Beyond Sunday - East Campus

...by Andy Kaser

Sometimes we leave informed. Other times we leave inspired. Maybe there are times we leave with a plan for change. On Sunday I left with a mixture of each of these ingredients. The reality is that as Doug verbalized scripture and concepts, the Holy Spirit was breathing strength and encouragement in me. The question I have to ask myself is; “Do you really trust God Andy? I mean really trust him? Or do you give your energy over to ‘helping’ God out?

It’s a great question. Am I in control of my own destiny? Because if I am, I’ve made a pretty pathetic run at it. I mean if my life’s worth is fueled with the ‘good’ I’ve done, I’m not sure it provides any good content for someone to say at my funeral. The heartbeat, or to put it the Suncrest way – Big Idea, is that God is involved in us. The battle is His. And the good news is that our ‘limp’ or ‘handicap’ (that we pray for God to take away) is the very thing that keeps us attached to a dependence on God. It is the thing that allows us to keep Christ at the center, and the thing that gives people the ability to understand, empathize, and relate to. The thing that should most disqualify us from making an impact on humanity is the thing that God uses to bring good. Another example of the upside down Kingdom of God.

Doug used a powerful video illustration to drive this point to the center our souls. Lonely, lost, hurting, desperate, desolate, malnourished, decrepit people who pray for ‘healing’ in some capacity…and yet God remains silent. God is not distant, he just seemingly resists that prayer. As the story unfolds we begin to see the light switched on inside them…and they worship knowing that God has a purpose to our weakness and frailty.

Doug used the story of a guy with a funny, long, and hard to spell name. So why Jehoshaphat? Here’s a brief summary; He’s a King commissioned by God to engage the battle God’s way – not his own way. God’s way always sounds insane. His confession; “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you (God)." His response; "Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (Doug even sang this for us…you would have had to been there!)God’s victory; “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. (Kaser’s paraphrase – the victors worshipped and put their trust in God and they did not use one of their manmade weapons to defeat the enemy…the enemy destroyed itself. God has a knack for using the low to humble the strong).

So what’s this all mean for us? It’s not about us. It’s about God. And what is impossible with man is possible with God.

“God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.”

And that is a promise that makes me dance with gratitude and peace.

What Are You Reading?

At our ministry staff retreat a few weeks ago, one of our staff members made the simple observation that you can tell a lot about a person based upon the kind of stuff they put on their bookshelf.

I think that there's a lot of truth to that.

I also think that there's a lot of truth in the simple fact that reading can be a great way to cultivate our relationship with Jesus. Of course, the first and foremost book that cultivates your relationship with Jesus is the Bible. It's never a bad idea to start there, and if you're not reading your Bible on a regular basis, I'd definitely encourage you to do so. It will really make a difference in your relationship with Jesus (and in your life).

But what I'd love to know is what are you reading or have read outside the Bible that you feel helped cultivate your walk with Jesus? I'd love to have you comment on this post and share. And in the spirit of sharing, I guess that I will go first by sharing some books I've read that have really helped me in my walk with Jesus.

1. Seeking God's Hidden Face by Cecil Murphey. This was probably the first book I can remember reading that really, truly helped me cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus. I read it when I was 16 and at a really tough time in my life. For the first time in my life as a Christ follower, I felt like God's Spirit and presence had completely left me. I was left asking questions like, "God, do you even exist?" and "Jesus, are you real?" and "Is there something wrong with me? Am I even a Christian anymore?" This utter darkness in my life just came out of seemingly nowhere, and I wasn't ready. People around me thought something terrible was wrong, but I think I was really just going through an important phase in my growth as a believer. Murphey's honesty was of great comfort to me in this time; in fact, I may not even be a Christian today if it weren't for this book. If you're going through a time in your life where you feel God is absent for no reason, you need to read this.

2. The Thomas Factor by Gary Habermas. I read this not too long after the first book. I am a skeptical, doubting type person by nature, and this book helped me to learn how to deal with that. It reminded me that even if I doubt sometimes, it doesn't mean I don't love Jesus. It just means that I'm human. I highly recommend this book if you're a doubting-type like myself. If you're looking for something more like why you should believe, I'd highly recommend The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

3. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. This was the first book I read that really made me re-think the way I looked at Christian faith. Miller writes from the standpoint of just a regular, honest guy, and I really like that. This book helped me lose some of the baggage I carried with my faith, and to embrace a relationship with Jesus that was open and honest while being grace-filled and loving to the world around me.

4. Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. This book kind of goes into the Blue Like Jazz category as well; it was just a work that made me re-think what a relationship with God looks like. This book really made me re-think the teachings of Jesus and the kind of life that Jesus asks me to live. While Blue Like Jazz is more of a story, this book is a little more like a message. But seriously, two of the seven chapters in this book were life-changing for me. Maybe they can be for you as well. If you're a big fan of Rob Bell's work with Nooma, you'll love this book.

5. Sex God by Rob Bell. Okay, kind of lame to have two books by the same author on this list, but what can I say? I love Rob Bell. The title of this book implies that it's all about sex, and while sex is definitely a topic of this book, Sex God is more about what makes a good love relationship, whether that be with God, with your spouse/significant other, or just with friends and people in general. Sex God gave me a better idea of what love really looks like, and also helped me to see how sex plays a part in that. Definitely a great read.

6. Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis (so nobody) knows that I pretty much have a (totally platonic) big-time man crush on Francis Chan. I love this guy, mostly because of his incredible heart and because he's a guy with no real personal agenda; he just wants to teach people what the Bible says. If you ever get a chance, watch some of his teaching online from Cornerstone Church in California. You won't be sorry. Anyway, Crazy Love probably wins the award for the "most challenging" book in terms of my relationship with Jesus. Seemingly each chapter hit home with solid, real truth on how in a lot of ways, I've settled for a lukewarm life that only kinda loves Jesus. Crazy Love reminded me in a powerful way that Jesus teaches us to be people who live with a crazy love for Him that shows itself in the way we give, serve, and love other people in all places at all times. This book gave me a real spiritual "kick in the pants," and if that's what you need (or even if you don't think you need that), I'd highly recommend it.

7. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I think I've mentioned it on here before, and I will do so again. This is a great book. It's a study of several spiritual disciplines (like prayer, meditation, fasting, solitude, silence, etc.) that we can use in order to further our relationship with Jesus. Foster gives some great insights on all of these disciplines, and I believe that the practice of all the disciplines in this book will be of great help to any person wanting to cultivate their relationship with Jesus.

So there's a (long) description of some great things I've read to cultivate my faith in Jesus. What are some of yours? I'd love to hear!

wb

Beyond Sunday - Passover: “Moses’ Captivity” (West Campus)

...by Kevin DeBraal

Do you ever leave church and think that the sermon was meant for you? It happens to me frequently, I’m guessing for you too. Why? Because we all are human and are susceptible to the deception and temptation of the devil. The messages we hear are reminders of the devil at work in our lives and the struggles he creates for all of us.

Blake Bergstrom did a great job of explaining the challenges the devil creates for us and the response that we frequently make to those challenges. We create our own “prison”, a place we go by addiction, habit or behavior, to escape the pain, guilt and problems that we are suffering. I have mine, I’m sure you know yours. While we feel safe in our escape mode we are really confined and restricted. We don’t live life or face it, we hide from it. We are not free and in our confinement we are separated from God.

The symbolic chains we used to illustrate our prison were a reminder of the restrictions that it creates for us, remember how it felt when you broke your chains in church. The only way to break those chains is through Christ. Through Him we can be free.

Beyond Sunday – what do I take away from this message? I am reminded that I am involved in spiritual warfare, that the devil is actively trying to disrupt my life and separate me from God. I realize that instead of hiding from my problems I need to trust God, go to Him for my refuge and know that He has already saved me.

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29

Dirty Laundry

Nothing like airing out all our dirty laundry and getting things off our chest!
All those things that we cling to in fear that someone might find out about. Yeah...those secret sins that we keep so well hidden deep in our heart. Instead of confessing to our brothers and sisters in Christ like the Bible tells us to in James 5:16,"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed...",
we keep them hidden allowing our "dirty laundry" to darken our heart leaving a deep dark stain.



James must have been onto something here. It's amazing the amount of healing that takes place when we allow God to light up our dark corners and expose sin for what it really is and how confession completely disarms the hold that sin has over our heart. Oh the power that God has given through confession!



I would like to encourage you to check out this website that gives you an opportunity to confess whatever it is that you are holding tight to. This is a completely safe and anonymous site that one of our sister churches has setup.

http://www.ClotheslineConfessions.com/



Go and enjoy the freedom that God desires for us to have when we confess all that we have! Experience His wonderful joy that only comes from God!

Beyond Sunday - Servolution: the power in everyone

...by Gordon Barker

I don’t know about you, but this Servolution series has really been working on my heart. Service seems to be one of those things that I’m always “going to get to”, but doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should. This series has been loaded with thoughts to push, prompt and hopefully motivate me. Here’s a few of the things I hope to remember and use.

1. Greg’s questions of: What bothers me? What is the thing I cannot not do? What is my passion? He then challenged us to discover, or more likely, remember the answers to these questions. This has made me think a lot about the way I choose to live my life and I have decided it is no longer acceptable for me to hide from the pain in the world.

2. Bobby’s personal interpretation of Jeremiah 22:16: …defend the cause of the poor and needy. Is that not what it means to know the Lord? For me, I know that the next step in my spiritual maturity is to develop a deeper relationship with God, to try and know Him more. Deep thinking is hard work and easy to procrastinate doing (and I am a champion procrastinator). But here is some simple, easy to understand instruction from the Bible. Serve, and you will know the Lord.

3. The interview with Charlie and Lisa: this was awesome! It made me proud of my church and proud to be a follower of Jesus. Charlie’s description of his personal changes over the past 5 years and his heart for service now were inspiring. Lisa’s response of being motivated to serve others because of the service she received.

Now the challenge for me is to serve, I hope you are feeling challenged too.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Some Trust...

I posted about this on my own blog yesterday, but I'd love to go a little more in-depth with it here today.

I don't believe I've shared it on here before, but I have an incredible love for the Fray. I've seen them live in concert 3 times now in my life, and each time was a very enjoyable experience. Really love their sound, and while I don't know any of them personally, I've heard rumors that the guys in the band are all Christ-followers, which if true, would be pretty cool.

But I also love their music. I feel that I can empathize with a lot of the situations they write about. Something about their songwriting seems to really strike a chord with me again and again.

Take a listen to this song, called "Some Trust."

I was casually stumbling through my iTunes library the other day when I came across this little gem. Pretty catchy sounding, which got me listening at first. But then I really listened to what the song was saying, and I was quite floored, mostly because I think that at one time or another, I've been prone to trust in all of those things.

I've trusted in love.

I've trusted in others.

I've trusted only myself.

I've trusted in hate.

But a lot of the time, I haven't placed my trust in God. Granted, I'll have a little trust there, but not all of it like He asks. I'll say I've got all my trust in God, but really I'm putting it all in my possessions, in some girl to make me happy, or in my own talents and abilities. Yeah, I might disguise it as "the words I pray" or "my saving grace" or "my security blanket," but God knows what it really is.

It's the thing I trust in more than Him.

So today's cultivate question is really simple. When the Fray sings that "some trust in (blank)," what goes in your blank?

I think that answer can say a lot about each of us.

Fruit of my lips?

This week, I read a Bible verse that really got to me:

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased," (Hebrews 13:15-16.)

So, I started thinking. Fruit is a natural, God-designed product. Its growth is a long, sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, four-season process. I find it easy, for example, to think about a juicy strawberry that way: its deliciousness dripping off my chin is well worth the dirt stains on my hands in spring, the weeds and birds I had to fight to protect my crop, and the compost and water I tried to provide in perfect combination.

I find it quite difficult, though, to think of my praise to God with the same hard-fought value. My words, my "sacrifice of praise," my "fruit of lips" are just simple words, aren't they? But my life, when offered "through Jesus," is as satisfying as that juicy strawberry to the One whose hands are stained by my sin, whose angels are assigned to protect me and my mostly dumb choices, and who painstakingly places water and fertilizer in my life for the purpose of growing me closer to himself.

No, wait, I'm wrong. The fruit I offer is more satisfying to him. And God designed it that way. This fruit wasn't the result of just twelve short months. He's been gardening me since he "knit me together in my mother's womb," (Psalm 139:13.) I want to give him more than just some words or a weekly song or a random "thank you." I want the fruit of my lips to be the fruit of my life. The life he gave back to me by saving me. A life that is lived for him and through him and, continually, offered back to him. I catch myself making a little happy noise when I bite into a strawberry like the one you're imagining. And I think God makes that noise, too, when we "continually offer God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name." "...For with such sacrifices God is pleased."

~MaryElizabeth Robertson