The Long Game

THE LONG GAME

This week's message was the story of Nicodemus. When we talk about sharing our faith, we most often share instances where there was near-instant response. I shared the Gospel with a co-worker and they prayed to receive Christ. I prayed with my waitress and she broke down and confessed her need for a savior. I preached a message and the entire congregation came forward, repenting, and committed their lives to Christ while laying offerings at my feet. (OK, that last one was a slight exaggeration)

The reality is that most people take a while to come around. Just like Nicodemus. He comes to Jesus, infers a question, and then his encounter ends abruptly. Jesus effectively dismantles his worldview, his understanding of Messiah, calls him out for his sin, and then leaves.

We see Nicodemus 2 more times: Once in John, Chapter 7, where he sorta kinda in a roundabout way stands up for Jesus (or at least for due process), and then once more -this is the exciting one- where he openly, publicly acknowledges Jesus as King. But, it wasn't until after Jesus was crucified. 

It took a while, but seeing Jesus on the cross, just like the bronze snake in the wilderness, proved to Nehemiah the authenticity of Jesus as the Christ.

THE POINT

Take some pressure off yourself. Sharing the gospel is not typically a one-time, high-pressure, "Turn or burn, sinner!" situation. I think the healthier, more effective situation is the long game. Take time to build relationship, and give them a real-life "handle" to grab ahold of by living a life that exemplifies the life you say Jesus promises them. Be up front, be honest, and be real, but don't be pushy. It's never a good idea to try and be the Holy Spirit (and don't ask me how I know.)

Sardine, Oyster, & Old Chicken Grease Shakes.

Last night we had a lesson on Philippians 4:8 and learned how important it is to guard what's going into our minds. Kids and adults alike need to understand that what we put in our brain WILL HAVE an ENORMOUS IMPACT on our words, attitudes and actions. And, how we speak & act affects people's view of us. Pretty heavy stuff.

Humans are living illustrations of the GIGO principle. If you put good stuff in (like Braum's ice cream & milk, and Godiva Chocolate Syrup) good stuff comes out. Throw in some nasty stuff like sardines (which are actually good, just not with ice cream), canned oysters (Always nasty. Period. If you like these, get help.) and old chicken grease - even the good is overpowered by the nasty.

So how do we stay filled with good and keep the nasty out? The answer is both strange and profound.

PET RALPH.

That's right. PET RALPH. That, my friends, is the key to guarding your mind and keeping it filled with the good stuff. What is PET RALPH? I'm glad you asked. Using the NLT version of the Bible, Philippians 4:8 lists eight things a God-follower should focus on. Move the order around and use the first letters to make an acrostic, and you end up with PET RALPH.

Pure. Excellent. True. Right. Admirable. Lovely. Praiseworthy. Honorable.

Think on these things, and use them as a filter to quickly reject anything that doesn't meet God's standard. The person God transforms you into will be some pretty amazing skin to live in.

So, do future you a favor. PET RALPH.

REARVIEW & WINDSHIELD - June 24th, 2012

READING LAWS & RENEWING COVENANTS
This weeks sermon, entitled TOXIC: A Serious Danger, dealt with the global pandemic that is affecting every human being. We peered into the story of Achan and his hidden sin as told in Joshua 7 and 8, and considered the consequences of Achan's sin in comparison to the consequences of our sin.


In Joshua 7, we see that Achan and his family are purged from Israel because of Achan's flagrant sin. As a result, God's anger is subdued, and the Israelite army soundly defeats the small city of Ai by outnumbering and outwitting them using a brilliant bait-and-switch tactic.


That victory, however, which should have been easily handled with little resources and no loss of life, had taken the life of Achan, his family, and 36 other fighting men. It had als0 revealed a chink in the armor to the surrounding armies that would stand to oppose Joshua's army.


Now, in Joshua 8:30, we see the response of Joshua and the nation of Israel to the bittersweet victory at the battle of Ai.


THEY BUILD AN ALTAR
It was customary in this culture to signify major events by building a memorial. This particular altar was more than just a pile of stones, though. It was built according to the standards of the Levitical law, and was then used to make sacrificial offerings as atonement for their sin, and to signify peace with God.


THE TAKE-HOME: 
In our lives it is good to create "altars" to memorialize when God does something big in our lives. Salvation, recommitment, answered prayer; all are significant reasons to create a memory maker. Something as simple as a journal entry, or even a note scribbled on a calendar (if you keep your old calendars) will serve as a valuable reminder of God's hand in your life.


JOSHUA RE-WRITES THE LAW... IN STONE
To further drive home the importance of God's commands, Joshua creates another copy of the Mosaic law written on stone tablets. That feat is impressive, but the interesting note is that the assembly of the Israelites sat and watched him carve it! This visually illustrated the importance of EVERY DETAIL of the law, and forced all those in attendance to consider at length the meaning and implications of each commandment.


THE TAKE-HOME: 
How important is God's law in your life? Does it hold a central and significant place? Is your life built around it, or do you try to stretch it around your life? If we are to stand against sin and death, then we have to be able to identify the symptoms of this global sin pandemic. That requires intimate knowledge of God's simple but thorough compilation of laws that guide our faith and our life.



JOSHUA READS THE LAW - ALL OF IT
Joshua then goes on to read the entirety of the law. The people of Israel now hear the entirety of the law: The promised blessings that come from obedience, and the promised curse that comes from ignoring it.


While a study of the Torah is foundational to understanding the tenets of our faith history, It may be a little advanced for many. As a quick study, I encourage you to go to an online Bible and do a search for the words "sin" and "sins." Then take the time to read each instance of the word as found in the Torah (the first 5 books of the bible). As you read, ask God to reveal to you His take on sin, and think about what it would look like if you adopted the same attitude.


THE TAKE-HOME: 
My mother makes a fantastic fudge infused with cocoa and marshmallow creme. When I was a kid, I sat down and ate about four...teen pieces in one sitting. Later that night I involuntarily returned all I had eaten, as my stomach refused to accept my indulgent act. To this day I can barely bring myself to take a bite of fudge. What I once loved with a sinful passion, I now have little to no desire for.


My hope and prayer is that I - along with our congregation - "lose our stomach" for sin, as we see the destructive, heinous, and ultimately fatal result of it in our lives, the lives of our family, the lives of our friends, and the lives of generations to come.


PRAYER
Father God, I pray that you will clearly remind us of every time you have engaged and impacted our lives through your love, your mercy, and with your power. Don't let us take for granted your intense desire to be our God, and we your people.


I pray that you will stir up within us a passion for your law, as we understand its purpose to guard to protect us, and to guide and instruct us.


I pray that you will literally turn our stomachs when we think of our own sin, and when we see the despicable result of sin in the world around us. Help us to understand and pursue holiness, as you, our God and maker, are holy.


I pray that we begin to build our lives around you by seeking you in prayer at every temptation and before every decision, and by building our passion for Your Kingdom as we engage your holy Word.

29+ WAYS TO FUEL CREATIVITY

Creativity is something I personally value highly. It's also something that, as a church leader, I want to instill into the culture of our church. Of course, I have a natural bias because of my background, experience, and education, but creativity isn't relegated to just the arts: Creativity is EVERYWHERE.

Creativity is at work when we find a way to get to that "hard-to-reach" spot.
Creativity is at work when we develop a system that speeds up the process.
Creativity is at work when we discover a way to put fun in the mundane. (fundane?)
Creativity is at work when we create new words by combining two existing words. :)

Of course, as a believer, I recognize the author of creativity to be Jesus Christ, the physical manifestation of God, who spoke the cosmos into existence. It only takes a cursory glance at the natural world to find both creativity, genius, and humor communicated through the design of the master of creativity.

So, it stands to reason that if we are truly created in the image of God, then we all possess the innate quality of being creative!

Check out this video on ways to fuel creativity:

I would add a couple of my own:

1. FIND THE BEAUTY IN EVERYTHING
I grew up in a region that is characterized by large expanses of seemingly flat, un-interesting, and homogeneous landscapes. But, if you take the time to look, you start to see hidden beauty & complexity.

It's easy to see beauty when it jumps up and hits you in the nose. It's harder to stop, analyze, and discover beauty in the less obvious. But, it is a skill worth developing and can spur creativity in the midst of a seeming creative drought.


2. STOP DOING
Take 10 or 15 minutes out of the day and turn EVERYTHING off (even your iPhone) and take some time to clear your brain. Just like you need to clean your physical workspace, it is good to clean your mental workspace, too. 

I have discovered that by intentionally clearing out my thoughts, to-do lists, deadlines, etc., my brain naturally starts distilling down to the most critical elements that need attention. And, often, this is where some of my best ideas are birthed.

I know, this may sound kind of new-age-y or Dr. Phil-y; But I don't think it is. Almost every time I do this, my brain takes a different path. Sometimes it's highly productive, other times it's not, but it's ALWAYS beneficial, and goes a long way to clearing out mental clutter.

3. CHASE RABBITS
While this is something that needs to be approached with caution, I find benefit in following the occasional rabbit trail. This would be that idea that is highly improbable (if not impossible), but also highly intriguing. Even though you will never pursue the idea, flesh it out in your brain as if you will. Do some quick research, compile a list of what (and who) you would need to make it happen, sketch out a basic plan and timeline, think through the marketing pitch, and fill in as many details as you can without getting bogged down. And remember, it is a crazy idea: Don't be afraid to come up with crazy solutions!

My ideas are usually crazy business ideas (like a gourmet hot-dog stand, coffee mugs with sarcastic sayings, or a semi-pro wrestling organization with intentionally bad wrestlers) So, I'll create a quick "business plan" and figure out needed supplies, personnel, start-up costs, and even pricing structure. I'll spend about 10 minutes doing some market research, and another 10 minutes pricing out overhead, and about 10 minutes just thinking through every logistical issue I can think of.

It's amazing how much I've broadened my perspective and learned about various industries through this simple exercise. Again: Use caution. Set a definite time limit on yourself, and don't make this a regular habit that draws from the job that actually pays the bills: But let your mind stretch a little and learn to make a plan "on the fly". It's a skill that has served me well.

I'd love to hear about ways YOU have discovered to fuel your creativity!

THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES

I love radio-controlled vehicles. I've always had a fascination with them. As a kid, I remember my best friend Garrod got a new radio-controlled monster truck one year. It was amazing. It could climb, it could throw mud, and it could plow through massive styrofoam obstacles. (Later we found out the one thing it COULDN'T do: Float.)

So, I decided I had to have one. Thought I couldn't swing the monster-truck-a-rama my friend had been blessed with, I did find something I could afford on my income, which consisted of change I found on top of the dryer, under seat cushions, and in car ashtrays.

The box showed this fantastic little remote controlled vehicle jumping massive piles of dirt, skirting around at break-neck speed, and pictured a group of young boys watching in absolute awe and fascination. It was packaged perfectly to display this radio-controlled super car and it's simple, but powerful remote.

So with a little help from mom, and a trip to the store, I brought this brilliant piece of plastic awesomeness home. I ran into the house and viciously dismantled the cardboard and cellophane packaging to unleash this beast of a machine.

And that's when I noticed it. A peculiar cord running from the controller to the car.

What I did not know at the time was that, in the world of RC toys, there is a big diff between REMOTE controlled and RADIO controlled. Lesson number one.

Lesson number two: There is also a big difference between 3-function and 4-function controllers. I'll do the math for you: FORWARD, LEFT, RIGHT. That's three. Add REVERSE and you have four.

You can guess how many functions mine had.

Not to be daunted, I quickly put the batteries in the controller so I could salvage some fun out of my broken dreams.

That's when I learned Lesson number 3: NiCad batteries take FOREVER to charge when you are 10. (or 36)

Several days later when the LED light turned from red to green, I was finally able to take it for it's maiden cruise. And cruise it was. With a top speed of 0.0125 MPH, the experience was anti-climatic at best. What a rip.

In this week's message on HOW TO BE RICH, we'll be discussing the deceitfulness of riches. Money and possessions, like my RADIO-controlled car, usually over-promise and under-deliver. I'm interested in hearing YOUR stories on how this has played true in your life.

Feel free to comment below, and I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

YOUVERSION SERMON RESPONSES

We've started "Beta Testing" utilizing the YouVersion Bible App's "Live Events" feature during our messages. So far the response has been very positive.

Last week we started a message series inspired by Andy Stanley's "How To Be Rich". The YouVersion Poll question was: 

"How Much Money Would It Take For You To Feel RICH?"
Below are the Responses:

"I don't want to be rich in money but belief in my faith in God"

"310 Million"

"Nothing but a good family and friends surrounding me with Christ in my life"

"Enough to pay the bills every week. :-)"

Thanks to everyone who participated! I think this is a great way to participate during the message (and a great way to mask your angry birds addiction).

If you would like to check it out, download & Install the YouVersion Bible App, (it shows up as "Bible" from lifechurch.tv) click on the "LIVE" tab, and search for "gracesbc" (or if you have your location finder on it will pull up automatically)


LINK: www.youversion.com

REARVIEW & WINDSHIELD - February 12th, 2012

A GREAT DAY
Every Sunday is a great Sunday, and yesterday was no different. We had some great personal victories for some, and overall things seemed to go pretty well.


WELCOME SHENANIGANS
I filled in doing the welcome and announcements (sporting a sweet stove-pipe hat in honor of Abe's birthday) which was fun... but it was pretty clear why we have others do the announcements. Thank God for non-ADHD people who can focus long enough get through 3 announcements in less than 10 minutes. :)


WORSHIP GOODNESS
As Alex & the team continue to grow together as a worship band, I personally feel the quality of the worship experience continues to improve greatly. I can tell that they're really starting to "gel" together as a team, and it shows!


YOU'RE RICH!
Yesterday we started a new 4-week series (based on a series by Andy Stanley) titled "How To Be Rich." Yesterday we learned the Good News / Bad News about being rich, and my prayer is that we drastically changed our perception on just how blessed we are, and made the commitment not to trust in our riches, but the God who provided them. I'm very excited about the next three weeks of this series as we learn how to get good at being rich!


GRACE DISCOVERED
We had a great group show up to the Discover Grace luncheon (Special thanks to Gayla McIntire & posse' for getting lunch together for everyone). I always enjoy getting to share the great work God has done in MY life, and the fantastical and almost crazy vision He has for Grace. We had some great discussion and conversations, and I'm very excited about the latest wave of Christ-followers that are joining our fellowship!


HERE AND NOW
We are currently in the process of refining our discipleship process. We have an urgent need for short-term small group leaders. These leaders would work through a pre-determined curriculum by sharing teaching points and facilitating discussion. If you are willing to step up and be a part of training others, please fill out THIS FORM online, and let us know!

Even if you are not sure you feel qualified to step into this role, but feel God leading you to step up your commitment, fill out the application form and let us know. We will put you in a training and equipping process to make sure you have the tools you need to be successful.


DARE2SHARE
I am passionately, intensely, hyperstatically encouraging students to sign-up for the Dare2Share Conference in St. Louis on March 16th - 17th! This is an awesome time of worship, teaching, and equipping to be true disciples of Christ. There is an amazing line-up of artists, worship leaders, and speakers that will leave students absolutely JACKED UP about their faith, and sharing it with others.
Check out the video HERE!