New Bedtime routine

The Joys of Parenthood...

Being a parent brings so much joy to our lives, but the joy is magnified when your kids really, truly love Jesus. It reminds me of how much I sometimes forget to stop and really think about my life and if I am truly in love with Jesus too! As I see the joy in my kids heart, it fills my soul with a rejuvenated spirit and desire to give God the kind of love He gives us, a "Crazy Love."

Another Tough Question

We are currently working through the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan with our HS boys group and our College group. At the same time we have another group of women in our church also reading this book. Francis Chan does a marvelous job outlining how truly “Crazy” God’s love is for us, and questions if we love God as much as we should, or are we just lukewarm.

Moreover, in the very beginning of the book, a worship leader by the name of Chris Tomlin poses a very difficult question we must answer. In the book of Acts, chapter 11, at the end of verse 26 it says, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” So that means that they were “called” Christians. They did not give themselves this title. Their lifestyle, and everything about them, is why they were named “Christians.”

If someone were to observe your lifestyle, read your facebook posts, myspace page, follow you on twitter, spend a day with you at work or school, or in the moments when you are by yourself, alone, no one around, would they call you a Christian?

I suppose to answer that question we must first decide what a Christian is. It is simply one who follows Christ, right? Well, yes. But what does that mean? Does it mean that you attend church occasionally, or even weekly, Sunday mornings? Attend a bible study sporadically? Have a fish on your car, wear a WWJD bracelet, and try not to swear?

I don’t think that cuts it...It means so much more than any of that!

It means that place God FIRST in your life. That He is the most important thing, and EVERYTHING else is secondary to Him. It means possibly changing who your friends are, and changing the things you do after work, at work or school. It might mean breaking up with someone who is forcing you to do or be something that does not bring God glory. It means placing your own needs and desires aside and seeking first to fulfill the needs of others. It means to serve others, joyfully, even when they do not deserve to be served, ESPECIALLY if they do not deserve to be served!! It means seeking accountability from those in your life whom you love and trust, and following through with that accountability. It means understanding that this life is impossible to live on your own, and you need a Savior to bridge the gap caused by sin, to reconcile you back to the one who formed you, and loved you from the very beginning!

It means understanding who Jesus is, how He lived His life, and following His lead...

I wonder how many of us, if we lived during the formation of Christianity, would be categorized in with the disciples. How many of us would have been called “Christians.” If you are squirming a bit while asking that question, I am too!

Some Tough Questions...

There are so many people wandering this planet searching for their purpose in life. Well, what if our purpose was bigger than ourselves? What if our purpose was bigger than what we do, who we know, how much money we make and what kind of car we drive? The fact is we share one common purpose as created beings: To glorify God. Truly, that is it! We must know God, and then make God known. Make Him famous, His name renown…

Our whole life is centered on this simple truth. Sure we are to use the gifts God has given us, the talents and intellect to make the most out of our opportunities, but it is to be done for His glory. Otherwise, all we gain is worthless. There is that void in our lives that cannot be filled with “stuff.” Once we get this concept nailed down, we experience something much different, Joy!

This takes some self-evaluation though. We need ask ourselves a series of tough questions to better analyze the areas of our lives that do not bring renown to God. A guest speaker at our recent fall retreat posed some tough questions for us to digest. The questions are:

Who ya hangin’ with?

Your relationships speak volumes about your life. Do you realize that? This is the most difficult thing to evaluate because those relationships in our lives that separate us from God are often the relationships we cannot sever. Does your peer group enhance your ability to glorify God? If not, it may be time to change “who ya hangin’ with!”

Who ya talkin’ to?

If you wanted to learn more about the new Droid phone, would you walk into a floral shop for information? Most likely you would go to a cell phone store and speak to someone with the knowledge of cell phones. So where do you turn for advice on life’s issues? Where do turn when you need some hard truth, or have questions about how to apply God’s truth in your life? If you’re talking to the wrong people, (aka friends who do not know God) then what is the point? Find some people in your life, youth pastor, small group leader, family friend who is a Christian, etc. to help you along this journey. So “who ya talkin’ to?”

Who ya servin’?

You can only serve one master. It is made clear in Matthew 6:24 that “no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The truth is we cannot serve God and anything else! We will eventually resent God and in some cases hate Him. So “are you servin’ him”? Are you living your life to serve Him in your everyday circumstances? If you are flipping a hamburger or operating on a patient, you are serving Him. In all that you d o, if you do it for His glory, you will impact the world in amazing ways.

Watcha celebratin’?

We get so caught up in what we have accomplished in this world, we forget to give credit to God. It is so refreshing to see a famous individual earn an award of some kind and immediately give credit to the Lord. After all He enables us to accomplish all things through Him. Celebrating God first, does two things. It glorifies His name, and it humbles our hearts. Easier said than done, but essential to our purpose.

And finally, watcha practicin’?

Are you practicing what you feel deep inside? Does your life reflect that of someone desiring to know God more intimately? Are you reading His word daily, spending time in prayer, and devotion? We must be people who practice. We must do this because without practice, without a daily connection to the vine, we drift away. The world keeps us busy, and pre-occupied. That is why these things are called disciplines. It takes work, and an intentional approach to living differently. I am sure that Lebron James and Peyton Manning do not arrive on game day without preparing or practicing their craft. Even Jesus himself spent time in prayer and devotion to God before performing some of His greatest miracles!

If we can answer these questions openly and honestly, we can begin to allow God to work in our lives so that we can truly be people who know God and make His name famous. Remember, Colossians 3:17 says “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (emphasis mine)