We begin reading stories to children when they are very young, even before they can understand what we are reading. We tell stories in the form of jokes, we describe our life experiences to others in the form of stories. Some folks even make up stories to be impressive.
Jesus used stories to help His listeners (us included) to see deep truths. The biblical term would be parable. These parables helped the spiritually weak to understand.
In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus uses a story to teach a "religious" man about mercy towards neighbors.
Mercy, a game that we played in Jr High. Interlocked fingers, trying to overpower the other and bend their fingers backwards, inflicting pain until they cried "MERCY!". In that context, mercy meant to stop inflicting pain.
Just maybe, helping our neighbors, is indeed, to stop the pain.
The bottom line is...
Love the Lord with everything, love your neighbor as yourself.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Lent, Leadership, Spiritual gifts
For Lent, I will give up "not blogging". I have to constantly remind my self that it's not about me. My purpose for blogging is to share how God is working and has worked in my life. To share the things that He's telling me.
Leadership. According to Romans 12:8, it is a spiritual gift. Spiritual gift. Wait, what the heck does "spiritual gift" mean? I believe it means that God has given each of His followers a natural propensity to do certain things, and to do them well. From there, we decide to cultivate those gifts and use them. Sometimes we use them for God's purposes and sometimes, not. I think of the gift of evangelism and how Adolph Hitler had certainly been given that gift and used it to serve the purposes of Satan rather than God. We have that choice. Hitler obviously chose the wrong focus of his gifts.
Leadership. In order to be a leader, that requires followers. I inventory my own life and see that there are those whom I lead. It makes me a little nervous as I contemplate what I'm leading them to. The Apostle Paul had the gift of leadership. He told the Corinthian church, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
My self-inventory includes asking: Can I say that? Am I leading people to Christ?
That's my desire. To lead. To lead people to a relationship with the eternal Savior. Jesus, the ONLY way to God.
The bottom line is:
If I'm not leading people to Jesus, my life is a failure.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
True Integrity
Integrity is defined by dictionary.com as: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
This world is all but devoid of integrity. Sadly, adults in the church are no different. In a research article that I read this weekend, 51% of the 25-55 year-old Christians surveyed, admitted to lying at least once in the past week. Worse yet, a staggering 67% of the 16-24 year-olds, professing a relationship with Christ, admitted to recent lying. The most common excuse- they didn't want to hurt another person's feelings.
As I've read the Scripture I have found references about lying. One in particular is Colossians 3:9, "Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds."
He didn't pad it with: "unless it hurts somebody's feelings" or "unless it a harmless white lie" or "unless it's against a cold, large corporation"... it's very simple, lying is wicked. No excuses, no exceptions, no justifications. Lying is wicked.
Be careful, Satan is sneaky. He will lead you to believe that integrity isn't that big of a deal. But God's word is plain, lying is wicked. All lying, including: "How do these shoes look?", "Does this dress make me look fat?", "Santa Clause is bringing presents!", "The Company will never know!", "The IRS will never find out!"
God places high value on integrity because the bottom line is...
LYING IS WICKED!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
God's Sense of Humor
Fall has been so busy that I've not had time to blog! Sometimes blogging slips down my priority list.
God's way of doing things is amazing and sometimes comical. At times, I've been worried, and later looked back to laugh. God is truly in control. But. I continue to be thick-headed and forget. I fret over things, He comes through... AGAIN, and the cycle repeats.
All of that to comment on my recent recollection of life experiences that have formed who I am.
Of late, my ministry efforts have taken a certain "business world" flair. Tasks and decisions that are not so much taught in Bible college. It has been faith-building to realize God's hand at work in my life, forming me for-such-a-time-as-this.
Occasionally, I deal with remorse about the hiatus I took from God, only to see how He used that time to build within me, abilities for a later date. Romans 8:28 comes to mind. He was able to take a messed up saga, a time when my back was turned to Him, and create usefulness. WOW!
The bottom line is...
God uses our past to create HIS future.
God's way of doing things is amazing and sometimes comical. At times, I've been worried, and later looked back to laugh. God is truly in control. But. I continue to be thick-headed and forget. I fret over things, He comes through... AGAIN, and the cycle repeats.
All of that to comment on my recent recollection of life experiences that have formed who I am.
Of late, my ministry efforts have taken a certain "business world" flair. Tasks and decisions that are not so much taught in Bible college. It has been faith-building to realize God's hand at work in my life, forming me for-such-a-time-as-this.
Occasionally, I deal with remorse about the hiatus I took from God, only to see how He used that time to build within me, abilities for a later date. Romans 8:28 comes to mind. He was able to take a messed up saga, a time when my back was turned to Him, and create usefulness. WOW!
The bottom line is...
God uses our past to create HIS future.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Road trips
Traveling has always been fun for me, especially if I'm driving.
The first real road trip that I set out on was to Florida following high school graduation. I shared that trip with my best friend, Tom. We were gonna sleep on the beach and fish and just hang out. It was an unforgettable experience. We still talk about it and that happened in 1983!
I had never been to New York City. So, on another occasion, I set out for the Big Apple. Allen was my partner on this excursion. We went to Time Square, Central Park and checked out the Statue of Liberty. I still have a picture of Lady Liberty with the Twin Towers in the background. I wouldn't trade that trip for money.
A phone call resulted in yet another trip with my buddy, Josh. "Hey, I need to go out to Durango, CO to pick up a truck. Do you want to go and drive it back?" My response, "SURE!" We drove that Thursday night until noon the next day. Picked up the truck, had it serviced and headed back at 3:30 that afternoon. Drove all night and got back on Saturday... without sleeping. It was a blast!
Theresa and I went to Titusville, FL over this past Labor Day weekend. Left Thursday after work and drove all night. Surprised her friend that didn't know we were coming and enjoyed the weekend with their family. Fueled up and drove the return trip on Sunday night. We had a ball!
The significance of these trips isn't the destination, the vehicle or even the reason for travel. The trips were all about the companions. The conversations when you are road tripping are amazing. I look back at these trips and so many others and realize that God has blessed my life with SO many incredible friends. I'm blown away.
The bottom line is...
the road trip of life is all about the people along the way.
The first real road trip that I set out on was to Florida following high school graduation. I shared that trip with my best friend, Tom. We were gonna sleep on the beach and fish and just hang out. It was an unforgettable experience. We still talk about it and that happened in 1983!
I had never been to New York City. So, on another occasion, I set out for the Big Apple. Allen was my partner on this excursion. We went to Time Square, Central Park and checked out the Statue of Liberty. I still have a picture of Lady Liberty with the Twin Towers in the background. I wouldn't trade that trip for money.
A phone call resulted in yet another trip with my buddy, Josh. "Hey, I need to go out to Durango, CO to pick up a truck. Do you want to go and drive it back?" My response, "SURE!" We drove that Thursday night until noon the next day. Picked up the truck, had it serviced and headed back at 3:30 that afternoon. Drove all night and got back on Saturday... without sleeping. It was a blast!
Theresa and I went to Titusville, FL over this past Labor Day weekend. Left Thursday after work and drove all night. Surprised her friend that didn't know we were coming and enjoyed the weekend with their family. Fueled up and drove the return trip on Sunday night. We had a ball!
The significance of these trips isn't the destination, the vehicle or even the reason for travel. The trips were all about the companions. The conversations when you are road tripping are amazing. I look back at these trips and so many others and realize that God has blessed my life with SO many incredible friends. I'm blown away.
The bottom line is...
the road trip of life is all about the people along the way.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Expected Comfort
Lately, people have repeatedly said the words: "Unbearably hot". It IS hot, but unbearably? No. A friend who is working in the Middle East was recently home. When he left there, the temperature was 132. So, I can safely say our 109 high yesterday is bearable though certainly uncomfortable.
Comfort is something that we have come to expect. I'm writing this from a car dealership waiting room where it is cool, they have nice furniture, cable TV, coffee, restrooms are all immediately available. A far-cry from sitting on a stack of tires next to the desk in a garage. As would have been the expectation during most of the 20th century.
When they walk into the church facilities, what do folks expect? Is there a difference in expectations between a follower of Christ and an atheist? Statistics tell us that 80% of atheists will attend church on a given Sunday, if invited.
How important is personal comfort? People have different comfort needs. Who gets to be comfortable? Is it exclusive to facilities? What about an "uncomfortable message"?
In 1 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul wrote, "I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to share the Good News and share in its blessing."
Do the followers of Christ understand this God-given, Pauline principle? Do we care about the unsaved to the degree of discomfort in our facilities, music style, and programming?
As a church leader, I'm challenged by Paul to "step out of my comfort zone". I dislike that phrase because it overused and seldom achieved. But it is accurate.
The bottom line is: Christ did not call us to a life of comfort, rather sacrifice.
Comfort is something that we have come to expect. I'm writing this from a car dealership waiting room where it is cool, they have nice furniture, cable TV, coffee, restrooms are all immediately available. A far-cry from sitting on a stack of tires next to the desk in a garage. As would have been the expectation during most of the 20th century.
When they walk into the church facilities, what do folks expect? Is there a difference in expectations between a follower of Christ and an atheist? Statistics tell us that 80% of atheists will attend church on a given Sunday, if invited.
How important is personal comfort? People have different comfort needs. Who gets to be comfortable? Is it exclusive to facilities? What about an "uncomfortable message"?
In 1 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul wrote, "I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to share the Good News and share in its blessing."
Do the followers of Christ understand this God-given, Pauline principle? Do we care about the unsaved to the degree of discomfort in our facilities, music style, and programming?
As a church leader, I'm challenged by Paul to "step out of my comfort zone". I dislike that phrase because it overused and seldom achieved. But it is accurate.
The bottom line is: Christ did not call us to a life of comfort, rather sacrifice.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Working for the Right Things
I have worked my tail off for the last 11 days, I mean really. I'm talking 16+ hour days, no days off and hustling constantly. I don't want kudos for that, you'll see why as I continue...
The fact that people are displaced, lost jobs, lost homes and all of their earthly possessions has thrust me into action. Now, I sit back and survey. And I make myself a little bit sick. It has caused me to realize how materialistic I really am. Without tornados, there are people all around me that are bound for eternal destruction. All of their eternal possessions are gone. My ministry does not reflect the tenacity that it should in light of that. I put people off, schedule things for next week, screen calls, etc. I have not done any of those things for the tornado victims. I have been running around like a wildman trying to take care of them. Don't get me wrong, I care immensely about their spiritual needs. I have shared the gospel with dozens of people in the wake of Jop511 (my nickname for Joplin EF-5 tornado in 2011). But I look back at my focus before Jop511. Did I care as intensely about those folk's need for Jesus as I am now caring for their need for water? My friend, Jeff, cut me a break on all this as I lamented about my carnality. He said, "Jesus met physical needs so that He would have the credibility to address spiritual needs." WHEW! Thanks, Jeff! I was about to condemn myself to Hell! :)
Sometimes Satan convinces us that we are bad. He has succeeded with me, recently. But God has taken that, and shown me that I need to be just as tenacious about the people I come in contact with and their need for the Lord, ALL THE TIME! Tornado, flood, hurricane, blue sky, rain, WHENEVER!
The bottom line is...
God has begun a new work in me that He is bound to finish!
The fact that people are displaced, lost jobs, lost homes and all of their earthly possessions has thrust me into action. Now, I sit back and survey. And I make myself a little bit sick. It has caused me to realize how materialistic I really am. Without tornados, there are people all around me that are bound for eternal destruction. All of their eternal possessions are gone. My ministry does not reflect the tenacity that it should in light of that. I put people off, schedule things for next week, screen calls, etc. I have not done any of those things for the tornado victims. I have been running around like a wildman trying to take care of them. Don't get me wrong, I care immensely about their spiritual needs. I have shared the gospel with dozens of people in the wake of Jop511 (my nickname for Joplin EF-5 tornado in 2011). But I look back at my focus before Jop511. Did I care as intensely about those folk's need for Jesus as I am now caring for their need for water? My friend, Jeff, cut me a break on all this as I lamented about my carnality. He said, "Jesus met physical needs so that He would have the credibility to address spiritual needs." WHEW! Thanks, Jeff! I was about to condemn myself to Hell! :)
Sometimes Satan convinces us that we are bad. He has succeeded with me, recently. But God has taken that, and shown me that I need to be just as tenacious about the people I come in contact with and their need for the Lord, ALL THE TIME! Tornado, flood, hurricane, blue sky, rain, WHENEVER!
The bottom line is...
God has begun a new work in me that He is bound to finish!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
