The Freedom of Forgiveness

I had the opportunity this week to see forgiveness at work. I guess I actually saw the aftermath of forgiveness. I had gone to visit a man in the hospital who had been very sick. He was doing much better. God has been doing some pretty amazing things in his life both physically and spiritually. On the day that I visited him, forgiveness had come to him. That day, his sister, whom he had not spoken to in eight years, came to visit him in the hospital. He recounted the story for me. His wife was pushing him down the hall in a wheelchair when he saw his sister down the hall. He knew it was her. He called out her name and she turned to look. Through tears in his eyes and a cracking voice he told me that they had been reconciled that day. What an amazing story. He said that pride had taken root in his heart and grown into bitterness that kept him and his sister separated all of these years. He said it had been so hard for him to say he was sorry, but on this day, the words came easy. On that day, this man's life was drastically changed. He is a believer but on that day he became a follower of Jesus. Why? Because he had now given the forgiveness that Jesus had given him so many years before. The one thing that he said to me that had the deepest impact on me was that he said that he now felt free. He said he felt as if a great burden had been lifted from him. He felt as if he were going to make it. He said that he felt truly alive. This has been a long time in coming for sure. There is freedom in forgiveness. It is so hard for us to give because we allow pride to prevail. When pride goes unchecked in a conflict, it gives way to bitterness, which plants its roots deep in our souls and causes us to refuse to forgive. We have now become slaves to pride at this point. It becomes more about winning and being right that actually doing what is right. I don't think that forgiveness can truly be given until we have truly experienced forgiveness. Where there is freedom there is forgiveness. Forgiveness is only found in Christ. In this Christmas season, we discover the greatest gift that can be given is that of forgiveness. That is why the Christ-child came, was to bring God's forgiveness to man. If you have not accepted this forgiveness yet, I encourage you to do so. But just as we have received that forgiveness we are to give that same forgiveness to others. Maybe the best gift you can give someone this Christmas is to set them free and forgive them. Peace.

SYATP

Today, thousands of students gathered around their flagpoles at their school campuses to pray. Today marks the 19th See You at the Pole event that I have been apart of. I was there at the first SYATP in 1990. This morning as I gathered with some students from our local high school, I was struck with the need and urgency to pray for our students. If you have kids in school, I know that you are doing this. If your kids are out of school, then you probably haven't given it much thought in a while. Students today are faced with decisions, situations and circumstances that you or I were not faced with ever or at least not until later in life. I heard a report on the radio of students who gathered in Pittsburgh, PA to pray for the leaders of the G20 conference that is coming to their town. One student commented that he wished he would be able to speak to one of these world leaders just to let them know that they were in his prayers. You see, we must understand that this generation of junior high, high school and college students want to make a difference in the world around them, more than any other generation before them. They not only believe they can change the world, they are being proactive in doing it. We need to encourage them to do that. We can most especially do that by praying for them. I think we also need to do that by supporting, encouraging and mentoring them. While they may have huge aspirations they may lack the direction and resources to make the difference they need to. I think it is important for us as adults to invest in the generations that are coming behind us. How can you do that? Volunteer at your local elementary, junior high or high school campus. Start an after-school program at your local church. Become a mentor. Ask your children's minister or youth pastor where you can serve in their ministries. As adults and senior adults, we have something the following generation can use -- wisdom and experience. God did not give us those things to hold on to for ourselves. He gave us those things to share and invest in others. I think, sometimes, that a ministry of presence, especially in the lives of students, makes the greatest impact. When students see that another adult cares for them it makes a huge difference. Let me encourage you today to get involved in making a difference in the lives of students. That is crashing into life. Crash on!

Honest

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God." I Peter 4:11a

Since we were children we've always heard it said, "Honesty is the best policy." This is a very wise and true saying. It is something that would should not just strive to live by but actually live by. This goes especially for believers and followers of Jesus. Jesus says that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). When we speak, the very words that come out of our mouth are a reflection and a representation of our relationship with God through Christ. When God speaks, He only speaks honesty and truth. There is no lie or false thing in the Word or words of God. Because, as followers of Jesus, we are called to be like Jesus, who is God, there should also be no false thing in our speech either. I think, sometimes, we get so wrapped up in what we are doing that we forget who we are representing to this world. We have this innate desire to belong so we go with the crowd. That means, that we end up talking like the crowd and misrepresenting Christ. I made this statement Sunday: We have been called to engage the world not embrace the world. Too often we have embraced the world in the name of relevance instead of engaging the world in the name of redemption. One of the easiest ways to engage the world is to be honest with people. They don't expect it but they do appreciate it, even if they don't like it. Living differently is about living out our true identity in Christ. Crash on!

Grace-full

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve other, faithfully administering God's grace in it s various forms." I Peter 4:10

You are uniquely designed by God. He has put certain things in you that no one else has. He has built you to a specific specification that only He knew at the foundation of the world. When you came to faith in Jesus, another set of passions were revealed to you. These are you spiritual gifts. They are not know, necessarily, by the carnal man but are revealed only by the Spirit of God. These gifts were given so that you may give them away as you invest in the lives of others. Peter says that we are to administer, or give, God's grace to people. The one who first administered grace was Jesus. He gave grace away with out cost or regret. As Christ-followers, we are to do likewise. As we are to be full of grace, we are to give that grace away as it was given to us...freely. Peter closes this verse is a most excellent way when he says that we are to give away grace in its various forms. None of have experienced grace in the exact same way. In the same vein, not of us will give it away in the same way either. Just as God has uniquely made us and given us unique gifts, His expectation is that we give grace away to others to all people by being who God created us to be. Giving away grace is at the heart of crashing into life. Crash on!

Be Friendly

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." I Peter 4:9

There is a lot to be said about someone who's friendly. There is something magnetic about them. Maybe it is the smile on their face or their sunny disposition. Either way, we want to be around friendly people. But it is not just people who act friendly, but those who are truly friendly that we are most attracted to. Peter challenges us here to be friendly without grumbling. Sometimes we feel the need to be nice out of obligation or duty. This is not really being friendly at all. Being friendly springs from the joy of Jesus in the hearts of believers. It is sad to see sour faces on those who claim to know Jesus. They repel people from Christ rather than draw them. Being friendly is not an act that we put on. Rather, it is an action that naturally springs from a vibrant and growing relationship with Christ. Today, be friendly. Allow the joy of Jesus to fill your heart and engage people with that joy. Who knows...you may just surprise some folks. Crash on!

Love

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." I Peter 4:8

Love is at the center of the Christian life. Paul says that if we have not love then we are just noise. Peter calls us to love fully, truly and completely. He says that it covers a multitude of sins. In the words of Paul, it keeps no record of wrongs. For true forgiveness and reconciliation to happen, love must abound. There is no forgiveness apart from love. Jesus took this concept one step further in Matthew 5:43-48 when He commands us to love our enemies. It's easy for us to love those who love us. Even the pagans do that, according to Jesus. It is hard to love those who hate you, despise you or avoid you. It's hard to love those that have hurt you, failed you or scarred you. No one says love was easy. When I think of love, I am always reminded of Jesus who demonstrated His love for us in that He gave himself for us while we were still in our sin. You see God loves us with no guarantee that we will love him back. He sets the example for us in this. We want to love only those who will return that love to us. That's why Jesus calls us to love our enemies. When we begin to do that then we begin to understand what true love is. Who do you need to love today? How will you show love to those that may not show that same love back? When we begin to love like this, we are crashing into life.

Focus

"Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." I Peter 4:7b

Today is all about focus. If we are going to live the difference, then we must be focused on that to which God has called us -- godliness. Peter gives us two things to get focused. The first is to be clear minded. Many times our minds are clouded by the "stuff" of life and it keeps us from being focused on the call God has placed upon us. That is why it is so important to spend time each day (I prefer the morning) to clear our minds and get focused on what God has for me today. Jesus taught that tomorrow has enough worries of its own; therefore, there is no reason to cloud our mental focus with such things. A clear mind resuts from self control. We have to be able to reign our minds in when they start to drift. I think self control and self discipline are synonomous. We must discipline our minds to get on track and stay on track. The track on which we want to travel is the one that God has laid out for us today. Our focus must be on Christ. Just this morning I read from Oswald Chambers that to gain insight into Jesus means that we must be obedient. Today, I want to encourage you to focus on obedience to Christ. As James said, be doers of the word and not hearers only. Focus today on crashing into life.

The Fickle Heart

I read Psalm 106 this morning. It recaps some of the history of the relationship between Israel and God. I could not help but think how the Psalmist captured the fickle heart of Israel. The fickle heart is the one that pursues God for a while and then, slowly, begins to pursue its own desires. The fickle heart "forgets" the goodness of God until it has become so deeply mired in itself that it has nowhere else to turn but to God alone. The Psalmist records for us such phrases as, "they did not remember your kindness...they soon forgot what He had done...they forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt." When life was good for Israel, they became proud and thought that the goodness they were enjoying was the fruit of their own labor, when they were living under the blessing of God all the time. Eventually, God gave them what they asked for (v. 15). I cannot help but see the church as Israel in this Psalm. So often we call out to God in the hardest of times, and sometimes not even then, and forsake Him in the best of times when we should be proclaiming His name. Our heart is fickle. We cast it before whatever is before us. The Psalmist put it this way, "by their deed they prostituted themselves" (v. 39). I wonder what we are mindlessly giving ourselves to as the church sometimes. I am not so naive as to think it is always Jesus, despite what we might say. There is a silver lining to this dark cloud though. In spite of all the times Israel turned her back on God, He remained constant. Over and again we read phrases like this "yet He saved them for His name sake...many times He delivered them...for their sake He remembered His covenant." There in lies the good news. Where man had forsaken the covenant he had made with God, God never forgot the covenant He made with man. The impact that has for the life of man is immeasurable. Let that thought soak in for just a second. In spite of all the things we have done to run away from God, He still pursues us out of deep love for us. This phrase sums it all up and gives us a great definition of God's grace, "out of His great love he relented." He did not give Israel nor us what we deserved based upon our actions. Hallelujah!! He relented. He let off and held off the judgement that was due us. In fact, His son, Jesus, took the Judgement in our place, bearing our sin and shame. I am so thankful this morning for God's great love for me. I hope that you will allow God's love to overflow you and fill you as you read this. I pray that the Holy Spirit will awaken your heart and turn it from fickleness to faithfulness. Remember, God pursues you with a passionate love, a love that never fails. Crash on!

Delight in This

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2

What brings delight to your heart? For all of us, it is something different. My wife had our third child 2 weeks ago. I delight in being able to hold that little baby girl and enjoy her innocence, her purity, her beauty. I delight in being able to wrestle with my two young sons. I delight in the beauty of my bride. I delight in the rumble of a motorcycle as it rolls down a two-lane country road. I delight in a big bowl of homemade ice cream in the summer time. There are many things I delight in. The Psalmist says that the delight of the blessed man is found in the word of God. How true. God's word is the thing that breathes life into us so that we may delight in the other things of life. Have you ever noticed how many undelightful people there are in the world. I wonder if that is directly proportional to the number of people who don't know Jesus. It could be, until we look at the number of people who claim to be Christ-followers who are just as undelightful. The word of God is our delight, but it only brings delight if we allow it time to do so. Notice the Pslamist says that he delights in the word because he meditates on it. Meditation has gotten a bad wrap. It has too much Eastern influence and not enough Biblical influence. To meditate on the word of God is to empty your mind of everything else, fill it again with the word and then think about that word deeply and without distraction. Meditating on God's word means to drink deeply from the streams of living water that flow from the pages of Scripture. There is a word that I intentionally skipped over until now. That word is law. The blessed man is to meditate on the law of God. We live under grace, but that is not to say that we are to forsake the law. When we meditate on the law of God it makes us appreciate grace all the more. The law makes us aware of our sin and inability to keep the whole law. Because we are unable to keep the whole law, God infused grace to us through Jesus Christ. It is important for us to search the law, the Old Testament to gain a greater appreciation for grace. The Psalmists final word on meditation says that it is to happen both day and night. Our meditation is not to be relegated to the "quiet time" but is to go with us throughout the day. Much like Paul says we are to pray without ceasing, we are to meditate on God's word unceasingly. Isn't it interesting who prayer and meditation on the word go hand in hand? I hope that you will delight in the word and work of God today as you crash into life.

The Blessed Man

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers." Psalm 1:1

I had a revelation this morning as i read this verse again. It was as if God peeled back a layer and revealed a new truth to me, so I had to share. It is as if God walks man through a progression of what has to happen in his life in order for man to be blessed. First he must not walk in the counsel of the wicked. If he is not walking in the counsel of the wicked, then he must walk in the counsel of the righteous. The righteous become some by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, blessing comes for those under grace. This is not to say that wickedness is not present. It is not to say that wickedness does not give counsel, because both of these are true. What it does say is that the counsel of the wicked is not heeded, but the counsel of righteousness is. It is here that we must lay claim to surrounding ourselves with wise and godly counsel. We must surround ourselves who have grace as their path and Heaven as their goal. This is the most important step in being the blessed man -- to live under grace and follow the path of righteousness.

If this is true, then the next thing results. The blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners. I have always read this as the man standing or living the same way that sinners do. Today, however, God reavealed to me that the blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners or that a man who is under grace does not keep a sinner from coming to Christ. This prompts the question of how we live. If we truly claim to be under grace then there should be nothing in our lives that keeps others from coming to or following us to Christ. We are not to be a stumbling block to those who have yet to discover the path of righteousness through grace. That puts a whole now light on living under grace. Grace is not just for us, but also for those who have yet to come under it.

The blessed man does not sit in the seat of mockers. The mockers are the ones who look down upon and make fun of others. Those who are mocked are those who are different. The blessed may may be mocked because his life is different becasue of Jesus, but he should never be the mocker. When we look at people through the eyes of grace, we see what Jesus see -- the hurting, the suffering, the wounded. We do not see as man sees -- the lazy, the disabled, the useless. The mockers sit where those under grace are active in meeting the needs of people. When Jesus was with people, it was very rare to see Him sitting down (unless He was teaching). He was always up and among the people. The mockers sit and point out what is wrong, while those under grace do something about it.

Hopefully tomorrow, we can carry over into verse 2. Until next time, keep crashing into life!

10 Questions from A Message for America

A strange but good think happened with this message. It was not the one that I had prepared to preach. This one came about in the midst of our worship time. You can listen to it here.

1. Am I seeking God and if not, what am I seeking?

2. Are you seeking to live in moment-by-moment, complete, immediate obedience to God? Why or why not?

3. What is the truth of your life and where is the joy and hope of your life found?

4. Who or what is the source of strength for your life?

5. Who or what are you trusting to provide for your daily needs?

6. What signifies our dependence upon God?

7. Who do you obey more: God or the world?

8. Can you say with Jesus, " My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work?"

9. What evidence is given in your life that you are resting in God's unfailing love?

10. Is the hope that you believe in bringing about rejoicing, trust, unfailing love and rest in your life? Why or why not?

10 Questions from Living in God's Daily Provision

Sorry that it has been a few weeks since my last post. My computer spent two weeks in the shop after the fatal "blue screen of death" so as to get a new hard drive installed. Thank God for the extended warranty. Anyway...here are some questions to keep you thinking about Sunday's message (which I hope to have posted later with a link).

1. In what ways do you daily recognize God's provision?

2. How do you feel safe in God's provision?

3. How do you distinguish a lie from a truth?

4. When someone lies to you, how long does it tak before you trust them again?

5. In God's provision, how much is enough?

6. Do you let God be enough?

7. Which do you want more of: stuff or Jesus? (be honest)

8. Do you live in God's grace and sufficiency and are you content there? Why or why not?

9. It has been said, that if you don't find contentment in little, you won't find it in a lot. Do you plan to be content each day?

10. Are you content to live in the present -- to live in today?

The Delicate Balance

I have spent today on the two extremes of human existence. This morning I spent time with a young couple who celebrated the birth of their first son. I was great to see the joy through their exhaustion. How exciting to hold that hours old little child. How reassuring to look into that baby's face so full of innocence. How promising to know that child's mom and dad will be raising him in the ways of the Lord. There is much promise at the beginning of life. Life, truly has yet to be lived at that point. I spent the afternoon with a mom and dad who were mourning the loss of their adult son. A life that ended too soon. A life that was getting on track again. A life that was lived full of joy and wonder. A life that had begun to touch people with a simple message of faith. A life that was now over. I found myself sharing the same thing to each set of parents: God's grace is sufficient. To the parents of the baby, there is so much they do not know and have yet to learn, yet God's grace is sufficient. To the parents who lost a son much too soon, God's grace is sufficient. In all things God is enough. He meets each need. He celebrates with us in our times of joy and mourns with us in our times of sorrow. God's grace is sufficient. Life is lived in a delicate balance between life and death. We do not dictate when our lives begin or when they end. Those two things are far beyond our control, but we can know the one who controls such things. God's grace is sufficient. God's grace is enough to comfort us in what we do not know and to comfort us when we do not have tears left to shed. God's grace is enough when we shed tears of joy and tears of sorrow. God's grace is enough! God's grace is enough! God's grace is enough!

10 Questions from Mistake-Maker to Grace-Receiver

Here are your 10 Questions from the message From Mistake-Maker to Grace-Receiver. If you missed it, you can listen to it here.

1. When is the last time you heard Jesus speak to you individual and what did He say?

2. When Jesus invites you to walk with Him, to spend private time with Him, do you go with Him or stay in your routine and busyness?

3. How do you recognize God's grace during turmoils?

4. Where do you turn to get peace during the turmoil of this life?

5. How is it evident in your lift that you are actively following Christ?

6. Jesus accepts us as we are, but have you stayed where you are instead of following Jesus to become who and what He purposed you to be?

7. Do you depend on others for everything, even you spiritual life, or can others depend on you because you serve?

8. What can you do this week to serve another?

9. You have received grace in Jesus, but have you given it to others?

10. What does "follow me" mean to you?

10 Questions from A Message for Mistake Makers

If you've ever made a mistake, then this message is for you. So here are some questions to keep you thinking about how God values you and wants to use you in spite of your mistakes.

1. What is the greatest gift God gives to mistake makers and why?

2. Do you believe Jesus loves you enough to forgive you of your mistakes and do you love yourself enough to forgive yourself and let go?

3. Why would you think that God is through with you and is that the truth?

4. What did the angel at the tomb specifically want Peter to know and why is that important to you?

5. Why do you believe that God believes in you, your potential, your talent or your importance?

6. How has your life changed after your encounter with Jesus and your commitment to not be a mistake maker?

7. What proof is there in your life that Jesus is alive?

8. How can you discover God's plan and purpose for you life and are you willing to?

9. What do you believe is your service-filled future?

10. How do you recognize that you are poised for success?

10 Questions from Building with Bricks

I'm starting a new thing today called "10 Questions". Each Monday there will be ten questions that I've asked people from church to submit concerning the message from Sunday. Our text from Sunday was Psalm 119:9-16 if you want to refer to it. You can also hear the sermon audio here. Here are this week's Ten Questions:

1. What was the last Scripture that truly affected your life and how?

2. Why does growing cease when learning ceases?

3. Is your first response to difficult situations to turn to the wisdom of the world or the wisdom of the Word and why?

4. How do you know God's "Living Word" is alive and evident in you?

5. What expectation does God have for you when you think upon His word?

6. How will meditating on God's word help you in discerning God's will?

7. Do you find yourself doing things you know are wrong or "pre-meditating" your sin?

8. What good is learning without implementation?

9. What foundation is your life built upon and what kind of "material" are you using to build your life?

10. Take an inventory of your week. Are the things you do a response to being a "doer" of God's Word?

These questions are to help you in going to the next level of applying Sunday's message. Take your time in answering them. Don't feel that you have to do them all or do them all at once. Wrestle with the questions, but be honest with your response. This is crashing into life.

Community

We've heard a lot of talk about "community" these days. It does not seem to matter what circle you are in, whether it be church, business, senior adults, students, etc, everyone seems to be talking about community. Community is made of of two roots of words. Com meaning with and unity meaning coming together. We talk about a global community, but we are not coming together. We talk about the political community, but that is an area of great division. We talk about local community, but we do not even know who our neighbors are. We talk about church community, but we see church that are in constant competition with one another. Community is something that we seem to talk a lot about, but we are doing a poor job of actually building anything that even closely resembles community. We need a coming together. I say, as a pastor, that our churches need to come together, as individual congregations and as the body of Christ, and build genuine community. In these times, when people are hurting, they are looking for a place of community but they are having a hard time finding it. Community is built when we put personal preferences aside and elevate the needs of others and meeting those needs. Community is about caring compassionately for those that are in need. Community is always other-centered and not self-centered. Community is about serving the Lord by serving people. The time has come for genuine community to be built in the body of Christ. It means getting our of our houses and into our towns. It means getting out of our church buildings and into the neighborhood. Community is about building relationships with people. You build relationships with people by getting to know them. Community is all about crashing into life. Crash on!!

Church Planting

I had the privilege yesterday of sitting down with some of the pastor's in our community yesterday for the first Pastor's Fellowship. It was a great time that I pray will continue to grow and thrive, bringing the churches of our community together for Kingdom work. Bill Gravell, pastor of Sonterra Fellowship in Jarrell, is a church planter. He made a comment about church planting that prompted this thought: aren't we all church planters? The church I pastor has been in existence for 153 years this year. Sonterra has been in existence 3 years. Nevertheless, our goal is the same. We are to continue planting the seed of the gospel of Christ in the community where we are. The church is a living, breathing organism, not just an organization. We must change the way we view the church. We are the body of Christ, His hands and feet in this world for this time. We are to grow and thrive. We are to be fruitful. I think sometimes we forget that we are constantly in the process of planting a church. Just because a church has been in a community for a while does not mean that it is established in that community or that there are people in that community that don't need Christ. The foundation of a church is not set on anything other than Jesus (Matthew 16:18). If we do not take on the mindset of a "church planter" our churches will die on the vine. Sadly, many already are. We must be about people and not programs. We must be about the Holy Spirit and not our holy (or unholy as the case may be) huddles. We must be about the gospel and not gossip. We must be about changed lives and not just changed minds. When we begin to view our churches as church plants and see ourselves as church planters, with something to offer the community, that is crashing into life. Crash on!!

Too Busy to Pray?

Our church is taking part in the Seek God for the City, 40 days of pray for revival in our community, state, nation and world. Jesus encourages His disciples in Luke 18:1 that they should pray at all times and not lose heart. Wow, what a great word for followers today. Then this statement was made in the reading today, "We have often scolded ourselves for prayerlessness, blaming our busy schedules. But we have not lost track of our schedules as much as we have lost heart and the hope that You (God) will really hear us." That is powerful and true! We have such a tendency to put the unimportant things of this life in front of the most important things of eternal life. We are a people who are no longer willing to bring sacrifices of praise before the LORD. I hear a man preach a few weeks ago who talked about got to's versus get to's. We live in a world where we feel that we've got to do this or got to do that. Because of a serious heart condition that could take his life at any time, he views things differently. He does not see things at got to's any more but as get to's. What would happen if we took that approach when it came to prayer? What would happen if we said we get to pray instead of we've got to pray? Prayer would move up our priority list. Things would be re-ordered in our lives and our lives would be re-ordered. The reason we "fail", many times, in prayer is because we get discouraged. We feel like we are alone in it. We must heed the words of Jesus again -- to not lose heart. God loves to hear from His people and wants to communicate with them (that means you). We should never be too busy to pray. Prayer must become a priority in the life of every believer is we, the church, truly desire to see the impact of the Holy Spirit in our communities. When we pray, we are crashing into life. Crash on!!

How is the Church affected by the Economy

I've heard a lot lately about how the economy is affecting the church. Some say that the dark day of the economy will inevitably lead to dark financial days for the church. Others say that otherwise. I had the privilege of hearing Ed Stetzer speak at a conference last week. He noted research done by Texas Tech university which state that the economy and church growth are counter-cyclical. What that means is that when the economy is strong, church attendance/growth is down, and when the economy is weak (like now) that church attendance/growth increases. If found this to be fascinating information. When I had some time to think about this, what Stetzer said fell right in line with what I heard Jon Randles say a couple of weeks ago, when people are in crisis, they are looking for something to hold on to. People are looking for hope. Hope was a key word in this last election. The reason that churches grow, or swell (whichever the case may be), is because, by and large, people see the church as an institution that offers hope. This, for the most part, is true. What we as the church must understand is that we must not only represent hope, but we must share the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. I saw a bumper sticker that was left over from the last election. It said: go Hope? Right below it was an Obama/Biden sticker. As I thought about that question, got hope, I answered, unequivocally, YES!! What we as the church and our nation must understand is the hope does not come in the form of an elected official. Hope come is Jesus Christ alone (Colossians 1:27)! People are looking for a safe harbor to anchor their lives in these times of turmoil and crisis. The question is: Is the church ready to be the safe harbor? As the church, we must be ready, willing and able to welcome in hurting people. For too long we have cloistered ourselves in the holy huddle that has become the church. When Jesus established the church, He did it upon the truth of His identity, not the identity that we try to create for ourselves. The church must get back to lifting high the name of Jesus. Jesus said that He will draw all men unto himself when He is lifted up (John 12:32). We must get back to lifting the name of Jesus to this world. That is what they really need. Are we in need of stimulus? Yes, but not a financial one. We are in need of a spiritual stimulus. The church needs to be stimulated to return to it's roots, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. Our nation needs a stimulus in that they are in desperate need of Jesus. When these two stimuli come together, we could possibly see the next Great Awakening. God is ready for His church to be His church. He is calling His church to get out from behind our desks, from behind the doors of our house and into the world to meet people and introduce them to Christ. Who do you need to introduce to Christ today?

Performance or Passion

Why do we do the things we do? Is it because we are truly passionate about it or because we are performing for those around us? Let us not be people who are so caught up in the performance of things that we lose our passion.

Incarnational Living

I heard a message today by Jonathan Hewett about the need for incarnational evangelism. This got me thinking about an even more foundational need in the life of the church today -- incarnational living. I don't think we can have incarnational evangelism until we are living an incarnational life. Paul writes in Philippians 2:5-11about Christ coming to earth and the things that He endured. Before our witnessing style or strategy becomes incarnational, our very lives must become like that of Christ. The church is called the body of Christ. When I look at my own body, the first thing is see is my flesh. The incarnation was about God becoming flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Today we, as the body of Christ, the church, are to be Jesus in the flesh. The life that Christ has given us through salvation must be so evident in our daily lives, in our flesh. Incarnational living is about being Jesus with skin on, as a friend of mine put it one time. That idea is rooted in the old saying that we might be the only Jesus some people ever see. What strikes me about this quote is how we might be misrepresenting Jesus by not living incarnationally. When Jesus came to earth, He emptied Himself of all of His heavenly glory and came in the form of a man. He came as a servant. The Savior came as a Servant. God, put on flesh, to serve His creation and provide for them salvation by suffering in the very flesh he donned. He came to serve by being the sacrifice that would take away the sin of the world. He gave His very life so that you and I could have the opportunity for forgiveness and salvation. It is that attitude that is at the heart of incarnational living. That whole idea of sacrifice. So often any more, we as Christians, are more concerned with how we will benefit or be served as opposed to what we are willing to give up for the glory of the King. Incarnational living is so radically different that anything that is being seen in the church today. Incarnational living, a life of submission and sacrifice, is what crashing into life is all about.

Jon Randles @ Engage XP Belton

I had intentions of having this posted last week, but life happens. Anyway, here are the notes from Jon's message on Monday night. It was powerful. Enjoy!

There are two things that have to happen for a person to be saved. First, they are to realize that there is a problem. Second, they have to understand that Jesus is the only answer. We can get people to come together to sing or study the Bible, but we can't get them together to go witness. Pluralism is growing and so much that some "Christians" believe that Jesus is one of the ways to get to heaven. The church growth movement has robbed the church of changed lives Evangelism and discipleship have taken a back seat to self help. People are beginning to understand that there is a problem. When people are scared they call out for moral absolutes. We are back at a moment in time when it is easy to win people to Christ because they are longing and ready for change. This must be coupled with men and women who are not afraid about sharing Jesus Christ. What would happen if you made the decision to no longer be afraid to share the gospel? The new generation will find a god if we don't introduce them to Christ. We can't win a championship for Christ unless we do the hard stuff. Can we not celebrate the unity that there needs to be change and use that as a platform to introduce them to real change, who is Jesus? The power of God (Acts 2:41) falls on the ones who are desperate. That's why lost people won't listen to us, because we are not desperate enough for Christ. We are too desperate for ourselves and it pushes lost people away. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). It was not the masses who changed the world. The masses become the mob when they are not pleased. It's the inner circle who changed things.

I think the time has passed when we have to wait for the church to mobilize. If the church is going to mobilize then it must start with an "inner circle". It must start with a committed few who are passionate and desperate for Christ. In the old song "Pass It On" there is a line that says, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going." The inner circle must be the spark to get the fires of witnessing going in the church. If only a small group of passionate followers would get to the hard work of witnessing then this world could be change, not by the work of the people but by the power of God's Spirit. This is picture of crashing into life. Crash On!!

Enjoying the Joy of the Lord

On Monday I got the opportunity to hear Randel Everett, the executive director of the BGCT, speak at the Engage XP conference in Belton. Here are the notes that I took from his message. Granted there is some of my own commentary mixed in, but the ideas came from Randel.

How do we come together as congregations and enjoy the joy of the Lord? It seems that when we come together anymore, it is more like business as usual, as mundane. It could be said that it is lifeless. It is lifeless people who have been gathered with the purpose of winning a lifeless people to Christ. In Luke 15 Jesus shares three significant stories. The joy of serving Christ is seeing the transformation in the lives of people by the power of Christ. Until we see life change, we will not experience the power of Christ or the joy of Jesus. If we would just understand Jesus' purpose, to seek and save, and His message, and do it, then we would experience the joy of Christ. Jesus says that He came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19). In the parable of the lost son, we, the church, are the older brother. That son was invited to the celebration but it is not said if he joins the party. We have been invited to the joy of life transformation and celebrating life transformation. Will we accept the invitation? There is great rejoicing over one sinner who is saved. Is this happening among the church today? Is there celebration when one person comes to Christ? The church is faster to question genuine life change than to join in the celebration and join in growing this person in their new life. Just like the older brother, we become jealous over people coming to faith in Christ because the attention is no longer on us. Like a child, we reason that even negative attention is still attention. Can we not celebrate when someone passes from death to life? Would we not cancel the funeral if the dead person were raised to life? Of course we would!! Jesus spent His time among the dead. He spent His time amount those who were in need of salvation. People who needed real life that comes through genuine faith. Those people of "faith" looked down their nose at Jesus for this. We need to say, as the church, that Jesus' ministry is our ministry -- to seek and to save the lost. The difference is that Jesus cared about people, His sheep, and the church, the bride of Christ, does not. When we make our mission the same as Jesus, we will begin to care about people again. The key to Jesus' parables in Luke 15 is that the lost were sought out. There is diligence involved in the search. Are we searching diligently for the downcast sheep of our churches? Most of the downcast sheep in our churches are downcast for a reason. They are in need of someone to come and help them get back on their feet.

What a challenging message. This is what is at the heart of crashing into life. It is doing those things that are so radically different from the norm. That what Jesus did, and that is what Jesus calls his followers to do...crash into life.

Engage XP

So I spent they day yesterday with Alan Putnam, my youth pastor, at the Engage XP Regional Evangelism Conference in Belton. Wow! is all I can say. Hopefully over the next few posts I will capture just some of the great, challenging and compelling things I heard during this great conference. Let me just interject here...I am not a conference kind of guy. They are usually a waste of time because they tell you stuff you already know and bring nothing fresh to the table. This is part of the reason I was so blown away by Engage XP. Not only was there relevant and challenging teaching, but the breakout offerings were great. I also got to see some guys that I haven't got see in a while. The Justin Cofield Band led worship. I met Justin a couple of years ago when he led worship for our D-Now. These guys are truly gifted musicians who long to lead people in worship. I also got to see Scott Veneble again. Scott and I went to Africa together on mission about four years ago. Scott is currently doing a great work in the emergent community in Denton. I also made some new contacts like Charlie Johnson. Charlie is, or maybe I should say was, the evangelism and discipleship minister at FBC Belton. He was, meaning that he resigned the day before so that he and his wife could pursue a future career in missions. I also got to hear some great messages on the importance of witnessing. The day opened with Randel Everett. Randel is the executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has a heart for witnessing and discipleship and is the spearhead behind Texas Hope 2010. The day ended with Jon Randles, who is the director of evangelism for the BGCT. All in all is was a great day. I'll be filling you in on some specifics over the next few posts. All of things are brought to you to keep you crashing into life.

An Upside Down Kingdom Principle

We must follow Jesus in His death so that we can follow Him in His life (from John 12:24-26).

A Thought for Today

A truth that is not lived out in life is not learned, but only known.

Discipling

I'm excited about a discipleship material that I found quite by accident. It's the Growing Disciples Series put out by Lifeway. I received one of the books called Witness to the World as part of the Texas 2010 emphasis by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. It seem interesting enough but upon looking inside the back cover, I discovered the Witness was one of seven in a series of discipleship studies. I begin this week discipling a young man in our church. He has agreed to meet with me weekly as we discover the life a disciple. I was looking for something that would relate to a teen but would also give him a good solid foundation. The first study is called The Call to Follow Christ is the introduction to the series and give an overview of the other six studies in the series. I am very impressed with what I have seen so far. Claude King has produced another hit for discipleship. I am looking forward to discipling this young man and helping him begin his life with Christ. I think that he is excited too. He has great potential to do great things for the Lord. Discipleship is one of the greatest needs in the church today. It is not something that happens in a class or even a small group, necessarily. Ideally, it is something that happens on a one-on-one basis. I read a great post today by Dan Wooldridge about the definition and need of relational evangelism from the Engage Evangelism conference. I think that along with relational evangelism there must also be relational discipleship. If we invest all that time to lead someone to Christ, then it makes perfect sense to continue to invest in there spiritual development. Isn't that exactly what Jesus did? There was the crowd, whom He ministered to in a certain way, but then He had the twelve, whom He really invested in. Even withing the twelve, though, there were three, Peter, James, and John, into whom Jesus poured His life. I think that lays out the perfect pattern for us to follow for discipleship today. It makes no sense to lead someone to Christ, hand them a Bible, and wish them luck, while we dash off to notch another conversion. Discipleship is all about relationship. It is about building a relationship with another person so that you can help them in building a relationship with God. At the same time you are teaching them to do what you are doing with them; build relationships with people so they can build relationships with God. When we engage in relational evangelism which leads to relational discipleship, we are truly crashing into life. Crash on!

A Refresher Course

Well, I have spent the past 7 hours of my life taking an online defensive driving course. I wish it was voluntary, but that would be an outright lie. I had to take this course because I got a speeding ticket a while back. Yes...I'm human. In the midst of this marathon I got to thinking about how this class really affects me. You see, this is not the first time I've had to take defensive driving. I think this is actually the third time I've had to take, and each time for ticket dismissal. For me, this class is really beneficial, because it reminds me of things that I had forgotten. It makes me more aware as a driver. It makes me focus on driving instead of doing my usual multi-tasking. It has benefits. So here's the thing...where is the "defensive driving" for our spiritual life. You know, where is the class that gets back to the basic things of the faith and serves as a refresher of all the things we "forgot." I would say that it is widely absent for most of us and in most churches. Part of the reason is that we don't want to admit that we have a problem or ever make a mistake or misstep. We want to have the appearance that we have it all together, when in reality we really may not. Hard words to swallow, aren't they. Mike Huckabee talk about in his book Do the Right Thing about the importance of self government. If self government increased there would be decreased need for national government. Unfortunately, that is not the case for us today. I have to agree with Mr. Huckabee. If we could not just govern but manage ourselves, things could be so much better. There is a great need in the lives of many Christians for a refresher course on all things Jesus. Not on the things that we have made Him to be, but on the person that He really was and is. We need a refresher on what He expects of us as individual, as His bride. We are the bride of Christ as those who have confessed Him as Savior and Lord. What kind of bride did you want or what kind of bride do you want to present to your husband or future husband? If we look at what we expect out of a lifelong mate, then how much greater are the expectations of the Bridegroom Jesus? I think we may be on to something here. We'll pick this up again in the next post. Until then... continue crashing into life.

Man of God

Elisha. The one who had to fill the shoes of THE MAN Elijah. You know, the guy who called down fire from heaven. The guy who slaughtered the prophets of Baal. You know...Elijah. How in the world could anyone follow him. Elisha did. It is interesting that where you here the name Elisha mentioned in 2 Kings you will hear the words "man of God" not to far behind. It was not a title that he gave himself. It was a title that was bestowed on him by others. How did he get that title? I think it is obvious, people had observed the life of Elisha and saw God in him. The title was based upon his reputation. Reputation says a lot about a person. For most of us, our reputation is known before we are. For some of us that is good, but for some of us that is bad. It is difficult to overcome a bad reputation, but it is even more difficult maintaining a good one. There was nothing in Elisha's life that disqualified him as being the man of God. Because he was vitally connected to and so in sync with God people observed him as he really was. So, that begs the question...what about you? How are you know? What are you known for? As we go about our lives are we referred to as the man of God or the woman of God? It is our goal and our aim to bring fame to the name of Jesus. One of the most effective ways to do that is through our reputation, how we are know. On top of that we must also live life before people. Elisha never apologized for being the man of God. He relished it, because people came from far and wide to ask his advice and wisdom on what to do in situations. People observed in Elisha God's hand. They knew they could ask the man of God and he would would be able to speak the word of God into their lives. We are in need of more Elishas. Men and women who put seeking the Lord and building relationship with Him first. Those who live un-apologetically in an intolerantly tolerant world. Those whose "good" reputation is not besmirched by a contradictory lifestyle. Those whose end is to bring fame to the name of Jesus and introduce as many as possible to Him. Man of God, Woman of God...it's time to step and live the life God has called you to.

Facing Fear

I did something today that I have not done for about four months. I went out and rode my motorcycle. This was a pretty big thing for me since the the last time I rode this bike, I wrecked it. The saying goes that there are two kinds of riders out there, those that have been down and those that are going down. I can say that I am the former. Today was the day that I had to face my fears. Even though the bike has been fixed for two months, it's taken me until today to climb on and take it out for a ride. Why? One simple word, fear. There has always been that little voice in the back of my head that wondered, quite often I might add, if I could actually do it. Why today? I'm not sure. I just knew that it was time. If it wasn't today, then it might be never. I will openly admit that I was scared. I rode more timidly today than I have since the first time I rode a motorcycle. I was stiff and uncomfortable at first, but by the end of my short ride I was gaining confidence and comfort. I had to face my fear. I had to prove to myself that I could do it. I refused to continue to be gripped by the fear and wonder if I could or would ride again. As I sit here tonight, I am proud of myself. But I also reflect on something deeper. All of us have fear. We have two choices. We can be gripped and crippled by them or we can overcome and conquer them. For many of us, we have great spiritual fears. We are afraid of what God may call us to. We are afraid that we will miss the opportunity that God has laid before us. We are afraid to speak up and share the message of the gospel with those who are around us. We are afraid of being rejected and ridiculed because of our faith. We cannot allow these fears to grip and cripple us. We must overcome. We must face those fears, stare them in the face and beat them. It is a mental battle. It is battle that is won in the mind. You see, a life that is lived in fear is a life that is deprived of faith. We have been created as people of faith. It is our faith that keeps us alive. Jesus says that He gives life abundantly. Our faith in Him brings us life abundantly. It is the kind of life that is like that of Christ, fearless. For you, it's time to climb on your motorcycle, to face your fear and ride into the sunset. Fearless.

Actor or Reactor?

"We are in constant danger of being not actors in the drama of our lives but reactors...to go where the world takes us, to drift with whatever current happens to be running strongest." -- Frederick Buechner.

New Life

My wife and I are expecting our third child in June. Yesterday, we got to go to the all important sonogram. This technology completely fascinates me. How they are able to peer into the womb and look at that little child I will never know nor understand. As I sat there yesterday looking at the first images of our baby girl I was overcome with the wonder of it all. Here is this new life, just forming yet so distinguishable. Though some say babies in the womb look like little aliens (which they kind of do) there is no doubt that they are completely human. When we come to new life in Jesus, we begin to take on his likeness, just as a child in the womb takes on human likeness. That child in the womb must go through all of the developmental stages to be healthy. I think this is where we take some short cuts as Christ followers. We do not spend enough time in development. If a child is born too early, they must spend some time in a special part of the hospital until their development is done. Not so with new believers. Many times we expect them to grow on their own. It is of greatest importance to view new believers like children in the womb. They need the proper diet and environment to grow. If they do not receive this, they will not be healthy. The expectation is there, but we fail in the delivery. Just as the babe in the womb is dependent upon the mother to provide what is necessary for growth, the church (and more specifically, individual believers) are responsible for providing new believers with what they need to grow up healthy. I think the most effective way for this to happen is in a 1-on-1 or 1-on-2 type of setting. Throughout the New Testament we see this kind of relationship playing out before our eyes with great results. Jesus modeled it for us with the disciples. There were hundreds who followed him, but he poured his life into twelve and of those twelve, He deeply invested in three. Those three had a tremendous impact on what we call the church today. Paul also did this as he went planting churches. He fostered a deep relationship with Timothy, Titus, Epaphras and others. These men would follow in the footsteps of Paul, leading and planting churches. The key was that someone took time to invest their life in the life of someone else, and with dramatic effect. This method still works today. Maybe it is time that you begin to share the wisdom you have gained in your Christ-walk with someone else who is just beginning. Maybe it is time that you seek someone out to invest in you. Even as your are investing in someone else, it is a good idea to have someone investing in you. It's time to CRASH!

The Sickness

The sickness settled on our house today. This "bug" invaded that stomach of one of our family. Needless to say...it wasn't pretty. Now, I'm just praying that I'm not the next victim. But as I've been home today lending moral support, I started thinking about another sickness that infects all of us. This sickness is one that is life-threatening. Every day, all over the world, it claims victims. This sickness is common to all mankind. This sickness is sin. It is a disease that separates us from what God wants us to be. It stands in the way of us having the relationship with God that He initiated with us from the beginning. This sickness does not discriminate, as every man suffers from it. Unlike a virus, you don't just let it runs its course and you get better on your own. That's the bad news. But, there is some good news. There is a cure. It's a little shot. Now if you're like me, you're not a big fan of shots. Truth be known, I hate shots. I've got to be really sick and at the point of death before I take a shot. But the shot that cures the sickness of sin is not a vaccine given through a needle. It is a vaccine for your heart that is administered by Jesus Christ. It's the kind of cure that brings about life change for those who are willing to take it. You see, not everyone will take the vaccine. Not everyone will come to Jesus for the cure from sin. Jesus cures sin by forgiving it. Only He can do it. Jesus gives it freely to all of those who will come to Him, ask for it and recieve it. So here's the thing. Maybe today, you got the diagnosis of your sickness. Maybe you've tried everything else to make you well, everything that you thought would make you well, but you are still sick. Turn your life over to Jesus, ask Him to heal your sickness of sin and begin to live a life that follows after Jesus. Now there is nothing keeping you from living the life of wellness that God wants you to live. Jesus said, "It is the sick who need a doctor." Good news...the Doctor is in!

What's in a name?

Some of you may be wondering about the name of this blog, "Crashing into Life." Really the name was inspired by Erwin McManus' book The Barbarian Way. In the final chapter he talks about the rhino. I have seen rhinos up-close in Africa. They are beautiful, powerful and potentially dangerous animals. Erwin points out that the rhino can run at a top speed of 30 mph. Who knew? But the catch is that a rhino can also only see about 30 feet in front of them. Does that stop the rhino from running full steam ahead? Absolutely not. That is why the name of a group of rhinos is a crash. Interesting. They are called a crash because of their potential, the potential to crash into anything at any given time. This is how God designed us to live our lives. We are designed to crash into life. Not wreaking havoc or wrecking things, but with an abandon toward the things of faith. We have been hard wired to live life on the edge. We have been conditioned to "live safe." I think it is time for those of us who call ourselves Christians or believers to assume the role of the rhino. That is, to run full blast into each day and know that when we run into something that it is an opportunity for encounter, whether it be an encounter with God or an encounter with people or both. Crashing into life is to live life in the fullness of faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. It is living life with a confidence of collision. That our lives are going to collide with God and people everyday. The question is: What kind of impact are we going to leave? Crashing into life means living each day with the assurance of a collision because we cannot see all the things that the day holds. Just like the rhino, we can only see a short distance into our future. We must not let that fear of what lies beyond our sight hinder us from charging ahead. Charge ahead! Crash into life!