Burns Church of Christ

People are funny creatures in the way they manage risk.

Did you know that you’re more likely to get struck by lightning or win the lottery than to die in a plane crash? (You’re also more likely to become the next president of the United States, too!) Those facts aren’t enough to convince millions of people with fears of flying to get on board.

After September 11, the number of people flying dropped dramatically. As people stopped flying, they started driving. The Michigan Transportation Research Institute studied the three months following 9/11 and discovered something astounding: the increased number of miles driven in just three months caused an additional 1,018 fatalities due to car crashes. Almost a third of the number of people killed in the terrorist attacks died because of fear!

Casinos and lotteries thrive because people are terrible at risk management. When you buy life insurance, you’re effectively betting that you’ll die sooner than the guy selling you insurance thinks you will! (Sorry, Jeff!) Its purpose is to help us mitigate risks that we don’t expect and that we don’t want to even think about!

There are two lessons from these thoughts:

1.       Fear is not the best motivator for making wise decisions. (Read 1 John 4:17-18). If your spiritual life is muddled with fear, take action to let God’s perfect love drive it out.

2.       We are head/heart creatures. If you’re afraid of flying, chances are, no matter how many times I tell you the statistics, your head won’t convince your heart. If I can tell you the statistics and work on your heart-courage and vision-together, we can make it through. When we share our faith, we must think about the gospel in the head and in the heart.

      Decisions are sometimes hard to come by.  There are some decisions that are easily made because there are clear distinctions that make up our minds quickly.  Other decisions are agonizing because there is a close run for both sides.

      Decisions about our religious welfare are often put on the back burner and will be made at a later date.  The decision about where my family and I will attend church is sometimes tough.  There are lots of competing facts that need to be considered.  Is it a Bible church? Will my family fit in with the people? Will I be fed good solid food instead of rehashed traditions from the past?  Is there a balance in the teaching and worshiping in this church?  Others could be added to this list.

      Why are there not more people attending church?  I think that most people who don’t attend worship have not really made an outward decision not to attend. I think they have just not made a decision toattend. It is likely that they have just remained in the “valley of indecision” and may end up dying there. 

      They may not realize that not to make a decision to follow Jesus aggressively and faithfully is to make a decision not to give Him our live and devotion.  In this “Valley of indecision” one lingers to his own detriment.  Children grow up and are lost.  Families allow things to get out of balance and some break up. Precious time for growing a caring faith is lost.  Growing old without an active faith is a downer that could last for an eternity. Make the positive decision to faithfulness to God today. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. (John 9:4)

      Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

A person with a small faith may act on that smallness and lack any real commitment to God.  It may be that one with little faith will not exercise any of that faith and be living in a state of denial of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It could be that one is exercising that little faith and developing and growing.

Whatever is happening in our life, there are times when we feel a bit like the father in Mark 9: I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief. I need more trust in the Savior. I need more faith to move me to greater service.  I need help with dealing with unbelief that creeps back into the recesses of my soul on too numerous occasions.

I wonder what could happen if we could increase our faith a degree or two?  Would that make a big difference in our churches and our world? If 100 people increased their faith just a degree would it mean that those 100 people have increased their faith by 100 degrees?

The intention of preaching and teaching is to increase faith.  There are times when we see our faith grow and our actions show it. There are other times when we struggle and our faith seems to wane.

Enter opportunity for March-May at the Burns Church of Christ.  Each Sunday night at 6:00 for three months we are providing a grand opportunity for us as a church, and for the community we serve, to increase our faith.  What can happen is we can raise the level of faith in our community.  Maybe there will not be a need for a bigger jail.  We know that only good can come when we are get help for our unbelief.