WHEN CONVENIENCE CREEPS INTO OUR LIVES

Definition of Convenience: anything that saves or simplifies work, adds to one's ease or comfort, etc.,

Pastor Gordon taught that when we allow CONVENIENCE to creep into our lives, there will be a high price to pay and we will suffer the consequences. 

The question is how does CONVENIENCE affect our relationships?  What's the effects? 

Pastor Gordon gave a wonderful analogy of driving to the convenient store.  You get to park right in front of the door.  Simply walk in and pick up your water bottle, back to register & in no time you've paid $1.10 or more, but you got your water.  Then he went to a larger store, had to walk all the way in the back to grab a case of bottled water, walk all the way to the register where there is a line.  Waiting patiently, he pays $3.99 + tax & had to walk all the way back to his car.  Definitely not very convenient.  But, each bottled water came out to .23 cents for inconvenience. 

So what's the big deal?

You meet a wonderful person & fall in love.  You get married and in no time there is a lack of communication, someone or both starts to do their own thing. 

Get the picture?

RELATIONSHIPS WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE CONVENIENT!

As weird as this may sound, the more inconvenient our relationships are the better our relationship will be.  Think about this...PAUSE....

AHA MOMENT?  DID THE LIGHT BULB GO ON?

Just like our relationship with the Lord:

• We need to have a daily presence with God
• Requires great commitment (willingness to grow)
• Changing our culture of our Spiritual life

Visualize this: There's a Bible on the table & you balance the bible on your thumb.  That's like most Christians that go to church & simply hears the word of God, which is easily snatch able.  Try holding the bible with your finger & thumb and this would be like us hearing and reading the word of God.  Still, someone can come & snatch the bible right out from us.  Third, imagine holding your bible with your thumb, finger & middle finger. That would be like the believers in Christ that go to church to hear the word, and opens up the bible to read and study the word of God.  Still, easily snatch able.  Forth, holding the bible with your thumb, finger, middle, & now with your ring finger.  Now we are memorizing the word of God but still snatch able.  Finally, we will hold the bible & including the pinkie finger.  Harder for anyone to snatch Gods Word from us.  Pinkie finger is applying the word of God. 

1. the Thumb is HEARING the word of God
2. the Finger is Reading the word of God
3. the Middle finger is studying the word of God
4. the Ring finger is memorizing the word of God
5. the Pinkie finger is applying the word of God

Thank you Pastor Gordon Wong of The Bridge Church!