If you walk around our neighborhood this time of year and look at the lawns you will see that some are totally brown, some brown and green and some totally green. Why is there a difference? There are many things that contribute to a green lawn or keep one from becoming green. Some things add to and some take away from a lawn looking good. Some people zero scape so a green lawn is of no value. But if you want a green lawn free from weeds and goat heads, you will need to pay attention to some important details.
Just as some things destroy a beautiful lawn so there are also more important things that destroy a life. Colossians 3:5-8 describes some things that destroy life. We need to spend our life saying no to everything that takes our life away. What is it in your life that diminishes the life God wants for you to experience? I think about independence, wanting big things, insatiable consumerism, going fast in life...alone, having a motivation that longs for others to recognize my importance. The list goes on. Colossians 3:1 reminds me that if I am serious about living the life God is committed to me living, I must set my heart on living as he intended. No games here...life is a joy but it is also a war with the enemy of our life.
The tragedy is that there are so many people who want a beautiful lawn but never get the sod put in. So many people who God puts in our life are caught up in destructive things that continue to rob them of the life they were created for. If you and I will deal with this stuff, many who don't know how to deal with life issues might be encouraged to check out Jesus. Walk around any neighborhood and in the homes we pass by there are heartaches, frustrations, emptiness and issues that are destroying our friends. What an opportunity we have to be a blessing to them.
THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE: We should be more fearful of an affluent neighborhood than the downtown of a large city.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
I don't want to go to the doctor today, tomorrow or...ever
It may be a male thing but I am not sure. I do know I cannot remember ever wanting to visit my local MD. I do have a couple of friends who are doctors but all I want to do with them is have coffee. What is this about? Well, they may want to examine my life up close. They may find something I think I already know but their pronouncement of it brings reality too close.
Not only do we usually not like close examinations of our medical condition but often we do not want those who do not know Jesus yet to look too closely at our life...especially during difficult times in our lives.
James 1:2-3 in the Message "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely."
You and I have the opportunity to show the world a different way of doing life. God uses these tests in our life to reveal to those who live close to us or who work with us that there is a way of living that looks very different from what they are used to. But the trick is we must respond to these situations in a way that shows we believe God is not sleeping but is in control of everything we experience. He allows some and engineers some of the things we experience.
In order for God to be visible in our life to those without Jesus however, we must be close to them. We cannot feed hungry people, clothe them or visit them from a distance. We must live close for them to examine our lives-kind of like going to a doctor.
There is a commercial I have seen about an electric company that is looking for someone in a remote area of the world and the person in this area is waiting for them. Their comment when the company finds them is "We've been waiting." The world you and I live in is also waiting for Jesus to show up in our life so they can live as God intended them to live.
Is anyone asking you and me questions about why we respond to challenging stuff in such a different way than they do?
Do we want them to ask? Are we responding differently?
What do you and I need to believe about God and his involvement in our lives that we are not presently believing?
THINK ABOUT THIS: People are starving for answers.
Faith is never tested in the Christian bubble.
Not only do we usually not like close examinations of our medical condition but often we do not want those who do not know Jesus yet to look too closely at our life...especially during difficult times in our lives.
James 1:2-3 in the Message "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely."
You and I have the opportunity to show the world a different way of doing life. God uses these tests in our life to reveal to those who live close to us or who work with us that there is a way of living that looks very different from what they are used to. But the trick is we must respond to these situations in a way that shows we believe God is not sleeping but is in control of everything we experience. He allows some and engineers some of the things we experience.
In order for God to be visible in our life to those without Jesus however, we must be close to them. We cannot feed hungry people, clothe them or visit them from a distance. We must live close for them to examine our lives-kind of like going to a doctor.
There is a commercial I have seen about an electric company that is looking for someone in a remote area of the world and the person in this area is waiting for them. Their comment when the company finds them is "We've been waiting." The world you and I live in is also waiting for Jesus to show up in our life so they can live as God intended them to live.
Is anyone asking you and me questions about why we respond to challenging stuff in such a different way than they do?
Do we want them to ask? Are we responding differently?
What do you and I need to believe about God and his involvement in our lives that we are not presently believing?
THINK ABOUT THIS: People are starving for answers.
Faith is never tested in the Christian bubble.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
I dare you to jump!
When was the last time you did something daring? The entrance and exit from Colorado highway 34 and Interstate 25 is worth avoiding if you can. It can be scary but usually you can negotiate it and breathe easy. But if this is the most daring event in your life for the week or month or...does it really qualify as daring?
Jesus was not only a teacher but he was also a revolutionary. What do you think following Jesus as a revolutionary meant while he walked the planet? How about today? The disciples were often left scratching their head as to what Jesus would do next. Maybe they breathed a sigh of relief when he just wanted to go fishing...or maybe not. Maybe danger and adventure was part of their DNA and they expected to be stretched not only in their thinking but also in their lifestyle. Remember, these guys left their vocations to follow Jesus. For the most part, we go to school or our job and then only occasionally think of what it means to follow this revolutionary man. Following Jesus like this would mean giving up consumerism, greed, self-centeredness, violence or whatever else that was not part of Jesus' lifestyle.
Think about Luke 6:46,47 (Message) "Why are you so polite with me, always saying "yes, sir" and "That's right sir", but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on."
I imagine Jesus throwing a Frisbee with the disciples on the road to wherever but in Luke 6, he takes deadly aim at our comfortable hopes of what it means to follow Jesus. Anytime he intersected the life of a person he would either make a statement or ask a question that altered that person's understanding of what was important in life and required a decision that would change their lifestyle if they bought in to what he challenged them with.
I keep thinking about what I have done lately that proves I am following this revolutionary man. I have done many daring things overseas, but I live here. Can Jesus really mean there are some daring aspects to following him in Windsor? I showed up to help lay sod at a park in Windsor...a really scary deal! I go to Loodles coffee shop and meet someone I did not previously know...maybe this is a big deal! However, I want to learn something here. I really want Jesus to introduce something into my life that takes courage on my part to do...or do I? How about a Mini?
FOCUS THOUGHT "People who change the world climb through windows rather than walking through doors. These are the risk takers." Shane Claiborne
Jesus was not only a teacher but he was also a revolutionary. What do you think following Jesus as a revolutionary meant while he walked the planet? How about today? The disciples were often left scratching their head as to what Jesus would do next. Maybe they breathed a sigh of relief when he just wanted to go fishing...or maybe not. Maybe danger and adventure was part of their DNA and they expected to be stretched not only in their thinking but also in their lifestyle. Remember, these guys left their vocations to follow Jesus. For the most part, we go to school or our job and then only occasionally think of what it means to follow this revolutionary man. Following Jesus like this would mean giving up consumerism, greed, self-centeredness, violence or whatever else that was not part of Jesus' lifestyle.
Think about Luke 6:46,47 (Message) "Why are you so polite with me, always saying "yes, sir" and "That's right sir", but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on."
I imagine Jesus throwing a Frisbee with the disciples on the road to wherever but in Luke 6, he takes deadly aim at our comfortable hopes of what it means to follow Jesus. Anytime he intersected the life of a person he would either make a statement or ask a question that altered that person's understanding of what was important in life and required a decision that would change their lifestyle if they bought in to what he challenged them with.
I keep thinking about what I have done lately that proves I am following this revolutionary man. I have done many daring things overseas, but I live here. Can Jesus really mean there are some daring aspects to following him in Windsor? I showed up to help lay sod at a park in Windsor...a really scary deal! I go to Loodles coffee shop and meet someone I did not previously know...maybe this is a big deal! However, I want to learn something here. I really want Jesus to introduce something into my life that takes courage on my part to do...or do I? How about a Mini?
FOCUS THOUGHT "People who change the world climb through windows rather than walking through doors. These are the risk takers." Shane Claiborne
Friday, March 28, 2008
I can't find the right station
There are times when you are looking for a certain radio station because they played a cool tune by Chris Spheeris and you have to listen to it again...but you can't find it. Most of the people you and I know are looking for a station that will bring some kind of joy or point to life but they look every day and can't find it.
Yesterday I was asked a question that should not have caught me off guard but maybe the way it was asked caused me to reply with a limited answer....WHAT DO YOU DO? It was of course asked at a coffee shop. I gave a 30 second reply that I traded stocks and that I worked with college students. When I got home I realized I gave a very incomplete answer to that question. So I determined that the next time I see this person I will give them the rest of the answer and really the MOST IMPORTANT answer.
In Proverbs 2:15 in the Message translation is a statement that describes most of the people we know. They are "...traveling paths that go nowhere, wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends." They can't find the right station.
And Jesus said one day in Matthew 9:10-13 that he was here "to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." We are surrounded by people who are outside of knowing how to figure out what life is really about. They spin the radio dial but can never find the right song. As a follower of Jesus, I know where to find the song. I can program it on my car radio so I get to the right station in a heartbeat.
The next time I see the person who asked me this question and others who are going to ask, my reply will be: People today are trying to figure out life and they usually have no clue. They try everything but it ends up disappointing, confusing or frustrating. There is another way of doing life but we must be connected to God to understand it. Most people have no idea what this means and I want to help them begin to figure this out.
The first answer was my "vocational" answer. The second answer describes the relationship Jesus wants me to have with people in my neighborhood, at the coffee shop, or in Windsor.
FOCUS THOUGHT Life after death is not on many people's minds today but life now is.
Yesterday I was asked a question that should not have caught me off guard but maybe the way it was asked caused me to reply with a limited answer....WHAT DO YOU DO? It was of course asked at a coffee shop. I gave a 30 second reply that I traded stocks and that I worked with college students. When I got home I realized I gave a very incomplete answer to that question. So I determined that the next time I see this person I will give them the rest of the answer and really the MOST IMPORTANT answer.
In Proverbs 2:15 in the Message translation is a statement that describes most of the people we know. They are "...traveling paths that go nowhere, wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends." They can't find the right station.
And Jesus said one day in Matthew 9:10-13 that he was here "to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." We are surrounded by people who are outside of knowing how to figure out what life is really about. They spin the radio dial but can never find the right song. As a follower of Jesus, I know where to find the song. I can program it on my car radio so I get to the right station in a heartbeat.
The next time I see the person who asked me this question and others who are going to ask, my reply will be: People today are trying to figure out life and they usually have no clue. They try everything but it ends up disappointing, confusing or frustrating. There is another way of doing life but we must be connected to God to understand it. Most people have no idea what this means and I want to help them begin to figure this out.
The first answer was my "vocational" answer. The second answer describes the relationship Jesus wants me to have with people in my neighborhood, at the coffee shop, or in Windsor.
FOCUS THOUGHT Life after death is not on many people's minds today but life now is.
Friday, March 21, 2008
You have to drive the Mini
A Mini Cooper is a delight to look at and wonder what it would be like to take it to Estes Park, Colorado as you negotiate the turns through the canyon getting there. But they were not made to just look at. You need to test drive it and feel the car as you make a turn at 50 mph.
A believer and a follower are not the same thing. Jesus was always shutting down those who knew the right words and said they believed but who had no interest in tracking with him beyond their self developed boundaries.
Matthew 4:19 is one of those statements that once Jesus speaks it to you, you can never go back from it to where you were before he spoke it. And how do you know you are following Jesus and not just thinking he said some cool things? In this case, your perspective and lifestyle change as you begin to focus on people who do not know Jesus rather than just thinking about which restaurant you are going to for dinner.
What we believe is huge in importance but knowing how to avoid the traps in our culture and make life work as God intended is crucial. Jesus' words are not clever comments that make us curious or tickle our thinking but are intended to enable us to engage life successfully.
Following Jesus is simple, hard, dangerous and exciting. We do not have to make it complex. What we see him do, we must do, what we see him initiate, we should initiate, his perspective and thinking must be ours, how he responded to those who disagreed with him is how we should respond. We must dive into the gospels consistently in order to think like he did, love what he loved, hate what he hated and relate as he did to those not following Jesus. It is simple but hard.
John 6:51-63...These impacting words were not difficult to understand but they were difficult because the people did understand. They were simple but hard. Following Jesus changed after hearing this. He defined it now in a way that separated belief from following. Jesus was a revolutionary and was not interested in people just showing up but was committed to completely changing our whole view and way of life. Nothing short of this was acceptable.
Mind Games...This could change everything
What do you think about the difference between believing and following Jesus? In what way have you believed without really following Jesus?
Connections...I want to discuss this with...
In what ways have you seen Christian groups or churches make following Jesus too complex or easy? What impact does Jesus being a revolutionary make in the world you live in?
First Steps...Making it real
What is one adjustment you will make this week or month in order to more completely follow Jesus? In your opinion, what is a difficult statement Jesus made that causes you difficulty?
A believer and a follower are not the same thing. Jesus was always shutting down those who knew the right words and said they believed but who had no interest in tracking with him beyond their self developed boundaries.
Matthew 4:19 is one of those statements that once Jesus speaks it to you, you can never go back from it to where you were before he spoke it. And how do you know you are following Jesus and not just thinking he said some cool things? In this case, your perspective and lifestyle change as you begin to focus on people who do not know Jesus rather than just thinking about which restaurant you are going to for dinner.
What we believe is huge in importance but knowing how to avoid the traps in our culture and make life work as God intended is crucial. Jesus' words are not clever comments that make us curious or tickle our thinking but are intended to enable us to engage life successfully.
Following Jesus is simple, hard, dangerous and exciting. We do not have to make it complex. What we see him do, we must do, what we see him initiate, we should initiate, his perspective and thinking must be ours, how he responded to those who disagreed with him is how we should respond. We must dive into the gospels consistently in order to think like he did, love what he loved, hate what he hated and relate as he did to those not following Jesus. It is simple but hard.
John 6:51-63...These impacting words were not difficult to understand but they were difficult because the people did understand. They were simple but hard. Following Jesus changed after hearing this. He defined it now in a way that separated belief from following. Jesus was a revolutionary and was not interested in people just showing up but was committed to completely changing our whole view and way of life. Nothing short of this was acceptable.
Mind Games...This could change everything
What do you think about the difference between believing and following Jesus? In what way have you believed without really following Jesus?
Connections...I want to discuss this with...
In what ways have you seen Christian groups or churches make following Jesus too complex or easy? What impact does Jesus being a revolutionary make in the world you live in?
First Steps...Making it real
What is one adjustment you will make this week or month in order to more completely follow Jesus? In your opinion, what is a difficult statement Jesus made that causes you difficulty?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wake me Tomorrow
Proverbs 1:1-6
These words are packed with real meaning for us. They relate to everything we do and think about. We have them so we can make sense out of life. God did not leave us in the dark without a flashlight but gives us clear understanding of how to deal with Mondays or perplexing situations that come up all the time. To live right is to live with certainty. We do not have to look back at any day or week and wonder what it was all about...but we don't have to have all the answers either.
Many people have opinions and give advise. (Proverbs 18:2) Some is helpful but not all is worth our time thinking about. When God speaks however, it is like a cramp that grabs us and we know it is real.
We can understand what life means. We can have a grasp of what is real. TV reality shows pale in comparison to what God has given us when it comes to understanding what the point is about our life. God is honest with us but sometimes we don't want to read the instructions. We think we can put the stove together without the manual...or live life as it is suppose to be lived without looking at anything written in an old book.
What does it mean to "understand"? I believe it partly means we can make sense of life, or connect with God's purpose, or to really get it or see it. Isaiah 55:8,9 mentions that God thinks and works in ways that we will not figure out. We have to get comfortable with that and realize that when he wants us to "get it" we will.
God wants us to understand "where life is going." But, for most of us, life is confusing and not clear much of the time. Because God does not change, his purposes do not change for us. We do not have to know all of the curves on the road but we can be certain of the destination. God is intentional in his commitment to us. There are no random acts of anything where God is concerned...he has thought it through. The Bible gives us that certainty.
God cares enough about us that he has made it clear in the Bible "how to live life." There are many skills we can learn in the Bible such as: How to make decisions, how to recognize dangers, how to resolve conflict, how to not live with a critical spirit, how to forgive people, and many others.
If you and I have an issue we need information on, we can be sure God has thought about it long before we have and he has answers we need.
FOCUS THOUGHT God loves us so much that he has given us insight into how to handle the unending issues life throws at us. A lot of it is written down for us or is given in an ongoing relationship with Jesus. He is a friend...we can talk with him about it.
These words are packed with real meaning for us. They relate to everything we do and think about. We have them so we can make sense out of life. God did not leave us in the dark without a flashlight but gives us clear understanding of how to deal with Mondays or perplexing situations that come up all the time. To live right is to live with certainty. We do not have to look back at any day or week and wonder what it was all about...but we don't have to have all the answers either.
Many people have opinions and give advise. (Proverbs 18:2) Some is helpful but not all is worth our time thinking about. When God speaks however, it is like a cramp that grabs us and we know it is real.
We can understand what life means. We can have a grasp of what is real. TV reality shows pale in comparison to what God has given us when it comes to understanding what the point is about our life. God is honest with us but sometimes we don't want to read the instructions. We think we can put the stove together without the manual...or live life as it is suppose to be lived without looking at anything written in an old book.
What does it mean to "understand"? I believe it partly means we can make sense of life, or connect with God's purpose, or to really get it or see it. Isaiah 55:8,9 mentions that God thinks and works in ways that we will not figure out. We have to get comfortable with that and realize that when he wants us to "get it" we will.
God wants us to understand "where life is going." But, for most of us, life is confusing and not clear much of the time. Because God does not change, his purposes do not change for us. We do not have to know all of the curves on the road but we can be certain of the destination. God is intentional in his commitment to us. There are no random acts of anything where God is concerned...he has thought it through. The Bible gives us that certainty.
God cares enough about us that he has made it clear in the Bible "how to live life." There are many skills we can learn in the Bible such as: How to make decisions, how to recognize dangers, how to resolve conflict, how to not live with a critical spirit, how to forgive people, and many others.
If you and I have an issue we need information on, we can be sure God has thought about it long before we have and he has answers we need.
FOCUS THOUGHT God loves us so much that he has given us insight into how to handle the unending issues life throws at us. A lot of it is written down for us or is given in an ongoing relationship with Jesus. He is a friend...we can talk with him about it.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
How long do I have to run these sprints? Part 2
So, maybe you know someone who is serious about following Jesus. Maybe you are serious about it. What kind of training do they or you need to really do this in our culture? If you are the one wanting some help in running the race, who do you know who can help you? We all need someone in our life who cares about us enough to ask the hard questions and will show us how to run and not give up.
Some things we need to run this race include:
1. How to develop meaningful friendships with co-workers or neighbors.
2. How to talk about who Jesus is and how a person can know him.
3. How to begin a spiritual conversation with a person without turning them off.
4. Knowing what is true, never changes and what it means to be committed to it.
5. How to help a follower of Jesus grow as a follower and not just a believer.
6. How to help a follower of Jesus know how to get into the Bible and make applications to real life.
There are other things we need along the way and we definitely need a community of like hearted people who can help us in the race.
If you are helping someone now, remember that the focus should be on learning not teaching. Learning rarely happens outside of real life, so, much of your training should be in the market place. Indoor classrooms are comfortable but do not have enough real life oxygen to help us on the track. Videos, I Pods and speeches on" how to run" are a poor substitute for learning how to run the sprints on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
Without training that makes sense, we may show up at the athletic field where life is lived but eventually we will just hang with others who are not showing up anymore to run sprints.
Focus Thought: We need like hearted people in our life to help us begin and keep on following Jesus.
Jeremiah 12:5
Some things we need to run this race include:
1. How to develop meaningful friendships with co-workers or neighbors.
2. How to talk about who Jesus is and how a person can know him.
3. How to begin a spiritual conversation with a person without turning them off.
4. Knowing what is true, never changes and what it means to be committed to it.
5. How to help a follower of Jesus grow as a follower and not just a believer.
6. How to help a follower of Jesus know how to get into the Bible and make applications to real life.
There are other things we need along the way and we definitely need a community of like hearted people who can help us in the race.
If you are helping someone now, remember that the focus should be on learning not teaching. Learning rarely happens outside of real life, so, much of your training should be in the market place. Indoor classrooms are comfortable but do not have enough real life oxygen to help us on the track. Videos, I Pods and speeches on" how to run" are a poor substitute for learning how to run the sprints on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
Without training that makes sense, we may show up at the athletic field where life is lived but eventually we will just hang with others who are not showing up anymore to run sprints.
Focus Thought: We need like hearted people in our life to help us begin and keep on following Jesus.
Jeremiah 12:5
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