Perspective Changers

Humility vs Pride is often a matter of perspective.

For instance.  When playing catch with my kids I feel like the greatest football player on the planet.  I dominate.  When doing the punt, pass, kick with the Fantasy Football crew I felt mediocre at best.  And the moment my shoe went flying almost as far as the ball solidified my humble status.

Albert Einstein once said that, “Before God we are all equally wise and equally foolish.”

James 4:5 says something similar.  ”Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.”

I know that we’re often chasing a place of power, prestige, honor or beauty among people.  But imagine if we stopped for a second the comparison to others and saw just how small we stand before THE almighty God.

I think in that moment two things happen.  1) See just how inferior we are.  2) See just how infinite His live and mercies are.

I pray today that we would all today begin to get just a glimpse of how great, wide and deep the love of our almighty, and amazing God is.

3 miracles you didn’t notice today

1) In the last 24 hours a fist sized organ in your body has pumped 100,800 times and pushed 3,905 gallons of fueling, cleansing and protecting liquid through an internal delivery system that if laid end to end would be 60,000 miles long.

2) A giant ball of perpetual fire rose over the horizon and brought with it life-giving heat and light.

3) In the last 24 hours the gaseous shield around the earth has not only provided daily fuel for our bodies but also, through friction burned to dust thousands of flying rocks from space.

A friend of mine pointed me to a song called “Holy Now”.  Among other things the song makes the point that everything is a miracle.  We rarely look at the world as a work of art masterfully crafted by the creator’s artistic hand.  Everything that is, every creature that breathes.  Every purposeful law of nature.  Everything is a miracle.  Time to step back and notice that those miracles are everywhere!

Romans

We’re closing out our teaching series on the book of Romans this next week with an overarching look at the entire book in it’s context.

If you have any questions that you’d like to hear the answer to, or if anything we’ve talked about thus far has left you wondering… you can either post a comment here or shoot me an email directly by going … here.

Now that you know how to read…

When my oldest son learned how to read I thought, (as most parents do about their own child) that he is way ahead of the curve.  But the most amazing thing about his learning was his strong desire to teach someone else the same new skill he had picked up.  And younger brother consequently picked it up at an even younger age.

Now, this principle works both ways.  My youngest son gets in trouble for things that my oldest took years to figure out.

But, here’s the thought for today.  We are supposed to teach what we learn.  I know that’s counter cultural to normal church world.  But when I teach on a Sunday, my prayer is that what God reveals to you, you would in turn teach to others.

So, here’s the question.  Now that you know how to read… who are you teaching?

plasticity perspective

In our culture a man who can throw a football is iconic, a face on a screen is idolized and anyone with cash is coveted.  We know them by name, read about them in magazines and often, consciously or unconsciously, try to be like them.

If you’ve played this game, and who hasn’t, the end result is always the same.  It’s a bottomless hole of pursuit.  Every billionaire that I’ve heard of is working to increase his fortune… movie stars are paying big bucks to keep their precious plastic prettiness and there’s always the next guy who throws the ball a little faster or farther.

It seems that nobody celebrates righteousness anymore.  What if we celebrated the faithful husband as much as we do the football touchdown.  What if we were more eager to give than to receive.  What if the people we emulated saught after a heavenly kingdom and not an earthly  one.

Some real heroes:

Daniel: faced with keep praying or be eaten by lions went home and like every other day, sat in his window sill and prayed boldly to God. (Daniel 6:10)

Ezra: known for relentlessly studying God’s word. (Ezra 7:9-10)

Paul: beaten, shipwrecked, threatened and targeted for murder… yet not a thing could stop him from talking about Jesus. (1 Corinthians 11:25-33)

Those are a few of the men that I want to be more like, a few of the people that I want to emulate.  Those are some real heroes.

All those other things aren’t inherently bad.  But when they become your pursuit you’ll find it a painful trap.  Plasticity does not last for eternity.  Pour your life into something that matters.

Know your place?

Critical Spirit vs. Truth in Love

Five reasons that, “Love is NOT fair.”

Five reasons that, “Love is NOT fair.”

1) Love seeks blessing for those who’ve hurt us. (Romans 12:14)

2) Love forgives the worst of offenses. (1 Peter 4:8)

3) Love does not treat us as we deserve. (Romans 5:8)

4) Love conquers all. (1 Corinthians 13)

5) Love saves those who should be judged (John 3:16-17)

Five reasons to ditch the church face

church face: (n.) the false persona one puts on while in the presence of a church or a clergy who serves said church.

5 reasons to ditch the church face:

1) The only one you’re fooling is yourself.  Do you really think  that when you tell the pastor what a great message he spoke that he didn’t notice you sleeping through it.  Or that the God who made everything doesn’t know the real you?

2) If church face is part of your church’s expected dress code, then it’s time to get a new church.

3) Church should be the place where we are the most honest not the most guarded.

4) The very thing that you are hiding is likely the very reason that you most need other people to walk with you.

5) Our best witness to the world is not a pretense that we’re perfect but an honest confession that we’re not.

Key Metaphors (2of3)

Metaphor 2.  Attractional vs. Incarnational

In church world attractional indicates a church that is focused on inviting people into it’s walls.  The image is a of a church that is a desired destination and people out there will bring people into here.

Incarnational is a word that’s meaning comes from the idea of being in the flesh.  This usually indicates a church whose focus is on what people do outside of the church walls.  People taking the message out.  There is no specific epicenter for mission it is everywhere.

We believe that as followers of Jesus we should not be one or the other but rather both.  If the church is doing it’s job it should be a place where others are invited to.  If the church is doing it’s job it should also be equipping people and encouraging people to be sent out.  Or as we typically say it, to “take it to the streets.”

« Previous Page — Next Page »