What exactly does the perfect life look like? How can it be described in tangible words? Does it tickle the senses? Is there taste…smell…touch to it? Or is it simply a whisper on the wind? I hear this life sold to us from all angles…culture says that it is found in your bank account, relationships, vehicles, and stock options. And yet there are countless stories of celebrities,from Brittany Spears to David Hasselhoff, who have captured the proverbial “American Dream”. They have the fame, the money, the life…and yet their lives are a webbed mess of unrequited love, unfulfilled dreams, and a total lack of LIFE…
There is a much darker side to this equation, and it comes from many of America’s pulpits, espousing the same message, with a little God sprinkled in for flavor. All you have to do is sew an x amount of dollars seed into their “ministry” and you can have what they have…just ask, because God is your genie in a lamp…rub right…pray right…and He pops out, ready to serve…
The “perfect” life is not wrapped in green backs, short skirts, fast cars, or tall…dark…and handsome.
The perfect life is promised and comes soley from the ONE who can promise it…it gives everything and takes nothing…it is unconditional in a world wrought with conditions…and at the end of it all, it never really ends…He came to give it…cultures definition tries to steal it…and pulpits try to manufacture it…but there is only one place to find it…LIFE, perfected and overwhelming…free and unfettered is found in Jesus…follow close…
Filed under: Discipleship, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Journey
Last night was so intimate and so incredible. We have been discussing some difficult things, but I am watching a lot of growth take place in these guys, they are facing this stuff head on, and laying their hearts out for examination.
I love watching God work….
Filed under: Uncategorized
I am at many cross roads in my life…this is not an exaggeration. There are just so many decisions to be made, and so many factors and dimensions to consider in each situation, and there is only one concrete answer. I have to pray, and match my heart with the heart of God.
This is certainly not always easy, not always fun, and not always my favorite answer, but it is a necessity if I wish to direct my life according what I say that I believe.
What other means of making decisions do we have besides our emotions, which we all know have failed us time and again. Everything in life must have a standard by which it is measured… everything must be gauged by an absolute. So what absolute do we have? What is your absolute standard by which you measure life? Just a question…I know what mine is.
Filed under: Discipleship, Leadership, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Journey
I suffocate without you Jesus!!!
Filed under: Discipleship, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Journey
I would like to say that I don’t know…but I do know exactly where the idea of the Teflon minister came from…the untouchable, immovable, smooth and without fault minister…unfortunately, I am not him.
The idea that people believe that as a minister you cease to struggle, cease to fear, cease to doubt is ridiculous at best…and yet they do. They believe that we have some access to God that they do not have, and as such, sin, and fear, and shame do not impact our lives on any level…let me be the first to say that this is a MISCONCEPTION, even a fool hearted desire.
People want us to be perfect, to be flawless so that we can “fix” them…but this is an impossibility, because I do not have the ability to fix anyone, only Jesus can do that. So follow your pastor, but not so closely as to lose sight of the one that he is following, who should be Jesus.
I know this is a bit of a rant, but I have had many friends and loved ones cease to follow Jesus because one of us(pastor’s) failed them on some level…so follow your leader’s, but again, only as closely as they are following Jesus.
Filed under: Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Growth
Thursday night was incredible…since my team and I returned from Cambodia, things have been just a little different…almost a little more authentic.?.?.
I really can not put it into words, all I know is that the passion seems high, people are pouring their hearts out in small groups, and making incredible connections with each other, and most importantly engaging Jesus, and taking next steps.
This has been an incredible summer so far, and I am looking forward to the fall push…I’m amped up!!!
Filed under: Uncategorized
I am going to see my younger brother today, and it’s pretty exciting…he hasn’t really gotten to spend any time with Eden, and so it will be awesome.
It has definitely gotten harder since we both have careers now, and live on the exact opposite side of the country (He lives in Seattle). The last time we really spent any significant time together was during my wedding…in 2006.
The point is this…we have to be extraordinarily intentional about maintaining the closeness and intimacy of our relationship, because distance, time, and sheer business is working against us both. So we make sure we talk at least weekly, when he is not on cruise (that’s Navy talk for on a ship), and we make sure that we tap into each others lives when we do.
If you feel your relationships becoming less intimate with those who you have known the longest, or family, try some intentionality in how you communicate…it makes a world of difference.
Filed under: Family, Life, Relationship
I won this for my little girl today at “The Wood”…I know, I swore I would never go back after I “experienced” it the first time….but how could you turn down this face?
Filed under: Family, Random
I had an incredible encounter yesterday, with a lady that I see often because she works at a place of business that I frequent. Through varying circumstances I came to know that she is not a follower of Jesus.
For months now we have spoken whenever I visit this establishment…I have never given her a tract, taught her the Roman road, or given her all the reason why Jesus is right. I have just done my best to live the gospel, share my life and what I am doing, and talk about hers.
Yesterday was my first opportunity to actually and pointedly talk about faith and Jesus…she was very interested, and I know in my heart that we are on the horizon of life change.
If we would spend more time incarnating the way of Jesus, and less time telling people why we are right because we are Christians, our faith would explode in our lives, and those who we encounter everyday.
Go out and be His representative today,and watch the world around you shift…
Filed under: Discipleship, Life, Mission, Spiritual Growth
