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!
Showing posts with label Wesley Wednesdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wesley Wednesdays. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Listen, Listen, Listen!
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!
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!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Prodigal God.
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!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Mentoring.
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!
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!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Some Worship Resources for You...
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.
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!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The 22 Day Challenge.
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.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Beautiful Fight.
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!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Cultivate Serving Opportunities
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
98. The Throne of Heaven (Revelation 4:1-7:17).
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
88. Good Soldiers of Christ (2 Timothy 2:1-26).
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
83. The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
73. The First Martyr (Acts 6:8-8:8).
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
68. The Crucifixion (John 19:1-42).
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
63. Healing a Blind Man (John 9:1-41).
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
58. The Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:1-58).
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
53. The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-40).
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
48. Daniel In the Lion's Den (Daniel 6:1-28).
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:
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.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
43. Praise the Lord (Psalm 103:1-22).
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
38. Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 8:1-9:9).
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
33. David and Goliath (1 Samuel 16:1-18:16).
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."
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."
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