Free Pizza and Ever Flowing Grace

  I know the title sounds a little funny, but follow me for a minute please and then it will make sense.  Saturday night my wife and I had been working pretty hard around the house and frankly as good as the steak looked in the fridge, neither of us had the energy to grill it. So, we do what most do, we ordered pizza.  I ordered it on-line and a few minutes later left to go pick it up a few minutes later.  When I got there to pick it up, they said the order never came through, that they were backed up, and if I wanted to order it would be another 30 minutes.  I was hungry but lazy and said okay.  So, I went over to Trader Joe's to do some grocery shopping, took my time, got everything loaded in the car and then went to pick up the pizza a few doors away. Only, when I got there, I found out it had 39 minutes to go.  "What?" I thought, but didn't say.  I sat and sat and waited, and I am sure I didn't look like I was ready to do a joy, joy, happy, happy dance.  When my pizza was finally ready, they boxed it and handed it to me.  I said, "um, I need to pay for it"  The guy behind the counter said, Nope, it's on us, you had to wait so long."

  I was un-done.  I had no reply other than humbled thanks.  I got in my car, drove home and all I could say was this is just a pizza, God's grace is so much more amazing and I just drove away blown away and realizing I have no adequate response to grace.

  What about you?  Ever receive anything free, something of value that was free or a gift that was pretty overwhelming?  What was your response? When it comes to God's free gift of complete forgiveness, un-conditional love and a place in eternity with Him when we pass from this life all you need to say is yes!  It's His offer! It's for anyone no matter what you've done or what's been done to you.  Please respond if this is your story, let me know if you have been blown away by His great offer.

Thermostat or Thermometer?

  When I was a Student Ministry Pastor one of the things I communicated to our students right before the beginning of the school year is that they had a very small window to establish their reputation.  After that, people did a lot of assuming.  This was especially true for incoming Freshman in High School/College.  It's a lot harder to change your reputation than it is to establish it.

  That being said, I also challenged our students to see what the spiritual climate was like on their campus.  Who were the strong Godly students?. If they sensed no one was as strong as they were, than they got to be the Spiritual thermostat.  They set the temperature for their surroundings.. Otherwise they would become like the others around them and not grow like they could. If that temp was not high, they would find themselves losing their spiritual fervor.

  What about us?  Look around you, at home, work, church, your Life Group.  Are you the strongest one spiritually speaking?  I don't mean in a judgmental way, or a competitive, or even prideful way either.  I mean, we become who we are around.  So, if you are sensing that people in your everyday settings are living a spiritually lukewarm life but you don't want to, than guess what?  It's up to you, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  If there are others who are more mature than you, get close to them, and for sure encourage those who around you to band together.  By being around each other, you will all grow more mature. The Apostle Paul actually told those around him to follow his example.

Philippians 3:17 "Brothers join me in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us."

Why the Grass may be greener on the other side.

I have a confession to make, (a great place to start).  Working on my yard is just that, a lot of work.  Spring comes early in Charlotte and that gives us a chance to get everything looking better before it's actually summer.  We have a big yard!  Once I measured the distance using MapMyRun and it turns out that the distance I push my mower back and forth is 2.6 miles.  Like I said, we have a big yard.  My wife Karyn and I work really hard to make it look nice, we plant flowers, trim bushes and trees, add lighting and on and on it goes.

  So today while I am pushing the mower and burning calories, the Holy Spirit began speaking to me about how hard I am working to make this all look like a show piece and but I don't put nearly as much time and attention tending my soul.  Now it's true, I do a lot of soul tending.  However, it's not the appearance that matters when it comes to my soul (unlike my yard).  I want God to look deep into my heart and know that I have rested, listened, worked, tended and kept my heart a show piece of righteousness, faithfulness, joy and purity.  A heart that is not duplicitous.  A heart that is after God's.  The beauty of my yard, the dark green of my grass, and the colorful flowers are not nearly as important as the beauty of my heart given to me by God that I am to tend to, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I was bought with Jesus' life.  I am valuable.  God loves me!  What about you?  What outward appearance are you constantly trying to look good but inwardly its not nearly as true?  Take time to tend to your heart. "Above everything, guard your heart for it is well spring where everything flows from." Proverbs 4:23.

How Your Tests Are Actually Your Truths.

   3 years is also 36 months, it's also 156 weeks and 1095 days.  Not including vacation time, holidays and my day off each week this is how long I have had the honor of serving at Southbrook Church as Life Groups Pastor.

  It's not been a typical 3 years, nope it's been some of the most challenging time I have ever had in full time ministry. I got to thinking, is there any time in any one's life that is "typical" anymore?  Would it be a good idea to presume that life is never quite normal and that arriving there is more the exception than the rule?  I think so.  So maybe a better thing to do is determine how we are going to respond, and what we are going to learn, and how these challenges are going to make us better and those around us. "Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things." I Cor. 9:24.

    We are measured most accurately under pressure.  What gets squeezed out is most us.  Like it or not.  Sports and more specifically the discipline of wrestling taught me so much. Daily disciplines of how much to eat, what to eat, when I could, showing up at practice, the importance of practicing against guys who were better than I was rather than sparring against guys I knew I could beat. Then there was keeping up with my studies on top of not eating, competing at a high level while not eating,etc. I would like to think I always passed the test. I did not. Sometimes I just didn't have it in me. I would give in and eat. When I would get hurt, but not enough to stop me from practicing, I took a little more time off than the injury warranted. I had some proud moments and not so proud ones. But one thing is for certain - I couldn't fake it.  Everyday in practice or out there on a mat it was just me and my opponent. I would be found out, good or bad. 

 It's also mostly true in life. You might be able to fake others out but why short-change yourself and have to face regret? Use the hard times and tests to find out what you are made of. You are better than you think you are. I dare you to see for yourself.

Who is Holding Up Your Arms?

In the Book of Exodus17:8-16 there is this story of Moses as he is being led by God. He is in charge of getting 1 1/2 million people from Egypt to Israel, on foot, through a desert. Not an easy thing no matter what time in history. These were God's chosen people (disobedient and entitled as they were), and God was with Moses, so they traveled on. 

  As they were traveling, they were attacked by the Amalekites, Moses had chosen Joshua to take men and fight in hand to hand combat, but behind the scenes, God had instructed Moses to hold up his staff for victory, (the very one God did miracles through previously). The problem was that Moses got tired, and when his arms grew tired from holding the staff high in the air, Joshua was losing the battle. When the staff was high, they were winning. WHAT TO DO? Aaron and Hur, Moses' assistants simply stood next to Moses and so anytime his arm started to drop they lifted it up and eventually the battle was theirs. They won because God was with them and because Moses had support. 

 WHAT ABOUT US? What do you do when life is hard, endurance is difficult and surviving seems impossible? You get support that's what you do. You find an "Aaron and a Hur". Do you have faithful/loyal people in your life who will stand with you during really difficult days/trials? Everyone, and I mean everyone needs them. HOW DO YOU FIND THEM? Great question...simple answer. You become one for others you truly care about!! Jump in when needed, don't wait to be asked, and be close enough to someone to know when they are struggling and need your help. Life will become so much more worth living when done together in deep ways.

The Risk and Reward of Getting Out of Your Rut

The church I serve in just finished a month long series called "Un-Stuck", go to www.southbrookchurch.com to listen to all 4 sermons. Before the series kicked off I had this storyboard in my mind of what this looks like for most people, (see the picture below). There are two ways of getting out.  The first way to get out is to steer left or right, hang onto the wheel as hard as you can and not the wheels pull you back in. You have to sustain the direction by holding tight, and before you know it, you are unstuck. The other is to have something/someone bigger and stronger pull you out. 

 But most people fail. Why?

1. It's comfortable and easier.

2. No courage is required, no adventure to be gained either.

3. Everyone is headed in the same direction anyway.

4. Don't like asking for help, or admit we need help.

I find myself getting stuck every so often, sometimes I may not even know I am unless I get perspective/counsel. This year I am sensing God calling me to a year of risk. It's scary to me but exciting at the same time. I love what I am doing, where I live and my life in general. However, Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it to overflow." John 10:10. I want my life to really matter, to not be boring or safe or even comfortable. I admit my flesh wants comfort, but my Spirit knows better. The beginning of John 10:10 says "The thief comes to rob, kill and destroy." I totally believe that and realize that we can be lulled to sleep and lose out on the full life God wants for us. But it takes courage!

 The path most American Evangelical Christians live is too safe and too much like the world. Nice paying job, spouse, kids, comfy house, nice church, friends that are congenial and so on. This is NOT THE LIFE OF JESUS, nor those who live all out for God. I want to desperately steer out of the rut that keeps me living all out for God. Risk is scary to me and I have no idea what this looks for this year, but what looks even scarier is looking back and knowing that I stayed in the Lane that led to an easy life where Jesus might have a hard time saying, "well done good and faithful servant."

The Go To's

Everybody has them. The "them" I am referring to are those "go to items" when you are in needing to get back to a good place. Here's what I mean....

- Verse of the Bible you go to when you are in need of Strength, wisdom, counsel, hope.

- Friend you go to in crisis.

- Move you go to in basketball that no one could stop.

- Place you go to be alone with God.

- Song mix you go to for contemplation, joy or exercise, etc..

- Vacation spot you go to for rest or creating memories.

 You get the idea. 

I have this stack of 3x5 index cards with various scriptures that I have copied down that really meant something at a specific time, or that bring me strength, guidance, comfort or a promise I can trust God for. God's word stands the test of time, and these have helped me out so much that I cannot count them.

Familiar verses like;

 "Trust in The Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:4-6

"The Lord roams about the earth seeking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully His."  I Chronicles 16:9

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

"Delight yourself in The Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength." Philippians 4:13

"Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

"Above everything guard your heart for out of it flows everything." Proverbs 4:23

What are some of your go to Bible verses?

One at a Time and the Great Commission

I remember hearing the story of a little boy who was at the ocean with his family and at the time a huge number of Starfish had been washed ashore covering the beach they were at.  The boy was picking up the Starfish one at time and throwing them back into the sea, his Father watched him for some time and came up to him and said, "Son, you can't rescue all of these Starfish, there are just too many."  The son looked at his Dad and said, "You're right Dad, I may not be able to save them all, but I can save this one".  He bent over and picked up the one closest to him and threw it into the water, "and I can save this one".  And over and over he repeated himself.

  Many, many people say yes to salvation through Jesus Christ, but most don't stay with it.  Jesus even talked about this in the Parable of the Seeds found in Matthew 13, only 1 out of 4 seeds actually produces what it was created for!  In the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 we read that every Christ Follower is to do;

1. Go.
2. Make Disciples everywhere.
3. Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
4. Teach them to obey everything I commanded you.

  I want to focus on #4 - "Teach them to obey everything I commanded you."  I believe with all my heart that every Christ follower should have a mentor/discipler who does what Jesus commanded us.  These were His last words, and last words are usually quite important.  If we discipled everyone who asked Christ to forgive them I think the failure/fall out rate would be drastically lower, Christ followers would be so much more effective and more people would come to Christ as Savior.  Most Christ followers do not even know everything Jesus commanded.  Do you?  Take the time to do a Harmony of the Gospels Study, I recommend Thomas/Gundry's by Moody Press.  Spiritual Reproduction (discipleship) has to occur for Christianity to continue, and learning to apply Jesus' commands and taking the time to teach others what they are and how to apply them is fulfilling the Great Commission.

  My advice to you is first find someone who is young in the faith, go through Jesus' commands in the New Testament together.  Study them and figure out how to obey/apply them and then when you are both done, both of you go find someone else to do this with on your own.  

The True Key to Change

  Resolutions are a good idea gone bad, most of the time. Why? Because they are most often born out of disappointment for things we didn't do, haven't become or wanted for ourselves. So we over react and have these strong desires to turn it around. But...the plan fails most of the time. Why? Accountabilty and adequate support or a lack of it to be precise.

  I know this from experience, from the positive and negative side of things. I will make this short. If it just came down to how badly we wanted to - lose weight, exercise, read the Bible, drop a bad habit we would all succeed. But what you really need is not more want to, instead you need others, you need to form a support/accountability team. 

  Lone Rangers are lonely! Spiritually speaking get into a Life Group, or have an accountability partner. With exercise, don't just join a gym, meet someone (of the same gender) consistently at a specific time that you pre-arrange  and you will succeed. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." If you want to succeed in 2014 where you failed in 2013 don't keep doing the same things the same way and expect different results. Ask someone for encouragement, accountability and or partnership.  Most really good people want to see others succeed.