Staying Focused… On His Knocking!

The risen Lord Jesus said in His message to the church at Laodicea, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” He knocks now as we move into the Life Action Revival Summit this weekend. At what doors does He knock?

He knocks at the door of the lost person’s heart. John Stott said that you can answer
the question of whether you are truly a Christian by answering another: “On which side of the door is Jesus Christ?” The question is not “Do you attend church or are you a church member?” If you’ve not opened your heart’s door and received Him, don’t wait. He died for you and has risen. Open your heart to Him.

He knocks at the door of the lukewarm believer’s heart. “I stand at the door and knock” was a message to Christians in Laodicea who needed to repent of lukewarm living. Have your affections for Christ gone to room temperature? Do you lack delight in God, desire for holiness, hatred of sin, and tender compassion for others? He knocks.

He knocks at the door of the church’s heart. “I … knock” was a message to the church at Laodicea. He is at work in our church. It’s obvious! But does He have His way fully without question? Does He desire to do more? Do we need to open the door more fully to Him? He knocks.

In 1853, Holman Hunt painted “The Light of the World.” The picture shows the Lord Jesus in a royal robe wearing a crown of thorns and carrying a bright light in a dark night. He is standing outside a heavy wooden door partially covered with creeping vines. The rusty hinges look as if they’ve not moved in a long while. No handle is on the outside of the door. Jesus is knocking at the door.

Pastor Coye Still

Staying Focused… On Conviction!

September 29, 2013 will be Homecoming Sunday at University Hills! What’s it
all about? The big fellowship lunch is a big part of it!!! Don’t miss it! But Homecoming is about more than lunch.

Homecoming is about conviction. We look back together to celebrate our convictions and to recalibrate so that we’re rightly aligned with our convictions going forward.
We have a conviction about the gospel. The gospel brought our church into being and brought us together. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the summons to and supply for our community’s salvation.

We have a conviction about God’s call to University City. When we built our sanctuary here over a decade ago, we made a new statement: “God has called UHBC to proclaim Christ in University City for the years to come.” Of course, we haven’t quite finished the statement— we still have $567,000 of building debt to pay! On Homecoming, every one of us can join in the declaration. Bring one week’s tithe plus any further amount that God leads you to give. Give it with conviction! Every dime will go to the building debt and declare: “I’m a partner in UHBC’s work in University City!”

We have a conviction about the kind of church God is raising up here. We are a “birth to heaven” and multi-ethnic church. We believe the gospel is for the young and old and for people of all nations, ethnicities, and backgrounds. We worship, work, and eat together. We love one another.

If these convictions are yours, come on Homecoming Sunday and week after week. If
these convictions are yours, give your offering on Homecoming Sunday and week after week. Put your hand to the plow with conviction!

Pastor Coye Still

Staying Focused… On Revival

August 18 and October 6 – 13 will be very important days for University Hills! First, I’ll give you a little background.

Over a year ago, our deacons and staff received what I believe to have been
direction from God to set aside a full week this fall for seeking God for a movement of His Spirit among us. Our great desire is that He will glorify Himself in reviving us individually and as His church. The week is October 6 – 13.

The event is a Life Action Ministries revival summit. Of course, we can’t
calendar real revival. However, we can set aside time to worship and hear biblical teaching on our need for repentance, surrender, renewal and growth in keeping with the gospel. We can seek God together for revival! That’s what we want to do in the Life Action Summit.

Back to August 18: that’s the Pre-Summit Sunday. John Myers will be with us from Life Action Ministries to preach, share vision, and help us begin to prepare for the revival summit in October. It’s a very important day for us to begin focusing on preparation and prayer for revival. Please be in church on August 18!

If you would like, visit www.LifeAction.org and get a feel for a ministry that
is igniting movements of authentic Christianity.

Pastor Coye Still

Staying Focused… on Thanksgiving for you!

I’m thankful to God for the privilege of serving with you and for your generous support and encouragement of me as I do. My thanksgiving is year-round and in all circumstances, but I’m in a two week period right now of renewal and rest during which I’m especially aware of my gratitude.

Last week I was on a study retreat at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC. The long focused hours and days were preciously filled with study, prayer, message planning, and receiving direction from the Lord. What a gift to me and, I trust, in turn to God’s people!

This week I’m taking vacation time. Again the hours and days of rest and
relaxed visiting are precious. In a very definite way, the Lord has provided for these two weeks through you. I’m thankful to Him and to you. Our full University Hills staff realizes what a privilege is ours to serve with such a generous and kind-spirited church family.

This Sunday morning I will be in the worship service, but our preacher for
the day will be Sherra’s and my son, Coye IV. I’m looking very much forward to
Coye’s message and hope that you’ll pray with me for God to enable him as he
preaches.

Pastor Coye Still

Staying Focused… On The Deliverer

Have you ever heard a series of sermons on the Old Testament book of Judges? I’m guessing that most Christians have not. Maybe you’ve heard a message on Gideon and one on Samson, but a series on the book?

For the next few Sundays we’ll continue our series entitled “Judges: Deliverers Who Point to The Deliverer.”I have a couple of warnings to give at this point.

Warning One: Judges is a graphic, realistic, honest book from a violent time in salvation history. Sin led to and was dealt with in bloodshed. That would be the case again in salvation history and will be in the end.

Warning Two: this Sunday’s text—Judges 3:12-30—is as graphic as any we’ll read. To be specific, a sharp sword is going into the big belly of an oppressive king. I don’t know of an easy way to say that—just wanted you to know it’s coming.

I also want you to know where this Sunday’s message and all the messages in the series will be heading. The deliverers whom God raised up as judges for Israel point us to The Deliverer—Jesus.

We’ve learned from Jesus Himself that the Old Testament is about Him: “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to [the disciples] what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Let’s ask God to help us see some of what the book of Judges says about Jesus.

Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday!

Pastor Coye Still

Staying Focused… on Stewardship this Summer

The solstice is yet to come, but school’s out and summer’s here. If you’re able to slow the pace, enjoy! If you’re able to travel a bit, have a great and safe time.

And as a steward this summer, be faithful! If travel takes you through a Sunday, consider giving your offerings before leaving town or bringing your giving up to date on the first Sunday after you return.

It’s always important to be cheerful and current in giving our tithes and offerings. The “firstfruits” (not the leftovers) go to the Lord from grateful hearts.

It’s especially important this summer. At the end of April we were $33,000 behind our budget giving target for the year, but God has answered prayer and His people have given faithfully in recent weeks. After last Sunday we are $26,300 behind our budget. We’ve made progress and we have far to go.

From now until Labor Day is an important period. Let’s pray together for God’s continued provision and for one another’s faithfulness. Evan Roberts said, “God hath plenty and God will provide.” If you and I are trusting Him and being prompt and sincere in our giving, God will insure that the resources He wants us to have are here.

Pastor Coye Still