The Second Sunday in Lent, February 28, 2010
February 27, 2010
Today’s Sermon is about: Being Aware of God around us, Open to God’s work in us and being willing to work with God in the world.
A minister once began the sermon: “As I understand our relative positions, my job as is to preach the sermon and your job is to listen to the sermon. Now, before I begin, I have a favor to ask of you. If you get to the end of your job before I get to the end of my job, would someone please let me know?”
Who lives in you? That’s the question that comes to mind as we read those words of Jesus this morning when he tells the Pharisees, “Go tell that fox (Herod) that I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow and on the third day reach my goal.” I will do what I must. For God lives in me. I am a citizen of heaven. Let him do what he must!
Let your imagination run free for a moment and picture yourself, your personality, who you are really, as a house. Any kind of house will do — just so it’s yours. For some it may be a huge castle, with lofty turrets and banners waving in the breeze, a place that is safe and secure. For others it may be a rustic cabin, tucked away in the woods, a peaceful and quiet refuge. For others still, it might be a nice little retirement home, with a rocking chair on the front porch, a shade tree in front and a nice warm breeze stirring flowers blooming in front.
Now, move in closer and imagine the front door of that house. Picture someone pushing the doorbell, clanking the knocker, or rapping on the door. If someone came to the door of your house, who would they find inside? Who lives in you?
I’m not sure about you, but I’ve met people who gave me the distinct impression that if I went inside the “houses” of their lives, I wouldn’t find anyone home. Or if I went inside their houses, they would be so cluttered with junk that there wouldn’t be any room for anyone. Or some whose houses are great and impressive on the outside, but once I entered everything would be artificial.
Who lives in you? That’s the question for us to address this Second Sunday in Lent. Who lives in you? What guides your decisions? What sets the course of your life? What determines the way you think and treat others around you? Most of us would like to say that it is our Christian faith that determines who we are. But is that so? For there are two kinds of people who can be home — citizens of the world and citizens of heaven.
Who lives in you? Think back over the decisions you’ve made this past week. Who made them — a citizen of this world or a citizen of heaven? Recall the way you spoke to those around you and the way you treated others. Who was present then? What about the offering you bring this morning, what kind of relationship with God does it reflect? Is it a citizen of heaven, the child of God, who is present in us? Or is it a stranger of this world, one who cares little about others, who thinks first of him or herself, whose actions fail to give witness to the allegiance we claim to have with God?
Who lives in you? What stirs you each day of your life? We’d like to know? —from esermons.com
LENT
-. If something is worth giving up, it should be for more than just the few weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
- Lent and Advent are both preparation times before a big event
- Think of Lent as an Outward Bound for the soul. No one has to sign up for it, but if you do then you give up the illusion that you are in control of your life. B.B.Taylor
-. Lent = “Lencten” meaning spring time (Old English)
-. If sackcloth and ashes are at the start of it, something like Easter may be at the end. (Buechner)
-. Buechner suggests that during lent we ask these questions:
a. When you look in the mirror what do you see you most like…you most want to deplore
b. What last message would you give to a handful of people most dear to you. (25 words or less)
c. Which thing you have done would you most like to undo?
d. What person, or cause would you die for?
e. If this were the last day of your life, what would you do?
Answering these help us to see who we are and what we are becoming.
-Fill communion cups with water so we can so we can taste the “almost nothing” that is living.
- Pretzel — an ancient bakery item. Used to be eaten only during lent. Goes back to 5th century. Shape is made in the form of two arms crossed in prayer.
- Ash Wednesday is a kind of baptismal branding.
-. Lenten penance may be more effective if we fail in our resolutions than if we succeed for its purpose is not to confirm us but to bring home to us our need for salvation
-We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table “Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.” But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, “Get lost.” Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul. Craddock (God called Abram to be faithful in the little things, and he was.)
-God makes great people out of ordinary people who are faithful to him.
-We simply give up the notion that we are in control of our lives. that may be why we call it the “leap of faith”
-Without seeing you, we love you; without touching you, we embrace; without knowing you, we follow; without seeing you we believe. Song called Without Seeing You David Hass
-I am afraid of saying ‘Yes”, Lord. Where will you take me? Afraid of drawing the longer straw, afraid of signing my name to an unread agreement. Afraid of the ‘yes” that entails other “yeses”
—-from sermon nuggets.com
Love Completely: Exploring the Depths of Forgiveness
February 27, 2010
Love Completely:
Exploring the Depths of Forgiveness
February 27, 2010
One Month to Live
30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Live Passionately
Principle 2: Love Completely
Day 10, Feb. 27, 2010
Exploring the Depths of Forgiveness
“He who cannot forgive others destroys the bridge over which he himself must pass.” –George Herbert
“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
“Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.” Colossians. 3:13 Message
“With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best—as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.” Matthew 6:9-15
Growing up in the Midwest, I had never been to the ocean. When we traveled to the ocean for the first time I was in awe of the water, the waves, and the smell, the taste of salt in the air and in the water. It’s one of my favorite places to visit all year long.
What I have noticed is that there are many who go to the ocean and they never get in the water. They are content to just be on their beach towels and sun themselves. Some go down to the water and wade in ankle deep. A few go in waste deep, but they tend to go in and out of the water relatively quickly.
In 2007, I learned to scuba dive while on my sabbatical. Scuba-diving is like visiting another world. There is so much to see and explore beneath the surface of the water. And yet a basic diver can descend about 90 feet, safely. That may seem like a lot when the deep end of a pool is 10 feet. However some places of the ocean the floor is over 7 miles deep.
God’s love is a lot like the ocean; most of the time we are simple content to just splash around on the surface. Even when we dive-in to that love we are barley exploring its depths.
“If we only had one month to live, I bet most of us would finally venture into deeper water, realizing that the only way we can be at peace is to confess our sins and experience the forgiveness and mercy, God so freely gives.” “The Key to how we leave this earth basically comes down to how we experience forgiveness and extend it to those around us.”
If you only had one month to live, what would you ask forgiveness for? From Whom? Whom would you need to forgive?
Beneath the Surface
Prayer is like scuba gear that allows us to go deeper into the ways of God and also to get at the heart of the matter: forgiveness. Most of us have been saying the Lord ’s Prayer before we could read. We learned it by saying. Now, sometimes we say it without really considering what we’re praying. Listen: Do you really want God to forgive you, to the same extent that you forgive others?
The only way that you can see underwater is with a mask. Similarly, the only way that we can forgive someone is to see beneath the surface. On the surface there is no logical reason to forgive someone who has hurt you. But when we look below the surface the Bible gives a great reason. God commands it. See Colossians 3:13 above. Forgiveness is not a suggestion. We have to choose to forgive, practice it repeatedly.
How have you experienced the results of bitterness in your life? How is it related to your ability to forgive and be forgiven?
Don’t Hold Your Breath
The number one rule in scuba diving is to never hold your breath. You need to keep breathing. If you hold your breath while ascending to the surface, the air in your lungs will expand, stretching and injuring them.
“The number one rule in diving deep into the life is never hold your bitterness.” When we hold our anger inside, it begins to change into bitterness. If we don’t breath out the resentment, we will explode.
“Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.” Ephes. 4:26-27 Message
Anger is not a bad thing, it’s when we let that anger control us and to fester into bitterness that it becomes a problem. So breathe out the bitterness and breathe in forgiveness. Follows our Lord’s example as he was dying on the cross, “Jesus prayed, ‘Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.’” Luke 23:34
Drop the Anchor
Until you experience the fullness of God’s grace and forgiveness, you’ll never be able to fully forgive others. You’ll never be at peace and see the vision He has for you and your life. You’ll never experience the blessings.
True forgiveness is about swimming in an ocean that’s deeper than we can ever fathom. It’s about experiencing a wave of love that washes away our sins, guilt, and bitterness. If you only had one month to live, wouldn’t you want to move beyond the shallows into the cleansing ocean of forgiveness?
Prayer: Thank you so much for the amazing freedom I find in the depths of your forgiveness. Sometimes I refuse your forgiveness. Help me remember how much you always want me back. Please keep me so aware of your love that it becomes more natural for me to forgive others. Amen.
Love Completely: The Heart of the Matter is Relating and Not Waiting / February 26, 2010
February 26, 2010
Love Completely:
Heart of the Matter
Relating and Not Waiting
February 26, 2010
One Month to Live
30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Live Passionately
Principle 2: Love Completely
Day 9, Feb. 26, 2010
The Heart of the Matter: Relating and not Waiting
“Vanity it is, to wish to live long, and to careless to live well.” –Thomas ‘A Kempis
“The Measure of a life, after all, is not its duration but its donation.” –Corrie Ten Boom
God said, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.” Genesis 2:18 Message
“And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” Ephes. 3:17-19
The investment that we make in people is the only legacy that has the power to endure beyond our lifetime. It really doesn’t matter how much money we have, where we live, or how many toys we’ve collected. None of them are able to comfort us, console us, cry with us or love us.
God has designed us to be in relationship with Him and with the people around us. Neither are easy relationships to maintain. But when we are in crisis, are mourning the loss of someone we love, or facing death ourselves, it becomes very clear that no matter how many obstacles may have kept you apart, you will want to be together. It becomes the priority, to express your love, ask for forgiveness, create memories, and celebrate the gift of time together.
Today most of us are so busy that maintaining close relationships-even with spouses and immediate families—is challenging. We work the long hours to provide for those we love and to bless them with luxuries that are supposed to express our love, but often at the sacrifice of quality time.
So, if relationships matter most, why don’t we live that way? Why do wait until someone dies to give them flowers? If you only had a month to live, with whom would you want to spend the time with? Whom would you need to apologize? Who needs to be assured today that you love them? What keeps you from spending time and saying those words right now?
Social Studies
It’s tempting as we live our lives to take the people that really matter to us, for granted. We want to be strong and independent, relying on no one but ourselves. We want to protect our hearts from the messy business of life, love and family. Yet we long for someone who connects with us, someone who gets us. God made us as relational beings; we were made in the image of God. From the very beginning, with Adam and Eve we learn that life is messy and full of disappointments.
Who in your life has disappointed you most? How have you handled that relationship—blame, distance, denial, forgiveness? Have the pain and disappointment affected your relationship?
The Price of Love
We long to be loved and to love someone else. But people keep disappointing us, hurting us, and leaving us wanting more intimacy. So we end up settling, we play it safe, but our hearts are wrestles, and we become emotionally bankrupt.
“The most terrible poverty is loneliness.” –Mother Teresa
Love can’t be bought, but it definitely carries a price, and it’s called sacrifice. Love always means risking pain. Pain is an inherent part of any significant relationship.
It’s not that we don’t love God, because we do love God. The problem is that we forget how much God loves us. If we could grasp just a little of how much God loves us, we would be changes people. This lent we experience God’s love as we journey to Jerusalem, the Cross, the Death, the Resurrection. This pain and sacrifice is God’s love for you. My love, your love has limits, but God’s love has none. It’s given to us, unconditionally with no strings attached.
God’s love becomes the foundation upon which we begin to love others. This love opens our hearts for intimacy with God and those around us. Your remaining time on earth is limited. It’s time to build the foundation that will last to eternity.
Prayer: Lord, you know which people are the most important in my life. Sometimes they’re also the hardest part of my life. And I don’t always know what to do, how best to respond, or what results my actions will have on them. But your love holds me each and every moment of each day. Open my eyes and my heart to understand and experience your bottomless, endless love and change me simple by being in my life. Amen.
Live Passionately: Living Life Full Throttle
February 25, 2010
Live Passionately:
Living Life Full Throttle
February 25, 2010
One Month to Live
30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Live Passionately
Day 8, Feb. 25, 2010
Living Life Full Throttle
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” –Howard Thurman
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” –George Eliot
Oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, Ephes. 1:19-20
You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them. Proverbs 28:13
Do you feel powerless at times? Do you have a habit that you feel powerless to break? Is there a relationship that is falling apart, even if you have tried everything to restore it? Maybe there is any issue at work that is draining your energy and creativity. Each day is over scheduled and right now your feeling drained physically, overwhelmed emotionally and burned out spiritually. You are not alone in your journey. There are many pilgrims who are feeling the exactly the same as you in this pilgrimage called life.
People facing death are forced to recognize their limitations and powerlessness. They depend on others for the most basic things of life. In the end they are forced to face God. In that turning to God, they discover the ultimate power. This same power is always available for us if we turn to God as well.
Crashes
We all crash. We all fail. Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that don’t work.” When you fail, do you start again? Or do you just give up and walk away. Our God is the God of second chances. His power will help us start over. When was the last time you experienced a crash or failure? How did you handle it? How has its impact continued to influence your life? Your relationships with those you love? Your relationship with God?
Loss Lessons
You might be in the middle of a crash site right now. Maybe it’s a crash in your marriage, a crash with your kids or parents, or a crash in your employment? Jesus can see right into your broken heart. He sees the guilt, the regret, the shame. He surrounds us in love and reminds us that our failure is never the final word. Failure is never fatal with God. We are forgiven and released of our guilt. We are sent back out into the world to begin our pilgrimage again.
What is the hardest lesson you have learned from one of your life failures? How has learning that lesson strengthened your character? Your faith?
Power of Denial
“Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NRSV
Jesus invites us to change our mantra from satisfy myself to deny myself. When the disciple Peter denied Jesus, he crashed. But when he learned to deny himself, he became a champion. Trusting God is often uncomfortable, because our faith in him is a lifelong work in progress. But God is patient and faithful even when we are unfaithful. His power redeems us and transforms us from death to life.
“so what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” –Lee Iacocca
Prayer: God, I’d like to begin again. But I don’t have the power. So, God of second chances, I’m completely dependent on you. I’m not even sure of the way to go. My way failed. So guide me in your way. I need you to resurrect my confidence in a worthwhile future. Please work in my heart with the power that raised Jesus from the dead. Amen.
Live Passionately: Thawing Out Your FRozen Dreams; Day 7
February 24, 2010
Live Passionately:
Thawing out your frozen Dreams
February 24, 2010
One Month to Live
30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Live Passionately
Day 7, Feb. 24, 2010
Thawing Out Your Frozen Dreams
“Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake.” –Henry David Thoreau
“There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, ’Yes, I’ve got dreams, of course I’ve got dreams.’ Then they put the box away and bring it out once in a while to look in it, and yep, they’re still there. –Erma Bombeck
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephes. 3:20 Message
A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:10 Message
A dream is something that calls to us, something that may seem impossible or crazy but tastes sweeter and more fulfilling than we ever could have imagined. But for most of us, fulfilling our dreams rarely goes smoothly. We often watch our dreams implode or explode before our eyes. Sometimes our drams are not lost, but rather just buried, like a popsicle in the back of a freezer, where they have become brittle with freezer burn and the ice crystals have corroded their sweetness.
Everyday life as a way of wearing down the dreams of our youth and deflating the hope of seeing them come to pass. We are often dream shy, and eventually just put our dreams away and go into our daily survival mode to just get through each days tasks.
This Lent, as we reflect on living without regrets. The “what-if’s and “If only’s” will haunt us, unless we know that we have poured ourselves into bringing our unique dreams to life. Many of us have no idea what our dreams are and what you really want out of life. Do you ever feel this way? The brokenness of life’s relationships, promises, circumstances cause an avalanche of pain that buries our desires and dreams.
How connected do you feel to your dreams? Does your day-to-day life reflect an active pursuit of your dreams? What prevents you from such a pursuit?
Dreams Float
How do we know if a dream is really from God or just an idea that popped into our heads?
First, God’s dreams never go against his Word.
Second, God’s dreams tend to rise to the top while everything else melts away. This usually requires faith. Because if the dream is from God, it will be so big in your life that you can’t do it on your own, it will have to be a God thing.
Third, God’s dreams tend to make a difference in the lives of others; they’re not selfish dreams.
Fourth, God’s dreams come from your heart, the very core of your being. God places dreams deep in your heart.
How has God revealed and reinforced His dreams for your life? How have you typically responded in the past? How would you respond differently if you only had one month to live?
Rocky Road
There is one who exists for no other reason than to play games and deceive you. This enemy fears your heart, because he knows what God can do through ordinary people like you to make extraordinary differences in the world. Satan knows the dreams in your heart, and he is committed to wounding your heart, disabling us in our discipleship. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:10 Message
If Satan can’t keep us from pursing God’s dreams in our lives, then he will get us to doubts our dreams. He will fill us with impatience, fear, worry, anxiety, and frustration. So often, God’s timing is not our timing and we are left waiting and this waiting leads to questions and questioning of ourselves and God. “When is this ever going to happen?” “When Lord, am I ever going to meet the right person?” “When, Lord?” Why does God send everyone through the waiting room of life? Maybe God wants us to rely on and trust Him.
When life gets tough, when we’re hurting and weary, when we are wounded, we must remember that God is with us. Yes we fail, yes were a mess, yes, we’re weak and tired. Yes, we want to give up. But God never gives up on us. He will keep whispering in our ears his promises and fill us with his power to keep the faith and keep dreaming his dreams for our lives and for the world.
Prayer: My frozen dream is in your hands, Lord. Help me to trust you to let it thaw out. I choose to believe that, if it’s Your dream for me, You’ll give me hope, passion, and power to fulfill it. And if it’s not, please give me new direction. Please heal me and give me strength to resist Satan’s lies. Thank you for your promises to me. Help me trust you more. Amen.
Live Passionately: Letting Go
February 22, 2010
Live Passionately: Letting Go
February 23, 2010
One Month to Live-30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Live Passionately
Day 6, Feb. 23, 2010
Risking Greatness
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” –Helen Keller
“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” –William Shedd
Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd. When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him. Luke 5:1-11
That day, Jesus revealed the unexpected potential in Peter’s life. He changed from fisher-man to man-fisher, Peter was destined to become the rock-solid follower on which Jesus built his church.
What are you clinging to right now that you need to let go of in order to move forward in your life? What keeps you from trusting that God will catch you?
Talent Show
The only way to risk greatness is to trust God with all areas of your life. Not only is it exhausting to hang on for dear life, but it keeps us from pursing the much larger and more fulfilling dreams God has for us. When we cling to our own goals and methods, we miss opportunities that would bless and strengthen us. God wants us to trust Him to accomplish incredible things we could never achieve on our own. Often we play it safe, satisfied with the status quo and justifying our conservative approach by telling ourselves it’s what God wants.
In which areas are you more likely to take a risk—personal, professional, relational, or spiritual? In which are do you tend to play in safe? Why is it easier to take risks in some area than others?
Risk Management
What keeps us clinging to our own efforts instead of risking the greatness that God directs us toward? For many of us, it’s the loss of control. We thank that if we really let go and allow God to catch and direct us, we’ll end up spending our lives like a prison sentence, doing something we hate.
What does letting go look like? Often it involves patience and looking for God’s hands in places we might not expect.
“Too often we’re like children who settle for playing in mud puddles when the beauty and immensity of the ocean are just a few feet away.“ –C. S. Lewis
Fear is another obstacle that keeps us clinging, long after it’s time to move one. And fear can certainly paralyze us. God’s love is greater than all our fears. When we fail, God loves to redeem our failures, to transform our mistakes into part of His plan and our ultimate purpose.
Just Do It
We miss so many moments, large and small, when we aren’t willing to break out of the pattern of least resistance and attempt greater things. But if we knew our days were numbered, and suddenly our priorities were clearly illuminated, it would make it much easier to hear God’ call and take the plunge. We wouldn’t be worries about what others were thinking. We wouldn’t be worried about failing or wasting time, because we would recognize that regrets would outweigh wither of them.
If you’re worn out from holding on so tightly and you feel as if you’re losing your grip on life, let go and feel the strong arms of a loving God catch you. In your heavenly Father’s grip of grace, you’ll experience the security and peace you’ve always longed for.
Prayer: Okay, God we both know what I’ve been putting off. And we both know why. I’m putting this situation in your hands. The whats and the whys of my can changes, but you never change. Your power and authority in my life are absolute. I want to take this risk. Walk through it with me, please. Thank you for your power that enables me to do your will, focusing my attention on this moment so that I can live without regrets. Amen.
Live Passionately: Oxygen Mask; Breathing First
February 22, 2010
Live Passionately: Oxygen Mask
February 22, 2010
One Month to Live-30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Live Passionately
Day 5, Feb. 22, 2010
Breathing First
“This is your life. Are you who you want to be?” Switchfoot
“In the event that our cabin pressure should change, an oxygen mask will be released from the overhead compartment. Please place the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping small children or others who may need assistance.” Airline Safety Announcement
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, John 13:3 NRSV
He said to him, ” ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 NRSV
The airline Safety Announcement’s instructions are based on an obvious rational: You can’t help anyone if you’ve passed out from lack of oxygen yourself. This also contains a truth for our daily lives as well. If we want to live a no-regrets life style, love our family, be a healing agent to those around us and leave behind a legacy. Then were going to have to take time and focus on ourselves. Because if we’re not healthy spiritually, physically, emotionally and relationally, how can you move beyond yourself and invest in others?
Jesus summed up the commandments with two: Love God and love neighbor as much as you love yourself. Erwin McManus talks about this scripture in his book Uprising, “For years I interpreted the second part of this commandment as meaning that you could not love others until you loved yourself, that you had to first love yourself and then you could love your neighbor. I have becoming convinced this is exactly what it is not saying. The second commandment is not sequential. There are not three commandments—just two. It’s jot love God, then love yourself, then love others; it is love God and love others as yourself. It is a command to give yourself away, to take your focus off yourself and to make others the focus of your life. There is a difference between loving yourself and being in love with yourself. When you have a proper relationship with God, you have a healthy sense of yourself. God’s love allows you to find fulfillment in the person He has created you to become.”
Our spiritual connection with God is like a limitless oxygen mask. Healthy bodies, emotions, and relationships emerge from putting on the oxygen mask so we can then help others.
Get Physical
Whether you have thirty days or thirty years left, you should realize that how you treat your body has a direct and lasting impact on the quality of life you enjoy. How do you cultivate a healthy body image? You need to be connected to God’s oxygen mask. If you’re struggling with body image, it may be because you’re breathing in societies lies about what is acceptable. To be healthy physically we must also be healthy spiritually. Paul writes: Didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. 1 Cor. 6:19-20
The question really becomes, are we worshipping the temple (body) or the One in the temple? God lives in you. Your body is the temple of God, and that’s why it’s so important to take care of yourself. What would it look like for you to take better care of your temple? What one step can you take today toward improving your physical health? When we are connected to God, we move from willpower to God’s power.
How Do You Feel?
Emotions are powerful force in our lives. So many people function according to how they feel. How many times have you not follow through on something and then given the excuse, “you didn’t feel like it?” We are created emotional beings. We just have to express our emotion without being controlled by them. That doesn’t mean we suppress our emotions. Denying our emotions or burying how we feel, is like trying to keep a beach ball underwater. It might work for a while, but the beach ball is going to surface and when it does it going to make a splash. Think of the last time a feeling overwhelmed you—fear, joy, disappointment, excitement, jealousy or anger. How did you express it? What do you wish you’d done differently?
Relationally Connected
We are made to be in community with each other. If you knew that you only had a few weeks to live, you would not want to die alone. You would want those you care about to know your truest self. You would want to give them your final heart message. You would want to leave behind a legacy of enduring love and ongoing faith.
Prayer: Father, You made me and you bought me. I’m yours twice over. Because you love me so much, I want to be healthy for you. And for all the people you want me to love. Help me remember to stay constantly connected with you during this season of Lent. Amen.
Lent One
February 20, 2010
Today is Sunday, February 21, 2010. On the Sundays in Lent we will be pausing from our Lenten book: One Month To Live by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Our gospel lesson for today is from Luke 4:1-15
Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. [2] For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.
[3] The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.”
[4] Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.”
[5] For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. [6] Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. [7] Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.”
[8] Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”
[9] For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, “If you are God’s Son, jump. [10] It’s written, isn’t it, that ‘he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; [11] they will catch you; you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone’?”
[12] “Yes,” said Jesus, “and it’s also written, ‘Don’t you dare tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
[13] That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.
Temptation
-God uses the wilderness for preparation. Jesus is in good company; Elijah and Moses spent time in the wilderness, as did of course the whole people of Israel. 40 years for them, 40 days for Jesus
-Nicolas Berdyaev, a devout Christian, observed, “I always knew…that freedom gives birth to suffering, while the refusal to be free diminishes suffering…freedom is hard; it is a heavy burden.” We face this burden on the Lenten journey.
-Lent is a great and graced time to face our temptations and deface them gracefully. Larry Gillick
-In essence, the devil says to him, “Be both in this world and of this world. de Jong
This passage (4:1-11) is often appointed by lectionaries for the first Sunday of Lent. The presumption is that the narrative is of direct relevance for Christians as they enter a period of penitence. Ordinary Christians are unlikely to perceive it so, and with good cause. The story does not correspond with our experience; we do not hold conversations with a visible devil, nor are we whisked from place to place as Jesus is in the story. Moreover, the temptations that Jesus faces are peculiar to him; they seem very remote from those we face day by day. This passage may in fact prompt some to doubt the validity of Hebrews 4:15: “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” What did Jesus know of the temptations that are faced daily by the recovering alcoholic and substance abuser? the lonely divorcee? the struggling business owner? the teenager who covets peer acceptance above all? There is, however, a common denominator that links all of these with the temptations ascribed to Jesus. The basic, underlying temptation that Jesus shared with us is the temptation to treat God as less than God. We may not be tempted to turn stones into bread (we are more apt to turn butter into guns, but we are constantly tempted to mistrust God’s readiness to empower us to face our trials. None of us is likely to put God to the test by leaping from a cliff, but we are frequently tempted to question God’s helpfulness when things go awry; we forget the sure promise, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). Pagan idolatry is no more a temptation for us than it was for Jesus, but compromise with the ways of the world is a continuing seduction. It is indeed difficult for us to worship and serve God only. We should be continually grateful that we have a great high priest who, tempted as we are, was able to resist all such temptations by laying hold of Scripture and firmly acknowledging that only God is God.
Douglas R. A. Hare,
Our Own Wilderness Experience
Every one of us has had our own wilderness experience. We have all, I would imagine, felt left alone, trapped in a situation which tears at us precisely because it is so important, because the stakes are so high. These, bitterly enough, are generally the times when nothing we bring to the situation seems relevant or helpful. All our histories and beliefs seem to fade into platitudes and dogmas. They may seem useless or lifeless.
Barbara Brown Taylor describes these wilderness experiences as “an Outward Bound for the soul.” “The real test,” she says, “comes when you go solo� that is when you find out who you really are. That is when you find out what you really miss and what you are really afraid of. Some people dream about their favorite food. Some long for a safe room with a door to lock and others wish they just had a pillow, but they all find out what their pacifiers are – the habits, substances, or surroundings they use to comfort themselves, to block out pain and fear� It is hard. It is awful. It is necessary to encounter the world without anesthesia, to find out what life is like with no comfort but God.”
Leah Grace Goodwin, Stones Into Bread
Principle 1: Live Passionately Day 4, Feb. 20, 2010 Connecting with the Ultimate Source
February 20, 2010
Live Passionately: Power Surge
February 20, 2010
One Month to Live-30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Live Passionately
Day 4, Feb. 20, 2010
Connecting with the Ultimate Source
You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. C.S. Lewis
You formed us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in you. Saint Augustine
So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 1 Cor. 10:12
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, [18] so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, [19] and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. Ephes. 1:17-19 NRSV
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. [29] Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Matthew 11:28-29 MSG
When my daughter, Abigail was born we were living in West Virginia. We brought her home and a few days later a thunderstorm rolled through our county. The thunderstorm knocked out our power and it stayed off for a whole week. We were living in the country and that meant when the power went off not only did we have no heat, refrigerator or freezer; but also no water, which also meant no working toilets. We had to go out to a stream and bring in buckets of water to flush the toilet. Having a two year old, a new born and two adults living a week without power, made a huge impression on us. We need power. We are dependent on power.
We need other kinds of power too, such as the power to make changes in our lives. We call this willpower. Most of the time my willpower is very sketchy. It’s not very consistent. We need to connect to a power source that is consistent. We need to connect with the creator. Jesus offers us this invitation: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.” Matthew 11:28-29
The author asks: “In what area of your life are you struggling the most to change? Is it getting physically fit or losing weight? Is it breaking a bad habit? Is it a relationship issue? Are you trying to change with willpower or God’s power?”
Spiritual Energy
We were created as spiritual beings, but we tend to put a lot more energy into our physical health rather than our spiritual health. If you only had one month to live before your physical body collapsed, wouldn’t you want the part that’s going to live forever to be as healthy as possible? The key to a healthy spirit is being connected to the Creator.
Fruitful Living
How does one stay connected to the ultimate power?
Jesus tells us: “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.” John 15:1-5
Remember who you are: You are a branch; He’s the vine. You stay connected, and God will produce fruits in your life.
Perennial Pruning
The Master Gardner, is an expert pruner. He know when to cut, where to cut and how much to cut to produce the best in our lives. What are some ways you’ve seen God prune areas of your life? How have you handled the pruning? (Be honest—we all whine at times.) What has been the result of God’s cuts into your life? Where are you still waiting to see results?
Constant Connection
How do we maintain our connection to the ultimate power source? One; we need constant communication through prayer. Second; we need constant confession. This means that we need to remind ourselves that we can’t do it on our own, that we need God to work in our lives to provide us with his power and strength. Confession is agreeing with God that our way was wrong and repentance is deciding to go God’s way.
We have to be connected to a power source beyond ourselves—a power source that never wavers, flickers, or leaves us in the dark. We have to move from willpower to the real power that comes from a connection to our Creator.
Prayer: God I need your help to stop relying on my own power instead of yours. Your wisdom is endless. Your abilities are boundless. And you care more about me than I can ever know. So I want your power today. I know that trying to live in my own strength is wrong. Thank you for always forgiving me. Help me live your way today. Amen.
Live Passionately: Time Squared; Spending Your Most Valuable Resource
February 19, 2010
Live Passionately: Time Squared
February 19, 2010
One Month to Live-30 days to a no-regrets Life
by Kerry and Chris Shook.
Principle 1: Time Squared
Day 3, Feb. 19, 2010
Spending Your Most Valuable Resource
I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well. –Diane Ackerman
Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. Matthew 23:23
We all have the same number of minutes every day. We can’t increase the length of the day. But we can choose how to invest them. If you want to live with no regrets, then you may need to inventory your life and see how you’ve been spending your time.
What consumes your time each day? Be specific. You may saw work. Then what is it that consumes you at work? How meaningful is it? How satisfying is it? How much of any given day do you spend doing only what you do best?
Most of us have experienced seasons in our lives when time seemed to just grind by as we watched the clock, willing seconds to pass faster. On the other hand, you can probably recall times when the hours flew by. What made the difference? Why do some days feel so much more meaningful than others? How can we be fully engaged with the present and not get trapped by the past or paralyzed by the future?
Picture your life as a village with three buildings—a school, a bank and your home. The school is your past, where you go to study the curriculum of your prior experience. But you can’t change the bad or relive the good. You don’t live there. The bank is your future. You visit it o plan your investment of today’s time and resources. But you don’t live there either. You can only prepare for the future.
When we try to live in the past or the future we vacate our home—the here and now. For a life of purpose, you must live in the present, where you can make a difference by applying the lessons of the past and making wise choices to impact the future.
Time once spent cannot be reclaimed. Once an hour, minute, or moment is over, it’s gone forever. However, we can redeem the remaining time we have. We can reconsider our God given purpose and the eternal legacy we want to leave behind and allow them to guide our schedule moving forward.
Richard Koch, author of the business book, The 80/20 Principle, studied many businesses and successful individuals and came to this conclusion: For most business, 20 % of their activity produces 80% of their results. Do you agree? Does 20% of what you do in your life produce 80% of your results? It there wasted time in your life?
You and I are conditioned to believe that in order for our time to be worthwhile,, we must have something to show for it; which means, we can’t enjoy down time because it doesn’t produce anything tangible. But a Sabbath rest is essential for our lives. We need to become attuned to a greater measure of time than mere clocks and calendars.
If you knew you only had one month to live, wouldn’t you want to take more time to linger over a meal with your family? To inhale the rich aroma of a cup of coffee as you watch the sunrise through a window in your home. Read a meaningful book, poem or passage of scripture? Take walks in the woods listening to the world around you?
We were created for a Sabbath rest. If we’re going to manage our time in such a way that maximizes it, then we must be willing to live by an eternal clock, listening to God in our lives as well as listening to our bodies and hearts.
We were not created to be slaves to time. We were created to be active and present in the lives we’ve been given. Make the most of your time by spending it on a legacy that will last long after your time on earth has ended. Do it today.
Prayer: God I’ve been killing time. I’ve wasted so many chances to do important things for you. I’m sorry. Take my priorities—the ones I really own, down deep—and show me how to make them more like Your priorities. Make my heart beat faster for the things that excite you. Most of all, give me a heart that can never get enough time with you. Amen.
