Cultivating

Beyond Sunday - The Perfect* Christmas: Christmas Vacation

2010-12-22T16:56:00.001-06:00

...by Bobby Jackson

What a fresh breath of air this series has been for me. In a season where many of us seemed stressed out, did you enjoy laughing as much as I did this week?

And laughter led to reflection as I was challenged this week to answer this tough question, “What do I expect from my God?” Do I expect that He is going to forgive me whenever I ask, that He will support me and make me feel better when I am low, that He will answer my prayers? Should I have expected that Jesus would come to the earth to save me from my sins?
To expect that really puts God into a “You owe me” or “You better deliver” kind of relationship. At best it is a joyless, selfish relationship with little appreciation and feels more like someone fulfilling His side of our contract.

So what can I expect from God? He has promised that He will forgive (1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:12), that He is close to me when I’m down (Psalm 34:18), that He will answer my prayers (John 14:13, 2 Peter 3:9), and that He would come to earth to save me from my sins (Luke 19:10, Philippians 2).

We can expect some things of God, but only because He is like a Father that loves us more than anyone ever could and has chosen to serve rather than be served. I don’t deserve anything but because of His love we can expect a lot of God. In fact, He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

It’s easy to think of what I expect from God, but maybe the better question is what should He expect of me?

The Cultivating Power of Community.

2010-12-22T11:26:00.000-06:00

So I think one of the most valuable things that we can do to cultivate our personal relationship with Jesus is to allow others in our circle of friends to influence us and have an effect on us as we follow Christ together.

Obviously, this comes with a few different considerations. This presumes that you are surrounding yourself with people who are going to have a good effect on you. Generally, it's a good principle to remember that who you surround yourself with is who you become. If you want to become more loving, surround yourself with loving people. If you want to become more forgiving, surround yourself with forgiving people. If you want to become more generous, surround yourself with generous people. The opposite is also true, though: if you surround yourself with people who are angry all the time, you'll probably start to cultivate that in your life. The same if you surround yourself with stingy people or sad people or whatever else. It's just a fact of life.

Obviously, this isn't to say you can only spend time with all the greatest people in the world who have incredible commitment to virtues you're trying to build in your life. We are asked by God to be a light to the world, and this means placing ourselves right in the midst of our broken, fallen world - not shielding ourselves from it.

The real question here, though, is who am I allowing to speak into my life? Are they people who are helping to cultivate me as a Christ follower? Or are they people who might actually be destructive to me as a Christ follower? This is especially valuable around the holidays... don't let parties, get-togethers, and all the other hustle and bustle of the Christmas season crowd out the valuable power of community to help cultivate your relationship with Jesus in your life. We all need it!

P.S.: Merry Christmas! Thanks for making my job the best one in the world!

Beyond Sunday - The Perfect* Christmas: A Christmas Story

2010-12-16T11:36:00.001-06:00

...by Jo Anne Stas

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

When I reflect on the message this week, I repeatedly come back to Greg’s statement, “The world was broken before Jesus came, while he was here and after he left. Jesus didn’t come into this world to fix everything he came to be with us through everything.” I think about what a powerful statement that can be if I let it permeate my mindset. It can have the power to change my expectations—if I let it.

And often times all it takes is looking at a situation from a different perspective. God’s perspective. That houseful of challenging relatives you’re hosting this Christmas. God says, “I’m with you.” That broken relationship that hurts so much. “I’m with you.” That job you’ve been praying for. “I’m with you.” That health issue you’ve been asking God to heal. “I’m with you.” That bill you don’t know how you’re going to pay. “I’m with you.” That’s the beauty of Christmas—remembering anew how God is with us. He will not leave us alone.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Beyond Sunday - Jesus is _____: My Leader?

2010-12-09T12:33:00.001-06:00

...by Jeff Sanford

On Sunday, nearly sixty Suncresters made a decision to either follow Jesus for the first time or renew their commitment to following Jesus. So what exactly does it mean to let Jesus be your leader and where do we start?

I’m certainly not an expert on leadership or on Jesus, but I do know that if Jesus is LEADING you, then you must be FOLLOWING him. In Luke 9:23, Jesus tells his followers that, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

Wow! Luke 9:23 is an extremely challenging passage, but it gets at the core of what it means to truly follow Jesus. First of all, it’s a daily commitment. With all that’s going on in the world today and all the things that are guaranteed to satisfy us, it’s easy to lose track of what or who it is that’s influencing our decisions on a daily basis. Often times, I veer off the right path but Jesus reminds us that we must commit daily to pursuing him.

Jesus also tells us to take up our cross and follow him. What does that mean? To me, it means that I must reject the things that get in my way of spending time in his Word, praying over Scripture, and pursuing him so that I can know the way that Jesus is leading. It means that I must do the things that Jesus does rather than what comes naturally or feels comfortable. It means that I must reject what earns the praise of men and concentrate on what pleases God. It means I must love when I’d rather seek revenge. It means I must offer grace and forgiveness when I feel like holding a grudge. It means I must serve when I’d rather sit back in comfort. It means I must have hard conversations when I’d rather not ruffle any feathers. It means I must be patient when I’d rather lose my temper. And it means that I must give generously when I’d rather save or pursue my own desires.

Following Jesus also means that I probably won’t look or act like everyone else around me. Following Jesus means that a lot of people will probably disagree with my decisions. Following Jesus means that I will have to make sacrifices in this life. But a life of following Jesus offers love, grace, peace, hope, strength, joy, contentment, and abundant life that you will find in nothing or no one else. And when you’re following Jesus, you understand that the benefits last for eternity!

Listen, Listen, Listen!

2010-12-02T11:54:00.009-06:00

So this week on the good ol' Cultivate blog, I thought I'd tell you about a resource that I've been getting some really great use out of over the past few months and I think that you will too.

If you read my blog, you are probably acquainted with my Andy Stanley man crush (I still blame Greg Lee). He's a great teacher and pastor at a place called North Point Community Church in Atlanta. I don't know exactly how I got started listening to this guy teach and preach, but once I did, I was hooked. He's got a lot of wisdom and insight, and anytime I find something (whether it be a book, a sermon, a video, whatever) with his name on it, I try my best to carve out some time so I can listen to it.

But today I am here to tell you about North Point's podcast. Basically, this is a way you can subscribe to their weekly messages, many of which are from Andy, but some are from other teachers at North Point. On my drives to and from Cincinnati each week, I mostly listen to music, but I usually take some time to listen to one or two messages, most of which are from North Point. I always walk away with some great insights - I especially loved their Guardrails series from back in the spring.

To subscribe to get these messages, simply go to the "Podcast" section of iTunes and type in North Point Community Church, and you'll find it. Hit subscribe, and your iTunes library will automatically download new messages when they are posted each week. If you aren't an iTunes user, simply go to www.northpoint.org and hit the "messages" tab, and you can download that week's current message. You can even watch them online there if you'd like as well.

This is seriously a great way to help cultivate your personal relationship with Jesus even further! Check it out! And if you're interested in more stuff like this, check out the North Point Ministries podcast. For something with more of a leadership bent, check out the Andy Stanley Leadership podcast.

Happy listening!

Beyond Sunday: Jesus is _______: Extreme Forgiver?

2010-12-02T10:36:00.001-06:00

...by Kevin McHugh

On my Mother's side of my family I have many Aunts and Uncles; and there are several relationship problems scattered between them. This one Aunt won't speak to another because of something in the sixties. Another one has a different problem with a different one, also from the distant past. My Mom held grudges against several of them; and she occasionally would tell me about her grievances. Well they were not minor, but they were not that awful either, but it seemed nobody was willing to forgive.

Aren't we lucky our God is beyond all that? I have to admit that the enormity of God's capacity to forgive is something that is hard for me to fully understand. My sins are many; I try to do better each day but still fall short each day. Yet I can come to God with faith and sincerity and He will forgive me over and over and over again? Yes He can and He will because of what Jesus did for us!

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

Andy did a beautiful job walking us through Romans 3.

To be righteous means to be in good standing with God - can't we just be totally good on our own? "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law, rather through the law we become conscious of our sin." - Romans 3:20

So I need a savior, so does everyone reading this. Here's the extreme, yet beautiful truth.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." - Romans 3:23-24

Andy, thanks for reminding us about this remarkable truth - my Mom & her sisters can testify how hard it can be for humans to forgive, but our God is so much bigger and provided us all a path through Jesus.

The Prodigal God.

2010-11-24T03:00:00.000-06:00

So, last week I just finished reading Tim Keller's book, "The Prodigal God." This book has been on my "to read" list for quite a while, and after Jared mentioned to me last week that his sermon for our campus this Sunday is going to be in some part based upon this book, I decided to take some time to read it. And am I glad I did. It really rocked my understanding of several things.

Basically, in this book, Keller (who's a pastor of a 6,000 member church in Manhattan) takes the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15 and absolutely turns it on its head. Most of the time, we spend any time analyzing that story talking about the son that took his inheritance, went away, blew it all, and came back, only to discover his father extending the hand of open fellowship to him. We do this for good reason; it's a key part of the story. But Keller's point in this book is that really, there are two lost sons: the son who went away and came back and also the older son; the one who never left. This son did all the right things; he did what his father asked, he never left home. However, in the end of the story, we discover that by refusing to come in and celebrate the recovery of his lost younger brother that it's the older son who's really lost.

I think this book hit me square between the eyes because it captures a spiritual principle that I believe God has been teaching me over the past several months, and that's that God doesn't owe me anything. Keller's point in this whole book is that the sin of both sons in this story is the same. They both wanted to take control of their lives and get what they wanted or felt they deserved instead of what the father wanted for them. The younger son chose to do this just by doing his own thing and charting his own course in life. The older son did this by obeying, but obeying with this expectation that it in some way entitled the father to give him stuff. We can do the same thing spiritually (at least I do); we can do all the right stuff on the outside, but if deep down it's really just to manipulate God into getting what we want, then our acts are no more righteous than the wild living of the "younger brothers" of the world in which we live. The solution is to first understand the saving love of Christ for us on the cross, and to see that God has already given us everything. We need to let the cross transform us into people who serve out of loving affection, not selfish motives or dutiful obligation.

This book is great, and if you read one thing I've posted about on here, I hope that this is it. It's an easy read, only 133 pages, and it's well worth it. Once I picked it up, I had a tough time setting it down... I pretty much finished it in one sitting!

And whatever you do, I hope that you take some time to have an awesome dinner with family and friends and give thanks for all that God has given. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Beyond Sunday - Jesus is _______: Religion Builder?

2010-11-23T17:51:00.001-06:00

...by Larry McManus

No doubt you have heard that, “There are two things you don’t talk about: religion and politics.”

“RELIGION”. What comes to mind when you hear the word? Does it have anything to do with love, community, relationship, or grace? More importantly, what does Jesus think of “religion”?

As I looked into New Testament today, the word “religion” does not show up in any of Jesus’ talks, not even once, so it appears that Jesus was not about the business of building a new religion. As we heard in the sermon, Jesus viewed the religious activity of the Pharisees to be a hindrance and a barrier to encountering God. Religion was about doing the opposite of the don’ts, and being against the things that were deemed “bad”. This negative perspective on religion hasn’t changed much over the past 2010 years.

Neither is the church an “institution” or a “business”. Sure there are some basic elements of business organization within the practical function of a local church, but are we just another religion or business? How sad when we, within the church, adopt the worldly misconceptions that we are just an institution or another religion among many viable religions.

We learned in the sermon this week that religious attitudes can be a barrier to encountering God. Jesus was about building a movement that encouraged true encounters with the living God. He doesn’t care about a system of rules and regulations that bind us.

So what are the take-a-ways? I’m examining my own attitudes about religion and how I view the world. I refuse to be defined by the “anti’s”-- we don’t do this, we don’t like that, we’re against this or that. The next step is to begin to make amends with those I may have offended with my pious “religious” attitudes. It’s easy to be judgmental; the world does it all the time. Jesus said, “For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:47

Beyond Sunday - Jesus is ______: Miracle Worker?

2010-11-18T12:03:00.001-06:00

...by Michael Switzer

Miracles not as a 'favor' but as a reminder.

Even as a Christian, I find the idea of miracles very difficult to grasp. It's hard to imagine that, in a universe created with such eloquent and intricate laws of physics, God the creator might bend or change laws to impact a situation's outcome or that He might manipulate a thought process, perception, or ability of someone. Why would God choose to perform miracles?

As Greg suggested, miracles are rare and inconsistent. But how rare and how inconsistent? It’s fascinating to me to think that if everyone on earth exclusively experienced just one miracle during his or her lifetime, God would be performing an average about 175 miracles every minute (over 250,000 per day). That seems like a lot of intervention. If it's not the case that God has such regular intervention, should it be surprising that most of us might never experience firsthand a miracle of God?

It's often said the birth of a child is a miracle. Is it? There's no doubt in my mind childbirth is an extremely complex and intricate process that, at its core, no one understands (as in the context of a reason). We know to some extent what happens during child birth but why it occurs in the first place is forever a mystery whose answer is held only by God. Simply because child birth is complex and amazing and it yields a new life, is it necessarily a miracle?

Miracles to me are a very serious exception created by God as a reminder. Miracles are intentional, and I believe the intent lies within the mean or the process through which the miracle takes place. When I pray for a miracle to occur, am I not just praying for the outcome of a situation to be changed (usually for my or someone else's benefit)? Do I miss the point of miracles if my posture is 'God, work your magic and do me a favor?' When God does perform miracles He has a purpose. I think we overlook His purpose when we focus on what we get out of the deal rather than the transformations we're asking Him to make. Let miracles serve not as 'favors' of God but as 'reminders' of who God is and His existence.

When we pray for miracles or are blessed in some way to experience a miracle, let us focus on the fact that the hand of God entered (or can enter) into our lives and touched it in a miraculous way.

Mentoring.

2010-11-17T03:00:00.037-06:00

So just a couple nights ago, I finished writing a paper for one of the classes I am taking this semester, and it was a review of a book called Leaders Everywhere. The book offered up several ideas on developing a leadership culture within churches and ministry, and there were certainly some insights contained within that book that were helpful. One of the key suggestions, though, was that part of being a leader means that you will take upon yourself the responsibility of mentoring others, helping them become leaders.

That made me think about my life. I really wouldn't say I had a mentor in anything really until I came to Suncrest and Bobby sort of took me under his wing and offered up some great mentoring for me which continues to this day. Now, with responsibilities at Highland, I am also thankful that Jared has also taken the initiative to share some insights with me as well. Having these relationships has really helped to supply in me some things that are lacking, and I am very thankful for them.

It sounds strange to really even think about, but I think that entering into a relationship with someone to serve as your mentor can be a very useful and beneficial thing. I know that when I finally let my "I already know it all" attitude of pride melt away and actually entered into these relationships, it started to serve as one of the most useful things for me ever. I think the same can be true for each of us as we try to cultivate a relationship with Jesus. There is something incredibly powerful about us finding people who have gone before or may be a little more experienced on the journey than we are. These are people who can come alongside you, offer some great advice, and be an incredible friend. I truly can't say that enough. It makes a difference to have someone who can help show you the way.

But on the opposite end of the spectrum, I think that there's also incredible power in us choosing to mentor others. I know that my first reaction to hearing something like that is to say, "Who, me? What do I have to offer?" But I think it is an incredibly valuable practice both for the other person and for us. Just as I have freely received advice from mentors, I want to offer it as well when asked. As one of the worship pastors for our campuses, part of my job is to offering mentoring to up and coming leaders and worship leaders. I don't know if I always feel qualified, but I find that oftentimes I walk away from those conversations learning something myself.

After experiencing it myself, I am a big fan of mentoring. I'd highly recommend it to you as well! Take a shot, and learn from someone else on your journey to cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus!

Beyond Sunday - Jesus is _______: Provocative Teacher

2010-11-11T10:03:00.001-06:00

...by Dave Wright

Quick…think of the best teacher, mentor, or boss in your life. Why were they “the best”? What characteristics did this person have that stick out? The one thing that sticks out from my best teacher is the challenges he threw at me. He knew I had the talent, but he pushed me to become even better. I hated bringing a project to him for the first time, knowing he would be “constructively dissatisfied.” Imagine if you were one of Jesus’ Apostles and you had to turn in something to him? Would you be dreading what he was going to say, or would you be willing to listen to his constructive criticism?

Greg’s sermon touched on three things regarding Jesus as a provocative teacher. He confronts our status quo, exposes our motives, and challenges us to grow. It is hard to remember…but Mark 9:23 says, “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

BTW…have you ever felt like the “new kid”? I felt like the new kid playing at the Highland Campus this past Sunday…but in a good way. It seemed like all new people were worshiping in just the month I was there last….how wonderful to see people looking for the provocative teacher in their life. I know everyone says this, but you have to go and check out the other campuses and see how Suncrest is being used by God to change lives.

Some Worship Resources for You...

2010-11-10T17:07:00.000-06:00

It's kind of weird, but as I sit here at my desk and think about what to post about today on the Cultivate blog, it struck me that we talk a ton about books, messages, websites, and a bunch of other cool resources where you can go to help cultivate your personal relationship with Jesus, but we don't really spend a lot of time talking about great worship resources! And a huge part of my job is leading worship! You'd think that would be a little more at the forefront!

Well, I want to make sure that we remedy that, my friends. So, today, I'd like to pass along a few of the worship projects I've been listening to lately that have really been pushing me in a good way worship-wise. I've got a total of 8 hours to and from Cincinnati in my car each week, so I've certainly got some time to listen!

So, what's been playing on my iPod recently, you ask? Well, allow me to share some of my favorites!

1. A Beautiful Exchange, Hillsong Live: It's hard to have a list of some great worship stuff without talking about Hillsong. I think these loveable Aussie worship leaders are on CD project number 4,905,809 now, but I'm not sure. I especially love the song "Forever Reign." The language describing the richness of God's love and the reminder it is always more than enough has really stood out to me in this season.

2. Singalong, Phil Wickham: I actually hadn't listened to this CD for a while, but decided to listen to it today on my ride home. Great choice. It's simply a recording of several acoustic performances on one of his tours, and it's really cool to worship along with. Wickham has this really passionate voice and passionate way of leading, and that stirs up a passion inside of me.

3. The Rising, Charlie Hall: My good buddy Charlie Hall (okay, we're not really friends, but I like to imagine that we are) is a little too artsy for some, but I really like his music and his perspective when he writes. This is his new CD he just released a few weeks ago, with some really cool songs on there. I especially love that I feel like his worship songwriting really takes the form of prayers to God... something very personal that seems to resonate well with me. Maybe it will with you too. Also, if you don't own it already, his earlier release "Flying Into Daybreak" may possibly be the greatest worship CD of the 21st century. Buy that too.

4. Kingdom Come, Elevation Worship: Elevation Church located in North Carolina (Charlotte area, I believe) and has one of the most creative teams of people assembled to lead worship there. All of the songs on this CD were written for use in their church and stem out of the journey into God's story that they are experiencing in their church. If nothing else, the song "The Church" is probably one of the most gripping and compelling songs I've heard in quite a while... it alone makes this CD purchase worth it.

5. Awake, North Point Worship: If you read my personal blog, you probably know about my enormous man crush on Andy Stanley (I still blame Greg for starting it). This is a live worship recording from Andy Stanley's church (my second man crush is probably a tie between either Todd Fields or Eddie Kirkland, both of whom are North Point worship leaders featured on this CD), and it just features a lot of solid songs on here that I really love to worship with. It's like the worship CD version of "Old Faithful" for me. I think you'll find it pretty worth adding to your library.

Honorable mention? Awakening, Passion. Just get it. Trust me.

Beyond Sunday

2010-11-04T12:57:00.002-05:00

...by Doug Gamble

This past Sunday I announced some exciting news to our Hobart Campus. We have been given a facility and in early 2011 we will move into our own 24/7 space. God has certainly thrown open a huge door for us, even though we were not sure it was the right door at first. As with a lot of areas of our life, the open door isn't always obvious. It takes trust to both SEE the door and WALK through it. We doubt ourselves. We doubt it is God we are actually hearing from. We doubt that He could use us.

When the Israelites were led out of Egypt they questioned their decision to follow God. They complained because it was taking longer than they liked. They griped about the conditions. They questioned Moses' leadership. But their experience in the desert was exactly what they needed to build a deeper trust in God. That trust was essential to God's plan being carried out through them. And it's essential for His plan to be carried out through us.

I met with a man this week who is in a "desert" experience. Even though he had dedicated his life to serving God, his life fell apart. He has been angry. He has doubted. He has wanted to give up. But he is holding on, taking one step at a time and trusting that God will bring him through this experience. And each step of the way his trust grows.

Growing in trust is not an instantaneousness act. Trust only develops in time through experiences where trust is needed. So if you find yourself in a season of waiting or a season in the desert, keep taking steps forward, learning to trust with each step. If you can't see the open door, take time to specifically focus on your relationship with Jesus. If you see a door but are afraid to walk through it, pray like crazy and step through it.

The 22 Day Challenge.

2010-11-03T03:00:00.001-05:00

So, recently, there's been a lot of talk here on the Cultivate blog about challenges.

I mean, we just finished that 100 day e100 Challenge a few weeks ago, right? But I saw someone post about this on facebook a few weeks ago and I couldn't help but post about it on here as well in case some of you might be interested in it.

This is called the 22 Day Challenge, and it is hosted by a group called "I Am Second." I Am Second (www.iamsecond.com) is a really cool website with a bunch of videos of people talking about how living second and putting Jesus in the driver's seat of their lives has made a huge difference for them. They talk about their changed lives (something we are all about here at Suncrest!) and how following Jesus has just made life make sense. Some of the videos are from average, ordinary people like you and me, while others are from some fairly well-known figures: football players, musicians, coaches, CEO's, etc. If you ever have some free time and are looking for an inspiration, check the site out!

But on this site, they have the 22 Day Challenge, which is a really easy, yet exciting way to help challenge you in your relationship with Jesus. Each day, you'll watch an I Am Second video, and then be encouraged to share that video with one person who you think will really appreciate it or be impacted by it. You'll also receive a next step each day for yourself and be encouraged to pray for your community to experience the power of living second. I'm hoping to give this a try soon myself! If you're interested in signing up to try it, click here. It's totally free... you'll just get an e-mail each day with your instructions for the rest of the day.

It's a cool site, so I hope you check it out! DO IT! And experience the power of living second.

The Beautiful Fight.

2010-10-28T23:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's actually not a Wes Wednesday (oops! I forgot!), but nevertheless, I wanted to tell you about a cool resource for cultivating your personal relationship with Jesus that I just ran across over the past few weeks. It's a book called The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas.

I actually was required to read this book for a class I'm taking at school this semester, but I found it to be a worthwhile read. Thomas opens up the book by sharing this story about a woman named Perpetua who lived in the Roman Empire, but had such a deep faith that she boldly continued sharing Christ, even at the cost of her own life (which she actually lost being killed by a lion in Rome's ampitheater in front of thousands of people).

The whole premise of the book is helping Christians to embrace a life that shows clear transformation. I think we can all attest that this is one of the most powerful evidences of God's working in a person's life; the transformation that we see in him or her because of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. In The Beautiful Fight, Gary Thomas wants to help people embrace that sort of lifestyle; one that really demonstrates a true transformation made possible only by the power of Christ within each one of us.

I know that for me, this book hit me at a good time. The whole theme is something that really captured me; I want to live a life that shows transformation because of my commitment to following Jesus. I haven't felt like I've been hitting that mark lately, and Thomas offers some good ideas on how I can better live a life that, while a struggle, will in the end show the transformational power of God in me. Here at Suncrest, we want to be a church that is used by God to change lives. And I think that starts with us letting God change our life individually.

Really, it's a great read! I'd highly recommend it to you to check out!

Beyond Sunday - People of the Second Chance: This is who we are

2010-10-27T17:12:00.001-05:00

...by Larry Walker

Brandon spoke so realistically this week, didn’t he? When he preached on how even the most righteous have questioned and sinned, it just became so much more real to me. Hearing that these mighty people like Moses and Peter didn’t think they could make a difference, it just felt so personal. Moses had to lead people into the Red Sea. Am I really being asked to do something of that magnitude? But still I hesitate jumping in when there is a need. Gosh, work is tough right now. Well, I would but what about the Bears game?

John 21:15 calls us to feed the lambs. Make disciples in His name. Not when we can spare 5 minutes, but that this should be first on the list. There is such joy attained when giving and receiving second chances. We should share this great joy with those who need that second chance. And we should look at it as a second chance to spread His word.

Beyond Sunday - People of the Second Chance: I don't measure up

2010-10-20T09:02:00.001-05:00

...by Randy Parish

I think we may all have a little Moses in us. Not that many of us have been asked to lead a nation, but we all have been asked to do something that is unfamiliar or even uncomfortable to us. We usually throw up the “I couldn’t possibly do that” flag. We like routine, we like the familiar. We love our favorite lounging around clothes and “comfort food.” We don’t want someone coming around and asking us to do something outside of our comfort zone. We have a dozen reasons why not before the other person finishes asking. Greg outlined that we think our limits are based on our past, our talents, our strength and our control. When we set these limits, we limit the size of our God. We don’t want to let go because it means we have to give up control. I’ve never done that so I couldn’t possibly be any good at it. I don’t want to fail. We pray for God to give us strength or direction and when it comes…. we shrink back. We have a solution in mind when we pray and don’t feel our prayers are answered until we get our solution. We limit God. Think about how big our God is. He can do anything, or be limited by how big we let him be. We may never have done something before, but we have to let our weakness be filled by what God is offering. He knows where we are lacking and will provide the strength or talent or the experience we need. So even though our limits are self revealing about what our doubts are, those doubts are destroyed by our stepping out in obedience to what God wants us to do.

Cultivate Serving Opportunities

2010-10-20T03:00:00.035-05:00

Well folks, hope you enjoyed all of the e100 resources that we posted on here over the past several months! I know that it was beneficial to me to be going through all of that with you... hope it was useful for you as well!

As we sort of get back into a regular rhythm with these next few posts, I just wanted to share with all of you some opportunities we have for serving within Cultivate at all four if our Suncrest campuses. If you're interested in helping out, you can always fill itouton a Connection Card, give us a call here at church (219-365-9000), or just get in touch either in person or via email with your campus Cultivate leader (Bobby at St. John, Larry McManus at Hobart, Rachel Kaser at Walkerton, or myself at Highland). I know we'd all love to hear from you!

Campus Prayer Team: These are the folks who volunteer to stay after service for a little bit to pray with folks who would like to be prayed with. This is an awesome opportunity to get a chance to really give some comfort and peace to this who are hurting and in tough situations. Plus, the time commitment is light! Just a few minutes after service is all it takes to volunteer!

Baptism Class Teacher: At each of our campuses we try to have some sort of forum for talking with folks about taking the next step of baptism. If you have a passion for teaching, then this could be a great serving opportunity for you! You'll get a chance to talk to people about what the Bible teaches regarding baptism and help people take their next steps in faith.

Communion Comments Team: This is the group of people that come up every so often on stage and share the thoughts that lead into our time of communion each week. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, then get in touch with your campus Cultivate leader!

Just wanted to share those opportunities with you to serve within Cultivate. If one of those sounds great to you, then get in touch with us and start serving!

100. The New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-22:21).

2010-10-15T03:00:00.060-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So recently, about a month ago, I was diagnosed with this condition in both of my eyes called floaters (I swear that's the technical term... you would think they'd have something a little more "medical" sounding).

Maybe some of you have this condition as well (we should form our own little Suncrest support group). I can't speak for anyone else, but I find this condition to be one of the most annoying things in the world. Basically, what happens in your eye is that if you're nearsighted (like me), oftentimes the different shape of your eye causes the sack inside your eyeball that contains eye fluid to detach from the back of your eye. Unfortunately, though, when this happens, little tiny pieces of debris are let loose into your eyeball. So, anytime you're in areas where there's a solid, bright colored background (like a wall or the sky) or really when you're anywhere that there's a lot of light (like outside on a sunny day), when you turn your head or move your eyes to look at something, you'll see the shadows of these specks, threads, or dots in your vision that are the "floaters" that are floating around inside your eye.

It is truly one of the most annoying things ever. There are certain rooms in our church building where we have meetings that I hate being in because I find myself being constantly distracted by these little moving objects. When I make my drive to and from Cincinnati every week, I know I'm going to encounter these little guys every time I shift my vision or check my blind spot. While they can be signs of serious eye issues in some people, they're actually normally benign and harmless (that's what they are in my case). It is absolutely, completely selfish and shortsighted, but I can't wait to live in a world where stupid stuff like eye floaters won't affect me anymore... when my life is free from little annoyances like that.

You could say that in a way, my eye floaters are making me look forward to heaven.

But for some of us, we suffer with something way more painful and serious than a stupid little eye condition, don't we? For some, basic things I take for granted like vision or hearing simply don't exist. Maybe some of you reading this right now have heard the sting of the word "cancer" and have been told you only have a short time left. Maybe you were in an accident that will make sure you never walk again, or maybe you're suffering from some painful, difficult to deal with disease that won't kill you, but sure makes your life feel miserable to live. Some of us suffer the pain of being separated from those we love: fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, or wives.

And it's in these situations that we feel the incredible joy of heaven calling us.

Truly, I don't think there's a more happy, joyful passage in the Bible than this one. It's a fitting way to end our 100 day study together. Truly, it is incredible to think of a world like heaven where things we just take as everyday realities no longer exist: death, crying, pain, anger, hurt, and yes, even eye floaters, will be wiped away. Forever. And those things will be replaced with the incredible joy of a perfect, unbroken, untarnished relationship with our Creator God who loves us. It brings goosebumps on my skin and tears to my eyes.

This is what pushes us. This is what reminds us it is all worth it. In the moments where I am tempted to give up, to throw in the towel, and to live a shortsighted life that values things of earth above the things of God, heaven should be my focus, calling me to remember the incredible riches that lie in store for a person who faithfully follows God. This is probably why the Bible talks so much about us focusing on heaven... it's a reminder to us that things aren't the way they were supposed to be, and that someday, that glorious perfect order will be restored. Someday, we'll be free from all the junk of this world. Someday, we'll get to see our glorious, gracious Savior face to face.

Someday, I'll get rid of these eye floaters.

Beyond Sunday - People of the Second Chance: I've been wronged

2010-10-14T12:55:00.002-05:00

...by Kevin McHugh

People of the Second Chance has been a message series that really resonates with me for a couple of reasons. First of all, the circumstances have been different. My wife has been busy helping out at the Walkerton Campus and my schedule has been different as well. This has resulted in me attending solo a couple times and not in my normal time slot; it's just been unusual and it seems I am tuned in differently. OK, the second reason is much better that this lame lead in....

The second reason I relate to this message series is all about the content and the thoughtful and genuine way it has been taught:

"I've screwed up" (guilty as charged)
"I'm running on empty" (yep - feel that way sometimes)

and this week's message, "I've been wronged"

The first two have been easier to wrap my mind around because of the things I bring upon myself, but this week's message has been harder - What about all the injustice in this world? I have read that this is one of the most common questions heard when people are questioning faith in God. So I sit here wondering who might be reading this and if they wonder where God is when life is really kicking their tail right now.

Greg taught on this using the account of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph was subjected to betrayal, slavery, false accusation, imprisonment, and basically had his tail kicked for about 17 years through no fault of his own. Yet in the end Joseph recognized a meaning in it all and told the very brothers who betrayed him about God's plan, and how countless lives would be saved from famine because of the chain of events that resulted from Egypt storing up food based on Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. It is harder to see God when we are enduring an injustice, but Joseph sure did - that's a good example for me and I hope it hit home for you as well.

Greg made the point a few times: Don't mistake God's silence for absence. It's tough to keep a heavenly perspective when things are going bad and it's not even our fault. So the challenge presented to us is to know how much our God deeply loves us and to feel his spirit in us regardless of the circumstances. We have examples like Joseph in the Bible and I also like the account made by Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians - check out Chapters 11 & 12. Talk about getting your tail kicked unjustly, but what an outcome! A guy who has guided countless to salvation!

99. Hallelujah (Revelation 19:1-20:15)!

2010-10-14T03:00:00.010-05:00

By Steve Butera

The book of Revelation almost always evokes a reaction from people. Some see it akin to fortune telling and others find it difficult to understand and would rather avoid it. For sure, it is filled with symbols and realities that require us to pay attention and ask for God’s help in understanding it. One thing I do feel sure about is that there isn’t any part of the Bible that we can ignore, overlook, or pass by. Every word, from the very first to the very last is necessary and has the power to transform us. Each word is intentional by God and is life for us. So, I pray that I don’t ignore any of it…not the lineage of Jesus in Matthew, the complex descriptions in Numbers, or the vision of Revelation.

Revelation was written by the apostle John to Christians in the first century. Christians who were facing great persecution, fears, and even death. Rome, being the epitome of Godlessness and opposition to the Gospel made it very difficult for them. So, Revelation was written for these Christians to help them in their challenges, suffering and fears. But like the entire Bible, it is written for us now as well. The Bible is timeless in that way. Revelation is also about the final destruction of Godlessness and the final destiny of the Church of Jesus Christ. Both of these are associated with the return of Jesus Christ. Chapter 19 is approaching that final moment in all of history when Jesus is returning in Glory. So when you think about it this way, it’s a part of God’s word we as Christians want and need to know about.

If you back up to chapter 18, you see in verses 21-23 that there is an intense, almost haunting finality to God’s judgments. We read, ²¹ Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, “Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again. ²² The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again. ²³ The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries." How wonderful that evil is finally being destroyed. Yet, think about this more deeply, and you realize that this also means there is no more possibility ever of any repentance…how terribly unsettling this is.

So in chapter 19 John’s attention is turned from earth to heaven, and there are some really interesting observations I make in this chapter. First I notice the reaction of heaven to the fierceness that is going on down on the earth. They are not ignoring the unfolding judgments. No, they are singing a chorus about them. They are rejoicing about them. So we see that heaven is not uncomfortable with the judgment of God. If you ponder that, you realize that God’s judgment actually lies at the heart of heaven’s glorying in who God is.

One other thing that’s interesting is that it appears that Heaven is not always a place of undisturbed tranquility. John says “I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in Heaven shouting.” Think about a huge stadium filled to capacity and everyone roaring with shouts. Then multiply that 1000 fold. Can you imagine? Later he says “then I heard again what sounded like a vast crowd or the roar of a mighty ocean.” Notice how he describes it by saying “what sounded like.” It is as if it’s indescribable to him. God and heaven are so beyond our human understanding; John can only give us a sense of what he is seeing and hearing. The reason heaven has this reaction is that God has vindicated His own honor. He has displayed his power.

I see this is getting long, and I try not to do that, but what God is revealing to us through Revelation is so amazing, that it is hard for me to encapsulate it succinctly. So, I will try to wrap this up.

Going back to the persecuted Christians I mentioned initially, you know how it is when you face persecution and great fears? You begin to wonder “how is God going to deal with this?” “Is He aware of what I’m going through?” You ask yourself “Is God involved, does he really care, is evil going to win in my situation?” I think we can see Revelation as being about hope. You may ask “what are you talking about?” Revelation is filled with judgments, horror and destruction. Hope? Yes, hope! For the simple reason that God is showing us in Revelation how things are going to end. We get to see that God is the one who has the final word, that evil does not triumph, but God does. Think about it, all the questions we have about God’s justice, his faithfulness, and whether evil or God will win in the end are answered. We are assured that God has the last word. This is what the chorus in heaven is all about, that God has demonstrated His salvation in His judgment.

If you think of salvation as rescuing people from the bondage of Satan and the powers of darkness, we see that God has saved us; he has defeated our enemy, he has broken the power of satin and cast him down. So it is like salvation and judgment go together in a sense. We see that God is true to His word. God has vindicated His name and glory is brought to Him. We see GOD has control. So Revelation is both a comfort to me and also helps me stay motivated to be set apart from the world. As I think of all of these things, all I can really do is be in awe of God’s awesome, wonderful, and incredible plan that will unfold. It makes me want to worship Him and give Him the Glory that is due Him! Praise God!

98. The Throne of Heaven (Revelation 4:1-7:17).

2010-10-13T03:00:00.030-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

What was the most terrifying moment in your life?

I don't know that I can remember all of mine. I remember passing out on stage one time during a choir number at church growing up. That was kind of scary. I remember feeling really terrified when I was in Brazil on a bus that was going up steep mountain hills on the side of the mountain in the middle of a big storm, wondering if we were going to fall off. I remember the feeling of terror sitting in a hospital emergency room only a few months ago wondering if something serious was wrong with me and if I was perhaps enjoying some of the final moments of my life.

Heck, I actually got a chance to go out with a girl recently and that was pretty terrifying to me, too.

Whatever your terrifying moment is, I think we can all be confident that it will pale in comparison to the sheer terror we'd experience if we were in John's shoes before the throne of God in heaven.

There's a lot you can say about God. Here at Suncrest, I feel like we do a pretty good job talking about God as a healer, forgiver, lover, and friend. All of those things are true. All of them are great. God's identity as those things are some reasons why I worship and serve him each week. I'm glad we focus on those a lot.

But there's another side of God that I don't think we focus in on very much, and that's the scary side (yeah, you read that correctly). One of the most frequent commands in the Bible we are given is the command to fear God... that we would have a good idea of how vast and huge he is and how incredibly tiny and small we are. The Bible tells us in Proverbs that the beginning of wisdom is for us to fear God; to have a proper and reverent respect for who he is.

A few years ago I was reading some reflections from David Crowder, a popular worship leader who's written many songs to help the church worship (some of which we even use at Suncrest). He was writing on an experience he had in France one time where he got a chance to walk around in an old, Gothic cathedral in the city. Crowder noted the very ominous, imposing architecture (both on the inside and outside), but what was most interesting to me was his description that this cathedral "was build to resize you." In other words, that when you would walk into this church, you would be reminded of how teeny-tiny you are and how enormous, large, and powerful God is.

That's always stuck with me. It's great to have God as your friend. I think that's nice and comforting. I'd even say that through the sacrifice of Jesus, we can even argue that it's biblical. But let's not forget the grand, huge, enormous God we also worship. The very same God that is our friend is also the being we should fear the most. Maybe sometimes, it's good for us to get a view of God like the one David Crowder was reminded of. Or maybe the one John was reminded of here in Revelation.

God is great, and greatly to be praised. He is mighty and powerful and to be feared.

Maybe we need to remember sometimes to worship him solely for that.

97. Messages to the Churches (Revelation 2:1-3:22).

2010-10-12T03:00:00.001-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So, after hearing about John's initial vision, we now hear some messages from God to several different church communities of the day. Some of these messages contained high praise. Some contained points of rebuke; places where God wanted to see these communities do better. Nevertheless, I think that would have to be a great thing to hear from God himself with some advice for the church you are a part of. Definitely scary and humbling, but cool nonetheless. Reading these writings to churches, it made me wonder what God might write to Suncrest. What would God say about the things we are doing well? Poorly?

But through reading these letters, I noticed a couple of different things. First, I saw that a common theme was for many of these churches to just hold on. Several of these churches were undergoing some severe persecution from local Jewish groups that saw them as a threat, as well as some in the Roman government who saw Christian worship as strange, out of place, and a threat to the worship of their gods. And what does God say to these persecuted followers of him? Hold on. Keep at it. I think that today, in our moments of pain and difficulty, God is saying the same thing to us... hold on. Stay with it. Remain faithful.

I'm also just personally always haunted by God's words to the church in Laodecia in Revelation 3:14-19. God was hard on these people because they were so lukewarm in their response to him; they could simply care less. Based on the description, it seems like this church was filled with wealthy, well to do individuals who felt they didn't need anything from God. They felt pretty self-sufficient. And yet, they were the only church out of all the ones here in Revelation where God didn't say a single positive thing. God still loved and cared for them (see verse 19), but cared too much about them to let them continue in their ways.

I think that the church in Laodecia is scary to me because in a lot of ways I think a lot of American churches are in a similar situation. Has our excessive wealth (and believe me, compared to any other country on the planet, America's wealth is excessive no matter how little your assets are) made us complacent? Are we in danger of needing God's rebuke, just like the Laodecians? Definitely a question to keep thinking about as we continue on as part of God's church here in America.

96. A Voice and a Vision (Revelation 1:1-20).

2010-10-11T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Revelation is an incredible book of the Bible, and without a doubt, one of the most hotly disputed. I'm really looking forward to you all getting to hear some of Steve and Beka's thoughts later on this week about it, but in kicking our brief jaunt through this book, I just wanted to note a couple of things in my reading of Revelation 1.

#1. Jesus comes on the clouds. At least, that's what it says in verse 7. Christ will come on the clouds. This is significant for a few reasons, probably the most important being that this is Messianic-type imagery. In other words, Jesus being this figure who comes on the clouds is something that is actually a fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy and actually makes a statement about his lordship.

But I also think that there's a real significance to the fact that Jesus is portrayed coming on clouds in a somewhat metaphorical sense as well. In a time in my life several years ago where God seemed really distant, my friend Brent shared with me Revelation 1:7 and shared that he felt there was symbolic truth there pointing to the simple fact that when the clouds and storms of life come, there we often find Jesus as well. In that point in my life, I was in great pain emotionally and spiritually, but it brought me comfort to think that in the midst of that "cloud" in my life, there was Jesus. He was coming right alongside. And he would use this situation for his glory and purposes.

#2. John was listening for the call of the Spirit. The book of Revelation was actually a letter written by the disciple John, explaining a vision that he had of the end days. This letter would then be sent to several different churches in order to offer some hope and encouragement that in the end, God wins. We have nothing to fear.

But what kind of struck me was the fact that John was truly listening for what God was seeking to do in his life. Could you imagine what would have happened if God gave John a vision, but he simply ignored it or chalked it up to just being some weird dream? John was sensitive to what God was wanting to say to him, and out of that sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, I believe we find the book of Revelation.

So many times, I think that we totally miss what God is trying to do in our lives. We don't find him, often because we aren't looking for him. Of course, you could take that too far, trying to find God giving you some special message in everything, which is probably just as dangerous a habit to get into. But I just wonder how many things I potentially miss, not because God isn't speaking, but because I'm not listening. I don't want to miss out on what God wants to say. And that means having a receptive and open heart that's looking and waiting for God to speak at any moment.

Beyond Sunday - People of the Second Chance: I'm running on empty

2010-10-07T10:37:00.001-05:00

...by Beka Jackson

This week seemed familiar to me. Did it seem that way to you? Ecclesiastes reminded me so much of the book of Philippians. In the spring, we walked through that book and learned what Paul had to say about life. I think maybe he learned from the book of Ecclesiastes!

Greg talked about “nothing new under the sun...” When he began to explain earth as being the “under the sun” and heaven being outside or above that, I immediately thought of Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Solomon discovers after years of searching everywhere on the earth, that the earth doesn’t hold the key to life. It is above earthly things.

It was a nice reminder. I am continually looking for meaning and purpose in the things I do, the things I am known for here on this earth. I seek meaning and purpose in relationships. I seek approval like it is going out of style! And I am continually coming up empty. Still feeling the need to search.

The times in my life that I have felt like I have a meaning are the times that I am “think(ing) about such things.” Or like Solomon says it, “fear God and keep his commandments”. When I am searching for His truth, for His calling in my life, I find it. His truth has already been given to me; that’s easy to find. And even though His calling in my life is sometimes unclear, I still feel like I have a purpose even just in the search.

94. Faith and Works (James 1:1-2:26).

2010-10-07T03:00:00.001-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

If someone were to ask me my favorite passage of Scripture I would quickly say James 1:22 “do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, do what it says.” How wonderfully simple, to the point, and practical is that…like most of the book of James.

There are few other favorite convicting verses of mine from this section. See if they convict you in the same way they do me:

-1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds… If I want to be stronger and better, I have to go through trials. I’ve noticed that often when people come from difficult backgrounds they often have a strength of character that others can only admire. My mom is one of these people. She has continually risen above tough circumstances to become one of the strongest people I know. Consider the equation: trial of faith = perseverance = maturity.

-1:19 everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. If only I could get past the quick to listen, then I’ll start to work on slow to speak and slow to become angry. I think I could spend my entire life on that one verse. You know the people that don’t shoot off their mouth or say immature things, those are the people everyone else wants to listen to.

-1:22ff That whole mirror imagery is cool to me. Do I look into the Bible, the mirror, and see a reflection of myself? I wish.

-2:1 don’t show favoritism. How often I cling to that which is familiar, or like me, or safe and comfortable. How much God calls us to love the outcast, the poor, the weak.

-2:13 mercy triumphs over judgment. When it is all said and done, I am failing a lot. Which is why I’m so thankful for verse like this that remind me that God is just as strong in His mercy as He is in His judgment of us.

One of the main points of this e100 HAS to be that we don’t merely listen to the Word, but that we do what it says. How will you put into play something that you are reading/learning/experiencing about God this week?

92. A New Creation In Christ (2 Corinthians 4:1-6:2).

2010-10-05T03:00:00.003-05:00

by Scott Skowronski

This world that we live in definitely brings one test after another, challenging us to become the amazing creation God had in mind when we were formed. However, it is completely up to us to make the decision to pursue it. Deep in my heart and soul, I feel that we have all been given everything we need to get where we were meant to be. We must listen and obey in order to accomplish our purpose and carry forward the message that lives in the death of Jesus.

Sit and think about the following for a moment:

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

When we feel like quitting, when we get frustrated, when we get angry, when we question going forward, we place our faith ahead of our flesh remembering that "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." We are living a temporary assignment away from home and work to please God so that when it is our time to be with him we can confidently await the promise of heaven.

We must recognize that our sins will not be held against us. We become a new creation when we accept Christ as our Savior. We become reconciled to God. "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

As I read these passages today, I could not help but to think about how God's mercy has allowed me to arrive exactly where I am. It became clear to me that I must take the light shining in my heart and help others find it too. I am fully able to "Let light shine out of darkness." I was helped to find the glory of God through the face of Christ and am determined to help others also find this saving grace.

When I think back over the past two years of my life, I see a transformation that has reformed who I am and what I stand for on a daily basis. It amazes me how a desperate honest conversation with God guided me to becoming a new creation in Christ forever changing the rest of my time spent in this world and therefore eternity.

The once dark, sick and isolated world of my life has become filled with hope relentlessly bright and shining with love from every angle. I trust obediently and through that trust I am provided with all that I need to experience the joy I was meant to receive to bring glory to God. I am so grateful and invite all of you to join me in pursuing God's will living with this dedication at the forefront of our actions.

88. Good Soldiers of Christ (2 Timothy 2:1-26).

2010-09-29T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

As I sit and get ready to write this post, I just have to laugh. If there's been one passage of Scripture rolling around in my mind and heart recently, it is actually from 2 Timothy 2. The words here definitely carry a lot of weight. Obviously, they're the words of Scripture, so that makes them important in and of themselves. But there's something interesting about 2 Timothy; it is believed to be the final letter that Paul ever wrote (at least that we have and know of today). Paul was writing to Timothy, a young man (probably in his late teens or early to mid twenties) who had trained under Paul for a long time and had become one of Paul's most trusted friends and ministry colleagues. Paul knew the date for his trial before the Roman emperor Nero was coming, and that that could very well be it for him. So, before potentially dying, Paul wanted to make sure he left his best friend Timothy some words of wisdom.

And that's what we have here... Paul's advice to Timothy on how to be a servant of God. It all comes to a summary in verse 15: Paul asks Timothy to do everything in his power to present himself before God as one who did the job given to him and handled the message of God's truth with care.

But I'm also struck by something else in this chapter. Paul spends a lot of time asking Timothy to remember things that he already knew about Christ. That Christ is resurrected, that Christ died for us, that Christ gives us our salvation. Our identity is found in Christ. When we keep Him and His promises at the forefront of our minds, everything else has a way of falling into place. I think that's the biggest thing I take from Paul's words here; we need to keep Christ at the center. That's when we know we are good soldiers of Christ.

87. The Love of Money (1 Timothy 6:3-21).

2010-09-28T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So, in Bible college, I had this professor named Steve Yeaton for a class called Intro to Ministry. Basically, it was this freshman-level course that talked about random pastoral stuff... how to do a wedding or funeral, good basic tips for pastoral counseling, how to do pastor taxes (yeah, exciting stuff) and that sort of thing. But Professor Yeaton had a really witty sense of humor, and I'll never forget one day how he told our class that a guy only gets into ministry for two things: chicks and money. We laughed pretty hysterically (I can assure you, as a pastor on staff at Suncrest, I have neither chicks or money in abundance... just in case you were wondering).

I think everyone kind of makes jokes like that about money. I don't know that I have ever had a conversation with someone where they said, "Wes, I just have more money than I know what to do with!" That just doesn't happen. But some people let that lack become a real driving force for them. They do everything with money in mind. We probably have all known a person who has seen their life wrecked by a continual greed and desire for more and more money. Just as Paul says in this letter, the love of money truly is the root of all evil. When money consumes us, we'll destroy anything in our path to get more and more stuff. And the cruel irony that Paul observes is simply that we don't get to take our stuff with us when we die anyway (1 Timothy 6:7). We're literally spinning our wheels for something that's here for a moment and then... POOF! It's gone.

But I also don't want us to go too far to the extreme and say the wrong thing here, either. Paul says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Money itself is not. I really like what Dave Ramsey has to say on this issue. He compares money to a brick. In itself, it's neutral. It's what we do with it that makes it good or bad. We can use a brick to do something bad, like break a window or destroy someone's property. But we can also use a brick to do something great, like build a home or a hospital. The same is true with money. We can use it for terrible things, like purchasing so much junk we don't need putting us into deep debt, or we can use it for great things, like giving to someone in need, giving to our church, or providing for our families.

As Christ followers, I believe that God wants us to be people who are driven by a deep desire to use what God has given us in the greatest way possible to make a difference in the world that He would be proud of. So if you've got money, great! Don't hoard it... use what you need and give the rest away. You're not going to hold onto it for long anyway. And if you're like me, where you don't have a ton of money, don't fret! God will continue to provide for us (read Matthew 6 if you don't believe me). Let's just make sure we aren't driven by a desire to gain more and more for ourselves.

86. Elders and Deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-16).

2010-09-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Based on outward appearances, there's not a whole lot very flashy about this passage. As a pastor and Bible college student, I get to hear a lot about people's favorite Bible verses and things about Scripture that inspire them, and I don't recall anyone ever saying, "Hey, you know the passage that talks about elders and deacons? 1 Timothy 3? Yeah... that's definitely my favorite part of the Bible."

But despite its lack of flash, I think that this passage gives us some important considerations. Namely, that God really values leadership, especially within his church. In laying down the things that qualify a person to serve as an elder or deacon in the church, Paul really pushes people toward something great. He pushes them to go above and beyond the call in many ways. To me, this shows that God doesn't just want us to slip by, especially if we are wanting to be leaders in His body. In fact, God calls us to something far greater as leaders. The whole "be above reproach" idea is strongly communicated here. God wants us to be people that are far beyond being even one bit close to being dragged down accusations that might haunt us!

Reading this passage also just makes me thankful to get to serve with such great leaders at Suncrest. We've got some great people serving on our staff, and some even better people in our church who serve as elders and leaders. We've been truly blessed with people who have stepped up to the plate and done such a great job casting direction and vision for our church, serving faithfully, and boldly following wherever God leads!

Leadership is important. 1 Timothy 3 encourages me to keep aspiring to be a better leader, and it also makes me thankful for the great leaders that we already have at Suncrest!

85. The Supremacy of Christ (Colossians 1:1-23).

2010-09-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

I sincerely believe that there is no decision that a person can make that is more important than the decision a person makes about Jesus.

I say that for a couple of different reasons. Number one, I think the Bible teaches us that the decision of what we do with Jesus has ramifications for our eternity. But secondly, I think that a decision to say that Jesus is the Son of God and is more than worthy of me following Him will force a fundamental change in the way we live our lives. All of a sudden, we find the motivation to be more loving. More forgiving. More compassionate. More joyful. More peaceful.

Colossians 1 contains one of the most important statements about who Jesus is. Paul tells us here that He is the very image of God Himself, and all things were created through Him. All the fullness that lies within God the Father can be found in Jesus. He is supreme over all things and in all things (a great reminder, especially when we walk through difficult times in life).

But quite possibly, the greatest thing that Paul says about Jesus in this passage is that He is active member in the ministry of our reconciliation. We were once enemies of God because of the terrible choices that we made; we disobeyed His commands, chose to do our own thing our own way, and overall, just chose to say "no" to whatever it was God asked of us. But through Jesus, we have been reconciled with God. No longer is this a relationship on rocky terms... it is a relationship filled with the incredible love of God for us! The all supreme, all knowing, all-powerful God chooses relationship with us. We never have to worry if He is on our side... we know that He is always working things together for those who love Him.

Beyond Sunday - Journey: Worth it?

2010-09-23T11:49:00.001-05:00

...by Bobby Jackson

Well, it has all come down to this. For the last several weeks we’ve been encouraged to identitfy, pray, respond in love, and to partner with what God is doing in the local church. Quite a good buzz especially this week about the power of a simple ask.

What draws me personally is having something worth asking people to. In my case I have two things: Suncrest and who Jesus is.

I am proud to invite people to know the people and culture of Suncrest. It is unlike anyplace I have ever been. I find myself getting genuinely jazzed about what we do here and it overflows when I talk with others about what we do or invite them to “come and see” or “kick the tires”. I think one of the most powerful influences for Christ is an authentic Christian community.

And of all the things I could give my life to or help others know about, helping people understand the crazy love of Jesus overwhelms me. When I begin to explain it or talk about what it looks like in my simple life, I am blown away at the magnitude of His grace and love. Getting started in the conversation is sometimes hard for me, but talking about God’s extreme love flows once it gets started.

What seems worth it to you? What are you willing to risk talking about? How much do we believe that Jesus really is who He said He is? Reflecting on that compels me/us. I pray it is a fruitful week as you and I look to invite our “one” to take a step toward a relationship with Jesus.

By the way, someone reminded me this week to not make a big deal about inviting our friend to Suncrest so that they don’t feel like they were just a project or a score for you…seemed like a good reminder.

Will your “one” be here this week?

84. Rejoice In the Lord (Philippians 4:4-9).

2010-09-23T03:00:00.013-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

To me, Philippians 4:4-9 is one of the passages in the Bible that has the most to say to how I live my life and to provide the peace that God wants us to have through Jesus Christ. Paul's advice here has an incredible bearing upon our lives and I know that if we apply what Paul says here, it could totally revolutionize the way our lives look.

For me, though, the biggest thing we learn from this passage is the importance of us not worrying. Worry is an absolutely destructive force in our lives. When we worry, stress, fret, and fear, we can feel like we are living an absolutely miserable life. Things fall apart. Every waking moment is spent thinking about what is going wrong or what could go wrong. It is rough. It's also consuming.

Paul advises, though, instead of us worrying, we should pray. We need to come to God first with our problems, with our issues, and with the things that are weighing us down. Paul assures that when we pray, we will discover an incredible peace that overtakes us and reminds us that everything will be okay; that God is still in control and still on His throne. We never have a reason to fear when we remember that God is in control and is working out all things for the good of His kingdom and His children! What's even better is that Paul doesn't put some limit on what we can pray about. Simply anything that is a concern can be brought to God, asking for His help and His provision. Several books in the Bible remind us of that awesome fact.

I know that recently, my life has went through a real season of worry. It's been rough. But I also know that (sadly) in my worry, I often don't take my concerns to God in prayer. But when I do, I know that somehow, someway, I experience a real peace. And that is wonderful, especially in seasons of worry. So keep praying! God is listening. And that gives us a great reason to rejoice in the Lord.

83. The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).

2010-09-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

I remember when I was a kid, our Sunday School class had to memorize all the parts of the armor of God. I wish I could say that I did so really willingly and that it was a truly transforming thing for my life. Unfortunately, though, that was not the case. I was more excited about the Pop Tart I would get from my teacher after reciting them properly.

But years later, I think I've been able to shed that childlike idea about the armor of God. Now as I think about it, if we could master all of the stuff that Paul talks about being part of the armor of God, we'd be in good shape. Truth, righteousness, peace, and all of the other things Paul talks about in this passage are things that could truly transform our lives if we'd truly grasp them and live them out.

But I think the thing we need to latch onto in this passage is actually before Paul even lists out the armor of God. It comes in Ephesians 6:12, where Paul writes "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

I'm really not a fan of the people who pawn all of their life's difficulties off onto Satan. But I think I often go to the other extreme. I live so much in this world that I oftentimes forget that there's a whole spiritual world that I can't see. And that world has a real effect on my world. Sometimes the best tactic of the enemy is to lure us into forgetting that he really exists, and that I believe he really is oftentimes trying to work against us. He can put real obstacles in our way.

But the good news? We have a God who has overcome the enemy! We don't have to worry. And we can know that we will overcome as well, if we will only put on the armor of God.

80. The Trip to Rome-Acts 25:1-28:31

2010-09-17T07:46:00.001-05:00

...by Kay Roberts

Whew! That was wild and crazy reading! Is your head spinning? I know mine is.

I can’t imagine the ordeal that Paul went through on this trip. The trip itself was no picnic and to throw in on top all he had endured prior to setting foot on the ship. But what I can imagine is his faith in God. Throughout this entire reading, Paul never waivers. He is the one encouraging the sea captain and advising him even though he is prisoner. He doesn’t try and escape or manipulate those around him for his own agenda. He could’ve absolutely taken advantage of his position in offering counsel to this in charge of him but didn’t. Not once! What a beautiful example Paul has left us especially for this day and age when everyone is out for number one…themselves! His faith and trust in God was so strong that he didn’t waiver.

How can we apply this to our lives today? What steps do we need to take to move forward with our faith? How can we live more boldly in our lives like Paul did?

Beyond Sunday - Journey: Team Sport

2010-09-16T13:19:00.001-05:00

...by John Stas

“You can do it, we can help”…those words sure do resonate with me. We have lived in our home for 23 years and during that time my wife and I have tackled quite a few home improvement projects. I am pretty adept at working around the house so most of the improvements were do-it-yourself jobs. We have finished the basement, remodeled the kitchen, built a front porch, refinished the hardwood floors, remodeled the laundry room, built two decks in the backyard, replaced all of the windows, replaced the roof---twice and I can’t count how many times the walls have been painted. Wow! No wonder I’m tired.

With every project we tackled we were able to assess the job at hand, and we were smart enough, in most cases, to seek the help and expertise of others to allow us to get the job done right. Greg’s message drove home that same point. No matter how inadequate we feel about talking with our “one” we have the resources at our disposal necessary to get the job done…if we seek them out.

The best assistance I received on my home projects came when I sought the help of a friend or relative who had already done what I was attempting to do. In engaging our “one” that approach is also a sound one. The idea of a partnership between me, the church, and God makes all the sense in the world. I’m the only one who can tell the story of how Jesus has influenced my life. The church and other Christ followers have experiences that I can draw on, but God is ultimately responsible for changing my “one’s” heart. Home Depot’s advertizing encourages the do-it-yourselfer to stop putting off their projects and get started. Good advice! “You can do it, we can help.”

77. The First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:1-14:28).

2010-09-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

I can’t imagine how many times in my life I have read this passage, but it’s been a while. In some ways it seems like a random account of Paul’s missionary journeys: Paul goes here, Paul goes there. This happens, that happens. Not quite so random, though. My son Tim tells me that the Book of Acts shows how the spread of the gospel unfolds geographically. You know Acts 1:8 well by now, don’t you? “…in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Well, now we are going to the ends of the earth with Paul. The ends of the earth as he knew it anyway.

The book unfolds biographically, too. The first part of the book of Acts tells more about Peter’s ministry to the Jews, and at this point (ch.13) the focus goes to Paul and his ministry to the Gentiles. But who is the real main character of the Book of Acts? It’s God. This is not so much a passage about what Paul is doing, as it is about what the Holy Spirit is doing. Though the Suncrest mission statement says that we want to be used by God to change lives, that could have been the mission statement for Paul’s life as well! It is God who is at work in the Book of Acts, in a mighty way, and he used the church to get his work done.

And folks, we are the church. God might not be calling you to the uttermost parts of the earth, but he is calling you next door or down the street. He is calling you to share your heart with your “one,” the neighbor, co-worker, or family member who needs his unconditional grace. Pray for opportunities and pray for open minds and open hearts. The early church did not pray for ease and comfort, they prayed for boldness and power. Let’s do the same!

75. Good News for All (Acts 10:1-11:18).

2010-09-10T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Dave Wright

“You know, our church is filled more of the Holy Spirit than the church down the street.”

“I don’t know how they can be considered a place of worship…they only have communion every quarter.”

“How do they consider themselves to be Children of God when they…?”

Wow, it seems like every time I am asked to write one of these blogs I start by things I have overheard. So…how many times have you heard these words…or even said them yourself?

Acts 10:1 through 11:18 tells the story of Cornelius, a Roman guard who lived in Caesarea. One afternoon Cornelius was visited by an angel who told him to send his men to Joppa and find Peter and bring him back to see him. While the men were coming to get Peter, he was in Joppa on a rooftop when he fell into a trance and saw a vision of Heaven open and unfurl a large sheet of all kinds of four-footed animals. The voice of the Lord said to Peter, “Get up Peter, kill and eat!” Peter replied to the Lord saying, “Surely not. I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” But the Lord replied, “Do not call anything impure the Lord has made clean.”

Now, Peter was trying to figure out what he just saw when the men Cornelius had sent arrived. They told him they were to bring him to Caesarea and meet with their boss, the Roman guard. So Peter went along. While Peter was traveling back, Cornelius started to ask his friends and family to stop by. As they gathered at the house, Peter approached. But I also think he had to hesitate before walking in. This was a room full of Jews! Was this a trick? Cornelius met him at the door. The passage tells it much better than I ever could from here:

7Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"

30Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

34Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

This was a “aha” moment in Peter’s life. The vision now made sense. The “Good News” is for everyone. God does not show favoritism and accepts people from every nation who fear him and do what is right. The passage goes on to say that as Peter spoke, the Holy Spirit came upon everyone present and Peter stayed to baptize them. A few days later, the word had spread about what had happened. Peter was grilled, being asked “How can you go into a house of uncircumcised men and eat wth them?” Peter told them of his vision and replied, “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" What a great response to an obviously silly question. Who was Peter to think that he could oppose God and not spread the good news?

The Good News is for everybody. It is not just for the church that has the most “Holy Spirit Quotient," or for the church with quarterly communion service. I repeat, the Good News is for everybody. God gave his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for everybody’s sins. Is there any better news anywhere?

Beyond Sunday - Journey: Love First

2010-09-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

...by Beka Jackson

Sunday's message happened to be one that is very important to me. Not that I am always very good at showing love first... Actually, I have had to learn to show love first to those who don't know Jesus. And really, I am still learning!

When Bobby and I moved to Northwest Indiana, we prayed that God would put us in a home where we could impact the community. We prayed for a neighborhood that didn't know about Christ. He heard that prayer and answered it very quickly.

But it has been a learning experience for me even this past week. I am surrounded by people who haven't realized the love of Christ. (You know, exactly what I asked for!) But often times I am offended by how they live. How can they do that? What makes them think that's okay? And, embarrassingly, I have even communicated as much to them in the past.

I came home from church this past Sunday and really, the second I pulled in the car I was chanting my new mantra, "Love First, Love First, Love First." It isn't always easy to do. But it is what we are called to do. It is what I told God I wanted to do. And though I thought I would be really good at it, He shows me that I am not. Even when I do it, and it may seem natural to those around me, I am working hard on the inside against an incredibly judgmental woman that I am naturally.

One thing I have learned is to focus on what is important. I tell my kids all the time, we live the way we do, do the things we do because we understand what Jesus has done for us. How can we expect those who don't understand His love and sacrifice to behave the way we want them to?
And so when I see non-believers I pray that God will show me people who haven't experienced His love, not people that yell too loudly, or keep their yard messier than mine, or don't dress as neat or modestly as I think they should...

This past Sunday, we were asked to write on the walls about times we feel God’s love. These are some of the responses.
I Experience God’s Love When...
...He forgives me of my sins.
...I am playing on worship team and I see the church worship.
...I first became saved and realized who Jesus was.
...Jesus saved my son’s life from death.
...I delivered my first baby.
...I feel God restoring love and respect in my broken marriage.
...He provides financially for my family.
...I pray with my boys at night.
...I think about the kindness of the people surrounding me in my life.
...I see the joy and smiles on the peoples’ faces here at Suncrest.
...I saw my first granddaughter being born!
...I am serving Him. Because the memory of who I was and what I have done is never far behind me. But His grace has made me the person He has called to serve Him!
...I realize His mercy is for me no matter what I’ve done, He loves me!
...I was still a sinner, God loved me.
...I celebrated our 25th anniversary with family and friends.
...I see my children overcome any obstacle, challenge or disability.
...I am holding my children and I get to tell them about Jesus.
...I see the ultrasound picture of my 18-month-old grandson.
...I share a smile with a stranger and share a prayer for them.
...I pray each night.
...He gives me strength when I felt I had none left.
...I am loved by family and friends.
...I am at Camp LRCA.
...I attended a funeral visitation. He was there.
...I am at SLW.

74. Sharing the Word (Acts 8:26-40).

2010-09-09T03:00:00.007-05:00

by Lynn Barbee

God has such a sense of humor. Or timing. When I saw that the assignment I had been given for this blog was Acts 8:26-40, I had to smile. August 26 (8/26 for the numerically minded) was the day I was baptized in 1971 at the tender age of… (mumbles something) whatever I was. I was a young sophomore in high school, and met a girl who became my best friend and is still one of my closest friends to this day. She invited me to attend church youth group with her, and the rest is history. I was baptized at Camp LRCA , which was in Cedar Lake back then, and my life has never been the same. I always say my life changed, not only for the hereafter, but for the here and now. I grew up in an alcoholic home, and my dad died when I was still young. I was headed for a life of going my own way. I can only imagine the path my life would have taken if someone had not opened the Book with me!

I remember sitting at a big table in the basement of the First Church of Christ in Whiting in the Sundays before that monumental decision. The youth group leaders and other teens would answer my questions…and there was this huge black Bible…. how could I understand, unless someone explained it to me? I had been a Christian all my life, but had never even learned how to look up a Bible verse. On August 26, 1971, I went from Christian to Christ-follower, and have never looked back. What a wonderful journey it’s been!

We all have the responsibility to share what Christ has done in our lives, and we all can tell what we know. You might not be the Bible scholar you want to be, but like the teens in my high school youth group, share what you know. I saw the difference in their lives. You and I have the potential to let God use us to change lives as well; I pray that we will let him to do that!

73. The First Martyr (Acts 6:8-8:8).

2010-09-08T03:00:00.006-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn
And now, things continue on in the story of the early church with the first martyr, Stephen. We don’t know a whole lot about Stephen, or how he came to Christ, but we do know that the Holy Spirit was obviously with this man. He would soon distinguish himself as one of the leaders in the church, and would be a trusted helper in the disciples’ ministry to the widows in the church.

As you read today, Stephen would speak boldly for Christ. Unfortunately, this would be met with quite a bit of opposition from the Jewish leadership, who would eventually bring him before the Sanhedrin. After offering a bold speech about the identity of Christ, sharing who He really was, Stephen would be stoned. What’s more, he would be stoned under the cold approval of a man named Saul, who actually becomes quite a big figure in the story of the early church. We’ll hear more about him (and from him) later.

From the life of Stephen, though, I think I learn some important things. One of those is that Stephen wasn’t afraid of conflict, and I shouldn’t be either. This isn’t to say that Stephen was a person who necessarily embraced conflict, and certainly doesn’t mean that he shared about Christ without love. But this is to say that when conflict arose, Stephen wasn’t afraid. I wish I had more of that. Sometimes, when I’m in situations with people who are hostile toward Christ or Christianity, my tendency is actually to be quiet and say nothing. Maybe I need to step up and exhibit some of the boldness that Stephen showed in this passage. I need to share about Christ firmly, yet lovingly.

I think the second thing we should see in the life of Stephen is something that might be incredibly easy to look over or to miss: Stephen was an active part of the secular (if we can use that term here) world in which he lived. Think about it: the fact that Stephen came into conflict with people over Jesus meant that he was constantly surrounding himself with people who didn’t know Jesus. Stephen didn’t hide away, even though that would be easy; in fact, it would have helped him avoid his death. But instead, Stephen didn’t retreat into a holy huddle. He boldly engaged the world in which he lived. I need to do the same.
And finally, I think the last lesson we learn from Stephen is that he lived with a heavenward focus. Even in his final moments before death, he was still looking toward heaven, and he actually saw the face of Jesus. I think a big source of our fears, concerns, anxieties, and worries in this life revolve around the fact that we don’t live with a truly heavenward focus, because in light of heaven, those issues fade away. If we could live like Stephen, truly focusing and believing in the incredible reward of heaven to come, I think it would drastically affect how we live today.

72. Growth and Persecution (Acts 3:1-4:37).

2010-09-07T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Bobby Jackson

As corny as it might sound, I wrote my high school term paper on Acts 4. Ten pages seemed like an amazing amount at that point and I wanted to write about something that could keep my interest. I chose the subject of authority, responsibility, and jurisdiction. Authority is tricky in this text. We are taught to respect authority, submit to authority, to honor those in authority. So how does all of that coincide with the apex of this chapter?

18Then they (the Sanhedrin) called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

When do we listen to and obey “those that rule over us” and when do we purposefully go the other way? Is there a time when leaders in the church do not have to be followed? Should not be followed?

Admittedly I was more looking for a loophole so that I didn’t have to listen to some of the authorities in my life, but I stumbled onto a good Scriptural concept: we are not called to be drones that merely go along with whatever the perceived authority calls us to, but we have to follow Christ above everything else (but we must disobey authorities lovingly... see Romans 13). Peter and John were with Jesus and had an unusual courage. I pray that I can stand up for what is right and have courage that others might recognize that I have been “with Jesus.”

70. The Ascension (Acts 1:1-11).

2010-09-03T03:00:00.016-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Last words say a lot about a person.

Maybe you've experienced that firsthand, watching a family member or a loved one die. Perhaps you got to hear some last words from that person that you still hold near and dear to your heart today. Recently, there was a huge buzz over this book (I believe featured on Oprah) called The Last Lecture, where a college professor who knew he would die soon of cancer gave his final lecture ever, talking about life and what really mattered.

Whatever the case, people have a tendency to get real very quickly when it comes to their famous last words. What is at our core; at our heart, comes out. Jesus' last words before ascending back into heaven are probably pretty familiar to you by this point if you're a part of Suncrest:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Yep, that's the infamous (can you call a Bible verse "infamous?") Acts 1:8 of Suncrest Jesus Mission fame. But these are also, interestingly enough, the last words of Jesus while on this earth. And what does Jesus do? He commissions His followers. He tells them to go. He asks them to be His witnesses.

I've got to think that that command applies just as much to us today. Just like the apostles 2,000 years ago, Jesus is commissioning us to go and be His witnesses in our part of the world. As a church, we've tried to capture this by launching campuses in Highland and Walkerton, as well as stepping up our involvement in Liberia with churches there. But I believe we also need to think personally; what's the mission field God has placed each of us in? Where is he calling us to be His witnesses? Maybe it's your "one" that we've been talking about over the past couple weeks of our Journey series at Suncrest. Maybe you get this sense or longing from the Holy Spirit that God wants you to lead the way in a relationship or at work. Whatever it is, go and do it! Christ has commissioned us all... let's be His witnesses.

Beyond Sunday - Journey: Only God

2010-09-02T10:51:00.001-05:00

...by Kevin DeBraal

“Being used by God to change lives”.

At Suncrest this is our mission. It is accomplished in many ways. Through service, testimony, financial contributions, relationships, etc. Those are the areas where I am most comfortable. Reaching out to the seeker or those who do not know God is more difficult for me. I think I have the typical resistance due to hesitations related to how people will react to me. How will they respond? Will they ask questions I can’t answer? Will they reject me and my approach? Will I pick the right time to approach them? What if I fail?

Greg taught us to identify the “One” whom we could engage and bring the message of Christ’s love and redemption. He taught us that we should pray for the interaction we would have. One question he asked was “Do I believe prayer actually has an effect?”. I believe God has answered my prayers. I have experienced it and seen it in retrospection. I always have a vision of how God should respond to my prayers; He obviously has a different perspective, plan, and vision. I accept that because in the end I believe He has a plan far beyond my comprehension.

So this week I will trust in God and the power of prayer. I will pray to identify my “One” I will pray for God to “affect” that person so that they might be responsive to me. I will pray that I will recognize the opportunity that is presented for me to engage my “One”. I will pray very hard that I can overcome my “hesitations”.

Finally I will embrace that Only God “makes things grow” and that my interaction is just the planting of a seed or watering of the plant. That takes off some of the pressure that leads to the hesitance. I hope you will join me.

69. The Resurrection (John 20:1-21:25).

2010-09-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

And now, after some very deep, tough posts over the past few days, we arrive at the joy of the Resurrection!

I believe that the resurrection of Jesus is a reliable, historical fact. There are plenty of reasons we can know and believe in it and place our confidence and trust in what Jesus has done here. The Son of God rose from the dead, proving once and for all that He has conquered sin and death and hell. Nothing can stop us! If Jesus can conquer the dead, truly there is a chance for all of us as well! To put it simply, Jesus' resurrection is the down payment on the future glory that all of us will have a chance to experience in heaven one day.

But for me, this story has one side note: Thomas. Growing up in the church, I felt like we gave poor Thomas a lot of flack for doubting that Jesus had risen again. But can you really blame the guy? People don't just rise from the dead everyday. I can respect where Thomas was coming from, for sure. But what's exciting the most to me are Jesus' words to Thomas after he has felt the wounds in Jesus' hands and side. Jesus tells the disciples, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

We are all in that category... called "blessed" by Christ himself! I don't necessarily know what that blessing entails, but I know that God is happy when we live a life of faith in Him. Let's keep hoping, and keep believing. And let's always carry around in our hearts the incredible hope and inexpressible joy that comes from knowing our God is not dead... He is surely alive!

68. The Crucifixion (John 19:1-42).

2010-09-01T03:00:00.014-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

And now we arrive at what was simultaneously earth's darkest hour and greatest hour: the crucifixion.

It's really an ending with more twists and turns than any author or writer could ever imagine. The same crowd that just days before praised Jesus as the Son of God would now shout, "Crucify Him!" Jesus, just as prophecy predicted hundreds of years before, would be led like a lamb to the slaughter. He would not protest. Even though He was the Son of God, He would not insist on His own rights. Rather, He would willingly give up His own life in the most painful way imaginable to fulfill the will of the Father.

But surely the cross also shows us something else that's amazing, and that's Jesus' incredible love for us. I was thinking about this at one point last winter; because of the cross, I never have to wonder whether or not Jesus loves me. I never have to wonder if Jesus' grace for me really is true; if God really offers forgiveness to me for what I've done. The cross leaves no doubt. Truly, Jesus loves all of us. It was the only reason He died, and it once and for all answers the question whether or not God cares, God sees, and God loves.

Because the answer is yes. God loves me incredibly. The cross proves it.

67. Arrest and Trial (John 18:1-40).

2010-08-31T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So now, things are in motion. Jesus has been betrayed into the hands of those who hate them most. God's plan for salvation for the entire world is now seeing it's final moments before completion. But truly, even though Jesus knows that He is so close to accomplishing the will of the Father, it must feel so far away. He has yet to go through some excruciating pain and some surely testing emotional times.

But in the midst of this, what does Jesus do? He continues to submit to God's will and plan for His life, even if that means crucifixion. A lot of the time, I like to say that I want to live a life submitted to God and His will and plan for my life. But sometimes in my life, God's plan means pain, hardship, and testing. That's not something I am a fan of. And a lot of the time, that's when I suddenly choose not to submit.

But not Jesus, through thick and thin, He is committed and devoted to the plan of the Father. He is going to see it through to completion, even when that means pain and difficulty are involved for us.

So how about you? What is the situation in your life that you know God is calling you to, but maybe you're shying away because you know the commitment or difficulty involved? Have you fully submitted to the will of God, even when it's tough? That's one of the things I think that the cross asks us. And it's a question that I think we are obligated to answer.

66. The Last Supper (Luke 22:1-46).

2010-08-30T03:00:00.037-05:00

by Steve Butera

What a great passage this was to read and focus on, but like Wes and others have said, a very familiar one as well. The problem with familiar is that we begin to lose sight of the details and look at the passage as a big concept like “The Last Supper.” I took this as an opportunity to take the advice of Pastor Greg and S-L-O-W down. I looked at the context, author’s intent, background, key words and genre. I have to tell you that really does make a difference. I also prayed and expected to hear from God.

This passage was written by Luke, a Gentile physician who traveled extensively with Paul, around 60 A.D. Luke wrote this Gospel after talking with several eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, almost like a journalist. He gave dates and times, and provided the only account of Jesus’ childhood years. What I focus on is the fact that he was a Gentile. It reminds me that God uses anyone from any background. Anyway, on to the Scripture.

There is so much to talk about concerning this passage of Scripture that I’m almost speechless. I feel like it’s something we could talk about for quite awhile... like I can’t cover everything in this space here. Loosely broken down, it’s about Judas betraying Jesus, the last supper, Jesus predicting Peter’s denial of Him, and Jesus’ prayer on the Mount of Olives. But for me, I get caught up in a couple of things. I am struck by the fact that as a religious feast approaches, the minds of the high priests and religious scholars were on treachery. When Judas comes with his ideas of betraying Jesus they can’t believe their good luck. It’s really something how messed up we can get in our thinking; it's not so important how much religious knowledge we have or whether we perform all the correct religious behaviors. We can still engage in evil and be as far from God as ever.

Take Judas. To me, his story is heartbreaking. When you think about it, he was one of the 12 disciples. He was so close to Jesus, involved in His ministry, and privy to intimacy with Him and the other disciples. Would anyone ever imagine that this would be the guy who would betray Him for a bit of cash? What breaks my heart is that as soon as Judas betrays Jesus, he is aware of how wrong this was, is consumed with guilt, wants to give the money back [to which the priests say “buzz off.”], and he ends up killing himself. What a sad and terrible scenario.

Peter struggled also. He couldn’t imagine that he would deny Jesus. I’m sure he thought Jesus was just mistaken when he told him to “stay on his toes.” He was dedicated, loved Jesus, and was so bold from Him. Yet very shortly he was doing the very thing he thought he’d never do. How many times have I had my mind set that I wouldn’t do a certain thing one day and by the next day, I’ve done it? I think there is a warning here. Satan is always around trying to influence us, mess with our head, and lead us to believe things that are contrary to what Jesus has said. Unless we rely on Him and stay in relationship with him [pray, read His word, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit] we are going to fall… and sometimes fall hard. More than once in this passage, Jesus admonishes his disciples to “pray that you don’t give in to temptation.” Later He tells them “What business do you have sleeping? Get up. Pray so you won't give in to temptation.”

I am also struck by what is said in verse 37: “It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment." This is a reference to Isaiah 53:12 which says “Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Wow! What has been said about Jesus is reaching its fulfillment!! What a cataclysmic, wonderful, incredible, amazing time. I mean like freak out! God is doing something so intensely, hugely BIG that will forever change things. THE CROSS. Jesus is going to pour himself out for us. It’s hard, really, to convey the level of excitement and gratitude that I have about this. Words just don’t do it.

There are so many things the Cross of Christ means for us that it is difficult to express all that is felt. Our sin debt is paid, we are given eternal life, we are brought into relationship with God, a new covenant is established, sin is overcome, death is overcome, stripes were taken on His back for our healing, we have in intercessor advocating on our behalf, and we receive power through the Holy Spirit. Everything written about Jesus is coming to a conclusion. Amazingly, this is a gift. We only have to receive it. How incredible is that?

The life of Jesus is something He lives through us, powered by the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to do it on our own. In fact, we can’t. When you think about Judas and Peter, you realize the spiritual forces as work and see that overcoming sin is not accomplished through willpower alone. It is clear; we can have every determination and invoke our will, only to fail a minute later. No, looking to the cross is the only answer. Through Jesus and His work on the cross, we have victory over sin and death. That’s why knowing Him, staying intimate with Him, and understanding what His word says is the only way to maintain your faith in what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Thank God, thank God, thank God! So when we take communion, let’s remember EVERYTHING that we have through the cross and Christ’s finished work upon it. Glory to God!

65. Raising Lazarus from the Dead (John 11:1-57).

2010-08-27T03:00:00.002-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

My best friend is a guy named C.J. Stephens. C.J. and I met in college, and we were roommates for a year before he got married. I was the best man in his wedding a few years ago. After graduating last spring, C.J.'s now the worship minister at a place called Milford Christian Church in Ohio. This year, as I go back and forth from the Region to Cincinnati, Ohio every week to finish up some classes for school, I'll be staying at C.J. (and his wife Ami's) home in the Cincinnati area.

It might sound kind of morbid to say, but I don't know what I would do if my friend C.J. died. Obviously, it'd be a tragedy since he's only 22, but even beyond that, just as a friend, I really value his presence in my life. I know I'd get emotional. It would be a huge loss, even though I would be happy because I know C.J. would be in a much better place.

That's kind of what I imagine Jesus feeling and experiencing in this story. One of his best friends, a man named Lazarus, had died, and Jesus was quite moved by the sight. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, but is packed with incredible meaning: "Jesus wept." Sometimes we have this tendency to see Jesus as a man who was only concerned with very "spiritual" or "religious" matters. But Jesus was a man of incredible passion and emotion as well. Jesus had a heart, that's for sure. I don't know that anyone could ever make an argument otherwise.

But beyond showing us Jesus' incredible emotion and care for those He loves (good news: that's all of us), it shows us some other stuff. Number one, Jesus has power over all things... even death. Over the past century, we've seen a lot of advancements in the medical world. A person's average life span here in the United States is over 70 years. But even with all those advancements, I don't hear anyone saying that we'll be skirting death anytime soon. But Jesus can. Just ask Lazarus.

I think the other thing that this passage shows us is what faith looks like. As Jesus came to Lazarus' home, he was met by Lazarus' sister, Martha, who said that she wished Jesus would have been there, so Lazarus wouldn't have died. But then, she utters an incredible statement of faith: "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask" (John 11:22). Do we really believe that like Martha? In her context, Lazarus was dead... and dead people don't normally come back from that condition. But even then, Martha still believed. She knew that Jesus was the Son of God and that He could do anything. Imagine the situations that we would quit fretting about if we truly believed that... that God can do anything we ask for, even when that's impossible. I know that there are a few areas of my life where my attitudes would probably change.

64. Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man (Mark 5:1-20)

2010-08-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

…by Kay Roberts

I have always been intrigued with the paranormal and their stories yet maintain a good healthy respect for what it really is. What amazes me, is each time there is mentioned in the Bible a story demons, is Jesus’ unwavering power and authority. These demons IMMEDIATELY recognize and KNOW who Jesus is and begin to BEG for His mercy. Notice in verse 13 of this passage, “He gave them permission…” Anyone knows that whoever is “granting permission” holds A LOT of authority so as I am reading this, it causes me to sit up and pay attention. What I am really thinking is that this Jesus is real because even the demons BELIEVE HIM to be God!!! So I should not dismiss Him or what He has to say or even what He can DO! He comes with power and authority. This is not a weak man.

As I continue through the reading, I come to the end where Jesus tells this man to go home and talk about all that the Lord has done for him after he has asked to go with Jesus. What do you think he shared with the people in Decapolis? What were his thoughts and emotions while being possessed? Once again, I am intrigued! His life has been RADICALLY changed and here are some cues we can glean from the passage about his former life:

1. He lived in the tombs. (Ewww! I don’t want to be living at the cemetery, do you???)

2. He lived alone. (How sad!)

3. No one could bind him because he broke EVEN the iron chains that bound him hand and feet. (This is code for NO ONE COULD HELP HIM!!!)

4. He cried out, night and day and CUT himself with STONES.(Seriously, that sounds painful…)

His radical change of life goes from one of extreme solitude and pain and things incomprehensible to us, to one of being HOME with his family (can you imagine the celebration of his return?!), being in his RIGHT mind, being in CONTROL of his body and simply being able to LIVE.

A couple things strike me:

1. This man does not hesitate to go and do what Jesus has asked.

2. I should be doing the same thing, sharing with everyone I know what Jesus has done for me!

We all have been radically changed by Jesus. We all have similar stories. The way we USED to be to the way we are now. This is why Jesus came. To radically change lives.

What’s your story? How has Jesus radically changed your life? Are you sharing your story of a radically changed life?

63. Healing a Blind Man (John 9:1-41).

2010-08-25T03:00:00.001-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

In my years of Christian elementary, Christian middle school, Christian high school, and now Christian college, I've heard the story of the blind man from John 9 several times. But recently I was challenged to really think about it; to think through the characters in the story, to feel what they were feeling, and most of all, to see the utter hilarity and craziness of the entire thing. Truly, this is one of the funniest stories in the Bible.

But it all comes back to the simple fact that, as humans, we have this uncanny ability to believe what we want to believe, regardless of fact. Some people have said that about Christians; that we believe in the existence of God and the resurrection and miraculous ministry of His Son, Jesus, in the face of all obvious facts. I think, though, that Christians can make a very similar argument against their non-believing counterparts. This story is one such argument.

So, we discover that there is a man who had been blind from birth, and Jesus heals him. As the man came home seeing, his neighbors were astounded. They knew this guy was blind. Yet now he could see! Some just thought they had this guy confused with someone else, but the man himself spoke and said that, yes indeed, he once was blind and now could see. The people asked how this happened, and the man told them about Jesus and how he had restored his sight.

However, because this miracle was done on the Sabbath (a day where the Jews were allowed to do no work, apparently including miracles), the man was brought before Jewish religious leaders for questioning (those guys had to be real killjoys). They asked the obvious question, "How can you see?" Again, just as before, the man told these people about Jesus and how his sight was restored.

But these religious leaders weren't buying it. In fact, John 9:18 tells us that they thought the man was lying about being blind! So the man's parents were brought in, and they confirmed that, yes indeed, this was their son, and sure enough, he had been blind from birth.

But at that point, the Bible divulges something that we probably knew all along anyway: the Jews had already decided that Jesus was not the Son of God that He claimed to be (John 9:22). In the face of all the facts right in front of them, the religious leaders refused to believe because they had already made up their mind. They would ask the man to give his testimony again, but he refused. He had already told them, and they had already refused to believe. Why tell them again?

Other than serving as a demonstration of Jesus' power over everything, I think this story punches home the point that we always seem to find a way of believing what we want to. But in these situations where we just stubbornly hold onto our convictions and beliefs, the message of Jesus to us a lot of the time is quite simply, "You're wrong." It sounds pretty mean, but I've discovered that sometimes, that's the most loving thing a person can ever tell me.

Maybe Jesus is trying to tell you that "You're wrong" about that grudge you just won't let go of.

Maybe you're tip-toeing down a path of sin, shame, and personal destruction, and Jesus is just politely saying, "You're wrong. Stop it."

Maybe you've continued to wreck your life time and time again and refuse to let Christ come and be your Lord and Savior. Again, maybe He's saying, "The way you're living is wrong. I've got something so much better."

Again, not a really nice or well-liked message. And I'm not saying that there are beliefs and convictions that you should just let go of (like my beliefs about Jesus being God, for example). But the fact is, if we ever want to go anywhere with God, at some point we're going to need to step up to the plate and admit to God that we've been wrong about a few things in our lives and that we need Him to come and show us the way. God won't gloat. He won't hold it over our heads. Just as politely and kindly as He showed us the error of our ways, He'll also kindly and politely show us the way we need to go as we follow Him.

"You're wrong." Sometimes, those are the two most loving words anyone has ever said to me.

62. Walking on Water (Matthew 14:22-36).

2010-08-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Andy Kaser

It’s so easy to see the ‘bad’ in a story. It’s pretty easy for me to remember the dumb moves that a Bible hero made. It pretty much marks them for life, or in their case, thousands of years!

Take for example Peter. I call Him ‘pipe up Peter’ because on numerous occasions he was quick to speak and slow to listen. In today’s passage we find Peter about to do something that no one has ever done before (except Jesus of course). Think about it, in this story he sets a record…he makes history. It’s a feat that has never been done since. He walks on water.

The reality is we can focus on his rebuke or his faith. No doubt he took one for the team, because his mistake in the story allows us all to learn a valuable lesson about trusting Jesus.

I invite you to pause and read the story in Matthew 14:22-36. So what did you think? I guess I’d just like us not to consider his incredible faith to ‘get out of the boat.’ No one else jumped in the water. No one else had a fraction of the faith that he had. No one else was as passionate about the embrace of Jesus as Peter was. So it begs a question for our soul. Are we missing out on chances to express our faith (albeit small)? Are we missing out on chances to passionately pursue Jesus because doing so is a huge risk? Are we so afraid of failure or shame that we never take a step into the unknown?

I think there is more tragedy in times we fail to move than in the times we move and fail. What if in the economy of God His measurement of joy is found in taking the first steps toward greatness, and not in how well we stood after taking that step? Don’t get me wrong. It matters how we finish. But it also matters that we have the faith and passion to take the step toward Jesus without knowing any of the answers prior to it.

Is Jesus asking you to come to Him? He is. And what really matters is that you get out of the boat.

61. Feeding the Five Thousand (Luke 9:1-36).

2010-08-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Diane Jackowski

Jesus begins a new phase of his ministry by multiplying his efforts. He’s not just going out to preach and teach the gospel; He now is sending out his apostles to preach about the kingdom of heaven. He tells them to go find places where they are welcome and if not, to shake off the dust and move on. There’s been a lot of talk around Suncrest about going out and being the light amoungst our friends, families, neighborhoods, workplaces and just in our lives in general... being the light and being used by God to do His work and to be different than the people of this world.

How many times have you tried that? It’s pretty dang hard. Well, at least it is for me because I like results! I’m in San Diego, California on vacation with my family right now and we’ve been visiting with old friends and co-workers of mine. It’s been a great time, but pretty disheartening with so many broken relationships, marriages, losses of jobs, and just brokenness in general. How come the world can’t see how different I am? Why aren’t they asking me? Can’t they see? I’m wondering how long before I should shake the dust off and move on from these relationships or if I should just stay and allow God to do the work through me? And then I remember it’s up to Him and to them to decide to see Christ’s redemptive mercy, grace and forgiveness. I love that!

So that means I am home free, right? Or am I? God has called each of us personally to keep pursuing Him and building a relationship with Him. Most likely, that means pursuing relationships with others and that requires action even with no results at times, or visible and tangible results. Ugh! So, then, I have to stop thinking about me and that’s so hard sometimes.

But getting back to our story for today, the apostles come back to Jesus to tell Him of what happened and then they retreated together. How cool would it be to be able to go back and retreat with Jesus and get His recommendations face to face? Of course, crowds followed and in the moment that his disciples doubted His great and amazing power, Jesus gets ready to do an incredible miracle. His apostles did the normal thing all of us would think to do... they suggested going back to the villages to find enough food for the 5000 people that had followed them to Bethsaida. But Jesus had other plans. He held up the fives loaves of bread and two fishes to heaven and BOOM! How much more proof do we need to know how much power Christ has and how much His power flows through us when we choose to follow Him daily? Through Him all things are possible and as long as I keep praying for the people in my life that don’t know Him and pursuing a relationship with them, then maybe their eyes will be open to knowing the Most High. Should I pray for results? Just kidding!

60. Lost and Found (Luke 15:1-32).

2010-08-20T03:00:00.032-05:00

by Jeff Sanford

As Luke 15 begins, the Pharisees and teachers of the law are standing around listening to Jesus teach, and they begin talking trash about how Jesus befriends “sinners” and even eats with them.

So as the story proceeds, Jesus begins to tell the story of a father and his two sons. The youngest son decided that, rather than continuing to live with his father, he wanted his inheritance now… like before his father even died. The father, mostly likely feeling scorned and rejected by his son, gave his son his inheritance, and the son “set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” He was needy, began feeding pigs for a living, and eventually even “longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating.” And Jesus says that the son came to his senses.

At this point in the story, I had to take a step back and remind myself of all that the son was feeling. See, I’ve been there. I know how lonely and helpless it is when you’ve tried to satisfy yourself with the things of this world only to find that it’s never enough. I’ve also been in a place where I realized that I had to call home and tell my father of my wild living. And I’ve experienced the fear and completely humbled feeling of knowing that I disappointed my father and dishonored my father’s name.

And at this point, the Pharisees and teachers of the law are thinking, “That sinner is getting exactly what he deserves!” But that’s where Jesus throws the Pharisees a curveball.

Back to the story… so as the son is making his way home, he’s preparing his speech to his father. “‘I’ll say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’…But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” The father clothed his son with his best robe, a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet and throws a party to celebrate his son’s return.

And the whole time, I can just see the Pharisees thinking “What? He disgraced you. He dishonored your name. He was eating with pigs for goodness sake.” And the son was probably thinking just what I thought when my father hugged me. “No way. This is too good to be true. I don’t deserve this. Please, what can I do to pay for my sin?”

But that’s the whole point, right? Romans 3:10 reminds us that no one is righteous, not even one. And according to 1 John 4:8, God is love. In his book The Christian Atheist, Craig Groeschel explains it this way, “That means God doesn’t pick and choose whom he loves…God is love, and we are loved, every single one of us six billion sinful undeserving people.” The love of God is irrational, scandalous, and even unimaginable. But his love is for sinners like you and like me.

Beyond Sunday - The Three Monkeys? Light the World

2010-08-19T13:22:00.001-05:00

...by Michael Switzer

On a personal note, I’m struggling with being a light to the world….

Sunday’s message of light the world has to couple with last week’s message on being the salt of the earth. They go hand in hand. I’ve struggled a lot with these two concepts at work these last few weeks. I wish I could say I’ve got these two parts of being a Christian figured out and working well but, in all honesty, I’m falling short.

As I ponder how to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ to/of the world, I see being salty as the one who people enjoy and feel comfortable being around. As the light of the world, I should model my actions with respect of God’s ‘life’ in the world. What does that look like practically? In being salty, I ask ‘how do I genuinely AND authentically engage everyone I see on a daily basis?’ Would I want to be around me? There are most definitely times I’d want to hit myself over the head for acting condescending, disrespectful, or just flat out rude. How could I ever make any impact (with the exception of a negative one) on anyone’s life by acting like that? Despite continual reminders like the 3 Monkey message series, I still find myself at work on everyone’s case and at home ignoring my friends. Sometimes I just need to get over myself.

As for being the light of the world, I ask ‘in what ways do I genuinely AND authentically live my life as a Christ following model?’ This question goes beyond simply being liked and requires us to engage the world in ways that demonstrate love, forgiveness, fellowship, awesome work ethic, faith, and wellbeing. As Christ followers, it seems useless at best to live a life of merely being liked while not living a lifestyle indicative of our convictions. When I’m not grumpy and on everyone’s case, do I just blend in? If a co-worker or friend takes an honest assessment of my life and daily decisions, will he or she have any idea I follow Christ? Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself in situations at work dealing with things from sexual jokes to talking behind peoples’ backs to a host of other actions that are the darkness of the world. Even if I don’t contribute or add on to the crudeness of the situations, isn’t the darkness still present? If a friend is headed down a dark path, I’m no better if I say “but at least I didn’t push him faster.” Being a light means stepping outside of ‘comfortville’ (in some cases ‘lazyville’) and stepping into the place we pour out all the blessings God’s given us and Christ-centric views in which we believe (while trying not to pass through alienationville). I don’t think this mean being crazy about our stance; it does mean our friends and the world see what we stand for (so to ultimately know and glorify God).

Being the light of the world essentially means giving those around us a piece of what God has so graciously given to us. A lot of us needed to hear this series. What a difference we’ll make creating authentic relationships founded in truth and light. Or is that ‘Connect in relationships where truth meets life?’ :)

59. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

2010-08-19T03:00:00.021-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Jesus has this frustrating habit in the gospels (the four books of the Bible that deal with the life and teaching of Jesus) of answering questions in a way we don't expect. Funny enough, that's how the story of the Good Samaritan started.

A religious expert wants to try and test Jesus, only to discover that Jesus is quite smart himself (imagine that). When the religious leader told Jesus that he believed the key to following God was simply to love God and love your neighbor, Jesus told him that he was quite right. This was a surefire formula for following God. But this still troubled the religious leader, for he probably knew deep down inside that he wasn't treating every man around him with what would qualify as "love." So he asked another question: "Who is my neighbor?" He was no doubt hoping that Jesus would say his neighbor was simply a man who looked, thought, and talked like him. But this guy would be sorely disappointed.

Jesus launches into the parable of the Good Samaritan. The story's pretty easy to understand, so I'll let you read it yourself. But what's most telling and interesting about this story is that the hero is a Samaritan. Samaritans were despised by the Jews, essentially because they were the byproduct of the Babylonian exile. Some Jews still took their culture and unique identity very seriously, and would only intermarry and associate with other Jews in the Babylonian captivity. But others were not quite so serious, and ended up intermarrying with some of the Babylonians. Samaritans were the by-product of these unions; half-breed Jews that held pretty normal Jewish beliefs, just without 100% Jewish blood.

Samaritans were hated by Jews. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for Jews to actually walk around the region of Samaria, even if walking through it would make their journey incredibly shorter. Jews just wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Samaritans. So essentially, when Jesus tells a story that makes a Samaritan the hero, he is saying, "Listen. Your neighbor is anyone and everyone around you. No exceptions." Again, a tough teaching, but as we've learned, if you don't find following Jesus hard, then you're probably not following Jesus, just your own little version of Him.

58. The Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:1-58).

2010-08-18T03:00:00.039-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So the kingdom of heaven (or "kingdom of God;" the gospels use those terms interchangeably) is a pretty important thing in the life, teaching, and ministry of Jesus. You can't read the gospels without running into this theme. In Matthew 13, Jesus drops some really important knowledge on the kingdom of heaven here. Let me share with you a few of things that I walked away from this reading with:

1. We have a role in accepting the kingdom of God. I was hit by this with the parable of the sower. Jesus tells the parable, but what is really telling is his later explanation of the parable in chapter 13. Look at each description of what the four types of seeds mean. We have a role in accepting the kingdom of God. We must receive the kingdom with knowledge, or we'll get scooped up. We must receive the kingdom with priority, or the troubles and worries of life will choke us out. If we want to truly receive the kingdom of God and participate as a member of the kingdom of God, we have to do just that... receive it. We have to understand what the kingdom is and what it asks of us. But we also have to understand what the kingdom is and what it is not. What is God promising us really? If we have wrong expectations, we'll surely be disappointed.

2. The kingdom of God does not promise an easy life. We sort of get this in the parable of the sower... Jesus talks about cares and troubles of life causing trouble in the parable of the sower, which seems to indicate that that's to be expected. But the parable of the weeds even more accurately illustrates this point. Just like the wheat and weeds in the parable, members of the kingdom are going to see their lives merge at some point or another with difficult, terrible experiences (and people) in life. People are going to make our lives tough. We're going to have difficult experiences and tough choices. There are going to be moments of weakness and despair. Things will be unfair. That's to be expected. I think that we all know that in our heads; but this year I've been coming to grips that while I know that, I still find myself complaining, "This is hard, Jesus! This feels unfair!" and pouting all the time. There will be difficulty in following Christ. That shouldn't erode our faith, but strengthen it... Christ himself promises us that.

3. The kingdom of God is priceless. Chances are we've all seen the Mastercard commercials that talk about things being "priceless." If there was ever something that is priceless, the Bible tells us that is the kingdom of God. Just like the man who finds buried treasure or an incredibly valuable pearl, we need to give all we have in search of the kingdom. When God presents us with an opportunity to continue helping the kingdom or playing our part in God's story, we need to take it. We need to do it. God's Word tells us that is priceless, above all things.

57. Sermon on the Mount, Part II (Matthew 6:5-7:29).

2010-08-17T03:00:00.001-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Much like yesterday, I think that you could easily spend a year in this passage and not even begin to scratch the surface of what Jesus is teaching here. But again, like yesterday, I think there are a couple of key themes here, and I'd love to share those with you.

Theme #1: Treasure is in heaven with God, not on earth with man.
In today's reading, Jesus starts off with several teachings on prayer and fasting where he talks about religious figures who made it really obvious or made a big show of things. For Jewish religious leaders, it wouldn't be that uncommon to seek prayers in really public places to showcase religiosity. When they would fast, the same thing would happen... they would make it really obvious to people around them so that they could impress others with their very high level of spirituality. But in these moments, people who do such things are really valuing the praise and adoration of men higher than they are their relationship with God.

I think that's part of the reason why Jesus uses those couple of examples to lead into the whole "store up treasures in heaven" idea. When we actually take Jesus at His word and pray by ourselves, fast with no one knowing, or give without showcasing how much we've given, we're actually doing these disciplines because we have faith. We're showing God that we truly believe He hears us or sees us when we pray, give, or fast, and that that is enough. Even though we can't see or necessarily sense it, we believe it. And that's the kind of faith I believe God honors.

Theme #2: God wants to give us things.
God probably won't honor your frequent requests for a new sportscar, a winning lotto ticket, or the coolest wardrobe in the world. However, God wants to give you things. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus makes it pretty clear. God understands we are physical people living in a physical world. He promises to provide for us, which is pretty cool of Him to do. We might as well quit worrying about it and start trusting Him.

But God even goes one step further. In Matthew 7:7-8, we're told to ask, seek and knock in our prayers. Essentially, Jesus is asking us (even giving us permission) to fearlessly and recklessly ask God for things in prayer. Is it possible that God might give us something just because we kept asking? Yeah, I believe it is. That demonstrates our faith in Him to be able to provide. That really honors God. In fact, in the book of James, the Bible actually tells us that sometimes we don't have simply because we don't ask. It's not a promise that we'll always get what we ask for, but it is God's promise that our prayers really can move His heart and release Him to do things that otherwise might not happen.

And that, right there, is incentive enough for me to keep asking, keep praying, and keep seeking. I hope it is for you too.

56. Sermon on the Mount, Part I (Matthew 5:1-6:4).

2010-08-16T03:00:00.041-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So without a doubt, the Sermon on the Mount is probably Jesus' most brilliant teaching in all of Scripture. It's so brilliant that even people who don't really care about following Jesus even have to admit that this is some of the greatest teaching on ethics and morality that has ever been delivered. You could easily spend a year in Matthew 5-7 and still not even scratch the surface of what's really happening here. But in today's reading, I think there are two major themes, and I don't want us to miss out on them.

Theme #1: The Way of God is Counter-Cultural
I think we all sort of know this already, but the way of God is different from the way of the world. Just take a look at the Beatitudes (a nickname for Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:1-12). Jesus teaches that sometimes, people who mourn are actually blessed. Those who are insulted and hurt because of Christ's name? They're blessed too. In a seeming list of contradictions, Jesus is saying essentially that the way of God is different, and while it may not have immediate payoff in this life, we can rest assured that God notices the way we live, especially when it's tough.

But Jesus picks up on this theme later on here, as well. He tells us to love our enemies. He tells us to pray for those who persecute us. He tells us to turn the other cheek to those who wish us harm. I often find myself in life essentially saying, "But I don't wanna do that Jesus! It's hard!" That's exactly the point. It is hard. And different. And if we're not seeing either of those two things, then we're probably not really following Jesus, just our own little created version of Him.

Theme #2: The Way of God is About the Heart
Also in this passage, we see Jesus do some teaching where essentially He outlines a couple commandments (like adultery and murder, for example) and then takes them a step farther. No longer is adultery just about not sleeping with someone you aren't married to; it's actually about not even lusting or thinking inappropriately about someone you aren't married to. No longer is murder just about taking another person's life; it's about not even thinking the angry thoughts that lead to that point.

All this goes to show us that following Jesus isn't about just our actions. Take it from me and my own personal life experience; you can do all the right Jesus things and still be absolutely sinful and dead inside. The life of Jesus is one that starts first in the heart. It's about us doing right things, yes, but it's even more so about having the right heart. And that's hard. Again, I think that's the point. We can't change our hearts. But the Holy Spirit sure can. And I think God makes it that way so we always carry around this little miracle inside of us that serves as a continual reminder of what God has done and is doing in our lives.

55. Baptism and Temptation (Matthew 3:13-4:17).

2010-08-13T03:00:00.028-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

This passage is a really interesting one to me, and has actually been the source of some great comfort in tough times for me through the years. I'll explain a little later.

But first, let's talk about Jesus' baptism! Wow! I must say, it was pretty impressive. After Jesus convinces John to baptize Him (could you imagine being asked to baptize the Son of God?), Jesus comes out of the water, the heavens open up, a dove (representing the Holy Spirit) alights on Jesus, and then if that wasn't enough, the very voice of God Himself booms from heaven saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." That's some pretty cool stuff. I'd have to say that probably outdoes my baptism on the coolness scale.

But then in the midst of this awesome experience comes the very next verse in Matthew 4:1: "Then (as in immediately following the events of Jesus' baptism) Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil."

That phrase "led by the Spirit" has been one of incredible hope to me in some dark times. You see, even in the midst of a really cool moment in the life of Jesus, what was God's next step? Testing. In the midst of a spiritual high point in the life of Jesus, God the Father sends Jesus out into the desert where He knows that Jesus will be tempted by the devil.

Someone once told me that temptation means you're doing something right. It shows that Satan wants to attack you because you're doing the right thing. Maybe you've seen this in your life. I know I have in mine. Let me explain.

Back in January of this year I accepted the responsibility of being the Worship Pastor for our new Highland Campus which will launch in the fall (so crazy to think it's soon going to be here!). But it just seems like in my life, thing after thing has come against me to make things difficult. First, it was my parents, who were initially dissatisfied to say the least with my decision. Then, it was school... for a while it was seemingly impossible to arrange to do classes in Cincinnati to hopefully graduate next spring. Then, after that, I experienced (and I still think am experiencing) something that I can't explain any better than just a crushing temptation to turn away from God and do my own thing in my own power on my own terms. Along the way, I saw several thousand dollars in car repairs unexpectedly come my way, and then if that wasn't enough, I've been going through some health difficulties over the past month or so that have made it really difficult to focus my attention on God and doing the work that needs to be done at the Highland Campus. Seemingly, just one thing after another has come against me to try and distract or deter me from God's will for my life.

And no doubt that's what Jesus is experiencing here. Satan is coming against Him, trying to stop Him from living the life God has asked Him to (actually, it's a huge deal, because if Jesus sins, then He is no longer the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and that means no grace and forgiveness for us!). But in the midst of temptation from Satan, what does Jesus do? He turns to Scripture. He turns to what He knows to be absolutely true about God. And that is enough to sustain Him under incredible pressure to turn from what God has for Him. And that is enough for us, too.

So don't be afraid when you feel temptation come against you. It's actually a good sign, I think. Just continue to trust what you know to be true about God and stand firm on those promises.

54. John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20).

2010-08-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

We don't really talk a whole lot about him, but I feel like John the Baptist was a pretty cool guy. Excluding Jesus, he is probably the person I most admire in the stories of the Gospels. John was a guy who understood his role in God's mission, he had a humble attitude that knew his place, and he taught the people the way of God in a way that made sense to them.

Think about it after reading this narrative today: what would you have done if people came to you asking if you were the Christ? That is some pretty high praise for John's ministry, and it was almost certainly a possibility to cause some deep-seated pride in John. I can only hope that in a situation like that I would have the attitude of John, being willing to step aside and say, "No... One will come after me who is a way bigger deal than I am." That's some really Godly humility that I could definitely learn to model my life after.

But I also don't want us to miss out on John's teaching. Luke 3:3 tells us that John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. In other words, John was teaching people to turn from their wicked ways and follow the commands of God. Even 2,000 years later, I think God's message to us is much of the same. He simply wants us to see the wrong things we do in our lives and turn away. Luke 3 gives us a cool context for this; when tax collectors (who were famous for extorting tax rates so they could pocket money for themselves) came to John asking what they should do, John simply told them to do the right thing and not collect more than they needed to. A very similar concept was voiced to the Roman soldiers who came to be baptized by John.

God's message to us is quite simple, but sometimes I have this tendency to make it way harder. In the words of Micah 6:8, what has God asked of us but to be people defined by our mercy, dutiful sense of justice, and our humble walk before God and others? It's a rhetorical question; if we've done that, we are well on our way toward following the commands of God. John reminded the people of that 2,000 years ago... let's not lose sight of that today!

Beyond Sunday - The Three Monkeys? Salt the Earth

2010-08-11T15:07:00.001-05:00

...by Bobby Jackson

John 17:14
I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

I’ve heard this summarized as “in the world but not of it”. If there was an experience I needed to have, it was this week’s experience. I have struggled often with how to let people know about Jesus without seeming weird. I really want people to know what I think about and how I feel about Jesus, that I believe He is the hope of the world, that I’ve trusted Him as the Lord of my life, that I understand Him as a Father that loves me more than anyone ever could, but how to go about sharing that without being shut down by people that think I’m weird.

There are some that think we should create a subculture, the see no evil hear no evil, speak no evil mentality. I recently heard an advertisement for a cruise that is filled with Christian concerts. The promoter said that they had the whole ship to themselves, that they could enjoy Christian programming all day every day of the trip.

Now, I don’t think there is anything necessarily wrong with that event, but if that were the mentality of a church, we would have totally missed the point that Jesus came to seek and save those who were lost. The problem is not what is outside of that cruise back on dry land. The dry land needs to hear that great message.
We want to help people see who Jesus really is, to be salt, which is inherently attractive.

I’m not against the culture, I’m for something better. People blame the culture for every woe, but I’m part of the culture whether I like it or not. The solution is not to do away with culture (how could we do that anyway?), or to bury our heads and pretend we can live outside of reality, but rather, to help move the culture. How? I think Greg gave us some great application Sunday…
Don’t respond the way everyone else responds. Why do we have to act/respond to difficult times, or making fun of a neighbor or co-worker, or our spouse the same way everyone else does?

We’re about serving people, not building wealth. We’re not about stepping on others to get ahead. This needs to be seen because it is our relationship with Christ that compels us to act this way. In responding this way, we help people understand who Christ is. Not that we will always get it right, but even in that we act like a Christ follower in admitting it or repenting from it or making restitution for it.

In short, I’m thankful for a church that is known for what it is for rather than what it is against.

Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

53. The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-40).

2010-08-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So chances are that many of you are probably already familiar with this story. We've all probably sat through Christmas services at one time or another and heard the story of the birth of Jesus read. Maybe in your family you all gathered together to read it aloud a time or two before Christmas. Certainly, the birth of Jesus is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible.

But sometimes these well-known stories cause us to sort of grow complacent. We're so familiar, we don't really think about what's special in this story, or how bits and pieces of it apply to our lives. To be really honest, my familiarity with the whole birth of Jesus narrative makes me sort of dislike it; it's just been beat into my brain so many times I've grown tired of it.

But yet, Scripture still speaks into our lives. That's part of the power of Scripture. And I think that the birth of Jesus has something huge to show us about worship.

Think about this story. Jesus is born. He is a little baby, wrapped in some old blankets in a stinky barn. But what happens? A choir of angels appears to some lowly shepherds, announcing his birth. This may sound stupid to say, but Jesus is a big deal. Big enough that before He has even really done anything (other than just be born), a choir of angels is already singing praise to the King of Kings. That's huge.

And then the temple... Jesus' parents bring him there to consecrate and dedicate their son, just as was the custom for every other firstborn Jewish boy. But what happens? There is a prophet and a prophetess at the temple, and both sing the praises of Jesus, announcing Him to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Again, not to sound stupid, but Jesus is kind of a big deal. In the biggest possible way.

This should lead us to worship. Obviously, Jesus has done way more than just being born. He lived the perfect life. He taught us how to live. He has shown us the perfect image of what and who God is like. But most importantly, He died on the cross to forgive our sin and rose from the dead to secure us life forever. Jesus lived in a way that means we never have to wonder if God loves us, if God has grace for our sin, or if God truly can overcome. He's already shown us that the answer to all of those questions is a firm "yes."

And that, my friends, is a real reason to worship.

52. Gabriel's Message: Luke 1:1-80

2010-08-10T03:00:00.001-05:00

…by Kay Roberts

As I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of husband to come home from his 13 day work stint in Michigan, I reflected on the idea of waiting. I don’t like to wait: for my husband to return home, in lines anywhere, for test results, for Christmas, my coffee …you fill-in the blank here. I can’t think of one person who likes waiting! Yet, as the we begin reading this passage today, we have had the fortunate advantage of fast forwarding through the waiting part of history…God’s story to us. Gabriel’s message to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Mary is the first time in 400 years that God has spoken to mankind. You did catch that, right? 400 YEARS! No waaaaay! I can’t wait 5 minutes for my coffee to brew let alone 400 years to hear from God! But that is where we find ourselves today in our reading. God has broken the silence and with that He sends Gabriel, His messenger, to announce of the coming and arrival of the loooong awaited Messiah. Well, not really announcing yet. More like getting His game-players ready and moving them into place for the ULTIMATE play of the game. It’s all unfolding right before our very eyes!

To be used by God for such an indescribable moment, I am rendered speechless. I am thinking, who am I Lord, that you would chose not ONLY to speak to me after this long awaited silence, but to USE me in such a significant and profound way?! UH,uh. No way. I am completely unworthy. Yet, somehow, I imagine that Mary and Elizabeth and Zechariah felt similarly which is probably the very real reason God chose them! Humbled, and honored.

Jesus did come to earth. He is alive today! He lives in each of us who call HIM Lord and Savior and I am sooooo thankful for Gabriel’s message and God’s unwavering FAITHFULNESS to His plan for us.

51. The Word Became Flesh (John 1:1-18).

2010-08-09T03:00:00.023-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

This passage has always been one of my favorites in the Bible. I'm not really sure why. Maybe just something about the language John uses here or something like that, but I just really like this verse. When I think about Jesus (or "the Word," as John calls Him here... see John 1:14), these are some pretty cool ways to think about Him. He is God's very own Word to us. He is the One and Only image of God in human form. He is the ultimate light that gives light to all men.

But probably the coolest promise here is the one that is echoed in John 1:12: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." What a great promise! If we simply believe in Jesus and in the message that He preached while here on this earth, we get the right to become God's very own sons and daughters! That's something far beyond simply being cool with God or being on good terms with God. We actually become a part of God's very own family! And we get the benefits, rights, and privileges that follow with that. We know God will take care of us. We know God will set us up for success, not failure. We know that in all things, God will love us and will always work with our best interests in mind, just like a great earthly father.

And better yet, the Bible says that to all who receive Jesus, we get to have those incredible blessings. Christ is a savior for all people. It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done, or what mistakes you made. The blessings of Christ are offered to each and every one of us. We just need to believe in Him and receive Him into our lives.

The promise of being one of God's children is such a cool promise to me, and one that I probably don't really think about and wrap my head around enough. I hope you find it pretty awesome too.

50. The Day of Judgment (Malachi 1:1-4:6).

2010-08-06T03:00:00.002-05:00

by Bobby Jackson

We’re halfway through this e100 challenge and things here at the end of the Old Testament seem bleak. God seems pretty ticked off with His people. Does God get mad? Yes. Does He hate it when we sin? Yes.

Jesus always seemed strange to me in this way… He was so compassionate with those that did not know God and so strong with those that should know better. As my children get older, I understand that more and more.

It seems like this book was written to priests. God is harsh with those who have every reason to know Him. God is calling us to something higher:

To give Him honor (2:2)
For our reverence (2:5)
Not to show partiality and favoritism (2:9)
No divisions (2:10)
Not to divorce (2:14)
Not to call evil things "good" (2:17)

It’s pretty clear in this book that God is not looking for a sometimes Christianity. He is not looking for the spare time we have or the left over energy in our relationship with Him. How can we expect God to be pleased if we give Him things that don’t matter much to us anyway?

He does not desire selective lordship in our lives. We simply don’t understand who He is and how much He loves us if we don’t make Him Lord over every part and moment of our lives. How can you and I give Him the best parts of who we are?

49. The Story of Jonah (Jonah 1:1-4:11).

2010-08-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

If you grew up in church at all, chances are that you heard the story of Jonah (and the whale, or giant fish, or whatever your translation says) several times. But chances are that you probably didn't hear the whole story of Jonah. You didn't hear about how Jonah did all that he could to run away from God and from His will for Jonah's life. You probably didn't hear about how after preaching a message that would save thousands from hell, Jonah cared more about a little plant than people.

But Jonah (just like everyone else in the Bible) was a real person. He had real moments of glory. He also had real struggles. Very real ones, in fact. Jonah's one of the guys I'm glad is in the Bible; you can see his faults, but yet God still uses him and today we even call him one of our prophets in the line of the Christian faith.

What do I learn from the story of Jonah? Well, for one, I think I'm reminded of the importance of following God's call the first time. Look at all the trouble that Jonah brought upon himself because he wouldn't just listen to God and do what God commanded. Did Jonah have his reasons? You bet. Assyria was Israel's sworn enemy, and Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrians. They were known to be extremely brutal to the nations they captured, and they were right on Israel's doorstep. The last thing that Jonah could have wanted was for God's blessing to be with the Assyrians as well. But that doesn't offset the simple fact that God asked Jonah to go. No matter what, that means that Jonah needed to go.

But I think the other thing I see comes at the end of Jonah, in chapter four. Here, Jonah expresses his anger that God forgave the Assyrians. Jonah, quite exhausted and hot, would then lie down and God caused a plant to grow and give Jonah shade. This would make Jonah happy. But then, God would allow the plant to die, which made Jonah extremely angry. God would then ask Jonah, "Why did you care so much about this plant that helped only you, and so very little about the spiritual welfare and well-being of 120,000 people whom you just preached to?"

This question is a big sting to me. There have been a lot of situations where I've been more concerned and excited about myself and what's happening in my life rather than caring about the needs (especially the spiritual ones) of others. Maybe instead of taking so much time to cater to my own needs, God wants me to instead care about the needs of others, especially those who don't yet know Christ. Perhaps God wants me to step out of my comfort zone and boldly engage those who don't yet believe that are around me.

Beyond Sunday-the Jesus Mission

2010-08-04T10:51:00.003-05:00

...by Doug Gamble

I'm humbled when I think about how God has used, is using and will continue to use our church to change lives. It's easy to lose sight that that is why we exist. I'm currently reading a biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a pastor, writer and theologian during the time Hitler and the Nazi's rose to power. The persecution of the Jews was a catalyst for him to take a stand for them and eventually be executed because of his work. He wrote during this time that the "church is not the church unless it exists for others." He lived and died by that principle and that is why WE exist. We exist for others...for the least, the lonely and the lost. For those who are not yet connected to Christ. That is why we are going to Highland and Walkerton.

What is my next step from Sunday? Good question. I'm glad you asked. I think we continue to...

Give sacrificially to the Jesus mission.
Help in some way with the new campuses. I'm a big believer in EVERYONE doing something. This could mean volunteering for one of their outreach events. Some of us at Hobart campus are going to take a crew to Walkerton to pass out door hangers. It could mean volunteering at either campus in the early weeks to help with Children's Ministry or Greeting or Setup. There are many more opportunities Andy and Jared could use your help on. Just ask!
Most importantly, PRAY. Pray for the staff and launch team. Pray for their impact into the communities. Pray for changed lives.

48. Daniel In the Lion's Den (Daniel 6:1-28).

2010-08-04T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Over the past season of my life, I've been feeling and learning a lot of different things. Two of those in particular are:

God thrives in situations where we need Him to show up. I need to put myself in more positions and situations where things will work out only if God shows up, for that's where He receives glory the most.
God usually doesn't want me to do the impossible; He just wants me to be faithful.

I think that we see these themes in the story of Daniel. It starts with Daniel's faithfulness. Despite a decree to pray to no other God than the King of Persia, Daniel continues to remain faithful. What I find interesting in Daniel's decision is that he didn't make any overt efforts to broadcast his faithfulness. He didn't march before the king and outright defy him. He just continued serving God and being faithful in this humble, unassuming way.

But the other thing is that Daniel wasn't afraid to own up to the consequences of his actions. He wasn't afraid to put himself in a situation where God would have to show up or else the consequences would be dire (literally, his death). It just makes me wonder: Am I willing to put myself in situations where if God doesn't show up then I'm in trouble?

I think that oftentimes, I'm willing to put myself in positions where maybe I need to trust God a little bit, but I can also take control of my own future. I don't know that there are too many situations in my life where I've known beforehand, "God, there is absolutely nothing that I can do here. If you don't show up, I'm toast. But I believe You're here, You've called me to this, and You aren't going to let me down." But yet, those are the situations where God thrives. I wonder if maybe I don't see God's presence more in my life not because God doesn't show up, but because I don't really put myself in positions where He really can show up.

God wants me to be faithful. But He also wants me to not be afraid to step into situations that look impossible. That's where He thrives. That's where He receives glory.

47. Jeremiah's Call and Message (Jeremiah 1:1-3:5).

2010-08-03T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

The story of Jeremiah is a really difficult one. Like most of the prophets throughout Israel and Judah's history, Jeremiah was commissioned by God to take a very difficult message of the people's sin to the people.

Obviously, you can imagine that people who were commissioned by God to tell the people of their sin were not very popular with the people. No doubt many sneered and jeered at the prophets, perhaps even calling into question whether they were truly receiving a message from God at all, or whether or not they just wanted to get on a moral "high horse" and judge people. Frequently, prophets were punished, humiliated, beaten, imprisoned, and even killed.

Jeremiah would be no different. His message would earn him lots of trouble from people and rulers of Israel. He would actually earn the name of "the weeping prophet" because of his deep concern for the people not following God's laws, but also in part because the pain and torture that Jeremiah would endure over his ministry would be enough to make any grown man weep.

As Jeremiah receives his initial call to go and talk to the people, God gives him one message: Come back to your first love. This would pretty much sum up Jeremiah's message to the people of his day. He would ask them to turn away from their worthless idols, to turn from doing evil in God's sight, and to come back to God, live a right life before Him, and worship Him.

Jeremiah's message makes me think: Have I forsaken my first love? In this season of life, I think that I'm honestly struggling to keep God as the first love in my life a lot of the time. Mostly, I'd rather serve me. I'd rather do the things that make me happy. There have been a lot of times in my life where I have been genuinely motivated by a desire to live a life that honors and glorifies God; I feel that's been a struggle for me recently. I think that is where much of Israel's struggle stemmed from as well.

It's especially silly because we see the repercussions of our sin. Broken relationships. Bitterness. Hate. We leave a trail of destruction in our path and we don't even realize it. In Romans 6:21, Paul talks about how we were all once slaves to sin. Paul basically asks this blunt question of, "How's that working out for you?" The answer is, pretty simply, it doesn't. When we continually live in a habitual pattern of sin, it's usually blatantly obvious to everyone around us that things aren't working. But we still stubbornly continue. Again, that's the story of Israel. But I think it would be silly if I didn't also admit that that is also the story of me.

So what does God ask of us? He wants us to turn to Him. He wants us to call on Him. But more than just calling on His name (anyone can do that in the dark moments of their lives), God wants to obey Him. God restores us and loves us so that we can, in turn, follow Him and play a part in His story of restoring and redeeming the lives of others. Let's all be a part of that story; let's turn to God, submit our lives to Him, and boldly follow where He is leading.

46. The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 51:1-53:12).

2010-08-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

I think that if we let it, this can be one of the most moving passages in all of Scripture.

Think about it; because of my sin, because of what I did, a man had to die.

And this man didn't just die a regular, old death. He died a death that was truly terrible. He had his clothes taken off of him, leaving him naked. He was beaten and flogged. He was nailed to a cross.

Truly, Isaiah 51-53 is probably one of the most graphic, prophetic portrayals of Jesus' crucifixion that we have ever seen. With startling accuracy, it predicts the future events of Christ's death. But with even more startling accuracy, it predicts exactly what this death would give us:

Healing.

In the midst of the darkest hour, the biggest Plan B circumstance ever imaginable, God offered us something incredible. As Isaiah 53:5 says:

He was wounded for our transgressions;

He was crushed for our iniquities;

upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with His stripes we are healed.

We are healed. That's a pretty cool promise to me. But I also don't want to lose sight of the fact of how big a deal our sin is, either. The Son of God died because of it. But that only goes to show just how much He loves us.

45. The Proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs 16:1-18:24).

2010-07-30T03:00:00.041-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So, I'm not going to lie... when it comes to reading material, Proverbs isn't exactly an easy read. However, there's still a lot of wisdom in there, and after reading through Proverbs 16, 17, and 18, I think I picked up on two major themes:

1. Living an upright life is important. Through the first couple chapters, Solomon really hits home on the importance of living an upright life. To be "upright" simply means to live a life that is upstanding; a life that does what is right and seeks righteousness.

People who live an upright life are desirable in all areas of life. Think about it; you've probably never met a good person who didn't have some sort of draw to them. People who just want to do the right thing have this natural draw. You can trust them. You can get wise advice from them. They make good friends. People who live an upright life are just great to have around.

We've probably all seen the consequences of a life that hasn't been lived in an upright manner. Yes, you may get ahead for a while, but eventually it all comes crashing down because God just has this uncanny knack for allowing the poisonous sin we practice the most to come and hit us hard at the most inopportune time. What's so ironic is that when it happens in my life, I usually come back to the same, tired old refrain: "That's not fair!"

But with people who seek good, it's different. Number one, you don't have to deal with the cruddy consequences of cruddy choices. But I think there's another benefit: you gain moral authority and credibility. Recently, I've been reading a book entitled Visioneering by Andy Stanley, and just this morning I finished a chapter that talked about how when what we say we believe and what we actually practice come into alignment, we gain moral authority. Basically, that means that people start to listen to us, even if we don't necessarily have a position that dictates that they have to listen to us. We gain influence in people's lives not because of the position we have, but because of the way we live. What a great way to earn an opportunity to share Jesus with others!

2. The tongue carries incredible power. And responsibility. Chapter 18, though, served as a humbling reminder for me about the incredible power of my tongue to heal and also to destroy. Proverbs 18:21's promise that "the tongue has the power of life and death" has proven to be true in my life time and time again.

I still have some problems controlling my tongue today, but I was really bad when I was younger (hard to imagine, I'm sure). But what was so terrible is that my tongue would just spout off so many hateful, angry, and judgmental things that it was unbearable. I burned a lot of relational bridges between myself and many of my classmates. I wonder if I would have had better opportunities to share Christ with them, but just couldn't because I'd lost all credibility to speak truth into their lives. Not to mention the fact that I lost opportunities for friendships all because I couldn't control my tongue.

You've probably seen it before in your life as well. That word you said in a heated debate with your spouse. The thing you didn't mean to say to a friend but just let slip. Those words can do damage in relationships that just can't be repaired, or at the very least take a long time to heal. But the opposite is also true. A well-timed, meaningful piece of encouragement for people can speak volumes. It can make even the most broken, hurting heart smile. Truly, the tongue does have the power of life and death. We just need to learn how to make the right choices with it.

Beyond Sunday - You Don't Have What it Takes: You can't control the future

2010-07-29T10:39:00.002-05:00

...by Larry Walker

Embracing the uncertain can be so difficult. I imagine you have to be strong in your faith to do it. Just when I think I have strengthened it, something even more uncertain comes along to test how strong it really is. Didn't Greg just hit the nail on the head when he talked about leaving the knowns behind that hold you back? Whether it's a relationship, a job, or habit... there is just something too comfortable about the certain. But, if we are to live a life that is full of Christ-like adventures, isn't it right for us to put it away and grow? Trusting God with our future instead of snuggling in with our old comfortable certainties is something Jesus calls us to do.

I thought later that night about two nineteenth century families from Holland that chose to embrace something uncertain and left everything they knew behind that kept them in that cozy comfortable safe place. They trusted in God's future for them and came over on a boat and decided to farm in the onion fields of Chicago. If these two sets of families would have chosen the safe path, my grandparents would have never met in that tiny one room school in South Holland back in 1925. As I was kissing my daughters goodnight tonight, I thought about how grateful I was for those two families and their faith in letting God control their future. I wonder if they are smiling down from heaven when they look at what that one single "Trust Him": moment has evolved into over the past 150 years. Wouldn't you like to have your great great grandchildren be that grateful for your faith as well?

44. Godly Wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-4:27).

2010-07-29T03:00:00.038-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

As I read through the beginning of Proverbs, I'm really struck by two different things. Number one, I'm really hit with the impact of the statement in 1:7 that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."

What in the world does that mean? Well, the fear of the Lord isn't exactly to say we're scared to death of God, though you could argue that there is a bit of an element of that in it. The "fear of the Lord" in the Bible simply refers to a healthy reverence and respect for God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because when I realize the magnitude of exactly who it is that has called me, I am going to humble myself before God and submit my life to him. I'm going to do what He asks and what His word teaches. Just like with a parent or teacher we respect, we listen. And we obey.

Secondly, I was continually reminded in this passage about the rewards of people obeying God. We've probably seen both sides of this. For instance, we've probably seen lives destroyed (maybe even our own) by people who just don't live the way that God wants. This is why we have broken families. This is why we have relationships that are torn apart. This is why our world is at times dominated by greed and selfishness.

But we've also probably seen the rewards of what happens when we obey God. Good things happen. We discover something more wonderful than we could ever imagine. Maybe that's part of your story. You took the leap of faith, you sought God, you obeyed God... and then you saw Him do something incredible in your life. In a lot of ways, that's part of my story even being here at Suncrest. Maybe that's the story of how you met your spouse, how you got that job, how you found that best friend, or something else. When we obey God, good things have a tendency to happen. That isn't to say that following God is always easy (or always comes with some sort of physical, earthly reward), but just to say that on the whole, people who follow God seem to find their lives full of good things.

That's what wise living is. It starts with us humbling ourselves before an Almighty God and ends with that same God choosing to bless us with some incredible things.

43. Praise the Lord (Psalm 103:1-22).

2010-07-28T13:48:00.001-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

So, I have got to be honest. As I sit here this morning writing this entry, I opened up my to-do list and saw that it was entitled "Praise the Lord." Just being honest here... not quite yet in the mood to praise the Lord. I'm tired. I'm probably a little cranky. I'm stressed with several big tasks that I would just rather not want to do... ever.

But even reading this passage this morning really helped me to focus on what's important. It helped me to be thankful to the Lord for what He has done in my life. It reminded me that He loves me in an incredibly huge way beyond what I can even begin to imagine. That's a neat reminder.

Earlier this week, I had one day where as I woke up and got ready to face the day, I just really felt God putting on my spirit a reminder that sin has no power over me, that I am forgiven. For whatever reason, this song below was the one that just popped into my head all during that day:

To me, that's the framework that this psalm starts with and seeks to remind us of: we are forgiven and redeemed. And it's really a great framework for our lives. We are forgiven of our iniquity and healed of the disease of sin. We have been redeemed and given God's steadfast (love that adjective) mercy. As Psalm 103:5 states, "[God] satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." I think as believers, we've all felt the incredible renewing power of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives.

Psalm 103 gives us some awesome reminders about God's incredible blessing and provision in our lives. Even when things aren't going my way, it will definitely serve as a reminder of who God is and what He has done for me, for you, for all of us... if we only let Him.

42. Have Mercy On Me (Psalm 51:1-19).

2010-07-27T03:00:00.014-05:00

by Andy Kaser

I am not much of a guitar player. In fact I haven’t even held one for two years. But one of the first songs I remember playing (where I could actually tell it was a song) was called ‘Create In Me a Clean Heart’ by Steve Green. It became a prayer song of mine. It is composed out of Psalm 51… a pure cry for the mercy of God. How often I forget in the natural and fleshly trajectory of my life that it is God who supplies mercy. I can’t do more to earn it. I can’t try harder or will it to come. It is a pure gift of God that comes by His living, moving, and breathing within my soul.

It’s important to define mercy. Mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve. We deserve wrath, but God withholds it from us. Hear David’s cry to God for mercy. Hear his utter dependence on the mercy of God to pour kindness into his depravity. Certainly David was wrestling with his human condition. Clearly he was seeing his lack of cleanness in the midst of God’s holiness. In his brokenness he cries to the One who offers unconditional mercy.

So what do we do when we are blinded by the holiness of God? Let us join together in meditating on David’s prayer to God, and making it our own.
  1 Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your unfailing love;
   according to your great compassion
   blot out my transgressions.
  2 Wash away all my iniquity
   and cleanse me from my sin.
  3 For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is always before me.
  7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
  8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
  9 Hide your face from my sins
   and blot out all my iniquity.
  10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
  11 Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
  12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
  13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   and sinners will turn back to you.
  14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
   the God who saves me,
   and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
  15 O Lord, open my lips,
   and my mouth will declare your praise.
  16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
   you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
  17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart,
   O God, you will not despise.

Father hear my cry. Have mercy on me Oh God. Amen.

41. The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23:1-6).

2010-07-26T03:00:00.010-05:00

by Dave Wright

When I was asked to blog about Psalm 23, my first thought was, this would be easy! Every summer at church camp it was one of the lists of Bible verses we had to memorize. It would be one of the first on the list to cross off back in the day.

That was then…this is now. It is amazing how certain sections of the Bible can pop into your life at the right time. There have been some really strange things that have happened in my life the past couple of months…things that can only be described as “God Things”. When I was asked to write some things about this passage, it struck that the Lord IS my shepherd. Just read the psalm: "I shall not want." My God will not let me go without. God will always provide.

The most important thing to me after revisiting Psalm 23 is the assurance that God is with me always. Remember, through scary times, tough times, and good times God is always with you. He will guide and comfort you. Just don’t catch me off guard and ask me to recite it from memory.

39. Elijah and the Prophets of Baal:1 Kings 16:29-19:18

2010-07-23T03:00:00.002-05:00

...by Kay Roberts

Pagan worship seems so foreign to me yet it was very common during this time. It really is hard for me to grasp. Yet here is Elijah, the sole survivor of God’s prophets because the king has slaughtered all of them, front and center challenging these pagan priests and powerful King. I see someone who is bold and courageous. Someone I desire to be more like. Someone who loves God more than his own life who is willing to do anything God asks. I know if I was Elijah, I would be shaking to the core, asking myself, “Did God really ask me to do this? Did I hear him right? Is God really going to show up?” Not good ole Elijah! He is steadfast in his challenge. He is focused and confident. I am left thinking, “what if I prayed like Elijah? What could God do through my life?”

That’s our challenge in today’s world. What if…

What if…

I prayed like Elijah?

I was devoted to God like Elijah?

I gave my all, risking everything to serve my God, like Elijah?

What if…

The next step is up to me...is up to us. Are we or am I going to keep a “what if” between me and My Lord? What is your "what if" and how are you, along with the Holy Spirit, going to move forward?

40. The Fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1-30).

2010-07-23T03:00:00.001-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Well, kids, it's time to turn out the lights because the party's over.

Jerusalem would now go through it's darkest moment up to this point in its history. The Babylonians have come in and absolutely destroyed the city of Jerusalem and really the entire country of Judea. They killed leaders, servants, just about anyone they could get their hands on, with only a few spared. Truly, Jerusalem was now in utter ruin and things were bad. "National tragedy" barely begins to explain what had just happened here.

And beyond this, the name of God was put to shame as well. It was kind of common for people to see wars on earth as a statement about the power of the gods of their nation. When an empire would grow in strength and power, it was because their gods were the strongest and the greatest. But on the flip side, when an empire would crumble, it was viewed as crumbling because their gods were not strong enough to save or fight off the opposing gods of other nations. Surely, to the entire known world, it seemed like Yahweh, the God of Israel and Judah, was gone. His name was, at the very least, put to shame.

But the fact is that long before, God's name had already been put to shame. In fact, over pretty much the entire existence of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, God's name had been continually put to shame. That was of no fault on God's part. That was the fault of His people. God is a God of grace, compassion, and mercy. He is a God who is full of justice. He is a God who cares about the rights and well being of the poorest and the least. That is God's identity, and that is the identity He wants for His people as well.

Yet, over the course of their history, God's people Israel had continually rejected this. They had oppressed the poor. Their government and nation was full of political and moral corruption. There was absolutely nothing about the nation of Israel that distinguished them as God's chosen and holy people at all. Yes, God's name was put to shame with the fall of Jerusalem for sure, but it was nothing different from what God's own people had been doing for centuries beforehand.

Remember the promise we talked about earlier this week with Solomon's temple? The promise was that if God's people would turn to Him and submit to Him that He would continue to bless them. But if they would turn away, destruction would surely come. This is exactly the case here. Chances are this probably isn't anything new to you, because maybe you've seen it in your own life. You flirted with sin for a long time, and then eventually the bottom fell out. I've seen it happen in my life time and time again when I turn from God's vision for me and for my life.

But even in the midst of this wreckage, there is still hope. God's people would be in exile for a while, but then they would get to come back to their homeland. God would restore them. God would eventually even send a Savior, Christ the Lord, to them. Let that be a lesson to us all; that even in the utter wreckage of our sin and the consequences that it brings, there is still hope. We only need to turn to God and do our best to serve Him wholeheartedly.

Beyond Sunday - You don't have what it takes: You can't handle it all

2010-07-22T10:52:00.002-05:00

...by Randy Parish

I thought Bobby was using examples from my life on Sunday. I don’t know whether it was intentional or not, but the treadmill in the video was a good analogy of our lives. We go nowhere fast and it just plain wears us out and we are still where we started. I’ve never been blessed with the “no” gene. If someone asks me to take something on, I usually say yes. Another project, sure, another committee, no problem, another meeting, absolutely, another problem, bring it on. I’ve never figured out the deep seated reason why I do that. I blame it on heredity, because my Dad was like that. I’m just glad I have a wife that steps in and says, sure you can take that on, but what are you going to give up to do that. She’s figured out that the plate is only so big and if something new comes, something old goes. There are always more things that need done. How many times do we hear people say “If only I had more time”, or maybe “There aren’t enough hours in a day”. I don’t want more hours in a day, because I would probably fill them up. I sometimes envy people that lead these seemingly very noble lives involved in many great causes and still have time to spare.

For the last 5 years, I have worked in Indianapolis. It was to the point, my wife and I decided I needed more margin in my life particularly from the driving back and forth. So we prayed about it and put our house up for sale and found a house and a lot where we were going to build and my commute would be short and I could add 4 hours back into my day. (Probably to take on other things but I didn’t say that out loud.) We combined two of the sermon points together on this decision: Some things need to be stopped and Everything needs to be Surrendered. Well, our house didn’t sell and the frustration grew. In December in God’s own sense of humor and timing, I had an opportunity to actually take another position in the company and now work from home. My one way commute went from 2 hours down to 45 seconds and I walk downstairs to my office.

We don’t have what it takes to handle it all. There will always be things that need to be done. There will always be things we can add to our “To Do” list. We need to start adding things to our “to don’t” list.

Psalms 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.

You can’t handle it all.

38. Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 8:1-9:9).

2010-07-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

I've been a part of some really cool worship services over the course of my life.

I went to a Christian high school and was worship leader for our chapel worship band my junior and senior year. I remember one particular chapel we had this speaker deliver a message on bringing the presence of God back to a place that had lost it, and probably about one hundred students came forward that morning to give their lives to Christ. That was pretty cool.

Last summer I was a youth leader for my home church's trip to the CIY Move conference (the same trip our Suncrest students actually are right now). On one night, they asked all the leaders to go up to each student in their row during the worship time that night and while the students were worshipping, we had to lay hands on and pray for each of the students there. That was an exceedingly powerful and moving experience for me. But what was even more powerful and moving was afterward, talking to another one of our youth leaders (who is not exactly the most spiritual or easily moved person) and watching her absolutely bawl because of the incredible power in what she had just gotten an opportunity to do for our students. That is a moment I will not forget.

Of course, I think many of us remember what happened at Suncrest on February 7 of this year when we watched 80 people give their lives to Christ in baptism. I was in our worship band that morning and I was actually right next to one of the baptistries. I will never forget bawling like a little girl watching person after person come and get baptized. It was truly remarkable.

But I'm sure that none of those quite compared to what the nation of Israel got to watch on this particular day as they gathered to consecrate the new temple of their God in Jerusalem. This place was huge. Way bigger than something like our church building here. Or anywhere. This temple was a big deal... it was enormous, and was built with only the finest of materials. To be a part of this worship service surely was one of the coolest things that these people would ever experience.

But I hope that you noticed the theme in Solomon's prayer of consecration. Basically, the theme was that God would be with his people when they would turn toward Him. When God's people would keep following Him, He would continue to bless and help them. But surely, when the people turned away from God, their bad choices would only earn them trial and trouble. But when the people would turn back to God, He would bless them.

I think that the same can be said with us and our lives. We've probably all seen that truth. When we follow God, we experience good things in our lives. Yes, things aren't always easy. Sometimes trouble will come, but overall, our lives are great because we have chosen to worship God in the way we live our lives. In the same vein, though, when we turn our backs on God, we see the consequences. Maybe you've seen that in your own life. I know that in moments where I turned my back on God, I've always regretted the consequences. It's just more incentive for each of us to keep following God in whatever we do.

37. King Solomon (1 Kings 2:1-3:28).

2010-07-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Solomon is an interesting figure to me throughout Biblical history. He did a lot of great things to further God's kingdom and take care of God's chosen people, Israel. He was setup for success. He had a father, David, who spent his entire life in pursuit of living the life God wanted him to live. He got to see the traits of a good ruler modeled for him. Yet while Solomon would do some great things, he would also do some not so great things. And I think as you look at the whole of Solomon's life, a lot of it has to do with Solomon doing the things that made sense to him, without necessarily consulting God first or really taking God at His word.

The two chapters we get to read today I think offer a really good insight into that. After receiving some last instructions from David before he passed away, we find Solomon taking the throne. Surely, this had to be an exciting and maybe even overwhelming feeling for him. Solomon, though, was surely David's chosen heir (if you read in 1 Kings 1 you discover this to be the case) and would gain the blessing of God as ruler of God's people. Yet, Solomon made some bad initial choices. Instead of resting in God's protection and direction as the king, Solomon would solidify himself in power by engaging in a bloody fight against all whom he perceived as opposing him. Surely, that couldn't have been God's will for Solomon. Then, as chapter three begins, we discover that Solomon has made a marriage alliance with the King of Egypt, despite God's continued warnings against such actions (see Deuteronomy 7:3-4; 17:16). Surely, Solomon had the tools to be a great ruler, but was fudging on his commitment to God and His commands when push came to shove.

Today's reading ends with one of Solomon's bright spots, though. When offering sacrifices to God and worshipping Him, Solomon is approached by God in a dream. God promises to give Solomon whatever he requests, and solomon asks for understanding and discernment to govern God's people. God is so pleased with this request that he not only gives Solomon what he asked for, but also the good things he didn't ask for: riches, peace, a long life.

As we trace the life of Solomon, we will discover that this understanding and discernment would serve him well over his years. Solomon would be regarded as the wisest man to ever live. But let's not confuse wisdom with action; it's one thing to know and understand right from wrong... it is another thing to practice it. I believe that God surely answers our prayers for wisdom and discernment as we seek His will for our lives. But God can give us all the direction in the world, and if we don't listen, then we are surely in trouble. Solomon would learn this. No doubt each of us has learned that as well.

God always blesses our request for wisdom. Let's actually use that wisdom God blesses us with to make great, God-honoring choices.

36. David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-12:25).

2010-07-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

We've all had some huge "oops" moments over the course of our lives.

You know what I'm talking about. I'm not just talking about the little things or little sins that we've all succumbed to at some point over the course of our lives. I'm not talking about something that can come even close to the category of "mistake." I'm talking about the big, huge, wrong things that all of us have done in our lives where we are only left to look at the mess and wreckage we've created and go, "What have I done?" Chances are if I asked you, you could probably think of the one or two things that you've done over the course of your life that make you cringe, even today, maybe even years removed from the act itself. Perhaps even years later, you're still combing through the wreckage, looking for some kind of peace.

2 Samuel 11 and 12 is King David's "oops" moment. David's made some questionable decisions before in his life for sure, but this is way more than a questionable decision or a mistake. This is an outright failure. Morally, spiritually, relationally, politically... a failure. In today's story, David goes out on his roof, sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing, asks for her to be brought to him, and then sleeps with her. The plot thickens when Bathsheba becomes pregnant.

Bathsheba has a husband named Uriah who is a commander of the Israelite army, currently out fighting a war right now (really classy to sleep with a military hero's wife, right?). So David calls Bathsheba's husband back to his palace in an attempt to try to get him to go home and sleep with his wife so that people will think the child Bathsheba is pregnant with is his. No luck. So then David throws a feast for the sole intent of getting Uriah drunk, hoping that he will go home and sleep with his wife. Again, no luck. So, in a script that not even Maury Povich or Jerry Springer could write, David sends Uriah back to the battlefield with instructions to Uriah's commanding officer to put him in a spot in their next battle where fighting is most intense and then to back off from Uriah, leaving him all alone and sure to die. David's plan succeeds and no one really knows the difference. He would now take Bathsheba as his wife to console her (a common practice of the day to protect widows).

No one, that is, except for the prophet Nathan. Nathan comes to David and tells him a story of a rich man who had everything and a poor man who just had one little lamb. When the rich man had company come over, he seized this poor man's lamb (his only treasured possession) and killed it to serve to his guests. David was outraged and demanded that this rich man deserved to die.

And then come Nathan's words: "YOU are the man!"

Surely, this was the moment when it all came crashing down for David. He had been found out. His little world of deception had come crashing down. And now, he came face-to-face with the consequences. He tore through the Ten Commandments like no one's business: he coveted, he committed adultery, he murdered. He had dishonored God and even condemned himself, saying in essence that he deserved to die. David was wracked with guilt. Out of this time, David would write Psalm 51, which is one of the most gut-wrenchingly honest writings our world has ever seen.

But out of the wreckage of this horrible series of events, God would still show His merciful character. When first confronted with his sin, despite condemning himself to death, David is told by Nathan that God "has put away your sin; you shall not die" (12:13b). Then, in the final two verses, we see David lie with his wife Bathsheba and conceive another child, Solomon, who would go on to be king of the Israelite Empire after his father David died. But what's incredible to me is one tiny statement: "the Lord loved [Solomon]" (12:24b).

Even in the midst of his darkest hour, God would give David mercy and grace. The story of David and Bathsheba is one of redemption. Yes, David's sin would bring some obvious consequences that David will need to work through for the remainder of his life. But God would offer David forgiveness. He would receive redemption. Even in David's ultimate "oops" moment, God's grace was bigger, greater, and stronger. What an awesome reminder to us in the midst of our "oops" moments as well.

35. King David (1 Samuel 5:1-7:29).

2010-07-16T03:00:00.001-05:00

by Joel Franklin

Greatness is something that all humans desire. Whether you are a musician, doctor, lawyer, even if you’re not the ambitious type, provided the opportunity we would take the road to greatness without giving it much thought. King David was someone that men, women, and children desired to be like. In this passage we follow David at point in his life where it seemed as if nothing could stop him. He had the favor of his people and more importantly the favor of our Father. He did everything that was asked of him by God and was rewarded for his obedience. But one of the most amazing things in this passage is David’s humility through it all. He was the most powerful man in the region but all the while kept his spirit of humility.

It wasn’t always a time of victory for David, though. Sure, there were many victories in David's life, but even among the trials, David still could only thank God for everything. One of his men (Uzziah) died during their first attempt to bring the ark into Jerusalem, but what does David do? After keeping it at a family household and seeing God’s hand all over that family, David tries again to bring the ark into the city. This time he was successful. In fact, he was dancing the whole way thinking nothing but of praising God.

I look at this part of David’s life and I wonder, how do I ever for a second let pride slip into my life? Even when it didn’t make sense, the king still followed God’s direction. Why would I ever want to take control (not that I could) from the Master of the Universe? I am encouraged by this passage's demonstration of obedience and humility, even through times of trial. It reminds me of James 1:2-4, where we are told that we should be joyful about our trials, and that those trials will create perseverance or steadfastness because “when it takes its full effect, we will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Beyond Sunday - You DON’T Have What it Takes: You Can’t Please Everyone

2010-07-15T11:57:00.001-05:00

...by Kevin DeBraal

Sometimes I wonder why I keep coming to Suncrest! It seems that every Sunday the message is prepared with me in mind. Just once I would like to sit back and say “No problem, I’ve got this one covered.”

All kidding aside this message does hit home. We live in a culture of expectations. And they come from every conceivable direction - work, home, personal, etc. I think most of us also have grown up trying to meet those expectations. It is very easy to become over-committed, to be overly concerned about being “politically correct” and eventually totally lost in a world of trying to please everyone.

This message like so many others brings me back to basics and causes me to re-evaluate my situation. Greg asked “Who is God in your life?” I thought where is God in my people-pleasing, meeting-expectations life? He’s in there someplace but can I honestly say He is the focal point? Regrettably I can’t.

So what do I do now? Awareness is not enough; there must be a reorganization of priorities and behavior to direct my attention to pleasing God. The concept of the jury box is very helpful because I know that if I select the right jury, those whose expectations are aligned with God’s, my focus will ultimately be pleasing to God.

It’s ironic, as I think about who should be my jury, that some are the people that got less of my attention hoping that they would understand. I guess I was hoping the same from God. This is another wake up call and opportunity to strengthen my relationship with Him. Time to get started …..

p.s. I’ll be back next Sunday!

34. David and Saul (1 Samuel 23:7-24:22).

2010-07-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

There's just something really appealing about integrity. It's something that we don't see a lot of in today's world; I feel like every week I hear some story about a corporate executive, politician, or (unfortunately) even a pastor who has had some severe lapse in their judgment that reflects poorly upon their own personal integrity.

But there's just something about integrity. People who have integrity have these intrinsic quality and characteristic of being honest, trustworthy, and dependable. People with integrity aren't always perfect, but they strive to live a life before God and man that is just clean with people. They don't have anything to hide or conceal because they're living in one of the central characteristics that God wants to define our lives.

David was a man of integrity. In our story today, King Saul has continued his paranoid chase of David, attempting to kill him so that David cannot become king. Can you imagine the emotions going through David's head? I know in this situation, I'd be so bitter and angry against God and Saul. God told David that he would be king and that he would be blessed... surely God couldn't have meant that David would need to make a habit of running for his life? Anger against Saul is certainly understandable... David has never done anything to hurt Saul, and yet he still continues to try and take David's life.

But in this story, David gets the perfect opportunity to kill Saul. The king is in hot pursuit of David, and happens to need to "relieve himself" (don't sugarcoat it... this means exactly what it sounds like!). The twist? David and his men are in the back of this cave. Surely, they would never see Saul in a more defenseless position than... well, you get the picture. David's men even say, "Look! God has given Saul right into your hands! This trouble and running that you're going through can all end right now!" Surely that had to be exceedingly tempting for David.

But David was a man of integrity. As the saying goes, "two wrongs don't make a right." David understood that just because Saul was acting in the wrong (and making his life a living hell) didn't give him the right to take his life. As far as David saw it, the right to give and take life was and is God's alone. David was right.

I don't know exactly what his thought process was, but could you imagine the consequences of David's decision if he had killed Saul? All of a sudden, assassinating a ruler because you didn't like him could have become commonplace. The monarchy of Israel could have quickly turned into that of something like the Roman Empire, where rulers were being killed left and right by those who sought the power, money, and prestige that would come with ruling the kingdom. Of course, this goes without saying the cost of character and personal integrity that this would be to David; surely he wouldn't be able to stand before God (and men) without an overwhelming sense of guilt. And certainly David couldn't expect those around him to act with integrity, especially considering that when push came to shove David didn't either.

But the character and integrity that David displays here is certainly a high standard to live up to. In whatever I do, I want to be known as a man who has nothing to hide. I want to be a person who doesn't have to live a lie, constantly working to cover up things in my life that I don't want people to know about. Living life in that way is just easier in the long run. And I believe with all my heart that that is a truly blessed way to live.

33. David and Goliath (1 Samuel 16:1-18:16).

2010-07-14T03:00:00.001-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

Maybe some of you are already pretty familiar with this story. It's certainly a famous one, and for good reason. I know that growing up in church, this was one of the stories that I heard a lot in Sunday School.

That can be a good or a bad thing. It's good in the sense that we are already familiar with this. It's nothing new. We know what to expect. But in a lot of ways, this can be a bad thing, too. We may have a tendency to look at this narrative simply as a "kids' story" and not really examine it or look at it for what we can learn about God through it.

I love stories like this; stories where things were all against someone or a group of people, but then God shows up and saves the day. They are a reminder to me of the great power and might of the God I serve. They remind me that He is in control of all things, even when circumstances of my life seem to dictate the exact opposite.

Never more was that the case than with David and Goliath. There was nothing about David that shouted "great warrior." He was a tiny little runt of a kid whose only previous experience with battle had been killing animals in order to protect his father's sheep. David was so small and unimposing that the armor Saul gave him for protection was too heavy and constricting for him.

But what David lacked in stature, he made up for with heart. All throughout this story, David just has this incredibel heart that makes you want to naturally follow his lead. He genuinely cared for the glory of God; it was unthinkable to him that the army of Israel would allow a pagan Philistine to make fun of God on a daily basis. Instead of seeing all the impossibilities like Saul and the rest of the Israelite army, David saw possibility. He saw that God was on his side. He trusted God enough to know that that power would go before him in his fight with Goliath. And sure enough, it did.

I think that speaks to us and our lives in a cool way. We are going to come up against circumstances that are just absolute giants in our lives. A lot of times for me, those "giants" are my sins, my doubts, my insecurities. Maybe for you it's something you feel that God has given you a vision and a calling for, but you have no idea how to do it because it's so huge and impossible-looking. But whatever your giant is, the story of David and Goliath reminds me that when we are working to advance God's honor, fame, and kingdom in our lives, He will always take us up on His shoulders and make things happen. As Andy Stanley says in his book Visioneering, "What God originates, God also orchestrates."

32. King Saul (1 Samuel 8:1-10:27).

2010-07-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

In a lot of ways, today's passage is really sort of foreboding. King Saul is appointed king over the entire nation of Israel, but Samuel warns that the people having a king will only lead to trouble for them. He and God are clearly not excited about this development.

But nevertheless, God doesn't typically make a habit of acting against our wishes. Here, the people wanted a king. Even though God knew this wouldn't be best, He wasn't going to stop the general consensus of the people. If they wanted a king, then a king they would get.

This happens in our lives, too. Sometimes, I hear people get angry that God wouldn't stop them from making a bad decision, engaging in a wrong behavior, or some other thing. Not to be mean or judgmental, but to blame God in these situations is kind of silly. It's not God's fault when I develop an addiction. It's not God's fault that I'm not working on my marriage or engaging in real relationships with my friends. When we make bad decisions, that's not God's fault, it's ours. For us to expect God to fix our bad decisions and always make everything better is simply ridiculous. We don't expect this in any other arena of life, so why would that be the case with God?

But in reading today, I saw one other thing that I thought was funny, and it was the people's demand that "There shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations..." (8:19-20, ESV). In other words, "We want a king because everyone else has one!" How immature and juvenile does that sound?

But I do the same thing all the time. Being a Christian means that I have to say "no" to some things that look really appealing and "yes" to some things that seem very hard and difficult. Sometimes I complain to God about how much good stuff I'm doing and I'm really just whining that I can't live a life like everyone else. That's not appealing. Or mature.

If I may indulge in a personal example, I remember in college that there was this season in my life where I was really bummed about not really dating anyone even though all my friends were (and, in typical Bible college fashion, some were already married or engaged). That made me depressed, frustrated, and even angry toward God. A frequent prayer in my life at the time sounded something like "When will it be my turn, God?" I wish I could say that that was only a season of my life that lasted maybe a month or two. But in all reality, it was a season of my life that lasted about two years. Probably the biggest thing, though, was that because I was focusing on what I didn't have, I was missing the opportunities to accomplish God's will for my life in the present. That's time I'll never get back, all because I was focused (just like the Israelites) on wanting to be like everyone else around me and live out the life God had chosen for them and not the life God had chosen for me.

Let's not miss the opportunities that God has placed before us in the present simply because we're focused on what everyone else around us has. As Israel would discover, God really knew what he was talking about. We'll see that the dynasty of Israeli kings as a whole would just be terrible. When God says something, let's take Him at His word, trusting Him and being thankful for the opportunities to live out His will for our lives in the present.

31. Samuel Listens to God (1 Samuel 1:1-3:21)

2010-07-12T18:01:00.000-05:00

By Mary Elizabeth Robertson

I can't be the only person who has ever doubted whether or not God is even listening to me talking to Him. Can I? I mean, it seems that I should put in my request, He should listen and then promptly answer. He's even free to take my advice and tips on my stunningly well-thought-out, pre-approved answers. I can get really lost within a situation that seems to be without any answer or reply, and I'm ashamed to admit it. But when I stand up out of my soup of questioning and doubt and dissatisfaction to look back at God's track record in my little life, questioning and doubt and dissatisfaction become laughable because it is crystal clear that our God has proven Himself to be a God of response in my life.

Response can have many faces, though. That's the tricky part for me. Who wants to wait? Who wants to be stretched? Who wants all that work? God does. He sees the big picture. He is the perfect Father who not only wants to give us the desires of our hearts but who also wants what is absolutely best for us --- whether we can see it or not. I KNOW that God is my perfect Father. I am encouraged that His purpose of growing "fruit" out of my humble life is what He's been doing, and doing well, for quite some time now. What patterns of request/listening/response did you see within Hannah's, Samuel's and Eli's lives? I bet it was something that you can relate to. I bet there's a reason for that.

30. The Story of Ruth (Ruth 1:1-4:22)

2010-07-09T03:00:00.023-05:00

by Beka Jackson

So my husband died. My brother in-law died and I am in a foreign country pretty much alone. Who do I turn to? My mother-in-law, of course! The story seems so strange to me even from the very beginning, but the way God redeemed this seemingly unimportant woman and her husband's family is so incredible. As I read this passage, I was brought to tears, which I thought was so weird because I have read/heard this story so many times and have never cried. But now, I read it as a mother, as a daughter-in-law, and as a wife. Apparently, my life circumstances really affect how I read scripture!

There are a few things in this story that didn't really makes sense to me. Ruth is gleaning in Boaz's fields. I honestly had no idea what that meant. Thank goodnes for Google, right? Reapers in the field would inevitably (and sometimes on purpose, like in Ruth) leave behind some of the wheat or barley or whatever it was they were harvesting. The poor could come behind the reapers and glean (pick-up and take for themselves) whatever was missed by the reapers. Ruth and Naomi didn't have much, so this was how they were providing for themselves.

Boaz went down to the city gate to settle all things with the other kinsman, or redeemer. I have this picture of Boaz sitting by the entrance of the city waiting for the other guy and grabbing him before he enters the city so that the matter of marrying Ruth can happen quickly. But really, the city gate was where legal business would take place. This was the place Boaz had to go in order to make the transfer of ownership, both for the land and (as strange as it sounds) Ruth and Naomi.

But really, the strangest thing in the passage was when Ruth went to Boaz and laid by him while he slept. Apparently, this was all part of Jewish custom and law. So what may seem strange to us was just Ruth doing things the way they did them thousands of years ago. She was giving Boaz an out. If he didn't want to marry her, this was his chance to say so (Deut. 25:5-10). I'm pretty sure if I tried that 14 years ago with Bobby, we would not be married today! But obviously, it worked for Ruth!

And Boaz is such a great guy, right? The first time he meets her, he provides for her immediate needs. He tells her to stay near his men in his fields so she would be safe. Then he tells his workers that it would be alright if they let a little extra harvest fall to the ground, leaving more available for Ruth to glean. When Ruth lays at his feet, he wakes to find her there and is anxious to marry her. First thing in the morning he sets of to take care of the matter, but not beofre he sends her on her way with more barley for her and her mother-in-law. Boaz sounds like the kind of man a girl would want to be her kinsman-redeemer.

So there were a couple of strange things to me in this passage, but I love this passage for several reasons, too! I love the comittment we see in Ruth. She didn't have to go with Naomi. She had every right to go back to her people and her land, but she stays. It isn't out of duty or law that she stays. The Scripture tells us more than once that they were crying over not only the death of their husbands, but over the idea of being apart from each other. Naomi had become Ruth's family, and Ruth wasn't going to let that change. Ruth 1:16-17 are great: "But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

And even though it doesn't say anywhere in the passage that Ruth and Boaz loved each other, you get that sense as you read. It's obvious that Boaz was a really great guy, but it also pretty obvious that he was crazy about her right away. He had heard about her and loved her character. I think its great to read true love stories in the Bible! Yep, I'm a hopeless romantic! (Facebook even told me my life movie is the Notebook and we all know FB knows what it's talking about!)

And how cool would it be for the people at the city gate to know what happened to the family line later on? After Boaz had bought the land, the people at the gate said this: (3:11-12) "Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

The book of Ruth ends with the lineage of King David, beginning with Perez. This is the family line that Ruth was blessed to marry into! The Great-Grandmother of the King of Israel! But even greater, in the book of Matthew, that lineage continues on to the birth of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 1:5 she is even mentioned by name as one in Christ's family line! Absolutely amazing! And this is where the tears start streaming down my face!

Beyond Sunday - God... and the USA?

2010-07-08T14:53:00.001-05:00

...by Jeff Sanford

When you hear the word America, what images come to your mind? Do you think of the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, the country’s beautiful landscapes, the American military, or maybe even the opportunities and freedoms that are available here which so many others don’t enjoy?

I don’t know about you, but despite all these wonderful things, I’m not exactly the most patriotic person. I love so many things about this great country, but for me, it’s often hard to look past the terrible images and corruption that I see on the news nearly every night that make me think otherwise. But on Sunday, Greg said something that made me do some thinking. He said to make sure that we are grateful for the things that we are reaping which we did not sow.

Goodness! I can think of lots of things in America which I am reaping and had no part in sowing. Unfortunately, I often take these things for granted. I enjoy the security of living in a land that is protected by men and women who have given and will give up their lives and years with their families for the protection of our country. I enjoy the benefits of living in a country with an educational system that strives to develop the skills, abilities, and intellect of its students. I enjoy the right to vote, to run for office, and to express opinions on the happenings in this country. I enjoy the right to worship Jesus without the fear of persecution or restriction by the government. And these are just a few of the many things I have to be grateful for. And all of these freedoms and opportunities I enjoy are the result of the hard work and sacrifice of many who came before me. So today, I’m choosing to look past all that has discouraged me about this country and to be grateful to all of those who came before me, those who have sown that which I am now reaping.

29. Samson Defeats the Philistines (Judges 13:1-16:31).

2010-07-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

One of the things that I think indicates how real, authentic, and true that the Bible is is the people we discover that God uses throughout it. Yesterday, we looked at the life of a skeptic, doubter, nearly paranoid man named Gideon. Today, we see God's story in an angry, impulsive, womanizing man named Samson.

There's no question that God used Samson to do something good in his time. The Philistines were lording over the people of Israel, and Samson was used to help win back some freedom for the Israelites against the Philistine Empire. But I only wonder reading this story how much more good Samson could have done if he would have actually dedicated himself to the Lord, serving the Lord, and living in the way God would want him to live.

Just look at his life. From the very first time we meet Samson, he's in Philistine territory and is wooed by one of the beautiful Philistine women (as we continue reading the Old Testament, we'll discover Israelite men marrying women is a sure fire recipe for people falling away from God). When his parents start to express some concerns over this, what is Samson's response? "Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes." In other words, I want this girl. I don't care what you say. What God says. I want her and now. What's ironic is that later, when Samson got angry, he would march away heated, and end up putting into sequence a series of events that would lead to his wife (and father-in-law) being killed.

Later on, the Bible tells us that Samson had sex with a prostitute (Judges 16:1). Again, not a very smart decision on Samson's part. It could have led to his being killed in an ambush. But as if that wasn't enough, Samson decided to get tied up with another woman: the infamous Delilah. It would be Delilah who would discover the secret to Samson's incredible strength (his hair) and then betray him and turn him over to the Philistines. Things would be dire, but at the end of his life, Samson would in one final display of strength kill 3,000 Philistines.

But I have no doubt that God wanted to do so much more with Samson's life. But Samson would have none of it. He kept making bad choice after bad choice, rash decision after rash decision, and he never put himself in situations where God could really do a whole lot of anything with his life. Surely, Samson could have been a mighty leader like Moses, Joshua, Gideon, or any of the other leaders before him and could have been used to gain the Israelites their freedom. But (as his life shows us), Samson just wasn't really willing to align himself with God's will.

I think that's a lesson for all of us. If we aren't willing to align ourselves with God's will, we shouldn't really expect Him to do a whole lot with our lives or to work a things in our favor. Sure, there will be moments... there were in Samson's life just as there were in the lives of other ungodly men and women in the Bible (like King Saul) or even today in the lives of people who really just don't care about God. But if we really want to be used to do great things, that means we must have the humility of a servant, submitting ourselves to the perfect will of God as revealed to us in Scripture. We may not like it, but that's the way God works. After all, why should He put His hand with someone who won't use any of God's blessing to in any way help or bless others?

28. Gideon Defeats the Midianites (Judges 6:1-7:25)

2010-07-07T03:00:00.067-05:00

by Wesley Blackburn

When I first sat down to arrange entries and such for the entire e100 Challenge, I gave myself all the middle entries for the week since I normally blog on here on Wednesdays anyway. After I'd gotten more of the posts assigned, I took a look at some of the ones that I had gotten for "Wesley Wednesdays," and sure enough, I saw that this post was on here. I was excited, to say the least.

I just love the story of Gideon, and I think it's because he reminds me so much of myself. In this story, Israel's in dire straits. They're being absolutely oppressed by the Midianites. Their country is now a wreck... not at all what they had dreamed when they first possessed it under Joshua. Now, one day as Gideon works threshing some wheat, he is approached by an angel who says that God is with him.

Now the Bible doesn't specify, but I'm led to believe that there had to be something that indicated this man was an angel or some sort of being sent from God, as even Gideon sort of recognizes that in Judges 6:17. But Gideon shows no sign of reverence; he doesn't bow, he doesn't really offer any sort of greeting to this man beyond the typical polite address of the day. What does Gideon do? He questions. He doubts.

And these questions aren't just ones that were really nice, easy questions. No doubt, there was a little venom in them. On being told that God was with him, Gideon's first response was pure skepticism: "If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt'" (Judges 6:13)? As I read that verse, I sensed real anger. Real bitterness. Gideon was mad at God for seemingly abandoning them and letting all of this bad stuff happen to him and his people. But I see myself in those questions too: God, if You're really with me, if You're really true to Your promises, then why does my life seem to be falling so far short of that? When God doesn't act in the ways I think He should or expect Him to, I become just like Gideon... bitter, brokenhearted, and hurt.

After some more dialogue, Gideon still refuses to believe that this man is a messenger from God until he sets a rock on fire. Probably again, just like me.

But then, the story gets even crazier. In verse 25, we discover that in Gideon's household, there are actually places of worship dedicated to two of the major pagan gods of the day. While Gideon's father still probably believed in the God of his fathers, he had these other gods around just in case. Furthermore, it wasn't uncommon for an entire household to worship the same god or gods, so if you ask me, it's very possible that Gideon himself had engaged in the worship of these gods. God's not exactly a big fan of other gods (see the Ten Commandments), and He especially hates it when people worship them. Yet, this doubting, skeptical, other god worshipping guy named Gideon was the man God chose to accomplish His purposes for the nation of Israel.

Later on, God is now getting ready to send Gideon into battle against Israel's enemies. Before the battle, Gideon wants to make absolutely sure that God is going to follow them into battle. So instead of just taking God at His word (yes, the same God who sent him an angel, set a rock on fire, and somehow stopped Gideon from being killed after tearing down some town places of worship to other gods), Gideon has to do one more test, so he lays a fleece out on the ground and says that if God will make it have dew while the ground around was dry, He'd believe God. God does the exact thing Gideon does, and what does Gideon do? He DOUBTS. He needs God to confirm again, so this time He asks God to do the reverse of this miracle, and finally, Gideon decides to march into battle.

Did I say that I see a lot of myself in this guy? Talk about doubt. Talk about paranoid double-checking. Talk about skepticism. Talk about fear. He's got it all... just like me.

But sure enough, God uses this doubting, skeptical, paranoid, sinful man named Gideon to win a miraculous battle. I don't know why God chose Gideon in particular. Maybe he was just the best guy around at the time (scary thought), or maybe there was some other reason that I'll never know on this side of eternity. But what I do know is that the story of Gideon gives me hope. God uses doubting, disbelieving, struggling, paranoid people just like me to do His will in big ways. What's more, he turns people like this into heroes of the faith, even though if you keep reading the story of Gideon, you discover he actually doesn't do a great job of leading God's people. In fact, in a lot of ways, he led them into more destructive idolatry later on in his life. Yet Gideon's name is listed in the famous "Hall of Faith" chapter in Hebrews 11.

God can use anyone... even Gideon. Even me. Even you.

And God is patient... with Gideon. With me. With you.

It's simply up to us to be faithful in the end and trust for God to take care of the rest. That's the lesson I learn from Judges 6 and 7.