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Archive for the ‘Hope’ Category

How’s Your Focus

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on July 30, 2013| 1 Comment »

This past Sunday I talked about the need to put into practice, the things we say we value.  If we call ourselves Christians, how are we actually striving to become more like Jesus?

Throughout history, believers have used disciplines to create time and space in their lives in which they can experience God’s movement and transformation.  For us today, we hear the word discipline and it has a tendency to conjure up negative images.  In fact, we tend to think of discipline as some sort of punishment for doing something wrong.

But in the sense of spiritual disciplines, they are practices or, as I described them Sunday, habits that help us do our part to experience God in new and fresh ways.

Don’t misunderstand that spiritual progression occurs through the grace of God and by God’s blessing of growth.  But that growth will never happen if we don’t do our part.  We can’t wake up one morning and say, “Today, I become more like Jesus,” and then go about our day in the same way we lived the day before.

We have to put practices in place and remain consistent with those practices until they become habits.  These practices are designed to help us shift our focus from ourselves and our desires, to God and God’s movement in our lives.  There are a number of habits to explore but one of those is fasting.

Fasting is the act of giving something up – something of significance – for a set period of time for a set purpose.

So Sunday, I challenged our family to fast.  In fact, the challenge I issued was for each member to open his or her heart to God and ask God to show a specific area in which things needed to be given up.  Then I challenged them to commit a day this week to giving up whatever God revealed to them for the express purpose of focusing more fully on God and our relationship with our creator.

I also asked them to let me know how it goes and what God does through their efforts.  So far, I have had many of our family members tell me that they have accepted the challenge.  Now I am excited to hear what God will do.

If you would like to take the challenge its not to late.  The question I have for you is this, “How’s your focus?”  What could you give up for a day that would allow you to focus more intently and intentionally on God and what God is doing in and around you?

Message me and let me know what God does.

Be blessed today.

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Back With Renewed Passion

Posted in Church, Community, Hope on July 29, 2013| 1 Comment »

It is good to be back.  The last 2 to 3 weeks have been insanely busy – two conventions spread from the east coast to San Antonio and then a much needed vacation with the family.

But I am back in the saddle now and ready to get back into something that resembles a routine.

My time away gave me time to think – about my life, ministry and direction.  As I thought about the direction of our church family, I became very convicted that the church, not just ours, has become more of a social club than a church.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe with all my heart that when the family comes together, we should enjoy it and have fun.

But if our reason for existing as a church family is because we enjoy getting together then we are just a club.  When I read the New Testament I come away with an understanding of what Jesus expects of the church and it is more than just a gathering of somewhat like-minded people who enjoy being together.

The role of the church in our world should be to offer God’s light to a dark world – to offer hope to those who have none – to love when no one else will.

I am back with a renewed passion to do my part to see the church truly become what the church is supposed to BE.

Who is with me?

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God At Work

Posted in Formation, Grace, Hope on July 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I spent the day yesterday reconnecting to colleagues and partners in ministry. It was a wonderful time of hearing about what God has been doing in so many lives and so many areas of the country and world. It was also a time to share how God has been at work in my life as well.

Have you ever noticed that you don’t think much about how God is working around you until someone asks you that question. All of the sudden you have to take a look. You begin to think about the good things you have seen and the lives that have been changed.

For me, I try to do that on a regular basis but it is usually more of a practice of trying to see God’s movement in the here and now. But when I think about all the things God has done over the last 6 months, I begin to see God’s hand in many different ways.

Why is that?

I think it has a lot to do with our “want it now” mindset. We tend to overestimate the change we will see in the next month and underestimate the change we will see in the next year.

The truth is, change takes time. God is at work every minute of every day – bringing about the change we need.

Don’t think for a minute that God is not at work all around you. Just take a look at the last 6 months and you can see it.

Stay faithful.

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Seeing God

Posted in Formation, Grace, Hope on July 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

When is the last time you rejoiced in your creator?  When is the last time you watched a sunrise or sat and listened to a thunderstorm?  Or maybe watched a small child at play and really saw the wonder in it all?

I have heard people struggle with faith (and if we are honest, we have been there) and say, “If I could just see God, then I could believe.”

We look to scripture and find that Moses was the only human to live who had the opportunity to see God.  But I would suggest that we can all see God if we will just look.

God has created a beautiful self-portrait all around us.  We can see God’s smile in the face of a child.  We can see God’s strength through creation.  And we can see God’s compassion when we see someone going out of their way to positively impact another.

We can see God every day – if we will just take the time and look.  And we see God up close, we can do nothing but rejoice.

How will you see God today?

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Simply Rest

Posted in Formation, Hope on July 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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The last two weeks have been unlike my normal day to day routine. From Vacation Bible School two weeks ago to preparation and execution of the community centennial celebration this past weekend I have been meeting myself coming and going. I had to introduce myself to my family on Sunday.

Yesterday, I had a church member show sincere concern that I am over doing it. I assured her that I will slow down. And I will. In fact, I can see vacation only a little over a week away.

But until then, I find rest in being still. In observing God at work.

This morning I am enjoying an amazing sunrise from 30,000 feet. Even though the trip to the airport came awfully early this morning, the view has been worth the short night.

Isn’t this the story of each of us? All of us get really busy from time to time. And each of us must find ways to decompress and unwind. When you reach that point of not thinking you can go on, take a minute and look for God at work around you. You will be reminded that you are not alone. Others have passed this way before you and still others will follow. But more importantly, God walks with you.

If what I have described here reminds you of yourself, then take heart – God is saying, “rest my child – lean back into me and rest.”

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Whose Faith Do You Hold?

Posted in Formation, Grace, Hope on July 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Whose faith do you hold?  I  am not asking “Who do you have faith in?”  I am asking whose faith is it that you hold?

For those of us raised in a Christian home, the natural progression of our faith development is to reach an age when we realize that what my parents have been teaching me all my life might just be true.  All those days spent in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and camp may have just been important.

While this realization is important, the tragedy is, that so often, it stops there.

We come to the realization that this stuff is true because it has made such a difference in the lives of the people we respect and so we adopt it as our own.  We surrender to the religion of our fathers and mothers – and life is good.  It is as it should be – – or so we tell ourselves.

You see, God does not ask us to adopt a religion.  The desire of God’s heart is not that we “buy into” a belief system.  The longing of God is that we commit ourselves to a relationship with our creator.

So when I ask the question, “Whose faith do you hold?” – I am asking you to search your heart and mind and make sure that the faith you hold is your very own.  So often, we never work through and wrestle with the difficult questions of faith.  We accept it and tuck it away like something we can check off a spiritual check list and move on to life.

Faith of substance affects everything we do and every decision we make.  We cannot make it through this life on the coat tails of our parent’s faith.  We have to own our own.  We have know it first hand.  It has to be real and concrete.  it has to be the foundation upon which we build our lives.

So whose faith do you hold?

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That Camp High

Posted in Formation, Hope, Motivational on July 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Last week we had high school students at camp.  Yesterday morning we were blessed to hear the students share about their experience in the morning service.  As I listened, I was moved by what God had done the previous week.

I was moved and reminded.  Reminded of my days at camp when I was their age.  Reminded of my own longing to experience God face to face.  Reminded of the importance of helping others experience God in that way.

We call it the “camp high.”  I have grown to dislike that term.  It creates an expectation.  An expectation that when we get away and set aside time we will always come away with a renewed resolve to live more passionately for God.  But even worse, it creates the expectation that the only way to renew our passion for God is by spending a week in a remote area with other believers.

First, let me say that when we do set aside the time and remove ourselves from our daily routines and focus specifically on our relationship with God, God will honor that effort – it may not look exactly as we expect, but God will honor that effort.

Second, we need not think that we must take a week off from our routine and get away as the only way to reconnect with God.  We can do it today.  You can do it right now.  All it takes is a humble heart willing to submit to God’s leadership and love.  God is present with us at all times, we need only pray that God will open our eyes to that presence.

My prayer is that each of us would sense God’s presence today and rekindle that passion to live in The Way like never before.

Be blessed today!

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Joy and Peace In the Face of Trials

Posted in Formation, Hope on June 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The door was closed when I got to the room early this morning.  The nurse was at the desk in the hall adjacent to the door.  I gave him a smile and then put my ear to the door to try and determine if it was safe to enter.  I heard all kinds of voices so I hesitated.  I have opened more than one hospital room door to things I can never un-see.

I knocked and heard her familiar voice say, “Come on in.”  I opened the door to a party of family members gathered around her bed.  There was a warmth in the room – and not just because the thermostat was set to 83 degrees.  It was obvious that this room was filled with joy – even in the midst of facing heart surgery.

Beverly shared with me that her daily reading this morning came out of Isaiah 40 and it brought peace to the room.  The passage says, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

There is no denying that Beverly’s hope is in the Lord.  She had a glow about her – even in the face of major surgery.  I hadn’t been there long when another knock came from the door.  The transport nurse stuck his head in and ushered us outside into the hall – where the party continued.  There was a bed waiting there to be wheeled into the room in order to serve as Beverly’s chariot to the OR.  But she wanted a minute with her sons.

So the transport nurse and the rest of the group waited outside in the hall.  In just a few minutes, the door opened and I expected one of the sons to stick his head out and tell the nurse she was ready.  But no, it was Beverly, out of bed and strolling out to crawl up in the transport bed.  Only Beverly!

There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she was ready and no doubt where she gets her peace.  She was clear in pointing out to all who could hear her, God is in control.  That’s where she and the whole family find peace.  That is where she and the whole family find joy – real joy – even in the face of trials.

Thanks Beverly for reminding me that God has this!

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It Only Takes One To Make a Difference

Posted in Church, Community, Formation, Hope on June 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Last night we kicked off our Vacation Bible School.  This is one of the biggest events we host each year as an outreach to the children and families of our community.  This year’s theme is built around an amusement park – Colossal Coaster.

As the kids entered the sanctuary to close last night, we had a video playing with one of the songs for the week playing as background music.  But the video was shot from the inside of a huge roller coaster.  In other words, as we sat and watched the video, it was as if we were riding the coaster.

I sat in the back of the group so that I could see all that was happening.  After about a minute, one of our adult leaders decided to act like he was on the coaster.  So as the coaster crested the top of a drop, he would raise his hands and scream as the coaster plummeted to the bottom.  As the coaster came to a turn, he would raise his hands and lean into it.

What happened next was a very interesting display of human nature.  Slowly, kids started joining in.  Within seconds, all 90 plus kids were into it – raised hands, leaning into every turn and screaming with all the air their little lungs could push out.

I sat and watched and pondered.  Isn’t it amazing how just one person can have such impact.  What a responsibility!  What a blessing!  What a challenge!

How will you influence the people around you today?  Don’t ever think you have no impact.

Be blessed!

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You Are Worth Everything

Posted in Formation, Grace, Hope on June 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

There is a note that I carry with me in my computer bag.  It’s a series of questions that I look at each time I run across it.  I don’t even know where I picked up the idea or when I started carrying the note.  But it helps to keep me grounded.

The note says this:

Lord, show me what you see in my heart.  What evidence is there that you are increasingly the center of my life?  Where do I consciously need to seek to exalt you and not myself?  Am I answering your call to spend time with you in scripture and prayer?  Are my core relationships characterized by honesty, forgiveness and intimacy?  Don’t let me take these questions lightly.

The very first sentence is an amazing request.  A petition for God to show me what he sees in my heart – in me.  Think about that request for a second.  What does God see in you?  What prize do you possess that God would value?

The answer?  You are everything to God.  God loves each of us so much that he died for us.  What specific value do you possess?  I don’t know.  You will need to search yourself to answer that but I can tell you without doubt that God sees you as worth dying for so know that you are special.

Once you have pondered this idea, ask yourself the questions that are listed above and don’t take them lightly.

God deserves our very best.  The best of our energy, the best of your time, the best of our passion.

May God find us faithful today!

Be a blessing!

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