Greatness(What I learned from playing Disc Golf)

“Greatness never happens 3 ft. from the pin.”

                                                   – Travis Hebert

So I hardly ever blog anymore. Ok, I never blog. Writing is not my favorite thing to do, nor is racking my brain trying to think of things to blog about. I think it’s because my perfectionism kills my inspiration before I get typing. I probably spend hours trying to figure out the stupid title and when I can’t think of any..POOF..the moment passes. Just in case you were wondering, as I am typing, I still do not have a title, so..big steps for me! (I have a point to this blog, so don’t click away just yet!!)

The other day I was out with some friends playing a friendly game of Disc Golf, or frisbee golf for the layperson, when a moment of frustration/inspiration struck. Let me recap.

         I was in last place.

         I was not playing my best game and it seemed that every drive I made was going in the wrong direction.

What this does is causes you to have to have a killer 2nd shot to have any chance at making par(or staying out of last place). It was the 15th hole, and I had just hit a tree causing a very short drive. As we all began walking towards our disc, my journey ended while everyone kept walking to their respective discs further down the fairway. In my frustration, my mouth uttered words that later hit my heart. Out of nowhere, I said, “Greatness never happens 3ft from the pin.” This was my cheap attempt at smack talk and justifying my poor play.

Well, turns out, greatness never showed up that day. At least not for me. But that statement lingered. I began to think of all the great golf shots I had ever seen on TV, or great drives that began on the 2 yard line and finished off with at touchdown at the last second, or the long distance 3 point’er that turned into a game winner at the buzzer. ESPN makes tons of money cashing in on these types of plays and these athletes images are forever displayed on highlight reels and sports drink commercials for decades. Not often do you see greatness idolized by the 1 yd touchdown run, or the 3ft putt, or the 5ft lay up. It’s only where the impossible becomes possible that greatness is born.

There are often times God calls us to take a small step of faith, and then there are times when he calls us to take giant leaps. Greatness is often achieved by overcoming the most difficult of circumstances. Jesus displayed that same trait by telling the lame man at the pool of Bethesda to “pick up your mat and walk,” or when he feeds 5,000+ men, women and children with a little boy’s lunchable, or when he calls Lazarus out of the tomb on 4th day AFTER his death. How about the time when Peter stepped out of the boat while 11 other guys watched in awe.

God is more concerned with our obedience than anything else. Our biggest fear in life should not be “what if I fail,” but rather “what if I never try.” Sure it’s hard, sure it’s scary, and there is a chance you may fail. Ever heard of Judas? God uses that too. Even in betrayal, God used Judas to get Jesus to the cross to save us all. Once Peter got his sandals out of his mouth, he pioneered the church that is still in existence today.

          But first he had to walk on water.

Greatness. 

Wonder what ever happened to those 11 other guys?

Maybe you are not worried about being great. But, God is. He is great! And He is great IN us! Ephesians 1:19-20 says, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” 

He never expects us to be great without Him. He never asks that you take that step out of your boring job or leave your city to move to a new city with so many unknowns all by yourself. He will never get greatness out of you unless you are willing to take that leap out of your comfort zone. I thank God for the deep weeds and trees, cause when I sink that putt, you will see greatness being born! After all, you will never make the highlight reel unless you are willing to take the impossible shot. Anyone can sink a putt, but greatness never happens 3ft from the pin!

The Thrill Of Hope

6 For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[d] Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.

Isaiah 9:6-7(NLT)

 

One thing most people in our world today could use more of is hope. As we watch the news and see the world around us, we are awakened to the fact that this world is in desperate need of hope. From mass murders to school shootings and an increase of poverty in our nation, we are reminded of our need for a Savior. This is not the only time in history where it seemed all hope was lost…

In-between the Old and New Testaments is a span of about 400 years. These years were very dark years in the history of the world. Evil ruled, and to those who trusted in God, it appeared as though God went silent. Before this time period, God sent many prophets to the nation of Israel to warn them of the evil lurking and encouraged them of a coming Savior who will deliver them from this evil. In this passage from Isaiah it was prophesied that a Savior would be coming, just not in the form anyone would have expected. 

The star in the East seen by all that night was a beacon of hope signaling the Savior was here. It was as though all humanity paused and welcomed in a King. “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” This was no ordinary baby, and this was no ordinary night. This was a God who remained silent for nearly 400 years introducing a new hope to all of humanity. The birth of Jesus was God’s way of getting involved in our lives, not from a highly throne, but a lowly manger granting all of us access to Him. 

In this Christmas season, we are reminded that hope has never left us. While we still may live in troubling times, our hope is not a dream or something we are waiting for one day to appear, but has already come. Emmanuel, a name given to Jesus, means “God with Us.” Is it possible that instead of offering a fix for our everyday problems that God simply offered us His Son who would grow up to be homeless, hungry, hated, beaten, betrayed, broke, and would later give his life for a people who would reject him? It is possible, and it is the true Christmas story. Christmas is not about what we can give to others, but about what was given to us in the gift of Jesus. So we can journey through life with hope knowing that everything we need was given to us on a starry night in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. 

Don’t Waste Your Life!

This past weekend, I had the privilege of speaking to a room filled with teenagers and adult leaders for our annual Innovate Student Conference held in Brown County, IN. These events are so jam-packed with energizing worship, powerful speaking, and exciting games we play with the students. I’ve been apart of these events for the last 3 years and the impact I have personally seen in these students that attend is incredible. If you are a parent, do not hesitate to send your student to one of our events, or a youth event your church is putting on. Teenagers tend to travel in packs, much like wolves, and typically life change also happens in packs. If nothing else, a seed is planted and God will spend the time watering the seed.

Here are my notes from my message this past weekend…

–Life is filled with distractions both good and bad. We are easily distracted by things such as sports, video games, tv, relationships(HELLO!!), hobbies, and other physical things. These aren’t always bad, but they’re not always good either. When these things become priority in your life over pursuing your life’s true purpose(which I will get to in a minute) it can be dangerous to our spiritual growth. What about worry, self-pity, self-righteousness, etc. These are always bad.

–We have a purpose.  Romans 8:28(NLT) states: And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  I personally love this translation because it confirms that God has a purpose for us. And in order for us to accomplish that purpose, we must have all things work together for the good, which only God can accomplish.

–We were made ON purpose, WITH a purpose, FOR a purpose!! Simply put, Don’t Waste Your Life.

–5 Questions to finding your purpose in life:

1)What Do You Enjoy?  I believe the first step to finding your purpose is finding out what you enjoy. Jesus said “I have come that you may have life and life abundantly“(emphasis mine) or life to the fullest. Could it be that God was wise enough to download the things we enjoy and have it tied together with our purpose? To me, that is abundant life. You can find purpose in the things you enjoy. But it’s only 1 piece to the puzzle.

2)What Do You Do Well? This one is kind of a given, however most people miss the boat when trying to be something they are not. It’s like those contestants on American Idol. You know, the bad ones. The ones most American’s tune in to watch the most. I think Randy Jackson’s reactions were the best. He could not hide his reactions to the horrible noises coming from these contestants. It’s obvious to everyone else, those people were not meant to sing. But I bet they possess talents you and I only wish we had. Find what it is you do well, and seek ways to make that a piece to the puzzle. 1 Peter 4:10 says,”God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” Got it?

3)What Bothers You? The other night, I mentioned that dirty dishes, some people on Facebook, and Miley Cyrus bother me. The last 2 were also shared by many of the students in that room. I also spoke about a preacher in the mid 1800’s who was so bothered by the lack of care for poor in England, and the injustice of lower class that he began a mission to help these people. That man was William Booth, also the founder of the Salvation Army. Could it also be that God places a “thorn in the flesh” of our hearts so that His will can be done on this earth? Most of us wait for “The Church” or others to help people when God is saying, “That’s why I created you!” Don’t be afraid to act on what bothers or burdens you. You might just find something you really enjoy and something you are well versed in.

4)What opportunities are in front of you right now? Finding your purpose could be as easy as opening your eyes to what’s around you. I don’t care who you are, how old you are, or your past, God can use you no matter what. I believe God places us in situations that requires a response from us. It’s up to you to act!

5)Who? As in Romans 8:28, it starts with “…those who love God…” It’s tough to know your purpose without knowing the one who made you with that purpose. It all starts with surrendering your life to Jesus. It’s amazing that unlike a prisoner who surrenders to authority after committing a crime, when you surrender your life to Jesus, you find absolute freedom. Freedom to be who God has created you to be. Once you give your life over to Jesus, your purpose now becomes clear…Making God famous by using the talents and gifts He has given us to serve others.

To sum it all up, Jesus tells story in Matthew 25 about a wealthy man who distributed his wealth(or talents) to 3 individuals and then went on a trip. To the first man he left 5 bags of silver, and upon his return the man had invested the money and it grew by 5 more. The second man he gave 2 bags of silver, and it grew by 2 more. To the last man, he only gave 1 bag of silver and when he returned the he found that the man hid the money in the ground and it did not produce any extra. God has entrusted us with certain talents and giftings. These are to be used to serve others and the church. The man who did nothing with his share of the money had his money taken away and given to the ones who would use that money to do great things. In essence, Jesus was saying…Don’t Waste Your Life!

Feeling Empty?

Have you ever experienced a season of life when it seems like there are just not enough resources to make ends meet? How about not enough energy to make it through a long day? What about not enough patience to outlast a nagging child? Anyone? Bueller? Just me, huh? Ok, well just for the sake of argument, let me share with you how to get more of these things based on an Old Testament story of a woman who had nothing and God delivered an abundance. Check out 2 Kings 4:1-7:

“One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”² “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.³ And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. ⁴ Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”⁵ So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. ⁶ Soon every container was full to the brim!“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.

“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.⁷ When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

Here are 3 simple lessons on getting more _____________________ in your life(you fill in the blank)

Lesson #1: What’s in your house?

This woman had a certain need. Now in those days, their money system was not set up like ours today, but a payment system was. Her 2 sons were going to be payment for a debt she inherited from her deceased husband. Oil in that day was very valuable as it was a source of light and a key ingredient in preparing meals. Her almost empty jar of oil was the only thing of worth.(besides her 2 sons, of course) Here is the lesson, God can use anything. Anything. If money is what your lacking, God doesn’t need yours to produce more. If faith is what you are lacking, God doesn’t require you to just “press in” and have faith to produce more faith in you. So, what’s in your house? What do you possess that God can use to produce more_______________ in your life? Answer: Anything. If you have no money, but have plenty of time…God can turn minutes into dollars. Find someone who you can help using the time you have. If you lack energy, but have money…place that money into helping others and watch the energy grow within you. When you are faithful with the little, God will provide the increase.

Lesson#2:  Obedience

Elisha told the woman, ““Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. ⁴ Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”⁵ So she did as she was told.” A simple act of obedience turned this woman into an ancient ExxonMobil, producing more oil than she has probably ever had at one time in her life. In most cases, this is the major reason for a lack of ______________ in our life. It seems too difficult, too pricey, or just plain crazy to obey God when things seem hopeless. God was ready to produce oil in her life, but not until she provided the jars. If you are feeling empty or lacking, God is ready to produce an abundance in your life, you just have to provide the empty vessel.

Lesson#3: Don’t Stay Full

“Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.”

Once she ran out of jars, the oil stopped flowing. In order to keep the abundance flowing in your life, it will require your vessel to be empty. Emptiness is actually a good thing. When you come to God in a state of emptiness, He is ready with an abundance of oil. This is how God created us to be. We were never meant to stay full. Have you ever see those fountains with the half naked figurine continuously pouring out water from a jar? That’s how we are supposed to live our lives. Not as a filled up jar(or half naked), but a continuously flowing stream, so that what God puts in us, we pour out to others. That is church life, baby!

So if you are experiencing a dry spell in your life, or you have a need; figure out what’s in your house, then practice obedience in giving of yourself and resources, and finally…give. The more you get, the more you GET to give. Once giving is a part of your lifestyle, you won’t be lacking anything.

Toxic

When we see the word “toxic” on a label we immediately relate it with the words, “danger” or “warning.” It’s obvious that what’s inside of the container is not safe and could cause sickness or even death. Now for some folks, seeing this word is a mere challenge to see how toxic the content really is. If you have ever suffered from a severe illness from something you touched or ate you understand why “toxic” is not something you should be messing with. If something is glowing green or has other stuff growing on it, it’s pretty clear it’s not safe and will likely not end well for the person brave enough to go near it. 

In our Sync Groups(our own term for home groups) that are going on here at Hoosier Harvest Church, we are doing a study based on the book “Soul Detox” by Pastor, Author, Speaker Craig Groeschel. In this study, we are looking at things that we allow into our life that are not as obvious as a glowing green substance and does not have a warning label attached to it. It’s way deeper than that. However, the end result is still the same; only it doesn’t always harm us physically, it can also hurt us spiritually. 

Our thoughts, words, emotions, and relationships all can be tainted when we all toxins to infiltrate our life. So what do these toxins look like. Well, unfortunately they are tasteless, odorless, colorless, and almost always deadly. Most toxins enter into our body through our eyes and ears. Negative words we hear from a friend or family member can seep into our ears and begin to poison our minds. Proverbs 12:18 says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword…” These toxic words are everywhere and when aimed at us, they can weaken our self esteem and contaminate our thoughts. When we allow our thoughts to run wild through the poison pasture, everything that enters into our minds is polluted with toxins set out to destroy our lives.  Once these toxins have made a nice home for themselves in our bodies they contaminate every facet of our life. Much like a cancer, these pollutants spread throughout our bodies and our spirit begins to shut down. Once our spirit starts to shut down, it’s not long before our physical bodies follow suit. Our emotions become the driving force in our life which leads to the destruction of our heart and also the spread of this virus to others around us. These deadly assassins seek to destroy our spirit leaving a trail of destruction in its path. Our relationships with our spouses, our kids, family and friends all begin to feel the effects of this scum.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could wear those badges that people in chemical plants wear that change color when a airborne toxin is released so we could protect ourself before these toxins enter our bodies? Or how about a siren that would sound when a negative word or thought enters the air around us? Yes, that would be cool. However, the device we have been given to warn us of these deadly toxins is ironically the thing that is keeping us alive. Yes, I am referring to your heart, but not your physical heart, your spiritual heart. Believe it or not, your spiritual heart is the essence of who God made you to be. It controls everything that makes you, well… YOU! This is why Proverbs 4:23 warns us: “Above ALL else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Once an evil toxin travels from your eyes and ears to your brain and makes its way to your heart, just like your natural heart, it circulates throughout your entire body. GUARD YOUR HEART! Prayerfully engage in conversations with your creator and allow him to protect you from these deadly toxins. Stay up to date with the life-changing, life-giving words of Jesus by reading scripture to combat these cancers. Also, while guarding your heart from evil, allow the good to penetrate your soul and bring life to your words, your thoughts, and your relationships. While we can’t walk around wearing yellow suits to protect us from spiritual toxins, we can build our immunity against them. “Guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

 

 

Get Your A.S.K. In Gear!(Part 3: Knock)

 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

                                                                             ~Matthew 7:7-8(NLT)

The words “knock knock” are usually followed by a cheesy punchline and perhaps some snickering. In fact, I don’t think I personally have ever heard a knock knock joke that truly made me laugh out loud. However, when Jesus said these words, he was not trying to be the first person to ever coin a “knock knock” joke. Instead he was subliminally revealing who He is. To us, asking and seeking are really deep spiritual action words used many times in throughout the Bible. So why would Jesus throw the word “knock” into the equation. Here’s why:

Just like in our own homes, the door is an entry way into the house. Unless you are like me and have ever locked your keys in the house, the only people to enter into your house through the windows are thieves and robbers. The door is very symbolic in scripture and is used many times throughout the Bible. In John 10, Jesus gives a clear picture of this. It says,

“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

What Jesus is saying here is that He is the ‘door’. If you know your Bible, you also know that when “sheep” are mentioned, Jesus is referring to His people, or Christ-followers. In this passage, Jesus is clearly saying that He is indeed the only way to get to Heaven. He follows that up by saying that when we enter by Him, or through Him, we will be saved, will go in and out and find pasture. Let’s briefly break this down.

Saved, of course, is a church word that most people have heard many times. In this passage, Jesus is stating that the sheep who enter through the door will be saved from the thief. For us, this means we will be saved from an eternity devoid of life and any presence of God. “Go in and Out” is a phrase that I believe symbolizes freedom. Without Jesus, there is no true freedom. Freedom from your past, freedom from addictions, freedom from sin and so on. The Bible says,”Whom the Son sets free, is free indeed!” “Pasture” I believe is referring to Heaven, the ultimate paradise; our final destination for those who choose to walk through the door. 

Going back to our main scripture, Jesus says to knock and the “door” will be opened to you. When we ask Jesus into our life, He opens the door to a whole new realm of possibilities. If we fail to invite Jesus into our life, we remain locked out of the blessings God has waiting for all of us. When we accept Christ, we are saved, free, and will find eternal life. 

Lastly, Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Not only does He invite us into His family, He is being pro-active in pursuing you. If you accept Christ, you are considered friends of God. Answer the door. Invite Him into your life today. Get your A.S.K. in gear!

Get your A.S.K. in gear!(part 2: Seek)

 

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

                                                                                  ~Matthew 7:7-8(NLT)

Have you ever lost something really valuable to you and spent hours, days, weeks, months, and even years looking for it? Recently, I received a free iPod touch. That’s right, FREE! Well as luck would have it, I lost it. I spent months looking for it and the months turned into a year. It was nowhere to be found. We then moved to a new house and my dreams of finding this iPod was lost. Then one day, I was unpacking a duffle bag while at a youth camp, when lo and behold, my iPod fell out of the side pocket. To this day, I have no idea how it got in there, but it didn’t matter. I found it! 

Last week in my blog, I talked about the first aspect of this verse from Matthew 7: asking.  This week, I want to continue this conversation with the second aspect of this verse: Seek. The word seek simply means “to try to obtain.” This word is used a great deal throughout the bible. What I want to do here in a few words is unpack what i feel God is trying to say to us in this verse and most importantly what this verse has to do with you.

One of my favorite verses in the bible is from Jeremiah 29:13 which says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Now, there is a lot to look at in this verse. Let’s take is step by step. First, the prophet Jeremiah (who is obviously quoting God) says, “You will.” Up to this point, when you hear, “you will” in the bible it is usually conveying a promise God is making with his people. When God makes a promise, it is sometimes dependent on us making a commitment.  That basically means, “If you will, then I will.” God promises us many things in life, but in most cases it is preceded by “If you.”

Currently, I am writing this exactly one week prior to Election Day 2012. In one week, we will elect a new President of the United States. Now, whether you are for or against the current president; I don’t care. Well, I do, just not for the purposes of this blog. Anyway, there is another famous verse we hear about whenever there is an election or a horrific tragedy in America. It is 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” There is that word again, seek. Once again we see a verse where God is declaring a promise to His people(Israel) that is contingent on an action. But that word, seek is important in this verse. I’ll come back to that in a second.

Going back to our main verse, it says, “Seek and you shall find.” That’s pretty clear and simple, right? Yep. You will never find what you are looking for, if you don’t first seek it out. Now that word shall, is not another word for might or maybe or perhaps. It means that it will happen. So, I beg to ask the question, “what are you seeking after?” If you aren’t seeking, you aren’t finding. Perhaps, that’s why life seems to have come to a screeching halt for you. Perhaps, that’s why you feel God has gone AWOL and has fallen off the radar. Whether it be wealth, knowledge, success, purpose, or just relationships; if you are not seeking you are not finding. Unfortunately, the best things in life don’t just fall into our laps. You have to go out and pursue these things. 

Following God requires a tremendous amount of obedience. Most people struggle with the question of what God wants them to do or where God wants them to go. The truth is, God wants you to pursue Him in every thing you do. How do we do that? You guessed it, seek. Don’t just sit there and wait for God to issue a declaration on what you should do next. In Genesis, God told Abraham to “go to the land that I will show you.” Abraham never got the GPS coordinates from God. I don’t believe he had a Tom Tom telling him where to go. I believe that if Abraham wanted to know how to get to where he was going, he had to do some seeking. But God’s first order to him was “GO.” 

God is making it clear that #1 You need to seek Him and #2 When you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him. I know sometimes life gets cloudy with a chance of–more clouds. I know there are seasons where God is not standing in front of you with neon lights and bright colored jackets like those you see worn by the people at the airport directing plane traffic. I think sometimes God is wondering how bad we really want what He has for our lives by making us seek profusely after it. Buried treasure is only found by those who passionately give their lives in search of it. Today, God is calling you to just be obedient to his word and seek Him with all of your heart. Get you a.s.k in gear!

 

 

Get Your A.S.K. In Gear!

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

                                                                                    ~Matthew 7:7-8(NLT)

I have a little girl named Kinsey who is 5 years old. I love her to death. I’m sure all parents say that about their kids, right? One unique trait about her is that she is very inquisitive, meaning that she asks TONS of questions. I’m sure some of you parents have a child like this in your home. Kinsey’s hobbies include, playing dress up, watching her favorite show on tv, and, oh yeah…challenging her parent’s authority by asking too many questions! As a kid, this can get you in a heap of trouble. This is where I want to begin today as we learn how to get our A.S.K in gear!

In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus is preaching his famous “Sermon on the Mount” in front of an enormous crowd of onlookers and followers. What I want to discuss is the three points of this passage which I have divided into 3 parts: Ask, Seek, and Knock, or A.S.K. for short. Today, I will begin with the first letter of that acronym, the letter “A” Ask.

Jesus said we should ask. Simple as that, right? Not exactly. Studies show that the older we get, our brains move from an inquisitive state to an assumptive state. Plainly put, we quit asking questions and we live off our our previous experiences. I believe this happens somewhere in our mid to late twenties. For some reason or another, when we graduate from high school or college, we think we have amassed so much knowledge that we no longer need to ask any further questions. For some of us, we quit asking questions long before this point. For some folks, asking questions is a form of rebellion. For others, asking questions is seen as an inconvenience to others. Have you ever thought why is it that children have such a vivid imagination and we just get more boring the older we get? Some may chalk it up to maturity. Others may say it’s wisdom. I think it’s a shame. Unfortunately for me, I’m one of them! I have also noticed that in my own life, the older I get, (I’m 32 now) the more boring I am becoming. I lack creativity. I have settled for routine. I quit asking questions.

I don’t think God is upset that we do not have the answers to all things. I also do not believe that God is upset when we ask Him the tough questions. When my kids ask questions, it reminds me that I have so much to teach them and so little time. It also reminds me that they will never know what I know unless they ask. I think God feels the same way. We will never know what He knows unless we ask. In the Christian world, we call that prayer. And since we were created in His image and likeness, I think it pleases Him when we ask questions, because it means we have a desire to grow. It’s just like when we were in school. If nobody had any questions, the teacher moves on thinking that everyone understood what she was teaching; only to find out when the test scores came back, that was not the case. If you want to grow more, you have to know more. You can’t know more if you never ask questions.

Jesus also said that whosoever asks; receives. In the book of John chapter 12 it says this: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. ¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.” What I want to do is tie together verse 12 and verse 13 to make my point. Here Jesus tells us that if we believe in Him, we are capable of doing greater things than even Jesus did. Now, it doesn’t say that we will be greater than Jesus, just look at the next verse: “You can ASK for anything in my name and I will do it.” To get to greater, we have to ask. I firmly believe that it is our responsibility to ask. I believe that by asking, it keeps our pride in check. I believe it challenges our thinking. I believe it gets us out of the rut of life we find ourselves in as the years go by.

Let me say this as well. You will never receive if you never ask. A quote I heard many times growing up in my Christian home was, “You have not, because you ask not!” That was more than the gospel of mom, that was the gospel of Jesus. So many times, people live in a state of need simply because they never ask for help. Whether it be a physical need, an emotional need, or even a spiritual need, it will never be met without asking for help. I know this will mess with some people and damage some people’s pride, but it’s true. Even by saying that you don’t want to burden anyone or bother anyone, that is a lesser form of pride. I think we all know what the bible has to say about pride. When we ask for help, we are humbled. The opposite of being humbled, is proud. Just like saying, “God I need_________” is humbling ourselves before God; which is our proper response to God, so it asking help from others. By asking others for help, we are accomplishing 2 things. 1) We are receiving a blessing, and 2) We are allowing others to BE a blessing. So by asking for help, you are actually benefiting others! This allows us to properly function in the Kingdom of God.

The moral of the story is this: We were designed for greater. We were never designed to plateau at mediocrity.  When we quit asking, we quit believing. When we quit believing, we quit. Don’t settle. Don’t be afraid to ask. Not only could you be preventing others from receiving the blessing of helping, but you rob yourself from a blessing whether that be knowledge, understanding, or material possessions. Plus, when we ask, we receive.(God’s words, not mine)

I Know You Are, But What Am I?

 

 

 

As kids, I know we’ve all heard this said on playgrounds and school yards before. This is a typical answer to a piercing blow to our character. You may also have heard, “I’m rubber, you’re glue!” being shouted by kids who are being verbally attacked by other bullies. While we can all sit back and see how childish these responses are, they do raise an important question. Who are you?  Far too many of us look in the mirror and clearly see a reflection of someone, but are clueless as to who that person is staring back at them. This may seem like a “no-brainer,” but clearly there is a disconnect, a gap, in what you see and what others see; or most importantly, what God sees.

A few weeks ago, Pastor John Barrett preached a message called “The Penalty Box” talking about how we place ourselves in the penalty box based on how other people view our lives. The penalty box is a hockey analogy to a place where people who commit a foul on the ice must spend time.  A great analogy. How many times do we penalize ourselves for crimes committed, that in reality, never happened? Ultimately, this leads us to place of de-value and taints the lens that we see ourselves through. Somebody grab the Windex!!

In the gospel of Matthew chapter 16, Jesus asks his disciples a very important question. Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” As if Jesus needed to take an opinion poll of some kind, I don’t think Jesus was struggling with his identity. Interestingly enough, Peter chimed in with a great, almost scripted response, ““You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Great job, Peter! You got that one right! Jesus then rewarded Peter by saying that Peter was going to be first board member of “The Church.” And as we read in the book of Acts chapter 2, Peter preached the first message and 3,000 people became members that day! But that wasn’t Peter’s track record. Peter had a reputation for being very vocal, but usually wrong. He had great intentions, but occasionally lacked wisdom. If you recall, he was the disciple who told begged Jesus not to go through with the whole crucifixion thing, and then turned around denied Jesus three times after Jesus’ trial. I bet when Peter heard the rooster crow, he was no longer secure about himself. He spent many days and nights trapped in the penalty box.

Now the good news. You no longer have to sit in the penalty box. Remember that gap I mentioned earlier? That gap is bridged by a cross. Jesus went to the cross and did time in the box so you would never have to. Do you really want to know what God sees when He looks at you? Well, if you are follower of Christ and have accepted Jesus into your life, He sees a few things. The first and foremost is His son Jesus. The payment for your sin and mine. Not what you did years ago, not what you said to that person last week, not even that life-altering decision you made that started the downward spiral in your life. We also learn that God chooses to forget our past sins. The all-knowing God of the universe chooses to forget your sin. Hard to believe, huh? Jeremiah 31:34 says, ““For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Secondly, He sees you as the person He created you to be, full of potential, lacking nothing!  2 Peter 1:3 states, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Not only did Jesus spend time in the box for you, he placed a lock on the door to keep you out of it. 1 Corinthians 5:17 says we are a “new” creation in Christ. The old is gone, the new has come. No longer should we view our life through the lens of others and spend time in the box. When you see yourself as God does, it opens a whole new world of possibilities for you. However, you have to know who He is to know who you are. Today, make a decision to know God more and more by reading his auto-biography called The Bible and discover who you are in the process. Is your identity found in Christ?

You Need The Church (And The Church Needs You!)

Technology. It’s great isn’t it? I LOVE technology. From my Macbook Pro to my IPhone to my IMAC to my I-this and I-that, it’s everywhere. Our world has drastically changed in the last few years. Social Networking such as Facebook and Twitter has changed the way we communicate to each other. Before the invention of Facebook and My Space(remember that?) I hadn’t spoken to or even knew what was going on with people I haven’t seen in years. Today, I know exactly what is going on at all times from roughly 400+ people. Social Networking is a wonderful tool for us to communicate to each other. This is all made possible thanks in part to the internet.

There is a trend happening in America, and across the world, where people are using technology as a replacement for experiencing true community within the church. With the click of a mouse, we are able to download sermons from the most dynamic pastors on our laptops and listen to Grammy Award-Winning musicians sing your favorite worship tunes straight from your ipod. Now, I’m not knocking this method as I also LOVE to hear my favorite pastors and worship leaders to enhance my spiritual growth on a weekly basis. However, these methods were never meant to replace meeting together with your church family. You NEED the church.

The writer of Hebrews experienced the same issues when they addressed the church in Hebrews 10:24-26:

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

We were created for community with one another. The one thing God was not satisfied with during the creation is that man was alone. You see, if we are a reflection of Christ, then we are to live in community. You’ve heard of the Trinity(Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), right? Community. You will never find a replacement for gathering together with a group of friends for encouragement. We all crave encouragement and understanding. We long to hear someone tell us, “it’s going to be ok,” or “I completely understand.” I believe that true happiness is to be shared with the people we love. I’m sorry, but people at the local bar or chat room don’t love you like church people love you. It doesn’t mean that church folk are perfect by any means, but when you have encountered the measure of God’s amazing grace, it’s hard not extend it to others. The cure for the common life is community. You need it, and it needs you!

Believe it or not, the church needs you. The Church is not The Church without you. You see, the Bible never talks about the church being a building where you go to worship. It only talks about a “body of believers” or a “gathering” of people. The church is not a building, it’s the people in the building. Now in order for the church to do “church work,” it’s imperative that we attend and give to our local church. I know my pastor spends hours upon hours counseling people. If you think about it, that’s kind of his job, right? Well, while many church people feel that way, he still has a family to feed and bills to pay. Without you giving your weekly tithe, you can still see him, except you will need to do so in the aisle at Walmart or at the football field watching his son play football. Good luck with that! My point is, without you, the church as we know it disappears. This beacon of light in our cities and townships goes dark. I think we can all agree that there is enough darkness in our world today.

To sum it all up, you need the church and the church needs you. It’s God’s plan. There will always be a longing for connection and community within us. Especially when times are tough and all you want is to isolate yourself from the world. Understand that isolation goes against the plan of God for our lives. 1 Peter 5:8 states: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

The amazing thing about lions is that they prowl around patiently waiting to attack when their prey gets separated from their herd. Sound familiar? Your chances of being devoured by your enemy diminish when you are connected in community. You benefit from enjoying encouragement and understanding from God-loving people, and the church benefits from you giving out of obedience to accomplish the work it was appointed for.

Hope to see you this Sunday, or in a Sync Group(home group) this fall!