tortillas make it better

Matthew 2:1-12

2010-12-04T08:11:00.001-05:00

For whatever reason the wise men from the Christmas story have really been intriguing me this season. Who are they? Where did they come from? Why do they matter? It just seems odd to me that there would be these three guys coming from a far to see baby Jesus. I think there’s a few things we know for certain about these guys. They weren’t Jewish. They weren’t part of the faith that Jesus was being born into, so when they come to Herod and say “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” we don’t really know how this relates to them, but for some reason they want to meet this king. In the earthly scheme of kingdoms and monarchies Jesus would no dominion over them. That being said, we know they have knowledge of Jewish culture. We get a glimpse of this in the sentence above. They obviously knew something of the Jewish prophecies to know to follow the star and find the “King of the Jews.” They came to worship Jesus. “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” Even though Jesus wasn’t their earthly king they knew enough about Jewish culture to recognize Jesus as someone worth kneeling before.

The story of the wise men reminds me that, as a christian, we need to look outside our faith circle from time to time for wise men. Like the Jews in this story I get so caught up in doing religion or in the business of doing church that I can’t see the forest for the trees. Sometimes the wise men of the world can tell me where our community needs help. Sometimes the wise men of the world worship God’s creation better than I do. Sometimes the wise men of the world can remind me to kneel before Jesus.

Another thing that strikes me about the wise men is that they came so far and had to go through so many Jewish towns and villages and they were all alone. The Jews at this time were begging for their messiah to come and ready to worship him, but it seems these wise men were the only ones looking for him. I think this serves as a good reminder in this season that we need to be looking for Jesus this Christmas. We get so busy this time of year celebrating Christmas that we don’t celebrate Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

2010-12-01T08:01:00.002-05:00

For the New Testament reader this is the first instance that we have to have faith in something that seems unreal. A virgin pregnant by the Holy Spirit. That's a pretty incredible! Think of that as if you'd never heard of the Holy Spirit before. This intangible, unseen, never heard from, entity that's part of God but separate as well exists (that's a lot to believe in right there) AND came and made a virgin pregnant simply by it's power and God's will. Can this story get any more bizarre? It literally sounds like something from a sci-fi movie. Not only that, but the poor guy who was engaged (at that time they were called husband and wife at this point in the relationship) to this girl gets visited by an angel in a dream and tells him to stand by his girl and that this is God's plan and His doing.

I think we take for granted the impossibleness of this event because as christians we've heard about the Holy Spirit for most of our christian lives and we're numb to the Christmas story because we've heard it so often. Or perhaps we are too fixated on what is under the tree instead of what chose to die on a tree. Regardless, the spectacle that is the immaculate conception can be easily overlooked.

For Joseph there was no Holy Spirit. They hadn't talked about it in Synagogue much because God hadn't really sent it to His people yet. This had to take an enormous amount of faith on Joseph's part. If I were in Joseph's shoes I would doubt if the angel in his dream was real and that Jesus was really conceived by this Holy Spirit thing. Joseph had to believe the angel was real, the Holy Spirit was real, and that it conceived a child in his wife. That's three really big leaps of faith that is asked of Joseph on one night. And what about when Joseph figured it out (I imagine that it wouldn't take too long to figure something was special about Jesus)? How humbled would he have been?

I think for us it kind of works the same way. God get's us on a ledge outside of our comfort zone. An activity, relationship, position, etc. that makes us terribly nervous and asks us to have faith. To believe in more than we think we are capable of or really to believe that we are more capable through Him. It may not be send-an-angel-in-your-dream scale, but it is still something that requires you to have faith in God's plan. When we finally take the step and move forward in faith we're humbled to see what God has done through our actions. Like Joseph we had faith and were humbled.

A Christmas Story-Upcoming Nexus Series

2010-11-30T19:26:00.001-05:00

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re going to talk about at our last Nexus' of the year. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

A Christmas Story:

Series Overview

Christmas is such a crazy time. Students are busy dreaming about what they want to get, and parents are shopping frantically for what they want to give. We all become consumed with malls and wrapping paper. It’s a Wonderful Life and How the Grinch Stole Christmasplay on TV and Santa Clause poses for pictures with every excited (and screaming) child. At church we tell the story about shepherds, angels and a manger, but so often the significance of the story is lost because it seems like just one more holiday tradition. Or we’ve heard it so much that we don’t hear it anymore. Our upcoming series is going to tell the Christmas Story—but in a slightly different way.

Session One (12/05/10)

Everyone has a vision for their lives. We dream of the type of home we’ll live in, the car we’ll drive, the job we want, the love we desire or the family we’ll have. And even if we wouldn’t dare share those things with someone else, deep within us we hope that life will turn out one way . . . even if we’re at the same time skeptical it won’t. But sometimes the life we envision is different than the one we actually have . . . okay, most of the time. So how do we react when life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped? And more importantly, what do we do with Jesus, because as wonderful as He is, He steps into our lives and makes things messy. He leads us down paths we never thought we would go. He asks us to do things we don’t always want to do. And even with all that, somehow life still turns out even better than we dreamed.

Session One Parent Cue: What are some events in your life that turned out differently than you hoped? Looking back, did things work out better than you expected at the time?

Session Two (12/12/10)

It’s the easiest thing in the world to do, and that’s probably why so many of us are guilty of doing it. God gives us something--a talent, a provision, a relationship--we take it, make big plans for it, then somehow forget all about Him. In the act of serving God, sometimes we completely miss Him. Sometimes our big God becomes very small in our lives. Perhaps that’s why God chose Mary, someone who was very aware of what little she had to offer, to provide the gift that the world so desperately needed. Mary is remembered not only for what she did, but for why she did it--simply to honor God’s request.

Session Two Parent Cue: Have you ever had a moment when you felt like God asked you to do something specific? How did you respond?

Look forward to seeing everybody there!

Matthew 1

2010-11-30T06:33:00.002-05:00

The first chapter of Matthew in the Bible was to me, at a time, a terribly boring section of the Bible. It appeared to me simply a list of names that led to Jesus, his family tree, so to speak. There's power in a name though and these names come alive if you know a little about them. It seems every type of person was used in the line that led to Jesus; great kings like David, prostitutes like Rahab, and even people that we don't know too much about. The moral of the story here is if God can use these people to bring His son to the world then he can use anybody to help the world.

We're all incomplete in some way. We may have family issues, lust issues, money issues, or any number of faults, but in the end we still are "issueless" when God sees us thanks to Jesus. So let that be a certain comfort to you today, knowing that the creator of the world values you, in fact, cherishes you and wants you to do great things in Jesus' name.

Final Review: Principal of the Path

2010-06-14T06:35:00.003-04:00

On vacation I finally finished the Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley. The book offered many good insights and illustrations of how our attention determines our direction which determines our destination. Really it's a common sense lesson, but Andy Stanley does a fairly good job of keeping the stories funny and relevant. I think the essence of the book is to have the reader look on in their own lives and determine what path their on and where they would like to go. These two observations are the first and sometimes hardest steps when it comes to making a change. I had insights into every area of my life that in some way or another I needed to change my attention-direction-destination. I've come to think of Andy Stanley's messages at being directed a lot at leaders, but this book is applicable to anyone and is a great read for young people as well as they have yet to get on their paths and determine their destinations.

Summer Activities

2010-06-14T06:12:00.001-04:00

Here is a run down of the summer activities that we have planned for Nexus; we may have some more informal events, but this is what is set so far. I would encourage all your students to invite their friends to any of these events as each one will serve as a great way to introduce new students to Nexus and Connection Church.

I've made a public google calendar that has all the dates and details on it you can see it at the really long link here: http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=t3c10j95ma426jb2opqcpqaoi0%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York

6/19-Gwinnett Braves (Bobble Head Night)

- The game starts at 7:05pm, but we'll meet at 6:30 at the Publix at the corner of Old Peachtree and 20. Same as last year.

- Cost is $5, so please have students bring that plus whatever spending money is necessary for food and drinks.

- RSVP by 6/13

7/16 Stone Mountain

- We'll meet at Baxley Point at 6pm to drive down to the park

- We'll hang out at Stone Mountain Park and watch the Laser show.

- Have students bring enough money for food & drinks. Entry fee is covered.

- RSVP by 7/11

7/24 Malibu Lock-in

- The time is tricky, it's from 1am to 6am. We'll meet at the Baxley Point Parking lot at 12:30am

- We're going with Lawrenceville First UMC.

- Cost is $25

- All Go Karts, Putt Putt Golf and Bumper Boats are free
- Non-Ticket Games are Free
- Unlimited Sodas and 2 Slices of Pizza

- RSVP by 7/11

The Principal of the Path: Chapter 4

2010-05-22T18:57:00.003-04:00

Finally after a long hiatus I've gotten to chapter 4 of the Principal of the Path. I've been reading another book for work, which took priority. This chapter centers around the idea that we often chose the path of least resistance when faced with a decision. "The pie sure would taste good." "I deserve a little treat." We rationalize and excuse small decisions away and the wonder "why didn't things work out?" Stanley breaks down Proverbs 27:12: The prudent see danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. We all know what a prudent person looks like, they plan. They see things and make changes that will best suit their desired destination. The simple take the path of least resistance. They fail to make the necessary, but hard decisions to get where they would like to go. Stanley has a great example and he says that the prudent see the future as now. That any decision can impact the future they want and they act accordingly seeing that that piece of pie will not help them loose the weight they desire.

I have a friend at work that has lost at least 41lbs. It's been a long road for him. He likes to eat, but more than that he wants to see his grandchildren graduate high school He has a destination and he is staying on the path. I think we all have had moments where we say "I didn't see that coming." I know I have. Let's try and take advice from the Proverb and "take refuge" when we see danger.

Nexus Sunday 5/23

2010-05-19T21:24:00.001-04:00

This Sunday marks our final Sunday Nexus for this school year. I appreciate all your support this year as we started to get this ministry going and I'm excited about what we have planned for this summer. This Sunday though I wanted to do something a bit different, so I thought we'd meet at Lake Sims park and have Pizza, play capture the flag, throw the Frisbee and football. We'll meet at the same time as usual from 5:30-7pm. If the weather is poor we'll meet at my house; stay tuned to the website below if the weather is questionable on Sunday. Please have students bring $5 to cover the cost of pizza.

One bit of housekeeping, Ning, the website that hosted our website is no longer allowing free sites, so we'll be canceling our website through them and be using the facebook group page primarily. The url for the facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102202993976. Please bookmark the site so it's easy to find.

Grace & Peace

--
Andrew von Essen 404.791.5168

The Principle of the Path: Chapter 3

2010-04-20T19:12:00.002-04:00

The Great Disconnect. In your life what is it for you? What is the greatest void between your intentions and where you are? Where in your life are you dissatisfied, broken, hungry, confused? When we look back at our lives in these areas we can see where we go wrong right? Certainly if we can't see it in our lives we can see it in the lives of other's around us. This is where Stanley starts to let the rubber meet the road when, towards the end of the chapter, he says "We should break the habit of drawing a circle around individual decisions and events and dismissing them as isolated occurrences."

I know I easily will look at a single event and excuse it as something that is completely isolated. The sad truth is, that over time these "isolated" events compound and hopefully we realize that we're on a path. Stanley has a good point earlier in the chapter about being lost. It's that we're typically lost before we realize we're lost. We're on a road that is leading to an undesirable destination.

I don't really know what questions to ask of this chapter. I think the best exercise would be to look back at where you were a few years ago and ask yourself if where you are now is where you wanted to be. In some areas of our lives we'll be happy with where we are. Some areas we won't be. For me, I'm totally in love with my wife and I'm happy to say l love being married to her. She's amazing! On the flip side, my relationship with God could be better. I'd wanted to be a better guitar player by now. The list goes on.

The Principle of the Path: Chapter 2

2010-04-13T20:11:00.002-04:00

Chapter 2 is called Why Bad Things Happen to Smart People and I'm sure that many of us have whispered this question under our breath before. Andy Stanley has an amazing ability to make the very simple very profound. He also allows the reader to bring the obvious to light in a way that no one else can and these traits are displayed very well in this chapter. "There is no fix for being lost" is the first statement of the chapter that really grabs my attention (especially since I'm going to be watching Lost later tonight). When we're lost the only thing that's going to get us to where we want to be is to know the path and change our direction. Stanley goes on to point out that, like being lost, most of our human problems cannot be fixed, but a change in direction is needed to resolve the issue.

Eventually we arrive at the principle of the path, which is "Direction--not intention--determines our destination." I've known this to be true, and I'm sure that you did too, but I'm not sure that we've grasped the potential of this statement. I know I haven't. Our intentions mean nothing...take a deep breath with me and say it out loud. Our intentions mean nothing. I get so wrapped up with what I would like to do, skills I would like to have, relationships I would like to be deeper that I end up not getting anywhere. If everything is a step toward somewhere don't we have to know where somewhere is? If we don't know where somewhere is, then we're not getting anywhere.

Stanley points out that any principle, this one included, can be leveraged to our advantage (and our disadvantage). I have a feeling that as I get deeper in this book I'm going to find that discipline is going to become a trait I wish I had more of. I already know a specific area in my life that I think this book is speaking to me about and it's difficult to look back and notice how small decisions spread over a large span of time have crippled me in this area. The encouraging thing is that with time I can turn around on the path and head in the direction of where I want to land. So can you.

I think if each of us takes a deeper look at our lives we'll see how our direction, our decisions, have landed us in a destination that we didn't want to be in. I'm sure there are areas of our lives that we are very comfortable with and we can do the same with those. As Andy puts it "To get from where we don't want to be to where we do want to be requires two things: time and a change of direction. There isn't a quick fix."

The Principle of the Path

2010-04-07T22:24:00.004-04:00

So tonight I sat down and started to read a book. Not something I do very often, but something I should do. Perhaps you've heard of the phrase "Leaders are readers," and being the leader of a student ministry I figured it was a good time to start reading. I was given the book The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley about a year ago from my wife. I'm not sure what was going through her head when she picked it out, but I'm guessing she was thinking I was lost and I needed help finding my way.

Tonight I've made my way through the introduction and the first chapter and he's laid the framework for what a principle is. It is not a law because it cannot be broken. It is something that exists that applies to all of us. He used the example of Archimedes' principle or the principle of the harvest. Stanley goes as far as to say that this principle, the principle of the path, will spare us regret without explaining or detailing the principle itself. A life without regret is something that I would think all of us would like.

After recounting a story about traveling down a dangerous road that ended in a swamp, Stanley declares "that's where the road led and that was the road we chose." My guess is that this statement is going to be critical to the principle of the path. So tonight I'm left to wonder "what road am I on and where is it going? Did I choose it? Did I choose it by not choosing another?

Lovesick

2010-02-16T10:12:00.002-05:00

This week at Nexus we start our Lovesick series. There’s something pretty amazing about being in love, isn’t there? The butterflies in your stomach. The dreamy gazes. No wonder so many of us are so in love with being in love. But if you look around—in the media, at school, in life—we’ve taken what God created and twisted it, morphed it and configured it into something it was never meant to be—an obsession. When romantic relationships become an obsession, balance goes out the window. We miss out on opportunities and experiences we might otherwise have had. And sometimes we even forget who we are. There’s got to be healthier way to do this. There’s got to be another way than being so lovesick.

Special Nexus Parent Night

2010-01-26T21:26:00.005-05:00

For the past three weeks we've been telling our students how and why we should fight for a relationship with our parents. As part of the this series we've got a special session, this week 1/31/10, for parents called, never stop fighting for a relationship with your child. We've opened this up to all the parents because it's a message that's always relevant.

For parents of middle school and high school students, please bring your students with you. We'll sing some worship songs together and then they'll leave with our volunteers during the talk. For those of you with students who are not old enough to come to Nexus, we won't have childcare available, but we'd still love to have you there if you can make it.

Nexus takes place at Baxley Point, 1495 Buford Hwy, Suwanee, GA 30024 from 5:30pm-7:00pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

Number 9 album of the decade

2009-12-22T15:25:00.002-05:00

David Crowder Band has been crafting unique worship songs for a while now, but their best album, A Collision, came out in 2005. DCB's first album, Can You Hear Us, was full of heartfelt worship songs and David's vocals added a sense of vulnerability not often found in worship music. Illuminate was an album of evolution. Remedy is DCB's most consistent album and this year's Church music is the dance worship album we all needed, but didn't know that we needed. A Collision has nuclear payloads for "epicness" as the album goes from worship to bluegrass to rock to an interview. I can't tell you how many times this album spun on my CD player, but it never get old.

A Collision Or (3 + 4 = 7) - D...

10 Favorite 2000-2009. Number: 10 Illinois-Sufjan Stevens

2009-12-07T16:39:00.003-05:00

So I'm going to tell you my favorite albums of the last decade over the next few weeks. I hope you find something new. Sufjan Stevens' epic quest to record an album for each state may never come to fruition, but his second album in the adventure is a masterpiece. It is heralded by many to be the best album of the decade and it's fantastic. For me this album was a grower; I'll probably like it more at the end of the next decade than I do now. When I first heard it, it was different, weird and awkward, but now this album is what I pick up when I'm tired of all my music. As many times as I've listened to Illinois it never get's old. It's always fresh. If you choose to listen to this, do yourself a favor and listen to this album on headphones. There are so many intricacies to the music, you'll be blown away.

Illinois - Sufjan Stevens

Our words Matthew 15

2009-10-26T21:17:00.003-04:00

Our words reflect our heart is the premise behind Matthew 15:16-20. Too often I chose to say what's on my heart and all too often what I say isn't a nice thing at all. I've always felt that not saying these hurtful things would help, but that wouldn't be solving the problem. My heart would still be in a poor place. It comes as no surprise that I've never been able to control my tongue, since the root of the problem is never solved. If I died today I would be known as a sarcastic person and often my sarcasm comes at the benefit of others, but being at a funeral this weekend has led me to realize that I want to be known as an encourager or a builder of people when I die. The man who passed away was both an encourager and an investor in people around him.

Lord, help me to grow out of my sarcasm and cynicism. Help me to see past the negative to the positive in people around me, especially my family. Change my heart, so my words are yours. Guide me to be an encourager of those around me and help me to believe the best about all I come in contact with.

NO Nexus on 10/25

2009-10-20T20:44:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that we're going to have to move the Nexus schedule back a week. We had a loss in my wife's family this week, so we'll be out of town this weekend. So no Nexus this weekend 10/25. We'll pick back up on 11/1 and the remaining dates will be, 11/1, 11/15, 11/29 & 12/13.

Please email me if you have any questions

Proclaiming

2009-09-09T06:18:00.002-04:00

In Matthew 10 Jesus sends the disciples out to proclaim the kingdom of heaven is near to the lost sheep of Israel. What does that mean? I'm no theologian, but for me it means that Jesus has come, he's saved, and lives in us through his holy spirit. Now, the message is the kingdom of heaven is here. God is our king and we are his people. So our mission is to proclaim that.

Nexus, Connection Church's student ministry, begins this week and as the leader this bring comfort to me. In the end there is one mission as the leader, to proclaim the kingdom. To share who the king is. Why he's king. What our role is in the kingdom. All the other details of Nexus are important, but we can't lose sight of the fact that the kingdom of heaven is here. That Jesus loves us and desires a relationship with us.

Miracles

2009-08-26T06:32:00.003-04:00

Do you believe in miracles? I mean, Bible times "I was blind, but now I see" miracles. Matthew 9 is full of instances where Jesus is healing people from all kinds of different ailments. It seems like performing miracles was as common as eating a meal or going to work. Yesterday I was being told a story about a pastor who started a shelter, but before he started the shelter he was in prison. As a child he never learned how to read, but while in prison Jesus came to him and softened his heart and a Bible showed up one day with his food and after a few days with the Bible he opened it up and he could read. God proceeded to lead him to start the shelter. I want to believe this story. I want to believe in miracles, but I have a hard time doing so. It's much easier to believe that there was some confusion when my friend was being told the story or when he told the story to me. Or that the entire miracle was made up. Here's the ironic thing, I believe that Jesus healed all those people in Matthew 9 because he was there, but honestly isn't he here too, now in our everyday situations. Is he really any less present?

My cynicism gets in the way of my faith on a daily basis. It's one of the areas I struggle with most.

Lord forgive me for my doubt. Help me to appreciate your miralces. Big and small. Because a bigger picture of you brings me closer to you.

Matthew 6: Treasure

2009-07-28T07:02:00.002-04:00

The sermon on the mount continues in Matthew 6 and I think one of the most important points of the sermon are contained in this chapter. In verses 19-24 the Bible says that our hearts should be focused on heaven and not on the things of this earth. So where our heart focuses so will our actions. This verse is specifically speaking about possessions and this is simple to understand, but hard to practice. I remember when I was a kid and I was waiting for something to come in the mail. I was so intent on checking the mailbox everyday. I would lay in bed and think about my new special toy all the time. I was consumed by it. When our minds are focused on a possession it consumes us. Would the same be true if our minds were focused on heaven? Maybe my focus should be on the things that have a more eternal purpose. Things that won't fade away.

Lord, help me to see where the eternal focuses are in my life. Help me to be consumed by your heaven...

Waveline

2009-07-23T07:01:00.003-04:00

I've been meaning to post on a new product, the waveline, that we're offering at Displayit for a while. It is a really great product for churchs and other small organizations because of it's ease to setup and it's affordable price. My mom has her own ministry and she was thinking of biting the bullet to get one. So if you have a trade show or just need a little more impact check out the Waveline.

Matthew 5: Love your enemies

2009-07-23T06:47:00.002-04:00

Matthew 5 starts Jesus' sermon on the mount and of all the content here in this chapter the section on loving your enemies struck me this morning. It seems in almost everything we come across these days there is a good side and a bad side. In sports we're told that there are good teams and there are bad teams. In politics we are told that one side is better than the other. We see it in movies where the good guys always win. Of course, we see it in our every day lives when that person cuts us off or when someone hurts us. How do we respond when we feel wronged? Jesus calls us to pray for our enemies; love them (ver: 43-48). I think when we pray for our enemies the Holy Spirit begins to work in us. Our hearts begin to soften and we begin to have a passion for that person's soul. We begin to see the person and not just the ways that they've wronged us.

Lord, give me the strength and courage to pray for my enemies. Soften my heart for their soul and help me to see them as you do...

Matthew 4: The Temptation of Jesus

2009-07-16T06:50:00.002-04:00

I have to admit, I've always been a little intrigued with how Satan works. Sort of like a coach planning to go against an opposing team. I think The Screwtape Letters are simply brilliant at illustrating Satan's cunning and should be required reading for any new christian. It's inevitable that we're going to face Satan and when we do it's going to be difficult. I've always wondered why Jesus went into the wilderness to deliberately be tempted by the devil. It just doesn't make any sense to me, as my common tendency is to run. In the end he may have gone to ensure he was ready to start his ministry, regardless of the reason it paints a pretty clear picture of how Satan works and what our appropriate response should be.

The first thing that Satan tempts is a natural need, food. Jesus has been in the desert fasting when Satan comes to him and tells him to turn stones to bread. The next two temptations are also focused on needs, but more primal or universal needs: the need to be loved and the need for power. Jesus' rebuttal to all Satan's temptations is to point to scripture, but satan being the crafty being that he is tries to use this against Jesus quoting Psalm 91 in his second temptation. Satan's final temptation crosses a line, he asks Jesus to worship him in return for all the kingdom's of the world. Satan goes against one of the ten commandments and the foundation of the Jewish faith. Jesus shows us how to get rid of satan, at least for the time being. Jesus tells him to leave and he puts him in his place.

I've heard several different methods for dealing with temptation most of which fall under the banner of getting yourself distracted. Eventually, that's going to fail. Do you think Jesus was going to not be hungry just because he was distracted. Do you fell less of a need to be loved when you're distracted. Probably not. We're going to get tired. Running away from something is exhausting. It seems that Jesus teaches us that when we're tempted we turn to the Word. We look for answers. We should also study the bible especially in the areas that we're tempted because the time will come when your're being tempted and your Bible is not around.

Lord, thanks for your Word. We're a fallen and broken people and because of that we're going to be tempted to move away from you. Provide me with the wisdom to seek your word when that happens and when I fail Lord, thanks for forgiving me. In Jesus' name...

Bible Thoughts: Matthew 3

2009-07-14T06:57:00.003-04:00

Matthew 3 tells the story of John the Baptist and Jesus' baptism. After reading the chapter a few times this morning I've become more interested in John the Baptist. With his fashion sense and diet (camel hair clothing; locusts & honey), he seems like a holier Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild. Aferall, John was a voice in the wilderness. The thing that really strikes me about John is how committed he was to his mission, which was to tell people: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Everything he did was centered around that statement. I think in our society when someone is so passionate to a cause, mission or a movement we become interested. We start to gravitate towards the message because passion is contagious and that's exactly what happend to John. The people of Jersualem and Judea flocked to him to hear his message. It was a hard message to swallow, but one they knew they needed. John's commitment to his message didn't falter when faced with a tough situation. He confronted the Pharisees and Saducees with the truth that their ways were leading to a way of fire even though I'm sure he was aware that this was going to be the road to his demise. John also knew his place. He was never the boss and he knew it. When Jesus came and asked John to baptise him, John said no way. In John's mind it was probably akin to Michael Jordan wanting John Stockton to dunk his ally-oop pass, instead of the other way around. Perhaps John was hoping that Jesus would baptise him in a way that would fulfill his mission and ministry. I love Jesus' response in the NASB translation: "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus is putting the power in John's hands.

What can I take away from this? Passion can be contagious, but I already know that sustaining that kind of passion is difficult. Keep the message simple, John's message was simple to understand, but difficult to do. In the end Jesus gives us the power to fulfill His mission in us.

Lord, help me to sustain the passion for your calling in my life. When times are difficult or I'm confronted about it, please take my hand and guide me through. Give me a simple message and remind me that the power to deliver this message comes from you...

The comfort zone

2009-06-01T12:25:00.002-04:00

There will come a time and place when you're asked to do something that puts you in a place of discomfort. Maybe the tension is because it's something you disagree with or perhaps it's something that extends you beyond your comfort zone. There are only two repsonses to this kind of questions, yes and no. If the proposition is something you don't agree with, say no. If it is something that you are doing out of duty, say no. If it is something that you have a passion for, but are unsure of the outcome, say yes. If it is something that you want to learn more about, say yes.

The temporary discomfort that comes from the journey outside your confort zone is a fair trade off for the rewards of doing something new or different. Passion for something is a much a better gift than talent. People respond to passion, but they watch talent. Talent can be developed, but passion comes from within. Passion is a catalyst for movement. Doing something out of duty gets the job done, but there is no satisfaction. When I have a checklist of things that need to be done it feels good to check an item off, but when I do something I love it's hard to stop. The bottom line: if someone asks you to do something that you are passionate about, odds are they have faith in you and that should give you strength.

What is church?

2009-05-26T22:07:00.005-04:00

Today I was having a conversation with my pastor, not that he's my personal pastor, but he's the pastor of the church I worship and serve at. I love the guy and he's become an important friend in my life in the short time that we've known each other. That must be what happens when you're part of a church plant. At any rate, the conversation we were having today was about the church and how it's become shaped as something. That shape may not be absolutely wrong or right, but it certainly is flawed. Our church is looking for ways to serve our community of Suwanee, Ga and we were thinking of the ways an inner city church does that; by supplying food, clothes, shelter, and compassion for those in their community. At that moment I had a picture in my mind of a group of people serving in a soup kitchen together. At the end of their time serving they weren't ready to part, so they shared their thoughts on what they saw that day. Enjoying their time, this pattern continued week after week and month after month. Through this one act, a small group was born soley based on the experience of serving and sharing. It makes me think what kind of changes to their lives would this group make? What else would they go on to do?

So could a church be based on serving? On a shared experience? What about small groups? We strive so hard to create small groups in church these days and most of time, in my limited observations, they fail or at least flail. It seems like in small groups today we watch a video or read a book to advance our spiritual formation, but Jesus didn't come for the healthy. He came for the sick and if we're in a small group at a church we're certainly healthy enough to be Jesus to someone sick!

It's late and I've had a long day; maybe my vision is of a super group of people and could never happen. Maybe building a church off of serving and the community that that would bring is a silly idea. I know there is no worship music or childrens ministry and it doesn't fit with what we've come to know as church in our religion let alone region, but it just feels as if there's truth in it and that's a fine place to start for now.

My first post-30 run

2009-05-02T15:12:00.005-04:00

So the other day I went for my first run since turning 30. It's been a few months since my birthday and it was a few months before that that I took my first run. I used to enjoy running. It was time for me to unwind and somehow as my feet hit the pavement my troubles would disappear. Even if it had been a while between runs I could tighten up my laces and go without any ill affects. I guess 30 is that magic age when stretching becomes pretty essential.

As I sit here two days after my run waiting for my muscles to return to a usable state I ponder how sore I would be had I prepared appropriately for my run. This leads me to wonder what else I need to prepare for. I know the big things like retirement, and my kids' future, but how do I prepare for each day? I probably aught to start the day with prayer to prepare myself spiritually. A healthy breakfast to prepare my body for the days activities. Maybe a smile, so each encounter I have pleasant.

So, here's a :) for you! Remember stretch before and after you run!

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Now playing: David Crowder Band - Rain Down
via FoxyTunes

Procrastination

2009-04-24T12:16:00.004-04:00

I am one of the fortunate few who enjoy their job. I work with friends, have a great boss, and the company sells trade show displays. I work for tries to do as much good as it can in the world. Our daily motto is to be a "blessing to all those we come in contact with, our customers, vendors, each other, and the community" and for the most part I think we do a pretty good job. The business that we're in is supplying trade show displays, so most of our clients have an absolute deadline to meet. I mean imagine the repercussions of having an empty booth because you waited to the last minute! Fortunately, that's never happened with any of our clients!

Here's the deal, I see the consequences of procrastinating every day. I know that the success our clients have is proportional to the time they allow to plan, design, and market their event, but still I procrastinate. I ignore the evidence I see everyday and I shortchange my family, faith, friendships, and myself. I've noticed that the things I procrastinate are the little tasks that need done, but are constantly on the back burner. So I'm going to give doing things when they need done a chance. Hopefully, I'll have some feedback for you down the road.

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Now playing: Damien Rice - Unplayed Piano ft. Lisa Hannigan
via FoxyTunes

Why the title?

2009-04-22T13:11:00.005-04:00

Call me crazy, but I love tortillas. Always have and certainly hope I always will. There’s something magical about them. Whatever food goes into them is mystically transformed into a better version of itself. Peanut butter and jelly, meat, rice, yogurt, all are made tastier in the warm embrace of a flour tortilla.

If I could have the liberty to stretch that analogy, you could say Jesus is the tortilla of my life. Whenever I have the awareness to put something in His care it comes out better. My time, finances, work, fatherhood, being a husband...all those things become better when they are wrapped in the care of Jesus.

Jesus I love you; thanks for being my tortilla.

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Now playing: Kanye West & Mos Def - Good Night
via FoxyTunes