I bet there is no doubt that you have heard of the incident involving Ray and Janay Rice last February and then watched as it resurfaced in September after TMZ released the video from that fateful night. Ray has been cleared to play in the NFL again once he is signed by another team. However, there is much to learn and discuss from Rice's actions that we as Christians can learn from.
1) Peace, love, and unity should rule our actions and our thoughts.
This can be hard at times because during the course of our daily existence we find many people who irritate us, disagree with us, and often flat out wrong us. It is not easy to live this out by any stretch of the imagination, and the even trickier part is that Jesus in the gospels proclaimed that he did not come to bring peace but division. (Luke 12:51) However, Paul goes on to say that Jesus preached peace to those who were far and near (Ephesians 2:17) and we need to keep every effort for the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
The question remains what division is Jesus talking about? Well, my thought which is not dogmatic mind you, is that the division Jesus brought was between those who sought to follow Him with their entire lives and those who would rather stay in their own sin. Jesus' life and teaching is a wonderful example toward what we should all strive to emulate: peace and love toward all. Rice's actions back in February were wrong. I don't know the whole story or the interchange that led up to the punch, but I do know that since then he has married his fiancee, pledged to be a better husband and father, and has been disciplined for his actions. I applaud Rice for his recognition of the wrong and desire to learn and become better. Paul shares these challenging words that the body of Christ needs to remember at all times, "32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)
2) It's an Issue of the Heart: first and foremost.
One of the big things we have seen in Ray Rice in the days and months after the event has been a change of heart. Incidents of violence both in actions and words are indicators of what is already present in our hearts to begin with. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:8 that whatever is true, right, noble, pure, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy we need to think of such things. This Advent season take a good hard luck at the games you play on your phone or tablet, take a good look at the music you listen to, the friends you have, the places you visit, etc. And ask yourself are these things excellent and pure? Trustworthy and noble? Now, I'm not about to say that anyone who listens to music that doesn't fall under those categories will strike a spouse or loved one, but what I want you to think about is the ultimate goal of your life: becoming closer to Jesus.
Ask yourself this Advent season is how I'm living bringing myself and others closer or further away from Jesus. We as Christians need to celebrate that Rice has taken steps to seek forgiveness and reconciliation with his wife.
3) Be a voice for the Janay Rices who don't have a voice.
If we learn anything from this situation it's that domestic violence is not an isolated incident there are many women and children in our society who won't be able to get the help or attention because they aren't in a similar position that Janay Rice is in. Christian author and speaker Tony Campolo reminds us that The true measure of whether you are really a Christian or not is whether your heart breaks for the things that break Jesus' heart.
This Advent season look to pray for those less fortunate in your community, donate old clothes to clothing ministries in churches, volunteer at a soup kitchen, ask your pastor or ministry leader how to get involved, raise awareness, and know that there are many people who may not always be hurting from domestic violence, but our hurting from hunger, illness, poverty, and we as Jesus' followers can do something about that. We are reminded powerfully just who God cares about in Deuteronomy 10:18, "18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing."
Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to the Rice family, and we pray that they would see this past year as an amazing opportunity to raise support and awareness in the ongoing fight to end domestic violence.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
on Millennials
There is an ever increasing number of studies, reports, articles written, and many other publications being put out about how is the church going to reach the millennial generation. So, I thought I'd throw my two cents in and see if anyone has anything to say about this. First, let me say that I am part of the millennial generation. My experience is not typical at all, I've grown up in the church, went to Christian school, Christian college, and so on. My experience has had a lot of perks, but it also has had a few downsides: one of them is not being exposed to many non-Christian friends who I could have learned from and shared the gospel with. I would say those in their mid to late thirties kind of tow the line between being part of Gen X and being a millennial. Since, I am 28 I fall nicely into that camp. My experience and ideas in no way should be considered dogmatic, but the hope is that they will inspire and continue in my mind very meaningful conversations. Here's what I see:
1) Millennials desire genuine relationships with people of all ages.
In an information, technology age there is nothing that will ever be able to replace genuine relationships and friendships with other people. This generation is faced with many issues that previous generations haven't faced to this degree. Good paying jobs are fewer, the cost of living is higher, and college debt grows each and every year. Most millennials desire a church where they can develop genuine friendships with people of all ages and feel that they are a valued part of the life of the church. A big mistake most churches make is asking or seeking the perspective or opinions of its teens and young adults.
One big step of faith we can all take is to seek to develop a friendship with someone brand new that is either older or younger than we are. Be honest and open of your church's current situation, do people of all ages have a chance to make friendships and relationships here? Does our church value the opinions and ideas of the entire congregation? Good preaching and great music should be a goal of every congregation, but from what I've seen what keeps people coming back is a sense of welcoming and a sense they belong at your church.
2) Millennials are very big into social justice issues.
Jesus was the ultimate champion of social justice. His desire was to preach hope to the poor, give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, and always proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand. Churches when they reach millennials correctly tap into their passion for social justice and connect it to the great commission, properly framing issues of social justice as a way of reaching the lost and broken as Jesus would have. Social justice issues can be dividing in churches and especially among political and conservative lines, but I urge all churches and church leaders to submit their ideas and social justice areas of enthusiasm to the Lordship of Jesus and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, because they are hardly ever wrong in their leading and guiding of churches and church leaders.
3) Freedom of Expression is huge to Millennials
Young adults are very unique as they are exposed to more ideas, thoughts, and expressions with the explosion of the Internet in the past 20 years. They desire a worship experience that lets them be themselves and explore who God is to them. The tough part is that many older folks' worship experience doesn't always line up to millennials desires or expectations in a worship setting. So, the question who is right? Well, the short answer is that both parties are. God is big enough and grand enough to be worshiped in many different ways and in many different styles and formats. It will take creativity, prayer, conversation, and guidance from a variety of sources to allow your worship experience to be a place where millennials and the older generations can feel comfortable and have the ability to express themselves.
One great step leaders can take is to begin the conversation worship at its core and our Christian lives at their core aren't about what we can get but rather in what we can give back to God for all that He has so graciously given us. Unfortunately, there isn't a one size fits all model that works to reach all millennials. My encouragement is to be welcoming, value their opinion, and pray every day that God would allow and guide to be faithful and genuine in all you do.
1) Millennials desire genuine relationships with people of all ages.
In an information, technology age there is nothing that will ever be able to replace genuine relationships and friendships with other people. This generation is faced with many issues that previous generations haven't faced to this degree. Good paying jobs are fewer, the cost of living is higher, and college debt grows each and every year. Most millennials desire a church where they can develop genuine friendships with people of all ages and feel that they are a valued part of the life of the church. A big mistake most churches make is asking or seeking the perspective or opinions of its teens and young adults.
One big step of faith we can all take is to seek to develop a friendship with someone brand new that is either older or younger than we are. Be honest and open of your church's current situation, do people of all ages have a chance to make friendships and relationships here? Does our church value the opinions and ideas of the entire congregation? Good preaching and great music should be a goal of every congregation, but from what I've seen what keeps people coming back is a sense of welcoming and a sense they belong at your church.
2) Millennials are very big into social justice issues.
Jesus was the ultimate champion of social justice. His desire was to preach hope to the poor, give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, and always proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand. Churches when they reach millennials correctly tap into their passion for social justice and connect it to the great commission, properly framing issues of social justice as a way of reaching the lost and broken as Jesus would have. Social justice issues can be dividing in churches and especially among political and conservative lines, but I urge all churches and church leaders to submit their ideas and social justice areas of enthusiasm to the Lordship of Jesus and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, because they are hardly ever wrong in their leading and guiding of churches and church leaders.
3) Freedom of Expression is huge to Millennials
Young adults are very unique as they are exposed to more ideas, thoughts, and expressions with the explosion of the Internet in the past 20 years. They desire a worship experience that lets them be themselves and explore who God is to them. The tough part is that many older folks' worship experience doesn't always line up to millennials desires or expectations in a worship setting. So, the question who is right? Well, the short answer is that both parties are. God is big enough and grand enough to be worshiped in many different ways and in many different styles and formats. It will take creativity, prayer, conversation, and guidance from a variety of sources to allow your worship experience to be a place where millennials and the older generations can feel comfortable and have the ability to express themselves.
One great step leaders can take is to begin the conversation worship at its core and our Christian lives at their core aren't about what we can get but rather in what we can give back to God for all that He has so graciously given us. Unfortunately, there isn't a one size fits all model that works to reach all millennials. My encouragement is to be welcoming, value their opinion, and pray every day that God would allow and guide to be faithful and genuine in all you do.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Brittany Maynard
Many of you reading this have come across the story about the Oregon woman, Brittany Maynard, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and chose to end her life this past Saturday. This has been a story that I've been wrestling with for about a month now because of its complex issues and what the Bible says and doesn't say about it. This is an issue I have a feeling will stay with me for quite some time, and I may and probably do differ in my views and beliefs than some of you reading this, but let's take a closer look at some of the issues presented here. As we delve into the issue let me be perfectly clear, when we are in the midst of horrific ordeals such as Ms. Maynard and her family was that can and does change our thinking.
1) Life is an incredible gift from God.
David reminds us in Psalm 139 that God knows us (vs.1), has created our inmost being (vs. 13), knit us together in our mother's womb (vs. 13), and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (vs. 14). This chapter as well as many others highlights God's high view of human life and the care and time it took to create everything on the planet.
I'm guessing it is not an accident that God placed you on this earth in a specific family, in a specific location, with specific parents, and I think you get the point. Now, I will admit it is not fair that some are born into a life of riches and trust funds while others are born into a family that doesn't know where their next meal is coming from. My best advice if that bothers you is to voice your concerns to God about that and see where he will lead you.
If we carry that thought out that it is no accident that God put you on this earth at a certain time and certain location, we can also be pretty certain that God will take us off this earth into life eternal when it is our time. Now, unfortunately we as human beings can often make many foolish mistakes and sadly end life before our time is up. Even if it is just a few days or moments, I know that every day on this earth is a precious gift that should be cherished. My fear is that God was going to be glorified in some way in Brittany's life before her God chose to take her. But, now God will have to use someone else.
2) Her struggle points to the truth that this world is not as it was intended to be.
Death, pain, disease, hurt, brokenness, disappointment, and shame were not all part of the original creation. Could God wipe all of them out? Of course he could, but then God would also have to wipe and eliminate sin and when that happens we lose our ability to freely choose to love and serve God. So, we're left in a world that is controlled by an all-powerful, compassionate God but also has disease, death, and sin running rampant.
The most crucial lesson of all is not for you to understand the struggle or attempt to rationalize why you are struggling but rather it is for you to know that God hears, feels, walks with you, and loves you no less in your struggles. Our faith needs to always hold on to the incredible truth that the world we live will one day be right and perfect by an all powerful, all mighty God.
3) We can learn to love and disagree all at the same time.
One of the most damaging things that happens in many Christian circles is division over ideas. In the aftermath of Ms. Maynard's decision there will be many conversations in church Sunday school classes, on college campuses, over coffee, and in many other places. It is bound to happen this a big discussion and at times can be a very hot button issue. However, this is not a deal breaker for Christians in being in community with each other. This issue is incredibly difficult, especially for those who are facing a terminal diagnosis. Our prayers and hearts go out to Brittany's family for healing and comfort and for wisdom from the Holy Spirit to properly discern God's will for this complex issue.
1) Life is an incredible gift from God.
David reminds us in Psalm 139 that God knows us (vs.1), has created our inmost being (vs. 13), knit us together in our mother's womb (vs. 13), and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (vs. 14). This chapter as well as many others highlights God's high view of human life and the care and time it took to create everything on the planet.
I'm guessing it is not an accident that God placed you on this earth in a specific family, in a specific location, with specific parents, and I think you get the point. Now, I will admit it is not fair that some are born into a life of riches and trust funds while others are born into a family that doesn't know where their next meal is coming from. My best advice if that bothers you is to voice your concerns to God about that and see where he will lead you.
If we carry that thought out that it is no accident that God put you on this earth at a certain time and certain location, we can also be pretty certain that God will take us off this earth into life eternal when it is our time. Now, unfortunately we as human beings can often make many foolish mistakes and sadly end life before our time is up. Even if it is just a few days or moments, I know that every day on this earth is a precious gift that should be cherished. My fear is that God was going to be glorified in some way in Brittany's life before her God chose to take her. But, now God will have to use someone else.
2) Her struggle points to the truth that this world is not as it was intended to be.
Death, pain, disease, hurt, brokenness, disappointment, and shame were not all part of the original creation. Could God wipe all of them out? Of course he could, but then God would also have to wipe and eliminate sin and when that happens we lose our ability to freely choose to love and serve God. So, we're left in a world that is controlled by an all-powerful, compassionate God but also has disease, death, and sin running rampant.
The most crucial lesson of all is not for you to understand the struggle or attempt to rationalize why you are struggling but rather it is for you to know that God hears, feels, walks with you, and loves you no less in your struggles. Our faith needs to always hold on to the incredible truth that the world we live will one day be right and perfect by an all powerful, all mighty God.
3) We can learn to love and disagree all at the same time.
One of the most damaging things that happens in many Christian circles is division over ideas. In the aftermath of Ms. Maynard's decision there will be many conversations in church Sunday school classes, on college campuses, over coffee, and in many other places. It is bound to happen this a big discussion and at times can be a very hot button issue. However, this is not a deal breaker for Christians in being in community with each other. This issue is incredibly difficult, especially for those who are facing a terminal diagnosis. Our prayers and hearts go out to Brittany's family for healing and comfort and for wisdom from the Holy Spirit to properly discern God's will for this complex issue.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Annise Parker
Most of you have heard in the news of the report that Houston mayor, Annise Parker, has subpoenaed the sermons of local Houston pastors that mention her name or that mention a local city ordinance which many pastors and churches aren't in favor of. This event has caused much public outcry over the government's relationship to faith based institutions and how far is too far in government reach into religion?
There are lots of issues surrounding these actions, and I will not for once ever admit to being an expert in the realm of politics, law, or even most times at religion. However, there are quite a few things to look at in the case of Annise Parker.
1) Always look at the big picture. When I first heard this my proverbial claws came out. I uttered phrases such as, "How dare she?" "Who does she think she is?" And even a few more phrases that I'm not very proud of. But, oh the wonders of social media, one of my good buddies Scott posted on Facebook that this subpoena of sermons might be a golden opportunity for Annise Parker to hear the incredible news that Jesus Christ saves sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15) Because, I think one big mistake many of us make and that I made when I first heard the news is that we let little annoyances or disturbances interrupt the incredible story that Jesus' blood and power calls all sinners to repent. My advice is to never lose sight of the big picture. People who annoy us, irritate us, and even disagree with us need to know and come to home to know Jesus forgives their sin. That's the big picture we all need to remember no matter what.
2) God is greater than all of the problems we all face.
I will admit that I'm one of the first people who gets upset when I hear that another Nativity scene gets taken down, or someone has an issue with a Cross in the town square. But, let me say that despite all of the struggles that Christians have had in recent years, we need to remember that no matter what God has the final word in our lives and for all of human history.
It would be incredibly nice to know all the twists and turns in the story, but if we did there wouldn't be any need for us to have faith. We don't know the entire story, but we know that the author is good and loves us and we know in the end Jesus wins.
3) Preach the gospel with your life.
God's Not Dead is another of the many quality Christian movies that have been shot and produced over the past few years. In the movie college freshman Josh Wheaton is challenged in his philosophy class to prove to his class that in fact God is not dead. Well, the movie brings about some very compelling facts and arguments for the existence of God. But, what I want to share is a quote earlier on in the movie that many may have missed. When considering whether or not to prove God's existence Josh goes and talks with a pastor, and the pastor tells him this (paraphrased), "If you take this challenge, this may be the only time some of the students in the room hear the gospel." What an incredible idea! Difficult times, opposition from those who disagree, and problems can be opportunities to communicate the gospel to an unbelieving world. Remember that tough times don't build character, they reveal the character that is already there. Houston pastors can have an amazing show of character as the situation with Annise Parker continues to unfold.
There are lots of issues surrounding these actions, and I will not for once ever admit to being an expert in the realm of politics, law, or even most times at religion. However, there are quite a few things to look at in the case of Annise Parker.
1) Always look at the big picture. When I first heard this my proverbial claws came out. I uttered phrases such as, "How dare she?" "Who does she think she is?" And even a few more phrases that I'm not very proud of. But, oh the wonders of social media, one of my good buddies Scott posted on Facebook that this subpoena of sermons might be a golden opportunity for Annise Parker to hear the incredible news that Jesus Christ saves sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15) Because, I think one big mistake many of us make and that I made when I first heard the news is that we let little annoyances or disturbances interrupt the incredible story that Jesus' blood and power calls all sinners to repent. My advice is to never lose sight of the big picture. People who annoy us, irritate us, and even disagree with us need to know and come to home to know Jesus forgives their sin. That's the big picture we all need to remember no matter what.
2) God is greater than all of the problems we all face.
I will admit that I'm one of the first people who gets upset when I hear that another Nativity scene gets taken down, or someone has an issue with a Cross in the town square. But, let me say that despite all of the struggles that Christians have had in recent years, we need to remember that no matter what God has the final word in our lives and for all of human history.
It would be incredibly nice to know all the twists and turns in the story, but if we did there wouldn't be any need for us to have faith. We don't know the entire story, but we know that the author is good and loves us and we know in the end Jesus wins.
3) Preach the gospel with your life.
God's Not Dead is another of the many quality Christian movies that have been shot and produced over the past few years. In the movie college freshman Josh Wheaton is challenged in his philosophy class to prove to his class that in fact God is not dead. Well, the movie brings about some very compelling facts and arguments for the existence of God. But, what I want to share is a quote earlier on in the movie that many may have missed. When considering whether or not to prove God's existence Josh goes and talks with a pastor, and the pastor tells him this (paraphrased), "If you take this challenge, this may be the only time some of the students in the room hear the gospel." What an incredible idea! Difficult times, opposition from those who disagree, and problems can be opportunities to communicate the gospel to an unbelieving world. Remember that tough times don't build character, they reveal the character that is already there. Houston pastors can have an amazing show of character as the situation with Annise Parker continues to unfold.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Gone Girl
Without a doubt you've seen previews or heard talk of the newest movie that just came out last Friday: Gone Girl. I have not seen the movie, so this review is of the book which I finished about a week ago. In this review I won't spoil any plot twists or the ending. So, let's dive in here.
Gillian Flynn's 2012 smash hit, Gone Girl, highlights the story of Nick and Amy Dunne. This couple moves from New York to Missouri to care for Nick's mother and father after the economy crashes. The couple struggles to adjust to life in a Missouri small town, but they do manage and Nick opens a bar with his twin sister with money that Amy received from her trust fund.
The story really picks up on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick gets a call at the bar from his neighbor that his front door is wide open. Confused and slightly alarmed Nick rushes home to find his house in a mess and his wife completely gone. Frantically, Nick calls the local police and then the search begins! Over the next several days Nick is questioned several times by the police, his past begins to unfold more before the reader's eyes, and he desperately searches for anything that will prove that he is not responsible for her disappearance.
Nick's search takes him everywhere as he delves into Amy's past, meets some shady and some interesting characters, hires a lawyer, defends his actions, has his past behavior unearthed, and it all leads up to the answer of the million dollar question: who exactly is Amy Dunne and what is she capable of?
There were certain parts of the book I really loved and others I didn't care for that much. I didn't share as much because I don't want to spoil anything if you plan on reading the book or seeing the movie. The previews do make the movie look extremely compelling. In terms of quality of work I'd give the book 4 out of 5 stars. Gillian Flynn's style in this book is unique, and I actually really enjoyed it. The pace is fast, and you really do feel in the middle of a missing person search. I will let you decide about the ending, I won't say much in here about my opinion on it. In terms of overall family friendliness this book gets a 1 out of 5 stars. There are some very mature themes in the book (drugs, sex, rape), and there is pervasive language throughout the work. I did enjoy it, but I had higher expectations. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5 overall.
Gillian Flynn's 2012 smash hit, Gone Girl, highlights the story of Nick and Amy Dunne. This couple moves from New York to Missouri to care for Nick's mother and father after the economy crashes. The couple struggles to adjust to life in a Missouri small town, but they do manage and Nick opens a bar with his twin sister with money that Amy received from her trust fund.
The story really picks up on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick gets a call at the bar from his neighbor that his front door is wide open. Confused and slightly alarmed Nick rushes home to find his house in a mess and his wife completely gone. Frantically, Nick calls the local police and then the search begins! Over the next several days Nick is questioned several times by the police, his past begins to unfold more before the reader's eyes, and he desperately searches for anything that will prove that he is not responsible for her disappearance.
Nick's search takes him everywhere as he delves into Amy's past, meets some shady and some interesting characters, hires a lawyer, defends his actions, has his past behavior unearthed, and it all leads up to the answer of the million dollar question: who exactly is Amy Dunne and what is she capable of?
There were certain parts of the book I really loved and others I didn't care for that much. I didn't share as much because I don't want to spoil anything if you plan on reading the book or seeing the movie. The previews do make the movie look extremely compelling. In terms of quality of work I'd give the book 4 out of 5 stars. Gillian Flynn's style in this book is unique, and I actually really enjoyed it. The pace is fast, and you really do feel in the middle of a missing person search. I will let you decide about the ending, I won't say much in here about my opinion on it. In terms of overall family friendliness this book gets a 1 out of 5 stars. There are some very mature themes in the book (drugs, sex, rape), and there is pervasive language throughout the work. I did enjoy it, but I had higher expectations. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5 overall.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
On Mom's Night Out
Movies speak to us in powerful way. Most of us can remember seeing Simba take back pride rock for the first time or the chill we got when we heard Elsa sing, "Let it Go" for the very first time. Well, I always want you to see this blog as being a place where it encourages you to watch family friendly movies. I'm bringing you one right now, Mom's Night Out.
This movie has just come out on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Redbox video within the last six weeks. It is the movie: Mom's Night Out!!!
Mom's Night Out is the humorous tale of Allyson (Sarah Drew, Grey's Anatomy), mom of three little ones, and her friends Sondra (Patricia Heaton), and Izzy as they embark on a rare but much anticipated mom's night out. The ladies leave their children in care of their husbands as they go out for the evening. Allyson's great plans are quickly derailed when their reservation is lost, the other ladies spend too much time on their cell phones, and when she discovers that her nephew is missing. Come join the fun with a great cast, lots of laughs, and a wonderful reminder that being a mom is truly one of the hardest but most rewarding jobs any woman could ever have.
This movie has much more than I described, because I want you to watch and enjoy for yourself. In terms of content and quality I would give the movie three out of five stars. The acting and quality of Christian movies has gone way up in the last five years. This movie is a great step in that direction. It won't be in the conversation during Academy award time, but it's a fun family movie that is appropriate for all ages. I would rate it 4.5 out of five stars in terms of family friendliness. There is no language, violence, or sexual issues at all in the movie. But, the characters do find themselves in places such as a tattoo parlor and police station.
This movie has just come out on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Redbox video within the last six weeks. It is the movie: Mom's Night Out!!!
Mom's Night Out is the humorous tale of Allyson (Sarah Drew, Grey's Anatomy), mom of three little ones, and her friends Sondra (Patricia Heaton), and Izzy as they embark on a rare but much anticipated mom's night out. The ladies leave their children in care of their husbands as they go out for the evening. Allyson's great plans are quickly derailed when their reservation is lost, the other ladies spend too much time on their cell phones, and when she discovers that her nephew is missing. Come join the fun with a great cast, lots of laughs, and a wonderful reminder that being a mom is truly one of the hardest but most rewarding jobs any woman could ever have.
This movie has much more than I described, because I want you to watch and enjoy for yourself. In terms of content and quality I would give the movie three out of five stars. The acting and quality of Christian movies has gone way up in the last five years. This movie is a great step in that direction. It won't be in the conversation during Academy award time, but it's a fun family movie that is appropriate for all ages. I would rate it 4.5 out of five stars in terms of family friendliness. There is no language, violence, or sexual issues at all in the movie. But, the characters do find themselves in places such as a tattoo parlor and police station.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Deception Number #8 God Won't Come Through
Stepping out in faith is never easy. Taking a risk for God often involves putting yourself out there and not knowing how the other person will react. But, we're called as the people of God to go and be the witnesses of what Jesus has done to the entire ends of the earth! What a large area for us to cover. The task seems daunting, but we're reminded that we as the body of Christ go in God's name and we work and minister in God's power. But, if you're like me we struggle in living out our faith in bold, tangible ways. If that describes you, then you're reading the perfect blog post. Here are a few things that come to mind:)
1) Learn to recognize the evil one's voice.
The evil one has a knack of reminding us of all the areas where we often fall short, areas where we're tempted, and past failures and missed expectations. The voice can take many different shapes and forms, but one thing is consistent the evil one's voice will always remind you that you're not good enough, not worthy enough, not lovable enough, and you're not as good of a human being as you should be. His tactics are deceitful and meant to destroy you, but they don't have to.The evil one is very sly and very cunning, make sure you know how to recognize his voice and his ways. A few good suggestions in helping you recognizing the evil one's voice and tactics are as follows: 1) Learn to discuss deep moments of your life with someone you trust. Almost all of us have some person in our lives that has wisdom, experience, and has our best interest in mind. Look to discuss big areas of growth and struggle with this person.
2) Fill your life with the voice of Jesus. There's currently a war going on for your heart. If that weren't so evil wouldn't be flashing all over the news, the Internet, radio, and sadly evil has become even more present in our schools. However, if what we believe about God is true, and that if we know God to be above all and over all creation, then we know that God's voice will have the last word. Learn to fill your life with goodness, love, beauty, grace, and forgiveness. It may require that you change your music tastes, block out a channel on the TV, stop going to places that tempt and cause you to stumble, and even more radically you might need to give up a friend or two. Paul reminds us so powerfully in Philippians 4:8, "8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
3) Be very careful about basing your understanding of God on emotions. As we dive into our final point let me first say that emotions are a good thing. But, be very careful because our emotions can easily deceive us. I urge you to fall in love with God with your emotions, feel the love and warmth of God's embrace, but be careful if your entire understanding of God is based on emotion, because emotions can change. Emotions are often based on experiences, and as we know as followers of Jesus and people on this earth. Emotions can change. My hope is that we would develop and have a growing, firm relationship with Jesus that can withstand the greatest success and also the greatest defeat, thus knowing that God loves us and God will no matter what come through for us, it often won't be the way we hoped or in our timeframe, but God will come through.
1) Learn to recognize the evil one's voice.
The evil one has a knack of reminding us of all the areas where we often fall short, areas where we're tempted, and past failures and missed expectations. The voice can take many different shapes and forms, but one thing is consistent the evil one's voice will always remind you that you're not good enough, not worthy enough, not lovable enough, and you're not as good of a human being as you should be. His tactics are deceitful and meant to destroy you, but they don't have to.The evil one is very sly and very cunning, make sure you know how to recognize his voice and his ways. A few good suggestions in helping you recognizing the evil one's voice and tactics are as follows: 1) Learn to discuss deep moments of your life with someone you trust. Almost all of us have some person in our lives that has wisdom, experience, and has our best interest in mind. Look to discuss big areas of growth and struggle with this person.
2) Fill your life with the voice of Jesus. There's currently a war going on for your heart. If that weren't so evil wouldn't be flashing all over the news, the Internet, radio, and sadly evil has become even more present in our schools. However, if what we believe about God is true, and that if we know God to be above all and over all creation, then we know that God's voice will have the last word. Learn to fill your life with goodness, love, beauty, grace, and forgiveness. It may require that you change your music tastes, block out a channel on the TV, stop going to places that tempt and cause you to stumble, and even more radically you might need to give up a friend or two. Paul reminds us so powerfully in Philippians 4:8, "8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
3) Be very careful about basing your understanding of God on emotions. As we dive into our final point let me first say that emotions are a good thing. But, be very careful because our emotions can easily deceive us. I urge you to fall in love with God with your emotions, feel the love and warmth of God's embrace, but be careful if your entire understanding of God is based on emotion, because emotions can change. Emotions are often based on experiences, and as we know as followers of Jesus and people on this earth. Emotions can change. My hope is that we would develop and have a growing, firm relationship with Jesus that can withstand the greatest success and also the greatest defeat, thus knowing that God loves us and God will no matter what come through for us, it often won't be the way we hoped or in our timeframe, but God will come through.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
A Look at the Word of God 1 Timothy 1
As we dive into some very applicable teaching by Paul, let me say that these are some of my favorite letters in the entire Bible. What Paul imparts to Timothy is both great spiritual advice and also great advice for a young person growing up and discovering who they are. Let's dive into some of the teaching Paul gives us in 1 Timothy.
1) We go in God's name. The first two verses are so crucial in this letter and in most of Paul's letters. Because, what Paul does is he sets the stage and gives the reader a reminder of whose name we serve in and by whose power we thrive. Paul at the start of every letter wants all believers to know that Jesus is the source of his identity, his purpose, his thoughts, and his every move. His life would be fully subject to Jesus in all areas and in all circumstances! What a powerful witness and testimony! I hope that as we dive into every single one of Paul's letters we're reminded of the incredible truth that God is calling the shots and is the author of our story.
2) Know the truth, preach it, practice it, and do it in love. One of the most difficult/dangerous forms of thinking is the current ideology infecting a lot of thought in our country today. Not all thoughts are correct, not all answers are true, and just because someone says it or believes it that doesn't make it right. Paul discusses in 1:8-11 that the law is for the sinner not the righteous. But, his charge in vs. 5 is the key to this entire passage, " The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." The command Paul gave Timothy was to know the truth and seek to lovingly correct those who were preaching and living into falsehoods. The truth will win out eventually, since God is still on the throne, but God is calling all of us just as Paul reminded Timothy to stand up against the falsehoods of the day with love and grace.
3) 1 Timothy 1:15 is the crucial verse probably in all of Paul's theology. God's business is first and foremost not to judge, not to hate, not to condemn at the first. But, I will say that God is a righteous judge and will judge sin, but God's first in the business of saving sinners even the worst of all sinners. Paul wants Timothy to be encouraged and to know that God saved him from a life of hatred, judgment, and murder. If God saved a one of the worst sinners of all in Paul, God can save everyone, loves everyone, believes in everyone, and has a bold purpose for anyone. Paul charged Timothy to take up the torch and be the one that communicates this powerful message to all. God is filled with love, and His love is powerful enough to save anyone.
4) Vs. 18 is very convicting and gives us something to think about. Paul uses the word battle and encourages Timothy that he has been given all of this so that he might be able to fight the battle well. Paul's use of battle brings up an interesting thought I just want you to mull over for awhile. Are we doing something wrong if the world speaks well of the church? Didn't Jesus say that He chose us out of the world and that is why the world hates us?
1) We go in God's name. The first two verses are so crucial in this letter and in most of Paul's letters. Because, what Paul does is he sets the stage and gives the reader a reminder of whose name we serve in and by whose power we thrive. Paul at the start of every letter wants all believers to know that Jesus is the source of his identity, his purpose, his thoughts, and his every move. His life would be fully subject to Jesus in all areas and in all circumstances! What a powerful witness and testimony! I hope that as we dive into every single one of Paul's letters we're reminded of the incredible truth that God is calling the shots and is the author of our story.
2) Know the truth, preach it, practice it, and do it in love. One of the most difficult/dangerous forms of thinking is the current ideology infecting a lot of thought in our country today. Not all thoughts are correct, not all answers are true, and just because someone says it or believes it that doesn't make it right. Paul discusses in 1:8-11 that the law is for the sinner not the righteous. But, his charge in vs. 5 is the key to this entire passage, " The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." The command Paul gave Timothy was to know the truth and seek to lovingly correct those who were preaching and living into falsehoods. The truth will win out eventually, since God is still on the throne, but God is calling all of us just as Paul reminded Timothy to stand up against the falsehoods of the day with love and grace.
3) 1 Timothy 1:15 is the crucial verse probably in all of Paul's theology. God's business is first and foremost not to judge, not to hate, not to condemn at the first. But, I will say that God is a righteous judge and will judge sin, but God's first in the business of saving sinners even the worst of all sinners. Paul wants Timothy to be encouraged and to know that God saved him from a life of hatred, judgment, and murder. If God saved a one of the worst sinners of all in Paul, God can save everyone, loves everyone, believes in everyone, and has a bold purpose for anyone. Paul charged Timothy to take up the torch and be the one that communicates this powerful message to all. God is filled with love, and His love is powerful enough to save anyone.
4) Vs. 18 is very convicting and gives us something to think about. Paul uses the word battle and encourages Timothy that he has been given all of this so that he might be able to fight the battle well. Paul's use of battle brings up an interesting thought I just want you to mull over for awhile. Are we doing something wrong if the world speaks well of the church? Didn't Jesus say that He chose us out of the world and that is why the world hates us?
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Deception Number 7# You Cannot Conqueror Your Pain
This is one of the more in-depth posts that has been written and will be written in our journey together about life's great deceptions. One of the big things we hope to accomplish in this entire blog and not just this series is for you to firmly know and live into without a doubt the truth that Jesus is greater than whatever life throws your way. This truth fits really well into conquering one of life's toughest deceptions: pain and heartache. Let's dive and see what we can find together!
1) Pain in an inevitable part of life.
The only people who ever knew a pain free life were Adam and Eve, and that all changed shortly after they disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden fruit. Once sin entered the world pain followed shortly after. The reality is that our world is desperately broken by the effects of sin both in personal choices and in the effects it has in the physical world.
So, where we're going with all of this is we want you to know that no one escapes pain in this lifetime. Living a life where one so desperately avoids taking risks, putting yourself out there, and only focusing on avoiding being hurt will be a life filled with emptiness and many unfulfilled dreams at the end of it all. Jesus reminds in John 10:10 that He has come to give life and life to the fullest. Don't avoid potentially painful situations, taking risks that may better yourself, or live in fear. Pain and heartache touch all of us in ways that we often don't like or appreciate. If we look at the saints of the New Testament and even throughout history their lives were filled with many great moments of success in their mission to proclaim Jesus to the world. But, there lives also had lots of moments of pain and heartache. Don't avoid painful situations, but learn to walk through and conqueror your pain through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
2) Be an aid to help others conqueror their pain.
Let's face it other people feeling discomfort and walking in pain can be fairly difficult for us as human beings to navigate through the difficult moments of life, and when a close friend or loved one experiences tough times, hurt, and pain all of our well words can seem to be lost. Trust me you're not a bad person, for feeling uncomfortable, confused, or somewhat lost when trying to help a loved one through their pain. We often do not know what to say to help alleviate someone's pain, so we do something that has good intentions but often leaves hurting people with more hurt: we don't say anything and we don't come around. Those actions can be particularly devastating. In times of pain and heartache, people need support and they need others who will lift them up.
One great example of being with someone after a difficult time is Jesus' stirring words to Peter in John 21. To refresh your memory, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times on the night of his arrest. Jesus had a very important decision after his resurrection, and He chose to be with Peter in his moment of shame, offer forgiveness, and the result is that Peter became one of the bedrocks of the early church. Pain and hurt take many different forms, and often times we don't know or can't say anything to make it better. But, we can be there for people to show them we care. Teddy Roosevelt our 26th president sums up what I'm trying to say nicely when he states, "No one cares about how much you know, until they know how much you care."
3) Pain is not fair but neither is grace.
One of the big traps a lot of people get in life is they often try to rationalize their life in terms of whether or not it is or has been fair. Questions about fairness are legitimate questions to ask. Fairness is often the lens through which we view our life experiences, but I want to encourage you to look at both the good and hurtful areas of your life through the lens of fairness.
It is true that many people who live hurtful immoral lives do receive a lot of success on this planet. Is that fair? The short answer to that is no. However, there are also lots of good people who God has called home from this earth far too soon then we would have liked. Life is definitely fair in either of those situations. However, is it also fair that we in developed countries have clean water, while those in other countries do not? Is it fair that to forgive our sin Jesus had to die? Is it fair that we have the ability and financial resources to access computers, the Internet, etc, while many in the world do not? We don't want you to feel bad in reading this, that's not the point. It also is not the point to minimize your paint, but rather we want to put your life into perspective. Your life has been filled more than likely with a series of good moments and quite a few rotten moments as well. The truth is we want you to view your life as a whole, God has been good to you. God wants to know you more, and God will provide for you. Trust me God's provision is rarely in our timing or the way we would like, but it always comes. Know that God has given you the ultimate gift, a relationship with Him (Ephesians 2:8-9), and in no way is that fair at all!
4) Your Pain is not meaningless.
One of the most difficult things for humans to understand is why is this happening to me? Why did my marriage fall apart? Why did I not live up to my potential? Why did my best friend betray me? The answers can go on and on and on. I will say that when I do finally reach those pearly gates, I do have LOTS of questions that I would like answered. However, in the moment here are just a few hopeful words of reassurance on this issue.
1) Sin was wounded at the Cross and one day will be defeated. Much of the pain we experience is a direct result of sin and please note that sin's destruction is sure and coming. 2) You have a chance to practice empathy. Empathy is different from sympathy, because someone who practices empathy has walked in similar shoes that you're walking in. Use your painful experiences in the past to encourage others and help them conqueror their pain the present.
3) You are not alone. One of the big mistakes people make is to believe they are the only ones suffering in their type of situation. Seek support from a group, talk to a pastor, reach out to friends, spend more time in prayer, but please don't try and conqueror your pain alone. 4) Finally, don't be ashamed of scars. Christ has so graciously wiped out our sin, forgiven, and forgotten our sin. In so doing he also wiped out our shame. Your physical and emotional scars are part of what make you uniquely you. Use those to tell your story and in so doing point out the power of God to bring you above every pain and hurt you experienced. In closing, we can be sure that our pain can be conquered because of Jesus' words in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world."
1) Pain in an inevitable part of life.
The only people who ever knew a pain free life were Adam and Eve, and that all changed shortly after they disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden fruit. Once sin entered the world pain followed shortly after. The reality is that our world is desperately broken by the effects of sin both in personal choices and in the effects it has in the physical world.
So, where we're going with all of this is we want you to know that no one escapes pain in this lifetime. Living a life where one so desperately avoids taking risks, putting yourself out there, and only focusing on avoiding being hurt will be a life filled with emptiness and many unfulfilled dreams at the end of it all. Jesus reminds in John 10:10 that He has come to give life and life to the fullest. Don't avoid potentially painful situations, taking risks that may better yourself, or live in fear. Pain and heartache touch all of us in ways that we often don't like or appreciate. If we look at the saints of the New Testament and even throughout history their lives were filled with many great moments of success in their mission to proclaim Jesus to the world. But, there lives also had lots of moments of pain and heartache. Don't avoid painful situations, but learn to walk through and conqueror your pain through the power of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
2) Be an aid to help others conqueror their pain.
Let's face it other people feeling discomfort and walking in pain can be fairly difficult for us as human beings to navigate through the difficult moments of life, and when a close friend or loved one experiences tough times, hurt, and pain all of our well words can seem to be lost. Trust me you're not a bad person, for feeling uncomfortable, confused, or somewhat lost when trying to help a loved one through their pain. We often do not know what to say to help alleviate someone's pain, so we do something that has good intentions but often leaves hurting people with more hurt: we don't say anything and we don't come around. Those actions can be particularly devastating. In times of pain and heartache, people need support and they need others who will lift them up.
One great example of being with someone after a difficult time is Jesus' stirring words to Peter in John 21. To refresh your memory, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times on the night of his arrest. Jesus had a very important decision after his resurrection, and He chose to be with Peter in his moment of shame, offer forgiveness, and the result is that Peter became one of the bedrocks of the early church. Pain and hurt take many different forms, and often times we don't know or can't say anything to make it better. But, we can be there for people to show them we care. Teddy Roosevelt our 26th president sums up what I'm trying to say nicely when he states, "No one cares about how much you know, until they know how much you care."
3) Pain is not fair but neither is grace.
One of the big traps a lot of people get in life is they often try to rationalize their life in terms of whether or not it is or has been fair. Questions about fairness are legitimate questions to ask. Fairness is often the lens through which we view our life experiences, but I want to encourage you to look at both the good and hurtful areas of your life through the lens of fairness.
It is true that many people who live hurtful immoral lives do receive a lot of success on this planet. Is that fair? The short answer to that is no. However, there are also lots of good people who God has called home from this earth far too soon then we would have liked. Life is definitely fair in either of those situations. However, is it also fair that we in developed countries have clean water, while those in other countries do not? Is it fair that to forgive our sin Jesus had to die? Is it fair that we have the ability and financial resources to access computers, the Internet, etc, while many in the world do not? We don't want you to feel bad in reading this, that's not the point. It also is not the point to minimize your paint, but rather we want to put your life into perspective. Your life has been filled more than likely with a series of good moments and quite a few rotten moments as well. The truth is we want you to view your life as a whole, God has been good to you. God wants to know you more, and God will provide for you. Trust me God's provision is rarely in our timing or the way we would like, but it always comes. Know that God has given you the ultimate gift, a relationship with Him (Ephesians 2:8-9), and in no way is that fair at all!
4) Your Pain is not meaningless.
One of the most difficult things for humans to understand is why is this happening to me? Why did my marriage fall apart? Why did I not live up to my potential? Why did my best friend betray me? The answers can go on and on and on. I will say that when I do finally reach those pearly gates, I do have LOTS of questions that I would like answered. However, in the moment here are just a few hopeful words of reassurance on this issue.
1) Sin was wounded at the Cross and one day will be defeated. Much of the pain we experience is a direct result of sin and please note that sin's destruction is sure and coming. 2) You have a chance to practice empathy. Empathy is different from sympathy, because someone who practices empathy has walked in similar shoes that you're walking in. Use your painful experiences in the past to encourage others and help them conqueror their pain the present.
3) You are not alone. One of the big mistakes people make is to believe they are the only ones suffering in their type of situation. Seek support from a group, talk to a pastor, reach out to friends, spend more time in prayer, but please don't try and conqueror your pain alone. 4) Finally, don't be ashamed of scars. Christ has so graciously wiped out our sin, forgiven, and forgotten our sin. In so doing he also wiped out our shame. Your physical and emotional scars are part of what make you uniquely you. Use those to tell your story and in so doing point out the power of God to bring you above every pain and hurt you experienced. In closing, we can be sure that our pain can be conquered because of Jesus' words in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world."
Monday, June 2, 2014
Deception #6 Doing Just Enough to Get By Is Good Enough
One of the things that breaks my heart is when people don't pursue excellence. We're satisfied with a C grade, mediocre spirituality, average performances and the list can go on and on and on. Now, let me first explain a few things, the goal for all people should be their very best. A big mistake we can make as parents, leaders, and even adults is to treat all people equally. Now, I will say we need to treat all people with same amount of love and respect, but different standards and requirements should be made for different people. My parents pushed me and encouraged me to get all A's in school growing-up, looking back I can say that I didn't get all A's and I am somewhat regretful that I didn't live up to my full potential in school. Did things turn out okay for me? I will say that they did, but I do look back and wonder, "What if I pursued excellence in all I did growing up?"
1) Why is this important?
Habits are the bedrock of our character. Human beings are intricate wounds beings filled with both vices and virtues that make them unique and wonderful. The part that makes this so important is that while habits are extremely important, they take time to build and are difficult to break. One example that comes to my mind is world renowned violinist Joshua Bell. Joshua's violin music has been an inspiration for millions of people all over the world, but he did not become a violin sensation over night. Joshua spent hours practicing, rehearsing, learning music, technique, and through many hours of hard work and dedication Joshua became a violin sensation!
His success came through many hard hours of work, patience, humility, and dedication. Those habits and technique for success came at a great cost and through much time and patience. In a current time when so many people in our country and in our western culture are under performing and not reaching their full potential in many areas of life are society needs people who work hard, endure failure, and pursue excellence because if excellence is pursued and becomes a habit than the hope is it will transfer into our spiritual journey and into all of our relationships. Habits of excellence and the desire to pursue excellence will affect all areas of life, let's vow as a church to become people who strive to be the very best they can be.
2) Failing is an event not an identity.
This is a tough pill for a lot of people to swallow, and I lump myself into this category as well. Putting pressure on ourselves to make more money, lose more weight, have a better status at your job, associate with higher class people, drive a nicer car, and the list can on and on and on. But, the reality is that most of us will endure failure at some point in our lifetime. We will miss deadlines, expectations, bounce checks, and even at times fall flat on our face.
But, the truth is that when we live life we will hit bumps in the road, fall flat on our face, and fail. What we need to understand is that no matter how bad the failure it does not define us and will not own us, unless we let it. Failure it can be bad, and at times it can be even devastating, but it is something that we can overcome. A few things to consider when overcoming failure and preventing it in the future are:
1) Surround yourself with good people. For a plant to grow green and strong, it needs strong roots, the proper care, and it needs to be in a place that has lots of light. Human beings are the same way, we can encouraged, strengthened, and pushed in all the right directions when we surround ourselves with the right people. However, being around young people in a variety of settings for several years now, I've seen first hand how destructive poor friend choices can be. A lot of good kids and adults often have had great intentions in befriending or even engaging in missionary dating to try and bring up those who so desperately need to hear about the good news of Jesus and have their lives changed.
Now, I'm not saying that good influences can never change hearts, what I am saying is be extremely careful, it is much easier to be pulled down then to pull someone up. If you're having doubts about this idea, my advice would be to try it sometime, take a folding chair, one that is fairly strong and that can support your weight and stand up up on the chair. Now, have a friend or sibling stand near the chair and conduct two experiments first have them try and pull you down. It should happen quite easily, next stand by them and try and pull them up on the chair, my guess is it probably will be extremely difficult. The same is true of the people we surround ourselves with: be careful.
2) Listen to wise advice. One of the things I think a lot of us will regret is we didn't fully comprehend how smart our parents, coaches, professors, and bosses truly are. Older men and women who have walked in our place, experienced the stage of life we are currently in, and have made similar mistakes that we have or will make can offer some valuable insight and guidance on how to pursue excellence and reach your full potential.
Listen to advice. Ask questions. Learn from mistakes, and above all do your best to minimize distractions. One of the biggest things problems in this generation is not their lack of education or opportunity but rather we are distracted and pulled away from what really matters to pursue what really doesn't matter. I will say this that your personal goals for your life cannot all be work related, although it is good and healthy to set some quality work related goals for yourself. Ask people to help you discern and understand what you're passionate about, where your gifts lie, and how you can pursue excellence and reach your full potential in life.
3) Set reasonable goals. One of the biggest mistakes people have made is to set goals which aren't attainable. Change and growth take time and patience, so don't beat yourself up if you aren't able to accomplish the transformation immediately. Be understanding and knowledgeable that bad habits are hard to break and you will fall into temptation even after you've started to change your life. My best advice is to find someone that would hold you accountable, pray for you, and challenge you to set reasonable goals so that you can be all that God created and intended you to be. In closing habits that challenge you to pursue excellence will carry over in all areas of life and impact you in great ways. Pursue excellence, learn from mistakes, don't settle for good enough, reach for your full potential, learn to laugh at yourself along the way, and above all get up every time you fall.
1) Why is this important?
Habits are the bedrock of our character. Human beings are intricate wounds beings filled with both vices and virtues that make them unique and wonderful. The part that makes this so important is that while habits are extremely important, they take time to build and are difficult to break. One example that comes to my mind is world renowned violinist Joshua Bell. Joshua's violin music has been an inspiration for millions of people all over the world, but he did not become a violin sensation over night. Joshua spent hours practicing, rehearsing, learning music, technique, and through many hours of hard work and dedication Joshua became a violin sensation!
His success came through many hard hours of work, patience, humility, and dedication. Those habits and technique for success came at a great cost and through much time and patience. In a current time when so many people in our country and in our western culture are under performing and not reaching their full potential in many areas of life are society needs people who work hard, endure failure, and pursue excellence because if excellence is pursued and becomes a habit than the hope is it will transfer into our spiritual journey and into all of our relationships. Habits of excellence and the desire to pursue excellence will affect all areas of life, let's vow as a church to become people who strive to be the very best they can be.
2) Failing is an event not an identity.
This is a tough pill for a lot of people to swallow, and I lump myself into this category as well. Putting pressure on ourselves to make more money, lose more weight, have a better status at your job, associate with higher class people, drive a nicer car, and the list can on and on and on. But, the reality is that most of us will endure failure at some point in our lifetime. We will miss deadlines, expectations, bounce checks, and even at times fall flat on our face.
But, the truth is that when we live life we will hit bumps in the road, fall flat on our face, and fail. What we need to understand is that no matter how bad the failure it does not define us and will not own us, unless we let it. Failure it can be bad, and at times it can be even devastating, but it is something that we can overcome. A few things to consider when overcoming failure and preventing it in the future are:
1) Surround yourself with good people. For a plant to grow green and strong, it needs strong roots, the proper care, and it needs to be in a place that has lots of light. Human beings are the same way, we can encouraged, strengthened, and pushed in all the right directions when we surround ourselves with the right people. However, being around young people in a variety of settings for several years now, I've seen first hand how destructive poor friend choices can be. A lot of good kids and adults often have had great intentions in befriending or even engaging in missionary dating to try and bring up those who so desperately need to hear about the good news of Jesus and have their lives changed.
Now, I'm not saying that good influences can never change hearts, what I am saying is be extremely careful, it is much easier to be pulled down then to pull someone up. If you're having doubts about this idea, my advice would be to try it sometime, take a folding chair, one that is fairly strong and that can support your weight and stand up up on the chair. Now, have a friend or sibling stand near the chair and conduct two experiments first have them try and pull you down. It should happen quite easily, next stand by them and try and pull them up on the chair, my guess is it probably will be extremely difficult. The same is true of the people we surround ourselves with: be careful.
2) Listen to wise advice. One of the things I think a lot of us will regret is we didn't fully comprehend how smart our parents, coaches, professors, and bosses truly are. Older men and women who have walked in our place, experienced the stage of life we are currently in, and have made similar mistakes that we have or will make can offer some valuable insight and guidance on how to pursue excellence and reach your full potential.
Listen to advice. Ask questions. Learn from mistakes, and above all do your best to minimize distractions. One of the biggest things problems in this generation is not their lack of education or opportunity but rather we are distracted and pulled away from what really matters to pursue what really doesn't matter. I will say this that your personal goals for your life cannot all be work related, although it is good and healthy to set some quality work related goals for yourself. Ask people to help you discern and understand what you're passionate about, where your gifts lie, and how you can pursue excellence and reach your full potential in life.
3) Set reasonable goals. One of the biggest mistakes people have made is to set goals which aren't attainable. Change and growth take time and patience, so don't beat yourself up if you aren't able to accomplish the transformation immediately. Be understanding and knowledgeable that bad habits are hard to break and you will fall into temptation even after you've started to change your life. My best advice is to find someone that would hold you accountable, pray for you, and challenge you to set reasonable goals so that you can be all that God created and intended you to be. In closing habits that challenge you to pursue excellence will carry over in all areas of life and impact you in great ways. Pursue excellence, learn from mistakes, don't settle for good enough, reach for your full potential, learn to laugh at yourself along the way, and above all get up every time you fall.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
On Donald Sterling
2014 has been a crazy year I must say. Our world is filled with an amazing amount of brokenness, judgment, hurt, and bitterness. But, on the flip-side there are still many people in our society who seek to do good, love their neighbor, and live out their Christian faith on a daily basis. This post didn't come out as quickly as I would have liked, but I think the delay in the post allowed to really process and get to the root of this issue.
In case you haven't heard Los Angeles Clippers' owner Donald Sterling came under a lot of fire when the story broke that he asked his girlfriend not to bring African Americans to watch Clippers' basketball games. These comments created a MAJOR backlash against Sterling, and since then the NBA has fined him 2.5 million dollars and banned him from life. This is a very big story that touches on a deeper issue that is present in our American culture. Let's dive in here a little bit and prayerfully look at and see what we can learn together through this.
1) Recognize all the sin.
I will admit I am a saddened that we live in a culture where Mr. Sterling's comments and comments similar to his can garner a huge public outcry, but very few people have even bothered to mention that Mr. Sterling though married also has a girlfriend as well. Now, I don't want to dive into the nature of their relationship or speculate about it, but my thought is if you call someone your girlfriend that is more than just a casual business partner or acquaintance. I will say this, and I want everyone to understand and know that what he said was wrong and totally against Jesus' prayer in John 17 which states that his desire is human beings become united and not divided. My point is this, as Christians sin should outrage us, we shouldn't accept, make excuses for it, or try and get around. Our desire should be to eliminate it entirely. Mr. Sterling is a rich, flawed human being, who needs the grace and love of Jesus Christ just as much as the next person, and he is someone who we need to recognize and pray for both his views of minorities and at time his marital unfaithfulness.
2) All sin has the same eternal outcome.
In the days coming my hope is that people all over the world will look to live into solutions, forgiveness, and healing in terms of the race problem. There still is a major issue that permeates our country today, but I will say this issues of race are almost always a two way street, that is not always the case but it usually is. The deeper issue is that sin shouldn't be hierarchical in the mind of the Christian, but it often is.
Societal consequences to sin will be different. If I trip my brother when he's carry his lunch tray, then he'll get mad, I will get yelled at and disciplined, which is a fitting consequence for that action. However, if I decide to blow up a building that consequence will land me several years in a fairly high security prison, which is also a fairly fitting consequence for that sin. In God's eyes the difference is that all sin brings about the same result: separation from God. So, yes racism is a deep sin that a lot of folks struggle with today. But, racism, hatred, jealousy, gossip, lieing, etc. all bring about the same eternal consequence.
The question remains is racism a generational thing? Cultural thing? Family thing? I think those answers are different in many different circumstances, but my hope is that Christians young and old immediately began praying for the situation once it broke instead of quickly passing judgment on the issue.
3) Where do we go from here?
I don't really like or enjoy ideas, judgment, theology, etc that remain ambiguous. I like ideas and theology that are followed by action. I'm an action guy, and I think it's important for us to both live and talk about our faith. One big thing I hope everyone who reads this takes is that children are very much a product of their family. If parents and families live out hatred toward people, don't associate with those different from them, and teach their children these things then these kids will be adults who live this out and pass it on to their family. Make family development, deep conversations, family Bible study, and family mission opportunities a part of who your family is, the United States can be an incredible nation where all people are loved, cherished, and respected. But, if children live in households where this is not happening then they will grow up to be adults who practice the exact same thing.
In case you haven't heard Los Angeles Clippers' owner Donald Sterling came under a lot of fire when the story broke that he asked his girlfriend not to bring African Americans to watch Clippers' basketball games. These comments created a MAJOR backlash against Sterling, and since then the NBA has fined him 2.5 million dollars and banned him from life. This is a very big story that touches on a deeper issue that is present in our American culture. Let's dive in here a little bit and prayerfully look at and see what we can learn together through this.
1) Recognize all the sin.
I will admit I am a saddened that we live in a culture where Mr. Sterling's comments and comments similar to his can garner a huge public outcry, but very few people have even bothered to mention that Mr. Sterling though married also has a girlfriend as well. Now, I don't want to dive into the nature of their relationship or speculate about it, but my thought is if you call someone your girlfriend that is more than just a casual business partner or acquaintance. I will say this, and I want everyone to understand and know that what he said was wrong and totally against Jesus' prayer in John 17 which states that his desire is human beings become united and not divided. My point is this, as Christians sin should outrage us, we shouldn't accept, make excuses for it, or try and get around. Our desire should be to eliminate it entirely. Mr. Sterling is a rich, flawed human being, who needs the grace and love of Jesus Christ just as much as the next person, and he is someone who we need to recognize and pray for both his views of minorities and at time his marital unfaithfulness.
2) All sin has the same eternal outcome.
In the days coming my hope is that people all over the world will look to live into solutions, forgiveness, and healing in terms of the race problem. There still is a major issue that permeates our country today, but I will say this issues of race are almost always a two way street, that is not always the case but it usually is. The deeper issue is that sin shouldn't be hierarchical in the mind of the Christian, but it often is.
Societal consequences to sin will be different. If I trip my brother when he's carry his lunch tray, then he'll get mad, I will get yelled at and disciplined, which is a fitting consequence for that action. However, if I decide to blow up a building that consequence will land me several years in a fairly high security prison, which is also a fairly fitting consequence for that sin. In God's eyes the difference is that all sin brings about the same result: separation from God. So, yes racism is a deep sin that a lot of folks struggle with today. But, racism, hatred, jealousy, gossip, lieing, etc. all bring about the same eternal consequence.
The question remains is racism a generational thing? Cultural thing? Family thing? I think those answers are different in many different circumstances, but my hope is that Christians young and old immediately began praying for the situation once it broke instead of quickly passing judgment on the issue.
3) Where do we go from here?
I don't really like or enjoy ideas, judgment, theology, etc that remain ambiguous. I like ideas and theology that are followed by action. I'm an action guy, and I think it's important for us to both live and talk about our faith. One big thing I hope everyone who reads this takes is that children are very much a product of their family. If parents and families live out hatred toward people, don't associate with those different from them, and teach their children these things then these kids will be adults who live this out and pass it on to their family. Make family development, deep conversations, family Bible study, and family mission opportunities a part of who your family is, the United States can be an incredible nation where all people are loved, cherished, and respected. But, if children live in households where this is not happening then they will grow up to be adults who practice the exact same thing.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Deception #5 Truth is not Absolute
Life can be very tricky, filled with people who desire to take advantage of us and even at times cause us harm. But, one area where I hope we as the body of Christ are consistent is our definition of truth. Pilate asked Jesus during his trial a hauntingly convicting question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38) This question is one that can cause much debating, thought, and discussion truth is one of the main cornerstones that we as Christians need to wrap our minds around. Once we understand and faithfully live out the answer to what truth is and all about, then our lives are going to become powerful and dynamic beyond our wildest beliefs and imagination.
Let's dive in!
1) Truth cannot be separated from God.
This is one of the most fundamental characteristics of God. I would say it would fall into a close second behind God is love. But, truth is woven very deep into the fabric of God's existence. The Bible does an amazing job of capturing both the actions and the heart of God. It is a book written through the hands of men and women, but what it communicates is life-changing truth which is inspired by and centered in God Himself.
The lesson behind all of this is that truth outside and separate from God is often few and far between. I don't want to necessarily say that only the words of the Bible are true, because we have seen a lot of new and great things come our way in terms of technology, medicine, architecture, etc. But, what I do want to say that the blueprint for your life, the example we are called to follow is right in the words of the Bible. If a cause, action, deed, or even words appear separate from the nature and heart of God or contradict the words of the Bible then they more than likely need to be avoided. Now, I will say that are certain examples in the Bible that if we take them literally we could be in trouble. These are examples spoken in metaphor or simile terminology. If we cut off our hand every time we sinned then we would have a society of people who just have stumps at the ends of their arms. No one would have arms, it is in cases like these that we are called to use our good judgment which God has blessed us with and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
2) Moral truths are absolute and objective.
Not every statement is true and truth can be relative at times. Let me repeat that not every statement is true. I'm typing this up on a Tuesday, and if I write I typed this on a Friday that would be untrue. However, if I waited a few days and left that statement up there then it would be true that I typed it on a Friday. Certain truth statements do change for example, "Polio is an deadly, crippling disease." If you had said that 100 years ago, you would be 100% correct. But, thanks to gifts God blessed Jonas Salk with that statement is no longer true.
However, subjective truth cannot be applied to all areas of life. Especially in terms of morality there needs to be absolute truth. Because we live in a world where two things are true at the same time. 1) We live in a world that is filled with sin and brokenness. 2) Human beings can do some very bad but also very good things to each other.
The Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are the best, most clear and concise outlines of moral truths. Jesus took these Ten Commandments and condensed them further by saying that we should love God with all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves. Living out the Ten Commandments and Jesus' new commands in Matthew 22 is not always the easiest, most-fun way to live, but it will lead to worthwhile relationships, a life filled with good decisions, and it will be a life that honors God. There has to be universal moral truths, that people live by and live into if not then are society borders on the chaotic and sociopathic.
3) Truth can only lead to one end.
There is only one final reality. All of the philosophies, mind-sets, and belief systems that are proposed by many different people all over the world have a similar goal (a final destination that ends in happiness, glory/etc.) But, all destinations and goals are all called something different and all have a different route to get there. The Bible is clear in John 14 that Jesus is the only way to get Heaven, so the tough truth and pill to swallow from that is if John 14 is right, then every other claim is wrong.
Now, I will say this message is not popular by any means. People don't like to be told they're wrong, probably ever, but that is the reality of what we face as Christians. Now, before anyone begins to drop words like exclusive or strict, let me say that Christ is for everyone. No one is denied access to the father, but they have to come on Jesus' terms. Let me explain truth in terms of the law. We are in a society that if someone steals something the resulting consequence is almost legal action. There is no alternate consequence or action, if someone steals, murders, vandalizes, etc. legal action is taken. The same thing happens with beginning a relationship with Jesus one of the many intended consequences is having your final end being Heaven. We've all taken tests, and we know that for each question on the exam there is one answer. A statement can't be true or false, choices A, B, and C cannot all be correct. The same thing is true about our final end, we cannot all believe different things, live different lives, and end up in the same place. It doesn't happen and cannot happen. The truth of Christianity is for everyone.
4) Living a life that aligns with moral and scripture truths brings about blessing and hope.
This will be the shortest of all the four points. But, I've never met anyone in my 27 years of life who has said, "I regret living too much like Jesus." It is a difficult, fulfilling life but it's a life that will be filled with blessings and hope. I'm not always talking about physical blessing, but if every action has a consequence the logical jump behind living a life of goodness, honesty, and blessing is that all those things would follow you.
Let's dive in!
1) Truth cannot be separated from God.
This is one of the most fundamental characteristics of God. I would say it would fall into a close second behind God is love. But, truth is woven very deep into the fabric of God's existence. The Bible does an amazing job of capturing both the actions and the heart of God. It is a book written through the hands of men and women, but what it communicates is life-changing truth which is inspired by and centered in God Himself.
The lesson behind all of this is that truth outside and separate from God is often few and far between. I don't want to necessarily say that only the words of the Bible are true, because we have seen a lot of new and great things come our way in terms of technology, medicine, architecture, etc. But, what I do want to say that the blueprint for your life, the example we are called to follow is right in the words of the Bible. If a cause, action, deed, or even words appear separate from the nature and heart of God or contradict the words of the Bible then they more than likely need to be avoided. Now, I will say that are certain examples in the Bible that if we take them literally we could be in trouble. These are examples spoken in metaphor or simile terminology. If we cut off our hand every time we sinned then we would have a society of people who just have stumps at the ends of their arms. No one would have arms, it is in cases like these that we are called to use our good judgment which God has blessed us with and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
2) Moral truths are absolute and objective.
Not every statement is true and truth can be relative at times. Let me repeat that not every statement is true. I'm typing this up on a Tuesday, and if I write I typed this on a Friday that would be untrue. However, if I waited a few days and left that statement up there then it would be true that I typed it on a Friday. Certain truth statements do change for example, "Polio is an deadly, crippling disease." If you had said that 100 years ago, you would be 100% correct. But, thanks to gifts God blessed Jonas Salk with that statement is no longer true.
However, subjective truth cannot be applied to all areas of life. Especially in terms of morality there needs to be absolute truth. Because we live in a world where two things are true at the same time. 1) We live in a world that is filled with sin and brokenness. 2) Human beings can do some very bad but also very good things to each other.
The Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are the best, most clear and concise outlines of moral truths. Jesus took these Ten Commandments and condensed them further by saying that we should love God with all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves. Living out the Ten Commandments and Jesus' new commands in Matthew 22 is not always the easiest, most-fun way to live, but it will lead to worthwhile relationships, a life filled with good decisions, and it will be a life that honors God. There has to be universal moral truths, that people live by and live into if not then are society borders on the chaotic and sociopathic.
3) Truth can only lead to one end.
There is only one final reality. All of the philosophies, mind-sets, and belief systems that are proposed by many different people all over the world have a similar goal (a final destination that ends in happiness, glory/etc.) But, all destinations and goals are all called something different and all have a different route to get there. The Bible is clear in John 14 that Jesus is the only way to get Heaven, so the tough truth and pill to swallow from that is if John 14 is right, then every other claim is wrong.
Now, I will say this message is not popular by any means. People don't like to be told they're wrong, probably ever, but that is the reality of what we face as Christians. Now, before anyone begins to drop words like exclusive or strict, let me say that Christ is for everyone. No one is denied access to the father, but they have to come on Jesus' terms. Let me explain truth in terms of the law. We are in a society that if someone steals something the resulting consequence is almost legal action. There is no alternate consequence or action, if someone steals, murders, vandalizes, etc. legal action is taken. The same thing happens with beginning a relationship with Jesus one of the many intended consequences is having your final end being Heaven. We've all taken tests, and we know that for each question on the exam there is one answer. A statement can't be true or false, choices A, B, and C cannot all be correct. The same thing is true about our final end, we cannot all believe different things, live different lives, and end up in the same place. It doesn't happen and cannot happen. The truth of Christianity is for everyone.
4) Living a life that aligns with moral and scripture truths brings about blessing and hope.
This will be the shortest of all the four points. But, I've never met anyone in my 27 years of life who has said, "I regret living too much like Jesus." It is a difficult, fulfilling life but it's a life that will be filled with blessings and hope. I'm not always talking about physical blessing, but if every action has a consequence the logical jump behind living a life of goodness, honesty, and blessing is that all those things would follow you.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Deception Number 4: Sticks and Stones will Break my Bones, but Words will Never Hurt Me
Let's face it words can hurt. They can hurt a lot, and one of the most damaging things we can do to another human being is discourage them. As a church, as followers of Jesus Christ, I hope our goal has been and will always be to build people up. The sad reality is that is not always the case, but our hope is together that we can continue to inspire and encourage all of us to speak and act in ways that build each other up rather than tear down. What I want and desire to leave you with today is some incredible truths about our speech and some things to think about when we communicate and converse with each other.
1) You don't need to have it all together all the time.
Our current society and even in our current churches we've become very private people. Our troubles, hurts, and struggles are often not discussed and when discussed can be met with hurtful words and emotions. I will say at the onset of this, this is not an easy thing to do, to be open, real, honest, genuine, and conceal hurt and pain involves taking some major risks. But, the question remains what is the upside? Why, be open and vulnerable when it can lead to heart ache?
Well, my thought process is this, can we really have meaningful, deep friendships and relationships with people if we only remain on the surface emotionally? If we really desire to live out our unconditional love for our friends and family shouldn't they know of our struggles and pain? Well, this is not easy to do, and some of you may even disagree but I believe that being open and real with each other and honest of our life situations will lead to very satisfying, deep relationships.
2) Think before you speak and you will eliminate a lot of hurtful things you say.
James 3:9-11 states, "9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" It is difficult to believe that our tongue can be used for such great purposes as praising God but also such negative things as cursing our neighbor? Let me be clear about all of this, as long as sin is still in our world, people will say nasty things about each other and to each other.
However, we can greatly improve our witness for Jesus to the world when we as Christians begin to honor each other with our speech. It won't be easy, because life brings at us people who just grate us on and try us to our last nerve, but if we are followers of Jesus we are called to love even those people. I want you to try something with me, the next time someone says or does something that would cause you to speak unkindly quietly count to three and see what happens. Most of our most hurt things that we have said have come impulsively. That three second delay will cause you to cool down and will allow you to see that more than likely what you were about to say probably wasn't worth it.
3) Speak to people's potential, gifts, and at times shortcomings.
I wouldn't be in full-time ministry today if it hadn't been for wise, mature Christians who pointed out gifts and abilities that I had that would allow me to become a ministry leader. God uses people all the time to communicate His truth to His creation. Be a part of that. Allow God to speak through you to others. But, do not take this task lightly. Make sure that you have been in prayer about what you're going to say and who you are going to say it to. God can and will use you to shape and mold other human beings. But, this doesn't and won't happen if you haven't first prayed for them and prayed for wisdom from God.
One final note, people don't like to be told of their shortcomings. It is not easy to tell someone that what they're doing or desiring to do doesn't match up with their gifts. The tough reality is that a lot of people do need to learn and be redirected to a path that better suits their gifts. So, if you are called to or see someone who needs redirecting, make sure you have a place to redirect them to pursue. Don't drop the bomb and not have a positive redirection that they can pursue.
We speak on average over 15,000 words a day. In 2014 let's make a promise to begin eliminating the hurtful, mean, and unkind things that we say to others or about others. Remember that Jesus died for everyone and loves everyone.
1) You don't need to have it all together all the time.
Our current society and even in our current churches we've become very private people. Our troubles, hurts, and struggles are often not discussed and when discussed can be met with hurtful words and emotions. I will say at the onset of this, this is not an easy thing to do, to be open, real, honest, genuine, and conceal hurt and pain involves taking some major risks. But, the question remains what is the upside? Why, be open and vulnerable when it can lead to heart ache?
Well, my thought process is this, can we really have meaningful, deep friendships and relationships with people if we only remain on the surface emotionally? If we really desire to live out our unconditional love for our friends and family shouldn't they know of our struggles and pain? Well, this is not easy to do, and some of you may even disagree but I believe that being open and real with each other and honest of our life situations will lead to very satisfying, deep relationships.
2) Think before you speak and you will eliminate a lot of hurtful things you say.
James 3:9-11 states, "9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" It is difficult to believe that our tongue can be used for such great purposes as praising God but also such negative things as cursing our neighbor? Let me be clear about all of this, as long as sin is still in our world, people will say nasty things about each other and to each other.
However, we can greatly improve our witness for Jesus to the world when we as Christians begin to honor each other with our speech. It won't be easy, because life brings at us people who just grate us on and try us to our last nerve, but if we are followers of Jesus we are called to love even those people. I want you to try something with me, the next time someone says or does something that would cause you to speak unkindly quietly count to three and see what happens. Most of our most hurt things that we have said have come impulsively. That three second delay will cause you to cool down and will allow you to see that more than likely what you were about to say probably wasn't worth it.
3) Speak to people's potential, gifts, and at times shortcomings.
I wouldn't be in full-time ministry today if it hadn't been for wise, mature Christians who pointed out gifts and abilities that I had that would allow me to become a ministry leader. God uses people all the time to communicate His truth to His creation. Be a part of that. Allow God to speak through you to others. But, do not take this task lightly. Make sure that you have been in prayer about what you're going to say and who you are going to say it to. God can and will use you to shape and mold other human beings. But, this doesn't and won't happen if you haven't first prayed for them and prayed for wisdom from God.
One final note, people don't like to be told of their shortcomings. It is not easy to tell someone that what they're doing or desiring to do doesn't match up with their gifts. The tough reality is that a lot of people do need to learn and be redirected to a path that better suits their gifts. So, if you are called to or see someone who needs redirecting, make sure you have a place to redirect them to pursue. Don't drop the bomb and not have a positive redirection that they can pursue.
We speak on average over 15,000 words a day. In 2014 let's make a promise to begin eliminating the hurtful, mean, and unkind things that we say to others or about others. Remember that Jesus died for everyone and loves everyone.
Monday, March 17, 2014
On Human Trafficking
Last night was powerful. It was a night filled with worship, praise, education, emotion, and a lot of information was thrown at us in a very short period of time. What this blog post is designed to do is to help unpack a little bit of what we learned and saw last night at the Human Trafficking Event over at Central Pres. Please know that I'm here for you all to answer questions, voice concerns, and dialogue with you all no matter what. Here's what we can learn from last night.
1) Be careful wherever you are, and whoever you are.
Now, I will say this Chambersburg, PA is a fairly safe town. But, that's not to say there aren't risks here or wherever you go. The truth of the matter is that our world is broken and sinful and in desperate need of being saved by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. With that being said there are some very evil people in our world today, and we need to be as Jesus reminded us in Matthew 10:16, "Be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Our hope last night was not to scare anyone or make anyone become paranoid, but rather the goal was to raise awareness about how we as the body of Christ can both be extremely careful and protect ourselves and loved ones. The other goal was to dialogue and communicate how we as Christians can stand up against evil and speak truth and grace into every situation. So, we encourage you to dialogue with your young people, pay close attention to their friends, social media contacts, changes in behavior, etc. make sure you pray regularly for your young people, and finally make sure you're always prepared to show tough love when a certain situation or person doesn't seem right.
2) Become the voice to the voiceless.
The one question which swirling around in my mind a lot last night was, where is the church? If 27 million are enslaved the church needs to stand up and be a voice for the voiceless. I will say this, some of us may never come in contact with someone we know or see someone getting sold. Let's hope and pray that never happens to us or a loved one. But, there are lots of people in our community who don't have enough to eat. There are many people in Chambersburg who are homeless, uneducated, unemployed, and many people who aren't capable of speaking up for their basic needs or rights. You can be that voice. You can be the light in someone's darkness, one of the main ways/reasons why people willingly enter human trafficking situations is because they don't have enough money to provide for themselves or their family. You can help decrease the amount of people trafficked each year by being faithful in giving to your food bank, church, mission organizations, volunteering your time, and above all spending time in prayer.
3) Sex was created for marriage.
One of the big mistakes people can make is by using/engaging in sex outside of its intended purpose. This is something that is forgivable, but it can lead down a very slippery slope. If you take nothing else away take this incredible truth/lesson away that sex is an incredible gift if used in the right way and a potentially dangerous weapon to yourself if used in the wrong way. Many of our young people will have questions and other young people saying things to them that can both support and contradict the Bible, but one of the best lessons I've learned is that it's better to wait and as Erin (the youth director from Central reminded us last night) MODEST is HOTTEST!
It may be uncomfortable, but please don't shy away from discussing these things with your young people. They're looking for answers, and my hope is that they can find them through either their parents or their church. If you have any questions at all about last night or what was presented please don't hesitate to ask.
1) Be careful wherever you are, and whoever you are.
Now, I will say this Chambersburg, PA is a fairly safe town. But, that's not to say there aren't risks here or wherever you go. The truth of the matter is that our world is broken and sinful and in desperate need of being saved by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. With that being said there are some very evil people in our world today, and we need to be as Jesus reminded us in Matthew 10:16, "Be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Our hope last night was not to scare anyone or make anyone become paranoid, but rather the goal was to raise awareness about how we as the body of Christ can both be extremely careful and protect ourselves and loved ones. The other goal was to dialogue and communicate how we as Christians can stand up against evil and speak truth and grace into every situation. So, we encourage you to dialogue with your young people, pay close attention to their friends, social media contacts, changes in behavior, etc. make sure you pray regularly for your young people, and finally make sure you're always prepared to show tough love when a certain situation or person doesn't seem right.
2) Become the voice to the voiceless.
The one question which swirling around in my mind a lot last night was, where is the church? If 27 million are enslaved the church needs to stand up and be a voice for the voiceless. I will say this, some of us may never come in contact with someone we know or see someone getting sold. Let's hope and pray that never happens to us or a loved one. But, there are lots of people in our community who don't have enough to eat. There are many people in Chambersburg who are homeless, uneducated, unemployed, and many people who aren't capable of speaking up for their basic needs or rights. You can be that voice. You can be the light in someone's darkness, one of the main ways/reasons why people willingly enter human trafficking situations is because they don't have enough money to provide for themselves or their family. You can help decrease the amount of people trafficked each year by being faithful in giving to your food bank, church, mission organizations, volunteering your time, and above all spending time in prayer.
3) Sex was created for marriage.
One of the big mistakes people can make is by using/engaging in sex outside of its intended purpose. This is something that is forgivable, but it can lead down a very slippery slope. If you take nothing else away take this incredible truth/lesson away that sex is an incredible gift if used in the right way and a potentially dangerous weapon to yourself if used in the wrong way. Many of our young people will have questions and other young people saying things to them that can both support and contradict the Bible, but one of the best lessons I've learned is that it's better to wait and as Erin (the youth director from Central reminded us last night) MODEST is HOTTEST!
It may be uncomfortable, but please don't shy away from discussing these things with your young people. They're looking for answers, and my hope is that they can find them through either their parents or their church. If you have any questions at all about last night or what was presented please don't hesitate to ask.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
#3 of Life's Deceptions: You Have to do God's Work
Life is already tiresome, exhausting enough, don't make life harder than you need to be. This is one of the more subtle deceptions that you will see in our world today, because what happens in this deception is it looks like you are doing something good, but in the end it can be damaging to both you and the person you're witnessing to.
Let me explain about this deception, many excellent people fall into this deception because they believe God's work needs to be done by them. We are as followers of Jesus Christ called to be like God. We're called to point people to God. But, we're not called to do God's work. Most specifically we as Christians and followers of Jesus aren't called to judge others or save others, that's what God does, has been doing long before we entered the picture, and will continue to do long after we leave the scene. So, the question remains what exactly are we as Christians called to do? What is the Christian life all about? Well, let's dive in!
Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2 states, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I will say the beauty of this verse is there isn't any real grey area here. It is black and white. Our job is not to judge others, to make them feel bad about their sinfulness, or errors. But, our goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, speak through us, and draw people to become more like Jesus each and every day. There is a fine line to walk between not judging people and saying every single behavior is okay. Be very diligent about being in prayer and ask for wisdom when confronting someone who's behavior is sinful. Make sure always that you are encouraging people, pointing them to Jesus, praying for them, and above all doing our best to make sure their behavior is changed. Let me just make sure it is perfectly clear at the final judgment you won't be judging others on their sin, God will be. Your goal is to not to judge but rather to be faithful, and Jesus reminded us in Matthew 22 what we're called to be faithful to, "You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." You don't have to do God's work, love God, love your neighbor, be faithful and committed to doing that, and the rest will fall into place.
You are called not to judge, and you are also called not to save people. Saving people is God's job, and only God is strong enough to save people from their sins. However, the amazing part is we as human beings do have a role in the matter. We as Christians know the instructions and the way to salvation our job is to hand and tell people where to find it. It would be like if someone handed you a treasure map to the most glorious, beautiful, and satisfying treasure ever. The treasure was vast enough to be for everyone, you didn't put the treasure there, but you know how to find it, and you know where to show others where it is. That's your goal in God's salvific activity, show people where to find it. It's up to them ultimately, but if God has anything to do with it they will enjoy the immense satisfaction of this treasure. I'm reminded of the parable of the sower for this, and the sower's job is not to make the seed grow or take root, all the sower is responsible for is to sow the seed. Be faithful in loving people, encouraging people, and sowing the seed that's your job. Leave the rest up to God.
Let me explain about this deception, many excellent people fall into this deception because they believe God's work needs to be done by them. We are as followers of Jesus Christ called to be like God. We're called to point people to God. But, we're not called to do God's work. Most specifically we as Christians and followers of Jesus aren't called to judge others or save others, that's what God does, has been doing long before we entered the picture, and will continue to do long after we leave the scene. So, the question remains what exactly are we as Christians called to do? What is the Christian life all about? Well, let's dive in!
Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2 states, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I will say the beauty of this verse is there isn't any real grey area here. It is black and white. Our job is not to judge others, to make them feel bad about their sinfulness, or errors. But, our goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, speak through us, and draw people to become more like Jesus each and every day. There is a fine line to walk between not judging people and saying every single behavior is okay. Be very diligent about being in prayer and ask for wisdom when confronting someone who's behavior is sinful. Make sure always that you are encouraging people, pointing them to Jesus, praying for them, and above all doing our best to make sure their behavior is changed. Let me just make sure it is perfectly clear at the final judgment you won't be judging others on their sin, God will be. Your goal is to not to judge but rather to be faithful, and Jesus reminded us in Matthew 22 what we're called to be faithful to, "You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." You don't have to do God's work, love God, love your neighbor, be faithful and committed to doing that, and the rest will fall into place.
You are called not to judge, and you are also called not to save people. Saving people is God's job, and only God is strong enough to save people from their sins. However, the amazing part is we as human beings do have a role in the matter. We as Christians know the instructions and the way to salvation our job is to hand and tell people where to find it. It would be like if someone handed you a treasure map to the most glorious, beautiful, and satisfying treasure ever. The treasure was vast enough to be for everyone, you didn't put the treasure there, but you know how to find it, and you know where to show others where it is. That's your goal in God's salvific activity, show people where to find it. It's up to them ultimately, but if God has anything to do with it they will enjoy the immense satisfaction of this treasure. I'm reminded of the parable of the sower for this, and the sower's job is not to make the seed grow or take root, all the sower is responsible for is to sow the seed. Be faithful in loving people, encouraging people, and sowing the seed that's your job. Leave the rest up to God.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
On Life's Great Deceptions #2: You are the Lead in the Story.
If you did not get a chance to read my first post, on life's great deceptions, I would encourage you to do so. Because, I firmly believe that many of us live under the false notion that we will always have more time. That post in a way, sets up a lot of what I'm hoping to do with this series of posts.
As we dive in, let me be perfectly clear. Life is filled with many truths but also many deceptions. Most of the deceptions that we see in our society are very subtle deceptions, if lies were big, bold, and glaring the truth of the matter would be that no one in their right mind would believe them. So, that's what our journey is all about, we want to look at some big deceptions our society has led us to believe.
This is absolutely huge. Because our society is fueled with the message that you are the lead in the story. The story we are discussing here in this post is the story of your life and how it has unfolded and will continue to unfold in the future. Your life plays out like a story. There is a goal in your story. Your story has antagonists, difficulties, struggles, hardships, comforts, and of course it has joys as well. But, one thing is true for all of us reading this, you are not the main character or protagonist, God is.
I will fully admit I don't know everything, and there are many, many people in the world that are smarter than I am. But, I have seen in my brief time on this earth that people for the most part live their lives one of two ways, they either live life basing their goals, decisions, words, actions, and time on making themselves great and known or they either live life making someone or something else great and known.
So, my challenge to you in looking at this deception is to really and honestly ask yourself, "How do I want to live? Will life be all about me? Or will life be something more?" Because the reality is I've seen that living all for yourself and trying to make your name is an attractive way to live only in the short term, but in the long run it often leads us feeling empty and unsatisfied. Because, the danger about living all for you is that all your thoughts, goals, words, and actions are often geared to satisfying yourself and having yourself fulfilled. This is not me saying that you should avoid all things and areas of life that will leave you satisfied, what I'm saying is that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. There has to be something greater. Working in the church both now and in the past, growing up in the church, and being around a lot of people I've seen many people live all for themselves, and the sad reality is that they never got what they were looking for: lasting satisfaction. They wanted so badly to be the lead in their story, they did everything to make that happened, and for awhile they were, but at the end it left them empty and unsatisfied.
Probably the best Biblical example of someone so desperate to be the lead in their story comes in Matthew 19:16-22. This is the real life account of the rich, young man approaching Jesus and asking Him what must he do to inherit eternal life. All the physical tasks and commands the man had obeyed, but when Jesus asked the man to do something big, sell everything and give it all to the poor, the man went away sad and broken. Jesus essentially asked the man to resign/give-up being the lead in his story, and the man wasn't able to do so.
So, the question remains how to live? This is not necessarily an easy thing to communicate in a blog form, but we'll try. This won't be a 20 minute fix or anything like that, but I guarantee this will be one of the most worthwhile things you do. What we're saying here is that to live all for God, the first step is to change the way you think and what you view is most important in your life. For everyone how this process unfolds will be different, but there will be a few common threads throughout everyone's journey.
1) You won't be able to do it on your own. If you try just all by yourself to live a life that is focused on others, God, social justice, etc. you will fail every time. Because, the truth is you were never meant to live this life alone. Jesus promised in John 14 that a comforter was coming, the disciples were in awe at Pentecost, when they were able to speak every language, because the Holy Spirit is designed to guide, lead, and direct you. Without being connected to the Holy Spirit, your life transformation, shift in thinking, and your life in general will not work in the long run. You may be able to get by for awhile, and you may even make a difference. But, just as a cell phone, Kindle, or laptop you need to be plugged into to your power source to make it for the long haul or the marathon that is this life. Your relationship with God and the power God gives to you is your power source.
2) Difficulty will be present. Jesus promised us at the end of John 16 that in this world we will have trouble, but please don't stop there. Please don't base your entire theology, thinking, or life on the first part, because Jesus concludes the verse by saying that He has overcome the world. Know this that if trouble, heartache, betrayal, and even death didn't leave the Son of God alone, they will not leave you alone. So, what I would tell you is to prepare now for trouble. Prepare by being grateful every single day. Prepare by making sure your loved ones know how you feel about them. Prepare by being so in love with Jesus that no matter what happens your faith won't be shaken.
3) One of the driving forces in living a life that focuses on lifting God up above everything else, is investing in people. One of the common themes in the gospels is that Jesus lifts up people who are down, gives value to people who the world sees as valueless, and His ministry is not primarily focused on making people happy but a major portion of his ministry is focused on making broken people whole. Things can be replaced and often become obsolete. People forget award winners. Offices will one day be reassigned, and I'm not saying these things should be totally abandoned, but rather make sure that you fully know and understand that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. God is doing something incredible in this world, and being a supporting character in God's story is the most satisfying way to live. Invest in people, prepare for trouble, and never disconnect from your power source.
As we dive in, let me be perfectly clear. Life is filled with many truths but also many deceptions. Most of the deceptions that we see in our society are very subtle deceptions, if lies were big, bold, and glaring the truth of the matter would be that no one in their right mind would believe them. So, that's what our journey is all about, we want to look at some big deceptions our society has led us to believe.
This is absolutely huge. Because our society is fueled with the message that you are the lead in the story. The story we are discussing here in this post is the story of your life and how it has unfolded and will continue to unfold in the future. Your life plays out like a story. There is a goal in your story. Your story has antagonists, difficulties, struggles, hardships, comforts, and of course it has joys as well. But, one thing is true for all of us reading this, you are not the main character or protagonist, God is.
I will fully admit I don't know everything, and there are many, many people in the world that are smarter than I am. But, I have seen in my brief time on this earth that people for the most part live their lives one of two ways, they either live life basing their goals, decisions, words, actions, and time on making themselves great and known or they either live life making someone or something else great and known.
So, my challenge to you in looking at this deception is to really and honestly ask yourself, "How do I want to live? Will life be all about me? Or will life be something more?" Because the reality is I've seen that living all for yourself and trying to make your name is an attractive way to live only in the short term, but in the long run it often leads us feeling empty and unsatisfied. Because, the danger about living all for you is that all your thoughts, goals, words, and actions are often geared to satisfying yourself and having yourself fulfilled. This is not me saying that you should avoid all things and areas of life that will leave you satisfied, what I'm saying is that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. There has to be something greater. Working in the church both now and in the past, growing up in the church, and being around a lot of people I've seen many people live all for themselves, and the sad reality is that they never got what they were looking for: lasting satisfaction. They wanted so badly to be the lead in their story, they did everything to make that happened, and for awhile they were, but at the end it left them empty and unsatisfied.
Probably the best Biblical example of someone so desperate to be the lead in their story comes in Matthew 19:16-22. This is the real life account of the rich, young man approaching Jesus and asking Him what must he do to inherit eternal life. All the physical tasks and commands the man had obeyed, but when Jesus asked the man to do something big, sell everything and give it all to the poor, the man went away sad and broken. Jesus essentially asked the man to resign/give-up being the lead in his story, and the man wasn't able to do so.
So, the question remains how to live? This is not necessarily an easy thing to communicate in a blog form, but we'll try. This won't be a 20 minute fix or anything like that, but I guarantee this will be one of the most worthwhile things you do. What we're saying here is that to live all for God, the first step is to change the way you think and what you view is most important in your life. For everyone how this process unfolds will be different, but there will be a few common threads throughout everyone's journey.
1) You won't be able to do it on your own. If you try just all by yourself to live a life that is focused on others, God, social justice, etc. you will fail every time. Because, the truth is you were never meant to live this life alone. Jesus promised in John 14 that a comforter was coming, the disciples were in awe at Pentecost, when they were able to speak every language, because the Holy Spirit is designed to guide, lead, and direct you. Without being connected to the Holy Spirit, your life transformation, shift in thinking, and your life in general will not work in the long run. You may be able to get by for awhile, and you may even make a difference. But, just as a cell phone, Kindle, or laptop you need to be plugged into to your power source to make it for the long haul or the marathon that is this life. Your relationship with God and the power God gives to you is your power source.
2) Difficulty will be present. Jesus promised us at the end of John 16 that in this world we will have trouble, but please don't stop there. Please don't base your entire theology, thinking, or life on the first part, because Jesus concludes the verse by saying that He has overcome the world. Know this that if trouble, heartache, betrayal, and even death didn't leave the Son of God alone, they will not leave you alone. So, what I would tell you is to prepare now for trouble. Prepare by being grateful every single day. Prepare by making sure your loved ones know how you feel about them. Prepare by being so in love with Jesus that no matter what happens your faith won't be shaken.
3) One of the driving forces in living a life that focuses on lifting God up above everything else, is investing in people. One of the common themes in the gospels is that Jesus lifts up people who are down, gives value to people who the world sees as valueless, and His ministry is not primarily focused on making people happy but a major portion of his ministry is focused on making broken people whole. Things can be replaced and often become obsolete. People forget award winners. Offices will one day be reassigned, and I'm not saying these things should be totally abandoned, but rather make sure that you fully know and understand that they cannot be the most important thing in your life. God is doing something incredible in this world, and being a supporting character in God's story is the most satisfying way to live. Invest in people, prepare for trouble, and never disconnect from your power source.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
On Life's Great Deceptions: You'll Have More Time
I will say I am really excited about what this is all about and the future this series has. My goal from the get go is for people to engage in honest discussion, think deep thoughts about their own lives, and above all move closer to God. This series is designed to be a blessing, a source of wisdom, and a legacy that I'll pass down to my lovely daughter and by the will of God all her siblings. Life can be a very rewarding but also a very trying time. I hope these pieces of wisdom, perspective, and guidance will bless everyone who reads them.
Life's Great Deception Number One: You'll have more Time
One of the most transforming times in my life was when I served as a volunteer Hospice chaplain about three years ago. I will often refer to that experience and lessons learned in this series, but I wanted to draw your attention to that time in my life. I won't use any names or a lot of physical descriptions to describe anyone. But, I think this first idea will help put a lot into perspective.
I hope we as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ will be intentional about encouraging all to use effectively one of the best gifts we've ever been given: time. Now, I will say that the best gift of all is salvation, but one of the best gifts you've been given and you can give people is time.
Let me illustrate this with a great example of how our memories work. I am 27 years old. I can look back at my life and tell you about a few items, toys, new things I bought or was given. But, I could sit here and write for hours about great memories I've had during vacations, at Christmas time, playing sports, dating Lara, spending time with my family, slumber parties, and the list can go on and on. We strive all too often to acquire new things, but in reality what will really satisfy us is quality time with the people we love. Time is a gift, so please don't waste it.
Later on I'm going to expound on this thought, but a HUGE lie that society might not necessarily feed you, but a lie that you almost internally feel is that you'll always have more time. Don't believe you'll always more time to make a relationship right, tell loved ones how you'll feel, get right with God, live out your faith, tell a lost loved one about your relationship with Jesus, etc. Now, I will say often times there is more time, I don't want to cast gloom and doom with this post, but I want you to know that you shouldn't always count on the future, because it can be so unpredictable.
As someone with a lot of life ahead of you, my hope and perspective is that you see every day not as a drudge or burden. But, rather my hope is that you see every day as a gift. Christ came as He said John 10:10, "So that we could have life and life to the fullest." Don't wait to start living life, don't go to bed angry with anyone, and make sure you use this incredible gift.
Let me close by saying this, one of the most effective uses of your time is through prayer, scripture reading, worship, fellowship with other Christian, evangelism, and discipleship. I've never met a single person, in my short life that has said, "I've spent too much time in prayer and discipleship." Spending time with God and getting to know God is time well spent:). Let's strive together to live each and every day effectively and powerfully knowing that time is one of the best gifts we've been given and can give. Because we never really know of the time any of us has left.
Life's Great Deception Number One: You'll have more Time
One of the most transforming times in my life was when I served as a volunteer Hospice chaplain about three years ago. I will often refer to that experience and lessons learned in this series, but I wanted to draw your attention to that time in my life. I won't use any names or a lot of physical descriptions to describe anyone. But, I think this first idea will help put a lot into perspective.
I hope we as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ will be intentional about encouraging all to use effectively one of the best gifts we've ever been given: time. Now, I will say that the best gift of all is salvation, but one of the best gifts you've been given and you can give people is time.
Let me illustrate this with a great example of how our memories work. I am 27 years old. I can look back at my life and tell you about a few items, toys, new things I bought or was given. But, I could sit here and write for hours about great memories I've had during vacations, at Christmas time, playing sports, dating Lara, spending time with my family, slumber parties, and the list can go on and on. We strive all too often to acquire new things, but in reality what will really satisfy us is quality time with the people we love. Time is a gift, so please don't waste it.
Later on I'm going to expound on this thought, but a HUGE lie that society might not necessarily feed you, but a lie that you almost internally feel is that you'll always have more time. Don't believe you'll always more time to make a relationship right, tell loved ones how you'll feel, get right with God, live out your faith, tell a lost loved one about your relationship with Jesus, etc. Now, I will say often times there is more time, I don't want to cast gloom and doom with this post, but I want you to know that you shouldn't always count on the future, because it can be so unpredictable.
As someone with a lot of life ahead of you, my hope and perspective is that you see every day not as a drudge or burden. But, rather my hope is that you see every day as a gift. Christ came as He said John 10:10, "So that we could have life and life to the fullest." Don't wait to start living life, don't go to bed angry with anyone, and make sure you use this incredible gift.
Let me close by saying this, one of the most effective uses of your time is through prayer, scripture reading, worship, fellowship with other Christian, evangelism, and discipleship. I've never met a single person, in my short life that has said, "I've spent too much time in prayer and discipleship." Spending time with God and getting to know God is time well spent:). Let's strive together to live each and every day effectively and powerfully knowing that time is one of the best gifts we've been given and can give. Because we never really know of the time any of us has left.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
on the Debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham
This past Tuesday brought together two great minds of our generation in a monumental debate. Ken Ham is the President and CEO of Answers in Genesis and founder of the Creation Museum debated one of the beloved TV personalities of my generation Bill Nye the Science Guy, or as he's referred to now: Bill Nye. The debate was over topic of Creation vs. Evolution. I hope you get the chance to watch or read about the debate online, because if nothing else I can guarantee you this, you will learn something. Let's dive into some of what happened in the debate.
1) It's not really important who won. I've been all over this great important Internet, and I've seen people who say Bill Nye won the debate, Ken Ham had good answers, and that the debate was a draw. The basic consensus I have, is that yes the debate and questions are interesting, but no one's mind was really changed about their basic beliefs. The debate has raged on for centuries about which is the correct theory: evolution or creation and the reality is both sides have moved little in the last 150 years as National Geographic has pointed out. I want to remind myself above all that we worship a God who is greater than a theory, greater than a scientist, and greater than everything we can see and know. God blows my mind, and I hope God blows yours as well. Both Creation and Evolution need to be looked and which side you fall on you need to accept it with faith, but the good news is you know and have a relationship with the God of your faith. Know that no matter what that won't be changed. Christianity won't be silenced over the outcome of the debate, and both issues need to be accepted with faith.
2) I believe in the Creation of the world by God. But, I will say that there are a lot of men and women who are way smarter than I am who support Evolution to explain humanity's origin. I also know men and women who are way smarter than me who support Creation as well. So, both theories do have merit. I believe the debate was done in good taste, and the overall tone of the debate was done in good taste, and I think everyone who tuned in to the debate learned something new. I think in Sunday's sermon Pastor Rick brought out a very interesting point, how are we caring for the world today? Will our good social mindedness, our desire to live out the command God gave to Adam to subdue the earth, and our desire to pass on a great place to live to the next generation will that drive us into making this world a better place? God is chiefly concerned about the world, I believe God said it was good, and the question I have is what are we doing to make it good?
3) Finally, thoughts are nice and simple. I think it is important to have these debates and discussions. Both Creation and Evolution need to be accepted by faith, but both views on the origin of humanity have consequences to your thinking and lifestyle. Finally, I don't think many minds will be changed by debates or discussion, however, it is important to show people who believe and think differently the same respect you desire to be shown. The final thought I have is that the beginning of the story is important, I believe in the Biblical narrative of Creation, but even the writer of Genesis didn't witness the event, or didn't capture it in its entirety. We may never know until we are face to face with Jesus in eternity. However, the climax of the story is HUGE, Jesus has come, our redemption has been paid, and that is the incredible news and truth of the Gospel. Live life changed by the grace of God every day!
1) It's not really important who won. I've been all over this great important Internet, and I've seen people who say Bill Nye won the debate, Ken Ham had good answers, and that the debate was a draw. The basic consensus I have, is that yes the debate and questions are interesting, but no one's mind was really changed about their basic beliefs. The debate has raged on for centuries about which is the correct theory: evolution or creation and the reality is both sides have moved little in the last 150 years as National Geographic has pointed out. I want to remind myself above all that we worship a God who is greater than a theory, greater than a scientist, and greater than everything we can see and know. God blows my mind, and I hope God blows yours as well. Both Creation and Evolution need to be looked and which side you fall on you need to accept it with faith, but the good news is you know and have a relationship with the God of your faith. Know that no matter what that won't be changed. Christianity won't be silenced over the outcome of the debate, and both issues need to be accepted with faith.
2) I believe in the Creation of the world by God. But, I will say that there are a lot of men and women who are way smarter than I am who support Evolution to explain humanity's origin. I also know men and women who are way smarter than me who support Creation as well. So, both theories do have merit. I believe the debate was done in good taste, and the overall tone of the debate was done in good taste, and I think everyone who tuned in to the debate learned something new. I think in Sunday's sermon Pastor Rick brought out a very interesting point, how are we caring for the world today? Will our good social mindedness, our desire to live out the command God gave to Adam to subdue the earth, and our desire to pass on a great place to live to the next generation will that drive us into making this world a better place? God is chiefly concerned about the world, I believe God said it was good, and the question I have is what are we doing to make it good?
3) Finally, thoughts are nice and simple. I think it is important to have these debates and discussions. Both Creation and Evolution need to be accepted by faith, but both views on the origin of humanity have consequences to your thinking and lifestyle. Finally, I don't think many minds will be changed by debates or discussion, however, it is important to show people who believe and think differently the same respect you desire to be shown. The final thought I have is that the beginning of the story is important, I believe in the Biblical narrative of Creation, but even the writer of Genesis didn't witness the event, or didn't capture it in its entirety. We may never know until we are face to face with Jesus in eternity. However, the climax of the story is HUGE, Jesus has come, our redemption has been paid, and that is the incredible news and truth of the Gospel. Live life changed by the grace of God every day!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
on Freedom
I will admit, I've gotten to the point in this blog where I'm not 100% certain what I've covered in the past, and what still needs to be covered. So, if I covered freedom awhile back, please give this fellow a little bit of grace and love. I will say that this issue is really important, and I think freedom is something that we as the body of Christ need to understand and get correct. Here's what I got for a Christian perspective on freedom.
1) The Bible is concerned with freedom. Now, let me say this it is not the Bible's first priority. I would say that freedom is not the Bible's number one concern, but it is a very important concern for Christians. Let me be perfectly clear here, total freedom is never the goal for anyone at any time. Because our world is a sinful place that is in need of desperate redemption. But, the goal however, is freedom to do good, to choose to say no to sin, to run to Christ, etc. Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Now, what Christ has done has freed humanity from the worst oppressor of all: sin. So, what Christ accomplished is that sin in your life no longer has the final word, you are free to walk away from sin, to begin caring about things and people other than yourself. You are not call to be free to such an extent that you are out of control or you are living however you want. You are called to be free from sin and the oppressive hold it can have on many people. The freedom we are discussing here is spiritual and to some extent physical freedom.
My advice: embrace the freedom. Let people know the change that has taken place in your life, live differently, speak more kindly, look for ways to give more, and pray for people that you normally wouldn't even consider praying for.
2) Oppression is never the answer, we must work hard for others to experience the freedom we have experienced. Freedom is something that is meant for all people to enjoy. The sad reality is many people don't know or aren't able to experience physical freedom like the rest of us. Let us take heart and commit to being people of change in our society as we desire to give so that others may be lifted up. Let's educate ourselves on the oppression of hunger, slavery, ignorance, and disease. Let's look for groups that support these causes, and let's be in prayer for those groups in their mission. Let's keep our ears and eyes open for ways we can be supportive and encouraging each other. Above let's never lose sight of the reality that we do all of this because Jesus loves us and we want to show His love to others.
1) The Bible is concerned with freedom. Now, let me say this it is not the Bible's first priority. I would say that freedom is not the Bible's number one concern, but it is a very important concern for Christians. Let me be perfectly clear here, total freedom is never the goal for anyone at any time. Because our world is a sinful place that is in need of desperate redemption. But, the goal however, is freedom to do good, to choose to say no to sin, to run to Christ, etc. Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Now, what Christ has done has freed humanity from the worst oppressor of all: sin. So, what Christ accomplished is that sin in your life no longer has the final word, you are free to walk away from sin, to begin caring about things and people other than yourself. You are not call to be free to such an extent that you are out of control or you are living however you want. You are called to be free from sin and the oppressive hold it can have on many people. The freedom we are discussing here is spiritual and to some extent physical freedom.
My advice: embrace the freedom. Let people know the change that has taken place in your life, live differently, speak more kindly, look for ways to give more, and pray for people that you normally wouldn't even consider praying for.
2) Oppression is never the answer, we must work hard for others to experience the freedom we have experienced. Freedom is something that is meant for all people to enjoy. The sad reality is many people don't know or aren't able to experience physical freedom like the rest of us. Let us take heart and commit to being people of change in our society as we desire to give so that others may be lifted up. Let's educate ourselves on the oppression of hunger, slavery, ignorance, and disease. Let's look for groups that support these causes, and let's be in prayer for those groups in their mission. Let's keep our ears and eyes open for ways we can be supportive and encouraging each other. Above let's never lose sight of the reality that we do all of this because Jesus loves us and we want to show His love to others.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
On Jobs (The movie about Steve Jobs)
Movie reviews are fun to blog about, I'm not going to lie. So, I usually am pretty amped to go see a movie or rent a movie to blog about. The new movie Jobs I will admit surprised me a great deal. This movie detailed the life and work of the late technology visionary: Steve Jobs. The movie showed the rise and fall of Apple computers under Jobs' leadership. The movie stars Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs and the rest of the cast are filled with people that you're sitting there saying, "I should know there name, I don't!"
The movie at times does feel slow moving, but the story is what grabbed me, and I will say it is a real, gritty look at both Jobs' troubles and triumphs with Apple Computers. The movie begins in the late 70s and we see a free spirited Jobs who is both brilliant but also hard to work with and uncompromising in his ideals and vision. The film does a great job of showing the early stages of Steve Jobs' and Steve Wozniak's vision with Apple and how the company grew from their garage into the billion dollar company it is today. The film is intentional showing just how power and success do indeed affect people in both positive and negative ways. It is very interesting to see the evolution that happens to Steve Jobs the more he dives into creating the Mac computer and the many other products that Apple computers has created.
It was very interesting to see the amount of time, energy, personal triumph, innovation, and also personal heartache that went into creating the computer we know it as today. I really enjoyed the movie, and I think most of us know the end of the story, so I will just go out and say it: the Mac computer gets invented as well as the Ipod :). The movie at its heart doesn't really excite or thrill the viewer, but one thing it does do is inform the viewer and allow you to dive deep in the human psyche and see just what success can do to a human being. I would recommend the movie especially to young kids in high school and college.
In terms of family friendliness the movie doesn't have a lot of questionable material. There are some incidents of strong language and drug use. I would grade it a 3 out of 5 stars in terms of family friendliness. In terms of overall quality of movie I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars in terms of family friendliness.
The movie at times does feel slow moving, but the story is what grabbed me, and I will say it is a real, gritty look at both Jobs' troubles and triumphs with Apple Computers. The movie begins in the late 70s and we see a free spirited Jobs who is both brilliant but also hard to work with and uncompromising in his ideals and vision. The film does a great job of showing the early stages of Steve Jobs' and Steve Wozniak's vision with Apple and how the company grew from their garage into the billion dollar company it is today. The film is intentional showing just how power and success do indeed affect people in both positive and negative ways. It is very interesting to see the evolution that happens to Steve Jobs the more he dives into creating the Mac computer and the many other products that Apple computers has created.
It was very interesting to see the amount of time, energy, personal triumph, innovation, and also personal heartache that went into creating the computer we know it as today. I really enjoyed the movie, and I think most of us know the end of the story, so I will just go out and say it: the Mac computer gets invented as well as the Ipod :). The movie at its heart doesn't really excite or thrill the viewer, but one thing it does do is inform the viewer and allow you to dive deep in the human psyche and see just what success can do to a human being. I would recommend the movie especially to young kids in high school and college.
In terms of family friendliness the movie doesn't have a lot of questionable material. There are some incidents of strong language and drug use. I would grade it a 3 out of 5 stars in terms of family friendliness. In terms of overall quality of movie I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars in terms of family friendliness.
Friday, January 17, 2014
On Innocence
This is not the easiest post to write, I must say as I begin, because innocence is a somewhat subjective term and certain people look at innocence and see it as a negative thing. It can be very easy to see worldliness and having all sorts of experience as a good thing. Well, I may be way off in the overall direction of this post, but I believe in the cosmic scale of innocence and worldliness we should seek to tip the scale in the direction of innocence. Here are a few reasons why:
1) Too many people lose innocence too early. Jesus states in Matthew 19 that we should let the little children come to Him for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Children are the most innocent people around. Let's face it their belief in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and many others proves that children are innocent and vulnerable. In my opinion that's the way it should be. Children in our society lose their innocence way too early. Children shouldn't have to fear to go to school. Children shouldn't have to fear that their parents' marriage may fall apart or that they'll be abused in this world. But, the reality is that too many people lose their innocence when they shouldn't.
So, the question remains though, now what? How can we as the Body of Christ speak into the sad reality is that our world is filled with brokenness and pain? Well, the unfortunate truth is that in our current world sin will continue to infect all areas, but we as Christians can pray for those who are hurting, be faithful in giving to the church and organizations that support the broken and vulnerable, and we can as the Body of Christ be consistent in living out our faith.
2) Innocence doesn't allow you to buy into the false narrative that something/someone is greater than Jesus.
In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were completely innocent. They had no idea they were naked, of the existence of evil, death, and the list can go on and on. The serpent convinced them there was something greater than their relationship and innocence with God and everything changed.
Unfortunately, there isn't a way for us to go back to a time of total innocence. But, one thing we can do is to submit everything to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our thoughts, actions, words, conversations, time, and checkbook should all reflect who is Lord of our life. I would encourage you to find others who will hold you accountable for your spirituality, post notes all over reminding yourself that you are a valued Child of God, and I would encourage you to be very aware of the violence and depravity that our culture glorifies. This is a tough journey and together we can go journey on it together.
3) Innocence is what we're all heading for anyway, why not and embrace it now?
In the Kingdom of Heaven sin will officially be destroyed for good. Jesus will be everything. Our thoughts will be Jesus. Our words will reflect the glory of God, our actions will be praising and worshiping God. We will not have a thought or desire for anything or anyone else. If this is going to be the way it is for all eternity: why not begin now?
1) Too many people lose innocence too early. Jesus states in Matthew 19 that we should let the little children come to Him for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Children are the most innocent people around. Let's face it their belief in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and many others proves that children are innocent and vulnerable. In my opinion that's the way it should be. Children in our society lose their innocence way too early. Children shouldn't have to fear to go to school. Children shouldn't have to fear that their parents' marriage may fall apart or that they'll be abused in this world. But, the reality is that too many people lose their innocence when they shouldn't.
So, the question remains though, now what? How can we as the Body of Christ speak into the sad reality is that our world is filled with brokenness and pain? Well, the unfortunate truth is that in our current world sin will continue to infect all areas, but we as Christians can pray for those who are hurting, be faithful in giving to the church and organizations that support the broken and vulnerable, and we can as the Body of Christ be consistent in living out our faith.
2) Innocence doesn't allow you to buy into the false narrative that something/someone is greater than Jesus.
In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were completely innocent. They had no idea they were naked, of the existence of evil, death, and the list can go on and on. The serpent convinced them there was something greater than their relationship and innocence with God and everything changed.
Unfortunately, there isn't a way for us to go back to a time of total innocence. But, one thing we can do is to submit everything to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our thoughts, actions, words, conversations, time, and checkbook should all reflect who is Lord of our life. I would encourage you to find others who will hold you accountable for your spirituality, post notes all over reminding yourself that you are a valued Child of God, and I would encourage you to be very aware of the violence and depravity that our culture glorifies. This is a tough journey and together we can go journey on it together.
3) Innocence is what we're all heading for anyway, why not and embrace it now?
In the Kingdom of Heaven sin will officially be destroyed for good. Jesus will be everything. Our thoughts will be Jesus. Our words will reflect the glory of God, our actions will be praising and worshiping God. We will not have a thought or desire for anything or anyone else. If this is going to be the way it is for all eternity: why not begin now?
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
on Anchorman 2 The Legend of Ron Burgundy
As I begin this movie review, I will begin by saying make sure that you have the right expectations going into the movie. If you think that Anchorman 2 will be a movie that has an Academy award winning story, cast, or musical score then I will say your expectations aren't realistic. However, if you go into Anchorman 2 looking for a humorous, unrealistic story and a few laughs than those expectations are a tad more realistic. I saw Anchorman 2 recently, and here's what I thought.
Anchorman 2 continues the story of newscaster, Ron Burgundy. To pick-up where the first movie left-off Ron marries his love: Veronica Corningstone, moves to New York, has a kid, and the two of them receive a job reporting the nightly news. Well, early in the movie the head news anchor, (I forget his name, but he's played by Harrison Ford, let's just say his career is heading in the right direction). Anyway, the head anchor gives Corningstone the job, fires Burgundy, their marriage falls apart, and Ron moves back to San Diego. A lot happens early on, I will say. Anyway, a producer for a new 24 hours news station finds Ron in San Diego and wants to bring him with his news team to host a segment on GNN the new 24 hour news station. The movie takes off when Ron challenges the prime time, anchor Jack Lime (played by James Marsden), to see who can win a ratings battle. Ron and his crew have the 2-5 AM slot, anyway that gets things going in an exciting manner, and I will say similar hijinks to the first movie abound in the sequel. Without spoiling any major pieces, the movie in terms of intellectual stimulation is below average. But, you will get a laugh or two, and you don't need to see the first one to understand the sequel.
In terms of family friendliness the movie is rated PG-13 for a reason. There are incidents of foul language and crude humor. So, be very cautious if you take your children. I give the movie 2 out of 5 stars in terms of family friendliness. Overall quality of the movie I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars, don't expect an amazing story, but expect to chuckle along the way. If you really like Will Ferrell or Anchorman then it's worth a trip to the theater, but if you're not sure then just make this a Redbox movie.
Anchorman 2 continues the story of newscaster, Ron Burgundy. To pick-up where the first movie left-off Ron marries his love: Veronica Corningstone, moves to New York, has a kid, and the two of them receive a job reporting the nightly news. Well, early in the movie the head news anchor, (I forget his name, but he's played by Harrison Ford, let's just say his career is heading in the right direction). Anyway, the head anchor gives Corningstone the job, fires Burgundy, their marriage falls apart, and Ron moves back to San Diego. A lot happens early on, I will say. Anyway, a producer for a new 24 hours news station finds Ron in San Diego and wants to bring him with his news team to host a segment on GNN the new 24 hour news station. The movie takes off when Ron challenges the prime time, anchor Jack Lime (played by James Marsden), to see who can win a ratings battle. Ron and his crew have the 2-5 AM slot, anyway that gets things going in an exciting manner, and I will say similar hijinks to the first movie abound in the sequel. Without spoiling any major pieces, the movie in terms of intellectual stimulation is below average. But, you will get a laugh or two, and you don't need to see the first one to understand the sequel.
In terms of family friendliness the movie is rated PG-13 for a reason. There are incidents of foul language and crude humor. So, be very cautious if you take your children. I give the movie 2 out of 5 stars in terms of family friendliness. Overall quality of the movie I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars, don't expect an amazing story, but expect to chuckle along the way. If you really like Will Ferrell or Anchorman then it's worth a trip to the theater, but if you're not sure then just make this a Redbox movie.
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