Monthly Archives: April 2013

Live in Peace

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I have a joke I make sometimes about how I want folks to see me. I never want someone to see me walking down the aisle at Walmart and think to themselves, oh no, there he is! And turn and walk the other way!

I never want to be that guy! I always want to, in my life, build community, make folks feel better, help folks experience grace.

I want to live in peace with others. And that can be hard. That can be a challenge. It’s not always easy to live in peace with each other. Sometimes it’s not even easy to be a peace with yourself.

But, as Christians, that’s part of our calling. To live in peace. To make things better. To be salt and light. To make a difference.

Listen to what Paul says today in Romans 12:17-19:

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

communityRepay no one with evil. Don’t respond to evil with evil. Our first response will be to respond back. Hit back. Hurt back. That’s what we want to do. That’s what comes natural. That’s what we feel like we should do.

Don’t do it. Respond with grace. Respond with love. Respond with peace.

Why? Because that’s where life is found. In not responding back with evil.

Well, Andy, what if I extend peace, and they bite my hand off? That’s why Paul says, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.

You can’t control them. The only person you have any response over is yourself. You can’t control what they do, what they say, what they do.

You can only control the grace you give. So, give grace.

Even when it’s hard. Even when it may hurt. Give grace. Live in peace. Be different. Be salt and light.

We can’t do this through ourselves. Only through Him.

Today, do it, through Him. Live in peace. Through Him. And in that, you’ll find more life than you think possible.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Those Forgiven Much

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Forgiven & LovedWe talked yesterday at Asbury about forgiveness. Forgiveness really is the one thing that makes relationships possible. It’s the thing that makes faith possible. It’s the thing that makes love possible.

Without forgiveness, there would not be much hope for anything that is good in life. Forgiveness makes it all possible.

We are all going to be hurt at some point. We are all going to be wronged at some point. We are all going to be in a position where we have to choose to forgive or not. And it’s tough. And we can’t do it on our own.

We can’t “will” ourselves to forgive. We can’t just “make” ourselves do it. It’s something that only God can do though us. Listen to the words that Jesus speaks today in Luke 7:47-48:

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus forgives a woman, and He talks about since she is forgiven, she loves. And then He says, he who is forgiven little loves little.

Those of us that have been forgiven much, we should love so much more. We can’t truly forgive, we can’t truly love, we can’t truly do any of these things until we know this one true fact.

We are forgiven. You are forgiven. God loves you, wants to know you, wants to spend time with you. You are forgiven.

You are loved.

Now, love others. Our forgiveness for others flows from our forgiveness from God. Those who are forgiven much will love much.

Today, as those that have been forgiven so very much, may we love so very much.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

No Accident

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Each night before we go to bed, our family reads the bible together and prays together. Sarah has a children’s picture bible that she really enjoys reading from, so she will read it and then we take turns praying. We started in the beginning with Genesis and have just finished Esther.

And, I’ll be honest with you, I’ve forgotten how good a story Esther is, and how appropriate it is for us as Christians today. It’s the story of a Jewish queen that is made aware of a plot to see her people destroyed. She is told that she has a chance to stop it, but she must make a decision to do so.

She is afraid, thinks she can’t, and understands that doing so could result in her loosing her own life. And we see one of the more powerful challenges in scripture as a result of this. Listen to Esther 4:11-14:

“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

2006-lecture-coverI love that challenge. For such a time as this, she was placed where she was.

It was no accident she was the queen at that moment. It was for that reason and for that purpose that God had her there. It was for such a time as that.

That’s such a powerful concept it was no accident she was there.

And it’s no accident that you are were you are. You are where you are, going through what you’ve went through, going what you are going through, who you are.

It’s no accident. God has you here for a purpose and a reason.

You are valuable and have a purpose for God and for His kingdom. Never forget. Never think otherwise. You are here for a reason. It’s no accident.

Today, be faithful. No matter what the task is ahead of you. Be faithful. God is with you, He will not leave you, and you have the chance today for greatness.

It’s no accident you are here. Be faithful.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

No Check List

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imagesOne of the things that I talk about with groups here at Asbury is the struggle of what it means to be a Christian. How exactly should we live? What exactly should we do? What are the things that we should be doing?

What are the things that we shouldn’t be doing?

Man, wouldn’t it be a lot easier if God just gave us a check list. Now, He has given us things like the greatest commandment (love the Lord our God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself) and He has given us the 10 Commandments.

So there are some basics.

But, there is no check list. There’s something better.

Listen to what Paul tells us today in Galatians 2:19-20:

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul tells us this. We’d died to the law. We don’t live by the law any more. Ours is not a checklist faith any more. Well, what kind of faith is it?

It’s the faith where Christ lives in us and through us. It’s the kind of faith where we die not just to the law, but to ourselves.

It’s the kind of faith where just focus on Jesus. If we focus on Him, He takes care of the rest.

So, today, don’t worry about a checklist. Don’t worry about what you have to do. This, this is what you have to do. Focus on Him. With all that you are. With all that you have. Focus on Him.

That’s your check list. Focus on Him.

And if you do that. If we do that, He will take care of the rest.

Today, may we focus on Him, may we follow Him, with all that we are. And His spirit within us will take care of what we are supposed to do!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

April 16 – Evil Doesn’t Win

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If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that April 16 is not my favorite day of the year.  This is the day that I remember the power of evil and sin to destroy lives.

And it’s the day that reminds me that in the journey of my life (and our lives) that evil doesn’t win.

And each of us, we know the power of evil. We see it in the world. We saw it on 9/11. We witnessed it yesterday in Boston, and many, many lives were forever changed and disrupted. We have seen the force and power of evil.

Evil has it’s moment. But evil doesn’t win.

That said, I don’t like April 16.

mama-saraOn April 16, 1978, my mother was murdered.  I have always called her “Mama Sarah.”  She was killed as she was walking out of our house, with me in her arms. She was walking out of the house because she did not want me raised in an abusive situation, in a situation full of drugs and destruction. She was walking out of the house because she wanted me to have a better life.

She was walking out of the house because she loved me.

And in that, she laid down her life for me.  Literally.  I sometimes tell folks I have the burden and blessing in my life of having had two people lay down their life for me, Jesus and Mama Sarah.

And, every day I wake up and know that I am here, I give thanks for no greater love.  I give thanks that I, literally, should not be here.

And if you’ve ever wondered why I’m a little on the ADD side, this is why. I’m not going to waste a second that God has given me.

And every time I look at my daughter Sarah and mourn over the fact that she will never know the grandmother she was named for, I give thanks for no greater love.

I have experienced in my life the power of evil to bring destruction.

But I’ve also seen this.  I’ve seen that evil doesn’t win.  See, when Mama Sarah died, I was adopted by her mother and step father. I call them mama and daddy, because that’s who they are.

By the way, if you want to know the power of evil, consider this. Mama Sarah was murdered on her mother’s birthday, April 16. And she was buried on my birthday, April 18.

Evil has it’s moment. But it doesn’t win.

I was adopted and raised by my mama and daddy.  And if I had not been raised by them, I wouldn’t have been raised in the church I was raised in.  Which means that I may not be a Christian. Which means that I may not be a preacher. Which means that I may not be here, doing what I’m doing.

I may not be affecting your lives and your faith.

If I hadn’t been raised by my adopted parents, I wouldn’t have went to Bouge Chitto, which means I wouldn’t have went to Co-Lin which means I wouldn’t have met Holly, which means I wouldn’t have my family.

God brought good out of this terrible tragedy.

Was my mother’s murder a good thing?  No.  Or course not.  My heart aches for it.  But, the power of God is not that He stops bad things from happening.

But that He can bring good our of anything.

Even the worst evil.

Evil doesn’t win. My life is a testament to that.

Romans 828 says this:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

All things will work for our good. And His glory.  I am thankful.

It may look bad.  But know this.  Evil doens’t win.  Let us have that hope. And let us rejoice, even in our tears.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

You Matter

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you-matter1You matter to God. You do. Your life. Your fears. Your worries. All of it.

Even the things that you may think don’t matter. If they matter to you than they matter to God. You are important to Him. He loves you and cares for you.

You matter.

Sometimes it’s tempting to think that we don’t matter. Or our concerns aren’t big enough. Or important enough. Surely there are things that are more important to God than our fears, our worries, our lives.

Why should we pray about these things? Surely God has more important things to worry about.

Listen to what Jesus says today in Luke 12:6-7:

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Sparrows in the economy of Jesus’ day were literally of no value. They had no worth. They were the most unimportant thing you could think of.

And Jesus says that none of them would be forgotten.

You matter. You matter to God. You are important. Your worries. Your fears. Your concerns. All of it. You matter.

Never forget that. Take your concerns to Him. You matter. You are important. Never forget.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God Wins

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One of the things that I’ve always stressed in ministry is this. Things will not always be easy. There will be times of trial, times of hurt, times of tears, times of worry, times of stress.

That’s a given. That’s a certainty. We see that in our lives. We know that from our experiences. We just know that. Things will not always be easy.

Even the Bible confirms that. We can even look within God’s Word and understand that man, sometimes it’s just going to stink. Sometimes, there’s no getting around it. It’s just going to be hard.

But you know what, even in that, it’s going to be ok. Listen to what is says in John 16:31-33:

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

keep-calm-for-i-have-overcome-the-worldJesus tells us there will be times when the disciples face troubles. They will be scattered. They will leave Jesus alone. Times will get tough, bad, and painful. It will not be fun.

The same is true for us. We know that. We can count those times in our minds right now.

But, keep reading. In the world you will have trouble. But, He has overcome the world. Yeah, it may be bad. It may be hard. You may not like it. You may feel like giving up.

Don’t. Do not give up. The world cannot win. The pain cannot will. The trials cannot win.

They will come. Sure. But Jesus has overcome them. He has triumphed over them. He has conquered them. He has won.

Yeah, troubles come. That’s ok. Remember what matters.

God wins. And through Him, so do we. It’s going to be ok.

God wins.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Follow Me

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Today I was blessed enough to be able to share with the First Priority at Petal Middle School. I want to share with you some of the words I shared with them.

I read from Matthew 4:18-22:

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

follow-meJesus sees Peter and Andrew and James and John, and this is His command to them. Follow me.  He doesn’t tell them where they are going.  He doesn’t go into great detail about what they will do and how they will do it.

He doesn’t answer any questions.

In fact, He doesn’t take any questions.  He simply says, Follow Me.

And they did. They followed Him. And they went all over the world, telling folks about Jesus.

That’s our call today. To follow Him.  Now following Him will look different for each of us. For some of us, that may me for the the first time placing our full faith in Him.

For others, it may mean entering into ministry.

For others, it may mean reading your bible more. Praying more.

For others, it may mean standing up for the little guy.

I don’t know what it means for you today.  But I do know this. Each of us, today, no matter where we are, that’s our command.  Follow Him.

Today, may we follow, wherever it is that He is leading!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Something Good for a Monday

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Want to hear something good? Something that will really give you some hope on a Monday? Listen to these words from 1 John 1:8-9:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

imagesStarts off with a little kick, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. Oh boy. There we go. Way to start on a Monday.

But, listen, even that right there is hopeful. All of us have brokenness in our lives. We all have places where we don’t measure up. Fall down. Blow it. Fail. Fall. I do. You do. We all do.

We all struggle. That’s ok. That makes us human. That’s part of the human experience. You aren’t perfect. No one expects you to be.

So, there’s that. But what comes next is really good.

If we confess those sin, God will forgive us. Today, through the grace of God, you can be forgiven. You can know grace. You can know mercy. For whatever it is.

No matter the sin. No matter the weight. No matter the failing. No matter the fall. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven today.

It’s there for you. Claim it. Know it. Accept it.

On this Monday, in this time, in this place, through the grace of Jesus Christ, no matter what has happened, you are forgiven.

Yep. You. You are forgiven.

Live in that mercy and grace today. May that grace guide you today, and each day of this week.

Live like the loved child of God that you are!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

See How They Love Each Other

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Yesterday we talked about what our most important task was, to stay connected to God. He is the vine, we are the branches. And, within that, if we stay connected to the vine, stay deeply rooted in God, we will bear fruit.

The branches that come from the vine, they bear much fruit.

But, what is that fruit? What are we called to bear? What is it called to look like? What happens in our lives?

Look what Jesus tells us today in the next passage in John 15: 12-14:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

LoveOneAnother-e1299879079356This is His command for us, this is the fruit that He wants us to bear today. Love. Love each other. Be there for each other. Care for each other.

One of the early Christian writers Tertullian once wrote this, “See how these Christians love each other.” That’s a powerful statement to me. When others, when the world, we every one sees us as Christians, they shouldn’t say,

Man, those Christians love to fuss and fight.

Man, those Christians just can’t get along.

Man, those Christians, they just are tough to deal with.

That’s not what God wants for us. What is this new commandment that Jesus has left for us? To love.

And if we stay connected to the vine, live out of Him, we will bear much fruit. We will love.

Today, may we focus on our walk with Him. And may that walk produce His love in our lives. May we bear that fruit!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.