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Archive for the ‘Motivational’ Category

The Way To God

Posted in Formation, Grace, Motivational, Uncategorized on February 16, 2016| Leave a Comment »

When we settled here in Corpus Christi last year, we found a place to live on the opposite end of town from the church we serve.  That was not our goal but it was just how it worked out.  So my daily trek takes me across town and I have found multiple routes to get me from home to the office and back.  One way takes me through residential streets filled with homes, parks and quaint shops.  Another takes me down busy streets with traffic and stop lights.  Another takes me by way of a freeway, crowded with commuters.  Depending on the day and the time of day, one way will be better than the others.

Path Through TreesOur world would tell us that there are many different ways to God.  Depending on what you want out of life and the experiences you may seek, the path you choose will wind around but eventually they all end up at the same place.  I don’t find that idea in scripture at all.  In fact, the truth about the path to God is very directional.  If I leave the city going south, I will never end up in San Antonio.  If I head north west toward San Antonio, I will never get to the Rio Grande.  The same is true of finding our way to God.

Isaiah 35:8 says there is a way to God and that way is called the Way of Holiness.  It says that only the redeemed will walk there.  The theme of the Way appears throughout scripture.  But the most vivid example is found in John 14:6 when Thomas has asked the question, how will we know how to get to heaven and Jesus answered, “I am the Way.”  This Way of Holiness is lived out by following Jesus and his teaching.  It is a daily commitment to seek Jesus and him only.

So, as followers in the Way, we are on this journey together.  Take heart, the path is narrow but the rewards are great – not only at the end of this road but along the way as well.  Stay with it!

Be blessed this day!

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It’s a Beautiful Thing

Posted in Formation, Hope, Motivational, Uncategorized on February 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »

This morning I was out for a run.  It was early and the sun was just coming up.  The air was clear and the temperature was perfect.  I was about three minutes in when I noticed a dog down the hill.  The brain process began.  Do I turn around so as not to have to deal with the possibility of being chased (I was struggling Dog runningenough to run as it was)?  Do I slow down as I get to him and try to befriend him?  Do I run past and ignore him in hopes that he wouldn’t notice the huffing and puffing of what must sound like a water buffalo with asthma?

I opted for the last option.  As I neared him, he spotted me easily – I’d like to say that my stride reminded him of a gazelle but I’m sure that wasn’t it.  By the time I got within 20 yards of him he began to bark and run toward me.  I continued on as if he wasn’t there hoping my heels and calves would be safe.  As I ran by he nipped at my shoe once but for the most part, he just barked and ran along side me until I got past his home.

As I started up the hill, I replayed the scenario in my head.  The dog was doing exactly what he was created to do.  His instinct is to protect his home.

I rounded the corner and it hit me – we are created for a purpose.  That purpose should come naturally for us.  We will never feel  more alive and fulfilled than when we are functioning within that purpose.  When our passions, skills and talents all line up with the task at hand it is a beautiful thing!

So today, look for ways to work within your passions and strengths.  Realize that God has created you just as you are for a purpose.

Now . . . to find a new running route . . .

Be blessed today!

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What Will You Offer the King?

Posted in Formation, Motivational, Uncategorized on January 6, 2016| 1 Comment »

Adoration of the Magi - El Greco 1568

We are almost a week into 2016.  Today is January 6 – a day we might live through with the idea that it is a day just like any other.  But historically, the church has set this day aside as the day to remember the Epiphany or some call it the Theophany.  The mysterious reality of the revelation of Jesus as the son of God to the three magi that came bearing gifts.

The word Epiphany carries the idea of manifestation – God manifested wholly in a child.  Colossians 1:19 says, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.”  We remember today that Jesus was and is fully God and fully man.  He came to earth as God in flesh.  He is called Immanuel which means “God with us.”  

The other aspect of this special day is the idea of the magi bearing gifts.  God came to earth and Gentile men, men who had nothing to do with Judaism, came to fall at the feet of this manifestation.  They came to pay tribute to the king.  Their journey was long and treacherous.  But they endured that trek in order to see the king.

I am reminded today that God’s love for me demands something of me.  Just as the magi came to Jesus bearing gifts, I too must fall before him offering something.  But I have nothing to offer worthy of the very son of God.

All I can do is humbly offer myself with no strings.

What will you offer the king today?

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Real Character Revealed

Posted in Formation, Grace, Hope, Motivational on September 15, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Today’s Pray-As-You Go reading comes from Luke 2.  I listened this morning and reflected as the passage was read of Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus in the Temple after his birth.  We are told that the words of Simeon amazed them as he foretold what Jesus would accomplish.

The words that have stayed with me from this reading are these:  “the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”

I have been wrestling with this idea all morning now.  Does he really mean that my innermost thoughts – my deep-seated fears and desires will come to light?  I believe he does.  Jesus brought truth to us.  Truth about ourselves.  Truth about our world.  Truth about God’s desire for us.  And when truth is put next to something – the real character is revealed.

For instance, Jesus has taught us that we are to show mercy to others (Matthew 5:7).  So when we have the opportunity to show mercy and we choose to withhold it, we reveal something about ourselves.

Simeon nailed it.

Jesus reveals the thoughts of the heart.

This past Sunday, my sermon spoke to the need for each of us to be real.  As believers – as followers in the Way – we must reflect Jesus.  When people see us, they need to see real followers – not those who just want to appear to be so.  Our actions and words, when brought into comparison to Jesus’ teaching, reveal our hearts – our true selves.  What will your actions and words reveal about you today?

Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  That is my prayer for myself today.

It is my prayer for you!

Be blessed this day!

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Stay Connected

Posted in Formation, Grace, Motivational on July 21, 2015| 2 Comments »

This Sunday we will wrap up our teaching series on the “I Am” sayings of Jesus found in the Gospel of John.  These sayings help us have a better understanding of who Jesus is and who he should be to us.  He tells us throughout the book that he is life and truth; he is bread and light; and he is the true way to a relationship with God.

His final “I Am” saying comes in chapter 15 where he says, “I am the vine and you are the branches.”  He goes on to say that if we stay connected to him, if we remain, if we abide, then we will be able to produce the kind of fruit that will let others know we are his disciples – which pleases God.  But if we try and go it alone, apart from Jesus, we will dry up to nothing and become of no use.

As I read his words, I am confronted with the inescapable truth that this relationship is a daily endeavor.  Yes, there is a distinct point in time when we each reach a point in our lives that we make a heart commitment to submitting to Jesus and his leadership of our lives.  But the actual “abiding” is a daily choice.

Are you making it a point to abide – to remain – to be at home – to stay connected with Jesus on a daily basis?

Focus some attention on Jesus today.

Be blessed.

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So What Do You Think of Yourself?

Posted in Formation, Hope, Motivational on July 1, 2015| 1 Comment »

As I opened my browser this morning, I focused in on the verse of the day on Bible Gateway.  The verse was Romans 12:3 which says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

I read the verse over several times and the words that kept jumping out at me were “sober judgement.”  Paul reminds us that we should have a healthy self-view.  We should not think too highly of ourselves.  Of course, scripture is clear that when we come to an authentic relationship with Jesus, we are a new creation – we are worth something.  So scripture does not suggest that we are pitiful, worthless individuals.  But we also have to be cautious not to begin to think too much of ourselves.

The reason these words “sober judgement” spoke to me this morning is because the key to healthy self-worth is not in telling yourself you are something you are not, nor is it beating yourself up over your faults.  The key to healthy self-worth is being completely honest and real with yourself and the Father.  God already knows everything about us – in fact, God knows us better than we know ourselves.  Sober judgement is having a view of ourselves that is not influenced by what others might think or what we want them to think.

Sober judgement is being real, transparent and open with ourselves and knowing that regardless of where we find ourselves on this day, God loves us!

You are loved today!

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Living Hope That Drives

Posted in Formation, Hope, Motivational, tagged on January 21, 2015| 1 Comment »

This evening, we will begin a Bible study working through the letter of 1 Peter.  So this morning, I decided to look back over the first 12 verses of chapter 1.  We most likely won’t get through it all in one sitting.  In fact, we could spend several sessions just giving a background of the man Peter.  But as I sit with my coffee, I get to verse 3 and I pause, letting the idea of a living hope surround me like the smell of the brewing coffee coming from behind the counter.

I sip my coffee and watch people come in and go out of Starbucks, and I wonder . . .

Does that guy have a living hope?  Does the young lady in scrubs, grabbing a coffee before heading to the hospital have a hope that is alive and will drive her day?  Do the two DPS troopers sitting at the table next to me know that even in the midst of all the bad things they will see today, God is bigger than the evil of this world and that fact offers hope?

Peter’s words in verse 3 say: “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 . . .”  A living hope.

The Reformation Study Bible defines hope this way: In the Bible, hope is not uncertainty or wishful thinking, but a confident expectation of future blessing based on facts and promises.  I find this understanding of hope extremely meaningful.  Hope is not some fanciful wish that my life will somehow become perfect – no struggles, no stress.  It is not a childish belief that all my problems will be magically removed.

Rather it is a “confident expectation” that God is really who God claims to be and that God will hold true to the promises of his word.  It is not a wish or half-hearted belief that God might be God and I am going to hedge my bets and put a little trust in God just in case scripture is true.  Hope is knowing God is in control and God has a plan – and not just any plan but a plan that includes a meaningful life for you.  Jesus does not promise a life without problems but he does promise a life of fulfillment when we truly follow him on a daily basis (John 10:10).

I don’t know about you, but that is the kind of hope I want – a confident expectation that God is who God says he is.  A hope that truly transforms my attitude and drives my actions each and every day.

Is that the hope you have?  I wonder . . .

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More Than a Feeling – It’s a Lifestyle

Posted in Community, Formation, Motivational on November 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Here we are at the beginning of Thanksgiving week.  This week most of us will celebrate family, football and food – lots of food.  It will be a glorious time to reconnect with family and catch up.  When we are around our loved ones we are often reminded of our heritage and how truly blessed we are with family.

It is good that we set aside time during the year to consider our blessings.  It is very easy to get pulled into the daily routine that is our life and fail to see how blessed we really are – so setting aside time to remember is a good thing.

But I want to give you something to think about this week as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

Being thankful should be more than a feeling and certainly more than a holiday once per year where we stop for a few minutes before devouring turkey and dressing, and all the other things that come with a Thanksgiving meal, and offer a quick prayer of thanks.

When we consider what God has done for us, we should be filled with awe and gratitude.  This thankfulness should be so ingrained in who we are that it drives our lifestyle – our decisions and actions.  Being thankful – really thankful – should affect the way we live, not just give us pause one day per year.

So as you are gathering around a bountiful table with friends and family this week, think about how being thankful should be a part of who we are next week as well.

Give thanks!

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Time In the Word

Posted in Formation, Hope, Motivational on October 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

How much time will you spend in God’s word today?  God’s word transforms us but we have to be exposed to it in order for it to do its work.  You may be saying, “I went to church yesterday – that is my Bible fix for the week.”  Or maybe you are working through a good Christian book that is challenging you to dig deep into your spiritual walk – and so you feel good about what you are doing to grow.

There is certainly nothing wrong with attending church – I think that is something we all should do.  And a good challenging book can be used by God to change our lives.  But just attending church or reading a book to learn about what someone else thinks about the Bible is not the same thing as spending time focused on God’s words to you.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God’s word is alive and active.  It is relevant.  It is personal.  It is life changing.  But it will never make a difference in your life if you don’t read it and apply it.

Spend some time in the word today – not just reading my thoughts about it.

Be blessed!

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So Easy To Drift

Posted in Formation, Hope, Motivational on September 16, 2014| 1 Comment »

This past Sunday, I preached from a passage in Hebrews 2.  The writer gave an emphatic suggestion that as believers we have to pay attention to our relationship with Jesus.  Verse 1 tells us that if we don’t pay attention, we will drift away from the things we know to be true.  I don’t know about you, but I have found this to be overwhelmingly true in my life over and over again.

For those of you who do not know me, I am a type A person.  I have a To Do List for everything.  In fact, I have been accused of having a To Do List to remind me of what needs to go on my To Do List.  I like checking things off my list and the sense of accomplishment that brings on the days when I actually get to do that.  If I just described you – HIGH FIVE!  There is nothing wrong with being like this.

However, in my drive to accomplish, it is very easy to take my focus off what is really important.  Instead of concentrating on the bigger picture and the overarching calling that is on my life, I get pulled into the minutia that is my day.  It’s subtle.  It’s all but imperceptible – but little by little I drift.  I get busy and push time in silence to the back burner.  It tell myself, “That is what I’ll do when I get home tonight.”  The problem is, there is always one more thing on the To Do List that I could do – one more article I could read – one more call I could make.  So what happens is I fall into bed at an indecent hour and begin thinking about all the things I have to do tomorrow – never once stopping to think about the fact that I served Jesus all day but rarely had a conversation with him.

A day can turn into a week and before long, we look up and we have drifted to a place that we had no intention of being and we really don’t even know how we got here.

Well, today – – I stop drifting.  Today, I focus on what matters.  Today, I anchor my thoughts and actions to the one who called me to this in the first place.

Join me and stop the drift.

Be blessed today!

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