‘Tis The Season To Be “Leaning”

December 26, 2013

Life is lived in seasons. Seasons for weather, seasons for sports and seasons to one’s spiritual life too. Advent sets during the fall, while Easter rises during the spring (at least if you're north of the Equator). And much like the fall, the Advent season reminds us of our fallen man and how God’s Economy was thought out for our salvation.

During this season, we see our fallen leaves and fallen trees needing a Savior, and we are saved from eternal death. One would expect life to be all Spring after salvation, yet for all of us, the seasons still change in our spiritual lives, just as it does in the world outside. Like a tree fighting to stay upright, we still have to get through fall and winter with their storms and blizzards before spring comes again. Many of us can’t stand upright for that long because the storms of life get the best of us.

“A tree always falls where it leans; be careful which way you lean”said The Lorax to the Once-ler as he was about to let his desire for fame and money ruin the green earth and ultimately ruin himself. That’s some good advice for grownups, wrapped in a children’s movie.

Jesus the Humble - ALL YE FAITHFUL, Part 2

December 23, 2013

"He took what is ours so that He could give us what is His."

That's what Christmas is all about and that's what yesterday's message - Part 2 in the ALL YE FAITHFUL series - was all about as well.

Why did Jesus come to earth? What was His aim? What was He trying to accomplish? Check out the video below as we discuss that and much much more in this week's message - a perfect message to prepare us all to celebrate Christmas.

Seeking God? Or the Gifts of God?

December 20, 2013

Most of us have heard the story of the Feeding of the 5000 – when Jesus fed a multitude of more than 5000 people with simply 5 loaves and 2 pieces of fish. It’s probably one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. And why not? It is great miracle where everyone goes home satisfied and thinking Jesus is great.

But somehow, there’s a certain verse in the story that pierces my heart every time I read it.

"Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” John 6:26-27

I can’t help but feel that many of us are like the crowd of people that followed Jesus. Sure they were following Jesus (which is a good thing to do) but the question is: why were they following Him? What were they seeking? God, or the gifts of God?

Do You Know What Life is Supposed to Look Like?

December 18, 2013

“Not exactly Michael. That’s good, but I want you to watch me again and then do what I’m doing. Here goes.” Drive by my house on a sunny afternoon these days and that’s what you’ll hear. Assuming that the temperature cooperates and gets to at least 40 degrees, you’ll see me and my son Michael out in the driveway – shooting some hoops.

Yeah it’s cold, and yeah there are still piles of snow on the grass, and yeah we know we’re going to get in trouble for not wearing our jackets (shhhh….don’t tell Marianne), but we still do it anyway. He loves playing and I absolutely love coaching him up and helping him get better – that’s what being a dad is all about!

In the process of teaching him, I’ve learned quite a bit about what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to teaching something new. Obviously, any kid can pick up a ball and throw it towards the rim. The concept isn’t difficult.

But I don’t want him to just shoot the ball; I want him shoot the ball THE RIGHT WAY. Shooting the right way isn’t easy or natural. It takes understanding and practice. But if he can learn the right way at a young age, it’ll increase his chances of success (and my chances of retiring early because my kid plays in the NBA) significantly.

So what's the best way to teach someone something new?

Joseph the Obedient - ALL YE FAITHFUL, Part 1

December 16, 2013

Kicked off a new message series yesterday called ALL YE FAITHFUL. It's a look at the Christmas story from the perspective of four different characters (Joseph, Mary, Jesus and Herod). We'll see how each one responded when God introduced a "change in plans" to what they were expecting in life.

The theme verse comes from Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

In other words, no matter how great your plan might be, get ready for it to get messed up!

In fact, usually the best outcomes in life come from when God decides to totally "mess up" our earthly plans in order to replace them with His eternal plan. But it all depends on how you respond.

So check out part 1 as we look at the first character in the story, Joseph the Righteous - a relatively unknown and underappreciated character who played a huge role in the Christmas story.

A Note of Encouragement

December 13, 2013

No one wants to admit it. You don’t want to admit it. I don’t want to admit it. No one wants to admit. But it’s a fact of life and we all must face it. And that fact is this…WE ALL GET DISCOURAGED.

We feel guilty admitting it but we shouldn’t. It doesn't mean that we don’t love God or the service we’re doing. It just means that we’re human and that we sometimes get tired.

I know you are happy to serve God at church, at a non-profit, in your home, in your high-powered career, or in the line at Starbucks. I know that you don’t do it because it’s the cool thing to do or because a celebrity told you to. I know that you do it because you have experienced His “unfailing love… [and] great compassion” (Psalm 51:1) and want to demonstrate this love and compassion to others.

I know you do all these things for the glory of God, and that the opinion of others doesn't matter. But I also know that you – like me – are human and that sometimes you get discouraged. Our strength and abilities may come from God, but that doesn't mean we don’t at times need some simple encouragement from our fellow man.

“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” (Proverbs 12:25)

So here is my good word. Listen carefully…WHAT YOU DO MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Why Did Jesus Really Come to Us?

December 12, 2013

That’s an easy question isn’t it? We all know the answer to that – or least we think we do. If I took a survey of Bible-believing and church-going Christians in America today, what response do you think I’d hear most? Or better, how would you yourself answer that question?

I think the vast majority would say “Jesus came to die for us and save us from our sins.” And we’d point to some of the most famous verses in the Bible that speak about God’s desire for our salvation to validate our answer – such as John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

That’s a good answer. Nothing wrong with it at all. Perfectly accurate and 100% in line with Scripture. God did send His Son into the world to save us from everlasting death out of His great love for us and no one can deny that.

But is that it? Is that all Jesus came to do? To give us salvation and take us to heaven with Him after we die? Or might there be more???

The ReBirthday Reward (or is it a gift?)

December 6, 2013

We recently asked our college Sunday school class where they think they would go if they died today and why. All of them, 100%, said they would go to hell because they're not worthy of heaven.

There's something very wrong here that made me want to fire myself from any kind of church teaching that I've done in the past 10 years. I shared a discussion of this incident in a post on my blog. Thousands of views later, it seems clear that there's a real issue here.

It’s been said that half-truths are more dangerous than lies...and we've been victims of a terrible half-truth, "We are not worthy of salvation." But there’s gotta be more to the story.

Welcome to THE WELL

December 4, 2013

I’ll say a phrase and you say the first thing that comes to your mind. Ready? Here’s the phrase.....…THE WELL. What do you think of? What comes to your mind? Anything exciting or earth-shattering? My guess is that the answer is probably no, but there is one lady I know who is filled with emotion whenever she hears that phrase. To her, THE WELL is much more than a big hole in the ground filled with water. To her, THE WELL is the place that her life was changed forever.

Who is that lady? She is the lady written about in the New Testament, John 4, commonly known as the Samaritan Woman. To her, THE WELL is an ordinary place that took on extraordinary meaning and significance through her encounter there with a Man called Jesus.

She showed up at THE WELL one way, but she left a completely different way – completely transformed on the inside and the outside. Her life took on new meaning ever since that day at THE WELL and that’s why to her, THE WELL is the most important place on earth. It’s the place where she met Jesus and her life was changed forever.

Because of that, when we wanted to come up with a name for our post-Liturgy Sunday meeting at STSA - the weekly event that we use as a chance to invite our friends to come to church and hopefully meet Jesus there - we decided to name it THE WELL.

Could You Use A Little More Rest?

November 27, 2013

It's Thanksgiving week and that means some good old fashioned R&R for me. So no post today. But I didn't want to want to leave my faithful readers high and dry, so here is the post I wrote last year, just after Thanksgiving. It talks about how I spent my holiday and how I used Thanksgiving week to get plenty of REST - but not exactly as you might think. Take look below and see for yourself. It's a crucial reminder for all of us as we head into the holiday season.

“Best week ever! Gotta make this a yearly tradition! I definitely got the rest I needed!”

That’s what I keep telling everyone who asks me about my Thanksgiving Week. We did something very special this year. We rented a large house out in the mountains and spent the entire week there along with the rest of our “medium family” as my kids like to say.

(fyi, little family = mom, dad, kids; medium family = grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunts, cousins; big family = church family)

Totally away from everything. No commitments, no email, no phone calls, no meetings... no agenda at all! In fact, the only thing on the calendar all week was a little football game that took place on Thanksgiving Day. You may have heard about it – those who live in the DC area sure did. In case you didn’t though, let me fill you in…

Washington Redskins 38, Dallas Cowboys 31.HAIL TO THE REDSKINS! Skins fans – it’s time to go ahead and make those Super Bowl reservations now!

Liturgical Prayer - Extreme Makeover PRAYER Edition, Part 8

November 25, 2013

"Liturgical prayer is where we exchange our life for the life of Jesus Himself."

Wrapped up the Extreme Makeover: PRAYER Edition series yesterday and we finished with a bang! The highest room in the house - the place of most intimacy and oneness with God - LITURGICAL PRAYER.

Check out the video below to see what Liturgical prayer is all about, where it came from, and most importantly, what the result of that prayer is when done according to God's instructions.

And, as always, if anything stands out to you and you think it's worth sharing, be sure to use the hashtag #PrayerMakeover when you share it.

The Mystery of God's Love

November 22, 2013

"What’s God’s will for my life?" That’s gotta be the #1 question people want answered. But in order for us to decipher God’s INDIVIDUAL will for our lives, we must first discover God’s GENERAL will for us – His overarching desire God for all His children.

The Bible mentions many components of this general will of God (love your enemies, honor your parents, in everything give thanks, etc.) but I would like to share about just one for today – based on two verses from Scripture:

[God] “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

How Do I Know If I’m Doing This Right?

November 20, 2013

Wanna know what the worst feeling in the world is? It’s working hard and putting a lot of effort into something, only to later find out that you did it incorrectly. That’s the worst! No effort and no results is ok – I can accept that. Or much effort and positive results – that is what we want. But lots of effort and then no results…THAT IS THE WORST!

As one author put it, “it’s like climbing to the top of ladder only to later realize that you’re at the wrong house.”

Every dad who has ever tried to assemble a toy or piece of furniture for his kids knows this feeling. You read the instructions, try to follow them as precisely as you can, break your back in the process and then get to step 38 and find out….

…you did something wrong in step 2 and you need to go back and undo everything since then. AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again, “it’s like climbing to the top of ladder only to later realize that you’re at the wrong house.”

Intercessory Prayer - Extreme Makeover PRAYER Edition, Part 7

November 18, 2013

“If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them. This will lead us to intercessory prayer.”

What is intercessory prayer? Why should I care to practice it? I can barely pray for myself - so why should I concern myself with trying to pray for others? And even if I wanted to pray for others, what is that supposed to look like?

Check out yesterday's message from the Extreme Makeover: PRAYER Edition series for answers to these questions and more. I also shared about my personal system for intercessory prayer and gave some tips about how you can get started in this Christ-like ministry of intercession as well.

And if stands out to you and you think it's worth sharing, be sure to use the hashtag #PrayerMakeover when you share it.

Some Things You Just Don’t Forget

November 15, 2013

Below is an article that I found online – on one of my favorite websites, ESPN.com. But the article isn’t about sports. It’s about bullying. It was written by Matthew Berry – a popular columnist who specializes in the “art” Fantasy Football. But this article is about his childhood and how he grew up in an environment of fear – one where he constantly mocked and jeered and bullied by his classmates.His article touched me deeply.

He speaks very candidly about what it was like for him growing up and the constant state of fear he lived in. It was painful to read. Several times I found myself getting emotional while just reading it. No human being – especially a child – should have to live like this.

Everyone should read this.

Thanksgiving Prayer - Extreme Makeover PRAYER Edition, Part 6

November 11, 2013

“In the school of thanksgiving & praise, the soul learns why the approach to every other goal has left it restless.”

Yesterday's message in the Extreme Makeover: PRAYER Edition series was a powerful one. It's one that we all need to hear - especially those going through tough times these days. The more difficult your circumstances, the more essential is that you make THANKSGIVING PRAYER a priority in your life.

And if stands out to you and you think it's worth sharing, be sure to use the hashtag #PrayerMakeover when you share it.

Reflections at the Pond

November 8, 2013

At a beautiful site in the mountains, I sat at a pond meditating on the beauty of God’s creation as revealed in the majestic mountain, the trees, the farmland, and the farming animals. As I looked in the pond I saw a beautiful reflection of the tall trees and the mountain on the surface of the water. It was a splendid view of God’s creation reflected on the still water of the pond.

Suddenly, a wind blew on the surface of the water and the pond became wavy. The beautiful picture of the mountain and the trees became distorted and unclear as if it was no more there. After a while, the wind stopped, and the water became still again, and the beautiful picture of the trees and mountain appeared again reflected in a splendid view in the pond.

I meditated on this event and thought of what happens in our personal life. When we are still and at peace, and our hearts are pure, the image of God is reflected in our life and we can see God “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Also, others can see God reflected in our life: “So that I live, not I but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

How I Stay on Schedule

November 6, 2013

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” Michael Altshuler

Yesterday I wrote about Why I Go to Bed at 8:00 and apparently I raised quite a few eyebrows. Several people asked me to provide more details as to how I schedule my days and how I use my time. So as a blogger of course I am happy to share.

But let me preface it by saying that there is no right way to schedule your time or a right time that everyone should sleep and wake up. I’ll share what’s worked for me but please realize that – as my wife always tells me – there’s no one else in the world like me.

So here goes - my top 3 principles when it comes to staying on a schedule.

Praying Through Scripture - Extreme Makeover PRAYER Edition, Part 5

November 4, 2013

“We aren’t just reading words; but we are seeking the Word thru words.”

You can't speak about prayer without speaking about the Scriptures - aka, the Word of God. If the goal of prayer is a conversation with God, then true prayer requires time spent prayerfully in the Bible.

That was the topic of Week 5 of the Extreme Makeover: PRAYER Edition series - PRAYING THROUGH SCRIPTURE. Take a look at the video and find out what it means to pray through Scripture, why we need to do it and most importantly, HOW it can be done.

And if anything stands out to you and you think it's worth sharing, be sure to use the hashtag #PrayerMakeover when you share it.

"I Know the Plans I Have for You"

November 1, 2013

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for success and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

The other day, I was reading the Bible when I came across this verse. And it made me pause. There was something about these words that caught my attention. God says that He has a plan for us. And not just any plan, but one that will give us a future full of hope and success.

Every human being wants this future. We work and toil throughout our lives so that we can have a good future. We want to be successful, to have money, nice clothes, a house, a car, and a family. We dream of living happily ever after.

But easier said than done! Life doesn’t always cooperate. It fills our path with trials and challenges. During times of trouble, the future seems so distant and we feel frustrated. We don’t understand what is happening, and why life has to be so hard. All we want is to have a happy future, but right now, it almost seems impossible.

Doesn't it?