crashing into life

Put on the Power

2011-11-21T08:54:00.000-06:00

I was reading in Luke 23 last week and I came across a verse that I swear was not in there the last time I read from this chapter. It is a verse where Jesus gives a great promise to his disciples. Jesus promises power to His disciples in Luke 23:49.

The word for power here is the work from which we derive the word dynamite. Dynamite is a powerful thing. It can be used to absolutely destroy some thing or to gently craft something. The promised power that Jesus speaks of here comes from the Holy Spirit. This power is the same power that had raised Jesus from the dead. The disciples know the power of the Spirit in that are speaking to the risen Jesus even now. Jesus promises this power to them.

There is an interesting way, though, that Jesus promises this power. He say you will be clothed with power. When I think of being clothed, my mind is immediately drawn to choice. Each morning, we stand before our closet with one question on our mind, "What am I going to wear today?" Granted this question is easier to answer for some than others. Either way, though, there is a choice that needs to be made. We have to make the decision of what to wear. I think this is at the heart of what Jesus is saying here. Daily, we must make the decision to be clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit. In essence we are making the decision to live according to our will or according to God's will. Will I live today in my power or in the power of the Holy Spirit? I must decide.

Don't let your righteousness get in the way

2011-11-14T09:06:00.000-06:00

I was reading this morning and came across John 18:28. When I read it, I just had to laugh. Seriously? You don't want to defile yourself by going into Pilate's house, but it's okay to deliver a man up to murder? I know, that's a little harsh, but it serves of a great example of how righteousness, self-righteousness in this case, can get in the way of true holiness.

Oftentimes, we think that our righteous acts are what make us holy. I think this is the trap the Pharisees fell into. They were so caught up in their righteousness that they were missing out on true holiness. How I pray that does not happen for me or you. Let us not become so full of ourselves, so confident in ourselves that we forget and forsake the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

Follow Closely to Keep Up

2011-11-10T09:06:00.000-06:00

Picture from talkandroid.com

I love Twitter. I've been tweeting for a couple of years now and am closing on on my 3000th tweet. I get most of my news from Twitter. I keep up with friends on Twitter. Friends keep up with me on Twitter. Twitter is good. For those who are not familiar with Twitter, you follow people (those fellow twits who tweet) and people follow you. I have quite a few followers but near as many as others. Even thought I have a few hundred followers, they are not following me closely. Many of them I have never met personally. So, in essence, those who follow me do so at a distance. They may know about me and what kind of coffee I drank this morning, but they really don't know me. I think this serves as a picture of the spiritual walk of many people in our nation.

In Luke 22:54-62, we have Luke's account of Peter's denial of Christ. This is a gut-wrenching passage for me. Why? Because there have been times in my spiritual journey that I have lived it. I think if most of us were honest with ourselves, we would have to say that we have lived it too. Outside of the play-by-play that we get here from Luke, there are two sentences that really stick out in this account.

The first sentence is found in verse 54. It simply says that Peter followed at a distance. When we are following Jesus, following at a distance is dangerous. In fact, for Peter is was dreadfully painful. Peter had committed the previous 3 years of his life following Jesus everywhere. He saw things that very few others, including some of the other disciples, ever got to see. He would be likened unto Jesus' right hand man. It is almost as if when you saw Jesus, you saw Peter too. What would cause Peter from following so closely to following at a distance? Fear for one. Jesus had just been betrayed by Judas into the hands of the Pharisees. Peter feared that he, too, might be arrested for his association with Jesus. When we are afraid because of our association we will follow at a distance. I think, curiosity as well. Peter did not want to get too close but he wanted to see what was going to happen with Jesus. When we are just curious about Christ, we are not committed to Him. Commitment is how we set ourselves apart as disciples of Jesus. We cannot be a committed follower of Jesus and follow at a distance. Disciples follow so closely to their master that they get covered with he dust of their master's feet. There is a closeness of relationship that only comes from following Jesus closely. If you are not experiencing a close relationship with Christ, you are not following Him close enough.

The second sentence that carries great weight with it is found in verse 61. After Peter's third denial of knowing Jesus, Luke's account says that Jesus turned and looked at Peter. Can you imagine? Just a few hours earlier, Peter said that he would go to prison or even die for Jesus. It was after this prideful statement that Jesus warned Peter of his denial. Peter had become so caught up in the events of the night and the perceived need to protect his identity that he had forgotten the warning of his Master. When we do not follow closely to Jesus we forget the importance and weight of His teaching. In the very moment that Peter uttered his last denial of knowing Jesus, Peter's eyes lock with Jesus'. The next thing Peter hears is the rooster crow. There is only one response to this -- brokenness. In that moment, Peter realized all that he had done and what following Jesus from a distance had done for him. He responded the only way he could. He runs outside of the city and weeps bitterly. When we realize what following at a distance costs us and the person that it turns us into, our only response is repentance. Luckily, the story does not end there. In John 21:15-19, we see that Peter is restored, forgiven and commissioned by Jesus. Even when we fail, there is forgiveness and restoration available from the master.

So, how are you following Jesus today? Is he just someone you follow via Twitter? Do you know about Him and what He's doing, but do not know Him personally? Are you following Jesus from a distance, hoping that you will not be spotted? Are you following Jesus so closely that you are covered with the dust of His sandals? Jesus desires followers/disciples who follow Him closely. Follow on!

Live with No Regret

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

Picture from ngiley.com

So...I wonder if this guy has any regrets? I don't think his tattoo artist has spell check, that's for sure. Just think, this guy is stuck with this forever or until he can afford a "correction".

Many of us live life in this way. We say we have no regrets, when in all actuality we do. Granted, our regrets may not be as visible as a misspelled tattoo, but we have them none the less. There are decisions we wish we would have made differently. There are words we wish we could take back or have never said at all. There are times we wished we would have been bold and courageous as opposed to timid and cautious. Regret is something that touches every life. The question is: do we have to continue in that regret?

I simply answer that question with a resounding NO! There are times innumerable that I made a bad decision, said the wrong thing or was passive when I needed to be active. Wallowing in the wash of missed opportunity does nothing to get me ready for the opportunity that is just around the corner. We face opportunities to excel and succeed every day. Many times we miss them because we are consumed by all of the opportunities we have missed while others are passing us by. Miss enough opportunities and, pretty soon, you just stop trying. Misery sets in and makes good company for mediocrity.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 90:12. For me, this is the key to living life without regret. Daily ask God to help you number or count your days. As I have been reading about what Jesus says in the last day, over and over he says that we must be ready for His return. It is imminent. It is coming. His disciples must be ready. When we live our lives with the expectation of Jesus' return, we will live life without regret. When we ask God to help us count our days, we understand that our time on earth is limited and we want to seize and take advantage of every opportunity.

The second half of that verse carries with it the reward of seeking God's guidance. We will inherit a heart of wisdom. When we ask God to help us count our days, His wisdom will insure that our days count. I think at the heart of every follower of Jesus is the desire to make our days count for the Kingdom. When we make our days count we live without regret. When we live wisely our lives are effective.

So now what? Ask God to help you count your days so that your days will count for the Kingdom.

Wake Up and Stay Awake

2011-11-07T09:23:00.001-06:00

Picture from: http://jordanrivas.com/?p=908

One of the things that I have challenged myself to do this year is to read through the Bible chronologically. While I did this last year in less time, I asked some folks to join with me this year. Currently I am reading about the last week of Jesus' life. In Mark 13:32-37, you read a very passionate plea from Jesus to His disciples concerning the end of days. With the recent earthquakes in Oklahoma and the unrest around the world it would seem to reason that we should pay attention to what Jesus is saying here.

Jesus warns us four times in these six verses to keep awake or stay awake. I don't know about you, but I think He is trying to tell us something. In verse 33 Jesus couples His warning against spiritual slumber with the command to be on guard. When Jesus warns us to stay awake He is also commanding us to be doing something. I don't think Jesus just intends for us to be present. I think He intends for us to be about His Father's business like He was. Jesus said He came to seek and to save the lost and we would do well to do likewise.

I think this is a very timely message for the American church. For generations preachers have been warning the church of Christ's imminent return. After hearing this for years and years, when a preacher says it now it falls on deaf ears. It's kind of like the pre-flight instructions on a plane. If you have flown very much, you've heard the spiel the flight attendants go through as you are taxiing out. They talk about seat belts and oxygen masks, exits and exit procedures. Most people on the plane are not really paying attention because they've heard it all before. In both cases, flight attendants and preachers, important and life saving information is being shared but few are truly listening. The attitude on the plane toward the pre-flight instruction is the same attitude the church takes about the return of Christ. However, I think we are seeing, first hand, the very things that Jesus said would be prevalent in the days leading to His return.

Jesus illustrates his point by comparing His return to the return of a master of an estate. The master instructs his servants to stay awake until his return. It is far better to be found awake and working when the master returns than to be found sleeping, especially when you consider the instructions of the master. In Matthew's account Jesus says the servant who is found asleep will be cast out to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Trust me...you don't want to go there.

So what does all of this mean for you and me? Very simply, I think we need to wake up and pay attention to the things that are going on around us. I think we need to study the Scriptures so that we can give an answer to those who have questions. I think we need to be men and women of prayer, seeking God's discernment and direction. I think we need to be giving a clarion call to the Church to wake up so as not to be found slumbering at Jesus' return. I think we, as the Church, need to get back to the root of our history, to study the life of the disciples and do that which they were doing in the days following Christ's ascension. I think we need to be warning those around us of Christ's return with the same message He preached -- Repent! for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Finally, I think we need to take our commitment to Christ seriously. When we take our commitment to Christ seriously we will be doing all of these things.

Reflect on This

2011-11-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

Picture from: http://mtcministry.wordpress.com

The closer Jesus got to the end of His life, the more the Pharisees seemed to hassle and question Him. The result is that Jesus teaching toward them became even harder. In Matthew 22:16, one of the Pharisees' disciples comes to question Jesus about taxes. Before he asks Jesus his question, though, he makes an assertion that is true, profound and challenging. In a nutshell, the Pharisees' disciple states that Jesus has shown Himself to be who He says He is regardless of what others say or think. He goes on to state that Jesus is no respecter of persons. What that means is that it does not matter where a person is from, what they look like, what they do for a living, or how they dress, Jesus treats them all the same.

As I read that verse this morning, I was deeply challenged in my own faith walk. How many times have we asserted that we are to be like Christ to people? How often have we heard from pulpits the necessity of reflecting Christ in our community? I've heard it and I have preached it. All of that aside, the question remains, are we living it? I want to spend some time today unpacking the assertions of this verse and what impact it has for our daily life.

You are True

Jesus is who He says He is. Can the same be said for me? To be true, we must walk in truth. What that translates to for us as disciples of Jesus is that we are to walk in the Truth. Jesus makes it very clear in John 14:6 that He is the Truth. So for us to walk in the truth, we are to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Paul adds to this in Galatians 5:25 saying that as we are in the Spirit (or as the Spirit is in us) we are to keep in step with the Spirit. To be true, we must stay rooted in the truth. An additional way that we are to do that is to be steeped in the Word of truth, which is God's word. If we, as Jesus' disciples, are not spending time in the Scriptures daily, we are missing the mark and standard that Jesus has set for us.

You Teach the Truth

Jesus was uncompromising when it came to teaching God's Word. But His teaching extended beyond just the words that He said into the way He lived His life. We've long heard it said in the church that we may be the only Bible some people ever read. That points directly to how we live our lives before an unbelieving world. If our life does not match the words we speak concerning Jesus, then we have missed the mark that Jesus set for us. When we teach the truth about Jesus, we must live out that truth as well.

You Don't Care

When our lives are intensely focused on Jesus, His opinion is the only one that matters. At this point in Jesus' ministry, there were many detractors, but He was unfazed by them. He continued to carry out His life's mission - to seek and to save that which is lost. As His disciples, we must live our lives in the same way. Too often we are overly concerned by what others will say or think. We cannot be concerned with the things of the world. If we are concerned with the things of the world, that means that our focus is misplaced there instead of on Jesus. When we care more about what people think as opposed to what Jesus thinks ,we have missed the mark that Jesus has set for us.

You are Unswayed

Jesus was not swayed by the status of those around Him. He brought low the high and elevated the low. He leveled the playing field for people. He was not impressed by titles, symbols, incomes or gadgets. People were people to Him. If there is one thing that we must learn from Jesus as His disciples, it is this. Often we get caught up in who people are or, worse, who we think we are. People are people. It does not matter if they are rich or poor, powerful or powerless. At the heart level, people are all the same. If we treat people differently because of an external appearance, we have missed the mark that Jesus has set for us.

These words have challenged me deeply. They will cause me to think and live differently. They have brought into perspective the life that Jesus expects me to live as His follower, and that is crashing into life.

Just Ask

2011-11-02T09:39:00.000-05:00

Exhibition of Jean-Michel Folon.
Forte Belvedere, Firenze.

I want to go back and look at Matthew 20:32-33. Yesterday we dealt more with the question that Jesus asked and how we can ask that question of Jesus -- what we can do for Him. Today, I would like to deal more with how the blind men respond to Jesus.

Think about this. Jesus basically says to them that they can ask for anything and He would essentially do it. Can you imagine that? Jesus is standing right in front of you and says you can ask Him to do anything for you. What would you ask for? I know that some might have treated Jesus like a genie in a bottle. These men don't even seem to ponder what they want from Jesus. In that moment they could have asked for anything, but they ask for their most immediate need. They say, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." Without hesitation, they make their request to God, and He answers just as quickly.

We are not much different than the two blind men who stood before Jesus that day. We, too, have blind spots. There are areas in our life that either cause us blindness or we are blind too. What do we do? Just like the two blind men who stood before Jesus, ask Him to heal you. I know it sounds so simple, but that is what is necessary. I love what David writes in Psalm 139:24. He simply asks God to show him any way that may be offensive to God. Lord, show me my blind spots.

Be warned, this is a dangerous thing to ask because God will do just that. He will give you sight. He will cause you to see the things that are keeping you from being completely His. Keep this in mind though, Jesus will be the first one that you see. At the moment that Jesus says their sight was restored, as their eyes were opened, He was the first one they saw. They saw their Healer first. When we ask God to open our eyes, we immediately see Him and then we see the things in our lives that have been keeping us from Him. When God opens our eyes, He shows Himself to us first so that we know where to fix our gaze from that point forward. When we look at Jesus and then see the other things we have been focusing on, those things pale in comparison to seeing Jesus.

Know that when you ask, God will answer. So, as you stand before Jesus today, what will you ask Him to do for you?

2011-11-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus encounters two blind men on the side of the road as he is leaving Jericho. These men call out to Jesus when they hear that He is passing by (they were blind, remember, so they couldn't see Him). The crowd tries to quiet them, but they only get louder trying to garner the attention of Jesus. Jesus stops, right in the middle of the road and turns to look at them. I'm sure many in the crowd thought He would be on their side and tell the blind men to hush. They didn't know Jesus. The Master calls for the blind men to be brought to Him. Can you imagine what must have been going through the minds of these two blind men. They have been summonsed by Jesus. As they are brought to Jesus and now stand before Him, He asks them a simple question: "What do you wnat me to do for you?" Seriously? Jesus, that's what you ask. Isn't it obvious?

Jesus never assumes, even though He knows. He never imposes His will upon us but lets us choose it. This question very clearly demonstrates that. The men say to Him that they want to see. Jesus touches them and immediately they see and begin to follow Jesus (wouldn't you?). Throughout the life and ministry of Jesus, we see Him as a servant. Several times throughout the Gospels He instructs His disciples about the first being last and those who seek greatness must be a servant. Jesus demonstrates this in His own life. Besides, why instruct your followers to do something that you are not willing to do yourself?

Think about that question though. What would happen if we turned that question around? What if we asked that question of Jesus? What if, when we prayed, we simply asked what we could do for Him? So often we just assume that what we are doing is what Jesus wants us to do. Are we sure? Have we asked Him? Or, is it that since this is what we want to do that Jesus must be okay with it. Afterall, if Jesus didin't want me to do something, He wouldn't have given me the desire to do it. And so begins the slippery slope to pride, selfishness and self absorption.

I think the reason we do not ask that question is because we are afraid of what Jesus may answer us with. It could be that we already know the answer but we don't want to do it. There are a myriad of reasons why we don't ask Jesus what He wants us to do for Him. The problem is that none of those reasons are good enough.

When we fail to ask Jesus how we can serve Him or where we can serve Him, we reveal the true identity and nature of our heart. We are not humbled before Him. We are not surrendered to Him. We are not submissive to Him. We are not obedient to Him. If we are not asking Jesus this one simple question, then do we belong to HIm at all?

Finding Faith

2011-10-31T09:58:00.001-05:00

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Luke 18:8

What a great question, and one I think needs to be asked. So often we do not think about what the future holds. We are creatures of today. But this question from the very heart of Jesus prods us to stop and take stock of what is happening in our world.

Today is Reformation Day (it's Halloween too). Today is the day when Martin Luther tacked his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenburg thus igniting the Protestant Reformation. Luther was concerned with some things that were happening within the Catholic Church. I wonder who the next Luther will be for this generation? Who will stand upon the Word of God (which is exactly what Luther did) and oppose the practices of religion in our nation?

You see, when we take the Word of God seriously, we must deal with the question that Jesus poses in Luke 18:8. If Jesus were to return today, would He find faith in America? I think our immediate reaction would be yes, but once we begin to think about faith in the terms that Jesus does our answer may change. Do we see a biblical faith in the American church? That's a hard question. How do we answer that? I think we must go to the Bible and see. When we look at the book of Acts, particularly in the opening chapters, we get a vibrant picture of biblical faith. There are thousands of people who are becoming disciples of Jesus. The church, literally weeks old, is growing and thriving. There is an utter dependence on the Holy Spirit. The Word, pure and unadulterated, is being preached. The culture is being challenged and the church is persecuted because of its radical message. Now, when we look at the church from Acts and compare it to the church in America, what do we see? I think we see a radical difference. Now the church is centuries old. We are dependent on the paid professionals. The Word is sometimes preached but done so in a way that is palatable and acceptable. The church has embraced the culture as opposed to challenging it. No one is really persecuted or suffers for being a disciple of Jesus. The church today has become more concerned with making Christians and members than making disciples. The differences are HUGE.

As we consider the question that Jesus asks concerning faith when he returns, how has your answer changed? We must return to a biblical faith. We must cling to Christ, as He is truly our only hope. We must proclaim His message for it is the only hope of man. We must dedicate ourselves to the teaching of Christ (namely we must devote ourselves to the reading and practice of the Scriptures). We must serve and not seek to be served. We must adopt a biblical agenda and leave our personal agendas aside. We must make Christ our King and unseat ourselves. We must pray for healing in ourselves and in our land. We must be the conduit of love from Heaven to Man.

Understanding all that needs to be done, where do we start? As simply and as honestly as I can put it, it begins with you. It is easy to point to all of the changes that need to be made to make things better, but it is totally different when you become the catalyst for change. For our churches to change, it takes changes in the lives of those who make up the church. Let today be your Reformation Day. Let today be the day that you commit to the change that God longs to bring to you and your church. Reformation is about transformation. Be transformed by allowing the Holy Spirit to change your heart, mind, soul and let Him be the source of your strength.

The Politics of Evangelism

2011-08-16T09:13:00.000-05:00

Photo from rebulicandefined.com

Over the weekend, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced his run for the presidency. I'm not sure how you feel about that, but it really is immaterial. I'm not going to write about politics here, I really try to shy away from that discussion in this forum. However, I was listening to the news this morning and the commentators were discussing that tactics that Governor Perry is using in his campaign. Perry has his sights firmly fixed on his biggest opponent in the Republican primary and on the incumbent President of the United States. One commentator noted that Perry was completely ignoring the candidate who won the Iowa Straw Poll over the weekend. Even so, why is Perry already focused on the President? Here's why. Perry wants to win. He has the attitude that he will win. He is thinking like a champion. He is already visualizing himself in the White House. While some may think that arrogant, isn't that why you run in the first place? Your run to win. If you don't think you can win or don't want to win, get out.

Now, some of you are wondering what this has to do with evangelism. In a word, everything. We must approach sharing the gospel with people the same way that Governor Perry is approaching his run for the White House. So often, when it comes right down to telling someone about Jesus, we bow out of the race because we don't think we can win. When we approach evangelism with a winning attitude, we will win people to Jesus. It's not arrogant. It's essential. Many times we feel defeated and that people to not want to hear about Jesus. Last year some research revealed that nearly 70% of unchurched people were willing to sit down with someone and talk about Jesus. The unbelieving world around us wants to know what we have to say. It's time to enter the race to win. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul exhorts us to run in such a way as to win or obtain the prize. Win today!

Consumed

2011-08-15T15:40:00.000-05:00

From modernsurvivalblog,com

We are consumed by so many things. We are consumed with desires to succeed. We are consumed with desires to win. We are consumed with fear. We are consumed with the fear of failing. We are consumed with consuming and being a consumer. All of this consumption can be a bit overwhelming. We strive for the next thing or the next best thing or the biggest thing. We have our eyes focused on things that will eventually wear our, break or become obsolete. What gives? Yesterday I preached a message from Matthew 6, verses 31-33 specifically. I am not going to rehash it all here, but I do want to delve into the heart of what Jesus warns us about here.

Jesus says that we are not to be anxious for anything. He notes in verse 31, specifically, what we eat, drink or wear. Now that may seem like funny things for Jesus to point out, doesn't it? Not really. The things that Jesus points out are things that we consume and, conversely, consume us. I made the statement yesterday that we will spend all of this energy trying to pursue the perfect meal, the perfect restaurant, the perfect pair of jeans or the perfect pair of shoes, all the while bypassing the perfect God. We have become consumers and are consumed by the wrong things. We are consumed by the temporary as opposed to the eternal. We want more stuff but we don't want more God. In essence, our stuff has become our god. While we are consumed by a god, it is not the God that we need to be consumed by.

So the question is, how did we get here? We reach the point of being consumed by becoming overwhelmed. When we are overwhelmed by something we will either surrender to it or escape it. When we surrender to it, that thing now consumes us. We become so overwhelmed by it that we finally just give in to it. If you think about the things that consume you, I think you will discover that you were first intrigued. That intrigue led to becoming infatuated. Infatuation leads to being overcome. Being overcome leads to being overwhelmed. When you are overwhelmed, you will either succumb or escape. If you succumb then you will be consumed. For those of us who are disciples of Jesus, this is exactly what leads us to a life of radical obedience to God. If you follow the progression you will see the work of the Holy Spirit at each of these points in your life. My hope is that as you were overwhelmed by the Spirit that you surrendered to Him and became fully consumed by Him.

Being consumed is not all together a bad thing, so long as you are consumed by the right things. When you are consumed with the Holy Spirit, led by Jesus and being obedient to the call of your Heavenly Father, that is crashing into life. CRASH ON!

Being Boastful about Right Things

2011-08-13T13:38:00.003-05:00

^"23Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV)

I've been reading through Jeremiah as part of my chronological journey through the Bible this year. Jeremiah is such a timely book for the days in which we live. I read this passage again just the other day and have been marinating on it.

We are such a people who boast about what we have accomplished. God nails us in verse 23. We boast about our wisdom and knowledge. We boast about our strengths. We boast about our wealth. There is nothing wrong with any of these things, so long as they are not the object of our attention. We must realize that God alone is the one who has enabled us to accomplish, succeed, grow, profit and excel. This is why verse 24 is so important. Our boast as a Christ follower is in our knowledge of Christ as Savior/Redeemer and Lord. It is God who has enabled us, gifted us, saved us and positioned us for greatness according to His will. Our boast is in God alone. We are to boast in our knowledge and understanding of God. It is not that we just know God but that God knows us. It is not just that we understand God but that He understands us. We are to boast in the greatness of our God. He is a god who practices a steadfast, enduring and everlasting love for all of mankind. He is a God who practices justice. He is a God who is perfectly righteous. As God is, so He creates us to be. We, as His disciples, are in the process of reformation. We must allow God to reform us into His original intent for our lives. At the very end of verse 24 we read that God delights in these things.

If we are only calling attention to ourselves, our church, our ministry or our denomination, we have missed it. None of those thing exist apart from God. Because God is God and I am not, He alone is worthy of my praise.

How will you boast in the Lord today?

With the Wind

2011-05-31T09:05:00.001-05:00

We're spending a few days at the coast. I was out running this morning when I saw a flock of pelicans flying just overhead. Flying in a "V" they were really gliding more than they were flapping their wings. As a watched them as I ran down the seawall, it got me to thinking. They were not trying to fight against the wind that blew in from the Gulf. Instead, they were gliding along with it. They knew the wind would take them to their destination. In the New Testament, the word we translate Spirit is pneuma or wind. When the wind of the Spirit blows over our lives, we would be best served if we just go with it. We know that when we follow the Spirit's leading we will end up where we need to be. What happens often times is that we waste all of our energy fighting against the Spirit, trying to end up where we want to go and end up going nowhere. Follow the Spirit today and just see where you end up.

Ready to Pounce

2011-05-24T08:33:00.000-05:00

Picture provided from funnycatsite.com

As I was out running this morning, I ran past a vacant lot. I had all the marks of being vacant. The grass was grown up, weeds had overtaken a large part of it. The "For Sale" sign was no longer visible. And then...there were cats. My eye was drawn to little black and white cat, that I obviously startled as I ran by. In the moments before being "discovered" the cat was hunched down, slowly creeping through the grass, stalking its prey and was ready to pounce. As I ran by, the cat jerked its head around to see me pass, maybe giving just enough time for its prey to escape. For the rest of my run I could not help but think about that cat and the spiritual lessons God was teaching me through it.

1 Peter 5:8 reminds us that our enemy, Satan, stalks around like a roaring lion seeking someone to destroy. That cat was obviously on the prowl. It had prey in its sights and was ready to destroy. I'm sure that the prey was not even aware that the cat was even around. How aware are we of the enemy who lurks around us, seeking to destroy us? Most of us live our lives absorbed with the events of the day and little else. We pay little attention to what is going on around us. All the while, we very well may be walking into our demise. Satan is real and he seeks to destroy you.

That cat this morning also taught me about my focus on Christ. There are times that we are focused on Christ, but at the critical moment we get distracted by something that is just passing by. In that moment we remove our focus from our goal and give our attention to something of less importance. How often does that happen concerning Christ? In that moment that the cat looked at me and took its eyes off its prey, the prey could have escaped. Romans 8:5 reminds us that if we desire the Spirit then we must set our minds on the Spirit. We pursue the things that our mind is set on. Set your mind on Christ and pursue Him.

The Cost of Worship

2011-05-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

"I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing." 2 Samuel 24:24

As read this verse this morning, a question popped into my mind -- What is my worship costing me? That question was quickly followed by another one -- What sacrifices am I bringing to God? David did not want his worship to be without cost, sacrifice or meaning. He was vested in his worship to God. It has been my experience that when we have something vested in our worship it becomes meaningful. We have missed this. I have missed this. Worship has become too comfortable. It has no meaning because it does not cost us anything. There is no sacrifice involved in our worship. Some would say that it does cost time, but what is time? For the average Christian, worship has become what they do on a Sunday morning. It is not a part of their daily life. What has happen is we have relegated worship to a compartment in our life. Worship goes alongside the God compartment and the church compartment. It is another part of our life but it is not our life. When we do this, we suck the life out of worship and quench the Holy Spirit. Because we are unwilling to give all of ourselves to God through worship, we suffer in our intimacy with our Savior. We have reduce worship to a feeling or a style as opposed to a response to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Fasting by Scot McKnight

2011-05-23T10:05:00.000-05:00

Fasting is a disappearing discipline in the lives of the modern American church. Many today think that fasting has gone by the wayside or is only for the super spiritual. Scot McKnight sheds new light on this old discipline and breathes new life and purpose in it for the modern believer. Having studied other works by Dallas Willard and Richard Foster on spiritual disciplines, I was intrigued to review this book specifically on fasting. The approach the McKnight took was unique. I think overall, the book nails the reason to fast. In a nutshell, McKnight suggests and biblically supports that fasting is a response to God's activity. I had never thought about fasting in this way. I had always taken the "traditional" approach to fasting that says you fast in order to hear from or become more focused on God. McKnight spends considerable time discussing the different aspects of fasting as well. I think this is a great book to get exposed to the practice and discipline of fasting. He goes to great lengths to discuss the practice of biblical fasting as well. In this discussion he talks about duration and frequency. That alone is worth the read. I highly recommend this book to those who are looking to go deeper in their walk with God.

I received this book for free to review from Book Sneeze.

Pujols: More than a Gamy by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

2011-02-10T08:32:00.000-06:00

Even if you are not a baseball fan, this book is a good read. For the baseball fan, it is filled with facts, figures and stats on probably the greatest baseball player of the modern era. If you are not a baseball fan, you will be captivated by the story of Albert Pujols and his meteoric rise to the big leagues. From the sandlot fields of the Dominican Republic to the confines of Busch Stadium in St. Louis to hoisting the MVP and World Series trophies, Lamb and Ellsworth spin the tale of the consummate Christian athlete. This book offers you the opportunity to peer behind the curtain into the life a major leaguer. What you find will surprise you. Albert Pujols is a man, gifted by God, to play the game of baseball. Even amidst all of the stardom and celebrity, you find a humble man who is rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ. While many big league players spend their off seasons in luxury, Pujols is found bettering himself and making a better place for the people of his homeland, the Dominican Republic. While the stats get a little wearisome at times, the action that is captured in these pages makes it worth the read. It is good to read about a man who loves Jesus and has a big stage to make Him known. Pujols sees baseball as a platform to make Jesus known to the nations. If you're not a fan of baseball or even the Cardinals, you will be a fan of Pujols by the end of this book.

**Disclaimer: I received this book for free review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Lights Out

2011-02-02T09:26:00.003-06:00

Last night, as part of the hard and fast grip of Old Man Winter across Central Texas, we lost our power for about 3 hours. Needless to say it was "interesting". We were trying to get the kids and early bath so that we could enjoy some time together. One of them was in the shower when the power went out. Total darkness. Trying to keep the calm in the house, I quickly reassured him that everything was okay. My wife and I scurried and stumbled around for a flashlight (which was not where it was supposed to be...figures) and candles. After a few minutes we were able to shed some light on the matter. At one point, I was standing in a room all alone, in the dark trying to light a candle. When I struck the match, the room exploded in wonderful light. I could see the things clearly that were once hidden by the shroud of darkness. I was amazed at how one little match could literally light up an entire room. This morning, I was reflecting on the events of the night before. In the midst of the recollection, my mind was drawn to that moment when the light of the match exploded into and pierced the darkness. In that moment, I heard God say, "See?" That match was a picture of what happens when Jesus enters into the life of a person. They were groping in darkness and in need of a great light. The simple message of the gospel of Christ, that Jesus died on the cross for the sin of all people, was buried in a borrowed tomb (because He wouldn't need it long), and rose on the third day that true life could come to all who believe, is like the match. Though simple and small, it rips through the darkness of a man's soul and illuminates all that is there. Jesus brings to sight all of the things in our lives. John reminds us that men love darkness and avoid the light as much as possible. And as I thought about that little match, the light it brought to the room and what God had spoken to me this morning, it brought me to my knees. "Father, I surrender to your glorious light!" Whether you are a believer or not, will you pray that prayer sincerely and honestly? Understand, though, that when you do, God will answer. He will enter in the fullness of His glory and illuminate all of your life and show you the things that will trip you up if you remain in darkness. When we surrender all of ourselves to Jesus, Jesus crashes into the darkness of our life in the fullness of His light.

Admiration

2011-01-31T16:53:00.002-06:00

There are many people that I admire. Each of those people have had a tremendous impact on my life. Some of those folks have had a personal impact on my, challenging me to better myself personally. There are others who have challenged me to be a better minister. My father-in-law, Dan Wooldridge, is the pastor of Crestview Baptist Church in Georgetown, Texas. I admire Dan for many reasons. He was my pastor for 10 years in Kingsville. He has been a spiritual and ministry mentor. Not to mention, he is the father of my wonderful wife of the past 12 years. I say all of this to say that he has never stopped learning. Dan has been a pastor since he was 19 years old (today is his birthday by the way). In all of that time of studying and preaching the Bible, he has never lost his love for learning. Over the weekend, he told me of an upcoming sermon series that he was preaching from the Song of Solomon. He confessed that he had never preached through the book (not a surprise considering the content). What he said next did not so much shock or surprise me, but revealed to me the freshness of God's Word. He was excited to preach from this seldom preached from book. When I saw him later in the day, there was a commentary on the Song of Solomon in his hand. Here is a man that I thought knew everything there was to know about the Bible who was still studying more. I admire that. It has challenged me to bring my very best every time I speak the Word. It has challenged me to spend ample time not just adequate time in preparation. It reminds me that no matter how many times I have read or studied a passage, there is always something new to learn. We can never know it all. When we become life long students of God's word we are truly crashing into life. Dan Wooldridge is a life crasher. Crash On!

The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns

2011-01-31T15:53:00.005-06:00

The Hole in our Gospel is a book about the need for the church in America to wake up to the needs of people who are suffering around the world. As much as I tried to like this book, I found that it just fell short. This is another in a line of books that has come out trying to enliven the church to taking on social issues around the world. Honestly, I had read David Platt's book Radical just before this. With that said, I think Platt said the same thing Stearns was trying to in a more succinct, direct and effective way. I was more captivated by Stearns rise to World Vision than what he had to say about social ills in the world and how the American church can serve them. I understand this is an award-winning book, and I applaud Mr. Stearns for his work at World Vision and the completion of this book. I just never connected to the book or the what the author wrote. I did connect to the author and would like to hear more about his journey.

*Disclaimer -- I received this free book for review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Neighborhood Missionaries

2011-01-31T10:12:00.004-06:00

My two sons are like most 8 and 6 year olds. They love to play outside. The game they love to play most is Army. A couple of years ago, the befriended a couple of boys from down the street. One of those boys is a year older than my oldest, one is a year younger than my oldest and one is a year younger than my 6 year old. These boys gather together regularly to mount an offensive against the common enemy of the day. Over time, I've noticed that a few other boys have been added to the mix. Honestly, at times, I am not overly excited about some of the boys that wander in and out of our yard. This weekend as this motley crew gathered again to complete a new objective, I thought about something deeper. My two sons are neighborhood missionaries. They have engaged in the lives of those other ragamuffin boys from the block. My oldest surrendered his life to Christ a couple of years back. He is the representation of Jesus to these boys every time they get together. That is not to say that he gathers them together and the stands upon the perch of his fort and preach the gospel to them. But he does represent Jesus to them. Those boys act differently when they play with my sons. The mark of Christ is upon my oldest. He has set himself apart to be used by God. The amazing thing is that he does not even realize what he is doing. My youngest has not surrendered his life to Christ yet. He has begun to ask questions about salvation but has not come to that decision for himself yet. I pray often for his salvation. Even so, his behavior is such that it affects the lives of his friends. I am so proud of my sons. They are making an impact for Jesus in the lives of boys who need Jesus. They have invited these boys on numerous occasions to come to church. A few of them has responded a few times and come with them. Not only am I proud of my sons, but challenged by them. My sons are impacting their neighborhood, but what about me? Though I know the people who live around me, how am I impacting them for the gospel? God has called me to love those around me and that proves that I am one of His disciples (John 13:34-35).

Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

2011-01-29T15:45:00.005-06:00

Most of us are confronted with homeless people and "vagrants" on a daily basis. Mike Yankoski was called to be such a person. He and his friend Sam spent 5 months traveling to Denver, Washington DC, Portland, San Francisco Phoenix and San Diego living on the streets. Each day was a struggle to find food, make cash, and find a place to sleep. They were confronted with the harsh underbelly of the American Church. In reading Mike's gritty account of his time on the streets is very eye opening. This is one of those books that should come with a warning label: THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE HOW YOU SEE THINGS! Mike shares his first hand account of a daily reliance upon God for everything that He had. I was personally challenged, and as I ventured out into the public, I became acutely aware of my lifestyle and those who do without every day. A challenging book to say the least that will awaken your heart to the immediate physical, emotional and spiritual needs in your community. One of the great things about this book is that it offers suggestions for the reader to become part of the solution. These practical helps offers ways to become involved with local rescue works and practical and tangible ways to serve the homeless in Jesus name. What was most revealing to me is how these men were treated by those who claimed to be Christ followers. They were turned away by many churches, but it was refreshing to see the body of Christ be the body of Christ in many others. Matthew 25 comes alive as Mike and Sam travel across the country and bring the needs of the homeless to the forefront of the American Church. This is a must read for every Christ follower.

**Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

2011-01-26T08:59:00.004-06:00

If you are a man and you grew up in the 80's, then you know these words made famous by Hannibal on the A-Team. I stand amazed at all of the things God is doing in the lives of people. what amazes me more is that He is allowing me to see them. I spoke with a friend this morning who told me of the blessing that God is pouring out in his life because of his obedience and surrender to God. It is amazing to see and hear the freedom in the voice of a friend who has surrendered everything to God. There is a release like none other. Galatians 5:1 tells us that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. There is true freedom in the life of the disciple, in fact, it is only in the life of the disciple that freedom can be found. Freedom is not guaranteed by a document. Freedom is guaranteed only through the cross. I rejoice to see all that God is doing in me and the lives of those around me. In the words of the Doxology -- Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

The Power of But

2011-01-25T08:48:00.004-06:00

This year, I've challenged the church where I pastor to read through the Bible with me. So far, so good, 25 days in. This mornings reading came from Genesis 38-40. We are entering the life of Joseph, an amazing man who was used by God to do amazing things. Genesis 39:21 reads,"But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." Here Joseph finds himself at the wrong end of a false accusation, BUT God is still in control. Joseph could have easily tried to dissuade his accuser, BUT he knew that God had a purpose. Joseph could have grown angry with God over the whole situation, BUT he knew that God's hand was still on him. You see, so often we get consumed by the consequence as opposed to being consumed with the Creator. Joseph never lost focus in spite of the place that he found himself in. Regardless of the situation, we need to remember these simple but power words...BUT GOD. I know there have been numerous times those words have leaped off the pages of Scripture an into my mind. BUT, it wasn't until today that I saw just how powerful those words can be. BUT may just be a conjunction that brings two thoughts or ideas together, BUT in the life of the believer it is where the flesh of humanity comes in contact with the Spirit of Deity. BUT GOD is still at work around you. Though you may not be able to see it because you are blinded by circumstance, never lose faith that you God is at work. Nearly 170 times in Scripture do we see the phrase BUT GOD or some relation to it. We see that God works in the midst of human circumstance. How often do we see that though? I pray that your eyes would be open to the BUT GOD moments, to see His activity that you may give Him glory.

Living a Worthy Life

2010-12-06T09:20:00.004-06:00

"[1] I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, [2] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [3] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit inthe bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [7] But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift." Ephesians 4:1-7 (ESV)

Worthy is defined as having adequate or great merit, character, or value. We are called to live a life that is worthy of Christ. That is, to live a life that has merit as it relates to representing Jesus to the world. So, the question is, how do we go about living a life worthy of Christ. Paul gives us a guideline to follow in Ephesians 4. Paul gives us 6 building blocks or benchmarks with which to judge a worthy life.

Be Completely Humble
Very simply, humility is not being proud or arrogant. Humility is the result of our personal submission to God through Jesus Christ. When we are humble, we no longer seek glory for ourselves, rather, we seek to bring glory to God. Humility is the first step of becoming a follower of Christ just as brining glory to God is the first part of God's will for the life of the follower. We are to humble ourselves in every area of our lives. We must come to the realization that there is nothing I can take credit for. Everything that I have and am comes from God. It is all directly attributable to God's grace and mercy. We must change the way we view things. Apart from God, I am nothing. It was not until He came into my life that I can be used for His glory.

Be Completely Gentle

It here that we are called to kindness. Kindness goes a long way in the world in which we live today. It has been my experience that most people may reject our kindness, but they can't reject it until it has been extended to them. Gentleness is the result of humility. When we submit ourselves to God, we find that we desire the best for others. Up unto this point we have only been concerned for ourselves. When Christ enters our lives, our perspective on ourself and others changes drastically. Our charge for live is to serve and not be served. Our kindness is the result of Christ's work in our life and has a magnetic pull on the lives of others. Our expressions of kindness draw others to Christ. We msut also understand that gentleness is not a sign of weakness. Jesus was gently but you would be hard pressed to call Him weak. There are times that the most gentle thing we can do is speak the honest truth to someone.

Be Patient

Patience is an expression of calm without complaint. Patience results from humility and gentleness. We are so time-bound. Stepen Covey talks about us being "slaves to the tyranny of the urgent." What we must understand is that when we surrender our lives to Christ, we have not timetable. It ceases to be about us and becomes about others. We seek God's best in God's time. That may come in minutes or it may take months, either way we are content (Phil. 4:11). Here is what we need to get: The circumstances may not be ideal, but we know tht God is in control and has a plan. We must NEVER FORGET this!

Be Forbearing

Notice this says forbearing and not overbearing. We are to bear up with others. A better way of looking at this is to bear up with difficult people or circumstances. This the personal side of patience. This is being patient with other people. It also is being calm in the midst of the storms of life. Remember what God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient." When we rest in the sufficiency of God's grace we discover patience. What makes patience so difficult is our clash of personality with people. God has uniquely made each one of us with a unique personality that may not always mesh well with others, in the flesh. God has also put His Spirit within us to bear up with people. We find patience when we rely on the Spirit of God within us.

Loving Others

Love is the glue that holds these things together and moves them forward. I Corinthians 13 gives a description of love but also speaks to its attributes. If we have not love then we are nothing and can truly accomplish nothing. If we are going to walk in the Spirit, it is because of love. If we are going to live in obedience to God, it is because of God. It is impossible for us to do anything in the Spirit apartfrom a love for the Father and His people.

Be Unifiers not Dividers

Paul exhorts us to make every effort to build and maintain unity among the body. If we are united as a body under the banner of Christ, how much can we accomplish for the Kingdom? So often we are united so long as it lines up with our own personal agendas. When we have a personal agenda, we can be sure that we are not on God's agenda. We have become too focused on our part of the body as opposed to the Body as a whole. We must remember that we are ONE. Unity is the culmination of all of these things mentioned thus far working together.

Grace that is Given

It is love that binds us together but it is grace that draws us together. We it not for the grace of God, we would never acheive anything for His Kingdom. The reason is that apart from God's grace we would be too busy building our own kingdoms instead of His. Grace is completely undeserved but absolutely needed. Man longs for grace, for it it there that he truly finds his purpose and belonging.

Looking Back

2010-11-30T14:58:00.003-06:00

I've been intending to follow up on my last post of a few weeks ago and then realized today that it was few months ago. Time has flown by this Fall. I've been working on getting my notes together on the series that I had taught on over the summer on Radical Discipleship. My plan is to take a little time from now to the end of the year writing more extensively about this subject. I feel it is the key that is missing to many of our churches today. For those of you who have been patiently waiting, thank you. Hopefully you will find this series refreshing and challenging all the same. My aim is to help you set some personal goals for your spiritual life for the coming year. Make 2011 the Year of the Disciple.

Where I've Been

2010-08-31T08:45:00.004-05:00

I've taken a pretty serious break from writing over the past few months. Part of it was due to a busy summer schedule. Part of it was due to the fact that I was empty. I had nothing to say or anything worth saying. Over the summer, God has taught me some very meaningful lessons, the greatest of which is what a disciple truly is. That is not to say that God gave me any special knowledge. He did, however, open my eyes to the biblical description of a disciple. Over the summer and even now have been reading books dealing with discipleship. I began by reading David Platt's book Radical. Honestly, this is the best book that I have read in a long time. It challenged me to my core and has caused me to really reconsider the way that I live my life for Christ. Platt draws from Deitrich Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship. This book is a classic, so naturally, I read it (a second time). Bonhoeffer wrote during World War II in Nazi Germany, but it might as well have been written last week. It is rare that we look at what it costs us to follow Jesus. The truth of the matter may be that we have looked at the cost of following Jesus and have decided to leave well enough alone. Cost of Discipleship is worth the price of the book for the first chapter alone, in which Bonhoeffer talks about cheap and costly grace. However, the sections on the Sermon on the Mount will keep you engaged. These two books together have made such a deep impression upon me that I needed and wanted more. Currently I am reading Dallas Willard's The Great Omission, in which he discusses the lace of disciple-making in the modern, American church. We have done a good job at evangelism but have missed the mark on discipleship. Over the next several posts, I will be discussing what I call Radical Discipleship. These discussions come from a series of messages that I preached on Sunday evenings this summer. We will be looking at what a Radical Disciple is and what a Radical Disciple does. I hope that you will join me on this journey as we crash into the life of a disciple.

When God's People Pray

2010-05-08T09:52:00.001-05:00

This past week I heard one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. It was not the first time I had ever heard this sound, but the first time that I recognized it anew. It was the sound of God's people praying. It was like a concert for the soul. To hear people expressing their faith in God and trusting Him for healing is an amazing and challenging thing. To hear this concert of prayer was like hearing the most talented symphony in concert. It was truly the sound of Heaven on earth. It is amazing what we can hear when we slow down to listen.

"I Will Be Your Server Today"

2010-03-30T08:23:00.004-05:00

If you've been to a restaurant anytime in the past decade, this is how your server (formerly known as your waiter/waitress) addresses you. It is their job to make sure that you are served the things you order and make sure that your needs and wants are taken care of. They are in the "service" industry. Service is something that I take a hard look at, mostly because I come into contact with the service industry quite a bit. There is this elusive thing called "Customer Service". It is like the Loch Ness Monster of the service world. You are usually met on the customer service hot line with a recorded voice that instructs you to choose from several options. When you finally reach a "real" person, though, there is not much service of the customer going on. I usually hear nothing but the company line. The customer service person is not really there to help me but to help their company. This frustrates me a little. Can you tell? Jesus says in Matthew 20:28 that He came to serve and not be served. Now that's a novel concept and one that I thing the church would do well in adopting. This past Saturday, our church had 26 people doing community service projects around our town. We also had some folks from the Methodist church and another Baptist church helping too. You know, I never once heard someone complain about having to paint something, wash something, clean something or pick up something. There was a common goal to serve the people of our community in a visible and viable way. Most people of the community did not know who was doing the work, just that the work was getting done. Isn't that the true heart of service. Service is meeting the needs of people in a joyful way so as to improve and impact their lives. It is putting the needs of others above your own needs. It is helping others without the need of recognition. That is at the heart of service. So...whom will you serve today?

Everyone Communicates Few Connect by John Maxwell

2010-03-25T11:17:00.002-05:00

John Maxwell’s book “Everyone Communicated Few Connect” focuses on the importance of communicators making connections with their audiences. His approach is applicable for one-on-one communication, small group communication or large audience communication. Maxwell gives very practical information on the importance and necessity of connecting with the audience. For me, the principles that he presented were things that I already know and practice. As a pastor, I speak to people all of the time and know and understand the importance of connection. This book would be really good for someone who is just getting into speaking or needs to build upon their speaking ability. One of the things that I found was that John has a tendency to share lots of personal experience. This is good, but there are times that it comes off a little arrogant and self-centered. Case in point is the book jacket. The largest print on the cover is his name. This is a little off-putting for me. There is also a bubble just off from his name that says, “The world’s most respected leadership expert.” Granted, Maxwell is very well known for his leadership abilities, but saying he is the “most respected” is a bit of a stretch for me. In the prologue he promises five principles and five practices. In true Maxwell style though, each of the principles and practices have anywhere from four to seven other things that you must do. So instead of ten simple principles and practices it’s more like 50. All of this is not to say that I did not gain any new knowledge, I did. More importantly, it reaffirmed the things I already knew.

The Map: The Way of All Great Men by David Murrow

2010-03-06T09:50:00.003-06:00

David Murrow follows up Why Men Hate Going to Church with The Map: The Way of All Great Men. The Map answers all of the questions that were left in the minds of readers after reading Why Men Hate Going to Church. Murrow sucks you in with the “story” of how he discovered the map that leads to manhood. Globetrotting and adventure lead to the secret of what it means to be a great man. The answer lies in Matthew’s gospel and the account that he gives on the life of Jesus. Matthew writes and Murrow “discovers” the three journeys that are apparent from Jesus life. Consequently, these are the same three journeys that are necessary for men to take to achieve not only godliness but manliness as well. I have found myself seeing the three journeys as I read the Bible. It has also become a major theme of my teaching and preaching. The key is for men to see that you can be a man and a Christ follower at the same time. There is no need to check your “man card” at the front door of the church. Murrow hits on very practical applications not just for men but for churches as well. The challenge is to help men see that it’s okay for them to be men and have a heart for Christ. Churches must also see that they are to lead men on these three journeys. The problem is that most churches are stuck on the first journey and; therefore, men check out. I have found many applications for the principles that Murrow teaches. The Map has also given me a fresh look at how to reach men and what is necessary to keep them and grow them within the church. I highly recommend this book and strongly encourage you to put it into practice before it is too late.

A Snow Day Reflection

2010-02-23T14:02:00.004-06:00

I've been able to sit and watch the snow fall all day, so far, through by office window. It's been relaxing to say the least. As the minutes have passed by, I've seen the snow get deeper and deeper in my backyard (which is right outside of my office window). There was a magnificient white blanket spread over our yard. It was perfect, undisturbed, flawless, even picturesque. After lunch, the three little boys from down the street came over since they got out of school early for the snow day. Needless to say...when five little boys start playing with their toys the picturesque, flawless blanket of snow goes away...and fast. They run and scream, throw snowballs, make snow angels all in the name of fun. Some would make them go somewhere else to have their fun so that the beauty is undisturbed. Not so with me. I love to hear them as they play outside, not a care in the world. They are enjoying themselves. When did we get so old that we don't enjoy ourselves anymore? How often does it do this in here, snow that is. I had a blast over the lunch hour building a snowman with my boys in the front yard. Fun! Say it with me...FUN! It is probably the one thing that lacks in many of our lives. Are we so dignified that we can no longer enjoy ourselves? Are we so mature that we can't go out and make snow angels too? This is the only today that we have. A couple of years ago I made this statement: Today's a new day, make the most of it. I'm not sure if I came up with that or if I heard it somewhere, but I'm taking credit for it. How are you going to make the most of today? Is it enough to just enjoy the picturesque scenery of a fresh snow? For some of you the answer is yes, and that's okay. But what does your inner child say? SNOW!! It's time to start enjoying life and living it to the fullest. Isnt' that what Jesus said when He said He gives us life abundantly? The short answer is YES! Get out there and play in the snow. Enjoy it! You never know when it's gonna snow this way again.

A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears by William J. Bennet

2010-02-17T21:15:00.004-06:00

William Bennett takes a look at the past 20 years of history form 1988-2008. He contends that this is a vital part of American history and one that saw some of the greatest changes in our history. The sub title, new hopes and new fears, captures that sentiment. While some would not consider this a complete or exhaustive history of the past 20 years, Bennett captures the events that most greatly affected the U. S. From the end of the Reagan era, the fall of Bush I, the Clinton years, Rodney King, even OJ and the election of Barack Obama, Bennett looks at the ins and outs of these significant historical events. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even more than I first thought. It was during these years that I came of age. I remember where I was when some of the events were detailed. Bennett’s writing style is more than just sharing information and is more of storytelling. Of course, Bennett found himself in the middle of some of these historical events as well. While he has a tendency to lean to the right, Bennett shoots the history pretty much down the middle. I appreciated that he did not editorialize in the main text and left that mostly for the foot notes. This could almost read as Bennett’s memoirs. After reading this work, I am intrigued to read his previous two works on American history as well. A very well written book and quick read. I highly recommend it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Where is God? by Dr. John Townsend

2010-01-27T14:43:00.004-06:00

I just finished Dr. John Townsend's new book Where is God? This book asks the questions that so many people ask when they are going trough times of difficulty, struggle or personal tragedy. It is written to those who are hurting or struggling. It is also a great read for those who have a desire to help others overcome their hurt and find God in the midst of the pain. For me, the book was worth Chapter 5, entitled: The God You Must Not Seek. In this chapter alone, Dr. Townsend frankly discusses the four "Gods" that many people encounter in the midst of their struggle. What I found is that regardless if you are in a difficult time or not, we find that we are trying to serve these other "Gods" and not the one true God of Scripture. There is also one of the greatest definitions and discussions of God's love that I have every read. I also think that this book is a great resource because it does not just talk about theory, but also practicality. Dr. Townsend give practical exercises for the reader to go through to evaluate themselves as well as practical suggestions on what to do next. This is definitely not a book just for those that are suffering. In reality it is a book for those who have suffered, which encompasses all of us. While I didn't think I would benefit much from it when I started reading it, I have found it to become a wonderful resource when counseling and comforting the hurting. It is a must read to gain a better understanding of where God is in the midst of suffering.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://booksneeze.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Leaders are Learners

2010-01-17T21:10:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I talked about how leaders are listeners. So what do you do with all the stuff that you glean from all of that listening. Hopefully you learn something from it. I have always heard it said that teachers make the best students. In fact, if you have ever taught anything, you know that you learn more than those you are teaching. We can never reach the point as leaders that we stop learning. The information base is doubling at an alarming rate these days. It's not lack of information that we suffer from, that's for sure. I think that as leaders we need to invest our time in the right information. There are things that we need to learn to make us stronger in our strength areas. Any athlete or body builder will tell you that you lose muscle tone and mass quicker than you build it. Many time we neglect our strengths for the simple reason that they are our strengths. It is important to take time to further develop you strengths. It is also important to take time to develop your growth areas. Some people will call these weaknesses, but calling them growth areas makes them into positive potentials as opposed to negatives. Where we err on the side of under developing our strengths, we tend to over correct to the side of our growth areas. Face it! You are not going to be strong in every area. As much as you'd like to, it is just not going to happen. That is not to say that you neglect your growth areas all together, but you must realize that growth areas will never become strengths. You are just not wired that way. And while you can grow and develop your growth areas, they will not become your dominant characteristics. All of the development is done through learning. So how do I learn? That's a great question. You need to find the way that you learn best. It may be through formal training, reading, seminars/webinars, or any other way of gaining information. An area of learning that has become popular recently is coaching. For the sake of this entry we will say that coaching and mentoring are the same thing even though there are some subtle differences. Coaching takes the teaching/instruction aspect of learning and marries is with modeling and performance in an instructive environment. It is usually one-on-one relationship with someone who has experience and wisdom in the area you are trying to learn. I think this is one of, if not the most effective way that we learn. Find the expert and learn from them. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes sacrifice. It takes investment, but the dividend is well worth it. Lead on!

Leaders are Listeners

2010-01-16T20:06:00.003-06:00

Most of the time when you think of a leader, you probably think of a great speaker. And while this may be the case, I would be willing to bet that those same leaders, if they are truly leaders at all, spend more time listening than they do speaking. Those who excel in the area of leadership did not get there by chance. They showed a unique skill set that thrust them into the leadership limelight. Those who fail usually do so because they have a superiority complex, that is to say that they think they are better or smarter than those they are over. Any leader who is worth his or her salt will tell you that the greatest skill they have is listening. How will you ever be able to lead people or know how to lead people if you don't listen to the people you are trying to lead. That is not to say that you have to do everything they say, but you might get some great ideas by listening to those you are leading. It is important to define what listening really is. Most of us are good hearers but horrible listeners. You hear noise, you listen to people. Listening is active. You must engage your mind and process what is being said or communicated. Listening is more than just gathering information. When we listen we are able to discern information and emotion or passion. If a group of people are passionate about something that will lead to the greater good, it would behoove the leader to listen to those he is leading and capitalize on that passion. As leaders, we must see that the greatest asset we have is people. When we combine a listening ear with a passionate people we have a recipe for success regardless of the context.

Master Leaders

2010-01-15T20:51:00.004-06:00

I just finished reading George Barna's new book Master Leaders. In my opinion this is the best and most comprehensive book on leadership I have ever read. I am not a critic, nor am I on Barna's payroll. I have a desire to become a better leader and found this book earlier in the week. What I soon discovered is that Barna hit on every major area for leadership development. The best thing about this book is that it is not your "typical" leadership book. You don't get 25 chapters on how to be a better leader or 55 things that you need to do to be a better leader. Very simply, this is a "behind the scenes" conversation with some of the greatest leaders of our time. If you are a leader, administrator, pastor, teacher, coach or some one who has influence over people, this book is a must read for you.

Reading and Leadership

2010-01-12T11:04:00.005-06:00

I've always heard it said that "Leaders are readers." I have found this to be very true. Some would say that "Readers are leaders." I have not always found this to be the case. Just because someone reads does not mean that they are designed for leadership. I am reading George Barna's Master Leaders. It is a great read and I recommend it to those in leadership or those who aspiring to be leaders. When I talk about leadership in this context, I am speaking of those who lead groups, organizations or movements. I make the assertion that everyone is a leader. At the very heart a leader is someone who has someone following them. We are all leading someone somewhere, whether it is consciously or not. For those leading groups, organizations and movements, it is vital that you read continuously. There is a wealth of resources out there to help you become a better leader (and honestly we can all become better in the area of leadership). It takes sacrifice to invest in yourself to become a better leader, but remember that as you invest in yourself, you are also investing in others. What you pour into yourself will ultimately be poured into those that you lead. We always for our team to put forth their very best, but is our team getting the very best out of us? Are we giving our very best? Are we the best that we can be? Regardless of the area in which you serve and lead, you must always be willing to shape your craft. You must constantly be learning. Learning is the movement that takes you to where you want to be. Learning is the river that we raft to reach the destination we desire to achieve. Learn. Read. Succeed. Lead.

Blessing

2010-01-06T21:53:00.005-06:00

Abraham was a man who knew the blessing of the Lord. Abraham was also the source of blessing for others. In Genesis 12:2-3, God lays out His plan for blessing. God blesses us for the sole purpose of us being a blessing to others. Take a look! While this is a promise to Abraham, because we have been in grafted into the line of Abraham, it is also a promise to us as followers of Christ. God promises to bless us with the expectation that we will be a blessing to others. Think, for just a moment, about the ways that God has blessed you in the past year. Did you think it was just for your benefit? The blessing was or is so that you can go and be used of God to be a blessing to someone else. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6 that you reap what you sow. If you sow blessing in the life of another, blessing will be returned to you. God tells Abraham that those who bless others will also be blessed. So often we wait for the blessing of God and it never comes. Have you ever thought that it was because you were not a wise steward of what God blessed you with last time? We are the direct result of Abraham's blessing; therefore, we should carry on the promise given to Abraham by being a blessing to others.

Brokenness

2010-01-02T21:40:00.004-06:00

Brokenness is a beautifully difficult thing. When we witness it in others we sympathize with them, comfort them, support them. When it happens to us, we feel as if the rug has been pulled from beneath our feet, as if our very intestines have been ripped out of our insides. Brokenness is painful but so necessary to be pursuant of Christ. It is not until we have been broken that we fully understand the fullness of grace. We need brokenness. I have witnessed it many times and experienced it a few times myself. It's the times that we reach rock bottom, brokenness, when we have nowhere to go but up, that we are ready to go where God intends us to go. There is great reward in brokenness. It is in brokenness that we are made whole and complete.

Seeing 2010

2010-01-01T20:57:00.004-06:00

As the new year dawned, how did you see it? Was it the same as it was yesterday, or did you see it entirely new? The key word fro me this year is vision. It will be a theme in my preaching this Sunday, but has also been a theme of things I have been reading lately. Vision is not just seeing what is, but what can be or will be. I tweeted earlier today that I see 2009 in the rear view and am slamming the gas into 2010. Vision is being able to leave the past in the past and push toward the future. Over the Christmas break I read Seth Godin's e-book What Matters Now. It is not a "Christian" book, but a book that needs to be read by every leader. It is thought provoking and challenging. There's some good stuff in there and there's some stuff that does not apply right now. The thing that I took away from it is that away is the need that everyone of us has for vision. What has happened to so many people is that they have lost their vision. There was a time, when we were young, and we thought we could conquer the world. Then as we grew older, we began to listen to the critics and we lost our desire and drive to be world conquerors. We became settled and we lost our fire. As the fire died in our soul it dimmed our vision for grandeur.

If we are going to crash into life, then we must be people of vision. We must spend time seeking the will of God so that we set our vision on the things that matter most. I hope that we enter the second decade of this millenium that you will begin the process of becoming a person of vision. I hope that you regain the fire of your youth and that you will begin to conquer the world. 2010 is a year of great promise, a year of great vision and a year of great accomplishment.

The Freedom of Forgiveness

2009-12-17T03:55:00.004-06:00

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

2009-09-23T08:34:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-31T07:13:00.004-05:00

"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

2009-07-30T06:49:00.003-05:00

"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

2009-07-29T09:02:00.005-05:00

"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

2009-07-28T09:03:00.004-05:00

"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

2009-07-27T09:08:00.003-05:00

"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

2009-06-22T07:58:00.004-05:00

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

2009-06-17T10:10:00.003-05:00

"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

2009-06-16T09:52:00.004-05:00

"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

2009-05-26T11:16:00.003-05:00

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

2009-05-12T08:56:00.006-05:00

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

2009-04-21T20:45:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-20T14:11:00.005-05:00

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

2009-04-15T08:55:00.004-05:00

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

2009-03-30T14:29:00.007-05:00

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

2009-03-04T13:43:00.003-06:00

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

2009-03-03T07:05:00.003-06:00

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?

2009-03-02T08:01:00.002-06:00

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

2009-02-25T09:28:00.004-06:00

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

2009-02-17T14:54:00.000-06:00

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

2009-02-16T23:56:00.004-06:00

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

2009-02-12T09:59:00.003-06:00

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

2009-02-04T09:03:00.005-06:00

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

2009-02-03T19:52:00.003-06:00

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

2009-01-29T10:11:00.001-06:00

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

2009-01-28T14:57:00.004-06:00

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

Discipling

2009-01-27T22:09:00.004-06:00

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

2009-01-24T22:09:00.004-06:00

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

2009-01-21T09:00:00.006-06:00

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

2009-01-19T21:00:00.004-06:00

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?

2009-01-15T21:23:00.000-06:00

"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

2009-01-15T08:26:00.000-06:00

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

2009-01-13T19:15:00.000-06:00

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?

2009-01-11T23:00:00.001-06:00

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!