given my life over to Jesus as my Savior and Lord, I have followed him in the waters of baptism. I will submit my life to the mandates of the Bible, stand up for God’s honor, and invest the first portion of my time, talent and treasures in the work of his Kingdom.

GOD’S FAMILY FUELS MY FIRE:

The Spirit dwells in me but his power is revealed in community. I intentionally prioritize Christian relationships because I have something to give and something to receive. Matt 22:39-40 (Acts 2:1-4 :: Gal 6:10 :: 1 Th 5:19 :: Eph 4)

Specifically, I affirm the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life and heed the guidance he gives through the counsel of others in this church. I will view this community as my spiritual family and offer my time, talent, and treasure here before serving or giving elsewhere. I will prioritize the weekly gatherings for worship and join a Life Group. I will pray for and support my leaders, love my fellow believers, and vigorously defend the unity of this church.

I AM GOD’S EARTH:

God is creating me. I started as dust, but I’m becoming like Jesus. I rejoice in trials and hardships because Christ suffered for me, and I am a living sacrifice transformed by the truths of God. Rom 8:29 (Rom 12:1-2 :: Gen 1:27, 2:7 :: 2 Cor 4:7-10)

Specifically, I will pursue opportunities for spiritual growth. I will root out sin in my life through regular self-examination and confession of sin both to God and to accountability partners, and in all areas of uncertainty, I will submit first to the clear teaching of the Bible, then to the leaders God has placed over me, and finally, after prayer, to my own conscience.

THE WORLD NEEDS MY WATER:

I have the Living Water in me. Infinite refreshment is mine in Christ, and I unlock it in me when I give it to others. I eagerly risk embarrassment to offer others the Living Water of Jesus. Matt 28:19-20 (Prov 11:25 :: John 4:1-41 :: Matt 10:42)

Specifically, I employ everything I am and everything I have for the benefit of others beginning in this church and extending to the world around me. To help others find full life in Christ, I will work to serve them, befriend them, share my faith with them, invite them to join me in this church, and help them know the gospel so they too can experience the life I have been given. I will rely on God to refresh me as I strive to refresh others.

THEREFORE:

In full agreement with the mission and governing documents of this church, I will live by this covenant in unity with this church for this year.

Conclusion

I sincerely hope that you will be there Sunday to make commitments and to celebrate the commitments of others. It’s going to be one incredible morning!

In 2012, Lafayette Community Church is going to get really good at spiritual coaching. I’ve worked up a program for spiritual coaching that should be easy enough for anyone to work through and even guide someone else through.

If you are interested, you can download the entire coaching book here, or you can download each lesson individually.

Download

To access the downloads, click here:

http://lafayettecc.org/coaching-resources/

If God has given me victory or success in any of these things to any degree, I should pass it on to others. Being part of Jesus’ disciple-making process means to start simply with what he has done for me and who he has made me to be. From that, I can begin to bless others.

In this Family Sunday, Pastor Jeff engages the kids and their parents to learn how God wants us all to serve others.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Matthew 28:18-20

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To assume that we can love God and love others without actually having to endure personal change is naive at best. Sin has caused us all to think of ourselves first, but the sister lie to pride is that we should ignore ourselves altogether. No, true humility is understanding the ways to invest in myself so that I can be a better servant to others.

In this message we learn that Jesus’ third priority for us is that we be “disciples.” We also learn what that word means and how people like us can become disciples.

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Matthew 28:18-20

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The second greatest command of all time, according to Jesus, is to love your neighbor as yourself. Of course, the problem with that command is that it bases my love not only on my understanding of who my neighbor might be but also on what it means to love “as myself.”

In this message, Pastor Jeff takes us through some key Bible passages to show us how Jesus raises the bar on this golden-rule style command while creating a new command to develop a new community based on an even higher calling!

Speaker: Jeff Mikels :: Passage: Various

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