Tuesday evening I had the privilege of going to Brittany Keller’s Christmas-Band Concert. I have always had a deep respect for musicians…especially composers. I often, at concerts like this one, find my mind exploring each slice of the band, searching out each part. The rumble of the percussion. The blare of the trumpets (my favorite). The relaxing saxophones. The conductor dancing his arms through the air, making it all come to life! I sure love the symphony!
The magic that is music enchants me. How these instruments come together to bring life to the pieces of paper in front of them excites me. All by itself, each instrument can be played…and can even sound good. Very rarely do multitudes gather for…an oboe solo. Not to offend the oboist, but there is only so much one can take of an unaccompanied oboe. The oboe though, plays a major part in many pieces and cannot be discredited.
Somewhere there are two people arguing whether or not Jesus’ birthday is actually December 25…or…as Christians who preach Christ Crucified, should we even recognize this “pagan holiday of consumerism.” Jesus…had to be born. Is it ok to recognize this fact? I think so. Do we worship baby Jesus? I see this in the same aspect as only talking about His death on the cross. There is a symphony that is the Life of Christ. Each part…birth, life, death, resurrection, return…melodically weaves together the music that makes our souls come to life and dance. It moves us!
When we are truly engulfed by this sweet symphony movement happens. Movement is short lived when only listening to the drum rumble of the birth of Jesus. The question has to be asked…where is your movement taking you? Does the dance of your soul reflect the symphony playing in your heart? Is your dance in harmony with the culture around you or is it in cadence with the cross? If you let the full symphony of Christ subdue you: What would be different? Would the world know the difference? Would they be attracted to it? Would they by moved to dance too?
I am ready for some movement…myself included. I long for the sweet symphony of Christ to really take hold of my soul and move me. There is noise going on inside that keeps each of us from harmonizing the melody in our lives. Shall we stop waiting for the Trumpet Solo of Christ’s return…and start playing with the melody that He is playing in the world already? After all, doesn’t the symphony always build up to the solo?
Friday, December 21, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Go...baptize...teach
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
It would be good for us to keep this at the focal point of our lives…profound statement I know. Keeping the Holiness of our Father in focus would do great lengths of good in our lives in the area of humility…but what about the second part? May God’s Will be done on earth as it is in heaven? How do we accomplish this?
Over the past month or so I’ve taken a deep interest in how the world views Christianity. I’ve been reading a few different books that are a bit depressing in the reality that is shown in the world view towards those who call themselves followers of Christ. In keeping “God’s Will being done on earth as it is in heaven” at the focal point of our lives, I have to ask how we are going about doing that.
From what I can tell, we as Christians (on the whole), have looked to politics in order to bring God’s Will to earth…as it is in heaven. There are some groups within Christianity that would banish all “sinners” from our country using the law if at all possible. I won’t list off a lot of the laws that would possibly be put in place because I don’t want to get too bogged down on this but I do want to make a quick point. I am not saying that those laws (whichever ones you might be thinking of) would be inherently bad to have around; I just want to get to a deeper issue.
Why do we have laws in this country? Isn’t it understood that it is wrong to murder, steal, commit adultery, etc.? At some point pride sets in and you begin to want what you want when you want it and take what is not yours: life, stuff, spouses, etc. Does imposing more laws changes someone’s pride/selfishness? I’ve yet to see it.
For centuries, in order to become a Christian, you had to be “Romanized,” meaning that you had to become civilized before encountering God’s Grace through Christ. It seems backwards to me…why are we still taking this approach? I think Jesus lays it out well for us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
I think the approach Jesus would take to “God’s Will being done on earth” would be to change the heart of people. It doesn’t seem as though Jesus got offended much by the “sinners” surrounding Him. He felt compassion for them and went straight for their heart. Let’s start introducing people to Jesus, change their hearts, and then teach them His ways.
It would be good for us to keep this at the focal point of our lives…profound statement I know. Keeping the Holiness of our Father in focus would do great lengths of good in our lives in the area of humility…but what about the second part? May God’s Will be done on earth as it is in heaven? How do we accomplish this?
Over the past month or so I’ve taken a deep interest in how the world views Christianity. I’ve been reading a few different books that are a bit depressing in the reality that is shown in the world view towards those who call themselves followers of Christ. In keeping “God’s Will being done on earth as it is in heaven” at the focal point of our lives, I have to ask how we are going about doing that.
From what I can tell, we as Christians (on the whole), have looked to politics in order to bring God’s Will to earth…as it is in heaven. There are some groups within Christianity that would banish all “sinners” from our country using the law if at all possible. I won’t list off a lot of the laws that would possibly be put in place because I don’t want to get too bogged down on this but I do want to make a quick point. I am not saying that those laws (whichever ones you might be thinking of) would be inherently bad to have around; I just want to get to a deeper issue.
Why do we have laws in this country? Isn’t it understood that it is wrong to murder, steal, commit adultery, etc.? At some point pride sets in and you begin to want what you want when you want it and take what is not yours: life, stuff, spouses, etc. Does imposing more laws changes someone’s pride/selfishness? I’ve yet to see it.
For centuries, in order to become a Christian, you had to be “Romanized,” meaning that you had to become civilized before encountering God’s Grace through Christ. It seems backwards to me…why are we still taking this approach? I think Jesus lays it out well for us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
I think the approach Jesus would take to “God’s Will being done on earth” would be to change the heart of people. It doesn’t seem as though Jesus got offended much by the “sinners” surrounding Him. He felt compassion for them and went straight for their heart. Let’s start introducing people to Jesus, change their hearts, and then teach them His ways.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Pagan Banquets
In the past year and a half, I figured something out. I don’t like telling people that I am a Minister. Odd as that sounds, I do have my reasons. Just about every time someone has found out that I am a Minister they quickly change their demeanor, apologize for whatever profanity they had just spoken, or just simply…treat me different. I’m not a fan of it. I don’t like people to be different just because they might offend the little minister guy who has never heard a “dirty word” ever in his life. It is almost like standing in a building and saying, “You can’t say that here…this is a Church.”
A week ago I went to a pagan banquet…no that wasn’t the theme. Basically…it was my first “non-Christian” event. Though the other people there we not Christians, let’s say that the spirits were flowing for them. One of the women at my table had informed her boyfriend that I am a Minister and wanted him to be on his best behavior. He was who he was, against her wishes, and I appreciated that. She kept apologizing for his actions and comments. I appreciated his realness. I’d rather him be who he is than to put on a fake self because of my “position.” Should he change who he is for an evening just because I am who I am?
This all started coming together in my mind as I looked back on my time working with the church in Dundee, Scotland. There were three lads I met outside of our meeting hall one day: Kyle, Peter, and Dillon. They had been opening our door and cursing God while we tried to have our Holiday Bible School (VBS). We ended up going and playing footy (soccer) with them in the park once a week for the whole summer. We never asked them to not curse around us, or to act proper around us, but by the end of the summer they had changed. Why did they change? Because they had seen how we could have a good time without all of that. Maybe they were seeing Jesus bleeding through us into their lives.
I hope that I am living my life in a way that as I get to know those who do not know Christ, they will change who they are to become more like Him, not because I have a “title” but because they see something different…something that they are missing. Maybe I need to be going out of my way a little more to build relationships with pagans…maybe a difference can be made. Maybe a relationship will be formed that might lead to talks about Jesus. Maybe…this is what we are supposed to be about?
A week ago I went to a pagan banquet…no that wasn’t the theme. Basically…it was my first “non-Christian” event. Though the other people there we not Christians, let’s say that the spirits were flowing for them. One of the women at my table had informed her boyfriend that I am a Minister and wanted him to be on his best behavior. He was who he was, against her wishes, and I appreciated that. She kept apologizing for his actions and comments. I appreciated his realness. I’d rather him be who he is than to put on a fake self because of my “position.” Should he change who he is for an evening just because I am who I am?
This all started coming together in my mind as I looked back on my time working with the church in Dundee, Scotland. There were three lads I met outside of our meeting hall one day: Kyle, Peter, and Dillon. They had been opening our door and cursing God while we tried to have our Holiday Bible School (VBS). We ended up going and playing footy (soccer) with them in the park once a week for the whole summer. We never asked them to not curse around us, or to act proper around us, but by the end of the summer they had changed. Why did they change? Because they had seen how we could have a good time without all of that. Maybe they were seeing Jesus bleeding through us into their lives.
I hope that I am living my life in a way that as I get to know those who do not know Christ, they will change who they are to become more like Him, not because I have a “title” but because they see something different…something that they are missing. Maybe I need to be going out of my way a little more to build relationships with pagans…maybe a difference can be made. Maybe a relationship will be formed that might lead to talks about Jesus. Maybe…this is what we are supposed to be about?
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Your First Love
Every once in a while I flip through and read Revelation. I don’t do it too often because I don’t like taking pills for headaches but still…there are some things to be learned there. Revelation 2:4-5 has been plaguing me. “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” There are a lot of different things to take from this exclamation made by Jesus, but I’d like to focus on the last part, “do the things you did at first.” What does this mean in our lives?
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,” – Matthew 28:18-19. Mark puts it as “Go into all the world,” both of which I really like. Simply…Jesus says, “Go!” I have to ask who this call is for. Just the Apostles? Evangelistic ministers? Ministers in general? Or…every knee that is bowed to Jesus Christ?
A few weeks ago I took my teens on their “Search and Rescue” Fall Retreat. They were reminded of, as Revelation puts it, their first love. They were reminded of what they were called to do. Our fifth and final session, “Search and Rescue is What We Do…it is What He Did,” with a major focus on, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”
I love the first six chapters of Isaiah. As it builds up, God is standing up in front of us, the world falling apart behind Him, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"” – Isaiah 6:8.
Isaiah answered the call. I answered the call when I put Christ on in Baptism. You have answered the call. Much like Jesus calling on the church in Ephesus, we need to examine ourselves to see if we have forsaken our first love…to see if we are doing the things we were called to do at first…not just as a church but as individuals. We often hide under the umbrella of “church” and say, “we have answered the call” when in reality we are letting others do the work for us. Let us remember Jesus, our First Love, and do what He has called us to do. Let’s GO!
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,” – Matthew 28:18-19. Mark puts it as “Go into all the world,” both of which I really like. Simply…Jesus says, “Go!” I have to ask who this call is for. Just the Apostles? Evangelistic ministers? Ministers in general? Or…every knee that is bowed to Jesus Christ?
A few weeks ago I took my teens on their “Search and Rescue” Fall Retreat. They were reminded of, as Revelation puts it, their first love. They were reminded of what they were called to do. Our fifth and final session, “Search and Rescue is What We Do…it is What He Did,” with a major focus on, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”
I love the first six chapters of Isaiah. As it builds up, God is standing up in front of us, the world falling apart behind Him, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"” – Isaiah 6:8.
Isaiah answered the call. I answered the call when I put Christ on in Baptism. You have answered the call. Much like Jesus calling on the church in Ephesus, we need to examine ourselves to see if we have forsaken our first love…to see if we are doing the things we were called to do at first…not just as a church but as individuals. We often hide under the umbrella of “church” and say, “we have answered the call” when in reality we are letting others do the work for us. Let us remember Jesus, our First Love, and do what He has called us to do. Let’s GO!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Drought
Drought…something I didn’t think I’d find when I moved to North Carolina (I am really sorry if I brought it with me and this whole mess has been my fault). It has been a long time since it has rained. I talked to a woman the other day who was afraid she wouldn’t be able to take a bath if it didn’t rain. Droughts are painful. We are all affected by it. I remember when there was a huge fine if you got caught washing your car. We had to ration our water. Many of us would even look up at the sky, pumping our fists, “RAIN for crying out loud!!”
How often do we feel like we’re in a drought in our relationships with God? Is God lacking? Is He simply not there? Where is He? Why is He so far away when in such need of His refreshing reign? Is it healthy to wonder these things? Is it ok to pump your fist in the air and cry out?
I struggle with Psalms…there are times in my life where I feel like God walks away for a time…leaving me in a drought. Yes I know what you’re thinking. He didn’t walk away…I did. You’re probably right. Here is where I struggle with psalms…Psalm 13. Go read it…
Psalm 13
1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.
Many of us were thinking it but Billy came out and said it, “God we need the rain.” It had been a long time since any real water had touched our soil. Brothers and Sisters from Texas and Oklahoma…you remember these prayers? I don’t think any of us ever really thought that it would never rain again. We just wanted it…because we needed it.
Back to Psalm 13…and my drought. Verses five and six are where we need to make sure our focus needs to be. “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.” Even though I feel like droughts happen often in my relationship with God, I will trust in His unfailing love. I will rejoice in His salvation. When the rains come…lets go outside, lift our hands up, and soak it all in. For we have an Almighty God! How beautiful is His Reign!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Mountain Top Experience
There are 40 peaks in the Southeast that are above 6000 ft in elevation. As many of you have probably figured out, I am drawn to this. Climbing each peak, with certain regulations to your hikes, earns you a spot in the “South Beyond 6000” club. Basically you get a patch and a certificate of accomplishment. I felt up to the SB6K challenge and got started this past week. Since it isn’t safe to do these things alone, Clint Ulmer is joining me on this adventure.
We set out to hike in the Roan Mountains, covering 12 miles and knocking out three peaks. Each of these peaks had a different personality. Looking back I feel like there is something I was being reminded of from each of these. Part of the SB6K for me is a journey of spiritual renewal. We often use phrases in our lives like “Mountain Top Experience” to express our relationship with God after a major event.
We got a late start on Thursday and only made it the mile and a half we needed to make it to the shelter on the Appalachian Trail we planned on staying at. The next morning, while I made some oatmeal, Clint went for firewood and ran across the marking for our first peak, Roan High Knob (6285'), turns out that we were camping within 50 yards of our first Mountain Top Experience. It was covered in trees and we couldn’t see anything really…but still a Mountain Top Experience?
We set off for our second Mountain Top Experience, Roan High Bluff (6267'). We walked along the path as the trees greeted us with ice that rested upon them during the night. Finally reaching the summit overlook we were welcomed by the innards of a white cloud blowing icy wind in our face. Clint informed me that the view is actually quite breathtaking…we just couldn’t see it because we were in a cloud…so we headed on…but still a Mountain Top Experience?
After a decent hike back to our cars we made coffee, warmed up, and decided to tackle one last Mountain Top Experience before heading home. Tired and cold we decided that the five mile round trip hike was still worth it not to have to come all the way back just for that one peak. Our third peak, Grassy Ridge Bald (6160'), didn’t have much of a view either, so we took our picture and started to make our way back…but still a Mountain Top Experience? Right?
I am reminded of Psalm 125, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people.” Often we only look for God to surround us during our Mountain Top Experiences. The mountains that surround Jerusalem surround the city, the hills, and the valleys…so the LORD surrounds His people. It would be easy for me to be upset about not seeing one good view from any of my Mountain Tops…but when the clouds opened up and I saw the rolling mountains of North Carolina, I was reminded that I don’t have to be on the peak to be surrounded by God. Everything I saw that day was beautiful…because I was surrounded by God. Look for God today…where you are.
We set out to hike in the Roan Mountains, covering 12 miles and knocking out three peaks. Each of these peaks had a different personality. Looking back I feel like there is something I was being reminded of from each of these. Part of the SB6K for me is a journey of spiritual renewal. We often use phrases in our lives like “Mountain Top Experience” to express our relationship with God after a major event.
We got a late start on Thursday and only made it the mile and a half we needed to make it to the shelter on the Appalachian Trail we planned on staying at. The next morning, while I made some oatmeal, Clint went for firewood and ran across the marking for our first peak, Roan High Knob (6285'), turns out that we were camping within 50 yards of our first Mountain Top Experience. It was covered in trees and we couldn’t see anything really…but still a Mountain Top Experience?
We set off for our second Mountain Top Experience, Roan High Bluff (6267'). We walked along the path as the trees greeted us with ice that rested upon them during the night. Finally reaching the summit overlook we were welcomed by the innards of a white cloud blowing icy wind in our face. Clint informed me that the view is actually quite breathtaking…we just couldn’t see it because we were in a cloud…so we headed on…but still a Mountain Top Experience?
After a decent hike back to our cars we made coffee, warmed up, and decided to tackle one last Mountain Top Experience before heading home. Tired and cold we decided that the five mile round trip hike was still worth it not to have to come all the way back just for that one peak. Our third peak, Grassy Ridge Bald (6160'), didn’t have much of a view either, so we took our picture and started to make our way back…but still a Mountain Top Experience? Right?
I am reminded of Psalm 125, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people.” Often we only look for God to surround us during our Mountain Top Experiences. The mountains that surround Jerusalem surround the city, the hills, and the valleys…so the LORD surrounds His people. It would be easy for me to be upset about not seeing one good view from any of my Mountain Tops…but when the clouds opened up and I saw the rolling mountains of North Carolina, I was reminded that I don’t have to be on the peak to be surrounded by God. Everything I saw that day was beautiful…because I was surrounded by God. Look for God today…where you are.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Our Lifesaving Station
On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was a once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little life-saving station grew.
Some of the new members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they re-decorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club.
Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work. The mission of life-saving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the life-saving activities personally.
About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick. The beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal life pattern of the club. But some members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did.
As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another life-saving station was founded. If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, only now most of the people just drown.
Does this sound uncomfortably familiar?
Sometimes Dan and I plan things out and sometimes they just happen. A few Sundays ago, one of Dan’s points was something that I’ve been thinking about for a while now and it also went with my insert that Sunday, the story above. The third point, as we all know is the important one, was “The Mission is more important than your comfort.”
Not many of us would say that we are more important than the Mission of Christ…but how far are we willing to take this statement? It is easy to give lip service to an idea but hard to let it play out in our lives. I have to admit that I’m one that grows comfortable where I am. I am not a huge fan of someone imposing things on me that make me uncomfortable. Ever been in a place where you were the only one that was “different”? Worn a tux when everyone else was dressed down? Worn shorts to a play where everyone was in their best? Be the only kid at a punk show wearing a polo shirt?
I don’t want to go too far with this, but some things that make us comfortable we try to protect with scripture. I’m not looking at getting into debate about these things but we are to be about the Mission of Christ. We are to be about chasing after those whom Jesus misses. “The gospels record 132 contacts Jesus had with people. Six were in the temple, four in the synagogues, and 122 were out with the people in the mainstream of life.” – Missio Dei, by Fred Peatross.
Jesus spent most of His time talking to people in situation that would be “uncomfortable” for any good Jewish Rabbi. This also shows that He didn’t spend His time at “church” but out where the people are. That is uncomfortable. I wonder if Jesus would sit in the smoking section...anywho.
Inviting people to “church” is good, and we do a really good job at it. Will we advance the Gospel more if we took the church to where the people are? When we make the Mission of Christ the focus of our lives, whether we are minister, teachers, lawyers, accountants, etc., we start doing what seem to be uncomfortable things.
Continuing the thoughts from the story above…lets make sure that we aren’t getting comfortable in our life saving station but constantly finding ways to go out and save those whom Jesus misses.
Some of the new members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they re-decorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club.
Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work. The mission of life-saving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the life-saving activities personally.
About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick. The beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal life pattern of the club. But some members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did.
As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another life-saving station was founded. If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, only now most of the people just drown.
Does this sound uncomfortably familiar?
Sometimes Dan and I plan things out and sometimes they just happen. A few Sundays ago, one of Dan’s points was something that I’ve been thinking about for a while now and it also went with my insert that Sunday, the story above. The third point, as we all know is the important one, was “The Mission is more important than your comfort.”
Not many of us would say that we are more important than the Mission of Christ…but how far are we willing to take this statement? It is easy to give lip service to an idea but hard to let it play out in our lives. I have to admit that I’m one that grows comfortable where I am. I am not a huge fan of someone imposing things on me that make me uncomfortable. Ever been in a place where you were the only one that was “different”? Worn a tux when everyone else was dressed down? Worn shorts to a play where everyone was in their best? Be the only kid at a punk show wearing a polo shirt?
I don’t want to go too far with this, but some things that make us comfortable we try to protect with scripture. I’m not looking at getting into debate about these things but we are to be about the Mission of Christ. We are to be about chasing after those whom Jesus misses. “The gospels record 132 contacts Jesus had with people. Six were in the temple, four in the synagogues, and 122 were out with the people in the mainstream of life.” – Missio Dei, by Fred Peatross.
Jesus spent most of His time talking to people in situation that would be “uncomfortable” for any good Jewish Rabbi. This also shows that He didn’t spend His time at “church” but out where the people are. That is uncomfortable. I wonder if Jesus would sit in the smoking section...anywho.
Inviting people to “church” is good, and we do a really good job at it. Will we advance the Gospel more if we took the church to where the people are? When we make the Mission of Christ the focus of our lives, whether we are minister, teachers, lawyers, accountants, etc., we start doing what seem to be uncomfortable things.
Continuing the thoughts from the story above…lets make sure that we aren’t getting comfortable in our life saving station but constantly finding ways to go out and save those whom Jesus misses.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
What are you lifting up?
Last week I talked about “The Messiah you have? Or the messiah you want?” As I looked into the life of Judas Iscariot I came to a conclusion that the Messiah standing before him wasn’t the messiah he was looking for. Often we want our crosses we’ve been called to bear altered to fit what we would like. The whole “dying to self” thing is a bit much…so we don’t live it because we convince ourselves that maybe that isn’t really what he meant by “carry your cross.” If you would like to read the rest of my thoughts, take a look at my last post.
So the question is…if we lift up a messiah that we have altered, what does the world see? Does the world see an accurate portrait of Jesus Christ, our Messiah? Jesus said that, “I am going to be lifted up from the earth. When I am, I will bring all people to myself” (John 12:32, TNIV). I heard this verse talked about in an evangelistic since and it has changed how I view life. The question was, if Christ will draw the world to Him when He is lifted up, are we drawing the world to Him by what we are lifting up?
We’ve been called to live a life that is drastically different from the world.
If you look at www.barna.org, you’ll find that there aren’t many differences between the world and Christians. I know I’ve talked about this before but I really wish that Christians would keep the 10 Commandments themselves before sticking a bumper sticker on their car saying that they need to be kept in the courthouse. What is the world seeing in us?
Jesus calls us to a life of peace. I’m not making a war protest because I believe He is talking about a different kind of peace. The kind of peace that David talks about in Psalm 23, “I will fear no evil, because You are with me.” Jesus calls us to the kind of peace that no matter what is going on in life, no matter how bad things get, you will have a life of peace. When the world looks at our lives, do they see craziness or peace? Does your life show the Messiah to the world or are we simply asking people to trade their life of craziness for our life of craziness with something else to do during the week?
John 14:26-27
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”
So the question is…if we lift up a messiah that we have altered, what does the world see? Does the world see an accurate portrait of Jesus Christ, our Messiah? Jesus said that, “I am going to be lifted up from the earth. When I am, I will bring all people to myself” (John 12:32, TNIV). I heard this verse talked about in an evangelistic since and it has changed how I view life. The question was, if Christ will draw the world to Him when He is lifted up, are we drawing the world to Him by what we are lifting up?
We’ve been called to live a life that is drastically different from the world.
If you look at www.barna.org, you’ll find that there aren’t many differences between the world and Christians. I know I’ve talked about this before but I really wish that Christians would keep the 10 Commandments themselves before sticking a bumper sticker on their car saying that they need to be kept in the courthouse. What is the world seeing in us?
Jesus calls us to a life of peace. I’m not making a war protest because I believe He is talking about a different kind of peace. The kind of peace that David talks about in Psalm 23, “I will fear no evil, because You are with me.” Jesus calls us to the kind of peace that no matter what is going on in life, no matter how bad things get, you will have a life of peace. When the world looks at our lives, do they see craziness or peace? Does your life show the Messiah to the world or are we simply asking people to trade their life of craziness for our life of craziness with something else to do during the week?
John 14:26-27
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Messiah you have? Or the messiah you want?
Let me tell you why I love the outdoors store R.E.I….If you buy a backpack and use it a few times and decide that it isn’t the backpack you need, you take it back and get what you want. I know that if I buy something there I will get what I want and if I end up not liking as much as I thought…I can just exchange it. It is almost like the Burger King of the outdoor world, “What you want is what you get.”
How often do we approach Jesus, accept our cross, carry it for a while, and then take it back for some adjusting. If you really think about it and look into it, the cross is kind of a fixed object. It isn’t that Jesus does not want to provide the customer service for us. He does…He says He’ll help us. You don’t even have to go back to the store…He’ll help you where you’re at. The problem we have though, is that we don’t want “help” with the cross…we want something different.
It is amazing how when you have something on your mind, you end up having three or four conversations about it in a week or so. That is how it has been with me and good ol’ Judas this week. Why did Judas betray Jesus? You’re thinking, “Ryan, the Devil entered him…duh.” I thought of that too, but how often does the Devil enter into me? Think on that for a minute, not the Devil entering into me, but how, when you sin, the Devil has entered into you.
The Jews of the day were looking for a “Son of David” to come back and be their messiah, their King, and kick Rome’s tail. As a Jewish leader you would end up being pretty high up in the ranks of Israel as a nation. As an Apostle of the messiah you would be even higher in the kingdom…hence the mother’s request in Matthew 20:20-28.
I am under the belief that Judas was so wrapped up in the earthly kingdom and Jesus, the messiah, the king, he turned away from Jesus when the “Messiah must die” conversations started happening. Judas had the messiah that he wanted and not the Messiah that he had in front of him.
Do we ever crucify the Messiah you have for a messiah we want? Look deep into what Jesus taught. Die to yourself? Give your stuff away? Love your enemies? Fast? Pray? Do not worry? Don’t judge? Etc? Our Messiah calls us to a different kind of living…and sometimes we find ourselves saying, “I don’t think He really meant all of that.” How is your cross? Are you saying, “Here Jesus, I’ll save you the trouble of adjusting my cross. I’ll do it myself.”
A whole other subject, “how do we present the Messiah to others?” Maybe we’ll talk about that next week. For now ask yourself, “Do you want the Messiah you have or do you want the messiah you want?”
Friday, August 31, 2007
You're an Oak
He actually did it. Jim actually retired. He’s said he would before but I guess this time he did it the right way…he’s on vacation. Since he said he has retired and because he’s gone on vacation…I’ve moved into his office (insert your jokes here). Although Jim is not leaving Northview, I already miss having him around the office. He is an amazing mentor, brother, and friend.
Jim has taught me a lot over the past year. I know God has done so much through him in the lives of so many people over the years. This past year alone has been one of my biggest growing years because of the impact that God has had on my life through Jim. What I respect most about him is that he is a student of the Word. It is tempting at it age, I’m sure, to think you already know everything there is to know. I’ve even heard people say, “I know all of the important scriptures.”
Jim walked into my office one day with a certain look on his face holding his Bible. He asked me what the passage meant, to which I replied, “You’re the Elder. You tell me.” He reminded me that I was the Bible Major and I was supposed to have everything memorized (which I don’t). We joke a lot, but this one occasion will always stand out in my mind. He told me that he read that passage differently for the first time that day than he ever had in his life.
Have you ever looked at an old oak tree, strong and firm in the ground, and seen it grow? I saw Jim grow a little more that day. There are days, even years, when we all but refuse to grow. It is tempting to decide what we believe and never budge. Make sure you keep growing.
My professors were good about teaching us this. I often heard, “I am your professor but I am first and foremost a student of the Word.” I was blessed with humble teachers and mentors. I thank God for them and can only pray that I will continue to grow. Patsy Day, a spunky little old lady I met at one of my frequent coffee shops, reminded me of the verse in 1 Corinthians 8, “Knowledge puffs up.” Don’t ever think you cannot learn anymore. Keep growing.
“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” – I Kings 3:9
“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.” – Psalm 119:66
“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” – Proverbs 18:15
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” – Proverbs 12:1
Jim has taught me a lot over the past year. I know God has done so much through him in the lives of so many people over the years. This past year alone has been one of my biggest growing years because of the impact that God has had on my life through Jim. What I respect most about him is that he is a student of the Word. It is tempting at it age, I’m sure, to think you already know everything there is to know. I’ve even heard people say, “I know all of the important scriptures.”
Jim walked into my office one day with a certain look on his face holding his Bible. He asked me what the passage meant, to which I replied, “You’re the Elder. You tell me.” He reminded me that I was the Bible Major and I was supposed to have everything memorized (which I don’t). We joke a lot, but this one occasion will always stand out in my mind. He told me that he read that passage differently for the first time that day than he ever had in his life.
Have you ever looked at an old oak tree, strong and firm in the ground, and seen it grow? I saw Jim grow a little more that day. There are days, even years, when we all but refuse to grow. It is tempting to decide what we believe and never budge. Make sure you keep growing.
My professors were good about teaching us this. I often heard, “I am your professor but I am first and foremost a student of the Word.” I was blessed with humble teachers and mentors. I thank God for them and can only pray that I will continue to grow. Patsy Day, a spunky little old lady I met at one of my frequent coffee shops, reminded me of the verse in 1 Corinthians 8, “Knowledge puffs up.” Don’t ever think you cannot learn anymore. Keep growing.
“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” – I Kings 3:9
“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.” – Psalm 119:66
“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” – Proverbs 18:15
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” – Proverbs 12:1
Monday, August 27, 2007
end...beginning...whatever
I’m having a different feeling than I really ever had before. We had an amazing weekend last weekend. We camped, hiked, and saw tons of God’s beautiful artwork all around us. He is a good artist…you should check His work out sometime. We got to look through really expensive telescopes seeing exploding ring nebulas, Jupiter and her moons, star clusters at the edge of the galaxy, and many other incredible things that most of our eyes have never gazed upon outside of a textbook. None of these are what have caused the different feelings within me. We’ve had a great summer…I hope everyone else has the same feelings.
I’ve never had this feeling of “end” at the end of a summer. Other youth ministers probably have a good feeling what I’m talking about. As much as I’ve enjoyed all the times I’ve had with the teens this summer, they are going back to school and my life gets to calm down for a little bit. Despite popular belief this does not mean that I have nothing to do. I do work on Sundays and Wednesdays (a joke…just incase you are wondering if I do work at other times…I do…it is Friday and I’m writing this insert).
This brings me to the start of a new school year for our teens. Most of them have a candle that has been burning strong this summer. Then school starts. Different influences set in. Satan attacks. This is the hardest time of the year for a teen. Camps are done. Youth events are more spread out. Busyness sets in and God time often seems to be squeezed out of each day. Struggles get harder and we often start floundering. If you grew up in a youth group then you know what I’m talking about.
I’m calling on you, as brothers and sisters of these teenagers, to simply pray for them, take interest in them, keep them accountable, and talk to them every once in a while. They are actually real people who are capable of holding conversation…just ask anyone who has worked with them. They are interesting as well and a part of this family who we need to edify and build up as they start their new school year.
Ryan
I’ve never had this feeling of “end” at the end of a summer. Other youth ministers probably have a good feeling what I’m talking about. As much as I’ve enjoyed all the times I’ve had with the teens this summer, they are going back to school and my life gets to calm down for a little bit. Despite popular belief this does not mean that I have nothing to do. I do work on Sundays and Wednesdays (a joke…just incase you are wondering if I do work at other times…I do…it is Friday and I’m writing this insert).
This brings me to the start of a new school year for our teens. Most of them have a candle that has been burning strong this summer. Then school starts. Different influences set in. Satan attacks. This is the hardest time of the year for a teen. Camps are done. Youth events are more spread out. Busyness sets in and God time often seems to be squeezed out of each day. Struggles get harder and we often start floundering. If you grew up in a youth group then you know what I’m talking about.
I’m calling on you, as brothers and sisters of these teenagers, to simply pray for them, take interest in them, keep them accountable, and talk to them every once in a while. They are actually real people who are capable of holding conversation…just ask anyone who has worked with them. They are interesting as well and a part of this family who we need to edify and build up as they start their new school year.
Ryan
Friday, August 17, 2007
God! I'm scared of the dark!
Do you remember being scared of the dark as a kid? Isn’t it funny how an ordinary room can dramatically change as soon as the lights go out? The coat on the door becomes a blood sucking ghost…The creaks of the bed are the voices of the monsters who are going to slurp your soul out of your body through your ears…The little chair in the corner quickly becomes a troll, with one eye bigger than the other, who is going to pluck ever hair out of your body one at a time…ok I think you get the point. When darkness happens…things come to life!
Needing to get away for some much needed alone time, I decided to do a “wee bit of hill walking” as they called it in Scotland. Starting atop Mount Mitchell I ventured deep into the black mountains along the Deep Gap Trail. I walked with a hurried pace, not neglecting the beautiful sun setting behind the mountains. You could see for miles…absolutely breathtaking! With the reality that the sun was setting, meaning that I would soon no longer have the brilliant light of the blazing sun I quickened my pace some more.
With my headlamp blazing the trail I reached what would become my campsite. I set up a little fire ring and built a fire…constantly looking around me to make sure nothing was nearby. After building the fire (not so much for warmth but more so to keep animals away) I strung up my backpack in a tree, set up my hammock, and climbed in. I won’t lie to you…I prayed that God would take my fears away. Every creak of a tree was a bear…the small tapping of my hammock on my arm was a wolf sniffing me to see if I was good for the eating…the forest was coming alive!
I think what God wanted me to learn that night was to be scared of the dark again. Sometimes we find ourselves in really dark places in this world but we’ve become so used to it that we don’t notice it anymore. The things in the dark are no longer real to us. I’ve been experiencing that in my life. I needed the reminder that even when everything seems so dark around us, there is a light within that burns with blazing fury to drive out all fear. I am calling all of us to raise one finger and repeat…“Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it SHINE!”
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” – John 1:1-5
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” – John 3:19-21
Needing to get away for some much needed alone time, I decided to do a “wee bit of hill walking” as they called it in Scotland. Starting atop Mount Mitchell I ventured deep into the black mountains along the Deep Gap Trail. I walked with a hurried pace, not neglecting the beautiful sun setting behind the mountains. You could see for miles…absolutely breathtaking! With the reality that the sun was setting, meaning that I would soon no longer have the brilliant light of the blazing sun I quickened my pace some more.
With my headlamp blazing the trail I reached what would become my campsite. I set up a little fire ring and built a fire…constantly looking around me to make sure nothing was nearby. After building the fire (not so much for warmth but more so to keep animals away) I strung up my backpack in a tree, set up my hammock, and climbed in. I won’t lie to you…I prayed that God would take my fears away. Every creak of a tree was a bear…the small tapping of my hammock on my arm was a wolf sniffing me to see if I was good for the eating…the forest was coming alive!
I think what God wanted me to learn that night was to be scared of the dark again. Sometimes we find ourselves in really dark places in this world but we’ve become so used to it that we don’t notice it anymore. The things in the dark are no longer real to us. I’ve been experiencing that in my life. I needed the reminder that even when everything seems so dark around us, there is a light within that burns with blazing fury to drive out all fear. I am calling all of us to raise one finger and repeat…“Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it SHINE!”
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” – John 1:1-5
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” – John 3:19-21
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Sorry God...I didn't hear you
What is it inside of us men that cause us to look at a mountain and want to climb it, look at a forest and want to explore it, or look at a long trail and want to conquer it? I’m not saying that women don’t have these urges; I’m just saying that I’m not going to pretend to know what is going on inside their minds. I’ll just stick with what I know…or at least with what I have some experience with…23 or so years worth.
Why do we do these things? I don’t know if I can answer for all men but I’ll at least answer for me. A few months ago I was asked why God doesn’t speak to us anymore like He used to. I’ve had a few thoughts on this that were confirmed either by A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly or another book…or possibly a lecture I listened to…anyway. I asked myself, “Does God not talk to us anymore, or do we just not take time to listen? And, do we allow the world around us to be so loud that we cannot hear the whisper of God?” Wrestling with these two questions brings me back to why I…climb that mountain, conquer that river, explore the depths of the forest, etc.
Inside of me, and possibly inside many of you, there is a longing to hear the voice of God. I’m not saying that you have to be on top of a mountain to hear God. What I am saying is, often we need to run away, find a place, and get away from all the “noise” and listen. When I do this, I frequently find noise within myself keeping me from hearing and listening. It is important to frequently take time to set everything aside and listen. I’m not saying that you will hear God audibly but that God keeps His promise that when you ask for wisdom, He will give it.
“The LORD said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” – I Kings 19:11-14
“So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” – I Kings 3:11-12
”If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:5-6
Why do we do these things? I don’t know if I can answer for all men but I’ll at least answer for me. A few months ago I was asked why God doesn’t speak to us anymore like He used to. I’ve had a few thoughts on this that were confirmed either by A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly or another book…or possibly a lecture I listened to…anyway. I asked myself, “Does God not talk to us anymore, or do we just not take time to listen? And, do we allow the world around us to be so loud that we cannot hear the whisper of God?” Wrestling with these two questions brings me back to why I…climb that mountain, conquer that river, explore the depths of the forest, etc.
Inside of me, and possibly inside many of you, there is a longing to hear the voice of God. I’m not saying that you have to be on top of a mountain to hear God. What I am saying is, often we need to run away, find a place, and get away from all the “noise” and listen. When I do this, I frequently find noise within myself keeping me from hearing and listening. It is important to frequently take time to set everything aside and listen. I’m not saying that you will hear God audibly but that God keeps His promise that when you ask for wisdom, He will give it.
“The LORD said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” – I Kings 19:11-14
“So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” – I Kings 3:11-12
”If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:5-6
Monday, August 06, 2007
God...show yourself
I’ve been all over Scotland, throughout Germany, and down through Italy, with a few awe-inspiring places in between. The Highlands of Scotland was one of my favorite places to be. Words cannot describe the beauty that is found there. This weekend as I kayaked 15+ miles on the New River with the guys from the youth group and some men from the congregation, I strayed back a few times to be by myself and soak everything in around me. The breathtaking rolling hills filled with green grass and trees made me miss my time in Scotland. As I reminisced on the beauty that has flooded my two blessed eyes, I couldn’t help but sit in awe of a God who created all of it just for me to look at.
Sometimes I get my nose so down to the grind that I never take the opportunity to see where God is sharing Himself with me…like an artist painting for his love. God really cares about little ol’ me? Stars…I love to look at them, so much nothingness with little bursts of light ripping its way through space to these little eyes of mine. Why would God create these? I’ve come to believe that He’s done it for no other reason but to make me smile. It is hard for me to be out in God’s creation and not have a good time. I’m glad I was blessed to be with my brothers this weekend to share it with them…after all He created it for them too.
I love the section at the end of Isaiah 40 where it talks about God being the “everlasting God.” He calls out the starry host one by one because He can…He created them. I was standing on the ledge of a 200 ft cliff outside of Stonehaven, Scotland. It was about six foot wide between the fence and the cliff. I was standing there so that I could take a picture of Dunnattar Castle, which stands across the way on the same cliffs surrounding a beach. The scene is magnificent. This once mighty castle, sits in ruins with greenery all around, the sea behind it, and cliffs dropping below. This is the scene that reminds me of how mighty our God is. Sometimes we need to step away from the neat stuff that man has created, already laying in ruins, and admire how beautiful God has made things for us yesterday, today, and forever.
Sometimes I get my nose so down to the grind that I never take the opportunity to see where God is sharing Himself with me…like an artist painting for his love. God really cares about little ol’ me? Stars…I love to look at them, so much nothingness with little bursts of light ripping its way through space to these little eyes of mine. Why would God create these? I’ve come to believe that He’s done it for no other reason but to make me smile. It is hard for me to be out in God’s creation and not have a good time. I’m glad I was blessed to be with my brothers this weekend to share it with them…after all He created it for them too.
I love the section at the end of Isaiah 40 where it talks about God being the “everlasting God.” He calls out the starry host one by one because He can…He created them. I was standing on the ledge of a 200 ft cliff outside of Stonehaven, Scotland. It was about six foot wide between the fence and the cliff. I was standing there so that I could take a picture of Dunnattar Castle, which stands across the way on the same cliffs surrounding a beach. The scene is magnificent. This once mighty castle, sits in ruins with greenery all around, the sea behind it, and cliffs dropping below. This is the scene that reminds me of how mighty our God is. Sometimes we need to step away from the neat stuff that man has created, already laying in ruins, and admire how beautiful God has made things for us yesterday, today, and forever.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sorry Jesus...I didn't realize that was you...
A number of different things happened over this past week. I had my one year anniversary of doing full time youth ministry here at Northview on the 10th. A woman really close to me back home passed away this week as well. She was always so nice to me, always had a smile, and a kind word to share with me. She will be greatly missed. My Dad turned 53 and Brady White turned 13. Lots of things have happened this week.
The best thing I saw this week was your teens, as an arm of Northview and of God’s Kingdom, stretching out to touch families in Summerville, SC. They joined with other teens from all over the Carolinas to be the loving arms of Jesus to others in this world. One of the speakers at Carolina Workcamp spoke about how when we help others we are helping Jesus. Most of the time when we overlook helping someone in need, we overlook the fact that we are overlooking Jesus Himself. While on this scheduled week of helping others we were challenged to find ways in which this isn’t just a time we set aside in our schedules but that our lives become a life of service.
In Wichita Falls, the place of my birth, there has been major amounts of flooding. I never realized the Great Plains could flood but they did. What an amazing opportunity for Christians to not only be the loving arms of Jesus to others but to also show Christ the love they have for Him by helping Him when He is in need. Katrina was another time many Christians stepped up to the call.
Often we look to times of disaster as opportunity to help those in need, but reality is that there are always people around us that could use the loving touch of Jesus in their lives. Remember, when you extend the loving arm of Christ to another, not only do you touch them but you also show Jesus how much you really care about Him.
Ryan
The best thing I saw this week was your teens, as an arm of Northview and of God’s Kingdom, stretching out to touch families in Summerville, SC. They joined with other teens from all over the Carolinas to be the loving arms of Jesus to others in this world. One of the speakers at Carolina Workcamp spoke about how when we help others we are helping Jesus. Most of the time when we overlook helping someone in need, we overlook the fact that we are overlooking Jesus Himself. While on this scheduled week of helping others we were challenged to find ways in which this isn’t just a time we set aside in our schedules but that our lives become a life of service.
In Wichita Falls, the place of my birth, there has been major amounts of flooding. I never realized the Great Plains could flood but they did. What an amazing opportunity for Christians to not only be the loving arms of Jesus to others but to also show Christ the love they have for Him by helping Him when He is in need. Katrina was another time many Christians stepped up to the call.
Often we look to times of disaster as opportunity to help those in need, but reality is that there are always people around us that could use the loving touch of Jesus in their lives. Remember, when you extend the loving arm of Christ to another, not only do you touch them but you also show Jesus how much you really care about Him.
Ryan
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Big...really big...you really couldn't imagine how big
To me, a baby was born this last Monday. I remember laying my eyes on her for the first time. She just sat there looking up at me out of her blue wrapping when I realized I needed to go attach her car seat to the top of my little red CRV. Weighing in at 800 ounces and around 144 inches in length my new baby is bright yellow from head to toe. The only problem is I still haven’t found a name for her yet.
I took her out on the lake twice this last week before the reality set in that I needed somewhere to store her. She didn’t look that big on the water compared to the other boats that I saw…and she didn’t really look that big on top of my car either. After carrying my new baby girl up the stairs and after managing to slide her into my apartment I not only realized how big my little girl really was but I also realized how grateful I was to have a 14 foot vaulted ceiling in my living room.
As I sat on my couch looking at my kayak, being that it is now the main focal point in my apartment, I thought about how much we do the opposite with God. We often confine God to the smallness of our minds. Even with all that open space inside our heads, we rarely do God any justice for how big He really is. “My God is so BIG, so STRONG and so MIGHTY. There’s nothing my God cannot do” is a great song that we limit to the imaginations of our children. Take a moment to evaluate your life…think about the things that you’re struggling with…apply the song…make it real…stop confining God to the vaulted ceiling of your mind and just see how big He really is.
I took her out on the lake twice this last week before the reality set in that I needed somewhere to store her. She didn’t look that big on the water compared to the other boats that I saw…and she didn’t really look that big on top of my car either. After carrying my new baby girl up the stairs and after managing to slide her into my apartment I not only realized how big my little girl really was but I also realized how grateful I was to have a 14 foot vaulted ceiling in my living room.
As I sat on my couch looking at my kayak, being that it is now the main focal point in my apartment, I thought about how much we do the opposite with God. We often confine God to the smallness of our minds. Even with all that open space inside our heads, we rarely do God any justice for how big He really is. “My God is so BIG, so STRONG and so MIGHTY. There’s nothing my God cannot do” is a great song that we limit to the imaginations of our children. Take a moment to evaluate your life…think about the things that you’re struggling with…apply the song…make it real…stop confining God to the vaulted ceiling of your mind and just see how big He really is.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Jesus Fish and Dangling Cross
A week ago, I went on a prayer retreat to a retreat center away from any kind of “real civilization.” There were large live oaks lining the main entrance. Deer ran wild through the open fields and sometimes the gardens. They had prayer walks you could go on, or you could just sit on a bench at the edge of a garden overlooking the river. Serenity. Tranquility. Calmness. Quietness. Peace. These are the things I found while away from the world for a few days.
I made a stop in Charlotte for some reason…but on my way back up I-77 I was stuck behind a Jesus Fish and a Dangling Cross. The Jesus Fish was emphatically riding on the tail of the Dangling Cross in front of him. It was apparent that he badly wanted to get by. Finally the Dangling Cross whipped his SUV over when given the chance to allow the truck of the Jesus Fish past. He even was nice enough to motion with his hand that he was allowing him past…then directing his fellow brother toward Heaven he pointed there…with much emphasis. They shared a few edifying words to lift one another up before going on along their way.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” – James 1:22-25
It troubles me that these two men were mirroring to the world, the Christ I follow. My challenge to myself and to all of you…don’t just put a decal on your car or hang a cross from your mirror…actually LIVE out the Christ the you follow.
Ryan
I made a stop in Charlotte for some reason…but on my way back up I-77 I was stuck behind a Jesus Fish and a Dangling Cross. The Jesus Fish was emphatically riding on the tail of the Dangling Cross in front of him. It was apparent that he badly wanted to get by. Finally the Dangling Cross whipped his SUV over when given the chance to allow the truck of the Jesus Fish past. He even was nice enough to motion with his hand that he was allowing him past…then directing his fellow brother toward Heaven he pointed there…with much emphasis. They shared a few edifying words to lift one another up before going on along their way.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” – James 1:22-25
It troubles me that these two men were mirroring to the world, the Christ I follow. My challenge to myself and to all of you…don’t just put a decal on your car or hang a cross from your mirror…actually LIVE out the Christ the you follow.
Ryan
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Spring, Flowers, Easter, Life
Over the past week I’ve had the opportunity to drive past a median full of long stemmed flowers that are absolutely beautiful. It has been a great reminder of the new life that spring brings. Change is something that we don’t cope well with a lot of the time but it happens for the most part a few times a year. Change brings death to the things around us but also resurrects beautiful life. We possibly wouldn’t appreciate spring as much if we didn’t have the death that comes with winter.
I called my Dad the other day and was telling him about how cool these flowers are. At night they are pointed straight up and closed. In the morning they are pointed east and are wide open. When I drive past them later in the afternoon they are wide open and pointing to the west! “You didn’t know they did that?” my Dad asked. I remember learning about it in 5th Grade Science but in Texas we don’t have stuff that grows in the ground that actually does stuff like that. We don’t have the soil…and if the flowers do move it is to hide from the sun.
There is something about the rising of the sun that demands the attention of these flowers. Maybe there is something to learn from these beautiful bits of creation that God put there for us to marvel at. It is Spring Time…It is a time of change…It is a time of new life…It is Easter Sunday! Does the rising of The Son demand our attention? Do we open up and absorb life from Him every day? With the rising of The Son…let us open ourselves to Him and soak up the Life which is truly life!
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” - Psalm 113:3
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” - Psalm 113:3
Friday, March 23, 2007
Grace:Peace/Gravity:Falling
If Paul could sum up the Gospel in two words I think they would be “Grace” and “Peace.” That is what we discovered in our Sr. High Bible Study over Galatians this past Monday night. In Paul’s salutation to the churches in Galatia, he starts off by saying, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That is why I think Paul would sum the Gospel up in these two words. You might even call them the “cause and effect” of the Gospel. Grace is given to us by God (Romans 5:8) and the outcome of grace in our lives is peace…peace that allows us to rejoice in our sufferings (Romans 5:1-5). After recognizing this simple cause and effect of the Gospel I ran across this quote.
“What are we to make of Christ?” C.S. Lewis asked, and then answered, “There is no question of what we can make of Him, it is entirely a question of what He intends to make of us. You must accept or reject the story. What are we to make of Jesus Christ?” – Lewis, God in the Doc
What it comes down to is…when the fact of grace is staring you in the face, are you going to allow it to make a difference in your life or are you going to simply do it all on your own? I feel like I so often do it all on my own and once I’ve really just botched it all up I then try to let Jesus work on me. It is almost if I would just let Jesus do what He has always planned on doing with my life I would have a lot less headaches and a lot more peace.
We’re called to live out this grace for others to see in our lives. As we start looking at how we can reach the world for Christ we must first look at ourselves and see if anyone is going to be seeing the Gospel. I leave you with another quote I found in my morning Bible reading this week.
“What we are shapes what we do and what we do is so noisy people hardly hear what we say except from a distance.”
Ryan
“What are we to make of Christ?” C.S. Lewis asked, and then answered, “There is no question of what we can make of Him, it is entirely a question of what He intends to make of us. You must accept or reject the story. What are we to make of Jesus Christ?” – Lewis, God in the Doc
What it comes down to is…when the fact of grace is staring you in the face, are you going to allow it to make a difference in your life or are you going to simply do it all on your own? I feel like I so often do it all on my own and once I’ve really just botched it all up I then try to let Jesus work on me. It is almost if I would just let Jesus do what He has always planned on doing with my life I would have a lot less headaches and a lot more peace.
We’re called to live out this grace for others to see in our lives. As we start looking at how we can reach the world for Christ we must first look at ourselves and see if anyone is going to be seeing the Gospel. I leave you with another quote I found in my morning Bible reading this week.
“What we are shapes what we do and what we do is so noisy people hardly hear what we say except from a distance.”
Ryan
Friday, March 09, 2007
I love...lamp
I love lamp! I love…lamp. Ryan, do you really love lamp or are you just adhering to today’s pop-culture? I’m really not sure what you are talking about. You’re just looking around the room and saying you love the first thing that you see. Maybe you should make a Napoleon Dynamite reference next. Your Mom makes Napoleon Dynamite references. Leave me alone, ahh!
Life has been interesting…I graduated from University, watched a number of friends get married, moved to the east coast, made a big backpacking trip before that, turned 23 a few weeks ago…I’ve got the rest of my life ahead of me. I realize that at some point during the last year I became a real boy. Pinocchio reference…good one. You’ll soon be running around with a high pitched voice proclaiming, “I’m a real boy,” and doing little jigs. Go away…I’m trying to tell a story.
Twelve years ago, this past Thursday, I was baptized into Christ and gave my life to Him. A good portion of that time I did what I could to be a “good Christian.” I spent a lot of my time doing religious things, wearing religious stuff, and talking religious talk, all the while I felt I was just looking around saying, “I love Jesus.” You mean you were just seeing Jesus and saying that you love Jesus. Yes…kinda…go away.
In my attempts at my Christian walk I have come to realize that I’ve spent a lot of my time merely saying, “I love Jesus,” in the same way that I love a good cup of coffee. The difference is…I talk about coffee a lot; I spend a good amount of time with coffee, I tell people about my coffee, and share my coffee with my friends. It seemed as though I was more obsessed with coffee then I was with Jesus. Think about some of the things you “love.” How does this compare with your love for Jesus?
My best friend was dating a girl that he thought he was in love with. I was pretty sure that he was because he talked about her all the time and spent all of his time with her. We took a road trip together to Colorado Springs and I’m pretty sure she was the topic of conversation for more than half of the trip. I could tell he kind of liked her.
They got married so I guess he liked her. Ok, ok, I know he liked her. He’s crazy about her! I can see how real their love is for each other in the way that they act, in how they talk, in the constant smile on their faces. God has given us an amazing institution in marriage. He even calls us the Bride of Christ.
They got married so I guess he liked her. Ok, ok, I know he liked her. He’s crazy about her! I can see how real their love is for each other in the way that they act, in how they talk, in the constant smile on their faces. God has given us an amazing institution in marriage. He even calls us the Bride of Christ.
I have played with this idea of being “Christ’s Bride” in my head a lot. I have always understood that I made the commitment with Christ when I got baptized but the relationship aspect of it wasn’t really explained to me very much. When I really started to see myself as the living Bride of the living Christ I began to realize the extent of how much it hurts Him when I continue to do the stupid things I do in my life.
If someone asked Kent, my friend from before, if he knew Leah, his wife, he wouldn’t beat around the bush with his answer or be quiet with it so that he wouldn’t draw attention to himself. He would openly express that not only does he know Leah but that he is crazy about her, that he loves her, that he’s committed to her for the rest of his life.
I often have to question my zeal for my engagement with Christ. We, as Brides, need to show off our rings so that others might share in such a great engagement.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Special K and Double R
I was looking through some old CDs where I had saved a lesson plan I wrote back in college and ran across this story I wrote that more or less happened. It is about my friend and I one Saturday mornin....enjoy
Ryan
This is a story about a little guy who was born yesterday morning (9/10/05) around 5am. With the struggles of new life in front of him, he was born into a large family. Over the next few ours all of his brothers, sisters, cousins, and a distant chocolate covered aunt were sold to the likings of the highest bidder. After only seven hours of life our little fighter was about to be cast aside with the rest of the trash of this world…
This is the point in every story where one might be looking for a hero to appear!
This is one of those stories…but let’s back it up a bit shall we…
Two guys, charming and good looking (no those are not their names), woke up on a certain Saturday morning, ignoring the temptations of the world through Saturday morning cartoons, and set out on a journey that would change their lives…forever. Who are these heroes you might ask. I shant reveal their true identities so I’ll just give their super names, Special K and Double R. Their journey had a direct purpose…it was the kind of journey that only two college students, or little old ladies, could set out on. This was a journey of garage sailing.
As our two heroes ventured onward, sailing every garage they came across, Special K’s Super Nerd Senses went crazy! Special K looked at Double R and said, “Somewhere out there is a lost generation who was born early this morning! We must find them!” “But K,” Double R said. “It is high noon and it might be too late for us…wait!! I see Daylight down the street! We can check there.” “Good thinking! You’re such an awesome super hero…I just wish I could be as cool as you,” Special K exclaimed to Double R.
As K&R barge through the doors of Daylight, our heroes were just in time to save the lives of not just one of two little donuts, but 450 enslaved and neglected Daylight Donuts. Special K and Double provided joy for many tummies, gave these neglected donuts a proper home, and saved the world yet again.
Ryan
This is a story about a little guy who was born yesterday morning (9/10/05) around 5am. With the struggles of new life in front of him, he was born into a large family. Over the next few ours all of his brothers, sisters, cousins, and a distant chocolate covered aunt were sold to the likings of the highest bidder. After only seven hours of life our little fighter was about to be cast aside with the rest of the trash of this world…
This is the point in every story where one might be looking for a hero to appear!
This is one of those stories…but let’s back it up a bit shall we…
Two guys, charming and good looking (no those are not their names), woke up on a certain Saturday morning, ignoring the temptations of the world through Saturday morning cartoons, and set out on a journey that would change their lives…forever. Who are these heroes you might ask. I shant reveal their true identities so I’ll just give their super names, Special K and Double R. Their journey had a direct purpose…it was the kind of journey that only two college students, or little old ladies, could set out on. This was a journey of garage sailing.
As our two heroes ventured onward, sailing every garage they came across, Special K’s Super Nerd Senses went crazy! Special K looked at Double R and said, “Somewhere out there is a lost generation who was born early this morning! We must find them!” “But K,” Double R said. “It is high noon and it might be too late for us…wait!! I see Daylight down the street! We can check there.” “Good thinking! You’re such an awesome super hero…I just wish I could be as cool as you,” Special K exclaimed to Double R.
As K&R barge through the doors of Daylight, our heroes were just in time to save the lives of not just one of two little donuts, but 450 enslaved and neglected Daylight Donuts. Special K and Double provided joy for many tummies, gave these neglected donuts a proper home, and saved the world yet again.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Love...what it is?
This last weekend was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I posed as an “unapproachable teenager” for the weekend at a retreat in Texas. We wanted to see how the teens of three youth groups would treat me. Overall…they treated me like we thought they would. They avoided me, talked bad about me, made up rumors about me, and for the most part kept their distance from me…all while talking about seeking and saving the lost.
What is it that makes us see the outside of the person before ever seeing the inside? Have we become so much like the world that we look at the quality of the person’s exterior before examining their heart? My first two years of college I grew my hair out for Locks of Love. Most people, after being told what I was doing, thought that donating my hair was a pretty cool thing. Before learning that…most people just cast me off as a bum or deadbeat. I got a lot of comments from people, after getting to know me, that they would have thought I was someone else. I learned a lot those 15 months about how we judge people by their exterior.
In Matthew 23:25-28, Jesus talks about how the Pharisees are more concerned about cleaning their outsides to put on a face so that others would think they were clean through and through. Often it seems as though we apply that to others when we see them. When we start seeing each person as a creation of our Creator we will look past what they show themselves as and start to look at their heart and accept them as God’s creation and even help them become the perfection which God intends for them to be.
Go back and read I John 4:7-20 carefully. God is love. God’s love is made perfect when we love others. The way I read it, God is made perfect in the eyes of this world when we show love to others no matter if we think they deserve it or not. God is perfect but the world does not see that unless we, His people, show it to them.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Jesus, Matthew 22:37-39
Ryan
What is it that makes us see the outside of the person before ever seeing the inside? Have we become so much like the world that we look at the quality of the person’s exterior before examining their heart? My first two years of college I grew my hair out for Locks of Love. Most people, after being told what I was doing, thought that donating my hair was a pretty cool thing. Before learning that…most people just cast me off as a bum or deadbeat. I got a lot of comments from people, after getting to know me, that they would have thought I was someone else. I learned a lot those 15 months about how we judge people by their exterior.
In Matthew 23:25-28, Jesus talks about how the Pharisees are more concerned about cleaning their outsides to put on a face so that others would think they were clean through and through. Often it seems as though we apply that to others when we see them. When we start seeing each person as a creation of our Creator we will look past what they show themselves as and start to look at their heart and accept them as God’s creation and even help them become the perfection which God intends for them to be.
Go back and read I John 4:7-20 carefully. God is love. God’s love is made perfect when we love others. The way I read it, God is made perfect in the eyes of this world when we show love to others no matter if we think they deserve it or not. God is perfect but the world does not see that unless we, His people, show it to them.
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Jesus, Matthew 22:37-39
Ryan
Monday, February 12, 2007
Tools
I was walking past Chris Mitchell’s truck the other night and admiring his vast array of tools. I looked across the room at Billy Ellenburg and said to myself, “Self…I bet Billy has a lot of cool tools as well.” After a short conversation with myself I began to think about the tools of my trade…not that my tools make me any less of a man they are just different.
I’m still new to this stuff but I feel I’m equipped to do the job that has been set in front of me:
I have a pair of 10 year old brown loafers which are nothing like a fine wine…they have not gotten better with age. They are cracked and cannot be worn when it is wet out or they get waterlogged and begin to smell.
I pretty much have two pairs of pants and then some dress clothes…Jeans and khakis. These go well with the handful or polo (style not brand) shirts that I have to wear to meetings and class.
My accessories include a necklace that I have been wearing for about 4 years and 237 days, a bracelet that a Jamaican suckered me into buying in Paris, my graduation ring, an anklet that Jessica Mitchell made me months ago, a watch I hardly look at, and my beard that makes me look older than the teens I work with.
I have a man-bag (satchel, messenger bag, whatever you want to call it) that broke this past Thursday that typically holds my laptop, book I’m currently reading, backup book in case I get board with said book, and the Good Book…my Bible I was given when I graduated from High School.
Like my shoes, my Bible has seen many miles. Unlike my shoes, it has been rebound before and doesn’t smell bad. This is the Bible I used when sitting in my classes in college…so I have a lot of memories with it. I preached my first sermon here out of it. I teach out of it. I level projectors with it.
I guess I listed this stuff to say…we all have different tools but we can do ministry with our tools. I can get jealous of Chris and Billy’s tools but those are what they have to work with to reach this world. Use the tools you have to bring God’s Glory to the people around you.
I’m still new to this stuff but I feel I’m equipped to do the job that has been set in front of me:
I have a pair of 10 year old brown loafers which are nothing like a fine wine…they have not gotten better with age. They are cracked and cannot be worn when it is wet out or they get waterlogged and begin to smell.
I pretty much have two pairs of pants and then some dress clothes…Jeans and khakis. These go well with the handful or polo (style not brand) shirts that I have to wear to meetings and class.
My accessories include a necklace that I have been wearing for about 4 years and 237 days, a bracelet that a Jamaican suckered me into buying in Paris, my graduation ring, an anklet that Jessica Mitchell made me months ago, a watch I hardly look at, and my beard that makes me look older than the teens I work with.
I have a man-bag (satchel, messenger bag, whatever you want to call it) that broke this past Thursday that typically holds my laptop, book I’m currently reading, backup book in case I get board with said book, and the Good Book…my Bible I was given when I graduated from High School.
Like my shoes, my Bible has seen many miles. Unlike my shoes, it has been rebound before and doesn’t smell bad. This is the Bible I used when sitting in my classes in college…so I have a lot of memories with it. I preached my first sermon here out of it. I teach out of it. I level projectors with it.
I guess I listed this stuff to say…we all have different tools but we can do ministry with our tools. I can get jealous of Chris and Billy’s tools but those are what they have to work with to reach this world. Use the tools you have to bring God’s Glory to the people around you.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Nothing....nothing....
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I (Paul) am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners (Paul), Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. – I Timothy 1:15-17
There is nothing you can do to make God love you less…
This is a hard thing for us to grasp. Often we flee from God when we do wrong because we think He is incapable and unwilling to love a dirty sinner like myself (Ryan). As one of the teens put it Wednesday evening, “We cannot fathom the love of God so it is hard to accept.” It is true, Ephesians 3:14-19 tells us that God’s love transcends all knowledge. We are incapable of completely grasping how wide, long, high, and deep is the love that God showed us on the cross. I might not be able to completely grasp it but I am sure going to accept it. There is no distance that you can go away from God that you cannot turn back around and be in His arms again.
Often, so very often, I (Ryan) fail in my attempts to do what God would like for me to do. “Worst of sinners…” I’m not sure if I’m ready to admit to that just yet but there is something about Paul’s confession that says, “I understand that I need God’s grace as much or more than anyone else.” Am I (Ryan) ready to make a bold confession like this, admitting that there is nothing I can do on my own to earn God’s love? In my feeble attempts to be a perfect child I realize that there is one thing that I need to be reminded of every time I fail…
…There is nothing I can do to make God love me less.
Ryan
There is nothing you can do to make God love you less…
This is a hard thing for us to grasp. Often we flee from God when we do wrong because we think He is incapable and unwilling to love a dirty sinner like myself (Ryan). As one of the teens put it Wednesday evening, “We cannot fathom the love of God so it is hard to accept.” It is true, Ephesians 3:14-19 tells us that God’s love transcends all knowledge. We are incapable of completely grasping how wide, long, high, and deep is the love that God showed us on the cross. I might not be able to completely grasp it but I am sure going to accept it. There is no distance that you can go away from God that you cannot turn back around and be in His arms again.
Often, so very often, I (Ryan) fail in my attempts to do what God would like for me to do. “Worst of sinners…” I’m not sure if I’m ready to admit to that just yet but there is something about Paul’s confession that says, “I understand that I need God’s grace as much or more than anyone else.” Am I (Ryan) ready to make a bold confession like this, admitting that there is nothing I can do on my own to earn God’s love? In my feeble attempts to be a perfect child I realize that there is one thing that I need to be reminded of every time I fail…
…There is nothing I can do to make God love me less.
Ryan
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