Pastor Matt

What Does it Mean to ‘Honor’ Someone?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 18:55:00 +0000

Aristotle said that we are driven to action by two motives: Honor or Pleasure. (After you get over the shock of me referencing Aristotle, you can read on.) He said, however, that honor was the better choice as a foundation to motivation. In Aristotle’s lifetime, some 300 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, actions were primarily ‘honorable’ or ‘dishonorable,’ not ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’

Honor in the Bible means “esteem, value, or great respect.” To honor someone is to value them highly or bestow value upon them. The real application is how do we “bestow value” upon someone in routine relationships?

Jesus had plenty to say on the subject, but here is just one teaching:

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. - Matthew 5:38-41(NASB)

Basically, Jesus is telling us to act/react differently than the world acts/reacts. Respond to hostility with generosity; show courage in the face of violence; respond to curses with blessings from the author of hope and joy named Jesus Christ.

“You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!” - Psalm 22:23

The only way to do any of this is to offer yourselves in complete surrender to the Lord of your life, Jesus Christ. Even Jesus himself Jesus honored God by surrendering himself to the complete obedience of the will of God for his life. We must act out honoring Christ by being obedient to his claim on our lives through his work on the cross. We must be careful not to just say we are Christians:

‘These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.’ — Isaiah 29:13

We must act out honoring others by valuing others enough to respect them, love them, see them as Christ sees them and also help them see themselves as someone who Christ died for. Before you lash out with harsh or mean words, decide if you are going to honor or dishonor that person. Before you make a joke, will it honor or dishonor someone. Before you act/react, will your actions honor or dishonor your Lord and Savior? You can hold people accountable for their actions in a loving and transformative way if you truly honor them in the process. Does your life and mine truly ‘bestow value’ upon the name of Jesus Christ to those who know you are a Christian? Do your words ‘bestow value’ upon your spouse? Do your actions ‘bestow value’ upon your children or relationships? Could it be that your actions offer the exact opposite and actually bring shame? Honor. Pray to Jesus for guidance and instruction to live it out in your life, today.

Can We Really Do ALL Things?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 19:54:00 +0000

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

This was a window/bumper sticker on an abandoned car, stranded in the middle of a flooded intersection, during a recent evening torrential rain. I joked to my daughter, “Well I guess they couldn’t do ALL things.” Now I am quite sure they did not have that verse on their mind as they made the poor choice to drive a Ford Mustang with a ground clearance of 6 inches through a street filled with 8-10 inches of water. However, it does raise the question, “What does that scripture really mean?”

To discern the answer to the question, we have to read more than just verse 13. We must know the context of the writing. We do that by reading more of the scripture. At the time The Apostle Paul write this letter he had finally made it to Rome, but only after being taken prisoner (Acts 16:16-25) (Acts 21:26-36) (2 Timothy), shipwrecked (Acts 27:13 - 28:1), and placed under house arrest with a chain (Acts 28:18-31). Paul is realizing the fact he might sentenced to death while he writes this letter (Philippians 1:20-22).

What Paul is not saying here that “through Christ who strengthens” him that he can overcome every obstacle in his life and become a great worldly success. What I understand him to be saying is, in light of the scriptures and his situation, “through Christ who strengthens,” we can live faithfully and endure through all circumstances…even death. Paul says in verse 4:12:

“12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

Then Paul provides the answer of how he ‘gets along” in verse 4:13

“13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This scripture does not guarantee that by having faith in Jesus Christ we will be successful in all worldly endeavors, find prosperity, or drive a low profile car through a flooded intersection. What it does mean is that in Jesus Christ we will find everything we need to live in this world and follow Him into eternal life.

Be Still or Do Nothing?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 15:07:00 +0000

While talking to a stranger in a passing conversation they commented on some difficult circumstances in their life by saying, “The Bible tells me I just have to stand still and God will do the fighting for me and work it out.” I explained that The Lord probably was not going to miraculously pay their electric bill and the scriptures most often do not to tell us, “do nothing.” Moses said:

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 NIV

“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” NASB, ESV

“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” KJV

“The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm." NLV

Right before this he said, “Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today..."Exodus 14:13

The Hebrew word translated here does not have an English equivalent, but means all of the things stated in those translations…to be still, peaceful, calm and silent. I do not believe any translation means, "do nothing." Why? Because right afterMoses says this, God responds,

“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” NIV

“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.” NASB, ESV

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:” KJV

“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!” NLV

If the truth of scripture is we are to, "do nothing" while being still, while The Lord does our fighting for us, then why did God question Moses’ and then tell everyone to get moving? It is true that The Lord will fight for us, but we also have to do our part.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

“I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2

To "do nothing" is in fact lazy (sloth), and a sin itself. The Lord is indeed ready to sympathize with us and be an advocate for us, but we must be willing and faithful to draw close to Him and move with Him.

Moving mountains - one rock at a time,
Pastor Matt

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 02:49:00 +0000

Another great excerpt from Timothy Tennent's blog:
Dr. Tennent is discussing his take on "Saving Mr. Banks and the contextualization of the Gospel:"

"It is the struggle between “Form and Function” or “Style and Substance.”
The film brings us into the inside struggle between P. L. Travers, author of the book, Mary Poppins, and Walt Disney over the rights to turn the book into a full-fledged film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. In some ways it is a classic tale of contextualization. How do you preserve the original message of the book while presenting it in a different format (book to film) for a different generation? This is the “form and function” tension. How do you change the form or format while yet remaining true to the original function or purpose of the book? Can Dick Van Dyke dancing between several animated penguins (a major point of contention between P. L. Travers and Walt Disney) help to preserve and communicate the book’s message for many generations, or does it cheapen and trivialize the message so that the substance of the book is lost?"

"I couldn’t help watching the film, Saving Mr. Banks, from the perspective of the challenge we face as communicators of the gospel. On the one hand, the gospel message does not change. Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross and raised from the dead to deliver condemned sinners like you and me. That basic message does not change. On the other hand, walking into a church today is more like walking into a Starbucks or Panera Bread than walking into a hushed sanctuary or an exalted cathedral."

"Pastors today are sometimes asked to speak their message between a bunch of dancing penguins. Of course, we shouldn’t forget that going to ‘church’ in the first century was neither a Starbucks or a Cathedral type experience. As it turns out, both of those expressions are highly contextualized for their respective times."

"Occasionally readers of my blog leave with the impression that I am one of those who stand against various moves to contextualize the gospel. The evidence for this might be seen in my criticism of mega-churches or my criticism of contemporary choruses or a host of “gospel lite” expressions which have found their way into my sermons or blogs. However, for the record, let me say that I am actually an enthusiastic supporter of contextualization. I am amazed and impressed by the creative methods Christians have employed to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. My criticism is not with either the “style” or “form” of much of what I see around us in the contemporary Christian world. What I find extremely disturbing (and which has, therefore, produced quite a few blogs over the years) is when in the name of “contextualization” the substance of the gospel is forgotten or lost."

I would never criticize someone who put the Apostles’ Creed or prayers of repentance to a contemporary tune. But I have criticized those churches which dropped the Creed and prayers of repentance completely because they are not “seeker sensitive.” So, I’m OK with dancing penguins on either side of Dick Van Dyke. However, the moment the film is no longer about Saving Mr. Banks, but about how to fly a kite, then I think we need to step back and re-evaluate if we have forgotten the whole purpose of contextualization in the first place."

For the full blog, go to http://timothytennent.com/2013/12/28/on-saving-mr-banks-and-the-contextualization-of-the-gospel/

What in the world is Advent?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 01:50:00 +0000

Many Christians spend their whole lives in church and have no idea what "Advent" is or what it means? I was one of those people until I was in my late 20's. I do not consider myself a traditionalist by any standard, but some people characterize Advent as a very traditional characteristic of the church. I call Advent just common sense.

Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas Day. Advent means 'Coming' in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus into the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

There are three common meanings or interpretations that I found that Christians use to describe 'coming' in Advent. The first, and most thought of, happened over 2000 years ago when Jesus came into the world as a baby to live as a man and die for us. The second can happen now as Jesus wants to come into our lives now. And the third will happen in the future when Jesus comes back to the world as King and Judge, not a baby.

Another tradition during Advent for some churches is the Advent Wreath. The meaning of the Advent candles used in the wreath varies from church to church and denomination to denomination. For me, the candles represent hope, peace, joy, and love and then the white center candle is the "Christ" candle announcing his birth. These themes are chosen to follow the scriptures telling the story of the birth announcement and birth Christ using scriptures.

There are also Advent calendars that kids really enjoy that count down the days until Christmas and offer a daily one or two verse scripture reading about the coming of Christ. Even Lego makes and advent calendar that you could use and incorporate scripture.

If you want to download a great daily reading of scripture to use during advent, I recommend one that is a free download from John Piper. It can be found at http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/books/good-news-of-great-joy

Prepare for the coming of Christ during these days leading up to December 25th. I believe it will make all the difference.

Moving mountains, one rock at a time,
Pastor Matt

“Free prosperity included with every gift of salvation.”

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 15:00:00 +0000

That title sounds like a television commercial for cell phone service. They try to convince you of all of the “free” services they “give” you when in reality there is a price to pay they call a monthly contract. Definitely reminds me of how we are sold the false teachings of how to live our lives contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah was a prophet in the Old Testament and obviously a fairly significant one since he got a book of the Bible named after him. I was reading chapter 28 and 29 and found an interesting idea within the chapters. In Chapter 28 there is a false prophet, named Hananiah, who prophesied falsely against our Lord. My paraphrasing of what she prophesied is that “The Lord” was going to give peace to a whole nation of people, return them to their homeland, and everything was going to be just fine. This was great news. How could it not be great news because all the people had ever heard prophesied over them from generations before was that there was going to be “war, disaster and plague” against them. Jeremiah 28:8

Here is what interesting: When anyone desires to live an easy lifestyle with prosperity and all the trappings of such, is not easier to listen to the words that will seemingly fulfill our own wishes and desires? Even Jeremiah, the prophet of the Lord’s truth, wished that these words from Hananiah would come true: “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lordfulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.” Jeremiah 28:6 The next line of scripture is an abrupt snap back to reality when Jeremiah states, “Nevertheless….” And begins to remind the people of the truth.

Jeremiah spoke the truth that was a harsh reality, but he also gave then the final hope that the Lord would be victorious through them and the Lord would fulfill his promises: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.¹²Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:10-14

The message for us today is that we must avoid the temptation to just grab a hold of what is quick and easy right now for surely we will also have our reward right now. Hananiah’s words offered a quick fix, a prosperity message; but required no transformation of anyone. That is not the teaching of Jesus Christ. Christ offers us an eternal prosperity, but the requirement is a transformation of our own self, surrendering to him, and following him.

To Forgive and Be Forgiven

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 13:27:00 +0000

Mark 11:26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” I overheard a misguided understanding of this scripture where someone believed that a person had to "earn" forgiveness from God by forgiving others. The idea that we can “earn” anything from God is misguided in itself and throws Christianity in with the false belief of many other religions that require us to “earn” our way into right relationship with God. That thought alone is a lie and needs to be dedicated to a future blog beyond today’s discussion of forgiveness.

One reason that we are called to forgive is because our act of forgiveness demonstrates that are hearts are prepared to also be forgiven. If we do not forgive people, Satan has a place in our lives where he can manipulate us. If we do not forgive people then we are basically saying that the sin of the offender is greater than the sins that we have committed against God, which takes us to a similar scripture in Matthew 6:14-15:

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

I assure you that God will forgive that person that offended you, so do you have more authority than God? If you can accept God’s forgiveness, but refuse to offer it, are you more righteous than God? Are the sins committed against you greater than the sins you have committed against God? One point of forgiveness is to let go of your self-righteousness in order to access the throne of God that has been granted to you by our Lord. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has the authority, not you. Jesus Christ has the righteousness, not you. Jesus Christ stands without blemish, not you.

Forgiveness is about freedom, not earning anything. Jesus Christ offers everyone forgiveness through his atonement. He died to conquer sin and death so that we can be forgiven and not be a slave to that sin and that death. Since Jesus died to set us free, we have no right to hold someone else captive by not forgiving them and releasing them.

(tomorrow: accountability)

Moving mountains one rock at a time!

Pastor Matt

Realtionships

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 13:09:00 +0000

Read the message of relationships in Hosea Chapters 1-3 in relation to our earthly relationships. It is about 2 pages. That's it! However, it is awesome teaching. We are so quick to judge and condemn, to cast out and discard, to jump from one relationship to another instead of holding people accountability in love and reconciliation. Hosea had to work hard in his relationship with his wife. Newsflash: Relationships take constant nurturing and work to grow. Relationships require grace and mercy to extend their roots deeper. There is a cost to all of this: you must die to your own flesh and allow the love of God to be your motivation and not selfishness. It is hard for us all. Even me. I wish I would have realized this in my younger years.

Close the Gap

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 02:14:00 +0000

The greatest battle you'll ever fight in life is the battle that goes on inside you--the battle between what you believe and how you really behave! How many times have you made a promise to God, or yourself, not to do something, but you did it anyway? Let's be honest. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and made up your mind that you were not going to eat dessert? Then the server comes to your table with this thing called a "dessert" tray. This is symbolic of how evil works in the world. I was in a restaurant the other night, and the server says, "Could I interest you in trying our seven-layer, triple chocolate, black cherry cheesecake?" How many times have we said in our mind, "No, I am not going to drink that,” "No, I'm not going to eat that," "I am going to control my anger," "I'm not going to blame and shame the kids," "I am going to watch my language," "I'm not going to gossip." What happens? We repeatedly do what we don't want to do. What this creates inside of us is a gap of shame. This is the gap between who you are, and what you believe you should be . . . the gap between your belief and your behavior.

When asked what was the greatest command, Jesus said, "To love God with all of your heart, all of your soul {that is your personality, the part that lives beyond your body}, with all of your mind, and all of your strength." The problem is that my heart, my soul, my mind and my body are not working together . . . they're out of sync. They seem to be working against each other. In my mind, I believe one thing, but my passion has seduced me to do what I don't believe I should be doing!

Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through him." It is the power of resolve because of Christ who is in me. It is his power that I place my trust in. If you sit and think "I'm trying" or "I might," you are going to get knocked on your behind every time. The power of the will is decisive. The power of the word is transforming. . It gives me faith and focus. It gives me resolve, and it strengthens my will. You need to be praying daily and systematically reading through the word.

Prayer:
All of us have shame in our lives, shame that is unspoken, guilt that runs deep. But you, God, take away our shame and remove our guilt. We are free, Lord, not because of our goodness, but we are free because of Your goodness. For that we give you praise. But we can also know true freedom in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds and in our bodies. Lord, help our minds to focus on only those things that are good, only those things that are right, only those things that are You. We pray this is Jesus' name. Amen.

Moving Mountains One Rock At A Time -
Pastor Matt

“I could complain, but it wouldn’t do any good.”

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:29:00 +0000

“I could complain, but it wouldn’t do any good.”

Have you ever heard someone say this? It is certainly a statement of sarcasm, frustration and is actually complaining in itself. I certainly have to be careful to offer constructive criticism and a solution or correction rather than complain. It is a bit of our fallen human nature to want to complain. A great many people actually enjoy it. Just look at the reality television shows and the central theme of so many of them is the conflict within them. Our complaining, however, is a bit like the tendency for children to want to whine. As parents we should be correcting that childish behavior just as the apostle Paul offer us a corrective or preventative posture, as Christians, about complaining. No one likes a whiner, apparently including God.

    “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault…” (Philippians 2:14-15a NIV)

I question why it was such a big deal for him to mention it to the early Christians as well as us today? Just before he tells us not to complain he was telling us in the previous 10 verses to develop a spirit that makes us “like-minded” and be unified with our purpose in Jesus Christ. Here is what happens when we complain:

1.    Complaining does not offer the hope of Christ. (v 2:15)
2.    Complaining offers nothing positive or constructive. (v.2:15)
3.    Complaining is not accountability for anyone. (v 2:16)
4.    Complaining is not Christ-like leadership. (2:16)

All of this is not an attempt to quiet the legitimate cares or concerns of any person. We are called to hold each other accountable for our sinfulness (Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:14) and to be Christ-like leaders (Romans 5:14). Remember, all we do is to be done in love and care for the person we are leading and teaching.

Reverence

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 16:16:00 +0000

Do we even know this word anymore? It is defined as, "deep respect for someone or something."

Synonyms:high esteem, high regard, great respect, acclaim, admiration, and appreciation.

In our relationships I do not see much reverence these days. We are becoming so distant and utilitarian that we forget what an actual relationship is supposed to mean to us and the other person. Standing in a coffee shop today a dad and daughter were obviously in the midst of a conflict as they walked in the doors. All I heard the dad say to the young daughter, who was maybe 12 or 13 years old, was "obviously you put no thought into that outfit, either." The daughter, already noticeably beat down, just sunk into herself as her dad just went about his business. As the young girl walked passed and went to sit down, she muttered, "I hate my life." By the way, the young girl looked as normal as any other innocent, freckled-face, young girl attempting to find her style and personality. The dad had no reverence for his daughter. He was not showing her how much he loved her with that hurtful comment.

The poignant moment was not really about this dad and daughter, although it did make me think about the words and relationship my wife and I have with our daughter, but rather how we talk in our relationship with God our father. Our creator has given us a gracious and abundant life. Through his son Jesus Christ, we experience the grace of forgiveness and salvation. Through his Holy Spirit living within his children we have the power of transformation to experience and offer to others. God poured himself out and into each of us and yet in the way we live and communicate with him it is like we are saying, "You obviously put no thought into this because I don't like it." Guess what? God does like it. He does more than like it, he loves it. He created us and called us good. Even when we mess up and hurt him, he continues to love us. He may not like the sinfulness, but he loves us enough to move us forward towards him and not drive us away. I have experienced correction and humility through the Holy Spirit, but not once have I ever experienced anything but love.

What this dad needed was the understanding of who God is in him to be able to offer that understanding to his daughter. I do not discount the fact there might have been a real issue between them that needed addressing. However, expressing his frustration in that sarcastic comment did nothing to improve their relationship, but rather I watched it drive a wedge between them and push his daughter away. I am pretty sure that was not the first wedge, either. This dad, at least at that moment, had the opposite of reverence for his daughter: dishonor, disregard, disrespect, disdain, and criticism. How is it in any of your relationships today?

I hope and pray for healing and reconciliation between that dad and daughter. I pray they enjoy the blessing of each other more than worry about appearance and whatever else was going on between them. I pray they bind themselves together instead of drive themselves apart. Most importantly I pray the same for all of our relationships with our heavenly father. May each of us have an everlasting relationship with Jesus Christ that empowers us to love the world as he loves it. I pray nothing we do will drive a wedge between us and Christ or push someone else away from Christ because of us.

Moving mountains one rock at a time,
Pastor Matt

Communicating vs. Posting

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 14:19:00 +0000

In recent years the methods of communication have exploded. There are probably thousands of methods of getting your message out into the world. However, are you really communicating anything? The short definition of "communication" on Wikipedia is, "is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information,..." The key word here is "exchange." Other key words in various definition are "interacts," "exchanges," "receives from another person," and my personal favorite, "receives."

In our world today, when referring to communicating, I hear people say to me, and others, "I sent a text message," or "I sent an e-mail to them days ago." That is not communicating. That is posting. I can post real printed messages all over the world, but if the intended recipient never reads them, I have communicated nothing. Even this blog is true communication, but rather a posting of information in hopes it will reach and affect someone.

There is a time and a place for all types of communication and posting of information. There are great uses (even in ministry and evangelism) for text messages, e-mails, tweets, Facebook status updates, Instagram snapshots and Vine messages. I have almost all of these platforms. However, there are times when phone calls need to be made, letters need to be written and even a face-to-face conversation must be had. The problem is we are unlearning how to interact in the human realm of life. Our friends are just names on a screen. A pixelated face shot has replaced the greeting of a hug or handshake when we see each other. Children can barely be social on the telephone. much less in person.

Jesus would have never traded-in a face-to-face interaction for a text message. He did not tell the woman at the well he would update his status to "like" her in order to communicate she had been saved. He did not send a picture of his hands to heal the sick. When he was angry at the religious elite he did not send an e-mail IN ALL CAPS to communicate his outrage. When he ascended into heaven he did not end his earthly ministry with "BRB" (be right back).

I a world that so desperately needs the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I believe that the desperation is the need for that human interaction, accompanied by the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside of us called Christians and by the physical presence only we can offer in the here and now.

Moving mountains one rock at a time,
Pastor Matt

The Image of Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 20:06:00 +0000

One of the most well-known declarations in Christianity is the purpose of our existence: “love God and to enjoy him forever.” If we only live for ourselves and our prideful pleasure, we will miss this purpose of life. To live in his presence we get to experience his power, love, grace and majesty. Spending time in a dialogue of prayer and worship allows us to spend heavenly time with our creator. When we spend enough time with someone we begin to resemble them in several different ways. I think the same is true when we spend enough time with our savior. One of the greatest privileges and responsibilities we have is bearing of the image of Christ in the world. That image is also offers hope to a world that sometimes seems so hopeless with random killing sprees, children being abducted, women sold into an underworld of sex slavery, well-dressed CEOs robbing people of their pensions, and mad-men bombing innocent families with horrible biological gases. It is increasingly difficult for most people not to be haunted by anxiety over something these days. However, I wonder if the problem is really more evil in the world or is the problem really less hope? On one hand there is little, if anything, I can do to stop the actions of someone gone crazy at the naval shipyard. I can, on the other hand, do something to give the world hope by showing them the loving, caring, forgiving, graceful image of Christ living in me.

²¹Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21

Moving Mountains - one rock at a time,

Pastor Matt

A lesson for the Church from the Final Four.

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:54:00 +0000

Kentucky is college basketball country! It is no mistake that last year’s NCAA champion was from Lexington (Wildcats) and this year’s winner is, of course, from Louisville (Cardinals). Coaches Rick Pitino and John Calipari are probably the closest thing we have to real “celebrity status” here in Kentucky. If you followed the recent championship you will remember that Louisville came back from double-digit deficits in their last two games, both times pulling out a victory in the last ten minutes of the game. What inspired me was the way Rick Pitino talked to his players during the difficult period. Even when they were so far behind and the game seemed to be slipping away, he kept saying to his players, “You’re going to win this game!” One of the players remarked that he was losing hope, but when Pitino told him they were going to win he felt a renewed sense of hope and determination. (It also didn’t hurt that Pitino had promised to get a tattoo if they won the championship). Pitino didn’t mind pulling out his starters and putting in backups to get the job done. He was focused on winning the game and he never lost sight of that.

What a great lesson for all of us as Christian leaders. We need to keep our eye on the final victory which awaits us. The church needs to know that Jesus Christ is building his Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Whatever you are facing today, know that there are certain truths which will not be shaken. Your faith in the gospel will be vindicated. Jesus Christ is the Risen Lord. In the words of the American missionary Adoniram Judson, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.”
You’re going to win this game!

Dr. Timothy C. Tennent is the President of Asbury Theological Seminary. You can follow his personal blog at http://timothytennent.com/category/blog/

Trees are not tempting

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:51:00 +0000

In a recent teaching I talked about the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit from that tree and thus sinned against God. A good question was asked of me, afterwards: So why did God put the tree there in the first place? Was the tree God's way of tempting Adam and Eve?

There is an easy answer to the first question: The tree was there before either of them. It was God's garden. It was God's creation. Repeatedly in the story of creation God said it was, "good." (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) Then after he created humanity and placed us in the garden to be stewards over the garden, God said it was, "Very Good." (Genesis 1:31) So there was no mistake from God by placing the tree in the garden or placing human beings in the garden with the tree. In fact, Adam and Eve lived with this particular tree in the garden for an untold amount of time without any temptation whatsoever.

So, that brings me to the second question: "Was the tree God's way of tempting Adam and Eve?" There simple answer is, "No." Scripture is very clear on this point: James 1:13-15 "13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

Just think about it: The tree was always there. Adam and Eve lived around this tree from the beginning of their own creation. Adam and Eve knew about the tree because God referenced it to them, he didn't introduce it to them. Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden where the tree was planted and it did not cause any temptations. The problem of temptation did not come from God, or from the tree, or even from within Adam and Eve. The temptation came from an external source: the serpent, i.e. Satan.

Those are the answers to these two questions: More tomorrow on this tomorrow.....

Remember to check out http://40daysoflove2013.blogspot.com/ during the time leading up to Easter.

What in the world is Lent?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:36:00 +0000

The Confused Protestant’s Guide to Lent.

This post will only be helpful to the JV squad on the left side of that continuum. If you’re positioned more toward the right side you might want to consult an expert. Or leave a few comments here, correcting me as needed, and try to be be the expert!

The Basics

It’s a 40 day period of fasting and reflection that leads up to Easter (actually 46 days, more on that later).
It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.

Ash Wednesday

This is the kick-off to Lent, and there’s usually a worship service to go with it.
During the service ashes are put on the forehead of the worshipers (this is where most of us protestants start getting weirded out).
The ashes are supposed to be from the remains of burning the palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday services. This is a varsity move that’s not always practiced.
In the Bible ashes are symbolic of mourning, mortality and repentance. This sets the tone for the season. Lent is all about remembering the sacrifice of our Suffering Saviour, and lining ourselves up with it in some small way.

Fasting

The 40 days of fasting corresponds to the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before he began his ministry.
Lent starts 46 days before Easter, though. Why? Because you don’t fast on Sundays. For a Christian every Sunday is a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. So, during Lent there’s no fasting on the Sabbath, just feasting

So, is there a place for Lent for protestant types like me? Absolutely!
Lent isn’t just a Catholic thing, it’s a Christian thing.
The practice is rich in more than just history and symbolism. It’s a truly meaningful way to prepare ourselves for the biggest celebration of the year, and to remind us of the sacrifices Jesus made for us.

What should I fast?

My recommendation is to set something aside that will consistently remind you of the sufferings of Jesus. Here are a few suggestions:

Follow the expert’s lead, and take it slow and easy.
Do a Daniel fast
Cut out a modern convenience that you use regularly (limit cell phone use, give your microwave a break, etc.)
Cut out sweets (tough to define that one!)
Stop drinking coffee, or other stimulants (tea, The Dew, Red Bull, etc)
Don’t eat out for 40 days (give saved $$ to missions)
Do this!
Some guy ate only hunger relief rations for Lent. What a great idea!
Consider unplugging from social media (gasp!)
What about shutting off that blasted TV? Or maybe just one of your daily shows or games!
Follow 40 Days of Love - Daily readings from St. Luke's Lubbock

So, it is not just about stopping something, but focusing on Christ in place of something. Giving up facebook? Then read scripture or pray during that time you would normally spend on FB.

Thanks to Aaron McCarter from whom I borrowed a great deal of this text.

Sermon of 2013 inaugural prayer service

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:47:00 +0000

Text of sermon by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, preaching at the 2013 inaugural prayer service at the National Cathedral. Mr. Hamilton is senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan.
Mr. President, Madam First Lady, Vice President and Dr. Biden, honored guests, leaders in government, the business community and the religious community.
It’s a privilege to be with you today … especially on this, the occasion of the second inauguration.
Over the last two weeks, I’ve been praying a lot. “God, what would you have me to say to these remarkable people? And the first thing I felt God wanted me to say to you was simply, thank you. Thank you. Friend of mine once told me, there are three reasons people seek public office. The first, they want all the power and they want to feel important. There’s a second group – those folks are just a little off in the head. There’s a third group, they really want to make a difference, they really want to change the world for the better. I believe that represents you and all the people in your administration and the leadership of our country.
We Americans say it seldom – but we should say it far more often. Thank you, for giving yourselves, for sacrificing, for living in glass houses, for accepting the constant barrage of criticism with very little praise, for being willing to risk everything in order to serve this country. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)
This month marks the 150^th anniversary of the emancipation proclamation. Abe Lincon is known as the great emancipator – but as I was thinking about scriptures to reflect upon I thought of the biblical emancipation story, and the great emancipator there was a man named Moses.
As we reflect on Moses’ life I’d like to lift up three ideas from his life, from his journey and leadership that might speak to all of us today as leaders in our country, and I hope in some way to speak in particular to those of you who are in the highest authority in our land.
I begin first with the heart and character of Moses. There are two things we learn about Moses’ heart and character in the Scriptures. Numbers tells us that the man Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. God chooses and uses those who humble themselves before him and before others. Young Mary, the mother of Jesus in her Magnificat says that God “scatters the proud and the thoughts of their hearts but lifts up the lowly. Jesus teaches the same thing. When he turns to his disciples, who were arguing on the night before he would be crucified, about which one was the greatest. And he says to them, “You don’t understand, that’s how the kings of the world operate but that’s not how you operate.” He said, “The first among you, the one who would be great, will be your servant.” Then he washed his disciples’ feet.
Now, Moses’ humility was coupled with a deep compassion and concern for the marginalized and the oppressed. He was raised in Pharaoh’s palace, he had everything a man could possibly want, but when he saw the plight of the Hebrew slaves, he could not remain in silence and he could not remain in the palace. Ultimately, he risked his life to stand before Pharaoh and to demand that Pharaoh release the slaves. And he led them into the wilderness towards the promised land.
This is what God looks for in the Scriptures from every king, every rabbi, every leader. He looks for those who will take seriously the call to justice, to do kindness, to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. James says it this way, “True religion and undefiled before God is to care for the widows and the orphans. And Jesus at the Last Judgment it all comes down to this – “How did you respond to the needs of the least of these?” This is America at her best. At our best, we’re a humble people. And we remember the call to have compassion for the least of these.
Which is why Emma Lazarus’ magnificent poem is etched inside the Statue of Liberty, with these words:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Humility and courageous compassion for the marginalized and oppressed are central to the heart and character of Moses and are meant to be central to the heart and character of this nation.
The second thing we learn from Moses is the importance of having a vision. Professor John Kotter, now retired from Harvard Business School, noted that two of the most important tasks of any leader are to cast a compelling vision for the future and then to motivate and inspire people to pursue it. That vision has to be a clear and compelling picture of where we want to go, our preferred picture of the future. Moses led the salves out of Egypt, but that was not enough. Very quickly the grumbled and began to go back to Egypt where there were leeks and cucumbers to eat. It was at least safe there; the wilderness was hard. Moses had to constantly remind them of the vision. He said, “We’re marching to the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey, where we can worship freely, where we can love, where we can practice justice, where we can live in harmony.
A compelling vision unifies us. It excites us, it leads people to a willingness to sacrifice, and imbues them with a sense of purpose. Kotter suggested that the average American company struggled with a lack of vision, a compelling vision at least. As a pastor, I can tell you the same is true of local churches. Congregations across the country that don’t remember their purpose, and they no longer see a compelling vision for the future. And sadly this feels true of America today. With our two-party system, vision-casting often feels like mere political rhetoric. And we typically are offered two different visions, competing with one another, not one unifying vision.
To many Americans, we feel like a house divided that cannot stand. We find ourselves desperately longing to find common ground. To find a common vision, to be one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for everyone. In this city, and in this room, are the people who can help. This may be, this bringing together of our country, a more important issue than anything else we face: because until we resolve our issues here or at least find some unifying vision that brings us together, we’re going to find it very very difficult to solve any other problems we’re facing – debt ceilings, issues of healthcare.
Proverbs notes this: without a vision, the people perish. They don’t literally perish. They just bicker and fight and become so polarized they can’t get anything done.
We’re in need of a new common national vision. Not one that is solely Democratic or solely republican. We need one or two goals or dreams that Americans on both sides of the aisle can come together and say, “Yes, that’s what it means to be American.” That’s where we need to go.”
God has given you a unique gift, Mr. President. Unlike any other President we’ve ever had, you have the ability to be to cast a vision and inspire people. You should’ve been a preacher. (laughter and applause)
God actually has you exactly where God wants you. and yesterday you began to lay out a vision for us in your inaugural address that was very powerful and compelling. Somewhere we’ve gotta find and forge one or two dreams or visions that people on the right and the left, the Republicans and Democrats, can come together and say, “Yes, we can stack hands on this.” Even just one or two. And you pointed toward that, you hinted towards that yesterday.
We have to remember our picture of the promised land. And when we do that anything is possible in America.
For one small example of the power of vision from the church that I serve in Kansas City – One of our visions at the church is to address the root causes of poverty in Kansas City so that our city might look more like the kingdom of god that Jesus preached about. And when we began to ask, “How do you address the root causes of poverty?” what we learned that everyone agrees upon is early childhood education. And so we had a vision that we would work, together with the public schools in Kansas City, to find a way to give the 2,284 children in six elementary schools where 90% of those children are on the free or reduced lunch program a chance for a better future. We partnered with these schools; we came and we said, “We don’t have the answers, we just offer ourselves as servants. What do you need? How can we help?”
This last year, 2,500 of our members volunteered at those schools. We built playgrounds at all six of those schools where they didn’t have playgrounds before. We repainted the insides of the schools where they didn’t have money to fix the schools. Our members volunteered as tutors to read to the children. We purchased 20K books and gave them to the children so that they might read at home. When we found out that 1,400 children were coming to school hungry on Monday, because they didn’t have the reduced lunch program at home over the weekend, we started providing backpacks for children with nutritious snacks every Friday, 1,400 of them, that our members pack and then deliver, so the children come back to school Monday fed. When we learned that 300 children sleep on the floor at home or on the couch in their homes, we provided 300 beds. We delivered them, we provided sheets and blankets and pajamas for these children. (Applause)
On Christmas eve, the biggest night of the year at our church, we voted a number of years ago to give away the entire Christmas eve offering to projects benefiting children and poverty. And we challenged our members – would you consider giving an amount equal to what you spend on your own children at Christmas in this offering? We give half of to the projects benefiting a thousand orphans in Malawi, and half of it to the projects benefiting the 2,284 children in Kansas City. And on Christmas eve, our folks in one evening gave $1.235 million to these projects. (applause)
I mention that not to brag, though I’m very proud of our congregation. But to say that’s one congregation with one vision and that unifies us as a church. We’re Democrats and Republicans in our congregation, we’re left and right, conservative and liberal, but somehow these kinds of visions pull us together into the future. They excite and they help change the world.
The last word I’d mention regarding Moses is, despite great opposition to his leadership, and despite feeling discouraged many times, he never gave up. To be a leader is to invite criticism. If you’re a Sunday School teacher, they’ll criticize you. If you’re a supervisor at McDonald’s, they’ll criticize you. If you’re a preacher, they’ll criticize you. And I don’t know how you’re still standing. (LAUGHTER)
It was not long after Moses began to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt that they began to grumble against his leadership. Four years in, they disliked his policies so much, a number tried to vote him out of office. It was a close vote but somehow he managed to keep his job. In Numbers 11, we read that he went out into the wilderness – it’s a wonderful and endearing story of Moses – and he lifts up his hands and he prays, “God, just kill me now. I don’t want to do this anymore. It is too hard.” But this was one time that God didn’t answer Moses’ prayer. Instead he said, in essence, “Get back to work. I need you.”
I’m reminded of the night in late January 1957 when Dr. Martin Luther King received a threatening phone call. His children and his wife were asleep. This wasn’t his first threatening phone call. Since the Montgomery boycott, there had been many. But on this night, as his children and wife lay sleeping – he felt he couldn’t go on. He began to think of a way, gracefully, to bow out of leadership of the movement. At midnight, he bowed over the kitchen table, and he began to pray, “I’m afraid, Lord. The people are looking to me for leadership, if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too, will falter. I’m at the end of my powers, God. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” And then he describes something interesting that happened next. He said, “I experienced the presence of the divine as I had never experienced God before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, “Stand up for righteousness. Stand up for truth. And God will be at your side forever.
Imagine how the world would be different today if Dr. King had bowed out of leadership because it got just too hard. Had he not stopped to pray that night, to seek God and God’s reassurance.
The theme of this year’s inauguration was, “Faith in the future of America.”
But in this service we come together to acknowledge that, in order for America to have a future, we will first need to find a deep and abiding faith in God. It is this faith that calls and compels us to humility and compassion and concern for the nobodies. It is this faith that helps us discover the kinds of visions that are worthy of our great nation and worthy of the sacrifices we can make. It is this faith that sustains us when we feel like giving up, a faith that comes from trusting in the words of Jesus who said, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
I end with a story. During MLK weekend several years ago, I was listening to NPR and they were conducting an interview with Rev. Billy Kyles, who many of you know, was on the balcony with Dr. King when he died on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel when he was assassinated. The interviewer asked Kyles what he’d be preaching on that weekend, and Rev. Kyles told the interviewer a story you’ve undoubtedly heard before but bears repeating today.
He said, I’ll be telling the old story about Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson, the 19th-century author, once told how, as a boy, he’d been sitting in front of the window at nightfall, watching the lamplighter light the gas street lamps. He would erect a ladder at one post, he would climb up and light the lamp or the torch, then he’d take it down and go the next one and the next one. And his father walked into the room and he said, “Son what are you looking at? What do you see out there that’s so fascinating?”
And the young Stevenson said, “Daddy, I’m watching that man out there knock holes in the darkness.” There’s a lot of darkness in our world. Lead us to be a compassionate people, to be concerned for the marginalized. Help us re-discover a vision for America that is so compelling it unites us and calls us to realize the full potential of this country, to be a shining city upon a hill. And when you feel your lowest, don’t give up. Wait upon the Lord, he will renew your strength, that you might lead us as a nation to knock holes in the darkness. Amen. (APPLAUSE)

Criticising or Changing

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Criticism:is the practice of judging the merits and faults of something or someone in an intelligible way.
Praying: is an act that seeks to activate a rapport with God through deliberate communication.

So the election is over and some are happy and some are not. Had it turned out with a Republican winner of the Presidency, some would be happy and some would not. I wish the government were different in an untold number of ways, but it is what it is, today.

There are a great many people criticizing the outcome, but not according the definition above (from the Internet), because most of the criticism is not intelligible. Most of the criticism is just out of anger or personal preference.

Criticism has really never changed anything. Only action makes a change. It is a simple rule of physics. To change the direction of something, a different force must be placed upon it.

You cast your ballot and tried that "force" and maybe it worked or it didn't. So there has to be another step. There has to be another recourse...and there is: Prayer. And now we move from just talking about the election cycle to your entire life cycle.

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

The definition of prayer (also from the Internet to just maintain fairness) has two components that criticism does not: "rapport" and "communication." Rapport includes three behavioral components: mutual attention, mutual positivity, and coordination. Communication means to share in the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts. The best part of the components in prayer is that our great and glorious God is on the other side of the equation. He is the one giving us attention. We share mutual positivity with Him. We must coordinate our efforts with Him. He exchanges His thoughts with us when we listen.

In criticism, there is no opportunity for change. There is really no one involved who can exert that force to cause a change. However, in prayer God is the one who contains the ultimate force to change everything.

Unless you have the position and power to effect change through criticism, just stop criticizing and start praying. Remember, "this is God's will for you.."

Moving mountains, one rock at a time,
Pastor Matt

When All Boats Leak, Any Boat Beats Treading Water

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:16:00 +0000

By Curtis K. Shelburne

I confess. It’s hard for me to imagine how anyone can be completely convinced that their Christian tradition is absolutely the best, 100% on target, and exactly “the one” regarding which the God of the universe would say, “Yep, you folks have got everything right. Everybody else who is saved will be saved just by the skin of their teeth, but you folks have it right. I’m really proud of you.”

The Apostle Paul made it pretty clear that none of us “gets it right” and that the only way anybody will be saved is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. The playing field is absolutely level, and we’re all, apart from the grace of God, a bunch of sorry losers whose performance on the field is shabby at best. The Good News is that because of what Christ has done on the cross, the focus is no longer on us, it’s on God! If we can just get over ourselves, we’ll realize that when we as God’s people foul up, which is often, we should thank God for his grace and get up and go on. And when we do well, we should thank God for his power at work within us that makes anything good possible. Either way, the focus is on him.

To use a musical analogy, because of what Christ has done on the cross, the focus is not on the note I just mis-played or even on the fine performance I may have tooted with my little horn. The focus is on the Composer/Conductor who is the One behind all of the beauty of the music. That I am in the orchestra at all is an amazing tribute to his mercy and grace.

And what about that little section of the orchestra with which I worship on Sundays? What about the brand name on the sign that “denominates” us? If my tradition is part of the Body of Christ, it’s for the very same reason that I am: grace. Not because we “got it right.” This doesn’t at all mean that we have no responsibility to render our service to God with hearts committed to pleasing him. It does mean that we realize that every prayer we pray, every sermon we preach, every song we sing, are all acceptable to him only because of his grace, not because we’ve done so well.

On the one hand, I believe that each orthodox Christian tradition has blessed us by seeing and building on some different aspects of the truth of the gospel, and anyone with an open heart can learn something good from each one. (Of course, anything any of them has built stands only if it’s built on the foundation of Christ’s cross.)

On the other hand, I don’t mean to be cynical when I say I’d bet my bottom dollar that there’s not a single one of them (including my own and yours) that wouldn’t have treated Jesus just as those very upstanding and “religious” scribes and Pharisees did 2,000 years ago. They crucified him, and we would have, too. Thank God our faith is in Christ, not in our religious tradition. And his Church is bigger than our churches.

Church-wise, all the vessels on the sea are leaky crafts. But almost any of them is a great deal better than treading water. So pray about it, get in a boat, thank the Master of the sea for it, and love your fellow sailors in all of the boats. Do all you do out of love for the Captain of all and under his power, and look to him for setting the course. Then sail on!

Copyright 2012 by Curtis K. Shelburne. Permission to copy without altering text or for monetary gain is hereby granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.

Fighting Depression?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:14:00 +0000

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12–13 (NIV)

It’s hard to stay content when we see others enjoying things that we long for. But perhaps it’s even more difficult to combat the longing for things we did once enjoy and no longer can. Loss is an inevitable part of life. We may face loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, loss of health and abilities. Living in contentment is a daily battle, whether we’re tempted to compare to others, an ideal, or our past circumstances. Sometimes we even feel a loss when what we are missing wasn't good for us in the first place: like an addiction or unhealthy relationship.

To be content sounds like such as easy lifestyle to attain, but I admit, that living in Christ is not the easy path. Earlier in Philippians we read a description of how He “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:6–7). Jesus gave up everything that was due to him; his birthright, his inheritance, his DNA, his very being to fulfill his calling. That is never easy.

All Jesus could do, yes - even Jesus, was continually turn to the Father and continue his journey that was filled with every experience and every emotion, both good and bad. Some days it takes fierce, stubborn courage to run our race. The prize, however, is worth it all.

Moving Mountains - albeit, one rock at a time,
Pastor Matt

Check back tomorrow to find out ways to find the joy of the Lord.

www.egrace.us

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ADDICTED? #3

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:39:00 +0000

So how do I fight my addiction of focusing on my self-worth?

I ground myself in God's word, first. The more ways I find my identity in Christ, the less I look to the world for affirmation.

In my personal and family time, I associate more with those who share my views and affirm my passion for this identity in Christ and not identity by other standards.

I limit my exposure to mixed, confusing and contradictory signals about who I am supposed to be. How do I do this? I am careful about what I watch on television, listen to on the radio and read. Like it or not, we are shaped by our exposure to images and words.

I check my motives. I ask myself why I am engaging in anything in particular.

I pray.

Which of these areas do you need to work on? What can you add that’s been helpful to you?

Feel free to respond!
www.egrace.us

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Addicted? #2

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:10:00 +0000

OK - I am addicted to my self-esteem. I wouldn't say my own ego, because I do not look at it in a selfish light, but rather my own worth as seen by others. My own picture of who I am is very often dictated by how others see me.

I want to be really competent at what I involve myself in.
I want to be perceived as competent at what I involve myself in.
I want to feel competent about what I involve myself in.

Some might say this is totally natural, but in reality it is contradictory to scripture. I should be more focused on my identity in Jesus Christ (Ephesians) and not the perception of my own worth. Again this is not about ego at this point in my life because social status, money, materialism is not really on my radar. However, for someone to perceive my contribution to "whatever" as valuable is important to me. So why is this an addiction? Because I find it as a motivating factor or a craving to sustain my non-stop lifestyle of being involved in that "whatever."

Tomorrow I will tell you how I am prayerfully dealing with this part of my life.

So what drives/motivates you everyday? Can you name an addiction(s) in your life?

Feel free to respond!
www.egrace.us

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Addicted? #1

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:39:00 +0000

On Sunday, June 3, 2012, we will be talking about addictions. Don't be scared and keep reading.

I, myself, am an addict.
I’m not addicted to illegal drugs, prescription medicine, alcohol or sex.
I have a serious addiction that I constantly have to work at to overcome.

So many of us are addicted. Some addictions are taboo while some are accepted as just part of life as we know it:

• You might be addicted to pleasing people.
• You might be addicted to perfection.
• You might be addicted to technology. (Are you reading this on a smart phone?)
• You might be addicted to work.

Over the next few days you can check back here and I will talk to you about my addiction and how I work to beat it. On Sunday, June 3, 2012, we will hear how God's Holy Word gives us guidance to overcome our addictions as we dive into "the really BIG series."

What are you addicted to? What are you doing to overcome it?

- Pastor Matt

www.egrace.us

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“irrupt” and “erupt”

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:35:00 +0000

I read this from Timothy Tennent and thought I would share: Do you know the difference between the words “irrupt” and “erupt”? Irrupt means to come “crashing in” or “bursting in,” whereas erupt means to burst forth or break out. A volcano erupts, i.e. it spews forth lava, fire and smoke. God’s salvation irrupts into the world. The incarnation is something which comes crashing in from the outside, not something which arises from the inside. Yet, in the mystery of the incarnation, as an historical event, it seems to be both irruption and eruption. It is clearly the intervention from outside time and space, yet it also emerges within the confines of space and time and human history.

The Christian position, as I understand it, involves a mysterious intersection of irruption and eruption. Paul, John, Matthew and the other authors wrote their gospels or epistles using their own particular style and force of words (eruption), but the Holy Spirit sovereignly restrained them from making any error such that the documents which were produced were the very words of God (irruption), expressed in the particularities of a specific language without violating the nature of human thought, culture and expression (eruption), yet conveying exactly what God wanted us to hear and to know (irruption).

It is actually a great insight into the Christian understanding of how God draws us into the very center of his redemptive work and allows us to participate with him in his great, unfolding, cosmic plan. God has chosen to unfold his plan with us, and through us, and in us. We get drawn up into – yea, summoned into – the presence of the very life and work of the Triune God. We become, amazingly, his co-workers, his co-writers, his co-witnesses, his co-servers, etc.

All of ministry must, therefore, be seen (as Scripture itself is seen), as an expression of God’s breath of life through the particularities of human work. We should pray that we would fully recognize his guiding presence through our lives and we would be more receptive to the daily restraints and leading of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings,
Pastor Matt

Extravagant generosity November 2

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Matt) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:53:00 +0000

2 Corinthians 8:10-12 And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something-- now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has-- not according to what one does not have.

Extravagant generosity is giving with eagerness according to what we have, not according to what we do not have. It includes all of our resources including our time. A gift is something you offer to someone else with a bit of your own life attached. Just think about how much more a personal, hand-written letter means when you receive it in the mail as opposed to an e-mail or e-card. Both might be meaningful, but think about the time and effort that went into one as opposed to the other. What about when you give a gift? Is that last-minute dash to the grocery store to grab a gift card to any chain food restaurant is as significant as taking the time to learn what the person might really need or desire and then taking the time to track that item down and purchase it, wrap it, and then watch the joy of the recipient as they open it? A true gift includes part of the giver.

Leaders are supposed to encourage and set examples for giving. Generosity also means we give what we are able. Trying give beyond you are able is just as harmful to your relationship with Christ as if you do not give what you are able. By that I mean do not be neglectful of your family. Do not set yourself up for failure. Do not set your church up for failure by aiming for the moon in your giving and then fall woefully short. Many people find themselves in broken relationships because of shame for themselves and not blame from others.

What we treasure is reflected in what we are willing to complete with perseverance as we join God in the work to which he calls us. Generosity enlarges our soul, realigns our priorities, connects us to each other, and strengthens our congregation as we fulfill the ministries of Christ.

Moving Mountains With You – albeit one rock at a time,

Pastor Matt