focus on the Word

Believers, What Have We Been Drinking?

2011-10-26T23:57:00.001-04:00

When I am feeling defeated, worn out or angered it is usually because I have taken my mind off of Christ and began making something or someone else my functional savior.

That is not a weight that anything or anyone else can handle. Functional saviors always come up short, disappear, get taken away (or leave on their own), or fade out and stop satisfying after a period of time -- They always disappoint us ALWAYS. That's true with alcohol, drugs, sex, careers, marriage, children, parents, cars, vacations, financial security, health, education, recreation and any other created thing.

And we don't need to let those disappointments or losses defeat us. When we are feeling tired, sad, lonely, angry, bitter, betrayed, lost, hopeless, or helpless, we must allow those things to be pointers -Pointers that direct us to what we really need, the real Savior, the real Answer the real spring of living waters - let them point us to Jesus.

The Bible talks about this difference between God and false saviors throughout every book. Here are some examples that use a very helpful word picture:

My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13 ESV)... Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 ESV)... On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38 ESV)

A lack of understanding this, a lack of seeking God as our ultimate treasure and our source of Living water that never dries up is the number one reason that I have seen people walk away from the faith and a very strong reason (if not the #1 reason) that I have seen for the ineffective Church. Be on guard for yourself. Look out for your brothers and sisters in the church. And maintain a teachable spirit so that you can be shown when you are drifting before it is too late.

From Trash To Treasure: Seeing With Our New Eyes

2011-10-04T23:58:00.002-04:00

In studying for this Sunday's sermon, I stumbled on this awesome gem in the text...

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV)

The word translated as "discerned" can also be translated from the Greek as "Appraised". This gives me the thought of an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow who, because of his or her knowledge can tell the worth or worth-LESS-ness of something on site.

The Scriptures say that, as Christians, we can see the value of the Gospel of Jesus, while not-yet-believers look at it as foolish because we've been given the trained "appraiser's eye".

The important thing for Christians to remember is that we only see the value of the Gospel - the value of Jesus' work on the Cross on our behalf - because we have been given that "appraiser's eye" from the Holy Spirit.

This should strike down any self-righteousness or boasting in ourselves because God allows us to see, enables us to see and fills us with Joy when we behold Him. To God ALONE goes the glory.

A Great Gossip Killer from 1 Corinthians

2011-09-03T19:05:00.002-04:00

One thing that is true in many workplaces, in families and unfortunately in many local churches, is that if there are at least three people, two will likely be gossiping about the other.

While this is damaging in the world, gossip and slander are completely contrary to the Gospel and should not be a part of our lives as Christians.

We know this, but how do we fight it.

If we are prone to be the ones to speak these kinds of death words (Proverbs 18:21) without any care for the person's restoration, then our first action is to shut our mouths, repent and move on.

Sometimes though, there is a genuine concern for a person or a group. At that point we should go to the person one on one. If we don't know how to do so in the right way, then it may be necessary to go to another person in the church to help us address the issue, all the while remaining ready to be a part of the solution.

If you are on the receiving end of this kind of situation and someone in your local church comes to you for guidance or to ask for your help mediating then be careful to quickly bring the "offender" into the conversation as well and make it clear that no one who casts accusations or concerns in the church should require anonymity.

Of course there may be a VERY FEW cases where some discretion will be wise, be careful if someone wants to be a "silent party". A lot of arrows are slung from the shadows.

I believe a concern that needed a mediator may have been at the root of the letter of 1 Corinthians.

It is true that part of the letter was concerned with answering questions sent to Paul from the church in Corinth, but Paul doesn't get to answer those questions until chapter 7. The first six chapters deal with a report from "Chloe's people" (1 Corinthians 1:11).

We can't know for sure, but this doesn't seem to be a case of Chloe's people gossiping under the cloak of a "prayer request". It seems that there was ginuine concern for the believers in Corinth and a report of a need for intervention.

So Paul is confident in naming who the report came from.

If Paul were to write to someone in your local church family about how they should deal with something you have been talking about to other people, would you be comfortable with him writing, "I heard from (your name here) that you've been sinning in this way..."

If not, stop talking about that other person until your heart is for genuine restoration and until you are willing to work openly and honestly with the person.

And, if you seem to be the person who everyone wants to talk gossip with, you have the responsibility to stop allowing that and stop giving them an outlet for their sin of gossip.

We can usually put a stop to the gossip by saying something like this:
"I can tell that you are concerned about (person's name). Let's go talk with them over some coffee and include them in this conversation so that they will know that we are here to help them."

If they are simply interested in character assassination then they will quickly shut up. Praise the Lord for that.

If Paul were writing to you, to us...

2011-08-30T01:00:00.003-04:00

What do you think he would write?
We began our journey through the letter of 1 Corinthians at Kent Baptist Church this last Sunday.

Like we said on Sunday, Paul is writing to offer loving correction to a church with a laundry list of sins and problems.

These are all things that we, as Christians in Mid-western America can all learn from today.

As you consider joining us for the series it might be a good exercise to sit down in prayer and ask God to show you what He would inspire Paul to write to you, yes YOU, if the Apostle was charged to bring correction into your life.

Would it be pride?
Would it be greed?
Would it be sexual sin?
Would it be missional laziness?
Would it be the sin of doing a lot of "churchy" stuff because you don't believe it can be done without you?

Those are just a few possibilities. Whatever shows up on your list (and yes, I think it would be helpful to write this down as you go) - whatever sin you find remember that Paul, led by the Spirit, would likely begin his letter to you the same way he began his letters to the Galatians, the Philippians, the Thessalonians and the rest.

He would probably begin by reminding you that you are child of God who is already loved because of what Jesus has done for you at the cross. He would remind you that you are His because of your faith - FAITH that the work at the cross really was done for you, yes YOU.

The Apostle Paul would likely remind you of your status as a freed slave. He would remind you that no matter what the sins are on your list, they are no longer your slave master(s). Those sins no longer call the shots.

It is only when we know our New Identity that we can begin to walk in our cross-bought freedom.

The only assumption there is that you are a Christian. This letter is written to believers in Corinth, not to the entire city and not even to all those who gathered together. It was written to those who were sanctified and called to be holy. Meaning, the freedom that Paul is trying to lead his readers back to is only available to those who are saved by faith in Christ by the grace of God.

If you are not a Christian, our most sincere prayer to God is that He would capture your heart, but that is ultimately up to Him and it is between Him and you.

But, as you kick the tires on the ideas of Christianity, this is a wonderful place to start to see what Christians believe about God, about sin, about life and about the world around us.

You are welcome here. Come and join us on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Bring your questions and bring your friends, we would love to talk one-to-one after the sermon is over about whatever the text stirs up in you.

Develop New Reflexes

2011-08-24T09:02:00.003-04:00

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39 ESV)

This has been an exasperating month for many in our family. Another marriage has fallen to sin, a heart has literally broken and at the same time we have news of great blessings by way of an expected child for us and a new job for our brother.

As I drove back home from visiting my dad in the hospital this week, my heart and mind - still tempted to sin - came up with many ideas for escape from the chaos of the roller coaster of life. Even momentary escape.

Thankfully, I found a wonderful refuge in the familiar words above from the gospels of Matthew and John. These are words that we would be wise to cling to at all times, in the good times and the bad, when we need comfort and when we are in a position to comfort others.

You see, we will have days when the weight of this life will grind us down to the dust. We will have days when we are spiritually thirsty and desperate for relief. This will be true for all of us so long as we wait for Jesus to come back.

The bad news will come. One hard phone call -from a doctor, from a friend, or an employer can change our world forever.

The great and exciting news will come too. Soon, after those times there will also be a time of "coming down" from the emotional high and back into regular life.

The point of this rambling is that I am concerned that we (myself included) too often run to other things for refuge, for escape, to unwind, or to blow off steam.

Jesus is clear and loving enough to let us know that He is the refuge.

The only reason that I have run to Him this month, when the world was in a point of major upheaval, is because I had developed a pattern of running to Him in the quiet times of my life when life was pretty "normal".

By God's grace, we can develop a sort of REFLEX in which we go to God with our worries and our joys, with our complaints and our thanks as a regular part of our life. It can - and should - become as natural as breathing or eating as a Christian matures.

I've certainly NOT done so perfectly.
In my own life, I can find morally neutral or even "upright" ways of reacting that still fall short of Gods' plan. For example, I often times dig into my studies, as though God is more pleased with my studying work ethic, than my willingness to cry out to him in times of pain.

I become the one who has his eyes on the wrong thing. Instead of being like Martha who was busy with lots of activity for God, I (we all) should be like Mary who takes every opportunity to simply rest at the feet of Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42)

I have also spent some time "vegging out" in front of the television in order to get away.

We all do this. We all look for and go to other things instead of Jesus as we continue to battle with our old nature. So what's the answer?

A reflexive turning to God is not natural for us. It is a reflex that is developed by practice. In the same way that a mucisian has to develop a sort of muscle memory in order to play their instrument, we need to develop a heart level muscle memory in which we turn to God for all things.

When we need to unwind, when we need to vent, when we need to escape, when we need to be encouraged, when we need wisdom - in ALL things - we are called to go to Jesus.

Go to Him in Prayer - Go to His Word - Go to His people, The Church (when those people will remind us of His promises and not just join in gossip, or misery mongering).

And remember, that to do any of this we will need His help. That's why the passage from John points to the work of the Holy Spirit:

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive...

Remember that if you are in Christ, you are never alone. God is supremely glorified when you turn to Him in the big trails and in the day to day routine. The Spirit will help you. Turn to God today.

At the same time, begin killing the old reflexes that the world around us tells you to turn to.

When you need to vent or blow off steam, turn to prayer and the Word, before social media or gossip groups...

When you need to escape the chaos, Kill the reflex of turning to more destructive escapes like alcohol, drugs or sexual immorality (all of which destroy many, many people in the church).
Kill the reflex of vegging out in front of the television, the video games, the internet or fantasy football, etc. (all of which waste the potential and effectiveness on many, many in the church).
Instead, turn to a Christian brother or sister and unwind in a way that builds you up instead of wasting your mind or time.

Push through.

Hold me accountable in love and I will encourage you as well.

Potted Plant Word Picture

2011-08-06T23:27:00.004-04:00

My son and I were sitting on the porch the other day for our evening bible time together and just before we start into our passage in Acts, he looks with a sad face at some flowers in a vase that had started to whither.
I asked what was the matter.
"I accidentally pulled those from the big plant a few days ago," he said. "The other flowers (in the potted plant) are still big, but those ones (in the vase) are dying."

It just so happened that our passage for that night was Acts 2:42-47:
[42] And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ESV)

I saw the obvious word picture and thought it would be good for him and for all of us as believers.

If you see yourself as one of the flowers in the potted plant, you can see how being joined together with others of your kind and rooted in Christ is the most healthy place you can be (When the early church did this they were sustained and they grew).

However, if you or I as a Christian plucks our self out of that Christ-rooted fellowship, we may appear healthy and even beautiful for a time (three days in the case of the actual flower in the vase), but eventually, we find that we are not designed to sustain health or spiritual vitality apart from the body.

Who do you know who has been plucked from a regular fellowship and PARTNERSHIP in the Gospel through a local church? This week, begin praying for God to reconcile that relationship with the local family of believers and pray that He will use you as a means to that end.

I believe that membership in a local church is VITAL to the Christian walk. Even if they do not come to KBC, Help them to find somewhere to connect and invest.

Another Reason We Are Not Generous

2011-07-27T23:13:00.002-04:00

In the last few weeks we've been looking at Gospel Giving in our CHURCH BASICS series. In the two weeks before our Baptism Sunday I talked about what I think are the two main reasons that we do NOT give and why we are NOT generous: Greed and Fear.

Greed: Sees some things – probably not EVERYTHING – but some things as MINE instead of God's.

Fear: Forgets the promises of God. Promises to keep us and sustain us – to take care of ALL our NEEDS.

You've had time to mull those messages over.

Have you seen this to be true in your own life?

I also wanted to talk briefly about a little bit of push back I had from those messages. (Push back is okay - Actually it is better than okay. Push back is great! It lets me know that you are listening and wrestling with the messages)

Has anyone else been wrestling with the idea that our lack of generous Gospel giving is ultimately from fear our greed?

Remember, that was my thought, my opinion and my reflection from my reading and study - I could be wrong.

Have you found other reasons for not giving?

One that I heard last week had to do with the recipient(s) of your generosity. The comments included:

~ What if THEY (the people who need help) got themselves into the mess THEY were in, through THEIR own bad choices or outright sin? And:

~ What if THEY squander what I give them or what if THEY don't appreciate it?

While it is true that those arguments may not be directly related to greed or fear, (Again, I am able to error) they do reveal a lack of Gospel centered-ness.

The questions about THEM are answered when we replace the "Them, They and Their" with "me" and "us". And when we replace the "I" in the original questions with JESUS.

Here's what I mean:

~ Instead of, “What if THEY got themselves into the mess THEY were in, through THEIR own bad choices or outright sin?” Instead:

Look how I got MYself into the mess I am in through MY own bad choices or outright sin! Look how Jesus Christ came down and loved me despite me. Look how He saved me when I had NOTHING to offer in return except for a life full of sin and regret.

Then also, not, “What if THEY squander what I give THEM or what if THEY don't appreciate it?” Instead:

Look at how WE did squander what JESUS gave US and how WE didn't (and still sometimes DON'T) appreciate it - didn't (and still sometimes DON'T) appreciate HIM! And YET, He continues to pour grace and love and COSMIC levels of Generosity on us.

Christian, whenever we come up with an excuse or reason NOT TO GIVE with Gospel Generosity in the church or in the World then I want to filter all of those excuses through the Lens of Jesus Christ's example.

And I mean it when I say WE. I need you to encourage me to do the same thing in my life.

Shutting it Down

2011-01-13T22:54:00.002-05:00

As some of you already know, we are shutting down our church planting efforts in downtown Madison, Ind.

After pouring our lives into the process for the last two years, we have realized that either a) this was not the right time to plant, or b) we were not the right people to plant.

We would like to thank everyone who supported us with prayers and words of encouragement. And we would especially like to thank all of those who supported the mission with their faithful and committed self-less service to the Church in the Grass/New Identity Church.

We are unsure of exactly what God has for us at this point. We still feel called to reach into the undeserved areas of our community and I still feel a strong call to preach.
At this point we will focus on the same mission of introducing Christ through discipleship and evangelism to the the lost while searching for an established local church family of which to be a part.

Please pray that Jesus Christ will continue to be our central focus of our hearts and devotions. Please pray that the dedicated few who partnered with us will connect to a local church and be as dedicated and faithful to their future church families as they have been to ours.

And please pray that we will keep our eyes and hearts open to opportunities that are not on our radar at the moment.

In all things, may God be glorified and receive the maximum praise for His abounding and steadfast love.

What Does God Say? So What Do We Do With That?

2010-08-31T22:55:00.002-04:00

Here is a slice of the most recently posted Church in the Grass Sermon Notes...

So God's word says not to worry about what we will eat or drink or what we will wear, but instead to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and that everything else will be added onto us; So what does that look like when money is tight? So What's that look like when our little kids are not so little anymore and they are growing faster than we can keep up with them – faster than we can buy more clothes? So What does that mean when the factory doesn't come back from their seasonal layoffs? So What's God's word mean to my life and yours in a recession?

Do we think that God's Word was valid to a particular point in history, but that He really didn't see our newest round of world and personal crises?

Of course not, He is THE eternal and all powerful God. That means He was in control before the world and every nation and all of our lives were created. He will be in control once all of this present age, all the nations, all the historic landmarks and all of our crises are over and gone. And He will still be in control when we are before His throne.

He's in control then, now and always – from eternity past to eternity future, there is no limit on Him. He's bigger than any problem you and I are dealing with. So again, “So What!?” How does His word affect us in the here and now?

(You can read all of the notes from this and past sermon NOTES here)

Read this book.

2010-04-24T00:42:00.002-04:00

I am reading “The Color of Church” by Rodney Woo for a class this week. It is a great book so far and I would suggest it to anyone who wants to see their church reflect the diversity that is seen in the Bible (example: Revelation 7:9-10) and in many segments of society (example: U.S. military).

And even if your church is solid in that respect, I would suggest this book to everyone, simply for Chapter Four, which deals with repentance of sin. Woo elaborates on the aspects of how Biblical repentance is not as simple or as flippant of a process as we sometimes make it out to be. And, if done biblically, repentance is more freeing than we usually experience.

Pick this book up if you haven't yet.

What's at the heart of all this?

2010-04-17T23:09:00.005-04:00

We can only see the outward appearance of things, but we also know that God knows our heart.

Today I heard several people decrying the dwindling Christian presence in this country. They called out for a revolution.

In the same crowd, unfiltered hate spewed from the mouths of people toward their neighbors with differing viewpoints; toward the leaders in the state house and toward the leaders in Washington, D.C.

I too am mourning the fact that there is less and less of a Christian presence in the country. I am grieved to see babies killed in the womb, to see a consistent decline in morality and most of all I am grieved when I hear Jesus belittled by those He came to save.

But, a couple questions I would ask are:

Do we spread Christianity by litigation and the passing of laws FOR our doctrine and PROHIBITION of other doctrines?

Or, do we spread Christianity the way Jesus modeled; via person to person love, compassion, grace and forgiveness?

And - at the heart of the matter - when the bile raises in the belly and these angry words fly, the question becomes:

Are we most upset by the attack on Christianity because souls are being lost to Hell or because our Christian bubble has popped and we might actually face some of the severe persecution that Christians in other nations already deal with and that the New Testament promises will come before Christ returns.

I pray that those fighting so hard for "Christian Values" might not surrender the same values in the process.

I pray that we stand strong in our faith. And in so doing may we weigh our words carefully, evaluate our motives honestly and remain in Christ AS WE STAND for our faith.

2010-02-20T02:31:00.003-05:00

Read this article.
http://ow.ly/191e9

Heroes

2010-02-05T01:39:00.003-05:00

John Piper is a pastor up in Minnesota. He has presented several very good biographies about missionaries and pastors and other gospel-centered world changers throughout the history of the church.

Some are well known names. Most are not. But I’ve never listened to any of the biographies that didn’t stir something in me.

Anyway, at the beginning of a biography for a guy named John Owen, Piper said:
“One of the reasons I linger over these tributes so long is that I want you to feel drawn not just to Owen, but to the value of having some great heroes in the ministry. There are not many around today. And God wills that we have heroes. Hebrews 13:7 (says):

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

It seems to me that the Christian leaders today that come closest to being heroes are the ones who had great heroes. I hope you have one or two, living or dead.”

I agree with Piper completely, there. You and I should have heroes. Now, don’t hear me saying that you should just pick anyone.

Back in the day there was a basketball player named Charles Barkley who got in some trouble on the court. He didn’t always have the best sportsmanship and one day a commercial comes out and he’s just staring at the screen and he’s telling the parents,

“I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.”

I’m not saying pick captains of industry, or athletes, or famous musicians. And I’m not even saying you should look to your parents or teachers as heroes — if they are not believers.

What I am saying is there should be some people who have walked in their faith to Jesus in such a way as to inspire you to do the same. There should be people who stir the passion and the endurance to run your race well.

Their faith to Jesus and devotion to Jesus and dependence on Jesus is key here. Our heroes need to be people who point us to the savior. Our heroes need to be people who deflect all of the praise to God. They should not soak it in for them selves.

And this is key. Piper is not saying that we should WORSHIP people. God says not to worship any created thing – that includes people.

So a Hero is NOT AN IDOL.

Don’t take a good thing (a Hero) and try to make it an ultimate thing (an Idol).

But do find some heroes!

Another pastor says that the best heroes are dead ones. Once they stop breathing they stop being able to fail morally.

So looking back through history, both in the Bible and in the lives of the early church fathers and in the lives of the Reformers and in the lives of the Christ-centered civil rights fighters…We can look for heroes there.

The question is, do you have heroes who point you to Jesus?

Paul points to two great examples of heros in Philippians 2:19-30.

Pray for Haiti

2010-01-13T12:05:00.002-05:00

Pray for Haiti. Also, find some repretable charities/missions groups. He gave us the ability to pray. He also gave many of us disposable incomes. Let's put our wallets behind our benevolent words.

Here's some links to agencies that are on the ground or on their way to Haiti that you can support:

World Vision Inc.

American Red Cross

Children's Hunger Fund

Samaritan's Purse

Christians or Cowards

2009-12-29T23:39:00.003-05:00

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,

Continuing with his theme seen throughout chapter one of Philippians, Paul reminds us that God's grace provides us with faith and the ability to suffer for that faith. John Calvin said something like, our adoption into Christ's family cannot be accepted without the cross any more than Christ can be separated from Himself.

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:10 -11
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

And in

Matthew 16:24
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

I'm afraid that we as a church body in America and in the West (in general and across denominational lines) have become more and more irrelevant as we have become more and more comfortable.

As our comfort increases, our motivation and desire to walk boldly declines.

Comfort breeds cowardice.

I am asking myself this week,
“Am I a Christian by name or association, but a coward in demonstration?”

How about you?

The solution to the problem of Christian cowardice, I think, is to find our fearlessness in fellowship and Faith.

Back to Philippians, in Philippians 1:19-20 Paul writes:

19 for I know that through your prayers (FELLOWSHIP) and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ (FAITH), what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance (FEARLESSNESS). 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage (FEARLESSNESS) so that now as always Christ will be exalted (FAITH) in my body, whether by life or by death (FEARLESSNESS).

Keep Praying for Matt...

2009-12-07T00:17:00.003-05:00

...and all others who are in trails. May we continue to see God as enough.

See Matt's video here.

Questions from Philippians 1:1-2

2009-11-22T00:59:00.004-05:00

First the text: Philippians 1:1-2

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the questions:
1. Are you serving Christ in this stage of your life?
Not, have you served Christ; not, do you intend to serve Him someday. No, are you serving Christ?

2. Do you see yourself as a saint in Christ? That is, how do you identify yourself? Is it by what you do, or the color of your skin or your position in the family unit, or your role in the community, or is it as a new creation — a part of a separate race, a separate people — as part of the family of people from every tribe and tongue and nation in Christ?

3. Last question. When was the last time you thanked God for His grace and peace to you for the saving work of Christ on the cross and the grace filled gift of peace that God has put into your heart?

These questions are for each of us to dwell on. Don't answer in the comment section. Do e-mail me if you want/need to. Really, I hope it can be for you what it was for me, a time for you to pray that the Holy Spirit would allow you to dig for the truth in these questions.

Don’t just fly through these questions. Don’t put them off till tomorrow. If we don’t serve Christ, find our identity in Christ and preach the Gospel to ourselves over and again so that we never lose sight of the gratitude that fills us to overflowing, then we will quickly be adrift, in the aimless wanderings of this world.

Why We Are Here

2009-10-27T00:43:00.002-04:00

Time for more sermon prep. On Wednesday we are starting a three week series on our (CITG's) reason for being.
The series will revolve around our mission statement "Our goal is to present God’s message of salvation, the importance of a church family, and the proper expression of God’s love into the world."

Great Job

2009-10-23T10:37:00.002-04:00

I finally got Andy's first sermon (notes) posted to our church Web site.
He spoke on Wednesday, the 14th, while we were in Iowa.
I am honored and blessed to be working along side of him for the Gospel. Click on the link below to check it out.
And if you want to hear Andy in person, he will be preaching (I think with the same message) at Hanover United Methodist Church this Sunday at 8 and 10:30 a.m.

You can check it out here.

Slave or Disciple?

2009-10-17T23:01:00.003-04:00

We finished a 31-week series on the Sermon on the Mount and we are preparing to work through the book of Philippians.
In the mean time we will go through a couple of stand alone sermons dealing with other areas that I have had on my heart.
This week I will be discussing the difference between living in bondage to sin vs. being a disciple of Christ.
One way or another, our choices are being shaped and informed and dictated by something.
The question is, who or what is shaping your decisions, actions, thoughts and words today? In the last week? In the last month? How about tomorrow?
Is it another person or group of people? Is it political pundits on the radio or television or in the blog world? Is it your parents? Your spouse? Your co-workers? Your friends?
Is it someTHING, instead of someONE?
Maybe you base your decisions on spite, or on how you will look, or what you have always done, or for revenge, or to stay invisible, or to be noticed, or to get applause, or to impress him (or her), or to be different.
Or maybe — and this is where I sometimes find myself — you have no idea why you are making the decisions you are making.
So many times, we can be like the people Jesus was trying to reach from the nation of Israel, and not even recognize that we are slaves to sin (John 8:31-36).
Dallas Willard points out in one of his books that we must continually ask ourselves who we are being discipled by — Jesus, or the world?
Which is it for you today?

Monday Night Ramblings

2009-10-05T22:31:00.004-04:00

Was thinking about how all of the Scriptures point us toward Christ. This week I was pouring over the Beatitudes again and decided to look for Jesus in these blessings. Of course, You can find Christ on the surface, He is the one talking, but if we dig deeper, we find:

Matthew 5:3-12

— Jesus became Poor in Spirit: Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us. (2 Cor. 5:21)

— Jesus Mourned: Jesus mourned over the damage that sin had caused including death and the sorrow (John 11:35). He also mourns over the fact that His people, who He came to save from sin, will not recognize the coming of the Kingdom or that He is the Messiah (Luke 19:41).

— Jesus was Meek: Jesus displayed meekness NOT WEAKNESS in the garden, when Judas came at him with the soldiers to arrest Him (Matt 26:47-56). He also displayed meekness to Pilate, by letting him know that he has no Authority besides what God has allowed him to have (John 19:10-11)

— Jesus Hungered and Thirsted for Righteousness: While in the wilderness for 40 days, our Lord surly hungered for the comforts of this world. Yet, unlike us, He refused to sell out His devotion to the will of the Father and, by resisting the wicked enticements of Satan, showed that above all else, He hungered and thirsted for the righteousness of God (Matthew 4:4).

— Jesus was Merciful: Oh, the joy and blessedness that we receive because of the Mercy of Jesus. He could have written us all off. He could have refused the cup of wrath. He could have let us suffer the just punishment for our wretched and evil lives. Yet, in devotion to the Father and for His glory, He showed us the ultimate form of mercy, by dying the humiliating and torturous death of crucifixion (Luke 23:34).
o Additionally, He showed a tremendous amount of mercy and compassion to those who He ministered to during His time on the Earth.

— Jesus was Pure of Heart: Jesus was not simply born of a virgin and sacrificed for our sins right away. No! He who was sinless lived a life in the same world that we live, full of temptations to lust, and temptations to hate, and temptations to be proud, and temptations to be lazy, and temptations to be gluttonous, and temptations to be drunk, and temptations to worship created things instead of the creator, and on and on. He was in a world and in human skin and when He faced the same stimuli that causes each of us to stumble and drift (or turn directly and abruptly) from God, He instead maintained His purity with an unflinching focus on His Father in Heaven and the mission to which He became incarnate for — to save all of us who are utterly helpless to save ourselves. (Hebrews 4:15)

— Jesus was THE Peacemaker: Peace with God is not what we should expect. Without Christ’s blood, covering us we are enemies of God. Jesus was so devoted to the work of reconciliation, for us to God. He was so committed to the work of expiation, of taking away our sinfulness so that God could recognize us as His children and not His enemies that He — Jesus — He allowed Himself to be beaten, and scorned, and mocked, and spit upon and finally pierced and hung on a cross to make us right (Romans 5:10), to bring us into a peace-filled eternity, face to face with Him, basking in His light, praising and enjoying Him forever.

— Jesus was Persecuted for Righteousness sake and on account of Himself: Why did the people crucify our Lord? Because he made no qualms about shining a light on their undeniable wretchedness and the truth of whom He was. But all that he taught, all that He said, all that He did — and all that He DIDN’T do — flew in the face of what they imagined the Messiah would be like. He didn’t fit their worldview and instead told them to be transformed into His worldview. This caused Him to be persecuted; it caused Him to have false things said about him (Mark 14:55). Finally, it caused Him to be crucified.

We see Jesus in the Beatitudes and we see a model for our life. Like the 10 Commandments, though, we see our inability to measure up. Each of our sins were laid up on Jesus on the cross, with each sin we join the crowd and say "Crucify Him!"

Each word of gossip, each "little white lie," each second glance with lust in our eyes, each piece of unforgiveness that we hold onto, each act of compassion of mercy that we are positioned to do - but refuse to do, each arrogant glance, each judgmental word — all of our sins of commission and omission — EVERY SIN was put upon Christ.

So what do we do, what can we do? We acknowledge our brokenness and poverty of spirit, we mourn over those sins that have put us at odds with God and Jesus tells us We WILL be COMFORTED!

We repent and we turn our hunger and thirsts away from the things of this world (Good and Bad) that prove over and over again that they CANNOT truly satisfy us fully or for very long (this is true with power, success, alcohol, education, sex, career, drugs, family, political or social clout...). Instead, we hunger and thirst for righteousness and we will be filled.

And where do we get that righteousness? At the cross!

When we look to the Cross and see the love of Jesus and trust in Him, He will not only take our sins and the wrath of God that went with those sins, He will also give us His righteousness.

It does not seem to be a fair trade — sin for righteousness — THANK GOD!

I am so grateful that we serve a God that gives us more than we could ever hope for, ask for or expect to receive. May His kingdom come in its fullness so that we may bask in the light of His face and be free of the brokenness of this present age!

Doctrine w/a Beat

2009-09-21T09:02:00.000-04:00

A Snipit from This Week's Sermon

2009-09-15T09:30:00.002-04:00

Here is a piece of this Wednesday's sermon...

...read Ephesians 3:17b-19 with me

17b And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Paul prays for the Ephesians (and family I pray for you) to see that there is no way around Gods love for you if you.
He is covering you. Look all around you. His love FOR YOU stretches past the horizon on all sides, but it’s not far off like the horizon, it’s right up on you. It is a warm embrace of the Spirit. Yield to the embrace of Christ.

His love FOR YOU is in front of you and behind you. His love FOR YOU is being poured into you by His Spirit. And if you can grasp it you will sometimes feel like you are about to burst because it is so real and so overwhelming.

I pray that YOU would be overwhelmed by the Love that your Father in Heaven has FOR YOU right now.

Encouraging

2009-09-07T01:03:00.001-04:00

It's Been A While

2009-08-21T22:36:00.002-04:00

Hello friends!

God is moving powerfully in our lives right now and moving us in directions that we never would have guessed.

Tonight I just wanted to touch base with two passages that were wrenching my heart for a few weeks and then God showed me why. More on that later, but tonight, here are the passages. Click on them and send me your thoughts. Or don't either way be blessed and go be a blessing.

1 Timothy 5:8
James 1:27

What Is Your Gift? Use it in Love. UPDATED W/ SERMON LINK

2009-07-27T10:36:00.003-04:00

We're taking a week off from the Sermon on the Mount series at the church in the grass to talk about Spiritual gifts.

That sermon, like all of them, will be posted sometime after the Wednesday night service.

Until then, let me plug a great resource in Pastor Mark Driscoll's series on the Spiritual gifts.

I'll also add the link to the side for your future use.

The Lord's Prayer

2009-07-25T12:50:00.002-04:00

I was running a bit behind this week. Wednesday's sermon is now uploaded. We studied the Lord's Prayer from the Sermon on the Mount.
Next week, we are going to take a break from the Sermon on the Mount series to talk about the using of our variety of gifts in Kingdom work.
I know that everyone has a gift and is part of the body in the church. I also know that there are two camps that need to be addressed, those who are unaware of the gift(s) they have and those who know what their gifting is, but don't use it.
Have you dealt with this in your own life as a Christ follower? I'd love to hear some of your experiences.
Remember that you become a sermon illustration (but I can change your name:)
Have a blessed week!

Seeing with New Eyes

2009-07-07T07:42:00.003-04:00

My day job is shooting pictures for a small newspaper in southern Indiana. When I first started working here a reporter told me that I would be successful as long as I could show people what they see everyday through a new perspective.

He said that even though our city is full of beautiful natural and man made sites, everyone who is here has grown somewhat accustomed to it all. Anyway, I always held on to that first-day advice and the times that I get the most applause for my work is when I follow that advice.

I think there is a lot to be said for success in ministry and evangelism with the same advice. There are so many people in our lives that we just lump into categories and even write off because we think we've seen all there is to see in them.

We do the same thing when we look at neighborhoods and workplaces and in the marketplace where we shop and dine.

I wonder what kind of success we could have for the Kingdom that we could find if we began looking at it all through a new perspective.

If we truly began to see everyone and everything through the redemptive lenses of our Lord; if we began to look at people the way He sees them then I'm guessing we could grow in our successes in the area that matters. That is in love.

I say all of this because I see where I fail at it relationally at times.

This weekend I ran into a person I used to know, who honestly used to irritate me. And when I saw that person, all I could remember and all I could see is what I had always seen before. So, I just tried to ignore the person instead of looking at them with "new eyes."

I still have so far to go in this walk with the Lord. It is amazing that He loves me. Praise Him for His grace.

How are you doing in this area? I like to hear from you. You can comment below or send an email.

Forgive.

2009-06-26T00:32:00.002-04:00

I'm not asking for a show of hands here and you need not comment below if you don't want to. But I am going to be talking about forgiveness next week and I just thought it would be a good time to encourage some growth in all of us.

Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive?
Do you know why you have not forgiven them yet?
How long is long enough to wait to forgive?
Do you say you have forgiven someone, yet still hold their past offenses over their head to use against them?
Do you understand the work of Christ on the cross that provided you with the ultimate forgiveness?

Just some thoughts to ponder and pray about. May you all have victory in this area this week. In my own life I can honestly say I have always found freedom when I finally forgive.

My problem is I usually wait entirely too long.

May you find freedom this week.

What a week

2009-06-23T00:51:00.002-04:00

First off, I had an incredible Father's Day. I feel loved deeply by my family and friends. To those daddy's out there a belated nod and a reminder to represent fatherhood well, Amen?

Next, school is wonderful and busy as ever. just finished my last week of work for this class and my final papers.

...breathe...

And I am blessed to be able to speak at two venues this week, I will be preaching on Matthew 5:33-37 this Wednesday at the church in the grass. And I am filling in at Hanover United Methodist Church on Sunday and I will be preaching from the notes on reconciliation, which I covered at the church in the grass several weeks ago. Never a bad lesson to be reminded of.

The biggest news is that we are tentatively set to make our way to Lancaster Community Church on Sunday, July 26, for my ordination for ministry.

I will be honored to be acknowledged as a called servant of our Lord Jesus Christ by the laying on of hands by the elders and sent out officially by my family at LCC.

Senior pastor Ron Grubb has been a mentor and a friend to me as I've transitioned into ministry. He has poured into me through advice and instruction and most of all through prayer. All the time pointing me to Christ. I thank him for that.

In case you've missed a week, or a month...

2009-06-08T00:11:00.002-04:00

In case you have been unable to attend or if you want to know what king of things we talk about at the Church in the Grass, check out our Sermon Notes page. I never stay completely on course with what is written, but these are the notes that bring me back from any tangents.

So, read up, and email me any questions, comments or concerns you might have at churchinthegrass.gmail.com.

Or you can just stop on out. We're at Lorenz Park every Wednesday at 6 p.m. (unless it rains then we're at the old Eggleston school building at 3rd and East streets).

Thanks.

2009-05-31T21:27:00.000-04:00

I got to talk to some friends tonight about gratitude and it hit me that I have been dealing with a gratitude deficiency for quite a while and it has all been based on my attitude and lack of perspective.

Seems like every time people have asked how I’m doing lately, I’ve answered with “Oh, real good, but…” and that has come about because it seems that I am juggling a lot of different priorities in my life and trying to make sure that nothing gets neglected.

Yes it is true that I am a bit tired and yes I look forward to the time when some of these things are done.

But what hit me tonight is that all of these things I am juggling are good things. I have my hands full with blessings.

There was a time not so many years ago when it seemed like life was a never-ending stream of problems and I was always trying to decide which problem I had to deal with next.
Or, I would just say forget it and try to run away or hide away from the problems.

Today, I have blessing upon blessing and when I remember where God has rescued me out of and delivered me in to, I can only repent of my complaining and say thanks.

Thanks God for allowing me to have a loving family. Thanks for allowing me to work in a place where I am appreciated and cared for by my superiors, thanks for allowing me to attend school, where I am built up in my faith, thanks for my home church that supports me in more ways than I can list, thanks for the outreach church ministry that you have given us to steward and the amazing group of men who serve along side of me there. Thank you thank you thank you God.

How’s your gratitude today?

Prayers for Jerrel

2009-05-27T22:01:00.002-04:00

I remember when I was little kid, we went to live with my Aunt Doll and Uncle Mark near Atlanta Georgia. I was about six and I remember, playing with my little cousins Reed and Jerrel. Reed was about two and Jerrel was an infant. They were both cute and fun to be around, and at 6-yrs old, I got to play a grown up (comparatively).

Anyway, they're all grown up. Reed's in the Indiana National guard and recently returned from Iraq.

Jerrel is a Marine. This week he shipped off to Afghanistan. If you get a moment, please stop to pray for him and his family here at home and the people he is serving along side. We Love him very much and I pray that he will get home safe.

Let us also always remember to pray for the people they are fighting against. Our nations may be at odds, but ultimately, the eternal reality is that if they don't know Jesus, they will be lost forever. I pray that God will grace the fighters on both sides with a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and I pray that the leaders of both side would come to a peaceful conclusion. Soon.

I thank God that He saved me when others would have written me off, I pray that He would also save those who have lived lives of terrorism.

Remember, before Paul was saved by Christ, and before he wrote a majority of the New Testament, he was also a terrorist who thought he was doing the will of God. (Acts 22:1-14)

Small Group or Gospel Community?

2009-05-26T01:43:00.000-04:00

I just finished listening to a series of three talks from Steve Timmis about the concept of Gospel Communities. It seems o be a more organic and natural fellowship that supplements the Sunday morning experience.

The thing that I like about the concept is the way it seems to address the issues that seem to surface in “small groups.” (Short shelf-life, lack of evangelistic impact, unnatural or forced sharing, lack of accountability or loving correction and edification, etc…)

I am interested in digging into this more. If you get a chance check out the talks here.

After you listen, I would like to here your thoughts on this or other ways you have dealt with living out the Gospel together.

2009-05-24T00:41:00.004-04:00

Still dwelling on Corinthians 5:17-21 this week:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 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. 20 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. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

If you are a believer, how is this ministry of reconciliation working out for you. It seems to be a struggle for me at times. and as I prepare for the next sermon, this time on Matthew 5:25-26, I am reminded at how fleeting our chances are to make things right between one another.

If you are a non-believer, I am also pleading with you to consider Christ and His mercy, grace and love. At some point time will run out and if you haven't made a decision, it will be too late to be reconciled to God. That is not to be read as a scare tactic and I am not trying to close a sale or fill a quota with your salvation.
Sharing the gospel, (even clumsily at times) is one of the only ways I know to show my gratitude to, and love for, God.
I simply have a love for God that has transformed my life and given me a hope for my future. I did nothing to earn God's love and it was His grace that allowed for reconciliation. If you are far away, He can reconcile you as well. You have not gone too far.

Reconciliation

2009-05-18T02:23:00.004-04:00

Among the evidence of the wondrous love that God has for us is the reconciling work of Christ on the Cross. Where "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In light of that reconciliation, we also are to be reconciled with one another. In the passage we will look at on Wednesday (Matthew 5:23-24), we see that God takes this reconciliation very seriously, even to the point that Jesus says not to offer up gifts to God if a brother has something against us.

We don’t have to comment online, but is God showing us an area (or areas) where we need to make right a wrong through the love of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit and for the glory of God?

Have we been offering gifts to Him with an impure heart?
Gifts can include our worship, our praise, our tithes and offerings, our prayers of thanksgiving, etc…

Finally, if we are holding back, is it because reconciliation could mean a loss of security, a loss of power, a loss of a relationship, a loss of reputation or even a loss of freedom (does making thing right mean possible jail time)?

Is the price too high to pay in view of God’s love? Is the fear of worldly consequences keeping us from following the will of God?

May every decision we make be focused through the lens of God’s love and mercy.

Related passages:
Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:1-10, Hebrews 13:15, Romans 11:33-36 through Romans 12:1, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Isaiah 1:11-17, and Matthew 16:24-26

Great night at the CITG.

2009-05-13T22:49:00.002-04:00

Tonight we were led inside again by rain, but it was a great service.

Really appreciating Ryan's heart in worship. He's a bright light shining for God. Can't thank John enough for his servant heart, steady, true and loving.

We talked about anger, as related to Matthew 5:21-22. This is an area that God has done a mighty work on in my life.

I used to be angry about EVERYTHING. As I studied and focused on my words, I saw a lot of areas I still have to surrender to Him.

Next week we will be talking about what Jesus taught about anger and worship. My challenge to the crew at the church tonight was, pray that God will show you relationships that you need to reconcile BEFORE you come to church next week.

So much to say…

2009-05-07T11:04:00.001-04:00

Springing from Matthew 5:17-20, we talked last night at the Church in the Grass about the moral, judicial and ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and how they relate to Christ followers.

I feel the information was solid, but looking back now, I think we went over too much in one night. It is possible that we would have been better off to go through each kind of law as a sermon in itself, giving everybody some good background with the Old Testament, and then have a fourth sermon that brings us up to date with how the Laws relate to Jesus’ teaching in the above passage.

Anyway, hindsight is what it is. I’ll take that lesson and hopefully I won’t repeat the same mistake.

Looking Forward and a Link

2009-05-05T08:09:00.003-04:00

I'm looking forward to meeting with Pastor Bill for lunch today. I've been reading his blog for a while now and I am encouraged by his heart for the Lord.

Also, check out this link. It's a great reminder. I think hat there are a lot of times when we are quick to let people know that it is faith — not works — that saves. That's the easy part of the message.

The other half of it is — if you are truly a follower of Christ, He tells us that we are to pick up our cross and follow Jesus and we are to make Him ultimate, above family, above finances, above nationalism, above weekend plans, above job opportunities above everything.

Many times this will just be a smooth part of life and other times, Jesus promises that we will be persecuted for our devotion to Him. Are we ready for that — Am I?

Will submission to Christ trump comfort or right standing in the world the NEXT TIME we are challenged to make a hard choice between the two?

Ready for another week

2009-05-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

Finished the sermon last night, finished homework Saturday. I'm now ready for the week.

I am excited about this week's message. I was really wading through the passage (Matthew 5:17-20) and was trying to find the "Big Idea."

After discussing some issues with Andy, our administrative pastor, I was able to zero in on where I was going.

The sermon should be posted by Thursday.

If you live nearby, come and see us on Wednesday at 6 at the Church in the Grass.

Law, Righteousness and Grace

2009-05-01T02:29:00.002-04:00

The sermon notes for this week's message have been uploaded here.

Just finished my first draft of a sermon on Matthew 5:17-20.

This was a troubling passage when I was starting out in my faith.

First, I had no idea what laws I was supposed to keep. (I didn't see any goats being sacrificed in church, we didn't have have to stay away from pork or shrimp cocktail, etc.)

So I didn't understand what Jesus was commanding here.

Since then I have read several commentaries, I have looked up the definitions of the troublesome words, and I have come to what I believe to be a much clearer understanding.

Probably one of the most helpful teachings I found on this passage was from John Macarthur. You can read his take here. I will likely use several of his points in my message next week since he was able to make it all very clear and cut right into the core of the teaching.

Sermon Preview

2009-04-28T00:46:00.003-04:00

After several weeks going through the Beatitudes, we are moving further into the Sermon on the Mount this week with a study of Matthew 5:13-16.

The Beatitudes gave us a glimpse of what a Christ follower looks like.

Some questions I had when I began following Jesus were:
— Why doesn’t He just take us up to Heaven as soon as we are saved?
— Why do I have to stay here in this broken world?
— Why do I have to struggle with the sin that historically plagued me while I was still an unbeliever and even today rears its ugly head?
Why? Why? Why?

This is the same way I’ve always been. Asking “why?” and “What for?”

Since God made me, and since He knew I was curious, He could have given the parental “Because I said so.”

But, He answered the questions in four verses.

In short, we are to do all things to glorify Him so that others may see Him reflected in us and be drawn to Him.

If you live close by, bring a friend, your Bible and a lawn chair.
If you don’t have a lawn chair we can lend you one. If you don’t have a Bible, we'll give you one and if you don’t have a friend we will introduce you to The One.

See you Wednesday night.

Sermon notes are usually posted here
by the Thursday following the
Wednesday CITG gathering

Great Night

2009-04-23T08:02:00.002-04:00

We had a great night at the CITG last night. A couple of people came out for the first time, some kids drifted in and out of the service. and we gave away several Bibles to kids who didn't have one.

Ryan did a great job with the praise music — there's a sincere heart for Jesus with this guy.

I was unsure whether I got my points across on the sermon, but apparently, I said what the Spirit wanted me to say, because I had a couple of great conversations with people afterwards saying that they heard what the needed to hear because of the situations they were going through.

Pray for us as we continue to try to put one faithful step in front of the other. May God continue to bring new people out and may we properly represent Him to them.

Persecution

2009-04-18T22:57:00.002-04:00

We will be going over a very anti- “seeker sensitive” message with Matthew 5: 10-12.

My big take away(s) from preparing the message are that We at the CITG have been fairly well received so far, and I am honestly not looking forward to persecution.

The other and more important thing to realize is that Jesus taught that we are blessed when we are persecuted because of Him.

We are not blessed when we are persecuted for being jerks who preach God’s wrath and forget to follow up with God’s mercy and grace.

We are not blessed when we are persecuted for casting judgment and condemnation on our neighbors for their sins. (It is our job to proclaim God and rely on the Holy Spirit to convict people of the sin in their lives).

We are blessed when we are persecuted for our resemblance to Jesus.

We are blessed when we are persecuted because we display love, when others hate.

We are blessed when we are persecuted because we display forgiveness, when others seek revenge.

We are blessed when we are persecuted because we pledge our ultimate allegiance to God before ANYTHING else, when others bow first to a nation, or a political party, or even to a family before they bow to God.

We are blessed when we are persecuted because we reach outside of our churches to draw others in, while other church members would want to make church more exclusive.

We are blessed when we are persecuted because we love sinners and tell them about Christ while they are still in bondage to sin, even though others dictate that the sinner must clean up his or her act first.

We are blessed when we are persecuted because we reach out to solve problems while others do their best to ignore problems.

Do you get it? We are blessed when we are persecuted for our faithfulness —
Not for our worldliness,
Not for our churchliness,
Not for our sins —
For Christ and His righteousness.

Phase II & Gratitude

2009-04-16T00:16:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday, we took the Church in the Grass to the grass for the first time.
In what our executive pastor described as “Phase II”, we moved out to Lorenz Park in Madison from our old meeting place at an old school building about eight blocks away.

We also moved into a new era of praise music with the addition of Ryan, as our new worship leader. (thus ending the times of praise music Karaoke {led by DVD with words on the screen})

Back to the new location.
The original vision for CITG was to be out among the people in a place that had no walls or physical structure — just us out there trying to reach those who had walked away from church and those who have never been in church.

A friend of my wife’s asked recently, “Street preaching, does it work?”
Our honest answer is, we have no idea.

What we do know is that doing nothing and only hoping that someone will do something is not an effective way to lead people to the truth of Jesus Christ.

We are going to go out and be a part of the community in an easy to encounter setting.
We are going to put the Word of God in the forefront. And we will see how the people respond.

We will do what we know to do; ask a lot of questions from pastors who are much smarter and more experienced than us; and keep walking out our faith.

We will stay on mission to proclaim God’s plan of salvation; express the need for a church family in the life of every believer; and equip our church family to properly represent Jesus in their mission fields (work, home, marketplace, etc.)

We will do what we can — always depending on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And we will hold nothing sacred except the Gospel.

Gratitude:
Maybe it's because we just finished Easter celebrations, I don't know but I seem to be overflowing with thanksgiving tonight, so I'm gonna pour it out.

A personal thanks goes out to the servant’s heart and faithfulness that is evident in John; the incredible gift for dealing with the minutia of paper work and a ever increasing desire for God in Andy; the adventurous spirit of Ryan who now serves in both the largest church and the smallest church in our city.
Thanks to my wife, who has given me a tremendous amount of support — moral, emotional, spiritual and level-headed support during the most amazing time of growth and transition in our lives

Thanks to my parents for their support. Thanks to my employer who has been faithful through it all so far. Thanks to my school, which has been pushing me for excellence through faith in God and showing me just how much more I have to learn.

Thanks to Chuck Lynch,Bob Hicks, Glenn and Vickie Perkins, Ron and Marilyn Grubb, Matt Johnson, Mike White and Scott Murphy — all church leaders who have been pivotal for their mentoring, love, encouragement and prayers for a green pastor.
Thanks to our church families.

Thanks to the eclectic mix of pastors out there in the Web that don’t know me, but have been a wonderful example in various areas. Those pastors include Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, R.C. Sproul, Perry Noble, Andy Stanley, John Piper, Chuck Swindoll and Clayton King (that’s not all, but They are some of the heavy hitters on my I-Pod shuffle).
Thanks to my pastor friends that I know only through their blogs, most notably, Bill Grandi who covers me in “dangerous" prayers.

Most of all, thanks to God, for calling me and the rest of those involved with the Church in the Grass to do His work in this time and in this place for those He wants to reach. It is an honor to serve our God.
May we remain bold, faithful, loving, and gracious and may we do everything for His glory.

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-12T00:56:00.002-04:00

WHAT AN AMAZING LORD!

WHAT AN AMAZING PLAN!

Click Here.

PRAISE GOD!

Blessed are…

2009-04-11T14:15:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a sermon around Matthew 5:9.

On Friday my own weakness in this area came out, to which I then had to apologize. (Not on my top five favorite things to do list)

It seems that God uses the sermon each week to expose my own brokenness and through that, my total dependence on Him. It is challenging and sometimes it is painful, but always it has turned me back to Him.

I pray that those who come to the church in the grass each week will be challenged as well. May we all walk closer to our wonderful Savior and Lord.

Update

2009-04-02T00:42:00.002-04:00

Checking if for my here readers. Service went well tonight at the Church in the Grass. We had a man come in tonight whom I have been praying for as a possible praise and worship pastor.

Right now we are using a DVD for our praise and worship music and a live person leading would be great.

We have been praying and looking for opportunities to invite people along into this ministry. At the same time we have been careful not to rush anything. We want the right people for he job.

This week I will be seeing a cousin off as he (a new dad of a week old baby) heads out for Afghanistan. Keep him in your prayers as well as his fellow Marines and those soldiers who might fight against our men, that they come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

In ministry and school news:
I am preparing for a final and two major papers for school,
Getting ready to ramp up into my next class,
Preparing for our church’s first communion and
Preparing a sermon around the last supper in Luke 22: 7-19 and the teaching on Communion from 1 Corinthians 11: 17-32.

Pray for us as we continue in our mission. We will begin meeting outside at Lorenz Park in Madison on April 15 (weather permitting) and we will continue to use the school facility as an bad weather back-up.

At that point, the Church in the Grass will actually be a church in the grass.

Wonderful Day at HUMC

2009-03-22T14:25:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my brothers and sisters at Hanover United Methodist Church, where I filled in for our pastors Glenn and Vickie Perkins who are away visiting family.

I am honored by the opportunity to proclaim God’s word to the church family that I grew up in the faith with. Truly, if not for them and our church family at Lancaster Community Church, in Ohio, I would still be a spiritual infant (although I do still feel pretty immature on occasion).

Anyway, thanks to our church family there for your encouragement and thanks to my biological family members who came from far away to hear me preach.

You can read my sermon notes Here.

Also, at the Church in the Grass this week, we are going to camp out a little bit longer on the subject of mercy from the Beatitudes. As we discussed last week the most important area that we show mercy is to the souls that are still far from God by sharing the gospel with them. This week we will look into Acts and see how God will sometimes give us a nudge if we choose not to fully carry out our marching orders to share the gospel.

I will be speaking from the sermon that I prepared a month ago for a guest speaking engagement at Mt. Zion UMC. You can read those notes Here.

For Any Christian Leader

2009-03-17T08:17:00.003-04:00

Chuck Swindoll shared a great word for pastors on his blog. Check it out here.
While it certainly holds true for pastors or any other leader in the church, I believe it should be brought to the heart of anyone in Christian leadership, to you husbands and fathers, to you wives and mothers, to you teachers and coaches, even to you children and teens who may be the only believers in your family or your household or your classroom classroom.

Finally a message to the pastors. May we all read and re-read AND MORE IMPORTANTLY — OBEY God's command to his prophet as found in Jeremiah 26:2-3.

Privilege

2009-03-06T23:45:00.002-05:00

I have the privilege of speaking at a special service on Sunday night at the Mt. Zion UMC in Paynesville, Ind.
I am honored anytime I am given the opportunity to speak.
Keep me in your prayers as I prepare to deliver God's word.
You can see my sermon notes as they are right now by clicking here.

A few Thoughts on Meekness

2009-03-02T00:25:00.002-05:00

I am working on a sermon about meekness for our continuing series on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

I found this wonderful quote from Thomas Watson, a man of God from the 1600’s, who wrote extensively on the Beatitudes.

“To render evil for evil is brutish; to render evil for good is devilish; to render good for evil is Christian.”

I am leaning heavily toward illustrating Matthew 5:5 by going back to 1 Samuel 24:1-19.

In that passage, David had been pursued by King Saul and feared for his life.
In an amazing turn of events (possibly providence?), Saul chose to relieve himself in the very cave that David and his men were hiding out in. Occupied with his business, Saul was unaware of David, who stealthily cut a corner off of the king’s robe.

He could have killed the king, but instead he submitted to the authority that Saul still had from God.

As pastor Robert Morris said in his sermon on meekness, it is Power that is under control.

Is this our power? NO!

The beatitudes that Jesus taught before getting to meekness tell us that we are first to be made aware of our fallen and helpless nature (poor in spirit {Matthew 5:3}) and then we are to react rightly to that knowledge (we mourn and are comforted {Matthew 5:4}).

So once we have been humbled and are repentant, we have no doubts that any and all power is God’s and we are to steward that power correctly.

The greatest examples of meekness come from our savior, who — though He had the power to trample His adversaries, who mocked, beat and eventually crucified Him, He instead kept His power under control in order to submit to the will of the Father.

This all ties in wonderfully with Jesus’ teachings about forgiveness later on in the Sermon on the Mount, but that’s for later in the series.

The questions I am wrestling with are:

Am I demonstrating God’s meekness in trials, or am I trying to win at all costs?
Am I reacting in a way that glorifies God or in a way that glorifies me?
Am I reacting in a way that allows me to “save face” at the cost of contradicting God’s example?

How about you?

I love Wednesday Night

2009-02-25T21:19:00.003-05:00

Good service tonight at the Church in the Grass.
Are numbers are still low, but I am getting more focused on my presentation and tonight was the first time that i didn't come away with a ton of self critiques. This is the first week that I truly felt that I got out of God's way for the message.

By the way, if you want to read sermon notes you can do that here. It is only an outline, I unusually head off on tangents, but the outline is just a road map if I drift too far. Also, I usually don't try to script personal illustrations so if you heard them at the service but don't see them in the notes, that is why.

Thanks to those of you who have been faithful in your prayers for our mission and thanks to the many pastors who have been giving me guidance along the way.

Most importantly, thanks to the men who have come along side on this mission and are faithful in service and spirit.

Poor in Spirit

2009-02-14T00:45:00.002-05:00

We are in the early stages of a series on the Sermon on the Mount and we are tackling Matthew 5:3 this week.

The big ideas that seem to stick out as necessary in the first beatitude are:
—Define "blessed" and "poor in spirit"
—Show how the world pushes back against the poor in spirit principle by championing "self-esteem"
—Explain the need to understand and face our spiritual bankruptcy in order to truly accept the need for and the beauty of God's provision, guidance, grace and love.

We will likely use Moses and Isaiah to show where the two men admitted their own uselessness (Moses {Exodus 3:11 & 4: 10-12}) and sin (Isaiah {Isaiah 6:1-8}). In each instance, instead of trying to rebuild their self-esteem, God simply shows them that he is sufficient and then He puts them to work for His glory.

Two possible challenges for us to take away from the message:
— We pray that God will break us of our pride and any illusions of self-sufficiency because they stand in the way of our total dependence on Him.
— And, instead of reaffirming a person's self-esteem when they are nearing acceptance of their impoverished spirit, we point them back to Jesus as the source of their strength, confidence and fulfillment.

Sermon Notes

2009-02-11T10:39:00.002-05:00

Hey Friends, we have added a sermon notes link to our Church in the Grass Web site. If you want to see what were are teaching on, check it out.

2009-02-03T01:01:00.001-05:00

Where One Question Can Lead
As my next sermon, I wanted to dig into 1 Corinthians 10: 12-13, which basically tells us to make sure we are on a firm foundation because otherwise temptations will topple us.
This, of course, sent me back to Jesus’ comments about building atop sand or stone in Matthew 7: 24-27.
In the NIV, this passage starts with the word “Therefore.”

One thing I have heard nearly EVERY preacher say is, “Whenever you see the word therefore, ask, ‘what is it there for?’”

In this passage, “therefore” and the words directly after it (everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock), point us back to the Sermon on the Mount as the solid foundation.

Well, you can’t cover the Sermon on the Mount in one service and you can’t fully grasp 1 Corinthians 10: 12-13 or Matthew 7: 24-27 without the context of the Sermon on the Mount.
So the, “what’s it there for?” question has led to what will be my first sermon series.

What a great series for our church to get into, I am excited about the possibilities for transformed lives.

Pray for us this week.

Say it All (carefully)

2009-01-26T00:34:00.000-05:00

In our ministry work we are trying to reach the people that other churches have not reached yet, or have given up on. I look back to my time before Christ and I often remember the lack of tack that many Christians had in their approach to “us heathens.”

The problem with those past experiences is that I often times focus so much on not wanting to drive the sinners away, that I question what passages are “appropriate.”

This, of course, is a mistake.

We are to take very seriously the instruction that God gave to his prophet in Jeremiah 26:2.

There will be things that are uncomfortable to hear and things that will absolutely drive some people back out of the church. But, what a disservice would it be, to preach only God’s LOVE for a year and then sucker punch the “seekers” with His jealousy and wrath.

We are called to preach the full message of God to His people and the second part of the blog post title points to HOW we present that message. Carefully.

The thing that I lose track of is that it was never so much the word of God that I recoiled from as a non-believer. It was the method of delivery. The (Well Meaning) messengers were of one of three ilks.
1) The “fire and brimstone, shout till they’re horse” types;
2) The “look down their nose, try to convert via shunning” types; or
3) The “creepy, used car salesmen of salvation” types.

To avoid these approaches, I think we must:
1) Preach the hard issues with gentleness (1 Peter 3:15 and Titus 3:2-3) when they come up and always show how they lead us to a need for Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9). In so doing we must remember that it is not our job to judge, condemn, or convict. Ours is only to teach from the word of God.
2) Address the people where they are and lead them into taking the next step. We don’t teach them to talk and look like us and get them to pretend everything is okay before we share God with those He wants to reach (Luke 5:27-32).
3) We must do everything honestly and without an artifice of “everything is sunshine and roses” after you accept Christ. We must let them know that (a) we still struggle after conversion (b) we will come across things that we don’t want to be true about God’s standards for us and finally, (c) we then bear witness to the fact that even with those struggles, we still believe that accepting Christ through faith by grace was the best decision we ever made.

On Wednesday, I will be preaching from the book of Hosea, which I had earlier discounted, because of the strong language describing God’s wrath that lies therein.

But, the book is also a beautiful picture of God’s love for us. If we only preach God’s LOVE without first putting it in context of what His justified response would be without Christ, than we take the “amazing” out of “Amazing Grace.”

Let’s just remember to get to the Love and redemption when we are addressing the wrath due for OUR sins.

Busy week, Here's a link

2009-01-23T01:29:00.002-05:00

I didn't get to listen to the inauguration on Tuesday, but I did get to hear the invocation by Rick Warren and I was blessed by the prayer. Here's the prayer with an introduction and comments by another pastor.

Be a Player

2009-01-16T22:48:00.003-05:00

R.C. Sproul had a great blog post today about the need for every believer to "get in the game."
It is a challenge to all of us who have in the past, or are now, depending on more Christiany Christians to go out and spread the truth about Jesus while the rest of us support them from our pews.
Read it and be challenged. To those of you who are already out there pressing into THE WORK THAT WE ARE ALL CALLED TO (Matthew 28:16-20), thank you and we apologize for leaving it all on your shoulders for so long.

Give it Back to God

2009-01-14T22:33:00.003-05:00

Tonight was our first gathering of the Church in the Grass.
It was a wonderful experience. We had one member of the community that we are trying to reach come in (a snow shower began in the time leading up to the service). And the rest of those in attendance were there from our family (both blood and church families).

All week I bounced between wondering if we would be flooded with people from Walnut Street, and frightened that NOBODY would show up.

Just before the people started coming in, I realized that the number of people that showed up was completely out of my hands, I did the legwork of getting the word out and preparing for the sermon. My only job was to deliver the Word and pray that the Spirit of God would dig into the hearts through that Word.

I have a burden on my heart to reach everyone in the area, and I have faith that we are supposed to do that work — in God's time, according to God's plan. God will lead.

Our executive pastor, Andy, e-mailed me after the meeting with this message, “The service went well tonight - we'll just continue to do what we do and hope that we don't get in God's way.”

That’s my prayer. Now to finish next week’s sermon.

P.S. — A huge and heartfelt thanks to Mom and Dad, Mammaw and Pap, Rev’s Glenn and Vickie, Greg and Andy and Monica and Dominic for your amazing support of this mission. And thanks to Ms. S. from Walnut Street, I pray that you will be the first of many in the neighborhood that grow with us in Christ.

Fallible

2009-01-04T00:52:00.004-05:00

I just read a book that puts aspects of theology on the bottom shelf, so all of us can begin to “get it.”

While there were some minor theological principles that I am not sure I agree with, the majority of the book was astounding in that the writer would put forward some very weighty concept, and then retell the idea through illustrations that seemed to lift the fog and allow a clearer understanding.

In fact, through most of the book, I wanted to gratefully yell, “I get it!”

So it was quite a blow when out of nowhere I come across a completely unnecessary and quite out of sync racist comment. The offensive passage was short, and the text then moved back into its high quality cycle.

After processing the situation, I began to look back at all of the people who I have ever looked up to or been inspired by.

Whether it is in family, in the church, in politics, in the professional realm, you name it — no matter who the person was or what their accomplishment that I respected there was always at least one thing (many times, one glaring thing) that caused be to step back and reevaluate them.

So, what do you do with a man like the writer, who clearly seemed anointed to teach, in a profoundly clear way, the nature of deep doctrine; yet had this heavy smudge of character?
Or, more generally, what do we do with any mentor, teacher role model or the like, who stumbles in a tremendous way?

Galatians 6: 1-5 gives us a good indication of how to proceed.

I believe that the offense must be addressed and then it should cause me to look deep within my own nature to find areas in my own personality, beliefs, habits customs, etc., that may distract other people or myself from the Gospel.

As Christians, we are called to understand that we are all imperfect because of the sin nature we were born with. And even though God is perfecting us, our sanctification is not complete on this side of Heaven (Philippians 3:10-15).

Truly, it is only Jesus who can boast of perfection. It is when I decide to throw out all of the good of a person’s work because of the one bad portion, that I reveal my deep brokenness.

A man’s sin is his own. It is between that person and God, just as my sin is between God and me (Romans 14:4). I am called to look for the best in others and plead with God to continue to cut away the parts of me that would distract me from a single-minded pursuit of Him.

Tonight my distraction was my pride and judgmental nature.

How glorious is He that He would love me anyway and die for those sins too! (1 John 1:8-9)

Simplify

2009-01-02T22:19:00.002-05:00

My wife says I am to wordy on my blog posts. So as a nod to her, here is her "Gospel in 30 Seconds"

We are all sinners, including you. Jesus Christ came to save you from an eternity apart from God. The separation from God was caused by the sins and offenses you have committed against Him. Believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you will be forgiven. Then, repent and continue to walk toward God and away from your old sin nature.

Cliché

2008-12-30T21:32:00.002-05:00

I know there are 100,000 posts going up this week about New Years resolutions. Instead of harping about how cliché and unimaginative this topic is, I resolve to join in.

If you want to do something this year that I can guarantee will have more value than putting away the snack cakes, or joining a gym, it’s this:

READ the BIBLE.

I’ve heard some preachers say not to start in Genesis and read straight through to Revelation, but instead to start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

I’ve heard others say to start with the Psalms, or Proverbs, or…

I say, start reading somewhere and start today.

There are a million resources available to help. I'll add a "Bible in a year" link below. The bottom line is that God’s Word is a wonderful and necessary part of every Christian’s life.

If you are not a Christian, read it anyway.

Biologist and philosopher Herbert Spencer said,

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation."

So, investigate. Read it, wade through it, study the text (if nothing else, you may have then read more of the Scriptures than many believers).

The motive for this post is that the Word of God, as seen in the Bible, has transformed me into a new creature. And, I have a burden in my heart that you may feel the same transformation.

God Bless You and Let Us Pursue God Together.

Click BibleYear.com to find four different reading plans that will take you through the bible in one year. You can choose which translation you would like to use. I would suggest the New International Version (NIV), the English Standard Version (ESV), or New King James Version (NKJV).

Thanks Matt

2008-12-25T23:46:00.002-05:00

One of my friends in our weekend men’s group took the reigns for me on a recent Saturday when I couldn’t make it.

He said he didn’t really know what to discuss, so instead he took a passage that he had always had difficulty understanding and tossed it to our unsuspecting, but always on the ready, associate pastor.

This led me to delve in and look for some of the passages that I have had great difficulty with.

One of the greatest problems for me has been Luke 16:16-17.

To paraphrase, Jesus tells the Pharisees — The law was the standard until John the Baptist; then you were given the Gospel, which takes preeminence; but the Gospel does not take away from or nullify the law.

I could go into a long and wordy description, or you can listen to this sermon, by Matt Chandler at the Village Church.

To sum up his explanation (as I understood him):
The Law and the Prophets ( the Old Testament) gave a clear understanding of our fallen nature and pointed to a promise of redemption that we could not attain on our own.
John the Baptist ushered in a new period of history in which all of the foreshadowing of the Old Testament — all of the promises made by God to His people — would begin to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
And even though it was always Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection — not the Law — that saves us; The Law is how God created us to operate as His creation and so it will never be taken away.

In other words, if we are relying on the Law for a right relationship with God, we are doomed. It is Jesus alone that saves. But out of a great love for us, and a clear understanding of who we are in the flesh, God gave us the Law to keep us from the pitfalls that are sure to distract us from Him.

So Tired, Tired of Waiting...

2008-12-19T01:12:00.002-05:00

We have a found a location to start our church plant. We hope to be getting under way early in January with Wednesday night services.

I just finished writing my first sermon. I won’t post it all here. But here’s the gist: In Luke 2: 25-35, we see a man who has been waiting his entire life for one thing.

There are so many times we long for something, someone or some ideal and it becomes the central focus of our lives.

But many times, when we finally get what we’ve been waiting for, it leaves us flat. The satisfaction does not fulfill us.

What I have found personally is that nothing ever satisfied me the way Jesus did and nothing fills that void in life the way the Holy Spirit does.

I tried everything else before I gave Jesus a shot. Now I look back and wonder why I waited so long.

If you are not a believer and keep reading this blog, I want you to know that I am glad you are. I also want you to know that you are loved by God and I believe He is pursuing you.

If you haven’t found true, lasting, deep satisfaction in your life, please try to pray out to God. Whether you thought you knew him, but walked away. Or, if you have never felt Him in your life just begin praying that He would reveal Himself in your life.

Breathe Deep and Calm Down God Is Not Leaving

2008-12-15T23:08:00.003-05:00

After the horror of Black Friday, I was a bit unnerved by how out of our mind people get from Thanksgiving to Christmas. But, then, I allow my objections to cause me to become judgmental and self-righteous. whn that happens I need to set down my sin and walk back toward our sovereign God.

I was blessed by reading a wonderful and calm rebuke by R.C. Sproul to all the people (including me lately) that have been getting a bit too uptight about Christmas and the World. Check it out here .

Enjoy the season. I love you.

Get Out of Your Basket

2008-12-11T22:39:00.003-05:00

In Matthew 5:14-15, Jesus tells His disciples (and us), “You are a light of the world…don’t hide your light under a basket!”

Back in the day, from what I understand, God placed His chosen people, Israel, in the Promised Land. The PL happened to be the crossroads between Africa, Asia and Europe.

They were there to represent what a relationship with God, the one true God, looked like to all those who might wander in through the land.

Today, we believe that Christians are here to represent Jesus to all those we come in contact with. The plan is that people will see us live a life and respond to the world around us in a way that glorifies God and gives credit to Jesus.

Jesus is the personification of grace and love and light in this dark, dark world.

So many times, though, we get into a relationship with God — We accept His gift of salvation through faith by grace — and then we try to stop living in the world.

We cluster all of our light together with other Christians and just try to stay away from the darkness.

The light isn’t supposed to flee from the darkness. The darkness flees from the light. While the need to come together as a church family is there, we must find ways to do it that are not so separated from those we are hear to help.

We are still here, after we are saved, in order to be the means God uses to reach out and pursue His chosen people who are still lost.

So, go to church — get fed, get equipped for your ministry, and then go out and do the work of an evangelist. Shine that light in the darkness.

If you don’t know how, ask God to show you when and where and how to proclaim the Good News. The Good News of the Trinity, our own fallen nature and the grace that was given to us through the death of Christ on the cross, which absorbed the wrath that we deserved.

We don’t have to tell people how wicked they are. Let them know how wicked We are without the righteousness of Christ covering us.

I heard it said once that if we preach from our own weaknesses, we will never run out of material. Go out in humility and turn it all back over to God.

Do it today because there is a lot of darkness out there and we have been made into candles, or lamps, to shine.

Check This Out

2008-12-05T00:43:00.000-05:00

Rick Koca's Mission

A Reason for Thanks and a Call to Action

2008-11-26T19:37:00.002-05:00

Psalm 9:9-11 (New Living Translation)

9 The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.
Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.

This can be found on biblegateway.com

Just Keep Moving

2008-11-24T22:11:00.000-05:00

There are times in life where every decision seems to be the most important decision you have to make and every issue seems to be of the utmost importance. It seems that if you make the wrong choice or to take the wrong action chaos will ensue.

In the past, these times would be the moments when I would: a) run away from the issue(s) or b) freeze and just hope the issue(s) would just resolve on their own.

Neither solution is very conducive to a walk with God. If He is leading you in a direction you don’t want to go, it is probably because you are in a place that He doesn’t want you. Or, you do not yet have the proper equipping to do the task He has for you.

Either way, keep moving in the direction He is pushing, even if it means discomfort, even if it means a different standard of living and especially if it involves the unknown. If you already know how everything is going to turn out, what need is there for faith?

And, if you fail, fail forward. Learn and Go. Learn and Go. Fall and Get Back Up. Just Keep Moving Toward God and always remember that growth is usually messy and painful, but always worth it once it’s over.

I Can't Say it Better Than Perry Did...

2008-11-17T21:26:00.002-05:00

First, read this. I can't say it any better than Perry did.

I have a similar experience everyday.
When my little boy sees me preparing to leave for work, church, meetings or whatever, he quickly puts on his shoes, grabs my hand and walks me out to the car. The first few times I thought this was incredibly sweet, until I realized that he always asked for a Lifesavers mint from the bag in the car.

I still enjoy the brief hand-in-hand time though, so I always let him walk me out. Sometimes though I will randomly go several trips without giving him the mint.
Hopefully this will alter his motivation a bit.

Similar to my (and Perry's) feelings, God is not looking so much at what we do — like going to church, small groups, helping at the soup kitchen, etc. — He is looking more at the heart, the motivation for our action. What we DO does not win favor with Him if it is done without LOVE.

Go out today and do something to express your love and gratitude to God, without an expectation for something in return. He's already blessed you, if you want to hold onto cause and effect, do what your doing as a response to His mercy.

Intolerance for the Intolerant

2008-11-13T23:48:00.004-05:00

…And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…

Let me apologize for last week’s rant.
You see I have a history of hypocrisy that God is still de-constructing in me.

I grew up around Navy bases where we had a plethora of diversity; different races, different nationalities you name it.
Living in that environment, I never ran into racist comments and didn’t realize that side of life was a reality.
Then my Dad got assigned to do some work on an Army post near a backwoods town in Georgia and we moved there for a brief, but memorable stay.

Anyway, when riding the bus each day, I heard (from elementary school kids) the ugliest, most hate filled bile of language toward the ONE minority student on our route.
My dad’s assignment was quickly finished and THANK GOD, we were transferred out and back into the north (Newport, Rhode Island).

So, I was an impressionable youth.
That experience led me to believe that rural and predominantly white areas = racist.
And more so, white and rural people = racist.
All that to say, I developed a very tangible and strong distaste for people who hated other people due to their physical traits or backgrounds (such as different skin color or nationality).
But MY hypocrisy came out in the fact that I then began putting the racist label on the south as a region, all white people with a southern accent and all people who called themselves rednecks or hillbillies. In other words, I became the same kind of bigot — only with a different focus of my ignorant hate, animosity and cruel actions.

It took a lot of time and a lot of good southern people to bust those preconceptions so that I could regain a firm footing in reality.

Once I began to look at my part in the anger of the last post I realized a sobering point.

I am attempting to spread the truth of grace and mercy to my unbelieving friends, while at the same time WITHHOLDING THAT GRACE AND MERCY from my brothers and sisters in Christ who have a divergent view from my own.

It doesn’t matter that they may be responding in a way that I disagree with and it doesn’t matter that they have offended me. What matters is the way I deal with that offense.
And I dealt with it poorly.

I apologize.

May we all respond in peace and love.
Committed to the betterment of one another, and the spreading of the GOOD NEWS of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross for everyone who trusts in him for their eternal salvation.

Please Don’t Be the Christian That…

2008-11-07T00:42:00.002-05:00

— Wants to tell everyone why Obama might be the Antichrist; we are called to pray for our leaders and submit to the authority that is over us. Unless he tells you that you must sin against God, ease up. If he tells you to go and get a number tattooed on your forehead, then maybe we can talk seriously about this. Otherwise, pray just as hard for him as you can because he has a daunting task ahead of him.
— Wants to proclaim that a president from either party could save the world or could lead to the end of the world. God is in control. He will have the last word and if you are following Christ, you are on the winning side! So chill out.
— Wants to talk about the evils of either political party’s positions on abortion, homosexuality, poverty, church/state, welfare, etc… without ever going out and actually putting feet and hands on your convictions by loving the next hurting person. Our duty as Christians does not begin or end at the voting booth.

Please remember that we are out to bring people into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.
Sinners and outcasts were drawn to Christ even though His message went against culture. We have the same message, but it is getting lost in hyper-nationalism, self-righteousness (and at least a tinge of racism in some cases).
We need to maintain an attitude of grace, love and courage no matter what the situation. If your attitude is springing from fear, get on your knees and ask God to realign your thinking to His thinking. Realign your heart to His heart. Realign the example you set to the examples He set.

Jesus preached His message of love clearly and without holding back, yet people — sinners, prostitutes, tax-collectors, lepers — were drawn to Him.

One more word, Gossip is gossip, whether you are talking about a neighbor, a boss, or a politician. Just because the world does it does not mean that we should. If you are a Christian, stop gossiping.

What’s Holding You Back?

2008-11-03T14:34:00.001-05:00

Hey folks, I’ve been held back from posting by the ever-growing wave of life.

I’d complain, but this wave is:
— Increasing and strengthening my faith through my college studies;
— Allowing for an increasingly closer relationship with my son;
— Bringing my wife and I into a new level of relationship as we each seek to find out exactly what God wants of us;
— And stripping away the once loved “normal life” from me as I work (with a great leadership partner) to plant a church in our area.

In each of these realms, God has shown me that I have been thinking, visioning, and living for Him in a way that is WAY TO SMALL!

Diminutive drive or dreaming is not what God is calling us to as believers. If we only wrap our minds around what we can understand or think we can mange, we will always be holding ourselves back.

Who Are We Working For? (Part Two)

2008-10-06T00:22:00.002-04:00

Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

In the last post, I asked those believers that are still working in the secular world: Are there actions which are a part of your job that you know you need to give up in order to genuinely follow God? What is stopping you from making the change? What will it take for you to surrender to God’s Word on the issue? (Read More in Part One)

Now we will move on to pastors and other church leaders. My question is: Are you working for the Lord or for men? How many times as pastors have you said, "This church really needs to hear this, but I’d be looking for a new job if I preached on this." Or, how many times have you relegated a portion of scripture to the “off-limits area” because it may a) offend some of the veterans members of the church b) offend the wealthy tithing members of the church or b) offend and/or scare off the seekers?

I may be just a bit idealistic but, I would say that: a) if the veteran members are not able to hear all of the word, maybe they have been kept on an all milk diet for too long; b) If we are shaping our messages out of financial insecurity than we have stopped walking in faith (it is also a disservice to the benefactor to allow them to think that because of their bank accounts, their sensitivities trump the need to teach the Bible in its entirety) We are to preach what God has put us here to preach, not just what people want to hear. And finally c) if we sugar coat the Word or gloss over the culturally controversial elements of our faith in order to coddle the seekers into a decision to follow Christ, we may be asking the seekers to follow our God who they later find they disagree with. We are not here to hide the “fine print” but to let them know what following Christ entails — the good and the tough.

Where are you on this issue? Also, remember that I am still learning and I don’t claim to be an authority on this issue. These are just my thoughts on leadership as I begin my own ministry — Am I misguided?

Who Are We Working For? (Part One)

2008-10-03T00:48:00.002-04:00

Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

I have had to make several tough choices as I continue at my day job while training for the ministry. The Spirit has put conviction in my heart, forcing me to evaluate the motives and justifications for part of my job that does not seem to jibe with my faith walk. I ultimately had to make a decision as to whom I was going to follow.

The choices I made could have meant the loss of my job, but I have been blessed (up to this point) with incredibly understanding bosses. I thank God for their understanding!

This leads me to two questions for two groups, and I believe we are going to camp out on this for a few postings, so first to the rest of the people in a similar boat as I am in.

Those of you who are still working in the secular world: Are there actions, philosophies or conversations which are a part of your job that you know you need to give up in order to genuinely follow God? What is stopping you from making the change? What will it take for you to surrender to God’s Word on the issue?

The things that stopped me were the sense of security and the assurance of a paycheck that I was wrestling with. Additionally, I still have that human side of me that doesn’t want people to look at me as “that weird Christian.” I finally had to come to a place where I trusted God with my security over any other person and certainly over a business. I had to realize that we are never promised an easy life when we follow Christ, and that if I lost my job, the ensuing struggle would be a faith issue more than a standard of living issue. And finally, no matter how anyone else looks at me; my love is for Christ above anyone else. My concern must be what He thinks of me. I show my love for Him by following His commands.

Mission Statement

2008-09-24T10:15:00.002-04:00

Businesses have them, churches have them, do you have one?

What is your Mission Statement?

Webster’s defines a mission statement as: a summary describing the aims, values, and overall plan of an organization or individual.

The mission statement for what I believe Jesus is calling me to do is:

To simply express God's message of salvation, show the importance of a church family in the life of EVERY believer, and stress the need for each believer to properly represent Christ to those who still have not found our accepted Him.

Everything I do, (when I am walking in God’s will) is being directed by that mission.

The challenge that I have for you today is to come up with a mission statement for YOUR life. If you are a believer pray about what God has you here for, whether it be for this year, or your life.

If you are not a believer, you can do this too. What is your mission statement? (You can also pray about it first)

Once you have a mission statement it becomes easier to make decisions because you can say, “Sorry, that interferes with my mission I can’t be a part of it.” Or, "Yes, that is totally in line with what I think I'm here for!" And then walk in confidence. (you might want to word it differently, or just say "yes" or "no" so as not to seem loony.)

But write it down and share it with others. If you just keep it in your head and don't put it to paper the mission is to apt to change based on moment-by-moment whims.
Please share your Mission Statement here.

Investing

2008-09-22T13:59:00.003-04:00

I have to pause to praise God today for His continuing outpouring of love and support in my family’s life.

As many know, I answered God’s call to go into the ministry with a “No matter what” mentality. I know that no matter what happens, if I stay on God’s side and if I stay right sized, God will take care of me and the family.

That being said — the costs of school, the 180-mile commute for school each week and the reduction in hours/income because of necessary missed work has left us in a pretty major bind.

So along comes our pastor to tell us that the church is taking up a love offering for our family to help cover some of the expenses. This was a tough spot for me because, while I am always willing to give my money for other’s hardships, my own pride really pushed back against the love offering.

I tried to talk our pastor out of the offering as it came closer to happening but was told that it was still going to happen regardless.

Anyway, our church family gave sacrificially into the cause and blew us away with their generosity. And this was after many of them dealt with major damage from the hurricane!

Also, my mom and dad in Indy have come through huge each Tuesday night after class with a warm place to sleep, dinner and love as I sleep at their place before trekking back to Madison on Wednesday morning.

So, we are still financially afloat, which is a miracle and we continue to praise God for sustaining us.

My wife has this passage from proverbs 30:8 posted on her blog and it is a prayer that has recently been answered in our lives:

“Don’t make me either rich or poor,
Just give me enough for each day.”

It is only when we were stripped of all other “security” in our lives that I truly began to trust God completely.

As my faith is increased, I can say more resolutely that I'll follow God "no matter what."

Back to Work

2008-09-20T20:13:00.000-04:00

Our exciting week began with what may have been the first hurricane to make it all the way to Southern Indiana. It downed a ton of trees and power lines leaving us without power for about a week. Anyway, now that everything is up and running again (as of Friday at about 2:30 p.m. I get to catch up on all of the homework that I couldn’t do without my computer.
Although it will mean a busy couple of days, I am grateful of the blessing of a forced one-week sabbatical of all things electronic at my house. It was totally quiet and peaceful and I’ve never slept better.
I hope you were able to find a silver lining if you were hit by the storm as well.

Trading Up

2008-09-09T11:39:00.002-04:00

My first oral presentation for school was this week. It went well, I have a great group of classmates, very encouraging. Here' the rundown.
— I know what my goal is as it relates to my calling.
— I have priorities set that are helping me to reach that goal.
— We’ve been told in class that there will be hurdles along the path and that we should NOT be surprised by them, but we should anticipate them and know how to get over or around the hurdles.
—My biggest hurdle is fear and while the fear sometimes comes from an external source, more often than not it is internal.
I fear that I am inadequate for the task, I fear that I may fail and cause others to stumble, I fear that by pursuing the goal I will loose any and all financial security that my family has
And the list goes on…
— If I were to ask you, at some points in your life you are gripped with fears as well. Fears that you are not smart enough, young enough, old enough, that you are not leadership material, that maybe you won’t measure up as a dad or a mom, fear that you cannot ever beat your addiction, fear that you won’t ever be loved.
— What do all of these fears have in common? God’s not in the picture.

— The good news is that God already has something to say about this hurdle. Our fear is not a surprise to Him. The fact that so many of us have so much fear is one of the primary reasons that we (believers) have been given the Holy Spirit.

— In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul reminds Timothy that fear is not what God has given us, among other things, when we received the Spirit of God, we were given power and love and self control — Three tools in our spiritual toolkit to aid us in our journey.

To illustrate, I’ll talk about a co-worker who got a flat tire this week. She had a choice to make. She could either keep driving on the flat, which would have only caused more damage to her car, or she could stop and pull out the necessary tools to remedy the situation.

In the same way, when we smack up against fear in our lives, we can keep trudging along and operate out of that fear, which will cause us to make bad decisions, tear down relationships, cause us to retreat from situations and stop us from moving forward in the direction God is leading us.

— What you can do when you feel the fear coming on is use the first tool that is the spirit of Power. This is not my power or your power but the Mighty Power of God. The way I use this tool is to remind myself of the ways that God has already shown His power in past situations. My fear is replaced by courage when I think back to the “old me” that is not even recognizable to the person I am today. I look at the relationships that He has mended that I never would have imagined being fixed before I came to faith. There are countless examples in my life. Then there are the many, many, many examples of His awesome power in Scripture:
— The Parting of the Red Sea,
— The tumbling of the Jericho walls,
— The giving of sight to the blind,
— The rising the dead, etc…
Next you can utilize the power of Love. Not the xoxo, hugs and flowers kind of love, but the love expressed through a commitment to the betterment of others.
This is the Love demonstrated by Christ throughout His life on earth and especially in His death on the cross. He showed that love might mean sacrifice on our part to help others to discover what they can have in Christ.
Put more simply, when I am focused on lifting others up, I don’t have time to be afraid.
Finally, There is the power of self-discipline. This is actually the first of the three that I have to utilize when I come into a fearful situation, because my first instinct is to RUN AWAY from what ever is causing the fear. Am I the only one?
Anyway, I must use the self-discipline that has been instilled in me by the Holy Spirit to make myself stand firm and even move forward through a trial.

I know this is a long post, but we’re almost through.
Now that we know what tools we can use to fight fear and gain courage, wouldn’t it be smart for us to pick up these tools daily in order to fight fear proactively instead of just reacting to it when it rears it’s head?

Just imagine what your life, your family, your job and even your church would look like if you and the Christians around you operated in a way that constantly
— Celebrates the Power that has been seen in the good that God has already done
— Moves to act out of Love to lift others up out of bad situations and show Christ to the lost and
— Shows the restraint of Self-Discipline and presses toward the goal rather than running away from difficulty.

What would your world look like?

Keep Going, Keep Trusting

2008-09-04T08:51:00.002-04:00

Last week I began encouraging the men in our Saturday morning small group to begin asking God what the new small groups would look like if they were each to start and lead their own (in addition to being a part of the Saturday morning gathering).
We referenced Romans 1: 10-12 (thanks Andy Stanley) and Hebrews 5:12.
In the meeting we talked about what positive things the men have taken from the small group that we are a part of each week, and if they had been a part of other small groups in the past, what pluses did they get out of those gatherings.
Personally, I can track my first small group (On the Purpose Driven Life at Gary and Stacy Knight’s house) as the spring board that began to lift me up and out of “get out of Hell” or “fire insurance” Christianity and into “a growing relationship with God” Christianity.
Anyway, once we all listed the blessings we had received from small group, I challenged the men that they had been learning the word for quite a while now — both in small group and in church — and that is was time to start passing that information and those blessings on to those who did not yet have them.
Anyway, I am really excited about this Saturday. Our group of guys is very diverse and I know that if each man focuses on something they are passionate about, than we will soon have a great line up of choices for those who will soon join in to our small groups.

Just to reinforce what our motivation is, we should look to Matthew 25: 14-30. In this parable we learn that no matter what we have been gifted with, (whether we feel steeped in spiritual gifts or if we feel inadequate) we are to use what ever we have and just try to invest what we’ve been given. We are by no means meant to bury our gifts or blessings and just wait for the Master to return.

And as one final note, some of our undertakings will turn out wonderfully and some will seem like they are not working out. Additionally, some things will seem to work out great and then the bottom might fall out. (Thanks Perry Noble) Through it all, though, we are to push on with trust and praise to our Lord.

Side note:
It occurred to me after reading this post that I haven't challenged the blog readers who are not in my small group.
To you I would say, it is time to start a small group.
"But Ken," you say, "I'm not even part of a church."
Well, then you need to find one and become a part of this family you have been adopted into.
"But Ken," you say, "I'm not even a Christian."
Well, then you can accept Jesus Christ as your Savior right now and get the show on the road. If you are ready to do that let me know and I will walk you through it.

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing

Choices

2008-08-22T00:14:00.001-04:00

As I told my son to go to the corner for violating the same rule for a third time, I decided to explain to him that there were only two choices to make in any given situation: To follow the rules or not to follow the rules. It was his decision and his freedom.
At three years old, he has that freedom. And at 31, I have that freedom.
And, just like my son, I have to think about the consequences that follow each choice that I make. God gave us the freedom to choose, and there are times that I am completely frustrated by that option.
More to the point, I am usually frustrated when, even though I know the correct choice to make, I just keep on doing the wrong thing.
I used to ask God, why don’t you just wipe out all other choices? Or, why give me any choices at all?
The answer is easier to see when I look at my relationship with my wife. I love her. And, I want to know that she loves me.
Truth be told (this may be hard to believe) there are smarter, better looking, wealthier, healthier, and maybe even funnier men in the world that she could have chosen instead of me. But it was that choice that truly demonstrated her love at first.
Today, my love for my wife is expressed in the decisions or choices that I make in regards to our relationship.
I choose to be a husband that does not cheat. I choose make sure we still have time together regardless of other things I need to get done. I choose to take the boy on a Daddy and Son outing in order to give her a break from her Mommy role. I choose to be the kind of husband that doesn’t make the command, “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” Colossians 3:18 (NIV), a hard command to follow. In short, I choose to love her. Everyday. And I choose to express that love, and not just rest on the assumption that she knows it already.
Similarly, God gives us a freedom in choice, or free will, because it is by choosing to follow Him, choosing to obey his commands that we can show our love for Him (John 14:15).

I usually provide links that take you directly to passages in scripture, but today I would like you to choose to open your Bible at home and study the word in front of you. Or write down these passages and find a quiet spot to read and then reflect on the choices you have made and are making in your life.
And, if you are not a Christian, but read this post anyway. I would still encourage YOU to begin reading the Bible today. Because, even if you aren’t a believer, following the principals found in these books can change you life (and this whole God thing might start to click).

Anyway here are some people in the Bible who made good and bad. If you are like me, you will relate to each person.

Adam and Eve / Genesis 2: 15-17 and 3: 1-7
Solomon / 1 Kings 9: 6-9 and 11: 1-13
Jonah / Jonah 1: 1-16
And Jesus / Matthew 4: 1-10 and Mark 15: 16-20

Another Beginning

2008-08-12T07:51:00.001-04:00

I am heading back to school.
I am starting with orientation tonight and I will be in class one night a week, every week, for the next two years. Once I am done I will have a Bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Ministry from Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis.
I am excited to start and hope for all of your prayers (for courage, strength, perseverance, wisdom and financial stability) as we officially get this ball rolling.

Don't Be the Big Brother

2008-08-06T08:08:00.004-04:00

I can’t say it any better than Perry Noble at NewSpring did in the sermon posted here. But his word really spoke to me after an event this last week.
Our town was hurt a few years back when a teenager drove his car through a crowd and seriously injured three people.
He had drugs in his system and says he had an epileptic seizure.
I wasn’t there, so I don’t know.
In fact no one but the driver and God knows for sure.
Anyway, he spoke to our paper after getting out of jail and made clear three points:
— He was guilty
— He discovered his faith in the Saving and Transforming power of Jesus Christ while in jail, and
— While he knew it would never make up for what he had done, all he could do now is apologize for his actions and their consequences.

Is this kid perfect? No.
Does he still have struggles ahead? Probably.
Does he deserve a second chance? Absolutely!

But the responses posted to the story on the newspaper web site are astounding in their lack of grace and compassion.
The comments included a desire to beat the kid, to run him out of town, a lack of belief that he could have found God in prison, questioning of his motives and more.
I hope and pray that Christians did not post these responses.
If these responses were posted by non-believers, that is one thing. I cannot speak about their motives, thoughts or actions. Plus, when I was still lost I probably would have said the same things.
The truth is it takes what it takes to make such a life changing decision to run to the Father.
While some were brought up in the church, many of us were not. In my case, I had to be broken before I would admit that I had no control over my life and needed to reach out for something stronger, better, bigger and tremendously more powerful than myself.
I had to reach out for God. And, He was right there, ready to lift me up out of my mess. And, the truth is I still had a lot of changing left to do after accepting my salvation (and I still do).
All I know is I have been given a plethora of chances to change. And I am sure that there are many who, at least at first, doubted my sincerity.
I'm rambling but the point is, just because it was easy for some Christians to walk with God from the outset, we need to remember that Jesus came to heal the sick, not to comfort the “righteous.”
As Christians we are called to:
Forgive
Not question other’s motives but always question our own
Use words (written or said) to lift a person up, and
Rejoice when a person come to the Lord, even if you don't like their path.

Don’t be the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son, who thought that his works in the field were more “worthy” of God’s praise than the simple action of coming back to the father.
Because if we consider ourselves more righteous than those who still reek of their old ways, than we are no better than the Pharisees.

Be Ready To Be A Blessing

2008-07-30T00:05:00.002-04:00

First read the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-35. Everyone is familiar with the story, but read it again so it is fresh in your mind.
In verse 33 we are introduced to a despised Samaritan who finds a man beaten and bloody, and decides he can and will help out.
In verse 34 and 35, the GS uses his supplies, transportation, time and money to take care of him. And without knowing what the cost would be, promised the innkeeper that he would foot the bill for any additional costs.
An important aspect of this parable is that the Samaritan was equipped to help with time, supplies, treasure and the right heart when a need arose.
God will put many people in our path during our lives (true whether or not you are a believer) that we are to help.
Some of these people may need financial support, others may need clothes or food, some may require some of our time and an open ear and others will just need to see a heart that is reflective of the love they have been searching for.
The question is, am I (are you) (is the church) ready to be of service.
If you are like me, there have been many times when we have seen someone in need and it has been hard to help because we were not equipped for the task.
I am either short of the time, supplies, compassion or willingness to get the job done.
My daily prayer usually includes something along the lines of, “God, show me who you want me to impact for You as I go out into the world.”
God answers that prayer everyday. There are times though, when I am far from meeting the challenge. So I then go back and pray, “thanks God for the opportunity, now can you give me the __________ to meet the need?”
While God is happy to facilitate, I need to be more proactive. I need to be armed with enough money to buy someone lunch, I have to schedule enough room in each day to be able to sit and listen to someone who needs to open up to someone (without me glancing repeatedly at the clock), I need to be mindful of the grace God has shown me as a sinner so that I can translate that into compassion for other members of the species and then I need to pray for the continued willingness to impact people for Christ.

These are just a few examples. Have you ever felt ill equipped for a challenge? What can you do to change the area where you are lacking?

Watching My Tongue

2008-07-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of things that can destroy a church, misrepresent Christ to others and hurt relationships across the board.
But, I think that one of the most harmful is gossip.
I have had to walk away from more than one person in the past month because they “wanted to make sure I knew… about… you know, to pray for them” and “Well, before you let them get to close, you do know this, don’t you…”
I’m sorry to say these comments were from churchgoers.
Even more disconcerting is the fact that — In the past week I have found myself talking about someone in a disparaging way more than once.
This is a big deal because, while I have many areas that I am attempting to purify, thanks to God, my tongue has been much more tame in past months than at any other time in my life.
So when I find myself sliding backward, I need to take action.
In a recent sermon, Francis Chan challenged us to ask two questions in order to counteract gossip.
When someone is gossiping, simply, but pointedly ask, “So what are you doing to help that person?” And “How does telling me help that person.”
My challenge to anyone who talks to me one-on-one is to confront me when I gossip. Ask those two questions.
My challenge to everyone is to tell others to ask YOU those questions when YOU gossip.
And if you are not a gossip, PRAISE GOD! You can help the rest of us.

We All Have Our Foibles

2008-07-18T22:06:00.003-04:00

I used to drink. A lot.
I still drink coffee. A lot.
I love my wife and child. A lot.
I love to eat. A lot.

Everything my heart or mind goes to, I seem to over do. I heard it described (disparagingly) as “not having an off switch.”
It’s true in nearly every area of my life. I recently found the TV series Monk at our library. So I checked out the first two discs from the first season, thinking that it would last me through the week. By the end of the first night, I had watched the all of disc 1 and the first episode of the second disc. It was then, much too late, and I was tired throughout the next day.
I don’t have an off switch. This can be my biggest defect at times. Though it is seen as passion in some areas, it can be destructive in other areas.

Everybody, if asked can find similar areas in their lives. Here are three more examples from unnamed friends:

Friend One often talks about what he sees as a negative character trait. “I’m a people pleaser,” he says with a shrug. His goal of “making everybody happy” sometimes leaves him vulnerable and very often over extended and over committed.

Friend Two punctuates every comment about himself with a slight jab. He is the king of self-deprecation. This can be funny, but if it is overdone, it can drive people away.

Friend Three admits to being overly critical of public figures, especially politicians and other government officials. While it is not bad to keep tabs on who is making the decisions that may or may not change our lives, we can lose focus of the things within our areas of influence when we are fixated those things that are out of our control.

The good news is that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)

I used to look at this verse only in times of great distress.
When a loved one is sick — …in all things God works for the good of those who love him…
When money is tight — …in all things God works for the good of those who love him…
When I wrecked my car — …in all things God works for the good of those who love him…

But for some reason I only looked at the “in all things” as in all things external but that was a distinction I was making, not God.

God can work my lack of an off switch, my friend’s desire to please people, self-deprecation and critical view for good. That’s a promise in the word.

If what God says is true, then it is not our “foible” but our focus that needs changed. We don’t need to pray, “God change this defect.” We can instead pray, “God show me how to use what has been a handicap in my life to bring glory to You.” If He had to wait for all of my defects to be fixed before I could be useful to God, than He would still be waiting.

This change of focus has occurred in my life in that, ever since I felt the call to go into ministry, I have poured into; the study of His word; research into affective preaching styles; prodding for guidance from those that are becoming mentors in faith; and prayer, prayer and more prayer. My lack of an off switch is not so bad when I am focused on Him instead of things that have been destructive.

The same can be illustrated in each of my friends.
God can focus the people pleaser to reach out and make church comfortable to the newcomer.
God can focus the self-deprecator’s statements to make him more approachable to those of us who may look at him as more elevated than the rest.
And God can focus my friend’s critical eye to point out areas where his Faith can be strengthened and to where the church as a whole can be more affective at achieving it’s goals.

What we need to do is continue to search for how God wants to use us as the people we are today (not the people we hope to become) in order to further his Kingdom.

How Long Will You Carry the Load?

2008-07-14T08:34:00.002-04:00

One of the primary reasons for God’s forgiveness of our sins is that we cannot have the relationship with Him that He wants until the wall that we have built between us (sin) is torn down.

Likewise, God desires that every person on earth come to faith and then be in right relationship with each other. How do we do that?

We forgive.

There are some people in my life that I used to hold as my favorite enemies. If their names came up my anger for what they had done would become as fresh as they day they offended me. The problem was, this stalled any usefulness that I could be for the work of God’s Kingdom in that person’s life, and it flew in the face of God’s instruction, thus hindering my relationship with God.

The old cliché is that holding a grudge is like drinking poison to try to make someone else sick. Unforgiveness festers in us — filling us with bitterness, resentment, discontentment and anger. Many times, the person (or people, or political parties, or corporations…) that we have so much resentment toward doesn’t care or doesn’t even know that they are the focus of so much ire. They may be sleeping soundly, while I develop an ulcer that I then add to my charges against them.

My first reaction to this concept was that I needed to hold on to this anger because otherwise, the person would be getting by with something.
But, once I started to look deeply at my own faults toward other people, I saw that I was a lot like the people that hurt me. I don’t want to get what I deserve for my past mistakes and my past viciousness. So, seeing a little of me in them makes it easier to forgive.

This is not to say that what the people did was okay. The hurt was real. Some of the hurt was incredibly physically, emotionally and mentally painful.

But again, by holding the grudge, I just kept reliving that hurt again and again each time the people came to mind.

By forgiving, I am not only letting the person off the hook, but I am also freeing myself from the bondage of that hurt.

Of course, there is a difference between forgiving and forgetting.

Here’s what I have found in that area. Once I have forgiven someone for the wrong or wrongs, I can stop focusing on that event(s) and focus on the good in them (like God does when he washes away our sins).

I may never completely forget a loose fist or harsh word, but once I forgive, it is like I stop picking at a scab. The area can finally heal, and in time it will fade. Some wounds are obviously deeper than others, but a scar is easier to live with than a fresh wound.

Several of the people that I chose to forgive are now positive parts of my life. Once there was forgiveness, God began to rebuild what was broken between us.

If you are not there yet and you still feel a need to hold onto the anger, bitterness and resentment, I’d just ask that you try it to take a baby step, as they would say in “What About Bob?” and forgive a small trespass. Once you find they freedom that the forgiveness brings, maybe it will catch on.

Now, to all of the Christian readers of this post, forgiveness is not an option for us. We must live out forgiveness, because we are commanded to be representatives of Christ among the lost in this world. Can your neighbors, friends and family who are still not believers see any evidence of Christ in you? Can you represent Christ while still holding grudges? Do you remember what He could hold as a grudge toward us if He chose to?

Is That Safe?

2008-07-07T09:58:00.002-04:00

On Saturday night I ran into a friend that I had not talked to in several months and I told him about God’s call in my life. He asked what that would mean and I said I don’t know for sure but that I have a heart for the unchurched and that I am looking at a Bible college that emphasizes outreach into urban areas and multiethnic places that are not as well served as the suburbs and small towns.
“Urban areas,” he said. “Is that safe?”
I’m not sure. The truth is I’ve lived in cities and small towns, and trouble is trouble wherever you go. People who are hurting are the same everywhere. The catalyst for the pain may be different, but the solution for all of the troubles is the same. His name is Jesus Christ.
Reactions like “is that safe” pull me deeper into realizing that I am on the right track.
I don’t want to be held back by what is safe or what is easy in order to live out my Faith. Where is the faith in that?
One of my first thoughts was that there are many people who hurt right in my own backyard (I live in a very small city). But I also know that there is at least one church per mile of road here.
What can I do to help in areas where the church hasn’t yet — or no longer — reaches out?
In Acts 17: 17, we see that Paul not only reaches out to god minded people in the synagogue, but also in the market place “with those who happened to be present.”
In other words, he didn’t just stay in the church where, although there were differences, it was a “safe” place to talk about God, he went out to the world, where some people didn’t have a church vernacular, and many had never heard of his God.
We need to get out of our safe areas and out comfort zones and get into the Word by spreading the good news to those who haven't heard it yet and who may be afraid of the CHURCH.
If you get a chance, listen to Jimmy Dorrell, of the Church Under the Bridge in Waco, Texas. He seems to get this idea better than me.
Just to be clear, I am not only writing this to convict the readers of the blog but also to motivate action on my part.
I am in a holding pattern right now trying to figure out school and work and bills and family obligations — all to the point that I am not practicing this yet.
Pray that I will find a way to walk this out here, where I live, until I finish school.

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T12:47:00.004-04:00

On our country’s birthday, (and my brother’s wedding day) I am reminded of the blessings I have as an American.
Of course there are many areas where we need to improve (as can be said for any country) but just as God doesn’t want us to use words that tear down one another, I believe we can also show the same restraint of tongue and pen (and keyboard) when talking about our nation.
The fact is, we can talk about what our government should be doing better, but that can take the focus off of what We the People should be doing individually to purify ourselves out of Love for the Father. Instead we can just start living it out a person at a time - a neighborhood at a time - and trust God.
I cannot change the world, but I can have an effect on the people around me.
Today, I will refrain from being Debbie Downer and I can rejoice because: I can practice my faith openly, it is not a criminal act to share the gospel, men and women can vote, we have more grills in our backyards than any other nation (I made up that last one) and we have not yet imploded like so many superpowers in the past.
If you are a Christian, though, I would implore you to not only thank God for the U.S., but to also pray for all the Christians around the globe, in North/South Korea, China, Chile, Rwanda, Malawi, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal, Iran…
And even more importantly, pray for all of those that have been deemed “evil” and “terrorist” and “enemy” by our government and "sinner" by other Christians because that is who God longs to be in relationship with.

As Shane Claiborne says in his book The Irresistible Revolution,

“If I believed terrorists were beyond redemption, I would need to rip out half of my New Testament Scriptures, for they were written by a converted terrorist.”

Let’s remember not to allow our nationalism trump or faith. It’s okay to love what we’ve been blessed with so long as we don’t think that it makes U.S. better than T.H.E.M. God’s grace covers ALL.

Read This Book

2008-07-04T03:33:00.003-04:00

As I look into where I can best be used by God in the kingdom, I have been looking into new (actually old) ideas of what
Church is, and what the goal of pastors should be and what we should — and maybe should not — be doing in the name of God.

This book was at our library and it piqued my interest in examining our tug-of-war in the church battling to stay relevant in a cynical world without losing touch with the key tenets of our faith.

This book seems to condemn the modern American church structure while at the same time calls for greater unity among the global church to spread hope and support to the hurting.

At the end of the day, I understand the position that the bigger a church gets, the more powerful it can be in the work of our Savior. But, I also see Mr. Claiborne’s point that if we are spending millions of dollars on buildings while people around us are going hungry, there is an injustice.

I believe the issue is not how big a congregation is or even how much it spends on a building, (I would not want to turn people away if they are seeking Christ) the issue is: Are we spreading the entire gospel – including the parts about suffering for Christ and serving the least among us; and are we living out those principals that we speak about, read about and listen to.

This book is like a sermon or the Word of God itself in that if we don’t put the ideas into action, they lie dead in the pages or fall limp from the pulpit.

Anyway, read the book for yourself.

Confirmation — UPDATED

2008-06-29T15:50:00.003-04:00

I just gave my first sermons at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services this morning at Hanover UMC. CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE SERMON
After preparation, talking it through with my wife at home and going through my sermon at the pulpit in front of empty pews on Saturday, I felt that I was ready. The only thing left to do was show up and get myself out of the way to convey whatever message God had for me to put out there.
The only thing I wanted was a bit of confirmation that I am headed in th right direction with my calling.
The sermon came out well and was received well by all the people who came up afterwards to talk.
I pray that anyone who heard the message will now go and walk it out in their daily life this week.
I just wanted to say thanks to all the people who had me in their prayers over the last few weeks. Especially Randy, Steve and Fran, who prayed with me before each service for God to step in and take over for me.
My friend Matt, a pastor at Lancaster Community Church, pointed out in a sermon that Jesus calls on the unqualified to do His work. I am one of those that feels unqualified, yet it is the fact that I am not qualified that points the glory back to God when the things like today’s services go well.

Just So We’re Clear

2008-06-24T23:44:00.002-04:00

Jesus is a great teacher. Jesus is a great leader. Most of all, though, Jesus is my Savior and Lord.

An article in my newspaper reported on a survey that found that 57 percent of people who attend evangelical churches believe that many religions can lead to eternal life.
That is correct, but more on that at the end of the post.

I don’t know how the questions were asked or how involved the answers could be for this survey.

Just so we are clear, I am a Christian and that means I accept as facts that:
-I am a sinner.
-God has established that sin breaks my connection to Him.
-No matter what “good” things I have done or will do in the future I cannot wash away the sin from who I am.
-Seeing that I was trapped in my sin, God sent His Son to wash the sin away and allow me to walk freely into the Kingdom.
-God’s mercy, seen in the death of Jesus was mandatory for my entrance into Heaven.
-In the end there is no other way to Heaven except through my acceptance of Christ as my Savior.

I desperately wish that the last point was not so. I have friends and family that I love who I want to see in Heaven. But so long as they lack faith and acceptance in Jesus, I do not believe I will see them after they die.
I also have friends and family that have already died. I am unsure about their salvation and I can only hope that, although I never knew it, they were saved.
But no matter how much I wish for something, a wish is not sufficient grounds for my faith. My faith is based on the written Word of God and I cannot add to or take away from the Word to suit my wants.

To non-believers (if you are still reading postings on this blog), this may be one of the great hurdles for you when discussing faith with Christians.
Before I was a Christian, I would scoff at the “Woe is you and your damned soul if you aren’t born again,” proclamations.
Now that I am on the other side, I can only hope you won’t get mad at me for my beliefs. I promise not to get mad about your beliefs.
It is what it is. I DO grieve for those who are lost, but that’s on me. My grief is not your problem.
The article went onto interpret many of the findings in the survey as a growing tolerance of non-Christian religions by Christians.
I am in that camp. I am tolerant of the fact that some people will never be on board. You cannot affectively combat non-belief with intolerance.
However, my tolerance if is only toward your non-belief. God lets you choose for yourself and so will I. I have no right or duty to do otherwise. My tolerance is not an acceptance that you are right. I BELIEVE that you are wrong if you reject Jesus. But I’m going to love you until you die, just as God does. And, when you die, I will accept — sadly — that I will not see you again.

Now, back to the beginning.
The article found that 57 percent of evangelical church attendees believe that many religions can lead to eternal life.

I BELEIVE that you will live eternally regardless of your salvation. Whether you live eternally in God’s presence or out of it (in Heaven or Hell) is your choice. And if you don’t believe that I will tolerate your unbelief.

Staying on Track

2008-06-23T08:24:00.002-04:00

In the last post I was talking about my own weakness and wrote, “It’s not about my insecurities; it is about being a messenger of God.”

And a messenger of God is what he calls each of us (Christians) to be.
Whether your pulpit is behind a desk, at the handle of a shovel, behind the wheel of a delivery truck or in an assembly line, God calls each Saved person to spread the Good News and be a witness to what God has done for us in our lives.
It’s not about how qualified we think we are or even whether people want to hear what we have to say.

It’s about glorifying the Son of God who said He knows you and I are damaged goods, but He wants us in His family anyway!
His Father in Heaven wants you as an adopted son or daughter so badly that He let his own Son be murdered to seal the covenant of his love for us in a way that we couldn’t do for ourselves!
Can you imagine allowing that to happen to your son? It is beyond my understanding. Not even for my wife, could I give up my son.

But God did! God did, even though he knew some of us would never accept Him (which I didn’t for many years).
God did, even though he knew some of us would call on His name and accept Him in word, but then go on living like we had before we knew of Him (which I did for many years).
God did because he wants us to get bowled over with the Love that ONLY a relationship with Him can give us.
God did because that Love relationship will produce the kind of worship that we were created for.

That’s what we are here for. For God! This post is for believers.
Worship God by telling everyone what God has done for you.
Stop being afraid. It doesn’t matter if we are labeled holy rollers, or Bible thumpers. It is what God will say about us that will matter.

We are here to serve God, not the other way around.

Related Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Come One, Come All

2008-06-21T16:09:00.002-04:00

My pastor has asked me to give the sermon for both services on the last Sunday of this month.

Another pastor and friend told me the real training comes by doing not schooling when I asked about good bible schools to pick from. He said just pick a college close by — a college that sticks to the Bible — and then get down to business. While college is important to lay the foundation of a sound understanding of scripture, it is practice that makes for progress.

I have always found that to be true in my day job.
I can read all about new styles and new techniques, but MY style and technique can’t be formed with my nose in a book, I have to go out and do the work.

So, I said yes to speak.
I will admit that there was, at first, part of me that didn’t want anyone to know about my sermon unless they were part of my church family. That way if I really bag out up at the pulpit I will only do so in front of people who love me and will give me grace through this growing process.

But then I looked again at my calling and asked myself, who am I to exclude anyone from hearing the Word? So now I am inviting everyone I talk with, to come on out and listen to the sermon.

All I need to worry about is being prepared and open to God’s leading on the morning of the sermon. It’s not about my insecurities; it is about being a messenger of God.

A friend at church said not to worry too much about next Sunday. He said I can establish a base line with this sermon to see where I need to improve.

So come on out!

Related bible Links: 1 ,
2

The Cat’s Out

2008-06-17T08:24:00.002-04:00

If you read my friend Matt’s response to my post Success, Strength and Courage, you may have come to the same conclusion that he did — and if you did you are correct…sort of.

I have done more than consider a career change. I have surrendered to a Call from God into full time ministry, thus (at some point in the future) I’ll be leaving my day job.

As I prefaced all of this with my bosses; don’t panic.
I am not leaving with my family tomorrow for India, Nairobi, or even Detroit (unless I feel that is part of the Call).
More likely I will be starting my education at a Bible College in the fall to get further equipped for my ministry and, as with everything else that I feel the Lord has led me to, doors will open in the direction He wants to use me in and they will close in the directions I need not pursue.

How I got here
The first several years of my Christian walk could be summarized like this:
I was saved and grateful for the salvation. I went to church most Sundays and because I sat under some wonderful pastors and teachers, I always felt recharged for another week in the world.
At times I would even feel a conviction to act differently — but that feeling would usually pass quickly.
I still did nearly everything that I had done as a non-believer (except drink) and I felt no obligation to change.
But, then I started to read the Bible for myself. And although the pastors and teachers I have are great, they cannot speak the Word into my heart as well it can penetrate when I read it for myself.
With each page I saw the Truth more clearly and I saw how, even though it was written thousands of years ago, it related to my life today.
Also, I found that a lot of the ideas I thought were scripturally sound - ideas that I was basing my life on, were not only NOT IN THE BIBLE — they clearly contradicted the Word of God.
Thus I entered a season of change. Not out of legalism but out of a desire to walk closer to God.
I began to guard my tongue — less sarcasm, less gossip, less vulgarity.
I began to guard my ears — turning away from negative speech and backbiting comments.
Many things began to shed away, things that flew in the face of what is Holy, became less attractive.
I replaced many of the things that used to occupy my spare time with things that would build my new foundation. I began listening to sermons online, on CD and more intently in church. I structured time into my schedule for reading the Bible regularly and began talking to God continually instead of just praying at the dinner table, in bed and when I was in trouble.

In other words I started to clear out the distractions that blocked me from hearing the whisper of the Holy Spirit and I finally let God begin to transform me.
While I still have a lifetime to purify and while the work will not be complete until I move into Heaven, I can look back on the last two years and see more growth than at any other point in my life. Thanks to God not me.

So anyway, about a year ago, I began to feel the call into full time ministry. I didn’t think that I could be interpreting the Call right because I didn’t feel adequate. Also, I didn’t want to be interpreting the Call correctly because of the implications.

For the first time I am in a place where everything is running smoothly, great job, nice house, etc.

So I tried to do other things to answer the call. I started to work on our church’s stewardship committee, then I started leading a men’s group bible study then I started this blog.

Each of these actions was beneficial, and each led me to feel closer to God. But the closer I got, the clearer His Call became.

Once I didn’t have anything else to throw in as alternatives, I came right out with all of my, “but firsts” and “what ifs”

— But first let me pay off all of my debt. {I don’t know if that will ever happen}
— But first let’s get our son into elementary school. {Several years off}
— But first, let me clean out all of my sin. {Sin will be part of our struggle as long as we live}
— What if He’s calling us to the other side of the world? {Is He sufficient to get us through it?}
— What if I lose my job when I tell them about this Calling? {Is He sufficient to get us through it?} [By the way – I didn’t get fired]
— What if we have to struggle because of this decision in our finances, relationships, and areas I haven’t even thought about? {Is He sufficient to get us through it?}

No matter what the worry, God came back with the same answer: Lean more on Him than on what I know or what I am used to.

So, once it became clear that this was the Call and that I had a choice that had to be made by my wife and I, I surrendered and am now walking out of faith alone.
Faith that I will be led to the right school, the right town after school (which could possibly be right where we are now) and faith that I will be given discernment in every step as to what builds the Kingdom.

And what builds the Kingdom may not always be comfortable, and trials will come, but there is no better purpose than to follow God’s lead from Glory to Glory to Glory.

Related Bible Links 1, 2, 3

Celebrate the Father

2008-06-11T08:16:00.002-04:00

A friend gave some good-natured ribbing about how “wordy” I have been in some of the recent posts, so I’ll keep this one short…

As father’s day approaches Please remember to celebrate your love for Our Father.

If you are reading this and you are a father (or if you aren’t a dad but you do serve in leadership of any kind), remember to lead in the way Jesus led, with Humility, Strength, and the ability to let things go when they aren’t important in the grand scheme.

Success, Strength and Courage

2008-06-06T15:00:00.004-04:00

Joshua 1:8-9 (New Living Translation), says:

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

From the time I began my walk as a Christian, I have heard that God wants me to prosper and succeed. What I never listened to was that I had a part in that success. (Joshua 1:8)
In contrast, I knew that I should not walk in fear, but I have always held on to the reigns and hardly ever truly let God be the source of my courage and strength. (Joshua 1:9)

These two verses in Joshua, spell out my need to take action in one aspect and to let go in another.

Success
If you cut away all of the labels, my idea of success has always been money, power and respect. I thought that if I had those things, I would be successful.
The truth is all of those things are relative.
Ten years ago I said that if only I made X amount of dollars, I would be successful. Now I make more than what seemed out of reach then, and I still have financial struggles.

Five years ago, I thought that I would be happy if I worked in a place where my superiors and my customers respected what I do. Now I have that respect and there’s still a longing for something else.

As far as power goes, I have always thought that if people close to me, and in the world at large, would just “get on board” with things in the direction I am moving — my life and theirs would run more smoothly. (Of course, I’ve never achieved that kind of “power” and as I look at the directions I would have taken other people, I’m glad I haven’t had that power).

The problem has never been that God hasn’t delivered on His promises of prosperity or success. It’s that:
- I haven’t done the footwork that leads to the success
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
- And, if I study the Bible and meditate on ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN IT, my ideas of success would be completely different.

I find true success when:
- I allow God to be my provider and stop worrying about how much money I have.
- I humble myself before God and stop hoping to be fulfilled by the respect of others (In other words, I should work to represent Christ instead of myself, and give Him all the praise).
- And I submit to His Power instead of trying to exert my will(power).

Strength and Courage
In Joshua 1:9, God commands to be strong and courageous, not afraid or discouraged.

I’ve heard it said many times that if there is fear, there is a lack of faith and if there is Faith, there is a lack of fear.

This was a concept that I have understood from early on. My hang up was that I didn’t embrace the last part of the verse, “For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I just finished a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. In the book, he asks whether life would be any different if I suddenly stopped being a Christian.
While it may change the way I talk or what I watch or some other surface issues, there would likely be no change in the core of who I am — that is my decisions and direction in life.

I say that because, even though I have focused more of my energy and thoughts and focus in toward my Creator and Savior, there are still no examples that I can point to where I have stepped out on faith in Him alone.

Even in the major changes, I haven’t risked anything. If the worst happened, I already had a back up plan in place. And every back up plan was founded on my abilities, money in savings, or something else from here within reach and within what I have always known. My faith has not been in my Father God, it has been in my back up plan - my ability to get MYSELF out of any corner.

If life has shown me anything, it is how fragile all of my “safety nets” are. So why have I not yet taken any real LEAPS of Faith? Because I haven’t yet truly surrendered EVERYTHING — Family, career, bank account — All of me to the Lord.

Have you? What’s holding you back?

Pray for yourselves and me to have the courage to give all of ourselves to Christ. He promises to be right there with us when we do.

Which Way Should I Turn?

2008-05-29T00:24:00.002-04:00

During our small group this week we will be talking about the Will of God and how we can find it. My issue at the moment, is that I feel like I am being called into a new area but I also know that I have been impulsive for a good portion of my life and don’t want to go down a new road if it is not what God wants me to do.
So, like a child that can’t make a decision, I had been (figuratively) pouting and stomping and screaming - trying to get God to tell me specifically what I am supposed to do.
Anyway, while studying on the Will of God, I ran across this Web page by Garry Friesen and he really makes a clear and strong case. If I were going to try to explain this, I would butcher it. Instead of that, just follow the link.

Rambling about Replacements

2008-05-26T23:40:00.002-04:00

I feel like God is pushing me in to a MAJOR shift in my life. More on that as I pray, work and talk with spiritual advisors and move through it.

But back to where I am NOW. I have been undergoing a transformation in my spirit with a focus on more God and less me.
This is not where I wanted to go when I first accepted Jesus Christ into my life.

I opened the door to Him at a time when I was completely broken. Everything that I had relied on for the years before my salvation — most of all SELF — had failed. I had a hole in me that nothing could fill. If I was going to go on living I needed a strength or power that I did not possess. I NEEDED God.

At the moment that I accepted Him, I got a feeling that everything was going to be all right. But, my idea of what was to come did not, in any way, resemble the life that I am living now.

You see, I pictured the Christian life as dutifully going to church on Sundays, staying awake for the service and then making it through the rest of the week knowing that - no matter how bad life (or I) was on the outside - I could escape for that hour on Sunday and recharge for another week.

I thought that Christians just existed in this cycle week in and week out until they died or until we are all raptured.

With this in mind, I existed the way I thought I was supposed to and, while life was better than it had been before, I wouldn’t have used the word satisfying.

Although I blamed them all at one point or another for my tepid feelings, the problem was not God, church leadership, other Christians, or even non-believers that I interacted with in the world.

The problem was that I had gone into my Christian walk with very clear, but very off-base ideas of what being a Christian was.
I looked at faith as a Get Out of Hell Free card and a Make Life Easier Until I Die ticket.

God calls us to much, much more.

I heard it said the other day that yes, salvation washes away your sins but then there is the sanctification process. I am not just saved because God wants to be my buddy, he wants to refine me and put me (and all Christians) to work at the business of first Loving and trusting Him and then spreading the gospel.

So, back to where I am NOW. As the “I’m here to work for God – He is not here to work for me” idea became clear a few years ago, I began looking at what kind of instrument I have been for Him to use. If He was a musician, I would have been seen as a woefully out of tune guitar.

So, did he pick me up and shake out all my defects at once?
No.
I was about to say that I wish he would have, but I don’t think that’s true.
The truth is there was so much wrong and so little right in the way I was living that I probably wouldn’t have known how to stand without my defects.

Who I was — or what I thought my identity was — had a lot to do with what my old thoughts, behaviors and influences.

In fact what needed to be changed most were my influences. As they transitioned into more spiritual realms, my thoughts and behaviors came along for the ride.

Let me explain, I never took direction well, I usually went against the grain and looked for reasons to prove that the rules didn’t apply to me, so if you told me I HAD to do something, or that I had to STOP something, I would have headed in the opposite direction.
So, if someone told me that because I was now a Christian, I must set aside most of my old music, many of the movies and television shows I watched, that I would have to stop using crass language, that I would have to stop looking for the negative in everything positive, that I would have to stop being the sync, that I would have to start respecting my leaders, etc., I would have probably said, “I’m sorry, I don’t think this Christian thing is for me.”

The funny thing is, I have started on a journey to change all of the things I just listed and more. Some have been easier than others and some I may be working on until I die.

The only thing that made that possible, is that the preachers and teachers that I listen to preach the power of Jesus Christ and Him crucified to save my soul and the Power of the Holy Spirit to come into me and lead me on a new path.

Beyond that, they don’t tell me I HAVE to do anything. They point out God’s Moral Will for me as it is written in the Bible, and that if I want to truly follow God; this is the way to do it. Beyond that, the choices are mine.

Slightly off topic, this does relate to the posts about correcting fellow believers. We can show our brothers and sisters in Christ what he would have for us, but after that, it is up to them. We are no more able to make another Christian “behave” than we are able to make a person accept Salvation.

Back to me. So after my salvation, the Holy Spirit began to illuminate bits and pieces of the wall that blocks out the sunlight of God. And here’s the great thing! Since it came from within, it was much easier to accept. A person didn’t back me into a corner, because God knows that when that happens I hold on tighter to my comfortable old ways. Instead, there was that whisper from the Spirit saying, “there’s a better way.”

And, God doesn’t just leave an empty spot when He asks us to put something down! He replaces it with something better.

And all of that was written to say; you may notice that I have added even more links on the left side of the page. These are all to other Christian sites where I have and you hopefully can find more strength in you Walk.
The long intro was to say, if you are following after God, certain parts of how you have behaved are going to crumble away, like they have for me.
Start replacing the bad with the Good:
Read your Bible for yourself
Find a church
Do service for the church
Start reading books about your faith (they are not all corny)
Listen to services and sermons online
And ask God for more things to fill your lives that will Glorify Him.