Author: Nick

Blessed Assurance.  “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians1:6 Do you have a “know-so” salvation? What I mean is, do you know that you are saved and have the assurance that if you died tonight, you’d spend eternity with the Lord in heaven? Many folks don’t have that assurance, and in some cases it is not a spiritual problem. It is a psychological problem. They cannot accept the fact that God has accepted them. You would think that these folks feel they have sinned too grievously to be forgiven and accepted by God and this is true for some. But for many more it is a question of pride. They can’t let go of the idea that their acceptance is based on what they do. They have to be good enough. Deep down they believe they are better than average, maybe better than most. It’s a dangerous way to think. They often confuse the issue and rail against a “once saved always saved” theology. But that’s a red herring. The issue is now whether you can lose your salvation, but whether you can know you are saved […]

Our subject for Sunday night’s Being the Church session is Authentic Fellowship. Church fellowship is a step above what is available in the world. How is the church called to be different from the local social club? Christian community often is confused with mere cordiality, courtesy, or sociability, says Howard A. Snyder. As such, it can be not much different from the Kiwanis Club or a neighborhood potluck. But genuine Christian fellowship is a gift of the Holy Spirit, centered on Jesus, which becomes a living witness to Christ and the gospel in the world. Why can authentic Christian fellowship be so difficult to develop? What are the markers of genuine Christian fellowship? How can it be deepened and strengthened? These are the questions we’ll be asking and discussing in this study. I know it’s Superbowl Sunday but do you really care who wins this game. The Saints ain’t playing. The Saints will be in church and the sorta Saints can record the game. See you there. Nick Sigur

“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 I generally don’t consider myself a perfectionist.  But, if I am honest, I do consider performance important. I believe this is a problem particularly for men. We tend to think we are what we do. Men, more often than women, take our identity from our careers and achievements.   This can be a real problem in spiritual matters.  Performance doesn’t make us any more or less acceptable in God’s eyes. When we start focusing on performance we set ourselves up falling into the trap of never knowing if we’ve done enough. We never truly feel accepted.  Performance focus is a thief. It promises rewards, but it steals both joy and satisfaction. Why? Because we can never do enough, we an impossible goal, and therefore will constantly be faced with frustration and failure.  Two things about you are true, without your “performance”—   You are forgiven in Christ.   You are righteous in Christ. Holy Spirit, help me focus on what Christ has done and not on what I do. My performance flows from […]

A recent study shows that folks are more miserable after logging on to Facebook. On Facebook folks post their warm and fuzzy pics of their kids, talk about the fun things they are dong and how they love everyone. Since that doesn’t match up with all of “real” life, we get depressed when our lives doesn’t measure up to the world of Facebook.  Just “log off” you say. But, it seems to me, the very same phenomenon is present in the pews of our Christian churches. At church we smile broadly, we get excited about what “God is doing.” Our worship songs are upbeat and positive. Nobody is as happy as he seems on Facebook. And no one is as “spiritual” as he seems in what we deem as “spiritual” enough for Christian worship. Maybe what we need in our churches is more tears, more failure, more confession of sin, more prayers of desperation that are too deep for words. Maybe then the lonely and the guilty and the desperate among us will see that the gospel has come not for the happy, but for the brokenhearted; not for the well, but for the sick; not for the found, […]

The next couple of days could be pretty interesting. Schools closed. Icy roads. All that jazz. Anxiety levels will likely be up. First, please be safe. It’s been a while since we’ve had icing conditions in Acadiana. Our curiosity and inexperience can be a dangerous combination.If you are blessed to be able to stay home, why not make it a special time with the family? If you have to be out of the house, remember a warm heart can go a long way.Please pray for those who are alone or with inadequate heating. In short, isn’t this just another opportunity to be Jesus to someone?Be warm and be blessed. Nick

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”—Matthew 11:29  My wife is a very good driver. She is very careful. But I don’t like to be driven around by my wife, or anyone else. I don’t like not being in control. When we go somewhere together I almost always drive.  I think she has found it easier to just let me drive. This picture is neither me nor my lovely wife. But you get the point. Many times, we can be that way with God. He has the steering wheel but we can help giving directions. We are willing for Him to be our copilot, but not the pilot. When Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you” (Matthew 11:29), He meant that we are to submit ourselves to Him every day in every way. A yoke was made of wood, handcarved to fit the neck and shoulders of the animal to prevent pain or discomfort. In ancient culture, the word “yoke” was a term that was used to describe submission. So when someone was described as being yoked to someone or something, […]

  “Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 A king was once traveling through his kingdom. He came upon one of his subjects who was carrying a sack of wheat, produced through much blood and sweat. “Give me some of your wheat.” The king said. The farmer thought carefully and reached into his bag and removed a single grain of wheat which he fearfully handed to the king. The king took the grain. He then reached into a bag of his own and pulled out a single gold coin and handed it to his subject and rode off. Can we doubt that for the rest of his life the farmer wondered what would have happened if he had given the king the whole bag. How are we giving to the Lord, in resources and talents? By the grain, by the handful or by the sack? This isn’t a prosperity concept. God could give us a whole bag any time He wanted. But like any other endeavor, we […]

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12  What are you going to do today? Because of Jesus, the possibilities are endless.We live under grace of God and not under the law. We’ve been completely liberated from legalism! As a believer in Christ, you’re committed to a greater calling: to follow Jesus Christ. There is more responsibility in that than in being bound by rules.  And “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).  What are you going to do today? Will it bring God glory by night fall? Nick