February 2024
Be Transformed…
Section 1 News
Announcing the 2024 Fl CM Save Our Children Offering goal!
The Toby's Top Dog Challenge is a great opportunity for our kiddos to get involved in the ministry of Save Our Children.
Visit https://www.fldistrictchildrensministry.com for resources and more information. There are printable resources and a downloadable video available.
Our Florida goal is to have at least one child participate from every section!
Thursday, February 22, 2024
7:00 PM
Friday, February 23, 2024 10:00 PM
Florida District UPCI Campgrounds
5011 Northwest Gainesville Road Ocala, FL, 34475
Fl Section 1 Youth Ministries 2024 Events- Let’s continue to pray for and encourage Youth Events in our Section for 2024!
We’re excited for 85 teams from 16 states that have already registered for this event. For those that still need to register, please note that registration will close this Wednesday, January 31st at the end of day. Learn more and register online at www.BibleQuizOrlando.com
Visit flbiblequizzing.com for more information.
Save the date for Steadfast, Florida Ladies Conference 2024! Early registration ends March 10th - flupciladies.com
Congratulations to a Section 1 Sunday School Teacher upon receiving the Florida Children’s Ministry teacher of the month award!
Pastors can submit teachers from their local assembly to the CM Email: Fldistrictcm@gmail.com
Please submit any upcoming events you would like announced by emailing kherbst@firstpent.org
Be Transformed…
Our aim, as we draw closer to the Lord, is to emulate His actions and deeds. To be transformed, we must relinquish our own desires and allow Jesus to work through us.
Merely attending church in our best attire on Sundays is insufficient if we continue living as we did before our encounter with Jesus for the remainder of the week. Such behavior does not indicate biblical transformation, which involves faithful church attendance, adherence to holiness, and abstainingfrom carnal living.
When we encounter the King, our transformation should be evident to all who observe us. According to Paul's teachings in Romans, there are eight traits of transformation that others should be able to identify in us.
Dying
The most challenging yet vital trait is dying out to oneself. This aspect is emphasized in Romans 8:13 and Romans 14:8, where it is deemed a matter of salvation. Through living in the Spirit, or rather, permitting the Spirit to reside within us, we effectively suppress the actions of our flesh.
Failure to do so leads to an everlasting demise. Consequently, we mustn't strive with just human effort to "live for God" but instead permit God to work through us.
Humility
The scripture of Romans 12:3 speaks of humility, urging us not to overestimate our worth. It emphasizes the importance of sober thinking, indicating a state of clear-mindedness and self-restraint.
This is in accordance with God's will, as he has given each person a specific measure of faith. Therefore, we must exercise modesty and avoid being too prideful in our thoughts and actions.
Submission
Humility involves submission and learning to be accountable to one another, as emphasized in 1 Peter 5:5. This means acknowledging the worth of our brothers and sisters and yielding to their unique abilities, as outlined in Romans 12:4-8.
We are all different parts of one body in Christ. Whether we have the gift of prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, or showing mercy, we should use them to serve others with sincerity and diligence.
It is vital not to confuse our gift with our relationship with Jesus, as the former may change over time, but the latter remains steadfast. Nonetheless, a transformed life will undoubtedly bless those around us, regardless of the situation.
Love
Romans 12:9-10 urges us to embrace God's love (agape) and brotherly love (philadelphia) with abandon, tenderness, and kindness.
Agape, which originates from God, empowers us to love selflessly and to let Him love through us. It also reveals an unwavering love filled with tenderness and forgiveness that flows through us. When we allow God to love through us, we become channels of agape.
Additionally, the passage calls us to practice brotherly love (philadelphia), putting the needs of others before our own and valuing them above ourselves. Paul instructs us to genuinely embrace this type of love without pretense and to detest all things evil while cherishing all good.
Essentially, we should strive to mirror Jesus' example of sacrificial love demonstrated on the cross. By embracing these ideals, we can foster a community filled with genuine and unconditional love.
Diligence
Romans 12:11 provides a comprehensive three-part lesson emphasizing the importance of diligence, fervency in spirit, and serving the Lord.
Diligence, in this context, refers to the need to strive to do God's will in everything and to do it with zeal and not to be lazy or idle in fulfilling one's calling; to passionately pursue Christ and His mission with zeal.
Fervency in spirit is critical to maintain one's spiritual glow, a radiance that others can easily detect, as mirrored in the life of Jesus when in John 2:17, he zealously protected the temple.
Serving, in this context, refers to being a slave, doing service, or being in bondage. Yet, being yoked with Jesus is the ultimate servitude, and we are called to obey and submit to Him in all things.
Therefore, we should embrace these teachings to enhance our spiritual growth and lead fulfilling lives serving the Lord. This entails being a willing slave and submitting our will to His in obedience, as Jesus calls us to be yoked with Him.
Consistency
As we undergo transformation, we must cultivate the ability to lead a victorious life, even in the face of daunting obstacles and even when it seems impossible.
Drawing inspiration from Romans 12:12, we learn to rejoice in hope, demonstrate patience during tribulations, and remain steadfast in prayer. By adhering to a daily routine of prayer, reading, and speaking the word, we fortify ourselves with the strength to overcome our obstacles gracefully.
Such tenacity leaves a powerful impact on those who observe our journey.
Giving
A genuine transformation ignites a spirit of giving within us and a compassionatenature that will not be limited to just giving to our fellow believers but includes being kind to those who do not share the same beliefs.
It encourages us to provide for the needs of fellow believers and to offer hospitality. Similarly, the concept of hospitality is emphasized by Paul to the Hebrew congregation, urging them to remember the importance of welcoming strangers as they may unknowingly be angels in disguise (Hebrews 13:2). As stated in Romans 12:13, "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."
Unity Through Forgiveness
One of the most difficult challenges in life is forgiving those who have wronged us, and yet this is precisely what we are called to do.
It's not enough to simply be hospitable to those around us; we must go further and pray for our enemies. Before we can do this, however, we must first forgive them. This is no easy task, as it requires us to completely transform our attitudes towards those who have mistreated us.
As Romans 12:14 states, "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."
We must develop a blessing tongue, which is truly evidence of a transformed life, as it goes against our very nature. Scripture is full of teachings about our attitude towards our enemies, and we must take heed of these teachings if we are to truly follow Christ.
Proverbs warns us that rejoicing in the downfall of our enemies can turn God's wrath from them (Proverbs 24:17-18), while Job teaches us that cursing our enemies is a sin (Job 31: 28-30). Even our enemies' downfall can be turned on us, as Obadiah reveals in Obadiah 1:12-15. Thus, we must learn to forgive, pray for, and bless our enemies, rather than seek vengeance or rejoice in their misfortune. This transformation also requires us to practice empathy and unity.
We must learn to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15-16), putting aside our own victories and defeats to support our brothers and sisters in Christ. This can be especially difficult when we see others blessed with more than we have, but we must remember that envy and jealousy are not from God. Instead, we must bless those who have more than us, trusting that God has a plan for each of us and that we are all part of the same body.
Paul emphasized the importance of not seeking revenge or repaying evil for evil (Romans 12:17-19).
Instead, we must provide things honest in the sight of all men and, if possible, live peaceably with everyone. We should never avenge ourselves, but rather leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19).
In those situations where it is impossible to be at peace with someone, we should learn to hold our tongues and refrain from speaking hurtful words. Ultimately, we must not only pray for our enemies, but also bless them.
As Romans 12:20-21 states, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
This is not an easy task, but it is the call of every believer. We must learn to love our enemies as Christ loved us, forgiving them and showing them kindness and mercy, just as God has shown us.
Yours for the Kingdom,
Pastor Brian Kinsey
