For what it's worth...

The Hole In Our Gospel

2011-04-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this book. I would have to say that this is one of the most challenging books I've read. Richard Stearns doesn't pull any punches as he points out Christians and the Church, particularly in the US, have fallen sinfully short of God's calling and mandate. The insights from this book will forever shape me and my ministry as I seek to be faithful to God's calling on my life.

Revel in Christ

2011-03-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

In preparing for my LTG this morning, I was reading from The Message, and two comments just really jumped out at me. First, in Philippians 4:4, "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean revel in Him." This thought just keeps bouncing around in my head. I love God, and give thanks to God daily, but I don't think I "revel" in Him. This is something I'm going to really do some thinking on.
Second, in Colossians 1:6, "You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live Him." I think this one caught my attention because of how it relates to this past week's message (Who's MY Eunuch). To 'live Christ' is to take every opportunity to share God's message of hope and love.

Distracted

2011-01-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

I've really felt distracted for the last couple of days. Each time I sit down and begin thinking and praying about a message for this week, I'm not feeling any particular leading. I've learned to flow with this, and simply continue to 'wait before the Lord,' but it's really hard for me. This is probably why God does it, too; it keeps me from going off on my own. :)

Pharisee and the Tax Collector

2010-11-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

Once again, I'm struck at how often the issues Jesus addresses with the Pharisees can apply to the Church. I'm thinking that I might need to do some focused study just on the Pharisees to help us avoid the traps they fell into. "Lord, help me avoid religion so I can embrace a relationship with You."

Cost of Discipleship

2010-10-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

As I'm working on this week's message, I keep coming back to the question, "What is the cost of discipleship in the U.S. today?" Jesus tells us there is a cost in following Him, so "What does it "cost" us to be disciples of Jesus Christ?"

Parable of the Narrow Door

2010-10-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

I've read this parable countless times, and each time it serves as a reminder to stay focused on the path that Christ has laid before me. This time, though, the images of the people standing outside the house, who are seeking entrance into the house for the feast, are truly haunting me. I'm praying for further clarity on what God is trying to tell me, or would have me do with this.

Parable of the rich man

2010-09-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

This week's message is on the parable of the rich man. In it, Jesus tells a man to be wary of every form of greed, and then, at the end of the parable, he says to sell everything and give it away. Is this meant to be understood as something for us all to do, as the monks have done for centuries (vow of poverty), or is it to be understood figuratively as pointing out our need to make sure "things" don't have a hold on us?

Sabbath

2010-08-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

I don't think you realize how much you need rest until you actually get some. This week of vacation has made me realize how I've neglected truly observing a Sabbath.

Integrity

2010-08-16T13:38:00.001-07:00

What does 'integrity' look like?

VBS

2010-08-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Today is day 4 of our joint VBS, and it's been awesome! Each day has a pretty intense schedule, but it's truly inspiring to me to see these kids learning and reciting their memory verses each day. Additionally, I'm excited to hear the comments from people about nice it is to see churches cooperating with each other instead of competing against one another. YEAH! What better way to end this week than with a Community Wide worship service, with about six churches coming together to worship?!

But even if...

2010-07-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

As I've been reflecting on Daniel 3 for this week, I am struck by the three men's response, "But even if He doesn't [rescue us from the fiery furnace]..." (v18). This is faith that is based on more than simple mental assent; their faith goes beyond formalized religious observation to engage the circumstances encountered in life. How do we apply the truth of this text in facing life's hardships and challenges?

Dinner Time

2010-06-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

As I was reading through the first chapter of Daniel, I was struck by how mundane this first "test" of faith is; it revolves around dinner time. I can just imagine the kinds of food these young men were being offered. After all, this was food coming from the King's table; top quality cuisine. However, despite how tasty it must have looked, the majority of it must have been considered "unclean," as outlined in Leviticus 11, for Daniel to have been worried about being "defiled" by it. Regardless of what everybody else was doing, and in spite of the fact that they were now in a foreign country that had no knowledge of God, and the guidelines associated with being a Jew, Daniel and his three friends were committed to staying true to their faith.

It makes me think of how kids act when their parents are around, versus when they're not. Daniel and his three friends are truly men of integrity, and men who are genuine in their faith, even with the small stuff. How does Daniel's dinner time decision speak to us today?

Persecution

2010-06-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

As I'm preparing this week's message, I can't help but think of how disconnected we, as Americans, are from any kind of persecution. We hear about persecution in other parts of the world, but I don't think we have any idea of what true persecution is. I wonder if, and how, this has affected us as a Church?