the following thought is from a friend of mine and a fellow co-pastor at cLife. i have been thinking of what to write as we finish out 2008 and Paul's thoughts seemed to say it all. enjoy!
Read: Philippians 3:12 – 14
12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Today is the last day of the year and I love it. New Years Day is one of my very favorite days of the year. I love it because it represents an opportunity to start over. It’s an opportunity to put the past behind you and live in a fresh, new way.
I think people rarely spend enough time learning from their mistakes. As Randy Wolfe wrote about in his devotional a couple of days ago, I am really big on the “Year End Review”. Every year, for the past 6 or 7 years I have spent a couple of days at the end of the year thinking through the events of the past year. I do this as a way to learn from the mistakes and victories. Too many people claim to have 25 years of experience when they really just have 1 year of experience 25 times. Experience is not the best teacher, evaluated experience is.
I also am a firm believer that there are two things in the past that keep us from being all that God has for us in the future. These two things are our past failures and our past successes.
Past failures have a tendency to challenge our faith. They make us timid and cause us to refuse to take great risks for God. As Mark Twain once said, “If a cat jumps on a hot stove once, he won’t do it again….but he won’t jump on a cold stove either.” Past failures can greatly inhibit our ability to live fully in the future.
Past successes have a tendency to grow our pride. It has been said that the greatest enemy to tomorrow’s success is yesterday’s success. When you have some level of success, it is easy to believe that it comes easy and if you just manage to keep breathing, you “deserve” more. It often causes us to lose our dependence on God. It’s easy for success to lead to complacency and then you stop praying, working, and risking.
I think that is why the apostle Paul tells us in Philippians to “forget what is behind us and strain forward to what lies ahead.” That is great advice as we say goodbye to 2008. Study it, learn from it, forget it. Lean into this coming year and let it be a great year of faith for you.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
living in the dash
13"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. matthew 5:13-16
well it’s over…..Christmas 2008 has successfully made the transition from being a future hope to a distant memory. i would guess a good number of children are already tired of their new toys and many adults are more than a little stir crazy. we frantically bought and wrapped gifts over the course of the past few months. many of us made our yearly pilgrimage to visit family and friends. food has been prepared and consumed. suddenly it’s over. almost as quickly as it came upon us it left us. and now we wait until the next holiday season.
i heard a quote a few years ago that really made an impact on my life. the speaker was talking about life and the brevity of it compared to the enormity of eternity. he referenced tombstones and said that when we conclude our journey on this side of eternity someone will etch our name into a stone and our birthday and day of passing will be divided by a hyphen. he said that the most important part of our lives is found in that little dash. the day we were born and the day we die aren’t nearly as important as the way we lived in the “dash.”
as we wrap up Christmas ’08 let’s not forget the importance of the dash. when you look at it this way: “Christmas 2008 – Christmas 2009” there is so much potential in the dash. what will God do in your life as you move forward into the end of one year and the beginning of the next? how will you leverage your time and resources to make God known in the world? who will you pray for specifically in the days that are ahead? in what ways will you become more like Christ?
interesting thought: Jesus did a lot during his “dash.” sometimes we minimize his life and ministry to his birth, death and resurrection. don’t get me wrong….these are HUGE parts of his story. however, I would suggest that the lame, blind, deaf and dumb who were healed by Jesus were glad he didn’t just show up in december! Jesus made the very most out of his time on earth….and so should we.
spend some time today asking God to give you a great vision for the year that lies ahead. make the very most of your dash!
well it’s over…..Christmas 2008 has successfully made the transition from being a future hope to a distant memory. i would guess a good number of children are already tired of their new toys and many adults are more than a little stir crazy. we frantically bought and wrapped gifts over the course of the past few months. many of us made our yearly pilgrimage to visit family and friends. food has been prepared and consumed. suddenly it’s over. almost as quickly as it came upon us it left us. and now we wait until the next holiday season.
i heard a quote a few years ago that really made an impact on my life. the speaker was talking about life and the brevity of it compared to the enormity of eternity. he referenced tombstones and said that when we conclude our journey on this side of eternity someone will etch our name into a stone and our birthday and day of passing will be divided by a hyphen. he said that the most important part of our lives is found in that little dash. the day we were born and the day we die aren’t nearly as important as the way we lived in the “dash.”
as we wrap up Christmas ’08 let’s not forget the importance of the dash. when you look at it this way: “Christmas 2008 – Christmas 2009” there is so much potential in the dash. what will God do in your life as you move forward into the end of one year and the beginning of the next? how will you leverage your time and resources to make God known in the world? who will you pray for specifically in the days that are ahead? in what ways will you become more like Christ?
interesting thought: Jesus did a lot during his “dash.” sometimes we minimize his life and ministry to his birth, death and resurrection. don’t get me wrong….these are HUGE parts of his story. however, I would suggest that the lame, blind, deaf and dumb who were healed by Jesus were glad he didn’t just show up in december! Jesus made the very most out of his time on earth….and so should we.
spend some time today asking God to give you a great vision for the year that lies ahead. make the very most of your dash!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
i am second
i was driving down interstate 30 last week and noticed a billboard that had a picture of josh hamilton on it and it said "i am second." having no idea what it was all about i looked it up as soon as i got home. it was, and continues to be, an amazing website where people are sharing their stories. a website where people, some celebrities and some not so much, humbly recount what God has done in their lives. a website that cause it's viewer to consider the implications of God being number one in your life.
i want to encourage you to go and spend some time at this site. it would do the contemporary movement of christians a great deal of good if we were to do the following 2 things:
1. share our stories....tell others how God has made us new.
2. remind ourselves that God is number 1....we are second at best.
enjoy your time at iamsecond.com
i want to encourage you to go and spend some time at this site. it would do the contemporary movement of christians a great deal of good if we were to do the following 2 things:
1. share our stories....tell others how God has made us new.
2. remind ourselves that God is number 1....we are second at best.
enjoy your time at iamsecond.com
Friday, December 19, 2008
open mouth....speak words
yesterday i received a phone call from my mom. she informed me that my grandmother was in the emergency room due to some breathing and blood pressure issues. my grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday in september so her little body is already frail and weak. i jumped in my car and drove to mt. pleasant because i wanted to make sure i was able to tell her at least one more time how much i love her.
she is legally speaking my step-grandmother. however she has always loved my brother and i as if we were blood relatives. there has never been a difference in any of our minds. during the course of my life she has been at every birthday party, every graduation, my wedding and every monumental occasion i have experienced. this woman is a part of who i am and i wanted to be with her. i wanted to make sure she knew i was there for her....just as she has always been there for me.
in september we threw a big 90th birthday party for her. all of the family was there and it was a blessing for each of us to spend time honoring her. some of us grandkids wrote letters about her and read them during the party. we wanted to make sure she knew exactly where we stood when it came to our love and appreciation for her influence in our lives. i think it blessed her.
yesterday when i walked into her room she couldn't speak very clearly but she didn't take her eyes off of me. i stayed with her for about 6 hours and in that time i couldn't take my mind off of the party we had in september. it was so good to know that she knows how much we love her. what needed to be said....had been said.
as you move boldly into Christmas 2008 let me encourage you to do something big...say what needs to be said. write a letter, send an e-mail, pick up the phone or write in the sky but say what needs to be said. too many people live with the regret of what they "should have done." let's commit to one another that we will move forward with the assurance that all accounts are settled and everything that needs to be said....has been said.
she is legally speaking my step-grandmother. however she has always loved my brother and i as if we were blood relatives. there has never been a difference in any of our minds. during the course of my life she has been at every birthday party, every graduation, my wedding and every monumental occasion i have experienced. this woman is a part of who i am and i wanted to be with her. i wanted to make sure she knew i was there for her....just as she has always been there for me.
in september we threw a big 90th birthday party for her. all of the family was there and it was a blessing for each of us to spend time honoring her. some of us grandkids wrote letters about her and read them during the party. we wanted to make sure she knew exactly where we stood when it came to our love and appreciation for her influence in our lives. i think it blessed her.
yesterday when i walked into her room she couldn't speak very clearly but she didn't take her eyes off of me. i stayed with her for about 6 hours and in that time i couldn't take my mind off of the party we had in september. it was so good to know that she knows how much we love her. what needed to be said....had been said.
as you move boldly into Christmas 2008 let me encourage you to do something big...say what needs to be said. write a letter, send an e-mail, pick up the phone or write in the sky but say what needs to be said. too many people live with the regret of what they "should have done." let's commit to one another that we will move forward with the assurance that all accounts are settled and everything that needs to be said....has been said.
Friday, November 28, 2008
thanks....no really....thank you
yesterday i did the same thing i've done for as long as i can remember....i ate way too much! thanksgiving has in many ways become all about the food. as i monitored status updates from my friends on facebook it was clear that turkey was on the brains and in the guts of many. good food and great times with family really made for a great day.
here's a thought: yesterday just before lunch my stepdad said a prayer. i was moved by his prayer and challenged by the thoughts that it brought to my mind. he said, and i paraphrase, "God help us to not only be thankful for the things that are obvious blessings but for the difficult things that you will use to shape us into the image of your son which is ultimately the greatest blessing of all." Did you catch that perspective?
i don't know about you but i tend to become complacent in thanking God for the obvious things and i rarely look at my struggles as potential blessings in disguise.
what are you facng right nowe that if leveraged by God's goodness and grace can become something that make you look more like Christ? let Him leverage it then.....and you will be humbled to the point of truly giving thanks for all things.
now....go eat some leftovers!
here's a thought: yesterday just before lunch my stepdad said a prayer. i was moved by his prayer and challenged by the thoughts that it brought to my mind. he said, and i paraphrase, "God help us to not only be thankful for the things that are obvious blessings but for the difficult things that you will use to shape us into the image of your son which is ultimately the greatest blessing of all." Did you catch that perspective?
i don't know about you but i tend to become complacent in thanking God for the obvious things and i rarely look at my struggles as potential blessings in disguise.
what are you facng right nowe that if leveraged by God's goodness and grace can become something that make you look more like Christ? let Him leverage it then.....and you will be humbled to the point of truly giving thanks for all things.
now....go eat some leftovers!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
complacency
complacency: a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.
complacency has to be the biggest enemy of success known to man. if you pay attention to the world around you it won't take long to notice people who have a great deal of potential and opportunity but squander it all away due to this thing called complacency. one of my favorite things to do as a pastor is premarital counseling. although i require couples to meet with me at least 4 times prior to doing their wedding i can't remember ever having a couple push back at the stipulation. they are always very excited about our meetings together and are very attentive to each other throughout the process. they are in love. their relationship has potential. they have a unified vision for their future. they are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful...together.
sadly, i have also sat through some post-marital counseling sessions. these are quite different in nature. typically there is one spouse who really wants counseling (many times hoping i will fix the other one) and one who thinks it is a dumb idea because they are too far gone and there is very little hope of reconciliation. it is a sad and difficult meeting. people are hurt. they have developed a gap in their relationship. they don't communicate anymore. they feel like they have fallen out of love.
so what happens? i certainly haven't examined it closely enough to justify calling it research but i am positive that complacency is a major factor. couples grow complacent when it comes to communicating felt needs with one another. husbands become complacent in making sure they are adding value to their wives. wives become complacent in affirming and supporting their husbands. people set their relational navigation on auto-pilot and their relationship winds up deteriorating.
you can see the powerful effects of complacency in many other areas of life as well. a salesman makes a couple of huge sales and grows complacent. he doesn't make as many sales calls the next quarter and even less the next....it begins to affect his numbers. a student doesn't study for a test and manages to do pretty well in spite of the lack of preparation. he decides that he must be gifted/smarter than average and begins to focus less and less on academic preparation. eventually his grades begin to drop. complacency begins to take its toll.
churches often find themselves at the tail end of complacency. i can tell you story after story of churches that had a big revival meeting where many were saved, a mission trip that refocused hearts on the needs of others, or built a building that was constructed to be a tool for reaching others with the life changing message of the gospel and gained a ton of momentum. i can also tell you stories of churches that gained the momentum but rested on the laurels of past success and it ushered in a season of mediocrity and uselessness. in some cases it ushered in death to their vision and influence.
how about you? are you coasting along with the mentality that "everything is fine," "this is normal," "we're just going through a rough patch"? if so, do whatever it takes to break free from the spirit of complacency and pray that God gives you a renewed vision and sense of direction. Your marriage, children, career, personal spiritual health and church are all too valuable to simply watch them slip through your fingers. Scripture teaches us that our help comes from the LORD!! That is great news as we continue to push forward and do the hard work of honoring God in every area of our lives.
1I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
complacency has to be the biggest enemy of success known to man. if you pay attention to the world around you it won't take long to notice people who have a great deal of potential and opportunity but squander it all away due to this thing called complacency. one of my favorite things to do as a pastor is premarital counseling. although i require couples to meet with me at least 4 times prior to doing their wedding i can't remember ever having a couple push back at the stipulation. they are always very excited about our meetings together and are very attentive to each other throughout the process. they are in love. their relationship has potential. they have a unified vision for their future. they are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful...together.
sadly, i have also sat through some post-marital counseling sessions. these are quite different in nature. typically there is one spouse who really wants counseling (many times hoping i will fix the other one) and one who thinks it is a dumb idea because they are too far gone and there is very little hope of reconciliation. it is a sad and difficult meeting. people are hurt. they have developed a gap in their relationship. they don't communicate anymore. they feel like they have fallen out of love.
so what happens? i certainly haven't examined it closely enough to justify calling it research but i am positive that complacency is a major factor. couples grow complacent when it comes to communicating felt needs with one another. husbands become complacent in making sure they are adding value to their wives. wives become complacent in affirming and supporting their husbands. people set their relational navigation on auto-pilot and their relationship winds up deteriorating.
you can see the powerful effects of complacency in many other areas of life as well. a salesman makes a couple of huge sales and grows complacent. he doesn't make as many sales calls the next quarter and even less the next....it begins to affect his numbers. a student doesn't study for a test and manages to do pretty well in spite of the lack of preparation. he decides that he must be gifted/smarter than average and begins to focus less and less on academic preparation. eventually his grades begin to drop. complacency begins to take its toll.
churches often find themselves at the tail end of complacency. i can tell you story after story of churches that had a big revival meeting where many were saved, a mission trip that refocused hearts on the needs of others, or built a building that was constructed to be a tool for reaching others with the life changing message of the gospel and gained a ton of momentum. i can also tell you stories of churches that gained the momentum but rested on the laurels of past success and it ushered in a season of mediocrity and uselessness. in some cases it ushered in death to their vision and influence.
how about you? are you coasting along with the mentality that "everything is fine," "this is normal," "we're just going through a rough patch"? if so, do whatever it takes to break free from the spirit of complacency and pray that God gives you a renewed vision and sense of direction. Your marriage, children, career, personal spiritual health and church are all too valuable to simply watch them slip through your fingers. Scripture teaches us that our help comes from the LORD!! That is great news as we continue to push forward and do the hard work of honoring God in every area of our lives.
1I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
facebook christians
facebook has really become a phenomenon... i originally opened up an account because i didn't want to be left behind. i tried xanga (there's a blast from the past) and myspace (which due to security issues "myspace" eventually became "everyone else's space"). although these were decent tools to connect with others they just didn't seem to meet the larger need that people seemed to share. at the core facebook isn't successful because of its look or accessability. facebook is successful because it brings people together. it satisfies our shared need of communuity.
i tend to be a fairly well connected person. as a pastor it would be a shame for me to not interact with people. my need for community is satisifed with my small groups, my co-ministers, and the people who make up our church. i think if you were to follow me around for a week you would say i know alot of people and that my need for community isn't an issue. for the most part you would be correct. here's the weird thing: i added the facebook app to my blackberry and periodically throughout the day i log-on just to read status updates!! how lame is that!?!? i take time out of my day to read one liners about what other people are doing at that moment. what is wrong with me?
nothing. as i think through it i don't think there is anything wrong with me or anyone else who longs to connect with other people. why? because we were created for community. God himself exists in perfect harmony/community with himself: father, son and spirit. it is ok to want to engage our lives with the lives of others. we were designed for community.
so what should we do? here are a few ideas:
i tend to be a fairly well connected person. as a pastor it would be a shame for me to not interact with people. my need for community is satisifed with my small groups, my co-ministers, and the people who make up our church. i think if you were to follow me around for a week you would say i know alot of people and that my need for community isn't an issue. for the most part you would be correct. here's the weird thing: i added the facebook app to my blackberry and periodically throughout the day i log-on just to read status updates!! how lame is that!?!? i take time out of my day to read one liners about what other people are doing at that moment. what is wrong with me?
nothing. as i think through it i don't think there is anything wrong with me or anyone else who longs to connect with other people. why? because we were created for community. God himself exists in perfect harmony/community with himself: father, son and spirit. it is ok to want to engage our lives with the lives of others. we were designed for community.
so what should we do? here are a few ideas:
- try reconnecting with someone from your past. you might use facebook or you might pick up the phone and give them a call. just do the hard work of reconnecting.
- call your parents or grandparents for no reason...blow their minds!
- go visit that single parent that doesn't get a lot of "adult ineraction" time and just talk
- have some friends over to play cards or grill some food
- the next time someone shares a struggle or burden with you pray for them right then and there...even if it is over the phone or through an e-mail. it communicates you care and that you are connecting with their need.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
nothing to lose
i have been under the weather the past few days and have fallen off the blogging trail. after a shot of something from the doctor and some rest i'm back in the race.
this morning at c|Life we reflected on the first 32 months of our church's existence. when we started the church in 2006 all we knew for sure was that we were supposed to start a church. david, paul and i (go to clifec.com to see who i'm referring to) weren't sure how to start a church, whether or not we would have any money to do ministry or if anyone would even want to come worship with us. we just knew that we had to do what God was leading us to do....leave the security of the known and step into the unknown.
here we are 32 months later and we are about to move from our school cafeteria location to our renovated skating rink location. God has done more than we could have ever imagined. i thought i would take a quick trip down memory lane....hang with me because i have something for you at the end:
here's something for you to consider: what is God calling you to do/say/restore/reconcile for His glory? believe me when i say that sometimes it feels risky to step-out in faith but it is always worth it. if you look back through God's movement among His people you will see a consistent trend...He shows up when His people trust Him.
so go ahead....shock a few people (maybe even yourself) and trust God's leading in your life: what do you have to lose? trust me when i say...absolutely nothing!!
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Eph. 3:20-21
this morning at c|Life we reflected on the first 32 months of our church's existence. when we started the church in 2006 all we knew for sure was that we were supposed to start a church. david, paul and i (go to clifec.com to see who i'm referring to) weren't sure how to start a church, whether or not we would have any money to do ministry or if anyone would even want to come worship with us. we just knew that we had to do what God was leading us to do....leave the security of the known and step into the unknown.
here we are 32 months later and we are about to move from our school cafeteria location to our renovated skating rink location. God has done more than we could have ever imagined. i thought i would take a quick trip down memory lane....hang with me because i have something for you at the end:
- marriages have been restored. some of the ones that come to mind were by all accounts helplessly bound for destruction....but God did the impossible and brought restoration.
- singles have discovered that singleness isn't a disease. many of our singles have embraced God's plan for them and are living out their faith as ambassadors of Christ.
- water wells have been dug. we took up an offering one sunday (with no warning given to the church) and raised $12,000 over and above our regular tithes. a few weeks later we learned that God provided an organization that matched our $12,000 dollar for dollar and doubled the number of wells we were able to dig in Africa.
- children's home in guatemala. after doing a mission trip to a goverment run orphanage in guatemala we realized that something had to be done differently. next week a team of builders will go to put some final touches on our Community of Life Children's Home. God has also raised up a family from within the church to go and run the children's home for the first couple of years.
- partnership with a church in africa. helped to build them a church bldg., taught in their seminary and how to start small businesses. they taught us how to be content.
- lots of baptisms. we have been blessed to see lots of people cross the line of faith over the past couple of years. we also celebrated with them as they obediently followed Christ's example in baptism.
here's something for you to consider: what is God calling you to do/say/restore/reconcile for His glory? believe me when i say that sometimes it feels risky to step-out in faith but it is always worth it. if you look back through God's movement among His people you will see a consistent trend...He shows up when His people trust Him.
so go ahead....shock a few people (maybe even yourself) and trust God's leading in your life: what do you have to lose? trust me when i say...absolutely nothing!!
20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Eph. 3:20-21
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
election '08
It’s official…Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States of America. After one of the longest campaign seasons in our history the votes have been cast and the results are all but officially tabulated. Many of you woke up this morning with an election night hangover. You either went to bed jubilant because your candidate of choice won or you went to bed absolutely convinced that the world was coming to an end because your candidate of choice lost. I would guess there were very few people who can honestly say they didn’t have a preference going into this election and some strong emotions coming out of it.
As you stir around this morning I want you to do me a favor. Walk over to one of your windows and open the blinds. Do you see what I think you are seeing? The sun still came up this morning didn’t it? That should be a powerful reminder to us, as believers, that our hope is not in the person living in the Whitehouse. Our hope is in the eternal, sovereign, living God of the universe. That is great news for us today because our God is faithful.
Politicians are notorious for making all sorts of promises in order to get elected. They promise to make our lives better because they know if they capture our hearts they will also capture our vote. However, the reality is they rarely, regardless of their party affiliation, can live up to all of those promises. This isn’t the case with our God.
Our God captured our hearts when He demonstrated His love for us on the cross. Our God promised us that it was his kindness that would lead us to repentance…and it was just as He promised. Our God hung the stars in space with His fingertips and told the oceans just how far they can come onto the shore. Frankly, that is the God that I am grateful and humbled to call my leader.
As you go throughout the day consider the following verses. These promises weren’t made on a campaign trail with the hopes of manipulating emotions for selfish gain. These promises were made by a God who is both capable and faithful to deliver….for your sake and mine.
" And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.." Philippians 4:19
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.." Psalm 84:11
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:1-6
Is the sun still up? Yes it is…how about we do some campaigning today for someone who can really deliver on His promises!
As you stir around this morning I want you to do me a favor. Walk over to one of your windows and open the blinds. Do you see what I think you are seeing? The sun still came up this morning didn’t it? That should be a powerful reminder to us, as believers, that our hope is not in the person living in the Whitehouse. Our hope is in the eternal, sovereign, living God of the universe. That is great news for us today because our God is faithful.
Politicians are notorious for making all sorts of promises in order to get elected. They promise to make our lives better because they know if they capture our hearts they will also capture our vote. However, the reality is they rarely, regardless of their party affiliation, can live up to all of those promises. This isn’t the case with our God.
Our God captured our hearts when He demonstrated His love for us on the cross. Our God promised us that it was his kindness that would lead us to repentance…and it was just as He promised. Our God hung the stars in space with His fingertips and told the oceans just how far they can come onto the shore. Frankly, that is the God that I am grateful and humbled to call my leader.
As you go throughout the day consider the following verses. These promises weren’t made on a campaign trail with the hopes of manipulating emotions for selfish gain. These promises were made by a God who is both capable and faithful to deliver….for your sake and mine.
" And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.." Philippians 4:19
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.." Psalm 84:11
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:1-6
Is the sun still up? Yes it is…how about we do some campaigning today for someone who can really deliver on His promises!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Dear Ambassador (fill in your last name here),
yesterday at c|Life i had the opportunity to share some thoughts on the church and God's plan for His people. the bottom line: if the church is going to accomplish all that God intends for it to accomplish then His people will have to become all that He created them to become.
many times it seems like churchgoers fall into the mindset that the church exists to make them happy or comfortable. i don't deny that there is value in believer's coming together and actually enjoying themselves. there has certainly been a trend in north america where church becomes more of a burden than a blessing. i'm certainly not advocating boring and irrelevant church services. the gospel is engaging and motivating. if you are at a church where you find yourself bored and distracted....try to create change or get out of dodge! however, i am advocating a renewed sense of vision and purpose for believers. we have a job to do and according to the following verses....it is a really important job to say the very least:
I Peter 2:9 says "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
II Corinthians 5:17-20 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."
did you catch that? we are His ambassadors and we are a chosen people!!!
in light of these passages i felt like we needed to be challenged in a few different areas. the following list certainly isn't exhaustive but seemed to be a good starting point...
1. Challenge to pursue godliness…above reproach. get our spiritual lives in order
flee from sin: love of money, pornography, gossip, lying, cheating
as we flee from these things we pursue righteousness, godliness, faith
as believer's we must get our homes in order
2. Challenge to be consistently generous…. priority percentage givers. i make no apologies for telling you this because the scripture clearly teaches that we need to give him our
first fruits.
3. Challenge to demonstrate courage…live out of your faith in humility
live in such a way that it communicates that you believe the same spirit that
raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that lives in and empowers you.
4. Challenge to learn the Word of God…clearly a responsibility for the individual
modern day believers as a whole should be ashamed at how little we know the
word of God
5. Challenge to appreciate the depth and gravity of our calling
go back up and re-read those scriptures
that's all for now....
many times it seems like churchgoers fall into the mindset that the church exists to make them happy or comfortable. i don't deny that there is value in believer's coming together and actually enjoying themselves. there has certainly been a trend in north america where church becomes more of a burden than a blessing. i'm certainly not advocating boring and irrelevant church services. the gospel is engaging and motivating. if you are at a church where you find yourself bored and distracted....try to create change or get out of dodge! however, i am advocating a renewed sense of vision and purpose for believers. we have a job to do and according to the following verses....it is a really important job to say the very least:
I Peter 2:9 says "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
II Corinthians 5:17-20 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."
did you catch that? we are His ambassadors and we are a chosen people!!!
in light of these passages i felt like we needed to be challenged in a few different areas. the following list certainly isn't exhaustive but seemed to be a good starting point...
1. Challenge to pursue godliness…above reproach. get our spiritual lives in order
flee from sin: love of money, pornography, gossip, lying, cheating
as we flee from these things we pursue righteousness, godliness, faith
as believer's we must get our homes in order
2. Challenge to be consistently generous…. priority percentage givers. i make no apologies for telling you this because the scripture clearly teaches that we need to give him our
first fruits.
3. Challenge to demonstrate courage…live out of your faith in humility
live in such a way that it communicates that you believe the same spirit that
raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that lives in and empowers you.
4. Challenge to learn the Word of God…clearly a responsibility for the individual
modern day believers as a whole should be ashamed at how little we know the
word of God
5. Challenge to appreciate the depth and gravity of our calling
go back up and re-read those scriptures
that's all for now....
Thursday, October 30, 2008
we're getting fat and sassy...
these have been some seriously crazy days! i will try to become a more consistent blogger.
i have been working from home today. it has been super quiet and super challenging all at the same time. as i have spent the majority of my day studying i have been overwhelmed by the immense responsibility we have as Christians. I mean, have you really considered what your responsibility became when you surrendered your life to Christ?
in a few short weeks kids will tear through loads of paper to see what toys have been purchased for them. each of these toys will bring a tidal wave of excitement and pleasure. for a brief moment the kids will probably even be grateful for the gifts. some kids will even take care of their new possessions for a day or two. however, you know as well as i do that it won't be long before the new wears off and they start clamoring for more stuff.
christians aren't all that different than children in this respect. we come to Christ with humility and a keen awareness of our sin. when we receive the gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sins we are overwhelmed with joy. we study His word and tell others about the hope we now have in Christ. but....for whatever reason it seems like the new wears off. God becomes familiar. the cross becomes cliche. His promises seem redundant. we begin to focus on ourselves and forget the responsibility that came with our salvation.
Romans 12:1-2 tells us that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices...
I Peter 2:9 says that we are a rotal priesthood, a holy nation...
Matthew 16:24-25 says that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily...
Matthew 28:16-20 tells us to make disciples of all nations...
Ephesians 4:11-12 saya he has a purpose for each of us....
II Cor. 5:20 says we are new creations and ambassadors for Christ...
We Christians need to stop being lazy in our faith and personal growth. we need to stop running our mouths if the testimony of our lives doesn't line up with our words. we need to carefully remember exactly what He saved us from and boldly pursue what He created us for....to worship Him.
i have been working from home today. it has been super quiet and super challenging all at the same time. as i have spent the majority of my day studying i have been overwhelmed by the immense responsibility we have as Christians. I mean, have you really considered what your responsibility became when you surrendered your life to Christ?
in a few short weeks kids will tear through loads of paper to see what toys have been purchased for them. each of these toys will bring a tidal wave of excitement and pleasure. for a brief moment the kids will probably even be grateful for the gifts. some kids will even take care of their new possessions for a day or two. however, you know as well as i do that it won't be long before the new wears off and they start clamoring for more stuff.
christians aren't all that different than children in this respect. we come to Christ with humility and a keen awareness of our sin. when we receive the gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sins we are overwhelmed with joy. we study His word and tell others about the hope we now have in Christ. but....for whatever reason it seems like the new wears off. God becomes familiar. the cross becomes cliche. His promises seem redundant. we begin to focus on ourselves and forget the responsibility that came with our salvation.
Romans 12:1-2 tells us that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices...
I Peter 2:9 says that we are a rotal priesthood, a holy nation...
Matthew 16:24-25 says that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily...
Matthew 28:16-20 tells us to make disciples of all nations...
Ephesians 4:11-12 saya he has a purpose for each of us....
II Cor. 5:20 says we are new creations and ambassadors for Christ...
We Christians need to stop being lazy in our faith and personal growth. we need to stop running our mouths if the testimony of our lives doesn't line up with our words. we need to carefully remember exactly what He saved us from and boldly pursue what He created us for....to worship Him.
Monday, October 27, 2008
yep...i'm talking about you!
self-awareness is a very interesting phenomena. some people seem to be overly self-aware while others are so far from reality it is almost comical. you know what i'm talking about don't you? i would guess every family, every office, every church, every bar, every class and every other grouping of people has that person who just can't manage to see themselves the way EVERYONE else sees them.
although i haven't done any real, scientific, clinical, accurate research on the following things...i am going to throw them out there anyway. sometimes experience is the best proof of reality. below you will find a few markers/titles that i feel like describe folks who struggle with self-awareness. see if you can find yourself in here anywhere:
the "yacker": these are the people that "yack yack yack" all the time. these folks are known for talking long after the listener has lost interest. the really comical/frustrating thing is they keep talking because they think the listener is interested. they don't read or respond to disinterested body language.
the "i've got nothing better do and neither should you": these are the people that will corner you in the office, on the phone, or in the parking lot and waste your time with useless info. they believe since they have finished their project or have no life beyond the now that they are free to jeopardize your time. these people are closely related to the yackers. the bottom line is they have no awareness of other people's priorities.
the "i didn't see the line i apparently just crossed": these folks are typically fun to be around (in a human vs. spiritual sort of way). They are funny. However, they aren't very self-aware in that they do not see how there lack of discernment affects the way others view them. If this person is not a Christian then this isn't an issue but if they are believers they MUST become more aware of the impact their "comedy" has on their message and witness.
the "if people could just see it my way": these folks are rarely ever wrong and when they are it won't be their fault. you know who these people are don't you? they are the ones that pray for you to be enlightened. they are the ones that hope you will one day reach their level of spiritual fortitude. they are the ones that make the rest of us want to puke. enough said?
the "i didn't do it!": these are the people that NEVER, EVER do anything wrong. it is always someone else's fault. if someone else would have said something....if the computer would just calculate properly....if the keys wouldn't get up and walk away....if the school wasn't so irresponsible....if the teacher had a clue...if the other kids weren't so mean...if the cafeteria would only serve healthier food...
the "i'm not fat": these are the people that just don't see themselves physically the way others do. go to six flags or hurricane harbor in the summer and you will see people who are suffering from some serious self-awareness issues. i know that God created each of us and that this truth alone makes us beautiful. with that being said.....some of us DO need to lose weight, get comfortable with NOT being a sex symbol, and learn to wear a little smell good (that is oklahoman for cologne).
finally (not because the list is exhaustive but because i have other things to do):
the "i'm not in denial": we have all encountered this one at some point. people who are self-aware can actually remember when they were this person. this is the person that simply has no idea what other people REALLY think about them and they wouldn't believe you if you tried to tell them. they just don't see through an objective lense. this is probably the saddest person to be out of all that i listed. to be in denial is to be satisfied with black and white in a color filled world. you just miss so much.
if you think of others send me a comment. keep the following in mind:
1. this is not an exercise for you to identify others who are not self-aware
2. this is an exercise for you to see where you may be....and to then pray for change
although i haven't done any real, scientific, clinical, accurate research on the following things...i am going to throw them out there anyway. sometimes experience is the best proof of reality. below you will find a few markers/titles that i feel like describe folks who struggle with self-awareness. see if you can find yourself in here anywhere:
the "yacker": these are the people that "yack yack yack" all the time. these folks are known for talking long after the listener has lost interest. the really comical/frustrating thing is they keep talking because they think the listener is interested. they don't read or respond to disinterested body language.
the "i've got nothing better do and neither should you": these are the people that will corner you in the office, on the phone, or in the parking lot and waste your time with useless info. they believe since they have finished their project or have no life beyond the now that they are free to jeopardize your time. these people are closely related to the yackers. the bottom line is they have no awareness of other people's priorities.
the "i didn't see the line i apparently just crossed": these folks are typically fun to be around (in a human vs. spiritual sort of way). They are funny. However, they aren't very self-aware in that they do not see how there lack of discernment affects the way others view them. If this person is not a Christian then this isn't an issue but if they are believers they MUST become more aware of the impact their "comedy" has on their message and witness.
the "if people could just see it my way": these folks are rarely ever wrong and when they are it won't be their fault. you know who these people are don't you? they are the ones that pray for you to be enlightened. they are the ones that hope you will one day reach their level of spiritual fortitude. they are the ones that make the rest of us want to puke. enough said?
the "i didn't do it!": these are the people that NEVER, EVER do anything wrong. it is always someone else's fault. if someone else would have said something....if the computer would just calculate properly....if the keys wouldn't get up and walk away....if the school wasn't so irresponsible....if the teacher had a clue...if the other kids weren't so mean...if the cafeteria would only serve healthier food...
the "i'm not fat": these are the people that just don't see themselves physically the way others do. go to six flags or hurricane harbor in the summer and you will see people who are suffering from some serious self-awareness issues. i know that God created each of us and that this truth alone makes us beautiful. with that being said.....some of us DO need to lose weight, get comfortable with NOT being a sex symbol, and learn to wear a little smell good (that is oklahoman for cologne).
finally (not because the list is exhaustive but because i have other things to do):
the "i'm not in denial": we have all encountered this one at some point. people who are self-aware can actually remember when they were this person. this is the person that simply has no idea what other people REALLY think about them and they wouldn't believe you if you tried to tell them. they just don't see through an objective lense. this is probably the saddest person to be out of all that i listed. to be in denial is to be satisfied with black and white in a color filled world. you just miss so much.
if you think of others send me a comment. keep the following in mind:
1. this is not an exercise for you to identify others who are not self-aware
2. this is an exercise for you to see where you may be....and to then pray for change
Sunday, October 26, 2008
it is you we adore, it is you our praises are for....
i was really impacted by the worship service this morning at church. God just seemed to be all over the whole thing.
for those of you who follow my blog it will not surprise you to hear that God has really been in my mix lately. this morning i tried to communicate a few of the things that God has been teaching me about Himself. as a pastor i sometimes find myself going to God to get a new idea or a good sermon. the last few weeks He has just been challenging me to know Him....to rediscover all that He is and wants to become in my life.
last night i was spending some time reviewing my thoughts for sunday morning and felt compelled to write out all that i know about God's character, His love and His purposes. i thought i would share them with you and hope that they encourage you in your journey.
He is:
Alpha and Omega: beginning and end
Creator
Sustainer
All knowing
Ever present
All powerful
Triune: Father, Son and Spirit
Transcendent
Sovereign
Eternal
He is a God of discipline and wrath
He is a righteous judge and He is just
His wisdom is unparalleled
We call Him Yahweh, Lord, God, and Salvation
Yet no matter how hard we try… we can’t fully explain His
Love
Compassion
Strength
Beauty
Worth
So today we will recognize Him for what He is:
Savior….that’s great news
Enough….for X’ians it isn’t God and (job, family, etc)
Faithful…when everyone else lets you down…He won’t
Good….truly, purely, infinitely good
Hope….marriage is on the brink of failure, layoffs in the forecast
Grace…amazing
Holy
in Isaiah 6 the prophet had the opportunity to see God. when he entered the throne room and saw God seated on His throne all he could say was "holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty!"
i hope that you will see him today as holy....set apart and altogether different.
for those of you who follow my blog it will not surprise you to hear that God has really been in my mix lately. this morning i tried to communicate a few of the things that God has been teaching me about Himself. as a pastor i sometimes find myself going to God to get a new idea or a good sermon. the last few weeks He has just been challenging me to know Him....to rediscover all that He is and wants to become in my life.
last night i was spending some time reviewing my thoughts for sunday morning and felt compelled to write out all that i know about God's character, His love and His purposes. i thought i would share them with you and hope that they encourage you in your journey.
He is:
Alpha and Omega: beginning and end
Creator
Sustainer
All knowing
Ever present
All powerful
Triune: Father, Son and Spirit
Transcendent
Sovereign
Eternal
He is a God of discipline and wrath
He is a righteous judge and He is just
His wisdom is unparalleled
We call Him Yahweh, Lord, God, and Salvation
Yet no matter how hard we try… we can’t fully explain His
Love
Compassion
Strength
Beauty
Worth
So today we will recognize Him for what He is:
Savior….that’s great news
Enough….for X’ians it isn’t God and (job, family, etc)
Faithful…when everyone else lets you down…He won’t
Good….truly, purely, infinitely good
Hope….marriage is on the brink of failure, layoffs in the forecast
Grace…amazing
Holy
in Isaiah 6 the prophet had the opportunity to see God. when he entered the throne room and saw God seated on His throne all he could say was "holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty!"
i hope that you will see him today as holy....set apart and altogether different.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
great opportunity
as you have probably realized....i tend to be very wordy. i have never been known for being really succinct with my thinking. today i hope to change this part of my reputation.
here's the blog: spend the next couple of minutes (time you would have used reading a long blog from me) and pray. spend a little "unscheduled" time with the Father.
hope you liked the blog :-)
here's the blog: spend the next couple of minutes (time you would have used reading a long blog from me) and pray. spend a little "unscheduled" time with the Father.
hope you liked the blog :-)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
what God thinks about....
while i was at the catalyst conference i became really convicted of my lack of spiritual leadership in the home. if you were to just look at the basic "score card" that we have developed over the years in the modern church i would have rated pretty high. i definitely would have passed the test by most any definition of what it means to be a spiritual leader.
read bedtime Bible stories with the kids....check
pray with the family before meals....check
teach the importance of being generous with our money and time....check
willing to take a stand on Biblical principles....check
pray with sydney before i drop her off at school....check
what i learned about myself was i do a great job of doing the exterior/superficial things. please do not misunderstand me to say that these things are not important. they are very important. however, i knew something was missing. i knew God was trying to teach me something about my faith and about the way i love Him back.
when i came home from catalyst i knew i needed to be more disciplined in my personal time with God. i was having a quiet time most days but i wasn't consistent in when i had my time alone with God. all too often i would work it in when i could. sadly, there were days when it simply fell off the radar. i knew this had to change if i was going to model what it meant to be a disciple to my family.
a good friend of mine says you teach what you know and you reproduce what you are. wow...no pressure! his son is one of my best friends and a very godly person. in conversations with my friend he has mentioned on numerous occasions that he remembers waking up in the mornings as a kid to find his dad sitting in his chair reading/meditating on the Word of God. i can't help but believe that his example had a profound impact on my friends life.
with all of these things in mind i determined that i would start each day in the Word. before i check the messages on my phone, look at my calendar, etc... and although it might not have been the best reason i also wanted my daughter to see me each morning spending time with my Lord. yesterday when sydney got up she stumbled into the living room. she saw that i was reading my Bible and asked if she could sit on the arm of my chair for a few minutes while she tried to "really wake up." of course i welcomed her into the circle and introduced her into the conversation.
as she was sitting there i told her that i had been spending some time with God and that he was continuing to teach me how much He loves us. i pointed to the place i was reading in psalm 8. i told her that the Bible says that He is mindful of us....that God the creator cares about and thinks about us. her eyes lit up!
in that very moment it dawned on me what God was doing. in a way that only He could do it God spoke to my soul. i LOVED having my daughter sit next to me first thing in the morning. i LOVED telling her that i loved her. i LOVED telling her that God loves her and thinks about her. and the Spirit whispered into my soul....this is how God feels when you sit with Him...and give Him the opportunity to LOVE you deeply.
thank you lord...
read bedtime Bible stories with the kids....check
pray with the family before meals....check
teach the importance of being generous with our money and time....check
willing to take a stand on Biblical principles....check
pray with sydney before i drop her off at school....check
what i learned about myself was i do a great job of doing the exterior/superficial things. please do not misunderstand me to say that these things are not important. they are very important. however, i knew something was missing. i knew God was trying to teach me something about my faith and about the way i love Him back.
when i came home from catalyst i knew i needed to be more disciplined in my personal time with God. i was having a quiet time most days but i wasn't consistent in when i had my time alone with God. all too often i would work it in when i could. sadly, there were days when it simply fell off the radar. i knew this had to change if i was going to model what it meant to be a disciple to my family.
a good friend of mine says you teach what you know and you reproduce what you are. wow...no pressure! his son is one of my best friends and a very godly person. in conversations with my friend he has mentioned on numerous occasions that he remembers waking up in the mornings as a kid to find his dad sitting in his chair reading/meditating on the Word of God. i can't help but believe that his example had a profound impact on my friends life.
with all of these things in mind i determined that i would start each day in the Word. before i check the messages on my phone, look at my calendar, etc... and although it might not have been the best reason i also wanted my daughter to see me each morning spending time with my Lord. yesterday when sydney got up she stumbled into the living room. she saw that i was reading my Bible and asked if she could sit on the arm of my chair for a few minutes while she tried to "really wake up." of course i welcomed her into the circle and introduced her into the conversation.
as she was sitting there i told her that i had been spending some time with God and that he was continuing to teach me how much He loves us. i pointed to the place i was reading in psalm 8. i told her that the Bible says that He is mindful of us....that God the creator cares about and thinks about us. her eyes lit up!
in that very moment it dawned on me what God was doing. in a way that only He could do it God spoke to my soul. i LOVED having my daughter sit next to me first thing in the morning. i LOVED telling her that i loved her. i LOVED telling her that God loves her and thinks about her. and the Spirit whispered into my soul....this is how God feels when you sit with Him...and give Him the opportunity to LOVE you deeply.
thank you lord...
Monday, October 20, 2008
fried nutter butters and a really big ferris wheel
unless you literally just crawled out from under a rock you should be aware of the financial issues that we are facing both here in America and around the world. if you listen closely you will find people on both ends of the spectrum as to the depth and gravity of the situation. many remind me of henny penny.....the sky is falling! others want to hide their heads in the sand and act like it is nothing more than a really bad case of the hiccups....distressful but not likely to last very long.
i really don't know what to think. on the one hand i believe we are facing some really interesting/difficult times that we won't soon forget. however, i also think it is going to force us, as americans, to become more fiscally responsible. i love politics but at the end of the day i don't think we are in the predicament as a result of democratic, republican or independent policies. i think we are in this predicament because we haven't been good stewards of our resources and managed our wealth the way God teaches us in His word to manage money.
although i won't go into all the details here suffice it to say that the scripture has a great deal to say about how to steward the resources He has entrusted to us. i don't expect unbeliever's to be wise with their money but we christians MUST! A few things to consider:
in an effort to live out my convictions i've started taking my lunch to work. i figured it up and the amount of money i was literally flushing down the toilet (don't mean to be crude but do wish to make a point) simply wasn't acceptable when there are so many in need around me.
i don't know where it is that God may want you to tighten up your spending but i would guess that there is at least one indulgent area that He might bring to mind.
p.s. i was reading the paper this morning and my belief that our situation has less to do with the amount of money we have and more with how we steward it was affirmed. there was an article, just a few pages away from articles outlining our grim financial future, that reported $28.6 million dollars was spent at the state fair of texas on food and rides! notice that number doesn't include the $10/car parking fee or general admission fee of $14/person. almost $30 million dollars was spent on fried foods and thrill rides. we have the money....we just don't direct it to things that really matter.
i really don't know what to think. on the one hand i believe we are facing some really interesting/difficult times that we won't soon forget. however, i also think it is going to force us, as americans, to become more fiscally responsible. i love politics but at the end of the day i don't think we are in the predicament as a result of democratic, republican or independent policies. i think we are in this predicament because we haven't been good stewards of our resources and managed our wealth the way God teaches us in His word to manage money.
although i won't go into all the details here suffice it to say that the scripture has a great deal to say about how to steward the resources He has entrusted to us. i don't expect unbeliever's to be wise with their money but we christians MUST! A few things to consider:
- how we manage our money affects what is entrusted to us spiritually. Luke 16:11
- it's not our money in the first place. Psalm 24:1
- the borrower is slave to the lender (and we are to be slaves only to Christ) Proverbs 22:7
- our resources should be used to serve others. Acts 20:35
in an effort to live out my convictions i've started taking my lunch to work. i figured it up and the amount of money i was literally flushing down the toilet (don't mean to be crude but do wish to make a point) simply wasn't acceptable when there are so many in need around me.
i don't know where it is that God may want you to tighten up your spending but i would guess that there is at least one indulgent area that He might bring to mind.
p.s. i was reading the paper this morning and my belief that our situation has less to do with the amount of money we have and more with how we steward it was affirmed. there was an article, just a few pages away from articles outlining our grim financial future, that reported $28.6 million dollars was spent at the state fair of texas on food and rides! notice that number doesn't include the $10/car parking fee or general admission fee of $14/person. almost $30 million dollars was spent on fried foods and thrill rides. we have the money....we just don't direct it to things that really matter.
Friday, October 17, 2008
momma prayed
yesterday i saw a car that reminded me of a very close friend of mine who currently lives in kentucky. i sent up a prayer for her and then texted her to let her know she was on my mind. about 2 minutes later my phone rang and it was my friend. once we got through the formalities (hello...how's life....etc) she told me something that infused my spirit with hope.
my friend has been a believer for a number of years. she has dedicated her life to the propogation of the gospel not only in america but in places all around the world. her passion and calling is for the people in china but her determination and hope is that "all" people will hear and know that Jesus is lord. this person has always helped me to see more clearly the grace and love of God. very early on in her faith journey she asked me to pray for her mom's salvation. over the years that has been a constant prayer for her. she loves her mom and has consistently demonstrated that love, not by buying her gifts or sending her cards, but by praying for her.
fast forward quite a few years and you land at my conversation yesterday. she told me that a few months ago she and her mom got into a conversation about God. she asked her mom if she ever read her Bible and her mom said "no, i don't understand it." my friend seized the opportunity to come alongside of her mom and the last few weeks they have been going verse by verse through the book of Romans. in one of their conversations her mom told her that she believes that she has trusted Jesus as her Savior but hasn't been able to believe that He loves her in spite of all of her struggles. if i understood the story correctly, my friend had purchased her mom a study bible some 5 years ago and when they got to Romans 8:31-39 the study notes helped her mom see something about God that she hadn't previously understood. she was grappling with grace and it was God's kindness that lead her to repentance....not guilt or shame. Jesus did in fact love her in spite of all the stuff that had been weighing her down.
it is impossible for me to properly and adequately blog the depth and magnitude of this story. here is a young woman who fell in love with Jesus and started praying for her mom. she has been praying for years. did you catch that....years. she never gave up and always trusted that God loved her mom too.
who are you praying for? who do you love enough to lift up to the Father? who have you given up on?
as we were concluding our conversation my friend told me that one of the most awesome, humbling, gratifying, merciful things that she has ever been a part of was having the opportunity to, for the first time in her life, listen on the phone while momma prayed.
my friend has been a believer for a number of years. she has dedicated her life to the propogation of the gospel not only in america but in places all around the world. her passion and calling is for the people in china but her determination and hope is that "all" people will hear and know that Jesus is lord. this person has always helped me to see more clearly the grace and love of God. very early on in her faith journey she asked me to pray for her mom's salvation. over the years that has been a constant prayer for her. she loves her mom and has consistently demonstrated that love, not by buying her gifts or sending her cards, but by praying for her.
fast forward quite a few years and you land at my conversation yesterday. she told me that a few months ago she and her mom got into a conversation about God. she asked her mom if she ever read her Bible and her mom said "no, i don't understand it." my friend seized the opportunity to come alongside of her mom and the last few weeks they have been going verse by verse through the book of Romans. in one of their conversations her mom told her that she believes that she has trusted Jesus as her Savior but hasn't been able to believe that He loves her in spite of all of her struggles. if i understood the story correctly, my friend had purchased her mom a study bible some 5 years ago and when they got to Romans 8:31-39 the study notes helped her mom see something about God that she hadn't previously understood. she was grappling with grace and it was God's kindness that lead her to repentance....not guilt or shame. Jesus did in fact love her in spite of all the stuff that had been weighing her down.
it is impossible for me to properly and adequately blog the depth and magnitude of this story. here is a young woman who fell in love with Jesus and started praying for her mom. she has been praying for years. did you catch that....years. she never gave up and always trusted that God loved her mom too.
who are you praying for? who do you love enough to lift up to the Father? who have you given up on?
as we were concluding our conversation my friend told me that one of the most awesome, humbling, gratifying, merciful things that she has ever been a part of was having the opportunity to, for the first time in her life, listen on the phone while momma prayed.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
fried rice
last night my 6 year old daughter and i were riding home together. she said, daddy, do you want me to read my book to you in chinese?" i had no idea she could speak chinese so i asked her where she learned this fascinating language. she promptly replied "i learned it last year in spanish!"
after i finished laughing inside my head about her learning chinese in kindergarten spanish class i told her i would love to hear her read in chinese. wow! i have never heard such gobbledy goop. i think if i were to spell out what she was saying it would look something like this: "daddyilitar hsjjtyui hinkllita ulala juxstalo lillamna ukanambe laleltlrjdh." at one point she stopped to take a breath and i seized the opportunity to ask a relevant question. I asked "what did you just say?" her response was pricless. she said "i have no idea but i am certain it was chinese!"
this little episode got me to thinking about our faith and witness as Christians. let's be sure that we know the word of God. let's make sure we know God.....intimitely.
there is a good chance that our "Jesus speak" sometimes sounds a little like gobbledy goop to lost people. if and when they ask "what did you just say?" let's be prepared to give them a clear answer about a God that loves them deeply.
(gobbledy goop just seemed to make sense to me....feel free to use your own verbiage here)
after i finished laughing inside my head about her learning chinese in kindergarten spanish class i told her i would love to hear her read in chinese. wow! i have never heard such gobbledy goop. i think if i were to spell out what she was saying it would look something like this: "daddyilitar hsjjtyui hinkllita ulala juxstalo lillamna ukanambe laleltlrjdh." at one point she stopped to take a breath and i seized the opportunity to ask a relevant question. I asked "what did you just say?" her response was pricless. she said "i have no idea but i am certain it was chinese!"
this little episode got me to thinking about our faith and witness as Christians. let's be sure that we know the word of God. let's make sure we know God.....intimitely.
there is a good chance that our "Jesus speak" sometimes sounds a little like gobbledy goop to lost people. if and when they ask "what did you just say?" let's be prepared to give them a clear answer about a God that loves them deeply.
(gobbledy goop just seemed to make sense to me....feel free to use your own verbiage here)
Monday, October 13, 2008
success story
this afternoon i went to a memorial service for a man that i didn't really know. i know his family and wanted to be there to support them during this difficult time. paul mcdill was leading the service and reminded me of a great quote from John Maxwell.
Maxwell defines success as follows: when the people who know you best love and respect you the most.
during the course of my 33 years on the planet i have had the opportunity to work with and be around a good number of "successful" people. some of these people are very successful businessmen and women. others are very successful pastors and educators. they are successful in the eyes of the world. i have also known a good number of leaders who were successful in the eyes of the world but miserable failures in life. people who knew how to manage empolyees but didn't have the respect of their spouse and/or children.
as christians we need to live according to God's economy....not the worlds. success is defined differently when viewed through God's lense.
take away: you may be leading an excellent business, huge church, and/or a superior class of students but if you are losing at home....you're losing where it ultimately counts.
recommended reading: Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley is a great read and will help if you are struggling in this area
Maxwell defines success as follows: when the people who know you best love and respect you the most.
during the course of my 33 years on the planet i have had the opportunity to work with and be around a good number of "successful" people. some of these people are very successful businessmen and women. others are very successful pastors and educators. they are successful in the eyes of the world. i have also known a good number of leaders who were successful in the eyes of the world but miserable failures in life. people who knew how to manage empolyees but didn't have the respect of their spouse and/or children.
as christians we need to live according to God's economy....not the worlds. success is defined differently when viewed through God's lense.
take away: you may be leading an excellent business, huge church, and/or a superior class of students but if you are losing at home....you're losing where it ultimately counts.
recommended reading: Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley is a great read and will help if you are struggling in this area
Sunday, October 12, 2008
rearrange the following to make more sense: be rink the go church and skating the to
(for those of you who don't know about our church we are in the process of moving from meeting in a school cafeteria into a more permanent location which is a remodeled skating rink)
this morning on the way home from worship i was having a conversation with my wife. she was just leaving wal-mart and i was on my way home from helping load out all of our equipment. i asked where she was and she stumbled a bit. she said "i don't know if i am supposed to say in front of the church or the skating rink." we laughed a little at the thought of not knowing what to call the "place" where our church will meet.
somewhere along the way a good number of believers have decided the church is a place. according to the Bible the church is not a place but rather a people. i think one of the very best things for the people at c|Life has been the fact that we haven't had a definite location for the past two and a half years. we have been operating in rented space. why has this been good for us? i think it has been a good reminder to us that we are the church...regardless of where we meet. it reminds us that we are the church....at work, at wal-mart, at home, and etc.
as we prepare to move into our new location in a couple of weeks i hope we can continue to live out the reality that we are the church....not the renovated skating rink. what about you? when you hear the word "church" do you think of a place or of a group of people?
take away: be the church.
p.s. the answer to the title is "go to the skating rink and be the church"
this morning on the way home from worship i was having a conversation with my wife. she was just leaving wal-mart and i was on my way home from helping load out all of our equipment. i asked where she was and she stumbled a bit. she said "i don't know if i am supposed to say in front of the church or the skating rink." we laughed a little at the thought of not knowing what to call the "place" where our church will meet.
somewhere along the way a good number of believers have decided the church is a place. according to the Bible the church is not a place but rather a people. i think one of the very best things for the people at c|Life has been the fact that we haven't had a definite location for the past two and a half years. we have been operating in rented space. why has this been good for us? i think it has been a good reminder to us that we are the church...regardless of where we meet. it reminds us that we are the church....at work, at wal-mart, at home, and etc.
as we prepare to move into our new location in a couple of weeks i hope we can continue to live out the reality that we are the church....not the renovated skating rink. what about you? when you hear the word "church" do you think of a place or of a group of people?
take away: be the church.
p.s. the answer to the title is "go to the skating rink and be the church"
Friday, October 10, 2008
denim skirts and hair buns
i really need to stop assuming so much. this morning at the catalyst conference there was a pentecostal choir who lead many of us in a time of worship. they were very "ramped up" and sang with an energy that i haven't seen in a very long time. they were definitely a force in the room. no one escaped their presence (did i mention there were 12,000+ people in the room?)
When they first walked up on the stage i couldn't help but notice all the women were wearing denim skirts and many, if not all, had their hair up in a bun. here is where my assumptions started getting me in trouble. i automatically assumed they were weird. i assumed they would not be any good at whatever it was they were getting on the platform to do. i assumed our differences on the outside meant that we were bound to have differences on the inside. shame on me.
during their second song i noticed the camera focus in on the soloist. she was wearing the uniform: a denim skirt with hair up in a bun. i'm a little embarrassed to admit it but if i ran into this woman at kroger i would have only noticed her clothes. i'm almost certain i wouldn't have ever bothered to consider, much less believe, that God blessed her with a gift to honor Him with her voice. she just didn't look like a worship leader.
quick thought and it is biblical: man looks at the outward appearance God looks at the heart. i need to be more like God and less like me.
When they first walked up on the stage i couldn't help but notice all the women were wearing denim skirts and many, if not all, had their hair up in a bun. here is where my assumptions started getting me in trouble. i automatically assumed they were weird. i assumed they would not be any good at whatever it was they were getting on the platform to do. i assumed our differences on the outside meant that we were bound to have differences on the inside. shame on me.
during their second song i noticed the camera focus in on the soloist. she was wearing the uniform: a denim skirt with hair up in a bun. i'm a little embarrassed to admit it but if i ran into this woman at kroger i would have only noticed her clothes. i'm almost certain i wouldn't have ever bothered to consider, much less believe, that God blessed her with a gift to honor Him with her voice. she just didn't look like a worship leader.
quick thought and it is biblical: man looks at the outward appearance God looks at the heart. i need to be more like God and less like me.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
no words
for those of you who know me well the next sentence will be hard to believe. i was literally left speechless tonight after catalyst. i am not sure if the Spirit of God was binding my tongue or if i, for one of the very few times in my life, had the discernment to realize i had nothing to add to the conversation that God had initiated in my heart. either way....i had nothing to say.
the past several weeks i have become more and more aware of some inconsistencies in my life. my creed doesn't always line up with my deeds as Andy Stanley would say. somewhere along the way i fell more in love with the opportunity of being a minister/pastor than being a passionate, radical, all-in, sold-out, thoroughly saturated child of God. tonight i realized "it" was gone and that i need "it" back. my salvation is secure but along the path of ministry i apparently laid down my joy and subsequently my vision for hating what He hates and loving what He loves.
tonight i spent a couple of hours alone. it was really good for the soul. may not apply to you but if you haven't had any alone time (alone as in no cell phone, iPod, etc) with God in a while don't be stupid. get alone. get rid of distractions. get a conversation going with the God that created you, called you and is willing to sustain and bless you. you won't be sorry.
i know i wasn't.
the past several weeks i have become more and more aware of some inconsistencies in my life. my creed doesn't always line up with my deeds as Andy Stanley would say. somewhere along the way i fell more in love with the opportunity of being a minister/pastor than being a passionate, radical, all-in, sold-out, thoroughly saturated child of God. tonight i realized "it" was gone and that i need "it" back. my salvation is secure but along the path of ministry i apparently laid down my joy and subsequently my vision for hating what He hates and loving what He loves.
tonight i spent a couple of hours alone. it was really good for the soul. may not apply to you but if you haven't had any alone time (alone as in no cell phone, iPod, etc) with God in a while don't be stupid. get alone. get rid of distractions. get a conversation going with the God that created you, called you and is willing to sustain and bless you. you won't be sorry.
i know i wasn't.
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