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Archive for the ‘Hope’ Category

Heed the Call

Posted in Hope, Leadership, Motivational on January 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I have mentioned before that I am reading through the Gospels with this specific question in mind:  “What was important to Jesus?”  I have made it all the way through Matthew 4.  As I read of Jesus’ calling of the disciples, I am reminded of the fact that Jesus called common folk.  Jesus didn’t approach community leaders and politicians.  He did not approach the religious leaders of his day and ask them to follow him.  He went to the working class and even to the undesirables – to fishermen, tax gatherers, terrorists.

What do I take away from that fact?  It tells me that what was important to Jesus was not the person’s standing in the community but the person’s character and willingness to follow.

That is still the case today!

I don’t know about you, but that brings great hope and challenge to me today.  Jesus calls each of us, regardless of our position in society.  The expectation of us is to use what we have been given to affect the greatest influence possible.  Each of us has a sphere of influence – and each one is different.  Jesus calls us to impact our sphere for him.

That is his call!

That is what is important to him.

Shouldn’t it be important to us as well?

Heed that call today!  Go make a difference for Jesus!

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All I Ever Needed

Posted in Formation, Hope on January 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I don’t know why, but today I woke up a little down.  It is my day off, so you would think I would be pumped.  As I took the boys to school, I heard this on the radio.  It changed my attitude.  Maybe it will help you today too.

 

 

No matter what you are going through today – God’s love is waiting.

If you are having a great day, then your job is to show God’s love to someone who’s day is not so perfect.

Be a blessing today!

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You Can Change the World!

Posted in Hope, Leadership, Missions on January 20, 2011| Leave a Comment »

If you are like me, you have a pretty good handle on your world.  You know that at the end of the day you will go home to a comfortable place, probably eat a decent meal and tomorrow you will get up and head off to your job or to school or whatever your day normally involves.  You might even have weekend plans that include some downtime and time with family and friends – who knows, maybe even church on Sunday.

We have grown very comfortable with our lives.  And as long as no one comes in and messes with it we are OK.  We may be aware of suffering on the other side of the world, but it is over there – too far away for me to worry about – heck, I have my own problems with which to be concerned.

We easily go about our insulated lives choosing not to concern ourselves with real needs of others – some just down the street.

Last night I had the blessing to begin a study on the new book, Out Live Your Life, by Max Lucado.  If you haven’t had a chance to pick up the book, I would strongly encourage you to do so but with a warning.

Don’t get it with the thought that it will make you feel good about yourself and your world.  It isn’t that it is depressing but it will mess you up.  It will open your eyes to things that you cannot, as a Christ follower, continue to ignore.

I would also invite you to join us in this journey on Wednesday nights at 6 if you are in town.  But again, don’t come to the study thinking it will be anything but challenging.

Last night I showed the promotional trailer for the video study.  As we watched, this flashed across the screen: “Remember when you thought you could change the world?  Well, you can!”

Come join us as we set out to change the world!

 

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God Cares

Posted in Hope on January 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

The headlines over the past few days have been depressing.  Floods and devastation in South America, shooting in Arizona and different schools around the country, and if you live in west Texas, the disappearance of a 13 year old girl in a small community in our area and a 15 year old girl from Lubbock.

It is natural for us to wonder – God, where are you?

I wish I had the answer to why bad things happen to good people.  We have talked about the issue before here but for today, I want to give you a passage to hold on to in the midst of trials.

Matthew 10:28-31 says this:

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

God cares.  God is in control.  Hang on.

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Do You Have Time?

Posted in Hope, Missions on January 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, I was in the Las Cruces, New Mexico area meeting with county officials about building restrictions.  Our church mission team tries to go and build a home each summer for a family in need  in the Rio Grande Valley.  We have extended our efforts just across the state line into New Mexico on a couple of occasions but found that their requirements were a bit different when it comes to constructing a home.  So yesterday, I went to talk to the officials to get an idea of what we will need to do if we build another home there.

Over the last three years or so, we have had the distinct privilege of working with a lady in the Las Cruces area who has helped us identify families who need assistance.  This lady comes closer to being recognized as a saint than anyone I know.

Sofia is a social worker through the school system.  Her job is to work with the under-privileged children and families in the school district.  She does an unbelievable job!  From teaching sewing and cooking classes to mothers, to feeding the children on the weekends and summer, to helping families find decent housing.  Sofia has dedicated her life to helping others.  Sofia went with me to meet with the county yesterday.

Our meeting with the county helped me realize just how much leg work will be involved in making preparations for our group to arrive as well as how much time would be required of Sofia both before we started and after we leave – pulling permits, meeting inspectors and filing all the paperwork.  As we drove away I asked Sofia if she understood what it would take from her to make this happen.  She understands.  Knowing all that she does on a daily basis, I asked her if she would have the time to take on this added job.

This was her response: “As long as there is life, there is time.”

After I dropped her off at the school, I had to pull over and write that down so that I wouldn’t forget.  As long as there is life, there is time!  What an amazing resolve to help others.  As long as I have breath, I can do what is necessary to make the time for what is important.

Sofia is an inspiration!  When I refer to her as a saint, she gets very embarrassed, but in my eyes – she is there!

Thank you Sofia for giving of yourself to help others day in and day out!

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The Invisibles

Posted in Church, Community, Hope on January 10, 2011| 2 Comments »

It sounds a little like the next Pixar film doesn’t it?  The Invisibles!  Woody and Buz and all their friends could discover a world of toys they never knew existed.  I don’t know, it might sell tickets . . . nah,  probably not.

Unfortunately, invisibles are real and they are all around us.  They go about their daily lives completely unnoticed by mainstream society – by us.  Now before you become paranoid and think I am about to tell you about a new conspiracy theory or something, let me give you some examples of invisibles that might be in your path today.

  • The clerk behind the cash register at the convenience store where you stop to buy gas.
  • The waitress at your table at lunch.
  • The person walking down the street in the cold as you drove to work or school this morning.

These are just three examples of invisibles.  But here is the question:  Are they invisible because of something they do, or something we do (or don’t do)?  The answer: something we do!

This Sunday I will be preaching on the life of Jesus; particularly the way he connected with people.  He saw people – he really saw them.  He stopped to show compassion and love.  He literally had the emotional weight of the salvation of mankind on his shoulders everyday, but yet he took time out of his schedule and picked up a child or healed a blind man or touched a leper.

Do you really see the people God puts in your path?  Or do you simply look past or through them toward the next thing on your schedule or To Do list?

I have to confess, of all the people guilty of doing this, I am one of the worst.  But today, it will be different.  Today I choose to see.

How about you?

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Messengers of Hope

Posted in Church, Community, Formation, Hope on December 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Last week, most of my posts dealt with hope – the hope that Jesus brought to a hopeless world over 2000 years ago.

This past Sunday, my sermon centered around this same  hope.  Jesus came to earth to live among us, to teach us to live and love, to die for us and then to defeat death in the resurrection.  We also believe that He will return again according to what the Bible says.

But what about the meantime?  How is the hope that can only come from God to be shared between the resurrection and the return?  We are God’s plan and strategy for that to happen.  We are to be God’s messengers of hope.

So here is the question I asked our congregation on Sunday, and I ask of you today – and it is not an easy question:  If we truly believe that Jesus came to this earth to teach us how to live and to love; if we believe he died a horrible death on a cross for you and for me; if we know beyond a shadow of doubt that he rose again, defeating death and making it possible for us to have eternal life – if these are the things we believe (and as followers of the Way, these things are the basics) . . . then shouldn’t our lives reflect that fact?

Be a messenger of God’s hope today!

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He Did It For You

Posted in Grace, Hope on December 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

This week, the wait is finally over.  This week we listen again to what angels heralded.  This week we remember what wise men traveled many, many miles to witness.  This week we rejoice in God’s ultimate plan.  This week we celebrate the coming of the Christ – Immanuel – God with us – Jesus!

Jesus is the reason for the season – but more importantly, He is the hope of our lives.

Don’t let this Christmas get by you without spending some time pondering the impact God made by leaving heaven to be born as a peasant in a world that would reject Him.  God did it for love.  God did it for you!

Merry Christmas!

 

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Stable and Tomb

Posted in Formation, Hope on December 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

This time of year causes our minds to think a lot about hope.  Hope is believing that something we dream about will come true.  For many, hope is believing and trusting that their situation in life will get better – that they will have enough money or enough food.

I believe that true hope can only be found in God.  When people place their hope in other things or other people, their hopes are disappointed.  Over time, hope fades to nothing.

When Jesus came to earth, he restored hope.

At Christmas time, we remember Jesus’ coming – the miracle of his birth and all the joy surrounding that blessed event.

But we cannot fully experience the hope Jesus brought without remembering the cross as well.  1 Peter 1:3-4 says this: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

We can celebrate a living hope this Christmas season because of what happened in a stable over 2000 years ago, but may we never forget that our hope is possible because of an empty tomb.

Be a blessing today!

 

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Hope For The Hopeless

Posted in Church, Community, Hope, Missions on December 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I have had a day or two to begin to process all the things we experienced with our time of service with Mission Arlington.  I had the transformative experience of working along side some amazing South Plains College students this past weekend.  We did everything from pick up and deliver furniture to wrap Christmas gifts and work in the Christmas store.  We were able to work first hand with folks living in deplorable conditions in inner-city Arlington.  Among those were children in low-income housing complexes.

One of our assignments on Friday was to take a truck full of items – clothes, house-wares, toys and the like – to two different apartment complexes and organize all of it out on the ground and then go door to door to each of the units to tell the tenants that we were having a free garage sale.  In a matter of minutes the area was swarming with activity.

As I tried to connect with these folks, I saw something tragic in many of their eyes.  Looking into the hollow eyes of another human being and seeing nothing but darkness tore at my soul.  The darkness was complete absence – an absence of hope.  I was torn as we loaded up the left overs to move on to our next assignment.  I watched as the people I had just met carried their new found “treasures” back to their shelters and then I turned and got on my heated, comfortable bus to transport our workers back to our reality.  A reality that does not include a lack for anything.

The beauty of our time at Mission Arlington came on Sunday, when we had the opportunity to work with the children in some of those same housing complexes.  For them, the hope had not yet been drained from their eyes.  They still had the hope that innocence affords a child living in those conditions.  It was in those moments that I saw the opportunity to make a real difference.  Those workers and volunteers who work with those kids weekly are making a difference.  They are keeping their hope alive – hope that can only come from Jesus.

May God bless all those workers on the “front lines.”  Your work will produce fruit because you are serving as God’s hands and arms and feet.

I am glad I got to work with the kids whose hope is still alive – especially here at Christmas time.  But I can’t erase the image in my mind of the hopelessness in the eyes of the adults.

Come Lord Jesus, Come!  Restore hope to the hopeless!

Amen

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