Truth be told, we all have been guilty of inhaling...scripture that is. Whereas inhaling certain substances may result in changing one's reality, simply inhaling scripture will not result in providing sustenance to our lives. The equivalent to inhaling scripture is described in James 1:23,24 - "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
Instead of inhaling scripture, we need to ingest it. Just like we ingest food and it provides energy, sustenance and growth, we are to ingest scripture in our lives. How will we know if we have ingested scripture? We will eventually be changed people. So how do we ingest scripture instead of inhaling it? Here are a few tips.
1. Study the Bible. Read a passage of scripture, more than a verse or two. Understand the context of a verse or passage. We are not called to simply read scripture, but to study and meditate on it. Buy a bible commentary to grasp the true meaning of a passage. This can be work, but we are called to love the Lord with all our hearts and minds.
2. Pray through this passage. Take a passage of scripture and read it regularly for a period of time and then pray through it. Pray to God that the truths of it may be applied in your life. Pray thanking God for the truth of a particular passage. Pray for understanding and greater application of the passage in your life. As you understand a passage and it convicts you, confess your sin to God and even to another.
3. Share it. We as Chrisians can talk plitics, sports, trivia, news and family stuff, but we rarely talk apecifically about what Jesus is doing in our lives. So whenever together, especially in small groups, be sure to share what God is teaching you from his word. However, be careful not to share what God is telling others they must do, rather only share what God is revealin to and doing in you. In other words, don't preach it, just share it.
AS we ingest God's word, may he surgically remove the beams from our eyes so we can see how we can become more like Christ.
Beams Away!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
An Object Lesson on Hope
What comes to mind when you think about hope? Usually we think of the term hope in relation to something negative in our lives which we would like changed. Thus our hope lies in an exchange of the negatives to something more positive.
However, what is the object of our hope? One way to answer this question is by asking another one. But first, think of something negative in your life and the subsequent positive that is the object of your hope, it could be a bad marriage, a troubled child, a health issue, a financial crisis. In response to these negatives, often times our hope lies with something positive in exchange for those negative aspects of our lives. So, for instance, in exchange for a bad marriage, our hope can lie with a new and improved marriage.
Now ask yourself this question, "Do I hope for something" or "Do I hope in someone?" How we answer that question can identify what is the object of our hope. If we hope for something, then our hope is in some "thing" in the future. However, if we hope in someone, our hope is in some "One."
What is the big deal? The big deal is that when we hope for some "thing", that thing we hope for is what we can end up worshipping; and that future "thing" we hope for can become an idol. Furthermore, that future thing we hope for, which may serve as an idol, will never provide lasting satisfaction. Whereas, if we hope in someone, that being Jesus, then we end up worshipping Christ alone. Furthermore, when we hope in someone, Christ, we have a hope that is certain and present, not just something in the future to experience. Because Christ is alive and dwells within us, he is our living, present hope who can change our negatives into positives simply by his presence in us.
Lastly, whether we hope "for something" or "in someone" will identify the one for whom we live our lives. In other words, if we live "for something," we may certainly pray to God, but we are seeking God for our own good above God's own glory. We may sincerely want God's glory, but only as secondary to our good being experienced. So, God becomes our Santa Claus who delivers gifts to us and for us. Yet, scripture tells us we are created by Christ and for Christ.
However, when we hope "in someone," we are seeking God first and God's glory in the midst of our negative circumstances. When we hope "in someone," we are declaring to ourselves and all who witness us, that God's goodness and gracious presence is greater than my negative circumstances. We declare that no matter what our circumstances, we will hope in Christ. As we hope in Christ instead of hoping for some imagined and improved circumstances, we declare what the Psalmist said, "The steadfast love of the Lord is better than life." This is why we hope in a Person. Moses illustrated this well when he said to God, if your presence does not go with us into the promised land, then there is no sense in going at all. Can we say in our own hearts and to Christ, "Your presence is more preferred than the promised future I desire."
This Christmas may we blend hope into our holidays by laying our idols of imagined and preferred futures on the altar, surrender them to Christ and find our hope in Christ alone.
Beams Away!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Blending Hope in Your Holidays
This is a rather funny picture and it reminded me of another picture I recently came across in a public, unisex bathroom. We all know public restrooms are not known for their aesthetic beauty, which is why this sign was so funny. It was actually a painting hanging up in the bathroom and in fancy writing it said, "Take time to delight in your surroundings." How odd to find such an expression in a public restroom, where taking delight in our surroundings seems so counter-intuitive.
However, it got me to thinking how we as God's holy people are called to rejoice in all circumstances. Are we able to rejoice in our present circumstances in life? Or are we overwhelmed and our joy seems robbed and hope all but diminished? Can we find hope and delight in our circumstances, no matter where we may find ourselves in life? If we possess Jesus Christ, we most certainly can.
This Sunday I am starting a new series entitled, "A Special Christmas Blend." The first sermon is dealing with how to blend hope into our holidays. One way we can do this is by intentionally delighting in our circumstances, no matter what they may be. The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians and it is referred to as the book of joy. Ironically, Paul wrote it from prison not knowing if he would live or die. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. I want to encourage us to rejoice and delight in the Lord, no matter what our surroundings may be and no matter how we may feel. Often times, right actions lead to right feelings and praising God when we don't have feelings of praise is not being hypocritical, but rather faithful to the command of scripture.
So take time this week, to intentionally delight in the One who surrounds you, indwells you and protects you. No matter what our surroundings may be, we are enveloped and indwelt by Jesus Christ, our living hope and the only hope for the word. As we intentionally praise God no matter our predicament, I am wondering if we will discover hope and peace come Sunday.
Beams Away!
Brett
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
What Women Can Do with Their Wiring
Yesterday, I suggested women should avoid dismissing their God-given abilities. Research indicates that women attribute their successes to chance or luck; and they atrribute their failures to their lack of ability. Yet God gives each woman a set of abilities and God believes in accountability for those abilities. So what is a woman to do?
First,take scripture seriously. I Cor. 12:7-11 tells us that we are each given gifts and abilities. So if God says you have ability, be sure to use for God's glory.
Second, take Janet Heim's class immediately. Janet Heim has just begun teaching a class on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM which highlights how God often calls people and uses them based upon the abilities and talents they have been given. This is a tremendously encouraging and enlightening class. Take the class, learn your gifts, live more fully for the Lord and let a greater sense of joy and purpose overwhelm you.
Third, don't take any disparity. In other words, don't let anyone, your spouse, your boss, your kids, your parents, or anyone else disparage your gifts. In Judges 4:8, we see Deborah, a Judge for God's people, summoned Barak and told him it was God's will that he lead the Israelits against the mighty Sisera, commander of the army of Jabin, King of Canaan. Jabin had terrorized Israel for 20 years. Barak accepted what Deborah had told her, but only on one condition - that Deborah must accompany him in battle. Barak felt undermanned, but with Deborah with him, he had confidence. Women don't let anyone disparage your abilities. Seek out people who will affirm your abilities. Seek out people like Barak. Know that CrossPoint is a church where your abilities can be discoverded and developed, but also know that you are expected to be deployed with those abilities for the glory of Christ.
Women, take scripture seriously, take the class immediately and don't take any disparity. Men, may we always affirm the women/girls in our lives. We are always battling Satan, The Accuser, so let us be much more the encourager to one another and affirm the gifts God has given each one of us.
Beams Away!
First,take scripture seriously. I Cor. 12:7-11 tells us that we are each given gifts and abilities. So if God says you have ability, be sure to use for God's glory.
Second, take Janet Heim's class immediately. Janet Heim has just begun teaching a class on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM which highlights how God often calls people and uses them based upon the abilities and talents they have been given. This is a tremendously encouraging and enlightening class. Take the class, learn your gifts, live more fully for the Lord and let a greater sense of joy and purpose overwhelm you.
Third, don't take any disparity. In other words, don't let anyone, your spouse, your boss, your kids, your parents, or anyone else disparage your gifts. In Judges 4:8, we see Deborah, a Judge for God's people, summoned Barak and told him it was God's will that he lead the Israelits against the mighty Sisera, commander of the army of Jabin, King of Canaan. Jabin had terrorized Israel for 20 years. Barak accepted what Deborah had told her, but only on one condition - that Deborah must accompany him in battle. Barak felt undermanned, but with Deborah with him, he had confidence. Women don't let anyone disparage your abilities. Seek out people who will affirm your abilities. Seek out people like Barak. Know that CrossPoint is a church where your abilities can be discoverded and developed, but also know that you are expected to be deployed with those abilities for the glory of Christ.
Women, take scripture seriously, take the class immediately and don't take any disparity. Men, may we always affirm the women/girls in our lives. We are always battling Satan, The Accuser, so let us be much more the encourager to one another and affirm the gifts God has given each one of us.
Beams Away!
Monday, November 7, 2011
How Women Are Wired
Alright, you must be thinking that my recent illness has affected my brain, if I think I can tell you how women are wired...and there may be some truth to this. However, although I am still trying to overcome some bad vertigo and a sinus infection, I am sharing with you out of research done by women. So, I speak on their authority in the midst of my infirmity.
This week I will share with you the contents of my intended sermon for last Sunday. (By the way, Great job and thanks Mike Richards for preaching!).
How are women wired when it relates to evaluating success and failure?
Women tend to evaluate their failure as a result of their inabilities. In other words, when women fail, they tend to believe, "I am not good enough." Contrast this with most men, who interpret their failure as a result of not trying hard enough. In other words, when men fail, they tend to believe, "I did not try hard enough." (Maybe this is why men always try to fix things, and are reluctant to ask for directions!)
Conversely, when it comes to successes, women interpret successes in terms of improbabilities. In other words, women believe their success is due to luck. However, men tend to interpret their success as a result of their efforts. So men tend to believe their successes result from their knack. In summary, women feel their success is because of luck, men feel their success is due to their knack. Yet for all Christians,our successes need to be understood as a result of grace, God's grace and mercy to us.
Nonetheless, are women to dismiss their God-given abilities? By no means!! Invalidating our abilities ignores the Almighty who endows. The woman, who ignores the One who endows with ability, is the woman who overlooks the gift of the Almighty. God is the One who endows with ability and God is the One who believes in accountability for what God endows.
Are you a woman who ignores her abilities and thereby dismisses the Almighty's work? What are you doing to discover those gifts of the Almighty? Are you a man who encourages a woman to discover her abilities and employ them for the One who endows? Are we all attributing all of our successes to the work of God's grace in our lives.
Beams Away!
Stay tuned for more about how Women are Wired.
This week I will share with you the contents of my intended sermon for last Sunday. (By the way, Great job and thanks Mike Richards for preaching!).
How are women wired when it relates to evaluating success and failure?
Women tend to evaluate their failure as a result of their inabilities. In other words, when women fail, they tend to believe, "I am not good enough." Contrast this with most men, who interpret their failure as a result of not trying hard enough. In other words, when men fail, they tend to believe, "I did not try hard enough." (Maybe this is why men always try to fix things, and are reluctant to ask for directions!)
Conversely, when it comes to successes, women interpret successes in terms of improbabilities. In other words, women believe their success is due to luck. However, men tend to interpret their success as a result of their efforts. So men tend to believe their successes result from their knack. In summary, women feel their success is because of luck, men feel their success is due to their knack. Yet for all Christians,our successes need to be understood as a result of grace, God's grace and mercy to us.
Nonetheless, are women to dismiss their God-given abilities? By no means!! Invalidating our abilities ignores the Almighty who endows. The woman, who ignores the One who endows with ability, is the woman who overlooks the gift of the Almighty. God is the One who endows with ability and God is the One who believes in accountability for what God endows.
Are you a woman who ignores her abilities and thereby dismisses the Almighty's work? What are you doing to discover those gifts of the Almighty? Are you a man who encourages a woman to discover her abilities and employ them for the One who endows? Are we all attributing all of our successes to the work of God's grace in our lives.
Beams Away!
Stay tuned for more about how Women are Wired.
Monday, October 24, 2011
A 3M By-Product for the Basic Point
The Minnesota-based company 3M produces 55,000 products with its nearly 80,000 employees. Perhaps one of its most well-known products is "Scotch Tape." Scotch tape is wonderfully helpful with its transparent ability and adhesive capacity. Who does not appreciate Scotch Tape, especially at Christmas time?
I would like to recommend a new by-product of CrossPoint Church and I am borrowing the 3M concept in hopes that it will stick. The by-product of CrossPoint needs to be an increasing amount of prayer. A church that does not pray is like a person who does not breath. Furthermore, the more prayer there is in church, the more life there is in a church. CrossPoint is experiencing a significant degree of new life and excitment and I know we want this to stick.
So, I am recommending prayer as a greater by-product of CrossPoint, but I would encourage a 3M approach towards prayer so that the popularity of Jesus sticks. Without a 3M by-product, the popularity of Jesus would be about as long as a failed participant on American Idol.
So, what do I mean by the 3M approach? There needs to be three primary prayer foci for the church - The Members, the Ministries and the Mission. However, we must avoid what many churches do. Many churches are highly committed to the first and second "Ms" - Members and Ministries. Then, what I find, is a very distant, and sometimes non-existent category being the third "M" - the Mission of the church, i.e. to make disciples for Jesus Christ.
What happens when churches have only a 1M or a 2M emphasis upon prayer? The church becomes know for and captivated by its Members or its Ministries. This is evident when prayers for the church focus almost exclusively upon member needs and ministry recruitment. Simultaneously, the popularity of Jesus plummets because he is relegated to a God we use, rather than a God who captivates our hearts.
My recommendation for CrossPoint is for us to focus more exclusively upon the Mission of CrossPoint in our prayer lives. Let us be intentnional about carving out time to pray for the Mission of CrossPoint - to make disciples. Let us take time with our family, during our commute to work, before we go to bed, with our spouse or each night before dinner to pray specifically that God's Spirit would enable us to more effectively make disciples. This needs to be the all-encompassing point of CrossPoint. As we make disciples, Christ will be glorified as He remains center-stage and the central point of CrossPoint.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our Mission. I look forward to seeing how Christ answers these prayers and changes us in the process. Perhaps when 3M prayers become more the by-product of the current 300+ members of CrossPoint, then maybe thousands more can come to know Christ.
Beams Away!
I would like to recommend a new by-product of CrossPoint Church and I am borrowing the 3M concept in hopes that it will stick. The by-product of CrossPoint needs to be an increasing amount of prayer. A church that does not pray is like a person who does not breath. Furthermore, the more prayer there is in church, the more life there is in a church. CrossPoint is experiencing a significant degree of new life and excitment and I know we want this to stick.
So, I am recommending prayer as a greater by-product of CrossPoint, but I would encourage a 3M approach towards prayer so that the popularity of Jesus sticks. Without a 3M by-product, the popularity of Jesus would be about as long as a failed participant on American Idol.
So, what do I mean by the 3M approach? There needs to be three primary prayer foci for the church - The Members, the Ministries and the Mission. However, we must avoid what many churches do. Many churches are highly committed to the first and second "Ms" - Members and Ministries. Then, what I find, is a very distant, and sometimes non-existent category being the third "M" - the Mission of the church, i.e. to make disciples for Jesus Christ.
What happens when churches have only a 1M or a 2M emphasis upon prayer? The church becomes know for and captivated by its Members or its Ministries. This is evident when prayers for the church focus almost exclusively upon member needs and ministry recruitment. Simultaneously, the popularity of Jesus plummets because he is relegated to a God we use, rather than a God who captivates our hearts.
My recommendation for CrossPoint is for us to focus more exclusively upon the Mission of CrossPoint in our prayer lives. Let us be intentnional about carving out time to pray for the Mission of CrossPoint - to make disciples. Let us take time with our family, during our commute to work, before we go to bed, with our spouse or each night before dinner to pray specifically that God's Spirit would enable us to more effectively make disciples. This needs to be the all-encompassing point of CrossPoint. As we make disciples, Christ will be glorified as He remains center-stage and the central point of CrossPoint.
Thank you in advance for your prayers for our Mission. I look forward to seeing how Christ answers these prayers and changes us in the process. Perhaps when 3M prayers become more the by-product of the current 300+ members of CrossPoint, then maybe thousands more can come to know Christ.
Beams Away!
Monday, October 17, 2011
From Accustion to Adulation
Yesterday I spoke how men act congruent with Adam when they see themselves as the victim. After disobeying God, Adam was guilty of leveraging accusations against God for giving him the woman, and against Eve for disobeying God. As a result, Adam was seeing himself as a victim of circumstance, a victim of things occurring outside of his control.
As I look at our country's landscape, I see this same dynamic running rampantly and rabidly affecting both men and women. The President is to blame for our economic mess, Congress is to blame, the Republicans, the Democrates, the CEO's, Wall Street, Banks, etc. I have yet to hear anyone admit that they contribute to the economic problems because they live outside their means.
Are we all victims of our economic situation or any other trying circumstance? If we truly are, then what does this say about God's sovereignty? If we are simply victims, then either God is not completely in control, or God simply wants to victimize us.
Yet, we affirm that God is in complete control and is a good and benevolent God. Since this is true, how are we to respond to the trials of life? How are we to respond when we feel out of control?
Instead of acting like a bunch of little Adams, we can act like Christ. Instead of leveraging accusations against those around us, we can be lifting up adulation and praise to God for being in control, for still being good and for allowing our life's circumstances to circumcise our heart and make us more like Christ.
Can you and I take our accusations and turn them into adulation? Can we praise God instead of persecuting others? Scripture tells us in Philippians 4:6-8 to take our anxieties to God in prayer, but to do so with thanksgiving and the result is the promise of peace which will guard our hearts and minds. Accusations lead to bondage, but adulation and praise lead to peace. The choice is ours. And the fact that God created us with the ability to make this choice shows us that we are not victims. We can choose to live in bondage and anger or in peace and contentment. But we are not victims, we are more than conquerors in Christ and can live in on-going victory in Christ. This is truly good news in tough times. Peace and contentment lies with Christ changing us, not in Christ changing our circumstances.
Beams Away!
As I look at our country's landscape, I see this same dynamic running rampantly and rabidly affecting both men and women. The President is to blame for our economic mess, Congress is to blame, the Republicans, the Democrates, the CEO's, Wall Street, Banks, etc. I have yet to hear anyone admit that they contribute to the economic problems because they live outside their means.
Are we all victims of our economic situation or any other trying circumstance? If we truly are, then what does this say about God's sovereignty? If we are simply victims, then either God is not completely in control, or God simply wants to victimize us.
Yet, we affirm that God is in complete control and is a good and benevolent God. Since this is true, how are we to respond to the trials of life? How are we to respond when we feel out of control?
Instead of acting like a bunch of little Adams, we can act like Christ. Instead of leveraging accusations against those around us, we can be lifting up adulation and praise to God for being in control, for still being good and for allowing our life's circumstances to circumcise our heart and make us more like Christ.
Can you and I take our accusations and turn them into adulation? Can we praise God instead of persecuting others? Scripture tells us in Philippians 4:6-8 to take our anxieties to God in prayer, but to do so with thanksgiving and the result is the promise of peace which will guard our hearts and minds. Accusations lead to bondage, but adulation and praise lead to peace. The choice is ours. And the fact that God created us with the ability to make this choice shows us that we are not victims. We can choose to live in bondage and anger or in peace and contentment. But we are not victims, we are more than conquerors in Christ and can live in on-going victory in Christ. This is truly good news in tough times. Peace and contentment lies with Christ changing us, not in Christ changing our circumstances.
Beams Away!
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