The sermon podcast for March 13, 2011 is up on Asbury Church’s website. It’s the first in our series “Back to Basics.” It’s entitled “Our Need for God” and the text is Genesis 3: 1-17. You can listen to it by clicking here, or you can listen to it here on this blog by clicking below. And, as always, you can subscribe to my sermon podcasts through iTunes.
Monthly Archives: March 2011
Watching Kids Play
I was hanging out with Thomas today and he asked to go to the park. That’s pretty awesome, seeing how he has a lot of his daddy in him, and he’d be just as happy to sit around playing on the computer all day as he would be going outside.
So, we decide to head down to Relay Park here in Petal. When we got there, there we no other kids there, so he and I just kind of ran around goofing off.
Then, other kids started coming, and I kind of slipped back and let him play and watched.
And something happened that is true at all time with our kids. They just started playing. Three two other little boys, both around Thomas’ age came up and just had the best time together. They ran, they climbed, they fell down, they just had a blast.
They didn’t know each other before. These three little boys were each different in race, dress, and outward appearance. That didn’t matter, though. Because they were too busy playing.
I think looking at our differences first is something that we adults do. I can’t be friends with you, you are part of a different denomination. Or church. Or class. Or race. Or political party. Or theological group. Or whatever.
Not that these differences are unimportant or can be papered over. Yes, there are things that divide us. There will always be. That’s just the way it is.
But, to these kids, that didn’t matter. They just wanted someone to play with.
As adults, particularly as Christian, we have a lot to learn from that. If Jesus is what unites us, He is so much greater than our differences.
If we focus on what we disagree on, there is no hope for unity, or even working together. But, if we focus on what unites us, Jesus and His grace and salvation, we see we have so much more in common than we could ever imagine.
I had a blessing watching Thomas to play. And as I grow older, I sure hope I can be more like him.
Don’t Worry About it
First, two points of personal privilege, if you’ll allow.
Today is my 10th wedding anniversary. Ten years ago Holly made me the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I don’t know what I did right to deserve her and what she did wrong to be stuck with me 🙂
Second, because of that, I’m doing something I hate to do. Next Monday – Friday we are going to take a trip. I hate traveling, but I love my wife. So, no devotionals next week. We’ll start back the following Monday.
Today’s reflection could really just be scripture. There’s nothing more I can really add to something as powerful as Psalm 37. Listen to these words:
Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Good stuff.
Don’t worry about “them.” Or whatever “they” are doing. Don’t worry about the wicked. Don’t worry about their lives and what happens.
The Lord sees them. The Lord sees us. The Lord sees all.
Don’t live your life with eyes focused on other people. Don’t live your life with your eyes focused on “them.” Live you life with your eyes focused on God. Live your life with your eyes, your heart, your soul, all that you are, focused on God.
On knowing Him.
Serving Him.
Seeking Him.
Living for Him.
Don’t worry about what other folks are living for, what they are chasing, what they are choosing. The Lord knows. The Lord is aware.
Don’t worry about it.
Today, and each day, seek after God. Live for Him. Chase after Him. Follow Him.
And He will take care of you. You can trust after Him. Today, and each day.
Ash Wednesday 2011
Today is a special day in life of the life of faith. But, what is it? What is it all about?
Someone posted this video on Facebook yesterday and I thought it was really cool. It lays out what this day is all about, why we do what we do, and what the point of Ash Wednesday and Lent are all about.
The thing that is powerful to me about this concept is the notion that is we forget sometimes what Jesus did for us. We talk so much about His love, His mercy, His grace, His compassion, all these things, that we forget what these things cost Him.
Just how much it cost Him to accept us.
We know that grace is free. But it is not cheap. It cost Him more than we could ever imagine.
We don’t need to forget that. It was for us He bled and died. It was for us He suffered.
It was for OUR sin.
It was for MY sin.
And so, when we “give up” something for Lent, we are remembering His suffering. And here is the thing. We aren’t giving things up to show that we are spiritual supermen or women, we doing it to be driven to prayer. Every time you miss whatever it is you are giving up, pray.
Every time you have a craving for whatever it is you are giving up, pray.
Every time you think about what Jesus has done for you, pray.
May we have a holy Lent. May we reflect upon what He has done for us. And may we remember all that we have to be thankful for.
God’s Plan for You
God’s plan for you is good. God’s plan for you is what is best for you.
God’s plan for you is for your benefit, for your good, for what is going to be the best thing in your life. It’s also for His glory, and for a witness to His greatness.
God’s plan for you is good this morning.
Listen to what God says today in Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
God’s plan for you is good. It will give you a future and a hope.
Now, not to go all seminary professor on you this morning, but these words were said to God’s people before something bad was going to happen. They were going to be defeated in battle, see the Temple destroyed, see Jerusalem destroyed, and be taken off to Babylon for 70 years.
They were in for a rough time. It was not going to be fun.
And before all that bad stuff happened, God said – I have a plan for you. A good plan. A plan for your benefit. A plan for you good.
Now, this plan won’t always be easy. It won’t always be fun. It won’t always be what we have chosen. God’s plan is not our plan.
But, God’s plan is good. It’s for our benefit. It’s for our good.
Trust. God knows what He is doing. Trust.
It’s for your good. God knows what He is doing.
It All Comes Down to Jesus
A few weeks ago, someone said something to me about Asbury that really made me proud, and made me reflect on what matters most.
This person told me – Andy, we’ve visited a lot of churches, and we’ve never heard a church talk about Jesus as much as Asbury.
To me, that said we were and are doing what we are supposed to be doing – it tells me that we are focusing on what we are supposed to be focusing on.
Jesus.
We can talk about a lot of things in life. Theology. Denominations. Worship styles. Opinions. Factions. Viewpoints. Lots of things. But, in the end. It all comes down to one thing.
Jesus.
Listen to what Hebrews 1 says:
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
It all comes down to Jesus. He loves you, and He calls you to love Him, and love other people. Our faith is not a matter of religion. Yes, there are religious aspects to it. There are rituals and doctrines and institutions. Yes, there are things such as this. But, in the end, what matters is this – Jesus.
People are not desperate for religion. They are desperate for relationship. Relationship with God through Jesus. Relationship with each other through Jesus.
Relationship with Jesus.
I had a professor in seminary that used to always tell us, every problem in our life, in some way, always comes back to our walk with Jesus.
It all comes down to Jesus.
Today, how is your walk with Him? Are you spending time with Him? Are you following Him? Are you loving Him? Are you loving others through Him?
It’s all about Jesus. May we know Him better each moment. And may we experience the life transofmaring power He wants to give us.
What We can Learn from John Mark Podcast
The sermon podcast for March 6, 2011 is up on Asbury Church’s website. It’s the fourth and final in our series “What We can Learn from Acts.” This sermon is about the life of John Mark. The texts are Acts 12: 12, Acts 13:4-5, Acts 15:36-40. You can listen to it by clicking here, or you can listen to it here on this blog by clicking below. And, as always, you can subscribe to my sermon podcasts through iTunes.
Bragging
We all have things we brag on.
Those of us that are parents really enjoy bragging on their kids. At least I do!
My friends accuse me of bragging too much on the great things that Asbury is doing. By the way, have I told you that Asbury is awesome! 🙂
We have lots of things, including ourselves, that we’d like to brag on in life.
Listen to what Paul talks about bragging on in one of today’s readings:
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul finds an area of weakness in his life; his thorn in the flesh. We don’t know what this thorn was, other than it caused Paul great problems and great concern. And he wanted it gone.
He didn’t want to deal with. He was tired of it. So, he asked God three times to take it away. To take away this trouble. To take away this problem. To take away this weakness.
And God said each time – no. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.
So, Paul bragged on his weakness. On this thorn. Because through it, God was glorified.
Through our weakness, through our frailty, through the things that cause us hurt or worry or pain, God’s strength is made known.
In the times when we can’t carry ourselves, when we can’t walk, when we are troubled, when we are weak, when are unable to go, God carries.
Paul brags on the places where he weak, because in that area, people can see the power of God.
Will we do the same? Will we allow our places of weakness to be places where God’s strength is made known? Will we let God’s strength carry us. Will we brag on our weakness and God’sstrength?
May God’s strength be made known in all our lives.
God Remembers
God doesn’t forget.
That sounds like a scary phrase, huh?
There are a lot of things in my life that I sure hope that God will forget. There are a lot of things that I’ve done that I sure hope God doesn’t remember in any way.
God has a good memory. And He does remember. But it’s not the things that we think He remembers. It’s not the things the we would remember, both about ourselves or others.
For God, it’s not our sin He remembers. Scripture tells us that for God, when we ask for forgiveness, God forgets our sins and He has removed them as far as the east is from the west.
So then, what is it that He remembers? Listen to what is written in Deuteronomy 4 today:
For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.
God remembers the promises He has made. He remembers to be true to His word and to His covenant to never leave nor forsake us.
This passage in Deuteronomy is about how the people would forget and would disobey. They would not do right and would depart. And yet in that, God didn’t forget. He didn’t forget His word to be true to His people. And when they returned, He restored.
God will be true to His promises. He will be true to His word. Don’t fear, don’t worry, don’t fret.
God remembers. He remembers what He promised to do. And He will be true to His word.
We can trust in Him.
Treasures
We all value something. In life, there are things that we are think are true treasures, things that are important and of value.
What are yours?
What are the things in your life that are important to you?
Today, in Matthew 6, Jesus is talking about where our treasures should be:
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal
For which world are we living for? Are you living for this world or the world that is to come?
Are we living for the moment or for eternity?
Are we living for briefness of this moment, or are we living for that which will last forever.
This life is not the end. This life is not sum of your existence. You were created not to just live for this moment, you were created to live for all of eternity.
What are you living for? Where is your treasure? Are you focused on the stuff of this life? Or the stuff of eternity?
Are you living for greatness in this world? Or in the world that is to come?
All of the things fo this world, they will fade. They will be destroyed. They will not last.
But, the things of God, the things that are eternal, they will not fade.
What are you living for today? Where are your treasures? May we live for what truly counts today.
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