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Battleship

October 28, 2024

Hey Clawson Family!


Song:



Scripture:


Ephesians 6:10-17


The Whole Armor of God


10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[d] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.


13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[e] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[f] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


Devotional:


One of my favorite Clawson values is that “This church is a Battleship, not a Cruise Ship.” I want to help you understand what that means exactly. I think in the church world, there is this temptation to treat the people who attend a church like they are on a cruise ship, and I know all about that life because I recently spent 13 days on a cruise ship.

 

On a cruise ship, the staff's job is to serve and please you; your life is about having no worries, being on vacation, and the better we treat you, the more you will spend and tip us. And as sad as it is for me to say, I believe this is the logic of many churches. Let us serve you, please you, make you happy, no worries, and then just maybe if we do a good job serving you, you will choose to pay your tithes and give to our church. Now you may be sitting there asking yourself, is that such a bad thing? And I would say, according to the Bible, yes.


The church should be a place where the leadership does not serve your every need to make you happy but instead leads in service and humility to teach you how to serve those in your life. They lead by example to train you to step into what God has called you to do. 


The goal is for you to become the disciple God has called you to be and step into his calling for you. Ideally, the training in your life should result in movement and maturity. 


Journal:


Pastor Josh said one of his favorite values at Clawson was, “This church is a battleship, not a cruise ship.


In your journal today, write down what that value means to you. 


Training:


Dear Heavenly Father,


We thank You for giving us Your power and strength so we may serve You throughout our lives. We know we can stand only because You provide us with Your armor. Help us to take up each valuable piece: Truth, righteousness, the readiness to speak of Jesus, faith, salvation, and Your Word. And help us to pray always: for large and small tasks, for personal or national concerns, for deliverance, for Your work to be accomplished and the enemy to be defeated, for our fellow soldiers, and for hearts to open to Your saving Truth. As we take these steps, may we know Your assurance. May we know we can stand firm, as you promised? 


In Jesus' name, amen.



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