Authentic Pursuits

Charles Fortney has been a follower of Christ for more than 40 years, first responding to the call of the Holy Spirit to accept Christ after viewing a Billy Graham film at a local theater in his hometown. Charles and his wife, Connie, have been members of Living Hope for 19 years and they both currently teach Middle School students. They have two sons, Stephen and Casey, who both attend Greenwood High School. Living Hope ordained Charles as a deacon in 1992 and for the past 10 ½ years he has been an elder. He will rotate off the elder body next month. Charles co-owns an occupational health business based in Bowling Green.



One of the joys of my life is teaching students and I currently co-teach Middle School students with Ross Wellman. Today, as we studied 1 John 3: 18 – 24, we emphasized that being a Christian and having Christ in you is evident by what you pursue. 18th century theologian Jonathon Edwards, a key figure in the Great Awakening, wrote A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections to make that very point. Edwards says it is not an isolated experience in our lives that defines us as Christians, but rather the continual pursuits, or affections, that the Holy Spirit places in us. One of Jason’s points in Sunday’s service was how Barnabas sold a piece of land and gave all of the proceeds to the church. When Ananias and Sapphira sold some land and only gave a portion of the proceeds to the church, they were struck dead. The basic concept of giving to God out of what he has blessed us with is a sound one. But this couple gave the illusion of making a greater sacrifice than what was really true. It was deception and a lack of authenticity that did them in.

All of us are prone to making bad judgments, but what drives those decisions? It was clear from Peter’s declaration that Ananias and Sapphira allowed Satan to guide their decision. Are we as Christians driven by God’ Holy Spirit to pursue Him in all our decisions? If so, this is a mark and an assurance that our faith is real.

I also saw another “real” example of Christian service on Sunday. It came during Terry McDaniel’s report on the status of the Building Expansion project. There are many questions unanswered. What will the bids for construction come in at? We have very real shortfalls in our general fund giving and the More Hope for More People Capital Campaign has come in at about 53% of the original amount pledged to date. Based on that information, how much can we build? What long term affect does our current economic situation play in our building and funding other ministries? Terry chairs the Building Design Team and he and many others have been working on this project for several years now. They and our other leaders face the challenge of making difficult decisions. But what struck me was the commitment that Terry and his family made to this project. Even though they completed their pledge today, he said they would continue to give to the More Hope fund, over and above their regular tithing. Their commitment has already been fulfilled, but a need still exists. And they believe in the cause of expanding facilities here to help reach and disciple people for Christ.

Authentic Holy pursuits please God. He gives us many opportunities to follow Him each day. I want to do this in all areas of my life – financial, spiritual, social, work and family. We have an opportunity as a local body of believers to express our pursuits through missions, volunteering in ministries at Living Hope and outreach areas like Hope House. None of these is authentic without the leading of our hearts, following the Holy Spirit, guiding and driving us each step of the way. Take a look at your heart and pursuits today. How authentic are they?