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Make an Investment

January 16, 2012 by jbrianhill

I had an idea of what I was going to ramble on about today.  I had to leave the house early to head to Lubbock and I left early on purpose in order to have time to stop by my new favorite coffee shop.  As I drove, the sun was just beginning to come up and the sky lit up with an explosion of orange and purple.  It was breath taking.  I took some pictures with my phone thinking I would talk about the beauty of God’s creation.

Then I arrived at J & B Coffee and all of my plans changed.  As I ordered my house coffee, I surveyed the room to find a place to plant and write.  I noticed a group of people around a table but really didn’t pay any attention to what they were doing.  My coffee in hand, I headed to the doctor bar (the place where I take the perfectly good coffee and add things to it so that I can actually drink it – yes – I am a wimp).  As I stood there adding half and half and a Splenda, I noticed the group more closely.  It was made up of 5 people – two young ladies in their 20’s and two young men about the same age.  But in the middle was a man in his 70’s.  Being a little intrigued, I looked more closely.  I thought maybe that this was a study group – J & B is just a few blocks off the Texas Tech campus.  But as I observed, I realized that each of the people around the table had their Bibles open.  What a refreshing sight!

As a pastor, I wanted to go over and make a fuss about how great it is to see folks gathered for Bible study in a public place.  Or how cool it is to see people up early to spend time together in God’s word.  But I decided to take a seat across the room and just watch and write this little post.  As I sat and watched – and even tried to listen in just a bit, the picture that overwhelmed me was a 70 year old man investing in the eternity of 4 young adults.  As he led the discussion, his eyes were on fire with passion for God’s word.  Even though I could not hear what he was saying over the Indie music being piped in through the sound system, I could see the compassion and love in his face.

It was a humbling and beautiful sight – even better than the sunrise today!

I was inspired to renew my commitment to invest myself in others.

Who will you invest in today?

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope | 2 Comments »

Where Do You Encounter God?

January 12, 2012 by jbrianhill

Where do you encounter God?  Is it at church?  When you are there, do you sense God’s real presence?

Or maybe you encounter God when you witness a breath taking sunrise.  The colors and magnificence scream of an amazing God.

Maybe for you, God can be found in the face of a child – their eyes filled with trust and innocence.

Honestly, I encounter God in each of these ways – and others as well.

But what about in the face of the homeless person you see at the corner with his sign that reads, “Homeless – Please Help.”  Do we encounter God there?

I must admit, I have allowed myself to become callous to the scene.  I have allowed my busy schedule and my own needs to blind me – to block those folks from my vision (at least much of the time).

But I can’t get around this passage in my mind.  Jesus told us that we can encounter God in the hungry and in the hurting.

Today, I will not look past or see through the suffering.  Today, I will look for Jesus in everyone.

Posted in Community, Formation, Grace, Hope | Leave a Comment »

Seeing With God’s Eyes

January 11, 2012 by jbrianhill

I was reading an article written by a pastor in the early 1900’s last night.  The title of the article by Percy Ainsworth is The Wilderness and the Sunrise.  The overall theme of the article is the hope we have in Jesus.

One of the statements Ainsworth made in the article has set me to thinking and reflecting on my approach to people.  Here is what he said:

Jesus knew more about the sinfulness of the world than anyone else could ever know, and yet he never seemed to be expecting to find sin in human hearts.  He was always looking for something good.

Let that thought wash over you for a few minutes.

Jesus, who knows everything about you – he not only knows your actions, he knows your thoughts, your motives and your attitudes.  He sees what is in your heart.  And yet, when he looks at you – he looks for the good.

What a thought!

That should bring you hope today.  That should motivate you to look for the good in others as well.

For me, I have been challenged to strive, with God’s help, to really look at the people God puts in my path today.  I want to look past what the outward appearance presents to the good in each person.

Isn’t it possible that we could find something positive and good in each and every person we find standing in front of us today?  That is seeing people with God’s eyes.

Those are the eyes I want.

Be blessed!

 

 

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More Like Jesus

January 9, 2012 by jbrianhill

Yesterday’s sermon was the beginning of a series we are calling, The Family Resemblance.  Over the next couple of weeks, we will be talking about and thinking through the need for us to look like Jesus.  God calls us to this lofty task and not only that but our world needs us to be the light in a dark place.

As we work through this series, there will be one aspect that remains constant through all of it and that is my challenge to you today.  We must make time to be with Jesus on a daily basis if there is to be any hope of us becoming more like him.

Yesterday, I asked our folks to think about why they decided to follow Jesus in the first place.  You see, most of us go through times on our journey when we lose that original passion and excitement.  If we are to strive to be like Jesus, I believe we must do so out of conviction and commitment but also with passion.

I must confess, as I did to our congregation yesterday, that over the last couple of months, it seems my relationship with Christ has grown stale.  My prayer has become that of the Psalmist who said, “Create in me a pure heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  I long for that passion to follow Jesus.  I desire to be more like him today than I was yesterday.

I invite you to this prayer today as well.

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Constantly Creating

January 5, 2012 by jbrianhill

As I drove to work this morning, I plugged in and listened to some Gungor.  To be honest, my mind was on the mountain of tasks that this day holds.  So I wasn’t really listening to the words of the song.  But one sentence caught my attention.

Jesus – your the one who saves us – constantly creates us into something new.

Has Jesus saved you?  Is he creating you into something new?

When we turn the control of our lives over to Jesus, he begins his work.  You see, when we make the decision to follow Jesus and his teachings, we don’t automatically and magically become all that God wants for us.  Growing in our relationship with God and as a follower in the Way is a journey – a progression.  But it is constantly happening.

I guess that is the word that stuck out for me this morning – constant.

As I have mused over this little word I have been reminded that the Holy Spirit uses all kinds of things to shape us – to mold us into the people we were created to be in this world.  Think about this – just about everything you do today and everything that you encounter could be meant to be a growing opportunity – a learning experience – a part of the process and progress.

That means that the little inconvenience you experience when the person just drops by to say Hi! and it turns into an unplanned 30 minute interruption may be intended to grow you.  That added task you did not have on your To Do list when you got up this morning is meant as a life lesson.

The key is being sensitive to this process and being willing to be molded.

Years ago, I chose the name of this blog – Clay In The Hands – intentionally.  As a follower of Jesus, we must see ourselves as clay to be shaped.  But dried out clay isn’t pliable – it can’t be shaped.  In order for the artist to be able to turn a lump of clay into something beautiful, the clay must be willing.

Are you willing today to be molded – to be constantly created?

Posted in Formation, Hope | Leave a Comment »

Who Is Thankful For You?

January 4, 2012 by jbrianhill

Last week I read a question that I have not been able to get out of my head all week.  This was the question:  “Who will praise God for you in 2012?”

I guess I don’t think much about other people praising God for me.  But as I have pondered this question, I have reached the conclusion that I truly hope someone could praise God for me during the coming year.  That would assume that I had followed God’s leadership in serving someone else in some capacity which would result in them stopping to praise God for me.  I hope that my life and actions will impact someone in a positive way in 2012.

But I also realize that it won’t just happen.  I must make it a priority to connect with others.  Each day I must look for opportunities to make a difference.  I firmly believe that God will provide those opportunities.  The key is for me to be sensitive and aware when these divine appointments occur and then be willing to seize the moment.

Are you with me?  Will you join me in making others a priority in your life?

Who will praise God for you in 2012?  Who will thank God for you today?

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Unplugging For the Holidays

December 26, 2011 by jbrianhill

The week between Christmas and New Years is typically pretty quiet around the church.  So, I have chosen to take some time and spend with my family and also getting some things done around the house.  I will be in the office some this week, but I am unplugging a bit.

So all that to say, unless God impresses on me to post something else this week, the next post will most likely be next week.

I hope your holidays are glorious and filled with joy, peace and happiness!

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What Gift Do You Bring For the King?

December 22, 2011 by jbrianhill

We are only a couple of days away from Christmas.  In some of my reading this morning, I reflected on the holiness of the season.  We celebrate, at this time of year, the birth of a holy and pure baby, just over 2000 years ago.  None had ever been born like him and no baby since can compare.  He was completely different – because he was God in flesh.

People came from all around to see this miracle.  Shepherds were visited by angels who gave them the news that the savior of the world had been born and so they came to see.  Religious men from Persia followed a star for days to see this child.  Not only did they travel a great distance, they brought gifts with which to honor him.

As we move through the final days of getting ready for Christmas – as make sure we have purchased all those last minute gifts and made all the last minute arrangements, take a minute today to slow down and think about your gift for the King.

We think about God’s gift of Jesus to us at this time of year, but how often do we think about what we can give back to a holy child?

What gift will you bring for the King this year?

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Peace Through Presence

December 20, 2011 by jbrianhill

Last week I talked about the peace that God can offer when we simply trust.  You can read that post here.

This past Sunday was the fourth Sunday of Advent.  This season, we chose to tie the four descriptions of Jesus found in Isaiah 9:6 to each of the respective Sundays of Advent.  That being the case, this past Sunday we looked at Jesus as the Prince of Peace.  The pivotal point I made in the sermon and the one that I would make today is this:

True peace is not the absence of struggles and strife, but rather the presence of God that brings comfort and strength in the midst of them.

Regardless of what you might be going through today, Christmas should serve as a reminder that even in the midst of your struggles, God is with you – God has this!  Rest in God’s presence today – rest in God’s peace!

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Lesson at a Red Light

December 19, 2011 by jbrianhill

This morning I was third in line at a red light as I headed to the office.  As I sat, waiting for the light to change, my mind was on all the things I need to get done today.  I reviewed my appointments and To Do list in my head.

As I sat there, the turn arrow came on, and had there been any cars in the turn lane, that would have been their signal that it was safe for them to proceed through the intersection.  The two cars in front of me took off – heading straight through the intersection.

Now, as I said, the arrow had come on for the turn lane, but the green light had not come on for my lane.  Luckily, there were no cars in the oncoming turn lane trying to turn or we would have had a fender bender right there.

I have had the experience of sitting at a light before and seeing the arrow light up out of the corner of my eye.  My reaction was to start off through the intersection until I realized it was the signal for the turn lane and so I stopped.

I say that to say, I understand the driver of the first car making the mistake and heading through the intersection.  But it is harder to understand why the second car followed suit.

As I drove on to work, I began thinking about how many people miss the signs all together and simply follow the crowd.

In this particular instance this morning, no one was hurt, but it could have been ugly.

Isn’t this true in life as well – particularly in our spiritual journey?

Jesus calls us to a personal faith – a one on one relationship.  We must own our faith and not just accept the faith of our parents and others.  I am not saying the faith of your parents and other people of influence in your life is wrong.  But I am saying that your faith must be your own.

Your relationship with Jesus is just that – yours.  Live it intentionally.  Not just following the crowd.

Be blessed today!

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