The United States (and I’d assume the world, although I cannot speak from experience) is full of people who adhere to an expression of Christianity that is essentially cosmetic surgery. It’s nothing more than behavior modification. And there are two ways that it is most often manifested.

The first is probably the most common way, and it’s the general belief that if a person does more good than bad, they will get into heaven. We can’t be perfect, this crowd suggests, but as long as our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds then on the scale of relativism we are a “good person”; if the scales tip the other way, we are a bad person. Consequently, my bad deeds can be outweighed by my good deeds; they are, in effect, offset. Or, to say it another way, if I modify my behavior I’ll be okay, so long as the good column has more marks than the bad. In this particular worldview, Christianity is essentially boiled down to “being good”, with Jesus being the primary “do-gooder”. He is the supreme example of doing more good than bad (since he did no bad, and a lot of good).

The second expression of behavior modification is just as prevalent, however, and it is no less damaging. This is the belief that our religious activity, done out of obligation, is ultimately the thing that will get us into heaven. It’s the mentality of “I go to church/pray/read my Bible/give because it is the right thing to do”. There is not an internal, core-level motivation to do these things, but a surface level “duty”. It is religion at it’s finest; as long as you are devoted, you are in. You must meet the standard (the “right” way), and when you do, you will be righteous. It doesn’t matter how you actually feel about a person, so long as you act rightly towards them. It doesn’t matter what you think about God, so long as you act rightly by going to church. Your devotion to him will be enough to earn your way into heaven.

At issue is that on the surface both of these expressions of Christianity look good. It seems fair to assume that Christians will be good people, and certainly there is a sense that they will act right according to whatever moral or ethical standard is in place. But that is not the transformation the Bible talks about; and it’s not the kind of transformation that Jesus came to deliver.

Jesus goal was not just to get people to “get their act together”, but to fundamentally change their affections from the temporary to the eternal, from the finite to the infinite, and from the created to the creator. He did that by being an imitator and reconciling man to God through his sacrifice on the cross. When we are dependent on him for our salvation, we are fundamentally transformed on the deepest level from self-glorifiers to God-glorifiers. Our very motivations change, not just our activities. That is the definition of what it means to have a heart transplant. We need to have a change at the core of our being, and that is what Jesus offers.

Most of us, however, will default to the cosmetic surgery. It’s easier. You don’t really need a specialist. It’s often an “out-patient” procedure, it’s over pretty quickly, and you’re probably going to get a lot of compliments when it’s all done. And, as far as medical procedures go, it’s relatively inexpensive. The problem, of course, is that regardless of how good we look on the outside the insides are still falling apart.

At the end of the day, religious cosmetic surgery is the functional equivalent of painting a tomb–no matter how pretty the outside looks, the inside is still full of death (Matthew 23:27).

Paul has spent a lot of time in Ephesians describing what life is like without God. The question that we should consider is whether or not what he’s saying lines up with how things really are. Paul describes life apart from God as a futile pursuit. Does that line up with what we see happening in the world around us, or in our own experiences where we’ve walked in a direction that we knew was contrary to the way God intended things to be?

In contrast to the futility of life without God, however, Paul says that transformation is possible through Jesus that leads us to a new way that is filled with truth. Rather than living in the darkness of the old way, we live in the light of the new way. We have a “new life”. The question, then, is whether or not transformation has occurred–if we believe that it is possible, can we see that it has happened in the lives who claim to follow Christ? Can we see the transformation in our lives?

Listen in as we consider the old way, the transformation, and the new way of life that we can live when we follow Jesus.

Paul spent the first six verses of chapter four reminding the Ephesians about the foundation and the origins of Unity. In short, Unity in the church is built on and founded in the character of God. If unity is built on anything other than that solid foundation, it will be temporary at best. Consequently, we should be quick to embrace other brothers and sisters in Christ no matter what their denominational background, and should make great efforts to recognize the “oneness” of the Gospel.

Unity is addressed further in the second half of the text, talking about how all believers in the church are called to use their gifts as a gift to the community. In doing so, we exercise our unity. Each of us are a “joint” in the “body” of Christ, held together by Him. But there is another aspect of unity as well, and that is the protection of Unity in the church. Are there those with whom we should be careful not to unite?

In the end, grace is what makes us united with one another. Listen in as we consider some the effects of the grace that calls, gifts, and equips the saints for ministry–and unity–in the church.

In Ephesians 4, Paul implores the Ephesians to be united with one another. The unity he envisions is not a unity that’s based on our efforts, however, but is based upon something much greater. It’s based on, and founded in, the very character of God. In short, the Ephesians should be united because God is united. Unity is not something they do or create, it is something that exists because God is one and has made peace between men, and between men and God. As a result, they must reflect unity.

In this message, we’ll consider what it means that unity is founded in the character of God, and what the implications are for the church in our day.

Like all of the first three chapters, Ephesians 3:14-21 is filled with theological nuggets. It would be impossible to cover all of them in one message, so we look at a few. First, the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. He’s been all throughout Ephesians 1-3 but he hasn’t gotten the focus (which is how he likes it). Second, we’ll consider “love” in the life of the believer, and finally, the role that prayer plays and why it is so important. And in the end, we’ll end up right back where we started at the beginning of Ephesians 1: to God be the Glory.

In Ephesians 3:1-13, Paul talks about the mystery that was revealed to him and for which he became an apostle. God’s wisdom is displayed when this mystery is revealed in the church–the mystery that was hidden in the mind of God from before the foundations of the earth. In this message, we’ll consider what that mystery is, and then consider how recapturing it will help us to value and take seriously our role as God’s church.

We live in a world that longs for peace, and it remains elusive. Because of Jesus, peace is again possible–between man and God, and between man and man. The church is the evidence of that peace. It is, Paul says, the temple of God.

New Hope Community Ministries is a non-profit organization located in Prospect Park, NJ. Among other programs, they manage a food pantry that distributes food to low-income residents twice per month. While all the clients are grateful for any and all support they can provide them, we are struck by how generally unhealthy many of the staples are – typically high in sodium and fat, and low in naturally occuring vitamins. We started thinking that what low income people need the most is fresh produce – and the idea of Gardens of Hope was launched this spring.

It is our goal to see local gardeners donate fresh produce for low-income residents throughout the summer. Most people’s gardens are just starting to produce, and so while we did have some limited donations for our July 10 food pantry, we are hoping for an even better outpouring for the following weeks. The food pantry hours are from 9 am – noon on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month. Now that the gardens are in full swing, we also hope to add “off-week” veggie stand. Our first veggie stand will be held on July 30 from 10 am – noon, at New Hope’s building (331 N. 11th Street, Prospect Park). We would be very appreciative of any donations of produce brought to New Hope and would also be open to the idea of picking up some donations.

Many people, like Chris, have found that the most convenient Bible to carry around, have on them, and read throughout the day is the one that is installed on their smartphone. In many worshiping communities it has already become commonplace to see people pull out their iPhones, Blackberries, Palm’s, and Android devices to read along with the Scripture as the pastor reads from his text. Although this isn’t anything that’s particularly new–Bible texts have been available on PDA’s for some time–the prevalence of smartphones means that more and more people have access to a digital bible, and consequently, it doesn’t seem as weird for a person to pull out their phone and follow along. It used to be that if you pulled out your PDA in church, people assumed you were playing Tetris. Increasingly, however, the assumption is you’re just reading your Bible.

That’s not to say that we’re all totally comfortable with it yet, though. Maybe we’re okay reading along with the Pastor on our digital bible, but what happens if we receive a text message? What about tweeting in church? And is there a possibility that we might get sidetracked and just take a quick peek at Facebook, or the latest scores on the internet? Wouldn’t it be better to just leave the phone in our pocket and do things the old fashioned way?

Maybe it would be. But the cat’s already out of the bag. (Or, the phone’s already out of the pocket.) And I say, let’s embrace it. Technology will only become more and more a part of our lives. Just because it may require discipline to use it well (like not clicking over to the Facebook app), doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be used at all. If using a digital bible means that people are using a bible, then I consider that a win. And maybe that random tweet during service piques someone’s curiosity about what we’re doing so that they decide to check it out the next week. You just never know.

So let me invite you to pull out your smartphones and follow along during services. If it’s a distraction, put it away. But don’t let the possibility of it being a distraction stop you from using it for some positive purposes, like reading the Scripture.

If you’re looking for a good app for your phone, LifeChurch.tv has spent significant resources producing what is by far the best Bible Reading app on mobile platforms, and possibly on the web. You can go to www.youversion.com to check out more information and find out if they make an app for your phone. While you’re there, make sure to create an account and join the Restore group at http://www.youversion.com/groups/restore. We look forward to seeing you there!

Additionally, we are also going to try and have an “off week garden stand” at New Hope for the produce that comes in on the 1st and 3rd weeks of the month.