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Tag: Jesus (Page 13 of 60)

The Best Tattoo Ever!

February 12, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Ok so some of you are going to be put off by this post because I talk about tattoos. And that’s ok. You can read it for what it is (way more than a tattoo post). Or just scroll on past and ignore it. Either way it’s up to you.

I’m kind of a tattoo guy. Not the whole cover my face and have a full sleeve kind of tattoo guy because that’s just not me. I do have a couple tattoos and I love them. But there’s one phrase that I think would make a perfect tattoo that would raise a lot of good questions!

This week in church we talked about a bible verse from Romans 3. It’s the whole section that really shaped how many churches function today. The section talks about three key topics that are pretty churchy. I’ll unpack each of these three topics, then I’ll tell you more about the tattoo idea!

The three ideas that really jump off the pages of Romans 3 are justified, redeemed and propitiation. Yeah the last one is a doozy, so don’t worry about pronouncing it because I even have a hard time with it most days.

Justified

Justified is a key understanding found in the Bible. Justified or justification is a term indicating a declared condition. It’s not a process. That’s a huge point to understand. Being justified isn’t something that happens over time. It’s not like you’re slowly justified by something you do or something someone else does to you. Being justified happens when God declares it. And that happened on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross and paid for the sins of the world, God was able to declare mankind justified.

Now before we get all weirded out by this idea, I’m not saying that everyone is going to be in heaven. Not everyone wants to let God’s declaration be for them. Some people would like to have control over their circumstance. They don’t want to rely on someone else so they reject this innocent verdict. It’s kind of like being on trial for a crime and the judge hammering the gavel declaring you innocent, but you turning and saying Nah I’m good. I’ll just serve my jail time anyway. I don’t like handouts from anyone. Who would do that!?!? No one that’s who!

So being justified is God saying you’re innocent. Not because you did good or walked through some process, but because what Jesus did was good enough and complete enough to pay your debt for you.

Redeemed

Redeemed is the second word. This word is one we kind of know but minimally at best. Back in the day, people used to get a newspaper on Sunday mornings. In that newspaper was a stack of ads and sale fliers and coupons. People would cut the coupons and then take them to grocery stores to get discounts on goods they buy everyday. Those coupons had one purpose and could only be used at grocery stores. You’d give the coupon to the cashier and redeem it for a discount.

The little piece of paper has no value at the bank or hardware store. They literally could only be used for one thing. It cost the merchant money but saved you money. Being redeemed is similar. Jesus went to the cross and died in our place. His death was redeemed for our life. God accepted Jesus’ death just like the grocery clerk accepts the coupon.

Propitiation

Now this final word is hard to pronounce and sounds funny but it’s not that hard to understand. Sin makes God angry. He does not like sin at all. Sin requires that some payment is made. This word means that which serves as an instrument for regaining goodwill of a deity. To put that in normal human speak it means that God was angry but accepted Jesus’ death as our substitute allowing us to be in his good graces.

The Old Testament was filled sacrifices of lambs and goats and all that fun stuff. It was a pretty gross thought if I’m being totally honest. But the Bible says that God isn’t happy with the blood of all these animals. Instead a once for all sacrifice was needed. Enter Jesus who died for us and paid our price to set us free.

Ok so when you put all three of these together you’re left with a pretty cool phrase that will serve as our coolest tattoo ever idea. The phrase is best when it’s spelled out in Latin Simul Iustus Et Peccator. For those of you who don’t know Latin, the phrase means Simultaneously Justified while at the same time being a Sinner.

That is so very cool because it means we didn’t have to say some magic formula or wave a wand or be perfect or anything to get God to love us. God loves us without condition. And he loves us when we’re still a mess. He has declared us justified without any work on our part. Now, even though we’re sinners, we’re also adopted into God’s family and loved by him and declared right because of Jesus.

Coolest tattoo ever. Made right by Jesus, even though I’m a hot mess. That’s the gist of Simul Iustus Et Peccator.

Another Perspective

February 6, 2024 / / 1 Comment

Life can seem so unfair can’t it? I mean your best friend has a boyfriend when you can’t seem to even land a date. Your neighbor drives a new car every year and you can’t even afford to put gas in yours. Your coworker gets the promotion you’ve been working so hard to achieve. It just seems like everyone else gets what you’re after and it’s just not fair. You have illness after illness and people around you are always healthy.

When we compare ourselves to everyone else, or anyone else, life just seems unfair. But sometimes it’s hard not to compare. People love to post their instagram lives for the world to see. No one posts the bad stuff. Perfectly posed. Lighting is staged. Tummy sucked in. Standing on a box to look taller because everyone knows you’re short (ok maybe that would be me if I actually cared enough to post pictures of myself!) I mean does she always dress like that? Are his muscles always that defined or is the lighting just right in that pic? Comparison is a terrible enemy that can lead us to a place of brokenness and despair. 

I want to introduce a different way of seeing things. It’s not easy and it’s something that I am working on myself. Instead of asking why can’t I have this thing or be like that person, try asking what if it’s just not my time? What if my time is yet to come? 

The idea behind it’s not your time is that even though someone else gets the blessing or the good day that you have been praying for, working toward, and expecting for years, your time is coming.

Maybe it’s a job that you have applied for but didn’t get. Maybe it’s a significant other that you have been trying everything you can to find. And everyone around you seems to be married and you can’t even land a steady date. Maybe it’s having a little bit of extra cash to go out on the weekend with your friends and you can barely scrape two nickels together. Whatever it is maybe it’s not your time. Maybe your time is coming.

I know that doesn’t take away the sting of not having it. I know it doesn’t make today any easier, but when you realize that it’s not about your timing or your plans, it does make moving forward a little easier. 

And lest anyone think I haven’t had my “it’s not your time” moments, please come talk to me sometime. I will gladly share with you the plethora of moments that things didn’t go the way I had planned and I wondered the same thing you’re asking right now. 

So does life seem unfair? Yeah it sure does! I know that some days are going to be far worse than others. But when we shift our focus to a realization that my time is still coming, things tend to look different.

Here’s an exercise I do to keep me focused when life seems a tad unfair. Take a deep breath and look at your own life. Really look at it. Not looking at what you don’t have but what you do have. Make a list, even if only mentally, of the things you have in your life today that you didn’t 1, 3, or 5 years ago. They are examples of the it’s not my time principle in action. Three years ago it wasn’t your time to have those things but here you are enjoying them. 

Again, I’m fully aware it’s not going to make a husband magically appear to your non-dating doorstep or a million dollars appear in your empty bank account, but it will shift your mind from scarcity to abundance.

It’s not your time, but imagine how great it will be when your time finally arrives! That will be a day to celebrate for sure! 

Peace

January 31, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Something that everyone longs for in life is peace. We think about it when wars are waged around the world. We think about it when our child enlist in military service. We think about it when we’re bullied on the playground or picked on at work for not being like everyone else. We want peace when our life is a chaotic mess.

The pursuit of peace is something that drives many of us into despair because we’re looking in the wrong places. When we long for peace, and we turn over every rock in the garden trying to find peace looking for it in someway that we can grasp with our own hands, we find it a lot like trying to grab a fist full of water. Unfortunately, that’s not how peace works.

Before we go too much further here, we probably should understand what piece is, and what it is not. Peace is not an absence of war or a place where there is no conflict. Peace, in the way we are using it here, is more of an internal calm, even in the midst of turmoil and struggle. It’s the realization that things are going to work out for the good, even though all evidence appears to the contrary.

While I have to admit, it would be great to live in a world where there is no struggle or pain. We also have to realize that simply is not a reality. There is pain and struggle all over the place in our world. There is fear and apprehension, anxiety and worry all around us. Peace is an internal thing that allows us to navigate life even in the midst of these challenging situations, but where do we find it? How do we grab peace and make it define our present situation?

That’s the hard part because peace is not something we find by looking for it. I know that sounds kind of hopeless, but it’s the truth. We just can’t find peace by securing a bigger bully to help us when life is hard. We don’t find peace by amassing large amounts of money or power or prestige. Peace is a natural byproduct of a right set of relationships.

Throughout the Bible we’re told to trust God. For some people this is an easier task than for others. But the more we can trust God, the more peace we naturally have in life. I know that sounds kind of odd and pretty churchy, but it just is the way it is. When we are willing to give up control of our lives, we actually find greater peace. Trusting in God to function in his role as God allows us a greater peace than trying to earn, win or struggle for peace.

Look, if we’re going to boil this down to one simple thought, it’s that you won’t find peace by looking for it. You find peace only by surrendering.

You’re NO Better

January 29, 2024 / / 1 Comment

One thing I see a lot of in the world is a unnecessary division between the church and the world. It’s pretty heartbreaking actually. A huge part of the problem is how the church has handled matters we disagree with over time. I’ve said for years that the world knows the church more by what it’s against than what it’s for.

We, and yes I include myself in this assessment, have spent far too much time with fingers pointing condemning, or at least speaking down about how people live their lives. That action is terrible. This lifestyle is wrong. They’re in an unholy place. How dare they do that action to that person. And the list goes on.

Before we get too far down the road here, it’s important to make sure you don’t hear something that’s not being said. I’m in no way saying we can’t differentiate between right and wrong. I’m also not saying we can’t call out a wrong when we see it. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it, and that’s the point of this week’s post.

Last week we asked the question why is the world the way it is. This week we turn the coin over and instead of looking at the world, we address the church. Paul does this really well in Romans 2. While looking at the world at the end of chapter one, he then turns and essentially says but you’re no better.

Ouch! That one hurts a bit. We’re no better. It was directed to the Jewish Christians and the Roman Christians of Paul’s day, but that message is transferrable to the 21st Century Christian Church as well. We’re no better.

Paul says in the first few verses of chapter two, and I’m paraphrasing here, How can you judge the world when you’re not following the rules yourself? That puts you in a really bad place to put it mildly. You can’t judge the world, then do the same, or similar, thing that you just condemned!

How about that one! We condemn the movements in the world around sexual preference, while not condemning the man who gives significantly to the church for having an affair. We look the other way when someone wins the lottery and gives the proceeds to the church, but frown upon people who gamble. We say abortion is wrong, but speak ill of our neighbor and call them derogatory names just because they look different.

You see the point of the whole thing here is that we know better. We don’t have an excuse either. If the world doesn’t have an excuse because God revealed himself in all of creation, then we don’t have any excuse either because we have God revealed to us in his Word. Significantly more clear evidence of God’s power and grace yet we ignore it so we don’t have to do the hard task of loving someone caught in a mess.

Paul will say numerous times in a variety of ways that all mankind has sinned and all mankind is therefore under the same judgment. If all sinned and if the wages of sin (all sin) is death, then all deserve death for the sins they’ve committed. Not just the people who’ve done the big things, whatever those big things are.

Look I get it. It’s hard to see things the way the Bible talks about it. Everyone is on the same playing field. Everyone is on level ground and just because I go to church doesn’t make me any better than someone who doesn’t. This is a huge misconception in the world.

The devil knows he can’t take a believer out of God’s hands. He can’t change their salvation as it were. But he can sterilize them and make them not live like they’ve received the grace needed to change their entire life.

Paul here is driving to the understanding that whether we’re in the church or outside the church, we’re guilty of missing the mark when it comes to fulfilling the law. If all sin and all fall short of the glory of God, and if the wages of all sin is death, then that means the death of Jesus can be applied to everyone. Unfortunately not everyone wants Jesus’ life and death applied to them. Some want to DIY their salvation. Some think they can do it themselves. And this is what leaves the world in such a messed up place.

When the church tries to look down its nose at the world around it just because they look and act different, it sterilizes the faith of the church. And when the church is sterile, it can’t grow and flourish.

Paul is addressing the church in Rome but I think he’s talking about us today as well. We’re without excuse when we condemn someone else and do a very similar thing. We’re without excuse when we rely on the grace of God but don’t give it to those around us. We’re without excuse when we beg God for mercy but don’t show it to others.

The point is we’re no better. But we’re all in need of God’s grace and lucky for us, while we were still messed up in our sins Jesus died for us…all of us.

Stages of Faith

January 26, 2024 / / 1 Comment

Now admittedly the title of this post will likely mean some won’t even read it. Maybe you’re not a person with a church home and think there’s no way this will mean anything to you. Well if you’re still here, I’d like you to just keep going because while this is going to reference faith in God, there are some transferrable elements here to any belief structure.

There’s a book titled The Critical Journey where you can get more details on these stages. I’ll do my best to offer a very high level summary of my findings on these stages and how they apply to our lives today.

Submission

The book calls the first stage Recognition of God, but I want to go with a slightly different name. The idea is that in this stage you recognize you’re not in control of your life. There’s something or someone out there who’s guiding your life through. Some call it the universe which to me is a tad sci-fi. I call it God, and the way he does it is through the work of what the Bible calls the Holy Spirit.

In the first stage, we surrender or submit our lives to God. We acknowledge there are things we don’t know and things we can’t control. We recognize that God ultimately has our best interests at heart. We still live our lives. Not much externally will change here but inside there’s at least an acknowledgment that something is different.

Learning

The second stage is called Life of Discipleship and focuses on the growth of learning that takes place. As we have this recognition that God exists and is untimely for us, we then turn to learning more about who he is and how he functions. The Bible calls this discipleship, which is what the book uses as well.

The idea here is that the ways of God start to become more ingrained in who you are and how you live. The character is God is something you look for around you. Your learning is sinking in and shaping how you see the world around you. The transition to the next step then becomes easy the more you learn.

Achievement

The third stage of faith is when the submission and learning become doing. This is the Productive Life stage. There are things on the outside that start to change a little. We shift our time around to be in worship on Sundays. We set aside some of our household budget to give to the local church. We try to cuss less. You know all those things that happen when you’re not living your life just please yourself.

This stage is marked by outward expressions of our faith. We’re definitely not there yet as the saying goes, but we’re letting the learning start to chisel away the rough edges of our lives.

Reflection

There’s generally a time when we’ve done a lot of learning and started to become more active at church when we feel a need for something more. This is the Inward Journey stage.

Here we spend time meditating, praying, reflecting and wanting more than just surface level stuff. Sunday morning worship is great but we long for something more. We recognize that we need to take the Sunday morning event and move it into our relationships and darkest corners of our lives. There’s generally time spent in counseling to help dig deep into our inner lives to see what really makes us tick and how this whole faith thing will make a difference beyond an hour a week.

Journey

Sometime during the reflection stage and before we get to the Outward Journey stage we’re going to hit a wall. This is the place where the chaos of life hits us square between the eyes. It generally happens with a conflict or significant loss. The wall is found in an unexpected divorce, job loss, major conflict with friends. It happens when life is upside down and inside out. As we navigate the wall in front of us, the reflection stage will either loop us back to the beginning or propel us on a journey of outward expression of faith.

This fifth stage is all about living out in a very intentional way the elements of our faith that are critical. For Christians, this is changing the motivations of hearts to love. We often will continue to do what we’ve been doing, but now it’s for a different reason. Our motives become pure in light of the inner faith journey we’ve been through. We’re not perfected in love and we still struggle, but the fifth stage is really all about intentionally walking in the faith we claim.

Love

The sixth and final stage the book proposes is really living a life of love. That phrase is a bit sappy sounding but it’s not really all touchy feely, crying and hugging kind of love. The highest level of faith development is when the love for Christ and love for neighbor propel all of what we say and do.

Of course there will still be hiccups along the way. Of course we’ll falter and even fail in this process. The overarching idea however is that we have arrived at a place where the message of God’s love and mercy has been so internalized and applied to our relationships and struggles that it just oozes out of us everywhere we go.

Unfortunately, many people or perhaps even most people never make it past stage three. They get stuck in the achievements of faith section. They volunteer at church and show up for worship. They sing or perform or help on teams, but their level of faith is never really internalized or lived out in real time.

There will be some who make it to stage four but this and the wall associated with it normally serves as a strong roadblock to going further. Perhaps knowing the stages will be helpful in progressing through the cycle. Maybe if we know there can be more than just knowing God and his teachings then we’ll long to find a way to do that and it will shape how we live.

Wherever you are on the cycle, there’s always room to grow and mature. There’s always another step in the journey. Where are you?

Forgiveness

January 25, 2024 / / 0 Comments

A super powerful word in the life of the Christian and a word we all should know very well is where we’ll focus today.

Forgiveness.

To forgive doesn’t mean you have to say it’s ok. As a matter of fact, when you forgive someone, you’re saying it’s not ok but you’re willing to not hold it against the relationship. It means that you’re willing to move past the moment, hurt, wrong so that you can heal. Admittedly, forgiveness requires some form of acknowledgment of wrong. Without any form of acknowledgment, it’s hard to offer forgiveness. In church-world, we call that confession. Confessing or admitting the wrong we did is the first step in this process.

There’s a lesson we’ve taught our children about forgiveness that I believe is important for just about everyone. I’ve taught it to every church I’ve served. Forgiveness must flow freely. When someone apologizes or says they’re sorry, the thing you should work toward immediately is forgiveness. It’s good for the person who apologized but it’s also good for you.

When we forgive someone, we free ourselves of the burden of that pain. When we get to a place of forgiveness we are able to bring healing. But all too often forgiveness is withheld. Maybe it’s withheld accidentally because we don’t think it’s really all that important. Let me assure you, it is very important. When someone apologizes or admits a wrong, the one thing they need is forgiveness. Unfortunately, there are times when withholding forgiveness isn’t unintentional. Sometimes it’s done on purpose.

We hold forgiveness to make sure the other person is really sorry. Or maybe to teach them a lesson. We withhold forgiveness because they really hurt us and it just seems right to make them suffer. We refuse to offer those three simple words I forgive you because we’re still hurt. But forgiveness doesn’t mean we’re not hurt. It means we forgive them. It means we’re willing to work on the relationship, through the struggle, even in the painful moments.

Forgiveness is massively important. And to think anything less is likely a reason why forgiveness isn’t a free flowing concept in our lives today.

I’m sure glad Jesus didn’t handle forgiveness with me the same way we handle it with those around us. I’m sure glad he didn’t wait until I had the right heart or asked the right way, or you fill in the blank, before he offered me forgiveness. The beauty of who Jesus is and who he calls us to be is freely forgiven and forgiving people.

The Bible says that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. This is what makes forgiveness so amazing! It was ours long before we deserved it (not that we even deserve it now). It was earned for us before we asked for it. A plan was set in motion to forgive me and you before we even committed the wrong.

We read that when we come to God and ask for forgiveness, he grants it. Fully. Freely. Forever. Every single time. He removes those wrongs as far as the east is from the west as the Psalmist tells us. There are countless ways we see the Bible tell us about forgiveness, but all of them have the same message. We confess. He forgives. It’s the easiest formula out there.

So from whom do you need to hear those words? And perhaps a better question is who do you need to say them to?

Forgiveness is earned but not by you or me. It was earned by Jesus. And it’s his forgiveness that gives us a model for ours.

Rest And Renewal

January 18, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Ok so those who know me are going to think I’m full of it in this post, but I think everyone needs a good healthy time of rest. I’ll also say that if you really, and I mean really, know me you’ll also know that I do rest just not the way you do.

Some people look at me and accuse me of being like the energizer bunny. You know that obnoxious pink rabbit that used to be on all of the energizer battery commercials hammering away at the bass drum and never stopping? Yeah some people have said that I just don’t ever stop and that I need to slow down to rest.

Here’s a little secret. I rest by doing work. Yeah I know that sounds counterintuitive but it’s the truth. I can’t rest by laying on the couch watching tv or cuddling up to a good movie or reading an excellent book. Nope that’s not how it works for me. I rest by putting my body under physical, yet mind numbing stress.

I do things that require no thought, just physical labor. So much of my daily routine at work is tending to people’s needs, listening to their problems, counseling, coaching, mentoring, leading, thinking, writing. All things that require my mind to be constantly running.

That’s a huge reason why in the summertime I’ll mow my lawn 2-3 times a week. Not because it needs it, but because I do. That’s why I hit the gym early every morning. It takes no thought. Grab weight. Heavier the better. Lift weight. Set weight down. Repeat. I mean it’s kind of barbaric, but it lets me rest. My mind doesn’t have to think when I’m doing physical labor and that for me is rest.

Some of you are in jobs that are more physically demanding, so sitting on the couch with a cold beer might be a relaxing evening ritual for you. Some of you might need the downtime with a great book to find the peaceful release into some other world. Vacation might be a restful experience for you.

The point is you need to find a time and place to rest in whatever way you can. Tend your garden. Walk your dog. Sit with your cat if you’re into that kind of thing. Mow the lawn. Take a nap. Soak in the pool.

Rest is essential for us to work effectively. The principle I try to live by is to work from my rest and rest from my work. But don’t judge my rest just because it’s different than your rest. Know your limits. Work within them. Rest before you get too close to one of those limits.

Then rinse and repeat. It’s really that easy. And remember what works for you won’t always work for someone else.

Hey Thanks!

January 17, 2024 / / 1 Comment

A simple thought. An easy word really. But do we say it enough? Why is it so hard at times to say thanks?

Ok so it’s not that it’s hard to say, it’s that sometimes we forget to say it. At least that’s my biggest problem with today’s word. But did you know the more you say thanks, the harder it is to complain?

It’s a fact. You can’t be disgruntled about something and thankful at the same time. It’s like being blinded by light and in total darkness simultaneously. It just can’t happen!

Gratitude should probably be the word for today, but thanks is so much shorter of a word. A simple thank you can totally change someone’s day. And no I don’t just mean the person to whom you’re speaking either. I mean you. It can change your day.

Saying thank you over and over again for things will condition your brain to look for things for which you can be thankful. The more thankful you are the more you’ll say thank you and the more you’ll see things for which to be thankful. It’s like this crazy cycle of goodness!

Here’s a little secret as you try to implement this one in your life. You don’t always have to be overwhelmed with thanks to just say thank you. I’ve said thank you at times when I wasn’t really even sure that I was thankful. I did it because it felt like the right thing to do. I did it because I knew if I said thank you eventually my heart and head would catch up to my mouth. I don’t mean to be disingenuous by any means. But sometimes you have to say it out loud before you can feel it deep inside.

Today’s word comes with a challenge. What are some simple things that people do for you consistently that you could slow down long enough to thank them for today? Maybe it’s your spouse always making sure there’s food in the house – that should probably be one of mine. You know I can’t remember a time when I went to the pantry or the fridge and it was totally empty! And honestly I don’t know if I’ve ever said thanks to my wife for doing the whole people thing and going to the grocery. So here it is, in public for anyone who cares enough to read this, Thanks Dear for always making sure there’s food in the house!

Who will you thank today?

It Just Takes One

January 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

As we continue to walk through the book of Romans, we pause for four simple verses that are jam packed with power. If you’ve been in the church world for any length of time, I sure hope you’ve at least heard part of this. Here are the verses on which we’re focusing this week.

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.  So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:14-17

These four verses can be summed up with just three simple words. Ashamed. Eager. Obligated.

Ashamed

Paul says he’s not ashamed of the gospel. For him to state that he’s not ashamed, asserts that there will be some that are in fact ashamed of the Gospel. So this kind of begs the question, why would someone be ashamed of the gospel if it’s the good news of God?

Well, the point of the gospel is the undeserved grace of God for us. That means we don’t earn it and that’s kind of an unpopular opinion in a world that’s focused on achievement and self promotion. So when the gospel says that we can’t but God did for us, that’s kind of a shameful thing if you think your good actions get you to heaven.

Another aspect of the gospel that can cause some people shame is how it all works. If you know the story of the Bible, you’ll know that the essence of the gospel is that Jesus died a pretty horrible death in our place. That means he got punished for something we did! And that can honestly make some people a bit ashamed. Either ashamed because they didn’t have the power to do it themselves, or ashamed because of the horrific nature of the Roman torture that Jesus endured to show his love for us. Both can really lead to a feeling of being ashamed.

Eager

When we settle in on the fact that this wonderful message of the gospel is something about which we have no need to be ashamed, then there is almost an eagerness in us to share it.

Think of it like finding a cure for cancer. If you found a cure for an ailment that was life threatening to millions of people around the world, you’d probably be eager to share that with as many people as you could! The same is true for the gospel. No it doesn’t stop cancer or lessen the intensity of earthquakes and tornadoes. But it does bring a cure of sorts to a totally different problem.

The gospel is a demonstration of our salvation. Jesus died so we don’t have to die like that, and then rose so we could live in the promise of heaven. But there’s more to it even than that.

The gospel actually addresses some of the deepest longings of our hearts. Acceptance. Belonging. Worth. Value. Identity. Purpose. Calling. All these are part of the message of the Gospel. When we really understand the gospel and are unashamed by its meaning, then we have an eagerness to share it with as many people as we can find!

Obligated

This one will strike some people a little odd. Some might even think this isn’t right. But the wonderful free nature of the gospel when understood correctly obligates us to share it.

The word obligated can also been seen like the word debt. We are indebted to the gospel. We don’t owe anything for our salvation. That’s not the point. The point of this obligation or indebtedness is that we were given something that is for us and for someone else. Think of it like this.

You receive a donation for the local Ronald McDonald House Charity. It’s a sizable stack of cash. Someone gives you $100,000 in cash to deliver to the charity. It’s for them. You don’t owe the person who gave it to you a penny. But you do owe the charity that $100,000.

The gospel is similar. By not being ashamed of the gospel, we’ve already received the gift for ourselves. When we really get what it means, we essentially deposit that gift for ourselves. But the point of the gospel isn’t just that we deposit it into our account. The point of the deposit of the gospel is that we give it to those around us because it’s just as much for them as it is for us. We’re obligated then by the gospel to hand it out to those for whom it’s intended. Which if you didn’t know, is everyone!

This week I’ll end with a bit of a challenge. We talk about large events and getting the world to know the message of the gospel. But what if we started with just one person. I mean the person living next door to you. Or the one in the cubicle across the hallway. Maybe it’s a classmate or person at the gym. You pick because the point is it only takes one.

Let’s say 5 people would take this idea seriously about sharing the gospel intentionally through the context of a relationship. Let’s say those 5 people each found one person. Walked with that one person to an understanding of the Gospel and by the end of a year those 5 people had doubled to 10. Then let’s pretend those 10 did the same thing. The next year you’d have 20. If we did this for 15 cycles, those initial 5 people who were unashamed, eager and obligated by the gospel would become 163,840 people in just 15 years time. But if they did it for 30 years, that original 5 would become 5,368,709,120 people.

And it all happens when 5 people who were unashamed, eager and obligated by the gospel call found one person each and become totally sold out on the message of the gospel in which they believed.

It just takes one!

Anything Is Possible

January 11, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I heard a podcast this morning about the idea of unity. You know working together with a common goal? Each using their individual talents, skills and abilities for a common good.

There’s a story in the Bible that I’m sure most of us have at least heard of at one point or another. It goes something like this.

The people of Israel were gathering together and getting better at pretty much everything. They were building a nation with cities and walls and towers. They learned how to make bricks and stack them in a way that made it safe to climb.

One day they decided that they had learned enough and had enough talent that they could probably make this tower reach high enough to see God, or perhaps at least see the world from his perspective.

They toiled day and night. Sweat. Blood. Tears. All of them flowed as they labored to build this tower.

At some point in the building process, God stooped down. By the way that’s my favorite part. They had such a tall tower that they thought they could reach God and he had to stoop down to even see it.

Then God did something astounding. He confused their languages. This is why the story is called the Tower of Babel, because he made their languages sound like babbling noises of a baby before they learn to talk. Or like Charlie Brown’s teacher on those old Peanuts cartoons.

But the reason is even more important. God, referring to their unity of purpose and mindset, said nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

Do you see it? Essentially what God says here is that as long as they work together as one people, they are virtually unstoppable. They can do whatever they set their minds to, if they stay focused and work together as one.

If God knows this to be true and he’s on our side, then what do you think Satan will do with that same information?

Yep…Divide and conquer.

Satan’s no dummy. He knows that all he has to do is breathe a little discontent with one another and he wins. All he has to do is highlight the warts and flaws on the people around us and he can divide us. Then, as long as we’re distracted and divided by our differences, we move from being unstoppable to being unable.

What kinds of things keep you divided? What differences are hardest for you to overcome? Where have you let Satan bring division when God desires oneness?

One of the greatest ways to overcome this divisive spirit is personal ownership. A question I ask myself regularly in a conflict situation is what slice of this pie do I own? But it only works if everyone sitting at the table asks the same question. As soon as we all can claim our slice of the pie, it becomes much harder to throw that pie at someone else.

Together we can do amazing things!

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