Along the Journey

2011-11-28T18:36:00.001-05:00

A new way of pleasure!. http://counselingla.com/yahoo.com.php?uqID=18bj8

Staging Jesus

2010-05-27T01:09:00.001-05:00

If you've ever heard anything about selling your home, you know they recommend that you stage the house. This is where you depersonalize your place so that the new owner can see themselves in it. They may not like your magenta dining room, or be able to see anything but the 1,273 Star Wars collectibles in the spare bedroom. You do everything you can so that they can see the house for what it is and what it will be with them in it.

Shouldn't we do the same thing when introducing people to Jesus. Jesus loves this person and wants a personal relationship with them, so shouldn't that be something they grow into together? Won't that look different than what your relationship with Him looks like? Same house, but with individual expression.

Instead, we bring so much of our own junk with us. We share God's love, but also our own views on different issues. We might share our story of how we were convicted about our own behavior, but also insist that they need to quit things they they're doing too. We share who Jesus is, but only if they'll believe in Him the way we do. They need to interpret the Bible the same way, and find the same causes important that we do.

We are the church and it is God's instrument to reach the people He loves. But the church is people and people are fallen and sinful. The church has the truth, but we have a lot of barriers to that truth too. Bring people to the church, and they'll be disappointed and hurt. Bring people to Jesus, and they won't be.

How can you start to share Jesus without all the personal baggage?

So like, where has the time gone?

2009-07-10T06:14:00.002-05:00

Well, the biggest news in the last few months is that I finally got new full-time employment. I'm working at a small county hospital in their IT department.

To be honest, it's really good. It's a small team and I'm going to be able to work with people again. I had missed being able to get to know the people I support. The relationships were always the biggest reward for me, and that had been removed from my old job.

The benefits are really good too. In addition to the great healthcare, retirement and workout facility, I'm also close enough to walk to work in about 5 minutes.

God has really blessed me here. This is an answer to a prayer that's been prayed for a long time. I really was miserable at my old job and this seems so very freeing. I'm motivated to work and happy to go in. God is good.

In other news, school is going very well. This quarter is 'Church History' and 'Systematic Theology'. While most people kinda groan when I say what I'm studying, I love it. Just helps confirm in my that I'm on the right track.

So this post is really a testimony and praise to God. He has been and continues to be faithful in His time and for His glory. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Grabbing the Brass Ring

2009-04-21T07:51:00.004-05:00

My professor made an interesting comment during his lecture last week, and I'm still not sure what I think about it. Unfortunately, I don't have the scripture references he made. I'm going to try to get those.

So here's the basic idea. We know that we cannot save anyone alone. Unless the Holy Spirit opens their eyes and touches their heart, they will not be open to God. I recognise this in my own life. I had Jesus shared with me over the years, yet remained closed. However, once He opened my mind to the possibility that this was true, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The choice was definitely in front of me.

However, Steve's point was that in that moment you still have a choice (seems right). That you can choose Jesus or not. But if you don't then God may close your heart again and you will have missed your chance. Maybe not your only chance, but at least this one.

In a way, this makes sense. We do have a choice. Even if the Holy Spirit allows us to see the choice clearly we still decide for ourselves. We could chose not to follow Jesus. If we did, do we know that invitation is open forever?

Another point is that it does relieve some guilt on behalf of Christians. "Why did God choose me to be saved and not others?" Maybe He has chosen all of us at one point, yet only some chose to believe.

I'm still not sure where I fall on this. I need to do more study. But at first blush, it does seem to make sense.

I really want your opinion. Click the comment link and leave your thoughts.

Robin Hood

2009-04-13T08:08:00.003-05:00

I was thinking this Easter weekend about how Jesus is alive. It is so easy for me to think of Jesus living so long ago and they God is in Heaven. The truth is, Jesus is alive. He may not be with us physically, but He is with us.

This reminded me of Robin Hood. In the story, Robin steals from the rich and gives it to the poor. This is done much to the aggravation of the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John who sits on the throne. Prince John is a horrible ruler. He does not care for the people, rather uses his position purely to enjoy his power. He burdens the people with heavy taxes so that he may enjoy his lavish lifestyle.

However, Prince John is not the king. King Richard is the king. However he is away fighting in the Crusades. Even though he is not with them, the people place their hope in the fact that Richard will one day return. They know that means that Prince John's rule of oppression will be over.

This Earth is also ruled by a horrible prince. Satan is the prince of this world. He has authority over it, and he abuses that power to his own end. However Jesus is alive. He is the rightful King and He will return to reign.

Update - St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T05:44:00.003-05:00

Well it's been three months since I last wrote. In wondering why, I think it's a mix of not really knowing what to write and having other outlets for some of my thoughts. Anyway, if you're still around here I'll bring you up to speed quickly on what's been happening then later I'll post some of the particular things God has taught me in these last few months.

First of all, I started and completed my first quarter at Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLI). It was a great time. So far, it looks like I'll have an A average. The classroom time was good, but I really enjoyed the preaching mentoring with Linden. Six sermons preached, but overall a really good way to build experience. Overall, it really wasn't as hard as I expected. Then again, I wasn't working.

Speaking of that, I am starting back to work this coming Friday. I'll be contracting through RHT to Worthington Industries. It's only a month assignment, but you never know how these will go. My last assignment was only two months and I was there seven years.

Other that that, God has taught me a ton on trusting Him and relying on Him for provision, but that's another show.

Reboot

2008-12-16T11:01:00.003-05:00

Well since my last post, things have continued to change drastically. The day after I posted about my wife was my last day at work. It's been almost four weeks now, with Thanksgiving and our Christmas program here, it's gone very fast. I'm continuing to look for work and know that God will open the right doors at the right time.

Immediately after I lost my job, I started here at the church on staff as a Pastoral Intern. It's been a little surreal as I'm kinda making this up as I go. My job is to fill two different COD positions, Director of Small Group Life and Director of IT, plus attend the Vineyard Leadership Institute. Otherwise, I am trying to get into a routine and make myself more available to the staff.

One new way I'm getting involved is with the Pastoral Care Team meeting on Tuesday mornings. That's when the staff goes over what needs there are in the congregation and how we can care for them. For now I'm mainly trying to observe and only share a little. I'm hoping this will expand more as my work with the Small Groups start to grow. If Small Groups leaders are our 'pastors in the field', then I hope to have more to report on as those relationships grow.

As for Small Groups, I'm getting off to a slow start and need to begin growing those relationships. I get hesitant because I fear how I'll be received. Time to get past that and start doing the work I want to do.

Seeing God Through My Wife.

2008-11-19T12:39:00.006-05:00

You know, there are many ways in which being married really helps you understand God. Same goes for having kids. God's original plan for man (be fruitful and multiply) seems designed to illustrate who God is.

Now I'm not saying that the unmarried can't know God. We don't have kids, but I still know God. I just think that it really does help.

Case in point. As you know, I'm likely going to lose my job any day now. The stress is getting terrible, and finding the motivation to keep my tongue still and keep working is a challenge all its own. Yet my wife has shown me understanding and mercy beyond anything I expected.

What did I expect? Screaming. Criticism. Guilt.

Instead, she's showing me unconditional love, support and mercy.

As I was reflecting on how greats she's been, it struck me that God is so much more. What do I normally expect from God? Criticism and guilt. What does He give me? Absolute love, acceptance and mercy.

I can be so critical of my failures with God and just assume that He is the same. He is not. He sees and recognizes my failure, but forgives it and accepts me.

He loves me.

Yes, we say it so many time, but it's taking my wife to show me.

52 Pick Up

2008-11-10T09:45:00.004-05:00

Well, I meet tomorrow with Linden and Mark, our Sr. Pastor and Administrative Pastor, to further discuss possibility of a Pastoral Internship. It was approved by the Elders, so we need to go over the details.

I'll tell you, it really feels like God is playing a game of 52-pick-up with my life right now. In four months I've gone from working my FT job and hoping that I could work towards being a pastor soon, to soon not having the FT job, considering school and a previously non-existent internship at my church. My wife and I feel like everything stable is gone right now and we are quite without direction.

Few of us ever hear an audible word from God. For me, it's often more of just an instinct I feel that may not make much sense.

Example: My wife's employer was in a renovated house and we almost rented the apartment upstairs from him. Even though it was a great situation, my instincts told me no. It felt like God was keeping us from taking it, so we passed. Most of the company, including Amanda, was laid off just a few months later. What would have been very convenient would have now been very, very awkward.

Today, I don't hear God saying anything clearly about my job or future. It's just this instinct that God is going to provide in pieces, even week to week or day to day for a while. During that time, I'll be working for the church, going to school, and getting prepared. It will be a time of purging and preparation.

I'm very scared for it. Not myself, so much, but for my wife. It's hard not to be able offer her a sense of security and stability. Those things need to come from God, so maybe that's the lesson for both of us.

Pray for us that God will speak comfort and confirmation to us.

Don't Quit Your Day Job.

2008-10-27T10:05:00.003-05:00

My full-time job may be coming to an end. My boss told me very plainly that I had 30 days to get my numbers up. As he put it, 'my future here looks bleak.'

Now the idea of being without a full-time job scares me to death. I am our primary bread winner. Going on just my wife's salary would be near impossible for us right now. However, I'm not that bothered by not working here anymore. As I've said, my heart is just not here. So I do try and work hard, but it just doesn't excite me.

So now I'm full of questions. Is it possible that God is closing the door here? Could there be a greater work He is preparing? Do I need to just live on faith that God will provide what we need?

The sermon this weekend was on Abraham, in that he had to 'Go' then God would 'Show.' That rang with both Amanda and I. Is it time to leave this job on faith and let God show me what His plans are?

My fear is that might just be my own desires and not God's.

How can you tell?

Update - October 2008

2008-10-23T11:15:00.002-05:00

As I said in my last post, I've had a severe case of writers block recently. Things are getting fast and furious in my life right now. Now while you'd think that would make for a lot of material, it actually makes me more private. Unlike these teenagers on Facebook who post their most intimate thoughts for all to read.

I will share some of the highlights though.

Worst news. I may be losing my job soon. I've been very unhappy here for quite some time and it's catching up with me. My boss and I have never gotten along and he's not happy with my work. I'm trying but it's not easy. I know God will provide and I'm learning to trust Him more through this.
Interesting news. Sounds like the church has approved a very part time staff position for me. It would be a Pastoral Internship to go along with my going to school. I'll learn more details in the next couple weeks.
Best news. Amanda and I just celebrated six years of marriage. She surprised me every day. She's been so supportive with my job. It's hard to imagine life without her.

There's more, obviously, but I'll save that for future posts (Yes, they'll be more.) There's just so much going on, I can't help but think it must all fit together somehow. God is using this to teach me to trust Him more and live truly by faith.

A Holy Ambition

2008-09-18T11:42:00.003-05:00

It's strange that this blog was originally intended to keep my calling as a pastor public, but now that things are moving I'm reluctant to share.

There's this strange battle in my heart between ministry and career. In ministry, we serve. In career, we advance. But when your career is ministry, it feels wrong to want to advance. It seems presumptive to be driven. God should open the doors, right? It would show a lack of faith, and worse yet be of the flesh, to be ambitious.

Yet God says that those who desire to be an Elder desires a noble task (1 Timothy 3:1). God does not rebuke such ambition, rather it seems as if He approves of it. The following verses detail out the character of such a man. It would make sense God wants all of us to meet those qualifications, as it reflects Christ's character.

The ambition still remains, however. That's where I'm at right now too. My ambition is to work for the church full time. That wording makes it sound like I'm just out for a job, but it's so much more than that. My whole heart is driven in that direction. I spend my days thinking about how do we retain members, how should small groups encourage self-discipline, how do we keep the kitchen stocked. My mind is bent around organizing the church in such a way that it's members thrive spiritually.

This is making my current 9-5 rather tedious. I can't tell you how little satisfaction I get anymore. I know we are to work as if unto the Lord and I do try. I am grateful for the provision He gives. I just do not understand the fire He's lit in me, yet He keeps me here.

So at the prompting of my wife, who's being very patient with me, I've shared some of this with Linden. At a recent lunch discussing the possibility of my starting school I just came out and shared my dream of being a possible Pastoral Intern. It would be very part time and I would still keep my job, but it would include structured mentoring and development.

At even more prompting, I wrote Linden again and shared that my heart is really to be at the church full time. Now I'm not asking for that, nor do I see it happening in the near future. But I needed to be honest that's what I want.

So for now, pray for me that God will align things, give my heart His desires and open/close the doors that need it.

Also, if you've ever had to deal with balancing ambition/ministry I'd love to read your comments.

Pastoral Calling - The Next Step

2008-09-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

So over the past few months I've shared/preached three times. You know, there's a lot of fear that goes into preaching. I burn both ends of the worry candle. On one side I worry that I'll share something that's not truth, or that what I do share will offend someone. Now offending someone with the truth isn't all that bad, but offending them with my attitude or poor choice of words is.

However, I've got to tell you that getting up there and speaking truth just feels good. It's like scratching an itch. There's just this relief. Not that it's over, but that you said what needed said.

Between that and all the other ministry work and discussion I've had on small groups, I shared with my wife that all this just feels right. This really is where I'm supposed to be. I told her that I understood her needing more time before I went further into ministry, but that it really seemed to be time.

Much to my surprise, she said that she'd be ok with my finding out what the next step is. Even if it meant school, that she could be ok while I did that. Her biggest concern is how much time it takes from my being home. I understand that and try to keep it at the forefront of my mind.

So now I'm wondering what to do. I've written my pastor and we've discussed some schooling options. We'll meet this week to talk more. Our conference is very local church focused, so unlike larger mainline denominations, there isn't really a set development path for those who feel called into ministry. Now I think they take it too far and it becomes a bit too 'career' minded. I do, however, find that I need a bit more structure than we provide. Hopefully we can come up with a good middle ground.

So pray for me this week that God will open some doors and shed a bit of light on the next step in the path.

Busy August

2008-09-09T09:12:00.003-05:00

Here's an update on what's been going on with me. At the end of July, I attended the Xenos Summer Institute. It was a three day conference with a number of good speakers, including Mark Driscoll, Mark Middleberg and D.A. Carson. Wonderful teachers who gave what I felt was a clear message of correction for us as a church.

During the conference, there are also a number of breakout sessions you can choose to attend. Having just come out of my men's small group, Entrust, I was mainly focused on how small groups should work. I really enjoyed it and spent some time discussing this with my pastor.

So out of that, I am now the Director of Small Group Life at our church. This is a new position, created to give more of a focus and priority on our group. I'll share more details about it later, but I am excited.

Other highlights include:

Gave two sermons, one on fear and another short one on recognising our idols
Starting a continuation of Entrust with two other group members
Preparing for our Christmas show
Switching our email to Google Apps

It's going to get real busy and I need to be sure to keep it all under control. I need to be sure it doesn't overrun my home time.

One too many.

2008-08-08T13:20:00.004-05:00

There's a TV commercial out there which starts with two girls, drinking and extremely drunk. One is so drunk she tries to take another drink from a beer bottle and smashes out her two front teeth. She finds this extremely funny.

Pan over to man a woman, sitting and the base of the stairs talking. Each is also drinking but both seem to be under control and just enjoying each others company. One gets up to leave, car keys in hand, and stumbles a bit.

The tag line: "You know when you've had way too many to drive. But do you know when you've had one too many?"

Great thought.

Now picture a mega-church. There's thousands in stadium seating and a couple worshipping or sitting listening to the sermon. Then fade to a smaller church of about two hundred. Same scene, just much smaller.

The tag line: "You know when your church is too large for meaningful connections on Sunday morning. But do you know when it's just a little too big?"

Fact is, the kind of relationships we need to grow into mature followers of Jesus can't be met in most Sunday morning services. If the church is small enough, then it's possible. However once you've reached a certain size, it's too easy to go unnoticed.

We need the kind of purposeful, intimate relationships you just can't get in a large gathering.

Respecting Authority

2008-08-04T12:44:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know. Long time without a post. Well I'm claiming that God's grace extends to blogs. We'll go with that and move on.

I went to the Ohio State Fair this Sat. The Highway Patrol were directing people in the parking lot. One lady decided not to follow the flow and tried to park closer. She was immediately called on it and received a harsh reprimand to follow directions and park where she was told.

Seems a bit over the top doesn't it? After all, it's just parking.

No, he wasn't just correcting the parking. He was re-enforcing his authority. She hadn't just tried to park somewhere else, she has disobeyed an authority of the law. She had shown by her actions that she did not respect the authority the Patrolman had. That's what really needed the correction.

How many times do we not follow God in the little things? Jesus is our authority and it is our place to obey his commands. Those things might seem small, but it's the heart behind it which He will correct.

41 Things Your Doctor Won't Tell You

2008-07-22T15:23:00.001-05:00

So this is totally off-topic, but hey it's my site. This article is wonderful. Funny part is that I first read it in my doctor's exam room.

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/41-medical-secrets/article75920.html

End of Entrust

2008-07-21T15:46:00.004-05:00

Our men's group has just ended. It was set from the beginning to only be a six month group. I must say, I'm sad to see it end. Each of us felt that this group had something unique. Linden asked me to put my thoughts in writing, so I'm posting them here as well.

After thinking about it, I think what I liked can be summarized like this:

It allowed for an open, personal interaction without fear of judgment or embarrassment so we could support each other through our walk with God.

Those points:

It was open. We were committed to being upfront and honest. We were with the intent of sharing, not just going to a bible study or going along with our wife. We wanted to be there and talk.

It was personal. We didn't just discuss scripture to learn. We wanted to learn about each other and God. Some groups I'm in, or have been, we weren't really trying to get to know the others and weren't sure we wanted them to know us.

No fear of judgment. It was established early that we are who we are. Each of us shared something during this time that was personal and exposed a more intimate side that we just as easily could have hidden.

No fear of embarrassment. This was private and confidential. We knew that what we shared wouldn't go outside this group. It was a safe place to open up.

Support through our walk with God. We were there to share this portion of our walk together. We had the purpose of bearing each others burdens and deepening our faith.

Looking at this list, this is what I would hope happens in each small group. However, it hasn't been the case for me. I may not have seen this modeled before. Or I had, but didn't know what to do to continue it. Either way, this really struck me.

I really hope to find another group like this again soon. We're all thinking about where God has next for us. I may try to get another group together, this time with some new guys. Maybe a few of the originals. We'll see.

Online Ministry

2008-07-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

The following is an except (slightly modified) from one man's blog I read. I don't know him. I found it and added it to my reader because I found the things he shared to be both funny and poignant.

Often, it feels like God calls us to do something for Him and we do, and it's like a note we put into a bottle and then promptly throw into the ocean of life.

That guy at work He calls us to reach out to switches jobs and we never hear from him again.
The neighbor we walk through a divorce moves to another town and disappears.

Our prayers for people line the shore like a thousand bottles floating away from us without resolution or closure.

But sometimes they come back to us. Sometimes, God blesses us with the gift of knowing exactly how He used what we do for Him. And that can be a very beautiful thing.

The other night, I shared a story my counselor had told me on my site, 97secondswithgod.com. It was a short story about how God loves when we wrestle with Him because it's impossible to wrestle with someone far away. We feel guilty about it, because we think we should trust instead of wrestle but He sees it as a sign of intimacy.

Here is what a reader said on my site in response:

Jon,

My wife has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and it looks like she's entering the beginning of the end. As you might imagine, I've been wrestling with God quite a bit lately.

When I read your words just now I broke down and cried because the guilt, frustration, fear and anger were instantly replaced by the image of a loving God.

Thank you so much.

God is weird. A man I've never met, in Oregon, a state I've never been to, dealing with a disease I've never dealt with, got the bottle he needed. I threw it out into the
ocean and God sent it across the country.

This is the strength of online ministry. God's truth is truth whether shared in person or online. You can read something life-changing in a book or on a web site. God can speak to you through anything.

This is why I think it's important to use the Internet to reach people. We take God where the people are. They are online.

RSS Readers

2008-07-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

If you're reading this blog in an RSS reader, you can likely skip this post. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then this is for you.

Most blogs and other pages with regularly updated content publish what's called a feed. This feed is the content of the blog in a standard format. This means that if it's from Blogger, LiveJournal, Fox News or any other page, it's source format doesn't matter. Once it's standardized, it can be read and displayed in any number of feed readers our there.

I use the Google Reader and find that it works very well. I currently have 99 subscriptions to various blogs, news sources and websites. Checking each of these sites by hand would be impossible and very frustrating. Using a feed reader, I'm able to have any new posts sent directly to me. No more checking a site every day for it to be updated just once a week.

To use the Google Reader, all you need is a Google account. Then copy the URL of the website you want to subscribe to into the 'Add Subscription' box. Now you don't have to keep going to different sites, you can just look in one place for all your updates.

Need more help, shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll get you details.

The Limits of our Mind

2008-07-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

Monday I was watching a repeat of Star Trek:Voyager, when an exchange between two characters made me think.

In the world of Star Trek, there is technology which allows for the creation of holographic places and people. On Voyager, Captain Janeway has recreated Leonardo Da Vinci and has been studying from him. In this episode, Da Vinci has been taken out of his recreated Florance, Italy and has seen the marvelous technology of the present day. This is causing the great thinking and inventor much confusion as he tries to comprehend what he has just seen.

Janeway: Let me ask you something. If you were something other than a human being. If you were a different kind of animal. If you were a small bird, a sparrow. What would your world be like?
Da Vinci: I should make my home in a tree, in the branch of an elm. I should hunt insects for food, straw for my nest and in the springtime I should sing for a companion.
Janeway: And you would know nothing of the politics of Florence, the cutting of marble or mathematics.
Da Vinci: Of course not.
Janeway: But why not?
Da Vinci: My mind would be too small.
Janeway: As a sparrow your mind would be too small. Even with the best of teachers?
Da Vinci: If Aristotle himself were to perch on my branch and lecture till he fell off from exhaustion, still the limits of my mind would prevent me from understanding.
Janeway: And as a man can you accept that there may be certain realities beyond the limits of your comprehension?
Da Vinci: I could not accept that. And I would be a fool.

Da Vinci is made to realize that just as human things are more than an animal can comprehend, so there may be things that his human mind can't comprehend.

This is so true for us as well. God created our mind. Being created in Him image, it is more like Him than any other animal is. We can think, reason, feel, create and dream. I think that our mind was created such that we could recognise God and know Him.

However, knowing and comprehending are too different things entirely. God has an eternal mind, ours is limited and finite. We can never get all that God is into our minds to fully grasp Him entirely. We can get bits and pieces, but then we'll forget those as we discover something new.

So we will never fully understand God, and that's ok. We should be able, like Da Vinci in our TV show, to accept that limitation. Much like a child accepts that their father knows and understands more than them, so we should trust God.

The Peter Principle

2008-07-15T10:39:00.003-05:00

In yesterday's post, I included the Peter Principle as an example of one of those natural laws that people notice. I like this principle and decided to expand on it a bit.

Peter Principle
In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.

The principle works like this. Say you get a job at a company making widgets. Your job is just to drill the hold at the center. Simple as it is, you find you like your job. You like working with your hands and do good, precision work. Your supervisor notices this and promotes you.

Now you're cutting the edges. There's more detail here and you need to pay closer attention to measurements and the like. But still, you're good at it and enjoy using your hands. You start to notice how the different size widgets work together. Being mechanically inclined you see opportunities to make product better. This works and your manager is impressed and promotes you.

As the supervisor for the team creating these new widgets, you still get to work with your hands. You enjoy teaching the members of your team the best way to do what they do and working out the bugs in the new product. Now, however, you do have to deal with managing people. You don't really enjoy that aspect of it, but it's a necessary evil of the job. Your team has the highest production numbers of the company and the front office is impressed and promotes you.

Unfortunately now your a manger. You took the job because it feels good to be recognized. That and the money was good and you like being able to provide well for your family. You also wanted the chance to continue your work on a larger scale. However, gone are the days of working with your hands. The only think you touch anymore is a computer keyboard. You're in meetings most of the day, people management is all you do plus all the financials which just scare you. You work hard, but only do an average job since you're now outside your true area of expertise. The company owner notices and decides not to promote you.

You've now reached the level of your incompetence. You don't do poorly, but you no longer shine. The work you now do involves a new set of skills which don't match the ones that got you here. You'd have been better off as a worker or supervisor, but now it's too late. Companies rarely have mechanisms in place to put you back into a job where you were the most fulfills and productive and even if they did you'd be seen as a failure.

The lesson here is to actively learn who God has made you to be. What are your skills? How do you think about things? What makes you feel fulfilled. God has created you in such a way that you have a place, a niche. The goal is to find fulfillment there, and not in moving into areas outside what God has created you to do.

Upgrade Your Faith

2008-07-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

Everyone's familiar with those popular sayings that always tend to be correct. The most famous of which is

Murphy's Law
If anything can go wrong, it will.

In science, there is

Occam's Razor
All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best

This rule keeps scientists hypothesis from becoming to complex and convoluted. Works well in the legal arena.

Peter Principle
In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.

This is very true in business. The idea is that you do a good job and you get promoted. That is until you've been promoted to a level where you can no longer do a good job and get stuck there.

Moore's Law
The number of transistors per square inch will double every two years.

This is big in my industry, IT. The idea is that computer speed and storage capacity will double every two years. It's held true since 1965.

To that end, I've held my own law about computers.

Jason's Maxim
You don't need to upgrade your computer if you don't upgrade your expectations.

I've found that most people who are frustrated with computers are frustrated because it seems they're always slow. These same people buy a computer just for "email and Internet", then try to load the newest MS Office release two years later, plus play WoW. They're the one's wanting their computer to do more and getting frustrated that it can't.

It's like buying a sports car when you're single, then being angry that five years later it can't hold your wife and two kids.

I've seen people run an old Mac Classic for 15 years and it runs just fine, because it's only ever done what they wanted it to do.

So let me ask you this. Is the same true for your faith? Do you you find that your faith needs an upgrade? It just won't cut it anymore. You want more. It did fine five years ago, but now you find it lacking.

Maybe you've upgraded your expectations. Maybe five years ago, you just wanted to stop cussing as much and have a more pleasant home life. Now you're seeing that other people have great experiences with God and you want them too. Your expectations have grown. You're not content with just cutting out the weekend drinking and sending in your tithe check. You want bigger movements of God.

Good.

I don't think God wants us running our old Mac Classic faith for 15 years. He wants us to want more.

Upgrade your faith.

Take Them to the Father

2008-07-11T13:02:00.003-05:00

I had to call a woman the other day for a pretty simple church matter. I had only ever talked to her once. When I called, she had been crying. She's going through a really bad spot in her life right now and the burden was just overwhelming. You can tell she's desperate and simply hurting in nearly every way.

I had forgotten to call her two days running now, so I couldn't help but think that God must have had me call at that moment for a reason. I must have been there so do something. I don't know what.

I froze. I couldn't think of anything to say. I had absolutely nothing to offer her. I wanted to help, to fix some small part of what was happening. I felt that I should be able to offer some kinda of relief from a least a portion of her burden. But I had nothing.

This really bothered me. I'm called to pastor and this has to be a huge part of pastoring. What do you do when people come to you and you feel helpless.

The only thing I could think to do was to offer to pray for her. Now I know the power of prayer and I've seen prayers answered in very awesome ways. Prayer is a very valid and probably the best thing we can do, especially if we don't have anything else we could do.

I'll admin though, that seemed like such an empty thing to say. So many Christians will say, 'I'll pray for you.' and you wonder if they ever did. So while we did pray for her, I feared that it would just sound like a quick way off the phone.

So I shared this last night at our men's group and the best answer came out. It's not my job to have the answers or solutions for her. I do not have that responsibility. That's God's job. So my job is to point her to the Father. I can offer to pray with her, right then, and together we can take her burdens to God.

Now God may lay on me to do something more to help. That's fine, but that comes God. I'd be doing something He has led me to do, not something out of my own feeling of obligation.

That really made me feel a lot better and took a lot of the fear and burden from me. I love this group.

1 Peter 1:13-25

2008-07-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our small group splits up the facilitating between different members. Last night was my night, so I prepared a few thoughts just to help us work through the passage. I thought I'd post them here.

Be Holy

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Peter is again putting out a call to be self-controlled. A righteous lifestyle is important. Nothing done well is ever done casually. Make purposeful strives to live as God would have us live.

This can be done, knowing that it is not our living in which our hope is placed, but in the grace of Jesus.

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Reconciled with God, we now live in a Father/Son (Daughter/child) relationship with Him. We therefore obey Him as a good Father and seek to please Him out of love.

We are called to be holy, not simply live sinful lives under grace. God loves what is good and hates what is evil, we should as well.

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

We recognize that it is not from man that we should seek approval, but from God. God’s judgement is just and a reverent fear of that judgement is warranted.

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

It isn’t out good behavior, self-control or the approval of men (even those in the church) that has saved us, but the sacrifice of Jesus.

For some, the life handed down from our forefathers is the church. Without Jesus, even a church life is empty.

20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Our salvation was always in God’s mind. There is nothing in our lives which Jesus cannot cover.

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Does that mean we are purified through our obedience. No, but through our obedience to the truth that Jesus is the only way to the father.

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,
through the living and enduring word of God.

24 For, "All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever."
And this is the word that was preached to you.

Our salvation and the spirit within us is not perishable. We can hold fast to the hope that God is eternal.