Disappointment...

So I'm breaking a rule on this blog.  I said when I started this that I would not talk about things that didn't involve a teaching lesson from the Bible or spiritual growth.  However, after thinking about it I think there are some things that can be learned from this.

"This" meaning my disappointing experience I had today.  Just a quick word of thanks to those of you who offered prayer, thoughts, sent emails, posted on my wall, sent texts, etc.  It means a lot.  I also want to thank my wife and son for loving me no matter what, my Senior Pastor for encouraging me, and friends loving me well today.

So, let me first off say...no one is hurt or dying and this isn't about my job (losing or keeping).  Some of you had asked about those things.  This is about brothers and sisters in Christ not working together to advance Gods Kingdom in the here and now.  For a number of months, behind the scenes, I've been working pretty hard to form partnerships with other singles ministries here in Indy.  Many of these have been with larger churches and some with smaller churches.  Needless to say, things have been going excellent.  Lots of big dreaming, visioning, planning and seeing Christ-centered singles gather to spread Gods love over this entire city.  However, things happen and people usually get in the way from the mission being accomplished.

Today I received a phone call from a friend letting me know that one particular church was not on board even though they initially said they were.  This wouldn't be a problem except they are the main church running this network.  I was told that the Senior Pastor of this particular church was not comfortable with having my congregations name attached to theirs.  Now, no direct purpose was given, but I can read between the lines.  I know what this has to do with.  One word...inclusiveness.

So here's my disappointment, because of hardline doctrine things like this come up and happen.  Typically individuals can't understand that the Kingdom of God in the here and now (and future) is much bigger than denomination and doctrine.  You've heard the old phrase, "When we all get to heaven, all of us will be disappointed to know that we weren't 100% right."  And I believe that to be true.

So here's my beef...show me in the Bible where God says that people aren't welcome to His table.  Show me where God says that His grace and love are only available to specific people.  Show me a savior who only died for a few.  Christ did not hang on that cross for people who only act, believe, look, feel, and think a certain way.  The truth is that I know that this individual and I probably share some basic theologic beliefs and would probably agree on many issues...except inclusiveness.

So here's my manifesto after this experience...
1.  I will not back down from loving all people, because Christ calls us to do that.
2.  I will not be lazy in my faith and not engage those who are different than me.
3.  I will not shut the doors to people who desperately need to experience Gods love and grace through His Son Jesus Christ.
4.  I will continue to love those who do not love me.
5.  I will make my enemies those whom I love the most.
6.  I will continue to share the truth of Gods Word with boldness.
7.  And I will engage in the radical mess we call Christianity.

Jesus did not do what He did on the cross just so you could be comfortable and create your own country club religion.  He did it for all mankind, even those who reject Him.

You made the wrong person mad by doing this.  You see all my life I've been told, "You don't fit in.  You're not like everyone else.  You can be a part of this group or church."  I didn't spend countless hours sharing my faith most of my life, being persecuted by those I thought were friends and even those who weren't to have you tell me what I will or will not do.  I have found favor with God and He has given me a boldness to proclaim His love even more than ever.  He has blessed me through the Great Commission and I can promise you that your decision only adds to the flame that was burning in my heart already to live, serve, and share Gods grace with all.

So there you have it.  Thank you for ticking me off.  It helped renew my call to ministry, my vision for singles, and help have greater focus for the Kingdom of God.

Forging the Heart...

This afternoon I've been pausing to read a book on healing.  For those of you who know me, this might seem a little out of context.  For the last year God has been helping me understand and showing me the gifts of the Spirit.  Most of my spiritual life has been centered around trying understand Gods Word, having a good prayer life, evangelizing, and creating God centered relationships.

I've never really ventured into the world of "the gifts" because growing up Southern Baptist it was a big no-no.  Not to say that all SBC churches are that way, but I was afraid to admit that God was still using the gifts to this day and that some of those gifts might not make sense at first, especially if I've never read what Gods Word says about them.

So suffice to say, I'm reading about healing and in so doing I'm reading the story about this guy who is kinda coming from the same place that I am about God and the the gifts.  In the middle of my reading I felt that God was leading me to the Vestry here at the church.

Now for those of you who attend St. Luke's and don't know where the Vestry is located, it's behind stage left in the main sanctuary.  It's a great little room that doesn't get used often enough.  In fact there's a nice comfortable chair in there, a private bathroom (my favorite part), a beautiful stained glass window (as you can see in the picture, and much more. 

So I'm in the Vestry with my book, my "Grail Diary" (for those of you who know me, you'll know I carry around a little black book where I keep all my thoughts, questions, and stuff that involve my spiritual life and stuff God shares with me.  I call this the "Grail Diary" referring to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  This is a different story for another time though).  As I'm sitting there in the Vestry, reading my book, ready to make notes; I feel God saying to me, "Put it down and just be still."  Then I look up and see the verse on the wall from Pslam 46:10...

"Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10

I close my eyes and just listen.  There's a storm literally brewing outside.  I hear the thunder clap, the rain pounding hard on the window, the wind blowing.  My life is much like this storm most of the time.  Thunder, rain, wind...the life of a servant of God struggling to be obedient.  For a bit of time I just sat silently and listened.  Then I opened my eyes to see the stained glass window for all its glory.  Never before had I recognized what was there.  It was a dove (the Holy Spirit), a heart (my heart), a hammer (the tool to forge), and a fire coming out of the heart (being forged in the furnace), and hearing the storm (the forging furnace).

"Oh God, what idols have kept my heart from being aligned with your Spirit?" 

The Apostle Paul encourages us in Philippians 3:12 to "take hold of what has taken hold of us".  I want to take hold of all the idols that keep me from being aligned with the Spirit of God.  Fear, control, worry, anger, etc., I want to give those to God.  I want my heart to be forged by His Spirit, set on fire.  I've come to realize today that this isn't going to happen unless I'm prepared to be forged by the storms of life. 

"Dear God,
Today I ask that you forge my heart with your hammer.  Set my heart on fire by your Spirit.  Be with me during the storms and help me understand that I don't always need to know why."  Amen.

Fully Known, Truly Loved, Part II

In the last entry I spoke about being fully known.  Today I'm going to talk about two other points.

The second is that God wants us to know that we are his sons and daughters.  In Romans 8:14-15 it says this…

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.”

When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead our lives, we become sons and daughters of God.  The Holy Spirit does not bond us in slavery, but opens our lives to so many possibilities.  When we abide in the presence of Gods Spirit, we are adopted into the family.  God says you are my sons, you are my daughters.  I want you to fully know me.  I want to truly love you.  I want to fully know you!

The third is that our lives are holy sanctuaries.  In 1 Cor. 6:19-20 it says this…

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Our bodies are sacred.  We have been created in the image of God.  We are holy sanctuaries.  We are to treat our bodies as if God has taken up residence in us.
So here’s the truth to tie it all together.  If we are friends of Jesus, sons and daughters of God, and holy sanctuaries; why do we pretend that we cannot be fully known or truly loved?

If we have the expectation on our friends to know us and love us, if we have the expectation of our fathers or mothers or caretakers in our lives to know us and truly love us, if we are holy temples where Spirit of God dwells within our hearts, then why do we fear to be truly loved and fully known?

I think…and this is just my opinion, that we have been stabbed in the back by so many we have trusted, our hearts have been broken by those who we loved and trusted, there has been so much broken trust and heartaches that we don’t even know how to approach God to be truly loved and fully known.

Church, I’m here to tell you today that as sons and daughters, friends, and holy temples you are a remnant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  You are a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and you are a friend of Jesus Christ.  You don’t have to fear, you don’t have to be afraid, you don’t have to live your life in a way that shy’s away from having a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Christ is calling you to be fully known.  You see in the Old Testament they built the tabernacle around the “holy of  holies”, a place where God literally resided.  The only person that could go into the holy of holies to talk to God was the high priest.  God would give a message to the high priest to deliver to the people.  It was up to the high priest then to share that message from God with all the people.

Well guess what, today Jesus (our high priest) wants to go into your holy of holies (your heart) and deliver a message to you that God wants to fully know you and truly love you.  All you’ve got to do is pull back the shade and let him in. 

However, maybe you’re saying it’s easier said than done.  If that’s the case, and you’re thinking that right now, what if I told you that there’s no one on this earth and nothing in this world that can fully know you and truly love like God? 

Some of us have been living “fulfilling” lives without God or without being completely surrendered to God.  How fulfilling has it really been?  I’m sure you’ve been hurt.  I’m sure someone you’ve trusted has mistreated you or broken that trust.  All of us have been there.

So whether you’re hearing this for the first time or the hundredth time, JESUS CHRIST WANTS TO FULLY KNOW YOU AND TRULY LOVE YOU!

When are you going to let him come into your life and do this?  When are you going to let go of the fear, frustration, and all the things that keep you from living a life the God has truly destined you to live?  Do you want to be fully known and truly loved?  If so, we’re going to take communion here in a second and James is going to tell you how you can be truly loved and fully known by God.

Fully Known, Truly Loved, Part I

There are two things in life that we all desire.  These two things sit above wealth, possessions, knowledge of things, and much more. 

Those two things are to be fully known and truly loved.  Now what do I mean when I say, “To be truly loved”?  I don’t necessarily mean the kind of love that your family, friends, or even your pets can give you.  I mean the love that goes beyond any of that.  Some of us have never experienced what it means to be truly loved.  Oftentimes we look in the wrong places for love.  Whether it’s possessions, wealth, relationships with people, etc.  None of those things and none of those people will give you the true love that Jesus Christ will give you.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  Love from family and friends is very important.  However, even their love can only go so far. 

Also, what does it mean to be fully known?  The other day I was taking a look back at some notes I had made on Facebook.  Interesting to see all the questionnaires I’ve filled out about myself.  Things from what’s your favorite color, to my favorite movie, and also ridiculous questions like do I take the shampoo bottles from the hotel when I leave? 

Needless to say we all want to be truly loved and fully known.  That’s why we fill out questionnaires.  I’ve always said I haven’t met someone who hasn’t at the very least wanted to share something about their life with someone.  So we want to be truly loved and fully known.  But how does that happen?  The Bible tells us three things that we must know before we can be fully know or truly loved.

The first is that Jesus wants to know that we are his friends.  In John 15:14-15 it says this…

¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

In the Old Testament, there are only two people who were called friends of God; Abraham and Moses.  However, because Christ has now come and we too can be friends of Christ.  He says it right here in John!  We are no longer servants, but friends.  And why…because everything that Christ has learned from the Father he has shared with us.

The reason Abraham and Moses were the only two in the Old Testament to be called friends of God is because they were the keepers of the law.  God made himself known to them.  The good news is this, God has made himself fully known to us through Jesus Christ.  And he wants to fully know us as well.

Tomorrow I'm going to post the second scripture where God tells us that we are sons and daughters.  That we are heirs to His love and Kingdom. 

Fear of Man vs. Fear of God

For many years I've dealt with fears that I've only shared with a few people.  These fears are mainly around death, dying, harm, etc.  These fears come from places that are too long to go into in a blog.  However, this morning, with the help of a friend, I was able to overcome that fear and remove the bondage that it had over my life.

When I was very young, I made a vow.  That vow involved me never allowing my family to be harmed or to be put into harms way.  Little did I know that it was that vow, made in innocence, that would perpetuate a paralysis in my life in years to come.  I'm writing this now to share with you my story.  My hope is that if you resonate with this that you will find that you too can break that bondage.

First, like I said above, I made a vow.  A vow that allowed a spirit of fear to overcome me.  That fear was the fear of man.  For a long time I've been fearful of people walking past me that maybe didn't look the same as I do.  I've been afraid to talk to certain people because they are different than me.  I've been afraid to sleep some nights so worried that someone was going to break into our home.  I've been afraid that I would not be able to protect my family.  I've been afraid that I would lose my job.  I've been afraid of what people think of me.  I've been afraid of expressing my ideas.  I've been afraid of death, dying, and that whole situation.  I've been afraid of losing the ones that I love.  I've been afraid of so much.  This morning, I woke up, looked at my son and said enough!

I met with my friend this morning to actually talk about something else that later became part of this fear story, unknowingly.  What I found was that just about every decision I've been making in my life has been based around fear and not faith.  So we started to get to the root of things.  First of all, fear of man is not holy or righteous in any way, shape, or form.  Jesus says in Matthew 10:28, "Don't fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  So my fear of man was keeping me from living a life, as 10:31 says, "worth more than many sparrows." 
You see my fear of life and death comes from a lie that was rooted a long time ago due to circumstances beyond my control.  That fear led me to make a vow.  And that vow was what turned that fear into something bigger than what it really was. 

So this morning, we exposed the root.  We exposed the lie for what it was and I started taking my thoughts captive.  You see, as Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man is a snare...", I walked into a snare.  However the verse goes on to say, "...but the one who trusts the Lord is protected."  Living a life of fear is no life at all.  I have found freedom in knowing that my life will probably not be easy.  And from time to time I'm probably going to run into situations where it might get sticky.  However there is good news!  If someone takes it upon themselves to do harm to me, that is their freedom to do so.  God gave all of us a free will.  The good news is that even if harm falls upon me, God will give me grace just like he did with Stephen in the Book of Acts.

I know this might all sound crazy, but the truth is I'd much rather fear God than man.  And why?  Because as 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.  So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love."  If God is love, and I am His child, then there is no fear to be had.

God loves me, he loves you, and he wants you to have no fear through faith and trust.  He wants you to know that He loves you, and because of that love, you no longer have to fear.

P.S.:  By the way, just so you know, just because you trust and have faith in God doesn't mean life is going to be awesome.  So know that just because He loves us doesn't mean everything is going to work out the way WE want it to.  However, it will work out the way HE wants it to.  Besides, His will is better for us any way.

Dust from the Rabbi's feet

An ancient Jewish proverb states, "Follow the rabbi, drink in his words, and be covered with the dust of his feet."  Those studying under a Rabbi, or his disciples, would follow him so closely that they would be literally covered in the dust from their sandals. 

I've been a part of a dicussion this week about true discipleship, where the church is missing the mark, and how can we make a course correction.  I think the first thing that needs to be established is, despite how some believe, the "Church" is not broken.  The church is the bride of Christ.  Even when we want to slam her down, beat her up, pick on her, spit on her, and just be down right mean to her; we must remember what Hosea 3:1 says, "The Lord said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife (the church) again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress.  Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods, and love the sacred raisin cakes."  Despite how the people inside the church act, the church is not broken.

Speaking of the people inside the church...these ARE broken people.  Most people don't come to church when they've "got it all figured out".  Most of the people I encounter in church today are those who don't have it all figured out.  They are broken, spiritually dismembered, cast out, kicked off the island, fringe kind of people.  Most of them think they've got it together, but deep down inside they are spiritually poor.  They have no sense of normalcy in their lives.  I'm not just talking about those who on the outside don't look like they have it together, I'm talking about those who don't have it together on the inside either. 

So it leads me to ask this question...what is normal for a broken person?  I say Jesus.  Some of you are probably skeptical, and I'm going to ask that you not write me off just yet.  Some of you are saying that's garbage because I have lots of things in my life that I find fulfillment through and in that don't involve Jesus or Christianity.  First of all, let's let go of the Christianity thing and really talk about Jesus here.  Let's talk about what He really said.  If we look back and really read what He's saying, he's not calling us to a life that is easy by any stretch of the imagination.  In Matthew 4:19 Jesus says, "Come follow me and I'll make you fishers of men."  He's asking his disciples to let go of everything that they view as normal and come follow him.  These guys had it together.  Most of them weren't broken from the outside, but what Jesus knew was that they were broken on the inside. 

In saying "Come follow me" Jesus is asking us to drop what we find normal and follow him.  But what if you don't have normal so to speak?  Or a better question, again, would be "What is normal?"  Is normal dictated by society?  Or is normal dictated by Jesus.  Why is Jesus not our normal?

Here's some other questions to ponder on as well...

*  If we are called to make disciples, why do we not?
* What does it even mean to be a disciple of Jesus?
* Why do we keep on relying on systems of "discipleship" that have never worked and will continue to never work? (By the way, a friend of mine says that these systems are just episodic and unfulfilling.  I would agree.)
*  Why is it that you've been to tons of leadership conferences, teaching conferences, summits, etc. and yet nothing has changed?

1 Thesasalonians 2:8 says this, "so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well."

Discipleship is not leadership, it's "with me".  It's not a book.  It's not a conference.  It's not Sunday morning church.  It's not Sunday School.  It's not seeing how we can insert the latest and greatest gadget into our service.  True discipleship is following in the footsteps of Christ so closely that you are covered in the dust from his sandals. 

So what's holding us back?  Jesus left the 99 for the 1.  He was all about the 1.  Is it the fear of reaching the 1?  Is it the fear of revealing who you really are to another person?  Why do we wish to speak to the 100 and not the 1.  Is it to be known?  My friend Jim said one time, "Jesus didn't write a book, he invested in the men around him."

So who are you investing in right now?  Who are you discipling?  Because people know the story...they just want us to show them that it's real.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

This is a copy of my manuscript from the sermon I preached at the Later Multi-cultural worship Service at St. Luke's UMC on Sunday, July 3rd, 2011. 

We’re beginning a series this month on the church; who and what is the church, how the church should function, and what the Bible says about the church.  Tonight we’re going to start with evangelism.  Now, before we begin I want to address a couple of issues.  First and foremost, evangelism is not a dirty word.  However, like many other words and things in this world, it has been taken completely out of context in our current culture especially when discussing Christianity in America. 

First, I want to tell you what evangelism is not so that you can weed out some of the misconceptions that you may have about what this word actually means. 

Evangelism is not knocking on someone’s door that may or may not have visited your church and asking them if you could visit with them to share with them about why they are sinners and what they should do about it.

Evangelism is not handing out a leaflet that explains salvation and the road to it, only to walk away and expect the person to understand something that they are probably clueless about.

Evangelism is not some preacher pounding the pulpit on your television screen or computer telling you that if you don’t repent today you’re going to burn in hell.

Evangelism is not trying to interject Jesus into every single conversation that you have with someone who is not a professing believer in Christ.

However, we’re about to find out what exactly evangelism really is.  So let’s start where we should always start, with the good news. 

SCRIPTURE:

If you’d turn in your Bible to Matthew 9:35-38 or if you don’t have a copy of the Bible scoot close to someone who does or feel free to read the words on the screen.

So let’s read from the text in Matthew 9.  The text says,

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

CONTENT:

So let me give you some background about what’s going on here in the scripture.  First of all, Jesus has been walking around and healing people, driving out demons, and as verse 35 states, “proclaiming the GOOD NEWS”.  I like that word GOOD NEWS.  Actually did you know that the word Evangelism comes from the Greek word "euangelion” which literally means “I bring a message”.  Later on it is thought to be translated into the words “Good News”.  So here is a true definition of what evangelism really is.  It’s going out and proclaiming the Good News of God’s love and kingdom and bringing healing to people.  Now, does that sound like anything that I mentioned above about the misconceptions of what evangelism really is?  Certainly not!

So moving forward we know that the definition of evangelism is “Going out to spread the good news of God’s love and his kingdom and helping heal people”.  We’re going to talk about how to live that out in our everyday lives here in a minute, but there’s some other stuff we have to talk about first.

Now that we know the definition of what evangelism really is let’s look back at the scripture and see what Jesus was thinking and doing.  It says in verse 36 that he saw the crowds and had compassion on them because they were helpless like sheep without a shepherd.  That word compassion comes from a Greek word which literally means to be moved in the inward parts which indicates a deep feeling in the heart and emotions.  Jesus literally felt burdened for these people.  Why?  Because their religious leaders at the time had abandoned them.

Have you ever felt abandoned by someone that you cared about or thought cared about you?  Maybe it was someone who was your pastor, preacher, or a friend/family member that you knew was a Christian.  It’s a horrible feeling!  These people felt abandoned by their pastor’s, their “church”.  So Jesus see’s this and feels the deepest of compassion for them.  The Pharisee’s who were charged with their protection and given the responsibility to guide them had left them and failed them.  So Jesus felt compassion for them.  You see the Jewish people at the time were looking for their Messiah.  And many had come claiming to be that person, but the Jewish people still had not found what they were looking for.  So here comes Jesus, who we know is the true Messiah and he feels the utmost compassion for them.  Not because they are Jewish and he is Jewish.  Not because they are in the right place at the right time, but because they had been abandoned, marginalized, placed on the fringe.  Jesus comes with that compassion and heals them and presents to them the Good News that we now know as the Gospel message, a message of love, a message of hope, but a challenge to our lives as well.  Jesus is guided by a deep understanding of the real needs of people.

Jesus then goes on to speak to the Disciples in verse 37 and as one of your Pastor’s I speak to you disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  Jesus and the disciples are surrounded by so many people who are not only in need of physical help, but also spiritual and emotional help.  There are many people in this world that are in need of help.  Maybe tonight you would consider yourself someone that was is in need of help.  Jesus is trying to communicate to the disciples that those in need of help far outweigh those who are willing to actually provide help.  Ironic that after 2000 years not much has changed.  But church, it can change.  It can change starting tonight if we would decide for ourselves to bring healing to those around us.

In verse 38 Jesus challenges the disciples and I challenge you this evening with this verse as well, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Tonight we are asking you, the church, disciples of Jesus, to be compassionate for those who need healing and go with the message of Good news and share with others.  But the method of doing this I think is what makes us uncomfortable and where we see the common misconceptions of our day.  Having compassion for people is where this drive to share with others should come from.  We must feel the deep and utmost compassion for those who need healing and not just physical, but spiritual and emotional as well.  However, we cannot just let it end with our feeling of compassion.

Evangelism IS getting close enough to people to see how YOU can bring the healing touch of the Gospel message, God’s love, to their deepest of needs.  Jesus spent most of his time conveying the message of God’s love by spiritually healing people.

Church, many times in the past we have failed in our attempts to bring spiritual healing to those in need.  We have sat back and watched the world, our family, our friends, our neighborhoods and our city deal with seemingly hopeless situations.  But the Good News is that it doesn’t have to be that way.  So tonight’s message is a wake-up call.  Christ has called each of you to bring spiritual healing to those around you, your neighbors, your friends, and to transform the world by making disciples. 

But how do we do this?  It is not by simply knocking on someone’s door and asking them if they’d like to accept Jesus as their savior.  It is not handing them a leaflet that leads them down a literary road to salvation.  It is not by raising your voice and getting angry at them.  It is not painting a pretty picture that life will be a walk in the park if they would just accept Jesus.  It is not by wearing a t-shirt or having a bumper sticker on the back of your car. 

It is through relationships.  Getting to know the people around you.  Listening to their needs.  Taking action on relieving their pains and bringing about spiritual healing to their lives.  Some of you have said, but Pastor Chris, I don’t know how to do that.  That kind of stuff is for preachers.  I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s not.  Jesus challenges us in Matthew 28:18-20, “All Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.  Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.”  YOU have been given authority from Jesus to go and bring spiritual healing to those in need.  The challenge is, will you do it.  Let’s quickly look at a video of how one young girl is doing this in her community.

PLAY VIDEO

It’s not difficult to bring about that spiritual healing that people need in their lives.  You can do this by writing someone a caring note, by taking someone out for coffee and just listening, praying with someone in their time of deepest need, listening to them and being present, bringing them to church so that they can hear the Gospel presented to them.  You can also mow your neighbors lawn, pick up their mail for them, you can do anything that shows someone else that God loves them and cares for them.  Jesus wants us to bring about this spiritual healing by sharing God’s love, the Good news, every day with the people around us.  When we meet the needs of those who need healing, then we will see the world being transformed.  When we show compassion to others we will see people wanting to become followers of Christ. 

Tonight is your opportunity to say I’m going to do this.  I’m going to take this challenge and help bring healing to those around me.  Or maybe tonight you’re saying that I need to be healed.  Or maybe tonight you saying I want to know this Jesus that you’re talking about.  If that’s you, if you fit any of those thoughts, then after the service we will be here to pray with you.  Let us help bring spiritual healing to your life, let us pray over you and commission you to take the good news and share it with others, and let us help you start the path to have Jesus come into your life and change forever.

Let us pray.

Summer Reading List....

So, to take a quick break from my "Called to Community Series" I wanted to share with you the four books that I've picked out for my summer reading list.  Maybe you'll want to read one along with me.

May-

"Foolishness to the Greeks" by Lesslie Newbigin

How can biblical authority be a reality for those shaped by the modern world? This book treats the First World as a mission field, offering a unique perspective on the relationship between the gospel and current society by presenting an outsider's view of contemporary Western culture.








June-

"Prophetic Untimeliness:  A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance" by Os Guinness

The buzz among evangelicals today is about relevance and reinvention, about new ways of ''doing church'' through revising, innovating, borrowing, mixing, and experimenting. Yet, says Os Guinness, in our uncritical pursuit of relevance, Christians have actually become irrelevant. By our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more in line with the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and significance. Prophetic Untimeliness addresses this issue by giving practical, constructive solutions for living with integrity in the midst of modern pressures. Guinness explores what it means to be both faithful and relevant, and how to be truly relevant without being trivial or trendy. Readers will be challenged to develop ''resistance thinking,'' an approach inspired by C. S. Lewis that balances the uncomfortable truths of the gospel with the pursuit of relevance. Only by being true to Christ and living with integrity and wisdom will we meet the needs of a world that is hungry for some really good news.

July-

"Resident Aliens:  A Provocative Christian Assessment of Culture and Ministry for People Who Know that Something is Wrong" by Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon

In this bold and visionary book, two leading Christian thinkers explore the "alien" status of Christians in today's world and offer a compelling new vision of how the Christian church can regain its vitality, battle its malaise, reclaim its capacity to nourish souls, and stand firmly against the illusions, pretensions, and eroding values of today's world. Hauerwas and Willimon call for a radical new understanding of the church. By renouncing the emphasis on personal psychological categories, they offer a vision of the church as a colony, a holy nation, a people, a family standing for sharply focused values in a devalued world.




August-

"Nudge:  Awakening Each Other to the God Who's Already There" by Leonard Sweet

Brace yourself. In Nudge, author Leonard Sweet sets out to revolutionize our understanding of evangelism. He defines evangelism as “nudge” – awakening each other to the God who is already there. Sweet’s revolution promises to affect your encounters with others, as well as shaking the very roots of your own faith. So brace yourself.

Once finished I'll try and recap/review the book.  If you'd like to read one of these with me and have discussion, I'm very open to that.  Please email me at soilforthesoul@gmail.com if interested.  Thanks!

The Call to Community: United in Forgiveness or The Untold Story of Judas

Judas...what thoughts are stirred up in your mind when I mention that name?  Deceit, lies, death, and pretty much a heep of other negative words and thoughts.  Yet, at one point in time Judas, the disciple, was part of the fold.  He was trusted by our Savior, by the other 11 disciples, and those who followed Jesus at the time.  He was a part of the inner group of Jesus' best buds. 

Then there seems to be a shift.  It's pretty clear when it takes place.  You know the whole part where Judas turns Jesus over to the authorities.  He sold his Savior and friends out over money.  Yikes...not good.  Okay, we all know this story, but there's a part of the story that might be a little unfamiliar.  In Acts 1:15-26 the disciples are all gathered.  Let's see what's going on there...

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶ and said, “Brothers and sisters,^[a] the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.”
 ¹⁸ (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹ Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
 ²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
   “‘May his place be deserted;
   let there be no one to dwell in it,’^[b]
   and,
   “‘May another take his place of leadership.’^[c]
 21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
 ²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

I want to key in here on something that we don't talk much about regarding forgiveness.  Have you ever thought about how much it hurt for the disciples to find out that someone they trusted, Judas, could do such a thing?  It would almost seem impossible to forgive a person for doing such a thing.  Yet in verse 16 Peter stands up with full authority and says that we've come to the conclusion that this was supposed to happen.  Even still it makes one wonder what the disciples felt regarding Judas.  If it were my I'd have a hard time forgiving. 

Yet we know that forgiveness is one of the hardest things for a person to do.  Oftentimes our forgiveness of someone is never heard or felt by the person that has done us wrong, but the act of forgiving is still necessary even if that person never finds out.  What happens when we don't forgive someone for wrong doing?  Our hearts begin to turn dark, bitterness and anger sets in, and we see a side of our humanity sometimes that we never thought existed.  Voicinig it is very important, especially to those who hold us accountable.  But more important is living it out.

I'm sure the disciples voiced their forgiveness of Judas to one another and most importantly to the Father.  But if we look in the last part of these verses, we see them living it out.  They understand that they have to move beyond the Judas incident and move forward with selecting another apostle to join their ranks.  In doing so, they are saying we forgive Judas and we are moving on, reconciling the situation.  This is where Matthias is chosen. 

So my question to you is this, knowing that God has given us the authority to forgive those who have done wrong to us, what's stopping you from doing so?  And secondly, how are you reconciling the situation and moving past it?  I want to add that this is not an easy subject.  It's also not easy forgiving.  However, if we are to live as righteous people of Gods Kingdom we must forgive and reconcile. 

Chris

The Call to Community: United in Prayer

There's a question that I keep asking myself and it has to do with being called to community.  One of the hardest things to come to terms with, even most recently, is regarding my call to ministry.  It seems that every 3 years I experience this question as a storm that lingers in my heart till an answer can be found. 

I've just wrapped up my third year serving at St. Luke's UMC in Indianapolis, IN and so this question has come up.  As we, St. Luke's, experience a transition from our Senior Pastor leaving, to an interim, and then on to another Senior Pastor, this sense of urgency has arisen around the idea of "the call" to ministry in my own personal life.

So I'm asking myself the question, what is your call to ministry look like Chris?  Rather than give you the full argument that has been taking place in my heart and mind, I will sum it all up with one statement...I am called to the greater community.  Meaning, that my call is to the Church of Indianapolis.  This calling is not one that is held down necessarily by a specific doctrine of belief, other than my own personal doctrine.  It's not one that is specifically held down by a denomination, which could be thrown in with the whole doctrine idea.  It's not one that is specific to anything but allegiance to Christ, the scripture, relationship, and serving.

So I would tell you that I serve on staff at St. Luke's UMC, but I feel called to the Church of Indianapolis.  St. Luke's is just one community within that larger community.  So then I started asking myself, what would happen if as pastors and servants of Christ we put down our petty arguements, stopped trying to say that our church is better than yours, and started focusing on the bigger picture?

Paul, an Apostle of Christ, was called specifically to cities or churches in a city, such as the Church of Antioch as one example.  There was only one church in Antioch and it was the Church of Antioch.  I thought I would take a step back to where some of this stuff began and look at the passages in the Book of Acts.  Jesus' ministry on Earth, as it was, was concluding and a new era was about to be ushered in by the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  But before that there's a passage that I wanted to look at that talks about unity in the body and community.

That passage is Acts 1:12-14...

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk^[a] from the city. ¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

I especially like verse 14 where it says, "All these were continually united in prayer,"  What would our communities look like if our Pastors were all united in prayer?  What if we came together and prayed with each other once a week?  How would our communities grow closer to God?

This is why I think we need to make a shift away from our current thinking that we "belong to ______ church", you fill in the blank, and move more to this idea that the "church" is not just one building, but a movement of believers in Christ.  How would things look if we were unified in prayer as the disciples were?
What would your city, town, or community look like if your Pastors were united in prayer?

Chris

"I like or dislike ________________ (insert famous Christian authors name)!"

Holy fire from the gates of Hell!  Seriously, there have been lots of comments and discussions regarding certain Christian authors, their belief's, and where they stand on things in the last few weeks.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, feel free to Google search "Rob Bell" or "John Piper".

I'm not really here to discuss specifically the reactions or my thoughts to this conversation.  Although I am somewhat guilty of asking some of those questions on my Facebook page, I'm here to talk more about where we are as believers in Christ.

¹ Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
 ⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
1 Corinthians 3:1-8

So the Apostle Paul is speaking to the church in Corinth and if you don't know anything about this church, you should know that they were doing some pretty dirty things.  When I read this passage this is what I glean from it compared to the last few days. Some say "I follow Rob Bell!" Others say, "I follow John Piper!"  Some even say "I follow _____________ (insert your favorite Christian authors name here)!" 

The church in Corinth was participating in hero worship.  It's kinda like when you go to a church and everyone is all about the pastor, but very few are about Jesus.  Hey, and I'm not knocking pastors because I am one.  But when did all become about the men and women leading and not about Jesus?  There's absolutely nothing wrong with reading an inspiring book.  Especially when you feel that it's helping you grow deeper in your relationship with Christ.  The problem is when you turn to those books/authors and worship them as your hero's.  As Paul says, they are only servants. 

Think about it his way...take out a piece of paper and follow the outline below:

1.  Write down the name of the person that led you to Christ.
2.  Write down the name of the person/people that discipled you in your first years as a Christian.
3.  Write down the name of your favorite pastor, author, or someone you look up to in your faith.
4.  Write down the name of someone that you are currently following because you aspire your faith to look like theirs.

Here's how mine goes...

1.  My Mom and Dad
2.  My Sunday School teachers, A.B. Colvin
3.  Gary Hollingsworth, Leonard Sweet, Erwin McManus,
4.  My wife

I bet that many of these people disagree doctrinely, but probably agree on one thing...we all need to have a personal relationship with Christ.

So I ask you, who is Rob Bell?  Who is John Piper?  Who is ____________ (insert name)? 

The bigger question is Who is Jesus and why haven't I talked to Him lately?

Chris

"I've got no problems with Jesus. It's the church that I can't stand."

Have you ever heard someone say this, "I've got no problems with Jesus.  It's the church that I can't stand."?  Truthfully, I've said it myself before.  There's something that has been spreading in our generation (Millenials and Gen Xer's), for some time now.  We look at how the church was when we were growing up and how the adults who filled it acted and we say, "No way!  I'm not doing that again!"  So as we grow up we depart from what we know as "the church".  Some of us have left and never come back.  Some of us wanted to leave, but just didn't have the moxy to do it.  Some of us left, came back, and left again.  Some of us left, came back, and have just continued to beat her to death.  Her meaning the church.  Then there are others who have treated her the way she was presented to be treated.

Jesus says in John 3:29, "The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete."

So we know that the bridegroom is Jesus and the bride is His church.  So let me ask you this, why beat her up?  Why rip her apart?  Why tear her down?  Here's something else I've heard..."I love the church, but I just don't like the people in it."  Guess what, they ARE part of the church too.  Jesus says that we cannot love him and not love the church. 

There are lots of people who love the church, but don't love Jesus too.  That's another topic for another day.  But for today, my question to you is, do you love the church?  The bride belongs to the bridegroom.  So if you are filled with joy when you hear His voice, then love His bride.

Derek Webb sings a song about this that I think you should take a listen to.  Here it is...

The Church by Derek Webb

My prayer is that if you've been loving on Jesus and not on the church that you would start loving on her too.  She needs us to love her.  Even when you think she's not at her best, because that's when she needs us the most.

Chris

New Growth...

Something that I'm incredibly guilty of is not being patient with God.  It's usually when things are going wrong that I forget about all the times He's been there for me when life is going well.  I think a lot of people can identify with that statement.

Serving in full-time ministry does not exclude you from this situation.  In fact, there are oftentimes more instances of having to be patient then in other areas of life.  Serving God, whether it's full-time, part-time, or volunteer is never easy.  The fact is that God calls all of us to serve and love one another.  But more times than not we give up because of that thing I was talking about in the first paragraph...being patient with God. 

Recently I started meeting with a group of local Pastors.  We get together on Wednesday afternoons to praying, share the Word with each other, encourage one another, and duke it out together when it comes to matters of all things spiritual.  One of the guys in the group was sharing with me about a time he was on a safari in South Africa.  It was 4 a.m. and they were walking through the jungle when the guide told them to stop.  The guide said to them, "Look down and tell me what you see."  He looked down and saw animal tracks and...a pile of poop.  The guide then proceed to tell them to look up and look around at all the new growth around them.  He then said, "See all of this new growth.  It came from that pile of poop."

Pslam 37:7 says, "⁷Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."

Moral of the story...sometimes we gotta live with the piles of poop in our lives, be patient with God, and allow that poop and of course God to develop new growth in us.  So the next time you see a pile of poop in your life or step in it, don't get mad.  Sometimes we gotta have the poop to help us be who God wants us to be.

Chris

P.S.:  The original post title was "Oh Crap!", but I toned it down a bit for everyone.  Just thought you should know.

Family...

So I just got off the phone with a reporter from the local newspaper.  She is covering the Thanksgiving service project that my church is doing this year and has been doing for the last 15 years.  I've had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of this for almost 3 years now.  In fact, this will be my third year working with over 100 volunteers to serve the greater Indianapolis community on Thanksgiving Day.

The conversation with the report went well I thought.  I was asked questions about how long we've been doing this, who helps out, why we are doing this, etc.  Then she asked me a question that no one has ever asked me about this project.  She asked me how I felt about it and what it was like to be away from my family that day to serve these people.  I paused and gave it some thought.

I was reminded of Acts 2:42-47...

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

It's incredible to be surrounded by people who are willing to give of their possessions so that others may have.  Giving of their time by volunteering, there talents by serving and cooking, bringing donations to the table; food and financial.  Being a part of this Thanksgiving project reminds me of the first century church. 

But that question the reporter asked me still echoed through my mind.  How did I feel about this?  It's not every day that I get to sit with my family from Indianapolis.  However, on this day, the people that I eat with, share stories with, and laugh with are my family.  It doesn't matter whether they are black, white, hispanic, male, female, young, old, poor, or rich...they are my family.

My immediate family has always understood that being called to ministry means making sacrifices.  Sometimes we sacrifice time with those we know as family to be with those we don't know...who are still our family.  This Thanksgiving I would challenge each of us to reach out to our neighbors, those around us, and share a "thanks" and a "giving" with them. 

My prayer is that you will look deep into your heart and ask God what you can do to give thanks to Him by giving today.  Be like those first Christians by breaking bread with others and giving of what is already His. 

Amen.

Old Sweater...

So I moved this past summer after my wife and I got married.  It was interesting going through old clothing.  I'm a big fan of sweaters, especially older ones.  She'll tell you that this is true.  And I'm not talking about Cosby sweaters.  These are just solid one color sweaters. 

I have this one sweater that's a cream color.  It has an elastic waistband that has been worn out and several holes.  I just can't seem to part with it.  I wore it out one time and then had to promise my wife I never would do that again.  But I refuse to throw it out, because it has some value to me as a person.  Whenever I wear it I feel all the memories of college coming back.  In 1998, when I first bought it, it was brand new and perfect.  Now, here we are in 2010 almost 2011, and in my opinion it's still perfect. 

The Bible talks about seasons for things.  In fact, in Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."  I think sometimes it's hard to realize that things change.  Whether it's our relationships, jobs, church, family, friends, etc.  Change is always difficult and hard to let go of.  Sometimes it's okay to hold onto the old, but oftentimes it's better to let go.  And just like my sweater, sometimes we have to make compromises with the past so that the future can be better. 

I don't wear my cream colored sweater out anymore, but that's because I have new sweaters I can wear.  But, I take comfort in knowing that if I want to remember the past, I can go find that warm and familiar sweater. 

What changes need to occur in your life so that you can move onto better things? 

"God, help us make the changes in our lives that are right.  Help us hold onto parts of the past that are worthy of keeping.  Reminded us that even though the seasons of life change, you are always there for us and with us.  Amen."

Why You Don't Want to Follow Jesus, Part I

Normally I keep the topics of this blog short and light.  However, I've recently been reading Luke 9.  Something jumped out at me that I have read before, but just never viewed with the right set of lenses.  This is such a hard chapter to read, especially towards the end.  The reason that it's hard to read is because, well, I'm an American.  That's right, it's hard to read because I read it through the lenses of an American.  An American Christian that is. 

I think here in America we believe that the Gospel was written specifically for us.  However, it wasn't.  The Gospel was originally written for the Jews.  Jesus was a Jew in case you forgot that.  He came to speak to the Jews.  It wasn't until the Apostle Paul came along that the Gentiles were even invited into the conversation.  So, unless your Jewish, count your blessings.  And if you're Jewish, count your blessings. 

Needless to say, the Gospel was never intended to be what it has become here in America....a lazy excusable resource guide for living a quasi-socially acceptable Christian lifestyle.  And the truth is that today in America, it's not really all that accepted in most circles.  The reason we as Christians think that it is acceptable is because most of us do not have friends that are not Christians and most of us don't run in circles where we are the only Christian.

So here we are at Part I of "Why You Don't Want to Follow Jesus".  There's no catch here, by the way.  I'm not going to quote you the verse and then tell you what it really means.  To do so would be giving you the watered down American version.  I will say this, it might sound like I'm pointing a finger and I am.  Not just at you, but at myself also.  I'm guilty as much as anyone else.  So please remember that I say these things in love.

So, if you want to keep on living your life of excuses, stop reading now.  Otherwise you're going to be confronted with a decision that you're going to have to make.  You can accuse me of being too black and white here on this issue and that's okay.  It's your choice.  But the truth is, if you believe this scripture to be true, then you've gotta take it at what it says.  Not what Jesus might be inferring.  Because the truth is, if Jesus wanted to use this as an example, he would use it as an example and not just come out and say it like it is.  So here we go....

"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." - Luke 9:57 and 58

There it is.  That's right.  Jesus was talking about being homeless.  So remember this, just because you're a Christian doesn't mean you're guarantee'd a home.  You're not guarantee'd to have a place to lay your head.  If Jesus wasn't, what makes us think that we are? 

So the truth, if you want to follow Jesus, you gotta give up the idea that you might always have a place to call home.  You might not.  I challenge you to wrestle with that for awhile.  And honestly, we can't understand until we're in that moment.  But if you want to follow Jesus, you gotta give up the idea that having a home.  I know the American Dream says this is okay, but if you want to follow Jesus, you're gonna have to give up this idea that your entitled to have a home just because. 

Now, this doesn't mean go sell your home and live on the streets.  What it does mean is that you need to be ready to let go if called by God to do so.  And here's the kicker, we are all called by God to do so.  So if you want to follow Jesus, you gotta let go. 

Tough...I know.  Right there with you.  I would encourage you to post your thoughts from a non-American perspective.  That's going to be tough because we are Americans.  But Jesus wasn't, and the gospel wasn't written just for us.  Remember that. 

Saturday's with Mom...

I remember when I was growing up that my Mom and I would spend our Saturday's together.  Dad was usually out cutting grass or fixing something, so this gave us time to hang.  One of my Mom's Saturday rituals, one still practiced today, was to go to McDonald's for a Diet Coke.  I always remember going there with her on Saturday's and we would share a Coke in the car. 

There was something really special about those Saturday mornings.  I think it was just the fact that I was with Mom that made me content.  I didn't need anything to make me happy in that moment, I just needed to be with Mom.  Eventually, though, if we were out too long I would get restless and hide in the clothing racks of the local department store or I would run up and down the aisles of the grocery store.

Psalms 131 says, "Jehovah, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me.  Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child with his mother, Like a weaned child is my soul within me.  O Israel, hope in Jehovah from this time forth and for evermore."

Being content with where God has us is so key and important to our relationship with Him.  It's like being happy just being with Mom on Saturday mornings.  I don't need her to buy me anything to be happy.  I just need to be with her.

Are you happy just being with God?  Or, are you caught up with all the things around you that you've forgotten to take time just to be with Him?

God,
Help us take the time today to just be with you.  Amen.

Service Engine Soon

This morning, I got up and put myself together to experience a great day.  I stepped outside and the weather was fantastic.  I'll take anything below 90 degree's since we've been having a bit of a heat wave lately.  I put my backpack in the passenger seat and started up my car.

Needless to say, that yellow light popped up again.  You know the "Service Engine Soon" light.  It reminded me of the first time I saw the light.  It was a day full of frustration and seeing this light was the straw that broke the camel's back.  I remember taking it to Auto Zone and having the guy come run a check on it.  After the check he told me everything was fine and that it was just the sensor being ultra sensitive.  However, everytime it comes on it reminds me of how I need to get things checked out on occasion.  That "Service Engine Soon" light is the accountability that I need to remind me to get the car checked out.

This also reminds me of the verse in Hebrews 10:24 where it says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

My question for you is this, who is holding you accountable for your actions?  In 1 Corinthians 12 it talks about all of us being a part of the body of Christ and how we need to keep each other in check.  So are you keeping yourself accountable today?  It's hard to live in this world without having someone to share the things that we've done wrong with.  We also need someone, as the verse in Hebrews says, to spur us on in life to love and do good things.

So today, if you don't have someone holding you accountable, find someone you can trust and depend on.  Meet with them on a regular basis and share your experiences.  Sharpen each other and spur each other on to live the lives that God has destined us to live.

God,
Thank you for accountability.  Thank you for those in our lives who can speak truth into us.  Thank you for those who can encourage us and love us accurately.  Help us seek accountability so we can share your love with those around us.  Amen.

Clay Pots...

"Yet, O Lord, you are the Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." - Isaiah 64:8

I once heard a story about some of the earliest of settler's in the praire's and old west.  When the settler's first arrived to the west they found that it was hard to get water from the ground.  So they took it upon themselves to make cistern's out of clay.  They would then take these clay cistern's and bury them into the ground.  The hope would be that the rain water would collect into these underground cistern's and they could get fresh water out of them.
Unfortunately, more times than not, the clay cistern's would bring or crack.  This allowed dirt, mud, and water to creep in.  Eventually the water would go from fresh to murky or dark muddy substance.  I can imagine this didn't sit well with those first settler's.
We as humans like to be in control of our lives.  If someone handed me a lump of clay and said I had two choices, either make a clay cistern for myself or have them make it, I'd probably do it myself.  Unfortunately, I'm not very good at make anything out of clay.  So I would have to rely on someone else to make my clay cistern for me.  Otherwise, I'd end up with cracks and then the murky water would creep in.
This is no different then our relationship with God.  If we allow God to be the potter in our life then we can rest assure that the cracks will be repaired or they will never appear.  It's when we try and control life that we begin to see the murky water. 
Are you allowing God to be your potter or are you still trying to control everything?  Given the choice, would you rather drink from a cistern of fresh water or murky water?  Why not drink from the Living Well of Jesus Christ today by allowing Him to be your potter.

Dear Jesus,
Take our lives that we try to control and show us that giving you control is okay.  Help us remember that life with you is wonderful.  We don't have to worry about drinking murky water when we allow you to shape us into the clay cistern's you want us to be.  Teach us Lord that it is only through you that we can taste that living spring water of life. Amen!